章 1: Chapter 1 - Double awakening
"What on earth is this?" A school, or something like that, and I recognized some faces, very famous faces I would say, but that's exactly what scared me.
-Ye Ziyun... Xiao N'inger... and him... Nie Li...- I murmured to myself. This was the world of Tales of Demons and Gods, more specifically the Apprentice Fighter class at the Holy Orchid Institute. How was this possible?
Looking into my memories, I didn't see anything strange. I was just going to another day of my internship at that business company I so despised. I wasn't hit by a truck like in the cliché TODAG fanfics I used to read. I simply appeared here, as if I had just blinked and finally awakened to my life.
Looking ahead, recently explaining to our class about the cultivation ranks in Glory City, stood one of the traitors of this city, a Silver Rank Spiritualist, Professor Shen Xiu. She momentarily ended her monologue, showing everyone her Flaming Red Fox.
Everyone was amazed by it; it was really nostalgic to see that scene. The last time I had heard a detailed explanation about the power ranks of Glory City was years ago, but it wasn't like this was new information. Let's say I am well-versed in this story.
And it must be... now.
Suddenly, I noticed Nie Li starting to act strangely, looking around and finally looking at Ye Ziyun and smiling. Considering everything he went through in his past life, I don't blame this reaction. She is his wife, plain and simple.
I sat just below him, a row ahead, so I refused to be left out like my version in this world would be. Time to start working.
I turned around and nudged him, completely ignoring the nonsense the professor was saying about talent and about no one being outside the city. She didn't know the slightest thing about the Tiny World.
"Hey, Nie Li?" I called his attention. For a second, he seemed to struggle to remember my name. To be honest, even I, who was obsessed with this work, didn't remember this character's name.
"Oh, all good... Zhu Xiangju." Zhu Xiangju, okay, good to know.
He looked at me and smiled with a thumbs-up. I smiled back at him and said, "Man, don't you think what she's saying is all nonsense? Like, Lord Ye Mo was once just like us, wasn't he?"
These words seemed to flip a switch in Nie Li's head, as if for a second he was confused. So I decided to take action. Sorry about this, Nie Li, but I'm going to steal your spotlight today.
"Excuse me, Professor Shen Xiu, you were saying there are no humans outside the boundaries of Glory City, but I'd like to know if by any chance you've ever been outside the surrounding mountainous areas, perhaps in a forest near the city. Maybe there are civilizations on the top of a mountain, in swamps, or maybe there are unexplored secrets in a desert that, as far as I know, could be infinite, who knows?"
I spoke with such conviction that everyone around me was surprised, probably by the audacity to respond to the teacher. Only one person was surprised that I got so many things right about the outside world: Nie Li. I refrained from mentioning the real names so he wouldn't suspect me, but I still had to make an impact on everyone.
"If Professor Shen Xiu has never been anywhere else, how could she be so sure what she's saying is correct? How could she possibly call herself a good teacher when everything she says could be nonsense?"
People were in shock. I glanced back and could see that Nie Li was smiling approvingly at me.
"You talk a lot, kid, but what kind of evidence do you have for these things you're saying?" The teacher tried to counter, but I didn't even need to respond.
"I agree with my brother Xiangju, Professor Shen Xiu. You're just a frog looking at the world from the bottom of a well. You think the sky is just that little blue patch you see above you, completely unaware of the real vastness of it." Nie Li completed my sentence. Everyone was in complete shock at our words, not believing anyone could have the courage to say that. Several laughs could be heard as students mocked the teacher. Even Ye Ziyun laughed at the situation. Nie Li took the opportunity to wink at her, which made the girl blush and look forward. Good job, buddy.
Xiao N'inger mainly looked at me since I started all of this. I smiled at her, and she gave a gentle smile back. I must say that in person, she is even more beautiful. Sorry, my brother Nie Li, but focus on Ye Ziyun; I've already chosen my lady.
"Oh, I have one more question, Professor Shen Xiu." Nie Li behind me was enjoying the show.
"And what would that be?" The woman from the Sacred Family still tried to maintain her composure while talking to me, trying to appear respectable. If these students knew half the things I know about her, they wouldn't want her around even if she were covered in gold.
"Professor Shen Xiu said that someone without talent has no future, that an ordinary person will always be ordinary. But if I'm not mistaken, our most skilled demon spiritualist, Lord Ye Mo, was actually a mere commoner at the beginning of his life. Didn't you know that?"
Once again, an uproar ensued. "That's right, Lord Ye Mo was a commoner," "Lord Ye Mo was just like us! Xiangju is right!" Various comments were made by the students. Nie Li seemed increasingly satisfied with what I was saying. That's right, I need you to be strong.
"You... In the hundreds of years of Glory City, Lord Ye Mo was the only one who managed to reach the top from such origins."
"Oh, sorry, but I understood that you said it was impossible for that to happen. Aren't you contradicting yourself now, hehe?"
"Lord Ye Mo is a very good example that, regardless of your talent, if you have the desire to become stronger, nothing is impossible!" Nie Li completed. Aren't we a good duo?
"Insolent, do you think that by putting things this way, you can change the cruel reality? You focused so much on Lord Ye Mo's glorious journey that you forgot to look at all those who didn't reach the same level!
"Zhu Xiangju and Nie Li, right? You must be members of aristocratic families since you don't know your place in the food chain. I will check your talents right now to see if they match those big mouths of yours."
Shen Xiu pulled out a scroll with the specifications of all the students. When she read ours, she burst out laughing.
"Zhu Xiangju: 10 points of spiritual strength and 32 of physical strength; Nie Li: 5 points of spiritual strength and 21 of physical strength. With your innate attributes, if you manage to become a Bronze Rank fighter in your lifetime, it would be surprising. Becoming demon spiritualists is completely impossible."
"You are inferior even compared to ordinary people. No wonder you dared to speak this way, you're just trying to hide your lack of self-esteem! With your current talents, even within your families, you'll be irrelevant! And yet you dared to raise your voice to your teacher!"
Everyone around started staring at us. Nie Li clenched his fists. He looked at me for a second, but I hadn't said anything. He probably expected me to feel like it was a critical hit, but it's just part of the show. When Nie Li was about to start talking, I decided to respond to the teacher.
"Professor Shen Xiu, do you really think the color of someone's spiritual field defines their future? With this repugnant character of yours, you only defend the blessed ones and humiliate the mediocre ones, and yet you have the nerve to talk about principles."
"How dare you talk to your teacher like that!!!" Shen Xiu roared.
"I'm ashamed to have a teacher like you!" Nie Li said to her, putting his foot on the desk to emphasize his action. I think it's time to let him shine a little too.
"It doesn't matter if my talent is red; it doesn't matter if you consider me mediocre. Someday I will reach the Legendary Rank and marry the most beautiful woman in the city!" Nie Li said this looking at Ye Ziyun. She blushed deeply. This guy doesn't miss a beat. This is going too far, so I decided to play my final card.
"If the teacher is so sure it's impossible for a mediocre person to surpass geniuses, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet, you say? What is it about?"
"In the next two months, in the demon spiritualist test, I will reach the level of a Bronze Rank demon spiritualist. If I don't succeed, I will leave the school. But if I do... You will have to resign from the Holy Orchid Institute!"
The whole class was in shock. Nie Li had a wide smile on his face. He gave me two pats on the back and rested his chin on my shoulder, showing he supported every word I said. Little did he know, I just said what he would have said
She burst into laughter, the kind that shakes the room. "You really think you can raise your spiritual force from 10 to 100 in two months? What a joke!"
"I just asked a question: do you accept the bet?"
"Insolent brat... If those are the conditions, I have no reason to decline! For such disrespect towards your teacher, you will stand at the back of the class for the next two months! And don't forget to join him, Nie Li!"
"I was planning on doing that anyway," Nie Li said, standing up and moving to my side.
The class started murmuring among themselves. More students joined us, including Du Ze, Lu Piao, Wei Nan, and Zhang Ming. Now the gang was together, but unlike the original story, I was the main character.
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