“This is so troublesome…”
Mo Qingqing slumped onto the soft velvet sofa in the living room. Her deep purple hair was scattered messily over her shoulders, and a few strands clung to her sweat-beaded cheeks, making her look a bit disheveled. She raised a hand to rub her throbbing temples, her long eyelashes drooping to hide the exhaustion in her eyes as she let out a soft sigh.
The 80 academic credits she had spent on the entrance ticket for this trial had gone down the drain. She had been ambushed and killed by a High-level Mage before even lasting half a day. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t hurting over the loss.
However, that high-intensity battle on the line between life and death had thoroughly ignited the bellicose genes in her blood. Reflecting on it now, she actually felt a lingering sense of excitement.
“It hurts so much…”
Su Yun shrunk into the corner, his small body almost buried under Mo Qingqing’s skirt. He timidly reached out his hand and gently hugged the hem of Mo Qingqing’s skirt, his fingertips trembling slightly as they gripped the fabric.
His voice was pressed extremely low, his soft, sweet tone carrying a thick nasal quality as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps acting spoiled to seek comfort from Mo Qingqing.
In reality, most of the pain in his body had already been blocked by the system, leaving behind only a slight ache. He was simply putting on this pitiful act on purpose to completely dispel any suspicions Mo Qingqing might have about him.
After all, back in the trial world, he had watched Mo Qingqing fall while remaining “powerless” to help.
“Those credits…”
Hearing those words, Mo Qingqing sighed heavily again. Her eyes were full of regret, and her fingertips unconsciously traced the delicate patterns on the sofa’s armrest.
“Did you sell all that trash you picked up?”
“Not yet… Does Master want it?”
Su Yun’s heart skipped a beat, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Even his breathing became much lighter.
After deducting the 180 academic credits he had spent previously, those spoils totaled a full 523 credits. If he gave them all to Mo Qingqing, he would truly be bankrupt. His hard work fighting in the trial world would have been for nothing.
He peeked up at Mo Qingqing’s expression, terrified that she would nod.
“Sell the things you don’t need. I don’t want trash lying around the house.” Mo Qingqing waved her hand. Her tone was flat and devoid of emotion; she had no intention of taking advantage of him.
“Then, then I’ll go sell them right now!”
The weight on Su Yun’s heart instantly vanished. He quickly responded and nimbly pulled out the miscellaneous items.
Through the academy’s recycling system, those green soul beads, ordinary staves, and useless pelts were converted into academic credits with a single click. Watching the numbers on the panel jump until they finally settled at 523, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but turn up slightly. This trial run was a massive profit.
“By the way… the people you encountered when you went in were all Mid-level Mages, right?”
Mo Qingqing spoke suddenly, her gaze carrying a hint of subtle scrutiny. Her fingers unconsciously tapped against the sofa’s armrest, creating a soft *clack-clack* sound.
“Mm, yes, they were.”
Su Yun tilted his small head in confusion, his pink-blue ears twitching slightly as his furry head rubbed against Mo Qingqing’s skirt. He didn’t understand why she was suddenly asking this, and his heart grew wary again, fearing he had exposed a flaw somewhere.
“Even if… cough… that… well… this is how it is…”
Mo Qingqing paused as if she were a bit embarrassed. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and her gaze drifted toward the window, avoiding Su Yun’s eyes.
“Can’t you enter for free? I’ll help you buy safety bags and auto-extraction cards. You can deduct those costs at the end and just give me… 20% of the final harvest.”
Su Yun rolled his eyes inwardly—’Isn’t this just trying to get something for nothing!’
But on second thought, even if he gave away 20%, he could still keep a lot of academic credits for himself. This was more stable than working alone, and he could use this opportunity to grind Mo Qingqing’s favor so she would trust him more. It wasn’t a losing deal.
“Okay!”
Su Yun immediately set aside his thoughts and nodded obediently. His eyes sparkled, making him look like a well-behaved and submissive student. “I will definitely scavenge well and live up to Master’s trust!”
In reality, his mind had already begun to race with calculations: Should he continue scavenging trash tomorrow to earn steady credits, or should he take advantage of Mo Qingqing’s absence to go on the offensive and kill a few Red-name Mages?
If he went on the offensive, he was afraid the commotion would be too loud and attract the attention of other Red-name Mages or passing students. Moreover, the lightning magic and Baji Quan he had used today definitely couldn’t be used again; it would be too easy to leave a trail that Mo Qingqing might connect back to him.
But if he only scavenged trash, it felt like a waste of his strength. After all, in his eyes, those Red-name Mages were no different from mobile credit bundles.
‘Sigh… I’ll just have to play it by ear and act according to the situation when the time comes.’
“Tomorrow, just keep your head down and scavenge. Fight if you can, but if you can’t win, use Shadow Hide to run away. Safety first.” Mo Qingqing began to instruct him in detail, her speaking pace slowing down with a hint of seriousness. “Don’t go head-to-head with those Red-name Mages. Our goal is to collect loot to exchange for credits. Dying is too much of a loss.”
She prattled on quite a bit, covering everything from how to identify valuable items to how to hide when encountering a High-level Mage. She even taught Su Yun a few simple disguise spells. Her core message was for Su Yun to focus on scavenging and try not to die too many times—after all, safety bags cost credits, and losing them was a waste.
Finally, she added, “When we get back, I’ll teach you a Blood Escape spell. The casting speed is fast, and it’s great for saving your life. It’s perfect for a low-level mage like you. You can use it to slip away quickly if you run into danger.”
Su Yun sat to the side, obediently nodding his small head over and over. His big, furry ears wobbled back and forth, making him look like he was listening very intently. From time to time, he would chime in.
“Okay~”
“I’ll remember, Master.”
Inside, however, he was quickly processing Mo Qingqing’s words and mapping out tomorrow’s route. He went over which areas had more Red-name Mages and which areas were likely to have overlooked loot.
“Oh, right.”
As if suddenly remembering something, Mo Qingqing changed the subject. She picked up a glass of water and took a sip, her tone becoming much more casual.
“When I went to the academy today, I heard a new noodle shop opened on the commercial street called ‘Magic Wheat Noodle House.’ The noodles there have a flavor like nothing before. They use freshly harvested Magic Wheat, so they’re very springy. They also add meat sauce made from the Tier 3 Flame Pig. It’s fragrant and spicy. A lot of Mid-level Mages in the academy have tried it, and the reviews are great.”
She paused, subconsciously omitting the fact that she had originally invited Su Qiuyue, Liu Heng, and Qian Wan’er to go with her. However, Su Qiuyue was too sleepy to get up, Liu Heng suddenly had to go into seclusion to break through to the high level, and Qian Wan’er had been called back by her family to handle some matters.
In the end, she had been forced to give up on the idea. Telling him that would make her seem too unpopular and pathetic—it would be a total loss of face.
Su Yun’s eyes instantly lit up, and his big, furry tail couldn’t help but wag gently. His nose twitched as if he could already smell the aroma.
“Noodles made from Magic Wheat? With Magical Beast meat sauce? That sounds delicious!”
This time, he was truly craving it. He had been suffering through the food on the first floor of the cafeteria for a while now. He had long wanted to eat something hot and flavorful. Just thinking about those springy noodles coated in savory meat sauce made him gulp.
Seeing his greedy expression, a slight smile tugged at the corners of Mo Qingqing’s mouth, and much of the exhaustion from the battle dissipated.
She reached out and rubbed his furry little head. “Since we have nothing to do right now, let’s go try it together. Consider it compensation for your wasted trip with me today.”