Translator: AnubisTL
"Hello! Are you a new Alchemy Apprentice? Me too!"
Jieming frowned almost imperceptibly, but quickly composed himself.
He looked up to see a girl with curly brown hair and a bright smile standing beside his table. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, as if she were fascinated by everything around her.
"Hello," Jieming replied, subtly sizing her up.
Her clothes weren't extravagant, but they were clean and neat. She looked a little tired, likely from repeated failures with the Basic Meditation Technique, but her vibrant energy overshadowed her fatigue.
As for her mental power fluctuations... hmm, a fifth-tier innate talent, above average among the apprentices he'd scanned.
"Your badge has the Alchemy Crucible symbol! Great, I've finally met someone from my cohort!" The girl sat down across from him without hesitation.
Her plate was piled high like a small mountain, overflowing with a variety of dishes—clearly, she had a hearty appetite.
"I'm Amy! Amy Greyfinch!" she introduced herself, then blinked and extended her hand. "What's your name? You look so lonely sitting here by yourself."
Jieming's wariness deepened.
In this unfamiliar place, a fellow apprentice with notable talent had approached him so proactively, with such an enthusiastic and direct manner...
It was far too suspicious.
Drawing on his keen observational skills as a cultivator, he also noticed the seemingly casual yet probing gaze in Amy's eyes.
A test? To gather information, or for some other purpose? Jieming instantly assessed the situation.
"Jieming," he replied tersely, offering no further reaction.
"Jieming, it's great to meet you!" Amy seemed oblivious to his coldness, her smile growing even more genuine. "Today was exhausting, especially the meditation! Did you draw patterns in your mental sea? Oh my god, those intricate designs were a nightmare! My mental power felt like a lump of noodles—I couldn't mold it into shape no matter what I tried. It backfired on me several times; my head nearly exploded!"
As she spoke, she grabbed a piece of roasted meat and devoured it with gusto. Though her manners were lacking, her sincerity was palpable. She seemed like a carefree, cheerful, and guileless person.
"...Yeah, right!"
Jieming lowered his gaze, seemingly focused on his food, but inwardly he scoffed.
There were only three types of apprentices who would choose the Logistics Department despite the Combat Department's aggressive recruitment: the clever ones who saw through the system's flaws, those whose wizarding lineage had given them advance knowledge of the situation, and the self-abandoned failures.
Since Amy had failed her meditation, she couldn't be a wizard's descendant. Her cheerful demeanor ruled out the possibility of her being a self-abandoned failure, leaving only one explanation.
A clever person like her wouldn't approach him without an ulterior motive. Her current behavior was merely a facade.
Amy continued to ramble about her failed meditation attempts, while Jieming listened impassively, analyzing her every word.
No, she's not trying to gauge my progress or state of mind regarding meditation, Jieming thought.
Considering his current role as an apprentice who had failed at meditation, he should appear pale and exhausted. As he listened to her, a realization struck him:
"Is she trying to create empathy through shared experiences... or just trying to build rapport?"
After a moment's thought, Jieming decided to test the waters. He nodded slightly, a look of agreement on his face. "It's incredibly difficult. I've tried several times myself."
"Exactly! It's so hard! Several of my classmates are in the same boat—failed multiple times, their heads practically exploding," Amy said, chewing her food as she continued the seemingly casual conversation. "But there are a few prodigies. They seem to have figured out the trick. One of them is an Alchemy Apprentice."
"Oh? Really?" Jieming feigned surprise. "To master the basics so quickly? That's truly genius! Alchemy must be brimming with talent."
"Actually, they haven't mastered the basics yet. They've only managed to successfully inscribe the first part of the pattern."
"Even that's remarkable! I'm clearly far behind by comparison."
"Don't exaggerate. I heard that person is from a noble family with a long lineage of wizards. They probably had prior training."
Amy continued enthusiastically, "And Jieming, you're amazing too! Among this year's alchemy freshmen, you definitely have the highest innate talent."
"Haha, thanks for the compliment," Jieming chuckled, feigning modesty. "But there aren't many alchemy freshmen this year, are there?"
He was now certain that this girl had deliberately sought him out. After all, he hadn't revealed any information about himself beyond his name.
Since she knew his talent level, she must have done her research. Jieming decided to probe a little further.
"Heh, you're right, there are only three of us," Amy said with an awkward smile. "But you really are the most talented among us."
"You seem to know a lot for someone who just arrived today," Jieming remarked casually.
Amy paused slightly at his question, then took a bite of her grilled meat, closing her eyes in satisfaction. "Heh, well, I might not be good at much else, but making friends and chatting? That's where my talent lies."
She playfully stuck out her tongue, but her tone carried a hint of pride. "Everyone at the cafeteria was in a bit of a mood, so it was easy to strike up conversations. Plus, I chatted with quite a few people while waiting in line for the Talent Assessment... After all, we're all newbies here—the more friends, the more opportunities, right?"
Hearing Amy so openly explain her approach, Jieming sighed inwardly. Exposed.
Not that his identity as an immortal cultivator had been revealed, but rather that his earlier act of playing dumb had been seen through.
He'd been too hasty, directly pointing out the core of her strategy, which had alerted Amy to his suspicions.
Yet Amy truly lived up to her own words—she was remarkably skilled at communication. Even after being called out, she showed no embarrassment whatsoever, quickly adjusting her approach and adopting a forthright, honest manner.
As a result, even knowing she had approached him with an agenda, Jieming felt little resentment.
After all, her goal was exactly as she claimed: to make friends and expand her network.
They were all newcomers now, with no conflicts between them. In fact, since they would all eventually be conscripted into military service, they shared a common interest in mutual cooperation.
Amy had already demonstrated her "value" earlier. At least for Jieming at this stage, her intelligence-gathering abilities were indeed crucial.
With these thoughts crossing his mind, Jieming looked up, his expression serious, and extended his hand again. "Let me reintroduce myself. Jieming."
Amy's eyes curved into crescents with joy at Jieming's affirmation. "Amy," she replied, her voice bright with happiness.
(End of the Chapter)
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