Chapter Thirty-Four: The Quota for Top Students

“It was he who ushered in a new era of technological civilization for humanity!”
At that moment, every student held their breath. Their faces flushed, their expressions alight with excitement. In each pair of eyes, it seemed as though a blazing fire had ignited, staring fixedly at Liu Wen atop the lectern.

Liu Wen’s heart surged with the same fervor as the students below; as he turned the pages, his impassioned voice began to tremble.

“And he is the leader of humanity, the strongest Ninth-Tier Mech Warrior in our history! His name is—Qiong!”

“Qiong!”

“Qiong!”

“Ninth-Tier…”

The class erupted in astonishment. Ninth-Tier—those two words seemed impossibly distant. At present, they were still struggling to break through as First-Tier Mech Warriors. Ninth-Tier was as far removed from them as heaven from earth.

“The strongest Ninth-Tier Mech Warrior in history?” Nangong Yuchen repeated this phrase in his heart. His focus differed from the others; this was what truly caught his attention.

At that moment, Liu Wen raised his hand for silence, and when the class quieted, he continued in a resounding tone:

“In the year 2000 of the Seven Isles Era, at the brink of humanity’s survival, Qiong rose like a beacon of hope. He led our people against the demon beast clan, launching the final holy war atop the Asian Floating Mega-Isle! In that battle, the earth split, mountains and rivers shattered—it was as if the end times had come!”

“That war was later named by our people—the ‘Gravia Holy War!’ But then, aside from Qiong, our Mech Warriors were still too weak compared to the demon beasts, and so we fell back! From the northwest of the Asian Floating Mega-Isle, we retreated all the way to the southeast. In our darkest hour, it was Qiong again who, through his own power, summoned aid from a mysterious race. For the first time in history, humanity defeated the demon beasts in open battle. Afterward, we called it the victory of the First World War!”

“From then on, after an age of darkness, humanity entered its first era of peace. In that century, we refined our training, developed the strongest mechs, and reclaimed Gravia!”

...

“And so we have come to today!”

“Whew!” The lesson ended, and the students finally let out heavy breaths. Their curiosity about the history of their people burned hotter than ever, especially when hearing about the leader of humanity—their hearts pounded wildly.

Yet a thick cloud of doubt lingered: the mysterious race—what kind of beings were they? Could there really be other races in this world?

Unable to contain his curiosity, someone asked, “Teacher, what is the mysterious race?”

Liu Wen shook his head in response. “That’s all that’s recorded in the history books. I don’t know either.”

Just then, the bell rang for the end of class. Liu Wen quickly added, “Next week, we’ll study the third lesson: Cities and Urban Life in the Seven Isles Era!” With that, he gathered his textbook and strode out of the classroom.

Nangong Yuchen, seeing him leave, quickly gathered himself and headed for Shangguan Luohua’s office.

Knock, knock!

“Come in!”

Pushing the door open, he saw Shangguan Luohua busy with paperwork. Nangong Yuchen handed over the letter of reflection from his pocket. “Homeroom teacher, this is the reflection you asked me to write yesterday.”

Shangguan Luohua took it, set it on the desk, and removed her glasses to look at the earnest Nangong Yuchen. The anger from yesterday faded, her voice softening a little. “Nangong Yuchen, your physical abilities are excellent, and you excel in all three disciplines. I hope you maintain this. Next month, at the end of the year, I will recommend you and Angel to take the elite student assessment. If you pass, you will both become elite students of Star Academy.”

“The elite student assessment?” Nangong Yuchen was taken aback. This was the first he’d heard of it.

“Yes. Each homeroom teacher is given two nominations per year, to select the best students in the class for the elite assessment. You must work even harder—only three students become elite each year!” Shangguan Luohua explained.

Nangong Yuchen nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “Wait, does that mean, out of all thirty-six classes—first, second, and third year—there are only three spots each year?”

“Correct! That’s why you need to grow stronger. With your current abilities, you’ll be eliminated by second- and third-year students. Of course, some students are chosen directly by the academy, but that’s unrelated to us,” Shangguan Luohua clarified.

“That’s… harsh! And I have to compete with upperclassmen?” Nangong Yuchen felt the pressure. Second- and third-years had a year or two more training than he did!

But Shangguan Luohua’s stern demeanor left him no room to argue. Instead, he asked curiously, “Homeroom teacher, how many elite students are there at our school?”

This time, she didn’t answer. Checking the time and seeing that class was about to begin, she urged Nangong Yuchen to return.

After he left, Shangguan Luohua put down her pen, replaced her glasses, and opened Nangong Yuchen’s letter of reflection.

At first glance, she was rather impressed, and a faint smile played on her lips as she read on.

“School is meant to be a place of learning, trust, mutual support, care, and growth. But because I wished to remain low-key, I concealed the truth from you, causing you to misunderstand me. For this, I sincerely apologize to you, my homeroom teacher.”

She nodded at this, thinking Nangong had written well. Though the reference to “low-key” was a little odd, the overall sentiment was excellent, especially the first part.

“Furthermore, I am deeply sorry for another matter. This morning, I accidentally glimpsed your private area. I truly apologize; it was unintentional.”

At this, her brows knitted tightly. Private area? Was this boy courting trouble? Did he really have to solemnly declare such a thing in his reflection?

And the way he put it, it sounded as if he had seen something he absolutely shouldn’t have…

The next sentence made Shangguan Luohua’s face darken entirely.

“But I can’t help it—homeroom teacher, you are simply too beautiful. Words fail to describe you: breathtaking, enchanting, alluring, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, the envy of all, a rare flower, a feast for the eyes, so captivating… I simply can’t find words worthy of your beauty!”

A feast for the eyes? So captivating? What is this nonsense?

I asked you for a reflection, and you write this about me? And if you must write about me, at least do it properly! What kind of words are these? So captivating?

Shangguan Luohua’s fingers trembled. She nearly shredded the letter right then and there—but forced herself to read on, despite the anger rising within her.

“And your figure is even more stunning: not only graceful and curvaceous, but with alluring curves, an hourglass shape, voluptuous and full—truly a born seductress!”

Rip!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Nangong! Yu! Chen!” Shangguan Luohua’s face was red with fury, her whole body trembling. She tore the reflection to shreds. Voluptuous and full? A born seductress?

At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to slap Nangong Yuchen to death. Could he not behave for a single day? Did he need a hundred slaps every day just to remember who was in charge?

Seething with rage, she pulled out her phone and called Angel. As soon as the call connected, she barked out a single order:

“Send Nangong Yuchen to my office—he has ten seconds!”