100. Registration Office
Li Aozi took note of this Dragon-Titan named Diaran. He should keep an eye on her in the future.
As the foreign students left one by one, the curly-haired boy identified each of them.
"The son of the Governor of Cuckoo Star, Maltese. He's probably here to study magical economics to help his father reform the enterprise."
"That's the granddaughter of Wilmadan, the Prime Minister of the Cotler Republic. No surprise if she's here seeking political asylum."
"A purple-skinned orc from the Costa Tribe, a warrior race. Be careful around them—they're here to learn magical combat to suppress a tribal rebellion back home. That's a common thing."
The way the curly-haired boy spoke so familiarly made Li Aozi shift his relaxed demeanor.
"Seems like this school isn't as simple as it looks."
"Full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers," the curly-haired boy chuckled. "Let me tell you, there's more to this school than meets the eye—it's got deep secrets..."
Li Aozi looked at the curly-haired boy. "You've told me so much. How about you introduce yourself?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you seem to know a lot. You can recognize every incoming freshman precisely. You're not just an ordinary person, are you?" Li Aozi smiled, though the expression was stiff due to his bio-prosthetics, giving a somewhat eerie look.
Fortunately, his [Charisma] was high enough. Li Aozi was confident he could coax out a lot of information just using his [Charisma].
The curly-haired boy blinked.
"Next!"
The teacher at the registration desk called out.
"Coming." The curly-haired boy took the chance to turn, stepping up to the front to show his ID and enrollment notice. "Here, take a look. Any issues?"
"Hobbs Ruhl? Hmm, the name doesn't quite match you. I thought it would belong to a burly guy with straight hair."
The teacher compared the photo, then activated the mental strength detection system.
"Look over here. Let me verify—separate a bit of your mental strength."
The curly-haired boy tilted his head slightly. From behind, Li Aozi noticed the boy unconsciously grasping his shirt's hem.
—He had made that same gesture earlier when under the Dragon-Titan girl's gaze, feeling pressured.
[This guy's lying.]
Li Aozi squinted slightly, thinking about using [Eye of Truth] but decided against it.
The White Candle Star Education Bureau had gone through all that effort to suppress his identity. If he blew his cover and revealed himself as the main figure behind the Velazi incident, he'd probably be forced to leave.
He had to lay low for now. If he used Omega Energy, the magic-side Higgs detection field would immediately spot him.
In the wilderness, using Omega Energy had been fine, but here in the major metropolis of Trevilla, he needed to know what was wise.
The curly-haired boy held his breath, channeling his mental strength and letting a wisp make contact with the detection device. His eyes were particularly focused, but from his tightened grasp on his shirt, Li Aozi could tell he was extremely nervous.
It was just a mental strength test… Had he somehow forged it?
With his increased [Intelligence], Li Aozi's thinking and observational skills were much sharper, but he didn't immediately expose the boy's identity. Instead, he watched the curly-haired boy's actions.
He looked down and saw a black ring on the boy's left middle finger. Using his strong elemental affinity, Li Aozi focused a bit and perceived faint energy fluctuations.
[That ring can generate mental strength?]
Li Aozi was stunned.
He'd been traversing Star Abyss for so many years, and he'd never heard of equipment capable of generating mental strength.
Mental strength could only come from the brain and soul.
Even Jania, a divine sword with consciousness, couldn't produce mental strength—it relied on divine power resonance to communicate with Li Aozi.
Although Li Aozi communicated with Jania through mental strength, the sword itself used divine power resonance to speak with him.
The communication methods of the [Eerie] faction were even cruder. They relied on spirit power and talent—entirely different from mental strength.
Unless… that ring wasn't equipment but a living entity, one with self-awareness and an independent soul.
No, that couldn't be it—Li Aozi glanced at the security checkpoint nearby—if it were a living entity, it would've been flagged at the checkpoint.
The teacher finished the verification and nodded slightly:
"Alright, no issues. Your mental strength is a bit weak; make sure to train harder."
The curly-haired boy subtly relaxed his shoulders and exhaled. "Thank you."
"Study hard, young man." The teacher signed off on the registration and returned the documents to the boy. "The School of Applied Magic is straight down the road on your left. Go until you see the central lake, then take the bridge in the middle all the way to the castle."
"Got it."
The curly-haired boy—'Hobbs'—nodded, picked up his luggage, took a few steps, and waved at Li Aozi:
"Hey, which school are you headed to?"
"The same, School of Applied Magic."
"Well, then, let's go together."
"Alright."
"Next!"
As soon as Li Aozi spoke, the teacher called him up to the front.
"Your identification, please."
Li Aozi handed over his ID. The teacher glanced at it, "Why is your household registration empty?"
Compared to the foreign students, the teacher's tone towards Li Aozi wasn't as courteous or attentive—more dismissive.
"My household is still registered back in Blue Chrysanthemum Village. My family doesn't own property, so it wasn't recorded. The school promised to update it after enrollment," Li Aozi replied.
"Alright then, administrative offices… always like this." The teacher's eyelids drooped. "Leoz… No surname? Well, no wonder. If your parents didn't have an education, it makes sense to give you such a common name."
He flipped through a few pages. "Okay, no issues. You've already moved into the dorms—why didn't you complete registration earlier? If you'd come sooner, I wouldn't have had to stay overtime."
The teacher's grumbling was incessant, a stark contrast to his earlier patience.
Once confirmed, he ran a mental strength test on Li Aozi. "Look at the rune, don't make me repeat myself—alright, good. No issues. Your mental strength is pretty strong; graduate early and manage a workshop. You know where to go. Next."
Li Aozi didn't care about this. He collected his documents and turned to walk alongside Hobbs toward the School of Applied Magic.
"Your name's Leoz? No surname, or are you hiding it intentionally?"
"Don't bother with those details," Li Aozi deflected.
"A surname relates to bloodline and magical talent." Hobbs said meaningfully, "People may say they don't discriminate based on bloodlines, but those without surnames do face discrimination—if you're hiding it on purpose..."
'Then you're not someone to be trifled with.'
Li Aozi understood what he meant perfectly well.
So, he intentionally glanced at Hobbs's ring.
"We're in the same boat."
With those words, they both smiled knowingly. Hobbs lightly touched his ring and smoothly shifted the topic.
They both had secrets. Neither exposed nor confronted the other, which worked well for both of them.