Chapter 292

Chapter 292: First Display of Talent

“Wait, Lolan.” Bumansa’s voice came from behind, stopping Lolan Hill who was about to descend the stairs to the courtyard below.

“What is it?”

Today, Lolan Hill was wearing a deep gray rabbit fur coat, which wasn’t very eye-catching. The coat was sewn by herself at home; it was warm and the seams were meticulously done.

“Here, take this.” Bumansa handed over a long knife. Inside the black-silver scabbard was the prize from the New Star Competition earlier this year, the [Gray Dove] (Perfect Pearl Grade).

“You didn’t bring any weapons, right? If you were to materialize magic weapons on the field, it would be very conspicuous.”

“This is true.” After a moment’s hesitation, Lolan Hill took it.

Extraordinary weapons were fairly common among students at Emanas. Those with decent conditions usually had silver-grade weapons, while those from wealthy families might have gold-grade or even pearl-grade artifacts, like Letis’s fan, the bow used by Ai Hua during the school tournament, and Weilin’s red sword. As for the rarest item Lolan Hill had seen, it was Florasia’s coral-grade bracelet, which although not a weapon, had various useful functions.

Even those from less affluent backgrounds could obtain their own extraordinary weapons through many activities within the school, such as the New Star Competition where bronze-grade weapons were given to participants, considered a benefit for new students.

After descending the stairs, the venue ahead was surrounded by people, the testing ground. Lolan Hill thought for a moment and pulled up her hood, concealing her face. She didn’t want to be remembered and disrupt her peaceful campus life.

Unfortunately, this idea lasted less than a minute before being broken by the proctor.

“Please remove your hat. We need to verify your identity, and wearing a hood during combat is incorrect; it obstructs your vision.”

Reluctantly, Lolan Hill complied.

The winter air was cold, and her breath formed a white mist. As she removed her hat, her smooth black hair cascaded down her shoulders, fluttering slightly in the wind. Though many couldn’t see her face from behind, the slender waist and straight, long hair still captivated onlookers.

“What a beautiful figure that girl has,” a student commented to another behind her.

“The back view is indeed beautiful, but I’ve been through this many times. As long as I don’t see her face, I won’t be swayed,” another student replied, hinting at past experiences.

“Haha, you’re still hung up on what happened last time. Besides her looks, that senior has other good qualities,” a friend patted him on the shoulder, and they laughed again about the previous incident.

Inside the venue, the proctor glanced at the roster and looked interestedly at Lolan Hill before summoning two mud golems.

“Defeat these two opponents, and I will score you based on your performance. Why two? You should know the reason.”

“Mm, understood, teacher,” Lolan Hill thought, probably because she needed to use two identities, making the challenge more difficult.

As a first-year promotion test, defeating sequence three mud golems wasn’t particularly hard for most students; it was just about winning gracefully and scoring high.

The two yellowish mud golems stood up, shaking off the snow on their bodies. Standing approximately 2.5 meters tall, each had thick arms about half a meter wide, one wielding a solid iron double-blade and the other holding a long iron hammer.

To ordinary people, these weapons were heavy, but to the golems, they were light. As they rushed towards the girl, they stirred up dust and wind.

Lolan Hill leaped back lightly to avoid the swinging weapon, then drew her silver-cold longsword, swiftly slashing through the gap in the wind. Before the students behind her could react, she put away her sword and returned it to her waist. The two mud golems fell apart into pieces, revealing their metal structures and still-rumbling cores.

“Battle evaluation, 98 points.”

Though it was a high score in this test, the proctor was not satisfied.

“You should have attacked when the golem appeared, instead of letting it attack first. That’s why I deduct two points.”

“Combat isn’t a performance; there’s no need to give the opponent breathing room. Finish quickly and move on to the next enemy. That’s the best approach.”

“I understand, teacher.”

Lolan Hill sincerely bowed her head in gratitude. Indeed, she lacked the ruthlessness and decisiveness of a warrior. The twenty years of peace in her previous life had ingrained habits and subconscious reactions that weren’t easily discarded.

“Alright, next.”

Seeing Lolan Hill’s humble attitude, the teacher felt somewhat relieved, encouraging her not to worry too much and continue with the test. Talents were often confident and proud, but obedient ones like Lolan Hill were rare.

“98 points, so high. Could this be the highest score of the test?” Some students began to marvel.

“So far, yes.”

Students started discussing among themselves, curious about the high-scoring girl. Some were envious, some skeptical, some jealous, and some attracted by her appearance.

Thanks to Tides’s pendant adjusting her appearance, Lolan now looked ‘normal,’ roughly comparable to Wind’s level—pretty, but not breathtaking.

The girl adjusted her hood and walked off the field. A crowd immediately gathered around her. Some wanted to challenge her, some were drawn to her appearance, and some simply followed the crowd, hoping to intercept and question her.

With light steps, Lolan Hill skillfully avoided several students trying to approach her. Just before the crowd closed in, she left the courtyard, letting out a sigh of relief. Only a group of curious students remained.

The tests continued. After some time, students gathered again to watch the next round.

In an era with limited entertainment options, watching their peers engage in varied battles was much more interesting than staying indoors. Although most newcomers were only sequence three, they still showcased their wisdom and skills.

Some students threw prepared sturdy ropes, circling the golem and binding its legs, causing it to fall and control it on the ground. Others summoned snow water, melting it to corrode the golem, weakening it until it was easy to defeat.

There were also students from the Sea Sequence, who directly melted the snow and used flowing water to corrode the golem, weakening it until it was easily defeated. Of course, a few students insisted on a direct confrontation, believing in brute force, swinging heavy hammers to smash the golem into pieces.

“Battle evaluation, 90 points.”

“Huh, pretty good, though not as good as the black-haired senior,” Eruoyi, dressed in a black-and-white skirt with thick cotton socks, pulled out the heavy weapon stuck in the ground, casually swinging it, producing a dull sound that drove away the surrounding students.

“Pity, I still didn’t get her name.”

Eruoyi both liked and feared Lolan, who had beaten her earlier. She admired Lolan’s beauty and strength but feared her sharp attacks, which nearly cost her life.

The sky gradually darkened, and the battle tests neared their end.

“Next.”

A girl in a gothic dress stepped forward, her black-purple lace skirt adorned with small skull pendants. Following her were a group of ‘followers.’ Though they had just met today, they were deeply attracted by the rumors of this purple-haired girl. Under someone’s suggestion, they formed a temporary support team.

(End of Chapter)