Elite Mages’ Academy

Chapter 381: Before The Tests

Xiao Lin did not hurry to rest after he got back to the dormitory. He had borrowed the few notes that he did not finish reading on the way back, and Gu Xiaoyue agreed immediately.

“Have you already finished reading all of it?” Xiao Lin could not help but ask.

“Unlike you, I don’t cram everything at the last minute. I started studying half a month ago. Actually, a lot of the contents might not be tested, so you didn’t have to read everything.”

“It’s fine. The knowledge will be useful on Planet Norma eventually.” Xiao Lin did not mind. After being to the New World twice, Xiao Lin noticed that he lacked a lot of basic knowledge. Strength alone was not enough on that planet.

When they reached the entrance to the dormitory, Gu Xiaoyue hesitated before asking, “Planet Norma, is it that nice?”

Xiao Lin was stunned. He noticed a faint trace of longing on Gu Xiaoyue’s beautiful face. Xiao Lin could not stop himself from laughing.

Gu Xiaoyue said in anger, “Are you mocking me?”

“No, no.” Xiao Lin hurriedly waved, his face earnest. “I was just shocked to see that even you have things you long for. You know, you used to look like you wished for nothing.”

Gu Xiaoyue turned away, not saying a word.

She was actually getting angry.

Xiao Lin said exasperatedly, “Fine, let’s ignore that for now. Planet Norma really is quite a nice place. With your skill, you’ll get there eventually.

“I don’t have filthy thoughts like you men do.” Gu Xiaoyue knew why a lot of them went to Planet Norma.

Xiao Lin did not know whether to laugh or to cry. “There definitely are people like Chen Dao, but let’s ignore him. Even if you disregard that, the place is beautiful. The magical scenery there could probably only be found in movies or novels on Earth.”

A flash of hope could be seen on Gu Xiaoyue’s face before it reverted to her usual look. She nodded subtly before grunting in acknowledgement, not continuing the conversation.

Xiao Lin was a little unhappy. It was rare he got the chance to chat with her. He looked up to see the shrouded moonlight, smiling as he said, “The moon is quite nice today. Let’s just stay and chat.”

Gu Xiaoyue rolled her eyes. “There are tests tomorrow!”

“Didn’t you say you’ve already finished your revision? Were you lying to me?” Xiao Lin deliberately challenged her.

Gu Xiaoyue was a little angry, but eventually sighed as she nodded almost imperceptibly, basically agreeing.

The space the academy was in completely mimicked Planet Norma, so there were also two moons there. However, the moonlight did not make for much of a conversation topic. Xiao Lin understood that Gu Xiaoyue’s inner thoughts could not be as cold as she outwardly portrayed. She was also lonely, but she never wished for anything by herself. Gu Xiaoyue needed someone she could talk to as well, and Xiao Lin just happened to be the best choice.

Xiao Lin was not someone who was good at making conversation, but since Gu Xiaoyue mentioned Planet Norma, he decided to tell her about what he saw during his two trips to the New World. He was very attentive, and Gu Xiaoyue was quickly engrossed in his stories. She would occasionally throw a question or two out, but most of the time she just listened.

Time quickly went by, and Gu Xiaoyue’s voice could be heard again. “It’s late, we should go back.”

Xiao Lin looked at the time; it was almost midnight. He had never slept so late in the academy before. Shocked at how fast time flew, he could not help but regretfully end the conversation.

Using his special student ID, he opened the dormitory gates. It was quiet during the night, and they were not worried about being seen. When they reached the where the male and female dormitories were divided, Xiao Lin suddenly softly exclaimed, “Gu Xiaoyue!”

“Yes?” Gu Xiaoyue turned her head.

“You’ll live on! No matter what, I won’t let you die in two years!”

Gu Xiaoyue was stunned. Xiao Lin turned around and left after saying that. He did not need to say anymore, but those words were of his own determination. No matter what, he would not let Gu Xiaoyue die in two years.

He could not do that by himself, but thankfully he had Song Junlang around. Thinking about the traces of blood in the logistic department’s rubbish bin, Xiao Lin sighed. He hoped that Song Junlang would be able to unravel this mystery for him.

...

The next day was Monday, which was when the freshmen would take their first ever tests. The results would directly affect their credits. Based on Dawn Academy’s rules, new students still had a chance to retake their tests for free if they failed the first time. If they failed again, they would be held back a year, which would require points as payment. If they failed twice after being held back, then the student would be sent back to Earth with their memories wiped, never to return.

That was why everyone who wanted to go to the New World worked as hard as they could for these tests. Even being held back meant they would not have the chance to go to the New World in two years, and they would also need to pay for the expensive school fees. It was impossible for a number of them.

When Xiao Lin walked into the cafeteria at seven, he saw a lot of students with breakfast in one hand and reading a book in the other. He had only seen a sight like that during his examinations on Earth. It was obvious they were all forced into that. Xiao Lin even saw Cheng Ming scratching his head nearby, his face looking like he had consumed poison as he studied. His pained expression caused Xiao Lin to walk over.

Even though Cheng Ming was considered very strong as the monitor for Class One, even considered one of the top students of their year, the man who was close to thirty was not very good at studying. He had openly said so before, and it seemed like it did not improve much in the few months here.

Cheng Ming did not even notice when Xiao Lin sat in front of him; it took Xiao Lin knocking on the table lightly for Cheng Ming to look up and exclaim.

Cheng Ming’s expression was as if he had seen a ghost, causing Xiao Lin to momentarily regret coming over. Cheng Ming’s shout caused half the cafeteria to look over, stirring up a wave of discussion. The cafeteria that was originally silent suddenly roared.

Xiao Lin was considered quite a legendary figure among the first years. Of course, it did not refer to his skill, even if the third monthly examination had left quite the impression on a lot of them. New students naturally grew the fastest. Even though Xiao Lin was the first to reach Black Iron-rank, Chen Dao, Cheng Ming, Gu Xiaoyue and some others quickly followed.

There was only one reason everyone cared so much about Xiao Lin, which was that he had been to the New World twice.