“How is it?”
Christina asked.
Inside the Thanatos cafeteria, Lin Yu sat across from her.
His tray held a simple meal of roasted chicken breast, hummus, and quinoa, while Christina had a plate of pasta in front of her.
The school’s cafeteria was nothing short of luxurious.
A star map mural was painted across the towering dome, its edges embedded with LED strips that emitted a soft white glow.
Beside the Roman stone pillars supporting the structure stood holographic screens displaying the day’s specials and nutritional analyses.
The long serving area was divided into several stalls, covering a variety of options ranging from standard Western cuisine and Asian stir-fry to Middle Eastern kebabs and a salad bar.
The air was thick with the mixed aroma of spices, toasted bread, and coffee.
“I didn’t get anything out of her…”
Lin Yu said helplessly, poking at the chicken on his plate with his fork.
“She said it was top secret.”
“Just as I expected. They won’t say anything. If you want to know, you’ll have to find out on your own.”
Christina twirled a forkful of pasta, her tone calm.
“On my own how? By breaking into the school archives to steal classified documents?”
Lin Yu’s voice carried a hint of mockery.
It wasn’t so much a question as it was a vent for his internal sense of powerlessness.
“The archives’ security system is personally monitored by Vigus, maintained jointly by the Operations Department and the Technical Department. It’s double-encrypted with physical locks and energy barriers…”
“I was just kidding…”
“And yet you have a perfectly serious look on your face, and your tone didn’t sound like a joke at all.”
Lin Yu fell silent for a moment before deciding to shift the conversation away from such a dangerous topic.
“I’m curious,” he started again.
“You, Director Tangris, Professor Corso, even the Principal we just saw… why is your Chinese so good? The Principal could even use allusions from the Three Kingdoms period…”
She paused, her tone becoming a bit more formal.
“That has a lot to do with your upcoming course selection. According to the school’s curriculum standards, every one of us must learn two or three languages. Professor Corso will discuss the details with you later, but I can give you some advice now.”
Lin Yu sat up straighter, signaling that he was listening.
“Your ‘Regeneration’ ability is extremely precious. Any division of the Operations Department would see you as a gem.”
She looked at Lin Yu with a sincere gaze.
“Therefore, unlike our original plan for you, your course direction has shifted entirely from the Research Department to the Operations Department. I strongly suggest you prioritize courses that can maximize your abilities. Theory and Practice of Divine Thought Manipulation is a foundation; you must take it. Even if you only learn the basics, Applied Combat and Cold Weapons and Modern Weaponry will give you an extra layer of self-protection during missions. Introduction to Mythological Genealogy will help you understand exactly what we are facing.”
She tapped her finger lightly on the table, listing them off.
“Additionally, Logical Analysis of Supernatural Phenomena will help train your mind. As for languages, Ancient Greek and Latin are the carriers of many ancient documents and oracles, so they are very important.”
Lin Yu listened intently, though he felt like he was listening to a foreign language.
“As for department selection…”
Christina weighed her words.
“In the last mission, you participated as a member of the Logistics Department… that Chief must be over the moon right now. This Divine Sense of yours bypasses the need to spend time learning basic medical care, and the results are even more effective than professional modern medical technology.”
“I understand. Thank you,” Lin Yu said.
“Don’t thank me.”
Christina shook her head.
“I still feel…”
She paused and changed the subject.
“Besides classes, you should also look into the school’s clubs.”
“Clubs?”
“Yes. June is the school’s annual month-long club event. Participating in club activities is a good experience for your student years.”
“I assume they aren’t mandatory?”
Lin Yu asked noncommittally.
He was used to being a loner and didn’t have much interest in clubs.
“They aren’t mandatory, but participating earns you credits—Extra-curricular Credits. According to school rules, you need three Extra-curricular Credits to graduate… and those can only be obtained through club activities.”
‘What a load of nonsense,’ Lin Yu thought.
‘It’s just like those mandatory “voluntary” makeup classes back in high school in China. The school says they aren’t mandatory, but if you don’t show up, the homeroom teacher immediately calls you in for a “chat”…’
As the meal drew to a close, Christina checked the time.
“Alright, I have a mission briefing to attend soon. Go straight to Professor Corso’s office; it’s on the east side of the main building’s third floor. Vigus will navigate for you.”
Lin Yu nodded, picked up his tray, and stood.
***
At 9:50 PM Greenwich Mean Time, the ancient stone walls of the Thanatos main building looked even more solemn under the night sky.
Lin Yu and Li Hao stepped out of the building.
Professor Corso had given them a general direction for their course selection, but the specific choices were up to them.
Official classes wouldn’t start until next semester; June was for clubs, followed by the summer break.
“Konbanwa,” a casual voice rang out.
Lin Yu and Li Hao understood the Japanese phrase without needing Vigus to translate—it was a common greeting often heard in anime, meaning “Good evening.”
A katana blocked their path.
The blade was simple and ancient, reflecting a cold, sharp glint under the distant streetlights.
The one holding the sword was the Japanese girl who had fallen unconscious during the mission—Kobayashi Mirai.
Perhaps this Japanese friend had a unique way of saying hello, as Lin Yu and Li Hao didn’t feel any friendliness from her at all.
Almost simultaneously, they reached for their headsets and activated Vigus’s real-time translation.
“Hey, classmate… what, what can we do for you?”
Li Hao asked first, his voice tinged with nervousness.
Kobayashi Mirai also adjusted her headset.
Her gaze skipped over Li Hao and landed directly on Lin Yu.
Her voice came through the translator.
“I want to talk to you. Do you have time?”
Lin Yu looked at her and nodded.
He could guess what she wanted to ask.
“Should I wait for you nearby?”
Li Hao whispered to Lin Yu.
“No need, you go on ahead,” Lin Yu signaled for him to leave.
Li Hao looked at Kobayashi Mirai, then at Lin Yu, and finally nodded before quickly scurrying away from the scene.
At Kobayashi Mirai’s gesture, the two walked silently toward a wing of the main building, reaching a relatively secluded platform near the River Cam.
The water flowed beneath them, reflecting the shattered moonlight, and the only sound was the rustle of leaves in the wind.
After they stopped, Kobayashi Mirai turned to face Lin Yu.
“It’s different from what you said in your mission report,” she said, getting straight to the point without any pleasantries.
“When I was being swallowed by the insect swarm, I felt it very clearly—someone rushed in and held me, and they pulled my sword from my waist.”
She slightly lifted the katana in her hand.
The scabbard was carved with intricate cherry blossom patterns.
“Was that person you?”
“I’m not sure. When I found you, you were just lying on the ground, heavily injured.”
Although the girl had expressed herself clearly, Lin Yu knew that the key to playing dumb was to remain composed and never admit anything until there was undeniable proof.
Kobayashi Mirai watched him silently for a few seconds.
She didn’t argue or press further.
Instead, she took a step forward, held the katana out with both hands, and solemnly presented it to Lin Yu.
“Try drawing it.”
‘Wait, it’s a trap!’
Alarm bells rang in Lin Yu’s head.
‘Could she really recognize someone just by the way they draw a sword? That sounds like a bit of a stretch for a superpower, doesn’t it? Besides, isn’t her ability Teleportation?’
But things had already reached this point.
At this moment, refusing to draw the sword would only make him look guilty.