A year ago, in the Northern Seventh District of Moly Crystal City.
The mutable, prismatic crystal dome architecture teemed with people, yet it wasn't overcrowded. The giant exhibition hall could accommodate 200,000 people, and even with the ground filled with individuals, it still seemed spacious.
Students wearing various uniforms held documents, queuing up in long, orderly lines, waiting in front of recruitment positions that resembled grid squares, clutching both nervousness and hope, wishing to be admitted to their ideal schools. This was also the turning point in the lives of most Federation residents.
Gazing across the hall's thousands of recruitment booths, the view finally rested on a particularly crowded one.
"Hello, are you Hexia?"
"Yes," a girl in a school uniform replied somewhat fearfully, nodding her head as she stared at the tall and imposing man in front of her.
The man in the suit leaned back in his chair, looking at the data displayed in the holographic projection, comparing the photograph with the girl before him,
...
"From the standpoint of theoretical grades, Hexia, you could be said to be quite excellent. But you should also be aware that theory grades alone aren't enough to enter our academy, right?"
Suspended behind the man, the wall displayed the exquisitely crafted academy emblem, shaped like a deep blue, nearly black rose, with thorny vines wrapped around both sides. Its texture was understated and luxurious, with a slow shimmer of light moving through it.
Edith Academy (Rating: S): Ranked 4 within the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, mainly teaching Withering Sequence and Natural Sequence, mastering Withering Sequence 5: Mourning Rose, Withering Sequence 5: Eradication Eye, Withering Sequence 5: Garden Shuttle, Natural Sequence 5: Jade Skirt Rose, Natural Sequence 5: Firefly Fairy. These five secret techniques, deemed Perfect by the Federation, were practiced in transcendent professions and were the dream of countless people.
The man spread his hands apologetically to the somewhat inexperienced girl in front of him. However, his gaze didn't focus on her; instead, he casually flipped through the personal terminal before him. To him, he encountered hundreds or thousands of students like her every day; they all wanted to enter Edith Academy and soar to great heights. But gaining entry to such a prestigious academy wasn't easy. If it wasn't for the Federation's requirements, their academy wouldn't even bother setting up a recruitment booth in this hall. Most of the admissions had already been reserved in advance.
"I..."
Hexia looked at the tall, powerful figure. The contempt and irritation in his deep voice made her feel ashamed, her body trembling. She clenched her knees and put in her greatest effort to remain calm, trying not to think about being ridiculed by her classmates if she failed.
With a tremulous voice, Hexia said, her voice somewhat distorted, "I would like to apply for the special exemption stated in clause 26 of the admissions brochure."
After speaking, she lowered her head, closed her eyes, and didn't dare to look at the expression on the opposite side.
"Oh..." The man lifted his head and glanced at the still-nervous girl in front of him, then spoke.
"Do you have any special talents? You should know this isn't something you can just get through winning a competition." To get into good high schools, many students participate in various competitions, but the quality of these events varies greatly, and some are riddled with underhanded dealings. Some real prestigious schools don't acknowledge them.
"Can I have a piece of paper, please?" Her teeth chattered, as if any show of impatience on the part of the one across from her could break her frail voice.
Although she knew her talent was special, she had no confidence at the moment. After all, she was from a small town in a remote area. Many things the locals were proud of didn't seem extraordinary to those from more developed areas or the upper echelons.
"You may." The man casually drew out a blank sheet of paper and laid it on the table.
Luckily, the reviewing teacher didn't make things difficult for her, or perhaps he simply disdained to trouble such a young girl.
Hexia picked up the white paper, took a deep breath, suppressed the trembling of her fingers, and tore the sheet slightly with some force. Under the white light, the minute fibers at the edge spread out, making it seem rough compared to the smooth edges.
"So what?" the man snorted with his nose, finding it somewhat amusing. He didn't understand why the girl wanted to do this.
Grades: Literature (124) Mathematics (122) Aijieka Theory (131) Elves Language (72) Laws (69) AI Logic (68) Chemical Pharmacology (70) Basic Physics (70)
Transcendent Sequence: Withering Sequence 2: Dark Visitor
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The so-called Transcendent Sequence is the method by which life condenses Aijeika particles into a core, granting life transcendental abilities, and even ascending to higher life forms.
In the distant past, Aijeika particles had many names, such as mana, magic power, Yuan Force, spiritual power, and so on. This was a miracle that occurred after another universe collided and overlapped with the current universe. As a special medium, it allowed the mind to interfere with the mundane world, achieving certain magical effects. The reason it's called magic is that some abilities are difficult to explain scientifically. Perhaps current scientific technology has not yet reached a stage that can unravel all mysteries. People know how to use this power, but the true mechanisms behind it remain largely unexplained.
After transforming this magical power into an orderly form, different sequences of magic were formed, such as the Natural Sequence, Radiant Feather Sequence, Withering Sequence, Spirit Particle Sequence, and so on. The Transcendent Core continuously condenses this power, advancing step by step from low to high, and is also divided into Sequences 1-9.
Being able to enter Sequence 2 before high school, even in core developed Star Domains within the Federation, means a very outstanding student. Nowadays, it's not the glorious Fourth Epoch anymore. Sequence 8 is already the pinnacle for many countries and organizations. Top graduates will be between Sequences 3-4, and such talented individuals will be welcomed anywhere they go.
After filling in the form, Hexia stood up, held the document bag in front of her with both hands, bowed again to express thanks, and then slowly left the recruitment spot.
She opened the partitioned glass door, and a wave of noise like a hot wind hit her face. Countless students lined up in long queues, standing nervously in front of various recruitment spots. Although they were speaking softly, the grand transparent metal hall housed about 120,000 students, stretching as far as the eye could see.
This was the annual recruitment festival of the Northern Seventh District. Prestigious schools set up recruitment spots in the hall arranged by the Federation and reviewed the applying students.
Aside from theory grades, which were from a standardized exam recorded planet-wide, each school set their own admissions requirements based on their style.
For instance, some performing arts academies required students to be proficient in musical instruments and demonstrate on the spot. Specialized pharmacology schools would ask students to compound drugs there and then. Commerce schools would specifically test the range of languages a student knew, and so on.
Certainly, there were some especially unique ones, like the military school directly under the Federation, and the prestigious schools ranked within the top 50 of the planet. Edith Academy, which Hexia Tilan applied to, ranked fourth within the Star Domain and was extremely powerful. Its admissions conditions were even stricter and more complex. Students who entered were either extremely rare talents or came from tremendously privileged backgrounds.
After Hexia left, the reviewing teacher didn't let the next student enter the booth but sat there looking at the girl's freshly completed application, his gaze slowly moving over it, deep in thought.
He wasn't like those ordinary staffers just biding time, as a recruiting teacher from a top-rank academy he had great power, and naturally, very high expectations. Well-traveled and knowledgeable, he originally came to the Northern Seventh District merely to meet the Federation's requirements, not expecting to recruit anyone, but unexpectedly he encountered an exception.
Repairing broken things may sound rather mundane, but in the eyes of a professional, it wasn't simple at all.
Most things nowadays are industrial products. So-called 'repairs' are essentially just replacements—switching out faulty modules with new ones was manageable because standardized products could be quickly manufactured on assembly lines, which was more cost-effective and easier than disassembling and fixing each item.
True repair, however, was rare and precious.
It was like using a method of healing life to treat inanimate and cold objects, allowing them to mend back to their original state—an ability that seems quite frightening upon closer reflection.
It would mean connecting every broken molecule, reforming the bonds between atoms, and organizing them into their initial orderly state.
'If her ability could be applied to some extremely precious damaged treasures or crystal stones, that would be simply...' the teacher thought.
'No, it's too early to decide, and maybe this is just a smokescreen. We still need to take the items back for repeated checks with precise instruments.' The teacher shook his head, calming his suddenly excited emotions.
He continued to think, tapping his fingers absently on the desk, pondering how to report and then discuss this discovery with the upper echelons of the academy.
It wasn't until a considerable time had passed that he gathered the documents on the desk, pressed a button,
"Next student, please."