Chapter 10: Cloud Dream River
Hodell steadied his breathing and met the blow head on.
He shifted his footing, turned his shoulder, and used the combat techniques he had drilled into his body over the past few months to parry and redirect the force.
Bang!
Fist and forearm collided with a heavy crack. The impact surged through him like a battering ram. Hodell was forced back three full steps before he could stabilize himself, and both arms went numb from the shock.
There is still a gap in raw power.
The realization sent a chill through him, but it did not shake his composure.
Number Three did not give him even a moment to recover. He pressed forward like a storm breaking over the sea. Fists, elbows, knees, and sweeping kicks came in a relentless chain, one attack flowing into the next with brutal efficiency. Hodell dropped fully into a defensive rhythm, sliding, pivoting, and using every bit of technique he had learned to minimize the damage. He found openings from time to time, but when his counters landed, they lacked the force to truly threaten his opponent.
Number Three drove him back with another heavy punch and let out a mocking laugh.
"Is this all you have? It seems Lord Reed really did misjudge you. Your value is not even worth as much as a failed modification!"
At the edge of the field, Reed shook his head faintly.
Hodell's close quarters performance had already exceeded his expectations, but the numbers did not lie. He was still a tier below Number Three in physical capability. As for the ability Hodell relied on most, in front of Number Three's high magic resistance, it should have had very limited effect.
Number Three clearly thought the same.
His confidence swelled as he prepared to crush this entire little performance in one decisive exchange.
At that moment, Hodell judged that he had tested enough.
He took a clean step back and opened the distance between them. Then he brought both hands together in front of him.
Number Three's grin grew savage.
"Still refusing to give up?"
This time he did not press forward and did not dodge. He simply stood there, radiating confidence in his own body.
Then the next instant arrived.
Hum!
A violent surge of energy burst outward with Hodell at the center. The air trembled. A wave of scorching heat rolled across the training ground hard enough that even Reed felt it from where he stood.
Reed's expression changed immediately.
Magic?
For one dizzy second, even he nearly mistook what he was seeing for true spellcasting.
A condensed beam of blazing energy erupted from Hodell's joined palms.
No chant.
No incantation.
No rune construction.
And impossibly fast.
The cruel smile on Number Three's face froze and twisted into horror. He felt the threat instantly. This was not the level of some harmless mage apprentice effect. Instinctively, he tried to evade, but it was too sudden. There was no warning. No buildup.
No time.
The scorching beam slammed directly into his crossed arms as he barely managed to bring them up in defense.
Boom!
The impact exploded outward in a blinding burst of force and heat.
Number Three let out a pained grunt. His gray white skin, which could ordinarily withstand simple magical attacks, charred and split open at once. The overwhelming impact hurled his massive body backward through the air. He crashed to the ground and could not rise immediately.
"How…"
He planted one hand against the floor and tried twice to force himself up, only for his strength to fail him.
"How did he become this strong…"
At that moment, silence swallowed the training ground.
Reed stood frozen in place.
His eyes were wide.
Disbelief was written plainly across his face.
[Value of Training completed. You gained 10,000 EXP.]
…
[Second link of the mission completed. You gained 50,000 EXP. Erhai School Favorability +300. Xavier Favorability +5. Reed Favorability +10.]
[You have unlocked the Erhai School faction relationship.]
[Erhai School: Neutral [300/1000]]
[Mission requirements updated.]
[Third link mission requirement: Graduate with honors from a top academy and pass the General Administration Comprehensive Examination.]
[Third link reward: 75,000 EXP]
[Additional failure conditions: 1. True origin discovered. 2. Esper ability exposed.]
A newly unlocked faction relationship meant far more than just a number.
It meant opportunities.
Quests.
Events.
Benefits.
In [Galaxy], faction relationships were divided into eight levels: Nemesis, Hatred, Hostile, Cold, Neutral, Friendly, Respected, and Revered.
Normally, the default starting relationship with almost any new faction was [Cold]. Reaching 300 favorability raised it to [Neutral]. Most faction resources only became available at [Friendly] and above, usually in exchange for favorability or contribution.
Grinding favorability.
Grinding face.
At the beginning, all people were cold by nature.
It was only natural for factions to be the same.
Later that night, Hodell lay on the bed and silently looked over his panel while replaying the events of the day in his mind.
The second link of the mission had ended.
The third had arrived early.
That meant one thing.
For now, he was safe.
And more importantly, he could finally leave this suffocating underground base.
That should have been pure good news.
Yet the thought of leaving the environment he had finally, painfully adapted to and being thrown into a completely new one still brought him a strange, faint sense of disorientation.
Then the system shifted again.
[The trajectory of the Erhai School has changed. You have extracted a fragment of that change. Please choose one to forge into your own path.]
[Event Summary: You interfered with the Erhai School's blasphemous and ambitious New Human Project. Because of your existence and your actions, the core logical chain of the project has changed. The School's research direction has shifted accordingly.]
[Investment: Gain 20,000 EXP immediately. Then gain 2,000 EXP every 24 hours, gradually decreasing to 0 over the course of six months.]
[Scrap Utilization: Gray and white quality equipment can display green quality effects in your hands.]
[Hard Commitment: During your next racial evolution, the chance of malignant mutation is reduced by 20 percent.]
Hodell sat up so abruptly that the blanket shifted with him.
What is this?
He had never seen anything like it.
A hidden cheat?
A true gold finger?
Then he remembered the obvious.
He was still under surveillance.
So he forced himself to lie back down slowly, calming his heartbeat bit by bit.
[Investment] offered a generous amount of long term experience, but experience was not what he lacked most right now.
[Scrap Utilization], on the other hand, was bizarre.
The Magic System in [Galaxy] was one of the notorious high difficulty classes, on the same level of suffering as Mechanic. One of its defining features was enchanting. In theory, enchanting could be applied to almost any inanimate object, which made it one of the standard life profession branches for mage players.
Many mage players in the original novel used enchanting as a side income. A water enchantment for increased physical damage reduction. A heat resistance enchantment for work gear. That kind of thing.
Because of that, although both Mage and Mechanic were hard classes, they suffered in very different ways. Mechanics were eternally bankrupt. Mages, meanwhile, could effectively print money by burning mana and selling enchantments.
A human mint.
So what exactly is [Scrap Utilization]?
Did it enchant my hands or something?
As for [Hard Commitment], he passed over it for now.
Racial evolution had a compatibility system. High compatibility meant the direction was reasonable and relatively safe. Low compatibility meant uncertainty. Sometimes it produced terrible mutations. Sometimes it produced beneficial ones. It was a gamble with teeth.
He was still far from that stage and had no intention of gambling on his first evolution.
Equipment quality in [Galaxy] ranked upward like this: Gray, White, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange.
Common. Normal. Good. Excellent. Superior. Rare. Legendary.
Hodell drew a slow breath and made his decision.
Then he checked the panel again.
[Total Level: 11
EXP: 241,000
Subclass: Slave Lv.1 [0/50]
Main Class: Esper Novice Lv.10 [MAX, class advancement mission not completed]
Path of Chaos
[Energy Simulation] [1/1]
Personal Attributes:
Strength 11
Agility 11
Endurance 23
Intelligence 17
Mystery 11
Charm 9
Luck 6
Free Attribute Points: 16
Energy: 120/120 [Lv.3]
Lv.1 [10]
Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Max Stamina +20
Lv.2 [50]
Strength +3, Agility +2, Endurance +3, Max Stamina +50
Lv.3 [100]
Strength +3, Agility +3, Endurance +5, Max Stamina +100
HP: 330/330
Stamina: 443/446
Energy Level: 99 to 108
Rank: E Grade Superhuman
You have begun to step beyond the category of ordinary people, but you still have a long way to go before becoming truly extraordinary.
Talents: Accelerated Healing, Solidified Mind, Well Trained, Low level Energy Stabilization, Low level Energy Perception
Skills: Elementary Esper Affinity Lv.3, Simple Energy Perception Lv.10, Simple Esper Application Lv.10, Basic Combat Lv.6, Grappling Lv.1
Potential Points: 4
Class Knowledge Tree:
Effect Branch:
Gene Expression Theory Lv.1
Enhanced Cell Engineering Lv.1
Effect Durability Principle Lv.1
Esper Morphological Control Lv.1
[16 items not yet learned]
Circulation Branch:
Basic Energy Recovery Circuit Lv.1
Energy Consumption Suppression Principle Lv.1
Energy Overload Buffer Lv.1
[17 items not yet learned]
Function Branch:
Environmental Interaction Principle Lv.1
Esper Characteristic Manipulation Lv.1
[18 items not yet learned]
Human Fox Hybrid: Charm toward humans +50 percent, Charm toward foxes 50 percent
Scrap Utilization: Gray and white quality equipment can display green quality effects in your hands.]
…
The sack over his head blocked nearly all sense of direction.
He could not see the route.
He could not identify landmarks.
He could not even properly judge the traits of the people escorting him.
His thoughts were chaotic, so much so that he found himself instinctively touching the syringe hidden near his lapel while remembering Reed's words from not long before.
"This Gene Specialization Potion can temporarily make your physical state appear completely human. Use one every seven days. Unless, of course, you would like to test what happens if someone sees your Hybrid form."
He had no way of knowing how much time passed after that.
Eventually, hands reached down and untied the sack.
When the covering was removed, he found himself sitting inside a transport pod with a pure white interior and no windows. A moment later, the hatch slid open, and harsh natural light flooded in so abruptly that he narrowed his eyes on instinct.
The fresh air alone felt unreal.
A man waiting outside was dressed plainly, but his presence was sharp enough to feel like an unsheathed blade.
"Mr. Ryan," the man said, "please follow me."
Ryan.
Another name.
Hodell showed no reaction and simply nodded.
His senses were still slightly dulled from the abrupt shift in environment. Light, sound, smell, open space, all of it came at him at once, and he had to put real effort into maintaining a calm surface.
The man moved with precise steps and led him through a series of clean corridors. Eventually, they stopped before a heavy wooden door engraved with complex emblems.
In plain terms, this was the admissions and qualification review office of Liuli Cloud Dream Academy.
The capital of Liuli civilization was called Cloud Dream River, which meant the academy's full name sounded as grand and polished as one would expect.
Liuli Cloud Dream Academy was the Empire's most prestigious magitech academy and the only one directly connected to the General Administration of Mysteries. The Erhai School's intention was obvious. They wanted him to pass the General Administration Comprehensive Examination and enter that organization by the most orthodox route possible.
Inside the office sat a severe middle aged woman behind a desk piled with luminous crystals.
She looked up.
Her eyes swept over Hodell like a searchlight before shifting to the assistant beside him.
The assistant stepped forward and placed a sealed file pouch on the desk.
"Madam, these are all of Mr. Ryan's qualification records and recommendation documents. The recommendation letter bears the personal signature and guarantee of Mr. Harrington, Deputy Director of the Resource Coordination Office under the General Administration of Mysteries."
On paper, Deputy Director of the Resource Coordination Office sounded vague.
In practice, it was not.
That office controlled portions of the General Administration's external procurement, talent recruitment, outsourced projects, and special placement channels. The formal rank was not especially high, but the practical influence was enormous in the right context.
Especially in an academy directly tied to the General Administration.
The Erhai School had chosen the position well.
Enough weight to push someone through.
Not so much weight that it would attract excessive suspicion.
The reviewing woman's expression changed slightly.
Wearing a thin silk glove, she extended one hand and tapped the energy seal on the pouch with her fingertip. A soft flash confirmed the seal's integrity and authenticity.
Only then did she open it.
The documents inside were made from treated hide, and her eyes moved quickly over the elegant script recorded there.
"Long term academic records from Muai County…"
She read the key line softly to herself before focusing on the recommendation letter.
After a short while, she set everything down and folded her hands.
When she looked at Hodell again, the scrutiny remained, but now there was also a measure of consideration.
"Mr. Ryan, your written materials are indeed substantial. Especially Mr. Harrington's recommendation."
Her tone was calm, but completely firm.
"However, the rules of Liuli Cloud Dream Academy permit no flexibility in this regard. Even with a recommendation from an official of the General Administration, you must still pass our independent academic and practical inquiry. Only then can we determine whether your talent and potential truly meet the academy's standards."
The assistant gave a slight nod.
"As it should be. The academy's rigor is the foundation of its reputation."
The woman said nothing more.
Instead, she touched a conductive crystal embedded in the desk. A side door opened almost immediately, and an elderly man in a deep blue robe entered with slow, steady steps. His eyes were sharp enough to cut.
"Professor Freeman. Sorry to trouble you."
The reviewing woman's voice carried genuine respect.
D Grade mage, probably, Hodell judged at a glance.
The old man's eyes settled on him only briefly.
"Follow me."
Hodell obeyed.
Even as he walked away, he could still feel the assistant's penetrating gaze on his back.
He was led into a room that was simple, old fashioned, and spotless. In the center stood only a large wooden desk. On it were special examination paper, a bottle of ink, and a neatly placed quill.
Professor Freeman stopped at the door and stated the rules in a terse, emotionless tone.
"Three hours. Ancient Rune Analysis and Reverse Deduction. Application of Chaos Models in Advanced Magic Numerics. And a thesis on the Interference Effects Between Nonstandard Energy Fields and Known Spell Models."
He did not pause.
"You will complete them independently, without external tools or communication."
The system responded at once.
[You have triggered the D Grade mission [Academy Assessment]. Accept / Decline?]
[Mission Reward: 30,000 EXP, Random Reward x1]
The door closed behind him.
Hodell was left alone in the room.
He walked to the desk, sat down, and picked up the quill. The cold touch of the pen stem helped settle his thoughts.
Ancient runes?
Interference effects?
He should not have known any of this.
But the Erhai School had prepared every answer for him in advance. All he had to do was write them down. With his boosted intelligence, memorization was no longer difficult.
The real problem is something else, he thought.
Is this Professor Freeman one of theirs too?
Looking at how far the Erhai School's arrangements have already reached, it really does seem like they have seeped into the Empire like water through a sieve.
Or maybe this is a warning.
A way of telling me not to play clever.
He dipped the quill into the ink.
Then, with steady strokes, he began writing down the answers he had long since memorized.
…
Exactly when the time limit expired, the door opened again.
Professor Freeman stepped in. His gaze fell first on the answer sheets spread across the desk.
"That is enough," he said flatly.
He gathered the papers without comment.
"Wait here for the results."
Hodell watched him leave and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Even now, he still could not tell whether the old man was connected to the Erhai School or not.
About fifteen minutes later, the reviewing woman returned. In her hand was a glazed card emitting a soft white glow.
"Mr. Ryan, congratulations. Your theoretical results meet the academy's admission standards."
She extended the card toward him.
"This is your temporary identity credential. Your basic information has already been recorded within it. The enrollment procedures will be completed for you shortly. Your dormitory is in Building Seven of Buxton Court, and the room number is stored on the credential. Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, report to the Third Teaching Area with this pass."
Her tone remained professional, but the scrutiny had clearly softened compared to before.
The assistant stepped forward at just the right moment and gave a slight bow to both the reviewing woman and Professor Freeman.
"Thank you both for your fairness and efficiency."
Then he turned to Hodell.
"Mr. Ryan, I will escort you to the designated zone within the academy. After that, the rest of the way, you will walk alone."
.....
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