"Who are you? Why do you keep appearing in my dreams!?"
Huor glanced left and right but still couldn’t pinpoint the source of the voice.
He was certain this wasn’t the real world.
After all, such an ethereal space couldn’t exist in reality.
Unlike his previous dreams—which always featured those two girls—this one held no people, no scenery, not even empty space. Where was this place? Was it the same realm from before? Or somewhere entirely new?
Everything felt utterly mysterious.
【When the time comes, you’ll understand.】
The voice echoed back.
【The bonds from that lifetime remain unbroken, leading to this one.】
【Whether memories synchronize depends entirely on you both.】
—Memory synchronization? What was this voice even talking about?
Why would memories need synchronizing?
He hadn’t forgotten anything—so why mention it? Was there some hidden connection he was missing?
He had no clue. Not even a faint hint of clarity, let alone answers to deeper questions.
"Please," Huor pleaded, "tell me just a little. Even the smallest detail would be enough!"
He desperately needed to know what these month-long dreams would become.
What would this presence turn into someday? At some future moment? He truly wanted to know.
【Your very confusion proves the threads are already unraveling before you.】
The voice in the void spoke again.
【Time will reveal all. I’ve given you every clue I can. Whether you remember rests on fate.】
Again—this cryptic, meaningless phrasing.
Again—zero concrete answers.
Always like this. From the blurred figures before to these hazy words now… what was it trying to say?
He didn’t know. But he wanted to.
Of course he did. If—if those were people he truly knew, shouldn’t he remember them by now?
Why was his mind still completely blank? Had he really forgotten everything?
【Enough. Dawn approaches. Today, you may recall fragments—the people around you, the bonds you share, the memories that refuse to fade. If your ties run deep enough, they’ll unlock recollections from centuries past.】
Centuries past?
People around me?
Bonds we *should* have?
What did any of this mean?
【May you remember soon, Great Ming First Mind.】
Huor didn’t catch the last five words clearly. His consciousness was already surfacing as the voice began speaking. By the final syllables, he was fully awake—only muffled sounds like "mmph... ah..." reached his ears.
Those five words must be crucial.
He opened his eyes to daylight.
—*If I hear that voice tonight, I’ll demand answers.*
Huor made the silent vow.
He quickly changed into his Academy uniform. Exhausted the night before, he’d collapsed onto his bed fully clothed. After a rushed breakfast, he left his dorm.
GCD Divine Mechanism Academy housed each student alone—a luxury made possible by generous government funding. Tax revenues poured into the school yearly, financing cutting-edge facilities and infrastructure.
The weather was perfect. Bright sun. Azure skies. This was why Huor loved this place.
Yes—he’d realized it the moment he arrived in this city.
That was reason enough.
Loving someone often began with a simple first impression. That initial spark could shape a bond lasting years.
His love for this city would endure too. Even if he wouldn’t stay here forever—training under the War God Imprint—he’d cherish it until his departure.
Whether he remained or left someday…
This feeling would always be his deepest reason to love it.
"Hey, Huor! Morning!"
A boy from his dorm hallway waved.
No one had greeted him like this before. What had changed? Why the sudden friendliness?
Had they all lost their minds?
—*Or was it because of yesterday’s fight with Zhao Meng… and today’s upcoming match against Shu Xingfeng?*
Both reasons probably played a part.
Huor recalled Pang Dun’s words. Zhu XiuRong’s advice. His Class D classmates’ encouragement.
—*To earn respect, you must first show strength and attitude worthy of it.*
Beneath that truth lay a harsher one: survival of the fittest.
But Huor wanted to change that. Yes, nature favored the strong—but shouldn’t a school be different? Couldn’t resources be shared equally? Why must elite students from Class A hoard opportunities, leaving weaker classes scrambling?
Was fairness truly so impossible?
Was it really that hard for top students—for certain Class A elites—to step back?
It couldn’t be.
Huor returned the greeting politely, despite sensing insincerity beneath the smiles.
Living meant navigating half-truths—about yourself, and others.
A tree-lined path stretched a kilometer between the dorms and classrooms. Its year-round beauty showcased the Academy’s vast grounds.
Huor loved this quiet stretch.
For anyone, the rarest gift was a place to walk—and reflect.
