Chapter 349 Test and Result

For the next ten days or so, Jieming lived like a wound-up learning machine.

Ever since he conceived the idea that "the knowledge of this world may have originated from other fallen wizards," an unprecedented desire to "take advantage" has grown wildly in his heart.

Free access to other wizards' core knowledge?

Such an opportunity would be an extraordinary one for any wizard, and it is almost impossible to replicate!

If his previous immersion in learning was driven by a researcher's instinctive thirst for the unknown and a wizard's respect for knowledge, then...

Now, this drive has a touch of fanaticism akin to a bandit raid.

During this period, Jieming spent almost all his time studying, either listening to lectures in the classroom or researching in the library.

Or they might use their personal devices to connect to academic databases, frantically downloading, reading, and understanding those advanced theories and applied technologies.

His dedication to his studies and work not only drew the attention of his classmates and teachers, but even his "parents" were terrified.

I repeatedly advised him to take care of his health and to balance work and rest.

Jemin agreed verbally, but his body remained true to his word as he immersed himself in the ocean of knowledge.

It wasn't until this day off, more than ten days later, that he reluctantly lifted his head from the sea of ​​studies.

Today is the day of the "Clean Ocean" public welfare activity.

The so-called clean-up ocean campaign, simply put, involves volunteers manually cleaning up trash on beaches along designated coastlines.

Given the current level of technology in this world, this kind of work can be done efficiently by inexpensive automated robots.

However, according to community administrators, the purpose of retaining such activities is to "enhance citizens' environmental awareness" and "promote community interaction"—a typical example of social behavior where form outweighs substance.

Jemin arrived at the designated beach meeting point and registered with the administrator.

I received a large, biodegradable black garbage bag and a pair of long-handled clips, and was assigned a section of beach to be responsible for.

His gaze seemingly casually swept over the dispersed crowd of volunteers, but he quickly locked onto that familiar figure.

Viola was dressed in light sportswear, wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, and holding tongs and a garbage bag in her hand.

With an impeccable, gentle smile on his face, he gracefully picked up the scattered debris on the beach.

A small circle seemed to naturally form around her, consisting of both men and women, all of whom were willing to talk to her.

Jemin didn't immediately go over.

Like other ordinary volunteers, he lowered his head and began to diligently clean up the trash in his assigned area, patiently waiting for his turn.

Midway through the event, the organizers announced a fifteen-minute break.

The volunteers then relaxed and finished their work, gathering in twos and threes under the shade where drinking water was provided.

Jemin subtly slowed his pace and adjusted his direction, just in time to "bump into" Viola, who was also heading towards the rest area.

"Senior Viola? What a coincidence." Jemin showed a perfectly timed, slightly tired expression of surprise.

“It’s Jemin, what a coincidence.” Viola responded with a smile, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. “It seems Amy was right, you’ve been studying really hard lately, you look a little tired.”

"Yes, my parents have been nagging me for a long time, saying that if I don't go out, I'll grow mushrooms, and they insist that I go out and get some exercise."

Jemin shrugged helplessly, then said with a hint of surprise:

"I didn't expect you to participate in this kind of event, senior. And judging from how the people around you greet you, you seem to be a regular?"

Viola's smile remained perfect: "Yes, I do often participate in various charity events. It feels very meaningful to contribute to society."

If someone else heard these words, they might think she was kind and had a sense of social responsibility.

But Jemin, who knew her true nature well, deliberately revealed a particularly subtle expression: "I really didn't realize that Senior Viola was such a kind-hearted person."

Upon hearing this, Viola's smile deepened subtly, and a hint of amusement flickered in her beautiful eyes.

She lowered her voice and spoke in a volume that only the two of them could hear:

"A spirit of dedication? Perhaps. But... it seems you already know about my situation with Amy, right?"

"To be honest, watching these volunteers working hard under the scorching sun, with aches and pains in their backs and tired but determined expressions on their faces... that subtle sense of 'pain' also made me feel quite happy."

Upon hearing this, Jemin felt a cold sweat instantly break out on his back.

Recalling the group of men and women who had gathered around him earlier, Jemin suddenly realized something: "So, the reason you were with those people earlier was to supervise whether they were working hard?"

Viola laughed when she heard this: "Oh, don't put it so harshly. I've just been encouraging them to work hard and contribute to the community."

really!

It still tastes the same!

Jemin gave a dry laugh, unsure of what to say for a moment.

I can only say she truly lives up to her senior's reputation.

Even if you have a different life, you can still find ways to appreciate the suffering of others from a moral high ground.

...A normal person probably couldn't even come up with this idea even if they racked their brains.

Just then, he keenly sensed a gaze filled with obvious hostility coming from his side and behind.

He subtly tilted his head slightly and caught a glimpse of a young, fairly handsome male volunteer staring at him with a frown.

Especially when she saw him talking to Viola beside him, the dissatisfaction in his eyes was almost overflowing.

Jemin remembered him; he was the one who had been the most attentive to Viola before.

Jemin blinked, then suddenly realized, and turned to Viola, asking, "Senior Viola, is that... your boyfriend who came with you? But he seems a little different from the one I saw at the mall last time?"

Upon hearing this, Viola was not embarrassed at all. Instead, she seemed to have been asked an interesting question and shared it with great interest: "Oh, you mean the one from before? That's all in the past."

“Although I had heard about it from Amy, I didn’t expect them to act so quickly…” Jemin’s eyelids twitched as he listened.

Viola, however, looked at the man in the distance and chuckled with a wicked grin.

She deliberately moved even closer to Jemin, almost touching his ear: "The previous one was a very talented artist, emotional and sensitive. I just made him think I had fallen for someone else with a little 'misunderstanding' and 'indifference' when he loved me the most."

"You didn't see his devastated, pained, and incredulous expression; it was like a masterpiece! It was absolutely amazing!"

As she described the other person's pain, the light that shone in her eyes was something Jemin knew all too well: a pure appreciation and pleasure for "pain" itself.

"And after the misunderstanding was cleared up, he showed me new signs of distress..."

Listening to Viola's incessant chatter and feeling the almost tangible hostile gaze behind him, Jemin finally realized what was happening.

He subtly shifted to the side, then looked at Viola with a wry smile: "Senior, you've been willing to chat with me here for so long, could it be... that you're also enjoying the 'jealousy' and 'insecurity' your current boyfriend is currently experiencing?"

Viola made no attempt to hide it, even nodding with a hint of approval: "Very perceptive, Junior Jemin. Observing the subtle pain others experience due to emotions is one of the highest forms of enjoyment."

Before the two could say anything more, someone nearby called out Viola's name loudly, as if the event organizers wanted to speak with her.

Realizing that this brief encounter was about to end, Jieming suddenly spoke up: "Senior, there's one last thing."

"Huh? What is it?" Viola stopped turning around and looked at him in confusion.

In that very instant.

Jemin maintained the relaxed smile he had on his face during their conversation, but suddenly raised his right hand and threw a swift, straight punch at Viola's nose without warning!

Although his physical strength was sealed, with the support of his ultimate technique, this punch was still fast, accurate, and ruthless, carrying a sharp gust of wind!

In the blink of an eye, before the smile on Viola's face could even completely disappear, her body had already made its most instinctive reaction—her head tilted sharply to the side at a tiny but precise angle, a movement so fluid and swift that it was something no untrained person could do!

The way it dodged the attack hinted at some kind of combat technique.

The fist, carrying a strong gust of wind, grazed a few strands of her hair.

Almost simultaneously, Jemin's fist instantly transformed into a palm.

He gently brushed his fingers along Viola's temples, plucking a tiny, withered leaf that had somehow landed on her long, silver-gray hair.

His smile remained unchanged, as if the earth-shattering blow just now was merely an illusion. His tone was relaxed: "It's alright now, senior. You have a leaf stuck in your hair, let me remove it for you."

Viola stood frozen in place, the color draining from her face.

For the first time, those eyes, which always held a smile or amusement, clearly revealed surprise, vigilance, and a hint of undisguised horror.

She stared intently at Jemin for a few seconds, her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.

She quickly took half a step back and said in an unprecedentedly distant tone, "Thank you... I'll go now."

After saying that, she turned and walked quickly toward the crowd that had called her, almost as if she were fleeing.

Jemin stood still, the formulaic smile on his face slowly fading.

He turned around expressionlessly, carrying the huge, half-full black garbage bag.

He walked away steadily, step by step, in the opposite direction from Viola.

On the sun-drenched beach, the volunteers were still chatting and resting.

No one noticed the breathtaking tension that had just occurred during that brief exchange.

But Jemin knew that the test had already yielded results.

(End of this chapter)