"Alright, thank you, Sister Xiaona." Ruan Xing politely ended the call.

Since she had already offered to help if needed, he saw no reason to hold back and directly asked how to join the Investigation Corps.

Ignoring Su Xiaona’s sudden and suspiciously enthusiastic tone, she was still very thorough and professional in her response.

"Master, don’t let them scam you!"

Fu Gui sat indignantly in his cage with a bandage wrapped around the large bump on its head. "Government officials’ words are just lies wrapped in more lies!"

Ruan Xing ignored it and focused on downloading the files Su Xiaona had sent.

It was a recommendation letter along with a registration form.

Awakened individuals who were referred by current members of the Investigation Corps could enter through a special recruitment process, which is why so many independent Awakened tried to make an impression on the corps.

Outside of the academy system, personal connections are extremely important.

After filling out the form, Ruan Xing waited for further instructions.

The first written exam was scheduled three days later.

Fu Gui, ever the internet sleuth, quickly pulled up some forum discussions. "I just saw a post saying that the passing rate for the written exam is only 30%—they designed it to weed out outsiders. And after that, there's a practical assessment. Overall, only the top five candidates in each batch make it through. It’s seriously tough. Are you sure you don’t wanna consider my method, Master?"

Ruan Xing lounged on the couch, scrolling through exam prep materials. "Say one more word, and I’ll tape your beak shut."

The crow wisely shut up.

Studying everything in just a few days was impossible, even for a genius. Once he got a decent grasp of the exam format, he headed straight to the test center.

Unexpectedly, the test site was at the quarantine center in the outer city—the very place Fu Gui had desperately avoided last time.

Ruan Xing glanced at the pollution scanner on the wall.

Current Pollution Level: 20%.

The quarantine center had several buildings, each floor covering nearly 2,000 square meters. They were in one of the smaller buildings on the first floor.

The spacious waiting area was already packed with test-takers.

From their clothing, it was easy to distinguish the self-trained Awakened from those who had clearly come from the Inner City’s elites.

There were six exam rooms in total, each holding 50 candidates, meaning nearly 300 people were competing in this round.

The number of participants was higher than he expected.

[A lot of them are taking the exam for the second or third time,] Fu Gui commented through their mental link.

[As an old human saying—the ultimate goal of the universe is to secure a stable job.]

Ruan Xing's gaze fell on an elderly man, at least seventy years old, who was trembling as he walked into the exam hall.

Respect instantly filled his heart. He suddenly understood that saying on a much deeper level.

“Candidates, please enter the exam room according to your admission number. The test is about to begin.”

A voice echoed from the loudspeakers, looping the announcement.

Ruan Xing gave Fu Gui a look.

Fu Gui immediately got the message and flew out of the examination hall.

Electronic devices were strictly prohibited in the exam room, and using abilities to cheat was also not allowed. Naturally, Fu Gui couldn’t accompany him inside.

But Ruan Xing didn’t need it to be inside.

They had already scouted the venue in advance.

Now, perched outside on a tree branch, Fu Gui had a clear line of sight into the exam hall. His emerald-green eyes darkened slightly as he locked onto the test papers of the other candidates, scanning them at an inhuman speed.

[ACBBD, DDDCB…]

Ruan Xing’s pen moved.

—Calmly and confidently copying the answers.

Fu Gui continued transmitting: [The scholar who developed the Spiritual Healing Potion is Dr. Will. When encountering a C-Class pollutant in the wild…]

Meanwhile, a few Investigation Corps members in black uniforms were chatting in the Monitoring Room.

“Do we really need to personally supervise this test?” a lazy voice asked.

“You can leave if you want,” a cold voice replied.

Pei Ye scoffed. “Ugh, I hate routine tasks the most.”

For a master of slacking off, being forced to work back-to-back was pure torture.

The Quarantine Center’s exam proctor forced out a dry chuckle but didn’t dare to chime in.

Rules were rules—the Investigation Corps had to personally oversee the selection process. What he hadn’t expected, though, was that these two big shots would be assigned.

Fu Zhi was flipping through the candidates’ profiles, his gaze never lifting from the documents.

Pei Ye, bored, turned his attention to the security monitors.

“…Oh?” He suddenly tapped on the screen, pointing at Ruan Xing sitting in the farthest corner. "Hey, Captain Fu, your little friend is here."

Fu Zhi calmly closed the paper file. "We have no relationship."

“No relationship? The whole team’s been talking about it. If you hadn’t pushed him away that day, he’d probably already have three of your kids by now.”

Nearby, the other exam proctors perked up, their gossip radar activating at full force.

Fu Zhi crossed his legs, sitting with elegant composure. “If you have time for nonsense, perhaps you should review the upcoming mission instead of spreading rumors and tarnishing others' reputations.”

Pei Ye leaned in closer. “Whose reputation am I tarnishing, exactly?”

He only dared to joke around because of their close relationship, but even so, Fu Zhi shot him a cold glare.

The man then turned his attention back to the surveillance feed—and suddenly paused.

Pei Ye was about to tease him again, but Fu Zhi spoke first.

“Look at him.”

Pei Ye chuckled. “Weren’t you just saying you weren’t interested? And now you’re staring?”

“No.” Fu Zhi tapped the screen, his tone shifting slightly. “Look closely.”

Pei Ye’s smile faded as he focused on Ruan Xing.

“Something's off.… That kid isn’t stopping. He’s writing his answers in one go without pausing.”

One of the other proctors shrugged. “Maybe he’s just well-prepared and has a clear thought process?”

Pei Ye shook his head. “I talked to him before. He didn’t even know some basic common knowledge.”

Fu Zhi’s eyes flickered. He moved his mouse, switched the camera feed, and pointed.

“His crow is out there.”

Pei Ye followed his gaze and spotted the bird perched on a tree, its head tilted inside the exam hall. He mentally traced the line of sight, then his eyes widened.

“…Holy crap. Is that bird feeding him answers?!”

Fu Zhi turned his head and asked the exam proctor, “I remember you have a Border Collie. Can it transmit information this accurately?”

The proctor rubbed his hands together awkwardly. “I can understand what it says, but no matter how smart a Border Collie is, it can’t read human text!”

Among Awakened individuals with animal-related abilities, the most common trait was the ability to communicate with animals.

The stronger the Awakened, the smarter their animal companion.

But intelligence had its limits.

Their communication was more like telepathy—seamless and fluid, but when it came to actual written language, that required a completely different level of cognitive processing.

No one had ever heard of an animal helping someone cheat on a written exam.

Fu Zhi said, “Bring me his test paper when the exam is over.”

The proctor immediately agreed.

After the exam, the candidates moved to the rest area while the test papers were brought to the supervisors’ room.

Fu Zhi quickly skimmed Ruan Xing’s test and pulled out three other exams for comparison.

“Take a look.”

Ruan Xing had cross-referenced answers from multiple papers, minimizing similarity patterns while correcting any mistakes—

It was practically a perfect answer key with no visible signs of cheating.

Pei Ye whistled. “With answers this well-structured, I’d rather believe he was pretending to be clueless when he talked to us before.”

After a moment of thought, he added, “Could it be [Visual Sharing]?”

[Visual Sharing] was a C-Class ability that allowed an Awakened to link their vision with another being. If Ruan Xing had seen the test from the crow’s perspective, copying the answers would have been easy.

Between believing that a crow could read human text and assuming that Ruan Xing had two abilities, Pei Ye would rather believe the latter.

Fu Zhi replied, “Not sure.”

He turned to a baby-faced investigator and instructed, “Make a note—his ability level is likely between C and B class. [Animal Tamer], and possible secondary ability: [Visual Sharing].”

The baby-faced officer quickly jotted it down.

A C-Class Awakened who had only awakened within the past month—even within the Investigation Corps, that was extremely rare.

After finishing the note, Fu Zhi sifted through the stack again and pulled out a few more test papers.

“Keep an eye on these candidates as well.”

The head examiner swallowed nervously. “Did they cheat with abilities too?”

Fu Zhi gave a simple “Mm.”

While written test scores were an important reference, the final score wasn’t always the most critical factor.

If someone could use an ability to cheat under strict surveillance at the Quarantine Center, it meant their control over their ability was already at an extremely advanced level.

—

The Quarantine Center’s cafeteria was massive, capable of serving over a thousand people at once. Normally, it would be packed, but today, only 300 candidates were eating there.

Ruan Xing sat in a corner, silently eating his meal.

In reality, he was discussing the afternoon’s practical exam with Fu Gui.

[The practical exam is usually held in the Quarantine Center. They’ll prepare some polluted creatures—probably around D-Class. If candidates can lower the area’s pollution level to below 40%, they pass. Rankings are based on how much pollution they clear, combined with written exam scores.]

The origin of pollution was highly debated, but when it came to purification, the solution universally agreed upon was to destroy the source of pollution.

A pollution source was the core of a polluted zone or entity—the most heavily polluted area. The so-called “point of no return” was the defining mark of a pollution source.

[But it’s not that simple,] Fugui continued.

[There are thousands of different polluted creatures, and every pollution zone has different rules. Finding the pollution source is easier said than done. That’s why most cleanup operations use an absolute eradication method—eliminating the source along with the entire pollution chain. Just like how we saw those ant creatures being wiped out before. But it’s incredibly difficult.]

While Ruan Xing and Fugui were chatting, a blond man suddenly approached.

"Hello! Mind if I sit here?"

Ruan Xing didn’t respond, which was a clear rejection.

But the man took his silence as an invitation. “Nice to meet you! I’m also a candidate. My name’s Qiao Zhi.” (喬智 'Qiáo Zhì')

He was dressed in a well-tailored white outfit, detailed with golden embroidery—clearly from a wealthy family.

Ruan Xing gave a polite nod, but his demeanor remained distant. “Mm.”

“I noticed you earlier. You’re an Animal Tamer, right? That crow on your shoulder is so cool!”

“Thanks.”

Ruan Xing had no interest in pointless small talk, so he stood up, ready to leave.

“Hey! Don’t go! During the written test, I thought your crow was really impressive.”

Ruan Xing blinked innocently.

A look that screamed: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Qiao Zhi chuckled. “No worries. I just have a super strong sixth sense.”

He lowered his voice. “Since we’re both talented, let me share a little insider info—this year’s practical exam is different.”

Ruan Xing raised a brow. “How so?”

Qiao Zhi glanced around and whispered, “This time, we’re going to an actual pollution zone.”

“Normally, they just bring in captured polluted creatures for the test. But now, they’re sending us directly into the field, which is way more dangerous!”

Pollution zones were far more unpredictable than controlled test environments. The conditions constantly changed, and keeping things under control was significantly harder.

There wasn’t much time to prepare, but Qiao Zhi’s warning was worth keeping in mind.

“…Thanks.”

Qiao Zhi waved it off. “No problem. We’re all in the same batch—we might even work together in the future!”

—

At 2 PM, several buses arrived at the testing center, all belonging to the Quarantine Center.

A proctor stood at the front with a loudspeaker and announced the exam rules.

Because of the inherent danger, every candidate was required to sign a waiver before participating.

No signature meant immediate disqualification.

The candidates murmured amongst themselves.

Qiao Zhi glanced over from a distance and flashed an “OK” hand sign.

[That guy also used an ability during the written test. Seven o’clock from you—his answering speed suddenly sped up midway through.]

Ruan Xing stepped onto the bus. [Can you tell what ability he used?]

Fugui shook his head. [Feels like a psychic-type ability.]

The buses took them to a deserted neighborhood.

"A month ago, this area experienced a sudden pollution outbreak, forming a D-Class pollution zone. Dozens of civilians were killed in the initial event. Let us take a moment of silence for the victims."

One minute later—

The proctor resumed reading the exam instructions.

The practical exam would take place throughout the district. The Quarantine Center had already neutralized most of the pollution, but some final cleanup was still needed.

Each candidate’s task was to eliminate at least one polluted creature. Scores would be based on difficulty level and overall pollution reduction.

The Quarantine Center provided wristbands to record the exam process, along with standardized weapons. Candidates were also allowed to bring their own equipment.

Several people had brought grenades and even modified mortar launchers.

Fu Gui was horrified. [These people aren’t here for an exam. They’re here to blow up the test site!]

For safety, Ruan Xing packed his own gun, along with a handgun and a set of mini portable explosives provided by the Quarantine Center.

Qiao Zhi whistled. “Damn, all long-range weapons? No knife for self-defense?”

The archmage with zero close combat experience replied, “Not necessary.”

Qiao Zhi sighed.

“When the outbreak happened, the Quarantine Center got blasted with criticism—of course, they always get criticized. But that time, it caused a chain reaction. It started in one place, but then the whole district got polluted…”

As they walked further in, the proctor continued explaining.

Current active candidates: 232.

Current street pollution level: 42%.