Chapter 29 | Paladin Class: Awakening the Strongest Demon System

Jiang Lin nodded thoughtfully upon hearing her words.

That applied to ordinary paladins, but his mental power was even higher than that of a mage of the same rank.

However, he still placed his right fist over his heart and performed a standard knight's salute.

"Then I must thank you, Miss Anya!

"If there is anything else I can help you with outside of our sparring sessions, please do not hesitate to tell me. I, Jiang Lin, will go through fire and water without a second thought!"

Just from the description, he knew this was an extremely practical skill that must be quite expensive. Since she was willing to give him the opportunity to learn it, he was naturally deeply grateful.

Furthermore, as a fellow paladin, the skills Anya learned were arranged by her family's private tutors. They were designed to be combined and paired together, achieving an effect where one plus one was greater than two!

Miss Anya really was a beautiful and kind person!

However, Anya let out a sigh and said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but your talent is so startling that it's left me a bit at a loss."

After a pause, she asked tentatively, "By the way, you said your breathing technique can replace the need for rest. Is that true?"

Jiang Lin nodded again. "It is absolutely true."

Anya was once again left speechless. After all, she was still very far from that level.

Pausing for a moment, she said, "By the way, there are rumors in the school that you aren't going home and are instead cultivating overnight. Even the fact that people from my class stayed behind to practice yesterday has started to spread.

"Supposedly, many people have decided to block you at the tail-end class after school today to investigate the truth of these rumors."

Jiang Lin rubbed his chin. "It’s not a rumor. I really didn't go home yesterday. Cultivating at home or at school is the same to me; there’s no difference. If they want to block me, let them come."

"So you spent the entire night practicing your breathing technique?"

"That’s right."

"Don't you feel bored or mentally exhausted?" Anya asked, voicing her confusion. This was currently her biggest problem when staying up late.

Jiang Lin looked puzzled. "Why would I feel bored or exhausted? Feeling myself improve bit by bit, shouldn't that bring the joy of progress?

"Moreover, when I'm improving and I think about those classmates who are resting, shouldn't I feel even more excited and motivated?"

Hearing Jiang Lin say this, Anya was once again at a loss for words.

She had tried it last night, and the longer she stayed up, the harder it became. Due to the change in her state of mind, the efficiency of her breathing technique had actually plummeted. Although there was progress, it was a sensory torment.

After thinking for a long time, she finally nodded and asked, "By the way, what is that potion your classmates use to stay up late called?"

Jiang Lin's eyebrows shot up. Was this genius in front of him about to join the army of night owls too?

"I didn't sleep last night either. Although I was a bit sleepy and it got a bit tough toward the end, overall it felt pretty good. The progress was obvious."

She paused before continuing, "I used to spend a third of my day sleeping, which is such a waste of time. I'll go home and ask my private tutor. If it's possible, I plan to start cultivating overnight as well."

Jiang Lin was surprised. Anya was already so outstanding, yet she was still working this hard. He had to work even harder!

He replied, "The potion is called 【Mental Invigoration Potion】. After using it, one can remain mentally alert for twelve hours..."

As he spoke, Jiang Lin repeated the effects and side effects of the potion.

Anya nodded silently. "I see. That’s about it. You're improving very fast, so I need to hurry as well. I don't want to be overtaken by you too quickly."

"Then let's work hard together! If you need help with anything, Miss Anya, just ask!"

"Mhm, let's work hard together!"

...

Back in the classroom, Jiang Lin noticed that the atmosphere was a bit subtle.

The usually noisy tail-end class was surprisingly quiet today, and there were even more people studying than before.

When Jiang Lin entered the room, he instantly drew many people's attention.

"Old Jiang, I heard you fainted. What happened? Was it from staying up late?"

Jiang Lin shook his head. "No, it was just an unexpected situation."

Hearing this, Tie Chen and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as it wasn't from staying up late, then we can pull all-nighters with peace of mind."

Jiang Lin looked at the dark circles starting to become prominent under Tie Chen's eyes and said with some concern, "Tie Chen, are you really okay?"

Tie Chen shook his head. "I know my own body. Aside from feeling mentally tired and bored, my body can hold on.

"And seeing people pulling all-nighters with me gives me even more motivation!"

Jiang Lin nodded. "As long as you know what you're doing."

After saying that, he ignored the classroom affairs and continued practicing his breathing technique.

Little Black listened to their conversation and felt like these people were definitely sick in the head.

Jiang Lin had literally collapsed on the spot, yet their first concern wasn't his health, but whether they could still stay up late...

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end.

Except for meals and swordsmanship class, Jiang Lin spent all his time practicing his breathing technique.

However, to Jiang Lin's regret, no one actually came to challenge him. Although many people came to the classroom door, they just took a look and left, leaving him with no chance to copy skills or increase his skill proficiency.

After school today, there were significantly more students in the tail-end class. Jiang Lin felt that if this trend continued, the entire class would probably be present after school in another month.

At the same time, as rumors spread that students from the elite class were cultivating in the tail-end class after school, many students from other classes went to check it out.

They were then met with a shocking sight.

Led by the heaven's favored daughter and rank one of the grade, Anya, several prominent figures of the grade had gathered in the tail-end class after school, each grabbing a stool to begin their cultivation.

If it were just Jiang Lin or a few people from the tail-end class, they might have turned up their noses and left with a laugh.

But now that the rank one student was acting as a role model, those among them who loved to learn naturally wouldn't fall behind.

A few of them exchanged glances, went back to their own classrooms, brought out small stools, and followed suit.

However, most of them were too embarrassed to enter the classroom, so they sat on their stools in the hallway and began cultivating.

Time continued to pass, and once again, the sun began to set.

Looking at the growing number of hardworking students, Jiang Lin went from being startled to feeling a sense of accomplishment and gratification.

He took out the food he had prepared in advance, finished his dinner in a few bites, and continued cultivating in his seat.

Some of the students left directly, some chose to stay, and some returned to this 'battlefield' after leaving to eat dinner.

...

The moon gradually climbed over the mountain peaks.

Little Black watched this bizarre scene, practically speechless.

Tie Chen and a few others, who now had several experiences pulling all-nighters, chose not to go home at all. They brought magic crystal lamps and continued grinding through problems at their desks.

In his words, the school had a better atmosphere for studying.

At home, there was always the temptation of a soft bed that required mental effort to resist, but at school, there was no such worry.

Furthermore, seeing so many classmates studying around him made the fire of learning burn even brighter in his heart. He didn't want the battle to stop easily.

Thus, time trickled away in this strange atmosphere.

...

The next morning.

As the first ray of dawn broke through the darkness, the sleeping Boulder City regained its vitality from the silence.

The shops in the streets and alleys began to open, pumping blood into this ancient giant beast to maintain its operation.

Radiant Junior Magic Academy, as one of the few junior magic academies in the city, also welcomed its returning students.

Of course, this did not include the students of the third-year tail-end class.

As the first light of dawn spilled through the windows, diligent students were either sitting upright practicing their breathing technique, reviewing theory classes by the light of magic crystal lamps, or training their physical strength in the hallways.

There were fewer people than when it started, but those who remained all had a light in their eyes, having tasted the sweetness of staying up late.

By sleeping eight hours less, they could actually get so much more done?!

During the day, various matters and classes would take up their time, but at night, they could arrange their activities however they pleased!

The efficiency was many times higher than during the day!

Moreover, the thought that they were improving while other students were sleeping gave them immense motivation.

Why hadn't they realized that staying up late was this satisfying before?!

...

This collective all-nighter undoubtedly planted a seed in these people's hearts.

These students, trying an all-nighter for the first time, looked at the rising sun and made up their minds:

As long as their bodies didn't fail, they could keep this up...

They heard there were even potions they could use. They would go buy a few bottles today and try them out!

...

Students arriving at school one after another were startled by the scene.

These people... didn't go home all night?!

Are they crazy?!

At this moment, Jiang Lin, the perpetrator of it all, opened his eyes.

The small bowl inside his body was almost full after these few days of accumulation.

By tomorrow at the latest, he would reach level 4.

This meant he would be only one level away from the minimum requirement for a Middle Magic Academy.

He glanced at the classmates who had pulled an all-nighter with him, then stood up to go buy breakfast.

As he stood up, Anya also got up to leave.

Seeing Anya leave, everyone else followed suit.

From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if Jiang Lin was the backbone of this group; once he left, everyone else scattered like birds and beasts.

For a moment, Jiang Lin's image became tall and mysterious in their eyes.

...

After buying breakfast, Jiang Lin ate as he walked, arriving at a weapon shop.

Ultimately, from the wide array of weapons, he chose a well-made, ordinary iron sword for five gold coins.

Although a longsword infused with mithril would have better magic conduction properties and thus greater power, the price was not nearly as attractive.

Jiang Lin tucked the longsword into his waist and returned to school.

"Did you hear? That guy Jiang Lin is leading the rank one student to cultivate overnight."

"Someone saw that a whole bunch of them didn't go home for the night!"

"Are they crazy? Won't they die from staying up like that?"

"Only ordinary people would die from that, right? I've never heard of an adventurer dying from staying up late..."

"Why are so many people from the elite class following along? Not only are they better than us, but they're also more hardworking. How are we supposed to live?"

"I've decided. I'm going to try it today too..."

"..."

As the events of last night spread again, more and more people in the grade learned of it. At the same time, those with the potential for all-nighters were being filtered out.

"But what do they do when they get sleepy?"

"I heard there's a potion called 【Mental Invigoration Potion】."

"Five gold coins a bottle? That's so expensive!"

"That price is actually decent for a magic potion."

"Damn it, even going to school requires spending your family fortune now..."

"Exactly. Those with wealthy families can stay up late without a care, while those of us with thin pockets can only squeeze out a bit of money for medicine once in a while."

"Ahem, that... if you guys are short on money, you can borrow from me. I only charge a bit of interest. You can pay me back once you get into a Middle Magic Academy. Just sign a spirit contract..."

"Holy crap, taking out a loan for potions to stay up late?"

In the face of the impending changes, many people were at the forefront of the trend, each using their own unique tricks.

And Radiant Junior Magic Academy was gradually becoming strange under Jiang Lin's lead.

...

However, Jiang Lin, the culprit behind it all, was completely oblivious to the changes he had caused. After returning to his seat, he began to roll for today's skill.

【Randomly selecting skill...】

【Skill selected: Low-level Healing】

【Low-level Healing (skilled) → (superlative)】

Memories flooded his mind, but the current Jiang Lin could easily handle such an amount of information.

At the same time, there was an increase in his stamina and mental power.

【Stamina】: 6500 → 7500

【Mental Power】: 4300 → 5300

In terms of raw power alone, he could already rival an ordinary knight of about level seven.

And his abundant mana could support Jiang Lin in spending it however he wished.

At this rate, Jiang Lin would have more than enough strength for the mid-term exam the day after tomorrow.

Additionally, Jiang Lin had been thinking about a question.

If every time someone new challenged him, he could level up or copy a skill, then wouldn't he grow stronger with every battle during the mid-term exam?

But that was a matter for later. For now, the priority was still to make the most of his time to cultivate.

Having just sat down, Jiang Lin immediately crossed his legs and began his meditative breathing, leaving those around him clicking their tongues in amazement.

He was too hardworking! They had hardly seen this guy Jiang Lin rest at all these past few days!

If he was this hardworking, how were others supposed to keep up?

...

During swordsmanship class, Anya found Jiang Lin. Since the power and consumption of the 【Seven Star Holy Glow Slash】 were too high, the two continued to spar with 【Basic Swordsmanship】.