“Ding-dong!”
Ke Yunyao lifted her head expressionlessly from the laboratory bench and wiped her optical computer with her hand.
[Yunyao, don’t forget today’s entrance test.— Ms. Yun Lan]
The moment she saw the message, her gaze finally shifted.
“Ah!”
She nearly forgot about this damn thing.
Ugh.
Why do I even have to go to university?!
Why?!
Why can’t it just be online teaching like before?
Annoying. Annoying. Annoying.
Honestly, she was someone who preferred staying at home and avoided social interaction—so why did she have to go to a military academy?
Sigh.
Just thinking about interacting with people made her feel irritated. Was there a way to make others automatically refuse to talk to her?
An idea flashed through her mind. She immediately posted an anonymous thread on the forum via her optical computer.
— “How do I make others actively refuse to interact with me?”
The post quickly attracted responses from idle users.
Ke Yunyao read them one by one.
Hmm… reliable?
— “Act cold and aloof. People will think you’re hard to approach and won’t initiate contact.”— “Be indifferent.”— “Become an outsider in others’ eyes.”
…Huh? Become an outsider?
That… sounds perfect.
Wasn’t she already considered an odd one out since childhood?
Heh heh heh…
The scene shifted.
Ke Yunyao had already arrived at the registration point for the Federation First Military Academy on Main Star.
Outside the registration area, many students had already gathered.
She wore a simple utility outfit. Her figure was striking at first glance, but the only flaw was her height—slightly shorter than the average interstellar human.
Long straight black hair with blunt bangs, black-rimmed glasses. Half her face was obscured, greatly reducing her visual impact.
Seeing so many people made her tense up internally. She kept a blank expression and found a place to wait.
She could clearly feel that after stepping off the shuttle, no one was looking at her anymore.
…Good.
Perfect.
So this outfit really worked.
At 9:00 standard star time in the morning, the admissions seniors in training uniforms walked out of the examination site.
The Federation First Military Academy had six major departments, each with slightly different evaluation systems. In total, twelve seniors were stationed here—two per department.
Yes, the admissions staff were all fifth-year students. There were too many testing sites across different planets for instructors alone to handle.
Sixth- and seventh-year students were already deployed for field combat training.
This was information Ke Yunyao had gathered herself from the StarNet.
Soon, she followed the Mecha Department seniors along with other candidates.
The assessment had two stages, each handled by senior staff. The first stage was supervised by a senior female proctor.
Ke Yunyao wanted to leave the crowded environment quickly, so she lined up near the front—third in line.
Soon, it was her turn.
“Next!”
She walked in.
“First, we’ll test your spiritual energy potential and level.”
Ke Yunyao showed no nervousness. Most candidates already knew their energy level, and potential had been tested at age five—though it could still deviate, so it was rechecked before admission.
The device was a large chamber. She simply stepped inside.
“Release your spiritual energy after entering,” the senior instructed expressionlessly.
She nodded.
She stepped in calmly, closed her eyes, and released her spiritual energy as instructed. It flowed outward like water.
The monitoring senior initially assumed she was just another SS-grade candidate—but then the indicator lights kept rising.
Until they reached the maximum.
Her expression changed instantly.
What the—
Who would have thought this ordinary-looking junior had SSS-level potential?
Spiritual potential represented the upper limit of talent. SS-grade was common in the academy, but SSS-grade students were rare—each one a prized asset.
When Ke Yunyao came out, she noticed the senior staring at her curiously and instinctively took a small step back. Then she forced herself to steady and nodded calmly.
The senior coughed, recovering her composure.
“Ke Yunyao, SSS potential, SS spiritual energy level. You may proceed to the next test.”
She pointed to the next room.
Ke Yunyao nodded and walked over.
The senior behind her sighed internally: as expected, geniuses really are cold.
But for the Mecha Department, design ability mattered more than just spiritual energy potential.
Ke Yunyao pushed open the door to the next room.
A male senior inside spoke gently:
“Junior, choose any star pod, enter your candidate number, and begin the assessment.”
Those who reached this stage were already qualified for admission; this round was mainly for class placement.
She nodded.
She picked an unlit star pod and lay inside.
Her consciousness connected to the network, and she entered her candidate number.
“Candidate 6131031618, Ke Yunyao. Welcome to the Federation First Military Academy Mecha Department exam network.
This assessment consists of two stages:
Please confirm whether you wish to begin.”
She selected “Yes” without hesitation.
The first stage was trivial for her. Over the years, she hadn’t focused on formal mecha design theory resources, so she had instead independently studied ores, materials, and various unconventional components she believed could be used in mecha construction—looking for unexpected applications.
So while she might lack formal training, her foundation knowledge was extensive.
Soon, she entered the second stage.
The environment shifted. She was transported into a laboratory filled with materials.
“Use the provided materials to design and improve a new-type mecha based on the given basic model.”
She raised an eyebrow.
Improve and redesign?
Her interest was immediately triggered.
And she was alone in the lab. It felt like home—completely comfortable. A faint sense of excitement radiated from her.
“Finally, someone showed up.”
“We’ve been waiting for ages. If no one came soon, I’d start questioning the quality of this batch.”
“Enough talk. Check the candidate’s data first.”
In a place she could not see, three examiners were observing her every move.