Only Human Here 19

After completing his practical combat training, Wei Huan felt a newfound sense of purpose thanks to Yun Yongzhuo. He no longer saw himself as the person who had once contemplated self-destruction and believed he deserved a chance at rebirth.

Once he had settled down, Wei Huan recalled the urgent request for reinforcement he had received. This kind of notification was exclusive to the standby teams at Shanhai and only sent out when the Yao Domain Federation needed urgent assistance.

Wei Huan vividly remembered the electronic red seal on the notification; it was unmistakably from Shanhai. However, Jing Yun claimed to have gone to the battlefield independently.

Someone had fabricated the request for reinforcement and sent it to Wei Huan. What's more, he was the sole member who had ventured into the Border Canyon that year. He had initially expected to find his entire third standby team there, but upon arrival, he discovered himself alone, with communication mysteriously severed.

It was undoubtedly a trap. The question that plagued him was who had leaked information about his predicament?

Wei Huan even harbored suspicions of a mole within Shanhai. But why was he the target? What was the motive behind framing him for betrayal and murder?

Who stood to gain from all of this?

Amidst the dense fog of confusion, Wei Huan couldn't unravel the web of deceit. All he could do at this point was to strive for survival and uncover the truth of that fateful year. However, no matter how much he implored or how shamelessly he begged Nine-Tails, she remained steadfast in her denial of the Resurrection Fruit.

"You know, Yan Shan Yue is pretty remarkable," Wei Huan began a conversation with Yang Ling during their gear preparation break, managing to draw her attention. Although Yang Ling mostly ignored him, Wei Huan had a knack for winning people over. "She's even more impressive than the guys. She might not talk much, but her combat skills are top-notch."

Lately, Wei Huan seemed to have reverted to his talkative self, and Yang Ling had grown bold enough to tease him. Initially, she had been concerned that this fragile human might do something rash.

Wei Huan persisted, and Yang Ling responded with a disdainful look before turning her gaze toward Yan Shan Yue, displaying a fangirl-like expression. "Sister Shan Yue is amazing. If you speak ill of her again, I might just twist your head off and toss it beyond the gates of Shanhai."

Wei Huan playfully protested while shielding his neck, "You're just a kid, why so fierce?"

Yang Ling clicked her tongue. "Sister Shan Yue has her reasons. She used to be gentle and talkative."

"Reasons?" Wei Huan inquired, intrigued. "What's her family background?"

Yang Ling shot him an exasperated glance. "There's only one Yan family in Kunlun Void. Haven't you heard of them? Oh, right, you're just a clueless human."

Nine-Tails, the Yan family—yes, it clicked!

Wei Huan suddenly recollected a playboy scion from his school days, a year ahead of him, who was also affiliated with the Nine-Tails. What was his name? Wei Huan furrowed his brow, attempting to recall, though the precise name eluded him. He vaguely remembered that this playboy scion had secretly kept dozens of human girls for reasons unknown.

He had enslaved women, and it appeared that he had taken numerous lives in the process. This incident had garnered substantial attention in Yao City at the time, featuring in several newspaper headlines and drawing condemnation from various rights protection groups within the city.

Wei Huan and Yang Ling leaned on the table together, watching the solitary figure of Nine-Tails. He playfully poked her arm with the pen he held, "Hey, I heard Yan Shan Yue has brothers?"

Yang Ling responded with a disdainful snort, akin to a little animal. "Both of her brothers are trouble, one worse than the other. The elder one is a perpetual gambler, and the second keeps human slaves, with a trail of lives on his hands." Yang Ling's small fist clenched, almost sparking. "Their family is a major conglomerate, but none of the heirs have achieved Sister Shan Yue's standing."

Wei Huan was puzzled, "Why's that? Shan Shan Yue appears to be competent and independent, and with the first two being so unimpressive, having a little sister should be a relief."

"Because she's a girl," Yang Ling replied, her anger palpable as she gripped Wei Huan's pen so tightly that it creaked. "Their family has always favored boys and held the belief that girls can only rely on illusion magic to deceive people and can't amount to anything."

"Who says girls can't achieve greatness? Look at Daji from the Yin Dynasty; she even surpassed Nuwa's accomplishments. Although, in the end, things didn't turn out well for her…" Wei Huan calmly removed Yang Ling's fingers from the pen, which had turned black in her palm. He brushed off the ash and placed it on the other side of the table.

Yang Ling remained displeased. "Back then, one of the girls who escaped with her brother begged Sister Shan Yue for help. She cried every day, saying her hometown had her parents waiting for her, and she had a little sister who was only six years old. Sister Shan Yue couldn't bear it and secretly broke the barrier that trapped them. But in the end, they couldn't escape. The guards hired by the Yan family were fierce beasts like Qiongqi; escape was impossible. The human girl who had pleaded for Sister Shan Yue's help falsely accused her of insisting on driving her and her sister away."

Wei Huan furrowed his brow; this was a truly ungrateful act.

"Later, apart from that girl and her sister, everyone else who had escaped with them was killed by his brother and Sister Shan Yue was placed in solitary confinement for a year," Yang Ling's tone changed as she spoke. Wei Huan noticed that the family crest beneath her ear, concealed by her small ponytail, was gradually turning purple as she grew angry.

Now, he comprehended why she wouldn't yield to his pleas. Nobody would willingly go through such an ordeal. He buried his head in his arms and sighed deeply.

Despite her unpredictable and moody behavior, Yang Ling still displayed some concern for her deskmate. "Hey, why are you lying down?"

A muffled voice emanated from his arm, "You were lying down earlier, right?"

"Can you even compare to me, you foolish human!" Yang Ling pushed him. "Get up. I warn you; that we have our first group training session later. If you dare hold me back, I'll disassemble your bones and feed them to the dogs."

Wei Huan sighed once more. Yang Ling had hit the mark. He had no intention of participating in any group training. These sessions often involved going on missions. If you were fortunate, you'd stroll through the streets and return to school. If luck wasn't on your side, you might encounter various demons and creatures, and it wouldn't be over until you'd had a decent fight.

However, fate rarely played out as desired, and the inevitable had arrived.

"Now, I'll assign the tasks for this group practical training," Xing Yan, with a determined demeanor, stood on the lectern with a large box in front of him. He waved his hand in the air, and a row of flaming numbers from one to ten materialized before him. Below these numbers, names started appearing, and the last row displayed locations. "Identify your team members and the assigned locations. Don't mess this up."

Wei Huan lazily raised his head and glanced, "Oh, dear…"

In some inexplicable manner, he had ended up in the same group as Yang Ling and Yan Shan Yue.

The student in front turned around teasingly, "Not bad, human. In our class, there are so few girls, and the two most beautiful ones are on your team." His smile didn't last long before Yang Ling's fiery lotus attack made him freeze.

"Say that again!"

Wei Huan chuckled, "Teacher Xing really went to great lengths."

Yang Ling gave him a fierce look, "What do you mean?"

"I mean Teacher Xing must have thought I was too weak, so he chose the two most formidable demons from our class, I mean, the two most outstanding students from Flame Ignition Academy, to protect me." Wei Huan patted Yang Ling on the shoulder. "Boss, please look after me."

"Tsk, count yourself lucky."

Standing at the podium, Xing Yan clapped his hands, and the list of team members, composed of flaming letters, vanished in an instant. He reached into the box, "Let's distribute the combat gear."

This statement thrilled all the students below, including Yang Ling, who was also somewhat excited.

But Wei Huan's heart remained utterly calm.

"Yan Shan Yue," Xing Yan extracted a small red box labeled 'Nine-Tails' and threw it in front of Yan Shan Yue, who caught it gracefully.

"Next, Cheng Feng."

Name after name was called, and Wei Huan listened indifferently until his ordinary pseudonym was called.

"Wei Heng."

He didn't even raise his head, merely extending his arm high to catch the small box. "Thank you, teacher."

Opening the box, he found a small ring shimmering with a silver light, featuring a rectangular red gemstone in the center.

"Why does it seem a bit big…" Yang Ling mumbled as she slid the ring onto her ring finger.

Wei Huan reminded her, "It's meant for the middle finger."

Yang Ling skeptically tried it on the middle finger and found it fit perfectly. Just as she was about to ask, Xing Yan, standing on the podium, said, "Those who have received their rings, please stand up."

The students in the classroom stood up, somewhat scattered. Yang Ling, looking at Wei Huan, who remained unenthusiastic, gave him a nudge. "Are you glued to your chair?"

Wei Huan reluctantly stood up and mumbled to himself, "Ah… it's my least favorite time again…"

"Press the gem on the ring."

The gem's pressure feedback was accompanied by a faint electric surge. In an instant, a wide expanse of specialized nanomaterials extended from the ring's edge, tightly enveloping both hands, arms, shoulders, and, upon contact with the school uniform, seamlessly melding into a brand-new combat attire that covered the entire body.

This entire process transpired in no more than five seconds, a brief transformation. Before anyone could react, their standard uniforms had been replaced by deep red combat suits. Flame Ignition Academy's combat suits weren't skin-tight; they bore a resemblance to well-fitted military garb, designed to offer a streamlined fit and reduce resistance. The waist was cinched, with armored components at the chest, abdomen, and joints for added protection.

"So impressive!"

"So dashing!"

"Wow, those chest muscles have really been put to work!"

"I heard our regular uniforms and combat suits use the same material, that's why they seamlessly transition. I didn't expect it to be this impressive."

"Well, it is the top academy; the equipment has to match up."

Listening to the chorus of enthusiastic remarks, Wei Huan couldn't help but roll his eyes in sheer exasperation. He couldn't believe that after seven years, this transformation method hadn't evolved…

He gazed down at the red ensemble and couldn't suppress a mutter, "Goodness, this color is so garish…"

Yang Ling glanced at him, "What nonsense are you muttering?"

Wei Huan promptly raised his head, sporting a forced smile of survival. "I'm just marveling at the impeccable taste of our Flame Ignition Academy prodigies. How fortunate am I to don such a splendid combat suit! It's so—dashing! Long live Flame Ignition Academy!"