Douluo Dalu: 1st Cycle: Dancing Panda

After the spar Teacher Ye was occupied with her thoughts. Karni's and Siduo's styles were vastly different, yet for some reason, even without having seen them fight together, she could tell that the two should be extremely complementary to one another.

"Val Karni must've gotten his reaction and precision from sparring with Wu Siduo." She mused to herself. "On the other hand, the girl probably had to learn to be fast. Otherwise he could react to her movements." They built off of each other together, honing their understanding of one another as well as personal strength.

She was able to determine Siduo's reasons for such growth. What she couldn't comprehend however was, even with Karni growing through similar means, his instincts were unnatural. She knew it was his first soul ring ability, but she could not tell what it was.

Putting her thoughts aside, she started class once everyone was seated. She wasn't their combat teacher, she was here to teach them Mecha Engineering.

She sat Karni and Siduo at the front so that she could keep an eye on them, the two were also the youngest; it was easier for them to ask questions from the first row.

"We all know what this class is truly about. Some of you may have learned some Mecha Engineering already, while others will learn everything here." She gave a stern eye to all of the students, shortly stopping on Karni and Siduo.

"This class will last for a total of three years. By the end, you will have to choose one of the professions required to become a Mecha Engineer. Some of you may already know which profession you will choose, those of you who do, have to give an application to the school so that we may adjust your schedules accordingly."

"Additionally, some of you may have a blacksmithing profession. You too, should inform the school about this, since you will have a different curriculum compared to your peers." She looked clearly at a few of the students as she said that. She had all the students in her class memorised already.

"Lastly, you must remember that this school teaches the elite of Star Luo City. That is why we teach you about Mecha Engineering early on, as compared to other schools who start in the advanced academies." Some students had a clear look of pride on them as the teacher said that.

"I must warn you, that this comes at a price. If any of you fail this class, or the classes of your corresponding professions, you will be removed from the academy and will get a recommendation to a different Intermediate Academy in Star Luo City."

For the school to be elite, the standards had to present that. This academy has stood at the top of this city for thousands of years.

Most of the students immediately felt the pressure of the school, but two of the students didn't. Karni didn't have time to worry about something like this. Since long ago he knew that he will have to reach the peak in one of the professions to even have hope of ever returning to Earth.

Meanwhile Siduo simply appeared unbothered. Whether it was due to pride, confidence or arrogance.

Professions regarding Mecha Engineering or Blacksmithing were a must to reach the peak in this age of Douluo. This was also why the academy was so strict.

"Let's start with introducing all of the professions. The two most common ones are Mecha Manufacturer and Mecha Designer. As their names imply, one of them designs Mecha and another one creates based on those designs." As she was speaking she wrote the two options on the blackboard.

"The third less popular option is the Mecha Mechanic. They dabble in both fields of Manufacturers and Designers, while not specialising in either. It is by far the hardest of the three to learn, but one would be able to support any team of Mecha Engineers on a project. They are also necessary for maintenance, but in terms of efficiency they can't create any of the things on their own completely. Especially at the highest levels."

"These three are essential in creating a Mecha. It is rare that one of these would be missing from a team of engineers. You will also be able to create general technology, Mecha Engineering usually has elements of other specific research. Weapons, movement, energy, you name it, Mechas are the peak of engineering." She added the third option, Mecha Mechanic, connected the three with lines, and wrote Mecha Craftsmen.

"There is of course a fourth and last option. That is to be a Blacksmith. An external job, but without one, no Mecha could exist in the world. There are not a lot of Blacksmiths, yet there is a high demand for them, especially so at the higher ranks. The amount of metals necessary for a Mecha should never be underestimated." She said with a sigh, it was clear she was speaking from personal experience. The fourth, separated option was added to the blackboard.

"In this class we will be covering the basics of Mecha Manufacturing and Designing. I would recommend that you find out what you're suited for as fast as possible and then start focusing on one of the two."

"Those of you who will be talented in both fields can also choose to be a Mecha Mechanic, however, do be mindful of what I said earlier. You will most likely fall behind your peers eventually, due to the difficulty of the profession. If you think I'm exaggerating, don't. I can speak from personal experience. If you still don't believe me, you can ask our Vice-Headmaster."

As if this was a call, a figure entered the classroom at that moment. It was the Vice-Headmaster.

"Indeed, I'm still stuck at 7-stars as a Mecha Mechanic." He gave a warm smile to the class.

"I'm confident enough to say that if I chose to focus on one of them, I would already be at least at the peak of 8-star Designing or Manufacturing, if not already a 9-star craftsman."

"Do you regret it?" Asked one of the students in the back.

The Vice-Headmaster simply laughed heartily. "No. I don't. Even as a 7-star Mecha Mechanic I am always added to teams which include peak Designers and Manufacturers. Because of our versatility, we are very much in demand. The number of 9-star Mecha Mechanics in the continent can be counted with fingers." He smiled yet again.

There was pride oozing from his words. Indeed, a 7-star Mecha Mechanic was highly respected; quite a bit more than a 7-star Designer or Manufacturer. However, it still held true that one who specialised was better in their field than one who didn't.

If a 7-star Mechanic was to compete with a 6-star designer, it could be said that the designer stood a good chance at winning, that was the bonus of specialisation. The same held true for Mecha Manufacturing.

That being said, a Mechanic was a much better assistant to a Manufacturer than another Manufacturer. That was because individuals had unique styles of going about their professions. Not specialising in anything would give one an edge in terms of supporting others.

If some of the students weren't convinced before at how difficult it was to be a Mechanic they certainly were now. The teacher thanked the Vice-Headmaster for joining the class, and he left soon after.

Looks like Teacher Ye and Vice-Headmaster were in cahoots. This was done so that everyone knew what they were getting into. Once one chose their future path, there wasn't going to be time for regrets.

"I repeat once again." said Teacher Ye.

"You will have three years to choose a profession. Depending on what you choose, there will be a test for that profession at the end." She brought back her strict tone.

"If any one of you figures out what you want to be before those three years, you can inform me so that we adjust your schedule accordingly. However be warned, once you choose, there is no going back." She gave one last look to the class, before she started cleaning the blackboard.

"Now that you know what you are getting yourself into, let us begin with the actual class." She finished and opened a book.

… … …

First half of the class was the history of Mecha Engineering and Mechas in general.

The development began a few thousand years ago, and at a certain point the introduction of Mecha and technology into the society even changed the position that Soul Masters held.

Weapons wielded by normal people could even threaten soul masters at the highest levels. But this eventually led to another piece of technology that brought Soul Masters back on top.

The teacher did not elaborate what that piece of technology was and that only those of them who would pass the next three years will learn about it, but Karni knew what she was talking about.

It was Battle Armour. It was essentially a mecha infused into human sized armour, the current peak of technology used by soul masters. It was also something that he needed to have in order to reach the peak in this world.

Interestingly enough though, while he found Battle Armour interesting, he found the concept of giant Mechas much cooler. He will eventually have to make himself a Battle Armour, but he will definitely make himself a Mecha in the future as well.

As that part of the lesson passed, they began the practical explanation of the lesson.

… … …

Two people were sitting in an office. A lady who appeared to be in her thirties, and a middle aged man.

"Uncle, did we have to go that hard on them?"

"Of course. We decided to test the two children to see if they have the right aptitude. If they're truly talented, the academy is willing to spill a lot of resources into them."

"I understand that, but was the whole good cop, bad cop needed? We both know that you're the one who has some weird tendencies. Why'd you push me into this spot?"

The middle aged man giggled. "Little Ye, can't you allow this old man to have some fun?"

"Fun my ass, you're just making me look bad in front of the kids."

"C'mon, they'll like you more once they find out how you really are."

The woman just sighed. "You do you Uncle, but I'm not playing this good cop bad cop anymore."

"Do make the tests less than 20 points overall though."

"You can do that yourself. Enjoy creating those ruthless tests. I'll be going now."

"Oh come on Little Ye, don't be like this. Little Ye? Teacher Ye? Please, niece… Ayayay. Did I go too far? Oh well, those kids need a little pressure to grow correctly."

… … …

A few weeks of class have passed.

Karni and Siduo were in Karni's room. They both looked deep in thought. The classes this past week were mostly covering the basics, however there have been some clear differences with a few specific topics in class. Manufacturing and Designing were already being subtly split.

The main difference was perhaps that one required dexterity and precision, while the other required spiritual power and understanding. This became more clear in the most recent class.

Needless to say, the problem they were facing was that they both found themselves talented in both fields. A good problem to have.

Siduo had high spiritual power ever since Karni knew her, and her being both an assault and agility soul master gave her natural talent at Mecha Manufacturing.

Karni was the opposite. His natural talent in terms of his Martial Soul was very much of the spiritual variety; perfect for being a Mecha Designer. On the other hand, his training in wielding the bo staff gave him more than enough dexterity and precision to become a Mecha Manufacturer as well.

Since they were a pair most of the time, they didn't wish to both be Mechanics either.

Neither of them were considering blacksmithing. Siduo simply didn't like it very much, while Karni knew that it wouldn't be worth it. There is a future Divine Blacksmith in his generation, and if everything went right, he should meet him if he manages to enter Shrek Academy.

After some more silence, Siduo finally spoke. "Kiki. How about we ask my mother and father to hire a Mecha Mechanic teacher for us."

Karni was confused. "Isn't it better to hire one teacher for design and another for making, then?"

Siduo had a grin on her face. "Tsk tsk tsk. You see, if we both learn from a Mecha Mechanic at the same time we can complement one another even better."

Karni was even more confused. "Please, just explain fully without the teasing riddles."

"Let's be honest, Kiki. In the long run, I will probably be more suited for Manufacturing and you for Designing. With both of us learning to be a Mechanic, we could help each other throughout our growth, while still focusing on one thing." She was explaining with her eyes closed, in a serious tone.

"We should each focus on one thing, but learn from each other to be a Mechanic secondary. I could better understand your designs, and you would know better how you should design. This kind of insight should only be possible with us having the same starting point." She went silent for a second, letting him think about it.

Though, a whispering voice escaped her. "I could be the best Manufacturer for you and you the best Designer for me."

Karni didn't quite hear that last part as he was already deep in thought. Her idea did intrigue him. Ironically, he had a similar thought to her last sentence at some point. "In such a way, with mutual growth, when put together, we could be like a Mecha Mechanic, but one who specialises in both."

Little did they know how much this decision today would influence their future.

In such a way, their growth would naturally give them the ability to adapt to other people. This kind of thing was something beginners would have to learn with practice after figuring out the basics, their little approach had more than one bonus.

As they discussed some more details about their idea, they went and asked Siduo's parents for help.

Both of the parents were quite surprised. It was one of those ideas that only people with natural talents could use. Wu Jianguo agreed. "I do have someone who owes me some favours, it might take a few days though."

They expected that the parents would agree. They dote on their daughter far too much after all.

"But you have to promise that in the future you will teach your little brother as well. It would be good if our family could develop a tradition of Mecha Engineering."

Neither Karni or Siduo had a problem with that so they obliged. Siduo, much like her parents, already started doting on her little brother, despite him only being a year old.

"Alright then, let me make a call." Wu Jianguo stepped out of the room. Not even 5 minutes later, he returned.

"He'll be here tomorrow." He grinned.

"Wow dad, you're awesome!" Said Siduo with exaggerated enthusiasm.

However, Wu Jianguo didn't notice. "That's right, praise your dad more!"

… … …

The next day after school, both Karni and Siduo were eagerly waiting to meet their new teacher.

Based on what Siduo's father disclosed, their teacher was quite a remarkable Mecha Mechanic. They were sure that he was at least a 5-star mechanic, maybe even a 6-star one. Wu Jianguo didn't want to elaborate, saying that: "It would ruin the surprise."

It wasn't long before they heard a bell ring, they both stood up and looked at each other, Karni felt like a little kid again, feeling all giddy and excited. His body was strengthening the emotions as well.

He was about to start learning technology that did not exist in his world. If he ever managed to return to Earth, he would definitely use all of this knowledge to make himself and his family rich.

"All right then, let's execute the plan."

"Sisi, you sound like we're some evil masterminds."

"Don't mind the small details, just enjoy the moment."

They went down the stairs of the mansion to see what their teacher looked like.

However as soon as they saw their future teacher, they were left speechless.

As if they were practising beforehand, they voiced their question at the same time: "Vice-Headmaster?"

To their question, only a small laughter escaped the middle aged man.