Chapter 110 - Battle Armor
After class zero was established in Eastsea Academy, what Tang Wulin found the most shocking was just how differently the academy treated them when compared with their treatment of the normal students. The classroom changed to a much more open one while their dorm rooms had also been upgraded. They no longer shared a room with four people, but rather, they each had their own room now that were situated beside one another. Moreover, their rooms were the same as the ones given to ordinary teachers. In other words, they were enjoying the treatment a teacher would receive.
Zhang Yangzi signed the contract without the slightest hesitation when he heard that Wang Jinxi had signed it. Including the teacher in charge, class zero comprised of six people in total.
Wu Zhangkong was also given new living quarters alongside the dorms of his students. His previous dorm had now been replaced with a suite.
The academy gave them one day to get themselves organized before class zero would officially begin classes the following day.
Naturally, even if classes were to begin now, not all of them would be able to attend. After all, three of them had suffered serious fractures and could only attend theory classes for now.
Class zero’s classroom seemed a bit spacious and empty. Although it wasn’t any different than the ordinary classrooms, it seemed very large with only five students in it.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi sat on one side while Tang Wulin’s trio sat on the other. The five of them were like two separate rivers.
Zhang Yangzi rested his legs on top of a chair, his expression dark. Wang Jinxi was his usual silent self, but his eyes would occasionally flit towards Tang Wulin.
Wu Zhangkong entered the classroom with a stern expression and walked to the center. He swept his gaze across the five students.
“From henceforth, your curriculum will undergo a change.”
His words drew the attention of the five students. Even if it was Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, they couldn’t help but admire the Icily Arrogant Prince Charming’s strength. After all, they too had been mesmerized by the battle between Wu Zhangkong and Guang Biao.
Wu Zhangkong said, “Due to the current conditions of your bodies, we will put off cultivation for a while. Instead, we will begin with theory classes. Today we’ll start with mechas.”
Mecha?
When they heard this word, all five students looked at each other in confusion.
Zhang Yangzi’s expression brightened a bit as he couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Wu, aren’t mechas a topic for the advanced division? We’re still in the first grade! Isn’t this just too early?”
Typically, the intermediate division would only cover foundational knowledge, and they wouldn’t cover mechas until they entered the advanced division. After graduating from the advanced division, they would enter an advanced academy based on their area of study, walking one step at a time towards their goal. Anyone who could graduate from an advanced academy would definitely be an elite of society.
They had just started their first of six years in the intermediate division, yet they were already learning about mechas? Wasn’t this just jumping ahead of themselves?
Wu Zhangkong responded naturally, “The topics in this mecha class will not be taught in detail, so the course load won’t be too much. Among you, who wants to become a Mecha Master in the future?”
The five of them went silent in unison. Mecha Masters were already synonymous with powerful experts in the views of the vast majority.
Wu Zhangkong continued, “With this being the case, you all better pay attention in class.” He shot a glance at Zhang Yangzi as he finished speaking, causing him to tremble from head to toe. Zhang Yangzi no longer dared to utter a single doubtful word.
“Modern day mechas have undergone ten thousand years of development while soul devices have went through several thousand more years of development, becoming more and more widespread. Technology has always been researched for one main reason: war. Soul devices are no exception. It was only after soul devices filled the battlefield that they began to be used by civilians.
“The Soul Guide Masters of the time never would have imagined that soul guided devices, or soul devices for short, could be used to empower a Soul Master by such a large margin. It was only after they discovered this that they began researching mechas.
“Soul Masters have been the most essential profession within the last several tens of thousands of years. Soul Masters were not only rare, but the majority of them were also weak. But with the advent of soul devices, this paradigm had shifted. Low rank Soul Masters could now become much more powerful by relying on their soul power and soul devices. Afterward, soul mechas began to appear, allowing Soul Masters to become even stronger.
“Soul mechas are operated by using soul power from soul power batteries, thus allowing its user to display strength far surpassing their own. The first soul mechas were developed in a larger form, the factor being that the larger they were, the larger the soul power battery they could install as well as the number of weapons it could be equipped with.
“As technology progressed, mechas became operable by ordinary people with sufficiently strong bodies. From then on, soul mechas became the main weapon of the modern army.
“In the history of mecha development, there have been periods where the form was small, medium, and large and now they have taken the form you are all familiar with. This is the basic outline of mecha development. This was a process of trial and error and its resulting improvements. It involved the perfection of soul circuits, various innovations, and the advancement of technology by leaps and bounds. Mechas have only grown increasingly more important in wars ever since their creation.”
Tang Wulin earnestly listened as this was his first proper lesson on mechas. If he wanted to become a Mecha Master, this was crucial knowledge to him.
“But these are not the mechas I want to talk to you about.” Wu Zhangkong paused right there, letting astonishment wash over the five students.
Not these mechas?
Wu Zhangkong indifferently said, “Didn’t you all think that as technology developed, ordinary people could control soul devices better and better? Then let me tell you, that’s only what ordinary people think. In the tens of thousands of years of history the Douluo Continent has witnessed, one fact has never changed: Soul Masters are the most powerful existence!
“With the aid of soul devices, an ordinary person might be able to match up to a Soul Grandmaster, and with a mecha, they could even possibly contend with a five ring Soul King. Mechas truly do offer tremendous power to its user, but even so, it cannot give an ordinary person the fighting power of an eight ring Soul Douluo or a nine ring Title Douluo. At the very least, it is impossible at this point in time.”
Xie Xie said, “Then what if they use a super-weapon? There are some super-weapons that ordinary people can use.”
Wu Zhangkong nodded. “What you speak of is a possibility. But let me ask you in return, what if both sides possess super-weapons then? Who will have more power? Let me tell you first though, currently, the strongest super-weapon cannot defeat the strongest person.”
Wu Zhangkong spoke without the slightest hesitation, causing the five students to sit down subconsciously in shock.
After a short pause, Wu Zhangkong continued speaking. “With humanity’s trend in weapon technology advancement, perhaps such a weapon will appear in the future. But at the moment, there exists no such weapon.”
“Teacher Wu, this powerful person you spoke of, are they a Mecha Master or a Soul Master?” Tang Wulin asked.
Wu Zhangkong said, “To be exact, they are both.
“The mechas you commonly see range from five to eight meters in height and have some peculiar differences depending on what type of mecha they are. These are the modern medium-sized mechas I spoke of. From their research, Soul Guide Masters came to the conclusion that a combination of bulk and flexibility along with a balance of offensive and defensive capabilities were the most suitable for the army. But these are just the standardized mechas for the army. Or it might be better to say, these are mechas for ordinary people. White and yellow mechas are of the same category, but that isn’t your goal. With your talents, you absolutely cannot develop in that direction. Instead, you must develop towards battle armor!”
Battle armor?
This was the first time the five of them heard these words.
Wu Zhangkong continued dully, “The truly powerful would not allow their body to become even larger. The reason mechas exist is amplification of power, not to become larger. Purple mechas and onwards are all small in size, to the point where they are almost like armor! Due to this, they are called battle armor![1]
“Only Soul Masters with battle armor can truly be called powerful experts. They are experts who can perfectly combine their martial soul and mecha together, resulting in formidable combat power.” May have been retconned later to have mechas and battle armor be two separate paths. Will fix accordingly when I actually translate that stuff. I just skim the raws. :P