One month later, the school’s basic functions were nearly restored. Once the workers finished repairing the Central Tower, reconstruction would be complete. After a month of boxed meals, tents, and communal baths, students and teachers could finally return to normal life—which also meant classes were about to resume.

"Get up!"

"Not happening! I didn’t sleep until 1 a.m.! Less than six hours? No way!"

"You stayed up playing games yourself—who’s to blame? Besides, you’ve slept five and a half hours already. Make up the half-hour during lunch nap!"

"Nope! I was actually insomnia-stricken and just fell asleep! I’m sleep-deprived!"

"………………"

"Forget it. Move aside—I’ll handle this." Cleyna shoved Qin Fan away, strode to the bed, and reached for the lump under the covers.

"Waaah!"

Ignoring the wails from the bundle over her shoulder, Cleyna hoisted her up effortlessly. Qin Fan silently gave her a thumbs-up in his heart.

"Please! Put me down! I’ll get up, I’ll get up!"

………………………………………………………………

*Classroom.*

"Haaah—" Lixin yawned hugely at Qin Fan.

"What now?" Qin Fan knew that look. "Don’t even think of dragging me into your lazy schemes."

"Qin Fan," Lixin turned serious. "How long have we known each other?"

"Twelve, thirteen years? Don’t pull the emotional card on me."

"How can you think that? After all these years, you don’t trust me? Aren’t we brothers?!"

"No." Qin Fan shook his head. "‘Brothers’ is for guys. Doesn’t fit us."

"Cut the crap!" Lixin threw caution to the wind. "When the teacher takes attendance later, cover for me. Got it?"

"Sure. I’ll help." *Evil grin.*

"Don’t mess around! Last time your ‘help’ got me stuck in some nightmare assignment—nearly beaten to death by green-skinned orcs!" Lixin slammed the desk.

"Hey, I went too."

"You were *logistics*, you bastard—"

"*Ahem…*"

Lixin raised a fist, but froze at the cough from the podium. The teacher stood there, watching.

"Told you not to doubt me," Qin Fan smirked. "Now skipping class? Impossible." (Thanks to Cleyna’s supervision, Lixin had barely made it to class after oversleeping.)

"Settle down," the bald professor began. "We’ll assign this year’s combat missions. Last year, two students failed and went missing. This year’s tasks will be less intense—you can relax."

As he delivered the grim news, data pads lit up on students’ wrist devices. Rumors had already spread: two students captured on the battlefield, tortured to death in enemy camps. Most dismissed it as myth—such losses were rare at the academy. Only close friends of the missing had truly believed.

Now, confirmation sent ripples of doubt through the room. With graduation a year away, dying before becoming real warriors felt tragically pointless.

*Beep.*

Mission selection interfaces flashed on every wrist screen.

Time for real skill.

While others focused fiercely—every second counted to snag easier assignments—Lixin scrolled lazily beside Qin Fan, who always handled this for her.

"Lixin, help! Damn it, we *must* grab logistics this time. I’m not dying on the frontlines again!" Qin Fan hissed. With Lixin’s connections, he’d hoped for a safe role.

"Okay, okay… just wait—"

But seeing her half-hearted tapping, his hope evaporated.

"Ooh, found one… ah, missed it… wait, another… ugh, gone again…"

"*Please*, focus! If we’re stuck with leftovers again, we’ll be dancing with death!" Qin Fan nearly wept. *She’s retaliating. Even if she gets a good task, she’ll drag me to the frontlines—she’s done it before.*

Suddenly, Lixin’s "concentrated" expression twisted into something eerie. In the sweltering classroom, Qin Fan felt icy dread coil around him as she flashed a chilling smile.

*No more letting her choose!*

"Lixin, stop. I’ll take over. Rest your hands…" He blocked her screen, frantically scrolling his own.

"Huh?" Lixin blinked innocently. "But I just locked in a mission."

"*What?*"

Qin Fan stared at her screen: **"Class A Recon Mission."** No one touched Class A tasks—just like C-rank students avoided D-rank hellscapes. He’d rather face frontline bullets than this.

"Well…" Lixin beamed with childlike innocence. "Recon sounds… fun, right?"

Qin Fan already tasted the bitter reality: days of grunt work at human bases, then sneaking into enemy camps for "fun."

"You did this on purpose… *didn’t you*…?" His eyes reddened.

"Huh? No!"

"You’re sabotaging me. *Aren’t you*…?"

"Impossible! You’re my dearest friend!"

"*NOOOOOOOOOOOO!*"

*Just let me die…*