Chapter 206: Chapter 206
Yan Huoshui seemed to understand the hidden meaning in her words. He gazed at her intently. If not for the crowd, he feared he wouldn’t be able to resist pulling her into a tight hug.
He restrained himself and patted her on the head again before returning to his seat.
The Type-II Insect Clan simulation competition began.
The supervising instructor for this competition was Yan Huoshui, and there was a segment in the middle where he would take the stage.
The Insect Clan simulation was more time-consuming than the first stage of the competition. Students went up group by group. Yan Huoshui’s part came after the students killed an Insect Clan member; they then had to find the specific location where his spiritual power was hidden. For this stage, the competition arena would automatically transform into a holographic one. The students competed within this holographic arena, where they could feel the real pain and casualties inflicted by the Insect Clan, but their actual bodies remained unharmed.
Meanwhile, Yan Huoshui’s spiritual power within the holographic arena simulated the fluctuations of the Insect Clan, primarily testing the students’ keen perception of them.
Soon, the competition began. The first group of students put on their specialized holographic equipment. The arena then underwent a massive transformation, expanding to three or four times its previous size. In the center stood the holographic figures of the participants.
Seeing this change, many in the family seating area let out a collective gasp. Shi Lan’s eyes were also glued to the scene.
’No wonder I was thinking the viewing platform was a bit too far from the competition area,’ she thought. ’I just assumed it was designed that way to better ensure fairness and reduce distractions for the students.’
’So, a large part of it was hidden from view.’
Just then, the enormous virtual figure of an Insect Clan member appeared on the holographic stage. It shot up like a skyscraper, blocking most of the light. The originally spacious and open competition hall seemed to darken in an instant.
The human figures looked so tiny in front of the three-to-four-meter-tall Insect Clan member. A hint of panic and fear appeared in the eyes of many onlookers.
Even though Shi Lan had seen the Insect Clan several times before, watching one up close like this still gave her a sense of pressure. It was more a feeling of megalophobia, though; she wasn’t actually that afraid of the Insect Clan itself.
The lady next to her was also perfectly calm. She even took out a grinder and other items from her storage space and leisurely prepared a glass of iced coffee for both herself and Shi Lan.
"In a situation like this, a cup of coffee makes it even more thrilling."
The caffeine in the coffee was a stimulant, quickening one’s heart rate. Paired with the colossal figure of the Insect Clan member, it certainly made for a unique experience.
Shi Lan accepted the coffee and looked at her with admiration. "Excuse me, miss, have you encountered the Insect Clan before?"
The lady took a sip of her coffee and said softly, "Mhm, I’ve seen them. Oh, and I’ve dissected their corpses for research."
"That’s amazing."
Shi Lan’s eyes sparkled. ’No wonder she’s so calm. She must be involved in research-related work.’
Being praised is a pleasant experience, especially when it comes from someone with eyes as sincere as Shi Lan’s. The lady’s lips curved into a smile. "Young lady, I’m old enough to be your mother, so don’t call me ’miss.’ One of the second-year males out there is my son."
Shi Lan took another look at her. She was dressed very fashionably, somewhat like a young lady who had studied abroad during the Republican Era. She gave off a complex impression—reserved, yet with a hint of flamboyance. But undeniably, she was very beautiful and looked quite young.
She said sincerely, "But miss, you look so young."
The lady’s smile grew warmer.
The two exchanged a few more simple words before falling silent to focus on the competition.
The gentle aroma of coffee wafted around the arena. Those who had been feeling drowsy seemed to wake up, while those who were already engrossed became even more excited.
Perhaps the fight between humans and the Insect Clan was just too thrilling. Every so often, someone in the crowd would shout excitedly, "Yeah!"
"Nice one!"
It was like the roar of the crowd when a goal is scored in a soccer match. When the Insect Clan member finally crashed to the ground, a wave of joyful, thunderous applause followed.
After the Insect Clan member fell, Yan Huoshui put on his holographic equipment to begin the spiritual power simulation. This part of the competition was a race between the groups to see who could find the hiding place of the spiritual power the fastest.
Fortunately, having just fought the Insect Clan, the students now had a better understanding of its spiritual power fluctuations, so finding it didn’t take an excessively long time.
The first group took three and a half minutes.
As far as Yan Huoshui was concerned, he felt the students’ performance was merely average.
After all, a real Insect Clan member wouldn’t give them so much time to wait.
But they were first-year students, after all, so it was understandable.
Once the first group’s results were finalized, the next group quickly took the stage.
This stage of the competition took nearly three hours to complete.
The Mecha training portion, however, took less than an hour.
This was the simplest part of the exam. The students just needed to successfully pilot their Mechas and work as a team to replicate the poses shown in a picture to pass.
It gets dark late on the Capital Star.
Shi Lan had come over after lunch. She watched the entire event, and by the time all the competitions were over, a brilliant sunset still painted the sky.
On the competition grounds, the students with good exam scores were beaming, while those with poor scores didn’t look too happy. Overall, however, everyone was in high spirits.
Because after the final exams, the students of the Imperial Capital School were about to start a two-month vacation.
Nothing made them happier than the thought of a long break.
A male student walked over happily and gave the female next to Shi Lan an excited hug. "Mom, did you see my performance just now? My score wasn’t too bad, right?"
The lady smiled gently. "It was all right. But don’t get arrogant in victory or discouraged in defeat. There’s still plenty of room for improvement."
As she spoke, she looked at Shi Lan and introduced her son. "This is my son, Jiang Qingzai."
Shi Lan extended her hand.
Facing the female who made his heart race, his body found it difficult to remain calm. After giving her a quick wipe-down, he couldn’t stop himself from escaping to the bathroom.
He splashed his face with cold water for a few minutes before coming back out.
Perhaps with the help of the ice, Shi Lan finally stopped restlessly kicking off the blankets.
Her eyes were closed obediently, the frown on her brow had smoothed out, and her face was serene and peaceful. She lay there, comfortable and completely unguarded.
Looking at her like this, He Hanshi grew inwardly angry with himself for having such thoughts at a time like this.
He let out a long, hot breath and brought over a glass of warm water. Seeing her chapped lips, he dipped his finger in the water and gently moistened them for her.
Although Shi Lan’s eyes were closed as she burned with a fever, the fiery dryness in her mouth sent a clear signal to her brain. The moment she felt the moisture on her lips, she subconsciously opened her mouth and her tongue darted out, searching for the source of the water.
Her tongue quickly brushed against He Hanshi’s finger.
He snatched his hand back as if he’d been burned. The hand holding the glass shook, spilling water onto his pant leg.
The sensation on his finger lingered. He suddenly felt parched himself and couldn’t help but gulp down the rest of the water.
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