Chapter 15
Chapter
15
2026
Ye Zheng had already arranged to meet with the protagonist team on that day to analyze the new rules together and formulate strategies.
Before that, however, she still had other matters to attend to.
The Royal Ability Academy was the most powerful institution in the upper district. The championship of the ability competition had almost always belonged to these heaven-blessed prodigies, only on rare occasions being seized by the neighboring Divine Academy.
This year, with the SSS-Class crown prince leading the Royal Academy, its lineup was the strongest seen in nearly a century. Even before the competition had formally begun, the outcome seemed predetermined. Everyone believed the Royal Academy would once again claim first place. Even the underground gambling houses found it pointless to open bets on the champion.
Yet in the second stage, the Royal Academy had placed only third, trampled beneath both the Divine Academy and a trash academy from the lower district.
As Ye Zheng walked through the Royal Ability Academy, the most frequently discussed topic among passing students was the upcoming third stage. Their expressions were a mixture of disdain and unease.
On the one hand, they were convinced that the lower district team’s success had been nothing more than luck. On the other, they feared that if the Royal Academy performed just as poorly in the third stage, then—
Their entire cohort would be permanently engraved upon the pillar of shame.
“Who knows who reformed this year’s competition rules? If it were still the pure ability duels of previous years, how could we possibly lose?”
“This is clearly bullying us for lacking experience with Aberrant Realms! An ability users’ competition should test abilities directly. I hope the third stage returns to the old rules. That would be fair.”
“The Saintess is participating this time as well. Heavens, I cannot even imagine her striking someone.”
Since she was easily recognizable in the upper district, Ye Zheng had deliberately disguised herself before entering the academy, hoping to avoid unnecessary social interactions.
Hearing others discuss her so openly, the tips of her ears, hidden beneath her hat, twitched slightly.
“Even with her fame, the Saintess only has
A-Class talent. Everyone competing for the Royal Academy this year starts at S-Class.”
“Are you implying the Saintess would drag us down? I have heard she frequently visits the lower district. Her real combat experience in Aberrant Realms is certainly far richer than yours.”
“Tch, you girls are far too naive. Someone of her status personally serving those filthy lower-district people? My arena match record here at the Royal Academy is far more authentic than hers.”
The boy spoke smugly, belittling the Saintess while praising himself. The girl opposite him rolled her eyes in disgust. Ye Zheng, passing by unnoticed, could not help but chuckle softly.
The Royal Ability Academy was as unremarkable as ever.
She entered the sparsely visited library. Though the building itself was grand and imposing, it was the place students least favored. After all, in an academy where strength reigned supreme, was it not more practical to spend one’s time training in combat rather than reading?
Yet Ye Zheng loved the library.
It housed not only manuals for ability cultivation but also many volumes from before the advent of the ability era.
They recorded what this land had once been, how civilization had advanced step by step, and how the sudden descent of Aberrant Realms had violently derailed its intended course.
Compared to the nearly deserted lower floors, the top floor was utterly devoid of people.
Ye Zheng entered the top-floor reading room. The space was vast, with an especially rich collection. She selected a volume titled Alchemical Formulas from the tall shelves and began flipping through it. The book detailed the curious inventions and creations of people from before the ability era. Unfortunately, after the arrival of Aberrant Realms, few remained interested in these purely industrial artifacts abandoned by the times.
Among those she knew, only one person devoted herself entirely to the study of inventions unrelated to abilities or Aberrant Realms.
The girl’s calm posture abruptly froze. She swiftly returned the book to its place, tilted her head, and narrowly avoided an attack from behind as a fist brushed past her cheek.
Ye Zheng spun into a sharp side kick, but her opponent had anticipated it. The attacker ducked low, seized her striking wrist, twisted her arm behind her back, and pressed her head firmly against the bookshelf.
Even so, the girl smiled helplessly.
“And you are still smiling.”
Something cold and hard pressed against her temple. Ye Zheng obediently restrained her smile.
“With skills this lacking, you still want to participate in that ability competition? Not afraid of being beaten so badly you run home crying to your mother?”
The lazy female voice carried a hint of teasing. The pressure on her wrist vanished, only for a cold metal object to be shoved into her palm.
“You came looking for me to get this, didn’t you?”
Ye Zheng tightened her grip on the gun and turned to face the woman before her.
The young woman wore her short hair tied into a small ponytail, with a few loose strands falling across her forehead. Dressed in a fitted tank top and long pants, she exuded the carefree air of an unrestrained artist. With her arms crossed, she regarded Ye Zheng with an amused expression.
Artists were exceedingly rare in this era, yet the woman before her, Qin Lu, stood at the very apex of the empire’s hierarchy.
She was the younger sister of the late empress, the empire’s only female duke, a person to whom even Crown Prince Sykes had to show respect. And yet, she was an ordinary person without abilities.
Ye Zheng lowered her gaze to the gun in her hand and smiled brightly. “Thank you, Teacher. I will make good use of it.”
Teacher Qin was also the most unconventional instructor at the Royal Academy. Lacking abilities herself, she taught physical combat techniques. At first, many students had refused to accept her. After being thoroughly beaten by this ability-less female duke, however, they became extraordinarily enthusiastic about her classes.
“This is my newly modified version. It is far more reliable than those brats’ abilities. Guaranteed victory.”
Teacher Qin patted Ye Zheng’s shoulder vigorously in encouragement. Ye Zheng privately suspected her shoulder would be bruised by morning.
“What a pity. If you were competing for the Divine Academy or that lower-district team, you might actually get the chance to thrash my arrogant nephew properly.”
Ye Zheng lowered her head. “You jest. How could I ever do something so disrespectful to His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Qin Lu clicked her tongue. “Stop pretending. Anyone with eyes wants to beat him.”
Ye Zheng did not respond. Her shoulders shook slightly. Qin Lu could immediately tell she was laughing.
✧✧✧✧✧
After leaving the Royal Academy, Ye Zheng did not keep the item for herself as Qin Lu had assumed. Instead, she carefully wrapped the gun in a gift box and handed it to the tall knight attendant at her side.
“Wende, take this to the lower district as a gift. That person is participating in the city lord election there. Something to steady the nerves should be most appropriate.”
The tall, silent woman accepted the box. The other church knights were unsurprised. The Saintess had always been generous, skilled in reciprocity, and exceptionally well connected.
They likely assumed it contained her personally sun-dried floral tea or some delicate sweets. Beautiful women were always fond of such pleasant little hobbies.
✧✧✧✧✧
Three days later, in the lower district.
“Zhao Mei, over here! We are over here!”
The petite girl wrapped in a black cloak poked her head out from the mouth of an alley and waved vigorously at the black-haired, green-eyed boy.
Ye Zheng hesitated slightly as she glanced at the several suspicious cloaked figures lingering nearby. Had the protagonist team offended someone? Were they being hunted?
『An article praising the protagonist team has gone viral in the lower district. The Cloud Soarers are now superstars, the light of the lower district. Wherever they go, they have fervent supporters.』
The system explained, its mechanical voice tinged with confusion.
『Strange. This was not in the original plot. Their popularity should not have reached this level. But it is not a bad thing, right?』
Ye Zheng recalled a certain instruction she had issued a month prior, cleared her throat lightly, and walked toward the furtive protagonist team as though nothing were amiss.
~~~End~~~