Chapter 84 - 84 70 Final Preparations

84: Chapter 70: Final Preparations 84: Chapter 70: Final Preparations “Really, is the situation that bad?” The food truck next to the square was filled with scarred students. But those who still had the appetite to eat were generally doing well. At least they had one last chance and didn’t have to go home early. In a corner of the makeshift camp formed by the food trucks, Lu Ping’an and Lei Shuiyun chatted as they ate, quite calm. Just a few minutes ago, Lu Ping’an was quite disappointed, not because of Meow, but… “This Mr. Knight, is really a bit stingy. Good thing I didn’t choose ‘items’, or I’d probably get another bottle of oil, and a bathing set.” Lu Ping’an chose BUFF (Blessing). He guessed that it certainly wouldn’t be anything good. However, a C-grade evaluation wasn’t low, so it would at least be something decent, right? But in the end… [Rust Knight’s Infinite Martial Training (Black-iron tier): When the blessed one practices in the Secret Realm related to the Rust Knight, it will enhance the benefits of martial skills practice.] Is this BUFF good? Quite good, many two or three-tier professionals would want it. Who wouldn’t like enhanced martial skills benefits during trials? That’s the cornerstone of battle professions. Stepping back, even a permanent boost was worth it, one couldn’t really lose. But is it useful for Lu Ping’an? Hard to say… at least it’s useless now. “Ah, Master Knight is…let it go, let’s eat. We need to look up information after eating, we’re on a tight schedule.” Now, each of the two had a candidate information brief (latest edition) at hand. These were just summarized and sold by the seniors, and everyone who was left had one. Except Lu Ping’an’s brief was torn…probably because he used too much force when flipping his page. “Pfft, Tentacle King Meow!” Well, this cat has no dignity and is bursting into laughter. Lu Ping’an calmly raised his coffee cup. If he pays attention to her now, won’t that mean he cares too much? As long as he ignores her, this hastily given pseudonym will be forgotten by tomorrow, being overly concerned will only make him lose. “Crack.” The coffee cup cracked, and coffee spilled on the table, seemingly because he used too much force. Meow was laughing at the table, while Lu Ping’an had a calm face. He silently picked up a napkin, cleaned it up, and initiated a topic of formal discussion. “Lei Shuiyun, it looks like you don’t need my medical services?” “No choice Meow, it’s considered cheating and it’s prohibited.” Meow is pretty open-minded about it. She already used her one “Deferred Payment”, which won her a precious victory. The unlucky Top 1000 (ranked in the top thousand out of over ten thousand examinees equals Strongman) examinee didn’t know how the seriously injured cat suddenly became able to fight again. This was a very wise strategic choice. Meow’s goal was to get the passing score for admission. Naturally, she wanted to kill more in the early stages… her ability has an obvious advantage and disadvantage, the more she fights at later stages she would struggle. Lu Ping’an originally planned to give her one more close-range “Deferred Payment” after coming out, but was told that it was “cheating”. Self-healing by candidates is allowed, but private abnormal ability healing is not. The injuries would be recorded before entering and leaving the Secret Realm, while reward money is given to whistleblowers. Only school staff could legally provide medical services…and they will deduct points like crazy. In fact, this “medical point deduction” mechanism did not exist two years ago. It was implemented after reforms, to rescue those who were particularly unlucky, for instance, Sun Xingwen. From the extent of deduction (1 point for serious injuries, 0.5 for any impairment, 0.3 for minor injuries), the college does not encourage candidates to insist on taking their exams while injured. Instead, they seem to be encouraging them to be self-reliant and carry out tasks within their abilities. At least, they need to learn to bear the consequences of their reckless actions. In the career of a Secret Keeper, playing the hero often brings about catastrophic results. “Alright, cheer up this afternoon, you shouldn’t have any problem, right?” “Hmm, thanks to your blessing.” Meow smiled happily. It was impossible for her to treat her injuries. If she was accidentally diagnosed with serious injuries and deducted one point, it would be better to go home and rest now. With Lu Ping’an’s top hundred or even top fifty points, her pressure was significantly reduced. The two chatted while eating, this expensive yet terrible student meal set was also part of the exam feature. There were no other schools to interfere today, but they need to hurry as time is only until four in the afternoon. Meow was really not in a hurry. All she had to do was prepare a little and take the last life. Although she only came out after finishing the standard score, from the overall situation, her pressure wasn’t huge. On the other hand, Lu Ping’an kept flipping through the information in his hand, trying to record as much information as possible. As time went by, it was foreseeable that only strong ones would remain. Every bit of understanding could give him a better chance to win. Each hard-won victory could mean a change in the final ranking. “Li Dao’an came out!” The shouts in the center of the square also indicated that another candidate had ended their first round of trials. “How many people are still in the first round?” “Four… no, three now. Geez, these monsters, the toughest ones have over two hundred consecutive victories.” “Who eliminated Li Dao’an? Or did he just give up from exhaustion? Does anyone have a recording of it?” “I do, do you want it for a hundred bucks?” “Do you think I’m stupid? If I encounter him, I’ll concede immediately. Why would I buy his information… The hardest ones to sell must be the top ten, nobody’s buying.” Nevertheless, some people were very interested in Li Dao’an with someone buying it on the spot. Lu Ping’an quietly moved closer to watch the recording. After just a glance, Lu Ping’an sighed helplessly and turned around. “A maniac with a suicide attack, it’s pointless.” The one who took out Li Dao’an isn’t a real powerhouse, but rather a “bruiser” with an intense explosive power. The cause of the explosion was unclear, but the power of the blast in the recording was shocking. However, that “bruiser” disappeared first, and Li Dao’an followed a step slower, perhaps just to avoid getting injured. “Do you have recordings of the top hundred?” Lu Ping’an casually asked, and a bunch of people responded at the same time. “Yes, whose do you want?” “I have a package deal here, you can take everything for a tenth of the price. It includes at least twenty of the top hundred.” “Isn’t this the Tentacle King—ahem, Axe King? I’ve been watching the matches, I can point out a few top hundred whose abilities counter yours. I only charge two thousand. Trust in your senior brother’s judgment.” Most of those speaking weren’t examinees, but sophomores or juniors. They were just here to make some extra cash on the side. Someone used to profit off them, now it’s their turn to make that money back! If they’re lucky, they can make a month’s worth of living expenses in just one or two days. Does the school allow this? The Secret Realm continuously broadcasts the fights, ensuring information leakage. Those who exit early know more, absolute fairness never existed in the first place. So, instead of comprehensive supervision, the examinees are allowed to show their talents. After all, gathering and assessing information is one of the most important tasks for a Secret Keeper. Historically, some “information traders” are actually official stooges. There might even be intentionally placed swindlers in the crowd, taking advantage of inexperienced newcomers who don’t keep their guard up. Merchants were naturally overjoyed to see customers, but Lu Ping’an could only sigh regretfully. He knew that he probably couldn’t save this money. There were likely many in the top hundred who, like him, hid something in the first round. He needed to update his information promptly to avoid losing unexpectedly. However, he still hesitated, not because he was reluctant to part with the money. He didn’t have enough time, he still needed to rest and bandage his wounds. With so many examinees and so many in the top hundred, the amount of information was massive. Finding valuable intelligence was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Just going over the top hundred once might take until the end of the exam, he needed an experienced old hand to guide him, preferably provide some evaluation… “Is this senior reliable? He seems a bit weak…” Strength and discerning eyes may not equate to each other, but in the process of honing one’s strength, the ability to assess often develops as well. Those who have sharp eyes but are weak do not seem to be common at all. “…Oh right, find her. She’s strong and must have been watching the fights the whole time. She’s here specifically to scout for promising new talent! She definitely has the recordings!” Five minutes later, Lu Ping’an found Hua senior sister eating in the other corner of the square. “Sure, I’ll help you, as long as you join my club when you enroll in school… haha, just kidding, don’t look so mournful.” Hua Xueyi couldn’t help but laugh first, but her next sentence left Lu Ping’an unsure of how to respond. “My tactics, they’re quite useful, aren’t they?” “Well…” Hua senior sister covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. She was beginning to enjoy teasing this younger brother who tried to act mature, especially when he wore a confused expression. “Hee, don’t forget to pay me the copyright fee after the match. To spare me the cost of a two day Blessing, okay?” On the spot, Lu Ping’an smiled and nodded his head. From what he could tell, this senior sister truly didn’t care about it. “Your fighting style inspired me with some ideas; I can share them with you. I can’t guarantee it’ll be of use, but if it is, I expect you to take me out for a meal when you start school…” Generous senior sister pointed out the weaknesses in Lu Ping’an’s fighting style very bluntly. At the same time, she took out the recordings of powerful fighters that she recorded today and began to whisper a live commentary on the spot. She was not here to make money. The “targets” that caught her eye were essentially those who could pose a threat to Lu Ping’an. Instead of spending money to go fishing with a wide net, targeting a smaller number of “key individuals” was more beneficial for Lu Ping’an. “…This favor is a bit heavy.” Just over an hour and a half later, ready to reenter the Secret Realm, Lu Ping’an kept the favor in his heart. “Stingy Mr. Knight, give me a good opponent this time. Eh, never mind, forget I said anything, I don’t want to go through what Meow had to.”