Xiao Ni

"Young Master Lin, you don't recognize me?" the girl's eyes grew misty with emotion. "I'm Xiao Ni!"

Xiao Ni? Wasn't that the maid who used to serve him back when he lived at home? But as he remembered, she had been short and chubby…

Looking at her now, it really was Xiao Ni. She had started caring for him when he was only ten, all the way until he left home. Back then, she was the only one in the entire Lin family who truly treated him like a young master. Her kindness had left a deep impression on him.

Now, the ugly duckling had grown into a graceful swan. Endymion couldn't help but marvel—what a transformation.

"So it is you, Xiao Ni. I can't believe you're still here!" he sighed with mixed emotions. Four years had passed—he thought everything would've changed, that people would've moved on. Yet here she was. "You've been taking care of my room all these years, haven't you?"

Xiao Ni nodded vigorously. "I knew you'd come back one day."

Endymion gave a slight shake of his head. This girl… her faith was touching. When he'd left, he never thought he'd return. But life was unpredictable—here he was again.

"Young Master, have you eaten yet?" Xiao Ni asked.

"Not yet," Endymion replied with a faint smile.

"I'll go prepare something right away!" she said, rushing off with a childlike enthusiasm.

A faint warmth stirred in Endymion's heart. Perhaps, in this whole household—or even in the entire Millennium City—the only one who still genuinely cared about him was this once chubby maid.

The next few days proved his suspicion true. By all rights, the Lin family hadn't forgotten about him—otherwise, Lin Qingming wouldn't have personally summoned him home. But in practice, it was as if he didn't exist.

Not once did he see his father, Lin Qingming, nor his mother, Yu Qian. It was as if the entire household had vanished—save for Xiao Ni.

Endymion had long known how cold and distant this family could be, but the sheer depth of that coldness still stung. Fortunately, he had already braced himself for it. He never expected much from his so-called kin.

So he spent most of his time in training—refining both his combat aura and magic. In his spare moments, he'd chat with Xiao Ni. The days passed quietly, until finally, the date Lin Qingming had mentioned arrived: August 7.

"Young Master, the lord wants you at the training grounds," Xiao Ni informed him early that morning.

It begins, Endymion thought as he exhaled slowly. The so-called family trial was about to commence.

The "training grounds" bore a name that had survived a thousand years—once an arena for martial arts duels, it now served as the Lin family's mecha combat facility.

Unlike the simulated battles at Notting Academy, the Lin family trained with full-force real combat. It meant their mechs often needed repairs or replacements, but the Lin family didn't concern themselves with costs. Results mattered more than expenses.

When Endymion arrived, the grounds were already filled. Clusters of young men and women—thirty-five in total—stood in small groups. Including him, that made thirty-six. Though varied in gender, they all shared one trait: youth.

His arrival drew attention. Dozens of eyes flicked toward him, but most quickly looked away again. The others chatted in hushed tones, clearly familiar with one another. Endymion, on the other hand, recognized no one.

It made sense. Even back when he lived here, he rarely interacted with others, had no friends, and knew very few faces. Then he had spent four years at Notting Academy. Naturally, he had no connections with this crowd.

"Is everyone here?" a deep, commanding voice rang out.

Endymion turned and saw a tall man with a square face and natural authority. It was his father—Lin Qingming, the family patriarch.

"All present, Patriarch. Thirty-six in total," responded a sturdy, dark-skinned youth.

"Very well. You thirty-six will be divided into six teams," Lin Qingming announced. "I will assign six captains. The remaining thirty will be divided into five tiers based on strength. Each captain will select one member from each tier. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd answered in unison.

"The six team leaders are Lin Song, Lin Sisi, Lin Xiaoqiang, Lin Lun, Lin Yun, and Lin Minghe," Lin Qingming continued, then went on to name the remaining members and their ranks.

As he listened, Endymion realized just how far behind he was. Among all thirty-six participants, he alone was a mere Level 1 Mecha Warrior. The others, even the weakest, were at least Level 8—and the captains were all Mecha Knights. Three were 1-star, two were 2-star, and the strongest, Lin Yun, was a 3-star Mecha Knight.

Of the six captains, four were men, and two were women. Both girls were beautiful, but Lin Yun was clearly the more striking one—a delicate, icy face easily rivaling Tan Bingbing's. And like Tan Bingbing, she too exuded an aura of cold indifference.

Her outfit, however, puzzled Endymion. She wore a skintight suit that showcased her flawless curves—seductive, to say the least. Yet despite its form-hugging nature, the suit covered her completely from the neck down, including her hands. Conservative yet provocative.

Noticing his gaze, Lin Yun looked back at him. Her brows furrowed slightly, displeased, but she said nothing. She was too busy selecting her team.

Since the captains varied in strength, the weakest got first pick, and the strongest—Lin Yun—chose last. This was meant to balance out the teams, given that even within each strength tier, individuals still differed.

So, unsurprisingly, Endymion—the lowest-ranked participant—was picked last. With no other options, Lin Yun had no choice but to accept him.

"Go make your preparations. You depart tomorrow," Lin Qingming instructed. With that, he turned and left.

He did glance at Endymion again as he walked off—but just once, and said nothing.

Endymion found the whole event dull and isolating. No one spoke to him. He stood there like a fool. Clearly, the others all knew who he was—they just had no desire to acknowledge him.

After all, proud scions of the Lin family wouldn't deign to associate with the disgrace of the clan. Despite sharing the surname, in their eyes, he wasn't worthy of it.

Just as Endymion turned to leave, a clear, melodic voice called out from behind him—

"Endymion Lin, wait!"