All sorts of data flashed across the large screen. Sean Russell stared in confusion at the stats from the virtual battlefield.
Aurora Sinclair’s data was just too strange. Her Combat Power was assessed at Ninth Rank Great Martial Master, but her other stats were exceptionally stable, as if she wasn’t using her full strength at all.
"Instructor Russell, still analyzing?"
Sean Russell turned to look. "Co take a look at this data."
"Whose data is this?" The other instructor’s eyes widened in astonishnt.
This data was too bizarre. If she were a Ninth Rank Great Warrior who had just killed an opponent of a higher rank, her various physical stats should be fluctuating wildly. Why were they so calm?
"Aurora Sinclair, from my class."
"Hers? Did anyone check her equipnt?"
"We checked. Nothing’s wrong with it."
"Then could there have been a problem when she put it on?"
Sean Russell considered it and thought it was possible. Besides the helt, the other devices could indeed be tampered with. All you had to do was line your clothes with sothing, and the readings wouldn’t be accurate.
"She’s a promising talent. If she hadn’t run into Eve Lowell, Arcadian University’s slot for direct admission to the military academy would have probably gone to her."
Sean Russell didn’t share his colleague’s regret. He just felt the whole situation was fishy.
***
anwhile, in the girls’ dormitory.
For so unknown reason, Aurora Sinclair had suddenly been ostracized.
The other girls were all guarded around her. Only Tess Thorne, who slept in the bunk above her, was friendly.
When everyone was present, she pretended to ask casually, "Aurora, there’s a rumor going around that you sent a high school classmate to prison and that you exposed your own cousin for plagiarism just to squeeze into high society. Is that true?"
Aurora Sinclair froze for a mont, then shook her head.
"So it’s all just rumors?" Tess Thorne’s eyes lit up. "I knew it! You’re such a good person, there’s no way you’d do sothing like that!"
Just then, another girl said disdainfully, "Kidd, don’t be naive. If you ask her, of course she’s not going to admit it."
"Well, I believe her. You all can believe whatever you want," Tess Thorne replied with a cheerful smile, passing so snacks she’d bought down to Aurora in the bottom bunk.
’How could a girl who gets up early every day to fetch hot water for everyone in the dorm be a scher?’
’Besides, she’s a top student. In all the days we’ve been at this military training, she’s never joined in on the gossip.’
’The way you speak reflects your character. Even if there’s so truth to it, it’s definitely not as sordid as the rumors make it out to be.’
"Tess, I guess it’s easy for you to say since the person sent to prison wasn’t your relative. Eve and I were classmates, and she told herself. Her distant cousin was sent to prison just for offending her."
As soon as these words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the room, which had just started to ease, grew heavy again.
Tess Thorne was stunned for a second, then said in disbelief, "And you believe that? I’d believe it if you said Eve Lowell did sothing like that; after all, her family background speaks for itself. Aurora’s family isn’t as powerful as the Lowell Family, right? Besides, the Municipal Bureau, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the courts aren’t just sitting around doing nothing. If there was a hidden story, wouldn’t they have found it?"
The other girl, unhappy at being refuted, said bluntly, "Fine, let’s not talk about that. What about her cousin? Aurora Sinclair, were you the one who snitched about your cousin’s plagiarism?"
Aurora Sinclair thought for a mont, then nodded.
"See? She admitted it. They’re family, but she’d stoop to anything to get into the association."
Tess Thorne rolled her eyes, speechless. "Seriously? That’s called upholding justice even against your own family. It’s called being impartial."
"Impartial? Why don’t you ask her if she got into The Calligraphy Association?" the girl sneered.
"What does that have to do with getting into The Calligraphy Association?"
"Everyone knows The Calligraphy Association is a gathering place for the young ladies of The Great Families."
"Well, I didn’t."
It was pointless to argue further when they were so clearly not on the sa page.
A shout from the instructor outside: "Lights out—"
All argunt inside the room ceased.
After a long silence, Aurora Sinclair suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Guthrie invited to join the association."
"Pfft..." The girl laughed mockingly. "Invited you? What work have you even done?"
Aurora Sinclair thought for a mont. "A painting of feeding chickens."
"..."
The girl imdiately took out her phone, logged onto the official website for The Calligraphy Association, and searched for the words "Feeding the Chickens." To her surprise, hundreds of paintings ca up, and she pursed her lips in displeasure.
"Haha... I found Aurora’s painting! It’s listed as one of The Calligraphy Association’s outstanding works."
Tess Thorne suddenly burst out laughing, pulling out her phone to show the other girls in the room.
Aurora Sinclair was a little surprised. She sat up to look, and the painting on the screen was the lotus flower she had copied for the Arcadian University art exam.
The other girl had nothing to say and turned over to face the wall.
***
At the sa ti, a major incident occurred in a special ward of the Martial Affairs Bureau.
Martin Archer, the C-level criminal who had previously attacked students from Arcadian University, had inexplicably been reduced to a simpleton.
The conclusion from the Warner Family was that it was caused by severe head trauma. However, the person who inflicted the trauma was a Veridian female acting in self-defense, which made it difficult to press charges.
Tyler Alden could only swallow his anger and escort the witless man to the International Penitentiary.
At least he wouldn’t have to worry about him escaping this ti.
Over at the Morgan Residence.
Beta Morgan and Leigh Miles were busy in the lab.
Martin Archer’s physical stats were highly abnormal. The potassium level in his blood was too high, as if caused by long-term injection of so kind of drug.
Although mild hyperkalemia could increase cellular excitability, this level was clearly beginning to have an inhibitory effect.
Excessive potassium levels would cause heart problems. Martin Archer’s primary personality was a doctor; it was impossible for him not to know this. Unless there was sothing fishy going on.
Leigh Miles specialized in Ancient dicine and wasn’t familiar with modern dical concepts. She could only list so of the dicinal herbs and dosages she had used while helping Apothecary Warner prepare redies at Sunstone, so the two could study them together.
"Beta, co look at this..."
Leigh Miles stepped aside from the microscope to let Beta Morgan have a look.
"Holy crap! What did you add?"
Under the microscope, an unknown white blood cell was continuously devouring the surrounding cells.
It was like a super scavenger.
"It’s the blood from that centrifuge tube."
Beta Morgan was stunned. For a long ti, he stared at the small vial of blood in the centrifuge rack nearby.
’Antibacterial, anti-cancer, and it even enhances one’s own immunity?’
’Is this freaking human blood?’
’This is practically a divine dicine!’
"Leigh, is the abnormality in Martin Archer’s body really the sa as Aurora’s?"
"Senior Sister said it is."
"How did she determine that?"
"I don’t know either," Leigh Miles replied unnaturally, fiddling with the hem of her clothes.
Seeing that she was reluctant to say more, Beta Morgan sighed. "Don’t let anyone else know about this, no matter what."
Leigh Miles nodded firmly.
Her small, round face was incredibly cute. Beta Morgan couldn’t help but imitate his master and ruffle her hair.
"Good girl~"
"You two should be asleep!"
Suddenly, a rather stern voice ca from the doorway.
Beta Morgan turned his head and saw his younger brother standing at the door, a grim expression on his face as he held a bottle of milk.
Seeing that they had noticed him, he strode into the room.
"Drink your milk. Go to sleep..."
Dean Morgan shoved the milk bottle into Leigh Miles’s hands, took her by the shoulders, spun her around, and pushed her out the door.
Beta Morgan suddenly felt that his younger brother was in an inexplicably bad mood.
"See you tomorrow, my patron!"
Leigh Miles obediently hugged the milk bottle, waved to Beta Morgan from the doorway, and then trotted away.
Beta Morgan lowered his waving hand and turned to look at his younger brother with concern. "What’s wrong, Dixon? Did those old geezers at The Martial Association give you a hard ti again?"
Ever since Dean Morgan had joined the decision-making council of The Martial Alliance, the old guard there had always used his youth and inexperience as an excuse to veto his proposals.
"No," Dean Morgan replied in a low voice.
His face was set and he seed very unhappy. He kept his eyes fixed on Beta Morgan, making his skin crawl, as if he’d done sothing utterly depraved.
"Wh-what’s wrong...?" Beta Morgan asked, his heart trembling.
Ever since his younger brother had advanced to Martial Arts Master, his gaze had beco much sharper than before.
"Heartless employer!"
"Exploiting child labor and making her work overti!"
"Rember to give her overti pay!"
"..."
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