Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces, Truth in Disguise Chapter Twenty-Nine: Leilimi

After the opening ceremony dispersed, Alice finally found Huo Ye, who was drinking a cola at a roadside stall. Who would have thought that the person who had just delivered such bold words in front of all the teachers and students would now be sitting in such an unrefined manner at a street vendor’s table, sipping soda?

Puffing out her cheeks, Alice ran up to Huo Ye and, without a word, began pounding on his back with all her strength.

Choking on a mouthful of cola, Huo Ye shouted, “Hey! Why are you hitting me? Are you trying to murder your own brother?”

“That’s exactly why I’m hitting you! You declared war on the whole school and decided to start your own club, such a big deal, and you didn’t even tell me!” Alice didn’t let up in the slightest; after all, since childhood, Huo Ye had always served as her personal punching bag whenever she was upset.

“Stop hitting me for a second and let me explain,” Huo Ye pleaded.

Alice sat down, cheeks puffed with anger, snatching the cola from Huo Ye’s hand and downing it in one gulp, not the least bit bothered that he had just been drinking from it.

Huo Ye didn’t mind. He simply said, “Actually, what I said just now was all on a whim.”

Alice nearly choked him with a mouthful of cola, exclaiming, “What?”

“Believe it or not, I really only came up with that idea at the last minute. But you know me—I’m not the kind of person who gives up after a few minutes. If I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it. So I’m definitely going to form a club, and winning the club tournament is just my first step to the top of Bancroft.”

Seeing the seriousness in Huo Ye’s expression, Alice slowly put down the bottle, sighed, and said, “There’s just no reasoning with you. Fine, I’ll quit my club and join yours to support you.”

“Is that necessary? Haven’t you always had good treatment in Light of the Sacred Ring?” Huo Ye asked.

“Yeah, the treatment’s been great. The club president even hinted at making me the next vice president. But you’re my brother, aren’t you?” Alice turned her gaze away, muttering under her breath, a little embarrassed.

Huo Ye grinned, rubbing her head. “Good girl. Tonight, I’ll make your favorite lasagna.”

“Really?” Alice’s eyes lit up. Suddenly, any big club paled in comparison to her brother’s cooking. Yes, it was best to stick with her brother—after all, they were family.

Shangguan Yudie, exhausted, had already gone back to the apartment to catch up on sleep, while Huo Ye and Alice still had somewhere to go—to find someone.

“Wait a bit, I’m going to see a friend—a real genius,” Huo Ye messaged Ke Zhen, letting him know he’d be late to class.

Alice’s fake Huo Ye had been excused too. Huo Ye was going to study with Ke Zhen, and Alice’s student record had also been transferred to Ke Zhen’s care, thanks to a heads-up from Eddie. When Ke Zhen had requested Alice from her mentor, he’d said:

“Huo Ye’s already with me, so why not let his sister come too? Families should stick together, you know?”

“You can’t say that, are you trying to offend me? I’ll give you one chance to rephrase that, or do you want Eddie Halls to have a little chat with you about life?”

“Now that’s more like it. Behave and I’ll save on messaging fees,” came the rogue-like threat.

The person Huo Ye and Alice were looking for was Relymi Carey, the last of their childhood foursome.

Relymi was a lightning-type ability user. His parents were high-ranking members of the Death Reaper Hunting Corps—his father, Justin Carey, was the chief engineer and logistics director, and his mother, Diana Carey, was the strongest spellcaster among humans and Huo Ye’s spellcasting mentor.

The upper ranks of the Death Reaper Hunting Corps were all exceptionally talented, each capable of leading any other major corps. With such role models, it was only natural for the younger generation to follow in their footsteps.

Unfortunately, spellcasting required innate talent, and Alice simply didn’t have it, whereas Huo Ye, compatible with darkness, mastered it with ease.

Spellcasting was originally used mainly by ability users with no elemental affinity. Their most notable feature was the absence of distinctive energy fluctuations; by elemental sense, they appeared as ordinary people, though their abilities were very real and sometimes intensely powerful.

Those without elemental affinity had always been at a disadvantage; they possessed abilities, but their power paled in comparison to peers with specific elements. That changed when a spellcaster with ancient incantations appeared, showing the true strength of non-affinitive abilities.

With proper spellcasting guidance, a non-affinitive user could wield all elements, capable of casting a variety of attribute-based spells, though it required time to recite incantations.

For those with an elemental affinity, even if they had the talent for spellcasting, their spells would be as weak as a non-affinitive user’s ordinary abilities.

In a sense, Huo Ye’s darkness compatibility was akin to all attributes, making him exceptionally gifted in spellcasting.

Relymi had always been withdrawn and timid. If Huo Ye and the others hadn’t dragged him out to play as a child, he likely would have spent his days alone with mechanical parts.

His IQ was 160, and he had a unique talent for machinery and information technology—no doubt influenced by his father. Although not strong in direct combat, his skill at assembling support machinery could be a decisive advantage for an entire hunting corps, and Huo Ye believed his club needed Relymi’s help.

Relymi was their age, having entered Bancroft the same year as Alice and Shangguan Yudie. But after enrolling, for reasons unknown, he gradually lost touch with the others—though at least Alice still knew where his lab was.

Naturally, Relymi’s family was well-off. In Bancroft, every inch of land was precious, yet the Carey family still managed to provide him with a sizable laboratory.

The siblings arrived at the lab’s entrance. Huo Ye glanced at the video doorbell, noticing it had been violently damaged, though the main door remained intact. It looked like a threat—Huo Ye was certain, having seen such warnings in the Sora Underground City as a child.

He exchanged a look with Alice, who had also noticed the broken doorbell, then stepped forward to knock.

The door opened to reveal a short young man, face smudged with oil, who stared at them in surprise. “Big brother? Little Ai? What are you doing here?”

Relymi was the picture of a Scandinavian: blond hair, blue eyes, a high nose bridge, though his stature was on the short side—about one meter sixty-five. Not exactly short, but standing next to the tall siblings, the difference was obvious.

“Hey, Relymi, long time no see!” Huo Ye greeted him. “The opening ceremony just ended and you’re already back at work? That’s dedication!”

Relymi scratched his head sheepishly. “It’s nothing, really. I just want to earn some more points. Come in, quickly.”

The three entered Relymi’s lab, and Huo Ye immediately noticed something odd.

Relymi was a bit of a neat freak; his home lab was always spotless—not just with parts sorted, but even screws of the same model aligned in the same direction.

But now, the place showed subtle signs of disarray. Not in the arrangement, but in the details: a screwdriver’s shaft was visibly bent, as though forced by someone; toolboxes on the floor had hairline cracks, yet Relymi hadn’t replaced them.

“Have a seat, I’ll get you something to drink,” Relymi said, leading them upstairs to his living quarters, pulling out two chairs, then heading to the fridge after a perfunctory hand-wash, but, oddly, not bothering to clean his face.

Still, after so many years of friendship, the siblings didn’t mind such details, accepting the drinks and settling into casual conversation.

“Big brother, that speech you gave at the opening ceremony really startled me. I thought you’d say something more formal,” Relymi remarked, well aware of Huo Ye’s character. Having grown up under Vivian’s influence, Huo Ye had excellent manners and, though he disliked empty formalities, always behaved properly on serious occasions. That speech—which amounted to a declaration of war on the entire academy—had shocked him.

Huo Ye crossed his left leg over his right, fingers interlaced on his knee, and smiled faintly. “It’s nothing, really. I just suddenly felt like doing something bold.”

“Yeah, bold!” Alice chimed in.

“If only I had your courage, big brother,” Relymi said with a wry smile, scratching his head.

“You’re always lacking in courage,” Huo Ye said bluntly, “but never in skill. As I said, I’m forming my own club and I need members. Are you interested?”

He came straight to the point, without beating around the bush—just as Shangguan Yudie had said, a few years apart didn’t matter. Their friendship wouldn’t fade with time.

Relymi was thunderstruck, staring in disbelief. He stammered, “I... I can’t. I really wouldn’t be any help to you. Even I usually...”

He trailed off, as if realizing he shouldn’t continue, and fell abruptly silent.