Delyan was in a rather good mood.
Being the chief examiner for new student admissions... this was a great assignment. Not only could she flaunt her authority in front of the freshmen, but if she managed to spot promising talents early and bring them into her own academy, it would count as a major achievement. On top of that, she could also earn academic credits.
Besides, Delyan herself quite enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention.
Right now, she had even exposed someone’s silly little trick right in front of everyone, earning her the adoring gazes of her juniors.
The only thing that struck Delyan as odd was the reaction of the black-haired man’s companion—the female elf. Instead of looking embarrassed or angry, she was laughing so hard she could barely stand straight.
"Hahaha! Xia Lun, did you hear that? You have to take the entrance exam too... Hahaha! I can’t breathe!" Liyana was practically wheezing with laughter, while Aina covered her mouth gracefully, suppressing a chuckle.
Naturally, Xia Lun wasn’t upset. His lips still carried that gentle smile.
"So your name is Xia Lun? Quite the ‘heroic’ name," Delyan remarked, sizing up the black-haired man before her.
Given the existence of the legendary Hero, countless parents had named their children Xia Lun. Delyan didn’t think much of it.
"A real hero wouldn’t resort to such underhanded tricks... You’d better take the test properly. I look forward to seeing you in the academy." Delyan waved her hand dismissively. Xia Lun’s demeanor was naturally likable, and even after this incident, she didn’t dislike him.
Xia Lun didn’t offer any explanation and simply retreated into the crowd.
"What now, Xia Lun? Should I call Wolund over?" Aina instinctively looped her arm around Xia Lun’s.
"No need. Let’s not cause too much of a scene. We’ll just take the test like everyone else," Xia Lun declined with a smile.
Aina blinked. She had a feeling that if Xia Lun took this test, it would cause an even bigger uproar.
"Hey, what about me? I haven’t studied much magic. If I don’t pull some strings, what if I fail?" Liyana suddenly pointed at herself.
Everyone around them was dressed in robes, while she stood out like a sore thumb in her light armor.
Many eyes instinctively turned toward her, marveling at the elf’s breathtaking beauty before shyly looking away—a display of youthful bashfulness unique to boys their age.
Xia Lun: "Didn’t she say it already? If you fail, you go to a different branch."
Liyana: "So we’d be separated?"
Xia Lun: "So be it."
"Hey! Xia Lun, you’re so heartless! Aren’t I your sworn brother? Brothers should share a dorm room..."
Aina suddenly became alert: "Liyana, I’ll be the only one sharing a room with Xia Lun. You’d better get your own."
"Why? When we camped in the wild, we all slept together..."
"Times have changed..."
Xia Lun probably never dreamed that one day, they’d be arguing over dorm arrangements.
"Alright, newcomers, it’s time. Follow me." Delyan addressed the hundred or so people in the square before striding through the gates of Olifandor without a backward glance.
Once inside the campus, Xia Lun was surprised to find that the already dense mana in the air had intensified even further.
Staying in a place like this for long, even without dedicated training, would gradually increase one’s mana reserves.
"Now I understand why some of you humans, despite your short lifespans, can still reach unimaginable heights," Liyana mused.
Compared to long-lived races, humans were undoubtedly at a disadvantage when it came to their potential upper limits.
For long-lived races, strength accumulated naturally over time—that much was undeniable.
Humans, however, were constrained by their lifespans, unable to reach higher realms.
But resources could compensate for this quite well.
Delyan led the group down a long corridor and into a grand hall.
Before them floated numerous crystal orbs, each engraved with intricate patterns—these were mana detection devices.
"Come here."
Aina gently tugged at Xia Lun and Liyana’s sleeves, and the two leaned in.
Aina placed her palms on their backs, and a magic circle swiftly inscribed itself onto them.
"A spell to falsify mana signatures," Aina whispered playfully, blinking. "Your actual mana would shatter these things."
Xia Lun needed no explanation—Aina knew his current state better than anyone. As for Liyana, she was an elf with over a thousand years of accumulated power, not someone to be underestimated.
Delyan demonstrated by cupping a crystal orb in her hands, causing it to emit a dazzling red light.
"This is a mana detector. The color represents elemental affinity, and the brightness indicates mana quality... If any of you are as strong as Headmaster Wolund, give us a heads-up first—you’ll break the orb."
The crowd burst into laughter.
Then, a freshman raised their hand and asked curiously, "Senior Delyan, has any new student ever broken a detector before?"
"Yes," Delyan’s expression turned solemn. "Just last year, there was one—a warrior who wanted to study magic at Olifandor. He got too nervous, squeezed too hard, and shattered the orb. It caused quite a stir. After that..."
Delyan suddenly grabbed one of the orbs beside her, lifted it high above her head, and slammed it onto the ground with a resounding crash.
"Boom—" The sharp sound echoed through the hall.
Everyone stared in shock.
Then, the orb slowly rose back into the air, completely unharmed despite the impact.
The floor bore a shallow dent, but it began repairing itself at a visible pace, soon leaving no trace behind.
"After that, the upgraded mana detectors became much harder to break."
The hall fell silent, save for Delyan’s boisterous laughter.
"Hm? Miss Elf, what are you doing?" Delyan suddenly noticed Liyana lurking at the back, looking rather shifty.
"N-Nothing, ahahaha..." Liyana scratched the back of her head, laughing awkwardly.
Her right hand discreetly slipped a cracked, dimly glowing orb into her spatial ring.
With so many detectors here... surely no one would notice one missing...
Delyan felt a twinge of suspicion but didn’t press further.
"Liyana..." Xia Lun sighed in exasperation.
"I couldn’t help it! She said these things were sturdy, and I got competitive. You know how I am, Xia Lun—I have a strong drive to win... Who knew I’d accidentally crush one?"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
with Taming My Adopted Niece) (Multiple Heroines + Power Fantasy) Before transmigrating, Wang Jianqiang suffered greatly from novels with no female leads. Holding firm to the belief that "women only slow down my blade," he stubbornly maintained his virginity even after decades in the Sect of Dual Cultivation. In his twilight years, with his cultivation stagnant at the third level of Qi Refining, he finally succumbed and "rewarded" himself once—triggering the awakening of the Godly Cultivation System. From then on, he realized women might actually be his lucky stars on the path to immortality. Deciding to indulge freely and savor life, he found his ungrateful adopted niece knocking at his door...
