A Slipper’s Journey and a Boy’s Truth

The moonlight was no match for the high-lumen searchlights. Beams of near-solid light flooded the camp.

Summer mosquitoes buzzed around the lights.

In front of the olive-green tent, the middle-aged man touched his right cheek, bent down, and picked up the slipper under the girl’s terrified gaze.

Tap… tap… The heels of his leather shoes struck the ground.

Watching the man walk over, the girl had to admit she was panicking. She swallowed and shuffled backward.

Huang Xiu never imagined Professor Yuan would fail to dodge her slipper. She had only thrown it out of anger, without any aim! It was so slow. She could have dodged it. Even Shi Lei, that useless idiot, could have dodged it easily. What should she do now? Apologize? Do the Japanese three-step apology bow, kneel, and prostrate?

At that moment, a scene appeared in Huang Xiu’s mind. The girl slid back, did a backflip, landed heavily, and prostrated, shouting, “Old man, I’m really sorry! I didn’t mean it. I just didn’t expect you wouldn’t dodge.” Crap! If she said that, Professor Yuan would definitely lose his temper and pull out his belt to teach her a lesson. Should she fight back? Strike first to gain the upper hand. But then she remembered what she had overheard, Professor Yuan had single-handedly taken down an entire Void Realm. Huang Xiu backed down immediately. With her mediocre combat ability, even ten more of her wouldn’t be enough for him to enjoy a fight. After thinking it over, she decided to be an honest kid and apologize sincerely.

“P-Professor, I’m sorry.” She said anxiously, nervously rubbing the hem of her uniform. “I shouldn’t have thrown the slipper…”

“Why are you apologizing?” A large hand gently landed on her head, interrupting her.

“Huh?” Huang Xiu was stunned. She looked up and met a pair of apologetic, wrinkled, clear eyes.

“I’m the one who should apologize, Huang! You did nothing wrong. The fault is mine!” Professor Yuan gently stroked her head. “You told me about the Void Realm, but this old man was blind and foolish. I didn’t see it, causing you and your classmates to fall into danger, forcing you to use your ability again.” Thinking about it, he wished he could slap himself. So close, so close to disaster. “I’m truly sorry, Huang!”

Watching the self-blaming middle-aged man, Huang Xiu’s earlier resentment melted away like snow after rain. Yes, what had Professor Yuan done wrong? He had been rushing and fighting all along, doing his best. The ones at fault were never them, but the mastermind behind it all.

“It’s okay. It’s really okay. I’m fine now!” the girl emphasized seriously.

Hearing this, Professor Yuan sighed in relief. He seemed to drop a huge burden and perked up immediately.

“Haha, good! On the way here, I was worried you might hold a grudge. I thought long and hard about how to handle it.”

Huang Xiu: “…” Dammit, this old man, give back the emotion she felt!

Like patting a watermelon, Professor Yuan slapped Huang Xiu’s shoulder. “First time experiencing a Void Realm invasion? How did it feel?” He raised an eyebrow. “Tired? Scared?”

“Not tired, more like lingering fear,” Huang Xiu said. The joy of surviving was nothing; what lingered was fear and regret. Fear of dying before experiencing the beauty of growing up, fear of not being able to fulfill filial piety to her parents. Even fear of dying in a female body, leaving no trace of Huang Xiu, the high school sophomore boy. Even now, she regretted her rash actions. But if she had to choose again, the result would probably be the same. This wasn’t about heroism. She just couldn’t stand by and let her classmates, who she spent every day with, die at the hands of monsters. They deserved a better tomorrow.

“Fear is normal. Only by knowing fear can one understand life and death,” Professor Yuan praised. “You did very well today.” Not just well, but perfectly. First time facing a Void Realm invasion, she saved the victims while protecting herself. Responsibility and ability were both necessary. Huang Xiu would become an excellent Specialist; Professor Yuan was now certain.

“Leave the rest to me. I’ll bring your classmates back safe and sound,” he said. Huang Xiu nodded and watched him walk back to Liu Xin.

“I’ll enter the Contact Point first to check the situation. You arrange people outside to be ready to receive the students.”

“Okay,” Liu Xin nodded decisively.

“I’ll go outside to receive them,” He Tianpeng quickly interjected. Even though he had lost his power, he was still a Specialist. Entering the Contact Point wouldn’t cause his spirit to collapse from void energy.

“You wait on the road with the guard troops.” Liu Xin didn’t refuse He Tianpeng’s request. Currently, all Specialists had been assigned to the Second Void Realm. The Third Void Realm was short-handed; every Specialist was a valuable asset.

“I’ll go too!” Huang Xiu suddenly said.

“You’ve done enough tonight,” Professor Yuan joked. “Now rest up and prepare for the re-exam in two days. Be careful you don’t fail.” With that, he turned and strode toward the campus before she could refuse. Still with that strange gait, ten meters per step, he disappeared from their sight in an instant.

He Tianpeng, now permitted, couldn’t stand still. He jogged heavily into a corner tent. In less than a minute, he came out wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a large black firearm specially made for the guard troops. Four people followed him, the same guard troops who had rescued Huang Xiu. But one seemed to be missing.

“I remember there was one more,” Huang Xiu said. She wanted to say their names but realized she didn’t know them.

“One was seriously injured and sent to the hospital,” Liu Xin replied casually. Huang Xiu had shared a life-and-death experience with them and felt a bond of comradeship. Hearing this, she felt a bit down.

He Tianpeng seemed to have a military background; he easily blended into the guard team and jogged toward the school. But the beer belly bouncing from under his bulletproof vest was very noticeable.

Huang Xiu looked away. “Do you know where Shi Lei is? The tall, skinny one who should have evacuated before the girls.”