"What happened... Boss?"
When Lu Mingfei regained his senses, he realized he was nearly a hundred meters from where he'd been before. Chu Zijian and Caesar stood beside him. Morin leaned against a tree trunk, breathing hard.
"I saw things going south, so I grabbed the Headmaster and dragged you guys over," Morin said between breaths. "Who were those two?"
"The King of Bronze and Fire," Caesar replied, "and a suspected King of Oceans and Water."
He raised his gun instinctively, then remembered how Norton had intercepted a high-caliber round earlier and stopped. He looked at Morin. "Just now... was that Time Zero?"
"No. Different," Morin shook his head. "That was just my speed. I've never pushed it that far before. That's why I'm wiped."
Maintain the image, Morin thought calmly. Actor Morin is online.
"No wonder..." Chu Zijian and Caesar nodded.
"Uh... am I the only one who didn't follow that?" Lu Mingfei raised a hand weakly. "Isn't Time Zero just being fast? Does it actually mess with time? That feels like a straight-up bug."
Despite his poor grasp of physics, Lu Mingfei understood the difference between throwing a fireball and altering time. One could barely be explained through science-at least according to Morin's usual explanations during downtime. Hybrids and dragons could manipulate forms of energy humans couldn't directly access.
Through Spirits, they gathered that energy and expressed it in different ways. The effect depended on the energy type, the structure, and individual affinity.
Lu Mingfei hadn't understood at first.
Then Morin had said, "Think Pokémon. Hybrids are Pokémon, Spirits are moves, Level is intensity, and PP is usage."
Instant comprehension.
But time was different.
If you affected time, did it change the whole world? Or just one area? And if time flowed differently in one region than the surroundings, what happened at the boundary?
"Time Zero creates a domain centered on the user," Caesar explained. "Within it, the user's speed increases, while others' speeds can be controlled-slowed or accelerated at will. It lets the user slow enemies and speed themselves up. At high mastery levels, it's almost like time stopping."
He paused.
"The Headmaster is the absolute authority in this field. Once his domain opens, unless you're S-rank or have a comparable speed-type Spirit, you can't resist."
"And pure self-acceleration?" Lu Mingfei asked.
"The classic example is the Spirit 'Moment,'" Caesar continued. "It massively boosts speed, but the physical cost is insane. You also need extreme conditioning. Most importantly, at that speed, normal people don't even have time to think."
"So Time Zero is basically a time stop?" Lu Mingfei blurted out.
"I know where your thoughts are going," Morin said, patting Lu Mingfei's shoulder before he could finish the sentence that might somehow get him penalized tomorrow for 'entering the classroom with the wrong foot'. "But someone like the Headmaster wouldn't use it for that."
"True," Lu Mingfei nodded thoughtfully. "Even at that age, he's got class..."
The first phrase that came to mind resurfaced.
"Top-tier old guy. A universal heartthrob-girls, women, even grandmas."
"While you're praising him," Chu Zijian said flatly, "shouldn't you consider that the Headmaster is still over there fighting two Dragon Kings?"
They couldn't see clearly. Only clusters of sparks lit up the distance.
"We can't do much," Morin said. "King's Flame just feeds the King of Bronze and Fire, and bullets are useless. Right now, only physical force works-and testing strength against two dragons is suicide unless you have the Headmaster's speed."
His pupils flickered faintly gold.
"And that pile of water... the Headmaster can't deal effective damage to him. As for the King of Bronze and Fire, the pocketknife he's using is probably made from special alchemical metal, so it isn't under Norton's control-but it still can't break his defense."
"So... he can't win?" Lu Mingfei raised his hand.
"To be precise," Morin said calmly, "neither side intends to fight to the death."
He tactfully left out the part about the Headmaster likely venting frustration after losing face and trying to reclaim some dignity.
"So we just... watch?" Caesar paced restlessly.
"Why do you think Professor Schneider evacuated the students?" Chu Zijian replied. "If they really went all out without preparation, it would be a massacre."
Within the Time Zero domain, Angat swung his pocketknife.
The Waterman's limbs shattered-but water couldn't truly be cut.
Angat didn't bother attacking Norton. Norton's skin had already turned a dark iron-blue. Angat had tested it earlier, slashing at his neck. The blade sparked and left no mark. He'd wisely given up.
"That's enough, isn't it?" the Waterman said. "Headmaster Angat, you can see we have no intention of harming anyone."
"Quiet," Angat replied. "Let me get a few more swings in. You won't get hurt anyway. And I lost a lot of face being kidnapped by you."
"Time to leave?" Norton's face was dark-not from pain, but from the defensive Spirit coating him. His entire body was iron-blue now. He had no interest in lingering.
As a Dragon King, wasting time here was beneath him.
"I agree," the Waterman said softly. "I look forward to our next meeting, Headmaster Angat. And that boy earlier... he was quite good. I nearly didn't react in time. He has plenty of room to grow."
A pause.
"If he needs help in the future, I might be able to provide some. Preventing Deathtrap transformation, perhaps..."
He laughed lightly, scooped up Norton and the bone jar, and departed at astonishing speed.
"Hahaha! Headmaster Angat is indeed strong! I look forward to seeing you again!"
Angat stopped.
He stood there, silent, watching them leave.
"The Headmaster really doesn't know how to play the role," Morin sighed, slapping his thigh.
"What role?" Lu Mingfei asked immediately.
"At a moment like this, you need to pose."
"...What kind of pose?"
"Simple. The enemy acknowledged the Headmaster's strength, right?"
"Yeah."
"No clear winner. That means it's a draw between equals."
"Makes sense."
"So you stand there, hands behind your back, straight posture, blank expression, and wait for the wind to blow your clothes."
"...That's the Grandmaster vibe."
"Unfortunately, he's wearing a suit. Wind won't help."
"So that's pointless."
"Not at all. The appearance is secondary. The substance matters."
"Then how do you get the substance?"
"Easy. Speak."
"Speak?"
"Mm."
"What do you say?"
"You stand there, watching them leave, and say-'King of Bronze and Fire. King of Oceans and Water. Not bad.'"
"That's way too much posing."
"They're already gone. Who's going to hear it?"
"Makes sense."
"Makes sense."
Lu Mingfei and another voice spoke in unison.
"Hello, Headmaster."
Everyone stiffened.
Angat was already standing beside them, appearing at some unknown point.
"Hello, students," Angat said with a smile. He looked at Morin. "Well done."
"...Is there a scholarship?" Morin asked immediately, eyes almost glowing.
"...There is," Angat replied after a pause. "As a freshman without formal training, you've already achieved remarkable results. I'll have it fast-tracked. Lu Mingfei's as well."
"I planned to discuss this over tea in my office," he added, "but I didn't expect so much to happen."
"Noma reported that the King of Bronze and Fire possessed an unregistered Black Card," Chu Zijian said. "That's how they entered through the Library-the one place we assumed was impossible."
He was clearly trying to reduce the fallout for Professor Schneider.
After all, who could have predicted an unregistered Black Card? That was on the same level as 'the Emperor revolting'.
"...I'll investigate this," Angat said after a moment. "And I hope you won't discuss it externally. This likely involves matters neither students nor professors should be dragged into."
Lu Mingfei looked around-then realized Angat was staring straight at him.
"Don't worry, Headmaster!" he blurted. "I'm great at keeping secrets! Even at gunpoint!"
"Is that because you're confident you can kill them before they pull the trigger?" Angat smiled. "I'm not picking on you, Lu Mingfei. I know you're a good kid."
He paused.
"But your roommate worries me when it comes to secrets..."
Caesar went silent.
Good kid? he thought.
A guy who planned to win Day of Liberty by killing everyone-including allies-and actually killed his own leader... was a good kid?
Is the bar that low?
Or is the person saying it a violent lunatic?
After watching Angat hack away at two Dragon Kings earlier, Caesar reached enlightenment.
Don't be fooled by the gentlemanly appearance.
Calling Angat a violent lunatic would be praise.
"Finger..." Lu Mingfei muttered, suddenly understanding.
"Yes," Angat nodded. "Many interesting forum posts come from him. I looked into it."
"Mingfei! Mingfei!"
A frantic voice made Lu Mingfei flinch.
Professor Guderian came running over in a combat suit that emphasized his belly.
"Mingfei, why are you here?! Freshmen shouldn't be involved in combat like this! It's dangerous! I'm still counting on you to help me get tenure!"
He looked like he was about to cry.
"Is it okay to say that in front of the Headmaster?" Lu Mingfei whispered.
"Even the Headmaster-ah! Hello, Headmaster!" Guderian finally noticed Angat mid-sentence.
"Professor Guderian, yes?" Angat nodded, briefly glancing at the prominent belly.
"Um-Headmaster," Guderian inhaled hard, trying to suck it in. "Professor Schneider has evacuated everyone to the underground shelter. The nuclear device is ready."
"Our school has a nuke?!" Lu Mingfei nearly bit his tongue.
"I think the important part is that they plan to detonate it nearby," Morin added calmly.
"You actually planned to use a nuke here?!" Lu Mingfei was horrified. "I thought the mini-nuke during Day of Liberty was a prop!"
"When did we get a nuke?" Angat asked, shocked.
"You didn't know?" Lu Mingfei was stunned.
"The Equipment Department said they made it as a backup when they were bored," Guderian whispered. "You approved it."
Angat rubbed his chin. "Now that you mention it... I think I did sign something."
"You sign documents like that without reading them?" Lu Mingfei felt short of breath.
He'd thought the school was nice-scholarships, Chinese speakers, generous funding.
Now it seemed every single one of these reptilians had violent tendencies.