Chapter 7

Chapter 7

With so many eyes upon him, Lin Fu believed the principal wouldn't be able to swallow his pride and send him away.

After bowing, he entered the cockpit.

He sat quietly in the cockpit, hands pressed against the control panel, his mind linking with the mech.

The mech's field of vision could encompass every person on the ground.

The noisy chatter of the crowd gradually ceased, their gazes fixated unwaveringly on the pitch-black mech, attempting to discern any trace of movement.

Lin Fu closed his eyes in the cockpit, mentally counting down the time.

About half a minute passed, and the mech remained motionless.

The sentinels, who had harbored a sliver of hope for a miracle, abandoned their struggle, compromising, "After all, he's a guide. Moreover, without psychic power, how could he possibly pilot a combat mech?"

"Should we console him if he comes out crying later?"

"Who's going? Be careful or the principal will beat you up! Even though the pretty boy can control himself not to strike, he can still knock you out with a single punch."

The scars on Karl's face twisted as he barked, "What's all this noise! Silence! If you're so idle, go and give me extra training!"

The young sentinels around him instantly quieted down like subdued chickens.

Bazell also looked at the mech with a hint of regret.

He had seen the diligence of the boy over the past month. However, the physical disparity between a guide and a sentinel was insurmountable, an effort too hard to...

Too hard to...

The mech's fingers twitched slightly.

Bazell's train of thought was abruptly cut off as he stared at the mech's palm pressing against the ground.

Karl, sensing something, immediately turned his head.

In front of the gigantic mech, even the strongest humans seemed as tiny and fragile as ants.

The dark steel giant, propping itself up on one hand, slowly rose to its feet, stepping over the circle formed by the crowd, and after a few paces, slowly bowed its head as if scrutinizing the tiny humans on the ground.

This was a scene witnessed every day on the training ground.

Countless mech giants would run and even battle each other, their movements far more intense and thrilling than these calm steps.

Yet, the person inside the mech now was a guide, and that made all the difference in perception.

Karl gazed intently at the pitch-black mech, trying to lock eyes with the person inside through the dense layers of metal, longing to understand his thoughts.

He asked, "Bazell, when did he learn to pilot a mech?"

Bazell was much more astonished: "I have no idea."

Karl let out a deep sigh, turned on his heel, and strode away without waiting for Bazell to inquire about what to do next. A faint voice floated back, "Take him to complete the remaining procedures, train with this year's freshmen. You're in charge."

Bazell immediately saluted, "Yes, sir!"

By the time Lin Fu jumped out of the cockpit, Karl's silhouette was nowhere to be seen.

However, he had heard Karl's words while inside the mech, and his heart finally settled, his expression much more relaxed.

Bazell approached with long strides, intending to pat him on the shoulder, but his large hand awkwardly curved mid-air, "You did well! From now on, you'll officially start training with the first-year students, but you're half a year behind and will need to work doubly hard, understand?"

Lin Fu nodded, "Rest assured, I'll catch up."

Bazell was even more pleased and asked, "By the way, when did you learn to pilot a mech? How come I've never seen you successfully operate one?"

Lin Fu replied, "Perhaps I've adapted to the feel of piloting a mech."

His answer seemed unobjectionable at the moment, and the instructor didn't ponder further, leading him to complete the full set of enrollment procedures.

A group of students followed closely behind.

"Teacher, which class will the new student join?"

"Come to Class B5, hehe, everyone will take good care of a guide."

"Get lost! Of course, he should come to Class C9. Our class has the slowest progress and the lowest intensity. How could a guide adapt to the training intensity in other classes?"

The noisy rabble of young sentinels gave Bazell a headache. He turned around and, catching them off guard, kicked one of them. The sentinels, too noisy to notice, got kicked squarely and yelped while clutching their behinds, "Teacher, why'd you kick me!"

Bazell sneered, "Believe me, not only can I kick you, but I can also whip you!"

He barked, "All of you, get lost!"

Seeing that he was genuinely enraged, the group finally scampered away, tails between their legs.

Lin Fu followed Bazell into the academic affairs office to complete his enrollment. The person in charge kept sizing Lin Fu up, incredulous that a perfectly good guide would willingly sign up for military academy.

After entering his basic information, the officer asked Lin Fu to follow him to an indoor station to record all his genetic and iris data. However, when it came time to record his spirit entity information, there was an awkward pause.

Lin Fu calmly stated, "I don't have one."

The officer blurted out a response before remembering why Lin Fu was famous and how he had appeared before the eyes of the entire interstellar community.

He looked apologetically at Lin Fu, intending to apologize for his unintentional offense, but realized Lin Fu was indifferent.

Having a spirit entity or not seemed utterly inconsequential to him.

This was so unlike a guide. Any other guide would feel upset or saddened if reminded of their lack of a spirit entity, even if they didn't show anger, they would still display some emotion.

Feeling uneasy under the officer's gaze, Lin Fu politely asked, "Teacher, are we done?"

"All done, all done. Your access will be fully granted in two hours. Have you decided which class you want to join? My recommendation is Class C9. The curriculum is relatively more relaxed than other classes, and most of the sentinels there aren't aiming for the battlefield in the future..."

Lin Fu agreed, "Okay."

The officer, who was about to continue persuading, was taken aback, "...?"

Just like that? He agreed so easily without any argument?

"Well then... you can go back with Teacher Bazell. We will arrange the rest."

Lin Fu nodded his thanks and left with a spring in his step.

He was in high spirits.

Artemis Military Academy's class system is based on grade elimination. The strongest and most outstanding cadets are in Class A1, while those eliminated for poor performance end up in Class C9. This elimination and classification system continues until the fourth year, with a major training session each month. The results of these sessions, combined with regular training performance, determine the final class placement.

It seems cruel; everyone faces the daily pressure of being relegated to a lower class. Yet it's the most rational approach. Clear distinctions allow the most capable individuals to be sent to the front lines, reducing the chances of soldier fatalities and preserving the strongest combat forces against the Bug race.

By the fifth year, those in Class C will leave the military academy to attend branch schools for other skills, preparing for their future integration into society. Only Classes A and B will continue training, and classes will be fixed, no longer subject to reclassification, to foster a spirit of unity and cooperation among the cadets.

So, no matter which class Lin Fu chooses now, it doesn't make a big difference.

His current physique couldn't keep up with the training intensity of Classes A and B anyway. It's better to start from Class C9 and gradually adapt to the training intensity.

His plan was clear in his mind, so clear that the system lurking in his brain couldn't help but interject, [Host, please remember your mission.]

Lin Fu: "..." That was a close call.

The system, on the verge of anger, exclaimed, "There's no chance of saving anyone with the training at the military academy. Even if you want to strengthen your physique, you need energy to enhance it."

Lin Fu replied, "I know. I'll plan to take leave every month to try."

Lin Fu, suddenly curious, asked, "That person I saved last time, you mentioned he wasn't ordinary and had much more energy than most. What's the grading rule? Do military academy students count as ordinary people?"

The system, pleased he was finally taking the mission seriously, earnestly responded, "Most sentinels in Class A have relatively more energy, but just slightly. The one with the most is your principal. Actually, your childhood friend isn't bad either; his energy is not less than that of Class A sentinels. He’ll surely be an excellent guide in the future. He's promising, so, Host..."

Lin Fu interjected, "Oh."

Lin Fu remarked, "Pretty impressive."

The system seized the opportunity, "So, Host, you..."

Lin Fu cut in, "I think we can take a trip out now. We might bump into someone having a sudden emergency."

The system: "..."

Lin Fu really did ask the instructor for leave and strolled out of the academy.

Along the way, he encountered two sentinels who, upon learning he could take leave, shed envious tears that flowed down the corners of their mouths.

Without a specific plan in mind, Lin Fu arranged to meet Shang Jiarui.

Upon learning he had truly stayed at the military academy, Shang Jiarui was so agitated he wished he could dive into Lin Fu’s head to see what on earth he was thinking!

What kind of guide enrolls in a school full of sentinels, aspiring to go to the frontlines no less!?

That’s a sentinel’s duty, alright?

Knowing he couldn't explain it clearly in a short time and not expecting Shang to grasp it quickly, Lin Fu didn’t mind sharing some of his decisions with Shang Jiarui, the only friend from his past life who truly cared for him and the only friend he currently trusted.

To his surprise, Shang Jiarui accepted it much faster than he had anticipated.

After his initial outburst, Shang deflated, sat back on the sofa, and took a big sip of his juice, "Forget it, you’re doing quite well now. Maybe this is actually the best choice."

Lin Fu raised an eyebrow, "What made you change your mind?"

Jiang Jiarui gave him a look that wasn't quite a look, with an expression that was neither here nor there: “What can I do? Should I go to your principal and ask him not to accept you, or should I tell the Lin family that you’ve gone mad with the idea of joining the military?”

Jiang Jiarui said, “The Lin family doesn’t want to be involved, I know that much. If you insist on attending a military academy, at least those sentinels won’t dare to bully you.”

After he finished speaking, he suddenly came to his senses: “No, that’s not right! That place is full of sentinels! You must be careful. If you encounter any thugs, you must tell your teachers and have them severely punished!”

Lin Fu laughed lightly: “They wouldn’t dare.”

Jiang Jiarui rolled his eyes at him, assuming his mind was already muddled and that his words were merely nonsensical blather.

Before leaving, he bought a bunch of anti-wolf devices and, regardless of Lin Fu’s consent, forcibly stuffed them into his storage bracelet.

Looking at the filled-up storage space and then thinking about his own bank account, Lin Fu felt a strong urge to punch someone.

After they parted ways, and with nightfall still far off, Lin Fu browsed on his light-computer for a bit before catching a star rail to tour the imperial capital star, soaking in the local culture and customs.

The passengers alighted one after another, leaving only one person in the last car with him.

The man was dressed in black, with decorative glasses perched on his face, a very ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

He stood up and started walking towards Lin Fu.

For some reason, Lin Fu felt a sudden shiver down his spine. He abruptly withdrew his gaze from the window and watched the man’s movements intently, his muscles tensing up gradually.

His gaze swept over the man's glasses, commanding his system to try and scan the man’s face.