Things That Looked Different Through Her Eyes

In the principal's office, Ye Buyu sat stiffly on a stool, cradling a steaming cup of tea as she waited in silence.

Across from her, a gentle-looking middle-aged woman opened the recommendation letter and read its contents.

Time had left a few wrinkles on her face and lent depth to her eyes.

Her black hair was secured behind her head with a wooden hairpin. When she frowned, her gentle brows became sharp swords sweeping toward her temples, lending her an air of cold severity.

She slowly set down the letter and looked up at Ye Buyu. "Welcome to the Four Symbols Academy. Ye Buyu, you were an ordinary person before this, weren't you? How much do you know about the Awakened and the Four Symbols Academy?"

Ye Buyu smiled awkwardly, a bead of cold sweat sliding down her forehead.

"I didn't awaken during the high school entrance exam, so I gave up on becoming an Awakened. Everything I know about the Awakened comes from official announcements. As for the Four Symbols Academy... I only know a tiny bit."

Lan Huaiyu paused. "Then how did you get in?"

"I walked in."

Walked in?

Lan Huaiyu glanced out the window. A level-two Blue-Tag Zone was far from safe. Was it really somewhere an ordinary person who had only just awakened could venture?

"Did you see anything unusual on your way here?"

Ye Buyu nodded honestly and gestured as she explained.

"I saw vines that grabbed people's ankles, graffiti that moved, trees that followed people, and a basketball hoop that blocked the way."

After a moment, Lan Huaiyu immediately realized which anomalies she meant.

She was probably talking about the skeletal claws that occasionally emerged from underground, the Shadow Wall that devoured people, the bloodthirsty Forest Monster that swallowed bones and took the forms of familiar people, and the Headless Corpse that could not be avoided.

Was that really how those things looked to her?

Her thoughtful gaze passed over the handwriting on the letter. A talent who could see past appearances and glimpse the true nature within?

Lan Huaiyu studied Ye Buyu's red eyes, a faint smile curling her lips. This was indeed a pleasant little surprise, worth observing and nurturing.

Ye Buyu fidgeted uneasily with her fingers. "Principal, is something wrong?"

"No. I'll assign you a roommate. The Gaokao is coming up, so you can stick with her when the time comes."

A few question marks seemed to pop up over Ye Buyu's head.

The Gaokao? What did that have to do with the Four Symbols Academy?

Wasn't she supposed to take the nationwide exam, then submit her preferences and choose a university?

Seemingly reading her thoughts, Lan Huaiyu explained as she sent a message:

"You probably don't know much about how the Gaokao works for the Awakened. Most Awakened awaken during the awakening ceremony at the high school entrance exam, then take the Gaokao after three years of study.

"Besides the academic subjects in the nationwide exam, the Awakened also take a supplementary exam. You could say this Supplementary Assessment is the most important part of their Gaokao. Every year, the Four Symbols Academy takes the lead in organizing it together with the other schools.

"The Supplementary Assessment takes place in a level-three Blue-Tag Zone. As a special-admission student, you'll have to participate."

Ye Buyu understood. "Special-admission students can skip the nationwide exam, but we have to take this Supplementary Assessment. Then... is there a score requirement?"

Ye Buyu gave a sheepish smile. She had only just awakened and was not even familiar with her own ability yet. If there was a passing standard, she would probably fail.

Lan Huaiyu smiled mysteriously. "No. Just be careful not to get bullied."

"What do you mean, not get bullied?"

"The Four Symbols Academy's special-admission students become targets for plenty of examinees every year. Young people are proud. Naturally, they all want to see what makes special-admission students so strong, so you'll face a lot of challenges."

Lan Huaiyu was straightforward, spelling everything out for Ye Buyu.

She might not have bothered with anyone else, but Ye Buyu was rather unusual. She did not even have first-tier strength yet. Lan Huaiyu could hardly stand by and watch the girl suffer through being bullied.

Of course, she would not let Ye Buyu remain this weak, either.

"Of course, cultivation is an urgent matter for you. No amount of care can replace strength of your own. The ability you awakened is called [Life Breath], a healing type ability. I'll arrange for a teacher to instruct you."

She opened a drawer and took out a black electronic wristwatch.

"Wear this. Information about your classes and teachers will be sent to it. Transfer your phone's contents into it, and you won't need any other communication devices."

Ye Buyu's eyes lit up. Was this one of those high-end devices for the Awakened sold on the market?

"Principal, how much does it cost?"

Lan Huaiyu blinked. She had never expected the girl to offer to pay. Slowly, she smiled.

"Everything at the Four Symbols Academy is exchanged for credits. You can earn credits by taking missions issued by the Social Security Bureau, or explore the Third Zone and exchange the materials you obtain.

"Another way is through academy rewards. The Four Symbols Academy maintains the Genius Rankings, and those on the list receive credits every month according to their rank. New students also receive fifty credits as starting funds when they enroll.

"Your new-student credits are already in your account. This wrist phone only costs one credit, which will be deducted from your account."

Ye Buyu excitedly stroked her new device, looking exactly like a squirrel holding a pine cone. "Thank you, Principal!"

Unable to resist, Lan Huaiyu reached out and ruffled Ye Buyu's hair. "Your roommate is here to pick you up. Off you go."

Ye Buyu looked up in bewilderment. Where was anyone?

The next second, a knock came at the door.

"Principal, I'm here."

"Come in."

A clear, cool voice drifted into the room. As the door opened, a beautiful figure came into view, her pale-blue, glasslike eyes as still as a lake without a single ripple.

Her ink-black hair was tied in a ponytail behind her head. It swept past Ye Buyu's eyes, light and graceful as willow branches swaying in a spring breeze.

"Mu Bingge, this is Ye Buyu. Like you, she's a special-admission student, and she's also your roommate. Show her around the academy, and take extra care of her."

Mu Bingge nodded. "All right."

Lan Huaiyu then turned to Ye Buyu, only to find her staring unblinkingly at Mu Bingge, her expression stunned and dazed.

"What is it? Have you seen her before?"

Ye Buyu came back to her senses. "Yes, in a short video. She dealt with a Calamity that was threatening a neighborhood. She's really strong."

At that, Lan Huaiyu laughed. "That's good, then. She'll be your roommate from now on. Go with her and get familiar with the academy.

"Oh, and...

"Ye Buyu, some things may look different through your eyes than they do through other people's. But remember, no matter how harmless those things look to you, you must be careful."

Ye Buyu followed Mu Bingge out of the principal's office, only half understanding. She was still thinking about what the principal had just said. Did the things she saw look different to other people?

Did she mean those strange vines, or that bizarre basketball hoop?

She looked up at the person walking ahead of her and decided to ask directly. After all, people had mouths so they could ask about things they did not understand.

"Mu Bingge, what do those strange things around our academy look like?"