You could easily picture the scene at that underground gathering.
Watching Honma lower his eyes and gaze at the Finger Ball in his palm, Fu Qian could almost see the countless others who had made the same gesture, their hearts filled with hope.
The movement was simple, much like a familiar prayer, but the ball's shape gave it a peculiar quality.
Though flesh and skin remained, the ten fingers wrapped around it seemed to be faintly drawn inside.
Even that peculiar sense of holiness seemed to flow outward in turn.
Honma, who had always loved life and savored good food, now seemed more genuine, clear, and pure.
"It feels the same as last time. I—"
He clearly hadn't forgotten what he was doing, and started describing his feelings without needing a reminder.
But just as he opened his mouth, the new professor from the academy unexpectedly raised a finger to his lips.
"How are you feeling? That is something I care about, but it's not time yet."
"Answer when I ask you to. Until then, hold that pose."
Why is this a little different from last time...
That question was plainly written on Honma's slightly blank face.
Unfortunately, the tester merely sat there, rubbing the ring on his finger, with no intention of explaining.
A slight innovation?
At the same time, Honma wasn't the only one who felt surprised.
Ji Liushuang, who had stepped a little closer, was also taken aback by the adjustments to the testing procedure.
Of course, it wasn't just that the subject had been forbidden from volunteering his thoughts. There was also the ring, glittering with a fantastical light as Professor Fu fiddled with it.
She couldn't sense any change, but Ji Liushuang was sure that something had just happened.
Professor Fu really wasn't planning