Chapter 2: Talent

"Your salamander avatar gains a few evolution points by consuming a substantial amount of food."

"The property page is being generated... The generation is complete."

With the emergence of these two lines of transparent text, a translucent page frame materialized before Chen Chu's astonished eyes.

Constitution: 7 (Ordinary person: 10)

Strength: 7

Dexterity: 6

Spirit: 10

Talent: Soul Split

Body: Hexagonal Salamander [Ordinary amphibious creature, adult body length 30 cm, combat power 0]

Level: None

Talent: None

Evolution value: 1/10 [Evolution can be initiated when the evolution value is full]

"The property page..." Chen Chu exhaled slowly, suppressing the excitement bubbling within him.

As a half-otaku who reveled in reading novels, watching anime, and playing video games in his leisure time, Chen Chu naturally embraced this unexpected twist of fate.

And he had a fairly good idea of why the hexagonal salamander had become his clone.

It likely had to do with his talent for soul splitting.

Surveying all the statistics, Chen Chu wasn't surprised that his attributes, with the exception of Spirit, were below par.

His physical constitution was genuinely frail.

His gaze then drifted toward the data concerning his clone below, and a faint smile touched his lips.

Although it existed solely within the fantastical property page, the ability to accumulate evolved avatars merely by eating seemed to promise an easygoing life.

"Cough... Calm down, calm down." After reining in his excitement, Chen Chu gradually composed himself.

He continued to study the property page but, regrettably, found no further insights.

...

At eight o'clock in the morning, Chen Chu, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and leather shoes, walked along the sidewalk toward school, his face bathed in the warmth of the rising sun.

It's worth noting that the school uniform style in this world was quite appealing. Wearing it, Chen Chu appeared more spirited.

At this moment, Chen Hu, who walked alongside him, looked at his older brother with a touch of envy and remarked, "Brother, you look so handsome in that school uniform."

Because Chen Chu had been frail since childhood, his complexion remained pale and clear, with delicate facial features that outshone many girls. Although his height of 1.7 meters wasn't exceptionally tall, he carried himself with a certain grace, giving off the impression of a frail yet strikingly handsome young man.

"It's not bad," Chen Chu responded, quite pleased that he hadn't become ugly and short after time-traveling.

In contrast to Chen Chu's refined appearance, his younger brother, Chen Hu, was a bit more rugged. At the age of thirteen, he stood at 1.75 meters, boasting a sturdy build and a thick skull.

Both Chen Chu and Chen Hu were beginning a new school year today, with one in junior high and the other in high school. Their respective schools were in the same direction, with Chen Hu's school being closer, a mere 20-minute walk, while Chen Chu's high school was roughly half an hour away in a separate district.

"Brother, I heard that in high school, you can start learning real martial arts, and if you're talented, you can even receive national-level training," Chen Hu exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

Chen Chu shook his head, dampening his younger brother's expectations. "Meeting the standards for national-level training isn't easy."

Chen Hu clenched his fist and said with unwavering faith, "Brother, I believe in you. You can do it."

Chen Chu couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you really think my body, like that of a sickly child, will have exceptional talent in martial arts?" Unlike Chen Hu's unshakable confidence, Chen Chu harbored little hope in this regard.

After the onset of the new era, which had witnessed over a decade of turmoil, nations around the world had united to form the present United States of America. For decades, it had maintained stability.

The city they currently resided in was called Wujiang City, primarily inhabited by Han Chinese, and it enforced a twelve-year mandatory education program.

In high school, as their physical development neared completion, students would begin learning the foundational real martial arts endorsed by the Federation.

This marked a significant fork in the road for most individuals. Those with an aptitude for martial arts and a willingness to pursue this path would join the martial arts class during their first semester of high school. There, they would focus on martial arts while studying the liberal arts.

Others who practiced basic real martial arts for a semester but lacked talent could opt to focus on liberal arts or sciences, aiming for university with exceptional academic performance.

Of course, martial arts and academic prowess alike were reserved for the most gifted, and the majority of students would enter the workforce after completing high school.

Given his weak constitution, Chen Chu held little hope for his martial arts talent. Nonetheless, he remained undeterred. With his attribute page and the potential to accumulate evolved

avatars, he still held the prospect of ascending to greatness.

As Chen Chu and Chen Hu parted ways on their respective journeys, Chen Chu walked along the sidewalk for over ten minutes, eventually reaching the entrance of Nantian Wugao High School.

Today marked the first day of the school year, and the streets were abuzz with parents dropping off their children.

Despite the advancement of technology in this world, progress was slower compared to Earth as a whole, owing to the recovery of "spiritual energy." As a result, while these luxury cars boasted sleeker designs, they still relied on conventional fuel and electricity. The development of floating vehicles remained an aspiration for the future.

Following the flow of students, Chen Chu strolled into the school grounds at a leisurely pace. He followed the posted names on the bulletin board, which eventually led him to the third classroom on the second floor of the senior one teaching building.

By this time, some students had already gathered inside, creating a mild commotion.

Chen Chu scanned the room briefly before locating an empty seat by the window in the back row. He took his place and sighed inwardly, "I didn't expect to start high school all over again after time-traveling."

Before long, the classroom filled to capacity, housing around forty students, maintaining an even male-to-female ratio.

At nine o'clock, a woman in her thirties entered the classroom, donning a formal suit and wearing a stern expression. She approached the blackboard and wrote "Chen Qi" on it.

Chen Qi positioned herself at the front of the class, surveying the students seriously. "My name is Chen Qi, and I will be your homeroom teacher starting today."

She then pointed to two students in the front row. "You, interim class monitor."

"And you, acting as the martial arts committee member temporarily. Any objections?"

The two students, one male and one female, acknowledged her instructions. The boy stood up, exclaiming, "Teacher, I'm fine."

The girl nodded in agreement. "I'm okay with it."

"Very well. Later, the two of you, along with a few others, will retrieve and distribute the study materials from the textbook room."

"Yes, Teacher."

Chen Qi then addressed the rest of the students, saying in an indifferent tone, "Today is the first day of school, and there's not much to do. The primary goal is to familiarize yourselves with your new classmates and surroundings."

"After you've received your study materials, you're free to move about as you wish. You can return home, explore the school, or simply relax. Formal classes will begin tomorrow."

"In addition, the seat you currently occupy will be your permanent seat unless there are extenuating circumstances. Each of your desks contains a key that can lock your study materials inside, eliminating the need to carry them every day."

"That concludes it."

With that, Chen Qi, their homeroom teacher, promptly turned and exited the room, displaying a brisk and no-nonsense demeanor. She left her students somewhat bewildered, including Chen Chu, who hadn't anticipated such an odd homeroom teacher on his first day of high school in this world.

Shouldn't each student normally introduce themselves on the first day, fostering camaraderie and helping everyone adjust to the new environment and class dynamics?