Huang Xiu was clear on what was right and what was wrong. Everyone involved would see a substantial increase in their academic credits.
Swiftly, Huang Xiu picked up her phone from the table. She then sent an apology message to Yun Ning and Wen Erya.
The message conveyed repeated apologies and earnest promises of improvement.
Her sincerity was so profound that she imagined herself a divine artisan of the underworld, had she ever wronged it.
It seemed both Yun Ning and Wen Erya were looking at their phones at that very moment. No sooner had the message been sent than Huang Xiu’s phone vibrated twice, a soft buzz in her hand.
[Yun Ning: There’s really no need to apologize for such a minor matter. You were instrumental in this operation. If you hadn’t noticed the anomaly in time, we might not have escaped smoothly.]
[Wen Erya: Junior Female Student, I accept your apology. Let’s team up again next time.]
Neither of them blamed her, which allowed Huang Xiu to finally relax. A faint smile touched her lips.
“Chiu Chiu Jie, who are you chatting with? You’re smiling so happily?”
Ying Zhiyu chuckled softly.
“Nothing much, just talking with my teammates,” Huang Xiu replied with a smile, setting her phone down. She then refocused on devouring the melon-like flesh on her plate.
This was her first time realizing that the meat of Void Realm creatures could be eaten, and its effects were surprisingly potent.
‘However, edible Void Realm creature meat must be incredibly rare. Otherwise, so many senior students wouldn’t be flocking to the cafeteria.’
Huang Xiu chewed the melon meat, her eyes narrowing in contentment. “I wonder if I can buy another piece with academic credits.”
Unlike others, Huang Xiu wasn’t primarily concerned with the melon meat’s main effect of boosting Void Energy.
Instead, she valued its secondary effect: its ability to nourish the body and suppress the debilitating cramps of her menstrual cycle.
After all, the slight increase in Void Energy was utterly negligible compared to the vast reserves within her.
Yet, the sudden, unwelcome onset of menstrual cramps had tormented her throughout the entire day.
‘Ugh, why do I have to be the one with such painful periods?’
Huang Xiu searched online.
Only a small percentage of people experienced severe cramps and discomfort during their menstrual cycles. She, unfortunately, was one of them.
After finishing the melon meat on her plate, Huang Xiu went to the serving window. While waiting in line, she thought she’d seen some senior male students using academic credits to buy things at the special chef’s window.
The once-deserted special chef’s window was now bustling with people, a clear sign that something worthwhile was happening.
Huang Xiu walked over, and just as she suspected, the special chef’s window indeed offered melon meat for purchase with academic credits.
Each piece cost thirty academic credits, was slightly smaller than before, and limited to one per person.
“Thirty academic credits is only 3,000 yuan. To be able to buy what appears to be the meat of a Star Antimony Rank Void Realm creature, that price is far too cheap.”
Huang Xiu glanced at it, then decisively swiped her card.
This was undeniably a subsidized price offered by Tiandu University to its students. After all, outside the school, this melon meat would be priceless, if only for its body-regulating side effect.
Wealthy individuals, after all, lacked not money, but health.
Having purchased a piece of melon meat, Huang Xiu didn’t eat it immediately. Instead, she asked the cafeteria auntie to pack it for her.
She planned to save it for the evening, to eat if her stomach started hurting again.
The afternoon class was ‘Introduction to Supernatural Ability Development,’ held in Training Room No. 1 of Tiandu Hall.
As the Exploration Department’s first specialized course, and one focused on developing core supernatural abilities, it garnered significant attention.
These first-year students, having just entered the world of Awakened individuals, had already experienced the re-examination, the registration night, and the battle at the Touchpoint.
They had all come to understand their own weakness and shortcomings. Now, they were brimming with determination, eager to strengthen themselves.
They were so keen that they wished to forgo their lunch break and jump straight into class. However, Huang Xiu first returned to her dorm for a nap, as she had been thoroughly tormented by her period the previous night.
After nearly an hour of sleep, at approximately 1:45 PM, Huang Xiu arrived at Tiandu Hall early.
Tiandu Hall was exceptionally grand, resembling a colossal bowl inverted on the ground, towering over thirty stories high.
Even amidst the numerous large buildings on the Tiandu University campus, it stood out as the most conspicuous landmark.
She had already caught a glimpse of this iconic structure when she and her roommates wandered through the campus. At that time, the hall’s doors were locked, leaving Huang Xiu and Ying Zhiyu to speculate about its purpose.
Now, however, the answer was clear: Tiandu Hall served as the training ground for Exploration Department students to hone their supernatural abilities.
Tiandu Hall was divided into more than twenty training rooms. Following the directional signs, Huang Xiu easily located Training Room No. 1, their classroom.
The door to Training Room No. 1 was already open, and the students of Class One were freely moving about inside.
Why emphasize that the door was open?
Because the adjacent Training Room No. 2 remained tightly locked, with the students of another class squeezed into the hallway, chatting.
As Huang Xiu walked past them, she could see the slight resentment in their eyes.
‘I came to class early, but the door isn’t open? What the heck is this?’
Amused by their unspoken thoughts, Huang Xiu couldn’t help but smile as she stepped into Training Room No. 1.
She had previously visited two other facilities for supernatural ability training: one at the Ying City branch of the Jurisdiction Bureau and another at the Yanghai General Bureau.
Although the two facilities had different configurations, they shared a common characteristic as training grounds for Awakened individuals: they were massive.
Tiandu University’s training rooms were no different. Training Room No. 1 was roughly the size of four basketball courts.
Even with thirty students from Class One inside, Huang Xiu still felt a sense of spaciousness.
She turned her head, scanning the surroundings. Training equipment filled the corners of the room, while numerous meditation cushions were arranged at the front.
Many students were curiously examining the training equipment. With class about to begin, Huang Xiu didn’t join them. Instead, she and Ying Zhiyu moved to the front, found a cushion, and sat down.
Barely five minutes after they settled, the melodious sound of the class bell echoed through the vast training room, creating a distinct reverberation.
Upon hearing the bell, students began to gather from all directions, quickly filling most of the cushions.
Accustomed to chairs, Huang Xiu found sitting cross-legged uncomfortable; her legs soon felt numb. Since there was ample space in front of her, she simply stretched her legs out.
The lingering sound of the class bell had not yet faded.
*Thump, thump, thump…*
A sound, akin to leather shoe heels striking the floor, suddenly emanated from the training room’s entrance.
Huang Xiu found the footsteps strangely familiar. Like the other students, she turned to look at the entrance, where a middle-aged man in a blue suit strode in.
He sported an unruly goatee and his hair, slightly naturally curly, resembled instant noodles.
“Oh my god!”
Huang Xiu’s eyes widened instantly. The teacher for this class was none other than Professor Yuan Fei, who had been missing for so long.