Not even a minute later, Long Lu finished filling the form and went out to hand it to Ms. Cai. Then, he returned, with the teacher still nowhere to be seen. She probably went to submit the form to the higher-ups, or whoever is overlooking this exam.

But to my surprise, when the screen flickered back to life, I saw a familiar face.

​​

"Welcome, 1st years, to Shanghai Magic Academy. This is your first special exam here at this school, and it will also be the easiest one. But don't let your guard down! All the challenges you will be facing here at this school will be nothing like any other."

"… Qian Hua?" I murmured faintly, but the girls heard me.

"Hm? You know her?" Feng Mian asked, confused.

"Big Brother Xuan Kai… have you been courting more girls behind our backs?!" Qing Yue whispered sharply, and I quickly shook my head.

"No, no, I just… ran into her by chance."

The girls were skeptical, but they turned their attentions back to the screen.

"My name is Qian Hua, and I am your student council president. I am a 3rd year at this school, and perhaps some of you may know me as the Child of the Future, an unparalleled genius and prodigy in magic, academics, and the arts. But believe me — all of you have the potential to reach where I'm at today, given the right motivation and attitude. As a famous man once said — genius is 1% talent, 99% hard work."

Hm… certainly, hard work can make up for deficiencies in talent, but it still cannot be denied that those who are born talented will always have an advantage over those who aren't.

"Usually, the teachers are the supervisors for special exams, but this year, I requested a change. I feel that you all can perform better if another student is the one supervising you, rather than a teacher. Therefore — do your best, everyone. Those who exceed their limits and my expectations… a seat in the student council may be waiting."

Hmph… what a bullshit excuse. You just want to witness how I'm going to win our bet, don't you?

Well… it's fine, I suppose. If it's a show she wants, a show she won't get. I'll remain perfectly normal and blend in, making it impossible for her to gauge my true ability.

Her speech seemed to have motivated many students, however, as our classmates immediately got rowdy — especially the boys.

"It's Senior Qian! It's really her!"

"Where is she?! I want an autograph…!"

"… Well. She's certainly popular," Feng Mian blinked a few times in surprise. "Though from what I heard just now… I guess it makes sense. An unbeatable talent in every aspect, and that beautiful as well…"

"Really? I don't think she's any more beautiful than you," I said casually, keeping a neutral expression on my face.

"E-Eh?" Feng Mian blushed and look away, burying her face in her knees. "M-Mou~… don't say something like that so suddenly…"

"What about the rest of us?" Yu An Yan asked, a smirk on her face.

"I'd say you're all about the same as her, appearance-wise," I replied calmly. "Though in terms of strength, it's undeniable she's stronger than you all — right now, anyway. I believe you can surpass her one day."

"Hehe, we definitely will!" Qing Yue cheered.

"Now then…" Qian Hua continued, on the screen. "In a moment, the lockers to your sides will open up to reveal simulation capsules just big enough to fit one person in. All 25 members of a class, step into one capsule each. Don't worry about order or anything, as the system will figure that out on its own based on the forms your class representatives submitted."

Lockers? Oh… now that she mentions it… these lockers do look bigger than usua-

As if on cue, the locker doors suddenly slid open on their own, revealing a tall socket of some sort that looked somewhat like the seat inside a spaceship you would find in manga and anime. I climbed into the one right in front of me, and the girls did the same with their own.

It was quite comfortable, and I found myself in a half-lying down position. But alas, my peacefulness was quickly disturbed by a female AI whispering into my ear and various holograms displaying information suddenly appearing in front of me.

[Simulation ZERXY: Start.]

[Host number: 07]

[Host name: Xuan Kai]

[Elemental Affinities: E͘͜͝R͞R̨O̧R̴͝ ]

[Calibration process: Start.]

Suddenly, metal locks closed around my ankles, preventing me from moving.

[Leg calibration: Complete.]

My wrists were next, bound by the same thick metal cuffs that somehow felt comfortable.

[Arm calibration: Complete.]

And lastly, my neck.

[Head calibration: Complete.]

[Calibration process: Complete.]

[Host, please close your eyes. The simulation will now begin.]

Left without any other choice, I did as told and relaxed my mind.

[3… 2… 1…]

Breathing in deeply, I exhaled as the capsule's glass screen slid down before me and enclosed me within the socket.

[Simulation ZERXY: Initiated.]

My eyes snapped back open, and I found myself staring at a completely white room. The walls, floor, and the ceiling were all made of the same glowing white material, as if they were lights. The locks on my wrists, ankles, and neck were gone, allowing me to move freely.

I wore a white jumpsuit that covered my entire body, paired with purple lines for decoration. But despite not wearing real shoes, my feet weren't slippery at all. It was as if I had been completely freed from all burdens, enabling me to put up my best performance.

"Alright!" Qian Hua's familiar voice rang out from all around me, but I couldn't see a screen or speakers anywhere. "If you are ready, raise your hand high up into the air and make a thumbs-up gesture!"

So she can see what's going on in the simulation… not that I'm surprised. I just had a sliver of hope I wouldn't have to put up an act… ugh, whatever.

I casually raised my hand, forming a thumbs-up gesture. Several seconds later, Qian Hua's voice spoke once more.

"Perfect — it seems everyone is ready. Now, when I finish my countdown, the wall directly in front of you right now will open. When that happens, the timer will begin. Remember, although all of you are doing this obstacle course at the same time, you only need to beat your chosen opponent to score a point for your class. On your left wall, you can see your opponent's current progress in the course."

I looked to my left to see that the white wall now displayed a map of the obstacle course, along with a red pinpoint marker of some sort at the very left end. Above this little diagram was a string of text along with an image of my opponent.

"Oh… what a coincidence," I murmured as I stared at the displayed name and picture.

[Name: Xiang Tian]

[Current Progress: 0%]

"On your right, you can see your current stopwatch," Qian Hua continued, and I turned to my right wall, where a timer was displayed.

[00:00:00]

"When I say go, that timer will start, and the exam will officially begin. Now — is everyone ready? Same gesture, please."

I raised my hand once again and made a thumbs-up, tired of all these formalities. Several seconds later, she spoke once more.

"Good, it seems everyone is good to go. Now then… I deem the start of the first special exam of the 1st years — 3, 2, 1-"

I got into a running position, ready to take off.

"-Go!"

The wall before me slid open to reveal the first portion of the exam — physical obstacle course. I immediately dashed towards it.

The first obstacle was simple — hurdles. I kept an average speed throughout them, even though I could've went much faster. The next stage showed a narrower passageway, with a fluid that looked like lava below. Three pendulum-like things swung left to right in front of me, one after the other. Another classic.

Right after the closest pendulum passed by me, I sprinted across, making it past two. However, I stopped at the final one, waiting to let it pass before continuing onwards. With my true speed, I could've easily made it across all three at once, but to remain consistent with my performance from before, I had to do this.

The next part was monkey bars. Once again, below was a pit of steaming lava. I didn't know if it would hurt if I fell into it as this was just a simulation, but I wasn't eager to check either.

Immediately hopping onto the first bar, I slowly made my way across, one at a time. If I wasn't being watched right now, I would've simply grabbed onto the first bar and swung all the way across using my core strength or climbed up on top for an easier journey, but I had to do this the more tedious way.

Screw you, Qian Hua.