A Mix-up

"Huh?" Although still confused, Ren Yi and Lu Zihan obediently pulled out their phones and handed them to Zhang Qiuqiu.

After all, they had full confidence in the monitor's technical skills.

Zhang Qiuqiu took the phones, her fingers sliding quickly across the screens. She tapped the backs of the devices a few times while muttering something under her breath, seemingly performing some kind of calibration.

A moment later, she looked up at them and smiled. "I'll give them back tomorrow morning. Don't worry, it won't interfere with your use."

"And don't worry about the battery. I'm going to add a few special features to your phones..."

"For example, they'll be able to automatically recharge using the Anomaly energy we generate ourselves. You won't need a power bank; they'll stay powered indefinitely."

"This way, no matter what kind of Unowned World you're in, your phone will function normally."

"You can do that?" Ren Yi's eyes lit up with surprise. He really hadn't expected that a phone could be modified like this.

"But Monitor, even if the phone has power, what's the use if there's no internet? We still won't be able to look up data or contact anyone."

"Look at you, spoiled by the Anomaly Web." Zhang Qiuqiu rolled her eyes, her tone a mix of exasperation and pride.

"That's why I said it's the power of technology. Even without the internet, the phone itself has plenty of built-in functions."

"For instance, taking photos, recording audio, and filming video—those work without a network. They might come in handy."

"I can even install a simple radar for you both. It can detect nearby energy fluctuations and provide early warnings for danger."

"And about that Anomaly Appraisal app from earlier—I'll build a basic Anomaly Artifact database directly into the phones."

"Even offline, you'll be able to identify common Anomaly Artifacts and tools. You won't have to worry about encountering a strange artifact and not knowing how to use it."

As Zhang Qiuqiu spoke about these black technologies, her eyes sparkled as if a fire were burning within them.

It was a pure, extreme passion for "hand-crafted technology," and even her voice became more spirited.

"Whoa, Monitor, you're the best!"

Although Lu Zihan didn't fully understand the technical terms she used, like "built-in database" or "simple radar," it didn't stop him from feeling genuine admiration. He shouted his praise excitedly on the spot.

"Monitor, you're the best!" Ren Yi echoed quickly, maintaining the formation, his face full of respect.

As expected of an "artifact scion," her skills were no joke. This phone modification solved their biggest pain point regarding the lack of internet.

The group gathered around Lord Cha again, asking more questions about the exam details.

They asked about the general types of Unowned Worlds, time limits for missions, and so on. Lord Cha answered them all patiently, no longer being cryptic.

As they talked, the sky grew noticeably darker.

It was already late when they emerged from the Instance, and after chatting under the Wutong Tree for so long, the sunset had long since passed. Night was beginning to fall.

The streetlights on campus flickered to life, casting a dim glow on the ground and stretching out long shadows.

It was time to say goodbye.

Wutong stated that it could simply spend the night standing next to the field. Since it was a plant, it didn't matter where it took root.

Lord Cha patted his chest and said he could "stay" in Wutong's treehouse. The treehouse was spacious and safe, which saved him the trouble of finding a place.

When they reached the school gate, Zhang Qiuqiu waved and said with a smile, "I'm going to find my mom and stay in the staff dorms. Let's meet at the school gate tomorrow morning, and I'll give your phones back then."

"Got it! See you tomorrow, Monitor!" Lu Zihan waved. "I live close by, so I'll just head home. I'll be here on time tomorrow!"

After saying goodbye to Zhang Qiuqiu and Lu Zihan, Ren Yi looked down at the large suitcase he was dragging and immediately felt a headache coming on.

When he left the house this morning, he had been fully convinced he would be staying at the school. He had specifically packed a full suitcase and hauled it all the way there, never considering how he would get home.

Ren Yi sighed helplessly to himself.

It seemed that in the future, he needed to ask for clarification before doing anything instead of being so impulsive.

He definitely had to ask Lord Cha and the others which "best practices" the Alliance schools had kept and which "drawbacks" they had discarded.

He couldn't let another mix-up like this happen. Running back and forth dragging a giant suitcase was just too embarrassing.

But then again, did Ren Man know he wouldn't have a place to stay today?

Come to think of it, when he left with the suitcase this morning, Ren Man had been watching from the side.

Wait... with that look his brother gave him, did he think Ren Yi was running away from home?

All these messy doubts vanished the moment Ren Yi reached the school gate.

By now, it was quite late, and the lower-grade students had mostly gone home.

The Anomaly shadows at the gate waiting to pick up children were sparse. Most were parents, holding their children's hands and chatting as they left.

Ren Yi spotted Ren Man immediately.

He was sitting by the decorative pond near the school gate, his posture straight and tall.

He held half a loaf of bread from somewhere, occasionally tearing off a small piece and tossing it into the pond to feed the koi swimming about.

His expression was calm, as if he had been sitting there for a long time.

Sensing Ren Yi's approach, Ren Man looked up, his gaze landing on him.

Then, he slowly looked down at the large suitcase Ren Yi was dragging.

This suitcase could be called the most useless item of the day.

Not only had it served no purpose, but it had also been the key prop Lord Cha used to trick them into the Instance.

Dragging it home now felt like a massive social death scene.

"The suitcase... did you use it?" Ren Man set down the bread and asked very seriously, looking at the luggage.

Even though Ren Man's tone was as steady as ever, devoid of any obvious emotion, Ren Yi felt like he could detect a hint of subtle testing—and maybe even a bit of amusement?

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Even the koi in the pond seemed to sense something was wrong, as they all dove into the depths and stopped showing their heads.

Ren Yi rubbed his forehead helplessly, dragging the suitcase over to Ren Man's side, his voice tinged with a bit of grievance.

"Brother, you saw me leave with this suitcase. Why didn't you warn me the school doesn't have dorms?"

"I thought I was going to live here, so I packed all this stuff for nothing."

Ren Man blinked, looking innocent, and said softly, "I thought... you had a use for it."

Ren Yi: "..."

Fine, he understood now. This was entirely due to a mix-up.

He had excitedly packed his bags, ready to start his "campus boarding life."

Meanwhile, Ren Man, though he didn't understand why his brother was bringing such a large suitcase, chose to respect his decision.

So he said nothing and let Ren Yi foolishly drag the suitcase all the way to school.

"So, did you use it?" Ren Man asked again, still looking innocent.

But Ren Yi felt that the smile in his brother's eyes was almost impossible to hide now.

Ren Yi's mouth twitched a few times before he answered with difficulty, "In a way... I guess I did."