[Reboot Volume] Chapter 213: Making a Date and Bringing Up Fortune-Telling?

“This...” Faced with several consecutive questions from Mr. Shen, Mo Xing found himself at a loss for words for a moment.

“You’ve only defeated a few classmates; the freshman assessment isn’t just about them,” Mr. Shen said coldly.

Mo Xing remained silent.

The two fell into a heavy silence.

*Ding-ling-ling—*

A crisp, melodious bell sound broke the quiet from afar. Mo Xing turned around and saw someone riding a bicycle, carrying a single-shoulder bag.

“Oh, up so early, student?” the cyclist smiled warmly. “Are you exercising alone this morning?”

“There was someone beside me—” Mo Xing turned back, only to find Mr. Shen had vanished again.

“People nowadays love to sleep in; early risers are rare guests, ha ha ha!” the cyclist chuckled.

“By the way! These are newspapers subscribed to by your classmates at Raine Dormitory! Please help me put them in the mailbox by the door.” The person took out several newspapers from the bag and handed them to Mo Xing. “I have to keep delivering; thanks a lot!”

“Uh... alright!” Before Mo Xing could finish speaking, the delivery person had already ridden away, leaving behind a cheerful ringing.

Mo Xing approached the door, intending to slip the newspapers into the mailbox when a line of text suddenly caught his eye:

“Mo Xing’s practical combat training: eleven consecutive wins, potentially the biggest dark horse in the freshman assessment?”

His heart skipped a beat, a strange feeling stirring within—was it pride or unease?

With that feeling lingering, Mo Xing slid the newspapers into the mailbox.

After a brief moment of thought, he tucked the papers away.

He reminded himself not to be swayed by public opinion, not to care too much about others’ views, but to focus on studying and training, preparing thoroughly for the freshman assessment!

With that resolve, Mo Xing found an open space and began his morning training regimen.

Holding his staff, he summoned water elements, continually experimenting with the techniques he had reviewed the night before.

“Ice Pillar!”

Among all the elemental mage skills, this was the fastest to cast—a sudden circle of ice pillars smashed down nearby, with a freezing effect that could restrict opponents from approaching or be used offensively.

But what Mo Xing summoned was a pillar of water! Compared to the ice pillars, the effect was far weaker.

“Ice Blade!”

One of the elemental mage’s offensive skills, rapidly releasing a row of ice spikes forward, with strong damage and freezing effects.

Yet again, he released water pillars! The damage was nowhere near that of the ice spikes!

No wonder Teacher Tianqi urged him to train harder; this was the reason:

For the elemental mage profession, relying solely on explosive power was far from enough!

One must skillfully harness the transformation between elements, creating a stable control loop to fully unleash the class’s greatest advantages!

It seemed similar to the role-playing games he used to play—the mage’s strength lay in the combination of burst and control. But this was no game; this was a genuine otherworld, and these skills weren’t learned automatically with leveling up—they required personal exploration and mastery!

Mo Xing continued experimenting for another half hour, but in the end, he still only produced water pillars.

If his water element couldn’t transform into ice, his control effects would be greatly diminished. Could it really be as Mr. Shen said—that he was ill-suited for the path of elemental mage?

No! He must prove him wrong!

*Gurgle, gurgle...*

Suddenly, Mo Xing’s stomach growled, reminding him it was time for breakfast. Reluctantly, he retracted his staff into the Titan Ring and headed towards the shopping street.

Shopping West Street.

This was the busiest street in Aslant Imperial City, located next to the Royal Academy of the Sacred Void. It was just a short turn from the school gate—very convenient.

Since it was the weekend, the school’s Poli Canteen was closed and didn’t serve breakfast, so Mo Xing had to find a breakfast stall outside.

The street was lined with shops, packed tightly, offering a dazzling array of goods. Some stores bore plain signs, giving a neat and straightforward impression; others had colorful artistic lettering with beautiful borders and exquisite patterns, vibrant and eye-catching.

After walking a while, Mo Xing finally found the food district. Steam rose softly from numerous breakfast stalls, and a few elderly men sat at nearby tables, chatting and laughing.

Mo Xing approached one of the stalls.

“Oh, good morning, handsome! Up so early?” The owner greeted enthusiastically, busy packing breakfast for another customer.

“Mm-hmm,” Mo Xing replied.

“Second Master, your breakfast is packed and ready,” the owner said, handing the package to an elderly man beside Mo Xing before turning back to him.

“Handsome young man, what would you like? Takeout or eat here?” the owner asked warmly.

“Three meat buns and a soy milk, to eat here,” Mo Xing answered after a moment, noting that Aslant’s breakfasts were quite similar to those from his previous world—no jarring differences.

“All right!” The owner swiftly grabbed a few meat buns from the steamer into a small bag and handed him a large paper cup filled with soy milk.

“That will be sixty gold coins,” the owner smiled.

“Oh, okay!” Mo Xing hurried to search his pockets but soon realized he hadn’t brought any money. Seeing the owner’s friendly expression, he wasn’t sure how to explain.

“I’ll pay for him. Boss, add two vegetable buns and another cup of soy milk for here,” a familiar, kind voice said.

Mo Xing quickly turned and saw Shiyan standing beside him.

“All right!” the owner responded cheerfully.

“Good morning, Mo Xing!” Shiyan waved.

“Morning... Shiyan? What are you doing here?” Mo Xing stared at Shiyan, dressed in a blue-and-white tracksuit, her delicate face radiant like the rising sun, her slender figure accentuated. He involuntarily blushed.

“Maybe it’s fate!” Shiyan smiled.

“Your breakfasts are packed and ready,” the owner said warmly. “That will be ninety-nine gold coins in total.”

After Shiyan paid, Mo Xing helped carry the food to a nearby table.

“Thanks, Shiyan,” Mo Xing said. “I’ll pay you back when we get back.”

“Don’t say that,” Shiyan pouted, looking a little displeased.

“Why not?” Mo Xing asked, puzzled. “But it’s not right to borrow money without returning it!”

“We’re friends,” Shiyan paused. “Next time we have breakfast, you treat me back.”

“All right, that works too,” Mo Xing said, still not quite understanding girls’ thoughts.

“Mo Xing, the freshman assessment is tomorrow,” Shiyan suddenly said. “How are you preparing?”

“Not bad, but I still need to improve,” Mo Xing replied.

“I’m free this morning; I can share some test-taking tips with you,” Shiyan offered.

“Really?” Mo Xing was surprised.

“Yes,” Shiyan smiled. “Let’s finish breakfast first.”

Mo Xing quickly finished eating and was about to toss his paper cup into a nearby trash bin when a line of small text caught his eye:

“Pass every exam.”

Mo Xing was shocked. Who had written this on the cup? How did they know he had an exam coming up?

He turned back quickly and looked at the breakfast stall named “Liang the Prophet’s Little Shop.” The owner was watching him too, a simple but sincere smile on his face.

A strange feeling welled up inside Mo Xing...

“Mo Xing, what’s wrong?” Shiyan noticed the change in his expression.

“Oh, nothing. I just saw some words on the cup,” Mo Xing explained quickly. “So I wanted to ask the owner about it.”

“Words? Let me see,” Shiyan leaned in.

“Right here. It says ‘Pass every exam’,” Mo Xing pointed to the text.

“Oh, there really are some small letters,” Shiyan nodded.

“I heard there’s a shop on Shopping West Street run by a fortune teller. Customers sometimes receive small gifts with blessings written on them, and there’s an eighty percent chance they come true,” Shiyan continued.

“So it’s this breakfast stall?” Mo Xing said. “Check your cup—does it have any writing?”

Shiyan returned to her seat, observing her cup for a while before shaking her head.

“Nope. Looks like you’re the lucky one!”

“Ah, I see. Then I can share half my luck with you,” Mo Xing said.

“No need to be so generous; save it for tomorrow’s freshman exam,” Shiyan laughed, covering her mouth.

“True enough, haha,” Mo Xing smiled. “The buns are getting cold; hurry up and eat.”

“Okay,” Shiyan said, continuing to eat her bun.

...

A moment later.

Watching the two walk away, Mr. Shen emerged slowly from a street corner and approached the breakfast stall.

“No more soy milk left. Come earlier next time,” the owner said without looking up.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Mr. Shen sighed.

“By the way, you didn’t write one for that young lady, did you?” Mr. Shen asked.

“Some things are better left unsaid. Let nature take its course,” the owner shook his head. “Mainly, I’m worried about affecting your young apprentice’s mindset.”

“Oh? You can even predict that? Liang the Prophet’s astrology really lives up to its name,” Mr. Shen smiled. “How about you do a reading for me?”

“You?” Liang the Prophet glared at Mr. Shen. “Two words: tough fate.”

“Flattered, ha ha,” Mr. Shen chuckled. “Anyway, what’s our next move?”

“Let’s watch for now; the opponent hasn’t made a move yet...” Liang the Prophet shook his head. “How many have the school uncovered?”

“Only two so far, both under my watch!” Mr. Shen smiled. “Those guys hide deep.”

“Hmm... the situation is quite tangled... and the school’s about to face trouble soon...” Liang the Prophet said.

Mr. Shen looked up at Liang the Prophet.

“The young lady just now’s fortune was a bad omen...” Liang the Prophet paused, then whispered four words from his lips—

“A withering flower.”