Zoe Thediing

Monroe Ja's skills were actually quite poor; he wasn't really a disciple of Professor Zeller Ja. However, he did have a connection to Zeller Ja—he was his nephew. Relying on this relationship, Monroe had set up the training course using his uncle's name. Zeller was aware of what his nephew was doing, but such ventures were not uncommon and didn't affect him much. Occasionally, he would lend a helping hand.

Monroe's skills are not high, but he is good with talking and knows the tricks of deceiving people. Just reading from a book isn't enough; after all, the book only contains so much, and it needs to be supplemented with additional content. He understands what kind of people attend these training courses, so he quickly came up with a good idea.

As long as it's a simple basic concept, he talks about it extensively and in great detail, even spending half a day explaining the simplest theorem and going through numerous derivations. For more difficult topics, he just brushes over them briefly. To an outsider, it might seem like the teacher's lectures are quite detailed and comprehensive. However, to someone in the know, it is definitely seen as a superficial show, a complete attempt to deceive.

However, Chris listened with great attention. His foundation was so weak that sometimes, when he encountered something he didn't understand, he didn't even know which books to consult. Without guidance, Chris's progress over the past three years had been very slow. To a card maker, these basics are considered fundamental and they believe there's no need to explain them in such detail. However, Monroe Ja's extensive discussion of the basic content was just what Chris needed, and many of the confusing points that had troubled him before suddenly became clear.

From then on, Chris attended every single one of Monroe's classes without missing any. Theory and practice complemented and enhanced each other. Over the past three years, Chris had been attempting to improve the one-star energy cards through his own trial and error, which also brought him valuable experience. By comparing and contrasting, his progress accelerated rapidly. His previous understanding of one-star energy cards was somewhat vague, but now he has increasingly clear insight into the structure of these cards.

"Alright, there's only one more class left in this session. And I have some good news to share. Since we are co-hosting with East Guard Academy, we can also participate in the annual advanced training exams held by East Guard Academy. Everyone, make a card and bring it to me next time. If any of you are selected, there's a good chance you could be chosen for further training at East Guard Academy," Monroe said with a serious expression on his face.

Although he had little practical knowledge, his skill with talking and his sense of humor made him quite likable, and his relationship with the students was actually quite good.

The next day, everyone submitted the cards they had made. Chris submitted a one-star energy card.

The so-called advanced training exams at East Guard Academy were specifically set up for those who attended training sessions co-hosted with the academy. The original intention was to provide exceptionally talented students from these training sessions with an opportunity for formal education. However, over the years, it has gradually become a formality, with neither the organizers nor the academy showing much interest in it. Embarrassingly, in over thirty years, only two students have been selected through these exams.

Monroe didn't take it seriously either. He knew his students well and thought that no one would be able to produce a complete card. So, he didn't bother to record the names of these cards but simply put them all into a paper bag. Sigh, it's really a tough job for him, as he has to handle three classes.

After finishing all the classes, Monre made a trip to his uncle's office at East Guard Academy, casually threw the three paper bags onto the desk, and then went off to find some relaxation and fun.

When Zeller returned to his office and saw the three paper bags, he couldn't help but frown. At over fifty years old, his face had already begun to show a number of wrinkles. Although he understood that these things were mostly just for show, since they were promised, the formalities still needed to be carried out. However, how could such tasks possibly be left to a distinguished professor?

Zeller pressed the activation button on the degree meter on his wrist. Compared to Chris's, his degree meter was much more exquisite and compact, only the size of a palm. Made of pure silver and engraved with intricate patterns, it had three straps crafted from the jagged crocodile leather native to Mohadi Territory. The degree meter had four card slots, and it was clearly of considerable value.

A semi-transparent screen appeared before him, displaying a long list of names. His comm card had been activated through the device. The invention of the comm card is relatively recent, only about thirty years old, but it has become widely used. These cards vary in grade depending on the distance they can cover, with the highest-grade cards capable of providing flawless communication across the entire Sky Federation—though the cost is beyond the reach of most people. Ordinary citizens typically use one-star to city-level comm cards, while Zeller's card was of a higher grade, a three-star card, allowing communication across an entire district.

Zeller lightly tapped a name on the screen with his finger, which was adorned with a sapphire ring.

After about five seconds, the translucent screen displayed the image of a handsome young man. His glossy, shoulder-length hair gave him a somewhat androgynous appearance, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Teacher, do you need something from me?" Zoe Thediing asked respectfully, his tone cold.

Knowing his student's usual demeanor, Zeller simply replied, "Come to my office."

About ten minutes later, Zoe arrived at the office.

"Organize these things," Zeller said, pointing to the three paper bags on the desk.

Zeo responded with a simple acknowledgment and began organizing the cards in the three paper bags. Seeing that Zeo showed no sign of impatience, Zeller nodded in satisfaction. Zeo Thediing was his prized student—exceptionally talented, academically outstanding, and deeply respectful of his teachers. He was meticulous in his work, and almost every teacher who had taught him held him in high regard. Moreover, he was thoughtful and considerate, always presenting expensive gifts during holidays. In the eyes of his teachers, he was nearly the perfect student.

Zeo carefully sorted through the cards one by one, most of which were in terrible condition, filled with numerous errors. Though his expression remained unchanged, he couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Handling this kind of tedious task was truly unpleasant, especially when it fell on his shoulders.

Discarded card!

Discarded card!

This one is ridiculous!

For such a simple card, there are at least fifteen errors!

It's still a discarded card!

Zeo had beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He finally found a somewhat decent card! He let out a long sigh of relief. Normally, he wouldn't even glance at a one-star energy card, but in this situation, finding such a simple one-star energy card made him feel a bit excited.

After sorting through the three paper bags, only one card remained in front of Zeo: a one-star energy card. As he was about to report to Professor Ja, he suddenly thought it best to check again in order to avoid any embarrassment. The appalling condition of the discarded cards had left Zeo, usually calm and collected, feeling uneasy. He didn't want to make a fool of himself by missing any small errors on this card. He quickly placed the remaining one-star energy card carefully in front of him.

"What!"

He let out a soft exclamation, his expression changing slightly.