In the desert, the thousand‑odd examinees stared at one another.
Had President Ferrero just looked down on them?
And what did he mean?
Why did he mention a Waste Star girl?
Almost everyone was confused for a moment, but quickly shook it off.
Each had more pressing business—finding a way out of the desert—fast!
Time was tight—only a day.
If they failed, their exam would end there.
Among the thousand‑plus, a few pondered Ferrero's final words.
The big, burly "blockhead" Chen Cheng, on hearing "Waste Star girl" from the president's mouth, almost reflexively thought of the Waste Star beauty he had chased before.
Zhao Qingyan's mind, too, flashed to the Waste Star girl who had pleased her with delicious pastries.
Zhu You, a Waste Star native who had escaped elimination in the first melee, for some reason thought of the woman who came from a Waste Star like them—but looked better than any of them.
Soon enough, though, he rejected it.
How could a woman with only looks to her name be singled out by the Academy president?
On what grounds!
Not far from him, the tiny Waste Star girl of twelve or thirteen with the sparse, long‑braided hair also thought for a while.
Although she had stood by the pretty Waste Star sister in her wager with Zhu You, she did not believe that a pretty face could attract the notice of someone as exalted as the president of the Second Military Academy.
Each with their own thoughts, they began searching for ways out of the desert.
Meanwhile, in another region—a forest rich in water—Lan Grace began day one of her exploration.
As for what was happening back in the desert, President Ferrero's sudden announcement of the desert trial, and the president's mention of a Waste Star girl—Lan Grace knew nothing.
Her region was screened from all things in the desert; she had not seen Ferrero's projection.
After half a day roaming the forest, Lan Grace worked hard to find a little that could be eaten.
This forest region's climate was humid; fungi grew in some grass.
For example, Lan Grace found a patch where ground lichen—"earth ear"—grew.
"Earth ear," also called ground‑skin fungus, is a symbiont of fungus and algae—usually in dark, damp places. Dark in colour, a little like soaked wood‑ear.
Used to make soup, it was delicious beyond words!
Besides that, under a layer of leaf‑mould she found several clusters of parasol‑capped mushrooms.
These white mushrooms belonged to the Agaricus family—also known as "chicken fir" mushrooms—and could also be used for soup.
She had ingredients—and containers—the metal tins she had picked up earlier.
Though the tins were a little small, they would do.
But the air in the forest was damp; finding fuel to light and cook soup took time. Only after gathering a bundle of dried grass, fallen leaves, and twigs did she begin to make a fire.
Before lighting, Lan Grace cleared the ground around to keep the flame from spreading and setting the forest alight.
She rolled a handful of soft, dry grass into a ball, then unclasped the pendant on the silver chain at her neck.
The crescent‑shaped pendant held an ice‑blue gem. She turned the gem towards the sun, focused the light, and used refraction to ignite the dry grass—fire soon crackled.
She had never expected that the necklace Mi Lai had given her could be used like this. In wilderness survival, it was a boon indeed!
Nor had her care for Mi Lai gone to waste—on the Waste Star, whenever she had something good to eat, she thought of Mi Lai.
The mushroom soup she cooked with stream water was rich with savour. Even before it finished cooking, the aroma wafted far.
Luckily, no one else was nearby.
Even without salt, the natural umami of the fungi made the appetite rise. When it was done, Lan Grace sat down and ate in peace.
Fed and rested, she doused the fire, tidied up, and moved on.
This area lay somewhat close to the desert. Lan Grace did not know whether she was the first to leave the sands.
But she guessed she was early.
When she came, there had been no sign of trampled grass, and the growth of plants seemed natural—untouched.
Perhaps she was the first to walk out?
Thinking as she went, she carried two tins—filled with earth ear and chicken‑fir mushrooms—and headed deeper.
Alliance Star, the Second Academy monitoring room.
Lan Grace's every move was watched by the three mentors.
Even she didn't know that, since leaving the desert trial area, she had become a focus of the three mentors' attention.
Among the hundreds of tightly packed feeds, hers had been enlarged several times over.
It was plain how seriously they took her.
Watching Lan Grace make and drink soup, Mentor Jin Ling found the Waste Star girl's actions ever more surprising.
Seeing the Waste Star girl's easy, carefree life in the forest, Mentor Cheng Gong's face slowly turned green.
"Is she here for the entrance exam—or on holiday!?"
From start to finish, Mentor He Bi wore a smile—watching and commenting like any bystander.
"From the way she drinks it, those mushroom soups can't be bad. I've no idea what the other one is—but suddenly I find I'd like to try it."
He followed with more praise. "Not bad, not bad. This Waste Star girl has a good temperament and strong adaptability. Without nutrient solution for daily needs, she actually thought to find food herself."
He paused, then continued, "And from the way she squinted with happiness after eating, her workaround was rather a success."
At He Bi's words, Mentor Jin Ling nodded slightly. "The Waste Star girl's unusual survival method is indeed a success."
Hearing Jin Ling's approval only made Cheng Gong angrier.
"She may be comfortable—but she's dragged others down! She's taken the first checkpoint from normal mode straight to hell mode!"
Just the thought made him fume.
"Leaving a natural maze of a desert in a single day might be doable for battle‑regiment elites with rich combat experience—but for other examinees, it's next to impossible!"
Cheng Gong had plenty of grievances against the Waste Star girl.