Love NPC in Nightmare Game - Chapter 145

Chapter 145: New Student 5

 

Someone immediately raised an objection, because the instructor read out those teams that were ranked after the top few dozen, so how could they suddenly jump to the top few positions.

 

The instructor looked at the student raising the objection below, raising his eyebrows slightly: “The top ten displayed on the neural implant are actually the teams with the highest scores in history. Unfortunately, you did not break the top ten score records, so your actual rankings start from the eleventh place.”

 

There was a clamor in the hall, and everyone did not understand why it was set up this way. However, many teams also felt pleasantly surprised because, calculated this way, their rankings had also risen by ten places.

 

“The pursuit of victory is human nature, but you also need to act within your capabilities. As military academy students, the most important thing is to complete the mission based on confirming your team’s strength. How many of you disregarded your teammates’ physical conditions for the sake of entering the top ten? How many of you calculated the time and planned to return at the last minute, only to miss the deadline because you couldn’t find the base?”

 

Many new students turned red in the face, woo~ that was referring to them.

 

“Never mind, I won’t say much more. You all go back and reflect on this. Afterward, write a report on this training exercise, no less than ten thousand words.”

 

The new students immediately let out a chorus of wails.

 

In contrast, the teams that entered the top ten and the other new students formed a stark contrast, with not even a ten-thousand-word report able to wipe the smiles off their faces.

 

“Zhou Zhou, does this mean that the few teams ranked ahead of us all perished, so we became the first?” A teammate couldn’t help but confirm with Zhou Zhou.

 

Zhou Zhou also didn’t expect them to get first place, his eyes curved into crescents: “Yup!”

 

The rewards for the top ten would be awarded only after returning to the academy, so the new students of the First Military University, including Zhou Zhou, left the Wilderness Planet on a spacecraft that day.

 

After returning to the First Military University and tidying up his dormitory, Zhou Zhou received a notification to attend the award ceremony.

 

Dressed in his newly issued black military uniform, Zhou Zhou immediately set out for Training Ground No. 1.

 

Finding his class’s formation in the training ground, Zhou Zhou, who had not participated in the earlier training, could only stand at the very back.

 

Duan Yu stood in the middle of the formation, his mind somewhat distracted as he glanced around from time to time. Upon spotting Zhou Zhou, his eyes lit up, and he immediately made his way through the crowd to stand beside him.

 

“Zhou Zhou, you’re here.”

 

During the previous wilderness training, they had worn training suits convenient for movement. Now, dressed uniformly in black military uniforms, the youthful boys and girls, in the prime of their youth, each exuded a heroic and brilliant aura. They looked valiant and gorgeous.

 

Zhou Zhou had an excellent shoulder-to-waist ratio, and the somber black military uniform lent him a dignified and imposing air, accentuating his fair complexion and making him appear even more radiant. Under the blazing sun, his delicate features seemed even more exquisite, his unique demeanor standing in stark contrast to the slightly immature aura of the other new students.

 

Many new students around him also noticed Zhou Zhou, frequently glancing back at him. Although they didn’t know him, his outstanding looks were too striking, causing the hearts of many new students to flutter.

 

If the ceremony hadn’t been about to start, there would probably have been quite a few people approaching him to strike up a conversation.

 

Among them, there were also many who recognized Duan Yu, for as an arrogant and bullying rascal, he had already made himself known to many new students during the month of entrance training.

 

Seeing Duan Yu walk directly toward that unfamiliar, handsome new student, and considering his usual behavior, many people thought he was going to pick a fight. But to their surprise, he acted in a way that made their jaws drop.

 

The usually disdainful Duan Yu, who always spoke in a provocative manner, behaved with unusual gentleness, even carrying a hint of ingratiation.

 

Was he… possessed by a spirit?

 

Zhou Zhou greeted Duan Yu naturally, considering the matter settled since they had already cleared things up.

 

“I heard that there will be an important figure attending this award ceremony,” Duan Yu said in a low voice, using his gaze to drive away those who were sneaking glances at Zhou Zhou.

 

The teachers had already taken the stage, but Zhou Zhou divided his attention to listen while also asking, “What important figure?”

 

“I don’t know, I couldn’t find out. But if even I couldn’t uncover it, they must be someone of no small importance.”

 

As the two were discussing in hushed tones, the teacher on stage had already swiftly concluded the opening speech and asked the team that had won first place in the wilderness training to come on stage.

 

Zhou Zhou and the other members of Squad 57 made their way through the crowd and stood on the stage.

 

In addition to credits, the top ten teams would receive special rewards, with the first place team receiving the best reward. However, the academy had never disclosed what the reward for first place would be.

 

Zhou Zhou noticed that the teacher beside them seemed even more excited than they were, their fingers slightly trembling. Just as he was wondering what was going on with the teacher, he heard them say that the person presenting the award to the first place team would be the Imperial Emperor.

 

Abruptly raising his head, Zhou Zhou looked around in surprise to find that at some point, Alvia had been approaching from afar.

 

His eyes unconsciously softened with a smile as he gazed at Alvia’s gradual approach. In his eyes, he could only see the person who was also looking at him, while his teammates on stage, the students below, and the Royal Guard behind Alvia all became a blurred background.

 

When the teacher mentioned the identity of the person, the entire training ground fell silent for a moment, as everyone thought they had heard wrong. After all, His Majesty never participated in such events, let alone a small training ceremony for new students.

 

It was only when His Majesty’s figure came into view that everyone realized this was real.

 

The previously quiet training ground instantly erupted into a commotion, with excitement and elation written across everyone’s faces as they fixed their gazes on His Majesty, who was steadily approaching the stage, their eyes unwilling to even blink.

 

Zhou Zhou’s teammates on either side were even more excited, to the point of almost fainting. His Majesty was personally going to present the award to them, oh my goodness, they could brag about this for a lifetime!

 

The ten of them received different rewards. The students from the mech department received mechs, those from the botany department received three extremely rare and seldom-seen plant seedlings, while the others also received things most suitable for themselves.

 

Alvia handed the rewards one by one to the new students. Although he remained expressionless and didn’t utter a word, simply passing them on to the next after handing them out, each new student’s expression was one of dreamlike wonder as they reverently held onto their rewards, feeling as if they were still dreaming and hadn’t woken up.

 

They would pass these rewards down to the next generation!

 

The mechs were stored in spatial containers, with each of the mech department students’ containers being different, but all were nonetheless portable.

 

Zhao Yijie’s was a bracelet, Duan Yu’s was a necklace, while Zhou Zhou’s was a simple silver-white ring.

 

Alvia handed the bracelet to Zhao Yijie and the necklace to Duan Yu. When it was Zhou Zhou’s turn, his movements slowed down.

 

Placing the silver-white ring in Zhou Zhou’s palm, Alvia gazed into his lover’s clear, bright amber eyes and said slowly, “Congratulations.”

 

Zhou Zhou gripped the ring, the silver-white ring seeming to absorb the warmth from Alvia’s fingertips, its presence undeniable. He beamed a radiant smile at Alvia: “Thank you.”

 

Their actions were not particularly secretive, yet they went completely unnoticed by the surrounding people in their frenzy. No one perceived the unusual atmosphere between the two.

 

Alvia only presented awards to the ten first-place students. The new students who placed second to tenth pounded their chests in regret, lamenting that they hadn’t secured first place, or else they would have been the ones receiving the award from His Majesty himself.

 

This award ceremony ignited a craze for diligent studying. Whether it was combat training or theoretical exams, every aspect became extremely competitive, with the rivalry between students greatly enhancing the overall strength of the academy, leaving the principal grinning from ear to ear.

 

After the award ceremony, Zhou Zhou disappeared.

 

He went to find Alvia. As both an alumnus and the emperor, Alvia had his own residence on campus, with a higher level of secrecy and privacy than the student dormitories, an independent small building.

 

Although it hadn’t been lived in for a long time, the small building was always kept clean and tidy, ready for occupancy at any time.

 

Zhou Zhou animatedly recounted to Alvia the events that had occurred during the wilderness training, while the other silently listened. Only when he heard about Duan Yu’s confession did a glimmer of ambiguous darkness flicker in Alvia’s eyes.

 

The First Military Academy invited the Imperial Emperor every year to participate in various events and ceremonies, but had never received a response, with the academy only following protocol out of habit.

 

Yet this time, they unexpectedly received a positive response, with His Majesty even agreeing to attend the new student award ceremony, an unprecedented first. Everyone had initially thought His Majesty would only make a brief appearance before leaving after the award ceremony. But midday, they received notification that in the afternoon, he would also be providing guidance to the new students during mech training.

 

The principal could already picture the prosperous recruitment the academy would have next year.

 

Since most new students had never actually encountered mechs in reality, the guidance would have to take place in the virtual world.

 

Although Alvia had studied artificial intelligence, no one would doubt his expertise in mechs, considering he had been battling on the frontlines since his early teens. Teaching a few new students who had never even participated in real combat was practically child’s play for him.

 

Students from other grades were extremely envious of this batch of new students, who were the only ones to receive personal guidance from His Majesty, especially those from the mech department, who had already started boasting around everywhere.

 

The students logged into the game “Battle to the Top,” which topped the competitive mech rankings. During mech training, all schools utilized the virtual mode, with essentially every student having their own account. Some new students had even reached very high levels in this game.

 

A room was opened in the mech area of the virtual world. The new students from the mech department had arrived early, while students from other departments and grades were also able to enter without restrictions to observe, as the rooms in the virtual space could expand infinitely. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t have been able to accommodate so many people.

 

Alvia used the lowest-level mech, the type used by new players just entering the game. It was extremely fragile, without any weapons. The other new students, however, could use the mechs they were most familiar with.

 

The new students from the mech department were all high-level, so naturally, they would bring out their best mechs to showcase their abilities before His Majesty, given this excellent opportunity.

 

Initially, Alvia allowed the new students to gang up on him. Even though this group of high-level mech users had already fought many battles in the virtual world, not a single one could leave a scratch on the basic mech Alvia was using.

 

Afterward, there was one-on-one guidance. With several hundred new students from the mech department, it was impossible to provide guidance to all of them, so in the end, one student was randomly selected.

 

Everyone hoped to be the lucky one chosen, but the person who was ultimately picked came as a great surprise to the crowd.

 

It was Duan Yu.

 

Although he had secured first place in the wilderness training competition, Duan Yu’s popularity among the new students was not particularly good. Seeing him unexpectedly selected for the only spot, many felt he had just gotten lucky.

 

The smugly self-satisfied Duan Yu, observing the others gnashing their teeth, naturally felt even more smug. Catching sight of Zhou Zhou in the crowd, he even waved at him, telling him to watch his performance closely.

 

Previously defeated by Zhou Zhou, Duan Yu considered himself quite skilled at mech operation, ranking within the top ten thousand in the mech area of the “Battle to the Top” game, and that was just from playing in his spare time. Additionally, his family had custom-made a mech for him at an early age and even hired someone to provide instruction. His current mech operating abilities were indeed a cut above most new students.

 

Retrieving his best mech, Duan Yu knew he couldn’t defeat Alvia, but if he could last a few more moves under His Majesty’s guidance, allowing His Majesty to witness his abilities, he might even be able to join the Royal Guard after graduation.

 

And Zhou Zhou would also gain a newfound respect for him.

 

With beautiful dreams in mind, Duan Yu stared intently at the basic mech across from him. Taking a deep breath, his gaze filled with determination and solemnity, in the next second his mech vanished from its spot, instantly reappearing behind the basic mech.

 

“Thud!”

 

Duan Yu’s mech was knocked flying out, with a large dent in its side.

 

The new students who had just been envious and jealous of Duan Yu suddenly felt that perhaps it was a good thing they weren’t selected.

 

Afterward, Duan Yu was simply being beaten one-sidedly, yet Alvia’s voice remained coldly calm as he beat him while explaining to the new students present what openings Duan Yu had revealed and how to respond. Even the higher-grade students found this content extremely valuable and quickly recorded it.

 

No one suspected that Alvia had ulterior motives. After all, who would deliberately bully an unfamiliar new student?

 

They would only think that His Majesty was truly serious and meticulous.

 

Befitting of His Majesty.

 

Only Zhou Zhou watched the basic mech speechlessly, knowing what others could not discern.

 

Earlier, when surrounded by so many mechs, Alvia had held back, not allowing anyone to get hurt. But when it came to Duan Yu, it turned into a one-sided beating, and although under the guise of teaching, not a shred of mercy was shown.

 

Was this jealousy?

 

Zhou Zhou suspected that Duan Yu being selected was also the result of someone’s covert manipulation.

 

Duan Yu himself never considered this possibility. Faced with the vast gap in their abilities, the only thing he could think of was how painful it was!

 

Having set the pain sensitivity to ninety percent, he seemed to catch a glimpse of his late great-grandmother in that daze.

 

Your Majesty, I’m just a new student, could you please show some mercy?

 

Duan Yu: QAQ

 

The guidance session was a great success, with everyone feeling they had benefited immensely. Only Duan Yu, emerging from the holographic chamber, felt pain all over his body, as if his brain were tumbling around.

 

“You were too harsh on Duan Yu,” Zhou Zhou said that night as he strolled and chatted with Alvia in the garden near the small building. Recalling how Duan Yu had been beaten from start to finish that day, without even a chance to retaliate, and then had to dazedly thank Alvia for the guidance after coming out, Zhou Zhou couldn’t even bear to watch that scene.

 

Alvia seemed completely innocent: “I held back.”

 

Zhou Zhou gave him a sidelong glance: “Not influenced by personal feelings?”

 

Alvia fell silent.

 

Zhou Zhou took Alvia’s hand: “Although Duan Yu speaks crudely, acts impulsively, likes to bully the weak, and always looks down on others, he’s just a student. You can’t bully him like that.”

 

Alvia: “Are you praising him?”

 

“Huh? No, I’m just stating the facts.”

 

Finally alone with Zhou Zhou, Alvia didn’t want to keep discussing irrelevant people, so he changed the subject: “Is the mech still suitable for you?”

 

Zhou Zhou instinctively touched the ring on his index finger: “It was too busy today, I haven’t tried it yet.”

 

“The mech was custom-made after measuring your body data, but you’ll also need to practice frequently to synchronize your mind and reflexes. The weapons it carries are also very suitable for you, mainly because…”

 

Alvia’s rare loquaciousness continued, with Zhou Zhou spinning the ring on his finger and nodding repeatedly. Finally, he launched a sneak attack, giving Alvia a kiss. Only then did Alvia stop talking, using one hand to hold the back of Zhou Zhou’s head and deepen the kiss.

 

Meng Ziye discovered a Delirious Grass plant in a very secluded flowerbed on campus. This type of grass was extremely rare. Before maturing, it was indistinguishable from ordinary weeds, but once mature, the toxins it produced could paralyze the nerves, rendering even large ferocious beasts unable to escape.

 

The only way to distinguish the Delirious Grass from other weeds before it matured was that on full moon nights, it would emit a faint purple glow.

 

It was just last month that Meng Ziye had happened to pass by this place and discovered this Delirious Grass.

 

Delighted by his find, he would come here whenever he had time. The Delirious Grass could not be transplanted, or it would easily die, so he had to patiently wait for it to mature before harvesting it.

 

Having been away from the academy for a week, Meng Ziye longed for the Delirious Grass, rushing over as soon as night fell.

 

However, not far from the Delirious Grass, there were two students engaged in romantic dalliance.

 

This was the first time Meng Ziye had encountered people in this area. He didn’t resent the lovey-dovey couple, but he was worried that they might accidentally trample the Delirious Grass.

 

Tonight happened to be a full moon, and he had intended to estimate when the Delirious Grass would mature by observing the glow it emitted. But this couple was blocking his path.

 

There was only this one path, and Meng Ziye, being thin-skinned, didn’t feel comfortable directly asking them if they could move aside after finishing their intimacy, so he could only silently wait in hiding for them to leave.

 

A gentle breeze arose, the rustling of grass and leaves filling the air. A cloud blocking the moonlight slowly drifted away, allowing the radiant moonlight to pour down.

 

Meng Ziye also clearly saw the faces of those two people.

 

He was struck as if by lightning, seeing two seemingly unrelated people in an intimate, passionate embrace, their special relationship evident to anyone.

 

Recalling how Zhou Zhou had previously rejected Duan Yu, saying he already had a partner, and then considering His Majesty’s unprecedented attendance at the new student ceremony and guidance, even beating Duan Yu…

 

So that’s how it was.

 

He left in a daze, the Delirious Grass forgotten.

 

Alvia’s spiritual power permeated the surroundings, having long since detected Meng Ziye’s presence, yet he remained silent.

 

Although Zhou Zhou also possessed spiritual power, his was still immature and undeveloped, so naturally he could not wield it as adeptly as Alvia, remaining oblivious to Meng Ziye’s arrival and departure from start to finish.

 

However, even if he had noticed, given Zhou Zhou’s character, he would not have seen any problem with it. He might have even enthusiastically introduced Meng Ziye to Alvia.