The two returned to Thorn Academy on the evening of the fifth day.
They had spent three or four days completing the commission, and with the round trip, four or five days had passed just like that.
“We’re finally back.”
Xi Ya walked out of the Teleportation Array and let out a long sigh of relief.
Thankfully he was an Elite Class student.
If he were in the Regular Class, just those four or five days of absences would have been enough to get him expelled.
The Regular Class at Thorn Academy was similar to universities on Genlan Star.
A class schedule was arranged every week, and students were required to attend classes according to that schedule.
Absences would result in deducted Credits, and if someone skipped too many classes and their Credits dropped too low, the Academy would persuade them to drop out.
The Elite Class, however, was completely different.
The Elite Class also had classes, but there was no schedule at all.
None of the courses were mandatory, and no Credits were attached to them.
If Elite Class students wanted to attend classes, they could simply go to the classroom and join in, or ask their mentor to open a course.
This policy seemed like free-range raising, but that wasn’t actually the case.
The motto of Thorn Academy’s Elite Class was “grow through Practical Combat.”
The Academy deliberately set things up this way so students would have more time to go out and gain real combat experience.
After all, no matter how well you studied within the Academy, it was just armchair strategy.
Only by continuously accumulating Experience Points in actual combat could you stand on your own on the battlefield after graduation.
That was why most Elite Class students didn’t attend classes regularly.
They only gathered at the Academy during assessment periods.
As for why everyone showed up to the first Magic Theory Class of the week, that was because the first class after enrollment was about leaving an impression on the mentor and getting your face recognized.
Otherwise, if you wanted to consult the mentor later, they might not even know who you were, and if they had a bad temper, they might not even bother acknowledging you.
That being the case, could Elite Class students just slack off at the Academy as long as they passed each assessment?
Of course not.
Those Regular Class students were all eyeing the Elite Class positions with hungry looks.
To squeeze into the Elite Class, they took on commissions in their spare time just like Elite Class students, desperately grinding and competing.
Normally, they might not recklessly issue challenges, since they knew their own limits.
But the moment any Elite Class student showed even a hint of slacking off, they would immediately treat that person as a Soft Target and a breakthrough point, frequently issuing challenges until they dragged that person out of the Elite Class sooner or later.
Not to mention Xi Ya, who was already a Soft Target.
He couldn’t slack off in the slightest and could only find ways to grind and improve his strength to hold onto his position.
Back in the Teleport Hall, there were many students returning at this time in the evening.
The Hall was crowded with people coming and going, and the noise was chaotic.
After walking just two steps, Xi Ya noticed a large crowd gathered in the middle, and from the sound of it, it seemed like people were arguing about something.
Hmm?
How come the moment I return, I see people arguing?
Could there be Melon?
With a Melon-eating mindset, Xi Ya squeezed toward the crowd, wanting to see who was arguing over there.
Before he even got close, he heard a voice as annoying as a duck quacking.
“Hoah? You actually completed a C-class Commission?”
Okay, no need to look anymore.
He already knew who it was.
The moment he heard that voice, he knew it was Dilon doing his Dog Barking.
Since Dilon was here, the target of his barking was probably…
Xi Ya glanced toward the other side of the crowd, where a tuft of pink hair stuck up among the heads.
Sure enough, it was Feili.
But Feili only returned this evening.
Could she have taken that commission?
Judging by the timing, Feili most likely took the longest C-class Commission — Mine Pest Nest Clearing.
That commission took a very long time.
Even in the Game, taking the fastest route would use up nearly five days.
And this Mine Pest Nest Clearing task — the mere thought of the name made Xi Ya’s stomach churn uncomfortably.
The task was long, tedious, and a complete mental pollution from start to finish.
In that mine, you had to face all kinds of giant moths, giant spiders, giant centipedes, and other bugs.
Just looking at them made you lose San at an alarming rate.
But this commission gave the most rewards.
In the early stages, if you wanted to improve your abilities, you had no choice but to grind this commission.
Every time he started a new playthrough, he had to endure and clear it again.
It was absolutely disgusting.
Xi Ya forcibly shook off the memories of that pest nest from his mind and glanced again at that wiggling tuft of hair.
Come to think of it, he only saw those bugs through a screen.
As long as he remembered the fixed route, he could completely avoid those San-draining scenes and clear the level with his eyes closed.
But Feili couldn’t.
Every single life, she had to experience this task firsthand.
Thinking about it that way, it didn’t feel so bad anymore.
Dilon’s barking rang out again.
“So you, the Adopted Daughter ranked second from last in your class, dare to claim you completed a commission all by yourself? Who would believe that?”
He was too familiar with this line.
In the Game, after Feili completed her commission and returned, she would inevitably run into Dilon, and then Dilon would question and belittle her in every way possible, insisting she couldn’t possibly have completed a C-class Commission alone.
It was a bit abstract to explain.
The Game gave players several commission options, and each commission had a different completion time.
But no matter which commission you chose, you would always run into Dilon on the way back.
It was as if he had been squatting there waiting for her, just waiting for her to show up so he could jump in her face.
“Hm? Is Young Master Dilon jealous of me? Is completing a C-class Commission alone really that hard? But I thought it was pretty easy?”
Feili’s laughter came through the crowd.
Her tone didn’t sound like she was arguing at all — it was more like she was teasing a dog.
Xi Ya figured he didn’t need to worry about Feili.
She had been reborn multiple times already.
Dealing with a clown like Dilon was a piece of cake for her, right?
She’d probably already figured out a formula for shutting Dilon up so fast he’d be left speechless.
Well, you two go ahead and argue.
I won’t disturb you.
Just as Xi Ya was about to leave, he noticed Dailina standing right next to him, curiously peering toward the crowd.
“Senior Student Xi Ya, what’s going on over there?”
“Nothing much. Just two people bickering over there. Nothing worth watching. They might argue endlessly.”
Xi Ya didn’t tell her Feili was there.
If they got involved, it might drag on forever.
“But I think I heard Senior Student Feili’s voice?”
Dailina stood on her tiptoes, her ears twitching.
“Huh? Really?”
Xi Ya pretended to listen carefully, then shook his head.
“You must have misheard.”
“Mmm… I guess I misheard.”
“Let’s hurry and submit our commission first. We can come back and watch afterward.”
Xi Ya was already walking toward the Registration Desk.
He just wanted to get this commission settled as fast as possible.
Dailina glanced at the crowd one more time, but still followed Xi Ya to the Registration Desk.
“Alright.”
The person on duty at the Registration Desk today wasn’t the Senior Student woman from last time, but a male Senior Student wearing glasses.
He had a stern expression and looked very difficult to talk to.
The moment Xi Ya saw this Senior Student, he froze on the spot.
Why does it have to be him on duty today?