Chapter Four: Dawn After the Crisis

Year 2560 of the Seven Islands Era, November 12th, Tuesday morning.

The Western Gate of Zone E.

Outside the crystalline wall, squads of soldiers were clearing the battlefield. The blood-soaked earth beneath their feet and the scattered remains of monstrous beasts bore witness to humanity's victory. The withered grass, the splintered tree trunks stained with blood, and the cratered, ruptured ground told the tale of yesterday’s ferocity.

At that moment, three armored vehicles laden with the corpses of soldiers drove through the iron gates and entered the crystalline wall’s interior. Just as the vehicles were about to continue onward into the city of Ruxia, Yao Yuran, accompanied by a small squad of soldiers, stepped forward to block their path.

She ought to have returned with the armored mech squad, but a summons from her father had kept her behind to oversee the aftermath. This beast attack had struck her as particularly strange—there was an indescribable oddity to it. Normally, a horde of this size would have inflicted at least some damage on the crystalline wall, but last night was different. Aside from a dozen or so giant beasts, all the rest had thrown themselves solely into close-quarters combat with the humans.

What was even more bizarre was that, midway through, the beasts had suddenly retreated, as if summoned by some invisible call—the withdrawal was swift and decisive. It was well known that lower-level beasts lacked human intelligence; once they attacked, the outcome was either victory or death. Never had she known them to retreat—this was a first in her life.

Thus, she remained behind to oversee the battlefield cleanup, hoping to discover something amiss.

Her once-pristine school uniform was now tattered and soaked in blood, her hair matted with crimson, yet Shangguan Yuran paid it no mind. After halting the three armored vehicles, she demanded, “Halt. What are you carrying?”

“Reporting, Sergeant, these are the bodies of fallen soldiers!” Two soldiers quickly dismounted to explain.

“Corpses?” Shangguan Yuran stepped up to inspect them herself, then frowned in puzzlement. “Since when did the Lu family take charge of transporting the fallen?”

“Well… Sergeant, this was Captain Lu’s order. He wished to share some of Ruxia’s burdens, and most of those inside are soldiers related to family members, so…”

Listening to their explanation, her brows knit tighter. The Lu family’s behavior seemed out of character—her years of experience taught her that they were always ones to conserve their strength, never dispatching a single extra soldier. And now, suddenly, so many?

Suspicious, she ordered her men to thoroughly inspect the vehicles and count the number of bodies.

In less than ten minutes, the inspection was complete.

One by one, a dozen soldiers reported, “Sergeant, no anomalies detected!”

“Sergeant, they are indeed all soldiers’ corpses!”

“Sergeant, the body count is two hundred!”

“Two hundred?” Shangguan Yuran recorded the figure, then waved the vehicles through. Odd as it seemed, she lacked justification to detain them further.

The three vehicles passed through Zones D, C, and B, finally entering the Lu family’s villa…

With the morning sun climbing higher, golden light once again bathed the city of Ruxia. At some point, the crystalline barrier that had blanketed the sky had vanished, and Ruxia welcomed a new dawn.

At this hour, armored vehicles and squads of soldiers were returning along the city’s roads. Whenever they passed, cheers and applause erupted from residents on either side of the streets. The sleepless night was finally over, and the weight on their hearts could at last be set down.

Though beast assaults were nothing new, to the city’s lowest citizens, every attack was a nightmare. They knew nothing of the monsters’ numbers beyond the wall, nor whether the soldiers could hold it, nor how the battle outside had gone.

All they could do was hope, waiting anxiously through sleepless nights, praying together—this was all that was left to them. The waiting itself was a torment.

With the energy blockade lifted, the city’s prosperity gradually returned. Yesterday’s bloody battle beyond the wall would, in time, fade from memory.

Zone A, Star Academy.

As Ruxia’s only academy of physical training, it issued a recall for all students before eight in the morning—now that the crisis had passed, returning to the academy was paramount. Following this ordeal, the academy raised its fitness standards once again—a natural reaction to a crisis averted.

At nine o’clock, as the class bell rang, Liu Wen strode from his office. Dressed, as always, in a black suit and tie, his hair slicked to a shine, he was in fine spirits. His joy was not solely from the crisis’ end; last night’s incident had afforded him an excuse to escort Shangguan Luohua home, and in doing so, he had finally learned her address. He had been on a high ever since, fantasizing about how he might visit the lady that evening.

And if, by chance, something delightful were to happen?

After all, Shangguan Luohua was a woman who had been single for many years. As the saying goes, a woman at thirty is like a wolf, at forty a tiger, and she was even divorced—surely she must be lonely. If he were to appear before her as a gentleman… He chuckled inwardly, already picturing the passionate scene.

As the bell finished ringing, Liu Wen arrived at the door of Class 1-12, quickly composed himself, and entered.

From the podium, he scanned the classroom and immediately noticed the empty seat at the back. Feigning ignorance, he asked, “Angel, who’s missing today?”

“Cough, cough… Teacher Liu, it’s Nangong Yuchen!” Angel seemed ill today; her small face was pale and sickly.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Liu Wen’s tone softened with concern.

“I’m fine… Just a cold, that’s all!” Angel managed a strained smile.

“All right—if you feel unwell, let me know and I’ll excuse you,” Liu Wen said, adjusting his glasses. Then, turning his gaze to Nangong Yuchen’s seat, his tone abruptly cooled. “Did he ask for leave?”

Angel shook her head.

“Well, well. Today the academy issued a special recall, and yet Nangong Yuchen dares ignore it? Seems that a little achievement in physical training has made him think himself above the rules!” Though his words were cold and angry, inside Liu Wen was delighted—not only had he obtained Shangguan Luohua’s address, but now he had an excuse to go after Nangong Yuchen for disobeying a direct order, a serious offense.

“Originally, we were to begin the third chapter of history class today, ‘The Age of Gravya in the Seven Islands Era,’ but since someone is absent, we’ll postpone and review previous lessons instead.”

At this, the entire class grumbled, all blame directed at Nangong Yuchen.

Meanwhile, Le Han was squatting beneath her desk, frantically dialing Nangong Yuchen’s number—dozens of calls, all unanswered.

And the boy himself?

He lay on his bed, stripped to his underwear, sound asleep and showing no sign of waking. Yet suddenly, his sleeping face contorted, and he cried out in a hoarse, struggling voice, “Who are you?”