Book 2: Academy of Monsters
Chapter 10.2: First Experience with Soul Tools
He Caitou had a gloomy expression as he said, “It still isn’t working.”
Fan Yu and Zhou Yi had already walked over. Zhou Yi’s expression was slightly ugly, while Fan Yu looked as if he’d thought of something. He quickly asked Huo Yuhao, “Huo Yuhao, how large is the range of your Spiritual Detection?”
Huo Yuhao answered, “It has a diameter of thirty metres or so.”
Fan Yu suddenly understood what had happened as he said, “So that’s the case…. No wonder this happened. After all, this is still only a soul skill from a ten year soul ring. For it to have such profound detection capabilities within a fixed range is already relatively amazing. We can’t ask for too much either. Only, this is rather unfortunate.”
Huo Yuhao suddenly said, “Teacher Fan Yu, the range of my Spiritual Detection will increase as my soul rank increases.”
Fan Yu was stunned. “That’s impossible. How could a soul skill evolve?”
Huo Yuhao said with a serious countenance, “It’s really true. This skill’s range has already increased by one metre since I obtained it. Furthermore, I don’t have complete control over it right now. Perhaps in the future I’ll be able to reduce its omnipresent range and instead increase its range in only a single direction.”
Huo Yuhao was already acutely aware as to why Zhou Yi had brought him here, as well as what she’d said during the following conversation. This could be an opportunity for him, although he wasn’t clear on what this opportunity was. However, assuming that it was an opportunity he couldn’t give up on, he decided to tell the truth.
Fan Yu glanced at Zhou Yi, who nodded slightly back at him.
Fan Yu replied, “Fine. If the range of your Spiritual Detection Sharing is able to reach a hundred metres in one direction, come find me. When that happens, I’ll teach you how to make soul tools.”
“Yes. Thank you, teacher.” Huo Yuhao hurriedly bowed in respect.
Fan Yu waved his hand and said, “Caitou, go over and explain to him what a stationary soul tool is.”
“Sure.” He Caitou had an extremely good impression of Huo Yuhao. He beckoned to him as he walked over to the side.
As he watched their figures gradually fade into the distance, Fan Yu quietly asked Zhou Yi, “What do you think of this kid? His mutated soul skill is honestly incredibly strong; there’s no doubt about his abilities in a team. Am I asking too much from him? If we want him to be able to support a stationary soul tool, we’ll need it to be able to reach at least distance of a hundred metres—and that’s at the very least. However… I dare to say that, if the range of his Spiritual Detection Sharing is able to reach a thousand metres in a single direction, he’ll become the most terrifying support-type soul master on the continent.”
Zhou Yi said, “I’ve just met this kid, so I can’t say much about him. However, you should’ve seen it. Although his cultivation isn’t strong, and even though his physique is rather weak, his temperament is much more mature than that of his peers. If it were anyone else, they definitely wouldn’t have said what he just said. I’ll help you watch over him. However, if he can’t pass the tests I give him, I’ll still expel him. Rules can’t be broken.”
Fan Yu thought to himself for a second, then said, “Help me observe him a bit more. Even if he can’t pass the Martial Soul Institute’s tests, I can still specially invite him to the Soul Engineering Institution as long as his Spiritual Detection Sharing is able to continue improving. I’ve already devoted ten years of my life to researching stationary soul tools. After combining that with the experiences of my predecessors, I finally managed to develop the most terrifying kind of soul tool. Currently, all I lack are users for it.”
Zhou Yi sighed lightly and said, “You shouldn’t be too stubborn either. In addition to the lack of users for it, there’s also another fatal flaw; its manufacturing cost is extremely high. You of all people should know that. It’s destined not to be used in a large-scale manner.”
Fan Yu unyieldingly replied, “Soul tools are powerful weapons meant for a small number of especially outstanding soul masters in the first place. When I conducted my research on stationary soul tools, I never even thought of spreading them out into the community of common soul masters. As long as an extremely small number of soul masters are able to use them, stationary soul tools will become our academy’s true ace in the hole!”
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“Big brother He, what exactly are stationary soul tools?” Huo Yuhao had a curious look on his face as he asked He Caitou.
He Caitou chuckled and replied, “There are many different types of soul tools. However, I can’t tell you about all of them in the short period of time we have. For starters, there are two main types of soul tools: short range soul tools and long range soul tools.Of these, short range soul tools are similar to the weapons that we normally use; they’re weapons that will explode with even more power when you pour soulforce into them. When you compare them to long range soul tools, they’re slightly stronger. On the other hand, long range soul tools are a type of soul tool that unleash long range attacks by pouring soulforce into them. The stronger the soul tool, the more soulforce required. This means that soul masters with stronger levels of cultivation can use higher quality soul tools.
“On the other hand, a stationary soul tool is a special type of soul tool that my teacher created based off of the accumulated wisdom of our predecessors. It can fire long range attacks, but doesn’t require too much soulforce to use. You saw how I used it earlier. Simply put, it splits the soul tool into two parts, where the soul tool component is only used to fire and detonate a projectile. Earlier, I used the stationary soul cannon to fire a cannon shell. The biggest advantage of a stationary soul tool lies in the fact that it uses very little soulforce, and that it doesn’t require an excessively high level of cultivation to use. Its flaw lies in the fact that it’s very hard to aim it—especially when you’re aiming at a moving targetm which is even harder to hit. But when it’s used against a fixed target, it’s very powerful. However, the manufacturing process of the cannon shells is very troublesome, and requires many precious materials. Normally, teacher never lets me fire it without reason. Teacher said that a stationary soul tool can strengthen a soul master’s attack power by tenfold... in theory. However, the strength of a stationary soul tool also has its limits. After all, it’s affected by the materials used to make it. The number of users for these stationary soul tools is fated to be an extremely small number of soul masters who are suited to use them.”
He Caitou’s explanation couldn’t be said to be wonderful; it was even a bit unclear at some points. However, this was the first time that Huo Yuhao had opened the great door of soul tools. This finally allowed him to have a preliminary amount of knowledge regarding soul tools. He faintly understood that Teacher Fan Yu definitely had a great deal of accomplishments within the field of soul tools. Teacher Xiao Ya had told him that he’d have to study soul tools in the future. If he could become Teacher Fan Yu’s disciple, that would clearly be the best option available to him.
“Huo Yuhao, let’s go.” At that moment, Zhou Yi’s voice echoed out.
Huo Yuhao said to He Caitou. “Big brother He, I’ll be going first. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
He Caitou chuckled and replied, “You’re a new student, work hard. It’ll be good if you’re able to become my junior brother in the future. Teacher doesn’t normally let me leave this place. It’s too boring.”
After leaving the Soul Tool Testing Area, Zhou Yi took Huo Yuhao straight back to the dorms. “Huo Yuhao, you heard what Teacher Fan Yu said earlier. I can only tell you that he’s the number one master at creating soul tools in the academy. If you’re able to become his disciple, you’ll have an endless future. However, you’ll first need to be able to stay within the academy. Go on, go eat lunch.”
After watching Zhou Yi leave, Huo Yuhao went straight to the canteen. The students from the other classes had already finished their classes, so the entrance to the canteen was filled with several people both entering and leaving the canteen.