Chapter 5: Astonishment

In the Great Xia Nation, the college entrance examination had two sections: literature and martial arts. The literature section accounted for 30% of the total score and primarily consisted of rote memorization subjects like "Mystic Realm Rules" and "Monster Encyclopedia."

In theory, everyone should score full marks in the literature section.

However, in reality, the dull and monotonous nature of the literature section was far less appealing than the martial arts section. Many students lost points in the literature section every year.

Route Ming didn't want to lose any points.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye as Route Ming used the Light Focus four times to memorize all four textbooks. He stopped only when he felt a throbbing headache.

"Is this the feeling of overusing my brain?"

Route Ming massaged his temples, experiencing sharp pain emanating from within. It seemed that studying continuously for two hours in a focused state was his limit.

Moreover, using Light Focus four times in a row had drained his magic power faster than it could recover. He needed some rest to replenish it.

Despite being on the verge of exhaustion and experiencing physical discomfort, Route Ming felt excited.

Now, he could remember every single word on every page with perfect clarity!

Given a day's time, acing the literature section would be a breeze!

Route Ming endured the discomfort, glanced at his sister in the living room to ensure she was okay, then quietly covered her with a blanket. Afterward, he returned to his bedroom and lay down to rest.

If he didn't rest now, he felt like his head would explode.

When he woke up, it was already 7:00 in the evening, and darkness had fallen. Route Ming lay in bed, and he could vaguely hear his parents talking to Route Xuan in the living room, their voices exceptionally clear.

The symptoms of his headache had completely disappeared, and he felt not only comfortable but also unusually refreshed.

"System Panel."

Route Ming opened the Heavenly Dao Interface and was astonished to find that his four-dimensional attributes had changed!

His Intelligence attribute had increased from the original 5 points to 6 points!

Could reciting books actually increase intelligence?

Or was it related to the intense brain usage, followed by rest and natural intelligence improvement?

Furthermore, behind the Light Focus skill level, a proficiency bar appeared.

[Skill: Light Focus]

[Skill Level: Lv1, Proficiency: 24/100]

"Proficiency?"

"Does this mean the mastery level of the skill at this level? Or is it just raw data?"

"Does mastering proficiency at this level increase the skill level and give it more powerful effects?"

Route Ming speculated based on the literal meaning of the information.

At this moment, Route Mother's voice came from outside, "Route Ming! Route Ming! Don't sleep, come out for dinner."

"Coming."

Route Ming pushed aside his doubts and hurriedly got up.

These things about the Heavenly Dao Interface would likely be explained by the teachers tomorrow, and there was no rush to understand them now. But if he missed dinner, his mother would be furious.

Route Ming's parents were workers at the Cat Beast Claw Processing Factory, where they polished and processed the claws that the machines sent over. While it might seem easy, those who had actually worked there knew how exhausting it was. Just standing in front of the machines all day was uncomfortable, let alone constantly bending over to polish cat beast claws. The worst part was the repetitive motion throughout the day, with no breaks. It was truly demanding.

As a result, Route Ming's parents, in their forties, appeared as if they were in their fifties or sixties.

Their income was decent, with a combined monthly salary of 15,000 Da Xia Coins. However, with Route Xuan's monthly expenses of 8,000 Da Xia Coins, 600 Da Xia Coins for rent, and other living expenses, they struggled to save any money.

Route Ming got dressed and walked out of his bedroom. At that moment, his mother cast a critical eye over him and immediately found ten things wrong, saying, "You come back in the afternoon, and you didn't even spend time with your sister. All you do is sleep! Your hair hasn't been washed, and you've made the sofa so messy."

The sofa was clearly messed up by Route Xuan, but Route Ming kept his thoughts to himself and responded with a playful smile, "Let's eat, Mom's cooking is delicious, much better than the school food. I woke up smelling the aroma."

"You're quite the smooth talker."

Route Mother couldn't help but laugh and got up to serve Route Ming a bowl of rice.

Route Xuan had already informed their parents about Route Ming's change in occupation. Therefore, dinner tonight was exceptionally sumptuous. It was also because Route Ming would be staying at the school dormitory starting tomorrow.

After dinner, the family went for a stroll in the community, pushing Route Xuan in her wheelchair. It was the most relaxing time for Route Father and Route Mother, free from the exhaustion of work, and they could leisurely enjoy some quality time together with their daughter.

Route Ming followed behind, watching his parents, who were shorter than him, and felt determined to achieve good results to ease their burden.

Route Father and Route Mother would wake up at 6:00 in the morning to go to work and had to retire to bed by 9:00 pm to ensure they had enough energy for the next day. One incident involved a worker falling asleep at the machine due to fatigue and losing their life. Therefore, their evening walk couldn't last too long. They returned home when it was almost 9:00 pm.

Once back in his room, Route Ming used Light Focus several more times to memorize all the textbooks from his first and second year. When he started to experience that throbbing headache again, he decided to rest.

The next day, at Lincheng First High School:

Route Ming felt refreshed as he entered the school with his friend, Little Fatty Zhang Xiaowu. They headed to the academic affairs office.

In the morning, Route Ming's Intelligence had increased to 7 points, and the proficiency of the Light Focus skill had reached 72 points. It wouldn't be long before he reached Lv2.

"Hey, Lao Lu, have you heard? High school seniors will have weekly quizzes and monthly exams this year. It's so strict!"

Zhang Xiaowu complained.

Route Ming had been prepared for his senior year and had a strong desire to excel. He actually felt that the stricter the better, but he didn't voice this thought. He somehow felt that it was challenging to discuss the importance of ambition with Zhang Xiaowu, so he simply agreed and complained along with him.

"Old Lu, I didn't see your name in the class assignments. Are you in Class Nine?"

"I don't know yet," Route Ming replied. "I couldn't find my name on the board."

"I'll check it for you."

Route Ming focused on the bulletin board and started looking for his name, while Zhang Xiaowu began checking the assignments for him. They were in this together.

The entire senior class had 28 classes, with each class having over 50 students. It was a tedious task to find their names among so many. Therefore, they mainly relied on their friends to inform them.

Just like Zhang Xiaowu and Route Ming, as soon as they