Chapter Twenty-Five: The Second World War

Saturday morning.

“Hurry up… faster…”

Clack-clack!

“Ahhoo!”

“Hm?” Nangong Yuchen was awakened by a strange noise. He opened his blurry, sleep-laden eyes, uncertain what was happening.

Clear, crisp sounds mingled with panting and the pounding of feet, drifting in from the living room, jolting him fully awake. Alarmed, he called out, “Kexin!”

Recent events had made Nangong Yuchen extremely sensitive; he feared something had gone wrong. He scrambled out of bed, flung open his door, and worriedly shouted, “Ke—”

The last syllable hung unspoken as he froze in place.

In the living room, two advanced speed-training machines had somehow appeared. These devices were designed for cultivators to enhance their agility. His sister, Nangong Kexin, and Angel wore shorts and T-shirts, faces flushed and drenched in sweat, their tops clinging tightly to their bodies. Completely oblivious, the two continued sprinting on the machines.

“Kexin? Angel? What are you doing?” he asked.

The two girls turned their heads, both looking at Nangong Yuchen.

“Improving our speed!” Angel replied.

“Uh?” Nangong Yuchen’s expression darkened; he’d thought something serious was happening, but apparently these two had managed to bring speed machines into the house.

He glanced at Kexin’s machine, which displayed a speed of 29 meters per second, then at Angel’s, which showed 32 meters per second. Finally, he asked with confusion, “Where did you get these machines?”

He directed the question to Angel; each machine cost at least hundreds of thousands, and Kexin certainly didn’t have that kind of money.

Angel switched off her machine, stepped down, and looked at Nangong Yuchen as if he were a fool. “Obviously, I bought them.”

“Bought them?” Nangong Yuchen stared at Angel in disbelief. “Is your family really that wealthy?”

Before she could answer, Nangong Kexin impatiently interrupted, “Nangong Yuchen, go make breakfast already!”

She hadn’t eaten a thing since morning, her stomach hollow and irritable. She couldn’t believe he’d slept until eleven!

Seeing his sister about to explode, Nangong Yuchen shut his mouth, washed up quickly, and, like a dutiful caretaker, donned an apron and began preparing breakfast.

He’d grown accustomed to this routine; after all, there were always a couple of days like this each week. What puzzled him was how Angel had grown so close to Kexin in just a month—close enough to bring exercise equipment into his home.

Though curious, he didn’t ask. It wasn’t a bad thing, after all.

Dozens of minutes later, Nangong Yuchen served the dishes one by one onto the table. Nangong Kexin and Angel, who had been waiting impatiently on the sofa, immediately picked up their chopsticks.

Watching the two women eat ravenously, Nangong Yuchen smiled and shook his head, then turned on the television.

“On the dawn of December 2nd, Year 2560 of the Seven Isles Era, our safe border city—Capital of Suyang—was breached by a legion of monstrous beasts!”

“Currently, all regions outside our Northwest Domain’s human settlements have fallen beyond the safety boundary! Seven prosperous cities have become lairs for these beasts. Next, the beast army will launch a formal assault on the three capitals and twenty-one cities within our safe boundaries. Can humanity truly defend Gravya? Can we reclaim the lands we’ve lost?”

Seeing these images, Nangong Yuchen was stunned. In less than a month, the capital outside the safety boundary had been conquered—even after a counterattack had been organized, it was invaded and occupied!

Was it really as the report claimed? Would the beast horde now attack the cities within the safety boundary?

A phrase suddenly flashed through his mind, making his heart tighten in alarm: “The second world war between humanity and the beasts is about to begin!”

According to history lessons, this place was an enormous floating island in Asia, with humans residing in the northwest region separated by the Gravya Mountains.

Human territories comprised four capitals and twenty-seven cities; now, including Suyang, seven cities (one capital and six cities) had fallen. That meant the entire safety boundary was breached.

Next in line was Maple Sea Capital (one capital and seven cities).

Ruxia City was one of the seven cities under Maple Sea Capital’s domain.

In other words, it wouldn’t be long before Ruxia was engulfed in war…

As he pondered, the delicious food in his mouth suddenly seemed impossible to swallow.

He had no choice. Though weak and insignificant, he was still a member of the human race. Seeing news like this filled him with unease—especially since Ruxia would soon face the threat of invasion.

Meanwhile, Nangong Kexin was no better off. Her cheeks bulged with food, but the news left her momentarily forgetting to swallow.

Clatter! Her chopsticks fell to the floor, unnoticed as she murmured, “Yuchen… do you think Ruxia will… end up like that?”

“Hm?” Nangong Yuchen didn’t catch her words; her mouth was too full, muffling her voice.

Angel, however, was far more composed. After a brief moment of shock, she lowered her head and continued eating her vegetables, as if the matter had nothing to do with her—quite different from the enthusiastic, kind-hearted class president she was in school.

“All right, hurry up and eat,” Nangong Yuchen said, switching off the television.

What ought to have been a pleasant meal had become rather gloomy thanks to the news.

Just then, Angel spoke up, “In a while, the school’s elite assessment will be held. As you know, we’re in our first year, and together with the second and third years, a total of 108 students will enter the Phantom Island. Only three will emerge as elite students!”

She paused, fixing her gaze on Nangong Yuchen and Nangong Kexin. “At that time, everyone will be first-rank mecha fighters. Everything inside is fair. Becoming an elite is tough; that’s what we should be focusing on, not these useless worries!”

Nangong Yuchen and Nangong Kexin understood exactly what she meant.

“Especially you, Kexin. You need to strengthen your combat experience; otherwise, you’ll likely be eliminated in the first round after entering Phantom Island. Use these two weeks to improve your fighting skills! As for you, Nangong Yuchen, you’re Kexin’s sparring partner.”

Angel finished with a chuckle, clearly imagining Nangong Yuchen being beaten mercilessly.

“Why me…”

His protest hadn’t even finished when his sister Nangong Kexin finished her meal with a gulp. Without pausing for rest, she stood before him.

“Kexin…” Nangong Yuchen saw the cold look in her eyes and felt dread rise within him. Before he could escape, her shoe, magnified in his vision, sent him flying.

Night fell.

Angel stood on the balcony, quietly gazing at the vast, beautiful night sky, lost in thought.

At that moment, Mulin Bershir descended from above, walked up to Angel, and respectfully asked, “Princess, how close is that boy to breaking through to first rank?”

“At best, a month; at worst, two,” Angel replied coolly.

“A month?” Mulin Bershir sounded worried. “Won’t that delay our…”

“Sigh!” Angel lowered her head with a soft sigh. “Let’s just hope Christian Raphael doesn’t act too quickly. Otherwise, things will really get troublesome…”