244. I Lost
Yun Ling only used one test attempt before leaving, as there was no point in pushing his score any further.
Sure enough, Yun Ling was met with waves of admiring gazes as soon as he stepped outside.
He casually tossed his hair, causing another stir.
Hmm, the stories of successful people in real life are indeed wonderful; this feeling of being popular can really make one a little giddy.
"Yun Ling, are you planning to apply directly for an A-rank Knight?" Fu Hua asked.
"Yes, I want to go out and see the world." Yun Ling nodded.
Becoming an A-rank Knight would allow him to carry out missions independently, which was a great thing for Yun Ling.
Because he still had many things he wanted to do in the outside world.
"The outside world is very dangerous." A glint flashed in Fu Hua's eyes, as if she were thinking of something.
"Of course I know, but without danger and risk, how can a fledgling that's always lived in swaddling clothes spread its wings and soar? I know this world is vast, which is why I need to see it."
Yun Ling then winked at Fu Hua.
"...Hmm." Fu Hua nodded, remaining silent.
Yun Ling turned his gaze to the other simulation training rooms. Kiana and the others were challenging Temple-class Honkai Beasts, just a hair's breadth away from reaching the Emperor-class.
After practicing the Taixu Sword Qi, their strength had greatly increased.
Their physical attributes were now comparable to ordinary A-rank Valkyries, but their combat experience was a major weakness, requiring time and experience to overcome.
Soon, they defeated the Templar-class Honkai Beasts and then continued their challenge against the Emperor-class.
What surprised Yun Ling was Bronya.
She had actually managed to keep up with the other two, also choosing the Emperor-class as her challenge target.
According to the game's storyline, Bronya was indeed stronger than Kiana and Mei in the early stages of the story.
This was even evident from the initial rank of the Valkyrie armors in the game.
Kiana's White Comet and Mei's Crimson Armor were both initial B-rank, while Bronya's Yamabuki Armor was an initial A-rank.
(Note: The "Valkyrie Chariot" is a school uniform, not armor; this rank distinction is just for fun.)
Bronya had undergone assassination training and had been trained and modified by Cocolia. Having been a mercenary since childhood, her combat experience was naturally far superior to Kiana and Mei's.
Yun Ling didn't question Bronya's intentions, but he was surprised that Bronya had already reached the level of an A-rank Valkyrie at this point.
He had thought she would slowly improve over the past two years.
As for Yuna, she had it the easiest, defeating the Emperor-class in just two minutes.
Yuna, wielding the power of authority, possesses the highest raw strength among the four, assuming Mei and Kiana don't unleash their full power.
Soon, the group emerged, displaying remarkable composure despite facing the formidable Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
"It was quite easy!"
Kiana flexed her arm muscles, placing her other hand on top, striking a powerful pose.
"Then prepare well for the afternoon's exam. You haven't forgotten everything after a good night's sleep, have you?" Yun Ling gently pinched her cheek.
"No way! Hmph, this time I'll definitely show you!"
Kiana confidently raised her head, displaying her snow-white neck and delicate collarbone to Yun Ling.
"Let's eat something first. How can you perform at your best in the afternoon exam if you don't eat your fill?" "Mei suggested.
"I knew Mei understood me best! I want fried dumplings!" Kiana hugged Mei's neck affectionately.
The afternoon exams began as scheduled. The sound of pens scratching on paper filled the air. With a bell, the most important main subject exams came to an end.
Kiana hummed a little tune, looking relaxed. It was clear she had done quite well.
"Yun Ling, how did you do?"
"I barely managed a perfect score."
Yun Ling shrugged.
He almost fell asleep in the exam room. He finished the paper in less than twenty minutes, spending the rest of the time dozing off.
It was mainly because the proctor was Fu Hua; he had to give her some face.
"Ugh!" Hearing Yun Ling's words, Kiana's mood instantly soured.
"Sigh, back when we first arrived at Chiba Academy, we were the last and second-to-last in our class, and now..."
Kiana puffed out her cheeks. They'd agreed to be academic underachievers together, but Yun Ling had already embarked on the path of academic geniuses with no turning back.
"Because I need to learn so I can teach you properly! I've put in a lot of effort to become the personal teacher of this silly little bug," Yun Ling said half-jokingly.
"Wh...don't call me that in front of so many people!"
Hearing such an affectionate nickname for "bug," Kiana's face instantly turned red.
She cautiously glanced around, making sure no one had heard, before letting out a long sigh of relief and glaring at Yun Ling.
She didn't object to this kind of closeness; it was just that the nickname was a little too embarrassing, nothing more.
"The main exams are over, but there are still three elective courses left. Don't let your guard down."
Yun Ling patted Kiana's head and said gently.
"Okay!" Kiana smiled contentedly and ran off happily.
"Your and Kiana's relationship is getting better and better." Mei appeared beside her at some point.
"Yes, after all, Mei, you..."
Yun Ling gently put his arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear.
Mei blushed and slapped his hand away.
But Mei really didn't have the energy to be jealous now. After several failed attempts, she had truly understood that Yun Ling was not someone she could defeat alone.
Originally, she wanted to use her body to capture his heart, but instead, she was the one being...
Every time she thought of this, Mei's face would burn slightly.
But she couldn't help wanting to lean closer again, savor that feeling.
So, in this game, Mei had already given herself away.
First her heart, then her body...
She had completely transformed into Yun Ling's form.
Thinking about it, Mei felt a slight itch, so she quickly banished these thoughts; she still had her elective exam to take!
Not long after, Yun Ling bid farewell to Mei and arrived at his exam room.
The first thing he saw upon entering was Bronya already sitting to his side.
Elective exams weren't as formal as those for major courses; they were largely based on the instructor's personal preferences.
For example, in Mechanical Engineering... It was a weapon assembly exercise, much like a classroom quiz.
However, the requirements were much stricter, as it was graded based on completion rate and time.
Furthermore, many unused parts were included, requiring students to identify them themselves.
Targeted weapon modifications were allowed, a bonus point, with a two-hour time limit.
As the countdown began, Yun Ling glanced at the screen, yet a complete blueprint was already in his mind.
Several thin threads appeared at his fingertips, manipulating the parts at lightning speed to begin assembly.
Bronya was equally eager to follow suit, working diligently on each aspect... Bronya knew the weapon data by heart; her only difference from Yun Ling was speed.
Yun Ling quickly completed his creation, and Bronya followed closely behind.
After inspection by the teacher, both were considered perfect, and their modifications were identical.
However, Yun Ling seemed to have used one more part than Bronya.
After a simple test, it was discovered that the weapons created by Yun Ling and Bronya were almost identical in both power and accuracy.
But Bronya used one less part than Yunling...
As things stand, it seems Bronya has won.
The teacher, of course, knew that the two often competed openly and secretly, but Bronya was always the one who lost.
"Bronya's weapon's trajectory deviates slightly to the left around the 170th shot, and completely deviates by about three centimeters around the 280th shot." Yun Ling suddenly reminded the teacher.
"???"
Upon hearing Yun Ling's words, not only was the teacher surprised, but Bronya also showed a hint of disbelief.
To be able to pinpoint the exact number of bullets—wasn't that a bit too exaggerated?
"Teacher, I'm willing to continue testing." Bronya didn't stop testing; she wanted a chance to defeat Yun Ling fair and square.
The teacher nodded, then continued loading bullets and testing.
Sure enough, around the 165th shot, the trajectory began to show a slight leftward deviation, while Yun Ling's weapon remained perfectly stable.
The testing continued, and Bronya's weapon's trajectory deviated more and more noticeably. At the 280th shot, it deviated exactly three centimeters, exactly as Yun Ling had predicted.
Yun Ling's weapon, however, remained stable, without any problems.
This meant that Yun Ling had considered what Bronya had thought of, but he recognized the importance of that component to the overall weapon balance and therefore chose to retain it.
Perhaps because in her previous life, Bronya was capable to constructed many weapons instantly and only used them for a short amount of time, she had overlooked issues like overall balance when used for a long time.
After all, the weapons she constructed using the Herrscher of Reason core were disposable, and there was no need to consider balance.
"Phew... I lost." Bronya looked at Yun Ling with her grey eyes, acknowledging her defeat.
This time, she lost wholeheartedly, without a single complaint.
...