Chapter 3

After returning to the dormitory, the injuries of the two brothers had mostly healed, at least there were no obvious traces on the surface. However, the significant physical and mental exhaustion was not so easy to recover from.

Qin Huang took a shower in his room and changed into a new set of clothes. A table full of delicious food was already set up in the dining room.

Unlike Wu De, who was carefree, Wu Neng was usually quiet and thoughtful, skilled in hacking, and had a strong interest in cooking.

"Boss, I remember you weren't like this before. Why has your physical condition declined so much recently? Even a training task that isn't particularly difficult is beyond your reach. What's the problem?" Wu De asked, his mouth full as he dealt with the dishes in front of him.

"Is it really overtraining? Have you exceeded your body's limits? But you're not a reckless person, and there are ways to solve this. Just reduce the intensity of your training and rest for a while, and you can adjust. There must be another reason, right?"

Qin Huang didn't explain much to his friend, smiling and saying, "There is a reason, but you wouldn't understand now. I'll tell you when the time is right."

Wu Neng frowned, "If you can't reveal it, we won't make you uncomfortable. But what about the final exam in two months? You're not going to be last again, are you? Getting whipped is a small matter, but being expelled would be a big problem!"

The admission threshold for Dinas Military Academy is not ordinary. Students who can enter this school are considered elites on this planet. After graduation, whether they join the military directly or enter a higher military academy, their future is bright, far surpassing ordinary civilians and soldiers.

Of course, if they fail to meet the school's requirements and are expelled, their future prospects are not so optimistic. If they come from an ordinary family and have no special connections, they will be stuck at the bottom of society, with no hope of rising.

Wu De thought for a moment and said, "How about this: if you don't have enough confidence, apply to repeat the year and avoid this exam. You can take it next year. You're still young, so waiting another year isn't a big deal."

Qin Huang is three years younger than the two brothers. He was originally too young to enroll, but due to his outstanding efforts and excellent grades, he was specially recruited by the school. Because of his hard work, he received multiple commendations from the school and was once considered a key candidate for further development by the school's leadership.

However, about half a year ago, this top student's condition began to change. His physical condition declined significantly, and his awakened ability, with a source energy index close to 11, regressed to around 5, making him a "waste with only five combat points." As a result, he failed multiple exams.

His instructors, who had once held him in high regard, were very disappointed. If this situation doesn't change soon, he might be completely abandoned by the school. At that point, not only would further education be out of the question, but even a diploma might be unattainable.

Qin Huang lowered his head and pondered, slowly stirring the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks. After a moment, he said softly, "Thank you, I have it under control. Don't worry, I'll find a way."

The two brothers exchanged glances, shook their heads, and said no more. This handsome, introverted youth, despite being a few years younger, had an incredibly mature mind. His actions and interactions were very independent, even surpassing them. Otherwise, how could they willingly follow him?

After dinner, the three of them chatted for a while and then returned to their rooms to rest.

Qin Huang locked the door, turned off the smart monitoring computer in the room, and pulled the double-layer metal-coated curtains. He activated several miniature anti-monitoring devices and carefully checked every corner to ensure there were no abnormalities. Only then did he lie down on the bed calmly.

He extended his fair, delicate hand in front of him. After a moment, a faint, colorful glow slowly appeared, emitting a mysterious aura.

At the center of the glow was a pigeon-egg-sized, black obsidian-like polyhedral crystal, exuding an indescribable sense of authority.

A few months ago, during a field training exercise on Dinas, he had gotten lost and, by chance, found this object in a severely damaged spacecraft. It could be said that this object chose him.

The spacecraft had a distinct style different from this era, likely from the long-lost, grand empire, the most glorious period of human civilization. Due to its age and severe damage, there were no valuable items left, except for this object.

As the crystal appeared, the vitality within his body surged towards it, causing waves of weakness. It took a while for the sensation to subside.

At some point, the youth's figure had disappeared, leaving only a slowly rotating, colorful glow hovering on the bed.

When the youth regained consciousness, he found himself in a magical space. Everywhere he looked, there were specks of colorful crystal light, like stars adorning the vast dome, with beautiful rays of light shining down.

The ground beneath his feet was indistinguishable in material, feeling slightly soft underfoot. A warm, unknown current flowed into his body, making him feel warm and comfortable.

A substantial, colorful light stream flowed from the crystal, surging into his body and spreading through his meridians and every tissue and organ. At the same time, mysterious information began to appear in his mind, causing a slight dizziness due to the rapid and large amount of information.

After an unknown period, a message entered his mind: "Most of the deep genes are in a dormant state, the body's stored life energy is severely insufficient, the fusion is incomplete, optimization progress is 1.7%, it is recommended to immediately supplement a large amount of high-energy organic food to avoid affecting the normal operation of the body's functions..."

Not far from Qin Huang, there was a two-meter-high white jade platform, on which a mysterious "creature" or artifact from a civilization was coiled. It appeared as a pale blue hemisphere, with a smooth, glossy surface. Faint golden light shone through, exuding a profound and authoritative aura.

Qin Huang already understood its origin: the strategic biochemical AI core of the Star Abyss Alliance's military science academy, whose powerful functions ranked it among the top three in the star sea powers of that time!