NOVEL NEXT Chapter 58: Equality
"Ahem, Ms. Jian Yun, Mr. Ren, could you explain why the handwriting on both of your assignments looks identical?" In the office, the female teacher in charge of teaching language arts pushed her glasses up, her inquisitive gaze fixed on the two of them.
Still shaken from her encounter with the balding teacher, Jian Yun lowered her head, not daring to look at her. Ren, on the other hand, felt no pressure at all, explaining calmly, "As you can see, I don't have the habit of doing homework, so I deliberately used breakfast to bribe Ms. Jian Yun, and asked her to do my homework for me. This is mutual help between classmates. The transaction doesn't involve anything illegal. Do you have any further questions?"
Listening to Ren calmly spewing such shameless words, the female teacher's lips twitched slightly. She wanted to say something about how homework should be done by oneself, independent learning, and other great principles, but looking at Ren's impatient expression, she forcefully swallowed them back.
"Ahem, it's best if this doesn't happen again."
Although he didn't know what kind of style his autonomous puppet had at school, Ren wouldn't completely play the part of a meek student. After all, he finally had some peaceful days, school life was for relaxing, not for being bullied.
After they left the office, Jian Yun, who was sweating in her palms for Ren, looked at him with admiring eyes. "Ren, you seemed so amazing today. It was like… like when I saw you for the first time."
"…" To be honest, Ren couldn't remember exactly what he was like at the time. He only remembered that he had just been chosen to become a Herrscher of Thousands, and was trembling in fear every day while worrying about his future. But on the outside, he acted very tough, like a snail in the mud, using its fragile shell to protect itself.
His contact with Jian Yun was also just a part of the Herrscher of Thousands plan. In his distant memories, Ren remembered that Kiana seemed to have saved this child's life. At the time, he had thought, if he and she were rescued by Kiana together, wouldn't it be a way for him to reasonably redeem himself?
Unfortunately, the Will Of Honkai saw through his plan to run away, and directly gave him the authority of the Herrscher of Dominance. Only then did Ren change his mind and formulate the plan he called [Abduction].
Now that the plan had changed, as for Jian Yun, she could just be an ordinary person.
He could see the girl's thoughts. He understood this kind of hazy infatuation. But in his eyes, it was just a simple personality flaw.
She relied too heavily on others, and cared too much about how other people viewed her. And when people like that met someone who was stronger than them, they would instinctively latch on. The more assertive Ren acted, the more pronounced this became. If Ren hadn't been focusing on Kiana, Jian Yun would have been sold off many times over without her knowing.
"Have you ever thought about changing?" They walked side by side, Ren looking at the school's main building outside the window. The old school was broken everywhere. The only place that was decorated grandly was the main building of the administrative office.
"Changing what?"
"Judging from the homework you wrote for me, your liberal arts results are excellent. You're far better than the students in this school. With your level, it shouldn't be a problem for you to go to a good school, right? Don't you think this place… is terrible?"
Seeming as if she hadn't expected Ren to suddenly bring up this topic, Jian Yun frowned, not knowing how to answer.
Useless teachers, students who were wasting their lives, and the chaotic school that was like mud, all of them emanated a discomforting aura.
For a Herrscher of Thousands, this was a perfect breeding ground, but for Ren, it was just a stinking ditch that held no value for domination.
"I think, maybe it's because of equality?" Jian Yun stopped, and leaned on the window with Ren. "Everyone living in the suburbs isn't wealthy. We're all children who came from ordinary families. We don't have the courage or strength to compete with those in the city center. All we have is for the weak to huddle together for warmth."
Jian Yun's words made Ren glance at her. He thought she was just a child with a dependent personality, but he hadn't expected her to have her own thoughts.
"Everyone who lives here is equal. No one is nobler, and no one is wealthier. Living here, you don't have to endure other people's discrimination, and you don't have to worry about being excluded."
Just like the Herrscher of Thousands.
"It's weird, right, that I'd say something like this." After saying these words, Jian Yun had a relieved expression on her face, as if she had revealed the emotions that she had been suppressing in her heart. "But this is what I really think. If everyone is the same, then you don't have to care about other people's opinions."
The breeze blew against the girl, who was leaning on the window. It moved her soft hair. She smiled faintly, becoming a beautiful sight together with the school.
If—things could stay like this forever.
…
In this world, Honkai wouldn't come knocking on your door like a polite gentleman, dressed neatly, and bearing a carefully prepared gift. It would only break into your life like a ruthless robber, and then destroy everything you knew without any mercy.
When Jian Yun regained her senses, all that greeted her eyes were collapsed ruins, and the splattered blood and organs painted on the dilapidated walls, creating a picture of despair. The cries and wails of her classmates mercilessly invaded Jian Yun's mind, tearing all of her common sense to pieces.
"What happened?" No one could answer her. Only the shadows after the sun had been blocked out enveloped everything. The Honkai beasts standing in the ruins ruthlessly destroyed the buildings of human civilization, and crushed the children buried beneath the ruins into minced meat.
Fortunately, Jian Yun only suffered minor injuries. She was still holding the love confession she had prepared for Ren in her hand. But nothing was important anymore.
Barely supporting her body, Jian Yun stood up little by little, moving toward a safe place. She could already sense the bloodthirsty roars of the Honkai beast, which was blocking the sky.
Thud.
It seemed like she had kicked something under her foot. She looked down and saw the half-balding head, still with eyes wide open. She had kicked it to the side. Blood was gushing from it.
Those eyes, they were looking at her.