Outside Fang Xiu’s villa.
He stared at Yue Tianrui, and Yue Tianrui stared right back at him.
Neither said a word.
After a long moment, Yue Tianrui finally couldn't help but speak: "Today is supposed to be the day for the field training. You seem to be running late."
"It’s the day for field training, and even the principal is late, so I should be fine!" Fang Xiu said with a smile.
"I have a car." Yue Tianrui took out a set of keys.
"I can ride with you!" Fang Xiu didn't stand on ceremony at all.
"Hmm, let's go." Yue Tianrui nodded slightly, saying nothing more. He turned and walked toward a car nearby.
Fang Xiu: ...
He felt as though he had been played.
Would it be dangerous to get in this car?
Is this a hijacked vehicle?
If I go and don't come back, this villa will be empty, and it might turn into a haunted house!
"System, run a scan. What kind of punishment would I get for sacrificing Yue Tianrui?"
Fang Xiu felt incredibly helpless. He could only pin his hopes on the sacrifice, though he didn't dare expect any rewards. Who would reward someone for sacrificing an old man? He just prayed the punishment wouldn't be too severe.
【Ding. Selecting the least severe deity for the sacrifice.】
Fang Xiu: ...
So, no matter who he sacrificed to, he’d be punished, and this was just selecting the lightest one.
【A middle-aged, Level 66 Strength-type pugilist sacrificed to the God of War. The God of War will not be pleased; instead, he will use the sacrifice as a punching bag to vent two-thirds of his rage. It will not fully satisfy his anger, however. The remaining punishment will be directed at the sacrificer: a reward of the God of War descending personally to deliver one punch!】
Fang Xiu: ...
All right, never mind. No sacrifice.
"Fang Xiu, what are you still standing there for? Get in the principal's car! We’re about to be late!"
Just as Fang Xiu was checking the system, Yue Tianrui urged him from across the way.
Fang Xiu hesitated, but he got in. He sat directly in the back seat. That way, if anything went wrong, he could jump out and run.
"Are you that afraid of me?" Yue Tianrui suddenly asked.
Fang Xiu was startled and quickly shook his head. "No, not at all. It’s just a habit of mine to sit in the back when I catch a ride."
"Oh? Then come sit in the front," Yue Tianrui said with a slight nod.
Fang Xiu hesitated, but bit the bullet and moved to the front passenger seat.
"Principal... uh... does this car have a dashcam? Or an automatic emergency alarm? Don't get me wrong, I just have these in every taxi I take!" Fang Xiu asked timidly.
Yue Tianrui: ...
He didn't answer, simply starting the car and heading straight toward the school.
Fortunately, they arrived safely, and Yue Tianrui dropped Fang Xiu off.
Fang Xiu headed to his classroom.
There weren't many people left in the room; after all, not many could awaken.
"Wow, there really are so few people today!" Fang Xiu looked around the class. The original dozens of students had dwindled to just over twenty.
"Fang Xiu?"
"Brother Fang, you're here!"
"Brother Fang, sit here!"
"Brother Fang, sit by me! I have a secret to tell you!"
As soon as Fang Xiu stepped into the classroom, it erupted. Everyone looked at him with excitement. Many called him "Brother Fang" affectionately. Some female students even beckoned him to sit in the chairs beside them, though for some reason, they kept their feet propped up on the very chairs they were offering him, slapping their legs as they did so. The message was clear.
"That’s obviously not meant for me to sit on, no matter how nice it sounds." Fang Xiu understood their game immediately and walked straight to a seat in the back.
He sat down. His desk-mate in front was Luo Xing.
"How is it? Brother Fang, feeling the fake enthusiasm yet?" Luo Xing turned around and whispered as soon as Fang Xiu sat down.
Fang Xiu nodded. "Yeah. You getting the same treatment?"
"Exactly. They call me over to sit, but they won't pull their legs back. They clearly don't want me sitting there," Luo Xing complained.
Fang Xiu felt a deep sense of resonance. "It must be because our awakened talent levels are so high that they’re jealous."
"Exactly. Those people—all they awakened were D-rank or E-rank, maybe even F-rank. How could they compare to two geniuses like us? They’re definitely jealous." Luo Xing agreed wholeheartedly.
The two chatted idly for a while.
"I heard we got a new homeroom teacher," Fang Xiu suddenly asked. Since their previous teacher only handled academic subjects and they were now Awakened preparing to enter the Gate World, they needed a teacher who was an Awakened themselves to lead them. Otherwise, encountering danger would be a major problem.
"Yeah. Even though old Xu was a bit of a nag and went bald in his middle age, he was a decent man. Now that we have a new teacher, I’m actually a bit sad to see him go," Luo Xing sighed.
Just then, the classroom door pushed open.
A woman walked in with the look of a mature beauty, exquisite features, and a lithe figure. She walked straight to the podium, drawing every eye in the room toward her. Whether male or female, everyone was stunned by her appearance.
"Gulp!" Someone swallowed hard.
"Hello, students. I am your new homeroom teacher, Xia Yunmeng. I will be leading you into the Gate World for training until you head off to university."
Xia Yunmeng smiled, her voice melodious. "I only graduated less than two years ago myself, and this is my first time leading a class. I hope you’ll treat me well in the future. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me!"
"Yeah, old Xu was alright too!" Fang Xiu remarked, picking up the conversation.
"Huh? Who's old Xu?" Luo Xing was stunned, his eyes fixed on Xia Yunmeng at the podium.
Fang Xiu: ...
Good heavens, he was just lamenting the man a moment ago, and now he’s already forgotten who he is?
"First of all, congratulations to everyone on successfully awakening. Regardless of your talent level, you are at least an Awakened now. Here, I will treat everyone equally," Xia Yunmeng said with a smile.
The students below were all ears, and several male students looked visibly excited. The teacher was young, beautiful, and promised to treat them equally without discrimination. At that moment, they only wished this last year of high school would pass as slowly as possible.
"Hmm, I heard there is an A-rank Archer and an SSS-rank Sacrificer in this class?" Xia Yunmeng asked suddenly, picking up a small notebook. "Luo Xing!"
"Here! I'm here!" Luo Xing scrambled to his feet, unable to stop himself from swallowing hard again.
"Ah, the little fatty is quite cute. When we enter the Gate World, remember to stay close to the teacher. I’ll protect you well," Xia Yunmeng said, looking at Luo Xing with a smile.
"Thank you, teacher! Um... can we exchange phone numbers? Or add each other on WeChat? Just so it’s easier to contact you if I run into danger," Luo Xing quickly said.
Xia Yunmeng nodded. "Sure. Hmm, and the other one—Fang Xiu."
"Is Fang Xiu here?"
"Here!" Fang Xiu responded.
Xia Yunmeng followed the sound of his voice and looked over, then suddenly froze!