Chapter 28: The Test Begins (Bonus Chapter)

Father Ji walked quietly to the bedroom door. He had deliberately left it ajar when he left earlier. Now, he peered through the gap. His son, who had been acting so pathetically by hiding in Fu Shuxing’s arms earlier, was now fast asleep on the bed, while Fu Shuxing sat by the table, his forehead resting on his hand, asleep as well. Seeing this, Father Ji felt a bit more at ease and walked quietly back upstairs.

Mother Ji, seeing her husband return so quickly, said, "Look at you, all worried. What could Xiao Xing possibly do to our son?"

Father Ji, still haunted by the memory of the two youngsters bickering at the entrance of the Sanctuary, replied vaguely, "I was worried about what our son might do to Shuxing."

Mother Ji was speechless. After a moment, she asked, "Is Xunxun asleep?"

"Yes, he's sleeping quite soundly, doesn't look like he's been frightened." In the past, whenever he was scared, he would easily have nightmares.

Mother Ji set aside the book she was reading, her expression turning slightly serious. "Do you think Xunxun seeing that... could it have anything to do with last night?"

Father Ji countered, "You mean you think our son’s mental exhaustion came from that non-existent egg?"

Mother Ji frowned. Father Ji sighed, pulled back the covers, and got into bed. "I have never heard of an egg with mental power, let alone one the size of a soccer ball. Doesn't that sound like something a child just made up?"

Mother Ji asked, "Could it be Xunxun's spirit beast?"

"Most Guide spirit beasts are mammals, born in their cub forms. Oviviparous ones are usually reptiles or birds. Are you saying our son's spirit beast is an ostrich? You’ve never seen a spirit beast that’s just an egg, have you?"

Mother Ji hadn't, and she had never heard of such a thing either, so she had nothing more to say.

Father Ji concluded, "I reckon his mental energy was depleted last night, which is why he was seeing things today. Once his mental energy recovers in a couple of days, he'll be fine. Go to sleep."

Ji Xun had a peaceful night. When he opened his eyes, he saw the bedroom ceiling. He moved his limbs; there was none of that leaden heaviness, and his throat wasn't parched. Turning his head, he saw Fu Shuxing asleep at the table, propping his face up with his hand.

Watching Fu Shuxing sleep, Ji Xun thought to himself, *I am a person who settles debts—both favors and grudges—and I keep my public and private affairs separate.* If Fu Shuxing treats me poorly, I settle the grudge. If he treats me well, I repay the favor. *He had a perfectly good bed, yet he sat here all night in a hard chair.*

Feeling a pang of guilt, Ji Xun quietly got out of bed, picked up the quilt from the floor, and covered Fu Shuxing with it. He looked at Fu Shuxing’s calm, handsome face and thought, *If only this bastard didn't have such a sharp tongue. He’s actually quite alright when he isn't talking.*

Ji Xun walked softly into the washroom. As he did, Fu Shuxing opened his eyes, his gaze clear. He had heard the change in Ji Xun’s breathing and knew he was about to wake up.

While brushing his teeth, Ji Xun kept looking left and right, wary of the large insect egg appearing in any corner. It didn't. *Good.*

Ji Xun rinsed his mouth, spat, and washed his face thoroughly. When Fu Shuxing went downstairs, he saw Ji Xun making breakfast, looking flustered and jumpy. Ji Xun was frying slices of beef. He was hesitant to put them in, carefully holding a slice with the tips of his chopsticks before dropping it into the oil. The hot oil splattered almost instantly!

Fu Shuxing had quickened his pace the moment Ji Xun intended to drop the meat. Just before the hot oil could splatter, he pulled Ji Xun away and turned down the heat.

"Slide it in slowly along the edge of the pan. If you're really afraid to put it in, don't turn the heat too high and don't let the oil get too hot."

"Oh." Ji Xun, not understanding, naturally hid behind Fu Shuxing.

Fu Shuxing looked back. "?"

Ji Xun said quite naturally, "Every profession has its master; you’d better do it, Brother Xing."

Fu Shuxing: "..."

When Mother Ji came downstairs, Ji Xun was already eating a delicious breakfast. Seeing the presentation of the sandwich, she was amazed. "Xunxun, you made this? It’s surprisingly good."

"Brother Xing made it."

Mother Ji: "..."

Ji Xun said, "He’s gone to change clothes. We’re heading to the Sanctuary in a bit."

Mother Ji sighed, "Shuxing really is a one-in-a-million child. Good-looking, great grades, and he can handle both the battlefield and the kitchen. Some child will be very lucky to have him in the future."

Ji Xun curled his lip but said nothing. *Lucky? That’s not necessarily true; that guy has a terrible mouth.*

When he was almost finished, Ji Xun asked, "Mom, did something happen the night we got home from the celebration banquet?"

Mother Ji’s eyes dimmed slightly, and she said calmly, "What could have happened? Didn't you go back to your room to sleep?"

"There was before sleep and after sleep. I feel like something happened."

Mother Ji smiled gently. "What could have happened before sleep?"

They had already pulled the surveillance footage from the StarNet. During the entire time Ji Xun slept at the front gate until they returned, no person or object had appeared near him. The surveillance could detect spirit beasts, but there were none at that time.

Ji Xun was puzzled. "Then why did I feel so sore all over when I woke up that day?"

"Maybe you exercised too much the day before."

"We didn't even have physical training that day," Ji Xun said. "Mom, if something happened, you must tell me early. Don't let me be the last one to know, okay? People are eventually going to die..."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Mother Ji stood up and poked Ji Xun’s forehead, annoyed. "You don't study hard, but you can spout all this nonsense. Hurry up, Shuxing is already here; don't keep him waiting."

Ji Xun had never seen his mother lose her temper like that. Properly poked into submission, he obediently said, "Oh."

The next day at the Sanctuary, Ji Xun became exceptionally diligent and curious. He even carefully drew a picture and went to the classroom to consult his mentor, Tina.

"Teacher Tina, what do you think something this big of an egg could be?"

"A python egg?"

*So it really is a snake,* Ji Xun thought. He shifted his weight, his toes gripping the floor. "Can a python egg suddenly disappear?"

"Of course not." Teacher Tina laughed. "By 'suddenly disappear,' you probably mean moving from a lower dimension to a higher one? Like a spirit beast vanishing from sight?"

"Yes, exactly!"

"That’s even more impossible. Spirit beasts only take form when an Awakened’s mental power is relatively stable. Once they take form, they are cubs. As of now, there is no such thing as a spirit beast in egg form."

"What about the Zerg?"

"Xiao Xun, the Zerg, like us, are three-dimensional creatures." Even though she was talking to the student who was at the bottom of the class, Teacher Tina remained patient. "Three-dimensional creatures cannot travel through time or space without external tools."

"Oh!" Ji Xun said, "So, if something suddenly disappears, it must be a spirit beast and definitely not a Zerg?"

Teacher Tina thought for a moment and nodded. "Simply put, yes, you could say that."

"I understand!"

Ji Xun’s worries vanished. He bowed deeply to Teacher Tina, his dimples showing as he smiled. "Thank you, Teacher Tina! I also want to check the stability of my mental power. I’m applying for the Appraisal Building!"

Seeing him so full of energy, Teacher Tina couldn't help but smile. "Alright, I'll approve your application."

Ji Xun ran to the Appraisal Building that afternoon. The results showed he had suffered some mental trauma recently, but his mental field was intact, though his mental power was unstable. The textbook stated that when an Awakened's mental power is unstable, they may experience various hallucinations. In other words, it was like eating poisonous mushrooms.

*Well, that explains it!*

Ji Xun thought it over and decided the folk remedies he’d found online—like the metaphysical methods that had inexplicably pulled him into his mental field—were too ridiculous. He wasn't skilled in a Guide’s abilities yet, so those methods must have caused the damage. He had definitely used the wrong technique, messing up his mental state and causing the trauma.

Ji Xun decided to give up on those messy, unorthodox methods and focus on resting and recovering. So, the next day, he told Fu Shuxing he didn't need to accompany him at night.

For the next third, fourth, and subsequent days, a full week passed safely. He never saw that strange, large egg again. Both his parents were relieved, thinking their son was fine. Ji Xun himself felt relieved too. *As long as it’s not a bug, everything will be fine!*

On the day of the mid-month assessment, the Guides had no classes. Early in the morning, Ji Xun joined all the Class C Guide students in the auditorium to watch the large-scale combat test for the Sentinel classes. Among the two hundred small screens, Ji Xun spotted Fu Shuxing in the cockpit at a glance.

He looked at the main screen. In the magnificent array of fighter jets, Fu Shuxing’s squadron led the formation in the first row.

Zhou Xiaoyun poked Ji Xun excitedly. "Look! It’s your childhood friend! So cool! Fu Shuxing is truly the number one Sentinel of our Sanctuary!"

Ji Xun snorted inwardly. *What’s the use of being handsome? If he has a bad heart, he’s still a jerk.*

Zhou Xiaoyun added, "I checked the assessment schedule; there’s combat and Sentinel spirit beast coordination in the afternoon. I wonder if we’ll see Fu Shuxing’s white tiger spirit beast. Xiao Xun, you must have seen his Bengal white tiger, right? Is it as majestic as everyone says?"

Ji Xun thought, *Not really, it’s just a big cat.*

"Xiao Xun?"

"Ah, I’ve seen it," Ji Xun said, "but Fu Shuxing probably won’t release it."

"Ah..." Zhou Xiaoyun was disappointed. "Why?"

*Because if he releases it, it would be a dimension-reduction strike,* Ji Xun thought. *The other Sentinels' spirit beasts are still cubs, or at most in their juvenile stage. Fu Shuxing’s is a fully grown Bengal white tiger. If it roared, all the little spirit beasts in the arena would probably suffer permanent psychological trauma.* But he couldn't say that.

Ji Xun only replied, "I don't know, I’m just guessing."

"That means there’s still a chance, right? Looking forward to it!"

The first course assessment was team coordination for precision area bombing. The observing Guides could choose which Sentinel’s perspective they wanted to watch. Once selected, they would be immersed in that Sentinel’s field of vision during the assessment, hearing their words, team conversations, and every move.

On the screen in front of the assessment hall, there were two hundred Sentinels to choose from. When a Guide made a selection, the number of viewers in the bottom right corner of that Sentinel’s screen would increase by one.

Ji Xun first chose Zhao Zhanlei’s perspective. After hearing him joking and laughing with his teammates, he switched to Fu Shuxing’s perspective. And what he saw was incredible.