"Oh? Another mission?"
The System's voice echoed in his mind, causing Liu Yuan to pause slightly.
This mission had come rather suddenly.
Win the academy tournament and become the captain of the Sun Moon Team?
That aligned perfectly with his own plans.
It was practically a free reward.
More importantly, he was curious—what exactly would the reward be this time?
Soon, the cold, mechanical voice announced it without emotion.
[Reward: Random Pokémon Ability ×1]
"An Ability?"
Liu Yuan's eyes lit up.
At present, his spirit power had yet to reach Rank 50. In other words, he couldn't attach a fifth spirit ring just yet.
So even if the System gave him another spirit ring now, it wouldn't be of much use.
As for items…
Abilities and items were somewhat similar in nature—both provided passive boosts or special effects.
And right now, that was exactly what he lacked.
This reward couldn't have been more perfect!
Liu Yuan instantly felt even more motivated for the upcoming tournament.
Originally, he had already set his sights on the championship.
Now, with an additional System reward on the line—
First place was no longer just a goal.
It was a must.
---
The Next Day
The new semester at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy officially began.
Early in the morning, the siblings Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen came to Liu Yuan's dormitory.
After having breakfast together in the cafeteria, the three of them headed toward the teaching building.
"I wonder what the rules for this tournament will be," Xiao Hongchen said as they walked, excitement evident on his face.
"Whatever the rules are," Meng Hongchen replied confidently, "the three of us will definitely be selected."
She paused, then added with a smile:
"I even think Brother Liu Yuan might win the whole thing!"
Liu Yuan only smiled, saying nothing.
---
Inside the Classroom
By the time they arrived, the classroom was already bustling with noise.
Since no official announcement had been made yet, everyone assumed it was just a normal first day back after the break.
Students gathered in small groups, chatting about their holidays and exchanging gossip.
The entire room was lively—almost like a marketplace.
But the moment Liu Yuan, Xiao Hongchen, and Meng Hongchen stepped inside—
The noise dropped for a brief second.
After all, the Hongchen siblings were well-known figures in the academy.
And Liu Yuan?
After a single semester, he had already established himself as the strongest student in the class.
Naturally, everyone paid attention.
The three returned to their seats as usual.
---
"Liu Yuan! Xiao! Xiao Meng! You're here!"
A crisp, cheerful voice called out.
Ju Zi and Ke Ke waved enthusiastically from nearby and quickly approached.
"Ju Zi, Ke Ke—how was your break?" Liu Yuan greeted with a smile.
"How else?" Ke Ke pouted. "Meditation and crafting spirit tools every day. I was bored to death."
Then she narrowed her eyes playfully.
"What about you, Liu Yuan? Didn't you go back home? Did you bring us any gifts?"
"Gifts?" Liu Yuan rolled his eyes. "Not a chance."
Ju Zi chuckled. She had only been joking anyway.
But just as she was about to say something else—
Her gaze landed on Liu Yuan's chest.
And she froze.
Pinned there was a brand-new badge.
Forged from rare metal, it shimmered faintly under the light.
On its surface—
Five stars.
Ju Zi's smile vanished instantly.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Five stars…
A Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer?!
She remembered clearly—before the break, Liu Yuan had only been a Fourth-Rank Soul Engineer.
And now?
In just one holiday—
He had advanced an entire rank?!
Ju Zi blinked hard and rubbed her eyes, then leaned closer to double-check.
No mistake.
Five stars.
The material, the craftsmanship—everything confirmed it.
It was undeniably a Fifth-Rank badge.
Finally, she could no longer hold it in.
She sucked in a sharp breath and pointed straight at Liu Yuan's chest—
"AH?! NO WAY?!"
"Am I dreaming?!"
---
Her scream pierced through the classroom.
Every student instantly turned toward her.
"What are you yelling for, Ju Zi?!"
"Did you see a ghost or something?!"
"Seriously, what happened?!"
Even Ke Ke frowned in confusion.
"Ju Zi, what are you doing? Are you trying to deafen me?"
But Ju Zi ignored her completely, still pointing at Liu Yuan.
"Ke Ke… look at that!"
Ke Ke glanced over casually.
"What's there to see? Isn't that just a Fourth-Rank badge? We've seen it plenty of—"
"That's not Fourth-Rank!"
Ju Zi cut her off sharply.
"That's a Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer badge!"
Ke Ke froze.
Her eyes locked onto the badge.
Then, almost mechanically, she began counting the stars.
"One… two… three… four… five…"
Silence.
Her brain went blank.
Now she finally understood why Ju Zi had screamed like that.
It really was like seeing a ghost.
"Damn…"
"This… this can't be real, right?"
She turned stiffly toward Liu Yuan, her voice trembling.
"Liu Yuan… did you just… advance to Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer?"
---
And as her words echoed—
The entire classroom fell into complete silence.
Then—
An explosion of shock erupted.
Every single student stared at Liu Yuan as if they were looking at a monster.
A Fifth-Rank Soul Engineer.
At their age?
That wasn't just rare.
That was unheard of.
-------------Author---------------
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