With a general idea of what to do next, Su Mu knew she had to find places with lots of people and strong emotions.

First, she headed back to her room to change.

She pushed aside the black leather lace and the bustier from the night before.

She chose a simple, dark green long-sleeved top and a pair of comfortable but stylish black trousers that allowed for easy movement.

As she looked in the mirror, she saw not a toy or a wildcat, but a young woman with a sharp, determined glint in her emerald eyes.

Before leaving, she gave Little Black a final, thoughtful look.

The cat was curled up on the sofa, looking like a very picture of innocent domesticity, but Su Mu knew better now.

That little ball of fur was a mystery, a powerful being hiding in plain sight.

With a mental shrug, she turned and left, the front door clicking shut behind her.

Outside, the air of Monster City was alive.

Su Mu took a deep breath, her enhanced senses taking in the complex mix of scents and sounds.

Using her SkyDrive, she called for a public sky-cab. A sleek, automated pod arrived moments later, its anti-grav engine humming softly.

"Destination?" a polite, synthesized voice asked from the console.

Su Mu hesitated for a second. The Awakener's Association was full of powerful people, but the atmosphere might be too controlled.

No, she needed chaos, energy, life.

"Take me to the Stratus Exchange," she said, the name coming from a half-remembered conversation she'd overheard at RomantiX.

It was supposedly the largest open-air market for Awakeners in this sector of the city.

The cab hummed and ascended smoothly, joining the dizzying ballet of airborne traffic.

As it flew, Su Mu watched the city unfold below, a breathtaking panorama of impossible architecture and teeming life.

Her destination was in a lower-mid-level district, a sprawling open platform anchored between several larger floating islands.

When the cab docked, the Stratus Exchange wasn't just a market; it was a large mega structure..

The air around the dock was thick with the scent of sizzling, exotic meats, the sharp tang of alchemical reagents, the earthy smell of strange herbs, and the faint, clean ozone from discharging magical devices.

Crowds of people, a vibrant mix of stern-looking human Awakeners in practical gear, elegant beast-kin with furred ears and swishing tails, and even a few hulking demon races negotiating deals in guttural tones… filled between hundreds of stalls.

Holographic displays flickered above vendors' heads, advertising everything from "Guaranteed Potency Beast Cores" to "Self-Sharpening Spirit Blades."

Su Mu felt a familiar sensation as her Empathic Siphon began to passively drink in the ambient energy.

It wasn't the potent flood of terror from the day before, but a steady, lively hum.

[ Source Power: 0.13 - 0.15 ]

As she wandered, absorbing the sights and sounds, a large, glowing public notice board caught her eye.

A crowd of young-looking Awakeners, all around her age, were gathered before it, their voices a mix of nervous excitement.

Her enhanced hearing easily picked up their chatter.

"The Hunt starts tomorrow at dawn! Are you signed up?"

"Of course! My family expects me to get a top-ten placement. I need to get into Elder Kaelen's tutelage group."

"I heard the beasts near the northern Gyro-Spire are particularly aggressive this cycle. High risk, high reward."

Curious, Su Mu moved closer, her gaze scanning the holographic text on the board.

MONSTER ACADEMY - ANNUAL FRESHMAN PRE-SELECTION ASSESSMENT

The notice detailed the event.

Before the official start of the term, all incoming freshmen had the option to participate in a large-scale hunt.

The objective was to hunt Cloud Beasts in the designated zones surrounding the city's massive atmospheric stabilizers.

Points were awarded based on the rank and number of beasts taken down, and these points would heavily influence tutor selection and initial resource allocation.

'A hunt...' Su Mu thought, a thrill running through her.

Her father's and Sister Shi's words echoed in her mind.

They had already arranged for her a place with a top-tier mentor.

She didn't need to do this.

The old Su Yang would have seen it as an unnecessary risk.

But she wasn't just Su Yang anymore.

'This is a perfect opportunity,' she realized, her heart beginning to pound with a new kind of excitement.

'A chance to test my new F-Rank strength. A chance to harvest all that fear, aggression, and excitement from hundreds to thousands of students and beasts..'

'My Source Power could soar to a new level.'

She looked up from the notice board, her gaze sweeping past the market towards the edge of the floating district.

In the distance, she could see them: the Gyro-Spires.

They were colossal mega-structures, ancient and awe-inspiring, reaching down into the swirling clouds below and soaring high into the sky above.

They were immense towers of polished grey metal and faintly glowing crystal, humming with a deep, resonant power that she could feel.

Huge, intricate rings rotated slowly around their midsections, and vents periodically released shimmering streams of processed atmospheric gases.

It was these vents, a byproduct of the structures' primary function of maintaining the island's buoyancy and atmospheric stability, that attracted specific types of Cloud Beasts, drawing them in like moths to a flame.

The area around the Spires was a designated, controlled wilderness, a perfect training and hunting ground.

A slow, determined smile touched Su Mu's lips. She wanted to have a try at the assignment.

She turned away from the crowded notice board and made her way to a smaller, official-looking kiosk nearby, where a bored-looking attendant was handling registrations for the Hunt.

"I'd like to sign up," Su Mu said, her voice clear and steady.

The attendant looked up, his gaze sweeping over her simple but well-made clothes, lingering for a moment on her stunning face. "Name?"

"Su Mu."

He tapped a few commands into his console. "Su Mu... from the Su family of Silver Moon? Already accepted under Professor Fenris?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're already set with a B-Rank mentor. You don't need to participate in the Hunt."

"I want to," Su Mu stated simply, her emerald eyes holding a fire that made the attendant sit up a little straighter.

He shrugged. "Your wish. A temporary, provisional Hunter's license will be granted to you."

"Zone assignment and other details will be sent to your SkyDrive in the morning. Don't be late. And try not to get eaten."

With the registration confirmed, a newfound resolve settled over Su Mu.

She navigated her way out of the bustling market, the vibrant stalls and holographic advertisements blurring at the edge of her vision.

Her mind was already on the next step: preparation.

Finding a quieter skywalk overlooking a cascade of bioluminescent ivy, she initiated a call to Yang Shi. A moment later, Sister Shi's smiling face appeared on the holographic interface.

"Mu'er! Done with your sightseeing already? I was just about to call and see if you wanted to grab dinner."

Su Mu managed a small smile. "I did some sightseeing. And… I might have signed up for the academy's Proving Hunt tomorrow."

Yang Shi's cheerful expression froze for a split second, her eyes widening.

"The Hunt? Mu'er, you don't have to do that! We already arranged you a spot with a top mentor. That event is for students trying to claw their way into a better position. It can be dangerous."

"I know," Su Mu said, her tone steady. "But I want to try it, Sister Shi. I can't just rely on my family's name or your connections forever. I need to earn my own place."

Yang Shi studied Su Mu's face for a long moment, not seeing recklessness but a quiet determination she hadn't seen before.

The worry in her eyes softened. "Alright," she said, letting out a slow breath. "I won't try to stop you. But you be smart about it, you hear me? Your safety is the most important thing."

"I will be," Su Mu promised. "Actually, I was hoping you could help. Is there a public database or bestiary I can access? I want to study the types of Cloud Beasts found near the Gyro-Spires."

"Smart girl." A proud smile bloomed on Yang Shi's face. "Of course. The Monster City Hunter's Guild maintains a public database. It's extensive. I'll send you a priority access link."

The call ended, and a moment later, a data packet arrived on Su Mu's device.

The database was immense, a complex library of ecological data, anatomical diagrams, and combat reports on hundreds of Cloud Beast species.

As she opened the files on creatures native to the Stratocrest, the layer where the hunt would take place.

Her Insight Digitization kicked in. Data streamed directly into her mind, analyzed and sorted with impossible speed.

Skyclutch Eels: Serpentine flock hunters. Weakness: their mirrored skin is vulnerable to high-frequency sonic attacks. Attack pattern: swarm tactics, minor electrical discharges.

Aether Moths: Large, sail-winged creatures. Strength: tough chitinous exoskeleton. Vulnerability: Their broad wings are susceptible to targeted strikes, disrupting their flight.

Frostmantas: Crystalline scavengers. Defense mechanism: secretes a thermal-confusing frost-mist. Key to defeating them: bypass their reinforced dermal plates with piercing attacks…

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