Chapter 89: The Heart of the Strong

Fanny gently pressed a button on the remote device in her hand. The sky outside gradually dimmed; distant lights, fireworks, and the clamor faded away. The world seemed to grow quiet. After doing all this, Fanny sighed, her face full of worry, as she glanced toward a closed door.

At that moment, Xie Liu pushed open the door and stepped out. He was surprised to see the scenery outside had vanished.

“I activated the static simulation device to create an environment suitable for sleep. I hope it will help Ye Ling feel more comfortable,” Fanny explained.

Xie Liu nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

Fanny hesitated, her anxiety written plainly on her face as she saw Xie Liu’s unwell expression. She wasn’t sure if she should ask, but finally, she couldn’t hide her concern. Xie Liu noticed her expression and said quietly, “Don’t worry. Nothing too serious happened. Ye Ling was just frightened and is now asleep. By the way, how is Angela?”

“Angela is fine, you don’t have to worry.” Fanny withdrew her gaze from Ye Ling’s room and rested it on Xie Liu’s somewhat grim face. “Are you really going to challenge the Godslayer Squad?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Xie Liu’s tone was grave. “I intend to call everyone back so we can discuss how to deal with the Godslayer Squad.”

“I’ve already sent out the message. They’re all on their way back. I’ve told them the general situation, but the specifics will have to wait until everyone arrives.” Fanny fiddled with the remote in her hand. “I know you’re angry, but the Godslayer Squad is not something you can handle lightly. You need to be careful. If things get out of hand, I’ll help you…” She suddenly fell silent, remembering that Xie Liu harbored a mysterious power—perhaps there wasn’t anything for her to worry about after all.

As if he sensed Fanny’s thoughts, Xie Liu shook his head slightly. Outside the window, the simulated world transformed into an ancient forest, the rustling of insects providing the perfect lullaby.

“That’s a power I cannot use. This time, I tapped into it a little, but I don’t know what consequences it might bring. Even a small amount of that power could destroy this world,” Xie Liu said, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. “I feel like someone might have noticed when I used it earlier. If so, the consequences could be dire.”

Fanny listened, her heart stirred, and she whispered, “I always feel you’re hiding something very significant. And because of this secret, you seem to be drifting away from us.”

“Do Lin Yang, Gong Hou, and the others know? About what you’re hiding?”

But Xie Liu didn’t answer. He pretended to be fascinated by the simulated scenery outside, walked to the window—a marvel of technology—and tapped it, producing a dull sound.

“I can’t answer that question. Maybe one day, when the time comes, I’ll tell you. But before then, I want to ask you something.” Xie Liu turned, looking at Fanny in the dimming room. The world was so bleak, yet this girl was so radiant, like a lighthouse on the boundless sea. With a voice almost pleading, he asked, “Fanny, tell me, are you real? Or are you just a figment of my imagination?”

Why would he ask such a thing?

Fanny was puzzled, but seeing the desperation in Xie Liu’s eyes, she nodded. “Of course I’m real.”

Fanny clearly saw the light trembling in Xie Liu’s eyes, as if it were his heart that quivered. In that instant, he seemed affirmed, relieved, almost redeemed.

“I’ve always moved forward under a heavy burden, but I’m also searching for the reality I long for. Thank you, Fanny.” Xie Liu nodded, his eyes glistening.

The words were baffling—even Fanny couldn’t make sense of them. Xie Liu patted his cheeks, putting on a smile. “They should be back soon. Let’s wait for them in the hall.”

...

When the morning sun rose, every hunter passing through the dining hall sensed something was amiss. Hundreds sat in silence, eating breakfast—no one dared speak. It was a stark contrast to the usual laughter and chatter. As a female hunter entered, she found her squad’s table and asked her teammates, “What’s happened today? Why is the atmosphere so gloomy?”

Her teammate didn’t answer directly, instead gesturing for silence and pointing to a corner of the dining hall. The woman followed his gesture and gasped, falling silent.

In the southwest corner stood a huge round table, now crowded with people. They sat in silence, faces dark and brooding, as if everyone owed them a fortune.

This group was Xie Liu, Fanny, and their companions. After returning last night, they had sat here ever since. Once Xie Liu and Fanny explained the events of the previous evening, the mood had turned grim.

Some said that since last night, they’d gathered here, discussing something throughout the night. Now, they no longer spoke—every face cold and forbidding, intimidating newcomers into silence. Thus, the entire dining hall had fallen into this state.

Eventually, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, some quickly finished breakfast and left. At last, Wendy couldn’t stand it any longer. She drew her sword, slammed it onto the table, and declared angrily, “I can’t take it anymore! I’m going to chop them up!”

Several hunters nearby recoiled in fear, worried Wendy might lash out at them.

“I agree with Wendy! Let’s castrate them all!” Little Night, hot-tempered herself, stood up and drew her dagger, slashing it fiercely in the air.

“Sit down!” Fanny barked. “What good will it do to charge over now? Will brute force solve anything?”

“Then what do you suggest?” Little Night snapped, cursing. “The Godslayer Squad has bullied us. Can you stand it?”

“I can’t stand it!” Gong Hou roared, pounding the table hard enough to leave a handprint. Lin Yang and Xu Xiong, furious, stood up, shouting about taking down the Godslayer Squad. Only Neve and Fanny tried to calm everyone down.

“Enough!” The usually silent Xie Liu suddenly shouted, silencing the commotion. “What are you all getting so worked up about? Do you think you can beat them? You’re just marching off to die. Don’t you think Ye Ling has suffered enough? Do you want to add yourselves to the list?”

“So what do you suggest? Are we just supposed to let this go? I won’t accept it!” Wendy confronted Xie Liu.

Xie Liu slammed his hand onto the table, making a deep dent. “Tell me, why was Ye Ling bullied?”

“Because we’re too weak.” Xie Liu’s gaze swept over the group. “I’m not talking about the Silver Flash Squad—I mean us, the Misfortune Squad. Yes, we’re ranked last. So we have no dignity, and we get bullied. Isn’t that right?” He turned to his teammates. “We’ve never cared much about these things.”

“We think those so-called honors are far from us. We’ve grown comfortable with our circumstances—yes, we’re the weakest, we’re the worst, and we’ve been numbing ourselves with these thoughts, hypnotizing ourselves.”

“We’re content, enjoying comfort. Even when we’re about to be kicked out of the direct squads, we don’t care. But brothers, does your heart ache right now?” Xie Liu thumped his chest. “Mine hurts!”

“Yes, we’re the ‘Five Trash’ of the academy, because we really are trash.” Xie Liu pointed at Gong Hou. “You, Gong Hou, tell me—besides eating and sleeping, what else can you do? You awakened super strength, but you can’t even carry bricks!”

“And you, Xu Xiong, you’re a waste, understand? Besides gaming, what use are you? You’ve spent over a month holed up in the dorm—do you think being a shut-in is glorious? You’re an embarrassment, you know?”

“Li Shizhu, you might as well die in your comics! And Lin Yang, you might as well become a girl and find a rich, handsome man to keep you…” Xie Liu’s insults grew more unrestrained until Fanny stepped forward and slapped him across the face.

Smack!

The sound echoed throughout the dining hall, and Xie Liu’s tirade stopped.

“You can’t speak so poorly of those you trust with your life,” Fanny said angrily. Her slap was heavy—Xie Liu’s cheek swelled.

He looked like a wronged housewife, cradling his face as he sank into his chair. “I just feel we’re so pathetic.”

“I only wish that one day, when we’re together, we won’t just talk about negative things.” Xie Liu’s voice trembled, as if Fanny’s slap had hit him hard. “Even if we’re just salted fish, we still want to turn over—better to flip over and still be salted fish than lie there forever.”

Fanny withdrew her hand and sighed. “That’s not what you used to say to me.”

“That was because there was no other way. Everyone’s gotten comfortable.” Xie Liu, fearing another slap, kept his distance, clutching his face. “Comfort breeds complacency. Comfort kills dreams. Comfort keeps you trapped in reality.”

“You certainly have plenty of philosophies.” Fanny bit her lip, dropping her hand. “Now you’re not comfortable anymore, so tell us—what are you going to do? You’ve insulted everyone one by one; don’t tell me that’s the end of it.”

“Only you understand me, Fanny.” Xie Liu finally flashed a mischievous grin. “This time, Ye Ling’s ordeal made me realize something: there’s no such thing as a peaceful world. We’re already seated at the gambling table, like gamblers—we can only play until someone loses everything. Before, we thought it was fine—no rewards, no missions, no fame. We didn’t want any of that, didn’t fight for it, but even so, people still come back to kick us down. We got comfortable, and even when kicked, we just brushed off the dust and swallowed our grievances.”

“This time, I can’t swallow it any longer. I’ve decided—in the Hunter Ranking Battle, we’re going to beat them down, not just the Godslayer Squad, but all the other squads as well. Beat them until they’re scared, until they panic, until they despair!” Xie Liu looked at his four teammates. “We were never trash; we just got used to being called trash. We even started to believe it ourselves. But we’re not. We took down ‘Nine Lives,’ we took down Ace, and we’ve sparred with Fanny.”

Fanny nodded in agreement.

“We’ve never been weak. All we lack is the heart of a strong man!” Xie Liu said, extending his hand and clenching it into a fist. “Brothers, let’s grind those geniuses into the dirt together—let’s avenge Ye Ling!”

“I’m in.” Lin Yang was the first to reach out, pressing his fist to Xie Liu’s. Then he looked at Gong Hou, who nodded and joined in. “Xie Liu, you jerk, daring to insult me like that—when this is over, I’ll get you back.”

Xu Xiong and Li Shizhu exchanged glances. “We’re in, too,” they said, pressing their hands on top.

“We’ve weathered so much together. I believe that as long as the five of us stick together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.” Xie Liu smiled. Just then, a small pale hand suddenly rested atop theirs. Everyone paused and turned; it was Ye Ling, her face still white as a sheet, reaching out.

“I want to join, too!” Her voice was small but resolute. Amid everyone’s astonished looks, Ye Ling managed a faint smile.