Mental Strength Test

Afternoon.

The four gathered in the classroom. Tang Wulin sat by the window, with Xie Xie to his left and Gu Yue to his right. Xu Xiaoyan sat beside Gu Yue, two pale blue braids hanging over her shoulders. Wu Changkong stood behind the podium with a closed booklet beside his hand. Two people stood at the door—Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi. They leaned against either side of the doorframe, neither entering nor leaving.

Xie Xie turned his head, his gaze pausing on the two of them. "Hey, aren't you two..."

"Before leaving, we should at least see how much everyone has improved this semester, right?" Wang Jinxi said. His tone was even, as though this was something he had already made up his mind about.

Zhang Yangzi stood beside him without speaking, but he nodded.

"They're right." Wu Changkong picked up the booklet and took a step toward the door. "Come with me. We're going to test you and see whether you slacked off during the break." He did not stop as he passed Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi, walking straight out the door. The voice-activated lights in the hallway came on, their glow falling over his shoulders and making his blue hair gleam. His pace was not fast, but the interval between each step was perfectly even.

The six followed behind him. Xie Xie walked at the front, occasionally glancing back toward Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi. Tang Wulin walked between Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan. Xu Xiaoyan's steps were slightly slower than his, her braids swaying gently behind her.

Gu Yue walked beside him without speaking, her gaze resting on Wu Changkong's back ahead of them, as though she was wondering why this human had grown stronger so quickly.

The testing room was on the first underground