Chapter 4 : Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Ji Qing did not stand up immediately.
Instead, he pretended to casually glance around the classroom before looking toward the homeroom teacher at the podium, as if waiting for her to give a reasonable explanation.
What an unexpectedly cautious person, Li Xuehua thought with admiration.
She smiled and explained, “Student Ji Qing may not know this, but four of this year’s freshmen in Class S come from prominent families. Three of them are from Central City.”
“They already know each other.”
“So it seems I was the ignorant one,” Ji Qing said coldly as he stood up and walked toward the podium.
At that moment, he finally understood the red-haired boy’s surprised expression earlier.
So that was the reason.
S-rank abilities, Class S, prominent families, Central City…
Ji Qing silently turned those words over in his mind. With some irritation, he thought: This really does feel like a rigidly hierarchical wasteland society…
Standing at the podium, Ji Qing neatly wrote his name on the blackboard with a piece of chalk before turning around to introduce himself.
“Ji Qing. Ability: Gravity Manipulation.”
The room suddenly fell silent for a moment.
Only after a pause did Li Xuehua helplessly remind him from the side, “Student Ji Qing, you may also mention your hobbies or hometown.”
Ji Qing shot her a cold glance.
“I have none. May I leave now?”
“Well… all right then,” Li Xuehua said with a wry smile.
She picked up the attendance register again and continued in a casual tone, “Next, Student Shao Huayu. Please come up and introduce yourself.”
Ji Qing turned and walked away after hearing this.
As he returned to his seat, he passed the white-haired boy who was rising to head toward the podium.
During that brief moment of crossing paths, the boy quietly offered a friendly reminder.
“You should at least leave the teacher some dignity.”
Hm?
Ji Qing glanced at him instinctively.
The boy walked with composed posture and carried himself with effortless confidence. He looked exactly like the young heirs of noble families Ji Qing had once seen in television dramas.
Ji Qing thought: He must be one of the four…
If that was the case, then the red-haired boy he had spoken with earlier must be one as well.
Ji Qing returned to his seat with mild irritation.
While he was pondering life, You Xingluo leaned closer with a cheerful smile.
“Do not be too nervous. Whether someone is from a prominent family or not does not really matter. After all, we will be classmates for three years~”
“From what position are you saying that?” Ji Qing could not help retorting.
You Xingluo was about to respond when the white-haired boy on the podium finished writing his name, interrupting their conversation.
Ji Qing thought lazily: It does not matter. Everyone will introduce themselves eventually.
“Shao Huayu. Ability: Light.”
The white-haired, golden-eyed boy smiled faintly.
“I am very happy to see unfamiliar faces here. I come from Central City, and my hobby is exploring beyond the walls.”
“If anyone plans to explore the Danger Zones in the future, please be sure to invite me. I am confident that I will be able to help.”
“Student Shao, that is a little…” Li Xuehua said helplessly. “Please do not encourage your classmates to explore the Danger Zones at the very beginning of the semester. The academy does not even have a basic understanding of your abilities yet.”
Shao Huayu replied innocently, “Teacher, I said in the future, not now.”
“All right… let us assume that is what you meant,” Li Xuehua sighed.
Deep down, however, she knew that students from prominent families were always more difficult to handle than others.
Some of them had probably already been taken outside the walls by their elders to see the world.
Looking at the attendance register, she continued, “Next, Song Xiaoran.”
“Wait, is it not my turn?” the red-haired boy asked in shock after already standing up.
“How exactly are you ranking us?”
“It is already strange enough that Brother Huayu is not first. And now you are inserting someone between the two of us…” the red-haired boy said angrily. “Do you really think this will somehow temper us? That approach is ridiculous.”
Shao Huayu looked troubled.
Just as he was about to calm the other boy down, Li Xuehua spoke calmly.
“The admission rankings are based solely on each student’s ability potential. There are no human factors involved.”
“Student Song ranks above Student Zhou because his ability potential is higher.”
“If you have objections, you may prove it during the ability assessment.”
Li Xuehua’s words were essentially a slap across the red-haired boy’s face.
He clenched his teeth in anger but forced himself to remain calm.
His gaze swept across the classroom before locking firmly onto the green-haired boy quietly sitting in the corner.
Song Xiaoran blinked blankly.
All right, now it was certain that You Xingluo was also from a prominent family…
Ji Qing felt the life drain from his eyes.
It was only the first day of school. How had this already turned into a game of Werewolf…
Song Xiaoran suddenly stood up.
Holding his green potted plant in one arm, he hurried to the space between Li Xuehua and Shao Huayu and wrote his name on the blackboard in messy handwriting.
His sudden action left everyone confused.
“Sorry. I tend to drift off sometimes,” Song Xiaoran said blankly, speaking stiffly as he tried to explain.
“My name is Song Xiaoran. My ability is Wood. I can communicate with plants. If anyone needs healing later, you may come to me.”
“I did not hear everyone calling me earlier. I am very sorry.”
After saying this, Song Xiaoran bowed deeply to everyone.
Ji Qing did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Song Xiaoran had not merely missed a little.
He had probably not been listening at all and only realized it was his turn after seeing the names on the board.
But his issue seemed more serious than simple inattentiveness.
How could someone fail to hear so much?
Ji Qing instinctively glanced at You Xingluo.
For once, the usually smiling You Xingluo was frowning.
Looking at the others, Ji Qing noticed that everyone—including the teacher—showed varying degrees of concern.
Ji Qing instantly understood.
So the problem really was serious.
But it would not be appropriate to ask directly…
“You do not need to apologize. Just return to your seat,” the red-haired boy said bluntly, attempting to comfort him.
However, when he turned back toward the teacher, his attitude grew hostile again.
“Fourth place should be mine now, right, Teacher?” the boy said pointedly.
“Please proceed, Student Zhou,” the teacher said, stepping aside.
Zhou walked forward on his toes and aggressively carved his name above the names of all the previous students.
“My name is Zhou Que,” he announced loudly. “My ability is Fire Control. My family is from Central City.”
“If you have someone you dislike, come find me. I can give people I like a discount.”
“That is definitely not appropriate either…” Li Xuehua said helplessly.
How had a normal round of class introductions turned into a live advertisement?
Li Xuehua felt utterly bewildered.
Originally, she expected a few troublemakers.
Now it seemed the entire class consisted of troublemakers.
At this point, she had completely given up.
Flipping through the register, she simply said, “Next, You Xingluo.”
“Coming,” You Xingluo replied as he stood.
He smiled while writing his name beside Ji Qing’s on the board.
“My name is You Xingluo. My ability is Prophecy. My hobby is reading. I am from Central City. Please take care of me~”
He added with a troubled expression,
“And although my ability is prophecy, I cannot predict the outcomes of commissions or where targets will appear. Please do not make things difficult for me.”
Li Xuehua nodded with satisfaction.
At least there was still one normal student in this class.
Prophecy…
Ji Qing froze for a moment when he heard that.
His mind immediately replayed the scene of his first meeting with You Xingluo.
He had already felt that You Xingluo behaved somewhat mysteriously back then.
Now it turned out to be true.
So had You Xingluo approached him intentionally because of a prophecy?
While Ji Qing was thinking, You Xingluo returned lightly to his seat beside him and flashed him a wide smile.
Ji Qing turned his head away coldly.
At the podium, Li Xuehua continued calling names.
“Next, Ling You’er.”
“W-would it be possible for me not to introduce myself…?” asked the sixth student of Class S—and currently the only girl—her voice trembling.
Li Xuehua smiled mischievously.
“That will not do, Student Ling~”
“Waaa…” Ling You’er began crying.
“Stop crying! There are only seven people here, and only three of them are strangers to you!” Zhou Que said irritably. “If you are scared of even this many people, how will you survive in the future?!”
“Waaa—!” Ling You’er cried even harder.
However, under Zhou Que’s harsh words, she finally gathered the courage to stand up and walked toward the podium with trembling legs.
Ling You’er had long, dark-purple curly hair, and three delicate skull-shaped hairpins decorated her bangs.
Her small figure was hidden within the oversized school uniform.
Her purple eyes were filled with fear, like a trembling rabbit.
“M-my name is Ling You’er…” she said timidly while clutching the hem of her clothes.
“My ability is Ghost Possession. I am from Huai City. My hobby is… collecting refrigerator magnets…”
After finishing, she fled the podium as if escaping for her life.
The classroom fell silent.
Ji Qing found the situation both amusing and somewhat helpless.
Looking at the small tuft of purple hair trembling above her desk, he sighed inwardly.
That level of social anxiety was truly extreme.
But regardless, the introductions for Class S had finally ended.
Li Xuehua clapped her hands and smiled at the class.
“The self-introduction session is now complete. However, we will repeat it again at the end of the semester.”
“I look forward to seeing your performances then.”
She continued explaining in an orderly manner.
“Our theoretical courses will begin tomorrow. Although some of you may have already learned relevant knowledge from your elders, the courses affect your academic credits. Therefore, everyone must attend.”
“You may treat them as an opportunity to review and fill in any gaps in your knowledge.”
“There will also be a freshman orientation speech this afternoon,” Li Xuehua added. “The principal hopes that a student from Class S can represent the freshmen.”
“Student Ji Qing, would you like to participate?”
Once again, the conversation returned to Ji Qing.
Ji Qing both appreciated Li Xuehua’s clear and structured speaking style and disliked how she constantly called on him.
Perhaps it was simply a teacher’s professional habit.
Ji Qing raised his eyes coldly.
“Not interested.”
“Then Student Shao Huayu?”
Shao Huayu replied gently but firmly, “I refuse to be a backup option.”
“Then… Student Song Xiaoran?”
Song Xiaoran shook his head quietly without explanation.
“Student Zhou Que?”
Zhou Que turned his head away irritably.
“If none of them are going, do you expect me—the fourth-ranked student—to embarrass myself up there?”
“This is…” Li Xuehua began sweating.
The remaining two students naturally refused as well.
The opportunity to deliver the freshman speech was essentially handed over to Class A.
Li Xuehua could only laugh helplessly.
“All right, all right. No one wants to give the speech.”
She spread her hands.
“I will discuss it with the principal and Class A’s homeroom teacher at noon.”
“For now, everyone may go eat lunch. Remember to gather at the auditorium at 2 p.m.”
Ji Qing let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He had expected Li Xuehua to try persuading him.
Instead, she gave up quickly and cleanly.
His impression of her improved once again.
Perhaps that was simply what teachers were like, Ji Qing thought.
Just as he stood up to head toward the cafeteria, You Xingluo eagerly grabbed the corner of his sleeve.
“How about we eat lunch together?”
Ji Qing replied coldly, “Are you not planning to eat with your noble family friends?”
You Xingluo smiled.
“We may know each other, but right now the most important person is you.”
Ji Qing fell silent.
He personally disliked clingy people the most.
But honestly speaking, he was extremely curious about You Xingluo’s ability.
What exactly did an S-rank prophecy ability look like?
Had You Xingluo’s earlier actions been guided by his ability?
If he asked, perhaps the other boy would reveal something.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Ji Qing’s lips.
“All right. But it will only be the two of us.”