Chapter 256: Pet
“It wouldn’t be good to break my word. I’ll still go see her once a month. Usually I’ll be at the school infirmary.”
Xu Zhi revealed a shy smile.
What a joke. Even though the Light Institute was now showing enough sincerity to win her over, how could she possibly limit herself to contact with only them?
“That works.”
The dean nodded. “The Lost Land selection will be held soon. I can sense that you’re close to advancing to Level Five—Comprehension. Try to break through before the selection begins.”
“However, Level Five still won’t be enough. Don’t be stingy with your credits. By the time the selection starts, you need at least the strength of Level Six—Comprehension to have a chance of competing with the upper-year students.”
And that was only a chance.
After all, this was the Light Institute—the most prestigious academy on the continent. Even as just a branch campus within one city, it gathered elite students. In ordinary academies, Level Six Comprehension would already be impressive. But within the inner court of Radiance? It was far from sufficient.
Still, Xu Zhi’s talent was exceptionally unique. Perhaps… she might create a miracle.
If the Lost Land qualification weren’t so special—if so many eyes weren’t watching the selection—and if insufficient strength didn’t mean courting death, the dean might have directly given her a “backdoor” pass.
“This semester, you transferred in midway and haven’t attended previous classes. We won’t assess your GPA this term. Attend whatever classes you can. Your foundation is far behind. If your health prevents you from going, we won’t force you.”
Standing beside them, Ke Yi’s eyelid twitched at that statement. The Light Institute valued GPA above almost everything. Skipping class was a serious offense. Yet the principal was now telling a student this—it was unbelievable.
Was this the power of talent?
“Also.”
The principal’s gaze lowered slightly, landing on Xu Zhi’s sleeve. “Is that your pet?”
Xu Zhi’s heart skipped a beat, though she wasn’t surprised. As expected, Xiao Yi’s presence could not escape the perception of powerful supernaturals.
Even though Xiao Yi had completely concealed its aura—hibernating, reducing its life signs to the bare minimum, breathing and heartbeat slowed to extremes—it still could not hide entirely.
“…Yes. Though more precisely, it’s part of my supernatural ability.”
Xu Zhi nodded and lifted her sleeve. The small black snake appeared before them. She tapped its tiny head lightly, waking it from sleep. What had seemed like an inanimate ink-black bracelet stirred, raising a thumb-sized head.
“A contracted supernatural creature?” the dean asked.
Xu Zhi nodded along.
“Not an uncommon ability in theory. But the snake you’ve contracted is at a higher level than you. That’s rare.”
Typically, one could only contract creatures at a similar level to oneself. Crossing levels like Xu Zhi had—and with the creature behaving so docilely—was unusual.
The principal attributed it to “talent.”
“Has this snake always been with you?” he asked again.
Xu Zhi shook her head. “When I first woke up, I didn’t see it. Only after my supernatural ability recovered did I realize it was there too.”
That seemed reasonable.
“With it, your odds improve. But one supernatural creature isn’t enough. You yourself must grow stronger.”
If the host body was too fragile, enemies would find their opportunity.
Xu Zhi nodded. “Understood.”
Compared to the little aberration and the black cat, Xiao Yi’s level was indeed lacking. It hadn’t reached an evolutionary threshold. Though it was her earliest kin, it was no longer the strongest—now even the weakest among them. But that didn’t matter. With enough resources, it would catch up quickly.
The academy had no prohibition against keeping pets. In fact, many inner-court students raised supernatural creatures of their own. But theirs were formed through Contract Circuits, binding supernatural beings through external means.
Compared to a contract circuit, a supernatural ability was far more reliable. It was one’s own power—fully understood, impossible to betray. Contracts, on the other hand, could be broken.
Thus, as part of her Lamp-attribute ability, Xiao Yi’s existence was easily accepted. If it had been a mere contract, the snake would likely have undergone multiple inspections to confirm it was “harmless.”
“Alright, I have other matters to attend to. You already have our contact information. We’ll leave it at that for today.”
“Young student, remember—although this began because of your talent, you are now part of the Light Institute. If anything happens, you can rely on us.”
The words carried an implication.
Xu Zhi could only nod innocently.
If it were anything else—even if she were a spy from another city—she felt the Light Institute might tolerate it. But her true identity was a secret that could never be spoken. Even with her extraordinary talent, her “background” remained a ticking bomb.
She did not fear what the Light Institute would do to her upon learning the truth. Rather, she feared that the moment the secret left her lips, the powerful beings connected to it would sense it. She still could not afford to fall within the sight of the Cup.
The important figures did not stay long. They had only come to see Xu Zhi. Yet precisely because they had “only come to see Xu Zhi,” her status was made all the more extraordinary.
Ke Yi stood in place for quite a while afterward, collecting herself. She had merely been assigned to assist a suspicious girl with enrollment formalities—and somehow ended up witnessing the birth of a future powerhouse.
Today had been far more thrilling than expected. Perhaps years later, she would still remember this day. After all, such opportunities were rare.
“Miss Xu, shall I take you to the dormitory arranged for you?”
Though called a dormitory, that four-story standalone building had already been placed under Xu Zhi’s name.
“Alright. Thank you.”
Xu Zhi nodded politely.
Ke Yi quickly waved her hands. “It’s only my duty.”
What a joke. Earlier, she might have accepted Xu Zhi’s thanks—after all, she had gone out of her way to explain many things, initially just because Xu Zhi was beautiful. Who wouldn’t feel happier looking at a pretty girl?
Now? She hardly dared accept it.
“Your residence is in the best location within the inner court dormitories. Normally, dorm assignments require credits—the more credits you have, the better the housing. The one assigned to you is the most expensive tier: a standalone building, fully equipped. However, the Light Institute has transferred ownership of that building to you. Even after you graduate, it will remain yours. No other student will ever move in.”
Xu Zhi’s brows lifted slightly. She was clearly pleased.
She had no desire for anyone else to live in a place she once occupied.
What belonged to her should belong entirely to her—even if one day she no longer needed it.
