Weapons Development Finally Begins

Thus, Hua quickly chose to rent a place off campus—fortunately, Hua's father had become an instructor, so the rent was not much of a burden for her.

The only downside was that renting off campus made Hua seem somewhat out of place among the other students.

"Good morning, Hua."

"Good morning, Teacher Liu."

After greeting the person who did not exist beside her desk, Hua felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

"You didn't need to get up so early. It's only four o'clock." Liu Bai glanced at the clock, utterly speechless at Hua's excessively disciplined routine.

Just watching her was exhausting, yet Hua looked like she was enjoying it.

"Canghai High School doesn't ring its first bell until seven thirty. That's even later than your middle school."

Speaking of which, Liu Bai felt somewhat resentful. Back in his high school days, morning study started at six thirty, and plenty of people arrived by six.

Yet the students at Canghai High School did not even leave their dorms until seven thirty...

And Canghai High School used a university-style classroom system too... It was practically no different from college.

"I haven't gone for a morning run or trained in an entire week... To be honest, Teacher Liu, I feel as if my body has rusted."

Hua smiled bitterly as she said this. This was nothing like the high school she had imagined.

"You really are something..."

Liu Bai did not know what to say to Hua. She was so self-disciplined that failing to follow her routine actually caused her psychological stress.

That said, Liu Bai did find his current life much more comfortable.

After all, the environment in the girls' dormitory... If anyone asked Liu Bai, he would definitely say the view was nice, but in truth... it was rather stressful for a proper gentleman.

Just as she had at the martial arts school, Hua washed up, meticulously prepared herself a meal, then headed out for morning training.

After finishing several sets of punches and running several kilometers, the bell at Canghai High School happened to ring.

As she stepped through the school gates, Hua looked somewhat lonely, completely out of place among the students pouring out of the dormitories.

However, Hua herself had more or less grown used to it. After spending the previous week with them, she truly felt somewhat out of place.

And Hua also understood why Liu Bai had previously said, "Not everyone is called Hua."

She had not felt it much in middle school, since everyone ostensibly arrived at school together. But after moving into the dorms, Hua, who woke up at four every morning, finally realized just how out of place she was.

"Or perhaps, a crane among chickens?"

Liu Bai teased from beside her.

"Honestly, Teacher Liu, please stop making fun of me..."

Being out of place had its benefits too. Even when she occasionally talked to herself, no one paid her any attention.

However, as Hua walked along the school's stone path, she suddenly overheard a conversation that caught her attention.

"Kira! There's another update on that news! The zombies in Canghai City attacked someone again!"

A lively voice came from somewhere amid the crowd.

"Zombies?"

The word made Hua frown.

After that crisis, she would remember the word "zombie" for the rest of her life.

"More Death Soldiers? And it sounds like this isn't the first time? Teacher Liu, do you remember this so-called news report?"

"No. Neither of us watches much television."

"...No helping it, then. Let's find whoever said it."

Fortunately, many people were in no hurry to enter their classrooms. Most were heading to the cafeteria or buying food to eat here in the park, so finding them should not be difficult.

"Ahhh! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it! Zombies are way too scary!"

"Over there."

Hua pushed through the crowd and headed toward the source of the voices.

If she could hear them clearly, they could not be too far away.

"I heard the victim attacked this time was from our school."

"Waaahhh!"

It was still the same combination of an energetic female voice and a timid one.

"I see them."

Hua quickly spotted three girls chatting by the wall.

"Come on, don't you think this kind of topic is exciting?"

"Exciting my ass! Watch fewer horror movies! If Kira gets scared into crying, you'll be responsible for comforting her."

Horror movies?

So they were just discussing movies to scare their friend?

Hua seemed to understand and turned to leave.

"Oh, don't you get it? In the steel jungle of modern cities, countless monsters are actually lurking around. Vampires, zombies—they're all real! It was even reported in the news!"

Hearing that, Hua stopped and inexplicably glanced at the empty air beside her.

(...Ghosts too.)

Hua added in her heart, though for the moment, she could not tell whether this girl was merely talking nonsense or truly knew something.

Weapon Development Finally Begins

"That's just the media making things up for attention. It's only meant to fool idiots like you, who believe everything."

The shrewd girl waved a hand, looking at the energetic girl beside her as if she were an idiot.

"Use your brain. How could zombies and vampires possibly exist? If they did, how could an idiot like you have grown up this big? Come on, it's time for class."

Hua silently glanced at the empty air beside her again.

"..."

Don't think I can't see you just because you moved quietly.

"Ughhh..." The energetic girl seemed at a loss for words, but the next moment, she perked up again. "Then how about we go on an adventure together after school?"

"You, honestly..."

The shrewd girl sighed, then noticed Hua, who had been watching them.

"...That girl in uniform has been staring at you. Do you know her?"

"Huh?" The energetic girl, who looked remarkably like Carole, followed her friend's gaze and turned toward Hua. After giving her a strange look and sizing her up for several seconds, she shook her head. "Don't know her... Pfft, what an old-fashioned outfit."

"Keep your voice down. She can hear you."

Hua awkwardly rubbed her nose. She truly did not care much about clothing... Teacher Liu had mocked her about that many times too.

"I told you already, dressing a little more stylishly would be a big help when it comes to fitting into this new environment."

Liu Bai said it in a tone that clearly meant I told you so.

"But it looks like we won't get any information from her. Let's go. At worst, we can pay more attention to the news from now on... Or you could go say hello to her?"

"..."

Hua thought about it and decided to greet them. After all, as Teacher Liu often said, she could not keep remaining out of place at this school forever.

However, by the time she decided to approach them, the three girls had already walked away.

"...Let's go to class."

Life at Canghai High School was dull and monotonous.

Hua's ordinary student life here was made easy by your instruction. High school courses were child's play to her, while calligraphy and art, which fell outside the scope of your teaching, could not stump her either... As for physical education, there was even less to say.

For a time, Hua's name as a genius resounded throughout the entire school. The unfortunate part was that this only made her individuality stand out even more. Though nothing like class bullying occurred, it made Hua appear increasingly lonely at school.

Bullying... Are you sure anyone could bully an Immortal?

During this period, you began teaching Hua some basic mechanical manufacturing—the money for materials naturally came from Hua's father. Hua continued to learn quickly, while Himiko, who learned of Hua's situation through Hua's father, also provided Hua with some financial support.

In short, Hua soon spent an unremarkable month at Canghai High School.

"...Teacher Liu, shall we have noodles today?"

For Hua, Liu Bai was the only person around her she could truly talk to, so no matter what she did, she would ask Liu Bai about it.

Incidentally, because of this, the synchronization between the two of you rose by another 10% during this time.

"Oh, whatever." Having long since grown accustomed to it, Liu Bai replied casually. "But I remember the noodles in the school cafeteria aren't to your taste?"

"Yes, so I'm going out to eat. This afternoon happens to be free time."

Hua replied quietly.

At that moment, Liu Bai suddenly felt that something was off.

Going out... to eat noodles?

This was not something they should be eating!

"Teacher Liu, what's wrong?"

After spending so much time together, Hua could vaguely sense Liu Bai's emotions.

"Nothing. It's good to eat something you want once in a while."

What was coming would come. There was no avoiding it.

Yet the more Liu Bai said that, the more Hua felt something was wrong.

"Teacher Liu... Should I bring gloves?"

"Why wouldn't you? Girls need to protect themselves when they're out."

(So that means I'll encounter Death Soldiers?)

Hua understood at once.

(But since Teacher Liu has already warned me, I just need to stay alert. It wouldn't be a bad thing if I encountered one. At least it would save it from hurting someone else.)

Hua had already reached the point where she was familiar with Death Soldiers after facing one once. Liu Bai's warning did not make her want to retreat.

(And Teacher Liu's words didn't suggest that he wanted to stop me. That means the Death Soldier I might encounter this time is probably similar to the last one. If that's the case, it won't be a problem.)

Hua believed that Liu Bai would never harm her.

In that case, there was nothing to fear.

After one vacation and one month at school, Hua, who had fought a desperate battle and awakened to the future ahead, had made tremendous progress in her martial arts.

With Liu Bai's support, Hua felt that she could break through their defenses and kill them on her own.

With that in mind, Hua no longer hesitated. She immediately picked up her schoolbag and joined the stream of students ahead.

"Whew... Those noodles were delicious."

Hua wandered around the city for quite some time before finding a noodle shop to her liking. By the time she had eaten her fill, the sky had already begun to darken.

Under the dimming sky, the alley before the noodle shop looked like the deep maw of some monster.

"...Hua, I have to say, you really know how to pick places." Liu Bai could not help twitching his lips as he looked at the alley before them.

"Ahem, restaurants in places like this are usually cheap and delicious."

Hua could not help showing a trace of guilt as she looked at the alley.

With scenery like this, Hua felt that if something did not happen in this alley, it would be letting down the atmosphere.

"...Anyway, you didn't eat too much, did you?"

"...No."

Hua opened her schoolbag and took out a pair of gloves that looked somewhat heavy. After putting them on, she clenched her fists and threw two light punches, as if adjusting to the feel.