Professor Mortimer Wraithborne gazed on at his eager students with a satisfied look. The class was already more than half-full of students even though the start of lectures were a full three hours away. These were the good students—the tigers and lions of the herd.
They do not wait for chances—they make them or they take them. And if that chance came, they would do anything to capitalize on it. Eager beavers will always be winners.
Unlike one student he knew, these students study an extra hour or two, complete an extra set of push ups, and they dream a little harder, but they do not take the day off.
No matter if a meteor fell on his head, his house got burnt, or if there was an apocalyptic monster waiting with its jaws unhinged, his best students will always be present.
And these kinds of behavior should be reinforced. He should reward them. And what better rewards could there be other than the gift of knowledge. An early hour of lectures should give them a proper morale boost to start this beautiful day.
CLAP
“Listen! Let me tell you about Teqx.”
The students buried in their books immediately looked up at Professor Mortimer Wraithborne with amazement. Teqx was something that was only taught in the upper years, when students were more mature to handle that kind of power.
Learning even a little piece of trivia a year earlier than their peers can give them that slight edge they need to push away their competition.
They don’t have inheritances, they don’t have talent that manifested extremely early in their youth, and they don’t have a master to follow. They don’t have anyone to depend on to learn this crucial information that may make or break their career.
In their age, only people with inheritances and extremely talented genes were able to have a Teqx this early.
If somehow they were able to chance upon a Teqx, without the proper instruction and warnings, they will end up harming themselves before they could even use their powers.
So if a person without inheritance or had no talent will have virtually no chance to have a Teqx this early or even be able to survive its power. If they tried to forcefully adapt a Teqx, they would explode into mushy blood in mere seconds.
“This is the last year of your regular life. The last year where everyone is considered equal. After this, you either lead the lives of gods, or spend the entirety of your lifespans in mediocrity.”
At this point, more students came into the classroom and stopped in their tracks. You could see their eyes widen as they looked at Professor Wraithborne and then at their watches to make sure they hadn’t overslept.
Did I wake up late?
Was there an email notice I didn’t see about early class?
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Did I forget that there was a class this early?
Even though they were still considered early since official classes were still hours away, they were, unfortunately, late. They missed the start of Professor Wraithborne's lecture. And everyone was too busy studying to help others, so the professor’s words will be forever missed.
“Teqx are essential to achieving our dreams.”
And it was about Teqx no less! The regret painted on their face will ever be washed away. How could they have missed this enormous chance?!
I shouldn’t have slept at all!
I want to throw up my breakfast!
I wish I could turn back time!
These were the thoughts of those who were ‘late’. Even if it was completely reasonable to only go to class an hour early, they still felt like they had let themselves down.
Professor Wraitheborne had no sympathy for these mediocres. Only the best of the best should learn from the best of the best, with the best of the best knowledge.
“Teqx are tools. We use them to pierce through the veil of the impossible to make them improbable. Only when we work hard using those tools do we finally make them possible.”
The students jotted down every word in their notebooks. Some hadn't even sat down in their seats as they used their hands as a writing desk.
“We use them to sharpen our skills, grow our talents, and remove our mortality. We use them to squash rivals and defeat monstrous beings on our way to the top. We use them to distinguish ourselves from the human, from the mediocre.”
TAK TAK TAK
His writing on chalk was fast and furious.
“As you all know, there are three different colors of Teqx. Red, Blue, and Yellow.”
This was basic knowledge that was taught to them as soon as they could understand words.
A male student raised his hand. Normally, Professor Wraitheborne would just ignore or shoot down a question in the middle of the lecture, but the student who asked it was from the earliest batch of students who arrived here. He answered the question.
“Are there any other color besides those three? I’ve heard of myths that there are other colors like violet, green and other stuff.”
The question garnered the curiosity of the whole class. They were not unfamiliar with the barbershop talk and the internet threads about the supposed Teqx that had hues other than the primary colors.
“No.”
The Professor shot down that line of thinking quickly. They were way too young and inexperienced to know about the almighty and powerful secondary-colored Teqx.
“Those three primary colors are the only Teqx that you need to pay your attention to. Only through Power, Fame, or Money will you achieve the pinnacle of this world.”
Once he talked about the pinnacle, all the students could think about were the Supreme Beings. They were the ultimate power in this world. They were law. They rule the very nature and reality of this world.
“Supreme Beings…” he enunciated. “Are gods who have achieved their dream. They have made the impossible possible. And they make the possible into truth.”
Professor Mortimer saw his students head filled with daydreams and longings. It was good to see them have hope and aspirations, but before they even think about the apex of strength, they needed to start their journey.
“In your journey to become like the godlike beings you worship, you need Teqx. You must choose carefully. This is a once-in-a-lifetime choice that you cannot change. Once you have a Teqx, that is it. You cannot replace it with another.”
The students swallowed their excitement. It was for that very reason that they work hard every second of every day. They needed to have a good Teqx to help them achieve their dreams. If they let up for even one second, they could lose an opportunity to another person and be left with a mediocre Teqx.
They won’t even be able to touch the middle of the pack, let alone see the peak of their dreams.
“So you have to work hard. Not just at the start when you are trying to woo an organization to give you a Teqx. That is just the start. You have to work hard and polish your newfound strength. Even inheritors have to work hard so that they do not disappoint their families.”
They all knew the long and tough road ahead of them. But one student couldn’t help but raise his hand and ask a question.
“Can’t we have a Teqx that is super powerful that we do not have to improve it?”
The Professor shook his head. “No, even S or S+ class Teqx need to be grown from a little seedling in order for it to flourish into a magnificent forest.”
“Kukuku…Patty would probably die from hearing that.” one of them joked.
Everyone chuckled at that. Everyone knew that Patty was lazy and he did not study nor worked out like the rest of them. He always coasted—walking the edge between failed and passed.
“That’s right. Do not be like Patrick. He is a lost case,” he warned them.
As everyone laughed at the student who wasn’t there, one girl held up her hand and asked another question.
“Are Teqx alive?” she asked. Some laughed at that notion, while others believed that it was the truth.
The Professor was silent for a second then answered;
“No. Teqx are not alive. They are simply just balls of energy. They are not even plants, they are not bacteria nor are they mushrooms. They do not help you increase your strength. They will only give you your powers. It is up to you what you do with them.”
He looked at them with a serious face.
“Teqx cannot think for themselves. They cannot strengthen your body for you without doing anything in return. They cannot control your body—”“
Just as he said that, the door opened and in came a student that he never expected.
“What a pleasant surprise. I thought you were absent today, Patrick.”