Others who seized a metal box would, aside from taking the nutrient solution, also shut off the signal button—eliminating the opponent. Only Chen Cheng thought differently.
Running, Lan Grace flipped open her box, pulled out a vial of nutrient solution, tipped back her head and poured it down.
The instant it hit her tongue she realised—it was mid‑grade nutrient solution. The flavour was worlds better than low‑grade!
Almost tasteless, yes, but at least not as vile as the low‑grade stuff.
One mid‑grade bottle down, she tossed the empty aside, fished out the signal button and kept it on her person.
As for the two remaining mid‑grade vials in the box—she palmed them quietly into her clothes pocket.
Of course, she didn't discard the now‑empty metal box—it would do nicely to misdirect pursuers.
Her movements were hidden—done under cover of others and while running. With her back to the burly Chen Cheng, he noticed none of her little tricks.
"Don't run. It's dangerous up ahead!" Chen Cheng shouted.
Just then, the Waste Star girl he was chasing halted.
A silver, three‑foot sword—its blade etched with elegant, vintage motifs—barred Lan Grace's way, forcing her to stop.
Following the blade up, she saw a tall, cold‑beauty of a woman with a sleek, glossy black ponytail. The woman's gaze was cool as it fixed on the metal box in Lan Grace's hands.
"Give it to me," the beauty said softly.
Lan Grace stared, startled.
The little robots had just collected everyone's space‑storage gear, yet this cool beauty still carried such a large weapon!
A quick thought answered it—the woman didn't need storage equipment; her weapon never left her side.
Which meant one thing: a swordswoman—and a master at that.
Lan Grace hardly hesitated. She tossed the box over, then darted aside, turning and sprinting away on a new line.
Without even opening it, the cool beauty knew the moment she caught it—the box was empty.
She weighed it. Her eyes narrowed.
Someone had dared trick her!
Anger flashed. She flung the box aside and gave chase.
Behind, the burly Chen Cheng—who had been after Lan Grace—saw the scene, especially the instant the cool beauty came pelting after the Waste Star "beauty" with sword in hand, and felt his neck chill.
He muttered, "Blimey—Waste Star beauty's done for. If I catch her, she only loses her nutrient solution; if Zhao Qingyan, that madwoman, catches her—she'll suffer before she's eliminated!"
With Zhao Qingyan—eldest daughter of the famed Zhao clan on the Alliance Star—on the hunt, Chen Cheng dared not keep after the same target.
If that petty princess learned he'd been eyeing her mark, he wouldn't get off lightly.
Huffing hard, Lan Grace ran full tilt.
The razor‑cool gaze locked on her back made her groan inwardly.
Out of the wolf's den, straight into the tiger's jaws!
The swordswoman behind her was clearly far more trouble than the musclehead.
A glance back showed the burly man had vanished.
Lan Grace could guess—Chen Cheng had stopped, unwilling to cross the swordswoman. All because of that cold beauty.
Zhao Qingyan, genius of the Zhao clan: her physical fitness had far outstripped ordinary folk since childhood. Now her physique had reached S‑grade. Chasing down someone weaker than herself was child's play.
The Waste Star girl who had tricked her might run at a decent clip, but compared with Zhao Qingyan, the gap was large.
Zhao Qingyan's toes tapped the ground; she leapt high. Twisting in mid‑air, she sprang from shoulder to shoulder of those mired in scuffles around them, borrowing force to vault—soon she had outflanked Lan Grace.
She landed—shing!—and once more the long sword barred Lan Grace's way.
"You can't escape." Cool to the point of ice, her voice cut clean through the din and carried to Lan Grace's ears.
Lan Grace stopped, face crumpling—heart sinking.
Facing a swordswoman who had drawn on her—knowing full well she was no match—she could only—
"Spare me, beauty! You can have the nutrient solution."
Without hesitation, she pulled the remaining two mid‑grade vials from her pocket and held them out in both hands.
Zhao Qingyan blinked at the Waste Star girl's crisp surrender, then frowned.
As a future Academy student and, one day, a proud warrior on the battlefield—how could this person surrender so quickly?
No firm resolve at all?
Unworthy to be her classmate!
"I'll take the nutrient solution—and your signal button as w—"
"And this too." Lan Grace fished again and produced a little snack tin she had kept in reserve.
She hadn't wanted to use it. But seeing the slight knit of the cold beauty's brow, she could only bring out more to "sweeten the deal."
She thought the frown was because there had been three vials in the box and only two were left—leaving Zhao Qingyan displeased.
The other party wanted food; with no more nutrient solution to give, she could only offer something else edible.
The tin snapped open. Zhao Qingyan's eyes were instantly drawn to the little flower‑shaped biscuits nestled within.
An S‑grade physique meant razor‑keen senses; her sense of smell was the keenest of all.
The moment the tin opened, a sweet, milky fragrance rushed into her nose.
Clearly, it came from the biscuit tin.
She hadn't tasted them yet, but on smell alone—and with Zhao Qingyan's intimate knowledge of sweets—she could be certain: the pastries were excellent.
The Waste Star girl's move made Zhao Qingyan's eyes widen. Did she think a few pastries could buy her off???
Yes.
Those few pastries were enough to buy her off.
A heartbeat of daze, then Zhao Qingyan's hand flashed—the tin was out of Lan Grace's grasp.
Her motion was preternaturally quick—so quick Lan Grace felt only a breeze in her palm, and the weight was gone.
In her other hand, the two mid‑grade vials Lan Grace had been willing to surrender were entirely ignored by the cold beauty.
Zhao Qingyan had little need of nutrient solution. Though the assessment required it to sustain oneself, with her strength she hardly worried about obtaining enough.
Having accepted the other party's good turn, there was no need to "finish her off" and strip her of qualification.
"Go." Zhao Qingyan tucked the tin away with care and turned to leave.