I have a Tantric panel

Freya did not stay for long.

She seemed to be only there to greet Moriarty and his nephew, and to introduce herself to Aurora and Shane.

So soon, the female celebrity flew away like a butterfly.

She moved among the passing customers, diligently building her own network of relationships.

Lucius also had other things to do.

Not long after, he and Eileen temporarily left.

He was alone with Professor Aurora again.

After thinking for a moment, Shane brought up the matter of Clara.

He felt that Aurora had the right to know about this.

After listening, the professor looked surprised: "Clara... how could she be like this?"

She pondered for a long time before raising her head.

"Shane, you did a great job."

"I will handle her matter; don't tell anyone else."

Shane nodded: "I only told you, Professor."

"The banquet is about to begin. Go and get something to eat. I also need to go and chat with some old friends."

"Professor, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

After saying goodbye, Shane quickly found Ronan at the cold table.

He was focused on a plate of thinly sliced ​​roast beef.

Upon seeing Xia En arrive, he raised his head and said in a muffled voice.

"You just spoke to Miss Freya, didn't you?"

"..."

Xia En was taken aback, not expecting her friend to focus on this.

"Why didn't you get me an autograph?"

Ronan felt a little wronged.

"I'll definitely do it next time!"

Ronan looked Xiaen up and down.

His upright posture, elegant suit, handsome appearance, and calm and composed temperament were a perfect match for the banquet.

Standing in the crowd, I felt like a natural protagonist.

Where is the person who was coughing incessantly half a month ago, looking like they might die at any moment?

Ronan was genuinely startled when he saw Shane talk back to Byron.

If you offend Mason, the consequences could be disastrous.

Ronan didn't quite understand the white flames on the painting, Shane's description, or Mason's change in attitude.

But what can be confirmed is this.

My friend has changed, but for the better.

That's enough!

Ronan grinned. "Want some of this beef? It tastes pretty good."

"Eat! Leave some for me."

……

……

We took a carriage back to the small attic on Winchester Street.

Xia En first took out the business card from his pocket before taking off his expensive suit.

During the latter part of the banquet, quite a few people approached Xia En to chat.

They probably assumed Shane was some rich young master, and coupled with Mason Hillman's special attitude, they all extended their goodwill.

Xia En accepted all the business cards that came his way.

They are essentially a network of connections and resources.

Who knows, it might come in handy someday.

However, looking at the cramped room around him and his rather shabby shirt, Xia En thought to himself.

If those guests knew their true situation, their attitude would probably be completely different, right?

He wasn't overwhelmed by tonight's events; on the contrary, he became even more clear-headed.

The suit I borrowed from Mr. Lucius.

He was temporarily made to become Cinderella, a fairy tale character blessed with magic, and enjoyed the treatment of being adored by everyone.

But now, the clock has struck twelve.

It's time to get back to reality.

Xia En sat at the table, opened his notebook, and began to organize the takeaways from the dinner.

The biggest gain will definitely be 2 [Soul Points].

[Lamp] [Moth] [Blade] [Heart] [Cup]

Of the nine principles, Shane has already seen five of them.

The panel will only grant [Soul Points] upon the "first" contact.

It's kind of like a newbie gift pack.

Once you've collected all 9 points, you'll have to earn more points in other ways.

Xia En wrote down three options in his notebook: [Health], [Erudition], and [Rationality].

Health is the most important thing, so he plans to reserve a Soul Point for it.

However, [Health (2)] requires [Rationality ≥ 1].

He's considering whether to add points directly or rely on grinding.

Based on the speed of the interpretation, I should be able to obtain the [Deep Dive Meditation Method] by tomorrow. It will also be quick to raise my rationality to (1) by working hard.

The reason why "learned" is listed is...

It's because I'll be receiving Aurora's special training starting tomorrow.

The professor reminded Shane that he had a lot to learn.

It's not just about painting techniques; you also need to learn history, geometry, literature...

Selecting the "Erudite" option will likely speed up your learning process.

On the other hand, the requirement of "art" to break through (3) also requires "erudition ≥1".

Considering there's only one month left in the competition, investing points in [Erudition] is still quite worthwhile.

Xia En made up her mind.

[Extensive knowledge (0→1)!]

The moment the points were consumed, he felt a cool sensation flowing through his brain, as if he had been washed by a cool spring.

My previously drowsy consciousness suddenly became clear.

Some Latin words and famous lines of poetry that I couldn't quite remember suddenly came to life and could be easily memorized at any time.

【Erudition (2) Preview: Memory】

All the books and scenes you witness are imprinted in your mind, forming your memory palace.

[The following conditions must be met for this promotion: Progress 100%; Soul Point *1; Constitution ≥1; Rationality ≥1]

Similar to [Health], [Erudition] also has previews and promotion requirements.

It was as if they were urging Xia En to quickly invest his points.

But he held back.

There are still too few [Soul Points], so we're being stingy with how we spend them.

With a sigh, Xia En wrote down on the paper—"Main Objective":

White Canvas Award;

Achieve extraordinary results;

Earn points.

The first two are short-term goals, and the last one is a long-term goal; both are the main tasks.

Xia En had a premonition that while he was working hard for the competition, he would gradually find the path to the extraordinary.

He thought for a moment, then wrote down a few more names next to "Earn Points".

Clara;

Aurora;

Lucius;

Mason;

Freya.

Another way to earn [Soul Points] is to guide/deflect the path of the extraordinary.

Shane was the first to cross out Mason's name.

The rumors about him are enough to make people keep their distance.

If you have the chance, you can ask other people for information about the president and compare it with what Alara said.

The second one to be crossed out is Freya.

If the other party is too far away to even make contact, how can you guide them?

The names Lucius and Aurora were circled.

Both of them were extraordinary individuals with unwavering resolve.

Even if there is a theoretical possibility of deviation, the difficulty is too great and the losses outweigh the gains.

On the other hand, perhaps they could be used to make contact with potential superhumans, for example...

Eileen?

Or perhaps the professor's other students?

Finally, Shane drew two horizontal lines below "Clara".

Currently, this young girl is the most suitable candidate.

However, how she actually does it depends on the choice she makes.

After sketching and writing under the kerosene lamp for a while, Xia En's goal became clearer.

What needs to be done next.

It means eating well, sleeping well, taking good care of your health, studying hard, and striving to win awards in the competition under Alara's guidance!

One day, he will be able to become the true protagonist of the banquet without needing the money or power of others.

Turn off the lights and go to bed.

A cool evening breeze slipped in through the window cracks, drifting into my dreams along with the moonlight.