Lin Hui felt Ah Yin's delicate, smooth skin against him. She was still lying in his arms, and he was stunned.
What was going on?
"How did she get out? What happened?"
"This is the dormitory! There are so many people here. Couldn't you wait until there were fewer people?"
"And there's a child here too. You can't exactly do that in front of him, can you?"
But then Lin Hui remembered the anime based on the game he'd played in his previous life. It featured a yellow-furred electric mouse that didn't like staying inside its Poké Ball and often ran out.
Now Ah Yin had come out too. That seemed reasonable enough.
Ah Yin's body gave off a faint, plantlike fragrance. Her blue hair looked black in the night, and her eyes were closed, as if she had lost the memories she'd once had.
"No, Master, it's so comfortable here. I want to stay with you!" Ah Yin said in a coquettish voice.
"She must mean that it's comfortable inside my Ultra Ball Martial Soul. After all, my Ultra Ball Martial Soul can heal her injuries and restore her Soul Power," Lin Hui thought.
"This recovery is much faster than Tang Hao foolishly planting her in some patch of dirt."
"In a few years, she should regain consciousness. I just don't know when she'll recover the strength of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
"Is it because she's a Soul Beast, because I can help her, and because she became my master's companion after I captured her, that she wants to stay with me?"
Lin Hui stroked her head. Of course, faced with such a beautiful sight, he couldn't possibly limit himself to just her head.
Ah Yin didn't seem to mind wherever he touched her.
What a pity. Ah, if only she could grow up faster!
Lin Hui pulled the blanket over her and glanced around. It wouldn't do if anyone else discovered Ah Yin.
Fortunately, it was already the middle of the night, and everyone was fast asleep. Wang Sheng was snoring especially loudly.
Tang San, too, was deep in slumber.
"Little San, you never would've guessed that the mother you've been longing for is lying in my arms right now..."
"Haode, you must be as anxious as an ant on a hot pan right now."
Heh heh heh.
"Ah Yin, why don't you sleep here for a while? When it's almost dawn, you can go back inside the Ultra Ball. Is that okay?" Lin Hui's voice was gentle too.
"Okay." Ah Yin's voice was very faint, and even her breath carried a sweet, plantlike fragrance.
"Good girl..."
Lin Hui stroked Ah Yin's head, but when he thought of the malice Tang San had directed at him lately, he felt he ought to do something to this Soul Beast too.
Lin Hui climbed under the blanket as well, joining Ah Yin.
After spending the whole night alone on the island, Lin Hui was exhausted. At last, he fell asleep.
The next day, when Lin Hui woke, there was indeed no one in bed but him.
"Lin Hui, why are your eye bags so dark? Didn't you sleep well last night?" Xiao Wu asked curiously after putting on her academy uniform.
Lin Hui rubbed his eyes too.
"Yeah. I spent last night looking into something."
"Looking into something? Was it related to Martial Souls?" Xiao Wu asked curiously.
"Mm..." Lin Hui thought for a moment. "It was related to Martial Souls, I suppose."
Tang San got up too. When he saw Lin Hui and Xiao Wu chatting, he hurried over to interrupt them.
"Today's the Notting Academy Grand Competition, Xiao Wu. We should get ready early."
Xiao Wu had noticed that every time she talked to Lin Hui, Tang San started acting strangely.
He seemed especially unwilling to let her interact with Lin Hui.
But Lin Hui was so interesting! What gave him the right?
That only made Xiao Wu even more curious about Lin Hui.
Lin Hui said meaningfully to Tang San, "Little San, do you know where people come from?"
Tang San looked confused, and even a little embarrassed. His face reddened. "Th-that... Who doesn't know..."
"Haha," Lin Hui gave a dry laugh. "But I know where you came from... Heh..."
Tang San was even more baffled, but from Lin Hui's tone, it sounded as if Tang San had been blinded to something.
The night before, Tang San had dreamed of his mother. Her face had been a little blurry, but judging by her figure, she had been a beautiful woman.
"Why did Lin Hui suddenly ask that strange question too?" Tang San wondered. "It must've been a coincidence."
Before long, it was time for the Academy Grand Competition.
At a ring on the edge of the training field, all the first-year students and teachers had gathered around.
After all, this was the students' first test of their strength since enrollment, and it would be a practical match. Every teacher was looking forward to it.
These children had only awakened their Martial Souls recently, so their strength didn't differ much. The matches were often full of suspense.
And it was common for students the teachers had favored to perform poorly in actual combat.
Theoretical assessments of a Soul Master's strength often differed greatly from their performance in battle.
Of course, at this year's competition, nearly everyone's attention was focused on three people.
Lin Hui, Tang San, and Xiao Wu!
All three were Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power. Before they enrolled, not one Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power had ever appeared in Notting Academy's history—or even in the records of Fasinuo Province.
And this year, three had appeared at once!
It was as if Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power could be bought in bulk.
Naturally, Yu Xiaogang stood among the teachers with his head held high, radiating confidence in every gesture.
His gaze was fixed firmly on Tang San.
After all, once Tang San won the championship today, Yu Xiaogang would finally be able to hold his head high at the academy.
"Once today is over, I'll make everyone look at me with new eyes. I'll make them understand who the real 'Grandmaster' is! Hahaha!" Yu Xiaogang thought, then broke into a sly grin.
Teacher Li Chun stood at the very center of the ring and spoke loudly.
"Today, the first-year students of Notting Academy will compete, and every student must take part. The rules are simple. Each person will draw a number. Number one will face number two, number three will face number four, and so on. This is an elimination match. You lose if you're knocked down and can't get up within ten seconds, or if you're knocked out of the ring."
"But you must not deliberately inflict serious injuries, much less take anyone's life. Also, once your opponent surrenders, you must not attack them again."
"Now, everyone, start drawing lots."
A large cardboard box sat in the middle of the ring, filled with little white balls marked with numbers.
Whenever a student drew a white ball, a teacher standing nearby would check its number and record it.
"Third Brother, I drew number three. What number did you get?" Xiao Wu asked.
"I got number sixty-five," Tang San replied.
So Xiao Wu was still concerned about him. At the thought, Tang San felt pleased.
"Lin Hui, what number did you get?" Xiao Wu asked.
Tang San's face darkened instantly.