Do you have a crush on me?

Over the next few days, Luo Li quickly adapted to the rhythm of the front-line base.

Every morning at six o'clock, accompanied by the jarring reveille, I would get up amidst my roommates' rude snoring and grumbling, to get a bland nutritional paste for breakfast, followed by tedious but necessary adaptive training—familiarizing myself with the fortress terrain, simulating skirmishes, and practicing energy control.

As Kong Yan'er had predicted, he took good care of Luo Li, not only familiarizing him with various unspoken rules but also giving him extra training, explaining the key points for dealing with different types of vampires. His bizarre combat tactics of Clone and "Trickster Hands" also broadened Luo Li's horizons and made him secretly wary.

This guy is definitely a tough opponent, whether as a teammate or an opponent.

During this time, Luo Li took the opportunity to visit Zone E.

The management of the research area is indeed strict, with identity checks at every level.

He could only meet Castorice briefly in the designated reception area, across a cold metal table.

The environment in Zone E is indeed much better than in Zone C; at least it's cleaner, tidier, and less noisy.

Castorice wore the white assistant uniform issued by the research institute, her long silver-purple hair simply tied back. She had lost some of Amphoreus's mystery and gained more of the quietness that belonged to this world.

She seemed to be adapting well, with a rosy complexion, but the glint in her purple eyes when she saw Luo Li betrayed that she was not as calm as she appeared.

Are you getting used to it?

Looking at her, Luo Li felt much of the fatigue from the past few days dissipate.

"Hmm." Castorice nodded gently and pushed a small paper package in front of him. "Energy biscuits from the research institute. They taste alright. Here you go."

Luo Li looked at the bag of cookies that were clearly saved up by her, and her heart warmed. Without being polite, she accepted it. "Thanks, Castorice —it's a million times better than that damned nutritional paste."

The two exchanged a few words about what they had seen and heard.

Castorice mainly assisted in organizing data in the archives and had no access to the core research, but she also vaguely sensed unusual energy fluctuations in the underground of the research institute thanks to her unique perception of energy.

"It's subtle, but... it carries an aura of death and chaos, similar to vampires, yet not entirely the same."

She described it with a slight frown.

Luo Li kept this in mind; it might be related to the "Harvester" that Lu Jingheng had mentioned.

The meeting was short, lasting only a dozen minutes before Luo Li had to leave.

Watching Castorice stand behind the isolation line, quietly seeing him off, Luo Li became even more determined to gain a foothold on this damned front line as soon as possible and gain more freedom.

That afternoon, Luo Li and Kong Yan'er had just finished a round of simulated combat training and were walking towards the rest area covered in sweat.

While wiping her sweat with a towel, Kong Yan'er teased her as usual, "Li Zi, your reaction speed is impressive, almost as fast as my Clone! If I didn't know your background, I would suspect that you're hiding something too."

Just then, a slightly shrill female voice rang out from the side. "Hmph, just relying on a little cleverness and luck, does she really think she can be as arrogant on the front lines as she was in Jiangcheng?"

Without turning around, Luo Li knew who it was.

Murong Xue and several of her teammates happened to come out of the training field next door.

She seemed to have just undergone intense training; her face was flushed, her breathing was still a little rapid, and her eyes were filled with undisguised hostility as she looked at Luo Li.

Her teammates, both men and women, looked at Luo Li with scrutiny and a hint of disdain.

Clearly, Murong Xue had given them plenty of "publicity" about Luo Li's "evil deeds."

Kong Yan'er raised an eyebrow, her face instantly displaying her signature harmless smile, and spoke before Luo Li could, "Oh, who do we have here? It's Murong."

What's wrong? Didn't you meet your training target today? You're so irritable. Do you want me to do an extra workout with you to help you cool down?

His words were flippant, but his eyes held a hint of coldness.

Murong Xue was taken aback by Kong Yan'er, and her expression turned even more unpleasant.

She clearly knew Kong Yan'er was not someone to be trifled with, so she gritted her teeth and continued to direct her anger at Luo Li: "Kong Yan'er, this has nothing to do with you! Luo Li, I'm warning you, stay away from me! Just looking at you makes me sick!"

Luo Li picked at her ear, looking nonchalant. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that? Murong, you were the one who came to me on your own initiative."

And you always get so agitated whenever you see me, glaring at me and making threats..."

He paused deliberately, looked Murong Xue up and down, and a playful smile curved his lips, "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to... have a crush on me, would you?"

The moment these words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent.

Even Kong Yan'er was stunned for a moment, then her shoulders began to tremble slightly, clearly struggling to suppress her laughter.

Murong Xue reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with anger. Her face turned bright red, and her finger trembled as she pointed at Luo Li: "You... what nonsense are you spouting?! Who... who would have a crush on a bastard like you! Stop trying to make yourself look good!"

Her exasperated appearance only made her attempt to cover up the truth more obvious.

Her teammates' expressions also became somewhat strange; they looked at Murong Xue, then at Luo Li, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Not a crush?" Luo Li feigned surprise.

"Then why are you always targeting me? From Jiangcheng to the front lines, I 'bump into' you everywhere I go, and I get all emotional the moment I see you... It's hard not to get misunderstood, Miss Murong."

"You're talking nonsense!" Murong Xue almost screamed, her chest heaving violently with anger.

I hate you! I wish I could kill you!

"Oh, love turning into hate, I get it, that's how it's written in novels."

Luo Li nodded seriously, her tone as relaxed as if she were discussing the weather.

"Pfft--Hahaha!" Kong Yan'er finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing, slapping Luo Li's shoulder hard.

"Love turned to hate! Brilliant! Li Zi, you're a real genius!"

Some of the other superhumans watching the spectacle also let out suppressed chuckles.

Looking at Luo Li's nonchalant attitude and listening to the laughter around her, Murong Xue felt a surge of heat rush to her head. The humiliation and the panic of having her secret exposed intertwined, almost making her lose her mind.

"Luo Li! You just wait! I will make you pay! I definitely will!"

She screamed shrilly, her eyes filled with venom as sharp as a poisoned dagger.

After uttering those harsh words, she couldn't stay any longer. She turned around abruptly and practically fled, not even bothering with her teammates, and hurriedly disappeared at the end of the passage.

Her teammates exchanged awkward glances, looked at Luo Li and Kong Yan'er, and quickly followed.

"Tsk tsk, you've already broken down? Your mental fortitude is lacking."

Kong Yan'er stopped laughing, shook his head, and winked at Luo Li: "But brother, your ability to stir up trouble is top-notch."

I think Murong is destined to be your nemesis for life.

Luo Li shrugged indifferently. "The more debts I have, the less I worry; the more lice I have, the less they itch. If she doesn't bother me, I can't be bothered with her."

Although he said that, he did not let his guard down.

Murong Xue's gaze just now wasn't just filled with anger and resentment, but also with an almost insane stubbornness. A woman in this state is capable of anything.

"But then again..."

Kong Yan'er stroked her chin, gazing thoughtfully in the direction Murong Xue had left. She then looked at Luo Li, her eyes becoming somewhat playful. "Her reaction was so strong, could it be... you were right?"

Luo Li rolled her eyes. "Do you think that's possible? A rich girl like her, who expects the whole world to revolve around her, was slapped in public by me and lost all face. She'd probably want to kill me. A crush? Unless she's been brain-dead by a vampire."

"That's true."

Kong Yan'er nodded, but the smile on her face remained ambiguous, "However, the line between extreme hatred and extreme love is sometimes very thin... who knows?"

"Get lost!"

Luo Li kicked him in annoyance.

This little incident didn't affect Luo Li's mood; on the contrary, it made him raise his level of vigilance towards Murong Xue by one level.

Back in the dormitory, Luo Li sent Castorice a message to let her know she was safe, as usual, and then began to organize her equipment.

Tomorrow, he and Kong Yan'er's team will carry out their first official mission since arriving at the front lines—to reconnoiter an abandoned mine in the D-7 area, where there have been signs of unusual vampire activity recently, with the danger level assessed as B.

This will be his first real battle on the front lines.

As night deepened, the fortress was shrouded in the dark red shadows cast by the Blood-Erosion Clouds. In the distance, the faint roar of energy cannons and the howls of unknown creatures reminded everyone that this was no safe haven.

Luo Li lay on the bed, her fingers unconsciously tracing the cold hilt of the Bloodblade Enma, feeling the thirst for battle emanating from it.

The threat from Murong Xue, the mystery of Kong Yan'er, the shadow of the "Harvester," the secrets beneath the research institute... all of these are shrouded in mist ahead.

But he felt no fear, only an excited anticipation.

His Path [Spacetime] requires battles to hone and help him grow.

His future needs strength to protect and Trailblaze.

And this "Furnace" is the best testing ground.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sank into his body, and began to communicate with the vast power of Spacetime and time.

Tomorrow, D-7 Mining Area.

Let him see what makes these frontline vampires so different.

Meanwhile, in dormitory Zone E at the other end of the base, Castorice stood by the window, gazing in the direction of Zone C, her purple eyes reflecting the ever-burning searchlights of the fortress.

She gently stroked the potted green ivy on the windowsill, which had sprouted some tender green leaves, feeling the faint vitality within it, a stark contrast to the cold and desolate atmosphere of this steel fortress.

She could sense that Luo Li was about to step into real danger.

She knew she couldn't act rashly, as that would only cause more trouble.

but...

A wisp of dark purple River of Souls aura flowed silently from her fingertips, then vanished in an instant.

What if something truly threatens his life, transgressing the rules?

She exhaled softly, casting a small puff of white mist onto the cold windowpane.

"Come back safely," she said silently to the window.