All of the 20,000 Outer Campus students are packed into the school's huge stadium. Dean Xiao commences his speech.
"I hope all of you have been focused and driven over the last few months since the Welcoming Ceremony for the rookies. Most of you are aware of what occurs at the end of every winter term: the Main Campus Examination, where the highly talented amongst you can secure a spot in the rankings of the elite that reside in the Main Campus. I'm afraid to say that the Basic Mages must sit this one out. Those of you that have been here for three years and still have not reached the Intermediate level, please do not consider yourself a Pearl Institute student after you leave! We are not here to coddle you.
"The rules of the Main Campus Examination change every year for obvious reasons. This exam will be a bit special. A Shadow Beast the government used for taming has escaped due to problems with its supervision. The Shadow Beast possesses some Shadow Elemental abilities, rendering it nearly impossible to find during the night. However, because they are nocturnal and find somewhere to hide during the day, it's equally difficult to track down in the day. This Shadow Beast has gone through special training in the army, so it won't take the initiative to attack human beings. You can consider it as a wandering cat of sorts. Our school is supposed to be assisting the government. The second we find any kind of trail of the Shadow Beast, we are to notify them immediately. Right now, I want you guys to catch this Shadow Beast alive and return it to the government. The team (at most 5 members) that accomplishes this by delivering it to the Beast Cage will earn first place and 7 days in the Three Step Tower!"
"There are no hints we can offer you. Good luck."
…
…
I head back to my apartment, intending to call Lingling and research the Shadow Beast together; I've never heard of it. Mui Nujiao and Ai Tutu see me enter and smile brightly, though the former feels a bit stiff.
"Heeyyy Yang Jianyu~ Would you like to join our team? 4 girls, all capable in their own rights."
I pretend to hesitate. "First of all, I think we're close enough now that we can move on to a first-name-basis, Nujiao and Tutu. That must happen a priori any discussion of me joining." Mui Nujiao flinches, while Ai Tutu remains unfazed.
"Fine… Jianyu. Jeez, Tutu, back me up here!"
"Okay~ Jianyu!"
"Marvelous. Second, it'd be disingenuous if I didn't inform you of how people on this campus perceive me. Any team which accepts me will likely suffer joint attacks from everyone else on the path leading to the Beast Cage."
They glance at each other, confused. Mui Nujiao hesitantly speaks.
"Jianyu… you do realize that what you did in the Welcoming Ceremony was completely wiped away by your actions in the concert crisis? 258 girls were saved by you, and the Hunter Union informed every one of them that it was your deed alone. They all started fighting against your negative image, converting everyone in their friend groups to at least neutrality. And then those people talked to others, and now the entire Outer Campus knows of your deeds. The only ones that reserve a grudge against you are the same people that would have disliked you for your overwhelming strength, regardless of whether you wielded it in the Welcoming Ceremony or not."
Wow. I'm slightly relieved we won't be facing hordes of other students. At least not due to targeted hatred.
"In that case, I don't think there's anything stopping me from joining. I'll be in your care."
"More like we'll be in your care! You have so much experience and strength, our team will be unstoppable, hehe."
…
…
I hold off on contacting Lingling and instead call Zhang Xiaohou.
"Hey, Xiaohou, how are you doing? Are you an Intermediate Mage yet?"
"Yes! The military helped me find an earth-attributed Awakening Stone, but I awakened Fire in the end."
"Hmm. I hope no one treated you any worse for that…"
"No, no! My superior wasn't disappointed, but he just informed me that my role as a pure scout would be changing to an ambush scout, with emphasis on speed and firepower. To that end, I'm currently saving up for a Fire Spirit. Anyway, what's up? I can feel you've got something to ask me."
"So I called you because the Main Campus Examination involves catching a loose Shadow Beast, and I was wondering if you have access to any information on it that would help."
"Uhh… Gimme a few minutes…
"Yeah, here it is. Small, about the size of a german shepherd. Loves to eat beef, around half a cow's worth each day. Not much else."
"Beef, you say? It's very secretive, so it'd avoid small shops that store beef. Warehouses of beef might be the best place to check…"
"Jianyu, there's at least a dozen large beef processing factories in Shanghai; it'll be difficult to monitor all of them."
"You know me so well. Don't worry, I'll figure something out. Anyway, thanks! I'll call you later."
"Yup, talk to you later!"
…
…
After a bit more research, I head back to the living area to report Xiaohou's information, and two new girls have sat down next to Mui Nujiao and Ai Tutu on the couch. I end up sinking into a large chair, facing them.
"Hey, I'm Yang Jianyu. It appears we shall be working together."
"Hiii! I'm Zheng Bingning, but please call me Ningning!"
"Ningning! Isn't that too forthcoming? Hello, I'm Mei Ling. Nice to meet you."
They appear to have a similar dynamic as Ai Tutu and Mui Nujiao; I suspect Zheng Bingning and Ai Tutu are the reason this group formed.
"Well, Ningning and Mei Ling, I have some information on the Shadow Beast. It's around the size of a german shepherd and eats around half a cow's worth of beef every day: it loves beef. From this, we can deduce its proximity to at least one of the beef processing factories in Shanghai. There's 15 of them, so each of us can call three and ask for them to contact us upon seeing any discrepancies in the volume of meat processed for the day. Any other ideas on how we might track it down?"
I'm greeted with silence.
I clear my throat. "Ahem. I'll take that as a no. If no one else has any suggestions, let's get to work."
"Okay~" "Alright." "Yes!" "Sure."
…
…
A couple of days later, Mei Ling receives a call back in the evening. She relays the words to us: "Yeah, we were counting the mass of meat that we expected to have processed, and it was off by a few hundred kilograms. Not much to our factory, but certainly an anomaly. Why did you want to know, again?"
She didn't grace them with a response.
Mui Nujiao has procured a cage for the creature. Since no one aside from me has the Shadow Element or any other methods of sneaking around, I'll have to go to the factory, nab the beast if it's there, and bring it back to toss it into the cage.
Yes, at this point I've stopped hiding the Twin Elements talent. Outside of my tightly knit circle of friends and the higher-ups of various factions, this group of girls is the first to know. I've almost reached the peak of the Intermediate level; killing me in absolute secrecy won't be so easy, especially with authorities like Dean Xiao and Old Bao ensuring my safety.
[And I did enjoy their gobsmacked expressions.]
I arrive at the factory, around 300 m by 300 m and 20 meters high. Most of the interior lighting is off, since the factory workers leave for the night and only some security guards remain: a perfect target for deployment of Shadow Evade: Traverse. I blur into a dark corner of the factory and begin searching.
I hear munching sounds not far away, and I quietly head to the source of the noise. Around 30 meters away, a midnight-black cat the size of a large dog pauses its meal to look at me. I freeze.
At least, my movements cease. But my Shadow Nebula does not; on the contrary, its stars whiz into position as I construct a Star Pattern.
Shadow Nails: Gemini! I immediately use the 2nd tier Shadow Intermediate spell, not probing with the 1st tier in case it manages to escape.
And what an excellent idea that was. The spell fires two nails at the target's shadow, one after the other. One nail landing will immobilize the Shadow Beast. Two will freeze its mind. Unfortunately, the Shadow Beast dodges the first and just barely gets hit by the second. I follow it up with Shadow Nails: Imprison as soon as possible to fire the single nail that'll pause its thoughts.
Now that it's immobile and dumb, I sling it onto my back, leaving the factory.
…
…
"Whaaaaa! You actually got it?!!!" Ai Tutu and Zheng Bingning scream for joy while the other two try to calm them down.
"It really wasn't all that difficult; my friend's information did all the heavy lifting."
"And your Shadow Element. And that's supposed to be your secondary Element! Even my primary Element is barely at the 2nd tier." Mui Nujiao playfully acts frustrated.
"Well, I've just been lucky to get access to the Three Step Tower; it's got nothing to do with cultivation talent. Regardless, our principal concern is the problem of getting this cage to the Beast Cage. I doubt everyone is camping the entrance, but I'm sure at least one person from each of the teams is there, ready to call for backup once a team with the Shadow Beast arrives. In a few days, people might begin to realize that someone has the creature already. I say we charge in now, four of us distracting the students while the fifth sneaks in, protecting the fifth if they are caught."
They nod in assent.
"I was thinking I should be the one to sneak in, given I have the Shadow Element as well as three excellent Magic Boots. And since my other Elements are defensive, I'll have no problem tanking a few attacks. I won't bother bringing my Chaotic Piercer or short swords; they'll only drag me down. Mui Nujiao, can you obtain a second cage and a large black stuffed animal to trick them? It'll be obvious what our plan is if none of you are seen carrying the beast or a cage holding the beast."
"Certainly. Tutu, assist me with using Plant magic to control the area, but do not align any of your Light stars, lest you expose Jianyu. Ningning and Ling, help me lock down a majority of the defense with Ice and Wind: we'll create a blizzard that will attract everyone's attention."
For once, the two playful girls seriously nod their heads, as does Mei Ling. I exit the apartment as they follow behind. "Let's get this done."
…
…
The Beast Cage is a newly constructed cage in the middle of one of the Institute's fields. Several hundred students are patrolling. Seriously, how does Dean Xiao expect anyone to make it into the cage without relying on luck?
Half of my plan nearly goes straight out of the window when I see 4 Illuminate: Blindness spells raised in the air, eliminating every shadow in a 100 meter radius of the Beast Cage. I'll have to let my team distract them and hopefully draw the Light Mages away, decreasing the distance I'll have to run to the Beast Cage while exposed.
They charge in, already casting Ice spells, Wind spells, and Plant spells. An enormous whirlwind of snow grows to envelop most of the patrolling students, who shout for backup, both from each other and from their resting teammates. Yes! The Light Mages are pacing towards the action. I'm currently using Shadow Evade: Flight, the 3rd tier Shadow Basic spell, to turn into a shadow and remain on the boundary between light and dark.
The Illuminate: Blindness spells lazily drift in the directions of their owners, shifting the lit boundary ever closer to the Beast Cage. 30 meters! I activate Bull Xenon, increasing my speed by multiple folds even though I'm carrying the cage. The Shadow Beast hisses from being exposed to the light, but thankfully it doesn't seem harmed. Shouts resound through the area to focus on me, but it's too late; I've already entered the Beast Cage with the Shadow Beast. It's over.
Deans of the Element Schools are alerted to the commotion, shocked to see me in the Beast Cage holding the Shadow Beast. Eventually, Dean Xiao arrives, a slightly perturbed expression on his usually calm face.
"Yang Jianyu and his teammates, Mui Nujiao, Ai Tutu, Mei Ling, and Zheng Bingning, have achieved first place in the Main Campus Examination! Let us congratulate them for graduating from the Outer Campus and entering the Main Campus. The rest of you will be ranked according to combat prowess via a small tournament, and the top 45 shall also be accepted into the Main Campus."
The four girls rush to the Beast Cage, and we all hug in euphoria. All of us managed to enter the Main Campus as freshmen at Pearl Institute!