John Carter was slightly taken aback—it was actually Scarlett... “Hello, Scarlett, of course, no problem.”

“I’ll head to the discussion room then.” Whenever Scarlett appeared, all eyes in the vicinity would inevitably turn toward her.

John Carter nodded, not really sure what help he could offer this celebrity.

“John Carter, I read several of your articles recently, especially the one titled ‘The Bridge Between the Macro Self and the Micro Self’—it was truly insightful.” Scarlett sized up John Carter in front of her, finding it hard to believe that this person’s theoretical grades actually surpassed hers. After all, it’s hard to determine the top spot in practical skills among first-years, but when it came to theory, Scarlett had always been unrivaled—yet she lost out for the first time upon entering the Soul Academy.

During the break, Scarlett had thoroughly looked into John Carter, and after reading several of his published papers, she was deeply impressed. His bold hypotheses were jaw-dropping—some might see them as attention-seeking, but Scarlett found much to reflect on within them.

“I was just thinking out loud,” John Carter said.

“Do you think the power of runic patterns is a kind of life magnetism, with its own perception?” Scarlett asked. Usually, runic power was regarded as a magnetic force, influenced by the Dark Moon.

John Carter hadn’t expected anyone to be interested in this. Thanks to Simba’s influence, John Carter himself wasn’t limited by convention and often had all sorts of wild ideas. Simba would also share many strange viewpoints, like the high-dimensional demon theory, the notion that humanity’s own power was still in its infancy, that destiny could be controlled, and so on. But after entering the academy, others saw his ideas as crazy—even Mark Brooks couldn’t help but advise him to stop thinking about such nonsense, warning he’d go mad. Yet, for the first time, someone was actually willing to discuss these things with him.

It wasn’t out of curiosity, but genuine resonance.

Scarlett had only approached John Carter today on a whim. She happened to be at the library to borrow some books, saw John Carter, and remembered his papers, so she wanted to chat. But unexpectedly, his knowledge base was far beyond her imagination, and once they started talking, they couldn’t stop.

“Ah, you’re also very knowledgeable about the Ghost Clan. I also think the Federation’s system is too conservative. The Empire’s strength is, to a large extent, due to the influence of other races, and intermarriage has given them even stronger bloodlines. The powerful bodies of other races, combined with the power of soul spirits, means that in terms of individual ability, the Federation can barely keep up with those great empires.” Scarlett said with emotion. Coming from a scholarly family, her perspective was far broader than that of the average student—her insight was not just a matter of being a bit more capable. But for the first time, she felt that this unremarkable-looking guy in front of her might have an even broader perspective than she did.

John Carter smiled slightly. The contest between the Empire and the Federation’s systems was a matter for the big shots—he didn’t comment on such things. For example, the negotiations between the Empire and the Federation over introducing the OP system had dragged on endlessly, involving too many interests—this wasn’t something for students to get worked up about.

“The Ghost Clan can be considered the representative among the other races, and their connection to the current strength of the Caesar Empire is significant. The ghost-shadow physique produces powerful shadow warriors. Watching their battle videos is truly breathtaking.”

“Yeah, it’s almost impossible to suppress them one-on-one, especially for ranged fighters—it just turns into a massacre.”

“Actually, it’s not without solutions. If a ranged fighter can pull off a double-overlapping matrix, even the ghost-shadow steps can’t dodge it.”

Scarlett was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but smile. “How many people can actually pull off that kind of technical maneuver?”

Knock knock knock...

The two were chatting enthusiastically when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Standing outside were Amelia and Matthew Brooks. Amelia wore a look of hostility, while Matthew Brooks was winking suggestively.

Chapter 15: “Size” Is a Problem

“President Scarlett, you can stop wasting your efforts—John Carter gege will never leave the Oddball Club!” Amelia said crisply and decisively.

Scarlett smiled and glanced at John Carter. “I won’t give up that easily, my adorable little junior!”

Amelia wrinkled her nose. “Hmph, who are you calling little!”

Matthew Brooks’s lecherous gaze swept over the two girls’ chests. Tsk tsk, they are a bit small.

Thud...

Amelia stomped down on Matthew Brooks’s foot. Instantly, Matthew Brooks’s face turned dark, and he sprang up. Just as he was about to let out a beastly roar in the library, Scarlett flicked her right hand, casting a Silence spell, and Matthew Brooks swallowed it down in an instant.

The Silence spell was designed to counter espers, able to interrupt their abilities—a very advanced soul power skill, yet here it was used just to shut someone up. Mark Brooks felt his head buzz, as if he was about to ascend to heaven.

Amelia and Scarlett exchanged a glance, as if they’d found some common ground.

Tears welled up in John Carter’s eyes as he looked on—what had he done to deserve this?

“John Carter, I really enjoyed our conversation today. I learned a lot. I hope we can exchange ideas more often.” Scarlett said with a smile, her beauty truly refreshing.

John Carter nodded. “I gained a lot as well.”