Chapter 21: Fleeting Clouds, Changing Skies
If this had been the past, Chen Mo would certainly have apologized at once, preferring to avoid trouble rather than invite it. But now, Chen Mo would never let anyone trample over him.
“Oh? That’s a question I should be asking you. Didn’t you hear the class monitor speaking to me? What business is it of yours?”
What? Could he have heard wrong? This orphan actually dared to talk back to him.
Qin Wei’s chest heaved in fury, the muscles in his arms bulging. “You orphan, say that again if you dare!”
Ding Yan, unable to contain his anger, grabbed a chair and smashed it over Qin Wei’s head without a word. “You bastard, if you dare call my brother an orphan again, I’ll beat you to death!”
“Stop fighting! The teacher’s coming!” Ye Zhiyan screamed.
But Ye Zhiyan didn’t realize that when it came to men, a woman’s scream was the greatest stimulant.
Qin Wei, the class sports officer, was no pushover. He swung at Ding Yan with a backhanded punch. “You sissy, I’ll smash you to pieces!”
Crack—
A crisp sound. Just as Qin Wei’s fist was about to land on Ding Yan’s fair little face, five fingers clamped around his wrist, locking it in place so he couldn’t move at all.
“You—how is this possible!” Qin Wei stared at Chen Mo, his face contorted in disbelief. How could this skinny orphan be so strong?
Qin Wei sneered, “I get it now—you’re an Evolver! No wonder you dared talk back to me. Ha! You think you’re the only Evolver here?”
A gray light radiated from Qin Wei’s body as he shifted roles on the spot, activating the Warrior Apprentice. He must not have had many points, since he hadn’t bought the beginner’s armor, only wearing the most basic bronze armor.
Even so, the bronze armor shone brilliantly under the sun, drawing the attention of many on the field.
“Look over there—there’s a fight!”
“It looks like Evolvers—someone just switched roles!”
“Haha, this is great! We’re in for a good show!”
It wasn’t just happening here. Across the entire sports field, in both the junior and senior high school sections, there were nearly two thousand students. Many who had been bullied in the past had now become Evolvers. The negative emotions from years of torment had finally erupted, resulting in at least ten separate clashes on the field.
Faced with Qin Wei’s sudden rage, Chen Mo was blown back two meters by the force of the Warrior’s aura, stumbling and nearly falling.
“Chen Mo!” The class monitor, Ye Zhiyan, hurried forward to steady him.
This only made Qin Wei more furious. In his mind, the Zephyr told him: Fight! Fight! Draw your sword and fight!
Die!
Losing all reason, a flash of green light appeared in Qin Wei’s hand as a bronze sword materialized, and without hesitation, he slashed toward Chen Mo.
A chorus of screams erupted from the students nearby. Evolvers were still rare, and none of them had ever witnessed such a brutal scene in a school.
Seeing his brother in danger, Ding Yan didn’t hesitate for even a second. He switched roles instantly—donning the beginner’s magic robe, wielding the beginner’s wand, and slipping on the beginner’s boots, the full novice outfit.
Fireball!
Bang! Bang!
A high-temperature flame compressed into an orb, the magical spectacle leaving the onlookers tense, excited, and shrieking in disbelief.
A bronze sword, a magical fireball!
This unbelievable collision was about to take place in an ordinary school.
Suddenly, a blur of white streaked past.
A mysterious figure dressed in a white cloak and wearing a stag-antler mask appeared abruptly between the two combatants.
The cloak billowed like that of a white magician.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the white cloak struck the bronze sword, sending Qin Wei sprawling to the ground.
Sss!
The white cloak formed a silvery shield, which absorbed the fireball upon impact, dispersing it instantly.
So strong!
In fact, Chen Mo had already noticed the masked figure in the white cloak standing on the field, and had deliberately provoked Qin Wei, pretending to fall just to lure Qin Wei into attacking him—his instincts told him this mysterious figure would intervene.
Sure enough, the masked man acted.
Data scan!
[Wei Zheng. Lv27]
[Warrior]
[HP: 1500]
[MP: 500]
[Physical Attack: 300]
[Magic Attack: 50]
[Skill 1: Gale Slash—delivers a rapid area attack with the power of the wind; cooldown: 15 seconds]
[Skill 2: Blink—instantly teleport behind any target within ten meters, up to three times within five seconds; cooldown: 30 seconds]
Level 27? How was that possible! Chen Mo was still a pitiful level 1!
This was overwhelming. Moreover, this man had already advanced from Warrior Apprentice to Warrior, which meant this Wei Zheng must have spent a hundred thousand points to buy the role package.
But Chen Mo quickly figured it out. The masked man in white must be a government-trained Evolver. They probably had access to the Evolution Sphere ten times a day—seventy times a week. They weren’t ordinary people, and with national resources at their disposal, reaching level 27 was not surprising.
The masked man in the white cloak spoke with a cold voice: “This is your first warning. Next time you dare switch roles in school without permission, I’ll cripple you.”
The murderous warning instantly sobered both Qin Wei and Ding Yan. They hastily switched back to their normal selves.
Swish—
The white cloak flashed through the crowd, leaping to another fight nearby. Like a razor-sharp blade, the cloak shattered the combatants’ bronze swords, stopping the violence before anyone could be hurt.
So that was it. The country truly lived up to its name. They must have foreseen that students would soon include many Evolvers, and if they didn’t send someone stronger to keep order, chaos would reign.
Soon, under the intimidating presence of the mysterious masked man in white, silence swept the field—no one dared act out again.
“Students, welcome to the new term. I’m delighted to see you all in advance.” On the stage at the field, the elderly principal waved to everyone, his voice booming.
“I’m sure I don’t need to explain why school started early. That’s right, it’s because of the Zephyr Incident. Like you, I have the Zephyr in my brain as well. This makes me deeply understand that the Zephyr is a double-edged sword. Controlled well, it can help humanity evolve, improve our genes; uncontrolled, it becomes the source of all evil and chaos. Thankfully, we have it under control. Outside of the early days of riots, our society has returned to order. But in many smaller countries, there is utter chaos—Evolvers have banded together to fight the government, slaughtering each other, with corpses everywhere and rivers of blood.
“We are the flowers of our motherland, the future of our country. It is our duty to shoulder the responsibility of protecting our nation. That is why I’ve called this all-school assembly today!”
Thunderous applause broke out below. Students are easily moved; many had tears in their eyes, and some even burst into song: “We are the successors of communism, inheriting the glorious tradition of our revolutionary forebears, loving our country, loving our people, with the bright red scarf fluttering on our chests…”
The old principal was moved by the singing, tears streaming down his face. “Good! Wonderful! You are all good students! Now, members of the special organization from the National Evolution Center—Clouds and Dogs—will explain your future study tasks in detail! Let’s applaud!”
Thunderous applause erupted once more.
A white cloak flickered onto the podium as if by teleportation.
It was none other than the masked man who had stopped the fight earlier.
So that was the name of his organization—Clouds and Dogs. What a terrible name!
The masked man in the white cloak stood before the microphone. Through the mask, his voice was deep and hoarse: “Hello, students. My name is Wei Zheng—Wei, as in ‘to defend,’ and Zheng, as in ‘righteous.’ My name means ‘defend justice.’ You’ll be hearing my name often from now on. Now, let me explain in detail the Evolution Sphere, the Zephyr, instances, and all information about evolution!”