Chapter 127 | The Otherworld Journey That Starts From a Slime

The next day, at the forest training ground.

Leona pulled out a stack of number tags and said, “Those whose names are called, come collect your tags. Assemble at the Academy Performance Hall at three ke into the afternoon for the gala auditions. There will only be thirty slots in the end, so perform well.”

Only thirty slots?

Everyone immediately grew nervous.

One had to realize that there were at least several hundred, if not a thousand, people signed up across the entire school. Even if some were performing in groups, the numbers far exceeded the available slots. Competing for those thirty spots would not be easy.

However, Zhang Ye remained quite confident in himself.

After collecting the tags, class began.

Today was another combat course. Under Leona’s special arrangement, Zhang Ye was once again paired with Lina.

The two continued their previous practice.

After a morning of training, Lina’s Blink frequency had reached thirty-eight times per second. Following this trend, it wouldn't be long before she reached a hundred blinks per second.

Lina could clearly feel her own improvement, and as a result, her gratitude toward Zhang Ye grew even deeper.

When class ended at noon, Zhang Ye urged, “Let’s go, Lina, to the institute!”

“Okay,” Lina nodded, following Zhang Ye to the research institute.

“Instructor.” Ke Ling was there as usual to greet them.

Zhang Ye introduced her with a smile. “Lina, this is my... student, Ke Ling.”

“Ke Ling, this is my friend, Lina.”

“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Lina said, her eyes sparkling.

Ke Ling was very beautiful, and Lina loved pretty older sisters.

Ke Ling nodded. “Hello.”

“Brother Ye, you really did become an instructor,” Lina giggled.

Zhang Ye scratched his head. “I wouldn't go that far. Come on, to the experimental area!”

The group moved to the experimental area. Lina asked curiously, “Brother Ye, what are we going to do?”

Zhang Ye gave a smug grin and pulled out his prized possession—the Shining Twins!

“This is...” Lina was stunned for a moment, then something clicked, and she looked at Zhang Ye expectantly.

Zhang Ye smiled. “Your exclusive magic devices!”

“What do you think? They look good, right?”

The exterior of the Shining Twins was incredibly streamlined, somewhat similar to Tracer’s dual pistols but even more beautiful. The entire body emitted a gold and blue fluorescent glow, with points of starlight shimmering on the surface. They looked absolutely dreamlike and possessed a very high aesthetic value.

Lina took them. The material of the grips immediately shifted to fit her small hands, making them extremely comfortable to hold.

She was momentarily dazed.

Though she didn't know the specific effects of these magic devices yet, just from their appearance, Lina knew Zhang Ye had put a lot of thought into them. Moreover, judging by the material, she could tell it was Void Meteorite, so the value of these magic devices was definitely astronomical!

“Try them out quickly; I guarantee you’ll love them!” Zhang Ye laughed, then began to instruct Lina on how to use them.

After performing a dual binding of mana and blood, the Shining Twins became Lina’s exclusive magic devices. No one else could use them even if they obtained them.

Then, holding the dual pistols, Lina took a deep breath. Her figure blinked repeatedly as she pulled the triggers. Instantly, countless starlight-like mana bullets poured out, riddling the distant target until it looked like a sieve.

The power made even Lina jump in surprise.

Could her mana... actually possess such power?!

In the next moment, her figure used Retrograde to return to her original position, and she suddenly discovered that the mana within the dual pistols was completely replenished!

She was even more astonished. The characteristics of these guns were perfectly compatible with her, almost as if they were tailor-made for her two talents.

In fact, they were tailor-made for her!

Looking at the magic devices in her hands, Lina knew that with them, she was no longer powerless. She no longer needed to use massive amounts of mana to trigger the magic circles within a Treasure just to deal damage.

Furthermore, after binding, the dual pistols could transform into a pair of bracers that fitted snugly on her forearms. They were not only extremely beautiful and provided protection, but were also incredibly convenient. With just a thought, the dual pistols would rapidly reassemble and appear in her hands.

This... this was simply perfect!

She loved them so much!

Lina asked in pleasant surprise, “Brother Ye, what are these magic devices called?”

Zhang Ye smiled slightly. “One is called Flash, the other is Light. The full name is the Shining Twins!”

“So, do you like them?”

“I do! I really, really love them!” A brilliant smile bloomed on Lina’s face. “Thank you, Brother Ye!”

“Brother Ye, these magic devices... they must have cost you a lot of effort, right?” Lina asked.

Zhang Ye waved it off. “It was nothing. With my skills, I had it sorted in no time.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Zhang Ye nodded, then suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right, there are also a few magic crystal sets fully charged with mana... where were they again?”

At that moment, Ke Ling spoke up. “In the Precision Engraver Lab.”

“Oh, right. Could you help me open a spatial gate?”

After the spatial gate opened, Zhang Ye dove in to fetch the magic crystal sets.

Meanwhile, Lina leaned in close to Ke Ling and whispered, “Sister Ke Ling, the Shining Twins are very precious, aren't they?”

Ke Ling nodded and said calmly, “Yes. The materials required cost a total of 1,547,825 points, which does not include the fees for applying to use the precision engraver or hiring a Dwarf Master Smith.”

“Nor does it include the Void Meteorite the instructor provided himself.”

“And if you add in the technical support...”

“A conservative estimate would put the value at over 1.5 billion gold coins.”

“1.5 billion...” Lina froze, her eyes gradually misting over.

“Of course, everything the instructor has done cannot be measured in gold coins.”

“To create this pair of magic devices, the instructor came to the institute every day for research and development. He proposed thirteen different concepts that could advance the era. Furthermore, yesterday, in order to finish the magic devices, he overextended his mental strength to the point of fainting.”

“In view of the instructor's contribution to the magic device era, I have decided to apply to the academy to raise his permission level and promote his status to High-level Researcher.”

“The instructor was born to advance the era. I can learn a great deal of knowledge from him; his concepts...” Ke Ling spoke tirelessly, but Lina could no longer hear her.

She stared blankly at the magic devices in her hands, her vision gradually blurring.

1.5 billion...

Exhausting his mental strength...

So that was why Brother Ye was sleeping on the sofa yesterday...

Brother Ye did so much for me?

Why?

Was it worth it?

We are clearly... just friends...

“Found them! These magic crystal sets can be used as replacements... Eh?” Emerging from the portal, Zhang Ye saw Lina with her head down, shedding tears, and was instantly baffled.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Zhang Ye hurried over.

To his surprise, Lina suddenly lunged at him, hugging him tightly while her small face was wet with tears.

“Brother Ye... thank you... thank you...”

“I promise...”

“I promise I will definitely repay you!”

“I swear... I swear!”

Zhang Ye was stunned for a moment. He looked at Ke Ling and sent a mental transmission: “What did you tell her?”

“I briefed her on the instructor's glorious deeds and his contributions to advancing the era. She was moved to tears,” Ke Ling replied with a nod. “That is all.”

Zhang Ye: “...”

Zhang Ye was speechless. This was the kind of scene he could handle the least. That was why he hadn't told Lina about the development process, but who would have thought Ke Ling would spill everything...

He gently ruffled Lina’s short blonde hair and smiled. “There’s no need to repay me. I’ve already learned Blink and Retrograde from you. Besides, you becoming stronger is the greatest reward for me.”

“I’ll keep looking for ways later. Maybe I can find the reason why you can't learn magic due to a lack of mana resonance. Once that problem is solved, I guarantee you’ll soar to the heavens.”

“The Shining Twins should be able to help you get through this period.”

“So don't cry, okay? This is a happy occasion; you should be smiling.”

Hearing this, Lina could no longer suppress the emotion in her heart. Tears fell like large pearls, and she cried even harder.

If the school uniform weren't waterproof, Zhang Ye’s chest would have been soaked through by now.

“No crying!” Zhang Ye suddenly said sternly.

Lina stopped crying at once, though she was still sobbing. Her large, watery golden eyes looked at Zhang Ye, appearing incredibly pitiful.

Zhang Ye gently rested his hands on Lina’s shoulders and said seriously, “If you really want to repay me, then make good use of the Shining Twins. Win the month-end test and let everyone know the name of Flash!”