Chapter Three: Class Zero Takes the First Floor

“Chen Mo—which beam is failing?” “Third overhead, right side!” Tao threw his final hardened sheet. Lin pushed it with wind, slicing the fatigued crack. The beam fell. Lin rewrote its vector, sending tons of steel past Qi Jin. The shockwave tore the sliver from his skin. The black fire vanished. Lin collapsed, his right arm numb. Bai Qi secretly slipped the fallen sliver into his glove before academy security broke through the doors. On the dais, Headmaster Lu rose and applauded with the slow rhythm of an ancient pendulum. “Improvised combination. Voluntary rescue. Class Zero passes. Lin Yan rises to rank 320.” His terminal flashed: MOTHER'S PRIORITY CARE—REVIEW RESTORED.