MHOMASB Chapter 15

TL: Hua

[1L: Hahaha, trash JX is up to new antics again. Getting yourself sent to the infirmary during something as simple as mecha testing? Impressive! The Combat Department truly produces one talent after another.]

[2L: For real? Someone in the Mecha Department was actually desperate enough to ask him to test? Why do I remember someone vomiting the moment they got into a mecha last semester?]

[3L: Managed to snap a shot this morning, no need to thank me [Image]]

[4L: … Upstairs, don’t use someone else’s photo to lie to me. Is JX really this good-looking?]

[5L: … Upstairs, quit joking. How good-looking can Trash Ji be? (Clicks on image.jpg) …Holy crap.]

[6L: To be fair, it’s quite like an idol drama. If it weren’t for the huge grade difference, they’d actually make a good match.]

…

[20L: This has to be plastic surgery. Quite the clever methods; my idol PYY is actually being licked by him? I don’t believe it.]

[21L: Hahahaha, are you guys crazy? So, what if he’s good-looking? If you can’t pass the assessment, you’re still trash. You can’t exactly ask the Zerg on the battlefield to show mercy because of your peerless beauty.]

[22L: At most, he’s just a better-looking piece of trash. Let’s just say the forum’s jokes finally have some eye-pleasing material.]

[23L: Don’t forget someone’s glorious track record from the previous two tests. I’m really curious to see which unlucky souls will be grouped with him this year.]

[24L: Anyway, I’ve already formed my team, so it won’t be me [Dog head]]

…

[45L: For those of you short on points for the combat tournament, remember to challenge JX. Don’t let free points go to waste!]

[46L: Upstairs, don’t be so malicious. We’re above doing something so shameless, haha.]

[47L: If you’re capable of losing, don’t go looking for JX to make up the points.]

[48L: Looks like this year’s combat tournament will have more entertainment again, hehe.]

…

[87L: Just passed by the Mecha Department warehouse. The victim LZ is still working overtime at his station for emergency repairs. So tragic.]

The post was pushed all the way to the forum’s hot list. Lance Vaughn had used plenty of alt accounts to fan the flames inside, causing the comment to skyrocket.

Over the past few days, no matter where Ji Xuan went, he could always sense people around him casting both open and secret measuring glances or hearing fragmented discussions.

But he didn’t care much.

The good news was that the picky Mephisto was finally willing to eat. Ji Xuan recorded a video of it feasting and sent it to Pei Yingye.

In the video, the silver-blue snake, two fingers wide, swallowed a fish as big as its own head without even chewing. One could vaguely see the shape of the fish sliding down its esophagus. Once it had eaten its fill, it swam up affectionately to rub against the back of Ji Xuan’s hand, as obedient as a puppy.

The snake’s body coiled around Ji Xuan’s wrist. Perhaps the sunlight shining in from outside was too intense, as his skin seemed to glow with whiteness.

[Nice hand.]

[…I meant the snake. Typo.]

Ji Xuan did not reply.

–

Three days later, in the combat training class, the instructor, who had arrived late, officially announced the schedule for the annual assessment.

All the students present were subsequently herded, like conscripts, to the dedicated venue for pheromone resistance testing.

The pheromone resistance testing ground was not far from the combat training room; it was a black-and-white building.

Under normal circumstances, among all students participating in the annual assessment, only those from the Combat and Medical Departments were required to take the pheromone resistance test.

The testing standard was simple and brutal: an opposite-sex examiner with a mental power of Grade A or higher would release pheromones, and the examinee had to maintain consciousness and mobility within a limited time while preventing their own pheromones from dispersing significantly. If they couldn’t hold out, not only would their score be recorded as a zero, but they would also be hauled off to the infirmary with great fanfare on the spot, becoming the forum’s laughingstock for the following year.

“Ji Xuan” had not differentiated last year, so he hadn’t participated in the test. This year, because of his special status as an Omega, many people on the forum were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

After all, everyone knew that low-grade Omegas couldn’t even resist the lowest grade of Alpha pheromones.

Since he was the only Omega in the Combat Department, Ji Xuan was grouped with students from the Medical Department.

As he walked over following the instructor, he endured many searching and scrutinizing gazes from other Omegas.

With the mechanical voice of the AI reading out the rules in his ear, Ji Xuan followed at the end of the line into the testing room with an air of indifference.

The heavy alloy door shut with a thud, completely sealing off the noise and clamor of the outside world, leaving only the cold air hitting his face. In the next second, the unseen examiner released their pheromones, and for the first time, Ji Xuan understood exactly what the Omega instincts he had searched for on the StarNet these past few days were all about.

But compared to the trembling and profuse sweating of those around him, his performance was remarkably calm.

It wasn’t until five minutes later, when the test ended, that he walked out of the testing room expressionlessly.

–

Pei Yingye detested the scent of Omega pheromones.

Perhaps because his grade was too high, or perhaps due to an accident a few years back, the pheromones in his body were inherently unstable. His pheromones were like a surging, roaring river; when they went wild, they often caused him splitting headaches, spawning a violent streak that made him want to destroy everything in sight.

Although he had gained some control over the years through medication and unique venting methods, the instincts triggered by Omega pheromones still gave him an urge to tear everything apart.

Fortunately, this year’s difficulty level was nothing to him.

Alpha pheromone resistance tests were always accompanied by blood and gore; occasionally, a few who couldn’t hold out would let their reason be overcome by the desire to mate and would start brawling on the spot.

Unluckily, two such people appeared in Pei Yingye’s group.

However, the two soon came to their senses and retreated to the corner, their faces turning various shades of blue and white. It was easy to imagine that they would be the targets of everyone’s teasing for quite some time.

“The Omega they brought in to test us this time must be at least S-grade or higher. Damn, I’ve never seen such domineering pheromones!”

“Are you sure domineering is the word?” His friend teased, glancing at his lower abdomen.

“You should ask those two brothers who were fighting that question; I held out through the whole thing.”

The Alpha, who hadn’t been able to endure earlier, cursed: “Tsk, isn’t it just because the pheromones this time smelled too good… Why can’t we have internal assessments like the Mecha Department? Anyway, the Combat Department only has one low-grade Omega. If it were that kind of bland pheromone test, I guarantee I’d pass.”

The group burst into laughter.

Pei Yingye rolled his eyes and walked past them toward the door. “Idiots. If you’re weak, shut up and practice more. Stop making fools of yourselves here.”

The laughter was suppressed to a dead stop by his single sentence. Several Alphas stared at each other but didn’t dare talk back.

Pei Yingye didn’t bother with them, stepping through the alloy door and out of the testing grounds.

However, before long, he paused in his tracks.

There was a semi-open corridor between the Alpha and Omega testing zones, where the brilliant afternoon sunlight poured in unreservedly.

Ji Xuan, who had finished his test at some unknown point, was leaning quietly against the railing, holding a cup of milk tea he’d gotten from somewhere, sipping it through a straw in small mouthfuls.

The students around were either panting for breath or flushed in the face, but he was like a piece of cold jade swept by wind and snow, untainted by dust or mud.

“Why aren’t you going down to assemble?” Pei Yingye asked since mental power tests and pheromone resistance tests were always linked together.

Ji Xuan gave him a lazy glance: “You guys are too slow. I didn’t see any assembly teams downstairs.”

“Where did that come from?” Pei Yingye asked, glancing at the milk tea in his hand. “I’ve never heard of the Omega resistance test having perks. Surely Mars Military Academy doesn’t have double standards?”

“Someone gave it to me,” Ji Xuan said. “The people from the Medical Department were also pulled over abruptly in the middle of class. One class was originally holding an event and hadn’t finished handing them out.”

“Aren’t you afraid of someone drugging you?” Pei Yingye said. “While pulling petty tricks in a resistance test is useless, you can’t be sure there isn’t some idiot who enjoys hurting others even if it doesn’t benefit them.”

Ji Xuan tilted his head, unconcerned: “This test is very simple. There’s not much point, is there?”

Pei Yingye raised an eyebrow.

“Besides,” Ji Xuan suddenly took a step forward, his nose wrinkling just centimeters away from Pei Yingye’s shoulder. Because of the test, Pei Yingye had previously removed the bracelet that controlled his pheromones. Although the impact wasn’t great, his clothes were still tainted with a bit of the released pheromones. “The examiner in our group didn’t smell as good as you. Even if they played tricks, it would be very easy to pass.”

…Crap.

Pei Yingye’s face went blank for an instant, his throat bobbing uncomfortably.

Having said this, Ji Xuan retreated nonchalantly. Pei Yingye pressed his tongue against his cheek, his gaze sweeping over Ji Xuan’s hair, which shimmered in the sunlight, then over those eyes that looked like amber under the light, suddenly remembering the words of those stupid Alphas.

—If their examiner were Ji Xuan, the test would surely be incredibly easy.

Ji Xuan didn’t seem to like wearing an Omega neck collar; except for those two times in the Lower City, it was empty every time they met. Now, because of the test, a bit of his pheromones had also escaped. There was no specific scent, only a sense of coldness, like a handful of snow.

If it were him—

Pei Yingye ground his back teeth.

If it were Ji Xuan, he would very likely enter his rut right then and there.

–

[Subject: Dropping a real-time assessment log thread.]

[1L: This damn school really loves surprise attacks. It’s a last-minute notice every year. Is it really that fun to watch us scramble?]

[2L: You all knew there was an assessment coming; were you still not prepared?]

[3L: Finally saw the legendary JX. Who exactly is insulting him? When he came out of the testing room, I was stunned by how beautiful he was.]

[4L: JX, use your main account to speak; don’t pretend to be a passerby.]

[5L: Where are we now? Has the Combat Department started the mental power test?]

[6L: It’s started, it’s started! PYY is indeed the most badass Alpha in the Combat Department; his mental power is in a league of its own. Mom, I want to be 3S-grade in my next life too.]

[7L: PYY is first in the mental power test every year, nothing to see there. Let’s look at others, like that stunningly beautiful JX mentioned above.]

[8L: LOL, JX’s dead-last score is indeed a recurring show.]

…

[18L: It’s JX’s turn. Let me see the grade of the Combat Department’s notorious bottom dweller!]

[19L: Is this machine broken? Why hasn’t it displayed a score?]

[20L: ? What’s with it jumping up and down? It couldn’t be so low that it can’t be measured, right?]

[21L: It’s out, it’s out! The moment of much anticipation!]

[22L: ?]

[23L: ???]

[24L: S-grade??? For real?]

[25L: Doesn’t a low-grade Omega’s mental power usually only reaches C? How can it be S??? Did the ‘Artificial Idiocy’ glitch again??]

…

[38L: Help! I’m a volunteer at the mental power test. I just heard PYY say to JX: ‘Has the injury your mental power took that day not healed yet? Why did you only measure this much?’]

[39L: Just perish, you ostentatious Alphas.]

[40L: More importantly, JX replied to him: ‘I thought the machine was broken, so I let go early. If it’s S-rank, then so be it. I can’t be bothered to re-test.’]

[41L: What does that mean? JX’s mental power is actually higher than S-rank?]

[42L: Haha, believing everything you hear is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. There are countless ways to cheat in a mental power test. I’m waiting to see someone’s true colors revealed in the fighting competition.]

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