Volume One: The Dragon Soul Awakens Chapter Four: "I Will!"

"Zero... Level Zero."
Mo Xing's eyes seemed vacant, his whole body stiff as he stood there, head bowed, at a loss for what to do.
Shi Yan gazed at him, her small mouth slightly open, saying nothing.
Mian Hua shook his head, unsure what to say.
The Saint Sky Royal Academy, the most prestigious institution in Aslant, actually had a new student with a power level of zero. If this were reported in the news, it would be sensational headlines!
"There's no need to be so gloomy. When you touched the crystal ball earlier, it emitted a faint glow," Teacher Tianqi said quickly, sensing the awkward atmosphere. "At least you still have the possibility to cultivate and improve."
"Exactly! At the very least, you count as an awakened ability user!"
Mian Hua chimed in hurriedly, though he often mocked Mo Xing, now was the time to step up and comfort him.
"But—"
Teacher Tianqi hesitated.
"According to Academy rules, there will be a freshman assessment next week. Only those who pass may stay and continue their studies." He walked over and patted Mo Xing on the shoulder. "Time is tight, weigh your options carefully."
Mian Hua thought, Teacher Tianqi's way of speaking was unique—encouraging students while never forgetting to deal them a blow.
"I will!"
Mo Xing suddenly blurted out, his words clear and resolute, each syllable falling like a stone, deliberately emphasizing those three words.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go now."
Mo Xing shrugged off Teacher Tianqi's hand, running toward the door without looking back.
"Mo Xing!"
Shi Yan called after him, but he did not respond.
"Mo Xing seems off. I'll go check on him."
Shi Yan tossed her shoulder bag into Mian Hua's hands and ran toward the door.
"Wait, what about these things?" Mian Hua pointed at the three large suitcases beside him.
"Take the luggage back to the dorm first. I'll get them from you later," Shi Yan said, disappearing through the doorway.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Teacher Tianqi passed by Mian Hua, smiling, and Mian Hua responded with a silly face.

Under the setting sun.
Mo Xing lay flat on a grassy slope, eyes shut tight, reflecting: whether in the past or in this new world, he was always so useless, powerless to change anything. Tears slipped down his face.
"Actually, your potential just hasn't been unlocked."
Suddenly, a girl's voice broke into his thoughts. Mo Xing opened his eyes to see a white dress fluttering in the wind, gently brushing against his cheek. Looking up, he found Shi Yan standing beside him. Startled, Mo Xing quickly rolled over and wiped away his shameful tears with his arm.
"So... sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," Shi Yan apologized upon seeing him turn.
"No... not at all!" Mo Xing said, climbing up from the grass after wiping his tears. "I just wanted to roll over, that's all."
Their eyes met, silent for two seconds.
"You..."
Shi Yan finally spoke. Mo Xing suddenly realized his eyes must be swollen from crying.
"I... I wasn't crying!" Mo Xing hurriedly defended himself. "A real man doesn't shed tears over something like this!"
"Actually, I meant to say..." Shi Yan pointed, "You really know how to pick a spot!"
Mo Xing followed her gesture. A splendid evening glow unfolded before him—
A crimson sunset pierced through the Academy's tall buildings, weaving beams of colored light that draped the lawn in an orange bridal gown. Beneath that scarlet, a flock of tired pigeons glided home, their soft calls echoing.
"It's... it's beautiful."
Mo Xing stared at the resplendent sunset, unable to find words to describe it.
He wished to recite a poem, but all that came to mind were lines like "The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it is close to dusk," which hardly fit the mood.
"Yes, watching the sunset is truly a pleasure."
Shi Yan nodded in response.

A gentle evening breeze stirred, tousling the hair of the boy and girl as they watched the sun sink behind the tall buildings—how peaceful it was!
"Sit down, let's talk," Shi Yan said, tidying the grass at her feet before sitting.
"Alright," Mo Xing sat down beside her.
"Talk about anything you'd like," Shi Yan said earnestly. "It's just the two of us here."
"Ah..." Mo Xing blushed again.
"If you have worries, just share them," Shi Yan turned to him. "It helps to speak your mind!"
"Then... alright." Mo Xing paused, then continued, "Why do you think I still have hope?"
"Because when you said 'I will' earlier, I could hear the unwavering resolve in your words." Shi Yan smiled. "Deep down, you still believe you can do it."
"Though I think that way, I haven't made any progress," Mo Xing sighed. "I wish I could be like a novel protagonist—shout a few passionate lines and suddenly break through."
"You are the protagonist!" Shi Yan exclaimed.
"Huh?" Mo Xing was stunned.
"You are the protagonist of your own life!" Shi Yan leaned closer, shouting excitedly, "Whether or not you have talent, you must maintain a good mindset, seize every opportunity, constantly improve yourself, meet new friends, and make the right choices at the crossroads of fate. Only then can you deliver the most brilliant reversal in your life's script!"
The afterglow of sunset fell upon their faces. Mo Xing saw tears rolling down Shi Yan's cheeks. It was the first time he'd seen a girl so moved, crying for him, and the feeling in his heart was indescribable—perhaps pain, perhaps something else.
Mo Xing wanted to wipe Shi Yan's tears, but she stopped him.
"I'm not feeling well; I'll return to the dorm," Shi Yan choked out, then continued, "Your dorm is in the Lane Apartments; follow the signs and you'll find it. If memory serves, the room number should be 198."
With that, Shi Yan rose from the grass, took a few steps, paused, and tossed back a final line:
"Someone has to stage a comeback—why can't it be you?"
Time seemed to stand still. That sentence echoed in Mo Xing's mind. He watched Shi Yan walk away, a smile slowly spreading across his face, and he shouted toward her:
"I will!"
Shi Yan paused in the distance, then continued onward.
"I will! I definitely will!"
Shi Yan didn't turn back, pressing forward.
"I will! I will stage a comeback!"
Shi Yan still didn't turn, vanishing from sight.
Mo Xing shouted with all his might, and letting his feelings out felt exhilarating—he felt the pressure drain away, leaving him much lighter.
As night deepened, he looked up at the sky, stars beginning to emerge. Mo Xing thought:
Someday, he too would become one of those stars—no, the brightest of them all! He was certain he could do it!

Following the signs, Mo Xing found the Lane Apartments. From afar, it looked like an ordinary red building, but as he approached, he sensed an extraordinary aura—as if a dragon lay beneath the earth, guarding the apartment with its strength, filling him with a reassuring feeling.
"198, 198," Mo Xing muttered, searching for the room number. There seemed to be no dorm manager here, and the room numbers were not in order, so he had to look one by one.
"Huh?"
Mo Xing was drawn to a small plaque hanging at the door. Four bold letters read: "Time Tunnel."
"So it's this one!" Mo Xing moved the plaque aside, revealing the room number: 198.
"Ugh—I'm exhausted!"
Turning at the sound, Mo Xing saw a crew-cut young man with two large bags approaching.
"Hello, need any help?"
Mo Xing went over and greeted him.
"Thanks, just a couple more steps to the dorm." The crew-cut boy was first surprised, then smiled. "You're a freshman, right? I don't think I've seen you before."
"Yes." Mo Xing nodded and introduced himself. "I'm Mo Xing, first-year."
"Nice, I'm Cai Hong, second-year." The crew-cut boy smiled politely. "If you need help, come find me—I'm in the next dorm."
"Okay, thanks, senior." Mo Xing replied.
"I'm off then! See you next time!" Cai Hong, carrying his bags, strode away with a laugh.
"Alright, see you next time!" Mo Xing waved.

After bidding farewell to Cai Hong, Mo Xing knocked on the door—no response. He knocked again, and finally the door opened. Mian Hua peeked out.
"So late! I thought you went and jumped in the lake!" Mian Hua scoffed. "Come in!"
"I'm not that fragile," Mo Xing said.
"This is our dorm: a living room, a big bedroom, a bathroom, and a balcony," Mian Hua explained. "All the essentials are here."
"It's pretty spacious," Mo Xing looked around, thinking it was much better than his old school dorm.
"This is just the standard dorm—" Mian Hua hadn't finished when someone knocked at the door again.
Mo Xing and Mian Hua turned to see Cai Hong entering with his things.
"Cai Hong..." Mo Xing was surprised.
"Hey, long time no see!" Cai Hong noticed Mo Xing as well.
"You two know each other?" Mian Hua looked at them.
A moment passed.
"I told you! Hanging a plaque at the door made me search for the dorm half the day!" Cai Hong complained.
"If I didn't hang a plaque, you'd get lost again, wouldn't you?" Mian Hua retorted.
"Mian Hua, your head must be stuffed with cotton!" Cai Hong laughed.
"Cai Hong, you know, you're like a rainbow—bright and colorful!" Mian Hua said coldly.
"Um, excuse me..." Mo Xing, who hadn't joined the argument, suddenly spoke up.
"Mo Xing! You judge—who's right here?" Mian Hua and Cai Hong spoke in unison.
"Grrrrr~"
Mian Hua and Cai Hong frowned, looking at Mo Xing.
"I haven't eaten dinner. Do you guys have any food?" Mo Xing asked, clutching his stomach.
"Never thought you'd be so clever—stocking up on food for the dorm," Mian Hua said, gnawing on a chicken leg.
"The cafeteria's so far, who wants to run back and forth?" Cai Hong said, drinking a beverage. "Stock up—it's more convenient!"
Mo Xing, full and watching the lively scene, felt that this world was rather interesting. Even the wine here was strong—just a sip left him tipsy. Clearly, he wasn't suited for drinking.
"I'm dizzy... off to bed." Things blurred in Mo Xing's eyes, voices faded, and he slipped into sleep.
When Mo Xing woke again, he found himself in bed, someone had covered him with a blanket, and the clock on the wall read 5:30 AM. Unable to sleep, he decided to get up and train.
"Mian... Mian Hua, the teacher's coming to catch you, run..." Passing Cai Hong's bed, Mo Xing heard him mumbling in his sleep.
"Cai... Cai Hong, don't let that girl trick you again..." Passing Mian Hua's bed, he heard the same.
Mo Xing smiled—a familiar feeling.
Under the same roof, the few of them bantered endlessly, but when it mattered, they'd help each other, hoping for the other's well-being. That's dormitory camaraderie!

In front of Lane Apartment's main entrance.
Mo Xing focused, channeling energy into his right hand. A faint glow rose, but soon dissipated.
"I will! I can do it!"
Mo Xing concentrated again, preparing to gather his strength.
Suddenly, a hand patted his shoulder from behind, startling him into a shout:
"A ghost!"
"Shush! Young man, keep it down," a hoarse voice came from behind. "Don't disturb the other students' rest."
Mo Xing turned around and found—
"Mr. Shen!"