Chapter Forty-Nine: Rote Memorization Cannot Make a Scientist

Through his conversation with Dr. Carter, Zhou Shu confirmed that this disheveled, bearded man in grimy workwear was in fact the leading expert in the film, as well as the most accomplished technician in this virtual battlefield. Dr. Carter was deeply knowledgeable about powered exoskeleton technology, though his understanding did not come from official sources. Instead, he had reverse-engineered the tech based on repair manuals and hands-on practice, supplementing it with his own insights.

Remarkably, the technology in this virtual world was not the official version from “Edge of Tomorrow,” but an equivalent system with similar effects, derived from the remnants of the Hunters’ database. This connection was almost uncanny!

The Hunters had really thought of everything.

And then there was the so-called information waveband relay device—attach it to a subordinate unit, and it could sense the presence of a mothership. Here, too, there was a theoretical foundation for such a thing. Truly impressive.

Yet, as for actual time travel—or more precisely, “save point” behavior—the system could not properly verify the underlying logic, so it was simply treated as a “setting.” But that didn’t matter to Zhou Shu at this stage. Whether it was real or not was irrelevant. What he truly cared about was the powered exoskeleton technology, which was the most useful thing for him right now.

Whenever the conversation turned to such technical matters, Dr. Carter became animated and enthusiastic.

Originally a specialist in particle physics and advanced microbiology, Dr. Carter had later become a self-taught expert in powered exoskeletons. But due to his job, he only ever dealt with broken suits, spending his days washing off mud or welding torn joints, and only researching alien monsters in his spare time.

He also knew about the Valkyrie, and had even helped her modify her powered exoskeleton to better suit her. Unfortunately, the Valkyrie was focused entirely on fighting monsters and had no interest in technical matters.

Stuck in the camp’s repair shop, Dr. Carter felt his mind was beginning to fray.

Now, with two new arrivals, he found Tom to be a blockhead—even less promising than the Valkyrie.

But Zhou Shu was a pleasant surprise.

Though Zhou Shu didn’t know much about technology, he was genuinely interested and eager to learn. Most importantly, Dr. Carter discovered Zhou Shu had a phenomenal memory—he could remember things after hearing them just once.

Unfortunately, as he soon realized, Zhou Shu’s strength was in rote memorization; his grasp of the broader scientific context was still shallow. In other words, he was a prodigy as a student, quick to pick up anything he was taught. The more skilled the teacher, the more Zhou Shu could learn.

He might even become a teacher just like his own mentor one day. But if he were to strike out on his own as a scientist and conduct truly original research, he would struggle.

After all, you can’t become a scientist through rote memorization alone.

Still, at just eighteen, his memory would help him build a strong foundation quickly. With that, Dr. Carter could teach him to understand research itself. He was determined to train Zhou Shu into a real scientist.

To find such an eager learner among a group of blockheads was a delight for Dr. Carter, who joyfully announced that Zhou Shu was now his student.

Dr. Carter addressed Zhou Shu solemnly: “I’m going to teach you everything I know!”

But then, Valkyrie dragged Zhou Shu off to practice mech combat.

Dr. Carter was speechless.

Who would have thought his greatest rival in spreading knowledge would be his own friend?

Meanwhile, Valkyrie wanted Zhou Shu and Tom—both greenhorns—to progress as far as possible, perhaps even fight their way across the entire beach to the final boss. So, she began training the two of them.

The training itself was simple, focusing on two main points.

First, they had to trust their equipment and believe in its power.

Second, they had to observe—pay attention in every direction, since alien monsters could attack from anywhere.

It sounded easy, but was much harder in practice.

Take Tom, for example: as soon as the three training machines started moving, he didn’t know where to look. The instant he stopped shooting, one of the machines slammed into him and sent him flying.

He survived, but his spine was broken and he was left disabled.

So, the leading lady shot him, giving him a tip on how to preserve his ability before pulling the trigger.

That tip? He had to die, no matter what.

Bang—

Tom was dead, while Zhou Shu was still standing. This taught Valkyrie that both had to die before the next loop would begin.

This was how the system was designed: if Tom died, Zhou Shu would keep training or fighting until he too was dead. If Zhou Shu died, the save point would reload, but in the NPC’s memory, Tom had also fought or trained until death.

After all, this virtual battlefield was designed for Zhou Shu.

Yet as a fellow beginner, he wasn’t much better than Tom—if anything, Tom died by gunfire, while Zhou Shu ran straight into a wall.

And then, the cycle began again: over and over, repeating the same scenario. If he died on the spot, it would immediately restart; if not, he’d die on the battlefield the next day.

With Valkyrie’s guidance, Zhou Shu made rapid progress. Each time Tom respawned, he brought back only “mental memory,” while Zhou Shu retained both “mental” and “muscle memory.”

Thanks to his outstanding performance, Valkyrie shifted her focus to training Tom, giving Zhou Shu more time to study with Dr. Carter.

He had his own reasons for seeking out Dr. Carter: he wanted to discuss modifying the powered exoskeleton to boost overall combat effectiveness and survivability.

This was crucial to their plans.

Because of his remarkable memory, Zhou Shu was no longer a complete novice; he’d already mastered some of the basics.

Each time he returned to Dr. Carter, the doctor was even more delighted than before, looking more spirited as well.

Of course, with so many things to juggle, he could only reach a certain level in each area. Sometimes, after a full day of scientific study, he would neglect his physical training, so he’d gain no increases that day in strength, agility, or stamina.

And as the number of “save points” mounted, perhaps due to the loss of novelty and adrenaline, his mental attribute also began to grow more slowly. Where it once increased by 0.02 a day, it now rose by just 0.01.

Still, it was progress.

His physical stat, on the other hand, was as steady as could be: one death, one increase. No change in the pattern.

But beyond basic stats, his skills advanced by leaps and bounds.

With the best exoskeleton operator—the Valkyrie—personally guiding him, Zhou Shu’s proficiency in using the powered armor soared. By the twentieth reset, his skill level had gone from “novice” to “proficient.”

And as his mental attribute grew, he finally achieved entry-level mastery of “bullet time.” While he still couldn’t deploy it at will, it no longer left him drenched in sweat as it had the first time.

Most importantly, as his physical condition improved, he could not only perceive slow motion—he could actually control his body to make optimal choices in that state.

His success rate in dodging attacks rose higher and higher.

His “vigilance” skill also progressed quickly. In this virtual battlefield, where even the training grounds were deadly, and the beach itself was a nest of danger, his alertness was sharpened to a fine edge.

He also picked up the basics of exoskeleton manufacturing technology.

Though the doctor always insisted that rote memorization could never make a scientist, Zhou Shu felt this was not a problem for him. Perhaps he would never become a scientist here, but once he returned to reality, being a scientist would be the least of it.

He would be a super-scientist, armed with the power to develop black-technology.