Chapter 2, although very straightforward, this is the reality

Human beings are indeed a fragile species

After all, this is a very simple principle. Without exaggerating the divide between geniuses and ordinary people, the class opposition between top students and underperformers still exists. In the face of such seemingly innate and incomprehensible beings who appear to know everything without the need for study, the vast majority of ordinary students can only quietly keep their distance with respect.

Although it is said that dying in a dream is the quickest way to escape the dream, it is indeed very painful. In order to avoid leaving too deep a psychological shadow on himself, Xia Ran has always rejected such a brutal method of cutting the line; he still prefers the conventional "exit game" option

Therefore, he, who neither comes from the masses nor goes to the masses, has not expanded his social circle at all, and the A.T. force field has protected him very well

Moreover, he had long since completed all the courses he was supposed to study and had thoroughly grasped everything he needed to understand—because those damned lucid dreams were not entirely filled with encounters with madmen, monsters, or murderous maniacs, nor were they solely dangerous scenarios of wasteland radiation and apocalyptic nightmares

In principle, it is quite reasonable that someone who has effectively taken a year off from school, spending the vast majority of that time between the hospital and home, and has attended school for less than a month in total, should be held back a year.

If this is the case, and there are still individuals who can surpass his achievements, then it is likely that others are also using cheats, and even more advanced ones at that

Certainly not a textbook, after all, it is not yet class time, and it seems that only half of the people have arrived in the classroom

Class 2B, this is Xia Ran's class

Only certain exceptional students would take the initiative to engage with Xia Ran, but most of the time, they would merely discuss academic issues, and Xia Ran was often able to resolve these problems with ease

Having only transferred here a year ago, Xia Ran, who had spent the previous years studying in the country, is naturally very aware of such matters

At 8:35, the bell rang throughout the campus, yet there were still some who hurriedly rushed through the main entrance of the school at the last moment

Such performance has further solidified Xia Ran's image as a super academic achiever, and those who initially doubted whether he had employed improper means during the examination have consequently quieted their suspicions.

Until ーー

Content : ... ...

Although he does not dream every day and there is no discernible pattern, on average, the time that Xia Ran experiences in a month may be equivalent to nearly a year for others. Despite this, he is not a super genius and does not possess any extraordinary abilities such as photographic memory or innate knowledge.

It is not because the other students are incapable, but because he has already gained an unfair advantage. On the surface, he appears to be either hospitalized or recuperating at home, but in reality, he has spent at least several years in a dream state dedicated to studying

However, he did not, and continued to follow the normal upgrade process

Feeling a vibration and hearing a faint notification sound, he frowned and took out his phone to take a glance, discovering a new email.

Sometimes, what may seem like just one night in reality could actually represent six months spent in a dream.

The love letter in the shoe cabinet drawer, he could simply choose to ignore it and move on, but if the person involved were to confess directly, he would be completely at a loss on how to respond, as he has never had any experience in this regard... Therefore, it is better to keep things as they are now

He stood in place and took a look around, unable to help but sigh as he walked into the campus. He felt that he still had not fully adapted to the rhythm of this country

Wait a minute, is it always girls who write love letters to themselves

Thus, one would utilize their golden finger to transport certain items from the realm of dreams into the real world

A delicate, fair hand suddenly appeared before him, gently tapping on the desk.

This is why he is somewhat unaccustomed to it; perhaps it is due to the deeply ingrained habits he has developed. Many times, if he sleeps until seven or eight o'clock and sees that it is already bright outside, he will instinctively feel that he has overslept

... ...

He withdrew his gaze from the window and then focused on the book in front of him, as if he were reading with great seriousness and care, exuding an inexplicable sense of leisure.

Title: Regarding the New Work

Teacher Pingzhong? Xia Ran calmly raised her head, looked to see who it was, and slightly leaned back.

He nodded, closed the book, and stood up

He did not read the content, and simply closed the information page with a blank expression

It feels as if I have recovered from a severe cold, a sensation of lightness throughout my body, as if I have shed a burden of a thousand pounds. Although there seems to be nothing particularly joyful, I still find the world to be beautiful and the people around me to be delightful

Perhaps it is because the bell will not ring until 8:35, which is why at this moment, both the school gate and the campus are still sparsely populated, and there are hardly any people to be seen

Just think about it, if those love letters did not appear in the shoe cabinet, but instead the parties involved charged directly in front of him, ready to take decisive action, wouldn't that be even worse

Fortunately, he does not have very few friends, but rather none at all, as he had just started school not long ago last year and directly took a long leave to recuperate his health.

After all, students in the country do not have such leisurely time. It can be said that from elementary school to high school, the situation is the same, with a uniform schedule starting at 6:00 AM. Some more rigorous schedules extend from 6:00 AM to after 11:00 PM, treating students as if they are not human.

His is merely "micro-aiming" ... ... while others are the culmination of "lock-on", "instant kill", and "bullet tracking" ... ...

In any case, there will definitely be no new works; slacking off is the ladder of human progress. He was merely driven by a sense of crisis, wanting to leave some money for his family in case he encountered misfortune.

No longer a one-sided victim of abuse, but instead, having first killed the enemy within the nightmare.

This has led him, at times, to spend several weeks, months, or even longer in a state that resembles a dream of a parallel world, characterized by a relatively peaceful nature.

Therefore, there is fundamentally no one familiar with him, and there is no one who can engage in conversation with him. Additionally, coupled with his identity as an international student from China, and the fact that he has hardly attended classes for an entire year yet can directly achieve the top rank in his grade, ... he presents a persona that is neither friendly nor approachable ...

Today is a rather pleasant day, and Xia Ran feels quite good as well. It is uncertain whether it is due to having vented her frustrations properly during this recent nightmare.

Therefore, it can be said that in addition to its significant side effects, lucid dreaming is, in a certain sense, also his golden finger

Xia Ran, wearing a pair of glasses, leisurely walked into the main entrance of the school while dragging her backpack with one hand

In the distance, the road has begun to grow busy, with an increasing number of vehicles and pedestrians. There are hurried office workers, housewives heading out to buy groceries, and carefree children who do not yet understand what stress is.

While this has severed interpersonal relationships, it has also fundamentally and directly eliminated certain troublesome matters

This is roughly the case. Although most people keep their distance out of respect, Xia Ran is quite pleased with the tranquility. To be honest, if it were not for this situation, he would actually find it even more troublesome

Sender: Machida

This person is quite troublesome, constantly urging me every day, even though I had repeatedly reminded myself to calm down and refine my work. After witnessing my own work speed, they began to urge me daily, as if they wished I could produce ten pieces of work in a single day

So, what exactly is the situation with these young girls in this country

A thought that inexplicably appeared in her mind sent a chill down Xia Ran's spine. She quickly shook her head, forcefully dispelling this somewhat disturbing thought, and attempted to focus her attention on the books on the table.

Although there were no pleasant sound effects like "LEVEL UP" and no beam of light descended from the sky, he did not instantly level up his attributes amidst dazzling light and shadow effects, nor did he fully recover his health and mana; instead, he became increasingly weak.

Why is everyone so realistic? ... The world of adults ...

... ...

He does not mean that every time one must endure a harrowing ordeal after entering, ultimately being killed in order to awaken and return to reality

He can fully compensate for his disadvantages in other areas by spending an amount of time in a nearly realistic dream that is many times greater than what others can comprehend. It is precisely for this reason that, despite appearing to have effectively taken a year off from school, there is still no one in the school who can match him.

However, he has indeed been promoted, transitioning from a first-year high school student to a second-year senior high school student

However, under the premise that one is not inherently lazy and does not possess a lack of intelligence, at least one is capable of learning

... ...

After all, his achievements were not obtained through cheating in exams, but rather through genuine hard skills—although it must be said that this was also largely thanks to the significant side effects of his golden finger.

Eight o'clock in the morning

"Classmate Xia Ran, could you please come with me for a moment?" The teacher asked softly, seemingly not wanting to disturb the other students around.

It is still April, and the gentle and bright sunlight pours in, giving him a faint sense of warmth

Xia Ran's seat is located in the last row by the window, which is the corner seat. From here, he can conveniently see the scenery outside, and it is directly facing the main entrance of the school

Moreover, this is not all; after the announcement of the final exam results, he, who had missed almost a year of classes, surprisingly achieved the top rank in his grade. This incident even became a hot topic in the school, leading people to exclaim, "Are all Chinese international students monsters?"

He can now be considered somewhat of a campus celebrity, one who ranks among the notable ones. Since the beginning of this semester, which has only been a few weeks, he has already discovered a double-digit number of love letters in his shoe cabinet and drawer.

And now, the astronomical sum lying in the account is likely more than he could ever use in his lifetime, making it unnecessary for him to work as hard as he did before

... ...

During this period, he did not waste time; instead, he used it to hone his survival skills, acquire knowledge, and so forth. Although it cannot be said that he was so engrossed as to neglect sleep and food or to the extent of hanging his head from a beam or pricking his thigh with a needle, he can still be considered relatively disciplined

Perhaps it is due to the clarity of thought that he feels refreshed; today, he surprisingly finds that his spirits have improved significantly. At the very least, he no longer experiences the faint, illusory headache that usually follows waking from a nightmare, but instead feels remarkably at ease

Indeed, it is essential to maintain a respectful distance; otherwise, it can lead to a sense of frustration, even if it is merely from observing the reflection in the other person's glasses