A familiar hospital room, familiar whiteness, familiar scent of disinfectant.
The first thing Su Cha said upon waking up was, “I want to make up for it.”
Unexpectedly, someone responded: “I know.”
Su Cha turned his head and saw Ji Tianjin sitting at the bedside peeling an apple. The sharp knife was especially obedient in his hand, the peel falling in one continuous ribbon. Ji Tianjin cut the apple into small pieces and said, “While you were unconscious, you kept mumbling ‘don’t come closer.’”
“…”
Su Cha realized he wasn’t on an IV and that he felt quite hungry. He accepted the apple piece handed to him and, after swallowing, asked cautiously: “Where’s the Deputy Chief?”
“Probably getting reported.”
That sentence “don’t come closer” had taken on a different meaning in others’ ears.
Su Cha now had only two questions left: why had he fainted again, and why was Ji Tianjin here?
Both were quickly answered.
There was a medical report on the table. He had passed the first awakening stage at high speed and officially entered the second awakening phase. His physical condition hadn’t kept up, which was why he fainted.
Ji Tianjin answered the second question: “The hospital is owned by my family.”
When the news of Su Cha fainting got back, Ji Tianjin had applied for permission to leave campus as a team captain and came to take him back.
Having learned the full story, Su Cha quietly ate his apple and sincerely hoped not to deal with the Investigation Department again anytime soon.
Halfway through the apple, cheeks puffed out, Su Cha kept pondering the name “Wolensen.” For the first time, he doubted the reason he had come to Galan Star. Maybe it wasn’t the system, but something he went through along the way that led him here.
…
There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Su Cha fainting again was quickly picked up by interested parties.
Shen Ningze had turned down the suggestion to go to Fukui Island. He was currently waiting for his school application to go through. The school wasn’t a prestigious one and would be easy to get into. At the moment, he was in a temporary residence, staring out the window in a daze.
He had watched the mock battle footage repeatedly and felt that Su Cha’s awakened ability was extremely unusual—if left unchecked, he would become a serious threat sooner or later.
But others didn’t think so. Including his father, Luan Zheng, they were still focused on whether Su Cha really possessed some significant secret.
“Hesitating like this, how can anything get done?” In Shen Ningze’s view, no matter what secrets existed, none were as threatening as Su Cha himself.
After a moment of thought, he called Luan Zheng.
As soon as the call connected, he was scolded from the other end: “How many times have I told you? Be cautious, don’t contact me directly.”
Shen Ningze ignored the rebuke and got straight to the point: “The so-called secret Su Cha mentioned is fake.”
The scolding stopped. The other side listened.
Shen Ningze lied without a change in expression: “We’ve been in contact recently.” He paused. “And Su Cha fainting again and again at the Investigation Department is just a ploy to pressure them into moving the interrogation date forward.”
Luan Zheng said sternly: “Is that information reliable?”
“Of course.” Shen Ningze slowly pulled out a smile. “He said it himself in casual conversation. Don’t worry, I know how to fish for information.”
Luan Zheng hung up.
Looking at the communicator, Shen Ningze let out a laugh. He knew his goal had been achieved. No matter how shrewd his suspicious father was, he would never doubt his own son—especially when there was no reason to lie.
***
Su Cha had gone to the hospital at noon, and before nightfall, he had already left.
Having completed the discharge paperwork, Su Cha was full of energy. If the Investigation Department’s Deputy Chief saw this scene, he’d probably cough up blood in frustration. Back at school, Su Cha was still lively, eating and chatting with his teammates in the corner of the cafeteria.
Di Yuansi was puzzled. He couldn’t see any trace of weakness on Su Cha.
Su Cha took the initiative to explain the awakening issue.
Di Yuansi mused, “Sounds like the Investigation Department is your spiritual retreat. Maybe you should take another stroll over there one day—you might complete your awakening for good.”
Su Cha gave an awkward smile.
That… actually kind of made sense.
“Alright, back to business,” Ji Tianjin rescued him from the awkward topic. “The finals will still use the points system, mainly focused on hunting strange beasts.”
They had only discussed things roughly in the morning—now they were going over the finer details.
Ji Tianjin logged into the StarNet. He was originally going to list the dangerous desert creatures to watch out for, but as soon as he entered the site, Su Cha approached with his usual sweet smile, saying, “Drink ‘Tri-Strong’ energy drink—afterwards, you’ll feel strength all over your body!”
“……”
The room instantly fell silent.
Rong Shao muttered, “So this is how you make money.”
Su Cha mimicked Ji Tianjin’s tone: “Back to business.”
Every second of that advertisement was torture for everyone. When the timer finally ran out, even Ji Tianjin’s perfect eyesight couldn’t find the exit button.
Su Cha: “Tap the top right corner, where it says the production date.”
Ji Tianjin gave him a deep look and finally exited the ad.
The desert was home to all sorts of dangerous creatures—the most dangerous being the black viper and the golden scorpion. Both were extremely venomous and skilled at hiding in the sand. The authorities had released a detailed map of Desolate Star No. 37, divided into zones A through E. Newcomers were advised to stay in Zone E.
At the end of the document was a detailed list of prohibited items, mostly related to lethal weapons. Su Cha also noticed that only nutrient solutions and water were allowed for food, with strict quantity limits.
“A famine survival challenge?” he muttered.
Wu Shui pressed his lips together: “Two hundred nutrient packs. If we ration them carefully, it should last a few days.”
But the desert could be harsh—only firsthand experience would tell.
In terms of strategy, they decided to play it safe: find a base after entering the desert before engaging in combat. Ji Tianjin glanced at Rong Shao, “Bring extra parts.”
Rong Shao nodded. “Relax. I won’t mess up something this important.”
Just in case, Su Cha immediately ordered seeds and fertilizer from the platform after the meeting. With the experience from the simulation battle, this time he came well-prepared—from incense to medicinal powders, all in quantities several times larger than before.
The day before the finals began, all contestants were summoned to the auditorium for a pep talk. Compared to freshman orientation, the turnout was smaller—Su Cha found himself sitting among many upperclassmen.
At the rally, the principal opened with two lines from the school motto: “Tempered into steel. Give it your all.”
“All schools place great importance on the Ten-Schools League, and our affiliated school is no different. Whether you’re a new student or a returning one, I hope you all have the belief and ability to fight for first place.”
He paused, then raised his voice: “The future of the Galan Empire will shine brighter because of you.”
“Bring glory to the school, and glory to the Empire!”
The unified chant rang throughout the hall. Just as Su Cha was getting fired up, the principal added, “Tomorrow morning, a ship will come to pick you up. This time, the Investigation Department will be responsible for security during the tournament. Please follow the rules strictly.”
Was it just his imagination, or did the principal’s gaze linger on him slightly when he said that?
Investigation Department?
Su Cha’s right eyelid twitched.
He soon heard people whispering nearby: “Isn’t security usually handled by the military? Why is the Investigation Department doing it this time?”
“I heard a rumor—it’s the Emperor’s idea. Supposedly it’s to punish the Investigation Department for bullying the weak, so he’s making them escort the Empire’s future talents as a form of reflection.”
“Cough, cough—” Su Cha twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a big gulp to calm himself down.
A tissue was handed to him. He turned and saw Ji Tianjin.
Su Cha whispered, “That whole ‘bullying the weak’ thing… surely they’re not talking about me, right?”
Ji Tianjin replied calmly, “Of course they are.”
“…”
***
The next day dawned bright and cloudless.
Even more “comforting” than the Investigation Department being in charge of security was the fact that both the Chief and Deputy Chief had shown up. Fortunately, the Deputy Chief had gone to the Desolate Star a week early with his team to scout and eliminate hidden threats.
Rong Shao voiced his suspicion: “Is he… hiding from you?”
Su Cha waved his hand. “I’m not that important.”
To board the ship, everyone had to go through security. Items stored in foldable space were also scanned. When it was Su Cha’s turn, the inspector glanced at him. “You’re going to a desert—why are you bringing so many seeds?”
“To plant them.”
“…”
There weren’t many people on their ship. The preliminary matches had been one-on-one school matchups, and in the end, there were fifty freshman teams advancing. Older age groups had far more teams. The ship sailed between stars, flanked by warships on either side.
Many freshmen clung to the windows, marveling, “I want to ride a warship someday.”
Su Cha was the opposite. On his first day on the planet, he had already seen warships up close. Compared to that, he found the spaceship far more fascinating.
“Greetings, students.”
Suddenly, the spaceship’s announcement system came on, and everyone immediately fell silent.
“This is the League Organizing Committee. We are about to announce the competition rules. Please listen carefully—”
“This competition will last one week. Each participant will be given a small AI assistant.”
“Conflict and clashes between teams are not prohibited, but intentionally causing injury or death is strictly forbidden.”
“The entire competition will be live-streamed. Teams may collaborate, and if so, strange beast kills must be split evenly.”
“If there is any dispute, you may file a formal complaint. The committee will review the footage for verification.”
Normally, the drones scattered across the battlefield would stream all footage to the main AI system, which analyzed and scored automatically—leaving little room for disputes.
The rules were read out multiple times, over and over.
Finally, just when it felt like their ears might fall off, the spaceship arrived at Desolate Star No. 37.
