Those with fewer slots would likely be even more desperate to snatch high-quality Soul Beads. Having several fewer slots already, if they did not equip high-quality Soul Beads, what was the point? Wouldn’t they just lose everything?
Su Yun, drawn to the academy entrance, witnessed such a scene:
The Master of Strength sat behind a dark profound iron table, his face ashen. Deep grooves remained on the edges of the stone table—clearly smashed out when he could not restrain his irritable mood earlier. The crimson crystal ball on the table emitted a warm yet oppressive red light. His thick knuckles were white as he tapped the table impatiently.
The *dong dong* sound, accompanied by the Law of Strength swirling around him, made the children nearby subconsciously shrink their necks, not daring to speak loudly. A long line formed in front of him. The children wore various types of robes. Some tugged at their companions’ sleeves, while others stood on tiptoe to peek. When they saw friends they knew, they would wave and shout across several people.
Every student whose turn it was had to carefully lean their head toward the crystal ball to detect their Soul Bead slot count. Although they were not old, they knew this thing definitely was not cheap.
The Master of Strength’s face grew darker with every test.
“5 slots, next.”
“6 slots? Barely usable, next…”
“7 slots?!!” He suddenly slapped the table, causing a layer of dust to vibrate off the profound iron surface instantly. His eyes bulged, looking as if he wanted to swallow the child in front of him.
However, after seeing the child’s ignorant look, he forced back the roar at the tip of his tongue. His cheeks puffed up high as he grit his teeth and added, “Next.”
One could tell that even facing a group of small children, the God was about to go crazy with rage.
‘How does a Dominator like me have so few slots?’
“Ugly Uncle, what is this actually for? What are slots?”
A few audacious children did not care about the other party’s divine status at all. Relying on their youth and fearlessness, they climbed up the edge of the stone table and leaned right into the Master of Strength’s face. Their round eyes were full of curiosity, and their voices had a milky, nasal tone. Grass clippings and mud clung to their robes. Some sleeve cuffs were frayed, and their faces wore the flush of having just finished a run along with innocent smiles.
Of course, he could not truly get angry with children. He could only take a deep breath, the muscles on his chest bulging and then slowly settling as he explained with a depressed look.
“It’s a new technology. Just think of it as game equipment that can be equipped to your soul. It’s just that the number of equippable items for each person is fixed.”
“Oh!” A little girl with pigtails and round cheeks realized something. She pointed her chubby finger directly at the Master of Strength’s flushed face and said, “So the reason Ugly Uncle looks so grumpy is because his slot count is very low!”
“Go, go, go! Go play and don’t bother me while I’m working!”
The Master of Strength’s cheeks instantly turned bright red, like ripe tomatoes. He waved his hand as if shooing away flies to dismiss the children.
‘How are these brats so good at poking where it hurts?’
‘I am the Master of Strength!’
‘If I weren’t supposed to argue with kids, I would have thrown you all into the back mountains to feed the Magical Beasts long ago!’
After asking, the children skipped toward the golden barrier in the distance. The barrier shimmered with a soft yet resilient light, like a layer of flowing golden gauze, separating the training world from the academy.
As an exception, the children of Low-tier Mages did not need to pay for tickets or resurrection fees. The Sovereign of Rules had essentially given them a “free trial card,” allowing them to explore without any burden.
Su Yun happened to benefit from being a Low-tier Mage. After all, even without adding the age of her past life, she was not a child in this life anymore. Since she could get things for free, she naturally would not miss such a good opportunity.
After queuing for a while, it was finally Su Yun’s turn.
The crimson crystal ball used for testing gently touched her head, and instantly, a piercing red light erupted. The number “18” clearly emerged on the surface of the crystal ball.
The Master of Strength’s already large, copper-bell-like eyes bulged so much they nearly popped out of their sockets. His heavy breathing sprayed onto the crystal ball, condensing into a layer of mist.
“18?! Is—is this right?”
He reached out with a palm larger than Su Yun’s face and carefully patted the crimson crystal ball. His movements were gentler than usual, as if he were afraid of accidentally breaking this precious instrument.
18 slots? How was that possible?
One must know that before this, no mage with a two-digit slot count had appeared!
However, the crystal ball did not react, and the red light remained dazzling. The number “18” floated steadily on the surface.
He then pointed the crystal ball at his own skull, and the crystal ball dimmed instantly, only showing a small “4.”
It was not broken.
That meant the kid in front of him was purely talented!
“What’s your name… Oh, Su Yun.”
Just as he started to ask, he immediately remembered that as a God, checking a student’s information was as easy as turning over his hand. He then looked through Su Yun’s profile, his expression changing from shock to admiration.
“Very good. Go on, kid.”
With that, he reached out his fan-like hand and gently patted Su Yun’s shoulder.
Su Yun was not surprised by the Master of Strength’s way of addressing her. To put it bluntly, the other party was a God; it was not difficult for a God to know her past and name.
“Next.”
The Master of Strength’s voice returned to calm, but there was still a hint of admiration in the gaze he directed at Su Yun’s retreating figure.
Su Yun received a black tag that could convert souls into Soul Beads and hung it around her neck. The cool metal touch against her skin made her feel inexplicably at ease.
Because she would not truly die, she could show her hidden side to her heart’s content without any worries. This was the perfect chance to vent the pent-up depression and hostility she had accumulated.
However, that version of her was completely different from her usual self. Therefore, Su Yun made an excuse and turned down the invitation from the three girls.
“I can’t. I don’t know a single offensive spell. It’s better if I study first. Let’s go together in two days.” She lowered her head, her voice soft, pretending to be timid.
Then she saw their disappointed expressions.
Su Miaomiao pouted, and Chu Yu’er even pulled her sleeve and whispered persuasively, saying they could protect her, but Su Yun still shook her head.
Although she felt sorry, she did not want to expose the bloodthirsty, cold side of herself that had been suppressed for so long. She was afraid of scaring these innocent friends.
Although she could not change her specific body shape, she could change the color of her fur and a small part of her appearance.
Currently, she was no longer that flashy, uniquely colored pink-and-blue little fox girl. Instead, she had turned into a pure white Samoyed. Her fluffy fur was as soft as clouds, and her round face carried a natural sense of innocence. Her blue eyes were clear and translucent, making her look gentle and easy to bully.
However, this was only limited to her appearance; her body structure still could not be changed. That iconic large tail of hers was also too big to be shrunk much. She could only barely tuck it behind her, looking like she was dragging six white balls of fluff.