Chapter 146

Chapter 146

The student was uncertain whether the black ants descending from the trees were fit for consumption, yet she was confident that the formidable individual from the neighboring institution remained unflustered.

As a survivor who had once lived to the end, she had witnessed the confrontation between human experts and NPCs, a fierce and tragic final battle. Even though she had survived until the end, her heart had always been in suspense, filled with an uneasy feeling of impending death.

But now, despite the overwhelming number of enemies that seemed invincible, she felt no panic.

Was this the benefit of being incredibly strong?

The student, who had merely sought survival, suddenly felt a surge of ambition. A flame was kindled within her.

She yearned for such strength, to become a trusted presence like a solid wall.

The ants moved extremely fast, and before she could react, they were already upon her. She gritted her teeth and charged forward, only to find that the ants, though only half a person's height, had unbreakable shells. Her strikes left not a single mark on their exoskeletons.

"Find the weak joints; brute force alone isn't enough," Ji Xinghai's amused voice rang out.

The student wished to express her awareness, yet amidst the throng of ants, she could not seize the opportune moment. To her surprise, Ji Xinghai managed to divert the majority of the ants, leaving her to methodically handle the remaining trio.

By the time she managed to dispatch the three ants and practiced her dual-knife skills, she turned to see the entire ant army lying dead on the ground, none with intact bodies.

Ji Xinghai looked up at the towering fig tree, its massive size contrasting sharply with the tiny humans and fallen ants.

"A big tree, let's eat it."

"..." The powerful figure from the neighboring academy always managed to pour cold water on others' admiration.

His charm lasted no more than three seconds.

When the trainees who had completed their tasks on the mountain returned, the colossal tree that once cast a shadow over everything was now merely a heap of decaying branches. Scattered on the ground were a collection of fruits that were not yet fully ripe, alongside the remains of unprocessed ants.

Ji Xinghai had already taken another path down the mountain with his temporary companion, carrying a branch laden with ripe figs weighing several tons. The figs could be dried, providing high-energy sustenance, while the branch could be used to expand living spaces.

This day felt like a dream. Initially thinking she would die, she ended up not only surviving but also obtaining high-sugar food and wood for expanding rooms.

The trainee couldn't wait to bring the items back to her room. When she came out to thank the powerful figure, he was already gone, leaving only a few other trainees carrying large figs or pieces of ant corpses down the mountain.

With this new supply, the coming days would be much easier, and everyone was elated.

Ji Xinghai had almost devoured the entire tree, and the immense energy filled the last gaps in his body, making his fragile form stronger and more resilient.

Thus, he was overjoyed.

Perhaps only the academy was sad, as this scenario was now completely ruined. Even the fig tree was gone, leaving no hope of recovery.

But who cared?

Ji Xinghai's body surface still shimmered with unabsorbed energy. His hand became transparent, with blue and purple lines crisscrossing inside, seemingly veins and nerves.

Before the audience could take a closer look, the transparent hand returned to normal, looking even better, free of calluses and pigmentation, like a piece of jade.

Every strand of his hair was perfect.

Outside the scene.

"Is it evolution? It must be evolution!"

In the international Command Unit, experts studying abilities and evolution frequently adjusted their glasses, their faces pressed against the screen, behaving like obsessed fans.

"Can he change the shape of his palm? To what extent can he control and alter it?"

When his hand turned transparent, they thought of the term 'digitization.' Transforming complex physical objects into simpler symbols for manipulation.

Of course, the specifics might differ, but it was clear that Ji Xinghai's changes pointed in this direction.

"Based on previous research, his innate ability is to absorb external energy to strengthen himself. This enhancement seems to go beyond mere physical strength, faster neural reactions, and enhanced immunity; it also includes greater control over his body, possibly even altering its form freely."

The researchers grew increasingly regretful. What a valuable subject, but JiuZhou had made it clear: Ji Xinghai was a hero of JiuZhou and the world. Any ill-intentioned move would result in obliteration and historical erasure.

There were no other pressing matters. Ji Xinghai familiarized himself with his newly unlocked abilities in his room, while the other students were busy storing food and fighting insects.

Humans' adaptability was truly remarkable. They had gone from gagging while eating dead insect carcasses to calmly consuming various fried insects without batting an eye.

It was during this time that the World United Organization began its major moves.

First, legends from around the world quietly surfaced online. Videos and articles featured people confidently claiming they had witnessed mysterious events or species. There were also reports of sudden awakenings of past-life memories and special archaeological discoveries.

Perceptive individuals sensed something—a test of public acceptance of mysterious events and once-fringe magical histories.

Before the Great Pollution era, many would have dismissed these stories as sensationalist nonsense, accompanied by dismissive glances.

But this was an era that had experienced the Great Pollution, Hunger Games, and global evolution.

People were willing to believe that history had seen many wondrous events and non-scientific abilities, all suppressed by official channels to prevent ordinary people from accessing them.

These sentiments were quickly gathered and compiled into data presented to the international organization.

Surprisingly, 70% of the population believed in a hidden history of magic and mystical powers, much like they believed in secret superhuman forces within their countries.

However, such extraordinary abilities had become luxuries for the elite, leaving only legends among the common folk.

The scapegoated elites: "Yes, yes, it's all their fault."

"I told you, you were too cautious. Even if the news was released directly, everyone would accept it immediately."

"Haha, each country has different policies, so public reactions vary. Better to be cautious."

"Countries governed by religion are naturally different from secular ones."

"Huh? How come there’s so little discussion about JiuZhou, given its size?"

Everyone noticed the unusual data and reviewed the collected information:

Hot Headline: Fellow brothers and sisters, what’s the best way to open the parchment to gain the favor of magical creatures?

Top Trend: Churches and magical creatures are mortal enemies! Don’t make wishes at churches! Don’t!

Today's Topic: Would you rather be chosen by a phoenix or a world-ending dragon?

"..."

They almost forgot that JiuZhou had already entered the magic era ahead of time, leaving them no time to participate in this survey.

Everyone looked at the representative from JiuZhou, who was gazing up at the ceiling, seemingly appreciating the minimalist beauty of it.

A sour atmosphere instantly filled the room.

After gauging the public's acceptance of miraculous events, people with supernatural powers in various countries began to secretly stir up trouble. Their figures were active in inconspicuous corners, and some electronic books and dubious information started circulating online.

They firmly believed that human nature is inherently fickle; official announcements might not be trusted, but information stumbled upon would be taken as gospel.

To be honest, many people believe what they read in novels, let alone this elaborate setup created by so many elites, which is almost flawless, nine truths to one lie?

There were even linguists who developed several sets of "magical languages" tailored for different continents for this theory.

"The magic era declined due to the dissipation of spiritual energy and will now return with its resurgence."

It was hard to believe such a cheesy blend of Eastern and Western culture declaration would appear in such an orthodox international government office, but this was indeed their established policy.

Anyway, I won't say anything; you can guess all you want. I’m not responsible for the outcome, nor will I deny it.

Outside, the magical era was returning, while inside, the students had barely survived the insect plague. In the blink of an eye, it was already the eleventh day of the scenario. The audience faithfully watched the live stream, speculating that this was the first day of summer.

The students were greeted by a torrential downpour, pounding against the windows, making the glass buzz as if it would shatter at any moment.

"..." Do you really need to be so dramatic?

Ji Xinghai got out of bed. He had already switched to a thinner blanket but still felt hot. The air was damp and stuffy, and the walls were covered in tiny droplets of water.

Fortunately, he hadn’t hung anything on the balcony today, otherwise, it would have been soaked. The cellar, after upgrading, had been reinforced and could now resist moisture intrusion, ensuring the stored food wouldn’t spoil easily.

Storing food, maintaining personal and house cleanliness, and inventorying supplies.

When would this life end?

He yawned, though not feeling drowsy, his fatigue was evident.

"What day is it today?" He was momentarily disoriented, his memories blurred as if he had lived here countless nights, alone...

No!

This is only the eleventh day.

Is it because of the stuffy air? But a single night of dampness shouldn’t have such a significant impact, even affecting his actual state.

Ji Xinghai suddenly became alert, and the dampness-induced irritability and lethargy vanished instantly.

"..." If he hadn’t noticed, he would deserve the frustration and depression?

Had someone unknowingly influenced him using psychological and environmental cues? Ji Xinghai frowned; it seemed the danger level of this scenario was higher than anticipated, insidiously cooking a frog in warm water. One misstep and he’d fall into the trap.

He opened the task bar, where his health indicator had turned orange, prompting him to improve his living environment.

He had planted dozens of plants and adjusted the air temperature to the most comfortable setting, yet humidity remained an issue.

He wondered which space produced limestone; if not, he’d go to the void to “ask” the small monsters.

Ji Xinghai went through his usual morning routine, eating breakfast, while other students struggled to shake off the effects of the scenario’s hints, deeply troubled by the damp air.

Without plants to regulate the environment, their rooms were both wet and hot, leaving many students looking half-asleep. Some gave themselves a few cuts to regain focus, while others slapped themselves, barely managing to wake up.

"Looks like another season of heavy rain and heat, huh."

"The students seem off."

"I see that; they look exhausted."

"Not just that, but their mental states. Don’t you think they’ve aged significantly in just a few days? There’s a visible weariness, as if they’ve been stuck here for months instead of days."

The audience was surprised and checked the mental values they hadn’t paid attention to in a while.

"Oh my god, how did their mental values drop so much? When did this happen?"

"It’s been dropping for a while now. I thought it was due to the insect plague, hunger, and loneliness, expecting it to recover. But it hasn’t, and it keeps getting lower. Is it like the doll academy incident, where the environment continuously lowers the students' mental values and amplifies negative energy?"

"Damn, a student in the neighboring area committed suicide!"