Preliminary Round Strange Things (Part 3)

The exit of the military training center in the evening.

"It's out, it's out! The contestants will be leaving soon!" The reporter from "Leiden Surroundings" rushed out excitedly and called out to his colleagues, "Quick, quick, set up the equipment."

"Who comes out of this exit?" asked the colleague while setting up his cameras swiftly.

"Lucky! I just saw Garuda College and Izumo College... and Mithril College in the four major villages. At least these schools will come out from here."

"Oh my god..." A colleague clasped his hands together and said, "Please, please, please, we must successfully interview Mithril Academy. Especially Aisen Mithril, he's the dream of thousands of middle-aged women. There are so many mothers watching our show. As long as he appears on the show, the ratings will definitely explode!"

"Garuda's Surya and Izumo's Daomingsi Ren are also very popular. It would be nice to pick them." The man who returned from watching the wind licked his lips and rubbed his hands expectantly.

"Well... maybe we could interview Briar Flower. After all, it's a college in our state, and it's also one of the eight primary schools..." The girl dressed as a young assistant spoke timidly, but was interrupted by a colleague. "Say 'Pah, pah, pah!' Sixteen exits—we finally got our bet right and got to meet so many popular contestants—and now you want me to film Briar Flower? What's their level? Who's interested in watching them?"

Why go back to the bottom-ranked schools and interview them? They have no ratings and the contestants are embarrassed.

"Don't you know? Thornflower got full marks today, currently in first place in Group A." A reporter from Fantasy Beast Weekly kindly reminded them, "Even if you don't have access to the backstage coverage, at least check the news. All the news about this afternoon's competition is already flying around."

"That's right, the captain of Thorn Flower even did a live broadcast for a while."

"Forehead……"

The three people from "Leyden Surroundings" looked at each other in bewilderment. They shared a terminal that had broken down a couple of days ago and had been sent in for repairs. Little did they know that after just two or three days, Thorn Flower would have made big news for them.

"Or you can send someone without a press pass to come in and watch the game." With nothing to do anyway, the staff of "Peak Showdown" also joined the team of people who were disgusted.

The professional quality is so poor. No wonder a state-level media with official background can be so obscure.

"One of them, Song Baiyue, and the other, Lei Annabelle, both have videos that went viral. They're very popular," someone else interrupted.

As he was speaking, someone came out from the exit.

The cinnabar mole between the eyebrows of the leading young man was particularly eye-catching under the flash light. Looking at the crowd of reporters, a hint of impatience flashed in his golden-brown pupils.

"Contestant Surya! How do you feel about leading your team to victory over Iberia Academy?" The people from Fantasy Beast Weekly no longer had time to chat and rushed forward. Some of them almost shoved the recording equipment in Surya's face.

The Garuda standing on Surya's shoulder was in tune with its master's mind and spread its wings. The strong wind created by its ten-meter wingspan forced back the reporters who were approaching.

"Mood? Ha, is this the only boring question you can ask?" Su Liye rarely traveled alone, but he had already begun to miss those lackeys who could block outsiders for him.

Just as the crowd followed him, the contestants from Izumo Academy came out from the shadows, surrounding a young man with black hair and fair skin.

"Ah, contestant Daoming Si Lian, we are from 'New Love Express' and we have arranged an exclusive interview with you. The live broadcast vehicle is parked outside. Please follow me!" Someone spotted the new target with sharp eyes, and part of the crowd surrounding Surya began to turn around.

"Excuse me."

Daoming Si Lian, who had originally intended to use Surya's cover to sneak through, could only use his arms to clear some breathing space for him and his teammates. "The academy has arranged an interview with you, but not today. Our players are very tired, please allow us to rest first."

"At least answer one question!" The short reporter from the Izumo Daily slipped under his colleague's armpit. "Master Daomingsi, Wadasi, we're from the same hometown."

Even from a distance, Linyin squinted at the glare of the flash. She truly admired those who could face the bright light without blinking. Using Wuji Zhenqi, she could certainly look directly into the flash, but she hadn't made an appearance yet, and she didn't want her titanium eyes to be in the news too soon.

Crystal and her fellow contestants had already followed the staff's instructions and exited through another exit, so she chose this nearest exit, planning to reunite with everyone after exiting.

As a result... it seemed like I ran into a few particularly popular colleges and got caught in the crossfire.

She walked out, shielding her face with her hands. Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of her eyes. Fortunately, she stopped in time.

"Um...can I interview you..." a timid female voice came from below.

Looking up at the name on Linyin's name tag, the assistant who had just borrowed the terminal to catch up on the news found that she was not the currently hotly discussed Lei Annabelle or Lin Yuzhu. He felt a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up.

"Our academy's performance was truly unexpected. What are your expectations for the final ranking of this competition?" The assistant opened the notebook and stuttered to read out a question. Then, he raised his head and waited anxiously for Rin's answer.

"As expected..." Rinyin smiled, "Being first in the group shouldn't be a problem."

"ah……"

So confident! Great, great! Write quickly, this is the highlight. The assistant wrote furiously.

"Your company doesn't even provide you with a terminal?"

Seeing the little girl sweating profusely while writing, Linyin couldn't help but ask.

"this……"

It's a long story. Thinking of the hardships she'd experienced just getting started, the young assistant covered her mouth, fearing she'd forget the original intention of the interview and start venting her frustrations under Rin's sincere gaze.

At that moment, flashbulbs surged toward them like a tide, blinding them with the blinding white light. From the other side, a deep, cold voice echoed.

"Hello, looking forward to seeing you in the finals."

The sound ignited an even more intense wave of flashlights.

Linyin thought that next time she came to the martial arts center, she must wear these sunglasses.

She looked up, shielding her eyes. Before her was a man taller than she was. His face was angular, framed by short, light-blond hair, and his gray-blue eyes resembled the frozen Lake Baikal.

Aisen, from the Mithril Family, is the chief of Mithril Academy. She has read his information and knows that he is a very strong opponent.

"Thank you. I will." Rinyin saw the fighting spirit in his eyes and shook his outstretched hand.

The reporters were ready to go—they'd heard of Aisen's aloofness. They were unsure who would get him in the short, tens-meter walk from the martial arts arena exit to the park. Unexpectedly, he stopped, and the reporters erupted in excitement.

"Is Aisen... flirting? Is he flirting?"

"Chatting? Chatting up someone from Thorn Flower?"

"Who are the contestants of Thorn Flower this year? Each one is more mysterious than the last."

"Has anyone taken a picture of Eisen's front? Please share."

Song Baiyue stood at the edge of the crowd, looking ahead with a serious gaze.

Aisen Miyin was leaning over slightly to speak to Rinyin. The boy, known for his sternness and bluntness, was actually smiling. What caught Song Baiyue's attention even more was that Rinyin actually took the hand he extended. Under the flashlight that illuminated the evening like daylight, the sight of the two of them chatting cheerfully was particularly dazzling.

He stepped forward, and the Moon-Reflecting Spirit Deer moved around him discreetly. The subtle pressure from the Heavenly-Class Fantasy Beast made the reporters unconsciously make way for him.

"Thorny Flower Academy, Song Baiyue. Nice to meet you."

He naturally inserted himself between the two of them, extended his hand to Eisen, and spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, but inexplicably carried a hint of unfriendliness.

He was tall and slender, and the uniform shirt he had hurriedly changed into after the game had two buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his delicate collarbone. His presence sent reporters into a frenzy, the shutter sounds so loud they nearly drowned out the voices of everyone present.

Aisen raised an eyebrow, let go of Linyin, and instead held Song Baiyue's hand. The two hands, each with distinct joints, clasped in mid-air, remained together for a long time.

With this action, Song Baiyue brought Linyin behind him without leaving any trace.

"I'm looking forward to being on the same stage with you two." Eisen withdrew his hand, his gaze lingering between the two for a second, a hint of amusement flashing in his gray-blue eyes.

Song Baiyue just nodded slightly, and when he turned around, he naturally took Linyin's hand and said, "It's time to go back."

Reporters, flashbulbs in hand, chased their figures for a moment, but were soon drawn back to the new contestants. Only the assistant remained standing, staring blankly at the photo she had just taken—the three of them filling the frame in a tense triangle, while Matsushiro's hand gripped Rin's wrist tightly, as if afraid someone would snatch her away.

"What are you daydreaming about?" A colleague carrying a camera slapped her on the back of the head in frustration. "This is a suspenseful situation where super popular contestants have unrequited love for the same person. Why don't you save this explosive photo quickly? Anything you write about it will go viral!"

"Senior, I...I don't want to write this." The young assistant hugged the notebook tightly and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito.

"ah?"

"I don't think there's anything between Rin and Aisen... I can't say anything." Seeing her colleague looking at her as if she were a fool, her eyes reddened slightly, like a little rabbit guarding its food. "She said she could take first place in the group, and I want to write about it."

…

Finally reaching a secluded place where no outsiders were around, Linyin felt the coldness in Song Baiyue's palm and squeezed his hand, "Why did you come all the way to pick me up?"

"Sorry to bother you?" Song Baiyue didn't know what was wrong with her. The words she said sounded as if they were soaked in five pounds of lemons.

Lin Yin was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud: "What good news? Were you blinded by the flash?"

"You're asking even though you already know the answer." Song Baiyue turned away, but the tips of her ears turned red. "Does a handshake have to last that long?" Her voice trailed off. "Isn't it because she looks good..."

"Is he good-looking?" Linyin tilted her head and leaned in front of him, her eyes sparkling. "I only know that you are very good-looking. I can't tell whether other people are good-looking or not."

"……rhetoric."

Song Baiyue lowered his eyes gloomily. They'd held hands, hugged, and almost... kissed. Their CP fans were practically a whole gang, but to her, he seemed like a nameless "good friend." Even when he saw her flirting with someone else, he'd become angry, yet still doubted his right to be angry.

He looked up and saw Linyin's hand slowly gathering her curved cone. The next second, a pale golden incandescent energy rose from her palm, silently splitting a small portion of the curved cone.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a bit puzzled. Ever since that moment, when they'd forged this weapon from the wall, they'd tried many times to replicate the process, but couldn't. Not only could they not create new weapons, they couldn't even add materials to them. Therefore, every bit of metal in the cone was precious.

Linyin just smiled at him, saying nothing. The Qi flowed through her palm, slowly deforming the metal, its sharp edges gradually becoming smoother.

"Give me your hand." Linyin grabbed his hesitant hand.

The metal turned into an L-shaped ring and fit perfectly onto his finger.

"This way, the whole world will know what's going on between us." Linyin waved the cone. The same material made them look like a very eye-catching pair.

...To be honest, this is the ugliest ring Song Baiyue has ever seen in his life.

But the uncontrollable pink at the corners of his mouth and the corners of his eyes betrayed his inner feelings. He quickly pushed the ring back to the base of his finger and whispered, "Then you can't regret it. This is physical evidence."