CSMCDB - Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Mutations always came with flaws. Although no one had ever mutated like Wen Yuncheng before, Star Power mutations had occurred in the past. History recorded such special individuals, but they often had fatal weaknesses, had to endure extreme pain at specific moments, or found their cultivation permanently stalled at a certain stage.
For example, there was once a mutated genius who began cultivating at fifteen and became a Star Lord by twenty. Nearly everyone believed he would one day become a Star Saint. But what was the result? He never broke through the third layer of Star Lord in his entire life. He was clearly capable of a breakthrough, but whenever he mobilized his Star Power to shatter the bottleneck, his entire body would be wracked with excruciating pain. Even if he could endure the agony, his Star Power was simply unable to break through. Even taking pills that forcefully advanced one's rank only gave him the side effects, not the breakthrough.
In truth, Lin Jinyu felt that helping Wen Yuncheng successfully enroll in the academy had already settled the score between them. She had only come to watch because her mentor insisted on seeing the strength of her former fiancée.
"You…" Hearing Lin Jinyu's serious analysis, Qiu Fei couldn't help but chuckle. She changed the subject. "I've secured a spot for you in the Fire Tempering Bath. A Star King-level pure fire element demonic beast is sealed in that place. You might feel vibrations when you cultivate, but you don't need to pay them any mind."
"Understood."
Qiu Fei glanced at Lin Jinyu's expressionless face and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Why is a little kid working so hard? Honestly…"
"Father wants me to break the record," Lin Jinyu said. "Reach the third layer of Star Practitioner by fifteen, then push to become a Star Warrior."
Qiu Fei fell silent. She thought that even if Sect Master Lin had high hopes for his only daughter, he shouldn't push her so hard. Look at Lin Jinyu—every day was either spent cultivating or on the way to cultivate. She herself was hardly a stern, old-fashioned mentor, yet the disciple she had taken on was like this.
The subsequent matches posed little difficulty for Wen Yuncheng. Her classmates who had just broken through to the Star Practitioner level were all determined to challenge students from Class F and Class E. As Wen Yuncheng listened to them analyze which students to challenge for the highest probability of moving up, she could only smile wryly in her heart. 1947, you should give me some missions that progress more gradually.
[?]
[Understood.]
Wen Yuncheng suddenly had a bad feeling.
[Special Mission Activated: Strive]
[Mission Requirement: Challenge Lin Jinyu]
[Mission Reward: (Failure) 100 EXP, (Success) 2000 EXP, 50 Points]
Nope.
Speaking of which, 1947, you really can't seem to forget about that little girl.
[I'm holding a grudge, thank you,] 1947 replied politely. It glanced at the bizarre record of an annulled engagement in its system log and felt a wave of emotion.
With only twenty-four people, Class G's matches went by quickly. In a single morning, the twelve contestants for the next round were selected, easily advancing to the top twelve. Then, the competition for the top six began.
Wen Yuncheng had good luck, facing another third-layer Star Apostle and securing an easy victory. She watched two matches from the spectator seats before it was time to draw lots again. She hadn't rested for long, but it was the same for everyone. More importantly, her skills didn't consume Star Power, so at least Wen Yuncheng felt no burden at all.
It seemed… this was her real cheat?
[Since it's a game-like Mechanical Master template, it naturally corresponds to an MP value. However, your soul and spirit are strong, so you have a lot of MP and it recovers quickly.]
Besides, they were just novice skills. How high could the mana cost be? Coupled with Wen Yuncheng's infrequent use, it was impossible for her to feel like she was running low on mana.
"Your fighting style is quite unique." Her opponent in this draw was a boy who had just advanced to the Star Practitioner level. Though he looked rather thin, he was quite strong. He wielded a greatsword and wore a suit of plate armor, though without a helmet. "Unfortunately for you, I'm a man who's going to get into Class D!"
Wen Yuncheng nodded. Having lived two lives, though young in both, she still felt an inexplicable maternal kindness toward minors. "That's alright. After all, I'm thinking of trying for Class A."
Seeing the boy look at her as if he'd seen a ghost, Wen Yuncheng flashed a perfect smile, showing eight teeth. "Can we begin the match?"
"…The match begins." Teacher Jin gave Wen Yuncheng another look, unsure if the student was joking or truly had such ambitions.
"Hah, I'll show you what I'm made of!" The boy felt he was being mocked. Angered, he slammed his greatsword onto the arena floor. Just as he was about to retort with a taunt of his own, he saw Wen Yuncheng quickly crouch down and create one of those exploding silver cubes—something called a robot, with a complicated name like RX-78 Pursuer.
The boy didn't hesitate. He lifted his greatsword, infused it with Star Power, and swung, intending to sweep the robot aside. However, the moment the greatsword struck the object, it exploded.
"This thing is like a toy. It can't hurt me at all." He was forced back a step by the blast wave, then patted his chest plate proudly. Although being caught in the explosion was unpleasant, a mere one of these was nothing he couldn't—
The moment the cooldown finished, Wen Yuncheng used the skill again. She had taken two steps back to create distance from the boy and had been constantly squatting to avoid trouble. Now, she was crouched on the ground. Seeing the boy staring blankly at the new Pursuer, she checked the time and made another one.
"It's okay, you don't have to go easy on my account," Wen Yuncheng said in what she considered a friendly tone. "Feel free to destroy them however you like." After all, she could make one every minute.
The boy was so angry his head felt like it would explode. He swung his greatsword, triggering another explosion. This time, he endured the aftershock and charged forward. Wen Yuncheng immediately stood up, her mechanical armguards extending from her sleeves. She didn't use the steel spikes; instead, she crossed her arms and raised them to block the boy's downward smash. The new Pursuer at her feet exploded with another "bang."
The instant the boy staggered from the blast, Wen Yuncheng absorbed the force and retreated. Her arms were numb from the powerful impact, but she had no time to worry about that. She hurriedly created another Pursuer and quickly moved away from her opponent.
The boy was weighed down by his heavy plate armor and greatsword, making his speed and reflexes no match for Wen Yuncheng's. He was furious but helpless, forced to be "kited" by her. Even when he managed to get close, just as he was about to land a hit, Wen Yuncheng would execute a topspin kick… The move was standard and clean, leaving his head spinning.
When the match ended, the boy collapsed from exhaustion. The shirt under his plate armor was soaked with sweat, and his face was pale. He barely had the strength to point an accusing finger at Wen Yuncheng. After being helped off the stage by Teacher Jin and rehydrating, it took him a long while to recover.
Wen Yuncheng, on the other hand, was rubbing her arms, thinking she would probably need to start working out. Otherwise, with just these two skills, even a one-minute cooldown would be difficult to get through.
If her physical fitness were better, she could even use her mechanical armguards as weapons for close combat.
Just like that, Wen Yuncheng muddled her way into the top three. The three survivors drew lots, with one getting a bye. Wen Yuncheng had assumed that with her Long Aotian template, a bye was a sure thing, but reality slapped her in the face—she had to fight again.
Her new opponent was a third-layer Star Apostle, while the one who got the bye was a first-layer Star Practitioner. After Wen Yuncheng quickly finished this match, it was time for the final round.
Coincidentally, most of the students in Class G either had no backing or were not valued by their families, just barely managing to study at Star Academy. In previous years, most were third-layer Star Apostles. It was unexpected that two students had advanced to the Star Practitioner level before the placement matches this year.
And both of them had to face Wen Yuncheng.
"Alright, that's all for today. Go back and get a good rest! The finals are tomorrow!" Teacher Jin clapped his hands. "You can also stay and watch the other classes' matches if you want!"
Their Class G had the fewest people, so their matches were the first to conclude.
Wen Yuncheng sighed. After hesitating for a moment between watching Class A's matches and going back to rest, she decided to give herself a break and prepare for the finals.
[Timed Daily Mission Issued: Exercise]
[Mission Requirement: Due to the host's worrying physical condition, a daily mission of running at least two kilometers is hereby issued.]
[Mission Reward: 50 EXP for every two kilometers run at a steady pace.]
Wen Yuncheng, who took five minutes to run 800 meters and ended up exhausted like a dog: ?
She suspected 1947 had timed this mission based on her thoughts. Why else would a daily mission pop up the moment she wanted to rest? Most importantly, she was actually a little tempted!
Wen Yuncheng patted her cheeks to wake herself up. She clenched her fists and started running.
Star Academy was truly massive. It had three cafeterias alone. The dormitories were divided into several zones—one for two-person rooms, another for single rooms. There were also faculty apartments, research labs, and various training facilities. There was even a forging and smelting building where students could learn blacksmithing—if they could successfully become an apprentice.
Wen Yuncheng was exhausted after running for just a short while, but walking didn't count toward the daily exercise mission. She had no choice but to walk for a bit to rest, then continue running when she felt better. By the time she finished the two kilometers, Wen Yuncheng had the dazed feeling that she might wake up and find herself transmigrated back.
She returned to her dorm in a stupor and soaked in a hot bath for a long time to soothe her muscles. Then, she collapsed into her quilt and fell asleep in less than three seconds.
Host: Wen Yuncheng
Race: Human
Age: 15
Class: Mechanical Master
Level: 8
Experience: 605/640
Points: 108
A victory in the finals… and she would reach level nine.
"You're very strong, and your mutated ability is very special. But I've figured out your strategy." Her opponent in the finals had a serious expression. He looked at Wen Yuncheng and declared confidently, "This first place is mine! Remember my name, I am Zhou Xuan."
"…Then why don't you try and take it?" Wen Yuncheng scratched her head. Why did everyone have to start with trash talk before a match? And she never knew how to respond to it.
Teacher Jin cleared his throat, not letting Zhou Xuan continue. "Alright, no more idle chatter."
"The match begins."
The moment he finished speaking, the boy instantly dashed forward to engage Wen Yuncheng in close combat. He held a tonfa in each hand, likely made of metal, as they produced a distinct metallic clang when they struck her mechanical armguards.
Wen Yuncheng had learned her family's combat techniques before, but now she had no Star Power in her body, only the moves themselves. They were still enough to block a few attacks.
One advantage of the mechanical armguards was that while others needed to manually operate a mechanism to transform them, Wen Yuncheng only needed a thought.
For instance, right now, Zhou Xuan's close-quarters combat gave her no opportunity to deploy her little robots, so Wen Yuncheng could only defend with her armguards. The tonfas and armguards clashed repeatedly in a flurry of crisp, clean combos. Wen Yuncheng blocked a downward smash with a horizontal arm block, then threw a hook punch in return. As Zhou Xuan raised his tonfa to block, steel spikes shot out instantly. Quick-witted, Zhou Xuan shifted his tonfa upward to knock the spikes away. Otherwise, at that speed, they might have grazed his face.
Author's Notes
Zhou Xuan: Why is she trying to ruin my face?
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