Just as Zeke approached the door, a small hand suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"Hey! Fine for them, but why make me attend this class without my legs? Are you trying to turn me into some ridiculous wheelchair martial artist?" Wendy pulled on Zeke's clothing, clearly disgruntled.
Zeke looked down at her.
"First, your legs are temporarily immobile, not gone. Second, they will regain function eventually. The combat techniques against Honkai beings that Valkyries learn are merely simplified, dumbed-down versions of Fu Hua's martial arts. By studying and mastering these techniques, if you can improve control over Honkai Energy, it could aid the surgery process for removing the gemstones. Additionally, once you stand up again, it will help you recover your fighting capabilities more swiftly. Any further questions?"
"Hmm... Alright then, that's all I wanted to know. You could've just told me earlier! I thought you were annoyed with me and tossed me here so you wouldn't have to deal anymore, hmph!"
Wendy let go of Zeke, emitting a discontented grunt, unsure whether she was satisfied or still irked.
Zeke glanced at the wrinkles on his clothes where Wendy had clutched him tightly. Seeing her petulant yet slightly flirtatious expression, he reached out, pinching her cheeks and pulling them outward.
"Ow! Ow! Oww!"
"I've noticed you becoming increasingly disrespectful lately."
Zeke narrowed his eyes, speaking coldly.
Despite drawing sharp breaths from pain, Wendy refused to back down, defiantly yelling:
"As if some Anti-Entropy member can make me submit—let go, quick!"
"Oh really? Even Otto wouldn't dare be this impudent with me. Quite bold of you, aren't we? Today's heavy snowfall makes it perfect for burying Valkyries alive."
Zeke spoke emotionlessly, casting shadows over Wendy as his aura turned chillingly ominous, causing all the girls nearby to instinctively shrink away.
Just like how paramecia only appreciate life when nearing death, Wendy realized her mistake too late.
"I...I'm sorry..."
"What specifically did you do wrong?"
"Not showing proper respect?"
"And?"
"Sorry, I won't do it again, Zeke—Sir Zeke!" The girl pleaded tearfully, her voice meek from both pain and fear.
Zeke released his grip, and the icy tension instantly eased up.
"Keep your respect intact; this is your final warning."
"Yes, Sir Zeke."
This time, Zeke began walking away for real, leaving the classroom behind.
"Pay attention to the lecture. Whether you learn or not isn't my concern, but don't give up without even trying. That would truly disappoint me."
With these parting words, he vanished through the door.
Several seconds after Zeke's figure disappeared, Kiana patted her chest dramatically and sighed with relief.
"He's finally gone—it was so terrifying!"
"You brought that upon yourself," Sin rolled her eyes before gazing dreamily in the direction Zeke had left, holding her flushed cheeks as she cooed, "So impressive of Zeke, looking cool even when angry. Aww, slay me! Heh-heh~"
"Dream on!"
"A single-celled paramecium like you has no right to judge me."
"Wanna pick a fight?!"
"I could still beat you even if I let you use only one hand, weakling paramecium!"
"What did you say?!"
The old rivals clashed once more, but everyone else was used to their bickering and tacitly ignored them.
Only Fu Hua scratched her face and suddenly remarked, "He seems to have quite a temper. If he goes too far, you can come talk to me..."
Her empathetic words were cut short.
As soon as she uttered the word "temper," multiple disapproving gazes, some even openly angry, fixed on her.
All the girls, including Wendy who was still rubbing her cheek, frowned at Fu Hua.
Confused, Fu Hua tilted her head. "Did...I say something wrong?"
"Keep your opinions to yourself if you don't understand anything! You're not qualified to judge Zeke!" Kiana stood up, hands on her hips, speaking with assertive forcefulness.
In a surprising turn, Sin, who had just been arguing fiercely with Kiana, now moved beside her. With a menacing expression, she bared sharp, frightening teeth—a silent warning and implicit threat.
Fu Hua felt even more perplexed.
To be frank, among these children, several indeed possessed exceptional talent, but they were still merely kids. Even combined, they posed no real threat to her. Given her naturally reserved demeanor, she didn't feel personally offended.
Fu Hua was merely puzzled as to why simply voicing an unflattering opinion would cause these girls to disregard their month-long teacher-student relationship and openly display hostility.
Could it be that Zeke, like Otto, possessed exceptional skill at manipulating hearts and minds?
As Fu Hua pondered this, Bronya stood up and gently placed her hands on Kiana's and Sin's shoulders.
"Please continue your lecture, Fu Hua-sensei. They can be rather impulsive; don't mind them. However, I hope you refrain from making unfounded remarks about Zeke again. To us, he is truly remarkable."
Bronya spoke calmly and expressionlessly, yet despite being the smallest among them, she clearly managed to restrain the fiery temper of Kiana and Sin.
Seele and Rozaliya quickly nodded in agreement.
The children from the orphanage undoubtedly held Zeke in high regard.
He transformed the struggling orphanage, allowing everyone to live the life they desired without worrying about material scarcity ever again.
Zeke ensured that Mother Cocolia, who once faced constant stress and rarely had regular sleep, now radiated joy each day.
Zeke provided them with a sense of security, acting like a brother, parent, and friend all at once—offering silent yet unwavering care. Though he rarely expressed it verbally, his actions demonstrated genuine affection, fulfilling every child's once-desperate longing for what "home" should be.
Raiden Mei and Wendy had somewhat mixed feelings about Zeke. His refusal to treat them as girls indeed irked their budding feminine sensibilities. However, one must judge a person not by their words but by their deeds. Having interacted with him for nearly half a year now, they could discern from these daily interactions who Zeke truly was:
A man utterly clueless about romance, yet genuinely, unfailingly kind—that's just Zeke!
Fu Hua sighed.
"All right, I erred by hastily jumping to conclusions without fully understanding. Let's continue our lesson, starting with the first of the five aggregates—the foundational Heart Accumulation..."
As Fu Hua expounded her insights on martial arts, she delved deeper systematically, providing meticulous and comprehensive explanations.
The apprentices below listened attentively, showing significantly more focus than before. How much each student comprehended would ultimately depend on their individual aptitude.
After morning classes ended, during lunchtime, Fu Hua rarely saw Zeke join them at the table.
Normally, he only appeared for dinner to eat with everyone else.
From Fu Hua's perspective, he always seemed incredibly busy. Despite being the one who invited her to teach, he seldom attended class himself. Instead, he typically studied through recorded lessons and occasionally approached her with questions based on his self-learning.
Even then, his progress was astonishingly swift—truly unprecedented.
Among the consistently attentive students, Raiden Mei and Bronya performed the best. Yet even they had merely grasped the stances and cultivation methods; mastering Honkai Energy as effortlessly wielded true qi remained a distant goal.
Contrastingly, Zeke could already utilize the Inch Heart Fist Technique with astounding power, nearing the proficiency Fu Hua herself had achieved over millennia—all thanks to that bizarre "mirror learning" method, which truly defied conventional wisdom.
Due to Zeke's constant busyness, Fu Hua didn't interact with him much.
However, prompted by their earlier confrontation, this time she refrained from isolating herself and ignoring others. Instead, she began attentively observing Zeke's words and actions.
Compared to their reserved demeanor during class, the girls were much livelier now, chattering away with Zeke.
Yet Zeke remained as aloof as ever, occasionally responding or gesturing minimally but still effortlessly eliciting smiles from them.
He's nothing like Otto.
Fu Hua chewed her food thoughtfully.
While many things were still unclear, at least Zeke wasn't brainwashing anyone. His coldness was merely a facade; he attentively listened to the girls' various conversations. Though his responses might have been chilly, they felt genuine, conveying a unique maturity and steadiness. It seemed more like he himself radiated a magnetic presence that drew these children to him.
Perhaps I shouldn't let my familiarity with Otto bias me against Zeke.
As Fu Hua pondered, she couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity about the real Zeke.