Chapter 247

Ai Yue sensed it for a moment and quickly discerned the effect of the force field. "I didn't expect you could already do something like this with pure mental power?"

It's not difficult to deflect or distort someone's perception; the Eighth Herrscher's powers can do it easily, since it's just a hypnotic technique. But Aponia's behavior at this moment is completely different.

Even the Eighth Herrscher needs to actively use her powers on others to achieve this effect, but Aponia does the complete opposite. She applies a special mental field to herself to deflect the attention of others, making it impossible for them to accurately identify her identity, and thus they will not pay too much attention to her.

As a result, even if someone sees Aponia, they won't remember her and will simply ignore her as a passerby, let alone associate her with the headmaster. Naturally, this won't attract much attention or cause any disturbance.

The ingenious thing about this mental field is that, because it is a passive aura effect that only affects those who see Ai Yue and Aponia, its energy consumption and range of influence are extremely small. Yet, it allows the two of them to walk among the crowd as if they were invisible, which can be described as using minimal force to achieve maximum effect.

After all, if it were an ordinary person with mental abilities, to achieve the same effect, they would probably have to hypnotize everyone in the academy, or constantly hypnotize the people around them.

Relying on such a weak mental energy field, Aponia and Ai Yue were able to blend into the crowd silently. This detail alone shows the extent to which Aponia has mastered the use of mental energy.

Clearly, after losing the constraints of the "Commandments", Aponia is now the undisputed strongest psychic on this planet. Even if the Herrscher of the End were to be resurrected, relying on the Herrscher authority, it would be difficult for her to compete with her in this field.

"That's still a bit of an exaggeration, after all, the power of the Herrscher of the End is truly astonishing."

Faced with Ai Yue's sigh, Aponia shook her head slightly, appearing quite indifferent. "However, if I could fully comprehend the power you gave me back then, perhaps I really could completely suppress the Herrscher of the End in the spiritual realm."

The power Aponia spoke of was, of course, the Radiant Giant form, which briefly entered a state of Three Phases United during the final battle on the moon, through the "light" bestowed upon it by Ai Yue, resulting in a surge of power.

In that state, Aponia's power swelled to an extremely exaggerated degree, to the point that with just a thought, she could easily suppress the rampaging mental power of the Herrscher of the End, and even take control of her body, rendering her unable to move.

All of this was simply her subconscious behavior at the time.

Although the experience was very brief, lasting only a few seconds, the unique feeling was deeply imprinted in Aponia's mind, completely changing her perception.

It can be said that it was this experience that completely broke the constraints that the precepts placed on Aponia herself.

"Don't be reckless. That power is beyond your current capabilities. If you're not careful, you might end up as nothing more than a spiritual being."

Ai Yue said in a serious tone, "If you want to study this in depth, you must inform me, and it would be best if I were to accompany you during the operation."

"Don't worry, I'm just deepening my understanding through recollection, I won't do anything reckless."

Aponia placed her hand on her chest, a half-smile on her face, and said, "After all, this body doesn't just belong to me, does it?"

Faced with the obvious mockery in Aponia's words, Ai Yue couldn't help but silently turn his head away.

Fortunately, Aponia didn't continue the topic. Instead, she stopped and stood in front of a building. "Alright, we've arrived at our first stop."

"Isn't this the cafeteria?"

Ai Yue looked up and recognized the place where he had eaten before. He immediately realized, "Don't tell me that Kalpas Jie went around in circles and ended up coming back to be a chef?"

"That's not necessarily true."

Aponia shook her head, a subtle emotion creeping into her smile. "Or rather, more than that."

A moment later, Ai Yue and Aponia arrived at the kitchen.

"A little harder!"

"Are you holding it like that because you're afraid the knife won't cut your finger?"

"Wait until the oil is hot enough before adding the ingredients. Is the temperature high enough now? If you're not sure, go test it and see what I do!"

What appeared before the two of them was this lively scene.

Many people dressed in chef's uniforms were busy here. Some were tossing woks, some were chopping vegetables, and some were hesitating in front of hot oil. Kalpas walked among these people, constantly and sternly pointing out their actions.

Fortunately, although his voice was fierce, his hand movements were relatively gentle. However, judging from the bulging veins on his arm, Kalpas was probably still on the verge of exploding.

"So, Kalpas is planning to become a cooking instructor?"

After Ai Yue recovered from his initial shock, he looked at Aponia and asked, "Does that guy really have that kind of patience?"

"I'd love to know too."

In response to Ai Yue's question, Aponia smiled and said, "So he's currently on probation."

Chapter Thirteen: Now we've escaped the hellhole (just kidding)

Kalpas is a frenzied and violent warrior.

This is the impression most people have of him.

Although it may sound a bit extreme, it's hard for anyone who has met him to describe him in any other way.

After all, Kalpas's performance on the battlefield was indeed a bit too... unrestrained.

Enduring attacks from other enemies and punching Honkai Beast until they can no longer get up is Kalpas's basic operation. Using brute force to tear off the limbs of Honkai Beast and wielding them as weapons is also a somewhat understandable behavior.

But when Kalpas used his teeth to tear apart the body of the Honkai Beast, and even chewed and swallowed it, the word "maniac" seemed a bit too calm when applied to him.

It is precisely because of this performance that Kalpas is known as one of the "people who should never be provoked" within the Moth to Fire, and in this list, his ranking is even higher than that of Ai Yue is the highest BOSS.

After all, it's difficult for ordinary people to do anything to anger Ai Yue, and it's even difficult to encounter him. The reason Ai Yue is on this list is simply because of the oppressive feeling brought about by his extremely superior status.

But Kalpas is different. This man, who wears a mask all day long, making it impossible for anyone to guess his joys and sorrows, who knows if he would retaliate with his iron fist, which is strong enough to kill Honkai Beast, if someone accidentally bumps into him?

In conclusion, for various reasons, Kalpas's reputation within the Moth to Fire is not very good. However, as long as someone dares to cross the high wall built by rumors and gossip and truly get in touch with Kalpas, they will find that beneath his manic exterior lies a keen and sensitive soul, which can even be described as "understanding".

After all, Kalpas's current personality wasn't something he was born with. His experiences often drove him to rage, but because Ai Yue changed the original timeline, Kalpas was actually quite normal when he wasn't on the battlefield.

Even so, he still habitually adopted a cold attitude, but compared to his temper in the original timeline, it could be considered mild.

Even so, it doesn't mean that Kalpas is qualified to become a teacher.

After all, teaching and nurturing students is no easy task, not to mention that when dealing with students who are prone to making mistakes, a general level of gentleness and patience is simply not enough!

The volume and tone of Kalpas's voice at this moment seemed to indicate that he was gradually losing patience and entering a state of irritability.

This is exactly what Ai Yue is worried about right now.

Although he knew that Kalpas had long since shaken off his anger and was beginning to get used to the life of an ordinary person, could he still maintain such a mindset when faced with a beginner who was making many mistakes?

After all, Kalpas has now mastered Qi. Once he loses control of his temper, even if he doesn't intend to harm others, his Qi will be released under the fluctuation of his emotions, threatening the safety of others.

"It's rather strange that you would think that way."

Seeing Ai Yue's somewhat worried gaze, Aponia revealed a subtle expression instead, "Although I met Kalpas a little earlier than you, I've always felt that you should understand him better than I do. How could you think he lacks patience?"

"When it comes to people and things he cares about, without involving the Honkai, Kalpas is probably the most 'patient' person in the world."

Ai Yue was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and smiled.

Indeed, in fact, it could be said that Aponia's description was quite modest.

After all, even the most patient person in the world would never tolerate someone chaining them to a frame and having their blood drawn continuously for months, right?

But Kalpas actually endured it. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that those bloodsuckers were killed by the Fifth Herrscher in the end, Kalpas might not have resisted until his death.

Those chains might be able to restrain large beasts, but they could never restrain a terrifying warrior who, even in a weakened state, could still kill a Herrscher instantly.

The reason was simply because these people accepted him and gave him a place to stay.

Compared to that experience, what's happening now seems insignificant.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue felt relieved. In fact, during the time they were watching, Kalpas did not really lose his temper. Although his attitude was stern and fierce, it was only to that extent. Not to mention that he couldn't help but take action, he didn't even lose control of his emotions and go berserk.

"If Kalpas can't even do this much, how could I possibly allow him to be a teacher?"

Aponia continued, "In addition, he also asked me to impose discipline on him to help him control his emotions—of course, the methods I imposed on him were much more reliable than 'discipline'."

Given Aponia's current capabilities, Ai Yue naturally had no doubt about this statement.

However, it seems that such preventative measures are not very necessary at present.

Just then, Kalpas also noticed Ai Yue and Aponia, the two people standing outside watching.

Although a class is currently in session, it is only a pilot class, so there are quite a few people who have come to watch. Ai Yue and Aponia are mixed in with the crowd, and with that layer of mental energy field, they are theoretically very inconspicuous.

However, Kalpas's intuition was stronger than human imagination, so he quickly noticed the special features of Ai Yue and the other two. He only looked up once, and his eyes immediately changed.

"You were recognized?"

Ai Yue naturally noticed something from the other party's subtle reaction. "Well, it's not entirely unexpected."

While the mental field is effective, its limited power means it's difficult to work on people with strong mental abilities. Kalpas, on the other hand, has extremely strong intuition, and now that he has mastered Qi, his sensory acuity is comparable to that of a powerful Mental Perception Fused Warrior like Su.

"His class will take a little longer to finish,"

Aponia then said, "Why don't we go somewhere else first and come back at noon?"

"Of course, no problem."

Ai Yue readily accepted the suggestion, saying, "I'm also very curious about who else I might meet at the academy."

From Aponia's words, it was clear that she knew more than one person here.

So Aponia took Ai Yue to another area.

"This is the training area, which was originally part of the Fused Warrior Training Camp."

As Aponia walked, she explained, "However, since no new Fused Warrior have been born yet, the Fused Warrior training camp project has been terminated, and this area has now been taken over by the Morning Sun Academy."

"No wonder Hen said before that he had completely retired."

Recalling Hen's wistful expression at the wedding, Ai Yue shook his head. "But I guess this can only be considered a vacation at best."

The Fusion Warrior Project may never happen again, but humanity will eventually evolve. Moreover, in order to face threats from beyond Earth, humanity cannot give up the power to protect itself.

The United Earth Government will likely make new arrangements for Hen soon, and he won't be able to relax for long.

Thinking of this, Ai Yue couldn't help but smile and refocused his attention on the matter at hand.

After the two bypassed the basic training area, they soon arrived at Songdu's independent indoor training field.

Because school hadn't started yet, the place was very quiet and there weren't many people. So the few training sounds were very clear. When Ai Yue followed the sound to the training room that was in use, he saw Hua's figure.

"To be honest, I thought of that as soon as I came in."

Ai Yue's expression didn't show much surprise, only a hint of "I knew it," "After all, Hua herself said she wanted to continue her studies—but can she really get used to campus life?"

"At least from the current situation, Hua is adapting quite well,"

Aponia said with a smile, "Besides, Hua isn't just a simple student."

"She also works as a part-time teacher?"

Ai Yue blinked, then realized something. "Oh, is it about teaching Qi?"

So far, only three people in the world have mastered Qi. Among them, Kalpas obviously does not have the ability to teach others to use Qi, and Pardofelis's personality also means that she is not capable of taking on this responsibility. Therefore, the most suitable candidate is Hua.

"Actually, it's mainly about basic physical training; in other words, it's about being a physical education teacher."

Aponia explained with a smile, "After all, the foundation for learning Qi is not low, and it is not something that ordinary people can access. However, the Shenzhou martial arts that Hua has mastered are a very practical skill."

The two didn't try to lower their voices, so they couldn't escape Hua's ears. She turned her head and saw Ai Yue and Aponia, and immediately stopped what she was doing and came out. "Doctor Ai Yue, and Miss Aponia, what brings you here?"

"I've come to see you all."

Ai Yue smiled and said, "How are you doing? Are you getting used to the long-awaited academy life?"

"Strictly speaking, college life hasn't even begun yet."

After the shadow of Honkai dissipated, Hua's personality became more lively than before, and at least you could feel the vitality that should be in a person her age when she spoke. "However, I'm not quite used to it yet."

Ai Yue for a moment and quickly found the reason. "The Stage Plan?"

Hua didn't speak, but simply nodded.

In fact, Hua herself did not participate in much of the Stage Plan. After all, she was not Fused Warrior and there was a huge gap in strength between her and Kevin and others. In addition, the Divine Tone Project, which she was in charge of, was a secret project that was difficult to disclose. Therefore, her popularity was very low at the beginning.

But now she has also become a member of the "Thirteen Flame-Chasers". In addition, she is the inventor of the special power of "Qi" and can be regarded as a founder of a sect. Therefore, after the publicity work about the final battle was launched, Hua also received a lot of attention.

In fact, because her experiences and personality are closer to those of ordinary people than Kevin and others, Hua's popularity is quite good.

This led to her receiving a lot of attention after enrolling in school, and her current retreat to the training area may well be a way of avoiding the gaze of others.

However, Hua himself is quite optimistic. "Compared to Kevin and the others, my contribution in the final battle was not much, so I may be forgotten by everyone soon. At that time, I can probably return to a normal life, so the impact is not significant."

"Because Hua also has teaching responsibilities, we arranged for her to live in the faculty and staff dormitory area, where she has a private room,"

Aponia added, "This way, we can also reduce some of the impact."

"That is one way,"

Ai Yue nodded, then looked at Hua with some curiosity, "But Hua, what exactly do you want to study at the Morning Sun Academy?"

"Actually... I haven't thought about it yet."

Hua scratched his head, his expression becoming somewhat conflicted. "Right now, I'm probably most interested in history. Anyway, Morning Sun Academy doesn't have any strict rules about which courses we have to take, so maybe I can learn more of them."

Morning Sun Academy has three basic courses that cannot be cancelled. Apart from that, all other content is up to the students. They can decide what they want to learn and how many courses they want to take, as long as they pass the final exams.