9: Chapter 9: You think you can buy me for cannon fodder with 20,000? You're not worthy!

The emotions in the virtual classroom were still spreading.

Teacher Lei Yan tapped the podium, drawing everyone's attention back.

"To help you survive a few more seconds in this real defense assessment, the Federal military is issuing a final welfare package."

He clicked on a file on the holographic screen.

"The [Spark Defense Student Loan] is now officially open to all third-year students."

Teacher Lei Yan scanned the room with his one eye, his tone carrying an undisguised, icy realism: "Interest-free, no collateral. You can use this money to buy weapons, food, and combat technique cards."

"You only start repaying the principal with interest once you graduate and officially serve on the front lines."

"Remember, this is the country's final mercy to you, and also the coffin money bought for you in advance."

A detailed loan limit table popped up on the holographic screen.

Lin Yuan looked up.

C-grade initial rating, loan limit 2 million faith points.

D-grade rating, 1 million.

E-grade rating, 300,000.

F-grade rating... maximum 10,000.

A collective gasp echoed through the classroom.

The barrier of class, in this moment, turned into cold numbers, slapped straightforwardly onto everyone's faces.

One step ahead, every step ahead.

Students with a C-grade rating started with two million, while F-grade students couldn't even get ten thousand.

"Teacher, this isn't fair!" A commoner male student with an E-grade rating stood up, face flushed, and shouted.

"What can 300,000 buy? Even a basic Black Iron-grade combat technique card costs 20,000!"

"Those with C-grade ratings can just pump their followers to Black Iron 5-star with potions!"

Teacher Lei Yan didn't even lift his eyelids: "Fair? When you get to the Abyssal front line, go talk about fairness with those Void Beasts that are as big as mountains."

"The Federation's resources are limited and will only be tilted toward those with value. Trash doesn't deserve to waste the country's faith points."

The boy was speechless and sat down dejectedly.

Just then, a sneer came from the front row.

The class celebrity, the rich second-generation kid Zhao Tianze with a B+ rating, stood up.

He straightened his collar and lifted his chin slightly.

"Teacher Lei, I've already submitted my application. The five-million limit was approved instantly."

Zhao Tianze looked around, his gaze sweeping over the resentful commoner students, a mocking smirk curling on his lips.

"Also, my family just added a private investment of five million for me yesterday. A total of ten million faith points."

Zhao Tianze's words exploded like a bomb in the classroom.

Ten million!

Many commoner students hadn't even seen that many faith points in their entire lives.

This huge sum was enough to sweep through the Pantheon Trading Network.

It could equip hundreds of followers with heavy armor made of refined steel and match them with standard enchanted weapons.

He could even hire a low-level demigod to be a special training instructor for a few days.

"I've got the barracks blueprints for the school's top spot covered," Zhao Tianze said with certainty, as if stating an established fact.

The followers around him immediately applauded and cheered.

"Brother Ze is awesome! With five million dumped in, those Abyssal Monsters won't even be enough to fill the gaps in the Orcs' teeth!"

"What's 'money power'? This damn thing is part of talent!"

"Brother Ze, please let us join your team during the assessment, let the brothers sponge some points!"

Fatty Wang sat in the back row, looking at the 80,000 limit on his terminal, scratching his hair hard.

He sighed and turned to look at Lin Yuan beside him.

"Yuanzi." Fatty lowered his voice, "With your F- rating, how much did this crappy system approve for you?"

Lin Yuan looked down; the divine terminal on his wrist was popping up a pitiful gray prompt box.

[Based on your F- Wasteland rating, the system's risk control assessment is extremely high. The maximum limit for your Spark Student Loan is: 5,000 points.]

5,000 points.

In a trading market where things cost millions, this amount of money wouldn't even make a splash.

"Not much." Lin Yuan closed the prompt box, "Enough to buy some rations."

Just as he finished speaking, a sneer came from the aisle.

Zhao Tianze had walked over at some point.

He happened to catch the number flashing on Lin Yuan's terminal, and the mockery on his face could no longer be hidden.

"5,000 points? Lin Yuan, your Wasteland start is truly pitiful enough to make people feel sorry for you."

Zhao Tianze stopped in front of Lin Yuan's desk and looked down at him.

"This little bit of money isn't even enough to buy the cheapest refined steel broadsword for the Orcs under my command."

"What, are you planning to take this 5,000 points to the vegetable market to buy some rotten cabbage leaves to feed those Grey Goblinss of yours that only know how to dig dirt?"

The gazes in the classroom converged.

On one side was the favored son of heaven with 5 million in funds and a B+ rating.

On the other side was the Wasteland commoner on welfare with an F- rating.

The extreme contrast made many commoner students feel a sense of frustration at their own kind's plight, but no one dared to speak up.

Zhao Tianze enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention.

He reached out a finger and tapped Lin Yuan's desk.

"For the sake of being classmates, I'll point you in the right direction."

Zhao Tianze struck a pose of charity.

"Sign a subsidiary god contract and become my vassal. When the assessment comes in a few days, send all your Goblins out to walk in front of my Orc legion to trip landmines and act as meat shields."

"For every Goblin that dies, I'll compensate you with 100 faith points. After it's over, I'll personally sponsor you with 20,000 points. How about it?"

Subsidiary god contract.

This was the most humiliating contract in the world of gods.

Once signed, it meant handing over half the control of one's divine domain, effectively becoming a slave to another.

Sending one's own followers to be cannon fodder in exchange for those pitiful scraps.

Several of the followers on the side chimed in.

"Lin Yuan, what are you still stunned for? Hurry up and thank him!"

"20,000 points! Even if you sold all your crappy Goblins, they wouldn't be worth 2,000. Brother Ze is doing charity here, letting you have a sip of soup!"

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's better than having your divine domain flattened by Abyssal Monsters during the assessment and going bankrupt directly, right?"

Fatty Wang slapped the table, his fat trembling: "Zhao Tianze, stop disgusting people here! 20,000 to buy someone's divine domain, do you think you're dismissing a beggar!"

"Get lost, you fat pig, you don't have a say here." Zhao Tianze swept a cold glance at Fatty Wang.

"Lin Yuan, you only have one chance. Backbone is worthless in front of Abyssal Monsters."

Lin Yuan sat in his chair, his posture unchanged.

He slowly lifted his eyelids.

No anger, no humiliation, and none of the struggle Zhao Tianze expected.

"No need."

Lin Yuan spoke, his voice steady.

"My Goblins have had a big appetite lately."

He paused, moving his gaze from Zhao Tianze's face to the assessment countdown on the blackboard.

"Your Orcs, I'm afraid, wouldn't even be enough for them to use as rations."

Everyone in the classroom widened their eyes, looking at Lin Yuan as if he were a madman.

What was he saying?

The lowest-tier trash Grey Goblinss, using B+ grade race Orcs as rations?!

Even Fatty Wang was dumbfounded, quickly tugging on Lin Yuan's sleeve under the desk.

This bluff was too big; it would be hard to back down.

"Are you looking for death?"

The charity on Zhao Tianze's face froze, then turned into gloomy rage.

These words didn't just reject his "favor," they stomped his efforts into the ground.

"Unappreciative trash."

Zhao Tianze gritted his teeth and snorted coldly.

"I want to see how many seconds you can last in the defense simulation war with that group of mentally challenged Goblins who can't even hold a knife steady!"

"When your divine domain collapses and you get kicked out of the academy, don't you dare come crawling on the ground to beg me!"

He flicked his hand, turned, and disappeared from the virtual academy.

His followers also made a throat-slitting gesture at Lin Yuan, cursing as they dispersed.