Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 90

The young man’s voice echoed through the empty classroom. The surrounding students exchanged surprised glances at his unexpected answer. The Principal and Wu Zian’s adjutant exchanged a look before the Principal finally pulled the D Group student aside. “Listen, if you absolutely have to fight, make sure to hold back. Don’t injure him.”

The D Group student nodded immediately. He had been thinking the same thing. First, there were so many people watching. Second, Meng Xuexiao looked like a delicate porcelain cup—he felt like he might shatter with even a slightly firm grip.

Since Meng Xuexiao was insisting on a duel, he was likely just throwing a tantrum.

Let’s treat this like an exhibition match, the D Group student thought.

The Principal quickly added, “But don’t hold back too obviously, or it’ll look fake to the others.”

He glanced swiftly at Wu Zian’s adjutant and Meng Xuexiao, mindful of their feelings as well.

“Don’t worry,” the D Group student assured him.

This would be difficult for most, but for him, it was effortless. His fighting style relied less on brute force or intricate techniques and more on overwhelming opponents with sheer momentum.

The student he had just fought was technically far more skilled, but Meng Xuexiao’s overwhelming aura had completely intimidated him, causing him to lose the initiative. Flustered and disorganized, the student was quickly overwhelmed and crushed.

He planned to unleash his signature move early in the fight to throw Meng Xuexiao into a panic. After all, someone in a panic would hardly have the presence of mind to notice if their opponent was holding back.

Then, he would end the battle in a way that wouldn’t embarrass either of them.

The battle took the form of a mecha duel. Meng Xuexiao chose the mecha he typically used during his practice sessions in the study hall, while the D Group male student selected his usual model as well.

The male student’s weapon consisted of six or seven scythe-like blades. When swung with great force, they left only afterimages; at full power, they could become completely invisible. This was how the student’s previous opponent’s mecha had been critically damaged by an unseen force, laying the foundation for his subsequent defeat.

By opening with his most powerful and decisive strike from the previous match, he was essentially delivering a mental blow to Meng Xuexiao’s mind right from the start.

Though he had been sitting far away, Meng Xuexiao had watched the battle intently. Even from the sidelines, he had felt an overwhelming sense of pressure and suffocation. Now that he was personally engaged, with himself as the target, this suffocating feeling should only be… worse?

But why…?

Meng Xuexiao’s eyes remained fixed on the whirling blades, each one distinct and clear. Though their speed had increased with the boy’s powerful swings, they were still far from moving too fast for the naked eye to track.

Was he being given an easy pass, or…?

Seeing Meng Xuexiao’s mecha standing motionless, the D Group boy knew his plan had succeeded.

To avoid making his leniency too obvious, he hadn’t held back at the start. This blade technique was his most potent deterrent. The more his opponent perceived his blades as fast, the more panicked they would become. The more panicked they became, the less clearly they would see where his blades actually were, creating an illusion of invisibility.

The D Group boys began to gradually close in on Meng Xuexiao.

The steadily shrinking distance, coupled with the barely increased speed of their blades… This was far too different from the rumored invisibility, wasn’t it?

Meng Xuexiao was almost certain his opponent was holding back.

Seizing his opportunity, he timed his move perfectly, wedging his mecha’s weapon between the gaps in the D Group boy’s blades as they swung. Metal scraped against metal with a loud clang—

The young man frowned, biting down on his lower lip. “Hey, can’t you take this a little more seriously?!”

The D Group boy froze instantly.

The young man looked exactly as he had when they first met: rosy lips, pearly white teeth, his lips stained the color of rose petals from being lightly bitten, his voice indescribably pleasant.

Yet the moment he spoke, the boy felt a tremor of fear.

Meng Xuexiao was supposed to be… F-Class, right?

Why did he feel like his fingers were starting to tremble uncontrollably?

Meng Xuexiao regretted his words almost as soon as he spoke them, realizing he had instinctively used the same tone he used to restrain Raven and his group. Compared to Raven and his truly dangerous companions, the D Group boys posed no real threat.

“Sorry,” he murmured, “but you’re holding back way too much…”

Yet Meng Xuexiao couldn’t afford to let his guard down. This was still a competition, after all, and he couldn’t afford to relax in Academy City.

But the D Group boys’ movements grew increasingly stiff.

Is this… still holding back?

Meng Xuexiao frowned, but quickly dismissed the thought.

When he had initially urged them to take the fight seriously, they had shown no reaction for the first few seconds. But their subsequent actions gradually increased in force, though their attacks became increasingly erratic and disorganized.

This didn’t seem like deliberate holding back. It was more like… they had seen something terrifying, lost their footing, and completely panicked.

Had something frightened the D Group boy?

Impossible. This was a competition, and anything that could interfere with the battles had been cleared from the arena beforehand.

Then… was this boy afraid of… himself?

How could that be?

Meng Xuexiao knew his own limitations all too well. He was just an F-grade student; otherwise, he wouldn’t have immediately thought of running away when he first encountered Chu Sinian, Raven, and Huai Sui.

Wait… speaking of Raven, Meng Xuexiao suddenly remembered the point that had made him initially suspect the D Group boys were throwing the match—

This boy’s swordsmanship could become virtually invisible to others, yet it didn’t seem nearly as fast when facing Meng Xuexiao himself.

What exactly had he been thinking during that comparison?

These sword strikes aren’t even as fast as Raven’s feathers.

When Raven attacked Yao Huai with his feathers, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t even see the movements.

Meng Xuexiao shuddered in shock.

While the D Group boys weren’t among the Federation Military Academy’s elite, they were still considered above average.

How could an F-Class student possibly look down on someone else? That would be a joke.

Wait a minute.

Meng Xuexiao’s mind raced.

Back at the Military Academy, even a D-Class student’s movements took him ages to decipher. Now, though his Rank remained F-grade, everything about him felt different.

Could it be because he’d spent so long with dangerous figures like Raven and the others, witnessing their Godlike battles?

He was still Meng Xuexiao, but he was no longer the same Meng Xuexiao he used to be.

These kinds of fights no longer frightened him. In fact, he could now restrain others and even scare them.

The D Group boys had planned to use his panic to cover up their deliberate holding back, but now it was they who were panicked and thrown off balance.

“That just now…”

Wu Zian, standing on the second floor, seemed to have regained his composure. He rebuttoned his collar, which had come undone, like a predator donning a mask of calm.

Momentum was crucial in battlefield combat, so it had been incorporated into the Military Department’s mandatory training for new recruits. However, the casual burst of momentum Meng Xuexiao had just unleashed far surpassed that of ordinary trained soldiers.

Wu Zian stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Spending so much time with monsters has unconsciously transformed him into one himself. It’s like a bird that’s been tainted by the scent of a hawk—it can never truly return to its flock.”

Hearing this, Shen Zekai’s gaze darkened sharply.

This incident reminded him of his own situation.

As the student representative of the Alliance Military Academy and heir to the Shen Family, he had always taken great pride in these dual identities. That was until he encountered Raven and Chu Sinian, those absurdly powerful 2S-Class beings.

To restrain them, he too had become a 2S-Class monster.

Shen Zekai could clearly sense that while his power had grown stronger since reaching 2S-Class, his sense of belonging to the Alliance Military Academy and the Shen Family had diminished.

Though he remained a student at the Federation Military Academy and heir to the Shen Family, Shen Zekai could clearly sense that both the Alliance Military Academy and the Shen Family now belonged to a different world from his own.

He couldn’t help but recall how Yao Huai had whispered something in Meng Xuexiao’s ear before the competition began.

Could it be… that the Original Body wanted Meng Xuexiao to fully realize his own distinct nature, and… his incompatibility with the world around him?

Perhaps this was why the Original Body had willingly stayed at the Federation Military Academy for so long?

Meng Xuexiao had always wanted to escape from the company of these 2S-Class monsters. Today he might return to the Alliance Military Academy, tomorrow he could flee to another place, and the day after, he might even seek refuge in some distant land.

But they—these monsters fragmented from the Original Body, including the Original Body itself—only wished for Meng Xuexiao to stay by their side.

What could be more convenient than severing Meng Xuexiao’s ties with others, dividing them into two distinct categories?

Mutated monsters could only belong with other monsters—how perfectly justified.

For Meng Xuexiao, realizing his transformation was merely the beginning of the plan.

But this offered Shen Zekai no advantage.

As a Clone, he lacked the Original Body’s full power. He was far more effective operating within the familiar environment of the Federation Military Academy than outside its walls.

He slowly turned to Wu Zian.

The man in military uniform was meticulously dabbing at tea stains on his uniform with a handkerchief.

“Rest assured, we remain allies,” Wu Zian said. “After all, the Federal Military Department can’t stand by while a Military Academy student is abducted.”

Shen Zekai scoffed.

Such high-sounding reasons, he thought, but they were still allies for now.

“Then let’s eliminate Him as quickly as possible.”

Replace Him, merge with Him, and become the new God.

After all, the Clone and the Original Body were inherently one, weren’t they?

Wu Zian raised an eyebrow, “He’s a God, isn’t He? You make it sound so easy.”

“He’s dying,” Shen Zekai replied with nonchalant confidence, pulling out a thick stack of data—clearly, he had been preparing for this for some time.

These data points represent natural disasters occurring worldwide.

“Planet Igma was struck by a planetary collision, turning into a sea of fire.”

“Blue Star’s water resources have been depleted, agricultural crops are severely contaminated, and yields decline year after year.”

Wu Zian casually flipped through the data, reading a few lines before losing interest. “What does this even mean?”

Shen Zekai tapped the table, “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but this God and the world were born together. In a sense, they’re bound to each other. The world’s current state actually reflects the God’s physical condition.”

“Otherwise, why do you think he’s in a wheelchair?”

“But he hasn’t done anything.”

Yao Huai certainly didn’t look like someone on the verge of death.

Shen Zekai chuckled softly, “Exactly, He hasn’t done anything. His biggest problem is precisely that He’s done nothing. He’s deliberately letting things slide, waiting to die, and wants to drag this world—bound to Him—down with Him!”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Wu Zian pointed out. “If He truly has no will to live, why would he go to such lengths for Meng Xuexiao?”

Shen Zekai’s smile widened, “Do you think he bound himself to this world for no reason? Even if his possessions become useless or boring, only he can destroy them. Meng Xuexiao is likely the same.”

“But no matter how much I explain, your understanding will probably remain limited, right?”

With that, Shen Zekai produced a device resembling a Rubik’s Cube.

Inside it contained all the recordings of his breakthrough to 2S-Class. Even if it couldn’t awaken Wu Zian’s memories as a “slice,” it could still influence him, at least restoring his 2S-Class strength.

“If you agree to cooperate, we’ll act immediately. A coordinated assault would be safest. I’ll contact the Shen Family, and you contact the Federal Military Department.”

“Alright.” Wu Zian pulled out his communicator and was about to leave when cheers erupted from the competition arena below.

The match had ended, and the victor was Meng Xuexiao.

Even when the D Group boy sensed something was wrong and abandoned their plan to throw the match, attempting to unleash their full strength, they were overwhelmed by unexpected twists and their own panicked mistakes. Gradually, they genuinely fell into a disadvantageous position.

Just like the other students who were far stronger than the D Group boy but were utterly overwhelmed by their momentum and tactics.

After the match ended, the D Group boy rushed to shake Meng Xuexiao’s hand, his lips forming what looked like an apology for doubting him earlier. Meng Xuexiao shook his head, his eyes shining brightly.

Combined with the overhead lights on the competition stage, it looked as if stars were twinkling in his eyes.

Even the sweat-dampened strands of hair framing his forehead curled into adorable arcs.

Wu Zian knew Meng Xuexiao had barely participated in any competitions before, yet at this moment, he radiated such vigor, his smile dazzlingly radiant.

But all of this was due to Yao Huai’s machinations.

What Shen Zekai could deduce, Yao Huai had naturally anticipated as well.

Yet Meng Xuexiao remained oblivious.

Wu Zian watched helplessly as Meng Xuexiao returned to the true culprit’s side.

The young man scratched his head and sat down beside Yao Huai, his expression conflicted. “You really didn’t help me cheat?”

Even now, he still couldn’t believe he had actually won, and so easily at that.

“I’m certain I didn’t. Why would you think that?” Yao Huai showed no trace of offense at the accusation.

“But… this is just unbelievable,” Meng Xuexiao murmured, instinctively turning to look back at the competition stage.

Even now, many eyes remained fixed on him, cheering for the unexpected outcome of the match.

“Do you know what level the D Group boy’s physical aptitude was?”

“What level?” Yao Huai was truly a master of the rhetorical question, like a spider weaving its web, patiently luring prey into its trap.

“A-Class. Just a hair’s breadth away from S-Class.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” Yao Huai feigned surprise.

“…Yeah.”

Meng Xuexiao had initially agreed to step onto the competition stage simply because he refused to indulge his tendency to retreat. Constant retreat, as he had learned before, would only lead him back into the tiger’s den and the wolf’s lair, tossed between multiple bosses without gaining anything in the end.

Not even a true safe haven.

This time, his genuine proactive advance had yielded astonishingly positive results.

The way you’re acting… it’s almost making me believe… I really could defeat you all, Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but recall Yao Huai’s words when he had coaxed him onto the stage.

Must be exhausting, facing us every day, isn’t it?

This time, why not try turning your disadvantage into an advantage, and then… tightly wrap it around your opponent’s neck.

And then, give a gentle tug.

At that moment, Yao Huai lightly tugged at his own neck, as if pulling an invisible chain.

The Silver-Haired Man mimicked the gesture, his hand hovering before his throat as if grasping an invisible chain.

Meng Xuexiao couldn’t help but smile. All he wanted was an ordinary life, and the only thing disrupting it was these Bosses.

If he could truly defeat them all, he would finally achieve true freedom.

Just then, Yao Huai extended an olive branch. “Do you want to achieve that?”

“I can help you.”

This being truly knew how to strike at Meng Xuexiao’s every vulnerability.

“Zhuoyue, Huai Sui…” He began listing them one by one.

Meng Xuexiao interrupted him, “Including you?”

Of course, Meng Xuexiao wouldn’t overlook Yao Huai himself, for the latter was the most powerful entity of all.

The young man’s question seemed to momentarily startle the man, but he quickly regained his composure, returning to his usual calm and collected demeanor.

“Yes, including me.”

“Then I agree,” Meng Xuexiao said, extending his hand toward the man.

“I’m also very pleased to offer my assistance,” Yao Huai replied, briefly clasping Meng Xuexiao’s hand before handing him a bottle of water from his pocket.

It wasn’t the same bottle Meng Xuexiao had bought for him earlier, but a different one.

“I watched you operate the vending machine earlier and practiced a bit myself. After some fumbling, I finally managed to buy one.”

“I believe humans celebrate agreements by clinking glasses, don’t they?” Yao Huai said, raising the bottle Meng Xuexiao had given him earlier.

The bottle was nearly full; the God himself had no need for food or water.

Yet now he feigned interest in mimicking human customs.

It was all a lie! This wasn’t a collaboration at all—it was a one-sided descent into ruin!

Wu Zian’s eyes involuntarily flushed crimson.

He had been too naive after all.

He had assumed Yao Huai would play the long game, patiently luring Meng Xuexiao away from the ordinary world, isolating him bit by bit.

But shouldn’t they listen to what Yao Huai was actually saying? His target was a group of 2S-Class bosses? What ordinary person in this world would set such a goal?

This would completely pull Meng Xuexiao out of the realm of ordinary people.

And when hunting these 2S-Class bosses, Meng Xuexiao would have no one to rely on but Yao Huai.

What a truly “brilliant idea”!

“Crack!”

The windows on the second floor shattered completely. Wu Zian leaped down, his fists clenched, aiming straight for Yao Huai’s face.

He wanted Meng Xuexiao to see this man’s true nature.

Watching Wu Zian’s figure vanish in an instant, Shen Zekai’s pupils constricted. At that moment, he was trying to contact the Shen Family, while Wu Zian, who should have been contacting the Military Department, was now…

Although Shen Zekai knew that a human wave tactic was meaningless against the Original Body, he believed that if he could just get close enough to Yao Huai, he could seize the opportunity to initiate Spiritual Fusion.

Spiritual Fusion was unique in that it didn’t rely on physical combat prowess. Instead, it hinged on the will to survive. Whoever possessed the stronger will to live would dominate the fused body.

This was Shen Zekai’s only chance against Yao Huai.

He refused to believe that his will to survive could be weaker than Yao Huai’s—that madman who was determined to drag the entire world down with him to death!

But now…

Damn it! His entire plan had been thrown into chaos!

Wasn’t Wu Zian supposed to have become more composed and stable after joining the Military Department? His detached, outsider-like demeanor had almost fooled Shen Zekai himself. How could he have stirred up such a massive mess now?!