Chapter 5: Pitiful Mind Has Issues (Revised)

The teachers whispered, sharing their views on these exceptionally outstanding students, who are all future Academy elite seedlings, the objects of their focused attention.

Unlike the splendor of Tianmian City, the conditions in the ground Slum are truly harsh, which means that those willing to come to the Rusted Plaza for the assessment are basically only veteran teachers.

Most teachers are originally from Tianmian City; they despise the poor conditions on the ground, and no one is willing to come here for recruitment work.

Nevertheless, having so many teachers gathered here is already quite good; in recent years, teachers willing to come to the Slum have been exceedingly few.

Just then, a slightly puzzled voice suddenly sounded.

"Hmm? That green‑haired Little Ghost... what is he doing?"

Everyone's gaze was drawn to that voice, landing on a screen positioned at a rather peripheral spot; previously no one had noticed it, and because the person hadn't entered the assessment zone, the image displayed unusually clearly.

Especially that head of Ying Guang Lu hair, which was striking against the gray‑ruined backdrop.

Once noticed, one cannot shift the gaze away from him.

On the screen, the green‑haired youth—Ying Duo—was gripping a standard‑issue Energy Pistol supplied by the Academy, universally regarded as a chicken‑rib, and he slammed it hard into the head of a mutated sand mouse.

"Bang!"

He wore a blank expression, even bordering on wooden, yet his aim at monsters was excellent and his strength considerable.

After crushing the Aberrant Species to death, he would squat to study the corpse for a while, though it seemed more like he was just staring blankly at it.

Thus, the cycle repeats.

"He... is using the pistol as a hammer?"

A teacher, incredulously adjusting his glasses, noted that these standard‑issue Energy Pistols were originally designed with high expectations from the higher‑ups.

The materials used were premium alloys, yet the finished products became failures because they drained the user's energy excessively.

But even with alloy protection, the pistol's internal energy converter couldn't withstand such abuse.

"It's practically a waste of talent!" a teacher frowned as he watched the scene.

"Observe his gun‑raising shooting stance—no tremor at all—this shows his body‑control precision is very high; he's definitely a good shooting prospect, yet he chooses to charge head‑on against the Aberrant Species?"

"Teacher Su, the standard Energy Pistol our Academy provides is no match for the Dome; this child's energy ran out long ago, so this is the only way he can fight..."

A teacher nearby hurriedly spoke up to dissuade him; hearing that, the teacher fell silent. He also understood the point, yet still furrowed his brows and stared at the Ying Guang Lu youth.

Firearms were originally not among the weapons candidates could select; after all, as long as the holder injects energy into it, they can use bullets to kill Aberrant Species, making them somewhat overpowered compared to other weapons.

However, the flaws of these failed firearms actually gave them a chance to be repurposed as junk in the entrance assessment.

Meanwhile, Ying Duo on the screen suddenly began moving without warning, clearly targeting the next Aberrant Species, then raised the pistol again.

This time his energy seemed partially restored; he fired a shot, then his energy drained again, forcing him to rush forward and smash the Aberrant Species with the pistol's barrel.

"Looks like a reconnaissance-type Aberrant Arts?"

"Wait, I recognize this Ying Guang Lu."

The female teacher Li Ya, who had handled registration earlier, walked over; seeing the figure on the screen and the glaring green hair, she immediately recalled who this person was.

No other reason; during registration, Ying Duo had left an impression on her that was simply too deep.

"That's him. He was odd during registration, as if his soul were lost; he wouldn't answer any questions. I suspect he suffered an accident while awakening Aberrant Arts, and his mind was shocked."

She hurried to a nearby filing cabinet, rummaged, pulled out a freshly archived paper form, and handed it to chief examiner Wu Tiancheng and the other curious teachers.

On the form, Name: Ying Duo, with an attached photo of a well‑behaved black‑haired youth.

Although the boy on the screen shares the same face, he seems like a completely different person.

In the remarks column, Li Ya's neat handwriting clearly reads:

"Possible brain injury or mental disorder? Behavioral stagnation, delayed reactions; recommend a mental assessment."

Looking again at the figure on the screen—eyes vacant, crowned with dazzling Ying Guang Lu hair, persistently hammering monsters with the gun......

Several teachers exchanged glances, momentarily speechless.

Given the current situation, at least behavioral stagnation and delayed reactions can be crossed off.

Look at his skill: one shot per kid, taking the pistol and smashing the Aberrant Species' head with force; at least in combat there's no claim of behavioral stagnation.

The teacher who spoke first sighed, his tone full of regret.

"What a pity—such good aim and physical foundation, yet his mind has a... problem, rendering his shooting talent wasted."

In their view, Ying Duo's odd behavior and his excessively striking green hair now both have a reasonable yet regrettable explanation.

Divine blessings turned into mishaps, and the resulting aftereffects aren't unsolvable, but the damage is precisely mental...

Historically, none with mental issues— even the sole heirs of noble families— have found a cure; this child likely has even less hope.

Upon this thought, they could only shake their heads in regret, turning to observe other gifted students; only occasionally would a teacher again watch Ying Duo's movements.

——————————————

【Attempt to reinforce energy converter....... Failed! Modification proficiency +1, durability -1】

【Attempt to reinforce barrel....... Failed! Modification proficiency +1, durability -1】

One failure after another, the weapon's attributes saw virtually no real improvement, yet Yang Yixie remained delighted.

Or rather, his dictionary lacks the word "discouragement," containing only the loop "obtain materials → attempt modification → increase proficiency."

【Level Up to Lv. 5!】

Another surge of upgrade light, a system window visible only to him, popped up.

The attribute interface opened, and his finger directly tapped the "+" next to the 【Agility】 attribute.

The number of Aberrant Species in the outer assessment zone began to drop, new monster spawn rates were slow, and Ying Duo's point accumulation also slowed.

He also noticed Aberrant Species nearby becoming scarcer, and his level had already risen to 5; killing these low‑level Aberrant Species yielded him ever less experience.

After repairing the pistol's durability, he ventured deeper into areas where the ruins were denser and potentially housed stronger Aberrant Species.

【Modification】 proficiency also rose slowly through repeated failures, while durability decreased due to combat and modification mishaps, maintaining a delicate balance overall.

With the massive investment after the upgrade, his Agility points now exceed the initial value by a large margin, making him heavily skewed compared to other attributes.

【You choose to delve into the wilderness; the probability of nearby Aberrant Species spawning increases. Recommended level: Lv. 6‑Lv. 10】

Continuing forward to explore, Ying Duo discovered a resource point flickering white specks in the corner of a relatively intact ruined room.

【Discovery: Abandoned Parts Pile】

【After searching, chance to obtain: basic mechanical parts, unknown blueprint fragments】

He walked over and began "searching".

【Obtained: Standard Screw x2, Intact Gear x1, Ordinary Metal Scraps x3, Low‑grade Source Crystal Fragment x1】

This time the collected materials were of slightly better quality; he opened the 【Modification】 interface again and dragged the 【Intact Gear】 and 【Standard Screw】 x2 onto the 【Energy Converter】 icon.

This time, after a harsh grinding noise, a crisp "crack" sounded.

Ying Guang Lu lines quickly wrapped the pistol; this time a flash of golden light flickered.

The pistol's appearance seemed unchanged, but the scratches on it vanished, and the energy converter ran more smoothly.

【Modification successful! Modification proficiency +5】

【Modification level increased to Lv. 1】

【Standard Energy Pistol energy consumption -5 (current 20 per shot)】

Although it's only a five‑point energy saving, it's already a sign of success; small savings add up, allowing one more shot.

At least now there is a chance for successful modification.

At that moment, a shadow behind a half‑collapsed wall ahead began to writhe slowly.

It was a multi‑legged Aberrant Species with a jet‑black glossy shell, its ferocious mandibles now crawling out of the shadow, its compound eyes locked onto Ying Duo.

【Mutated Centipede‑Lv. 5】

Threat: Medium

It hissed and rushed toward Ying Duo at high speed.

Ying Duo lifted his hand expressionlessly.

"Bang!"

The energy projectile hit the Aberrant Species, leaving only a charred mark on its shell; the damage was far less noticeable than against a horned rabbit.

But the Mutated Centipede's movement speed could not catch Ying Duo; its highly specialized speed was perfectly displayed at this moment.

The Mutated Centipede was thoroughly enraged by his shot, accelerating toward Ying Duo, slime continuously dripping from its gaping mandibles.

This time Ying Duo did not retreat, but met it head‑on.

In the instant before the Aberrant Species bit him, his body shifted half a step to the left in a completely inhuman manner.

Simultaneously, the energy gun in his right hand, using the forward thrust and rotation, slammed hard into the vulnerable joint where the centipede's head met its body.

"Pow!"

The two collided, producing a louder impact than before.

【Weak point broken! Critical hit!】

The centipede let out a sharp hiss, its movement stiffened for an instant.

Ying Duo did not miss the chance, raised the pistol again, and with all his strength hammered down on the crack he had just created.

"Pow! Pow! Pow!"

The actions repeated; after a few seconds, the Mutated Centipede twitched a few times and then ceased moving.