It was a voice she didn't really want to hear.
"Wow~ How did our young and beautiful female warrior end up answering my call so quickly? I'm truly flattered, feeling like I've been treated like royalty."
As soon as the call connected, a sarcastic female voice came through.
"I heard you requested an additional quota for the academy, which is quite unbelievable. I was shocked at the time. I thought, what kind of rare genius could have caught your eye?"
"Later, I inquired around and found out that the person you're so keen on has an E-rank talent! Wow~ Impressive, impressive. It's truly a great fortune for our Eastern Academy to have such a rare talent."
The caller's voice was naturally sultry and, with her deliberate and exaggerated mannerisms, sounded particularly irritating.
Listening to that voice made Jun Anyi uncomfortable, to the point where she instinctively held the phone away from her ear.
Once the caller finished speaking, Jun Anyi suppressed her irritation and spoke with forced calmness:
"Li Qian, stop with the sarcasm. The reason I gave him the quota is because his talent is indeed sufficient to merit it!"
"I added a quota simply to select someone with potential."
On the other end of the line, Li Qian's exaggerated gasp was audible, giving away her astonished expression.
Hearing this, Jun Anyi had to move the phone away from her ear once more.
"Oh, really? I'm sure you must have found a genius who, despite having only E-rank talent, can display SSS-rank potential. It's very reasonable for such an extremely rare occurrence to happen to you~"
"Well then, how about a comparison? In the upcoming assessment in a few days, let's see which of us has the better candidate."
"I'm sure someone with only E-rank 'talent' will perform quite impressively under your guidance."
Jun Anyi took a deep breath. She was really getting tired of this annoying and sarcastic tone, but she chose not to escalate the situation.
Li Qian was not an enemy; she was another high-ranking examiner with a special status, and they had known each other for a long time.
Both of them had entered the academy through extraordinary means due to their exceptional talents at a young age.
Li Qian had been considered the most talented young person in the academy before Jun Anyi's arrival, but after Jun Anyi joined at the age of thirteen, she quickly broke several records previously held by Li Qian and eventually earned the title of the Frost War God.
Her numerous accomplishments and honors had stirred up Li Qian's competitive spirit, leading to frequent provocations from her. This phone call was just another example.
"I don't want to compare anything. The performance of the students is their own matter, not a competition."
"Also, don't call me 'you old person.' I'm younger than you."
After saying this, Jun Anyi hung up without waiting for a reply.
She rubbed her tired eyes and stood up, planning to go rest.
Recent events had been overwhelming—monitoring the divine descent incident was still ongoing, and the upcoming assessment was approaching.
She had reported Xin Yuan as the hero of the incident, but the authorities still needed to confirm the details.
Before she could finish her work, this troublesome woman had called to provoke her.
On the other end, Li Qian, after hearing the line go dead, squeezed her phone tightly, her previously pretentious expression now frozen on her face.
The words "I'm younger than you" kept echoing in her mind, making her feel infuriated.
Perhaps having dealt with Xin Yuan for some time, Jun Anyi had also learned to use the most frustrating lines to provoke her.
Li Qian tried calling back several times, but the calls went unanswered. She furiously clawed at her scalp, her words turning incoherent in her rage.
Clenching her fists, she abruptly turned to look at the few people standing behind her, who were the students Li Qian had recruited for the assessment.
Seeing her panicked state, they looked bewildered, their expressions clearly saying: "I don't understand, but I'm greatly shocked!"
"You all, for the upcoming collective assessment, make sure you perform well. You can't possibly lose to someone with only E-rank talent, can you?!"
The young recruits stared at Li Qian, terrified and unsure of what to say.
"Did you hear me?!" Li Qian shouted again.
"Yes, yes, we heard you." They replied quickly, clearly startled by her outburst.
The young recruits, who had yet to officially enroll, were caught up in this bizarre conflict, looking utterly speechless.
"Alright, remember what I told you about the assessment format, and prepare thoroughly."
Li Qian, having finally calmed down from her jealousy and anger, added, "By the way, don't discuss this with anyone else."
After all, revealing assessment details to students was against the rules, but she was willing to overlook it in order to compete with Jun Anyi.
---
The days passed quickly, and soon it was time for the long-anticipated comprehensive assessment.
Despite not finding Jun Anyi, Xin Yuan kept the mysterious envelope with him, without showing it to anyone.
He hadn't forgotten his abilities, but the high talent levels of the super-powered individuals here made it difficult to successfully replicate their abilities.
Having tried unsuccessfully a couple of times with Chi Hong and given up, he spent his days playing games and enjoying life, showing no interest in preparing for the assessment.
He had become quite adept at doing nothing.
Of course, he wasn't entirely neglecting his abilities. He kept his passive skill of "Voice of All Things" active and practiced "Ice Age" during his evening walks.
Life in this world, with its super-powered individuals, was remarkably similar to his previous world, where people trained for assessments like students cramming for final exams.
And so, the days of idleness continued until the much-awaited comprehensive assessment day arrived.