C3 Basic Pharmaceutics

Everyone knows that information spreads like wildfire in the Spirit Qi era, far outpacing the prehistoric times. Combine that with hot-button issues like martial students and school bullying, and it's hard not to become an overnight sensation.

Hong Chenghui was certain of it.

The moment Luo Ke posted that blog, it would take less than two days for the Martial Artist's Association to come knocking on Hong Chenghui's door.

By then, he'd be infamous. Forget about the early admission to Martial Arts University; he might even lose his chance to take the college entrance exam. A hit to both his future prospects and reputation, Hong Chenghui doubted his ability to endure the fallout. If word got out, it would be like having mud in your pants – even if it wasn't actually sh*t, it might as well be.

"You... You... You..."

Hong Chenghui glared at Luo Ke, teeth clenched, unable to articulate his fury, his rapid breathing the only proof of his seething anger.

Yet, he held back, not laying a finger on Luo Ke.

The classmates who had once fawned over Hong Chenghui were stunned.

Seriously?

Could this even happen?

Hong Chenghui, a martial student, getting played by Luo Ke, the bottom of the barrel?

"What's with the 'you'? The exam's about to start. Why don't you try hitting me? Don't worry, I won't dodge, out of respect for our classmate bond," Luo Ke said with an eye roll, positioning himself just right.

Snap.

Hong Chenghui's face, now a shade of eggplant purple, was perfectly captured.

"Fine, fine, Luo Ke, you think you can play me like that? I'll remember this, Hong Chenghui. If you're a man, don't you dare run after school. Not every corner of the school has cameras. If you're brave enough, let's settle this one-on-one."

With that, Hong Chenghui stormed off, his face a mix of anger and humiliation, as he slunk back to his seat.

Luo Ke, on the other hand, just smirked, completely unfazed by Hong Chenghui's threats.

Give me a break.

I'm just a regular guy, the last in line. I'd have to be out of my mind to take him on in a fight.

"It's just... there goes my underdog comeback dream."

Luo Ke silently acknowledged his own transformation, a wry smile crossing his face as he braced for the upcoming exam.

Today's college entrance exam wasn't all that different from the modern history of the prehistoric era, except that what used to be scientific disciplines had now been replaced by martial prowess.

And there were plenty of subjects to be tested on.

Beyond martial arts, pharmacy and refining were the crowd favorites.

I had hoped this little venture would be my ticket to a turnaround, but after dropping ten grand, it barely made a ripple.

I trusted you, you crafty old man, and you let me down.

Shaking his head, Luo Ke accepted the exam paper from the proctor, ready to take a wild guess.

But as soon as Luo Ke glanced at the questions, he froze.

‘The composition and properties of basic medicines.’

‘The crafting and cautions of One-star Genetic Medicines.’

‘Theoretical and practical applications of basic pharmaceuticals...’

These questions...

Luo Ke was dumbfounded.

To his amazement, the exam questions were incredibly familiar, so much so that the answers flashed through his mind with just a cursory look at the paper, no deep thought required.

Luo Ke's reputation as the perennial underachiever was not unfounded.

Furthermore, basic pharmacology had always been one of the most challenging subjects in the college entrance exams.

Typically, the test questions were familiar with Luo Ke, but he wasn't familiar with them.

But now?

With just a glance, Luo Ke was breezing through problems that had stumped him for six months.

How could he not be astonished?

Was this final exam unusually easy?

Luo Ke stole a look at his classmate next to him, who was visibly struggling, then glanced at Lin Jing in the front row, known for her academic prowess, her brows slightly knitted. A fiery burst of realization seemed to ignite in Luo Ke's mind.

Narrowing his eyes, a semi-transparent virtual interface popped up before him.

Top Student System Version 1.0:

User: Luo Ke

Status: Student

Spiritual Energy Compatibility: 46%

Wealth: 0 points

One-Star Medicine + (Success rate 10%, upgradable, Wealth required: 10,000 points)

Intermediate Pharmacology + (Perfect mastery of Basic Pharmacology, upgradable, Wealth required: 5,000 points)

Basic Alchemy + (Upgradable, Wealth required: 1,000 points)

World History + (Upgradable, Wealth required: 100 points)

Music Theory + (Upgradable, Wealth required: 100 points)

Prehistoric Science + (Upgradable, Wealth required: 100 points)

Earlier, Luo Ke had been interrupted by Hong Chenghui and hadn't had the chance to fully explore the virtual page. Now, upon revisiting it, he noticed the changes.

Basic Pharmacology had evolved into Intermediate Pharmacology, and Basic Alchemy was now at Perfect Mastery. Even more, a new option for One-Star Medicine had appeared, all upgradable!

Upgrading meant mastering the subject entirely!

Wow.

So that's what it was all about. The Top Student System truly lived up to its name!

In an instant, Luo Ke shot up from his seat, his heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest.

"Luo Ke, what's the matter? We're in the middle of an exam. If you're not interested in taking it, at least don't disturb the others," scolded the proctor from the front. Normally, Luo Ke might have retorted with a witty comeback.

But this time, he simply responded with a grunt, drawing laughter from the room.

Little did they know the sheer joy Luo Ke was feeling.

"This is incredible. Sure, acquiring Wealth points is tough, but it's all solid gold. The impact is immediate. Basic Pharmacology has always been second only to Martial Studies in difficulty, but I'd wager that even Lin Jing can't match my prowess now."

"And having learned Basic Pharmacology, I can now concoct One-Star Medicines. Pharmacology is theory, but One-Star Medicine is hands-on. The success rate might be low, but successful creation means becoming a One-Star Alchemist!"

"And if I perfect Basic Alchemy, does that mean I can become a One-Star Alchemist?"

Luo Ke's heart swelled with excitement.

But first things first, he had to finish the exam. He grabbed his pen and began writing furiously.

Five minutes.

That's all it took.

The pharmacology exam, which once seemed like an inscrutable text, was now effortlessly answered.

Luo Ke dropped his pen and casually observed as many of his peers were still tackling the third question.

A sense of pride washed over him—he was the top student, and the rest were simply outclassed.

"Luo Ke!"

The proctor's voice thundered from the podium, tinged with irritation.

The invigilator on stage was seething with anger, the eraser in his hand thumping down with a loud smack. Luo Ke, this so-called academic underachiever, had repeatedly flouted the exam rules, forcing the teacher to reiterate the importance of exam discipline.

But before he could even get the words out, Luo Ke, exam paper in hand, marched straight up to the podium.

"Luo Ke, what do you think you're doing? Don't you realize we're in the middle of an exam?"

"Even if you're unsure about the placement test questions, such disregard is unacceptable. I'm aware that your grades aren't great, but the college entrance exam is your only ticket out of here. You might not make it into the Martial Arts program, but excelling in Alchemy can still set you apart. And you should know that the school takes submitting a blank test very seriously."

The invigilator rambled on from the podium.

"Ahem, excuse me, teacher, I need to interject. I've actually finished," Luo Ke interjected with a wry smile, cutting off the invigilator's tirade.

To everyone's surprise, his words were followed by a moment of complete silence in the classroom, lasting a whole second.

Then, the room erupted into raucous laughter.