**Chapter 10: Amy**

“Hey! New Alchemy apprentice? Me too!”

Jie Ming’s brow furrowed imperceptibly but quickly smoothed into a calm expression.

He looked up to see a girl with curly brown hair and a bright smile standing by his table.

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity about everything around her.

“Hello,” Jie Ming replied, subtly sizing her up.

Her clothes weren’t lavish but neat and clean.

She looked tired, likely from multiple failed meditation attempts, yet her vitality overshadowed the fatigue.

Her mental fluctuations… level-five aptitude, above average among the apprentices he’d scanned.

“Your badge has the Alchemy crucible! Awesome, finally meeting a fellow newbie!” The girl plopped down across from him without hesitation.

Her tray was piled high with a diverse spread, clearly showing a hearty appetite.

“I’m Amy! Amy Greysong!” she introduced herself, blinking and extending a hand. “What’s your name? You looked kinda lonely sitting here alone.”

Jie Ming’s guard went up.

In this unfamiliar place, a talented fellow apprentice approaching so eagerly and directly…

Too suspicious.

With his cultivator’s sharp insight, he noticed the casual yet scrutinizing glint in Amy’s eyes.

“Probing? For intel, or something else?” he judged instantly.

“Jie Ming,” he replied curtly, offering no more.

“Jie Ming, nice to meet you!” Amy seemed unfazed by his coolness, her smile growing warmer. “I’m exhausted today, especially with meditation! Have you tried drawing patterns in your mental sea? God, those lines are crazy complex! My mental strength feels like a tangled mess of noodles—can’t shape it, got backlash a few times, my head’s about to explode!”

She chattered while devouring a piece of roasted meat, manners absent but sincerity apparent, like a carefree, open-hearted person.

“…Yeah, right!”

Jie Ming lowered his eyes, eating casually, but inwardly smirked.

There were only three types who’d choose Logistics despite the Combat Division’s hype: those who saw through the trap, those with wizard family backgrounds who knew the score, and those who’d given up.

Since she failed meditation, she wasn’t a wizard’s heir. Her upbeat demeanor ruled out giving up. That left one option.

A smart person like that approaching him suddenly must have a motive, and her current act was just a facade.

Amy kept rambling about her meditation failures, while Jie Ming listened quietly, analyzing.

“No, she’s not probing my meditation progress or state,” he thought.

Considering he was posing as a failed meditation apprentice—pale and weary—an idea struck him as he listened: “She’s trying to build rapport through shared struggle… just networking?”

Testing the waters, he nodded slightly, showing agreement. “It’s tough. I’ve tried a few times.”

“Right? So hard! A bunch of my classmates are in the same boat, failing multiple times, heads ready to burst.” Amy chewed, continuing her casual chatter. “But some are amazing, already getting the hang of it. One’s from our Alchemy group.”

“Oh? For real?” Jie Ming feigned surprise. “That fast? What a genius! Alchemy’s got some real talent.”

“They haven’t fully succeeded, just got the first pattern down.”

“Still impressive. I’m way behind.”

“It’s not that big a deal. I heard that person’s a noble with a wizard family, probably had prior training.”

Amy eagerly shared more. “And you’re pretty great too, Jie Ming. You’re probably the highest aptitude among this year’s Alchemy newbies.”

“Haha, thanks for the flattery.” Jie Ming gave a “shy” smile. “But there aren’t many Alchemy newbies this year, right?”

He was now certain she’d sought him out deliberately. Besides his name, he hadn’t revealed anything.

Since she knew his aptitude, she’d done her homework, so he probed lightly.

“Hehe, just three of us, but you’re definitely the top talent among us.” Amy gave an awkward smile.

“You know a lot for your first day,” Jie Ming said casually.

Amy paused at his question but bit into her meat, eyes squinting with satisfaction. “Hehe, I’m not great at much, but making friends and chatting? I’ve got a knack for it.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully, her tone carrying subtle pride. “Everyone’s kinda out of it in the cafeteria, so it’s easy to chat. Plus, I talked to a bunch of people during the aptitude test queue. We’re all newbies—more friends, more paths, right?”

Hearing her openly explain herself, Jie Ming sighed inwardly. “Caught.”

Not his cultivator identity, but his earlier feigned ignorance had tipped her off.

He’d asked too directly, hitting the core of her approach, and she’d noticed something off.

But as she claimed, Amy was skilled at socializing. Even when called out, she showed no embarrassment, swiftly adjusting to open honesty.

This made it hard for Jie Ming to dislike her, despite knowing her approach was calculated.

After all, her goal was as she said: more friends, more paths.

As newbies, they had no conflicts, and with future military service looming, they shared common interests.

Plus, Amy had shown her “value.” Her knack for gathering intel was genuinely useful to him right now.

With these thoughts, Jie Ming looked up, extending his hand with a serious expression. “Let’s start over. Jie Ming.”

Seeing his approval, Amy’s eyes curved with delight. “Amy.”