"Taluo Star, Ninth Star Ring," Chen Sui replied as she scrolled through a forum thread. "But I am indeed an interstellar drifter."
"What happened to your eye? Was it injured?"
Chen Sui was reminded of it and touched her mechanical eye. Thanks to advanced interstellar bionic technology, she felt no discomfort after the implant—she would often forget about it unless someone mentioned it.
"Yes," she answered briefly.
She did not wish to elaborate. Even she was not entirely sure of the details.
After exiting the school team forum, she scrolled up and saw the content of the previous post. Her eyes lit up.
Gu Jin Xue noticed the turquoise glow faintly radiating from Chen Sui's eyes. Her cold expression softened slightly, and she almost smiled.
But before that smile could take shape, Chen Sui stood up and waved. "I have something to take care of. I'll head back to rest. Talk to you later."
Gu Jin Xue watched her stride swiftly into the room across the hall. Her expression darkened. She sipped a nutrient solution, frowning as she swallowed it with difficulty.
After holding her breath for a moment, she caught a faint wood-scent lingering in the air—a trace of Chen Sui's presence. The irritation stirred by the forum posts gradually faded.
Her wrist device buzzed. Glancing at the sender, Gu Jin Xue lost interest in responding.
Meanwhile, back in her room, Chen Sui sat at her desk and focused on the forum replies.
23L: Damn, I want to go pick up the upperclassmen too, but I have class. What should I do? Ughhh…
25L: Just find someone to cover for you. It is only the basic analyst course. As long as you do not fail the three main exams, the professors usually turn a blind eye to substitutes.
30L: Is there a group chat for this? I need someone to take my class. Willing to pay!
Chen Sui scanned the group number and joined.
Ignoring the stream of meaningless greetings above, she checked her class schedule and changed her status to "Available for Class Substitution," adding her free time as a suffix.
Almost immediately, a private message popped up.
"Ding ding. Classmate, are you accepting jobs?"
Chen Sui did not expect to get a response so quickly. To appear professional, she did not immediately say yes or no. Instead, she asked:
"Which department? Which professor? What time?"
Class substitution was common in military academies, and a whole sub-economy had formed among students.
To regulate this, the academy had implemented a system: one could send someone to attend in their place, but personal attendance throughout the term must be above 70%. Moreover, one must pass the midterm, the penultimate exam, and the final. Failing to meet any requirement would require a hefty fee to retake the course.
That was why students were so bold about publicly seeking substitutes in the forum.
The other person sent over his course records.
After comparing them to her own schedule, Chen Sui confirmed there were no conflicts. "Alright. Pay the standard rate."
"No problem. I will send half as a deposit, and the rest after class."
He transferred the credits.
Chen Sui, seeing the transaction, suddenly realized—Class substitution is quite profitable.
"By the way, please also complete the homework. I will include both deposits together."
She quickly opened a new tab to research the market rates.
Substitution usually cost around 300 credits. Courses with frequent questions required extra, and written homework was even more expensive.
After a quick scan of the market, Chen Sui accepted the job. "Done. I will take the order."
"Remember to mark me present. My name is Qi Sixia, student number…"
"Understood."
As she reviewed the group's files on the substitution process, Chen Sui made sure to memorize every step. She did not want to act impulsively on her first job.
The first day of the new week. The Combat Department had no scheduled classes. Chen Sui packed her things and headed for the Analyst Department's "Inquiry Tower."
Who would have thought? On the very first day new combat cadets entered the academy, their first class would be… an analyst course.
Analysts were a special group among awakened individuals.
The energy from a mental awakening partially expanded one's mental threshold, while the rest condensed into a core crystal.
Typically, the higher the core value, the lower the mental threshold—and vice versa. Rarely were both high. Rarely were both low. And those with extremely high thresholds were capable of incredible energy perception.
Within energy fields, analysts were responsible for detecting fluctuations, locating anchor points, monitoring areas, and pinpointing the core crystal within energy entities.
Second floor, Inquiry Tower.
Chen Sui scanned her ID card and entered Qi Sixia's student number. She found a seat in the back corner of the classroom.
A middle-aged teacher in a black coat walked in with a mechanical ruler tucked under his arm. He stepped onto the podium and planted the ruler on the desk.
A blue scanning beam swept across the classroom, then returned to the device. A screen behind him lit up:
Second Academic Year – Energy Crystal Analysis CourseInstructor: Yang QinheExpected Attendance: 79 | Actual Attendance: 73
The lean teacher glanced over the room and, before beginning, delivered a sharp warning:
"Those who are absent will be marked as such."
"For the rest—whether you are the real student or a stand-in—if you cannot answer my questions, you will lose points according to class rules."
"Now, let us begin."
Chen Sui's hand, resting on her thigh, trembled slightly. She watched the others pull out textbooks or open their materials on smart tablets. Silently, she swallowed.
This is a second-year course. I am doomed!
Nobody had told her they did random checks.
The forum lied. They said you just show up and that's it!
Internally panicking, she rapidly searched the forum, downloaded the textbook, and opened it.
Only after laying out the book did she feel a sliver of relief—until she looked up and realized the holographic projection had already moved on to unfamiliar content.
She glanced at her book.
Then back at the podium.
I just looked down for one second, and now everything is unfamiliar…
In that moment of frozen panic, the instructor, Yang Qinhe, paused at a transition point in his lecture. His voice, calm and clear, felt like the whisper of a devil:
"Next, I will call on a student to give a demonstration."
Chen Sui, stunned, noticed that everyone around her had simultaneously bowed their heads.
Too late. Just as she tried to follow their lead, Yang Qinhe's eyes locked onto her unfamiliar face.
Though her mechanical eyes appeared unfocused and slightly dazed, to Yang—who had not seen a student look truly attentive in years—it was a rare and touching sight.
He gave a slight nod, even with a faint smile.
A chill ran down Chen Sui's spine.
I'm doomed, she thought.
He's locked onto me!
And indeed…
"You there, second-to-last row on the right. Short black hair," Yang said, gesturing toward her.
Chen Sui stiffened. She could feel every gaze in the room converge on her.
Some even looked oddly emotional.
She stood slowly, hand bracing the desk.
Yang Qinhe looked her over and asked, "Have you undergone spiritual awakening?"
Chen Sui raised her brows slightly.
Everyone knew an analyst had to be awakened.
She hesitated. But seeing the understanding in his gaze, she shook her head. "No."
Yang nodded and glanced at the substitution records. "In that case, I won't ask you to do a demo. Just answer a simple question."
Recognizing her as a freshman—and not even from the Analyst Department—he asked something basic yet familiar to any military cadet, especially those from the Combat Department.
"In your opinion, what must an analyst do in an energy field to ensure the safety of their teammates during combat with an energy entity?"
Chen Sui had only just learned what an analyst was. Moments before the hologram lit up, she had not even realized this was a second-year class.
She hesitated long enough for students nearby to whisper.
A girl in front of her, hand covering her mouth, softly reminded: "Energy crystal… location…"
Chen Sui glanced at her, thought seriously for a moment, and then replied, "As long as my teammates are safe, right?"
Yang nodded. "Yes. What can be done to ensure that?"
"That is simple," she said, her gaze sharp and cold—at odds with her thin face.
At that moment, no one could meet her eyes. Something fierce flickered in them.
"Find the energy crystal. Kill all the entities."
The classroom went silent.
Students glanced at Yang Qinhe.
The teacher blinked several times. "I beg your pardon? I may be getting old. What did you just say?"
Chen Sui calmly repeated, "I said, kill all the entities."
"Pfft—!"
"Ahahahahaha—I'm sorry, I could not hold it in!"
"No offense, classmate, but I've never heard such an arrogant answer in my life."
Students burst out laughing. The room dissolved into laughter, but Chen Sui only tilted her head, confused.
What is the problem?
If you eliminate all threats, your side will be safe, right?
That seemed logical to her.
Yang Qinhe pressed a hand to his chest and silently reminded himself—She is not from the Analyst Department. Let it go…
But she is from the Combat Department!
The main force responsible for protecting analysts… and she just said the analyst should handle it all?
He had not heard such a blood-pressure-spiking answer in years.
His slender wrist trembled. With a sharp thud, he slammed the ruler onto the desk.
"Enough. Quiet."
"It appears this student is unfamiliar with the role of an analyst. Let me take a few minutes to review what responsibilities analysts bear on the battlefield."
"First and foremost, analysts must prioritize their personal safety," he said, locking eyes with Chen Sui.
"With the support of combat units, they must avoid putting themselves in danger."
"Liao Ruyi, tell me—why must analysts ensure their own survival?"
Liao Ruyi, seemingly a star pupil, confidently answered, "Because the analyst is the eyes of the entire team. If the analyst goes down, the team loses its perception of the energy field and could be overwhelmed at any moment."
"And the proper response to the earlier question? You answer it."
"Detect energy levels, assist command with mapping energy body distributions, determine anchor points, device placement, target positioning, and the location of survivors. During combat, maintain composure, locate the energy crystal accurately so the three offense units can retrieve it. Analysts must cooperate with combat units to ensure their safety and never act recklessly."
Liao Ruyi added this last part while casting a sidelong glance at Chen Sui.
Chen Sui looked baffled.
If you can see the weak point clearly, why wait for someone else to act?
Being an analyst sounds frustrating, she thought glumly.
After Yang Qinhe finished, he asked her, "Do you understand now?"
Chen Sui met his gaze. Though she did not agree with him, she nodded politely and slowly.
"Good," said Yang, clapping his hands. Thank goodness she is not in the Analyst Department, he thought. What a nightmare she would be to train.