Chapter 130: Chapter 103: Scholar Hidden Reward
Li Wen rubbed his still-sleepy eyes and pushed open his bedroom door. A rich, tempting aroma of food immediately rushed into his nostrils.
"Xiaowen, you’re up just in time. Come try the shrimp dumplings Dad made." Li Wen’s father, wearing an apron, poked his head out of the kitchen with a broad smile.
"Mom made your favorite yam and pork rib congee. Sit down and eat while it’s hot." His mother had already set several delicate bowls and plates on the table.
Ever since Li Wen had given his parents several hundred thousand from his A-level contract bonus—a sum that could change the fate of any ordinary person—the couple had followed his arrangements and quit the jobs they had toiled at for half their lives.
Unable to sit idle, the two now dedicated themselves completely to managing their son’s diet and daily life. They transformed this belated comfort into an expression of their love, laid out splendidly on the dining table—from the nutritional balance to the taste and texture, every detail was meticulously crafted.
The family of three sat gathered around the small dining table.
Outside, the morning sun, just beginning to rise, cast a warm glow through the sheer curtains.
"The Martial Dao assessment is today, isn’t it? Are you nervous?" His mother, Wang Juan, couldn’t help but ask out of concern, placing a soup dumpling in his bowl.
"Does he look nervous to you?" his father laughed, his tone filled with pride. "Our Xiaowen is an expert now, capable of slaying a mid-level Demon Beast! What’s a small exam compared to that?"
Li Wen smiled and swallowed the soup dumpling, the warm broth bursting in his mouth. "Dad, Mom, don’t worry. The academic test yesterday went fine. As for the Martial Dao today... I know what I’m doing."
The conversation naturally revolved around the exam, trivial yet heartwarming.
The concern in his parents’ eyes was real, and their pride was palpable. Occasionally, it was also mixed with a faint, imperceptible trace of bewilderment and worry about their son’s path toward becoming a prominent figure.
Li Wen listened patiently, answered calmly, and savored the precious tranquility of this ordinary morning.
After finishing the breakfast filled with his parents’ care, he didn’t leave right away.
Returning to his room, his fingers traced over the rows of book spines before he finally pulled out a thick volume: *Principles of Astral Energy Mechanical Engineering*.
Ever since mastering all the high school academic subjects, he had started reading books on his chosen electives.
Just as he had on countless mornings past, he sat down quietly and began his unshakable routine of academic study in the early light.
Outside the window, the city was gradually waking up, and the sound of traffic began to rise.
Inside the room, there was only the RUSTLE of turning pages.
「An hour later.」
[You have studied diligently for one hour. Scholar EXP +6]
[Class: Scholar Lv. 8 (4164→4170/12800)]
The information flowed into his sea of consciousness like a tiny trickle.
Even after experiencing the mad surge of gaining tens of thousands of experience points from the provincial mock academic exam, Li Wen still maintained this almost rigid, clumsy method of accumulation.
This wasn’t the blindness of an efficiency-first person, but rather stemmed from a vague yet persistent clue buried deep in the memories of his past life.
He had once glimpsed a forum post titled: "First person in the Scholar class to complete the 10,000-hour study achievement will receive a mysterious gift."
’What exactly is the reward?’ He hadn’t clicked on the post; his past self hadn’t cared.
But in this life, as the only "player," there was no one in this world who could compete with him for this first-place honor.
This sense of absolute control, of being unrivaled in the world, gave him more than enough patience to watch his experience points slowly creep up by 6 or 8 points at a time.
The final destination of the ten-thousand-hour achievement, that unknown, mysterious reward, was in itself a treasure worth waiting for.
He was curious to see what kind of flower would bloom from this investment of time.
Closing the book, Li Wen took a deep breath and stood up. The time was just right.
"Dad, Mom, I’m heading out for the exam," he called toward the kitchen as he reached the entryway.
"Okay! Good luck, son!" his mother’s voice was filled with boundless expectation.
"Do your best! Let us know what you want to eat tonight!" his father also poked his head out and shouted.
"Got it," Li Wen replied with a smile and walked out the door.
Downstairs, the sleek, silver-gray hover limousine, with its cool and refined texture, was already parked quietly by the roadside.
A driver in a Fire Hall uniform opened the rear door for him with a respectful expression.
The vehicle slid away silently, once again merging into the city’s arteries.
Destination: Bluestone Third Middle School.
The school gates were in sight, but unlike his quiet entry the day before, today’s Third Middle School was like a patch of boiling earth.
A massive wave of sound was already clearly audible through the car window.
In the open space surrounding the school’s sports field, a vast matrix of temporarily constructed virtual pods stood in imposing rows.
But that wasn’t all.
The sports field was already a sea of people, with clear zones divided by grade level. The first and second-year students occupied the outer areas with the best views. They had been given special permission to watch the live broadcast of the provincial second mock Martial Dao assessment, which was meant for the third-years.
At this moment, they were all buzzing with excitement, whispering to one another, the atmosphere as lively as a festival. In the innermost circle were today’s protagonists—the phalanx of third-year students about to enter the examination.
The area where they were gathered was suffused with a completely different, solemn atmosphere. Most students sat ramrod straight, either making final adjustments or staring blankly in the direction of the virtual pods. An invisible tension hung over them like a low-pressure system.
The path to the third-year phalanx required passing through the sea of first and second-year students.
As soon as Li Wen’s figure drew near, he was recognized by some sharp-eyed underclassmen.
"It’s Senior Li Wen!!!"
"Whoa! It’s really him!"
"Go, Senior Li Wen!!!"
"The pride of Third Middle School! We’re counting on you, Senior!"
"The beast who slayed a Demon Beast! You brought honor to us second-years too!"
More and more people recognized him, their young voices filled with undisguised enthusiasm, admiration, and a sense of belonging.
Many of the bolder students even stood up in their excitement, waving their arms furiously and shouting his name to cheer him on.
