Chapter 3: Modification (Repair)

The train came to a stop, and the doors slowly opened.

Shen Zexi followed the crowd off the train, first instinctively scanning his surroundings, and thus his gaze was inevitably drawn again to that flash of Ying Guang Lu, unable to look away.

Then he saw something that surprised him.

The boy with a head of dazzling green hair showed no expression, merely pausing for a few seconds before the signpost that read "Mitra Academy Entrance Examination Passage" on the platform.

Afterwards, he stepped forward with unwavering determination, walking toward the examination site indicated by the sign.

Shen Zexi's steps faltered for a moment, and his usually gentle expression showed a rare crack.

Wait, wait a moment?

Could it be that this person is also here to take Mitra's entrance examination?!

Shen Zexi blinked, almost thinking he was hallucinating from exhaustion.

That's Mitra Academy!

Although not under the Church's jurisdiction, it is still a divine academy; needless to say, its discipline is extremely strict, its demands on students are high, and many who enroll still find it hard to graduate.

Among those applying to this academy, there actually are people like this......

A visual arts major?

Would the academy's examiners really not think this person was sent by the neighboring Dome to launch a mental attack on the many proctors in the examination hall?

A fissure appeared in Shen Zexi's usually warm and calm expression; an internal barrage of furious complaints nearly overwhelmed his reason, he struggled to keep the gentle curve of his lips, but his eyes looked somewhat dead.

Although his reason kept telling him not to look down on someone just because they'd dyed their hair a blinding Ying Guang Lu......

But even if that green were matte, he wouldn't go that far.

How did I suddenly feel like my future looks bleic...... (Note: original ellipsis kept)

Watching that flash of green disappear into the crowd heading toward the examination hall, Shen Zexi couldn't help but raise a hand to rub his brow; the countless complaints churning inside him finally boiled down to one sentence:

"Teacher, you only said this examination might have 'variables,' you never mentioned there would be this kind of 'visual shock'……."

He struggled to suppress the urge to vent his complaints, trying not to dwell on it and instead focusing more on the entrance examination before him.

As long as one awakens Aberrant Arts, even if they fail Mitra Academy's entrance exam, they can still secure a minor post in the Church.

Maybe they're just here for the fun of it, after all this is already the final entrance examination of the year.

——————————————————

The winds of the wast forever carry the taste of rust-mixed dust; in this world where civilization collapsed and was painstakingly rebuilt, being able to enter a divine academy is undoubtedly an opportunity countless people dream of.

As long as one proves they have received divine blessing and possess Aberrant Arts, they can instantly become a respected Special Ability Practitioner.

And Mitra Academy is the most elite and unique among the many organizations that teach Special Ability Practitioners.

That is why, long before the examination, a lengthy queue had already formed at the Mitra Academy entrance exam site.

Ying Duo stood in the line with a head of piercing Ying Guang Lu hair, as conspicuous as a sudden sprout of lush green plant in the desert.

The key is that his hair isn't the deep green of a cactus, but a glowing Ying Guang Lu that draws even more attention.

The line moved forward slowly, and after who knows how long, it was finally his turn.

"Name?" the female registrar asked without looking up, her pen hovering over a yellowed paper form, ready to continue writing at any moment.

But she received no response.

The female registrar could only frown and lift her head; what met her eyes was an astonishing head of Ying Guang Lu hair and a completely expressionless face, together overwhelmingly invading her vision.

She instinctively stepped back half a pace, blinked, and struggled to keep her expression from collapsing.

"Name?" she asked again, this time carefully examining the young man before her.

【Please submit item: Special Ability Practitioner Certification】

A System Prompt popped up; Yang Yixie then opened his backpack icon to check, discovering it wasn't empty at all—in fact, it held quite a few items.

Leaving aside Ying Duo's hoodie outfit, his backpack also contained a variety of odds and ends such as an ID card.

Tsk, if I'd known I should have designed the clothes too, adjusted the color, and written something on them.

Never mind, there'll probably be a chance to change it later; for now, pushing the main plot is more important.

Ying Duo's movements were like those of an old machine—start‑stop, jerky—looking utterly mechanical; someone unfamiliar might think he was a robot built by somebody.

But with current technology, even the Dome couldn't produce such a finely crafted robot.

He pulled a document from his pocket and handed it to the female registrar.

The female registrar took the document and checked the information against the face before her.

The photo and the person before her were indeed the same face, but the photo showed lively eyes and a completely normal black head of hair, making it seem like two different people compared to the current blank‑stare demeanor.

"Ying Duo?" she read the name on the document.

Receiving no reply, Ying Duo simply stood there, eyes unblinking, staring at her, his breathing even and faint.

The female registrar's brows knit tighter; she waved her hand in front of Ying Duo's eyes, but his golden gaze remained vacant and fixed on her.

"Are you okay? Do you need medical help?"

She probed, wondering why this kid seemed so abnormal.

Still no response.

The people behind in line began to whisper; some, seeing Ying Duo's foolish look, openly snickered.

Some people indeed exhibit this condition; even after receiving divine blessing, their bodies can't cope, resulting in various illnesses.

The female registrar sighed, scribbled "suspected brain injury or mental disorder……" on the form, then pointed to the right‑hand passage.

"First choose a weapon here; other weapons must be checked outside and not brought in. Then proceed along this path into the examination zone—killing Aberrant Species earns points, and the top fifty on this session's scoreboard will be admitted. But note the time: Aberrant Species killed after the timer ends yield no points."

She briefly explained the rules; although she no longer believed the boy before her could pass, she still performed her duties diligently.

"Casualties during the academy's examination are normal; if you have objections, you can still withdraw now."

Although the boy before him seemed to have something wrong with his head, even if he didn't enter Mitra Academy, he could still choose to study at the Church.

The Church has many rules, but for a teenager with mental issues, it might actually be the best place……

But Ying Duo seemed not to hear her good intentions, simply walking on his own toward the many weapons.

Various cold weapons were displayed here, plus some strange devices engraved with odd runes.

Ying Duo's gaze swept over a row of white-light-emitting swords, spears, and gauntlets, finally stopping at a white-quality handgun.

This perhaps could no longer be called a handgun; the gun's overall size is quite large, with just an energy converter taking up half its volume, making it more like a metal block.

He reached out and gripped the heavy handgun, his finger fitting perfectly on the large, poorly ergonomic trigger.

"I suggest you still change weapons."

The female teacher, seeing this, couldn't help but kindly remind.

"The standard Energy Pistol provided by our Academy is outdated; its energy conversion efficiency is inferior to those on the market, consumption is huge, users will exhaust after a few shots, and its lethality is also mediocre."

Although the Academy is also researching various new weapons, whether in energy conversion efficiency or lethality, it far falls short of the high-tech weapons developed by the Dome.

And if this weapon were a finished product, it would certainly not fall within the range of options available to students.

She guessed that this boy might have seen some gun-wielding mercenaries who used similar but far more advanced, albeit expensive weapons, leading to a misunderstanding about firearms' lethality.

Still no response.

Ying Duo seemed not to hear, merely gripping the gun, as a semi-transparent interface visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

【Standard Energy Pistol】(White)

Durability: 15/15

Energy consumption: 25/shot

Traits: bulky, inefficient

Seeing Ying Duo's obstinacy, the female teacher could only shake her head helplessly, pointing to the nearby item storage box, indicating that Ying Duo could put his extra items there before entering the assessment area.

Of course, if he doesn't want to store it, that's fine too, since the assessment area is monitored; as long as he doesn't take it out to use, it's okay.

A few suppressed snickers came from around them; in their view, choosing this weapon was no different from giving up the assessment.

Ying Duo showed no reaction, taking the gun and walking straight into the entrance of the assessment area.

【Assessment Area Map Loading........】

Accompanied by the completion of a pixel‑style progress bar loading, Ying Duo stepped into a map where many ruined houses could be seen; amidst the broken walls, Yang Yixie even saw strange black shadows darting about.

【You have left the coverage of the Heavenly Crown Barrier; there is a chance to spawn low‑level Aberrant Species; recommended level: Lv. 1‑Lv. 5】

Ying Duo had taken only a few steps when he heard a faint rustling from behind a pile of discarded bricks nearby; immediately, a creature about the size of a basketball burst out from there.

This should be a rabbit, but why say "should"?

That's because a sharp bone horn had abruptly sprouted on its head; its eyes were blood‑red as it lunged straight at Ying Duo's ankle.

Ying Duo's expression remained calm, but the sequence of raising the gun, aiming, and firing was extraordinarily swift, with no extra motions in between.

"Bang!"

The injected energy activated the runes engraved inside the gun; via the energy converter, an energy‑filled bullet was successfully fired, striking the horned rabbit's head.

【Weak point broken! Critical hit!】

【Congratulations on successfully killing the "Mutant Horned Rabbit", gaining EXP +10】

【Level up to Lv. 2!】

Only he could see the System Prompt appear.

At the same time, the roughly one‑quarter of energy (Blue Bar) consumed by Ying Duo's shot instantly refilled; moreover, the upper limit of his Blue Bar also increased.

He noticed interactive light points appearing beside the horned rabbit's corpse.

Ying Duo walked over to the corpse, crouched, and began interacting.

【Obtained: Rusty Small Gear ×1, Damaged Metal Sheet ×2】

【Skill Triggered: Modification LV. 0】

【Collected parts can be used to repair and modify firearms/equipment】