Chapter 1: A Student Capable of Enchanting Thousands
Ultra-high-definition screens hung upon the sides of towering skyscrapers, broadcasting scenes of gruesome horror.
Grotesque, twisted giant worms wriggled their bloated bodies, lunging toward the camera. Just as a maw filled with razor-sharp teeth was about to snap shut over the lens, a deafening boom echoed, and the worm was sliced clean in half.
Eerie green fluid splattered everywhere, its stench almost palpable even through the screen. At that moment, a silver-white mechanical mecha entered the frame. It stood beside the severed worm, and a figure could be seen leaping down from the cockpit.
It was a manātall, slender, and clad in a black combat suit.
His lower legs were encased in sturdy, knee-high military boots that outlined perfect muscular lines. His short jacket couldn’t quite conceal his rounded, firm buttocks, which twitched slightly with every step he took.
His waist was cinched incredibly tight by a silver belt, looking as though it could be spanned by a single hand. Hanging from his hip was an identification tag: Zhuang He.
Even though the combat suit wrapped him tightly, leaving almost no skin exposed, his exquisite physique and the solitary glimpse of his eyes were enough to enchant thousands.
This was the Empireās “propaganda film.” In truth, it was simply a compilation of Zhuang Heās combat footage, used to encourage citizens to enlist.
In this era, the dangers faced by the military caused many to shrink back. Despite the generous pay and benefits, very few were willing to sacrifice their youth.
The Empireās high-ranking officials had racked their brains until a female Sentinel finally made the call: put Zhuang Heās combat footage on a loop on the big screens!
Others thought her idea was something only a lunatic would come up with, yet the results were spectacular.
Zhuang Heāany resident of the Empire was bound to know his name.
He was the Guardian of the Empire, its God of War. Any battle he participated in was guaranteed to be an overwhelming victory.
As the screen continued its loop, a man standing in the distance watched the entire segment, murmuring to himself, “This Sentinel is way too powerful. Beautiful and fierce.”
A passerby overheard him and chuckled, asking, “Youāre not a local, are you?”
The man was startled and nodded sheepishly. “Right. I was transferred here from the Federation for work.”
“No wonder. That person… isnāt a Sentinel.”
The man froze, blinking in confusion as a possibility dawned on him, making him gasp. “Heās a Guide?!”
“Hahaha! Talk about being easily surprised!”
The passerby laughed and patted his shoulder, told him the manās name from the screen, and left with a final suggestion: “Go look him up on the StarNet.”
The newcomer from the Federation scratched his head in disbelief. How could a Guide be on the front lines? Weren’t they supposed to be in the rear, ready to soothe Sentinels at any moment?
However, once he typed “Zhuang He” into the StarNet search bar, the first line that popped up was:
[Zhuang He, 24 years old, SSS-grade Guide, no marriage history, currently serving as the Chief Instructor of the Empireās First Academy.]
The rest of the information consisted of forum discussions, which made the traveler smack his lips.
“Good grief, SSS-grade? No wonder heās so formidable. And so young… the Empire really does produce talents…”
The 26th floor of Building S at the Empireās First Academy housed the Deanās office.
At this moment, the Academyās Deanāthe very woman who had decided to use Zhuang Heās combat footage for recruitmentāsat behind a black square desk. A series of headshots were neatly arranged on the light-brain interface before her.
Seated in a soft sofa to her side was the man himself, the star of the video: Zhuang He.
His eyes were cast down as he tapped on his own light-brain. His long eyelashes cast a shadow beneath his eyes, and his plump, rosy lips were pressed thin.
Today, he wasn’t wearing his combat suit but a loose, white academy uniform.
The academy uniforms were similar to military fatigues; after all, students from the First Academy were funneled directly into the military without intermediaries.
A section of his elegant neck peeked out from the semi-high collar, offering a glimpse of fair skin and a shifting Adam’s apple.
The silver belt at his waist signaled his noble status while cinching his powerful waist tight, hiding his explosive strength beneath the fabric.
Because of his seated posture, the trousers outlined the lines of his legs, revealing a hint of white socks; not a sliver of skin was visible further up.
He leaned back into the soft sofa, his smooth, long silver hair draped over his shoulders. Seeming slightly annoyed by it, he reached out and tied the silver hair into a ponytail.
Perched upon his shoulder was a fiery-red phoenix.
The phoenixās body was as crimson as blood. The beautiful crest feathers atop its head stood tall and spirited, and its long tail feathers trailed on the floor, tipped with a gilded hue. Its beak rubbed affectionately against Zhuang Heās neck, dependent and docile.
“You are the only one who can lead this Sentinel.”
Du Yu rubbed her aching brow, closing her eyes behind her glasses to rest for a moment.
Zhuang He didn’t even look up. Not a single expression flickered across his devastatingly beautiful face. He simply opened his full lips and coldly spat out two words: “I won’t.”
“No one else can lead him. He is also SSS-grade. Currently, no teacher in the Academy can suppress an SSS-grade Sentinel.”
Du Yu looked at the cold Zhuang He, attempting to persuade him once more.
But once Zhuang He made a decision, no one could change it.
Seeing his stubbornness, Du Yu played her final card. “If you lead this SSS-grade Sentinel, in exchange, I can help you obtain the newly released Soothing Agent.”
She added a final note: “Unlimited quantity.”
This finally made Zhuang He look up at her. His gaze remained cold and calm, but he soon lowered his lashes and remained silent.
Just as Du Yu thought he was going to refuse again, she heard his cold voice. “Send me the files.”
This was undoubtedly an agreement. Overjoyed, Du Yu quickly swiped her light-brain and sent the Sentinelās information to him.
With two beeps, Zhuang He opened the new message on his light-brain and began to browse it word by word.
“Lu Yin, SSS-grade Sentinel, eighteen years old…”
“Why was he only detected as SSS-grade at eighteen?”
Zhuang Heās brow furrowed imperceptibly. Du Yu pushed up her glasses and said, “He was a wanderer before. He was only discovered after participating in the Empire’s free testing for eighteen-year-olds.”
“A wanderer…”
“A wanderer who is an SSS-grade Sentinel. If not you, I can’t think of anyone else who could control him.”
Du Yuās tone was firm. Sentinels were inherently dependent on spiritual power and often required a Guide with high compatibility for soothing. However, Lu Yin was SSS-grade. Once his spiritual power became chaotic, no one but Zhuang He would be qualified to soothe him.
Zhuang He flipped through a few more pages, appearing somewhat uninterested.
“Let me know when he enrolls.”
Having said that, he rose to leave. The fiery phoenix spread its wings, turning into specks of starlight before vanishing into the air.
Du Yu couldn’t help but daze slightly as she watched his retreating figure. If Zhuang He were her Guide, sheād be in heaven. It was a pityāshe wondered if this Sentinel could survive Zhuang Heās training.
Upon returning home, Zhuang He shed his cumbersome outer coat, revealing a tight-fitting undershirt. His snowy neck was completely exposed, leading down to an even slenderer waist. He extended his long legs and lazily threw himself into a comfortable sofa. Mechanical arms immediately extended from the sides of the sofa to provide a full-body massage.
He closed his eyes and emptied his mind, enjoying a moment of tranquility.
“Master, would you like to dine?”
A ragdoll-cat-shaped robot hopped onto the sofa’s armrest. If not for those eerie blue mechanical eyes, one wouldn’t be able to tell it was a mechanical product.
“Tomato brisket, and sautĆ©ed shredded potatoes.”
“Understood, Master.”
The kitten turned and hopped nimbly into the kitchen. With a beep, mechanical arms extended from the kitchen door, opening the fridge to take out ingredients.
Accompanied by the swish-swish of the mechanical arms cooking, Zhuang He lay comfortably on the sofa, waiting for his lunch.
The restless fire phoenix emerged again. Zhuang He glanced at it before closing his eyes and warning, “Don’t cause trouble, or I’ll pluck all your feathers.”
The fire phoenix visibly shrank back, but its playful nature won out over its fear.
While enjoying his massage, Zhuang He recalled the data he saw today.
Lu Yin, SSS-grade Sentinel.
The reason the Academy insisted on pushing this person onto him was nothing more than the fear that low-level Guides wouldn’t be able to soothe him.
As a fellow SSS-grade Guide, he undoubtedly had to take on this hot potato.
Still… the ID photo of the boy surfaced in Zhuang He’s mind. The boyās vibrant hair color seemed to foreshadow his personality. He was quite handsome, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, radiating youthful spiritāthough there seemed to be something else hidden in those eyes.
Two days later, on the day of the Empireās First Academy freshman orientation, Zhuang He naturally had to make an appearance as the Chief Instructor.
He changed into a more solemn white officerās uniform. The tassels on his shoulders swayed with his firm steps, and the medals on his chest declared his achievements. His waist was cinched by a black-and-gold belt, from which his nameplate hung.
His long legs were outlined beautifully, and he seemed to walk with the wind.
But compared to his physique, his face was what people talked about most.
Across that exquisitely beautiful and vivid face, there was always a cold expression. It seemed no one could make the corners of his mouth lift even by a single pixel.
As he entered, the students below fell silent.
Which child of the Empire hadn’t looked up to Zhuang He as an idol?
SSS-grade spiritual power, a powerful physique, and highly skilled tacticsāall of it commanded respect.
He walked onto the stage, his military boots tapping a steady, rhythmic beat on the floor. His face was as cold as ever, yet it caused many in the audience to flush red.
“…With that, I hope everyone enjoys their life at the Academy.”
The speech concluded. Zhuang He gave a slight nod, turned, and walked off the stage with steady steps. The students sitting closer gazed obsessively at his figure, unable to stop praising him under their breath. “So beautiful, so stunning… such a thin waist…”
A student nearby laughed and nudged him, whispering, “Enchanted? Wait until your spiritual power becomes chaotic; then try applying for the Chief to soothe you.”
“God, as if Iām worthy!”
Zhuang He was oblivious to the students’ chatter. Even if he knew, he would only give a cold glance and say nothing. Currently standing before him was the familiar face he had seen on his light-brain days ago.
Lu Yin.
As expected, the first look the boy gave him was full of hostility. His fiery-red short hair was spiked irregularly, with a tuft of yellow highlights on the left side.
His physique was decent, standing a bit taller than Zhuang He and leaning toward a more robust build. Appearance-wise, he was good material, though his gaze was a bit fierce.
Zhuang Heās eyes swept over that streak of yellow hair. His face remained frozen as he spoke words that seemed to carry shards of ice: “From now on, you will study under me.”
Lu Yinās brow furrowed tightly. When he learned his teacher was a Guide, his first reaction was to refuse. However, he couldn’t say it outright. If the Empire refused to admit him because of it, all his efforts would go to waste.
But… the Guide before him was a head shorter than him. His shoulders were quite broad, but still narrow compared to his own. His waist was very thin, looking as though it would snap if he squeezed it. His legs were long, and his buttocks were very round and full…
Realizing what he was thinking, Lu Yin cursed himself inwardly. Heās just a “vase” Guideāis he even qualified to be my teacher?
Sensing the doubt in Lu Yinās eyes, Zhuang He didn’t bother saying much. He turned to leave, but Du Yu, who was watching their confrontation, called out to him. “Wait a moment. Take him to do a basic fitness test first.”
Zhuang He turned back, still expressionless, and simply nodded to Du Yu.
Du Yu gave Lu Yin a push, whispering, “Follow Chief Zhuang to do the test.”
No matter how indignant he was, Lu Yin still followed Zhuang He.
When they reached the physical testing room, Lu Yin was stunned by the array of equipment. These were all the latest models!
Zhuang He walked in first. He leaned over and picked up a grip strength bar from the table. Lu Yinās eyes followed him closely. He saw Zhuang Heās arm flex slightly, and a terrifying number appeared on the screen.
1000, 1500, 2000… finally stopping at 2986.
Yet from Zhuang Heās appearance, he hadn’t exerted himself at all. He stepped back and signaled for Lu Yin to come forward.
Lu Yin stood where Zhuang He had been. Looking at the man who was a head shorter than him, he increased the force in his hand.
1000, 1500, 2000… the numbers jumped to 2350 and stopped.
Zhuang Heās brow lifted by an almost imperceptible margin as he nodded. “Not bad.”
He was sparing with his words, but Lu Yin was somewhat shocked. He had just used all his strength, and his palm was still slightly numb, yet he hadn’t even reached the level Zhuang He achieved so effortlessly.
Is this person really a Guide?
Translatorās Note: Hi everyone! I’m so excited to start this new journey with you all! Zhuang He is such a cool characterāI love the “ice beauty” trope. For those new to the genre, this is a Sentinel and Guide (S&G) setting. Basically, Sentinels are super-soldiers with heightened senses, and Guides are those who can mentally “soothe” them to prevent them from going berserk. SSS-grade is the pinnacle of power! – SilverPhoenix
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