I am the Clone of a Death Row Inmate

Chapter 98: Chapter 98: An Opportunity to Get an Extract for Free

”Su Ze, we can waive all your tuition and fees for room and board. Additionally, all training facilities on campus will be open to you free of charge.”

The director of admissions for Dongli University enthusiastically laid out the generous terms they were offering.

”Oh.”

Su Ze replied, and then said no more.

’Are they trying to get rid of a beggar? How much do tuition and food cost, anyway?’

’Room and board? I live at my sister’s place, so what room and board fees would I even have?’

With a net worth in the tens of billions, Su Ze clearly had no interest in such a paltry sum. Of all the conditions Dongli University promised, only the free access to its training facilities held any appeal.

Su Ze knew that Dongli University had various training facilities, such as a gravity training room, an ocean environment simulation chamber, and a live mutated beast combat training room. Some of these facilities were extremely expensive, and some even required special clearance to use.

The admissions director gave a wry smile. These were the best terms he could offer. He knew that even if he threw in a scholarship of a few hundred thousand, or even a million, this young man before him would probably still turn up his nose at it.

A male teacher behind the director grew anxious. He was Pei Wuhua, the head of Dongli University’s Combat Department. He had long coveted a student with Su Ze’s heaven-defying combat abilities and was eager to bring him into the fold.

Dongli University had been underperforming in the Six-Nation University Exchange Tournament for a long time, failing to place in the top three for many years. He was counting on Su Ze to restore Dongli University’s former glory.

Pei Wuhua quickly added, ”Su Ze, the rewards Dongli University offers its outstanding students are very generous, but many of them you have to earn for yourself. While you are exceptionally talented, if we were to just hand you resources for free, it would inevitably cause resentment among the other students.”

Slightly interested, Su Ze asked, ”What kind of rewards? Please elaborate, Mr. Pei.”

Pei Wuhua said, ”First, there’s the entrance assessment for new students. The reward for first place is a vial of S-rank extract that matches your current evolutionary stage. As long as you enroll, that reward is practically in the bag. There’s no way any other new student is stronger than you.”

Su Ze’s eyes lit up. As far as he knew, Zhang Kun had placed first among the new students when he enrolled, earning him a vial of a Tier 2 S-rank extract.

’If I work hard and complete my second evolution, then take first place in this entrance assessment, wouldn’t I be able to score a vial of Tier 3 S-rank extract for free?’

”When is this entrance assessment held?”

Seeing that he had finally piqued Su Ze’s interest, Pei Wuhua smiled. ”New students enroll on January 11th every year. The entrance assessment is held about three to five days after that.”

On Blue Star, the academic calendar was different from Su Ze’s previous life. Students enrolled at the beginning of the year, and the academic year concluded at the year’s end.

Su Ze calculated in his head. ’Today is December 21st. That leaves about twenty days until enrollment, and less than a month until the entrance assessment.’

’Can I complete my second evolution in that time?’

’In just under a month, I’d have to not only fully process the Mutated Upright Ape Extract in my system but also absorb and digest the next vial, and then complete my evolution.’

For anyone else, that would surely be impossible, but Su Ze felt he could give it a try.

Seeing Su Ze fall silent, Pei Wuhua thought he was still hesitating and upped the ante. ”The university regularly holds various competitions with substantial prizes. In particular, there’s the biennial Six-Nation University Exchange Tournament. If you perform well, you’ll receive a commendation from the Sovereign Country, in addition to rewards from the university.”

”A commendation from the Sovereign Country? What does that entail?”

”There are high-level wondrous items, top-tier extracts, and so on. The prizes differ each time. The first-place winner also receives a mysterious prize, rumored to be an opportunity to enter the Sovereign Country’s Royal Hunting Ground!”

”The Royal Hunting Ground? Is it just a chance to go hunting inside? Are there special mutated beasts in there?”

Su Ze was puzzled. ’If it’s just a chance to hunt, that’s not particularly appealing. They might as well just give an extract directly.’

”Well...” Pei Wuhua rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Since he had started teaching, Dongli University had never taken first place, so he had no idea what was in the Royal Hunting Ground.

Su Ze saw Pei Wuhua’s awkwardness and decided not to press him. ”Alright, then. I’ll enroll with the new students this coming January. I’ll leave the paperwork to you two gentlemen.”

Pei Wuhua nodded eagerly. ”No problem! I’m sure that in less than a year, you’ll be able to join our Combat Department’s Master Class!”

”Wait, Mr. Pei. When did I say I wanted to enroll in the Combat Department?”

Pei Wuhua’s eyes widened. ”If you don’t join the Combat Department, where else would you go?”

”I want to join the Research Department and major in Evolutionary Studies,” Su Ze said earnestly.

The institutions of higher learning on Blue Star had only two main divisions: the Research Department and the Combat Department. Su Ze still felt that learning more about evolutionary science would be a better way to improve himself.

The Combat Department was, for the most part, just about learning fighting techniques. It wasn’t that Su Ze thought it was useless.

The key thing was, Mrs. Yun could teach him combat techniques, and as a battle-hardened veteran, she was surely a better teacher than anyone at the university.

Pei Wuhua said gravely, ”Su Ze, this is about your future. Please think it over carefully. If you want to become a powerful combat-type evolver, the Combat Department is your best choice.”

”Might I ask, Mr. Pei, who is currently the most outstanding Pupa Stage student in the Combat Department?”

”That would be Zhang Kun...” Pei Wuhua trailed off, suddenly choking on his words. He knew that Su Ze had defeated Zhang Kun in a single blow.

”So...” Su Ze looked at Pei Wuhua. ”Do you really think it’s necessary for me to study in the Combat Department? Wouldn’t my time be better spent learning more about evolutionary science?”

”But the Combat Department also has the Master Class! That’s where the truly top-tier students are concentrated,” Pei Wuhua insisted, not ready to give up.

He was trying to remind Su Ze not to assume that just because he’d beaten Zhang Kun, the Combat Department had nothing left to teach him. The strongest students were all in the Master Class.

Among the six nations’ top universities, the graduation standard for the Combat Department was to reach the peak of the Pupa Stage and pass a final assessment. However, this was only considered equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from the Research Department. Graduating from the Master Class, on the other hand, was the Combat Department’s equivalent of a master’s or doctorate degree.

The criteria for entering the Master Class were to have outstanding academic performance, complete the second evolution, and become a Cocoon Stage evolver.

The Dongli Kingdom’s famous geniuses, like Li Yongguan and Gu Yue’Er, were all students in the Master Class.

Su Ze said, ”Once I complete my second evolution, I’ll seek out the seniors in the Master Class for a friendly spar.”

Seeing he couldn’t persuade him, Pei Wuhua grew desperate. ”If you don’t join the Combat Department, how can you represent Dongli University at the Six-Nation University Exchange Tournament?”

Su Ze froze. ”Do you have to be a Combat Department student to be eligible to compete?”

Pei Wuhua also froze for a moment, then thought about it. ”I guess there isn’t actually a rule for that.”

He had just gotten used to the idea, since all past participants had been selected from the Master Class.

”Well then, that settles it.” Pei Wuhua grinned. ”Welcome to Dongli University, Su Ze.”