Absolute Choice
chapter-489-30041322

Shanghai City, Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower, Main Auditorium

The auditorium was not packed like it was half a month ago. With a large majority of rookies eliminated, the various organizations had left together with their personnel. Furthermore, the eight rookies that had entered the seventh level had spent more than ten days in that world. No one knew when they would come out, so they no longer waited so patiently like before.

Other than those reporters that were adamant about their professionalism, hoping to gain first-hand news, there were only a few people left in the auditorium. They were either waiting for the rookies to come out or for there to be any changes to the trial's stone monument.

Riko, Mozzie, and Kevin were one of the few people left. They were sitting at a corner in the auditorium with tensed expressions. It was obvious that they were somewhat nervous.

They were waiting.

However, they were not waiting for news of Shi Xiaobai and Mu Yuesheng. Instead, they were waiting for something equally important.

Mozzie and Kevin looked distraught and there was a faint unease in their eyes. In a particular skyscraper in Shanghai, there was a meeting ongoing that determined their future in a certain way. It could even determine their destiny. Even though they knew that they were inferior to An Mo and Zhou Chuchu, or that there were many rookies who were more qualified than them at clinching those two spots, they still had that bit of thirst in them to participate in the collective training.

They remembered that just before leaving Steel City, Shi Xiaobai had walked right in front and spoke in high spirits, "All four will enter the top ten. Let's go, set off with This King!"

At that moment, it was treated as a joke or just fool's talk.

But now, it was suddenly possible for it to be realized.

Be it the claim made by Shi Xiaobai or the desire buried deep in their hearts, everything suddenly seemed to have a minute chance of being realized.

Even if it was just a tingling bit of hope, they hoped to grasp it. But there were countless people, countless discussions, and objections that were trying their best to open their hands and break their fingers one by one.

At the young age of thirteen, how could they have the courage to retort against the excellencies from the various organizations, the biased pressure against them or the prejudice shown to them by all the people of the country?

They did not have the courage. Even if they had, it would be useless.

The only hope they had was to rest their hopes for a miracle to happen in that meeting, right?

Riko sighed inwardly. She empathized with the pressure the two were feeling. They were indignant about giving up, but they were powerless to not give up. It was not a pressure they could withstand at that age.

She patted Kevin on the shoulder and held Mozzie's hands. She said gently, "Don't worry. My dad is one who can't stand for 'unjust' matters. He will not 'succumb'. Chairman Jiang is also well known to be 'honest and upright'. He will definitely be fair. Furthermore..."

Furthermore, I 'invited' Teacher One-Pun over. There's no fear that those bunch of bastards will be unreasonable!

Riko had hidden the last sentence in her heart as she consoled them, "Furthermore, the points the both of you received to enter the top ten were not based on luck. The progress you have made has given me a shock. It's definitely not 'clinging onto a powerhouse' as those wretches claim. Don't worry, the truth will be revealed sooner or later. Reality will eventually smack them in the face! Hmph!"

Riko's words alleviated Kevin and Mozzie's expressions slightly, but their hands were still trembling from nervousness. Mozzie forced a smile that was uglier than a cry as she nodded.

Kevin seemed to suddenly think of something as he frowned slightly. He turned his head toward Riko and whispered, "I believe Division Minister Minamiya. If not for him, it would have been over a few meetings before. But, is doing so really appropriate? Those people that are participating in the meeting aren't people to be trifled with. I heard that 'Brute Ax Boor', Zhang Meng will be participating as well. What if..."

When Riko heard what Kevin said, she looked at him in surprise. At a moment of such great importance, he was able to consider the about others. This excellent quality was extraordinary.

Although there was a saying that 'an absent scholar for three days must be seen in a different light', isn't Kevin's transformation too much? Back at the Gaia rookie evaluation, he was the Blondy Narcissist' whose words revolved around the word 'genius'. Now, he had become so sensible?

Riko was very curious about the changes that had happened in the Nine Revolutions Transcendental Tower.

As she looked at Kevin's worried expression, she said with a chuckle, "Don't worry. Rather than that boor, Zhang Meng, even if Thor's Thunder Emperor were to personally be there, they would absolutely not dare to use a show of force because...a particular Uncle Baldy is watching by the side."

Kevin faltered before realizing moments later that 'Uncle Baldy' referred to the hero, One-Pun. Upon recalling the master-disciple relationship One-Pun had with Riko, he was immediately relieved. If One-Pun was there, it was true that Zhang Meng would unlikely act wantonly. However, to get One-Pun, who was busy saving victims all over the globe daily, to spend some time to pay attention to a meeting regarding the rookie collective training, Riko must have spent quite a bit of effort.

When Kevin thought of that, he looked at Riko gratefully before saying with a nod, "That's good."

After that, he lowered his head and continued worrying about his 'future'.

Riko smiled and no longer said a word. She was not an 'agony aunt' who was good at consoling others. She did not know how to straighten Mozzie and Kevin's thoughts, nor did she know how to alleviate their worries and pressure. The only thing she could do was probably stay by their side and wait for the outcome of the meeting.

Furthermore, she was also waiting for another matter.

Riko turned her head to look at the massive stone monument situated in the middle of the auditorium. There had been no changes to the text on the monument. Shi Xiaobai's name was still stuck on the stone monument's seventh level.

"All the best, Little Pervert!"

Riko thought to herself.

She never expected Shi Xiaobai to come this far, much less imagine that Shi Xiaobai could conquer eight Level Lords. He had torn through the internet in a blaze within a short period of time. He was trending on the search rankings and like the rise of a new star, he became a super rookie known by everyone.

She still remembered the first time she met Shi Xiaobai. He was just a weak ordinary person, one that had not come into contact with psionic power before. He was powerless against an F-class calamity fiend and could only struggle desperately. He had constantly tried to buy time in order to save a particular fat boy.

Furthermore, how long has it been?

It hasn't been three months!

He went from an ordinary person to a super rookie that was the focus of attention all across the country in less than three months!

If not for Riko witnessing Shi Xiaobai's state from three months ago, she would probably have laughed it off as a 'ridiculous and absurd fake story'. Even having seen it with her own eyes and being aware that none of it was a fabrication, she still found it unbelievable and unimaginable.

Riko's impression of Shi Xiaobai was a boy with eight-grader syndrome that addressed himself as This King. He was a fool that had once told her about "joining Xiaobai's Hero Squad, so as to save the world with This King". He was a 'Little Pervert' who had taken advantage of her multiple times during the superpower evaluation...

She could not link the Shi Xiaobai in her impression to the present number one super rookie of the organization faction!

Only the Heavens knew what experiences the Little Pervert had had...

"Ring Ring!"

Just as Riko was having thoughts run wild, the cellphone she clasped tightly in her hand rang! IChooseDogLeading (我选择狗带) when read in Chinese sounds like I Choose Go Die. It was a meme that resulted from a former member of famous Korean boygroup, EXO, TAO (Huang Zitao). At a concert, there was a part in a rap that where he said "", but due to a mispronunciation, it sounded like he will not easily choose to be led by dogs. This phrase now means 'I'd rather die/I choose death'.