Chương 49: Semester Exam
"I don't understand why you revealed your abilities when you were fully capable of defeating them without showing your Domain and using your spirit ability," Aria asked Nero, her confusion evident in her voice as he made his way towards the dorm room with Yuanen Yehui in his arms.
"Bait" Nero replied.
"Bait?" Aria became even more puzzled.
Nero nodded and explained, "For the past few weeks, we haven't been able to gather a single piece of information regarding those who are targeting Yehui despite our discreet investigations. If we keep using the same subtle approach, we won't achieve anything. We need to change our strategy and confront them head-on, but at the same time we also can't simply attack those who are hidden here."
Nero paused as they arrived at the dormitory. After laying Yehui in bed, he continued, "So, I decided to reveal my combat power and act as a bait. Knowing my capabilities and the fact that I am protecting Yehui, they will likely focus their attention on attacking me, as I would be a huge hindrance to their so-called plan."
Aria immediately understood Nero's plan and said, "You plan to use EVOK's history revelation function to find their secrets by having me scan the people they would send to attack us. Since they don't know about me, they would never stop attacking you, which would only help us in finding the true identity of this cult or organization." Nero nodded, confirming Aria's conjecture.
"But, how are you going to deal with the aftermath?" Aria asked. "People will notice that something is wrong with these attacks."
Nero smiled and said, "That's where the experiment you have been working on for so long comes into play."
Aria immediately exclaimed, "No way, but wouldn't my participation reveal that I am on your side?"
Nero replied with a mischievous smirk, "Who said you are gonna help me?"
Aria asked, "What do you mean?"
Nero further clarified, "Your only job is to cause chaos, attack both me and them. You would be a wild card that would interfere with anyone trying to find out what is actually happening."
Nero stood up, and as he looked out of the window, he continued, "In this game of chess where we don't even know the opponent and rules, the only way to gain an advantage is by flipping the game itself upside down. You would be the one to do it, a piece that doesn't belong anywhere and whose only goal is to sow chaos."
-----
Days passed with Nero maintaining his routine, which included having his clone perform various tasks, cultivating, designing his Battle Armor, and spending quality time with Yuanen Yehui. During this time, Nero and Ren also managed to decipher the final coordinate needed to locate the place mentioned by their father. They both decided to visit this mysterious location during their upcoming trip to the Star Luo Continent, as it would provide them with ample time to handle the secrets and things that were stored there. Finally, the time for the semester to end and the first-semester exams to begin arrived.
Nero asked Yuanen Yehui as they were about to leave their room, "You were also called to the B-12 auditorium?" Yuanen Yehui nodded and inquired, "Why do you think both classes were notified to gather at the same place?" Nero shrugged and replied, "I don't know, maybe it's related to the semester exam." He extended his hand and said, "Let's just go; we'll find out the reason when we arrive there." Yuanen Yehui nodded and held his hand as they made their way toward auditorium B-12.
Nero and Yuanen Yehui arrived in the auditorium and spotted students from both classes present, their faces etched with confusion. " Brother Nero, Here! " hearing a familiar voice calling out to him Nero turned his gaze towards a corner, where Xu Xiaoyan and her group, including Tang Wulin, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, Xu Lizhi, Ye Xinglan, and Yue Zhengyu, were gathered. Nero noticed that Yue Zhengyu shivered as soon as he saw him.
As soon as Nero and Yuanen Yehui arrived near the group, Tang Wulin asked, "Nero, do you have any idea why Elder Cai has gathered both classes here?"
Nero, with his usual nonchalant tone, replied, "How am I supposed to know what's going on in that old hag's mind?" This candid remark made everyone, except Yuanen Yehui, sweat as only Nero had the guts to refer Elder Cai as old hag so casually.
A few minutes after every student had gathered, Elder Cai made her entrance, with Shen Yi and Wu Zhangkong following just behind her. Shen Yi took her place behind the lectern, wearing a smile as she began, "I'm sure many of you are wondering why both classes have been summoned here today. Some of you might have guessed it already. Well, the reason is simple: you're all here for the semester exam."
Fear had gripped the hearts of many, as they knew that in the usual semester exams, five students from each class would face expulsion. Shen Yi continued, her words sinking in, "However, this time the exam will be different. The last five students will not be expelled." Before the students could breathe a sigh of relief, Shen Yi dropped the bombshell. "Instead, this time only those students who do not meet the academy's requirements will be expelled. This means that if all of you perform at your best, no one will be eliminated. But, if you slack off during the exam, more than five students may face expulsion."
Nero raised an eyebrow, recognizing that this exam was like a grindstone used to sharpen the students, especially the elite ones. The question that lingered in his mind was why this particular method? Shen Yi proceeded to explain the details of the exam. "Now, here are the specifics of the exam. You have been divided into pairs by Elder Cai. The exam will last for fifteen days. During that time, you and your partner will travel to Bright City. You must visit at least ten cities, including Bright City. In every city you visit, your team will have to defeat a soul master of a specific rank. These soul masters will have greater combat power than each of you individually, but their combined combat power should not exceed that of your team."
"Furthermore," Shen Yi continued, "your soul storage devices, communicators, and any other resources you possess will be confiscated before you head out. That includes money. Your team will leave empty-handed. Remember, you will only have fifteen days. As long as you can complete the assigned tasks and return within fifteen days, you'll pass the exam. The number of points you earn will depend on the time it took you to defeat your opponent. This exam focuses on how well you can cooperate with your assigned teammate. So, having a strong partner wouldn't necessarily be an advantage."
The students from both class were stupefied, they couldn't say whether the exam was tough or not because it was all dependent how well they can cooperate with their teammate. Elder Cai stepped forward and added another announcement, " The top five teams of this exam would be selected to participate in a special event. So, try your best to don't miss that opportunity." Nero finally understood why this peculiar method was used in this exam. It was a selection process for the tournament that would take place in the Star Luo Continent.
Shen Yi then brought out a list and started announcing the pairs, " Xu Xiaoyan, Yue Zhengyu "
" Xie Xie, Xiao Yue'r "
" Nero, Yuanen Yehui "
" Ye Xinglan, Xu lizhi "
" Tang Wulin, Gu yue "
...
After announcing the pairs Elder Cai dismissed everyone after instructing them to gather at Ice Spirit Plaza in the morning. Yuanen Yehui and Nero also went back to their dormitory.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Yuanen Yehui asked as she sat on Nero's lap while he was checking different people's information on his tablet.
Nero put aside his tablet and began, "First of all, we can't waste time on earning money as our opponent is likely going to be at the Soul Sage rank." Yuanen Yehui tilted her head and asked, " Then, how are we going to eat and travel."
Nero replied, " We are gonna bet ". "Bet?" Yuanen Yehui looked intrigued. Nero explained further, "Yes, with every soul master we fight, we'll wager a certain amount of money. This way, we can cover our food and accommodation expenses. As for traveling, most of the time, we'll use our Battle Armor to get around efficiently."
Yuanen Yehui nodded in agreement, realizing that Nero had thought this through. It was a clever way to manage their resources during the exam. Nero stood up with Yuanen Yehui in his arms and said, "Now, let's sleep. We have to wake up early."
{ Nero isn't gonna use inventory because it will be regarded as violation of rules}
----
In the early morning of the following day, all the students were gathered in Spirit Ice Plaza to prepare for their departure. After inspecting everyone thoroughly to make sure they didn't smuggle any items Elder Cai announced everyone to set off.
"Ready?" Yuanen Yehui turned towards Nero and asked, to which he nodded. The next second, both Yuanen Yehui and Nero were covered in a silvery-pinkish red and white-blue aura, capturing everyone's attention.
As the aura surrounding them dissipated, what came into view shocked every student. Yuanen Yehui was now adorned in a gray bodysuit and a white skirt. Her legs, thighs, hands, knees, chest, and shoulders were covered in silver and white armor featuring pink glowing cores. She also wore a silver-colored mask that concealed the lower half of her face.(Photo in comments )
Nero's attire consisted of a black sleeveless zippered turtleneck underneath a midnight blue formal vest, paired with black leather pants, dark boots concealed by teal gaiters, and a black coat adorned with neon blue serpentine patterns and three distinct coattails. In addition, his legs, waist, chest, shoulders, and hands were covered in white armor adorned with blue glowing circuits. His face was concealed by a full bluish-gray mask that featured intricate light blue patterns that emitted a soft glow.(Photo in comments )
"Full body Battle Armor," Xie Xie exclaimed in shock, mirroring the astonishment evident on everyone's faces. It was indeed a remarkable feat, and the fact that Nero and Yuanen Yehui had created this battle armor on their own without any assistance left their classmates in awe. In fact the most shocked was Elder Cai herself, she could see that their Battle Armor was different from normal Battle Armor. Just by the amplification she could say that their Battle Armor exceeded the standards of 2-word Battle Armor.
Nero unleashed his demon wings, which were now significantly larger than before, while Yuanen Yehui spread her silvery-pink wings. The sheer force generated by the flapping of their wings created a massive rush of air as they took off into the sky. Their speed was astonishing, leaving behind nothing but streaks of blue and reddish-pink light as they disappeared into the distance.
" Are you all waiting for someone to carry you? " Elder Cai cold voice brought everyone back to their senses. Feeling her deadly gaze they all hurriedly left the plaza.
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