“Ah, is that so.” John Carter rubbed his nose. Had he said something? He couldn’t even remember.

Fortunately, Amelia didn’t mind and instead fell into her memories. Back then, everyone in her family was arranging her future, so she secretly ran off to Tianjing. Meeting John Carter was the happiest day of her life—so real, and only John Carter supported her choices. The path of the assassin she now walked was also pointed out by John Carter back then. Everyone has their own talents; her petite figure meant she was more agile than others.

“I will definitely succeed!” Amelia suddenly stood up and declared loudly.

John Carter was startled. “Little ancestor, sit down quickly. This is the dormitory, you can’t shout here.”

“Hehe, you’re just afraid someone will find out there’s a girl in your room, aren’t you?” Amelia said slyly. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

John Carter felt awkward. “Kids shouldn’t meddle in grown-up business!”

“Tch, you’re only a little older than me, stop pretending to be an adult. But don’t worry, I’ll help you find one. No way I’ll let Matthew Brooks get the advantage.” Amelia laughed.

“Amelia, I think Dean Moore made a very good point. With your build, if you switch to dual daggers, you can really play to your strengths. On the surface, it might seem like you’re losing some advantages and that close combat would be tough for you, but the shorter the weapon, the greater the risk—and with your agility and natural talent for close combat, it might have unexpected effects.” John Carter quickly changed the subject.

Amelia was silent for a moment, her eyes bursting with a stunning light. “But why? Everyone thinks my build isn’t suited for close combat.”

“Whether you’re suited or not is a feeling of the soul. You have a strong inclination, and you’re not afraid of or inconvenienced by close combat at all. In fact, you feel right at home, which means you’re suited for it. The only issue is finding the right fighting style. For example, I think your daggers should have a bit of a curve, which would make them better for slicing through the air and increase your speed, making you move like a phantom.” John Carter said. He had just sparred with Amelia and knew exactly how confident she became in close combat. If she switched to dual curved daggers and unleashed the Fire Dance Lotus... just thinking about it made his hair stand on end.

Amelia fell into thought, her hands unconsciously moving as if dancing. “It does... feel pretty good. I’ll talk to Grandpa Moore about it tomorrow. I knew you were my confidant big brother, way more reliable than Matthew Brooks. Come here, let me give you a hug as a reward.”

John Carter broke out in a sweat. “Alright, you’ve eaten, your worries are gone, it’s time to head back to your dorm.”

“No, I want to stay here tonight. Anyway, Matthew Brooks never stays in the dorm.” Amelia said.

Chapter 14: On the Correlation Between “Studying Hard” and “Picking Up Girls”

“Girls aren’t allowed to stay in the boys’ dorm. Go back, or I’ll have Matthew Brooks come get you.” John Carter said fiercely. He had to be strict, or he’d never be able to control this girl.

“Hmph, you walk me back. It’s dark outside—what if someone tries to rob me? I’m scared, and I drank too much.” Amelia put on a trembling, pitiful act.

John Carter rubbed his nose. “You little rascal, it’d be good enough if you don’t go robbing others. Besides, you can use your soul power to get rid of the alcohol!”

“Brother John Carter, let me tell you a story. A girl’s chair in her dorm broke, so she asked a boy to help fix it!”

“And then?”

“The boy really came and fixed it, but the girl was angry!” Amelia said slyly.

“Why?” John Carter asked in confusion.

“Silly, the girl broke the chair on purpose!” Amelia stomped her foot, leaving John Carter with an angry-looking back, but there was a smile on her face.

Formal classes had begun. The freshmen, like baboons in heat, were especially excited. For them, this was a brand new start. John Carter just went through his morning classes as usual. Solitude made him more thoughtful, and with more contact with Simba, he had developed his own understanding of runes and the current combat system.

Some of these wild ideas now seemed absurd, but some did have a certain possibility.

The library was quiet in the afternoon. Most of the students from the rune design department were there—they needed to do a lot of calculations and design drafts. John Carter was also seriously working on calculations. Rune design, especially for weapons, gave him a lot of inspiration.

John Carter’s approach to weapon design and understanding was to use the design process to better understand the power triggered by the combination of the weapon itself and soul power. Through this process, he could gain a better grasp of specific attack methods. In order to become stronger, he tried all sorts of possibilities.

Students from the Warrior Academy had the least theory classes. They focused more on practical lessons, learning all kinds of combat skills, believing that was the best way to gain strength. But John Carter felt that while this method produced quick results, it was a case of knowing the “how” but not the “why.”

John Carter was reading a paper by Dr. Madeleine titled “The Emotional Intelligence of Higher-Dimensional Life” when a faint fragrance drifted over. Someone sat down across from him. When John Carter looked up, the person gave him a fresh smile. “John Carter, may I bother you for a moment?”