Chapter 39

"Will the homeroom teacher of Class 6 please draw lots for the Class of 26's first real combat exercise against the Zerg?" The robot Chloe stopped and bent down, bringing her eye display up to Zhang Minglang. The area above the display sank inward, forming a recess for a fingerprint scan.

Zhang Minglang reached out and pressed his fingerprint into it, not forgetting to address Class 6 as he did. "The exciting news is about to be revealed! What will our class draw for its first exercise?"

Without Zhang Minglang's prompting, most of Class 6 were already watching for the result with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. They barely heard him, keeping their eyes fixed on Chloe's eyes—the display that would show the final result.

Qin Su was naturally curious and nervous too, but none of it showed on his face. His gaze remained utterly calm as he watched everything happening at the front of the room.

As Zhang Minglang finished speaking and withdrew his finger, the recess in Chloe's forehead filled back in. At that moment, the numbers 1 through 59 began flashing rapidly across her eye display.

They scrolled so fast that they were nearly impossible to make out. By the time everyone could see clearly, only the number "1" remained on the screen.

Everyone: "..."

They were utterly speechless.

Qin Su: "..."

Much the same.

Zhang Minglang: "..."

Can I take it back?

The result was out. Chloe was a robot, and she didn't care what expressions everyone wore or what they thought of the result. She simply followed the procedure as programmed, cold and unfeeling.

As soon as the result appeared, Chloe's cheerful voice rang through the classroom:

"Congratulations, Class 6, on drawing number 1. The corresponding Zerg species is the 'Kisslip Tree Armadillo.' Congratulations in advance on achieving good results. Goodbye."

Having announced the answer, Chloe straightened up and swaggered out of Class 6, leaving everyone behind in disarray.

Everyone: "..."

Great congratulations. Next time, don't go congratulating people for no reason. Paired with the result, Chloe's cheerful voice sounded rather sarcastic.

Their homeroom teacher had hit the jackpot in one try, drawing the most difficult combat target out of 59 species. With a result like that, nobody in the class seemed capable of being happy except the immensely powerful Qin Su.

Qin Su: "..."

If it wasn't because Teacher Zhang's luck is as lousy as mine, was it because the protagonist is in Class 6?

[The students' eyes widened in disbelief: Damn it!]

[Baby One, expressionless: That's it?]

[...Very number one of him.]

[Just as I expected. (Thumbs up) After all, this is Class 6, home to the protagonist and a popular character from season two. A result like this is perfectly normal.]

"Uh... well..." Seeing the different expressions on his students' faces, Zhang Minglang cleared his throat awkwardly. There was no taking it back.

"Ahem. As you can all see, our class's opponent this time is the Kisslip Tree Armadillo... Well, don't worry. You're still freshmen, and every military school gives special consideration to freshmen just starting out. Even if you're facing Kisslip Tree Armadillos, the ones in the area assigned to you generally won't be too big. As long as you remember what your teachers taught you in class, you'll be fine!"

The students: "..."

But according to what their teachers had taught them, Kisslip Tree Armadillos lived in bodies of water. Even if, because they were freshmen, they were assigned to exterminate them on the outskirts of their habitat, the waterways were interconnected in every direction, unlike barren land, where one could see all the way to the horizon.

Who knew whether even larger Kisslip Tree Armadillos or other things might be hiding beneath the murky water?

At this point, Zhang Minglang couldn't draw a second time. He raised his voice and said:

"That's all for today. You can make your own arrangements for the rest of the day. Remember to use your Identity IDs to collect your combat suits from the Basic Military Supply Depot. At two tomorrow afternoon, check the group chat for Class 6's designated assembly point and make your own way there. Once everyone has assembled, we'll jump together at two thirty and arrive at the location of this combat exercise."

"Dismissed!" Feeling guilty about his luck, Zhang Minglang finished the announcement and told his students, "If there's anything else you need to know or learn, you can also come and ask me before the exercise begins. I'll do my utmost to answer your questions."

Zhang Minglang's gaze swept over most of the students in Class 6.

He had lived for many years, after all. What he lacked in strength, he made up for in seniority: he had plenty of students who had been through countless battles, and he could call them over to teach in person.

This was what he could do to make up for his terrible luck in drawing the hardest "question."

"..."

On hearing this, Qin Su wanted to ask Teacher Zhang for guidance, but his thin lips remained pressed into an indifferent, "desireless" line. He couldn't say a thing.

While Zhang Minglang was speaking, he hadn't even glanced in Qin Su's direction.

Qin Su needed his help? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Drawing the Kisslip Tree Armadillo was no problem at all for Qin Su, who had shown signs of being "battle-hardened" in every single class so far.

The other students, who had never faced the Zerg in person, were the main targets of his "extra lessons" this time.

He Muzhi's anxious heart settled when he heard this. He exchanged glances with Raymond and the other classmates he had befriended after getting to know them in Class 6, and they silently agreed to seek out their homeroom teacher for some intensive tutoring in private.

They were naturally already familiar with what their teachers had taught them, and a first combat exercise for freshmen wouldn't be too difficult. They would only be on the outskirts; farther in, the senior students would naturally be the ones charging into battle. But... this was still their first time facing the Zerg. No matter how much they learned, their lack of experience left them feeling that it wasn't enough. They couldn't approach it with the same calm as Qin Su, who had ample experience.

They didn't dare approach Qin Su, so naturally they couldn't ask him for guidance. Only a fool would fail to seize such a good opportunity when their teacher offered it.

Sure enough, the moment Zhang Minglang left the classroom, a crowd swarmed after him.

Others didn't follow, staying in the classroom together or heading to the Basic Military Supply Depot to collect their combat suits.

When they saw Qin Su get up and walk behind the crowd, neither too close nor too far away, nobody thought he was with Raymond and the others. They assumed he was simply going the same way for the moment.

Raymond thought so too, but some people had different ideas and whispered among themselves.

"Is Qin Su going with us?"

"What are you thinking?"

"What if he is?"

"I'm dying. Not a chance in ten thousand."

As everyone whispered over one another, they reached a fork in the road.

The students ahead weren't talking loudly, but he had received professional training, so it was hard not to hear them. Besides, the bullet comments were relaying it all in real time.

Qin Su silently rebutted his classmates, repeating It is possible and I do want to go with you, while stopping himself from following their homeroom teacher and heading toward the Basic Military Supply Depot instead.

He had won because of his persona and was trapped by it.

No one knew that beneath his icy exterior, he was alone in savoring the bittersweet feeling of hoisting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

Collecting a combat suit was a minor matter, so Qin Su didn't waste time turning on the comic's capture camera. When he disappeared from He Muzhi's field of vision, he vanished from the comic audience's sight as well.

"Who was it that said Qin Su was coming with us? Does your face hurt now? You think Qin Su's as inexperienced as we are?"

"...I was joking. Why did you take it seriously? Still, Qin Su actually went to the supply depot."

"What's so strange about that? Didn't you hear the homeroom teacher tell us to collect our combat suits today?"

"That's not what I mean. I mean, Qin Su is actually going to wear the basic combat suit provided by the school. I thought, given Qin Su's background, his family would never allow anything to happen to him. In that case, shouldn't he be wearing a more advanced, special combat suit that offers more comprehensive protection when fighting the Zerg?"

"Just because he collects it doesn't mean he'll wear it. Don't those families, nobles, royals and the like love putting on that kind of show to win people over? Maybe Qin Su is doing the same."

As the speaker talked, their gaze drifted toward He Muzhi, Raymond, and the other Alphas and Omegas walking behind Zhang Minglang.

[That's the truth, hahaha. He Muzhi and Raymond's families have all sent people to deliver higher-grade combat suits. Training doesn't involve any danger to their lives, so it doesn't matter what they wear, but when their lives are really at stake, each values his life more than the next. Pretending to treat everyone equally while privately thinking their own lives are more precious than anyone else's is so hypocritical.]

[Agreed. Qin Su's background is obviously the most mysterious, deep-rooted, and powerful among the freshmen, so he definitely values his life even more. We can't see what Qin Su is doing right now anyway. Who knows whether he even collected a basic combat suit?]

[Facts speak louder than words. Assuming something that hasn't happened yet is a foregone conclusion—isn't that just spreading rumors? Just wait and see.]

[What's wrong with valuing your life? You can only do more if you stay alive, right?]

The drawing had only just begun, and many classes were still waiting in their classrooms for Chloe. At this hour, there were very few people at the Basic Military Supply Depot.

Qin Su stepped inside. As far as he could see, people were few and far between.

When the other students who had come together to collect their supplies saw Qin Su, they visibly stiffened, then silently moved farther away from him.

"..."

I really won't send anyone flying with a punch. Thinking this, Qin Su maintained a calm expression and acted as though he hadn't noticed the students' strange behavior. He walked unhurriedly toward the machine at the center of the scattered crowd.

The comic camera wasn't on, but the natives could still see his every move. Naturally, he still needed to make everything he showed them look distinctive.

There were few people, and on top of that, the natives' "one battle made him notorious" buff was in effect, so Qin Su naturally didn't need to queue. He walked straight up to an unoccupied machine.

Beep—

After the short scanning tone, Qin Su looked at the device in front of him. While the natives secretly watched, his gaze drifted naturally to the instructions for the combat suit beside the machine.

Hum...

A faint sound rang out beside him, and a combat suit wrapped in a sealed bag dropped from the device's outlet onto the silver metal counter.

Having discreetly read through the instructions, Qin Su raised his hand and casually picked up the bag. Ignoring everyone's gazes, he turned and calmly left the Basic Military Supply Depot.

"Phew..." From the moment Samuel had seen Qin Su, he had unconsciously held his breath. Only after Qin Su left did he finally pat his chest and let it out. He looked excitedly at Lin Yin beside him. "Qin Su actually uses the same combat suit as us!"

"What's so strange about that?" Lin Yin shrugged. "Muzhi said Qin Su always wore ordinary training clothes during practice and never made himself an exception. Besides, with Qin Su's absolute strength, what combat suit he wears doesn't matter at all. It would just be icing on the cake. There's no need."

Samuel thought about it and nodded. "True."

Talking as they went, the two stood in front of a machine together and collected their combat suits.

Back in his dorm, away from everyone's eyes, Qin Su shed the indifferent disguise he wore in public. He tore open the bag and took out the clothes, examining and feeling them from top to bottom. He didn't leave out the shoes or the exoskeleton-style helmet, either.

There were two sets of clothing. The first was a thin layer, not much different from what he had worn during the previous simulated combat exercise. The description said it was self-cleaning, so it was clearly the inner layer. The outer layer, helmet, and shoes were evidently a matching exoskeleton-style set. On closer inspection, they fit perfectly with the standard mechas assigned to the students.

In other words, all 500 students could use any of the six mechas assigned to each class.

Without a doubt, fighting the Zerg outside in a combat suit was clearly more dangerous than taking shelter inside a mecha.

There were too many monks and too little porridge. Countless people would surely compete for the right to use the mechas.

None of the freshman classes had a "class monitor," so disputes were highly likely to arise over who got to use them.

Given how his classmates had recently treated him with wary respect and kept their distance, it would be almost effortless for him to obtain the right to use one of the mechas.

But...

If his performance in a mecha didn't look good, being hidden inside it would keep the audience from seeing him. Without a strong enough visual impact, it could backfire and hurt his popularity.

Given these circumstances, he was more inclined to focus on the protective suit. Fully understanding its protection level could help him adapt better during combat.

Besides, rather than pin his hopes on a mecha that needed to be operated, he was more accustomed to trusting himself.

As for using a mecha... waiting until he had earned enough "attention" would work better than using one from the start.

Having thought it through, Qin Su opened the price list for using and exchanging Life Points Space. After calculating the lowest possible Space usage fee, he separated the combat suit's layers.

The thin inner layer could be worn on his body without spending any additional Life Points. The outer layer had conspicuous raised mechanical exoskeleton patterns, and wearing it in the real world would obviously draw too much attention. Since he couldn't wear it, he could only scan it into Space Storage.

The black case that had previously held the K-110 came in handy now. Qin Su scanned it in as well.

Once the scan was complete, Qin Su took out one of the black masks he had brought with him on previous trips from the real world and placed it on the desk. Then he reviewed the data on the Kisslip Tree Armadillo and its natural enemies once more.

After making sure there were no errors in the material he knew by heart, Qin Su opened the valuable footage he had asked the system to gather of people from various planets fighting Kisslip Tree Armadillos...

Only constant review and reinforcement could calm his anxious heart a little.

The time for "pre-exam" review was always too short. Qin Su unwrapped the black mask and put it on.

Soon, the familiar white light flashed before Qin Su's eyes.

After experiencing it countless times, Qin Su could now keep his eyes open as the dazzling white light flashed.

Before the white light faded, Qin Su quickly stuffed the things that had burst out of Space into the black case and closed it.

He had done this so many times that he knew the process by heart.

When the white light vanished completely and the real world repaired the "oversight" bug caused by the transfer, all anyone saw was a tall, slender young man standing in the shade of a tree by the roadside.

The cool breeze after the rain lifted the hem of his black trench coat. He carried a very expensive-looking case in his left hand, while his right held a phone to his ear. His eyes were lowered, concealing his expression, and a black mask covered most of his face.

Even though the mask covered the lower half of the young man's face and made his features hard to see, the exposed upper half showed that he was certainly handsome.

His looks, build, and bearing... every one of them drew people's eyes and made them stop.

"Mm, I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

Qin Su spoke quietly to the person on the other end. Ever since everything had been brought into the open, there were virtually no secrets left at home, and he had been granted full access.

As he spoke, he noticed the gazes around him but paid them no mind. The spot he had chosen meant that even if others took photos, his mask would keep them from getting a clear shot of his face, much less the inner combat suit hidden beneath his trench coat.

After he hung up, a car stopped in front of him. The driver Jiang Cheng had sent quickly got out and opened the rear door.

Once Qin Su had climbed in with the case, the driver closed the door.

By the time the passersby came to their senses, they realized they had been so absorbed in watching that they hadn't taken any photos. Some had indeed taken pictures, but had captured only his profile or back; they hadn't managed to get a shot of his face at all.

They reached their destination, and the outsiders left.

Qin Su changed out of the inner combat suit he had worn there and put it in the case. Once only the core personnel remained, he greeted the graying group, whose average age was over forty, before setting the case on the counter and opening it with his fingerprint.

When the case opened, everyone saw the clothes inside. Their surprise could hardly conceal their eager curiosity.

Under their curious, questioning gazes, Qin Su said, "In ten hours, I need every piece of data you can obtain about these items."

After nearly a month of reinforcement and review, he had committed all the Zerg data the system could obtain to memory, including the damage range of every type of bug.

Although Class 6 had drawn the habitat of the number one bug, the Kisslip Tree Armadillo, that didn't mean it was the only bug there. Other bugs lived in the area as well; the Kisslip Tree Armadillo was merely the predominant and most dangerous one.

He needed to know how much damage the assigned combat suit, helmet, and even boots could withstand when fighting the Zerg.

Only then, by comparing the damage values of different bugs, would he know which attacks he needed to dodge and which he didn't, allowing him to remain at ease before the "audience."

"Of course." Qin Su swept his gaze over them and emphasized, "The condition is that they must not be damaged in the slightest. Understood?"

"Understood."

"All right."

"Don't worry."

Everyone voiced their agreement, their eyes fixed without concealment on the clothes in the case, which were clearly made from materials they had never seen before. Their eyes shone with excitement.

Compared with Qin Su, they were clearly more interested in exploring the "unknown" objects in the case.

"Thanks for your effort." Qin Su nodded and strode away.

Compared with people from the interstellar age, he knew he was physically weak. Over the past month, he had received every vaccine he could get, one after another. Even so, he still needed a full physical examination to ensure his body was in peak condition.

During the examination, Qin Su sent Jiang Cheng a message:

Have some things custom-made with a capital, cursive "S" as a mark—whatever objects you can think of. They need to look "high-end..." The timing isn't fixed, but before then, send a case bearing the "S" mark to my usual apartment near the school. Also, everyone involved must meet the conditions I previously set for the people I employed at the research institute. And request leave from school for me...

After sending the message, Qin Su put away his phone, got up, and lay down on the machine the examination staff had prepared...

Qin Su wasn't at all worried that the people here would know these clothes came from the Comic World of Interstellar Legend.

After he received access, Assistant Jiang had thoroughly investigated everyone allowed to remain here, in accordance with his requirements.

Their age already made it highly likely that they didn't "read comics." What's more, they devoted all their attention to various research projects. For decades, they had practically wanted to eat, drink, and live in the laboratory. The older they got, the closer they came to death, and the more obsessed they became with their unfinished projects. How could they have the time or inclination to read comics?

Jiang Cheng: "..."

After two seconds of silence, Jiang Cheng began making the arrangements with practiced ease.

He was used to it—so used to it that he had long since guessed something was going on. But... the first condition Qin Su had set was that he, as the "coordinator," must not be curious about it, must not actively search for information, and even if he saw something, he had to pretend he hadn't.

For the sake of his annual salary of tens of millions, he habitually suppressed his curiosity and made himself "blind" and "deaf." Even when he heard people discussing it, he didn't dare go over and gossip.

Ten hours later, Qin Su received a long list of precise and uncertain data the researchers were currently able to detect.

After carefully checking that there was nothing wrong with the combat suit, Qin Su took the data back to the apartment. With only an hour and a half left, he memorized every word of the new data and used a notebook to make a chart comparing it with the Zerg damage values.

During that time, Jiang Cheng, following Qin Su's instructions, brought him a case bearing the letter "S" that perfectly met his requirements.

It was indeed time for him to have a unique "symbol" of his own in Comic World.

Nothing was more "ostentatious" than naming it after himself.

After spending Life Points to scan everything back into his space, Qin Su cast a divination for himself just before setting out.

The reading, in summary: away from water, all things were favorable.

And the Kisslip Tree Armadillo lived in water, so, rounding it off, this trip of his...

A great misfortune?

Qin Su: "..."

If he'd known, he wouldn't have cast it.

Unable to get a good result, Qin Su immediately put his divination things back in the drawer and decided that, for the time being, from this moment until the end of the practical combat exercise, he was a staunch warrior of materialism.

Feudal superstition? Absolutely unacceptable.

In Comic World, Qin Su appeared in view of the natives.

Carrying the case containing his combat suit, Qin Su boarded the train.

There weren't many students on the train, but there weren't exactly few, either.

With practical combat approaching, everyone saw Qin Su dressed as though he had just returned from outside, carrying a case that looked exorbitantly expensive and bore an "S" in a distinctive font. In an instant, "rumors" spread everywhere...

Adults, of course, choose to have it all. Let's open the blind boxes together [cat head]