Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Just as Lu Xingshan had said, his word was absolute within Safe Zone 088.

Editing a few records was among the least significant things he could do.

If Lu Xingshan wished, he could declare Qin Lan a “humanoid anomaly” and mobilize other Anomaly Hunters to eliminate him. Of course, killing Qin Lan himself would be faster.

No one would question the director of a Safe Zone’s Anomaly Hunter Bureau.

Every Safe Zone director was at least a 4-Star Anomaly Hunter, but not every 4-Star Anomaly Hunter was qualified to become a director.

Combat achievements, experience, convictions, and competence–none could be lacking.

Within the scope of Lu Xingshan’s authority, Qin Lan’s file could say whatever Lu Xingshan wanted it to say.

“Remember this from now on. You joined the Anomaly Hunter Bureau four years ago and have participated in numerous expeditions into 2-Star and 3-Star instances.”

“Your Talent is also B-rank. I will have contacts in the United Government amend the relevant records as well, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Two casual sentences from Lu Xingshan transformed Qin Lan into a veteran 3-Star Anomaly Hunter.

“But… some people will remember me, won’t they?” Qin Lan asked. “My former classmates, for example, or people who hold grudges against me…”

“They know I’m only a nineteen-year-old high school graduate.”

Lu Xingshan gave him a kindly smile.

“Do they? Then they must remember incorrectly.”

“After all, the records of the Anomaly Hunter Bureau and the United Government agree. Surely both institutions couldn’t have made the same mistake.”

His expression grew even kinder as he continued.

“If we truly made an administrative error, then in keeping with the principle of public oversight, we would invite any resident who questioned the records to the Anomaly Hunter Bureau for an in-depth discussion…”

“I believe they would recognize the truth by the end of it.”

Qin Lan swallowed and broke into a cold sweat.

So this was the power of authority?

Perhaps he should try to become a director himself one day…

“Right.” Qin Lan suddenly remembered something important. “Principal Wu asked me to represent my old school in the Four-School Joint Examination in a few days. Could we postpone the promotion ceremony?”

Lu Xingshan glanced at him and scoffed.

“You really have no shame.”

“A 3-Star Anomaly Hunter competing against a group of high school students? Why don’t you compete against me instead and see which of us is stronger in actual combat?”

“What challenge could a simulated 1-Star instance possibly present to you?”

“It would be no harder than wiping your ass after taking a shit.”

Qin Lan pleaded with a miserable expression.

“Crude, but true. Still, did you have to make it that crude?”

“Principal Wu kept begging me, and he helped me in the past. I have to return the favor…”

“Show some mercy, Director…”

Only after Qin Lan pleaded repeatedly did Lu Xingshan wave him away impatiently.

“Fine, fine. We’ll handle your promotion and amend the records after the joint examination…”

“Shameless. Bullying children…”

Qin Lan pretended not to hear Director Lu’s sarcastic muttering.

Was that really his fault?

It was not as though he wanted to smurf against helpless students. There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about something so immoral…

Actually, it felt amazing!

Smurfing was fantastic!

Was there anything in the world more entertaining than crushing beginners?

Standing among the students of No. 3 High School, Qin Lan reveled inwardly.

He had grown accustomed to facing bizarre anomalies with attributes in the teens or twenties.

Now, facing children who had barely begun developing their Talents made him so happy he could almost faint.

Qin Lan wore his old school uniform and kept a low profile within the team. No one noticed anything unusual because he was doing his best to suppress the aura around him.

He was only nineteen and looked completely at home in the uniform–just another quiet high school boy with a secretly cocky streak.

To secure an upset victory in the Four-School Joint Examination, Fatty Wu had gone to extraordinary lengths to seal off all information. He strictly forbade students from contacting anyone at the other schools and concealed the participation of Qin Lan, the “shameless smurf”–or rather, the “kind senior on a leave of absence”–until the last possible moment.

Anyone who investigated would learn only that Qin Lan had “failed the college entrance examination,” “taken leave for personal reasons,” and possessed an “F-rank Talent.”

No one would pay him any further attention.

“Well? Feeling confident?” Fatty Wu sidled over with a sly smile and lowered his voice.

Qin Lan rolled his eyes. “What kind of question is that?”

“I’m a 3–a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter competing against high school students, and you’re asking whether I’m confident?”

“Have some decency.”

Fatty Wu chuckled, a calculating light gleaming between his narrow eyelids.

“Confidence is all I need to hear. Heh heh…”

“Whether our school can rise in the rankings is entirely up to you!”

Qin Lan nodded, unconcerned.

Unlike the college entrance examination, the Four-School Joint Examination did not require participants to enter the Fallen Zone and clear a real instance. Instead, they entered a simulated instance.

The participating students were the best from each school. Losing them prematurely in the Fallen Zone would severely damage their schools’ college entrance examination results for years, so the organizers used this safer method.

The simulated instances were created through limited access to the United Government’s central AI, which reproduced data supplied by the Anomaly Hunter Bureau on a one-to-one basis.

The simulations achieved ninety-nine percent similarity to real instances while remaining safe and stable.

They were not used for the college entrance examination because the cost was simply too high.

Besides, excess population brought no benefit to a Safe Zone. It only placed severe pressure on limited resources.
The modern college entrance examination was not merely a threshold for selecting talent. It was also a means of consuming the useless.

“Once we’re inside the simulated instance, beat anyone who isn’t from our school senseless… Especially those students over there. See them?”

Fatty Wu discreetly pointed at several students. “I asked around. They’re elite students from No. 1 and No. 2 High Schools. I’m counting on you to break their spirits.”

“Once their confidence is shattered, your mission is complete!”

Qin Lan’s mouth twitched. “Could you be any more shameless?”

Beating them was not enough? He wanted Qin Lan to destroy them psychologically too?

Should a principal really be proposing something that damaging to the physical and mental health of teenagers?

Fatty Wu patted Qin Lan’s shoulder with an approving expression.

“Qin, I gave you this glorious mission because I know how ruthless people from the slums can be.”

“Don’t let me down!”

Qin Lan grimaced. “What do you mean, ruthless? Do you have some misunderstanding about people from the slums?”

“And what part of this mission is glorious?”

As they continued arguing, the United Government official overseeing the education department cleared his throat.

“All participating students are in position. Please form your groups and enter in an orderly manner!”

“The simulation equipment has passed inspection and is operating normally.”

“The first group of examinees will now enter…”

Each group represented one school. There were four groups in total, with ten students in each.

The order of entry was determined by the results of the previous Four-School Joint Examination.

At the instance entrance, the students from No. 1 High School stood tall and proud, their faces brimming with youthful confidence.

Four of the ten possessed B-rank Talents. The remaining six all had combat-oriented C-rank Talents. Together, they formed an exceptionally powerful lineup.

No. 2 High School’s team was similar. They had one fewer B-rank Talent user, but their overall strength remained formidable.

In No. 3 High School’s team, the other nine students could not help glancing at Qin Lan, who stood at the back of the line.

This senior, supposedly a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter, was their greatest trump card.

Just how powerful was a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter?

The students had no real concept of it.

Anomaly Hunter was merely a term in their textbooks, a profession mentioned by their teachers, a group of elusive oddballs rarely seen by ordinary people.

Anomaly Hunters spent most of their time recuperating at the Anomaly Hunter Bureau or fighting in the Fallen Zone. Few people had ever witnessed them in action, so the public naturally knew little about their strength.

“Senior Qin, those students from No. 1 and No. 2 High Schools are pretty strong. Would you like to review their files?”

A blue-haired girl spoke cautiously.

Liang Yu had been selected for the joint examination, but she felt deeply uncertain.

She possessed only a C-rank Talent, and there were only two B-rank Talent users on their entire team. Compared with the other schools’ lineups, that was an enormous disadvantage.

Everyone knew that the higher a Talent’s rank, the stronger it was.

Although Senior Qin was said to be a 2-Star Anomaly Hunter, she had heard that his Talent was only F-rank. That made her even more worried.

Could an F-rank Talent truly possess combat power?

Qin Lan shook his head.

Review their files?

Entering this joint examination was already overwhelming enough to count as cheating. Studying his opponents’ information on top of that would be inhuman.

Frankly, keeping his eyes open inside the instance would already be unfair.

“All right…” Liang Yu could only distribute the files to the others while muttering inwardly.

“The principal said we only need to cooperate fully with Senior Qin… He wasn’t lying to us, was he?”

“Senior Qin doesn’t look much older than us. Even if he’s an Anomaly Hunter, how strong could he really be…?”

Liang Yu was not alone. Several other students from No. 3 High School shared her doubts.

Students who spent their lives in classrooms could not imagine the Fallen Zone and had never truly faced an anomaly.

“Third group!”

At the proctor’s command, Qin Lan and his teammates entered the simulated instance.

A large screen beside the entrance displayed every part of the instance through numerous smaller feeds that proctors could access at any time.

Whenever a battle began or someone encountered an anomaly, the corresponding feed would automatically enlarge for everyone present to watch.

The Four-School Joint Examination determined each school’s ranking and reputation, so many teachers and students had come to watch.

Had the venue not been limited, every student from all four schools might have attended to witness the elite examinees perform.

“No. 3 High School doesn’t look very strong.”

“Exactly. They only have two B-rank Talents, and everyone else is C-rank. That’s a huge disadvantage.”

“Do you think the rankings will change this time?”

“How could they? The gap is too big. No. 1 High School is guaranteed to win…”

“Hey, who’s that guy? I don’t think I’ve seen him before…”

The schools rarely interacted, so no one from the other schools recognized Qin Lan.

Anyone who might have heard about his once-in-a-century disaster of a Talent had already graduated, leaving no one who knew his background.

Only the teachers and students of No. 3 High School understood what kind of person had entered the examination.

——————–

Simulated Instance: Voiceless Asylum

Difficulty: 1-Star

Description: A deathly silent hospital. Desperate patients. An inescapable cage. Preserve your sanity for as long as possible…

Rule 1: Outside designated rest periods, patients must remain in their wards.

Rule 2: Obey hospital regulations and take all medication on schedule.

Rule 3: Do not make a sound at night.

Rule 4: Complete the course of treatment to clear the instance.

——————–