If anything happened at Voidstar No. 2, Lyra would know it all, no gaps, no errors.
The anonymous tip sent from Voidstar to the NMA was traced right back to an opticomputer address.
Someone had investigated it thoroughly, and Lyra hadn't even needed to lift a finger.
"Let go of me!" A young guy, looking like a scared little bird, was dragged to the clinic's second-floor balcony by Sorren.
"This one tried to slip away with the investigators, but Snakehead's folks caught him," Sorren said, giving him a hard kick to the ground.
Kline clutched a travel bag, glaring at Lyra with a mix of fear and anger. "Lyra! As soon as the investigators left, you showed your true colors. I'll expose you for sure!"
"Haven't you already tried?" Lyra sat in a wicker chair, sipping herbal drinks. "Did it work?"
"How could it not work? You were called in for questioning! How does someone like you deserve to get into the military academy? Disgusting!"
When the exam results came out, he had checked the top scores out of curiosity and was disgusted to see her name there.
"I may not be a saint, but I'm more than qualified for the military academy," Lyra scoffed.
Just then, a notification chimed on the opticomputer's homepage. She opened it and pointed the screen at him.
"See? I told you it wouldn't work."
Kline stared at the words 'background check passed' in disbelief and shouted, "Impossible! Someone like you, there's no way the NMA would let you in. You must have fooled the investigators!"
He kept muttering "impossible" over and over, while Sorren shook his head. 'How did such a naive guy grow up on Voidstar?'
Lyra had deep roots here; it wasn't something Kline could disrupt. Sorren realized: whatever Lyra disclosed, those two investigators could find out easily, but secrets known only to the guild and the Dragon Legion, the military academy would never know.
That was why Lyra remained so confident.
Lyra continued to break Kline's fragile, naive spirit. "What could I have fooled them about? You know these things too. Aren't they easy to investigate? You're just too naive."
She looked completely in control, making the young man feel like she didn't even bother hiding her misdeeds because the investigators wouldn't care.
'Could it be... could it be that the investigators were covering for her?' Kline thought to himself desperately.
"No way, NMA was under the direct jurisdiction of the Alliance's admiral. It is the second best military academy in the alliance. They wouldn't engage in favoritism or corruption..."
Lyra put down her cup, grabbed his cheeks. She coldly pulled apart his pale lips, whispering like a demon, "As long as the benefits are enough, there are no rules or fairness in this world. If you really want to try, go ahead and turn me in. I'd love to see if you get a second chance."
Then she threw him aside and said to Sorren, "Throw him out."
"Just letting him go like that?" Sorren was shocked. He had expected Lyra to give the guy a real beating.
"I'm a patient now. I'm really trying to be calm for the sake of my health these days."
But Sorren wasn't one to play nice. Instead of using the stairs, he kicked the guy off the second-floor balcony.
Watching the young man limp away, Lyra snorted and headed back to her workout room.
After reaching level five, her stamina had improved, but it still wasn't enough for long battles.
She had to train constantly to maintain her edge. Plus, she still had three Soul Spikes in her body...
That evening, a post on NMA forum went viral, titled "Investigators Show Favoritism, Admit Criminal Student."
The academy, known for its fairness, was now at the center of a scandal, which quickly spread to social media.
Meanwhile, Freida and Kiv were still on the spaceship. When they saw the message from their team leader, they nearly exploded with anger.
"It's probably that disgruntled informant again, mocking you two by posting the anonymous report contents," the team leader said.
The information they had gathered was already approved, or Lyra wouldn't have been admitted. Neither of the two knew the informant would persist like this.
Freida paced back and forth, finally slamming the table. "Let's release the evidence!" She paused. "And any student who deliberately smears the academy and the staff isn't worth admitting."
The team leader on the other end of the holographic screen hesitated, "Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
Freida sneered, "Just wait. If this blows up, the academy will teach him a lesson."
Even the usually kind-hearted Kiv was furious, his face dark. "This informant and Lyra are both Healers. He harbors a baseless grudge against Lyra because of his father. His report is purely an act of revenge."
"Alright, I'll submit your suggestions to the academy," the team leader replied.
After ending the call, he immediately contacted Cohen.
"We've sent people to the Elden Prime to investigate Lyra's background, but all information about her has been erased. I suspect she might be an escaped subject from some human experiment, and Kiv confirmed her brain shows signs of damage."
This seemed the most reasonable assumption.
Cohen leaned back in his chair, his gloved hand tapping the desk. "But I feel like her name sounds familiar."
If it weren't for Cohen's special status, the team leader would have rolled his eyes.
In the entire Alliance, with its billions of people, it was common to find many with the same name and age. Even their appearances could have several look-alikes.
Just because a name sounded familiar didn't mean they knew the person. She could easily be some celebrity frequently featured in the news and ads.
He responded earnestly, "We've already used AI to cross-check all females with the same name and age, and we found nothing."
"Alright, thank you for your hard work," Cohen replied, rubbing his temples. His adjutant, always considerate, handed him a cup of warm water. Cohen couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think the name sounds familiar?"
The adjutant had grown up with him and often remembered things Cohen had forgotten.
"In my memory, there are several women named Lyra. Some passed away long ago, some are serving in the military, but none are related to the one from Voidstar," the adjutant replied with a subtle tone. "Lieutenant Commander, are you perhaps infatuated with her?"
Cohen choked with water. Then he emphasized, "I actually prefer fuller and gentler women, ideally the opposite of my cousins."
"The Whyte ladies certainly aren't suited for family life," the adjutant remarked, lightening the mood and steering the conversation away from Lyra.
In just half a month, it would be time for the NMA's second round of exams.
Lyra packed her bags and boarded the ship to the nearest planet, Snowfall, where she needed to transfer to a ship bound for Planet Nagano.
On the day of her departure, the Voidstar port was bustling with activity.