Chapter 13

The students: "!"

Outside their Heat Periods, Alphas and Omegas usually did not release pheromones.

But it was clear from the moment "Qin Su" first appeared before them that the fact he wore an Alpha Pheromone Blocker Patch despite not being in his Heat Period was telling them one thing loud and clear:

Qin Su was no ordinary Alpha.

So, whatever the reason Qin Su had not worn a pheromone-blocking patch today, this was a rare chance for them to catch a whiff and find out what his pheromones smelled like.

It might even be... their only chance.

After all, judging by the fact that "Qin Su" had worn a pheromone-blocking patch for the past few days, and considering that Alphas and Omegas took leave during their Heat Periods to avoid affecting others...

What do Qin Su's pheromones smell like?

Cedar? Rose? Camellia? Magnolia? Ink? Sandalwood...

The students of Class 6, General Studies, Class of 26, watched Qin Su eagerly, their thoughts racing as countless guesses about his pheromone scent silently took shape.

He Muzhi, who had also been assigned to Class 6 and habitually sat at the back, watched Qin Su in silence. He looked calm on the surface, but his emotions were no less turbulent than those of the students around him.

[Ahhh, look at the back of "Qin Su's" neck!!!] The image before the protagonist He Muzhi's eyes was also visible to the bullet-chat viewers, and they noticed something amiss as well.

[Got it instantly! Pheromones!!!]

[Oh~ my goodness gracious, look at Boss 1's broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. Every step is full of style, and that tailoring fits every inch of his body perfectly. It's one hundred percent another brand-new private haute couture outfit from head to toe! And just like that, I have another new screensaver (licks screen)]

[Guys, going by the usual practice when classmates formally meet for the first time, we'll soon find out not only whether "Qin Su" is his real name, but also when his Heat Period is (starry eyes)]

[If that Pest boy from Class 7 next door saw Mu Bao staring so intently at "Qin Su," he'd be crawling around on the floor all dark and twisted again, hahaha]

"..."

Qin Su glanced discreetly at the bullet-chat section in the upper-left corner, then saw a sea of heads turn toward him in perfect unison. He fell silent.

He had to admit, having that dense crowd of heads turn toward him all at once, their eyes staring straight at him, was a little sanity-draining.

Fortunately, he had prepared himself.

Under everyone's gaze, Qin Su did not slow his steps in the slightest. He entered the classroom with a seemingly calm expression and indifferent eyes, while inwardly calculating the distance and timing with care.

The instant he stepped inside, he crushed a transparent sphere between his fingertips. It combined perfume No. 1 with a cold blast bomb ten times stronger than the last one and covering a wider area, though its effects lasted only five seconds. Amid the extreme cold, with every breath full of chilled air containing his "pheromones," it would give everyone the suffocating illusion that their breath was being stolen.

In any case... he had already decided that the first through the seventh would be his "Heat Period." Only during his Heat Period were pheromones at their strongest and most oppressive.

But today was the twenty-third, not his Heat Period.

According to the "bigshot persona" he had built, the pheromones he was "accidentally" leaking now were merely "a piece of cake" for a bigshot, not worth mentioning.

In other words, if the pheromones released because he had not worn a blocking patch could leave his classmates so "breathless" at a time that meant nothing to him, they would start wondering just how terrifying his pheromones would be during his Heat Period.

The instant the mixture containing the "pheromones" Qin Su had personally blended burst open, he began counting down silently:

Five seconds, four seconds...

On what was effectively the first day of school for the freshmen in each class, the moment Qin Su stepped into the enormous classroom, all five hundred students present caught the scent of his pheromones: crisp and cold, deep and steady, domineering and forceful, and intensely invasive.

The pheromones rushing at them made the five hundred students feel chilled to the bone with every breath, as though they had plunged into an ice cave. Their faces turned pale in an instant.

The overwhelming pressure, as though their breath had been stolen in an instant, nearly stopped them from breathing. Their minds descended into chaos, and their legs trembled...

They had never felt anything like this when facing other Alphas before.

Its aggression and oppressiveness were beyond question.

It was a distinctive Alpha pheromone scent unlike any that had appeared in the records known to them.

"!!!"

More than five hundred people, including the homeroom teacher, were rooted to the spot.

Two seconds.

By the time the countdown reached this point after the "pheromones" burst out, Qin Su had come within three meters of the students. His impassive, stern face abruptly took on an expression of having only just noticed their pale faces, his brows knitting slightly.

His steps toward the students also came to a halt.

Then the students heard Qin Su's low, cold voice, impossible to ignore.

"Sorry."

Qin Su's tone was even, his voice calm.

Forced to immerse themselves in Qin Su's overwhelming, frost-and-snow-like pheromones, the students' minds were muddled and stiff. Before they could understand why he had suddenly apologized, their eyes reflected his every movement.

Before everyone's eyes, Qin Su took out an Alpha Pheromone Blocker Patch and placed it over the gland at the back of his neck. His timing was exact: the final count sounded in his head.

One second.

From the moment his pheromones "burst out" to the moment they stopped, exactly five seconds had passed.

That was precisely when the effects of the high-intensity cold blast bomb mixed with Qin Su's personally blended "pheromones" wore off.

To the students, it looked as though the instant Qin Su's long, strong fingers completely covered his Alpha gland with the blocking patch, the all-encompassing Alpha pheromones that had left them unable to breathe, tinged with the biting chill of frost and snow, were withdrawn and disappeared.

Only then were they able to escape the intense suffocation and feel reborn.

Phew...

The students, who had been trembling and suffocating under Qin Su's powerful pheromones, each took several deep breaths. Some patted their chests, while others swallowed against throats gone dry from forgetting to breathe.

Clearly, none of them had recovered yet.

Catching sight of their expressions and movements out of the corner of his eye, Qin Su felt the tension in his heart ease.

He had succeeded.

From today onward, in his classmates' eyes, he, an ordinary human visitor from another world, had officially become "an Alpha with pheromones."

The students, still in their "recovery period," belatedly realized that Qin Su's earlier apology had been for forgetting his Alpha Pheromone Blocker Patch and letting his pheromones subject them to suffocating pressure.

He was simply...

So overwhelmingly powerful, yet such a gentleman! He was so much better than most Alphas, who looked down their noses at everyone and paid no heed to other Betas or Omegas.

Alongside the profound shock in their eyes as they looked at Qin Su were intense admiration and wariness.

On the interface visible only to Qin Su, those emotions showed themselves as a continuous surge in favorability and a sharp rise in his life points.

Before heading for an empty seat in the front row, Qin Su deliberately walked up to a spot one step away from the gray-haired Zhang Minglang and lowered his eyes to meet the older man's cloudy gaze.

As Zhang Minglang wondered what he was doing, the young man before him, whose presence remained powerful even with his pheromones restrained, parted his thin lips and deliberately bowed his head in greeting.

"Mr. Zhang, I've heard a great deal about you. It's a pleasure to meet you." Qin Su spoke with unhurried composure.

[Isn't he just an ordinary old Beta? Why is our Boss 1 greeting him?]

[Leaving a marker here. Based on how our Boss 1 is treating him, I'll bet ten cents' worth of spicy strips that there's definitely more to this old man.]

[I heard people with impressive backgrounds know about anyone with a bit of a reputation. That old Beta probably isn't the only person Boss 1 knows about. He probably knows about other people at the Fourth Military Academy too (strokes chin).]

"?" The bullet-chat viewers were not the only ones puzzled. Zhang Minglang himself was, too.

This was his first time teaching students since going into seclusion, at the advanced age of two hundred and thirty, and someone had actually recognized him. "You know me?"

He had thought the only people who knew him were those fellows a few decades younger than him.

Most young and arrogant Alphas saw him as a Beta old man who stood only 1.7 meters tall and was less famous than the other teachers at the military academy, and they were not very polite to him.

The transfer student before him had caused a huge stir as soon as he appeared at the Fourth Military Academy. His records were "blank," and no one knew which planet he came from, yet he actually knew who Zhang Minglang was. That truly surprised him.

Qin Su nodded without changing expression. "Yes. I'm very fond of your Seven Days with the Giant Phagocytic Worm."

Having memorized the man's complete background data, how could he not count as "knowing" him?

At the earlier entrance ceremony, although there had been a ninety-nine percent chance under his plan that he would have no dealings with the important attendees, he had still memorized their biographical data. How could he have overlooked Zhang Minglang, who was about to become his homeroom teacher?

More importantly, according to the data, Zhang Minglang was different from the other teachers. A century ago, many teachers at not only the Fourth Military Academy but also the other three great military academies, as well as prominent figures now renowned throughout the Federation, had been his students.

In the interstellar ABO world, where the average lifespan was three hundred years, the students at the military academy were only fifteen or sixteen on average, and knew little about Zhang Minglang.

By deliberately showing that he "knew" Zhang Minglang, Qin Su could not only win his favor and get him to turn a blind eye to his actions later, but also create the illusion before his classmates that he knew everything.

He had specifically mentioned Seven Days with the Giant Phagocytic Worm simply because, as a visitor from another world, he knew nothing about the Zerg, the main wartime enemy of the Federation's four great military academies. So he had prioritized carefully studying and memorizing all the information about the Zerg among the data provided by the system.

"!"

Zhang Minglang's guarded gaze turned cheerful at once. "Hahaha, thank you. I'm glad you liked it. Go on and take a seat."

Had it been anyone else, Zhang Minglang would have patted them on the shoulder to show his pleasure.

But when his gaze fell on Qin Su, who exuded the powerful bearing of a superior, he did not even raise his hand.

"All right."

Qin Su's answer was as concise as ever. He gave Zhang Minglang a slight nod, then strode toward the far-left seat in the front row, which he had long since picked out and where few people sat.

Watching the young man, whose every gesture displayed refinement, Zhang Minglang thought about the sensation "Qin Su" had caused recently and looked thoughtful.

Clearly, this Alpha was no ordinary person. His identity and background were a mystery, and they had racked their brains but could find no more information on him.

But—

Who could resist an Alpha whose background meant he could disregard an old Beta like him, yet who liked his book, treated him respectfully, and possessed an exceptional pheromone level?

He certainly could not.

Just as no respectable teacher could dislike a polite and knowledgeable student.

The students who had watched the whole exchange: "...?"

Everyone's gaze darted between Qin Su and Zhang Minglang.

Could this old Beta be someone they didn't know about...? At once, the Alphas who had previously disregarded Zhang Minglang because he was an old Beta with one foot in the grave began looking at him with not only curiosity, but also a caution that had not been there before.

Seeing Qin Su take his seat, Zhang Minglang cleared his throat at the lectern. "Ahem..."

After drawing everyone's attention, Zhang Minglang opened his light-brain in the air before them.

"Freshmen of Class 6, General Studies, Class of 26, today is the first time our class has met. Allow me to introduce myself. I am your homeroom teacher, Zhang Minglang. Starting today, I'll be guiding you into a new chapter of campus life. During your time at school..."

The first year at the Fourth Military Academy was devoted to basic knowledge. Beginning in the second year, students chose a specialty suited to them or one that interested them based on what they had learned, and worked to improve their professional skills. In the third year, students who failed their respective specialty assessments were all assigned to the "frontline" class, becoming ordinary members of the billions of soldiers. The fourth year was dedicated to specialized education.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the students able to remain at the military academy for the fourth year of specialized education would become the future pillars of the Federation's various planets.

During Zhang Minglang's lengthy opening speech, the students who had recovered after "Qin Su's" pheromones disappeared looked at his back and whispered among themselves:

"As expected of 'Qin Su,' whose entrance information was marked '?' I'd never even heard of a pheromone scent like that before! There was a steady, domineering quality beneath that extreme, biting cold, but it smelled so good I can't describe it."

"Tell me about it. Heaven knows, the moment he walked in, those pheromones swept straight at me from every direction and nearly suffocated me! But... I really can't describe the scent! I just felt the moment I smelled it that it suited the impression Qin Su gives perfectly."

"To be honest, suffocating was getting off lightly. My legs were shaking so badly I almost fell to my knees."

"Same here. My hands and feet went cold, and I couldn't stop shaking. No wonder Qin Su wore a pheromone-blocking patch at the freshman entrance ceremony a few days ago. Without it, his pheromones are so domineering and terrifying, several times stronger than when he had the patch on that day! Also, did you notice he's wearing new clothes again today? Even from far away, you can tell the material is very expensive."

"You don't need to guess. Even if you can't see the fabric clearly, that tailoring fits him perfectly. One look and you know it came from a top tailor."

"Come to think of it, does Qin Su have a pheromone scent now because he's in the days after his Heat Period?"

"No idea. Won't we find out when they record everyone's Heat Periods later?"

There was no shortage of talk like this.

Qin Su, listening in: "..."

The truth was that everyone's suffocation and trembling were illusions caused by the sudden deep freeze.

[Ahhh, I guessed right! As expected of Boss 1, he really is special. Not one of these classmates can guess it. Even his pheromone scent is one of a kind!]

[I'm satisfied in every possible way! This is the feel! As expected of Boss 1, he never lets me down!]

[(Corners of mouth rise) (folds hands over stomach) (serene)]

Amid the students' overlapping whispers and the excited screams in the bullet chat, Zhang Minglang finished his introduction and said, "Now, starting from the left, please report your names and Heat Periods one by one, as usual."

The left?

At those words, the students' gazes focused once more on Qin Su in the first seat on the left of the front row, curious and expectant.

In an instant, Qin Su felt their stares boring into his back.

Under their burning gazes, Qin Su rose calmly, looked at Zhang Minglang, and announced the "Heat Period" he had decided on only two hours earlier. "Qin Su. Heat Period: the first through the seventh."