Chapter 13: The Report

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If the beastmen handling the forum backend had not worked overtime for several days, the forum would have crashed long ago.

Even now, it was already on the verge of collapse.

Xiao Ningxue had no idea how deeply she was being “resented” by the forum’s programmers.

She obediently lay low in the hotel until the day school began.

The First Military Academy’s training was completely closed off, and no one was allowed to enter or leave at will.

That was why Xiao Ningxue’s enrollment had been postponed until after military training ended.

On the day of her enrollment, Xiao Ningxue arrived at the gates of the First Military Academy early in the morning, empty-handed.

It had to be said—the academy truly deserved its reputation as the Federation’s foremost military institution.

Even its gates were imposing.

Over the past two days, Xiao Ningxue had searched online for a great deal of information about the First Military Academy.

There was no question that it deserved to be called the First Military Academy. Ninety percent of the Federation’s marshals had graduated from its Command Department, as had eighty percent of its generals.

Even fifty percent of the presidents had come from the First Military Academy.

When Xiao Ningxue had browsed through the academy’s glorious achievements, she had been dazzled.

She had not even known how to describe the awe and admiration she had felt at the time.

Only after entering through the gates did she notice a fierce-looking young man standing there, apparently watching something.

The boy leaned idly against the wall, nudging a small stone with the toe of his shoe.

Xiao Ningxue was focused entirely on reporting for enrollment and had not paid close attention to his appearance. Just as she was about to pass him, the boy spoke.

“Plant Master, Mr. Xiao?”

His voice was like a clear spring flowing over stones, and it successfully made Xiao Ningxue stop in her tracks.

Only then did she take a proper look at him.

He was an entirely different type from Qin Yixuan and Hu Lingfei.

The young man’s appearance was exceptionally sharp and aggressive. His skin was the color of burnished bronze, his nose was high and straight, and his cheeks were faintly hollowed. His pupils resembled molten amber, and his gaze was keen. Meeting his eyes gave her the strange feeling that nothing about her could remain hidden.

Xiao Ningxue nodded. “That’s me. May I ask who you are?”

After confirming her identity, the young man looked her up and down. His nose twitched slightly, and his brows drew together almost imperceptibly.

“Female?”

Xiao Ningxue’s heart gave a violent thump, but she reacted quickly.

“What are you talking about? How could a female with a wood-type ability possibly have survived to my age?”

Zang Zexin thought it over briefly and accepted her explanation.

“My apologies. I’m your roommate. Mecha Combat Department, Zang Zexin.”

Roommate?

Xiao Ningxue silently wailed.

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He even looked rather like a wolf. Wolves were said to be extremely sly and highly intelligent. Would he see through her?

“My name is Xiao Qingyu. I’m a Plant Master. If you don’t mind, you can call me by my name.”

She did not really care what he called her, but a name that pointed clearly to her identity was somewhat easier for him to accept than “Mr. Xiao.”

“All right. You can call me by my name as well.”

Zang Zexin responded to every sentence, but he spoke very little and almost never took the initiative to start a conversation.

After introducing themselves, Zang Zexin greeted the old gatekeeper and led Xiao Ningxue farther into the academy.

Xiao Ningxue hurriedly greeted the old man as well.

The gatekeeper in the booth had a kindly face. He nodded at the two of them.

“Where should we go first?” Xiao Ningxue asked blankly as she followed Zang Zexin into the academy.

“We report to the faculty adviser first.”

Zang Zexin was concise, and he seemed disinclined to talk. Once Xiao Ningxue had clarified where she needed to go, she tactfully fell silent.

Hopefully, she would meet a talkative adviser—someone who could at least explain what she was supposed to do next.

Zang Zexin was not fond of speaking. In silence, he led Xiao Ningxue onto a suspended-magnetic school bus bearing the crest of the First Military Academy.

He swiped his personal terminal, and a gentle male voice sounded throughout the bus.

“Welcome aboard the school shuttle. Please enter your destination.”

The sudden voice startled Xiao Ningxue.

Zang Zexin tapped his terminal twice.

“Destination: Academic Affairs Building. Passengers, please take your seats and fasten your safety belts. Shuttle One is about to depart.”

Zang Zexin deftly took the first seat on the bus.

Xiao Ningxue imitated him, walked to the seat behind his, sat down, and fastened her belt.

Ability users possessed excellent physical fitness and moved extremely quickly. Xiao Ningxue could not understand why they needed to take a school bus.

She looked at the back of Zang Zexin’s head and guessed that perhaps the military training had left him somewhat weak.

If Zang Zexin had known what Xiao Ningxue was thinking, he would certainly have protested his innocence.

He had chosen the school bus because he had taken into consideration the fact that Plant Masters tended to be physically delicate!

The two people, each believing the other to be rather fragile, sat quietly on the school bus with their own thoughts in mind.

The academy had just completed half a month of military training. It was not so cruel as to make the students begin classes immediately afterward.

They were being given two days to rest, and university life would officially begin the day after tomorrow.

Thus, even though it was class time, there was hardly anyone to be seen along the way.

“Would you like one?”

Without turning around, Zang Zexin held out a green nutrient drink.

“Thank you, but I’ve already… had one.”

In truth, Xiao Ningxue had eaten a hot breakfast prepared in advance in her spatial storage.

Nutrient drinks could fill the stomach, but they could not satisfy a craving.

After all, for the people of her homeland, eating had always carried two meanings.

One was to fill the stomach.

The other was to indulge the appetite.

In other words—to satisfy one’s inner glutton.

Zang Zexin did not say anything more. He merely explained, “This is a First Military Academy exclusive. There aren’t many available, and one bottle can keep you full for two days. You should save it.”

Xiao Ningxue thought of the nutrient drinks aboard the Red Blood battleship, which could keep someone full for three days.

“Thank you.”

That brief exchange was all the conversation they had before the school bus arrived at the Academic Affairs Building.

Xiao Ningxue, who had found the atmosphere somewhat awkward, let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The bus’s maximum speed was 483. How fast!

“There is a path through the mountain of books for those who work diligently; the sea of learning has no end, and hardship is the vessel. Students, we’ll see you next time.”

The familiar verse made Xiao Ningxue unable to conceal her expression. She instinctively turned toward the bus’s announcement speaker, and her look of shock was successfully captured by the academy’s hidden cameras.

In a concealed observation room—

“This little male seems rather surprised by those two lines.”

“The little male’s origins are unknown, and she refused to provide a genetic sample. She must be hiding something. Can I apply to secretly obtain a little of her blood?”

“Old Wu, what are you doing? We’re a legitimate academy! You look like you’re planning to break the law. What exactly are you trying to do?”

“Heh-heh! I can’t help it. My curiosity is simply too strong…”

“Forget it for now. Keep a close eye on her. Record that anomaly and observe her for a while before we draw any conclusions.”

“Yes!”

—Break—

“What is it?”

Zang Zexin noticed her movement and turned around to ask.

“Nothing!”

Unaware that her every move was being recorded, Xiao Ningxue suppressed the excitement in her heart and struggled to keep the corners of her mouth from lifting. She obediently followed behind Zang Zexin.

Perhaps unused to her silence, Zang Zexin turned back several times. Each time, his eyes met Xiao Ningxue’s, and he hurriedly turned away.