Volume: Reboot, Chapter 210: To See Someone in a New Light

At two o'clock in the afternoon, at the Hades Training Ground.

"Who are those people sitting over there?"

"I think they're our seniors!"

"They don't have classes this afternoon, so they came to watch us."

"Then we need to practice even harder."

Watching the freshmen gossiping around him, Mo Xing, wearing a face mask, stood to the side, recalling what had happened at lunch.

At noon today, he, Shi Yan, Mian Hua, and Cai Hong were eating at the Poli Cafeteria when someone suddenly ran up with a camera, asking for a photo. Before he could even reply, a crowd rushed over clamoring for photos, and a few even asked Mo Xing for advice on how to make a comeback.

It was hard to refuse, so he could only agree to the photos. In the end, it was Shi Yan who told them that if they continued to block the cafeteria and disrupt the dining environment, they would all be reported to the Student Council and have their credits docked. Only then did the crowd of "fanatical" fans finally disperse.

As a result, he had to wear a mask to his combat class, otherwise he would be recognized by his classmates again.

Suddenly, someone tapped Mo Xing on the shoulder from behind.

"Who's there?!"

Mo Xing whirled around, only to find Teacher Tianqi standing behind him with a smile, holding a staff in his hand.

"Teacher Tianqi..." Mo Xing said.

"Class, gather round!"

Teacher Tianqi clapped his hands and called out, drawing the attention of all the students.

"Teacher Tianqi! You're here!"

"Huh? Who's that next to him..."

"It's Mo Xing! It's really him!"

"Holy crap! My idol!"

Looking at the murmuring crowd, Mo Xing was instantly dumbfounded. Teacher Tianqi was totally setting him up!

"Everyone already recognized you, so why are you still wearing a mask?" Teacher Tianqi teased with a smile.

Mo Xing had no choice but to take off his mask.

Just then, a few students walked over. Mo Xing thought they looked somewhat familiar.

"Student Mo Xing, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have insulted you before, and I definitely shouldn't have kicked you." A student, still showing signs of minor injuries, bowed deeply. "I was wrong. Please forgive me!"

"We're sorry! We shouldn't have mocked you." Several other students also bowed. "We were wrong too. Please forgive us!"

"Uh..." Mo Xing was completely bewildered.

"Please forgive us!" they said in unison.

Tianqi glanced at Mo Xing. Mo Xing scratched the back of his head, thought for a moment, and returned the bow.

"Actually, I wasn't entirely in the right either. We're all classmates, so let's just get along and look out for each other from now on!"

"Thank you, Mo Xing!" they chorused.

The rest of the students erupted into thunderous applause. Mo Xing slowly raised his head. Honestly, he didn't even remember who these classmates were. He had probably injured them by accident when he lost consciousness, so he felt he owed them an apology too.

"Alright," Teacher Tianqi said. "This is your last combat class before the assessment. You've all got a good grasp of your weapons by now, right?"

"Yes!" the students chorused.

"Teacher Tianqi," Mo Xing whispered, "I haven't really learned how to use a weapon yet..."

"Since Student Mo Xing missed the last two days of class due to some personal matters," Teacher Tianqi paused, "the content of this lesson will be to act as his sparring partners."

"What? Sparring partners?"

"Teacher Tianqi, are you serious?"

"He's so strong, who could possibly beat him?"

"Yes. This will allow Mo Xing to catch up quickly, while also helping you all identify and fix your own weaknesses," Teacher Tianqi explained. "It doesn't matter if you can't beat him individually; you can wear him down through a gauntlet of battles."

"You..." Mo Xing was speechless.

"Sounds good to me! Teacher Tianqi really thought of everything!" the students agreed one after another.

"Wait, then what weapon am I using?"

As soon as Mo Xing spoke, Teacher Tianqi handed him the staff.

"A staff?" Mo Xing asked, puzzled. "Then what class path am I supposed to take in the future?"

"Your explosive power is very strong, though you have shortcomings in other areas. However, you possess the unique ability to control objects. So, I recommend that you become—"

Teacher Tianqi paused.

"An Elemental Mage!"

... ...

"Then how do I cast spells?"

Mo Xing took the staff and gave it a wave.

"Figure it out yourself in battle!" Teacher Tianqi patted Mo Xing's shoulder. "Clear the field!"

The students backed away, forming a large circle, leaving only Mo Xing and Teacher Tianqi standing in the center.

Teacher Tianqi released a variety of weapons from his storage ring and laid them out on the ground. Since the freshmen had not officially chosen their class paths yet, he brought his own weapons for the students to use in every combat class.

"Who's first?" Teacher Tianqi asked.

The students looked at one another. After a moment, a chubby boy stepped out of the crowd.

"Me!" he shouted.

"What weapon do you need?" Teacher Tianqi asked.

"A greatsword," he replied.

"Catch!" Teacher Tianqi pulled a greatsword from the pile and, controlling it with his energy, sent it floating gently toward the student.

The chubby boy caught the greatsword and gave it a few swings.

Mo Xing raised his staff, locking eyes with him.

"Let the match begin!"

At Teacher Tianqi's command, the chubby boy charged at Mo Xing with the greatsword.

He swung the sword down with immense force, and Mo Xing used his staff to block it.

"A staff is not a shield!" Teacher Tianqi shouted.

Mo Xing channeled energy into the staff, unleashing a stream of water to push his opponent back and create distance.

"Flank attack!" Teacher Tianqi called out.

The chubby boy spun instantly, lunging toward Mo Xing's side.

"Rising Earth Slash!"

The chubby boy bellowed, swinging his greatsword upward. A powerful torrent of flame erupted, launching Mo Xing high into the air.

"Holy crap! They already know how to use skills?" Mo Xing adjusted his stance quickly upon hitting the ground.

"Charge Combo!"

The chubby boy rushed forward again, thrusting his sword in a rapid flurry of strikes. Mo Xing dodged continuously, the flames brushing past him each time.

*I can't keep playing defense!*

Mo Xing gathered his energy into the staff. A blue-and-white light flickered in his palm, unleashing multiple pillars of water that pinned the chubby boy in place.

"What's going on?" The boy found his body stiff and unable to move. Just as he tried to swing his greatsword, Mo Xing struck him with the staff, sending him flying five meters back.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mo Xing couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of déjà vu, as if he were playing baseball.

"Next!" Teacher Tianqi shouted.

The next opponent was a girl holding a bow. She looked rather shy, but she fought with incredible ferocity.

However, since she was a girl, Mo Xing hesitated to hit too hard.

Seizing the moment when she was drawing her bow to charge a shot, Mo Xing quickly released a row of water pillars forward, knocking her down to the side.

"Next!" Teacher Tianqi called out.

This next one was interesting—an Elemental Mage, just like Mo Xing. This mirror-match duel drew a burst of cheers from the spectators.

The opponent waved his staff, launching a large fireball. Mo Xing dodged it with a side-step and immediately retaliated with the same trick, casting a massive sphere of water.

The opponent also dodged nimbly, then waved his staff as a faint red glow flickered in his palm.

"Blaze Bomb!"

Suddenly, a barrage of fireball projectiles rained down on Mo Xing from above. Mo Xing quickly summoned a stream of water, forming an umbrella-shaped shield to block the fireballs. Then, he sprinted to his opponent's flank and released a row of spike-like water pillars, knocking the opponent back.

"Next!" Teacher Tianqi called out, glancing at the sweating Mo Xing with a smile.

Just like that, Mo Xing sparred continuously with different opponents, one after another, without a single break.

Finally, in a duel against a battle-axe-wielding Berserker, Mo Xing managed to knock his opponent down, but he also collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily for air.

"Next!" Teacher Tianqi shouted again.

"Wait! We're still going? I'm too exhausted to even stand up!" Mo Xing said wearily.

"Alright, then congratulations to everyone for teaming up to defeat Mo Xing!" Teacher Tianqi declared.

The students cheered in unison.

"You make it sound like I'm some final boss," Mo Xing grumbled helplessly.

"At the same time, we must also congratulate Student Mo Xing for successfully defending his position eleven times in a row!" Teacher Tianqi clapped.

The students applauded, erupting into even louder cheers.

"Way to go, Mo Xing!"

"That was awesome!"

"We're so lucky to know you!"

Mo Xing looked at them in astonishment. This was the first time he had received recognition from so many people. Just then, a strong hand reached down, and Teacher Tianqi appeared above him.

"Why are you still lying there? Get up quickly, I still have to do the end-of-course review in a bit!" Teacher Tianqi smiled.

Mo Xing blinked in confusion, then took Teacher Tianqi's hand and pulled himself up.

"Look at the sky!" a student shouted.

Everyone looked up, and Mo Xing followed their gaze.

"Teacher Longlian!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Teacher Longlian, flying with the Wings of the Dragon God, descended right in front of Mo Xing and exchanged greetings with Teacher Tianqi.

"Here are your study materials!" Teacher Longlian handed Mo Xing a thick stack of bound papers.

"Study materials?" Mo Xing asked.

"The freshman assessment includes a theory exam," Teacher Longlian explained. "During this morning's theory class, I handed out study materials to all the students. Yours was the only one left."

"Ah, I see!" Mo Xing realized. "Thank you, Teacher Longlian, for coming all this way just to deliver this."

"You're welcome. Actually, I came for the end-of-course review anyway. I just brought your materials along," Teacher Longlian said with a smile.

"Everyone, gather around," Teacher Tianqi clapped his hands and continued, "Let's begin the review."

A moment later.

The students stood neatly in several rows, facing Teacher Tianqi and Teacher Longlian.

"First of all, thank you all for your hard work and training over the past few days," Teacher Longlian said. "Teacher Tianqi and I have witnessed your efforts and dedication."

"However, reality is harsh. The freshman assessment in two days will eliminate nearly half of the students," Teacher Tianqi added with a very serious expression.

"What? Eliminate half of us?!" The students were horrified, and Mo Xing was also stunned.

"It's not quite that drastic. Around sixty percent of the freshmen will still be able to stay," Teacher Longlian quickly clarified, shooting Teacher Tianqi a glare to tell him not to scare the students.

"That's still a pretty high elimination rate," a few students sighed.

"As the strongest institution in Aslant, the Sacred Sky Royal Academy isn't a place just anyone can stay in! Whether the pass rate is fifty or sixty percent, I expect you all to show some spirit and face the freshman assessment head-on!" Teacher Tianqi declared.

"Of course, Teacher Tianqi and I wish you all the best in passing the assessment," Teacher Longlian said.

"This is a small gift from us to all of you. These are storage rings, a product of elements and technology combined, which you can use to store your personal belongings."

Teacher Tianqi pulled out a bag and opened it to reveal gleaming rings adorned with dragon patterns.

"Wow!" the students gasped in awe.

"It must have a cool name, right?" Mo Xing asked.

"The Titan Ring!" Teacher Longlian replied.

"It can expand or contract to fit the thickness of anyone's finger, ensuring a comfortable fit. Of course, you can also string it on a cord and wear it around your neck."

"Oh, I see," Mo Xing said.

"Also, each of you come up and choose a weapon, then store it in your Titan Ring," Teacher Tianqi pointed to the pile of weapons nearby.

"Once you've collected yours, you're dismissed," Teacher Longlian said.

Mo Xing had expected everyone to rush forward in a chaotic swarm like they did on the first day of school, but the scene before him took him completely by surprise.

The students queued up in an orderly fashion. After receiving their Titan Rings and weapons, each of them hugged the two teachers and exchanged warm wishes. It felt just like parting with instructors at the end of military training.

During the few days he had spent lying in the hospital, his classmates had not only gained knowledge and mastered their weapons, but they had also become much more polite and disciplined.

How did that saying go again?

Three days apart, and one must look at them in a whole new light!

"Mo Xing! It's your turn!"

Mo Xing snapped out of his thoughts and realized Teacher Longlian was calling his name.

"This is your storage ring," Teacher Longlian said, handing over the Titan Ring. "Make sure to review the theoretical knowledge. Everything in these materials is important!"

"Okay."

Mo Xing took the Titan Ring, thinking that the latter half of that sentence sounded incredibly familiar. It was exactly what his teachers in his past life used to say, but in the end, it was all for the students' own good.

"Mo Xing, your mastery of the elements still needs work," Teacher Tianqi patted his shoulder. "Spend the next two days practicing and figuring things out!"

"I will!" A bright spark flashed in Mo Xing's eyes.