The soft cherry-pink magical light faded away.
The last lost member of the Security Council slowly opened their eyes.
“Alright, that’s all done now!” Su Xiaocheng cheered.
“After using the magic formula to boost magic power intensity, how much did the consumption drop?”
An Li asked right away, interviewing Su Xiaocheng for her experience.
“Hmm, probably saved about 90 percent of the magic power.”
Su Xiaocheng answered uncertainly.
Before, the magic power intensity had been too weak.
To awaken the lost, she had no choice but to pour in huge amounts of magic power just to make up the difference.
After refining it with the formula, Su Xiaocheng’s magic power crushed the disorienting force like dry leaves in a storm.
Consumption dropped sharply.
It was like smashing the same wooden board. Snapping it with a cloth strip took far more effort than chopping it with a knife.
“Teacher An, your magic formula theory is incredibly useful. Can you give me more?”
Su Xiaocheng stared at An Li with sparkling eyes and begged.
“It’s not that exaggerated.”
An Li shook her head, shattering Su Xiaocheng’s fantasy.
“Right now the only formulas I can deduce are for some fairly simple attributes.”
“Besides, even if we figure out formulas for complex attributes later, the learning difficulty will be very high. I’m not sure you could master them.”
An Li remembered Su Xiaocheng’s study habits and couldn’t resist teasing her again.
“Teacher An, stop scolding me. I’ll study hard.”
Outside, the rain kept falling steadily, but compared with the last two days the downpour had clearly weakened.
It looked like it would stop by evening.
“The rain is finally going to stop.”
After three days stuck in the underground base and suffering through high-intensity study sessions, Su Xiaocheng felt as if she had been transported back to high school.
“Yeah.”
An Li agreed.
She loved research, but these two days could hardly be called pleasant.
Su Xiaocheng and the others were easily the worst batch of students she had ever supervised.
“Once the rain stops, you can wander around Rain Curtain City. The local customs and culture here are quite different from those inside Alliance territory.”
Li Yanyan overheard their conversation and offered the suggestion at just the right moment.
“By the way, what exactly is the content of our trial?”
Su Xiaocheng asked as soon as she saw Li Yanyan.
More than half a month had passed since the trial began.
Aside from the small test at the very start, Su Xiaocheng felt no trial atmosphere at all.
It was more like they were simply on a sightseeing tour.
“The Dawn Trial never had any fixed items to begin with.” Li Yanyan explained.
“Besides the initial character test, you just need to complete one more A-rank battle during the trial and experience the power of a [Miracle] up close. That lays the foundation for fusing with a [Miracle] later. Once that’s done, the trial is basically over.”
“Is it really that simple? Then why do some teams take so long?” Su Xiaocheng remembered the rumor about one trial lasting two years and asked in confusion.
Li Yanyan rolled her eyes at her. “Do you think [Miracle]s are cabbages growing everywhere? Once fused, a [Miracle] carries the aura of the person who fused with it and loses its purity. Finding an unfused one is no easy task.”
“Then where are we supposed to find a wild [Miracle]?” Su Xiaocheng asked.
“Ask me and who do I ask?” Li Yanyan replied irritably.
If she knew a reliable place to find [Miracle]s, she would not have spent years bitterly accumulating contributions just to trade for a single fusion chance.
Someone like Su Xiaocheng, who had gained [Miracle] recognition ahead of time and received a direct pass to S-rank, was an opportunity others could only dream of. Yet to save people she had greatly reduced the potential of her [Purification Seed], making it much harder for her to advance by relying on it.
“Remember this. Don’t rush ahead. Build your domain properly first, then nurture the [Purification Seed] with your own magic power until it sprouts.”
“It will take a bit longer, but this is the most suitable path for you right now. Do not get impatient and try to build your domain with the [Purification Seed].” Li Yanyan stopped joking and reminded her seriously.
“Got it.” Su Xiaocheng nodded.
“Speaking of wandering around, I actually have a place I recommend.” An Li cut in.
“Eh? Teacher An, do you know where a [Miracle] is?” Su Xiaocheng’s eyes lit up.
“What are you thinking?” An Li laughed in exasperation. “If I knew where a [Miracle] was, I would have grabbed it ages ago. Why would I wait for you?”
[Miracle]s were rare even inside the Security Council. They were essential core materials for crafting S-rank equipment.
“I’m talking about a really interesting spot you’ve definitely never visited before.”
***
The sky after the rain was exceptionally clear.
Cool moonlight spilled across the streets, making everything feel even quieter.
Su Xiaocheng looked at the rundown little alleys around them. “Teacher An, have we arrived yet?”
The surroundings grew more and more dilapidated. If the others had not been with her, Su Xiaocheng would have started wondering whether An Li planned to sell her off.
“We’re here.” The guide An Li stopped.
Looking at the old, worn buildings, Su Xiaocheng could not see anything interesting. The area had nothing but two bare walls with no door in sight.
An Li walked up to one wall, pressed a small hidden mechanism concealed in the mottled plaster, and a mechanical click sounded.
A narrow gap just wide enough for one person slowly opened in the wall.
“Do people in Rain Curtain City all dislike making proper doors?”
Remembering that the Security Council base had the same style, Su Xiaocheng could not help complaining.
“Security isn’t great around here. Proper doors just invite thieves.” An Li shrugged and stepped through the gap first.
They walked down a dim little passage, pushed open a small door, and bright lights suddenly flared, stinging their eyes.
Inside was completely different from the rundown exterior.
It was a bar decorated in a grand, old-fashioned style with a few modern touches. Colorful lights drifted slowly through the crowd.
A standard boxing ring sat right in the center of the bar.
At that moment two burly men were fiercely engaged in free combat on it.
The bar was almost full. Waitresses wearing star-patterned bunny girl outfits wove through the guests carrying drinks.
From time to time someone stuffed banknotes into their outfits as tips.
“This place feels so… indecent.”
Su Xiaowei’s face flushed slightly. Her eyes could not help glancing toward the waitresses in the crowd.
I really want to see Big Sister wear clothes like that.
In her mind she pictured Su Xiaocheng in a bunny girl outfit, body leaning forward just a little, revealing a perfect glimpse of snowy white skin, shyly pouring a drink for her…
“Cough, cough. Xiaowei, watch your expression.” Su Xiaocheng saw her sister’s face drifting further into fantasy and spoke up to interrupt.
“Alright, you pure-hearted magical girls. Welcome to the Free Combat Club.”
An Li turned around, spread her arms wide, and announced loudly to the group.
Her voice was swallowed by the noisy clamor of the tavern.
No one except Su Xiaocheng and the others paid any attention.