Chapter Eighty: A Different Kind of Lesson

Shangguan Mulong led everyone into the first room along the villa’s corridor.

The ten veteran special-class students took their seats as though they had done so countless times before. Nangong Yuchen and the other three, however, were newcomers. The moment they entered the classroom, they stood rooted to the spot.

“This is a classroom?” Within their line of sight, the room was no different in size from an ordinary classroom outside, but the surrounding walls, seats, and decorations had all been built from blue glass. The moment one stepped inside, it created an almost unreal sensation.

“If it isn’t a classroom, what else would it be?” Shangguan Mulong countered. He then added, “Don’t just stand there. Hurry up and find your seats. Class is about to begin!”

Only then did Nangong Yuchen and the others slowly enter and take their places at the back.

There were only fifteen seats in the classroom, arranged in five rows of three. The seats at the front had already been occupied, so they had no choice but to sit in the last row.

Gao Xinyu chose the seat on the far right of the fourth row, while Nangong Yuchen and the other two happened to sit in the fifth row. Angel and Nangong Kexin took the seats on either side, leaving Nangong Yuchen in the middle.

Once everyone was seated, Shangguan Mulong took out the controller again and pressed its red button. In an instant, all the decorations in the classroom turned red.

“New students, which color do you like? I rather like red. Unfortunately, these little brats insist on blue. What do you think looks better?”

As he spoke, he adjusted the color of the classroom. One moment it was blue, the next green, and then even black and white. Nangong Yuchen, Angel, and the others were so astonished that their mouths fell open.

The classroom could even change colors...

By now, the four newcomers had become numb to the villa’s countless marvels. From the moment they had entered until now, everything they had seen involved technology beyond the reach of ordinary people. Apart from curiosity, they felt only astonishment—wonder at the heights human technology had reached.

“Mentor, hurry up and change it back to blue! If you keep switching it around, my eyes are going to go blind!” Yi An, seated in the middle of the fourth row, finally lost his patience and shouted in exasperation.

“Red looks much better. Blue, blue, blue every day—can’t you people try something different?” Shangguan Mulong reluctantly changed the classroom back to blue. An unmistakable trace of grievance even appeared on his face, leaving Nangong Yuchen and the others completely dumbfounded.

Is it really a good idea to let someone like this teach the special-class students?

The thought had barely arisen when Shangguan Mulong’s expression once again turned solemn. He picked up the controller and pressed several buttons. The classroom immediately changed.

The walls built from blue glass began displaying all sorts of demon beasts. They moved freely, like living creatures, and appeared astonishingly lifelike.

“Since the four of you have only just arrived, I’ll first give you an introduction to the demon-beast races!”

“First, let’s take a look at the lowest-level and most common demon beasts—the ones that also exist in the greatest numbers. We humans call them low-level demon beasts. They possess no intelligence and act mostly according to their instincts.”

After pressing the controller a few more times, a demon beast appeared on the empty platform at the front of the classroom. Its entire body was red, resembling a mound of raw flesh. It was enormous, and once its thick limbs were fully extended, it stood three meters tall. A single enormous eye grew from its head, while beneath it was a bloody maw lined with jagged fangs. Other than that, it had no distinguishing features.

Shangguan Mulong then brought up several more low-level demon beasts, introducing their names and characteristics one by one so that Nangong Yuchen and the others could become familiar with them as quickly as possible.

Nangong Yuchen and Angel were relatively composed, but Nangong Kexin and Gao Xinyu were different. Faced with the extraordinarily lifelike demon beasts surrounding them and a lesson unlike anything they had encountered before, the two girls furrowed their brows and concentrated on memorizing every word Shangguan Mulong said.

“Remember this: there are countless demon-beast races, but like humans, they are divided into nine ranks. Low-level demon beasts cannot assume human form. Aside from their massive bodies, only a very small number possess innate abilities. Their cultivation can reach no higher than the third rank, and most remain below the first. They are the weakest group.”

He continued, “The strength of the demon-beast race is determined by the differences between their various species. Above low-level demon beasts are what we humans call intermediate demon beasts!”

As soon as he finished speaking, several figures appeared on the surrounding walls. They possessed humanlike features, but their bodies belonged to demon beasts.

“Demon beasts like these resemble humans. They can speak, and most possess innate abilities of their own. Their cultivation can reach the sixth rank...”

As Nangong Yuchen listened to Shangguan Mulong’s explanation, he thought of Chen Hao and Xia Yue from the café. He clearly remembered the two of them transforming into a werewolf and a catgirl. They were probably the intermediate demon beasts the mentor was talking about.

At that thought, his heart tightened. He suddenly remembered the cold beauty with flowing purple hair and a seductive figure—Shangguan Youran. He had not seen her during last Friday’s special-class assessment, and she was absent today as well. Could something have happened to her?

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became. He still remembered that the week before, just a few days prior to the special-class assessment, when the maglev railcar had suffered an accident, he had rescued Shangguan Yueling from the forest near District D. She had been weak and unconscious. After bringing her home, she had even insisted on going back to fight.

Could that have been when it happened?

While Nangong Yuchen was lost in thought, Shangguan Mulong had already finished explaining intermediate demon beasts. He did not continue the lesson. Instead, after pressing several buttons on the controller, the entire classroom suddenly went dark.

A few seconds later, the lights came back on, and the surroundings had undergone a complete transformation.

It was no longer a classroom.

It had become a battlefield.

“Today is Monday. Those of you who have been here longer should still remember today’s assignment, right?”

As Shangguan Mulong’s voice faded, several of the veteran students began sighing miserably.

“How many demon beasts do we have to hunt this time before the assignment is considered complete?” a boy in the third row asked listlessly.

“Heh heh. Every one of you here is a genius from Star Academy, so I believe that each of you grows stronger every day. Besides, an entire week has passed since the last assignment. Therefore, today’s task is...” Shangguan Mulong paused, then split his lips in a sinister grin. “As the strongest team in the special-class division, Shangguan Youran’s team must hunt fifty low-level demon beasts below the first rank, or five first-rank low-level demon beasts!”

At those words, Shangguan Yueling could no longer sit still. Her sister was absent, and Gao Xinyu, who had only just been assigned to the team, had yet to break through to the first rank and possessed no combat ability. That left only her. She was supposed to kill fifty demon beasts by herself?

How long would that take?

“Hey, Shangguan Mulong, are you trying to work Sister Yueling to death?”

“Can’t be helped. The rules are assigned according to teams. Shangguan Youran’s absence isn’t my fault!” Shangguan Mulong shamelessly brushed her off, completely ignoring Shangguan Yueling’s furious protests. He continued giving orders. “Second team, Lu Shijie’s team. Look at Shangguan Yueling—she has to kill fifty by herself. All three of you have already reached the first rank, so shouldn’t you kill a hundred?”

The moment he finished speaking, Cheng Shiyu sprang angrily to her feet.

“Last week it was only forty! You’ve more than doubled it this week. Shangguan Mulong, I don’t even have a mecha yet. Are you trying to work my cousin to death?”

She had originally planned to go to the City of Technology that weekend to purchase a mecha, but Lu Shijie had been busy dealing with matters concerning the Mu family, so the plan had been postponed.

“Oh? Since that’s the case, then make it eighty. Lu Shijie and Mu Ningxue can split it evenly, forty each. That should be acceptable, right? Shangguan Yueling still has to kill fifty!”

All traces of solemnity had vanished from Shangguan Mulong. At that moment, he looked exactly like an old man haggling in a marketplace. There was not the slightest resemblance to a teacher.

When Nangong Yuchen heard the name Mu Ningxue, his heartstrings were suddenly pulled taut.

That was the woman he loved and longed for deeply. She was close enough to touch, yet he could not take her into his arms, because she no longer belonged to him. She was already bound by an engagement.

And now, all he could do was forcefully suppress the feelings buried deep within his heart...