Chapter 97: The First Lesson—Beyond the Alliance
The training camp's dormitory building had collapsed.
Fortunately, the cafeteria was still standing. The students, who had been strung tight with tension all night, finally relaxed—only to realize they were absolutely starving.
Consequently, a horde of starving ghouls surged directly into the mess hall.
"Oh?"
It was early morning, and the lunch lady had just started cooking. Seeing the swarm of red-eyed demons charging in, she simply smiled, indicating that this was zero pressure.
Her Octopus Fish-Man bloodline activated. Eight arms went to work simultaneously.
In moments, steam wrapped in the delicious aroma of food swirled through the entire cafeteria.
Su Qingqing, having just walked in, subconsciously sniffed the air.
Gu Yunxi didn't bother with subtitles; she charged straight to the counter, holding her tray high. "Auntie! Give me another Braised Lion's Head meatball! And that stewed brisket, the really tender kind!"
Zhuge Jing followed behind at a leisurely pace, picking out two small plates of light seasonal vegetables. He glanced at the mountain of food piled on Gu Yunxi's tray.
"Were you a famine victim in a past life?"
"Sweepin' da pwaaat," Gu Yunxi mumbled vaguely, her mouth already stuffed with a spare rib.
The meat was cooked so tenderly it fell off the bone with a single suck. The savory juices exploded on her tongue, instantly banishing the depression of her missile's lackluster performance to the back of her mind.
Shen Lie was muttering to himself nearby: "Protein... fiber... high-quality fats..."
"I'll perform a magic trick for everyone: one bite, one whole pig!" Long Aotian proceeded to inhale a roasted piglet in a single bite, drawing passionate cheers from the surrounding students.
Just as everyone was eating with fiery enthusiasm, the cafeteria doors were suddenly pushed open.
Chen Yu walked in. His black combat uniform still had bits of grass from the drill clinging to it, yet he didn't look bedraggled in the slightest.
Ling Yue followed behind him, her expression slightly awkward as she held onto the corner of Chen Yu's shirt.
The moment the two entered, the cafeteria went dead silent.
News had already spread about Chen Yu taking turns solo-dueling Shi Feng, Su Qingyu, and Chu He in the forest. Ling Yue's performance in holding off Su Qingyu was also something the students had witnessed with their own eyes.
Many people instinctively paused their chopsticks, their gazes landing on him in unison. Whispers drifted through the air.
"That's Chen Yu, right? The freak that even the Silver Fox Squad calls a freak!"
"Goddess Ling Yue is so beautiful!!"
"Give it up. Can't you see the vibe between those two lovebirds?"
Chen Yu ignored the stares. He scanned the cafeteria, saw Long Aotian and the others waving from a window seat, and walked straight over.
As soon as he sat down, Zhuge Jing pushed a freshly plated dish of tomato scrambled eggs toward him. "Brother Yu, hard work out there."
"Sigh." Chen Yu had just picked up his chopsticks when the cafeteria doors opened again.
Walking in was the six-member Silver Fox Squad.
The bloodline suppression from the Senior Brothers and Sisters caused everyone's movements to freeze.
Some held chopsticks suspended in mid-air; others nearly spilled the soup they had just scooped up. Gu Yunxi even forgot to chew the meatball in her mouth.
"Holy crap, they eat here too? That purple-haired sister is so cool!"
"Hey, doesn't that beauty look exactly like Goddess Qingqing?"
"Damn, I refuse to believe that horned muscle-man hasn't killed a few people."
"Is the guy with glasses in the front the captain?"
Chen Yu looked up as well, only to see them walking slowly toward him until they were standing right in front of his table.
"Hey handsome, mind if we sit here?" Yining didn't wait for Chen Yu to agree; she plopped her butt down on the bench.
With that, the whispers in the cafeteria instantly ceased.
No one expected the Silver Fox Squad to actively seek out freshmen to share a table—and specifically Chen Yu, at that.
"Sit, sit." Chen Yu scooted closer to Ling Yue, making space for them.
After the Silver Fox Squad sat down, the gazes in the cafeteria became even more intense, though no one dared to gossip anymore.
"You really are a pervert, kid," Chu He pushed up his glasses, accepting a bowl and chopsticks handed to him by Zhuge Jing.
"Exactly. Our little cow-cow here has PTSD because of you," Su Qingyu patted Shi Feng, who was furiously shoveling rice into his mouth to hide his pain.
"Uh..." Chen Yu scratched his cheek. "The Senior Brothers and Sisters went easy on me."
Su Qingyu revealed a teasing smile. "You two lovebirds... both of you are little monsters."
Chen Yu was stunned and hurriedly tried to explain, "No, no, I just..."
"I... I just don't want to leave his side right now," Ling Yue said softly. Being somewhat socially anxious, speaking in front of so many people caused her cheeks to flush red.
But to the Silver Fox Squad, it sounded different. "Ohoho, declaring sovereignty, are we?"
Yining giggled. "After all, Chen Yu is both handsome and strong. It's normal for our little Ling Yue to feel a sense of crisis."
Lin Jun looked at Chen Yu, gritting his teeth. "Dammit! Why him!?"
The teasing turned Ling Yue's face as red as a baboon's bottom.
"Cough, cough." Chen Yu forcibly changed the subject. "Captain Chu, do you know a person named Qu Tian? She seems to be in a special squad too."
Hearing this, Su Qingyu paused. The spoon in her hand stopped moving as she looked up at Chen Yu. "How do you know the name Qu Tian?"
Her tone held a trace of surprise; she hadn't expected Chen Yu to ask about this person.
Chen Yu didn't elaborate much. "I have an elder who entrusted me to give her something, so I wanted to ask where she is."
Su Qingyu didn't pry further. She put down her spoon and said, "Qu Tian is the captain of the 'Flying General' Squad."
"The Flying General Squad is publicly recognized as the strongest squad."
"When I took office as the captain of the Silver Fox Squad, I met her once at the Captains' Council."
"However, regrettably, she led her team on a long-term mission six years ago and hasn't returned since."
"What kind of mission takes over six years?" Chen Yu frowned, pressing the question.
"The core mission of our Silver Fox Squad is Secret Realm exploration, mainly responsible for collecting resources and intelligence within the realms," Su Qingyu explained. "But the Flying General Squad is different. They are responsible for dealing with the Alliance's most troublesome Ferocious Beasts, and... other things."
"Other things?" Chen Yu caught the keyword and asked immediately.
Su Qingyu smiled, deliberately keeping him in suspense. "Don't be impatient. In the first lesson of the training camp, the teacher will explain it to you in detail. You'll know then."
Seeing she wouldn't say more, Chen Yu didn't push. He lowered his head and continued eating.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria gradually returned to its lively state, though people would occasionally steal glances at their table. After all, the sight of freshmen sitting with the Silver Fox Squad was truly a rare occurrence.
...
"I'll ask everyone a question first. Does anyone know the history of the Alliance?"
Standing at the podium was a teacher wearing a deep blue uniform. His hair was graying, but his eyes were exceptionally spirited.
As soon as his voice fell, a student raised their hand.
"Teacher! The Alliance was established three hundred years ago when human ability users united. The goal was to fight against Ferocious Beasts and protect the living space of ordinary people!"
"Correct." The teacher nodded, then asked, "Then let me ask another one. Outside the Alliance... what is there?"
This time, the answers were sparse and scattered.
"Ferocious Beasts!"
"Unexplored Secret Realms!"
Someone also mentioned, "Fruits that grant people abilities."
The teacher listened to these answers and nodded gently. Suddenly, his tone became solemn. "You are all correct. But these... are merely what is on the surface."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over every single person below the stage, enunciating each word clearly. "Since you have all entered this training camp, it means you are being groomed as the future hope of humanity."
"First, you must be clear about what we are facing." The teacher's voice was amplified through the speakers, reaching every corner of the classroom.
"Humanity's true enemy has never been just the Ferocious Beasts or the unknown Secret Realms."
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly turned grave. Everyone held their breath, staring fixedly at the teacher on the podium.
The teacher took a deep breath and spoke the sentence that shook everyone to their core:
"Outside the Alliance, there exist Gods."
(To be Continued)