Chapter 473 College Exams [1]

That morning, the scent of fried eggs and toasted bread filled the small kitchen as sunlight streamed in through the window blinds.

The clatter of utensils and the occasional burst of laughter added warmth to the quiet home—something rare, considering how their lives had become recently.

Michael sat at the dining table, dressed, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of buttered bread. His presence was unusual—not because he was there, but because he wasn’t rushing off anywhere.

Just... Michael. Calm. Present.

Aunt Mia eyed him over the rim of her cup, suspicion thinly veiled. "You’re awfully relaxed today."

Across the table, Lily—his younger cousin—raised a brow, poking at her half-eaten fruit bowl. "Did you finally decide to take a vacation?"

Michael chuckled softly. "Maybe."

In truth, it wasn’t that he had nothing to do. Today marked the start of the practical entrance exams at

Bright College

—the temporary academic institution Michael had registered with weeks ago.

What shocked his family was that Michael wasn’t acting like he had no time for them.

It was different from his usual relaxed demeanor—this time, he was present, not just physically but mentally.

Subconsciously, gaining the ability to operate in both Aurora and the Land of Origin had shifted something in his mindset.

A subtle change, but a meaningful one.

They ate in relative silence for a few minutes. Aunt Mia glanced at the digital clock on the wall, then leaned forward, her expression softening slightly.

"Michael... how confident are you, really?" she asked, voice quieter than usual. "I know you’re powerful now. But these exams... they’re not about power. They test knowledge. I’m just wondering if..."

"If I’ve spent too much time busy to remember algebra?" Michael offered, giving a faint smirk.

Aunt Mia didn’t smile.

Though Aunt Mia was neither a cultivator nor an awakener, she had taken the college exams in the past as well.

Regardless of one’s supernatural status, this part of education was mandatory.

Michael’s eyes softened. "I understand, Aunt. But I’m confident."

Though High Intelligence didn’t make Michael a genius—it did give one thing—speed. He could read fast, remember faster, and learn faster. Give him a textbook and a few hours, and he’ll know it front to back.

Aunt Mia still looked worried, but she nodded slowly.

Instead, she turned to observe Michael silently.

She turned to observe Michael silently, and the longer she looked, the more she realized something had changed.

Not just in his presence or behavior—but in his very appearance.

The Michael sitting across from her wasn’t the same boy from three months ago.

His once short, cropped hair now flowed well past his shoulders in silky black waves. His physique had lengthened, becoming tall and slender, with a sharpness to his features that hadn’t been there before. There was a grace to his movements—subtle, refined—but it made her uneasy.

And then there were the earrings.

Small, silver studs on both ears.

Aunt Mia’s brows creased slightly.

It wasn’t that he looked bad. In fact, he looked... striking. Too striking.

His face was dangerously handsome now—almost ethereal in its symmetry. The kind of look that turned heads and drew stares.

But for her, it was jarring.

It wasn’t just about appearance. It was about what it represented.

This wasn’t just a boy growing up. This was someone becoming something else. Something... less ordinary.

If he weren’t her nephew, if she didn’t know his kind heart, she might’ve thought he was part of some underground syndicate—a young mafia heir dressed in charm and shadow.

She knew there was likely a reason for the changes.

His powers.

But still.

She couldn’t help the discomfort curling in her chest.

It reminded her of those moments parents had when their child returned home with piercings, tattoos, or hair dyed wild colors.

No matter how much you understood or accepted—it still hit you.

Aunt Mia was, at her core, old-fashioned.

Next to her, Lily was having an entirely different reaction.

Her cousin’s eyes sparkled with envy—not disapproval.

She kept sneaking glances at Michael, her expression mixed between awe and quiet jealousy.

"How did your hair grow that fast...?" she muttered under her breath, not expecting an answer.

Michael only smiled.

She didn’t know yet, but if things went well, he planned to evolve her too.

Not just into someone stronger.

Into something more.

A High Human.

Her path would be different—but he’d make sure it existed.

Because if there was one thing Michael had learned in both worlds—it was that strength could change everything.

And he had every intention of sharing it with those he cared about.

Aunt Mia finally broke the silence with a sigh, setting down her cup.

"Eat quickly, both of you," she said, standing and brushing imaginary crumbs from her apron. "You’ll be late if you dawdle. And I need to leave for the restaurant too."

Lily groaned.

Michael chuckled.

Aunt Mia gave them both a look. "Shoes on in five minutes. Bags by the door. No excuses. And Michael—" she pointed at him as she walked out of the kitchen, "—I expect you to act like a responsible older brother figure today."

Michael raised a brow. "Since when am I—"

"Nevemind," Michael accepted. He knew better than to continue.

"Got it," he said with a crooked grin.

The sound of keys jingling followed her retreat into the hallway. A moment later, the front door creaked open and closed behind her, leaving the siblings alone in the kitchen.

Lily leaned over her bowl, smirking. "She’s still weirded out by your hair."

Michael stretched, finishing the last bite of his toast. "Let her be. She’ll come around."

"Hmmm...will you die if you tell me how to grow my hair like you?"

Michael laughed.

******

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A/N:

Happy new month in advance, everyone—and congratulations to us on reaching our

fourth consecutive month in the Top 10 Golden Ticket rankings

! We even hit

Top 7

, our highest placement yet!

Thank you all so much for your continued support. I truly appreciate every vote, comment, and read.

Also, I’m introducing a

new Privilege tier

this month. It’s a 5-Chapter tier, and I wanted to be transparent to avoid any misunderstandings—especially around the timing of the upcoming

mass release

.

This isn’t a sneaky move to drop Chapters under privilege. The mass release is scheduled to coincide with

Webnovel’s weekly reset

.

As for the new tier, I’ll be releasing

all 5 Chapters at once

in just a few hours to avoid any delays with the regular daily updates.

Thanks again, and let’s make this month even better!