Chapter 117 - 116: The Past That Money Can’t Buy

Chapter 117: Chapter 116: The Past That Money Can’t Buy

In the Night Ghost Market, Gu Su, carrying a worn canvas bag on his back, skillfully navigated a narrow alley. Each step felt like treading on memories of the past.

This was the very alley behind the vocational college he had once attended, a place that held the fragmented memories of his three years there.

Two years ago, having just graduated from this third-rate vocational college, Gu Su had been disheartened by his visibly bleak future. In his despair, he had brought all his major-related books here and sold them off for cheap.

Back then, he never would have imagined that the books he’d cast aside like old shoes would one day become something he desperately sought.

Speaking of which, although the school he attended was just an obscure, ordinary vocational college, that perception was only true for those unwilling to study.

A closer look would reveal that the curriculum was unusually rigorous, even quite professional. At the very least, before Gu Su had transmigrated, it was beyond what he could have learned at his previous academic level.

If you broke it down, the content of Gu Su’s major alone far surpassed the level of a comprehensive university from before he transmigrated.

Mastering medically-related subjects like corpse anatomy, dissection principles, and suturing techniques was foundational for controlling the Undead. This was a must, but it wasn’t a medical school.

They had to delve into knowledge related to electronic programming to learn how to write action commands for the Undead, but it wasn’t an electronics major.

They also had to master basic military command skills to coordinate and dispatch Undead troops. It might not be useful, but you never knew.

In addition, folklore and various ritual-related subjects were essential. After all, an Undead Mage dealt with ghosts daily; without this knowledge, you couldn’t even have a Communication with one if you met it.

Not to mention linguistics, and even emergency response disciplines for how to cope if you actually, accidentally, entered the game, and so on.

And yet, this entire complex curriculum had to be completed in just three short years.

What was even more demoralizing was that no one knew if learning all this was actually useful.

After all, even if you graduated smoothly, most would just be assigned to take Undead to the mines. Even the Undead they were allowed to Control were provided by the higher-ups, leaving no opportunity to use the complex knowledge they had learned.

Because of this, most students at the vocational college had little motivation to learn.

Everyone just muddled through the three years. Simply graduating was considered a pretty good outcome. As for the knowledge they’d learned, aside from what was converted into Basic Science Passive Skills, the rest was long forgotten.

Upon graduation, those "useless" professional textbooks would be casually brought to this alley and sold for cheap, as if discarding a worthless piece of their past.

Sometimes, besides the old books, students would also bring small, worthless trinkets that were inconvenient to take home, piling them haphazardly on their stalls. Over time, this place became a gathering spot for graduates to get rid of their unwanted items.

But this time, Gu Su’s purpose in revisiting his old haunt was completely different from two years ago.

He was no longer that disheartened graduate casting away his books. He had come back specifically to find some of the textbooks he had sold and take them home to study again.

After all, only after leaving campus and being polished by the harsh realities of the world did Gu Su understand that there were still many gaps in the knowledge he had learned back then.

The subjects he had glossed over in school now seemed like they were full of crucial points that could help him. If he could systematically study them again, he was sure his Basic Science level would rise to a new height.

Besides, Gu Su had no intention of studying on his own through rote memorization.

There was a white cardboard box by his bed. As long as he put the books inside it and slept next to it, he would automatically absorb the knowledge from the books, completing his studies through osmosis.

Such a hassle-free and efficient method was far easier and more effective than burying his head in books and studying the hard way.

Gu Su was even considering if he could find some books from other majors.

After all, he probably wouldn’t be coming back to the Night Ghost Market frequently in the future. It wouldn’t be this easy to find such cheap yet practical old textbooks again.

Learning a bit more from other majors would surely come in handy in the game someday, providing an extra layer of security.

What Gu Su cared about even more was that many of the old books sold here were filled with class notes from former students.

The problem-solving methods, highlighted key points, and practical tips added by teachers recorded in those notes were more direct and crucial than the content of the books themselves. They could save him a huge amount of time fumbling around, which was one of the main reasons he’d come here specifically to look for books.

But after browsing through just half the alley, Gu Su was already starting to feel some regret.

He hadn’t expected there to be so many old books he wanted, and every single one seemed useful.

Right now, his canvas backpack was stuffed to the brim with various professional textbooks, the zipper barely able to close. He was also holding a large stack in his arms, which were starting to ache, yet there were still many stalls full of old books ahead. He hadn’t even gotten halfway through.

Gu Su frowned, carefully clutching the books in his arms while craning his neck to look at the remaining stalls, a helpless expression on his face.

’If I’d known this would happen, I should have brought the Treasure Chest Wagon. I wouldn’t be struggling to carry all these books now.’

His predicament was noticed by a nearby stall owner who was busy trying to sell him some "star student" notes.

The stall owner reacted instantly. He put down what he was holding, sidled up, and flashed an enthusiastic smile. "Bro, looks like you’re having trouble carrying all that, huh? How about I sell you this little cart, too?"

As he spoke, the stall owner pointed to an inconspicuous, small cart made of bone nearby and continued his sales pitch. "Don’t let its small size fool you, this thing is sturdy. It can hold a ton of books and other stuff.

"I’ve been using it for three years to haul my goods and set up my stall. Never had a single problem with it, never broke down once."

Gu Su glanced at the small cart, the corner of his mouth twitching up slightly. He said coolly, "One of the brothers from the Precision Engineering major made this for practice, right? They give these away for free in front of the Precision Engineering Institute. You can take as many as you want. And you’re trying to sell it?"

The Precision Engineering major was considered the ace program at this vocational college. During admissions, they specifically selected players with relatively strong Spiritual Power who were meticulous and capable of fine, detailed work.

The core curriculum of this major taught students how to focus on controlling a single Undead, using it to process and create various tools. It was a genuine, hands-on craft.

In this Game World, where most low-level players had no way to level up and no chance of becoming true High Tier Players, graduates of the Precision Engineering major enjoyed a relatively high status in the workforce.

At the very least, they could rely on their skills to Control Undead to make tools and earn a living. This was far better than the players assigned to the mines or farms, and they could avoid that kind of dull and arduous low-level life.

The stall owner’s smile froze for a moment when Gu Su saw right through him. Then, he asked in surprise, "Bro, how do you know all this? Did you graduate from this school too?"

Gu Su, still holding his books, nodded slightly. With a hint of imperceptible emotion in his voice, he said, "Yeah, I graduated from here too. Let me borrow the cart."

"Oh, so you’re a senior! In that case, don’t talk about ’borrowing,’ just take it and use it!"