Taking a glance at the entire Salaranfa Empire, there wasn’t a single male zerg who would be so bored as to tattoo his own neck. Yet, here came Lu Yuan, a peculiar exception.
Reed struggled with his luggage, trailing behind Lu Yuan with a bitter expression. Before he could mourn his premature lost love, he was already worrying about the challenging days that lay ahead. Why? Because Lu Yuan, the big devil himself, happened to be his roommate.
The male zerg dorms were all single rooms, equipped with private bathrooms, providing ample space for one person. Lu Yuan completed the accommodation procedures at the window, received his military uniform, and headed directly upstairs to find his assigned dorm. Upon opening the door, he found a clean and well-organized room that could easily rival a five-star hotel, with neatly arranged bedding and clear windows.
Very well, the treatment for male zergs is indeed different.
Lu Yuan nodded inwardly, feeling a bit less resistant to his upcoming academic journey. He casually tossed his single-shoulder bag onto the dormitory chair, then used the door lock to input his fingerprint data before speaking, “After registration, what else do we need to do?”
Reed, who lived across from him, was still in the midst of hastily unpacking his belongings. Upon hearing Lu Yuan’s question, he instinctively looked up and said, “Huh? Are you asking me?”
Lu Yuan shot him a cold look, his eyes sharp, “What do you think?”
Seeing Lu Yuan’s stern expression, Reed’s back went cold, and he quickly covered his face, retreating in panic. He was afraid that Lu Yuan might give him a resounding slap. Stammering, he answered, “Aft-After completing the accommodation procedures, there should be an instructor coming to organize us. I heard that the instructor for Class Three is a military female who retired from the battlefield, very…”
Lu Yuan interrupted, “Very what?”
Before Reed could finish his sentence, a series of heavy and sharp footsteps echoed from around the corner of the stairs, causing everyone’s hearts to skip a beat. The male zergs in the dormitory seemed to sense that something was amiss and peered out from the corridor, eager to know what was happening.
Under the gaze of seven or eight pairs of eyes, a sturdy figure in training attire gradually appeared at the end of the corridor. The person measured nearly six feet and three inches, their face obscured by the lowered brim of the hat. A silver whistle hung around their neck, and their steps were steady and powerful, indicating they were not to be trifled with.
Lu Yuan had an instinctive sense that the newcomer was not friendly. Just as this thought crossed his mind, a sharp and resonant whistle echoed through the entire corridor the next second, causing the eardrums of all the zergs to ache.
The imposing instructor, unfazed, blew the whistle and then frowned at the male zergs in the corridor, who were now covering their ears in pain. The way he looked at them was as if he were observing a few pieces of excrement—
The kind of excrement that ruins a pot of porridge, like a single mouse shit spoiling the whole porridge.
His brows furrowed, and in a stern tone, he began, “I am your new instructor, Horik. In the coming period, I will be responsible for your studies and daily lives. Today is the first day of registration, and I do not wish to punish any of you. Therefore, I am giving you fifteen minutes to change into your training uniforms and gather on the field downstairs. You better all come down when the female zergs in your class have finished assembling!”
Instructor Horik’s temper was evidently not the best. After delivering his message, he glared at the group of dumbfounded male zergs who didn’t know how to respond. His final words were forcefully shouted, “Did you hear me?!”
Startled by his words, all the male zergs straightened up and replied in unison, “Yes… yes, we heard!”
On Earth, even regular student military training could be somewhat sluggish, let alone for these male zergs who couldn’t fend for themselves. After Instructor Horik finished his instructions, he left. The male zergs immediately rushed back to their dorms, opened their suitcases, and frantically searched for clothes. In an instant, the entire corridor echoed with curses:
“Oh! Damn it! So many school uniforms, which one is the training uniform?!”
“Where are my clothes?! My clothes are missing!”
“Why didn’t they tie the shoelaces on my training shoes properly?! Can someone help me?!”
Reed was in an even more dire situation. The size of the training uniform was too small for him. He couldn’t even pull up his pants, blushing and struggling in place.
Seeing the chaos, Lu Yuan’s eyelids twitched, finally understanding why the instructor’s face had turned so dark earlier. Anyone tasked with handling this kind of class would feel overwhelmed. With minimal luggage, Lu Yuan quickly found his training uniform, changed into it, and put on his military boots before heading downstairs.
By that time, the field was already filled with new students, all of them females. Instructor Horik stood with his hands behind his back in front of the formation, allowing them to organize themselves. Occasionally, he checked his watch, calculating the time, his expression growing darker.
Without much thought, Lu Yuan walked into the formation and randomly found a spot to stand. His tall and slender figure seamlessly blended into the group of females, making it impossible for anyone to notice anything amiss.
The female zerg standing next to Lu Yuan tilted his head in confusion and glanced at him, asking, “Which class are you from?”
Lu Yuan answered promptly, “Your class.”
He became even more skeptical, “Why have I never seen you before?”
Lu Yuan replied, “It’s not a big deal. I haven’t seen you either.”
The female zerg was taken aback by his response, feeling that Lu Yuan’s words could choke a zerg. He found him unfriendly and decided to completely abandon any thought of talking to him.
In just a few short minutes, all the females from Class Three had assembled on the field, standing straight. However, there was still no sign of movement from the males upstairs.
Instructor Horik paced back and forth in front of the formation, checking whether the students’ military posture was up to standard. As he casually glanced at Lu Yuan, who stood in the front row, he walked over and patted his shoulder. He noticed his unmoving posture and complimented, “Not bad.”
Lu Yuan didn’t say a word. In fact, he had almost been knocked down by this stern instructor’s punch a moment ago. His shoulder was now throbbing and numb, likely turning purple. After all, there was a considerable difference between the robust physique of humans and that of zergs.
As it approached noon, precisely when the sun was at its peak, Lu Yuan had been holding the military stance for he didn’t know how long. It wasn’t until his head felt like it was about to emit smoke from the heat that the group of males hurriedly ran down from upstairs.
Some had crooked hats, some had loosely tied shoelaces, and Reed, the chubby one, was the most absurd. He hadn’t even fastened his belt, just holding up his pants as he ran down. On the way, he accidentally tripped and fell in a sprawl.
“???”
Even Lu Yuan found the scene unbearable to witness and silently turned his head away. This sentiment was undoubtedly shared by the irritable instructor, let alone when it came to him. Seeing the chaos, Instructor Horik walked up to them with a stern expression. He randomly grabbed the collar of one male zerg and pulled him in front of him, raising the stopwatch in his hand. In a deep voice, he questioned, “Tell me, what time is it now?!”
The unlucky guy who got caught happened to be Reed. He was so scared that his legs were shaking, staring at the black stopwatch and stuttering, “Ten… eleven forty-five?”
Instructor Horik gritted his teeth and asked, “Do you know what that means?!”
Reed’s eyes lit up, “It’s time for lunch?”
Smack!
Lu Yuan closed his eyes in silent despair, feeling like his intelligence had been slapped hard by that statement, and he was seeing stars. It was clear that Reed hadn’t come to the academy to find a partner; he was here to court disaster. It was a miracle that the instructor hadn’t throttled him yet!
Instructor Horik’s face turned an ominous shade of blue, his fists creaking. It took immense self-control not to deliver a punch. Grabbing Reed, he roared, “This means you are twenty minutes late! Do you understand?!”
“I’ve never seen a zerg take half an hour just to put on clothes. Are you guys centipedes?!”
Reed was on the verge of tears. However, the other male zergs behind him still maintained a casual attitude, indifferent to the severity of being late. They clearly didn’t think being tardy was a big deal and believed that the female instructor wouldn’t dare do anything to them.
Instructor Horik, a seasoned veteran, knew exactly what was going on in the minds of these students. He released his grip on Reed and blew the whistle forcefully. Frowning, he commanded, “All male zergs, form up in a line, facing nine o’clock. Run 20 laps around Zone C of the field! No class dismissal until you finish!”
The faces of the male zergs instantly turned pale at his words. One of them exclaimed in astonishment, “20 laps? Are you trying to kill us?!”
Lu Yuan was equally shocked. How did he end up being dragged into this mess?
Instructor Horik gave the speaking male zerg a cold look and said, “You can choose not to run, but Bardell Academy will never admit students who don’t follow orders!”
Bardell Academy’s admission criteria were extremely stringent every year, and the available slots were scarce. Even for nobles, gaining admission was a fierce competition. These male zergs had been forcibly pushed into the academy with considerable effort from their families. If they were expelled and sent back home, it would be impossible to explain.
Upon hearing the instructor’s words, the male zergs, who had been lazy and disrespectful moments ago, finally changed their demeanor. They reluctantly and quietly formed a line. Zone C of the field, designated for central training, was the smallest area, but given enough time, they could manage to complete the laps.
Seeing that they had formed a line, Lu Yuan silently swallowed a mouthful of old blood, realizing he had no choice but to accept his misfortune. He stepped out of the lineup, prepared to join them in running laps.
Instructor Horik noticed Lu Yuan’s actions, his sharp gaze scanning over. Apparently thinking he hadn’t followed instructions properly, he scolded with lingering anger, “I said for the male zergs to form a line. Why are you coming out and stirring up trouble?!”
Lu Yuan: “…”
In the midst of Lu Yuan’s silent contemplation, Reed timidly raised his hand and, summoning courage, explained to Instructor Horik, “I-Instructor, he is a male zerg.”
Instructor Horik was astonished, “??!!”
The military theory class, which had dragged on for the entire morning, finally came to an end at noon when the Command Department major, who had been teaching, packed up and left. Students in the classroom, now free, stood up from their seats in pairs, preparing to head to the cafeteria for lunch.
Yusto sat in his seat without moving. He lowered his head, organizing the test papers he had just finished writing, and meticulously checked the notes he had jotted down. His gaze inadvertently shifted towards the window, only to find the corridor empty, devoid of any zerg figures. Unconsciously, he furrowed his brow.
He must be crazy to believe the words of a male zerg…
Lu Yuan had only spoken casually. Could it be that he would actually come over to apologize?
Yusto found this thought absurd even in his own mind. Just as his mood began to inexplicably sour, Yulejia suddenly approached him, curious, and asked, “Yusto, two papers and one book. You’ve been organizing them for a full ten minutes. Are you not done yet?”
Yusto’s figure stiffened at the words, and he quickly stuffed the textbook in his hands into the drawer, frowning. “You’re being too nosy.”
Yulejia rubbed his stomach. “I don’t want to interfere, but my stomach has started growling. Why hasn’t His Excellency Lu Yuan come over yet?”
Yusto squinted at the words, and his dark red eyes seemed to penetrate Yulejia’s thoughts. “So, are you hungry or do you want to see a male zerg?”
Being exposed by Yusto, Yulejia couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. “Haven’t you heard of the phrase ‘eye candy’? Having lunch with a handsome male zerg can improve my appetite… By the way, will His Excellency Lu Yuan really come to see you? It’s been over ten minutes since the end of class. Shouldn’t we wait a bit longer?”
Yusto coldly snorted, “Only foolish females believe male zergs. If you want to wait, wait for yourself. I won’t wait for him.”
After his words, Yusto stood up from his seat and walked out of the classroom directly, with quite a decisive manner.
Yulejia had no choice but to follow suit. As they stepped out of the classroom, he raised his head and looked at the scorching sun in the sky. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled and muttered to himself, “It’s strange. Why hasn’t His Excellency Lu Yuan come yet?”
Author’s Note:
Author (pulls out a small smart phone watch): Let me call and ask for you~
Lu Yuan: Don’t bother, I’m on a running penalty.
