My setting is above yours!

Chapter 76 Experimental Class, Academic Ranking (4k3)

However, upon closer reflection, achieving perfect coordinates in the spirit world during the "Potion Era" and traversing it freely and without damage might not be so simple...

At least for a Sequence 7, such a thing is absolutely impossible.

Perhaps, one needs to reach the Sequence Six... or even Sequence Five level to acquire this ability.

Therefore, magical items possessing such abilities, or even containment objects with special properties, are definitely not something Ron can access right now...

Thinking about this, Ron couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

It's still about the city of Evening Bells...

In a small place like Evening Bell City, Sequence 7 is already considered a top-tier superhuman. There is almost no power above Sequence 7, which is why the containment mask in Suer's hand seems so terrifying, with a bug-like strength.

Now that Ron is trapped in Evening Bell City, he naturally has no access to items of Sequence 7 or higher...

However, if he could go to the "Foggy City," the capital of the Fran Empire, which Idrila and the others mentioned, Ron might be able to find what he was looking for at some gathering of extraordinary individuals.

But that requires being able to leave Evening Bell City.

Father Sue was still lurking in the shadows, and thinking about the version update announcement in the Dimensional Update Manual, Ron couldn't help but feel troubled.

Thinking about it carefully, once you defeat Sull, everything that's trapping Ron will be broken. At that point, he'll be free to roam and have no more constraints...

However, he possesses a Sequence 4 containment object, giving him an absolute advantage in strength. In the version update PV, Idrila only managed to perish together with him by relying on the sword in her hand.

But if we want to protect Idrila, then that sword is not a viable option; even if we were to use it, we'd have to find a different way to use it...

I don't know how to defeat Sull while protecting everyone else and save Idrila from certain death.

Things might only change when the knight sent by the church's high-ranking officials arrives in Evening Bell City.

But Ron's [Illusion Dissolve] has only used up 96% of its durability, and it will take some time to fully recover. He doesn't even have the confidence to go to the "Potion Era".

...There is still a long way to go.

Let's go check out "Potion Age" again in a few days.

Ron sighed, deciding to stop thinking about the problem he couldn't solve for the time being. He chatted with 404 for a bit more, only to find that she didn't seem to know much about Prometheus's Experiment of Knowledge either.

But since he was already there, Ron had no reason to leave so easily, and immediately changed the subject...

He had intended to extract more information, to ask 404 how he had completed the [Hestia] [Experiment of Knowledge] back then, but 404 looked rather sleepy and said:

"While Hestia's experiment in seeking knowledge has a 'solution,' explaining that answer to you might take ten thousand years..."

"Alright, students should act like students... If you care so much about the [Knowledge Experiment], people who don't know better would think you've already earned your doctorate and are qualified to solve the problem."

"Go back to your dorm and rest. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and your experimental class's homeroom teacher will be doing class rankings for you. Don't spend the whole night studying that stupid file and skip class tomorrow..."

Experimental class?
Ron was a little curious, and after a brief inquiry, he learned that each department would rank the top 35 students in the department into the experimental class to encourage academic competition among them.

The newly enrolled students were ranked according to their scores in the college entrance examination, and Ron, who had the highest score in the entire Ideal City, was naturally placed in the experimental class.

I wonder what kind of people will be in the class... Oh, thinking about it, it seems there will be at least one Yu An.

Going to class is going to be a hassle from now on...

Ron thought to himself as he was kicked out of the principal's office by 404 and returned to his dormitory.

However, before going back, he specifically found a corner outside the dormitory and made a phone call to Deng Yin, telling him that he had seen the experimental records from that year.

His original intention was to ask Dunn whether Scott had altered the file to attack him, but he didn't expect Dunn to admit it without reservation.

"No one can modify the experimental records of the [Knowledge Experiment]."

Deng explained calmly and earnestly:

The three giant companies have reached a consensus on the special nature of the "Seeking Knowledge Experiment". Every experiment must be recorded and archived, and no one can change any process in the experimental archive.

Even if this "experiment of seeking knowledge" is like child's play and arrives at an answer out of thin air, the experimental record must still record this "child's play"...

"My experimental records will not be altered by anyone... That's exactly what I did back then, which is why I suffered such a devastating failure."

"However, if it happened again, I would have a new approach and would definitely not encounter this trouble again..."

Deng Yin's tone was very confident, as if he was becoming more courageous after setbacks. It seems that he had really carefully reviewed the experimental process after the failure and came up with some new experimental ideas.

But Ron knew that even if it was newer, it wouldn't make a difference. Dunn's vision was limited to this era, and he didn't understand the Lords of All Spirits who roamed the Spirit Realm...

...It seems that when I go to complete the "Seeking Knowledge Experiment" in the future, I may need to carefully consider Professor Deng Yin's suggestions and not accept them casually.

Ron thought to himself, exchanged a few pleasantries, hung up the phone, and went back to his dorm.

Unexpectedly, there were still only Yun An and Marcus in the dormitory, and the third roommate was still nowhere to be found.

Where have the people gone?
Ron was a little confused and asked the two people in front of him, but he saw that Yun An had a strange expression on his face. After hesitating for a long time, he finally told him who his last roommate was.

That's Yu'an.

This guy went to the physics department to recruit new students in the afternoon, so he didn't have time to go back to the dormitory. He only had some free time during dinner and appeared at the dormitory door with bandages all over his body.

According to Yun An, You An was very kind to them. After arriving at the dormitory, he first presented gifts to start a conversation, then said that he couldn't live in the dormitory due to health reasons. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he disappeared.

Everyone received a gift; Ron's was placed by the room's doorway.

He picked it up and saw that it was a simple gift: a prepaid card for the school cafeteria with a face value of 5,000 credits. For a student, this gift was quite practical.

But with the investment from [Tian Ting Media], Ron wasn't short of this small amount of money, and he never had the habit of accepting gifts from his enemies. So he simply threw the recharge card onto the table in Room D, which belonged to Yu An, as a way of "returning" it to him.

Whether he can actually receive Ron is none of his concern... Does he really have to make a special trip to return the gift given to Yuan?
Where does Yu'an get such a big face...?

……

After grabbing a quick energy bar for dinner, Ron glanced at his class schedule and went to sleep peacefully until the next morning.

After having a quick breakfast with Yun An and Marcus, Ron rushed off alone to the physics department's teaching area on the 75th floor of Moen University City to attend the experimental class's first class meeting at the start of the semester.

He walked into the experimental class classroom in the very center of the 75th floor. Although it was not yet time for class, quite a few people had already arrived and were chatting in twos and threes.

As soon as Ron walked in, everyone turned to look at him, their expressions changing instantly.

Caution, greed, admiration, friendliness, disgust... Ron could vaguely sense that his future classmates seemed to harbor different thoughts about him.

"Haha, Ron! I heard you're a disciplinary inspector from the D District General Inspection Bureau, and you even received a first-class merit award?"

A muscular, bald man with a rather honest and simple appearance was the first to break the tense atmosphere. He walked over to Ron with a smile and tried to shake hands with him.
“My name is Luke, and like you, I’m a disciplinary inspector…”

Ron shook his hand with a smile: "You too?"

"Yes, I work at the General Inspection Bureau in Area C..."

Luke paused for a moment, then said:

"Hey, I won't lie to you, my dad is the deputy director of the C District General Inspection Bureau. He's the one who got this disciplinary inspection position for me, mainly so I can get some credits early..."

"awesome……"

Ron had a smile on his face, but his eyes were sharp as he calmly observed Luke's expression.

Although the man appeared honest and simple, his tone was clearly probing, and when he mentioned the first-class merit, he also subtly revealed a hint of jealousy.

...This guy is no good.

Do not become close friends with them.

Ron brushed him off with a fake smile and then moved on to dealing with the other students.

Because of his top score in the college entrance exam and his performance in the speed test at yesterday's opening ceremony, regardless of what these people thought of Ron, they were all outwardly very polite...

Those who wanted to get to know Ron came up and chatted for a bit, while those who didn't want to get involved with Ron shrank quietly to the side of the classroom. It wasn't until Yu'an, who was bandaged and seemed to still be recovering from last night's injuries, entered the classroom that everyone quieted down and returned to their seats.

Everyone could see that there was some tension between Euan and Ron, and no one wanted to incur Euan's wrath for being too close to Ron.

After all, they had no real connection with Ron to begin with, and they weren't willing to take the blame for Ron and be targeted by Euan as well...

Who knew that Yu'an, that jinx, would have this kind of use?
Ron was happy to finally be free from dealing with his classmates.

As soon as he entered, Yu'an gave Ron a cold look, but seemed to have learned from his previous failure, so he didn't say anything and turned to find his seat.

The classroom fell into an unusual silence. After a while, when class was about to start, a teacher with a deep-set face walked into the classroom.

He was wearing a suit, but with an oversized cloak over it, and a hood over his head, making him look somewhat gloomy.

However, his voice was clear and gentle, making it impossible for anyone to feel hostility towards him.
"I am Dr. Qing, your professor for the Ability Analysis course, and also your future class teacher."

"As you all know, Moen University is the best school in the entire Ideal City, producing the most scientific research results and superhumans in the entire Ideal City..."

"Whether it's a regular subject or a super-powered subject, we treat everyone equally and never neglect any aspect of your development, giving you the opportunity to obtain higher degrees and broaden your horizons."

"Therefore, you don't have any elective courses—"

"All students in the experimental classes have the same class schedule. The school has already arranged a suitable course plan for you. There is only one thing you need to do next..."

As he spoke, his tone grew slightly heavier:

"Learn these courses, then study and analyze your own abilities, thoroughly understand them, construct an 'ability formula,' and then graduate normally!"

"Of course, if you have the ability, you can also choose to climb higher, obtain a higher degree, or even apply for the qualification of the [Knowledge Experiment]—"

"However, that's not something you first-year students should be thinking about right now."

After Dr. Qing finished speaking, he went on to talk about the students' data rankings:

"At Moen University, every student's abilities are quantified and ranked using data..."

"The ranking is based on your computing power, personal real-world strength, number of papers and their impact level, and is supplemented by academic credits, special competitions, research projects, etc., to form the overall ranking data."

"Although this ranking data is complex, we often refer to it broadly as 'academic ability'—"

"Everyone at Moen University is ranked in the data, and the score weighting is refreshed every month during the monthly exams and at the end of the semester. Your academic ranking is determined more accurately based on your exam scores."

"From class to grade, from grade to college, and from college to the whole school, there are leaderboards for each level. Each leaderboard is updated daily and finalized after monthly and final exams, with rewards given to the top-ranked students."

"For example, the top three students in your grade after the monthly exam will gain access to the AI ​​sector to help you build your [ability formula]..."

As he spoke, a hint of teasing crept into his tone:
"Don't underestimate this authority—our Physics Department is rather special, controlling the overall operational authority of [Prometheus], ​​and its director position is vacant, which just happens to be able to accommodate a Level 5..."

"If you get access to it, and if you're lucky, you might suddenly be able to complete its [Knowledge Experiment] and become Lv.5?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked embarrassed; no one truly believed Dr. Qing's words.

They're not stupid; they know they have absolutely no chance of becoming a Lv.5, so they naturally understand that this was just a joke.

Only Ron and Euan remained calm, seemingly truly determined to succeed in Prometheus's "Experiment of Knowledge," and not finding it to be anything more than a joke...

Afterwards, Dr. Qing explained the school rules and regulations in detail, and gave a brief introduction to the courses that the experimental class would take in the future. Finally, it was time to wrap things up.

Dr. Qing took out measuring instruments and an AR helmet, and said:

"Before the class meeting ends, students, let's do a simple test of your real-world and computing power levels. You'll need to do this every day from now on to calculate your academic ranking. You can see the ranking list using Moen University's official app..."

Dr. Qing called out names according to seating order, and Luke was the first one called out.

After measuring his personal real-world and computing power levels, Ron checked Moen University's official app and immediately saw the academic rankings of the physics department's experimental class:
【Luke——】

[Academic Ability: 270, Class Rank: 1]

Because he was the first to take the test, and he was the only one recorded on the leaderboard, he was the number one.

However, as others completed the test, Luke was quickly eliminated...

After a while, once more than half the students in the class had finished their tests, it was finally Ron's turn—

But unexpectedly, after measuring Ron's data, the academic ranking showed the following numbers:

"Academic ability score: 350!"

"Class ranking: 3!"

(End of this chapter)