Chapter 2

Song Tianqi was slightly chubby. Confusion crossed his fleshy face as he scratched his head. "What the heck is that?"

"The Vermilion Bird Token is an ancient magical treasure-type ability with a divine beast's bloodline. It has tremendous potential for growth," the guide said, barely able to contain his excitement.

Although he came from a higher star region, he rarely encountered students with talent like this, so he could hardly help being pleasantly surprised.

Xu Jintang withdrew her gaze and exchanged a silent look with Jiang Lu.

Both were somewhat surprised.

The academy's other teachers and students had not expected it either.

A failing student who had ranked dead last year after year had actually awakened an ability of this caliber.

Shortly after word spread, quite a few teachers and students excitedly gathered around Song Tianqi, showering him with praise and expressions of pride.

"Tianqi, you'd better work hard from now on. You can't keep wasting such powerful talent."

"That's my student for you! The ability you awakened is even better than mine."

"Our academy has finally produced a real talent. Your guaranteed admission to military academy is definitely in the bag now."

Standing nearby, Xu Jintang watched Song Tianqi, who was already surrounded by the crowd, with a somewhat peculiar feeling.

A failing student who had always ranked dead last had suddenly turned things around.

Life really was unpredictable.

After the ability awakening ceremony ended, Song Tianqi, who had awakened the Vermilion Bird Token, was taken away by the guiding teacher. Apparently, he would head straight to a higher star region to develop his abilities, with a bright future ahead of him.

Xu Jintang took a deep breath and left the academy auditorium, no longer dwelling on it.

She remembered that once she became a tier-one ability user, she could collect a subsidy from the Federation.

Ability users were divided into nine tiers. Each advancement brought a substantial increase in strength, along with a larger subsidy.

Her relatives in this world had died unexpectedly in the war several years ago.

Since transmigrating here, she had survived solely on the monthly low-income subsidy.

Now that she had awakened an ability and become a tier-one ability user, the subsidy she could collect would certainly be much larger than before.

Half an hour later, Xu Jintang entered the main city's administrative bureau.

"Tier-one ability users receive a monthly subsidy of one thousand star coins. Your low-income status also entitles you to five hundred star coins per month, making fifteen hundred in total. It's already been transferred to your account. From now on, the subsidy will be deposited automatically at the start of each month. You won't need to collect it at the counter."

"Also, this

spatial

bracelet is an additional reward for becoming an ability user."

Xu Jintang quickly nodded and slipped the spatial bracelet onto her wrist. "All right."

After collecting her subsidy and leaving, Xu Jintang felt much better.

She had also gotten a spatial bracelet for free, which she could use for storage.

Just then, the interstellar communicator hanging on her chest vibrated.

The communicator was a silver, badge-shaped device the size of a button, hanging on her chest, with an exquisite half-silver star design.

Communicators like this connected directly to the brain's nerves.

After Xu Jintang issued a mental command, a screen of light immediately appeared before her, displaying a part-time job notification from "Have You Earned Money?":

"Gathering mission: rush order. Gather ten fresh Snow Spirit Grass plants within three hours. Reward: one thousand star coins."

"Accept this mission?"

Chapter 2

Have You Earned Money? was a part-time job platform launched on the Star Network years ago. Those posting missions and those seeking part-time work could conduct transactions through the platform, making it very convenient. It was also widely used throughout interstellar society, its brand logo visible almost everywhere.

Xu Jintang had previously accepted a Snow Spirit Grass mission to earn some spending money. Since then, the platform had occasionally used big data to send her related missions.

Snow Spirit Grass gathering missions generally paid four or five hundred star coins.

This rush order actually paid twice as much.

As it happened, the academy had no classes scheduled that afternoon, so she could earn some extra money.

She immediately accepted the mission.

Half an hour later, after spending five star coins on public air transport, Xu Jintang arrived at the outskirts of Blizzard Forest.

The entire black forest was blanketed in white snow, the chill piercing. Even before entering, she could feel her whole body growing cold. Roars from fierce beasts occasionally rang out from deep within the forest, inspiring fear.

The dangers and demonic beasts in there were far beyond what she could withstand at present.

Fortunately, Snow Spirit Grass only grew on the outskirts of Blizzard Forest, where demonic beasts appeared less frequently and the danger was not as great.

"Seriously, this lower star region barely has any inscription shops. There's nowhere to buy healing inscriptions even if you want some."

"It's fine. We'll buy them back at school after the assessment."

The conversation came from behind her.

Xu Jintang glanced back curiously.

A group of young men and women in luxurious clothing was walking toward her.

Judging by their conversation, they must have come from a higher star region.

Could they be military academy students?

While she was pondering this, the group reached her. The young man in the lead had neat black hair and a smile on his face. He spoke first. "Hello, could I ask whether tier-two Blizzard Apes live around here?"

Blizzard Apes?

Xu Jintang raised a hand and pointed into Blizzard Forest. "Yes, but you'll have to go farther in."

"All right, thank you." Xiao Yiming thanked Xu Jintang, then turned and led his teammates to an open patch of ground off to one side. "We've been walking for half the day. Let's rest here and get ourselves ready. We'll set off again in fifteen minutes."

After watching the group sit down nearby to rest, Xu Jintang hesitantly crouched in front of a Snow Spirit Grass plant and quickened her gathering.

She had no idea what these people had come here for.

She had better finish gathering and leave quickly.

The Snow Spirit Grass's flowers were a translucent, lustrous white, their stems swaying in the breeze beneath the sunlight.

Xu Jintang carefully dug away the surrounding soil, removed the plant with its roots intact, and placed it in her spatial bracelet.

"Hello. This is a level-two water-attribute defensive inscription, as thanks for giving us directions." A sky-blue inscription talisman the size of a badge was held out before her.

Xu Jintang paused in her digging.

She looked up, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the inscription talisman.

A level-two inscription talisman with an attribute sold for at least seven hundred star coins!

Xu Jintang stood with a smile, brushed the dirt off her palms, and took the inscription talisman.

"You're too kind. Thanks!"

After putting the inscription talisman into her storage space, Xu Jintang smiled at Xiao Yiming. "I wasn't very specific earlier. Actually, if you enter the forest from here, turn left, and keep going, you'll see a clear lake. Walk a little farther beyond it, and you'll reach the Blizzard Apes' colony."

Xiao Yiming's smile broadened. "All right, thank you."

Just as he had expected, this girl knew exactly where the Blizzard Apes were.

He could sense the aura of an ability user on Xu Jintang. She was a little weaker than he was, probably a tier-one ability user.

Blizzard Forest was filled with danger. For a tier-one ability user to dare gather Snow Spirit Grass alone on its outskirts, she must know this forest very well.

Xiao Yiming returned to his group and relayed the information he had just obtained from Xu Jintang to his four teammates.

His teammates were all taken aback.

One lowered their voice. "She wouldn't be lying to us, would she?"

Xiao Yiming shook his head, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Xu Jintang, who was still digging. "Her uniform should be from the academy here. She's a local, so she must know more about Blizzard Forest than we do. Besides, she could have kept that information to herself. She probably has no reason to lie to us."

His teammates said no more, but they still remained somewhat wary of Xu Jintang.

Xu Jintang finished gathering another Snow Spirit Grass plant, then stood and pounded her lower back.

She counted the Snow Spirit Grass in her storage space. Exactly ten plants.

Mission complete.

Xu Jintang put away her shovel and brushed the dirt from her hands.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she felt an intense sense of being watched from behind.

A demonic beast!

Xu Jintang's gaze darkened, and she quietly activated her ability.

During the awakening, the guide had taught everyone how to mobilize their mental power.

Soon, the mental power in her sea of consciousness spread throughout her body like flowing water.

An invisible energy expanded into her surroundings.

Everything within a five-meter radius instantly appeared clearly in her mind.

A Phantom Cat Demon was crouching behind a large tree four meters away, baring its fangs and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Xiao Yiming and his four companions also sensed the enemy's presence and quickly rose, taking defensive stances.

"Who's there!" Xiao Yiming frowned slightly, scanning his surroundings warily.

"It's a Phantom Cat Demon. Somehow, it came out of the forest. It's only a tier-one demonic beast, but it's very agile and can leap extremely well. It isn't easy to catch." Xu Jintang raised her voice, quickly sharing what she knew with Xiao Yiming.

Xiao Yiming froze for a moment, surprise showing in his eyes. "How do you know it's a Phantom Cat Demon?"

He and his teammates had yet to catch sight of any demonic beast.

Could Xu Jintang have X-ray vision?

The other four also gave Xu Jintang dubious looks.

With no time to explain, Xu Jintang quickly pointed toward the Phantom Cat Demon's hiding place. "It's behind that tree!"

While Xiao Yiming was still hesitating, the Phantom Cat Demon, its position exposed, leaped straight out from behind the tree.

It bared its sharp fangs and, as it sprang into the air, extended its razor-sharp claws, pouncing toward Xu Jintang.

The Phantom Cat Demon's intelligence rivaled that of a six- or seven-year-old child.

Although it could not speak human language, it could tell that Xu Jintang had just exposed its location.

It would kill the person who posed the greatest threat to it first.

An eerie gleam flashed in the cat demon's pupils, but just as it was about to reach Xu Jintang, its body suddenly stalled for an instant.

Immediately afterward, all its movements became exceptionally slow, as though it were playing at 0.5 times speed.

-Domain Slow.

A faint glow emanated from Xu Jintang as she activated her ability.