Zhao Xuan had no idea when the nurse had left.
Because her last few words were still echoing over and over in his mind—
"The Ability User Guild… lucrative bounty missions…"
Zhao Xuan's eyes gradually lit up.
Then, all of a sudden, he slapped his thigh hard and muttered in excitement, "That's it! I can totally take on missions from the Ability User Guild! I can use those missions to hone my strength while earning money to buy Energy Solution. That way I can quickly recover from any fatigue or injuries I take during missions—two birds with one stone!"
"Yes, that's it! That's the plan! I'll go to the Ability User Guild tomorrow—no, this afternoon!"
In that instant, Zhao Xuan's heart burned with excitement.
When he arrived in the classroom, it was mostly empty.
Some students were still waiting in line outside the dueling grounds for their practical assessments.
Those who had already completed theirs had left the school.
Only a handful remained, chatting idly about how their battles had gone—some bragging, some sighing in regret.
When Zhao Xuan walked into the room—
Swish, swish, swish!
Every head turned toward him at once.
"Zhao Xuan!"
A girl from his class suddenly stood up and asked curiously, "Is it true what people are saying? That you beat up all the examiners?"
Hearing that, Zhao Xuan's mouth twitched.
Damn it!
What kind of ridiculous rumor was this!?
"How could that be possible!" he quickly waved his hand. "I'm just an ordinary senior high student. How could I have that kind of power to beat up all the examiners?"
"Ordinary~?"
At that, everyone thought back to how Zhao Xuan had wiped the floor with the top students of Tongcheng First High School, and all of them stared at him speechlessly.
Ordinary your head!
If you're 'ordinary,' then what does that make us?
Trash!?
As everyone silently complained in their hearts, Zhao Xuan spoke again in his calm, humble tone, "I really don't know who started this rumor. I only knocked down one examiner. How did that turn into 'a whole bunch'? I'm not that amazing!"
"Damn it!"
"Zhao Xuan, when did you become such a show-off!?"
"You've changed, Zhao Xuan!"
"…"
The class erupted in good-natured groans.
After a round of teasing and chatter, everyone settled into idle conversation again.
Zhao Xuan had actually come to find his homeroom teacher, Zhong Jianguo, but after chatting and reminiscing with his classmates, he suddenly realized the entire morning had slipped away.
Later, thinking back, he realized they hadn't talked about anything important—just random bits about their high school lives.
"Phew… my high school days end here."
Standing by the school gate, Zhao Xuan looked one last time at Tongcheng First High School, where he had studied for three years, then turned and walked away.
Leaving the school, Zhao Xuan headed straight to the Ability User Guild located in downtown Tongcheng.
"Hello, I'd like to register!"
At the reception window, Zhao Xuan spoke politely to the clerk.
"Of course, sir. Please fill out this form first."
The clerk handed him an information sheet.
Name, age, date of birth—
Zhao Xuan filled it out one by one, then handed it back.
After entering his information, the clerk said, "Mr. Zhao, the registration fee for the First-Rank Ability User Examination is one thousand yuan. Would you like to pay in cash or by card?"
"What if I want to take the Second-Rank exam? How much would that cost?" Zhao Xuan asked back.
That caught the clerk off guard. He gave Zhao Xuan a deeper look before answering, "The fee for the Second-Rank exam is ten thousand yuan."
"So expensive!?" Zhao Xuan frowned. "Then what about Third-Rank?"
"Third-Rank is a hundred thousand."
The clerk's tone grew a little impatient. "So, are you taking it or not? If not, please don't hold up the line."
"I'll take it!" Zhao Xuan gritted his teeth, pulling out the bank card his parents had left behind before they disappeared. He handed it over and said, "I'll take the Third-Rank Ability User Exam."
"Third-Rank!?"
The clerk frowned. "Are you sure? I'll remind you now—if you fail, the hundred thousand won't be refunded. Most of that money goes toward the examiners' fees and the Guild's operating costs. Think carefully."
He sighed and added more softly, "I really suggest you don't aim too high. You're only eighteen, right? Just graduated high school? It's better to take it step by step. Start with the First Rank first. Out in society, Ability Users are very different from school teachers. Many of them have tons of real combat experience—and that's not the same as fighting in a school arena."
Though the clerk was clearly annoyed by Zhao Xuan's repeated questions, he still explained patiently—
because he could tell from Zhao Xuan's hesitation that this young man wasn't from a wealthy family.
"I'm sure," Zhao Xuan said firmly.
"Suit yourself," the clerk replied flatly.
He took Zhao Xuan's card and quickly processed the registration.
"This is your exam pass. Go wait in the dueling grounds at the back. The examiner is on the way. You'll get a message when it's your turn."
"Alright, thank you."
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