Got it, rest assured, brother.

June 6th.

No dragon raised its head.

It was unclear how long he had slept.

Su Qi opened his eyes, his entire body aching as if it had been disassembled and reassembled.

To be honest, he was starting to regret his purchase.

He wanted a refund—to return the 220,000-credit [Pleasure] and quit this game.

Why?

Simple. Last night, "that person" had woken up for the second time.

The outcome was predictable: another brutal sparring session.

Call it pre-exam combat training.

Su Qi got out of bed, his joints emitting faint cracks.

He stretched, the soreness intense, but deep within his body, something new lingered.

As if tempered, his physique now felt tougher.

Probably the result of that icy energy left behind after their fight—not only did it replenish his exhaustion, but it also seemed to silently mend the hidden damage caused by his irregular lifestyle.

Pushing open the door, he stepped into the living room.

Liu Yuan was already there, breakfast prepared.

She wore an adorable cat-themed apron.

And nothing else.

Humming a tuneless melody, she set down a plate of fried eggs and a glass of milk.

Sunlight spilled across her profile, painting a picture of tranquil domesticity.

Su Qi walked over and sat across from her.

Liu Yuan slid the plate toward him, her smile sweet, eyes curved like crescent moons. "Brother, try it! Tell me if my cooking’s improved."

As if the nightmare of her pinning him down the night before had never happened.

Ever since Liu Yuan took up cooking, she had been responsible for Su Qi’s lunch and dinner.

Breakfast?

Su Qi didn’t have early classes, so he usually skipped it.

But today was different. He’d had to wake up early.

The Combat Exam.

Su Qi picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the fried egg.

The next second, his eyes widened, and he wolfed it down.

The flavor was…

As mediocre as ever.

Liu Yuan watched eagerly. "Well? Is it amazing?"

Su Qi feigned astonishment. "Holy crap, it’s actually—"

His sister had already closed her eyes, lips puckered into a 'w' shape, ready to bask in his praise.

"Holy crap, it’s actually just as bad as last time. Zero improvement."

Liu Yuan: ???

Huh?

Not the reaction she expected.

Skeptical, she grabbed a bite herself.

Oh.

She’d forgotten the salt.

Couldn’t blame Su Qi for his lack of encouragement…

[Pleasure +666]

Luckily, Liu Yuan wasn’t the type to dwell on small things.

Otherwise, Su Qi would’ve been sentenced to three years… and then another three.

She leaned closer. "Brother, you look kinda tired today?"

Her warm breath brushed his cheek.

Su Qi instinctively recoiled, the trauma from last night still fresh.

"Probably didn’t sleep well."

He took a sip of milk.

At least the milk was decent—oh wait, that was store-bought.

“Ohhh~” Liu Yuan drew out the syllable, with a meaningful tone. “Then rest well today. No sparring.”

Su Qi didn’t dare respond. He set down his glass.

His online order of Ningxia goji berries was already on the way.

He stood. "Let’s go. It’s almost time."

"Okay~" Liu Yuan chirped, untying her apron.

She dashed back to her room and changed into a simple, everyday JK outfit—

A crisp white short-sleeved blouse with a plaid necktie matching her skirt,

And a pleated mini-skirt that swayed with her movements, revealing her slender, stocking-clad legs.

This outfit, custom-made, cost over 20,000 credits.

Crafted from special materials, it offered no combat stats but at least ensured no "wardrobe malfunctions" during fights below Tier 7.

At the Spark Realm, it hadn’t mattered much. But now at the Candle Shadow Realm, ordinary clothes couldn’t withstand combat aftermath.

"Brother, let’s go!"

Liu Yuan bounced over and naturally looped her arm through his.

A faint, tantalizing pressure seeped through his thin shirt.

Su Qi stiffened for a second before forcing himself to relax.

Whatever. He’d get used to it.

They took the rail transit to Jiangxia City’s main Combat Exam venue.

The ride passed in silence, Su Qi lost in thought while Liu Yuan gazed out the window, carefree.

The train arrived.

As they stepped out, even before exiting the station, they could see it—

A colossal steel beast of a structure sprawled across the land.

The exam grounds.

But once outside, the real spectacle unfolded.

A sea of people.

A crushing tide of examinees, parents, instructors, and college scouts packed the streets.

On the faces of the examinees, emotions ran wild—

Nervousness. Excitement. Anticipation.

And a subtle, simmering competitiveness.

They were the future hope of Jiangxia City, yet also part of its ruthless competition.

Only by passing the Martial Exam, entering a top-tier academy, and securing better resources could one hope to stand on a higher stage in this world where extraordinary powers had emerged.

"So many people," Liu Yuan muttered under her breath, instinctively moving closer to Su Qi.

The gesture came naturally, as if she had relied on him countless times before.

"Don’t worry, I’ll take you through."

Shielding Liu Yuan, Su Qi pushed through the dense crowd with difficulty, heading toward the examinee-exclusive passage.

At the entrance, uniformed staff members were verifying identities.

Their expressions were stern, their gazes sharp, and the powerful energy radiating from them marked them as seasoned superhumans.

"ID cards," one of them said flatly, extending a hand.

Su Qi handed over both his and Liu Yuan’s electronic IDs.

"Beep—Proctor, Su Qi, verified."

"Beep—Martial Exam candidate, Liu Yuan, verified."

The cold, mechanical voice rang out.

The staff member glanced at the pair, lingering on Su Qi for a moment with a hint of confusion before finally waving them through.

It was the first time they’d seen such an odd duo.

Their affectionate behavior clearly marked them as a couple.

Yet one was a proctor, the other a candidate…

Prejudice in people’s minds was like an immovable mountain.

Honestly, even a normal person would struggle not to jump to certain conclusions…

"Candidate, you wouldn’t want to perform poorly on the Martial Exam, would you?"

"Come to my room. I’ll give you some… intensive tutoring. Let’s see if you can absorb all my years of teaching experience."

Ironically, in a way, the inspectors weren’t entirely wrong.

Though the tutoring was purely educational—no shady dealings involved.

Once past the checkpoint, the two stepped into the examination grounds through the special passage.

Only after putting distance between themselves and the staff did Liu Yuan finally whisper, "Wow, Brother, how are you a proctor?"

She’d clearly been holding back.

But she knew when to speak and when to stay quiet.

Su Qi hesitated before deciding to reveal just a sliver of information.

Technically, it wasn’t supposed to be disclosed—it could cause panic.

But rules were rigid, and people weren’t.

Besides, Su Qi’s moral compass had always been… flexible.

"It’s temporary. This year’s Martial Exam might face interference from Descenders. Be careful, and don’t tell anyone."

"Got it! Don’t worry, Brother. Yuan’s lips are sealed tight."