Chapter 248: Enrollment
Xu Zhi felt a chill in her heart at those words. She thought of the twenty-year contract the consortium had offered her. According to Ke Yi’s description, if she hadn’t been lying, then let alone twenty years—perhaps after just a few years, a person would gradually burn away like firewood, turning to ash.
Seeing the lingering fear on Xu Zhi’s face, Ke Yi changed the subject to comfort her.
“Don’t worry. The Light Academy won’t treat people as less than human. Once you enter the Inner Court, you’re one of our own. And the Light Academy has always been tolerant and gentle with its own people.”
Xu Zhi thought to herself: What “one of our own”? Entering the Inner Court was merely a method of control. If anything problematic were exposed about her, the first to act against her would probably be the Light Academy itself.
“We’re almost there.”
As they spoke, the three of them had already walked quite far along the road. Xu Zhi looked up and saw an outdoor elevator built against the edge of a cliff, rising straight into the clouds.
Not just one—but dozens of such vertical elevators, stretching along roughly five hundred meters of the cliffside.
And to enter the elevator area, one had to pass through a gate first.
“You can get in by swiping your card. You’ll need to swipe again when entering the elevator. But once you officially enroll, it won’t be this troublesome,” Ke Yi explained. “After the Light Academy’s system records your identity, your face, voice, fingerprints, pupils—every biometric feature will be stored. At that point, inside the academy, you yourself will be your identity card.”
How terrifying.
That also meant that within the Light Academy, everything each student did every day was likely recorded in perfect detail.
If the Light Academy operated like this, other places probably weren’t much different. The consortium might even be worse.
“Remember to swipe your card when entering,” Ke Yi said as she pressed the button to open one of the elevator doors, pointing to the sensor area inside.
Once Xu Zhi entered and the elevator began ascending, Ke Yi continued talking.
“The Inner Court being built on the mountaintop is a bit inconvenient, but it’s not without benefits. The Inner and Outer Courts share the same vacation schedule. Only during holidays and the return dates can students from both courts see each other in the plaza.”
“Their uniforms are different, and their entrances and exits aren’t the same. The Outer Court is built on the right side and normally has no access to this elevator area. They’re not allowed to enter. Occasionally seeing Inner Court students during holidays serves as motivation for them.”
Xu Zhi could understand. If they truly didn’t want the two groups to meet at all, they could have separated the entrances completely. The deliberate intersection, along with those conspicuous stone steps, was clearly meant to stimulate competition.
As Ke Yi’s voice droned on, the elevator continued to rise.
Xu Zhi could sense that Qi Yanxin behind her was somewhat nervous and afraid. After all, the outdoor elevator was entirely transparent. But Xu Zhi remained calm. She even boldly looked outside. As the height increased, more and more of the Fifth Layer spread out beneath her.
From above, it was obvious how rigorously planned the Fifth Layer was. Even from high in the air, there was not a trace of disorder.
Yet as the elevator climbed higher and higher, Xu Zhi realized with surprise that she still could not see the edge of the Fifth Layer.
Just how enormous was this city in the sky?
Even when the elevator finally stopped—when she could see white clouds at the horizon and the distant city growing hazy—she still had not glimpsed its boundary.
“We’ve arrived. Come on down. The mountaintop area is quite large as well. It’ll take some time to walk to the Academic Affairs Office, so we’ll take a car.”
Qi Yanxin’s legs were slightly weak, her face pale, but she forced herself to appear fine. Even while pushing Xu Zhi, she seemed to use the wheelchair as partial support for her own body.
“Are there cars on the mountaintop too?” she asked in surprise.
Ke Yi nodded. “Of course. The Inner Court is large, and the distance between various teaching facilities isn’t short. For convenience, there are many self-driving electric vehicles available for students.”
After exiting the elevator, Xu Zhi found the scene oddly familiar—almost like a Federation subway station.
Only instead of planes, elevators were lined up. And not far from the exits stood rows of quietly parked electric vehicles.
“This interface shows the location of every building in the Inner Court. Just select your destination, and it will automatically take you there.”
“Inner Court students use it for free,” Ke Yi added.
What impressed Xu Zhi even more was that as she approached, the vehicle seemed to detect the presence of a “disabled person.” After the door opened, an accessible ramp automatically lowered, and the body of the car adjusted downward, reducing the slope. Even without assistance, she could easily board.
“Alright, Academic Affairs Office. We’ll arrive in about ten minutes.”
After setting the destination and withdrawing her hand from the smart display, Ke Yi looked at Xu Zhi. “Did you understand how to use it?”
Xu Zhi nodded. “Very convenient.”
“Exactly.” Ke Yi looked somewhat proud. “Not just this—everything in the Inner Court is convenient. Its facilities are comprehensive enough that students could stay for an entire academic year without leaving. Not only teaching facilities, but daily life and entertainment are all fully considered.”
“Sounds excellent,” Xu Zhi responded at the appropriate moment.
“Of course. However, the Inner Court isn’t only home to students and teachers. There are some areas not listed in the vehicle’s system. Don’t enter them,” Ke Yi suddenly warned.
“Some powerful extraordinary individuals of the Light Academy reside there. Some have eccentric temperaments. They won’t care that you’re a student. If you trespass, you might lose your life.”
Xu Zhi nodded seriously, appearing to take the warning fully to heart.
Soon, the three of them arrived at the Academic Affairs Office building. After getting off the vehicle, Ke Yi led Xu Zhi and Qi Yanxin to an office on the sixth floor.
“Normally, you’d consult at the front desk in the lobby first. But your matter was pre-scheduled, so we can come directly upstairs.”
The office door opened. Inside sat a stern-looking middle-aged woman. Upon seeing Ke Yi, she stood up and unlocked a box from a large cabinet behind her.
“Household registration, communication wristband, student ID, materials for missed courses, and the enrollment bonus are all inside. Come register.”
Though she appeared severe, the woman handled matters efficiently and decisively, not even exchanging a single pleasantry with Ke Yi.
Ke Yi clearly understood her style. She simply nudged Xu Zhi and Qi Yanxin forward.
The registration process was simple. Xu Zhi only needed to press her fingerprint onto the student registration panel. It seemed the Light Academy had already completed all other procedures in advance.
The moment her fingerprint was pressed down, the stern woman said calmly:
“Congratulations. From this moment on, you are an Inner Court student of the Light Academy.”
