Chapter 90

Chapter 90

"Right, there’s also the treasure chest."

With this reminder, the spectators finally remembered it. The pace of the students had been so fast that they couldn’t keep up with the plot and had focused entirely on the dungeon, completely forgetting about the treasure chest.

Moreover, they hadn’t expected the game to end so quickly after just starting.

"Has it ever ended this quickly before?"

"Not that I remember."

Given how each new exam was harder than the last, it was already impressive if no one died. Finishing early? Dream on, as if the Hungry Academy were a charity.

Though the official hour of resolution was yet to come, the outcome of the matter was a certainty. Youths from every corner of the globe, both famed and obscure, poured into the streets in jubilation.

In the era of great disasters, everyone lived for the moment, not waiting for tomorrow.

They brought out their beloved scooters, filled them with a bit of precious industrial fuel, and raced down the roads like steel horses.

The houses on either side flashed by, the ruins and stains blurring into nothingness. As they sped along, it felt like they had returned to a time before the Hungry Academy and the great pollution.

The young people laughed in the wind, laughing until they choked, choking until tears fell, which then blew away with the wind.

They had longed for such an uncontested and exhilarating victory for far too long.

People who were too hungry to move came out of their houses, asking slowly, "What’s going on? Have these youngsters gone mad?"

Their neighbors, faces flushed, explained, "Humans have achieved an unprecedented victory. The exam was completed in just one day, with over two hundred survivors, all passing with excellent scores. An excellent score is at least eighty points, plus twenty percent, making ninety-six points. Our country’s students even made it into the top ten, scoring at least two or three hundred points."

"Really?" The listener dropped their cane, eyes brightening, breathing heavily, making a whistling sound, "Don’t lie to me."

"Who would lie to you? Humans really won big."

"Are these students that amazing?"

"These students are indeed very talented, especially the one from JiuZhou..."

In the years to come, this victory might enter history as another milestone triumph for humans against the Hungry Academy—the academy had never been pushed this far, forced to admit a complete victory and offer additional rewards.

But at this moment, the students who experienced this victory were still somewhat bewildered, still questioning what had happened.

The nine-member group, who knew most of the truth, remained silent. This unexpected success could invite envy; silence was golden.

Their secret bound them into an alliance. Until the settlement moment, the risk couldn’t be fully eliminated.

How many souls perished in the concluding duet of the bygone replica? All through the agency of their own hands.

Only Ji Xinghai was completely exposed to the public eye.

Seeing his nearly carbonized arm confirmed his identity.

Yet no one dared to make a move against him now. First, everyone had some sense of decorum under the watchful eyes of others, and second, the name Ji Xinghai carried too much weight. No one could guarantee success, even if he had lost the use of both hands.

"Will he be the champion again? That would be three consecutive victories."

"He is the undisputed champion."

"What about the future..."

"Hush, it’s hard to say, but he’s certainly the closest."

The students’ eyes held a hint of something indescribable. They had to admit that there were differences among people, even among elite students.

So what was the creator of this victory doing? He was using his skeletal hand to open the treasure chest: anything would do, just end it, he was hungry.

Ji Xinghai only had the two treasure chests from before.

From the start, he had abandoned the exploration task—he only cared about things that interested him, ignoring everything else.

The Hungry Academy thought they could distract him with treasure chests, but they were mistaken.

The contents of the treasure chests were similar to before: one was a robot designed to capture toys and a repair kit, the other was a bio-energy conversion system.

He didn’t know what use these items might have, but he trusted that they wouldn’t let his home country down.

No sooner had he opened the treasure chests than the instance officially ended.

For the first time, the students entered the white space at noon. The top ten were all familiar faces, chatting happily. The rest were at another settlement location, holding high scores above ninety-six, grinning widely.

This was the first time the settlement was so harmonious.

"Hey, Ji, about that..." Rosa approached, still puzzled. While the bubble gum prop could change size, it didn’t enhance strength or other abilities.

Yet when Ji Xinghai transformed, he seemed to become a real giant, possessing the immense strength of a giant.

"Oh, nothing, you’re very impressive." Meeting Ji Xinghai’s calm gaze, Rosa suddenly felt foolish. How could she ask such a question? It must be a special ability of Ji Xinghai.

Ji Xinghai pretended not to understand Rosa’s confusion.

When he transformed back from the clown toy, his restricted abilities were unlocked, allowing him to use his true strength.

Furthermore, the mastermind of this replica, the being behind the academy and the heavens, depended on cunning rather than martial prowess. Once revealed, it forfeited its power to intimidate.

Only those two electrical currents were barely worth mentioning.

He didn’t know how others felt, but for him, the greatest threat from the Hungry Academy was the "rules," absolute rules that could not be broken.

This exam was still a type that added rules day by day—wasn’t that adding shackles every day?

This was the reason he decided to act as soon as possible.

The others also came over to greet him. They didn't mind that Ji Xinghai didn't respond much and even invited him to visit their countries if he had the chance. This warmth and joy dispelled the coldness of the white room.

The audience watching outside couldn't help but smile along.

After the pleasantries ended, it was time for the most exciting part—the drawing of prizes.

As the undisputed leader, Ji Xinghai received the replica token and exemption right, then opened the first gift package.

"You have received one 'Basic Galactic Library Monthly Pass.' Instructions are on the back. Please use it within twelve months. It has been sent to the designated recipient."

"You have received one national purification quota. The pollution level in your country has been reduced by one unit. It has been used."

"You have received one Toy Heart. All minors in your country will randomly receive one toy. Distribution is complete."

The first thing Ji Xinghai saw was the limited-edition gift from the replica, which wasn't particularly useful in practice.

He wondered what kind of toys they were. Would they be carefully selected based on each child's wishes? Would they suddenly appear by their beds? Like the New Year's red envelopes secretly placed under pillows by parents?

Just thinking about it brought a sense of surprise.

But why only for minors? Do adult children not deserve them?

He felt indignant on behalf of all adult children for three seconds, then his gaze skipped over the second useful but conventional reward and focused on the biggest surprise in this package—the library monthly pass.

A galactic one, a monthly pass.

Even if Ji Xinghai were a fool, he would know how rare an opportunity it was to access a library of a civilization just one level higher than theirs.

It was enough to drive anyone pursuing truth mad.

It could even guide the development of future society in various aspects.

If he were in power, he would use it as bait to attract the world's top experts and scholars to join his team. Those who achieved remarkable results in their fields were often the most passionate and dedicated to their careers.

They definitely wouldn't want to miss such a ticket to the hall of knowledge.

Acquiring knowledge was such a wonderful thing, making one forget to eat or sleep, transcending the spirit.

Yet someone turned it into torture.

Ji Xinghai recalled the replica he had just experienced: such a good environment, wasted.

Entering school for systematic learning was something very, very long ago for Ji Xinghai, so long ago that sometimes he doubted whether it was just a self-created illusion due to his intense desire.

Ji Xinghai tried hard to recall the beginning of his memory, but the more he tried, the less he remembered, as if veiled by moonlight, blurry and indistinct.

All his knowledge came from the deficiencies encountered during practice; his success was built upon failure. Ji Xinghai often thought that if he had had the chance for systematic learning, perhaps his journey wouldn't have been so painful, so unforgettable.

But that was just speculation.

He envied those who could sit quietly in classrooms and calmly absorb knowledge.

Ji Xinghai didn't dwell too long on his memories or the rewards.

Since the attractive reading card didn't fall into his hands, it was less valuable to him than that apple. At least the red apple, which helped develop the brain, was hard to find elsewhere.

It was just a bit small, gone before he could taste it properly.

Ji Xinghai was referring to the fruit he had swallowed, probably the special NPC mentioned by the inspector.

Special because of its effects.

The Wisdom Fruit, a mutated apple, helps develop the brain with regular consumption. Its sweet, crisp, and juicy flavor makes it the perfect choice for visiting friends and family. Legend has it that the fruit Eve ate in Eden was an apple.

Note: If you say so, it must be true.

It turned out to be a special ingredient that could be summoned and consumed repeatedly, making the JiuZhou people's eyes shine.

In the second replica, Ji Xinghai had obtained many special ingredients, but they were mostly one-time use—each person could summon it only once. But this seemingly ordinary apple could be summoned and eaten repeatedly, continuously developing the brain?

One fruit equals ten!

Parents immediately set their sharp sights on their foolishly smiling children.

"Even without these effects, eating an apple a day is a luxury in this era." Fruits are nutritional items that require application; ordinary people rarely get to eat an apple in a year.

What if they really wanted to eat one? Either rely on high technology or reminisce.

If neither is available, look forward to the rumored 'holographic network' technology in development.

"Speaking of which, all the rewards this time seem to be learning-themed?"

"Indeed. I saw the packages of the other top ten, and many were related to learning. This might be connected to the replica. And because of the successful completion, the packages were quite good, no junk. Just don't know about their individual points rewards."

"Wouldn't they also be learning-themed?"

Thinking about these all-around talented elites looking exasperated at learning-related items, everyone in the international meeting room couldn't help but laugh.

This replica went smoothly. Apart from the countries that lost students, every representative present wore a smile. Even the Federation representative, who usually had issues with JiuZhou, didn't have a sour face.

The Federation suffered setbacks this time. Both of their students, Zhang Ziqing, whose condition was affected by the replica, and the special forces member Jaxon, who was among the first to kill the doll and transform, were in poor shape.

Honestly, if Ji Xinghai hadn't ended the exam early, one of them would have died for sure.

Losing one would mean using up an exemption right. They had already been criticized by their citizens for not using it last time, so they couldn't afford to reserve it for Eden's benefactors again.

So, what were the top ten students being teased about doing?

Staring into space.

Small Dining Table: Provides three meals a day with no repeats for a week, valued at 120 points.

Takeout Menu: Refreshes once daily, offering ninety-nine set meal options; you can order three times a day, valued at 130 points.

Private Cuisine: A chef prepares your personalized three meals and afternoon tea daily; you can specify the cuisine type, valued at 180 points.

"..."

Has the Hungry Academy poked a nest of chefs?!