Chapter Two: The Cultivator Who Earns Merit Points

The side effects after awakening were severe. Ye Mingqiu collapsed on a bench and lay there for a full half hour, unable to recover. His eyes were half-open, occasionally uttering incoherent sounds, looking as if he might die at any moment.

Passersby students cast strange glances his way from time to time, but most ignored him. Only one girl, dressed in a deep blue mage robe, stopped and stood beside Ye Mingqiu, furrowing her brows slightly as she asked, “Are you... alright?”

Ye Mingqiu, weary, turned his gaze and was horrified the moment he saw the blue robe.

Wow, a mage!

At Chenghai No. 2 High School, almost all students were required to wear the standard uniform, except for one group—the mages.

According to unreliable rumors, about 80% of the school’s annual revenue came from mage-related spending. Naturally, this wealthy group of mages enjoyed certain special privileges within the academy, such as exemption from the uniform rule.

“I... need... to go to the infirmary...” Ye Mingqiu stammered weakly.

Though eager to befriend a mage, his current state was too poor; he couldn’t even make it to the infirmary on his own. Missing this chance would mean lying on the bench for most of the day, suffering for a long time. Better to ask for help first.

“Oh.”

The blue-robed girl nodded, then stepped forward and hoisted Ye Mingqiu onto her shoulder with ease, carrying him toward the infirmary.

Carried? Carried off?

Not only Ye Mingqiu, but even the nearby students were stunned. They had expected the girl to call someone to take him to the infirmary or simply walk away, but no one anticipated that this mage would just casually carry him off like that.

“How... much strength do you have?” Ye Mingqiu asked with difficulty, uncomfortable from being carried.

“Seventeen.”

The girl replied.

“?”

Ye Mingqiu’s heart jolted.

Seventeen points of strength? My total attributes barely add up to over twelve. How does she have seventeen strength points? Is this even typical for a high schooler? And isn’t she a mage? Why is her strength so high? Is her main attribute strength? Gandalf?

Sensing Ye Mingqiu’s confusion, the blue-robed girl explained, “I officially became a psychic two years ago through the career test. My primary attribute is spirit, not strength. Don’t overthink it.”

“Oh.”

Ye Mingqiu was even more shocked.

As expected, a mage is on a wholly different level from ordinary people. Two years ago, his total base attributes didn’t even reach ten, yet she had already passed the trial long ago. Now, her non-primary attribute alone exceeded his entire attribute sum... This must be the difference that money makes.

At this level of disparity, having or lacking a talent made no difference. The excitement Ye Mingqiu felt about awakening a second talent instantly vanished, replaced by a sobering recognition of his own inadequacy.

I’m still too weak!

Sigh.

...

Not long after, the blue-robed girl carried Ye Mingqiu into the infirmary and handed him over to the school doctor for examination.

The doctor, clad in a white coat, checked him carefully and said, “Nothing serious. His body is just too weak and needs rest. Don’t exert yourself before you recover.”

“Oh.”

The mage nodded and then said, “Then give him some medication. Charge it to my card.”

“Alright.”

The doctor agreed and prescribed a life supplement worth fifty thousand yuan.

Once injected, Ye Mingqiu’s eyes cleared immediately. His previously feeble body swiftly regained vitality.

He tried to sit up, clench his fists, and move. To his surprise, he felt no different from usual; in fact, a surge of vigorous life force flowed within him. The supplement’s effect was truly remarkable.

Instinctively, Ye Mingqiu turned to look at the mage who had carried him here, only to find her sitting beside him, staring intently with an expressionless face.

A bit intimidating!

“Say thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Say thank you quickly,” she urged again.

“Thank you.”

Ye Mingqiu replied awkwardly.

Though uncertain of her thoughts, gratitude was due; after all, she had genuinely saved him and paid for his treatment. Otherwise, he would have had to lie on the bench for most of the day, suffering greatly.

“Good.”

The blue-robed girl nodded with satisfaction, her radiant smile shining brightly under the sunlight, her exquisite beauty exuding unparalleled charm.

Then she left.

“This…”

After regaining his senses, Ye Mingqiu looked at the doctor with a puzzled expression. He simply couldn’t understand what the mage was thinking.

“She’s earning merit points.”

“Merit points?”

“The last time she spoke to me, she said accumulating merit can boost luck attributes, which are hidden traits in the spirit realm. But among psychics, there’s no such concept... It’s probably her innate talent,” the doctor explained.

“Such a talent exists?”

Ye Mingqiu was somewhat surprised but then felt at ease. No wonder she was so formulaic when rescuing him and smiled so brightly after receiving thanks.

“Disappointed?”

The doctor lazily propped her chin with one hand, a playful smile on her face.

“Huh? Why would I be disappointed? Didn’t she save me? And she even paid for my medication. Her motives hardly matter,” Ye Mingqiu replied casually.

“Is that so?”

The doctor paused, then laughed. She had seen many boys rescued by Tang Ruobing; many adolescent boys instinctively thought she saved them out of special interest and imagined bizarre stories like “The aloof mage falls in love with me.”

But this guy was different. He seemed never to have such fantasies.

“By the way, why did she carry you to the infirmary? Didn’t she say she had become a psychic?”

“Using psychic powers is forbidden in public areas on campus,” the doctor said.

“That rule too?”

The doctor rolled her eyes, “Most students in ordinary classes haven’t become psychics, so the teachers don’t bother mentioning it. If you don’t believe me, you can check the school regulations.”

“Oh, right. The supplement works well. After the injection, I feel like I have endless energy. Will it permanently increase my base attributes?”

“No. For high-value supplements, boosting base attributes is considered a side effect, which is undesirable when first entering the spirit realm to keep base stats capped. The energy left in your body now is purely life force and will disappear in a few days.”

The doctor paused, then smiled and continued, “However, if you take the opportunity to train, you can convert some life force into base attributes during these days. The exact increase is unpredictable.”

“But if nothing unusual happens, the increases will mostly be in constitution, with minor boosts to strength and agility, and the smallest improvement in spirit. It varies by person. Oh, and if you specialize in spirit, I don’t recommend physical training these days, or your base stats might become chaotic.”

“Thank you,” Ye Mingqiu said gratefully.