Chapter 6: Candidate No. 3: Jing Liuli

Chapter 6: Candidate No. 3: Jing Liuli

A hundred meters beneath Ember’s underground base, the Central Arena awaited.

By the time the students arrived, Tachibana was already there ahead of them.

Unlike her casual attire in the training grounds above, she now wore a jet-black combat suit. The tight fabric shimmered faintly under the cold floodlights, hugging her curves in a way that drew no small number of stolen glances from the male students gathered outside the ring.

Noticing how these little brats were still distracted, failing to sense the crushing weight of the final assessment, Tachibana’s lips curled into a playful smirk.

“Well then, little ones… are you ready to welcome true hell?”

She clapped her hands. Instantly, colossal translucent barriers rose around the arena, cutting off the inside from the outside completely.

The moment the walls sealed shut, the ground at the center of the stage split open with a heavy groan.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The deep, rhythmic impact of footsteps echoed from below.

Slowly, a behemoth emerged—a monster nearly twenty meters tall, scales plated like jagged slabs of rock, each step shaking the very earth.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me! The star energy signature on that thing is almost three thousand!”

Caroline’s cat ears puffed up like furballs, her usual calm shattered in an instant. Fear crept across her face.

If even the fourth-ranked student reacted like this, the rest of the students hardly fared any better. Pale faces, trembling legs, eyes wide with horror.

Tachibana nodded, satisfied. Yes. That’s the look I wanted to see. That’s what a final assessment should feel like.

“Level Two Starbeast—Terravaran. That’s your opponent today.”

“The rules are simple: survive for three minutes against this beast.”

“Of course, given the overwhelming difference in strength—and the fact that some of you are non-combat Star Core types—this trial will not be fought solo.”

“Instead, you may form teams of up to three to face it together.”

Tachibana crossed her arms and leaned lazily against the beast’s armored flank. Her voice carried an unsettling nonchalance.

“That’s all. Now… go and find yourselves some teammates.”

She patted the creature’s stone-like head, and to the students’ disbelief, the monster nuzzled her hand like an obedient pet.

Gentle, harmless. Like a spoiled puppy.

But that façade was only for Tachibana—the Terravaran’s master and a second-order Starbearer.

For the Children of the Stars, whose star energy levels hadn’t even reached the first-order?

This beast would show them what cruelty truly meant.

Not even Tendou, the strongest among them, would be exempt.

Still, Ember wouldn’t unleash such a terror without reason.

Which was why, after the initial shock, the students began instinctively gravitating toward Tendou.

After all, if they had to form teams, there was no better anchor than the undisputed No. 1 student.

Chen Kong, of course, was among them.

“Bro-Brother Tendou…”

His voice was timid, his body tense, as if simply speaking up took all his courage. He wanted to ask, but the words lodged in his throat.

Tendou chuckled, giving his shoulder a firm, reassuring pat.

“No helping it, Kong-kun. This one’s gonna be rough. Even with you, I can’t say for sure we’ll pull it off.”

Then, Tendou tilted his head toward the crowd. His gaze locked onto a familiar figure.

“Besides… compared to me, isn’t there someone more suitable waiting for you over there?”

Chen Kong stiffened. He followed Tendou’s eyes to Chen Xing, and immediately lowered his head, anxiety twisting his expression.

He clearly didn’t dare approach her.

But before he could say anything, Chen Xing—the girl who always ridiculed him with sharp words yet secretly watched over him all this time—stepped forward on her own.

“Useless. Don’t you dare drag me down.”

“O-okay… sis.”

Chen Kong let himself be pulled away, meek under his sister’s iron grip.

Watching this, Tendou suddenly leaned toward Caroline with a mischievous grin.

“Hey, Caroline… don’t you think Chen Xing has some kind of hidden trait?”

“Hm?”

“Otherwise, why would she obviously care so much about Kong, yet act like she hates his guts every time she sees him? As if she’d be happier if he just vanished from the world entirely?”

Caroline, her tail coiled around a tactical tablet as she analyzed the Terravaran’s data streams, didn’t even bother replying.

She chose the deadliest of responses—silence.

“Cold shoulder, huh…” Tendou muttered, scratching his cheek. Bored, he turned his attention elsewhere.

After all, Tachibana had said the trial allowed teams of three. And right now, his squad was one member short.

But Tendou had already decided who the last one would be.

Ignoring the eager classmates trying to cling to his leg, he strode directly to a spot where a girl lay flat on the ground, hugging a pillow.

Fast asleep.

Yes, in the middle of the all-important final assessment, this one was snoring.

She even looked comfortable.

Tendou squatted beside her. Strands of long, violet hair spilled across the floor. He picked one up and brushed it across her chubby-cheeked face, his voice low and teasing.

“Hey, Liuli. Time to wake up. The trial’s about to start.”

Her brow furrowed at the tickle. With an annoyed grunt, she yanked her pillow over her head. Scrawled across the fabric were four bold characters:

[Do Not Disturb — In Battle]

Tendou blinked, then burst into laughter.

Caroline always accused him of being irresponsible, but come on—out of all thirty-six Children of the Stars, who wasn’t a problem child?

Clearly, ordinary methods weren’t going to work on this girl.

Time for the big guns.

“Liuli, the cafeteria’s serving food.”

“Zzz… food… food?!”

She shot up like a spring-loaded trap, her makeshift blanket—just her jacket—slipping off to reveal a set of bear-print pajamas underneath.

Eyes sparkling, she looked wildly around. But all she saw was her fellow students scrambling to form teams… and Tendou’s grinning face.

Realization struck.

“You tricked me?!”

Her cheeks puffed as she dug into her pocket, whipping out a marker. Before Tendou could react, she scrawled across the back of her pillow in bold strokes:

[Liars and Dogs Named Tendou Keep Out]

Satisfied, she flopped back to the floor with a thud, pulling her jacket over herself again.

“…Huh. Didn’t work,” Tendou muttered.

But he wasn’t done. Time for his ultimate weapon.

“Liuli, if you don’t get up right now… I’ll tell Chen Xing it was you who stole her hidden snacks.”

Shhk!

Her eyes snapped open. She bolted upright.

“Tendou! I’m awake! Hurry, tell me the exam rules—I’m gonna give it my all!”

Tendou’s laughter echoed across the arena.

It made sense. Ranked third among the Children of the Stars, second only to himself and Chen Xing, Liuli had little to fear from her peers.

Except one.

Chen Xing.

Every time the two faced off, Chen Xing’s competitive streak flared like a wildfire. She never held back, never showed mercy, each strike laced with ruthless intent.

For Liuli, who hated pain, hated effort, hated strain, those matches were pure suffering.

Over time, Chen Xing had become her living nightmare.

Even hearing her name triggered a fight-or-flight response.

Armed with that knowledge, waking the sleepy butterfly girl was child’s play.

And now, with Liuli finally on her feet, Tendou knew his team for the final assessment was complete.

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