“I mean, I just want to walk around by myself. Think about it—you two girls walking around campus with a kid like me… wouldn’t people assume you’re a married couple with a child?”
Su Xinran said with a perfectly straight face.
“Me and Qinyin… with a child…?!”
Ranzhu’s face instantly turned red.
“Why are you blushing like a hot water kettle?!”
Huang Qinyin looked at Ranzhu in utter surprise.
“Right? If that kind of rumor spreads among our classmates, it would be very troublesome for me!”
“Haaah?”
Huang Qinyin’s drooping ears twitched like fans.
“What’s the big deal? This isn’t the human era anymore. Yuri is totally normal now, okay? Besides, even yuri couples can reproduce these days.”
“Me and Qinyin-chan… having a child!”
Ranzhu’s ears turned crimson.
“Hey! What are you blushing for again? Are you running a fever?”
Huang Qinyin suspiciously reached out to touch Ranzhu’s forehead.
“N-No, it’s nothing… If Miss Xinran minds, then we really shouldn’t bother her. This is actually the perfect time for the two of us to… head to the shopping street…”
The more Ranzhu spoke, the quieter her voice became.
“Shopping street? For what?”
Huang Qinyin raised an eyebrow, completely unable to grasp Ranzhu’s current state.
“T-To buy some daily necessities!”
Ranzhu raised her voice to cover up her fluster.
“Ah… that’s true. Even though we buy supplies in bulk, the kitchen is running low on some ingredients…”
Huang Qinyin rubbed her chin in thought.
“Exactly! Exactly! This is St. Freya Academy—we’ve got top-tier security. It’s not dangerous for me to walk around the campus. You two go ahead and visit the shopping street~”
Su Xinran waved them off encouragingly, nudging the plan forward once again.
“Hmm… alright then. Just don’t run all over the place on campus. If anything happens, call a teacher.”
Huang Qinyin thought for a moment, then finally agreed with a nod.
Nice!
Su Xinran excitedly pumped her fist.
Even though she might’ve accidentally pushed something along between the two, she still got what she wanted.
Watching Huang Qinyin and Ranzhu walk away, Su Xinran showed a sly, scheming grin.
Su Xinran had her own little plan.
Her target was something she saw on the back of the morning newspaper… a Volunteer Police recruitment drive.
Not only was this something she truly wanted to do—it was also the main quest issued by Raphael.
The St. Freya Academy Gymnasium—wasn’t that right on campus?
Now free from adult supervision, Su Xinran hopped onto a campus tour shuttle, heading confidently and freely toward the recruitment site for the volunteer police.
The Gymnasium.
The facility was divided into an outer area and an inner area.
The outer grounds had a 1,000-meter track and field, while the interior contained multiple courts for basketball, badminton, and other sports.
The entire gym was impressively vast—big enough for the whole academy to hold physical activities without issue.
At the gym’s entrance stood a small tent, with a sign that read:
Volunteer Police Recruitment Registration
Although Wang Ya had already told Su Xinran that there were age restrictions for volunteer police, Su Xinran still decided to give it a shot—especially given how much Wang Ya liked to tease her, probably not being entirely serious.
Trying her best to look confident while acting casual, Su Xinran attempted to walk right past the tent and into the gym.
“Hold on, student!”
A staff member called out to her.
“The gym is currently being used by the government as a recruitment and testing site for volunteer police. If you want to do regular sports activities, please head over to the Culture Hall for now.”
“Ah, I’m not a student here. I’m here to take the Volunteer Police qualification test.”
Though she had been stopped, Su Xinran responded with an indifferent attitude, speaking calmly.
“Oh, in that case, please fill out this form.”
The staff handed her a form.
While Su Xinran felt a surge of excitement, she was also a little annoyed.
“That damned Wang Ya… tricked me again!”
“We also need to see your identification.”
“Oh, here you go.”
Suppressing the excitement bubbling in her heart, Su Xinran handed over the ID she had just received yesterday.
“Hmm?”
The staff member frowned the moment they saw the document.
“Sorry, miss. According to the Undead race’s age standard, adulthood starts at 18. You’re considered underage, so we can’t accept minors into the Volunteer Police program!”
“Oh~ I see…”
Su Xinran’s heart turned cold.
But she wasn’t disappointed.
After all, she hadn’t come all the way to the gymnasium without a Plan B.
Taking back her ID, Su Xinran calmly walked toward the restrooms.
Standing in front of the men’s and women’s bathrooms, she hesitated.
After some internal debate, she reluctantly pushed open the men’s restroom door.
Before going in, she glanced left and right, scouting the area.
Fortunately, the urinals were empty.
If anyone had been there, they probably would’ve been scared stiff by the unexpected intrusion.
Tiptoeing into the restroom, Su Xinran stared at the familiar urinals and sighed in nostalgia.
“Once upon a time, I could walk into the men’s room with my chest out and head held high, standing proudly in front of these urinals…”
“The urinals are still here… but the little brother under the skirt is long gone.”
Entering a stall and locking the door behind her, Su Xinran summoned the System Store.
Opening the Basic Equipment section, three categories appeared before her:
Mechanical Exoskeleton.
Defensive Force Field.
Electromagnetic Nano Particle Blade.
She clicked on the Exoskeleton tab without hesitation.
A technology tree unfolded before her, but most of the branches were still covered in fog—unavailable until unlocked through upgrades.
Each upgrade cost 200 points, increasing the gear’s stats.
Reaching a new level also unlocked new abilities.
“Upgrade it five times!”
【Would you like to spend 1000 points to upgrade the Mechanical Exoskeleton?】
“Confirm!”
【Ding! Upgrade successful. Mechanical Exoskeleton Level 1 — Strength +10…】
…
【Ding! Upgrade successful. Mechanical Exoskeleton Level 3 — New feature unlocked: Micro-Adjustment!】
【New feature: Micro-Adjustment — Host can manually set the exoskeleton’s output power for more precise control.】
【Ding! Upgrade successful. Mechanical Exoskeleton Level 5 — Congratulations! Host has unlocked a new form: Octopus-Type Exoskeleton!】
【Upgrade complete. 1000 points spent. Remaining balance: 14.5 points.】
“Tch…”
Su Xinran winced.
Her points had been completely drained, leaving her with a sudden sense of insecurity.
In past emergencies, having leftover points in the store had given her room to maneuver—otherwise, she’d have been toast.
This made her realize just how important it was to always have points in reserve.
Still, the cost had been worth it.
If she could use this to get into the Volunteer Police force and gain a legitimate identity for monster-hunting missions, then earning points in the future would be much easier.
Of course, she couldn’t just head there directly now.
There was still one final step.
Su Xinran opened the system store and redeemed a human-skin disguise suit.
This would become her new identity.