Chapter 360: Shall We Have a Fight?

When Xia Liang walked out of the examination hall with her test report, she noticed that for some reason, the atmosphere in the corridor had changed compared to before she went in.

The good news was that her two temporary teammates from the assessment—Shandan and Juandan—were also waiting for her in the corridor, so Xia Liang didn't hesitate and walked straight toward the two sisters, asking with a puzzled look:

"Did something happen?"

"Ah, Xiaojin, you're out."

Shandan, who was playing on her phone, heard Xia Liang's voice and immediately looked up, her face full of a "wanting to gossip" expression: "You don't know yet, right? An S-rank rating has already come out for this session."

"You mean Soliflor?" Xia Liang tilted her head slightly, reciting the word that was still somewhat unfamiliar to her.

"Yes, and it's two people at once, both of whom were already known as top contenders."

Shandan said with great interest: "Guess who it is?"

"Who?" Xia Liang asked, curious as well.

Shandan didn't answer, just looking mysterious: "Guess first?"

"It's Senior Mumian and Senior Jiangen-shu."

Juandan, standing to the side, probably couldn't bear her sister holding onto online news to keep people in suspense, so she intervened helplessly. She looked away, pretending not to see Shandan's dissatisfied expression: "Although the results haven't been officially posted yet, they both admitted to their S-rank test results themselves."

"I see, no wonder the atmosphere feels so strange."

Xia Liang scanned the corridor somewhat obscurely and lowered her voice slightly: "Hearing that someone got the highest score when the exam is only half over, it's indeed going to feel a bit weird."

Not to mention emotions like jealousy, envy, or inferiority, at the very least, most people would still feel a subtle sense of urgency in their hearts after hearing such news.

"Hmph, only people with no level would care that others did better than them."

Shandan was optimistic, clearly not having her confidence shaken by the so-called "S-rank": "At times like this, you should be open-minded; if a grade is meant to be yours, others can't snatch it away; if something isn't yours, others can't take it, and it wouldn't belong to you anyway."

"Ah, big sister suddenly said something very philosophical."

"What do you mean 'suddenly'? You silly little sister just don't understand the deep meaning in my words!"

By the way, Shandan and Juandan's tests had long since finished. As twins, their magic equipment abilities were almost identical in base stats, except for some differences in inclination. Thus, their scores were also exactly the same: C+.

As "single-piece magic equipment," the sisters' fans could normally only reach the threshold of C-; after all, neither the form nor the power of the ability was considered outstanding—but the fact that the two could perform a combined attack greatly increased their rating, pushing the score to the upper limit for single-piece magic equipment.

Regarding this score, Shandan seemed a bit dissatisfied at first, while Juandan felt a bit flattered. However, when the two communicated with other examinees around them and discovered that a "C+" rating was in the upper-middle range, they both felt at ease.

After all, both sisters were only Bud-level magical girls, and their main purpose for coming to take the exam was to get the certification badge; they hadn't really hoped to compete for the top spot, so upper-middle was already a pretty good result.

"So, Xiaojin, what was your result?"

After gossiping about others, Shandan's interest in talking remained high, and she immediately asked the question that everyone in the corridor was quite concerned about: "Did you get a B? Or an A? Could it be an S?"

Her voice was not quiet, causing the surrounding examinees to focus their gazes over; clearly, everyone was quite concerned about Xia Liang's score.

Or rather, before the "S-rank" rumors appeared, Xia Liang was the most eye-catching examinee in this area—the first place in the first practical test, and although it was a somewhat controversial first place, she had long since become a reference point for countless people.

"Ah, me? It was Aster." Xia Liang shrugged, revealing her score naturally.

【Ability Specification: Level 2】

【Scope of Effect: Broad】

【Field of Application: Relatively broad, applicable to most occasions outside of lethal effects】

【Development Potential: High】

【Stability: Medium】

【Comprehensive Rating: Aster】

This was the report she received for her own magic equipment.

It could be said that, looking at the paper data alone, her magic equipment already belonged to the best among her peers. The "Level 2" ability specification was also the standard value expected of a Leaf-level, which could be called "all-around," so it didn't seem strange to get an A-rank.

As for the essence of Yinli, although it was fundamentally a single-piece magic equipment, it could actively differentiate into sub-bodies with consistent functions during actual use, so it seemed it could also be judged as "grouped" magic equipment, making this A-rank even more reasonable.

The only fly in the ointment was the lethal capability of Yinli; although Xia Liang had now begun to learn to combine spells with magic equipment abilities, the lethal effect provided by the magic equipment itself remained limited. While this certainly didn't lead to a point deduction, it also meant she failed to get bonus points, ultimately missing out on the conventional highest score of A+.

And all of this came from the analysis of Yueji.

Yes, among the two examiners in the examination hall Xia Liang entered, one of them was the chief examiner of the labyrinth assessment, Yueji, who had offered an olive branch to Xia Liang afterward.

Even the dullest person would know there must be something fishy about this, not to mention that Xia Liang was never a dull child. So, facing her suspicious gaze, Yueji's answer was quite frank:

"I have already confirmed with Lady Zumu-lü, and she said Lady Shi-cheju had no objections, and you didn't seem to oppose it either, so I felt the work of collecting your magic equipment data today was meant for me... What? You ask me why I can be here? This is Lu Ennuo, and I am an administrator of the Research Institute; do I need a reason to want to be here?"

To this, Xia Liang had no rebuttal.

She also wondered in her heart if she had "brute-forced" the other party's puzzle during the labyrinth assessment, making the other party hold a grudge, or even have some unrealistic filter for her magic equipment, which was why she gave an A-rank evaluation. But the other examiner didn't seem to think there was any problem with this score, and the data entry process was calm and peaceful, with the whole process seeming so natural that it made people feel a bit dull.

In short, although it felt unreal, Xia Liang was now A-rank.

Since she had received this score, she felt there was nothing to hide; her assessment order was relatively late, and logically speaking, it would be time to announce the results in a while. So rather than hiding it here, it was better to be open about it.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but after she stated the result, the heavy atmosphere lingering around seemed to become a bit lighter.

Undoubtedly, there would be people who, after learning that Xia Liang's magic equipment rating was A-rank, felt that "an A-rank can also beat an S-rank to get first in the project, so the magic equipment rating isn't everything"; there would also be people who felt "so the first place in the previous assessment couldn't lock in an S-rank in the second one, it seems this person isn't that much of a monster." All kinds of thoughts swirled in the hearts of the surrounding examinees.

Admittedly, an A-rank was already a very excellent score, but compared to the overly dazzling halo of "first place," an A-rank rating was not a result that could convince everyone.

And because of this, just a few minutes after Xia Liang made her score public, a magical girl who looked tall, had very dark skin, and seemed to be from the South African continent came to her.

—"Hey, you're the first place in the first practical test, Xiaojin, right? I'm Qingxiang."

This magical girl introduced herself as soon as she arrived, wearing a confident smile: "The score I got is B+, but I'm not satisfied with this score, so I want to find a strong enough A-rank in the practical stage to prove myself. How about it, want to have a fight?"