When consciousness returned to Hao Ming, the first thing he felt wasn't an impact or pain, but warmth. Not a scorching heat, but the soft, enveloping touch of the sun.
He opened his eyes and froze. Before him stretched an endless, piercing blue—so pure that for a moment it seemed like an illusion. Amid this sky, clouds drifted slowly, snow-white and light as swan's down.
Hao Ming said nothing. He didn't care where Hu Chen was carrying him or what the giant was planning. All his attention was consumed by the world. A world with a sun. Where the sky wasn't stained the color of blood. A world where the very air seemed brimming with life.
He slowly lowered his head. Far below, endless green forests stretched out, interspersed with mirror-like ribbons of rivers and azure patches of sea. All of it breathed a tranquility completely unfamiliar to Hao Ming.
Warmth and life embraced the whole world. And, to his own surprise—even him.
At that moment Hao Ming didn't know how to react. He simply watched, greedily absorbing every detail, every grain of this picture, as if trying to sear it into his memory in case he was thrown back into hell again.
—<
Hu Chen, carrying the boy on his back, couldn't see the expression on his face, but he felt the body—tense as a steel spring—relax slightly.
Soon the landscape beneath them began to change rapidly.
They were approaching the heart of the Mother Planet—the city of Sumin. But Hu Chen's destination wasn't the metropolis itself, but a gigantic complex sprawling on its outskirts. The Federation's Central Academy.
It was an educational institution of truly massive scale. Countless academic blocks, futuristic towers of pale metal, and an endless, living stream of students in silver clothing moving continuously in all directions. Even here, amid a realm of cold metal, greenery was everywhere: gardens were planted right on the rooftops of buildings, and vines wound around steel columns. Life and progress had intertwined here into a single whole.
When Hu Chen finally set Hao Ming down on the ground, the young man felt the even surface of the pavement beneath his bare feet. This wasn't the rocky, perpetually uneven surface of jagged mountains, but flawlessly clean, tidy ground. Hao Ming involuntarily curled his toes, as if trying to properly plant himself on the pavement.
—RA-RA-RA-RA! Life here is buzzing as always!—Hu Chen's thunderous laughter instantly tore through the academic bustle.
The students froze as one. The next second, the space filled with astonished exclamations and ecstatic shouts. Dozens of communicators turned in their direction.
—It's Sir Hu Chen!
—The Federation's Hero!
—A living legend! Oh god, I never thought I'd get to see him!
The crowd began rapidly thickening. But no one dared approach.
Hao Ming's gaze darted frantically through the crowd. So many people... So much noise. In his world, any loud sound meant the start of a battle, and a gathering of living creatures meant a massacre. He took a sharp step back, instinctively hiding behind Hu Chen's broad back. His fingers curled involuntarily, clenching into a fist. Only the presence of this unpredictable giant kept him from lunging into an attack.
At that moment the space before them trembled, and a short figure appeared. An old man barely a hundred and fifty centimeters tall, with a hunched back and a displeased face, leaned on a simple cane.
—You old fossil!—he rasped in a rattling but commanding voice.—Couldn't you at least warn me you were coming?
—The previous director said the Academy's doors are always open to me!—Hu Chen threw back his head and roared with laughter.—Naturally, I'll come without an invitation. Xie Ruyang, you get grumpier every year!
Xie Ruyang merely waved his cane angrily.
—Get to my office, now! Barging in here at the very end of the school year, distracting the students... They barely have time for a personal life as it is! They're about to take exams.
The old man's body flared with a soft amber light and vanished instantly.
—RA-RA-RA!—Hu Chen turned to the crowd, and his eyes warmed for a moment.—Kids, study and train hard! You are the Federation's future!
These simple, almost routine words, spoken by the Federation's Hero, made the students' hearts race faster. A fanatical fire blazed in their eyes. Hu Chen unceremoniously grabbed Hao Ming, who was so overwhelmed with impressions he'd gone completely silent, and both of them dissolved into thin air.
In the blink of an eye they found themselves in a spacious, luxurious office. Bookshelves lined with ancient books stood everywhere, the walls were adorned with paintings in heavy frames, and a soft, opulent carpet lay underfoot.
—Ruyang, every year you get not just grumpier, but more eccentric! The director always said you had a weakness for luxury.—Hu Chen, without further ceremony, tossed Hao Ming onto a deep leather sofa and himself collapsed into the armchair across from the director.
Xie Ruyang rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers, and a tray with steaming tea and a plate of cookies materialized out of thin air in front of Hao Ming.
—Boy, eat,—the old man's voice suddenly softened. There was no threat in it, only warmth.
Hao Ming froze. Such treatment was foreign to him. He glanced sideways at Hu Chen. The giant made a displeased face.
—And what about me? Won't you treat an old friend?
—As if! The cafeteria's still in the same place,—Xie Ruyang grumbled, settling more comfortably into his chair.—I'm not about to waste my precious energy pouring you tea.
Hu Chen just waved his hand dismissively.
—Tsk-tsk! Always knew you were a stingy old man.
Despite these jabs, a strange, almost tangible warmth hung in the air. Between the two of them there was an extraordinary bond, as if forged over long years. Hao Ming, pressed into the corner of the sofa, shifted his gaze from one old man to the other.
Xie Ruyang sighed heavily and folded his fingers over his cane.
—So why did you really come? Did the army run out of work for you, and you got bored?
Hu Chen adjusted his glasses and said carelessly.
—As of today, I'm retired. Now I'm a teacher at the Federation's Central Academy.
—Kha!—Xie Ruyang choked on air. His eyes went wide, and the cane in his hand nearly dropped to the floor.—You? A teacher?
Hao Ming sat quiet as a mouse. In Hu Chen's presence he was afraid to even breathe too loudly. It seemed to him that although this brute in the floral shirt lounged carelessly in his chair, he was tracking every single one of his movements. Hao Ming felt as though he were lying in the palm of his hand.
—<
—I can't carry the title of Federation Hero forever, Ruyang,—Hu Chen said quietly, looking out the window.—The future doesn't belong to me or to you. It belongs to the children.
Xie Ruyang was silent for a long time, studying his old friend's face, then let out a helpless breath.
—Fine... You're right. I approve your candidacy. But mind you: you'll deal with Qin Tianmo, the military, and the War God Temple yourself. They'll talk my ear off demanding I send you back into service.
Hu Chen scratched his beard lazily and yawned widely.
—Let them talk. They'll give up sooner or later. Well, that settles one matter. Now, the second.
He pointed sharply at Hao Ming, who instinctively pulled his head down into his shoulders.
—This boy needs to be admitted to the Academy too. He's just right for the fourth year. Let him study alongside Qin Ye.
Xie Ruyang froze. His gaze, gentle and mocking until now, suddenly turned sharp, like a fox's. He slowly turned it on Hao Ming.
Under that gaze Hao Ming involuntarily shrank back. If Hu Chen seemed to him like a terrifying force of nature impossible to outrun, then Xie Ruyang, this old man, seemed to see right through him. His gaze penetrated beneath the skin, forcing Hao Ming to lower his head.
—The boy has neither a Battle Spirit nor Spirit Power,—Xie Ruyang said with a faint, barely perceptible surprise.
The old man rose slowly from his seat. His movements were smooth, devoid of any aggression. When Xie Ruyang reached out to touch his head, Hao Ming jerked back sharply. For a moment a wild, primal gleam flashed in his eyes.
—Ho-ho! Quite the feisty one....Boy, don't be afraid.—Xie Ruyang's voice sounded remarkably gentle. Such calm and warmth radiated from him, as if Hao Ming were his own grandson.
Hao Ming's eyes narrowed; he made an indistinct sound, something like a stifled growl, but forced himself to stay still. He let the palm rest on the top of his head.
Xie Ruyang closed his eyes for a moment. His fingers barely brushed the boy's hair, then he ruffled it slightly and returned to his chair.
—Ho-ho! You're quite unusual, kid.
He turned to Hu Chen, his face growing thoughtful.
—The boy's body is completely devoid of any energy, and his bloodline is entirely ordinary. But his body itself... it's like a sword. Forged in endless battles. You remind me a bit of myself in my youth,—the old man stroked his long beard, pleased.
Hu Chen was outraged by these shameless words, delivered without a shred of embarrassment.
—More like me! You, old trickster, were a scrawny weakling in your youth who only knew how to wear down an enemy and crush them mentally!
Xie Ruyang waved his hand dismissively.
—Unlike some people, I've always had brains...
He paused briefly, mulling over his words.
—Fine, I'll accept him. But Hu Chen...
Ruyang, for the first time since their meeting, addressed his friend by name, and his voice turned genuinely serious.
—You'll have to bear full responsibility for him. His memories... aren't just thoughts. They're a labyrinth shrouded in icy fog. Even I can't make out what's hidden there.
Xie Ruyang looked at Hao Ming again.
—Boy, what's your name?
Hao Ming didn't answer right away. It took him a few seconds to recall how his own name sounded.
—Hao... Hao Ming. That's my name.
Xie Ruyang smiled gently, kind wrinkles gathering at the corners of his eyes.
—A good name. Hao Ming, you've been through a great deal.... There's still time before the school year starts, so use it to rest. You no longer need to kill to survive. Nothing here threatens you.
The old man's words were sincere, filled with warmth. But the young man only nodded briefly, then unexpectedly said aloud.
—As if I could...
Xie Ruyang hadn't expected any other reaction. What he'd glimpsed in the depths of the boy's heart couldn't be melted by simple words. He shifted his gaze to his friend.
—Chen, take the boy. Head to Dormitory 2A. I think it's a fitting place.
Hearing the name of the dormitory, Hu Chen grinned broadly, baring strong teeth. He rose abruptly, once again grabbed Hao Ming by the collar without ceremony, and dragged him toward the exit.
—Let's go, kid! Your new life starts right now! RA-RA-RA!
When the heavy oak office door slammed shut, silence settled over the room. Xie Ruyang slowly took out an old carved pipe, packed it with tobacco, and lit it. Thick, fragrant smoke drifted up toward the ceiling.
—Well, well... Since our Hero has decided to play teacher... ordinary students won't suit him,—the old man muttered.
Six holographic folders materialized in the air before him. Student photographs, dry reports on every infraction. The Academy's most troublesome children. But each one was unique in their own way.
—Let him take these troublemakers.—A cunning, almost devilish glint flickered in Xie Ruyang's eyes.—If anyone can turn them into decent people, it's Hu Chen.
The old man exhaled a thick ring of smoke and stared out the window.
—There's very little time left. The world is changing faster than we think.