"My grades for all assessments last semester were A+, so I should have had the top points. But your points are ridiculously high!" Mo Ziye explained, a hint of urgency in his voice. "You couldn't have possibly defeated everyone by yourself, could you?"
Bai Cha raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in her eyes. She stood up, took the documents from Mo Ziye, and casually flipped through them.
The documents were arranged with scores from highest to lowest. Just as Mo Ziye had said, Bai Cha's name was at the very top, with a large red character clearly stating – 600 points.
Even Mo Ziye, who was ranked second, only had 300 points, a full double of Bai Cha's score.
There were two significant gaps in these rankings: one between the first and second place scores, and another between the last and second-to-last places. The scores after that changed much less, with very few exceeding 50 points.
Bai Cha: Rank Unknown, 600 points, Human, High Risk S.
Mo Ziye: First Place, 300 points, Human, Danger A+.
Cang Liu: Second Place, 298 points, Merman, Danger A+.
Ye Sheng: Third Place, 250 points, Human, Danger A.
...
Zhang Yu: Five Hundred and Seventy-eighth, 50 points, Human, F.
Gu Mingze: Rank Five Hundred and Seventy-ninth, 1 point, Human, F.
Her own score was indeed outrageously high. This was clearly a blatant lure designed to attract attention. Also, what was the deal with that last person with only 1 point?
Bai Cha tapped her chin thoughtfully, asking with some curiosity, "Who set this score?"
"It was Meng Qinghuan from the Meng family, Teacher Meng," Mo Ziye replied honestly. "He's ranked in the top three of Junyao's Ten Great Powerhouses."
Bai Cha: "..." So it was that perverted monk.
Bai Cha put her hand to her forehead. She knew someone she knew must be behind this. Meng Qinghuan was very familiar with her; he was practically her successor, so it made sense he'd given her such a high score.
"So, let's cooperate. This will greatly reduce the pressure on you," Mo Ziye continued to persuade. "You can't possibly plan to defeat everyone by yourself, can you?"
"Mm..." Bai Cha looked at the documents again, then returned them to Mo Ziye, leaning back on the sofa and replying indifferently, "That's fine too."
"There are over five hundred first-year students!" Mo Ziye was stunned, doubting if he'd heard correctly. He exclaimed directly, "That's… unrealistic!"
"Mm… why not," Bai Cha waved her hand dismissively and cast a cold glance at Michael beside her. "Michael, your master is so naive. Have you guys not briefed him on our situation?"
Michael felt a bit embarrassed; he hadn't expected this either.
There were five hundred and seventy-six participants. It was estimated that five hundred and forty-eight of them would be eyeing the highest score. If they managed to take down Bai Cha, they could even hide for three days until the carnival ended and still secure a solid mid-to-upper ranking.
With over five hundred people, even if she took them down one by one, her arms would be exhausted.
"However, I can agree not to make a move on you until there are only a few of us left," Bai Cha said, tapping the table lightly with her fingertip, and looked at Mo Ziye. "First proposal rejected. Next."
"Uh..." When it came to the second proposal, Mo Ziye suddenly got stuck, his face flushing red as he stammered.
"Hey, buddy, spit it out," Michael nudged Mo Ziye with his elbow, a teasing look on his face. "You have to say it; I can't."
The atmosphere was a bit strange. Lucifer stood to the side, narrowing his eyes. During their conversation, Mo Ziye had been staring at Bai Cha, which had already made him inexplicably annoyed. Now, why was it acting like a young boy confessing his feelings but afraid to speak?
Logically, this had nothing to do with him. Even if Mo Ziye were to kneel and propose, it wouldn't concern Lucifer. But looking at the way Mo Ziye gazed at Bai Cha, Lucifer found it irritating.
This was his food; how could someone be staring at her like that!
"It's precisely because you're here that I'm worried!" Mo Ziye might be timid with Bai Cha, but he wasn't afraid of Lucifer. He always felt that Lucifer was like a cunning fox with ill intentions. "I know everything; you appear loyal, but in reality, you all wish for your master to fall, with the ultimate goal of devouring the soul of the resonating one!"
"That's right! That's exactly it! Momentum, build the momentum!" Michael stood behind Mo Ziye, his white teeth bared and contrasting with his golden-blonde hair, cheering Mo Ziye on. However, he dared not look at Bai Cha.
Bai Cha was somewhat speechless. She had a grudge against Michael, but seeing this silly-looking holy dragon, Bai Cha felt that dealing with him would lower her intelligence.
Bai Cha sighed and shook her head, picked up her exquisite gold-rimmed teacup, took a sip of tea, and got straight to the point: "Whose request is this?"
"Uh… Xiao Bai, you've figured it out." Mo Ziye scratched his head awkwardly. "My dad..."
As soon as he said this, Lucifer was taken aback, and his hostility immediately lessened. The atmosphere, which had been filled with a hint of ambiguity and eagerness, suddenly became awkward.
"Uh, don't misunderstand, Xiao Bai. It's not that I don't trust you, but my father told me about instances of the demonic dragon losing control in the past, and instructed me to monitor your condition to ensure the demonic dragon doesn't succeed," Mo Ziye said sheepishly. "After much thought, I feel that protecting you directly is the most reliable way."
Bai Cha really didn't know what to say.
How was this reliable? It was completely unreliable! Who knew who would end up protecting whom in the end? In all of Country Z, this was the first time someone had dared to say they would protect her.
"Personal bodyguard is out of the question, but if you have nothing to do, you can come and monitor me," Bai Cha said indifferently. "But it cannot interfere with me."
"Ah! Never! Never! As long as you need me, I will definitely protect you!" Mo Ziye immediately became excited and said with conviction, "I just want to see Xiao Bai often!"
Bai Cha: "..." That statement was really ambiguous. Does this kid ever think before he speaks?
"Master, do you really want him to be by your side?" Lucifer lowered his head and asked Bai Cha quietly. "Mo Ziye has been very well protected by the Mo family. If someone too naive like him works with us on missions, it might be a hindrance."
"As I said, the premise is that he doesn't delay my missions," Bai Cha said calmly. "He doesn't have to join the missions."
"Also, forgive my presumption, Master," Lucifer hesitated but then gently advised, "The Bai family and the Mo family are leaders of opposing factions. Marriage between the two would face immense resistance."
Bai Cha: "?"
"What?" Bai Cha asked, bewildered.
"No, it's nothing. Just mentioning it casually." Seeing Bai Cha's confused expression, Lucifer's mood improved significantly. He bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Master, the jump capsule and luggage have been stowed. We can depart for the academy.
Today's remaining schedule is: registration at the academy at eleven o'clock, familiarizing ourselves with the campus environment after lunch, and Mr. Meng sent an email requesting a meeting with you at 4:20 PM. The Bai family has activated its automatic defense system. This is all the scheduled itinerary for today."
As Lucifer's topic change was very timely, Bai Cha didn't pursue his strange remarks. She nodded, stood up, and looked at Mo Ziye and Michael who were standing by. "Let's go."
A jump capsule is a thumb-sized capsule with spatial attributes that can replace long-distance trains. When enlarged, it can accommodate five to six people and perform long-distance spatial jumps.
However, they are expensive and cannot be mass-produced, and are still under development.
The group entered the jump capsule, the hatch closed, the lights dimmed, and a feeling of weightlessness washed over them. After five to six seconds, the lights brightened again. The group exited the capsule, and Junyao was already in sight.
Junyao is vast, covering over a million mu. Nearly two-thirds of the land is used for combat training, which is the venue for the carnival. It is rarely used under normal circumstances, if not outright abandoned. The remaining third is for teaching buildings, cafeterias, and dormitories.
Being able to resonate with a dragon does not automatically make one a dragon rider. In all of Country Z, with billions of people, the peak number of successful resonations in any given year was only over seven hundred. And among those seven hundred, less than a tenth could become true warriors. The rest were either unqualified or had no further room for improvement.
After all, evil dragons are extremely dangerous and require top-tier dragon riders to engage in combat. The remaining individuals, with the assistance of dragons and having been bathed in dragon blood, are stronger than ordinary people. Thus, they are assigned to various positions and perform excellently.
There is an opportunity to change majors once every two years. One can transfer to other top schools, and there are specialized courses for resonating individuals, such as weapon and weakness research, combat command, logistics support, and a series of other subjects.
Of course, the most competitive and largest number of participants is in Dragon Rider Combat Studies. After all, most resonating individuals are teenagers between the ages of ten and twenty, in their prime. After the age of thirty, there is generally not much possibility of resonation.
As for Bai Cha, the academy had already received instructions from higher authorities, so naturally, no one would foolishly come to provoke her. Her registration procedures were quickly completed.
After sending Mo Ziye away, Bai Cha entered the newly assigned duplex townhouse. Everything in it was in a black and white minimalist style, clearly arranged by someone she knew. This extremely simple yet slightly oppressive atmosphere could constantly pressure her to maintain her optimal state.
"Master, lunch has been prepared. Since it's the first day and the kitchen hasn't been organized yet, I couldn't serve you personally. I went to the cafeteria and got a small portion of steak, a fruit salad, and some desserts. I hope you won't mind," Lucifer said while tidying up the luggage.
"We'll talk about it tonight. I don't have an appetite right now," Bai Cha said, sitting on the sofa. The soft wool carpet was very comfortable, and she stepped on it without her shoes.
Finally having nothing to do, she felt somewhat lost. She was born for battle and died for protection. It was rare to have moments of leisure, and it seemed they had no other purpose in life besides fighting.
"Then please have some fruit salad first. If you don't have an appetite, I'll go and get some plain congee. Loss of appetite might be due to fatigue or stress. After eating a little, please get some rest," Lucifer said dutifully.
"Uh… okay," Bai Cha smiled, a somewhat weak smile.
She couldn't afford to be idle. When she was idle, those past memories would engulf her like a slideshow.
Looking up, Bai Cha stared blankly at a photo frame on the cabinet.
There, a handsome man was embracing a gentle woman, both smiling sweetly. On his shoulder sat a little girl who was smiling happily, with a slightly older boy beside her.
And on the collarbone of the woman, as gentle as water, a crimson crystal gleamed, almost bursting out of the frame.
"Lucifer."
"Yes, my Master."
"Put the photo away. From now on, without my permission, do not place any pictures in the room."