Hero Simulator in Type-Moon, Chapter 25

[Your enthusiasm for reading is clearly no match for your passion for martial arts. Long hours of training have led to rapid progress in your combat skills, and gradually, the instructors at home are no longer your match.]

[Your parents hastily put a stop to your martial training, hoping you would focus on your studies, and began making arrangements to send you to Water Mirror Manor for further education.]

[You did not give up your martial arts training. Even without an opponent, you could rely on your imagination to construct enemies you had encountered before in your mind. Through constant sparring with these phantoms, your skills grew ever stronger.]

[Talent "Ghost Brain" awakened: A powerful mental foundation allows you to achieve peak control over your body, and even perform basic martial arts training through sheer imagination.]

[Your parents did not notice your changes, but your enrollment at Water Mirror Manor continued to move forward.]

[You were about to leave home. Before departing, you repeatedly confirmed with your father whether you had a cousin named Zhao Yun, but the answer remained the same.]

Chapter 44: He, Is Not Worthy

"Today, we will be discussing Mr. Water Mirror's On Morale..."

Water Mirror Manor—the academy that all scholars under heaven dream of attending.

Founded by Mr. Water Mirror, Sima Hui, it had produced countless outstanding students. Whether at court or in the provinces, these disciples had all secured respectable positions.

Whether from a noble house or a humble clan, obtaining a "graduation certificate" from Water Mirror Manor essentially meant gaining access to a vast network of connections. No matter where one went under heaven, there would always be a senior fellow disciple.

With such a renowned teacher and such connections, some of the sharper students had already begun building their reputations. The standout among them was Yang Xiu. As for the other side of the coin...

"Zhao Tian, you scoundrel."

The lecturer, looking at Fujimaru Kyoya dozing off in the back row, was furious. He grabbed a ruler and struck him on the head.

"Snap~"

The sound of the ruler breaking rang out. The lecturer stared in shock at the broken half in his hand and at Fujimaru Kyoya, who was slowly waking up, frozen in place.

"Teacher, I was cultivating too."

Fujimaru Kyoya blinked groggily. Though he had appeared to be sleeping, he looked utterly exhausted.

In truth, he had been using Ghost Brain to simulate enemies and fight them in his mind. This kind of simulation not only drained his spirit but also had a physical backlash, making him feel as though he had truly been through a great battle.

"Scoundrel, how dare you talk back! Is this classroom a place for you to sleep? If you want to sleep, get out and sleep outside."

"Fine."

Fujimaru Kyoya, as if granted a pardon, grabbed his textbooks and left the classroom without looking back. Soon, laughter rang out from within.

Whether it was mocking the teacher or mocking Fujimaru Kyoya was unclear.

"Ah~ Finally, I can get some proper rest."

Fujimaru Kyoya arrived at a small pond, using a bamboo scroll as a pillow to rest.

Though he understood his parents wanted him to study hard and become a strategist, the thought of becoming one meant he would have to go head-to-head with those monstrous military advisors.

Not to mention the two monsters, Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi—Guo Jia, Jia Xu, Xun Yu... none of them were easy to deal with.

From what Fujimaru Kyoya had observed so far, aside from Yang Xiu, the others were really... just let it be.

[You began cultivating by the small pond, simulating opponents in your mind, fighting them over and over, being defeated time and again.]

The enemies Fujimaru Kyoya simulated through Ghost Brain were all significantly weakened, yet even so, it was still an immense struggle.

Lloyd, Shadow, Gilgamesh, Artorius, Gawain, Lancelot...

These were all powerful foes he had once crossed swords with, and they all bore remnants of the Divine Age, their physiques naturally far superior to his.

In this life, Fujimaru Kyoya had no Divine Ancestral Regression, nor was he a Benevolent Dark Emperor. Even facing the weakened enemies in his Ghost Brain, he fought with great difficulty.

Every failure, every death, triggered a reaction in his mind, followed by excruciating pain in his body.

Even a virtual game was no joke.

[You were killed by the phantom 'Lloyd'.]

[You woke up and saw a familiar figure approaching from a distance—an acquaintance of yours.]

"No class? You sleep even more than I do."

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at the newcomer, a young man about his age, but with an indescribable melancholy between his brows.

For this person who spent all day sighing, sleeping, and calling himself a nobody, Fujimaru Kyoya had dubbed him "Discouraged Brother."

"The teacher has basically given up on me, so I sleep whenever I want."

"Then your teacher has a good temper. I just accidentally broke my teacher's ruler and got kicked out."

With so many students at Water Mirror Manor, it was impossible for a single teacher to instruct everyone. But that didn't matter—unless one became Mr. Water Mirror's personal disciple, there was always a chasm between them and the other students.

"Broke a ruler? Damn, even Zhou Yu isn't that impressive."

Discouraged Brother perked up. Word had it that Zhou Yu had a violent childhood friend, and to avoid being accidentally killed by that guy, Zhou Yu had trained hard in martial arts until he could exchange hundreds of blows with him.

"Zhou Yu is Mr. Water Mirror's personal disciple. Who would dare break Mr. Water Mirror's ruler?"

Fujimaru Kyoya had no interest in comparing himself to Zhou Yu. That guy was famous for being both a scholar and a warrior, with looks to match—the undisputed campus heartthrob of Water Mirror Manor.

"Speaking of Mr. Water Mirror, have you heard? About that matter."

"Dong Zhuo?"

Though Fujimaru Kyoya slept through class, he was wide awake during breaks. Surrounded by a bunch of ambitious students, he had a decent grasp of the current state of the world.

"Though the mastermind behind the Yellow Turban Rebellion is dead, its remnants linger on. Granting the provincial governors the power to recruit private armies was a permanent solution at the time, but the poisonous fruit has finally ripened."

Discouraged Brother grew even more disheartened at the thought of the current state of the Han Dynasty.

Better to just let this empire perish.

"The Eunuch Faction and the Imperial Relatives fought like the snipe and the clam, only for Dong Zhuo to reap the spoils. Now all the lords are marching on Luoyang to punish him—but what does that have to do with us?"

Fujimaru Kyoya didn't grasp the finer details, but he understood this much of the plot. What came next was the first time Liu, Guan, and Zhang would truly shine.

But they were all just students of Water Mirror Manor, too busy fleeing the flames of war to get involved. What business did they have with this?

"Mr. Water Mirror sees that chaos is about to engulf the land and the decline of the Han Dynasty is irreversible, so he intends to have all the students leave Water Mirror Manor and go observe the Eighteen Lords' campaign against Dong Zhuo."

As the saying goes, a fine bird chooses its tree. Mr. Water Mirror planned to take his disciples to see how these lords would react in times of turmoil.

Students of Water Mirror Manor never lacked for opportunities. With the golden signboard of "Water Mirror Manor" behind them, it wasn't the lords choosing their strategists—it was the strategists choosing their lords.

In truth, Water Mirror Manor had every right to such confidence. It wasn't just the name "Water Mirror" that carried weight, but the individuals themselves—each already somewhat renowned among the scholar-officials.

Zhou Yu, Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Jia Xu... even the lords dared not slight these men. Any one of them could secure a lord's path to the world.

These people shone too brightly. No one understood why heaven had placed them all in the same era, to the point that the highest honors of Water Mirror Manor—"Crouching Dragon" and "Fledgling Phoenix"—still had no claimants.

"This time, they'll decide who is the Crouching Dragon and who is the Fledgling Phoenix, won't they?"

Fujimaru Kyoya understood. This was a test of the lords by the strategists, but it was also a test of the strategists by Mr. Water Mirror.

Who could predict the outcome? Who could see through the battle? Who was the Crouching Dragon, who was the Fledgling Phoenix? All would be decided in the Battle of Luoyang.

"Pang Tong, Pang Shiyuan—he'll take one of the titles. As for the other, I'm betting on Zhou Yu."

Discouraged Brother gave his answer. To Fujimaru Kyoya's surprise, he'd gotten half of it right with that first guess, earning a second look.

"And what about Zhuge Liang?"

"Zhuge Liang?"

Discouraged Brother paused, then replied.

"He doesn't deserve it."

Chapter 45: The Clash of Nameless Nobodies

[You are surprised by Discouraged Brother's answer, but from your observations, there is indeed no news of Zhuge Liang in Water Mirror Manor. You only know he is a disciple of Mr. Water Mirror, yet he hides his face and shows no true form.]

[You do not argue with Discouraged Brother. You believe Zhuge Liang's talent needs no elaboration, and there is no need to clash with this nameless sleeping companion.]

[Your life returns to routine—still eating, sleeping through class, and training in your mind. Your martial skill improves rapidly, even if no one knows.]

[You leave Water Mirror Manor. As Discouraged Brother said, Mr. Water Mirror leads you all to Luoyang to observe the battle.]

"Something's strange."

Discouraged Brother looked at the massive procession of students. Logically, they should have been watching from a distant high ground, but instead they were heading straight for the encampment of the Eighteen Lords.

This didn't add up.

"You're way too antisocial, aren't you? I heard all about it. The allied lords got a secret letter from Dong Zhuo's army, learned we were nearby, and asked us to come decipher it."

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at Discouraged Brother, a bit surprised. This guy's level of isolation must mean he had severe social anxiety. A piece of gossip this easy to pick up, and he knew nothing about it?

"A secret letter... Tch. Trouble."

Discouraged Brother's head began to ache. Mr. Water Mirror's original plan to observe from outside the battlefield was sound but lacked detail. Now, with an invitation to enter the camp, it was a chance to get a closer look at the lords.

For the students' future choices of masters, this was a huge advantage. But it was just as likely a trap.

The closer the convoy got to the lords' camp, the stronger this sense of unease grew.

"Brother Zhao, you seem skilled in martial arts."

"That's right."

"Then please ready your weapon. Enemies are coming."

As if to confirm Discouraged Brother's words, dust rose in the distance. A cavalry unit was charging toward Water Mirror Manor's convoy—and they didn't seem to be from the allied lords, but from Dong Zhuo.

They actually came?

The Eighteen Lords were pressing Luoyang, and yet Dong Zhuo had still found time to locate Water Mirror Manor's convoy. Was this coincidence, or was there an inside agent?

"Mr. Water Mirror is renowned across the land, and my lord holds you in great esteem. Please bring your students to Luoyang and join my lord in supporting the Han Dynasty."

The leading general was young, holding a spear with a dashing bearing. At first glance, he seemed a dragon among men—unfortunate that he served under Dong Zhuo.

"Dong the traitor usurped the Han and deposed the emperor. I will not ally myself with such a villain."

Mr. Water Mirror's words left no room for negotiation. And he could speak so absolutely because of the students of this era...

"The Master said: 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar? Though far away, they will be punished.'"

"Bam~"

One student recited the words, and with a burst, his clothes split open to reveal a solid wall of muscle. In just a few moves, he knocked down several soldiers who tried to approach.

"The Master said: 'In the morning, hear the Way; in the evening, die content.'"

Another student tore off his robes and charged into the fray, his aura so fierce he seemed a match for ten thousand men.

No way, this is the Three Kingdoms?

If strategists are this overpowered, then military officers must be off the charts.

"Is our Water Mirror Manor this violent?"

"Just fancy moves, useless."

Discouraged Brother shook his head. This technique of borrowing the words of sages to empower oneself was merely the lowest level of sorcery. These people had no combat experience—it could handle a few soldiers, but against a military formation, it was utterly helpless.

"Boring."

That Leading Soldier thrust his spear and pierced the student who had been wreaking havoc moments ago, then with a flick of his shaft, tore the living man clean in half.

Such terrifying arm strength made the bloodless students tremble on the spot, yet Mr. Water Mirror remained unhurried, for among the students was still Zhou Yu.

A figure in a white robe rode out on horseback, engaging the Leading Soldier. Among all the students, only Zhou Yu possessed such martial skill.

"Brother Zhao, can you hold off that commander?"

Discouraged Brother watched the two locked in battle. He understood that while Zhou Yu was strong, he had a chronic ailment. That minor officer was unknown yet formidable—if the fight dragged on, Zhou Yu would surely lose.

What they needed now was someone to arrange formations and lead the students in a breakout.

"I can."

"Then please relieve Zhou Yu. He can't fight for long."

Fujimaru Kyoya naturally didn't want Handsome Zhou to die here for no reason, so he mounted his horse, spear in hand, and joined the fray.

[You move to support Zhou Yu. After confirming your formidable strength, the opponent quickly withdraws. What truly surprises you is this nameless nobody.]