Huo Yuhao's eyes filled with sorrow, as if he had returned to his younger days, when he'd been powerless to change anything and could only watch as his senior died before his eyes.
"Was that really a dream you had? It felt so real..."
"Who knows? Maybe it really happened somewhere. I just wanted to tell you that, of course, you can stay in your comfort zone, but you should also think about whether you'd be able to change things if something like that happened—and whether you could accept the outcome. Maybe once you acknowledge the people around you and truly see them as your companions, you'll want to do something for them."
Huo Yuhao managed a faint smile. "Keep it up. I've done twice as many laps as you, so I'll head off first."
Ning Rongrong pressed her lips together and stared, bewildered, at his retreating figure as it grew smaller in the distance.
After a few laps, Huo Yuhao had grown accustomed to the weight and began gradually adding more rings.
By the time he finished his task at dusk, the weight he carried had reached one hundred and fifty kilograms.
He returned to the track, utterly exhausted. Seeing everyone waiting for him, he nodded in greeting, joined the group, and looked toward Flender.
Before long, Ning Rongrong finished her twenty laps and returned to the group. She was drenched in sweat and looked utterly disheveled. Everyone except Flender stared in surprise.
Xiao Wu tugged gently at Huo Yuhao's sleeve. "Yuhao... what happened to Ning Rongrong? She feels different..."
Huo Yuhao chuckled. "People grow."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at Huo Yuhao, thoughtful.
Flender nodded in satisfaction. Though he didn't know what had happened, he had secretly watched Ning Rongrong push herself to finish the entire run, and he was every bit as astonished as the others.
"All right! Everyone's here, and no one disobeyed my orders this time. Let's go!"
They headed to the Soul Fighting Arena again. This time, Huo Yuhao wouldn't be the only one competing. Flender had set them a graduation requirement: earn a silver Soul Fighting Badge, which meant reaching one thousand points.
Huo Yuhao had earned just one point from yesterday's match, which showed just how difficult that goal would be.
With the previous day's experience behind them, everyone registered and waited for their match order. The results came through quickly.
They had all been assigned to the Twelfth Soul Fighting Arena.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's decisive performance the day before, he'd gained a little fame. The officials had also recognized the potential of the newcomer and scheduled his match last.
That way, they could use his popularity to draw in spectators who'd come to watch him, giving the earlier competitors a chance to attract more attention as well.
"The first match is Xiao Wu against Tang San? What a coincidence..."
Everyone stared at the results, stunned. They hadn't expected the first match to be between two of their own.
Xiao Wu turned and met Tang San's gaze, excitement in her eyes. They'd often sparred back at Notting Academy.
There was no helping it. The two of them had lost even when they teamed up against Huo Yuhao. After being crushed so often, they'd long since lost their fighting spirit. They might as well fight each other. Winning and losing between them could help steady their nerves.
Naturally, Xiao Wu lost more often than she won. Now that this opportunity had fallen into their laps, both of them were eager for battle.
Xiao Wu waved her fist. "Heh heh, Xiao San, let's see who's stronger. I won't go easy on you this time!"
"I wonder who's lost more often," Tang San replied with a smile.
As soon as they stepped into the Soul Fighting Arena, the match began. Their Soul Power was similar, and they knew each other's skills and habits inside out, so it was difficult for either to gain the upper hand.
The fierce back-and-forth battle stirred the spectators' emotions. A one-sided crushing victory could be thrilling, but this kind of evenly matched fight was what they loved most.
At last, Tang San's vines' paralyzing poison slowed Xiao Wu down enough for him to defeat her. He sent her flying off the platform.
"Darn it, Xiao San! That poison of yours is way too useful in a drawn-out fight! It's practically cheating!"
Back in the lounge, Xiao Wu was still dissatisfied. There was no helping it; Tang San's Soul Skill was a hard counter to a Soul Master who relied on physical combat like she did.
"Next time, I won't lose!"
Xiao Wu pouted, her eyes darting around before settling on Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao~ Teach me how to deal with Xiao San."
"..." Huo Yuhao seriously considered it, but after a long while, he still couldn't come up with a good solution.
She could choose a Soul Ring specifically to resist poison, or she could do what he did and rely on her incredible speed so Tang San's Soul Skills couldn't touch her.
Unfortunately, Xiao Wu couldn't manage either of those options.
"I've got it. Here, take this."
Huo Yuhao smiled and handed Xiao Wu a shield-shaped patch.
"What's that?" Everyone had been following their conversation. Now they curiously eyed the patch in Xiao Wu's hand.
"Do you remember the golden shield I used when I fought Teacher Zhao?"
"Of course. You mean that shield was this little thing?"
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded.
"This thing is called a Soul Guidance Shield. The one I used before was level four, while the one Xiao Wu's holding is level three. It's a little weaker, since the levels correspond to Soul Master ranks, and low-ranked Soul Masters have a hard time activating high-level Soul Tools.
"This level-three shield is perfect for Xiao Wu, who's about to become a Soul Elder."
After explaining how to use it, he nodded to Tang San. "Xiao San, try trapping Xiao Wu with your vines again."
Tang San nodded. With a flash of light, Blue Silver Grass appeared in his hand. Everyone watched as Xiao Wu channeled her Soul Power into the metal patch, and a golden shield enveloped her body.
Tang San's vines could only be blocked by the Soul Guidance Shield. No matter what he tried, he couldn't hurt Xiao Wu inside.
"W-wow! This is incredible! Does that mean a Power Attack System Soul Master can have a defensive skill now?!"
Tang San smiled wryly. "That shield is devastating against someone like me, a Control System Soul Master without any real attack methods."
His Soul Skills relied mainly on controlling his opponent and lacked killing power. The shield was practically a perfect counter to him.
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded. "That's the charm of Soul Tools. Support-type Soul Masters can gain offensive abilities, while attacking Soul Masters can protect themselves better."
Seeing the envy in everyone's eyes as they looked at Xiao Wu, Huo Yuhao smiled and reached to his belt. A stack of metal patches appeared in his hand.
"These are all level-three shields, perfect for you right now. Take one each. They're my gift to you."
Everyone froze. They opened their mouths, but couldn't bring themselves to refuse. If it were an ordinary gift, that would be one thing, but this clearly cost a fortune—and it would be a huge help to them.
Oscar was the first to step forward and take one. Grinning, he said, "We're classmates, so I won't stand on ceremony. Thanks, Yuhao."
Huo Yuhao smiled and nodded, then held out the remaining patches to the others.
With Oscar leading the way, the others no longer hesitated. They each took one, and soon Ning Rongrong was the only one left, head bowed.
The others didn't know what to say. None of them had a good relationship with Ning Rongrong. Even Xiao Wu, who shared a room with her, had grown distant after Huo Yuhao's attitude toward Ning Rongrong during the run.
Yuhao was always so good to Xiao Wu. She didn't want to upset him.
Feeling the others' needle-sharp stares, Ning Rongrong lowered her head even further and bit her lip hard. Her eyes reddened.
"Here, this one's yours." A gentle voice sounded beside her.
At the sight of the patch being held out to her, Ning Rongrong abruptly looked up. Huo Yuhao was crouching in front of her, his smile like warm sunlight breaking through winter clouds.
"Don't be upset, all right? Take this. It'll help you protect yourself better."
The hand holding the metal patch extended toward her again.
Ning Rongrong reached out with a trembling hand.
She accepted the gift called growth.
She could no longer hold back her tears. Great drops slid from the corners of her eyes, and Ning Rongrong suddenly threw herself at Huo Yuhao, holding him tightly.
Her sobs rang in Huo Yuhao's ears and echoed through the lounge, drawing the others' attention.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so selfish... I was wrong..." Her broken words were interspersed with sobs.
Huo Yuhao gently patted her back. "You're still a child. You're allowed to make mistakes... All right, all right. From today on, let's work hard. Okay?"
"...Mm... Mm."
Sobs mingled with the girl's determined reply as she nodded forcefully.
Dai Mubai scratched his head and whispered to Ma Hongjun beside him, "Why do I feel like Yuhao's a parent or something..."
Ma Hongjun nodded in agreement.