Chapter 12: The Challenge

Chapter 12: The Challenge

"Next up, please welcome freshman Jiang Yi from the Mentalist faculty for his demonstration. Assisting him is second-year student Zuo Lai," the host announced into the microphone on stage.

The freshmen in the audience began whispering among themselves. Everyone held a natural curiosity about psychic Espers, and hearing that a second-year would be assisting made them even more eager.

"A second-year?"

"Zuo Lai... that name sounds familiar..."

"It's him! The strongest werewolf in the sophomore class!"

"Hello everyone, my ability is 'Telepathy.' You can also think of it as 'Mind Reading.' Currently, this ability is only effective on a few Specific Races," Jiang Yi explained on stage.

Zuo Lai walked to the other side of the stage. In front of him was a white board facing the audience, its contents hidden from Jiang Yi's view.

"Can I get a volunteer from the class? You can write an object or draw a scene on the board for Senior Zuo Lai to see. I will read what's on the board by looking into his eyes."

"Me!"

Jia Zheyu had just returned from the restroom when he heard Jiang Yi's request. Didn't Jiang Yi say he wasn't going to demonstrate? Why was he on stage now? When a good friend needed help, he had his back!

Jia Zheyu jumped onto the stage. This was his first time interacting with a werewolf Esper; he was a mix of nervousness and excitement. "Hello, Senior. I'm freshman Jia Zheyu."

"Hello," Zuo Lai nodded.

Jia Zheyu picked up a marker, scratched his head in thought for a moment, then drew a fruit tree on the whiteboard. Under the tree, a werewolf was reaching up to pick fruit.

Zuo Lai glanced at what was on the board, then looked toward Jiang Yi.

As Jiang Yi met Zuo Lai's gaze, he found it difficult to activate his ability. Zuo Lai wasn't an ordinary Specific Race member; he was a high-level ability user.

Even without deliberate resistance, Jiang Yi could sense the sheer pressure of a high-level ability user. Zuo Lai's ability rank and power level were both significantly higher than his own.

This was completely different from facing Ke Lin or the ordinary werewolves in the arena.

After a moment, Jiang Yi smiled and said, "I sense a werewolf picking fruit under a tree. The senior made a point of saying that this werewolf is not him."

"Hahaha!" The audience burst into laughter, in awe of the wonders of mental abilities. Thoughts, memories, the soul—these were realms human science had yet to fully conquer.

Jia Zheyu then drew scenes of an ability team hunting mutants and mermaids going out to sea. He had a talent for drawing; his characters were in a cartoon style, capturing scenes with just a few strokes. Jiang Yi managed to read every one through Zuo Lai's eyes.

"They already know each other! Who knows if they set this up beforehand!" Luo Chuan suddenly shouted from the audience.

"That's unnecessary."

"Could there really be cheating in an ability demo?"

"Maybe the Mentalist faculty is running out of successors and brought someone in for show."

"Should we switch to someone else to draw?"

Luo Chuan ran to the front of the stage opposite Jia Zheyu. "You, get down. Let me go up."

He had already decided what to draw—something guaranteed to stump Jiang Yi. These two had embarrassed him in the assessment hall; now he'd return the favor. They were just two Espers with lame powers, nothing to be so arrogant about.

Jia Zheyu's face flushed red with anger. Getting down would mean swallowing his pride, but staying up would imply they had indeed colluded.

As silence fell over the venue, Zuo Lai spoke. His tall frame, sharp gaze, and the natural oppressive aura of a high-level ability user bore down on Luo Chuan, who wanted to take the stage. "Get lost."

Luo Chuan suddenly felt an invisible weight pressing down on him. He averted his eyes, but remembering the Opa Family behind him, he stiffened his spine, wanting to continue arguing.

Seeing things were getting heated, the host teacher immediately stepped onto the stage to smooth things over. "This freshman is Luo Chuan from the Healing Department, right? The Psychic and Healing Departments have always had a good relationship. Why be so confrontational? Moreover, I believe Senior Zuo Lai and the two freshmen—everyone who enters Starry Vault Academy is among the best of the best—wouldn't stoop to cheating over this."

The host’s words also gave Luo Chuan a way out. He angrily returned to his seat.

Luo Chuan’s seat was next to Caston. Jiang Yi looked toward Caston’s direction, and his gaze immediately darkened.

It was him.

The pervert who brought countless psychological shadows to Ke Lin.

Noticing Jiang Yi’s gaze, Caston raised an eyebrow. This Psychic Esper was somewhat interesting.

After Luo Chuan sat down, Caston glanced at him displeased. "If you do something stupid like this again, get the hell back to Jinsha County."

Originally, Caston held no hostility toward Jiang Yi. On the contrary, if Jiang Yi truly had talent, he wouldn’t mind pulling him into his own camp.

Their encounter last night made Caston realize that Jiang Yi’s thinking was rigid and naive, making him impossible to use. What can't be obtained might as well be destroyed.

But Luo Chuan, in his haste to save face, used such low-level tactics against Jiang Yi. After failing, it made Caston look bad.

Hearing this, Luo Chuan’s eyes instantly reddened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I’m sorry, cousin. I acted impulsively this time."

While Jiang Yi was demonstrating on stage, two older men entered through the back door.

"Old Bon, this is the new kid in your department. Shows promise."

Professor Bonasen, wearing a white lab coat, watched as Jiang Yi used his ability on Zuo Lai. A faint ripple of psychic energy flashed in his eyes.

Psychic Espers could generally only use their abilities on those at their level or lower. Yet Jiang Yi, facing Zuo Lai who was several tiers above him, could still use his ability with perfect control—this was because he consciously activated his psychic power, and his psychic power level was not low.

"To have the awareness to cultivate psychic power at such a young age is indeed rare. Unfortunately, 'Telepathy' has limited practical applications, and it still falls short of top-tier Psychic Abilities." Professor Bonasen shook his head. The whole Federation had gone years without seeing a Psychic Ability above A-rank.

The Psychic Department truly lacked successors.

"Old Bon, stop pretending. Putting innate rank aside, the cultivation of psychic power is equally important. Since you’re not satisfied with Jiang Yi, why not let him come to our Healing Department?" said Professor Chu Bin from the Healing Department.

Bonasen immediately raised his eyebrows. "In your dreams! Old Chu, keep your department’s people in check. That kid causing a scene in the audience is from your department, right? If he dares bully my people, I’ll make sure he regrets it."

Although Professor Bonasen was advanced in years, his personality was prickly yet protective.

Seeing this, Professor Chu Bin sighed helplessly. "Alright, alright, I’m terrified. Let the kids settle their own matters. What’s an old man like you interfering for?"

"Jiang Yi, how come you’re not angry at all? This Luo Chuan is acting crazy." On the way back to their seats, Jia Zheyu was still fuming.

"No need to pay him any mind. He wants to establish authority among the freshmen, but it’s actually to cover up his own inner inferiority," Jiang Yi said.

"Did you read his mind?" Jia Zheyu asked, puzzled.

"Idiot, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I was thinking about something else. When Senior told Luo Chuan to get lost earlier, I seemed to see a ripple of psychic energy." Jiang Yi recalled. That ripple was like the heat waves on a summer road—the air had a noticeable distortion.

"That’s the manifestation of materialized psychic energy. However, Zuo Lai was only releasing pressure and didn’t intentionally release materialized energy," Xin Ziyu, sitting in his seat, explained.

"Materialized psychic energy." Jiang Yi thought to himself: If psychic energy could be projected outward, even condensed into weapons, wouldn’t that mean one could ignore the differences in ability rank solely through psychic power?

"Psychic power must reach level five or above to materialize. It’s a threshold many Espers never cross in their entire lives," Xin Ziyu said.

Jiang Yi nodded and turned to Xin Ziyu and Zuo Lai. "Thank you, Seniors, for helping me demonstrate my ability."

"As a junior in our Psychic Department, I naturally have to have his back. Otherwise, some clueless people might really think they can bully us." Xin Ziyu's words had a pointed meaning. The Psychic Department had the fewest members, but the atmosphere was harmonious and very united.

After the opening ceremony, everyone began attending classes as scheduled.

Many theoretical courses were just old hat for Jia Zheyu and the others—they had already covered the material before. During class, they either slept or played on their phones. But Jiang Yi always picked up something new every time he listened, steadily solidifying his theoretical foundation.

Not long after, Jiang Yi received Luo Chuan's challenge letter.

The school didn't forbid students duking it out. On the contrary, it was all for it, even providing venues, handling the logistics, referees, and so on. Fellow students and even off-campus media would come to watch the matches.

When the students heard this news, they were instantly buzzing.

"Haven't the Healing Department and the Psychic Department always been tight? How did they suddenly fall out?"

"I heard they butted heads on the very first day of school."

"No, their abilities have nothing to do with each other. How are they going to duel?"

"They'll use their powers, probably. That'd be fun."

...

When Jiang Yi first received Luo Chuan's challenge letter, he was kind of dumbfounded. This kind of behavior was really so juvenile.

He and Luo Chuan actually had little interaction; he hadn't even given this guy a second thought.

But Luo Chuan was one of Caston's lackeys. Just thinking about what that bastard Caston had done to Ke Lin made Jiang Yi want to rip him apart.

It was just that his current strength was insufficient, making it unsuitable to confront Caston head-on. Since Luo Chuan was asking for it, he might as well take it out on him first.

Jiang Yi accepted the challenge and asked the student who delivered the message to relay that Luo Chuan would definitely lose.

Over in the East District villas.

"Cousin, Jiang Yi really doesn't know what's good for him. We can deal with him slowly later. But now, with this public challenge letter... what if, what if I lose? It doesn't matter about me, but it would also make you lose face." Luo Chuan's tone was somewhat anxious.

The challenge letter was something Caston had ordered him to send. At the time, Luo Chuan had sworn up and down he would make Jiang Yi too ashamed to ever show his face at school again.

Luo Chuan had always bullied the weak and feared the strong. Seeing Jiang Yi so confident made him a bit nervous.

"If you lose, then disappear from my side from now on," Caston said impatiently.

Ever since Luo Chuan had latched onto the Opa Family, he often threw his weight around in Caston's name. Now, Luo Chuan needed to prove he was of some use.

"Don't say that, cousin!"

Luo Chuan felt like crying but had no tears. In the duel a month later... he would win, right?

Author's Note:

Su Su: Little Luo Chuan, of course you won't win~