Chapter 721: The Battle for Freshmen (Kidnapping) Begins!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 721: The Battle for Freshmen (Kidnapping) Begins!
In the somewhat empty house, a figure sat on the sofa and turned on the living room television.
Once upon a time, he didn't even have the right to decide when this TV was turned on, but now… he could watch it whenever he pleased.
Perhaps this was the freedom he had once yearned for.
Today, however, many of the free channels had been replaced by a unified broadcast, and as for the paid channels… the family membership had already expired.
Because today was a very important day.
Yang Yunhan, in a rare show of patience, began watching the world news—a subject that had never interested him before.
He watched the two neatly dressed hosts as they spoke in standard Common Language, their voices steady yet infused with a professional passion as they recounted the day's major events.
"Following a period of tense and expectant waiting, the results of the 1146 College Entrance Exam were finally released today. Across the world, candidates have been checking their scores through various official channels with hearts full of excitement. For many families, this moment represents the culmination of years of diligent study and hard work, as well as the starting point of a new journey in life..."
Listening to the broadcast, Yang Yunhan picked up his newly purchased phone and began logging in to check his score.
For some reason, his memories of the College Entrance Exam period felt a bit hazy, as if everything that had happened was too surreal.
He clearly remembered writing every subject and every question with his own hand, yet it felt as though none of it had anything to do with him. It was as if the College Entrance Exam results didn't reflect an individual's strength, but rather some kind of unknown luck.
While Yang Yunhan waited for the page to load on his abysmal network, the news continued to play.
"According to the official schedules released by various schools, the score inquiry portals in different regions are opening one after another. Candidates can view their scores by entering their candidate number and password on official websites and other platforms. After the results are announced, candidates will begin filling out their applications based on their scores and interests, choosing their preferred academies."
"This year's admission cut-off lines have also been announced. The cut-offs for various Transcendent Academies are determined by a combination of factors, including exam difficulty, the number of applicants, and enrollment plans. Based on these cut-off lines and their own results, candidates are beginning to carefully research application strategies in hopes of entering their ideal Transcendent Academy for further study."
Glancing at his still-loading phone, Yang Yunhan stood up and walked to the study. There sat a brand-new computer, bought with the money from that card—his most self-indulgent purchase of the holiday.
Originally, he hadn't planned on spending the money on this, until he saw the staggering number of zeros in his bank balance...
Then, he simply couldn't help himself.
He truly loved these things; he had almost every bad habit of the PC building community. His parents had promised to let him tinker with such things as much as he wanted after the College Entrance Exam, but they had passed away before he even took the exam.
There was no one left to fulfill that promise.
In this empty house, only these things could offer him a sliver of solace.
This time, however, he didn't open the computer to play games, but to check his scores and fill out his applications.
In truth, he didn't even need to look at the cut-off lines. Over the past few days, his phone had been nearly ringing off the hook with calls from the admissions offices and mentors of various academies.
As he left the room, the television in the living room continued to play.
"In the process of filling out applications, candidates must not only consider personal interests and academy prospects but also pay attention to enrollment plans and historical admission scores. Many candidates and parents have stated that while filling out applications is a complex task, they are confident in making the best choice for themselves through extensive consultation and careful research..."
Notably, this year's news broadcast lacked the usual disparagement of previous years.
Usually, at this time of year, the Witch Academy would be singled out for a round of criticism, with candidates being warned to stay vigilant against witches "luring" them into enrollment.
Some things manifest in subtle ways. Now that the Witch Academy was no longer letting other Transcendent Academies have their way, those academies didn't dare utter a single word of disparagement, even in broadcasts aimed at ordinary people.
This was the external manifestation of the Witch Academy's changing status in the Main World. Their past tolerance had merely been because the witches were too lazy to care.
Inside the study, Yang Yunhan stared at the loading screen of his high-end, custom-built computer and fell into a silent stupor.
Just how many people are checking their scores right now?
Just as he was grumbling to himself, the webpage finally jumped to success!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Huh? Who is it?"
Yang Yunhan instinctively turned his head and called out.
The series of sounds had been someone pounding on the door. He reflexively glanced back at the monitor, and that one look instantly froze him in place.
His score was unexpectedly high!
In a College Entrance Exam with a total of 750 points, his score actually started with a seven!
But before he could even feel the rush of excitement, a more urgent pounding on the door interrupted his celebration.
He only had time to see that his score was somewhere in the 710s before a deafening roar cut him off!
BOOM—!
A terrifying force caused the entire house to shudder as if an earthquake had struck.
On a level invisible to him, countless luck threads centered on him, weaving into a massive web that connected several Transcendent Academies.
"So you really are here, huh? Heh."
Following the violent commotion, the front door was smashed open. Dust billowed outside the study, and the sudden turn of events made Yang Yunhan's skin crawl.
"You! Who are you?!"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a Senior Sister from the Witch Academy. You're Yang Yunhan, right? I'm here to pick you up for school~"
"You... you're from the Witch Academy?" Yang Yunhan looked at the girl before him in disbelief, but he quickly snapped out of it. "Why is it you? Where's my brother... no, my sister? She said she'd come for me once my scores were out!"
"Your sister? You must mean Yang Yuehan, right? I'm sorry to break it to you, but your sister—Yang Yuehan—is dead. It's a shame, but you won't be seeing her again. To make up for that loss, I'll be the one to bring you into the Witch Academy!"
"What?!" Hearing her words, Yang Yunhan felt a cold dread wash over him. "What do you mean, dead?"
"Dead means dead. she was simply too brilliant, so much so that she left too many people unable to breathe. So, the other Transcendent Academies teamed up and murdered her. It's as simple as that."
"Wait! I'm not finished asking!" Yang Yunhan instinctively reached out to stop her, but how could an ordinary person resist a senior student from the Witch Academy?
"It's fine, it's fine~ If you want to know anything, just come back to the Witch Academy with me. Once we're there, I'll tell you everything. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. In fact, there's a massive opportunity waiting for you to inherit."
She reached out, and a binding spell constricted Yang Yunhan to prevent him from struggling and to make him easier to carry.
She could tell he wasn't going to cooperate; a little appropriate violence was necessary.
However, as she carried Yang Yunhan out of the house, she realized she couldn't leave.
An elf from the Afuhemi Academy was blocking her path!
"I didn't expect someone from the Witch Academy to move so fast. Heh, how uncivilized. Didn't your teachers ever tell you to knock before visiting someone?" The elf glanced at the violently smashed door behind the witch and mocked her.
"What I do is none of your business!"
As the noise of the door being destroyed echoed out, many neighbors instinctively stepped out to see what was happening.
But upon seeing two Transcendent students facing off, they immediately turned around and went back inside.
Their lives were more important!
Some people only realized then that it was that time of year again—the season for Transcendent Academies to recruit students.
Though they were shocked that a genius sought after by multiple schools lived nearby, when Transcendents started fighting... it was incredibly dangerous!
Besides, other things had happened here recently, and the Shi'an Bureau had cordoned off the area...
This neighborhood was truly going through a turbulent time.
At that moment, several households were already considering whether they should move.
"What you do is indeed none of my business, but I can't exactly turn a blind eye to the boy you're carrying."
"Tch~ If you want to steal him, just say so! See ya!"
The girl from the Witch Academy let out a disdainful snort, pulled out an alchemical broom, and flew straight into the air with the helpless Yang Yunhan.
But before she could accelerate—Whoosh!—an arrow whistled past her hair. If she hadn't dodged instinctively, that shot might have been aimed right for her head!
Having narrowly avoided it, she turned and began cursing. If her reactions hadn't been fast enough, she would have been grounded right then and there!
The elf was equally relentless. Although elves didn't have direct means of flight, the power of elven magic granted her a Tide Blessing of the wind. With a light leap, she landed on the roof and pursued them across the ridgeline like a gust of wind.
She wasn't about to give up so easily.
But clearly, things weren't going to go that smoothly. When it came to staking out a target, who didn't have that kind of foresight?
As soon as the Senior Sister from the Witch Academy made her move, multiple figures appeared from every direction.
It wasn't just the Afuhemi Academy; there were also people from the Wizard Academy and the Holy Angel Academy. In just a few moments, the number of people appearing from their stakeouts reached dozens!
And that wasn't even counting those who hadn't revealed themselves yet...
Despite the large numbers, their characteristics were very uniform.
This was a battle for supremacy between top academies; other schools had no right to interfere.
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple..."
The Senior Sister who had first taken Yang Yunhan saw the situation shifting so rapidly and cursed the trouble.
But was she afraid?
When it came to snatching people, the Witch Academy didn't know the meaning of the word!
If other academies had ambushes and reinforcements, did they think the Witch Academy didn't?
Of course they did. In just the first exchange, more than half of the pursuers were intercepted by even more figures.
These were all people from the Witch Academy—or rather, members of the Xiao Han Fan Club and other clubs who had rushed over to provide support.
This year didn't have a so-called "perfect score top scorer," but even the actual top scorer of this session seemed dim compared to this place where luck converged.
This was a continuation of the distribution of College Entrance Exam luck, a conflict destined to happen. It was a battle centered around a "grand gamble" and "qualification"...
Soon, the witch on the broom was forced to a halt because her path was blocked by the "birdmen" of the Holy Angel Academy.
"Seriously? You birdmen from the Holy Angel Academy are meddling in this too?"
"First of all, let me make this clear: don't call us birdmen!"
"Secondly, we resolutely resist this atrocious kidnapping behavior by the Witch Academy! The boy in your hands was first contacted by a Preaching Angel from our Holy Angel Academy! Even if he is to enter a Transcendent Academy, it should be ours!"
"The Witch Academy should stop ruining boys!"
Following this righteous outburst from the Holy Angels, the Senior Sister from the Witch Academy, burdened by carrying a person, was eventually overwhelmed by their numbers.
"Student Yang Yunhan, are you alright? Did that woman do anything to you?"
After knocking the Witch Academy student down with heavy injuries, the people from the Holy Angel Academy hurried to undo the binding spell on Yang Yunhan, asking with an air of deep concern.
"No..."
Yang Yunhan coughed violently. After calming his emotions, he gave a brief reply.
He never imagined that simply filling out an application would lead to something so far beyond his understanding!
Last year, someone from the Lesser Demon Academy had come to their door and scared him half to death.
But this year, when it was his turn, he hadn't expected it to trigger such a terrifying riot!
And he was the central figure of it all...
Though he had been bound and silenced just now, he had caught glimpses of many different people: the girl who called herself a witch, the elf shooting arrows, and now these angels with halos over their heads and wings on their backs...
All of them... were here to fight over him?!
For a moment, he felt lost. Why? Why was this happening?
No... that's not right!
In this College Entrance Exam, he had scored over seven hundred points!
What did that mean?
As the realization hit him, his internal state shifted dramatically.
He had scored over seven hundred!
The maximum score was only seven hundred and fifty.
He wasn't some "useless trash"! Nor was he a mere accessory meant to highlight his brother's shadow!
These academies must know his score... His value came from himself, not from his brother... no, his sister.
At that moment, he looked up at the sun. He had thought it was uncomfortably hot before, but now... he felt it was the dawn of his life!
He had proven his worth! His score... he had scored so high, a score he had never even achieved in mock tests...
And he had been told that his sister... was dead. That meant the shadow that had always loomed over him had finally collapsed!
"Yang Yunhan? Yang Yunhan, are you okay? What's wrong?"
The Holy Angels watched Yang Yunhan as he stood there dazed, wearing a foolish grin, unsure of what was happening.
But time waited for no one. The Holy Angels had to take him away quickly. They had to take advantage of the other academies being preoccupied. If the others realized what was happening and formed a united front, the angels would be in for a bitter struggle.
Ignoring the grinning Yang Yunhan, they grabbed him by the arms. A Holy Angel wing divine art flared to life, and they transformed into a streak of light, preparing to escort him away.
Before long, as they expected, the other academies saw the Holy Angel Academy "snatching the prize" and stopped their infighting. They immediately gave chase to the streak of light with shared enmity.
"Watch out!"
As the Holy Angels pushed their divine arts to the limit to escape, one of them spotted something wrong.
"Get back!"
But the warning came too late.
A foreign object struck one of the Holy Angels squarely in the face, but the heavy injury they expected didn't occur.
Fragments of the "object" splattered across many of the angels.
The Holy Angels who reacted in time had already raised their divine art shields.
Forced to stop, the Holy Angels finally saw what the fragments were.
It was... red cake crumbs and cream.
"It's... it's Red Velvet Cake! Be careful!"
"What?" The confused Holy Angels hadn't realized the situation yet, but then, another female voice rang out.
"Made it just in time. This really is a twisted fate... Holy Angels, heh... the thing I hate most in this life is you birdmen! Now die!"
"It's Xia Li! Watch out for her!"