NOVPUBWhen Ores invited Tilan, Shui Yanqing also waved to Blanchi, motioning her to sit beside her and poured her a cup as well.
Clasping the glass, Blanchi looked carefully at the slightly blue tea, curious about what it was made from. However, it seemed to smell quite nice.
She took a small sip, and the faint coolness slid down her throat, clearing her mind and bringing much comfort. It was as if her tense, anxious nerves were being soothed by a cool sensation, unwinding gradually.
This was tea with transcendental effects, probably of the T4 or possibly T3 level, but Blanchi couldn't tell; she had only recently entered into a life of luxury.
"The new club starts with a maximum of ten people who must complete certain tasks before unlocking more members and elevating the difficulty of the tasks we receive," Ores shared some simple intelligence she knew with Tilan.
"The members don't have to be Golden Flame Flower students, after all, there aren't that many students in the school, not enough to split among the current Songstress Star Clusters," she said.
"It's quite relaxing at the start, as the members who can join a Songstress's Star Cluster are generally not bad," she added.
"Later on, it becomes our job as Songstresses to mediate and organize since the difficulty of tasks for Star Cluster members is a level higher than the normal clubs, an adjustment made considering the great influence we Songstresses wield," she explained.
"It does sound a lot like a game," Tilan mused, thinking of a friend well-versed with it, practically immersed in the online world every day, if not gaming, then streaming.
"Because games are designed specifically based on human psychological feedback, and they share a common pattern with education and guidance," Shui Yanqing chimed in at this moment.
"Would you like to come over for some tea? You've had quite a few desserts; this should help cut through the richness," she invited generously.
"Of course, Ores is welcome to come and have some as well," she added pointedly at the end.
In terms of background, Ores was undoubtedly one of those from the top echelons of the federation, and after becoming a Songstress, she gained many more accolades, maintaining a princess-like elegance in front of everyone. However, in the presence of Shui Yanqing, a Songstress with a special enthralling ability, she just couldn't bring herself to like her, and could even easily be provoked by her.
Her bosom, enfolded in a white gown, rose and fell slightly; Ores strived to suppress the annoyance stirring within her. She wasn't ready to damage the image she had maintained for so long over these remarks, as being seen as a shrew was utterly distasteful to her.
"Alright," Tilan took Ores's hand, whispering words of comfort in her ear. As the young Songstress's Ability was put to use, Ores's irritation quickly subsided.
Together with Ores, they all sat by Shui Yanqing's table, sipping their tea daintily. In the interim, Ores brought over her own dessert box, allowing Blanchi to pick first, then offering some to Shui Yanqing.
"Does this teapot never run out?" Blanchi couldn't help asking curiously as she noticed that after pouring tea for four, the water level in the glass pot had barely decreased.
"It certainly can run out, but there's much more water inside than it appears," Shui Yanqing explained.
It must be a transcendent creation involving folded space, Tilan perceived, then assessed in her mind.
"I've seen so many of these things at home," Ores couldn't help but interject, as though she couldn't stand Shui Yanqing using it to show off in front of others.
"Wow, that must be expensive, right? After all, it involves spatial technology," Blanchi said, surprised.
"It's not too bad, just about a billion or so," Ores said, sipping tea, propping her head with her hand, and watching the small fish swimming in the pot on the table.
With her know-how, she couldn't identify the species of fish, but it was definitely some sort of transcendent creature, likely a new species improved by some corporation, she reasoned.
While encoding human genes was prohibited, the alteration of other animals was not as strictly regulated, many large corporations were engaged in this business, tailoring and breeding new individual organisms for clients.
The four chatted idly, discussing several Songstresses currently in school.
"Prin and Audrey joined the school a year earlier than us and are said to be preparing for a large task to advance to the second year. Ailu Kelu is already a third-year student and can choose whether to attend class or not. According to custom, at this stage, she's already eligible to leave school for activities," they said.
"There are several other Songstresses who, despite not having graduated, have already left for outside activities, namely 'Flower of Seclusion' Jian Xin'er and 'Red Stingray' Luo Fenghua."
"That means there are a total of nine Songstresses who haven't graduated yet," they noted.
"That's a rare number to see over the years, and there are currently only 77 Songstresses officially registered with the federation," they added.
"No, in a year or the year after, two younger Songstresses will reach the admission age, namely 'Azure Bubble' Merulu and 'Black Walnut' Dirouxin'er," they continued.
"Merulu is human and indeed still young, whereas Dirouxin'er is quite special; she's actually not young in age, but due to her Species lineage, she matures late, hence the delayed admission," they elaborated.
Really, when it came down to it, Ores and Dirouxin'er were two Songstresses who debuted around the same time, but Dirouxin'er's growth was slower; it was said she had some Dragon Species gene.
"One can foresee it getting lively," Shui Yanqing rarely commented.
After discussing the situation at the school, they turned to the topic of Star Clusters.
"How do we find initial members?" Blanchi was curious about that.
"It's quite simple really, just say you're recruiting, and everyone will come," Shui Yanqing said jokingly.
"That method can indeed attract people, but the styles might be quite mixed," Tilan reminded.
