Alliance Star, the Second Military Academy exam monitoring room.
In three days on the simulated planet, the more than ten thousand examinees had been whittled down to just over a thousand.
Even among that thousand‑odd, a significant share no longer had nutrient solution in hand.
At this rate, they would soon be forced by hunger to give up themselves.
Or they might be found by opponents and eliminated first.
In the monitoring room, hundreds of feeds played the entire process on the simulated planet. The three mentors missed nothing.
Jin Ling was still tracking progress closely. In a switched feed, she caught sight of an unexpected figure.
Beside her, the burly Mentor He Bi snorted a laugh. Looking at the Waste Star girl on the screen, he spoke out bluntly.
"What a little drama‑maker. She was dark before, yes, but at least her features were delicate and pretty. Now—tut, tut—her face is sun‑scalded and swollen like a pig's head. Look at that ugly sight—really an eyesore."
Though his words sounded disdainful, his tone was full of tsundere.
"If she passes and enters our Academy, will she drag down the Academy's overall looks?" He Bi joked.
Even so, the other two mentors knew his impression of the Waste Star girl was improving by the minute.
What's more, he seemed convinced the girl on the screen would pass the exam and become a student.
Jin Ling pretended not to hear He Bi.
Cheng Gong still took the opposite view.
"Only three days in and she's made herself such a mess. Look—she hasn't a single nutrient vial left. I'd like to see how long she lasts."
No sooner had he said it than, on the feed, the Waste Star girl took one step out of the desert—into a completely different environment.
Everywhere she looked was a wash of dripping green—dense trees, lush shrubs—full of life; springlike vitality brimmed.
Lan Grace breathed out in relief.
At last—out of the desert.
Leaving the dry, scorching, waterless sands meant her biggest immediate problem—water—was solved.
Lan Grace had known from the start that the Academy's entrance exam was being held on a simulated planet.
Environments on such a planet were not uniform; the desert was only one part. If she could make it out, her situation would change entirely.
Beyond yellow sand, the vast desert held nothing.
Every so often a gale would blow, shifting dunes in all ways—tricking those in the desert into feeling every place was familiar; wherever they went, it felt as if they were circling.
Like that, just getting out of the desert would be a challenge for many.
Without firm will and a keen eye, this single desert could trap a lot of people.
In the monitoring room—
At the sight, Cheng Gong couldn't help springing up from the sofa; his eyes fixed on the small feed showing the Waste Star girl.
Among the hundreds of feeds of all sizes, hers alone was a conspicuous green.
Every other examinee remained trapped in the desert.
The Desert Walk was the first exam checkpoint—originally scheduled to be announced on day five.
Only those who left the desert were counted as having passed—and the time allowed was three days.
When the exam reached day eight, those still in the sands would be eliminated.
But now it was only day three. Before the task had even been announced, someone had made it out—far beyond Cheng Gong's expectations!
Incredible!
By Cheng Gong's reckoning, even someone like Zhao Qingyan, with S‑grade physique, couldn't have left the desert in so short a time.
And this Waste Star girl had likely planned this from the start. Otherwise, she could not have been so clear in her aim as to reach this step.
On the feed, when she crossed out of the desert, her face had not shown the least surprise—only relief.
"I told you—this child has a big‑picture view." He Bi couldn't hide the added appreciation in his tone.
"Before, I only thought her big‑picture sense was good. Now I see I still underestimated her. Don't be fooled by her Waste Star origin—her forward sense is stronger than anyone in the exam."
Talking of the Waste Star girl, He Bi couldn't help a little smugness—showing off his unique eye to the other two invigilators.
"While others are still hunting opponents in the desert and snatching nutrient solution, she's already left the war‑zone and reached a safe zone," Jin Ling said—herself very surprised.
Like Cheng Gong, she had never thought someone would be ahead of their plan.
"I think we should report to the president at once. The desert trial may have to start early."
That thought was shared by the other two mentors. Cheng Gong and He Bi exchanged a look and, for once, agreed—nodding to Jin Ling.
In the monitoring room, Jin Ling rose and walked to a console at the side. She opened the terminal on her wrist and requested a call with President Ferrero.
…
Far away on the simulated planet—
Lan Grace quickly found a water source in the forest.
Her speed in leaving the desert and finding water was thanks to her old life as a homebody.
As a homebody—rarely going out—she had needed knowledge and information to enrich her life so she wouldn't feel bored.
Lan Grace loved reading and the net; her interests were broad; her knowledge touched many fields.
She had once watched a wilderness survival show—so she knew how to get out of a desert.
Leaving a desert was actually simple: keep to the windward side, walk along dune ridges, fix your gaze on the distance, and don't constantly watch your feet—you'll walk out.
Finding water in forest was easier still.
Use your ears to listen for water, your nose to smell the damp—earth's tang and the scent of water‑plants borne on the wind—and you'll soon find it.
As a simulated planet used for the Academy exam, the environments here were kept essentially pure and unpolluted.
Drinking sweet spring water, Lan Grace felt the torment of wind and grit and thirst swept clean away.
It felt like a game—in which one quaff of "blue potion" restored her on the spot.
It was bliss!