Chapter 14: Morning Exercise, Word Spirit

The next morning.

The bright sunlight filtered through the cracks in the clouds, weaving into a brilliant net that spread over the Kasell Academy's playground.

On the lush green grass, men and women were doing warm-up exercises, while some couples whispered sweet nothings to each other. On the running track, girls in sports shorts ran, their sweat glistening in the sunlight, creating a beautiful scene of youth.

Walking side by side, Chu Zihang and Lu Chen were jogging. They had met by chance when they left.

Chu Zihang had made it a habit to exercise every morning to maintain his physical condition. If he hadn't been exploring the facilities of Kasell Academy, he might have been on the basketball court by now.

Lu Chen, on the other hand, wanted to observe the specific abilities of the mixed-blood students in order to perform well in the physical fitness test the next day.

His gaze wandered, focusing on the fair thighs of the girls. Under the sunlight, their muscles were well-defined and graceful, but Lu Chen's observations were purely analytical.

He was observing the density of the girls' muscle tissues and could roughly estimate their physical limits based on their exertion. This was a basic quality that a Secret Blood Warrior should possess.

However, he was somewhat disappointed by the results... They were too weak.

Most of them were not as strong as the hunched man he had defeated that day, and even those who were stronger had their limitations.

On the other hand, Chu Zihang's performance on the playground was excellent compared to the others.

Seeing Lu Chen's wandering gaze, Chu Zihang thought he might be admiring the girls in their revealing outfits. He even wondered if Lu Chen was going through a period of sexual excitement.

However, he didn't look down on Lu Chen for it. After all, humans were the only animals in the natural world that were in heat all year round. Even he couldn't help but take an extra glance at beautiful things. It was all very normal.

But Chu Zihang's curiosity grew when he noticed that Lu Chen's gaze was not lecherous or appreciative, but rather seemed to be tinged with disappointment.

This puzzled him. Could it be that these girls didn't meet Lu Chen's aesthetic standards?

Kasell Academy attracted elites from all over the world, with various cultural backgrounds and diverse appearances. This place was indeed a good hunting ground for potential partners.

However, when Lu Chen's gaze finally settled on him, Chu Zihang felt even more puzzled.

"What are you looking for, Lu?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Chu Zihang spoke up.

"I heard that the physical fitness of mixed-blood individuals far exceeds that of ordinary people, so I'm observing the strength of the students in the academy."

Realizing that Chu Zihang might have misunderstood something, Lu Chen explained. There was no need to hide such things.

"Can you really tell just by watching them jog? Everyone here is just doing their morning exercise, not going all out."

Though Chu Zihang phrased it as a question, he already believed Lu Chen's words, just curious about his judgment.

"By observing the way they exert force, there are many things involved in this, which I can't explain in a short time. But I can tell you that you belong to the top tier on this playground," Lu Chen said simply.

"What about you?" Chu Zihang didn't feel pleased by the compliment from this peer. The tone of Lu Chen's comment indicated that he considered himself superior. 

Chu Zihang knew that Lu Chen was also estimated to be of blood lineage A. From some details in Professor Schneider's speech that day, he could tell that the professor had higher expectations for Lu Chen.

Chu Zihang was a normal eighteen-year-old boy and naturally had some competitive spirit. This was quite normal.

"Me? I should be slightly stronger than you," Lu Chen said modestly, smiling. Suddenly, he thought of the word "Versailles" that Fingal taught him yesterday. It seemed appropriate to use it here.

Chu Zihang was momentarily speechless. Although he had only known Lu Chen for a short time, his intuition told him that Lu Chen was not a vain person. If he said he was stronger, he probably was.

Though curious, Chu Zihang didn't continue to question. They would know the results of tomorrow's physical fitness test anyway.

A white dove flapped its wings and flew low overhead, stirring a gentle breeze.

He had finally found Kasell Academy, and a new path lay before him.

And for some reason, he had a premonition that this classmate beside him might have more interactions with him in the future.

...

"Oh, by the way, junior, I haven't asked yet, how did the academy discover you?" 

After dinner, Fingal lounged lazily on his bed, tapping on his laptop with a piece of spicy chicken wing still in his mouth, oblivious to the noise.

"I encountered a dangerous mixed-blood individual who was killing people, and the killings were traced back to me. So I killed him," Lu Chen said casually, as if he were talking about drinking plain water.

"OMG, junior, you're so fierce!?" Yet Fingal was startled, sitting up straight on the bed, the chicken wing falling onto the keyboard without him noticing.

"Is that difficult?" Lu Chen tilted his head, asking. This was a good opportunity to further evaluate the strength of mixed-blood individuals.

"First, what level was that mixed-blood individual? It must have been the Execution Department that found you. Did they say anything?" Fingal was curious.

"It seemed to be originally blood lineage B, but then something went wrong, and he had some strange abilities," Lu Chen recalled.

"B level! That's not low, and usually, when they lose control, their blood becomes unstable and tends towards Death Devotion, making them stronger. Even A-level mixed-bloods may not be able to deal with them head-on. As for the strange ability you mentioned, it's probably a Word Spirit. Do you remember what it looked like specifically?" 

"Word Spirit? It was somewhat like invisibility, but not completely invisible. There seemed to be something like black mist in the air, and I followed the trail to find him," Lu Chen chewed on the new term "Word Spirit," realizing that the superpowers of mixed-bloods were called Word Spirits.

"Serial number 69, Shadow Eclipse. It refracts light, changes the trajectory of light within the domain, making the releaser blend in with the surrounding environment. This is a naturally born assassin's Word Spirit. Junior, you're really lucky to have survived," Fingal said, patting his chest, as if relieved for Lu Chen.

"Are there many Word Spirits? What's your Word Spirit, senior?" Since there were serial numbers, it seemed that there were quite a few of them, Lu Chen thought.

"Each mixed-blood individual has their own Word Spirit. Mixed-bloods can release their Word Spirit by chanting dragon language to evoke the power within their bodies. Currently, the Secret Party has recorded 118 types. You'll learn about them in the Word Spirit Introduction class in your freshman year."

As he spoke, Fingal laughed awkwardly, "As for my Word Spirit, let's just say I've fallen to E level now, so give your senior a break and don't ask." 

Lu Chen didn't mind that Fingal wanted to keep a little secret. He was thinking about what Fingal said about "each mixed-blood individual having their own Word Spirit." He could try to handle the exam, but it would be a problem if he didn't have a Word Spirit afterwards.