Conquering the Stars and My Haters’ Hearts - Chapter 10

The onlookers were beginning to wonder if they were suffering from a collective hallucination. Yet, the crushing pressure weighing down on them, drawing cold sweat from their pores, was undeniably real. The E-class waste? Impossible. Even on the most illicit enhancers, no one should be able to radiate an aura this potent.

Suddenly, that titanic Mental Strength retracted, tapering into a razor-sharp focus at the tip of the brush as it slammed onto the paper.

Xie Anning no longer had the luxury of worrying about what the others thought. His entire world had shrunk to the tip of his pen. He realized too late that controlling such raw power was like trying to direct a hurricane; simply maintaining the structural integrity of the image was draining every drop of his focus. It felt like sprinting a marathon while standing still. Within moments, he was drenched in sweat, his pale face glistening, and his wrist began to tremble violently.

But the more his body screamed, the less he was willing to back down.

The proctor cursed his rotten luck. By all appearances, Xie Anning was actually manifesting a Level A work! If he succeeded, how could the proctor possibly fulfill Anders’ command? And if he failed Anders, would that young master ever let him live it down?

However, as the room watched Xie Anning’s visible struggle, a wave of relief washed over the skeptics. He’s not a monster after all. Creating a Level A work wasn’t something a student could just “do.” Looking at his wavering form, it seemed unlikely he’d even finish the piece.

The proctor’s heart settled. Based on his years of experience, Xie Anning was seconds away from a total physical collapse. The exam would end in a coma, and the “problem” would solve itself. He had long since abandoned Anders’ plan of “giving him hope before despair.” A guy like this doesn’t need me to give him anything; he’s digging his own grave.

“I, I can’t hold it.” Xie Anning’s breath came in ragged gasps. His vision blurred, and his knees buckled.

He wasn’t a martyr. He didn’t believe in suffering to the point of permanent damage. He called out to the system in his mind and activated the Stamina Potion.

As the icy liquid slid down his throat, a surge of vitality flooded his limbs. It was as if his spent energy had been instantly replenished. This stuff is a lifesaver, he thought, refocusing on the canvas.

The crowd, waiting for him to keel over, watched in bafflement as he suddenly straightened up, looking fresher and more energized than when he started.

The Audience: “…”

The Proctor: “…”

They stared at him as if he were an alien. Is this even human? Was he faking the exhaustion?

Xie Anning continued, but as the final strokes approached, that “hollow” feeling returned. His body was a sieve, and the Mental Strength was pouring out too fast. He bit his lip. I need a miracle.

“System,” he thought fiercely, “Start the lottery. Now.”

Skipping the flashy animations, the system immediately displayed the result of his 100,000 Popularity Point draw: [Truth Serum v2].

Xie Anning: “…” Effectively useless for a physical collapse. With no inventory space left, he was forced to consume it.

Instantly, the filters of everyone in the room shattered. Their inner monologues leaked out uncontrollably.

“Xie Anning is definitely done for now.”

“Yeah, look at him. He’s white as a sheet. There’s no way he finishes.”

“I actually thought he’d pull off a Level A for a second. What a joke. If he had that kind of power, why would he be in a makeup exam?”

Xie Anning ignored them and triggered a second draw: [Protagonist’s Halo (X-Point Face-Slapping Template)].

Effect: For 24 hours, the user becomes the center of the world. Expect plot-relevant trouble, unprovoked insults from villains, and a bizarre magnetic pull for drama.

He used it without thinking. He was too tired to care about the “trouble” side effect; he was gambling on the “luck” side. He triggered a third draw, his lungs burning as he gasped for air.

[Stamina Potion – Upgraded Version].

Xie Anning’s eyes widened. The Halo works!

Meanwhile, the proctor was reaching his breaking point. If Xie Anning finished this, the proctor was finished. A dark thought took root: He looks fragile. If I just give his mind a little “shove” with my own Mental Strength, he’ll collapse.

Everyone will just think he overextended himself.

The proctor launched a mental strike. But at that exact moment, Xie Anning downed the Upgraded Stamina Potion.

The proctor’s “strike” hit an indestructible wall. Not only did it fail to move Xie Anning, but the backlash slammed into the proctor like a freight train. He stumbled back, the copper taste of blood rising in his throat. He looked pathetic.

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the terror. What kind of monster has mental defenses like that? Is he even human?

And Xie Anning? He was back to painting as if nothing had happened.

Finally, Xie Anning made the last stroke.

The moment the brush lifted, an aura far more powerful than before exploded from the parchment, before snapping back into the ink. Even people outside the hall felt a momentary shiver of power. Since the exam hall was adjacent to the Mecha Training Center, most assumed some “god-tier” pilots were having a sparring match nearby.

Xie Anning exhaled, looking down at his work. It was a simple sketch, but the Mental Strength infused within it was staggering. It was, without question, a Level A Masterpiece.

The proctor approached, trembling. He no longer cared about Anders. He was convinced Xie Anning had a more terrifying future than any young master. “Xie Anning passes,” he announced, his voice cracking.

The other students were silent. The image of Xie Anning—pale, determined, his hands shaking yet his will unyielding was burned into their memories.

“Incredible, he’s only sixteen and he produced a Level A work.”

“Wasn’t his strength supposed to be E-class? Those rumors were complete garbage!”

“He must have been hiding his power for a reason, maybe he only showed it now because he was being pushed into a corner.”

“Well, he is a Xie. His older brother was a legendary genius. It makes sense that Anning is a monster, too.”

The surrounding students let their imaginations run wild, weaving elaborate backstories to explain everything. They mentally constructed reasons for why Xie Anning had been branded a “waste” in the past and why he had chosen this exact moment to reveal his true, monstrous power.

Meanwhile, Xie Anning himself began walking toward the exit. He was actually looking forward to seeing Anders’ supposed mecha combat display, if it was actually going to happen.

As he emerged, the onlookers saw his deathly pale face (a lingering effect from the painting strain) and his slightly disheveled appearance. Their hearts sank. They immediately assumed the makeup exam had been a disaster. Yu Hongfeng sighed, stepping forward to offer some comfort before Xie Anning did something irrational out of despair.

“That’s Xie Anning, right? How tragic.”

“Yeah, failing the makeup exam, he might be the only student expelled in recent years. I have no idea how he’ll survive; no other school will take him now!”

Just as Yu Hongfeng was about to reach him, the crowd fell into a sudden, heavy silence, followed by a wave of gasps. A handsome, mixed-heritage youth was marching toward them, radiating confidence. His pale blue eyes were full of arrogance, and he was flanked by a retinue of respectful lackeys. His entrance screamed “Alpha.”

Anders had come specifically to humiliate Xie Anning in front of the largest possible audience. He wanted to ensure the boy would be too ashamed to ever show his face in this star system again.

As a dedicated “visualist,” Anders loathed anyone he deemed unkempt or messy. The fact that Xie Anning was, in his memory both ugly and a “waste” made his skin crawl. The mere thought of sharing a school with such a person was intolerable to him, even if he rarely bothered to show up for class himself.

He strode directly toward the examination hall, mentally rehearsing his insults. But the moment his eyes landed on a certain figure, he froze. His carefully crafted barbs vanished instantly.

“Who, who is that?” Anders stammered.

“Boss, that’s Xie Anning,” a subordinate whispered respectfully.

Anders: “…” What? Xie Anning is that good-looking?

No, he had to stay strong. It didn’t matter how handsome the boy was; a waste was a waste. He had to follow through with the humiliation. Anders steeled his resolve and fixed Xie Anning with a mocking sneer—though, compared to his usual vitriol, his gaze was inexplicably softer.

Yu Hongfeng and the others watched with bated breath as Anders approached Xie Anning.

This is bad! Everyone knew how much Anders detested Xie Anning. He certainly wasn’t heading over there to say anything kind. Given the immense power and wealth of the Anders family, no one dared to intervene. Things were about to get ugly.

The rest of the crowd shared the sentiment, their hearts aching with sympathy for Xie Anning. Some were even mentally calculating how much to donate to his “expulsion fund.”

Xie Anning’s smile faded. He watched Anders approach, wondering what the man’s game was. If Anders thought he could walk all over him, he had picked the wrong day; Xie Anning was no longer the type to sit back and take it.

“Long time no see. You.” Anders stopped in front of Xie Anning. He let out a cold laugh, preparing to launch into a scathing insult, but suddenly felt his lips moving against his will. Under the intense gaze of the entire student body, he blurted out the truth his mind was trying to hide:

“You look really beautiful.”

The entire campus fell into a profound, suffocating silence.