“What? There’s such a thing?” Su Xi was taken aback. Simulation rooms were different from ordinary classrooms—they contained various real data models of Transcendents, allowing for perfect replication and combat simulations. Each department in the academy had four or five such simulation rooms. “Don’t they have their own simulation rooms? Why are they trying to take ours?”
“It’s just because they think our department has fewer strong members than theirs,” Yaya said, growing angrier as she spoke. “The Transcendence Department has always been domineering and unreasonable. Isn’t there an academy competition this year? The simulation rooms have been fully booked for the past few months, and they insist that even if we train, we won’t rank well, so we should just give the rooms to them.”
“No matter how much they train, they shouldn’t interfere with normal classes!” It was common to compete for venues, but the class schedule had been arranged by the academy long ago. “Doesn’t the academy care?”
“The academy never interferes with competition among students,” Yaya said dejectedly. “Sigh, it’s also our fault for not being strong enough. If only my Transcendent power were like Senior Zhao Heng’s—I’d definitely beat those jerks from the Transcendence Department to a pulp.”
“Is our Conceptual System really that weak?” Su Xi couldn’t help but ask. She hadn’t looked into this before.
“Ah…” Yaya let out a long sigh. “You’ve just joined, so you don’t understand. Our Conceptual System is different from other Transcendent types—our abilities have too many limitations, making it hard to achieve significant growth. Over all these years, Senior Zhao Heng is the only strong member we’ve produced.”
“How so?” Su Xi wondered. Weren’t they all Transcendents? Was the difference really that big?
“Because our Transcendent abilities all have specific activation conditions. Take that classmate Wang Hao, for example…” She pointed at a tall student nearby. “His Transcendent ability is somewhat similar to the control abilities of the Elemental System. But while those in the Elemental System can control water or fire, Wang Hao… can control gastrointestinal peristalsis.”
“…” Well, that was quite a difference.
“And me, do you know what my Transcendent ability is?” She gave a bitter smile.
Before Su Xi could answer, Yaya raised her hand. In the next moment, the electronic pen clipped to her shirt pocket suddenly flew up, circled around the two of them, and then returned to her pocket.
“Telekinesis!” Su Xi exclaimed in surprise.
“Haha… When I first awakened, I also thought my Transcendent ability was telekinesis,” she continued with a bitter smile. “But later, I realized I could only manipulate pens—and nothing else.”
“Huh?” Su Xi didn’t quite understand. “What do you mean?”
“That means I can’t control anything except pens!” Yaya added. “This isn’t telekinesis at all.”
“…” So that’s how it was.
“That’s why I’m in the Conceptual System, not the Psychic-type.”
“So, are all the Transcendent abilities in our department this… unusual?”
Yaya nodded silently and added, “Some are even worse than mine!”
“…” Alright, no wonder the Transcendence Department came to pick on the Conceptual System instead of other departments—they were the easy target.
“Senior Zhao Heng is here!” someone suddenly shouted.
The crowd immediately stirred. Yaya, who had looked dejected just moments before, suddenly perked up. “Great! Senior Zhao Heng is here to help us get our revenge. Come on, let’s go watch the excitement!” With that, she grabbed Su Xi’s hand and ran back.
The simulation room was now surrounded by people, clearly divided into two groups. On one side were the Conceptual System classmates who, like Su Xi, had come for class. On the other side were the Transcendence Department students—tall, muscular, and imposing. The two groups stood distinctly apart.
Though the Transcendence Department students clearly had the advantage in physique, their faces now showed traces of fear, and they unconsciously took a step back. All because of the golden-haired man standing before them, wearing a gentle smile.
It was Zhao Heng, the third-year Conceptual System student who had just arrived!
“I heard you wanted to borrow our department’s simulation room,” Zhao Heng said mildly.
The three on the other side visibly lost some of their momentum. After a moment, the one in the middle replied, “Senior… Senior Zhao Heng, we were thinking that since they’re first-years, using the simulation room wouldn’t be of much use to them anyway, so why not let us have it?”
Zhao Heng clearly didn’t buy their explanation. “So, does that mean the first-year Transcendence Department students have also canceled their simulation classes?”
“…” The group fell silent. How could they possibly be canceled?
“Is this question so difficult to answer?” Zhao Heng frowned slightly and continued, “Or should I go confirm with the Transcendence Department’s head instructor?”
“N-no… there’s no need…” The one in the middle grew even more flustered.
But the younger-looking person beside him stepped forward arrogantly and said, “So what if we want to take your simulation room? Who told you Conceptual System students are all a bunch of usele—mmph!”
Before he could finish, the leader in the middle covered his mouth. “Shut up!” he hissed. Are you trying to get us killed? Do you even know who that is?
The young man protested indignantly, “Senior, there are so many of us—what’s there to fear? Can’t we take on just one person?”
“If you want to fight, go ahead. I’m not daring to!” The leader’s face turned pale. He forced a stiff smile and said, “Heh… Senior Zhao Heng, today’s incident was our fault. We’ll leave right away, right away!”
With that, he turned and led the dozen or so people, quickening their pace as they headed for the exit. They were almost out the door.
“Wait!” Zhao Heng suddenly spoke up.
The group froze, only to hear him say leisurely, “Tell your Transcendence Department’s top student to bring the top ten with him tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. We’ll meet at the Star Duel Arena.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the leader seemed to stumble slightly, and the group of over a dozen people fled even faster.
On this side, the crowd erupted into cheers.
“Wow! That’s Senior Zhao Heng for you—ruthless and to the point, straight to the Star Duel Arena, and taking on ten at once!” Yaya gazed at the figure ahead with starry eyes.
“What’s the Star Duel Arena?” Su Xi couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s a dueling arena,” Yaya explained. “Since everyone in our academy is a Transcendent, conflicts often arise. To prevent large-scale internal fights, the school set up the Star Duel Arena. Any grudges are settled there, with one match deciding the outcome.”
“I see…” Su Xi glanced at Zhao Heng, who was still surrounded by the crowd, his smile as gentle as ever. So he was that strong? He had casually issued a challenge—not just taking on ten opponents, but challenging the ten strongest from the Transcendence Department.
It made her wonder if the person she had beaten to a pulp that night was really the same one.
Driven by intense curiosity, Su Xi followed Yaya to the Star Duel Arena the next day to watch. Perhaps because it involved two departments, quite a few people had gathered—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the place was packed.
Most of them were dual-system individuals, with some Psychic-types and Elemental Systems among them, and even a few instructors were present—whether they were simply there to watch the excitement or to maintain order in case of trouble was unclear.
Zhao Heng had arrived early. He stood at the center of the stage, one hand behind his back, eyes closed as he waited, exuding an air of aloof superiority. Only when the appointed time arrived and the ten opponents stepped onto the stage did he open his eyes and slowly turn around.
“You’re here?”