Chapter 12 - Self-Rescue Manual of a Villainess

Chapter 012: Subordinate Nan Yin didn't follow Jiang Mi and Nan Xi into the school. Instead, she left right after escorting them in. The redhead girl hesitated as she observed the back of their boss from behind the school gate, ultimately deciding not to voice her concerns. Nan Xi, on the other hand, merely scoffed at the sight of Nan Yin's retreating figure before dismissing herself. The holographic projection atop the school’s entrance relayed the scenario of the principal's speech about the forthcoming ability assessment tests. "Dear students, as you all know, the ability assessment for the respective ability schools is in two months. This indeed concerns your destiny." Ever since Emperor Dixin altered human destiny thirty thousand years ago to compete with the heavenly way, humanity has carried the imprint of abilities due to a novel innate organ - the ability gene - that enhanced human survival. Every human innately possessed this ancestral gene; everyone had the potential to activate their abilities. The spectrum was broad, ranging from minor fire abilities that could light a cigarette, up to powerful forbidden abilities that could single-handedly withstand an army. Everyone had infinite potential. By now, cultural examinations for college admission were not as significant as in Nan Yin's previous life. Ability assessments had been brought on par with college entrance examinations. A high school student could opt for either path. They could sit for the college entrance exam or undertake the ability examination to gain admission to any of the major ability institutions, thus becoming an ability user. However, as earlier stated, each person's potential varied. Perhaps your ability was a common sixteen-element one, while your classmate possessed a rare top-tier ability. You can't control this disparity as it is determined by the ability gene passed down by your parents and ancestors. Given that the examination is a gamble, the cultural college examination still has its market. "In two months, various colleges will send their instructors to all high schools to select ability users. Whether you can excel then will depend on you, students," the Principal announced, conjuring a bundle of white flames in her hand. Besides being a high school teacher, she also was a one-star, third-tier fire ability user. "In two weeks, we at Roland High School will conduct an internal ability detect test. It is not about determining your specific type of ability, but rather your ability grade. By then, you will have a clearer sense of your ability. This is also meant to temper certain impatient students…” she trailed off. … At that moment, unbeknownst to the unfolding occurrences behind her, Nan Yin remained indifferent even if she was aware. She located a public bathroom, discarded her Roland High School uniform for her old hoodie, and pulled over the hood to hide her face before stepping back out. Hearing the Principal's speech about the upcoming ability assessment, the corner of Nan Yin's mouth curled into a sarcastic smile. "And how do you feel now, Can Yin?” A knowledgeable Nan Yin who had acquired fragments of memories lightly jeered. [I don't feel anything. After all, I’ve experienced it countless times], Can Yin responded vaguely, suddenly going silent. Seeing Can Yin’s spiritless demeanor, Nan Yin nonchalantly shook her head, before exhaling softly. For Nan Xi, this was as far as her task went. Abilities had nothing to do with her, and it was best to stick to the original plan. Nan Xi's father adopted Nan Yin for impure motivation. He wanted to transplant Nan Yin’s heart, which carried the ability gene, onto his biological daughter, Nan Xi. This course of action wasn’t halted by some male protagonist. Now, Nan Yin no longer possessed any ability gene. In this world where everyone had an ability, she was practically useless… Of course, the blow to Nan Yin’s ego was minimal. She had no abilities in her previous life either, and not having any abilities after transmigrating wasn't a big deal to her. However...this might be upsetting for Can Yin. Nan Yin dismissed the random thoughts surfacing in her head and began to contemplate her plan. To be honest, it wasn't until this morning that Nan Yin found out the original host had been expelled from Roland High School. The expulsion was on account of her chronic truancy and habit of picking fights at school—each of these on its own was sufficient grounds for dismissal. The original host hadn't received much care or concern from anyone other than her foster mother, leading her to exhibit some problems. Moreover, considering the environment of the Filo neighborhood… In short, Nan Yin reasoned, it would be questionable if the original host hadn't turned into an antagonist given her surroundings. So the initial plan of attending school and getting into college normally was not an option. This left Nan Yin feeling quite upset. Given that her ability gene had disappeared, and the ability colleges were out of question, Nan Yin planned on relying on her cultural knowledge from her previous life to get admitted into a normal composite college. After all, success could be attained that way too, right? However, now she had been dismissed and even branded by the police due to her shady past. She was no longer eligible to sit for college exams. Since schooling was out of the picture, Nan Yin revised her plan—she decided to enhance her abilities, and directly confront her mission targets. From Can Yin, she managed to gather indirect bits of information—that she could only accomplish her mission through the important supporting characters and main characters of this world. Undoubtedly, all these characters revolved around the main male lead, Su Xiao Yu. Originally, she planned to interact with Su Xiao Yu through school life. However, as this was no longer viable, Nan Yin decided to approach Su Xiao Yu directly. This, however, significantly increased the challenge. After all, the original host, Nan Yin, no longer had an ability gene which shattered her foothold in this world. Hm...it seemed necessary to find some help. By the way...Can Yin, you wouldn't be upset if I were to become an antagonist, would you? [....] … The alleyway seemed a little sinister in the late dusk. A man laid on the ground facing downward, with a prominent indentation on his back, clear signs of a heavy blow. He had lost consciousness and was bleeding profusely from some kind of head injury. "Thud!" Even as he followed for so long, he could hardly believe that he'd managed to knock him out with just a single whack. The man stumbled back a step, filled with apprehension and excitement, as he watched his victim suddenly collapse. It was hard to believe - just a single blow. He fell seated, taking in deep breaths, looking at theLife was fragile indeed, despite appearing formidable. He resolved himself, dragging the unconscious body to a corner against a wall, sitting up against it. During this peak of autumn, the weather was gradually chilling, making removing clothes a bit of a hassle. This desirable creature? Seems rather interesting, but it is merely at the beginning stage of awakening. "Who are you?" He twisted his head around, instinctively wiping the corner of his mouth smeared with fresh blood and bits of flesh, his beast-like eyes fixated on the figure behind him. The dim light behind the man concealed his face. "I'm an experimenter. One who seeks substances to experiment on," the man replied with interest, looking at the disemboweled body in front of him, and the man currently feeding on it. "To me, you'll be a top-notch specimen." ... When the white-haired girl arrived, all she found was an unfinished feast and a mess. Nan Yin covered her nose and mouth with one hand while holding a gun in the other. She carefully scoured her surroundings with furrowed brows. There were no other creatures. ...What just happened? In the original script, the criminal's operating area should have been here. The bodies here corroborated her theory. But it seemed... The helper she'd chosen had departed before her arrival? ... A.N: Dear readers, rest assured. Despite Nan Yin choosing a semi-antagonist path after the rewrite, she won’t stoop so low as to recruit a cannibal as her henchman. Hehe.