Chapter Eleven: A New Dawn

This was a simple, modest room. Nangong Yuchen sat shirtless, crouched by the side of his wooden bed, his breathing coming in shallow gasps. On the floor nearby lay a pair of blue boots and a blue spear.

He hadn’t given it much thought in the abandoned building, but now, in the quiet of his return, a chill crept over his scalp. A first-tier physical cultivator had tried to kill him—if not for Mufeng intervening at the last moment, he would be dead. If that had truly happened, who would save his parents? How would Kexin survive without him? Would she grieve? And what of the dreamlike hallucination just now? Why had those adults and children called him a harbinger of misfortune? Why did places and monsters he’d never seen appear in his visions?

These questions left Nangong Yuchen’s mind reeling, more troubled than before. For over half a year, he’d lived alone: school, meals, work, cultivation—simple, peaceful, until today, when everything shattered.

After a long while, he shook the rain from his hair, took his phone from his pocket, and checked the time.

“2:36.”

“In a few hours, the fourth physical test begins. What if I fail again?” Disappointment was written all over his face.

The Star Academy, prestigious and strict, demanded the highest standards from its students. If he failed tomorrow, expulsion was almost certain. The academy simply had no place for the incompetent.

And if he couldn’t become a first-tier physical cultivator, his parents could never be rescued. Kexin might even hate him for life.

Nangong Yuchen writhed in pain and self-reproach. Sometimes, he wondered if he truly was a bringer of disaster. If he’d never existed, would his father, mother, and Kexin be living happily together in Qinghu Town?

“Disaster star! Disaster star! Disaster star! Am I even worthy of such a title? I can’t even meet the school’s basic standards—what kind of disaster am I?”

His agitation grew, face flushed, veins bulging. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “It’s all because I’m weak. If I had the strength of a first-tier cultivator, who in Ruxia City would dare provoke me? Who would dare harm my parents?”

At that moment, his longing for strength was overwhelming. He even recalled what Angel had told him last night: if strength could be bought at a price—then why not…

“Wait!” He suddenly stood, snatched up his jacket from the bed, and gave it a shake. Several items tumbled from the pockets.

A room key, his wallet, two elegantly packaged bottles, and a silver ring.

These were treasures taken from a first-tier mech warrior—perhaps they could help him cultivate faster. He first picked up the silver ring, studying it under the light. After a long while, disappointment set in; apart from its refined appearance, there was nothing else remarkable about it, and he had no idea how to activate it.

Frustrated, he set it aside for now and turned his attention to the two ornate bottles.

“What’s inside these?” He wondered aloud, picking one up, unwrapping it, and pulling out the stopper.

Perhaps he used too much force; a viscous, milky fluid spilled onto the bedding as the cork popped free.

“What is this?” He wiped it absently with his hand, but then a strong, rich scent wafted from the bottle, stunning him.

For several seconds, he stood in a daze. Then, his face flushed with delight. “Wow! This… this is nutrient serum! I… I spilled some!”

He frantically licked the back of his hand, his palm, every inch that had touched the liquid, heart aching at the waste. His face finally showed some relief, though he glanced at the bedsheet with regret.

He’d recognized the nutrient serum by its aroma—he’d taken it before, so he remembered it well.

Nutrient serum: the only medicine that could assist human physical cultivation, divided into various grades, the higher the purity, the higher the price, and the greater the benefit to the three core physical attributes.

Moments later, his body felt a subtle warmth, especially in his sore muscles and bones—a tingling, pleasant sensation.

“As expected of a first-tier cultivator—the nutrient serum he carried is so much better than what I’ve used before! This gram must be worth several hundred credits at least.”

Yuchen stared, eyes blazing, at the bottle in his hand. “This one bottle must be two hundred grams, easy.”

He quickly stoppered it, then, with care, unsealed the second bottle. Discovering it was also nutrient serum, he was overjoyed.

“With this much serum, maybe I can catch up in my training. Even if my body’s three attributes are out of sync, it shouldn’t matter!” Excitement soared in his chest; for the first time, he saw hope for the future.

He decided to hide the two pieces of mech equipment, as well as the ring, to study later. For now, he must break through before the test. If he could just pass tomorrow…

Decision made, he swiftly stashed the boots and spear under a loose floorboard beneath the bed, keeping the ring close to his person.

He sat on the bed, uncapped the first bottle, and took a huge gulp—half the bottle in one go.

“With this much high-grade nutrient serum, I should meet the academy’s standard, right?” he muttered, about to close the bottle. But then, fearing the serum’s effects wouldn’t fully manifest in just a few hours, he steeled himself and took another swig.

Gulping down another mouthful, the bottle—holding two hundred grams—was drained to the bottom. If anyone had seen him consume nutrient serum like that, they’d be terrified. Such reckless consumption could kill a person! Most people couldn’t handle more than twenty grams without agonizing pain, but he…

“Please, let me pass the test tomorrow. Then no one will call me useless…” His hopeful thoughts had barely formed before he collapsed from the bed onto the floor.

“The pain!”

This was no pleasant sensation—it was agony that penetrated to the bone, his entire body wracked with torment inside and out. His skin flushed crimson, as if blood would seep through his pores. With his mind consumed by pain, he could only curl up, rolling and screaming in anguish, until finally, he lost consciousness.

Outside, the rain had stopped at some point, and the dark night was yielding to dawn.

The abandoned building remained unchanged since Nangong Yuchen’s departure; Cheng Tianyou’s corpse still lay silently on the floor.

“Tap, tap.”

At that moment, two figures emerged from the darkness.

Leading the way was a tall, striking young woman, her deep violet hair cascading like a waterfall, her beautiful face as cold as ice, radiating an aloofness that kept others at bay. She wore a tight-fitting purple suit that accentuated her voluptuous figure, but oddly, despite the late autumn weather, she wore pale blue, knee-high, ruched boots.

These boots were unusual; a faint white glow shimmered around them, barely perceptible except in the darkness.

The second was also a girl, but much smaller, dainty as a child. Standing beside the other, she could have been mistaken for a little girl. Yet the delicate swell of her chest hinted otherwise, beautifully shaped and of noticeable size. Her pretty, porcelain face was tinged with a gentle blush, her lively large eyes twinkling with intelligence. Graceful brows, long fluttering lashes, and lips as delicate as rose petals—she looked every bit the picture of an innocent, adorable little sprite.

The two stopped beside Cheng Tianyou’s corpse.

“Dead, just like that? Even his spatial ring is gone?” The tall, alluring girl frowned as she looked at Cheng Tianyou’s miserable corpse. She nudged his shoulder with her boot, turning him over, then mused, “Mufeng just broke into the first tier—was he really able to kill him?”

“Hee hee! Isn’t that perfect, sis? Saves us the trouble,” the petite girl chirped.

“No.” The tall girl shook her head, her voice low and serious. “Cheng Tianyou has been making frequent trips to the Crystal Wall these past months. His actions were highly suspicious. I suspect he and the Lu family are plotting something in secret.”

“A conspiracy?” The little sprite paused, puzzled by her sister’s words.

The older girl, frowning, surveyed the scene, then continued in a grave tone, “Ever since the Lu family returned from their support mission to the outside cities five months ago, something’s been off about them. We need to find Mufeng quickly and get Cheng Tianyou’s spatial ring back—there might be clues inside.”

With that, she turned to leave, adding, “Clean this up. Then we’ll go find Mufeng.”

“A conspiracy, huh?” The little girl suddenly flashed a wicked smile, her expression unexpectedly cunning. “Hee hee… Looks like Ruxia City is about to get interesting!”

As she finished speaking, the silver ring on her right middle finger lit up. Instantly, a swarm of black cubes, no larger than fingernails, streamed out like lines of code, swirling, gathering, binding together on her small shoulder.

Clack, clack, clack!

They formed into a jet-black rocket launcher over a meter long.

The launcher’s surface was etched with intricate ridges and rows of energy lights. In its center, a yellow core of energy glowed, shifting visibly within the tube.

The little girl pulled the long trigger, jumping back, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. “Three, two, one—burst!”

As she counted down, the lights lit up in sequence, and a yellow beam of energy blasted from the barrel—a pillar as thick as a bowl—smashing into the ground with a thunderous explosion.

Boom! Boom!

By the time the little girl caught up with her sister and they left the ruined building, a blaze erupted behind them, reducing the place to rubble.

—

Seventh Isles Era, 2560, November 1st.

As the first rays of morning pierced the darkness, lighting the world, a new day began.

It also marked the arrival of the fourth physical fitness test at the Star Academy, situated in District A.