CHAPTER 82: EXAM DAY 2

He approached the reception desk, where three cadets stood ready: one young man and two young women, their silver insignias gleaming at their collars. The moment they saw him, their composure faltered. His sharp features, steady gaze, and aura that seemed to hum with restrained power dazzled them.

"Your Pass," one of the girls said quickly, holding out her hand, almost too eager.

Yu Xi handed the pass over without a word, his expression calm and unreadable. The cadet scanned it, and a floating screen shimmered into existence, glowing softly as his profile appeared in neat, scrolling text.

The young man leaned forward, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Yu Xi. A-rank Esper. Impressive."

The second girl, her hand resting thoughtfully on her chin, tilted her head as she studied him. "I thought you were a guide, despite being so tall."

Yu Xi’s gaze shifted toward her, calm but piercing. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged lightly, almost embarrassed. "I don’t know, hey. Just... there is something about your aura."

The young man scoffed, gesturing at Yu Xi’s height. "Look at him. Does he look like a guide to you?"

The girl shook her head, smiling faintly. "I’m just saying. Do you get that a lot?"

Yu Xi shook his head once, firmly. "No."

The floating screen flickered, confirming his registration. The young man straightened and said, "You are in room seven on the second floor. There are people there to guide you."

Yu Xi inclined his head. "Thanks." He accepted the pass and turned to leave.

"Good luck," one of the girls called after him, her voice bright. "Hope we will be school mates soon."

Yu Xi nodded once, acknowledging her, and walked away with measured steps.

Behind him, the other girl sighed wistfully. "Such a shame. If he was a guide, I would be fawning over him."

The guy chuckled, shaking his head. "At his rank and appearance, you think you will be the only one vying for his attention?"

The girl sighed, conceding. "You are right... sigh."

Yu Xi, oblivious to the exchange, had no idea someone was quietly fantasizing about him being a guide. His focus was elsewhere. He lifted his gaze and spotted the glowing number 7 above the doorway. Just as he was about to step inside, a shoulder slammed into his own. The impact was deliberate, sharp, and the offender strode past without so much as an apology.

Yu Xi turned his head slightly, catching sight of the young man—about his height, aura bristling with superiority. The stranger walked into the room as though he owned it. Yu Xi didn’t sweat such small provocations. He simply followed, his stride calm, his expression unreadable.

Inside, the young man’s disdainful gaze locked onto him. A sneer curled his lips, but Yu Xi didn’t falter. He walked past, ignoring the hostility, and searched for his exam station.

The room was already filled with candidates, each seated with grim determination, their faces taut as if preparing for a life-or-death battle.

The exam stations of the Imperial Academy were unlike anything Yu Xi had ever seen. Instead of desks or traditional seating, each candidate was assigned to a sleek, capsule-like pod hovering just above the polished floor.

Its surface shimmered faintly with psi-reactive light, humming with restrained energy, as though the pods themselves were alive and waiting to test the worth of those who dared enter.

The pods were designed with privacy mode enabled, enclosing each examinee in a cocoon of silence and focus. Once inside, the outside world would vanish, leaving only the candidate and the trial ahead.

A floating screen shimmered before each pod, cycling through the rules of the entrance exam, an ordeal that would last the entire day. It was not merely a test of knowledge, but of psychic endurance, emotional stability, and resonance control.

The hum of the pods filled the chamber, blending with the quiet murmur of cadets guiding candidates to their stations. The atmosphere was charged, anticipation thick enough to taste.

Yu Xi looked at his communicator. Jian Ci’s message blinked on the screen: Did you get there in time?

Yu Xi smiled faintly and typed back, I did. I will see you after the exams.

The reply came almost instantly, as though Jian Ci had been waiting with bated breath. When you come back, we can celebrate.

Yu Xi’s fingers hovered over the keys, ready to respond, when a shadow fell across him. The invigilator approached, carrying a secure box. "Communicators inside, please," she said firmly.

Yu Xi nodded, slipping the device into the box. "Thank you," he murmured.

The invigilator’s stern expression softened into a smile. "Good luck," she said, before moving on to the next candidate.

Yu Xi exhaled, his gaze shifting to the pod awaiting him. The time had come.

The floating screen flickered, stabilizing as the exam’s home page appeared before him. He inhaled deeply, bracing himself for what he believed would be a grueling ordeal. The Imperial Academy entrance exam was infamous, whispered about as a trial that broke even the most confident candidates. He expected to struggle, to claw his way through each question.

Yet as the first prompts appeared, something shifted. His mind sharpened, his focus narrowed, and the answers flowed with startling clarity. What was difficult for others seemed almost natural to him, though Yu Xi had no way of knowing that.

The exam unfolded like a vast tapestry of knowledge and endurance. History of Orion Drift— wars, the legends of commanders long gone—Yu Xi recalled each detail as though he had lived it himself. Laws and government structure of Varelia—hierarchies, rights, restrictions—his responses were precise, his understanding flawless.

Then came biology: Espers and Guides, the subtle differences in aura channels, empathic resonance, the physiology of non-psychic individuals. Each question was met with impeccable logic, his rhythm unbroken.

Technical mastery followed—mech systems, synchronization protocols, emergency overrides. Yu Xi tapped the screen steadily, diagrams and schematics appearing in his mind as if etched there long ago.

Combat strategies against psychic beasts, their classifications, their weaknesses—he answered without hesitation. His aura remained steady, his focus unwavering, as though the exam were not a test but a stage upon which his quiet brilliance was finally revealed.