Kapitel 24: Chapter 24: Li Xi's Jealousy
It seemed to be a voice she wasn't particularly eager to hear.
"Oh, our young and beautiful war goddess, what's the matter? You picked up my call so quickly, it's unbelievable! I'm so flattered, I don't know what to do with myself," came a mocking, sarcastic voice from the other end of the line.
"I heard you requested an extra spot for a guaranteed admission. Incredible! I was so shocked, I thought it must be some rare genius who caught your eye."
"Later, after asking around, I found out that his ability is ranked at level E! Wow, how amazing, truly remarkable. Finding such a 'rare' talent is indeed a great contribution to the Eastern Academy~"
The woman's voice was already naturally coquettish, and her deliberate exaggeration made it even more unsettling to hear.
Sofia found the voice so grating that she couldn't help but hold the phone a bit farther away. After letting the woman finish her mocking tirade, Sofia suppressed her rising anger and responded with restrained annoyance:
"Li Xi, enough with the sarcasm. I chose him for the guaranteed spot because his talent is sufficient. He deserves it!"
"I requested an extra spot simply to select someone with potential."
Li Xi responded with an exaggerated gasp, a sound so dramatic that one could almost picture her expression.
Hearing this, Sofia once again had to hold the phone farther away.
"Oh my, how deserving indeed. I'm sure you found a rare genius who can unleash SSS-level power from an E-level talent. Such an extraordinary phenomenon, and how reasonable that you would be the one to find it~"
"Well, since you're so confident, why don't we have a little competition? In the upcoming assessment, let's see whose chosen student performs better."
"I'm sure the E-level 'genius' you've taken a liking to will have an outstanding performance."
Sofia took a deep breath, finding the woman's sarcastic tone increasingly tiresome but not wanting to escalate things.
After all, Li Xi wasn't an enemy; she held a position similar to Sofia's as an examiner for a high-level assessment, with a special status.
Li Xi and Sofia had known each other for quite some time. Neither of them entered the academy through the standard entrance exams but were instead handpicked by the upper echelons due to their extraordinary talents at a young age. The dean of Eastern Academy had even treated Li Xi like a daughter during her early years.
Li Xi was exceptionally gifted, and before Sofia's arrival, she was considered the most talented of her generation at the academy. However, talent differs among geniuses. Since Sofia entered Eastern Academy at the age of thirteen, she had consistently broken the records that Li Xi had set, surpassing her at every turn.
Sofia's rise culminated in a famous battle, earning her a special recruitment into the Hall of War Gods as the eighth War God, solidifying her reputation as the Frost War God.
She became a leader while still a student!
Sofia's accumulation of achievements and honors only fueled Li Xi's growing jealousy, causing her personality to change. Since Sofia's arrival, Li Xi made it her mission to oppose her at every opportunity.
So when Li Xi heard that Sofia had given a guaranteed admission spot to someone with an E-level ability, she wasted no time in calling to mock her.
"I don't want to compete with you. The students' performance is their own, not something to be used for comparison."
"And stop calling me 'elder,' I'm five years younger than you."
With that, Sofia didn't wait for a response and hung up the phone. She then rubbed her tired eyes, intending to get some rest.
Lately, there had been so much going on—the divine descent incident, the recovery of the surveillance footage, and the upcoming assessment that still needed to proceed as planned.
She had already reported to the higher-ups that Liam was the one responsible for preventing the divine descent, but they didn't seem to believe her and required further confirmation.
With all these tasks still unfinished, that troublesome woman had to come and provoke her.
On the other end of the line, Li Xi gripped her phone tightly, her previously exaggerated and mocking expression freezing on her face.
She was momentarily at a loss for words, the taunts she had prepared stuck in her throat as one phrase echoed repeatedly in her mind.
—I'm five years younger than you.
Perhaps after spending some time with Liam, Sofia had picked up some bad habits, like knowing exactly what to say to hit where it hurts most.
Criticize, hang up, block—one seamless sequence that left Li Xi utterly frustrated.
"Argh, you wretch! Argh!" She tried calling back several times but couldn't get through. Enraged, Li Xi dug her nails into her scalp, her words stumbling over themselves in fury.
With clenched fists, she suddenly spun around, glaring at the five students standing behind her, who were all frozen in shock.
These were the five students Li Xi had chosen for guaranteed admission.
Now, seeing Li Xi in a rage, they were utterly confused, their expressions clearly showing: We don't understand, but we're deeply shaken!
"In the upcoming group assessment, you all better perform well. Surely, you can't be outdone by someone with an E-level ability, right?!"
The students, still dazed, nodded hurriedly, startled by her outburst.
"Did you hear me?!" Li Xi shouted again.
"Oh, yes, of course!" They quickly nodded in agreement, their response somewhat scattered.
The young students, yet to even enter the academy, found themselves caught in this unexpected rivalry, feeling rather bewildered by the whole situation.
"Alright then, remember what I told you about the assessment format. Go back and prepare."
Li Xi finally calmed her breathing, easing the jealousy and anger that had been consuming her. She added, "And don't mention this to anyone."
After all, revealing the assessment details to students in advance was against the rules, but she was willing to break them if it meant getting one up on Sofia.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.
Liam hadn't managed to find Sofia, so he kept the mysterious letter with him, not handing it over to anyone.
He hadn't forgotten about his abilities, but since the other superhumans around had high-level talents, the chances of successfully copying them were low.
He tried to "borrow" some powers from Ryan twice, leaving the poor guy feeling numb as Liam kept seeking handshakes daily.
But luck doesn't always favor the bold—probability won't lie. Both attempts failed.
So, Liam spent his days playing games, enjoying life, without any thoughts of preparing for the assessment.
In other words, he was slacking off quite consistently.
Of course, he wasn't entirely neglecting his abilities. He practiced his "Voice of All Things" passively and worked on "Ice Age" during his evening strolls by the artificial river.
Despite the superhuman powers, life in this world seemed surprisingly similar to his previous one. People here prepared for assessments just like students cramming for finals.
The days of slacking off passed quickly, and soon, the much-anticipated group assessment day arrived—though perhaps less anticipated by Liam.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein