To make up for her guilt, Jian pulled Chu Ran onto the sofa and told her everything, including the longest queue times for every floor's bathroom in the Third Training Institute.
"As a freshman, for the first half year you'll have five compulsory public classes each week: History of the Human Federation, General Rules of Spiritual Power Use, Common Knowledge of the Divine Tomb and Creations, Basic Combat Training, and General History of Weapons. The rest of the courses are elective."
While listening, Chu Ran tapped open her Light Brain to check the course information Instructor Li had sent her. The five compulsory public classes were listed first, followed by three elective courses already checked off: Advanced Physical Training, Basics of Pharmacology, and Combat Experiment Class.
"In about three weeks, freshmen need to choose their specialization. The Third Training Institute has more specializations than the first two: Spiritist, Artificer, Pharmacology, Logistics, Command, Mecha, and Machinery."
"Instructors encourage double-majoring."
Chu Ran tapped the sofa with her finger. "I thought only the Explorer Association had Mecha."
Aunt Wang was the first and only person she'd ever seen use a Mecha.
"Huh?" Jian looked confused, not understanding why Chu Ran would have such a misunderstanding. "The military and the government have Mecha production lines, but the quality isn't as high as the Explorer Association's."
"Before the Divine Tomb appeared, Mecha pilots were the main force fighting the Zerg. But after the Zerg Queen was born, mid- and high-level Zerg evolved, and the damage Mecha and thermal weapons dealt to them dropped sharply. Piloting a Mecha consumes a Spiritist's Spiritual Power, so Spiritists rarely use Mecha. Even in space battles, light exoskeleton armor is the first choice."
"Since Explorers don't have Spiritual Power, most of them are Mecha pilots. Over the past hundred years, the Explorer Association's Mecha and thermal weapon technology has far surpassed that of the Federation government and the military," Jian said, rubbing her nose and lowering her voice. "There's a rumor that the military spent a fortune a few years ago ordering ten long-range starships from the Explorer Association."
"Students from the First and Second Training Institutes basically don't choose Mecha as an elective; they usually choose Artificer or Command. But students from the Third Training Institute are less competitive, so... well, the range of electives is broader."
Chu Ran nodded. "What did you choose?"
"I chose Pharmacology," Jian said, scratching her head sheepishly. "I've never been able to invite a god to possess me, so I can't unleash the full power of my S-level Spiritual Power. That's why I've been accompanied by potions all year round. Although choosing Pharmacology helps very little, I still have to try."
"I think the instructors will probably assign you pharmacology-related electives too," Jian hesitated, then whispered quietly, "Your situation is different from mine. I'm naturally weak, but the Central Star inspection team believes your potential hasn't been fully developed, so they've entrusted improving your physique entirely to the Central Star Research Institute."
"The Central Star Research Institute doesn't have any scandals right now," Jian's voice grew even softer, "but scientific research sometimes easily crosses moral boundaries. So you can't just listen to everything they say. You need to have your own judgment... Um, if you need, I can introduce Professor Hu to you. She's the dean of Central Medical College and should be able to give some professional advice."
Chu Ran looked up and smiled. "Professor Hu was already involved in my treatment when my Spiritual Power was destroyed."
"Ah, really? That's great!" Jian was delighted and rubbed her hands excitedly. "Professor Hu is really capable. You know, since the Federation was established, Professor Hu is the first person to serve three consecutive terms as dean of Central Medical College. And all the other big shots at Central Medical College are thoroughly convinced."
Jian said excitedly, "Do you know why? Because 'Rebirth' once published five of Professor Hu's papers in a single issue!"
She lay back on the sofa with worshipful eyes. "Five 'Rebirth' papers, and published all at once! Gosh, just thinking about it is incredible!"
How many people set 'Rebirth' as their life goal, hoping to publish one paper in it in their lifetime? And Professor Hu had published thirty!
Jian cupped her face like a fangirl, stars in her eyes. "Professor Hu is amazing."
Thinking of Dr. Sun's rambling, Chu Ran understood, but... "Were those thirty papers published within a very short time?"
"Ah, no," Jian restrained her狂热 tone a little and thought for a moment. "They spanned about seventy years."
Chu Ran paused and asked tentatively, "Is Professor Hu very old? I can't seem to find her birth year on StarNet."
"Ah, that?" Jian scratched her face, uncertain. "I'm not sure either, but according to news reports, she should be about 150 or 160 years old."
150 or 160 years old.
Chu Ran coughed tactically. Even in the interstellar age, that age wasn't common. Especially judging by Professor Hu's current state, she could probably live another twenty or thirty years.
The Human Federation's average human lifespan was about seventy years. After excluding high-risk professions like soldiers, Spiritists, and Explorers, the average human lifespan was about 140 years.
"Professor Hu is indeed very long-lived. I remember someone once interviewed her specifically, asking if she had her own health-preserving secrets."
Chu Ran propped her chin on her hand and looked at Jian. "So, does she really have health-preserving secrets?"
Jian frantically searched on her Light Brain, then pushed the screen in front of Chu Ran. "Look, this was Professor Hu's answer in that interview."
The news headline was visually striking.
"Know These Three Things and You'll Outlive All Your Rivals, Successfully Reaching 200!"
Chu Ran's mouth twitched. Professor Hu wasn't even 200 yet.
The world was a giant UC browser.
In the interview, Professor Hu's answer was very concise.
"Perhaps my obsession with medicine makes it hard for me to think about other things. Long-term inner peace means few external factors interfere with my body, so I might have lived a bit longer."
Looking at the comments from StarNet users below, they didn't take the interview seriously either; instead, they were frantically trying to claim her as their mother.
"Oh, right, if you're interested, I can send you my treatment plans so you can compare them with the Research Institute's plans later." Jian fiddled with her device again, and then Chu Ran's Light Brain dinged repeatedly.
Chu Ran opened it and saw dozens of files.
"Are these all your treatment plans?"
"Yes," Jian nodded firmly. "From the first treatment plan to the latest one."
Chu Ran hummed and opened one to look.
Each treatment record was extremely detailed, including every minute change in Jian's physique.
As she read, she suddenly joked, "Aren't you afraid I'll have bad intentions if you send me all your treatment data?"
Jian was taken aback, as if she had never considered this question. She scratched her face in confusion. "I've already become a classic medical case. Is there anything confidential about the treatment data?"
Chu Ran paused.
"Many doctors consulted on my case back then, but now only Dr. Sun is still persisting." Jian rubbed the corner of her eye, her voice dropping. "It's been over ten years, I guess."
"Actually, sometimes I don't know what the point of persisting is," Jian sniffled and murmured, "I'm very grateful to the maker of that Black Dagger. If not for him, maybe I wouldn't be at the Third Training Institute anymore."
Chu Ran's finger, which was tapping the screen, paused.
Jian was immersed in her own emotions and didn't notice. "When Wang Bao brought a group of people to corner me, I wasn't forced into a dead end. Even with my combat training over the years, I could have gotten away safely. But at that moment, I suddenly didn't want to fight back."
She was just too tired.
Watching batch after batch of freshmen enroll and graduate, only she seemed forever trapped in the training institute.
S-level Spiritual Power users were rare, but not that rare. The Human Federation saw hundreds of S-level Spiritual Power users every year, after all, because the Federation's territory was enormous.
At first, people around her valued her as an S-level Spiritual Power user. But her physical problems couldn't be solved, and many chose to give up on her.
The instructor who once patiently guided her told her to figure things out on her own. Graduated friends gradually disappeared from her world. The doctors who left told her to wait for a miracle. Finally, her parents advised her to let it go.
"Ah, it really hurts. It hurts that I've worked so hard for so long and still ended up like this."
Jian buried her face in her hands and suddenly had a strong urge to confide.
From birth to now, she had never met a companion in the same situation.
She didn't want to say these things to Dr. Sun or the people around her either. Because they were all working hard for her health, and she didn't want them to sense her negative emotions.
That would be too shameful.
Chu Ran sighed, turned off the Light Brain screen, reached over to grab a pack of tissues, and handed it to Jian. "But you didn't expect him to hurt you with a Creation."
"Mm." Jian obediently pulled out a tissue, wiped her eyes, and lowered her head to fiddle with the tissue. "Although I was disheartened, I didn't want to die, so I reached out and grabbed the dagger."
"When the blood flowed down, a trace of unwillingness suddenly surged in my heart," Jian said blankly. "Actually, I didn't want to seriously injure Wang Bao, but at that moment I seemed to lose my rationality. By the time I came to again, Wang Bao was lying on the ground covered in blood, and the others were crying and running to find the instructor."
Hearing the word 'unwillingness,' Chu Ran's eyebrow twitched slightly. "So, was there anything different detected in that Basic Creation at the end?"
"No," Jian blew her nose with the tissue, the force making the tip of her nose red. "The Research Institute did a thorough inspection of that dagger. It only had a higher Divine Power attribute than ordinary Basic Creations. That's not unusual, because even Black Divine Stones vary in the Divine Power they contain."
"Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe it was the gods' last mercy to me." Jian clasped her hands tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm really, really grateful to that Artificer."
All of a sudden, a faint surge of power welled up in Chu Ran's heart. Though it vanished quickly, it felt important.
Her fingers twitched slightly, and she said calmly, "Effort is never betrayed."
Jian nodded firmly, then wiped her eyes sheepishly. "I've been talking forever. Want to go to the cafeteria for lunch?"
Chu Ran touched her hair. It was dry.
"Sure. I haven't been there yet. After eating, I'd like to check out the training room."