Chapter 123: The Secret to Yun Ruoxi’s Power

After Lin Zhen took control of the Class Four Base, it was as good as taking over all the territories the other side had developed.

Even if that territory only existed in name.

He still needed to dispatch trainees to guard key locations, so they would know when any other Class Group Ship approached.

He also had to reassign some personnel from Base Three to come here.

All in all, he still had a lot on his plate.

So after finishing his meal, he went back alone to the Central Control Room, and once again started poring over the star map.

Was there really that much to do?

It wasn’t even an actual war.

He just couldn’t let it go.

He carefully examined the star map for a while, but still found no trace. Lin Zhen let out a soft sigh, then turned to look behind him.

“How long have you been here?”

“Just… a little while.”

The blue-haired girl hugged her arms, leaned against the doorway, and spoke in a small voice.

Lin Zhen knew she was telling the truth.

Because her blue hair was still wet.

And it seemed she was using her old trainee uniform as pajamas, though for some reason, she only wore the top.

Her long, slender, fair legs were completely exposed, with glistening droplets of water still lingering on her thighs and bare feet.

[Those legs—I could play with them for a whole year!]

[Only a year? Aren’t you a bit too wild?]

“Why didn’t you dry off properly?” Lin Zhen looked away.

The shadow cast by those long legs and the hem of her clothes had a strange, uncomfortable magic about it.

Since he couldn’t figure it out, he just stopped looking.

“Can I say… I like it?”

Yun Ruoxi tilted her head.

Then, seeing Lin Zhen’s “what do you mean” expression, she couldn’t hold back and laughed quietly.

“Alright, honestly, I just didn’t dry them.”

“So careless! That’s not like you at all!” Lin Zhen said with a wry smile.

“Then what is like me?” Yun Ruoxi suddenly asked.

“Hm?” Lin Zhen was taken aback.

At that moment, Yun Ruoxi straightened up and walked toward him, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind her.

The skin on the tops of her feet was delicate and fair.

Her arches curved gently, gracefully stretching from ankle to sole, tensing slightly as they touched the cold, hard floor.

Her toes pressed together naturally, nails neatly trimmed and showing a healthy pale pink.

So beautiful!

Lin Zhen found it hard to look away.

Yun Ruoxi stopped walking and said softly:

“Ajin Brother, I’m really scared.”

After speaking, she repeated herself, “I’m really scared.”

“In the daytime, I really didn’t want to use so much force…”

The girl lifted her right hand and stared at it.

Her fingers, slender as scallion stalks, trembled slightly.

“I didn’t mean to kill him… But in that moment… When I thought of how he beat you and Sister Xiao Jiu like that…”

She bit her lip, her voice shaking: “I just got so angry, I wanted to tear him apart.”

“This feeling… makes me feel like I’m not myself anymore!”

Lin Zhen could see that her fear was genuine.

She was a kind child.

She was truly afraid of how she was changing, of becoming cold and ruthless.

Kindness is a beautiful quality anywhere, but in a battle camp, it’s the worst.

Here, only the darkest parts of human nature are needed.

Lin Zhen clenched and released his right hand.

“Don’t be afraid.” He looked into Yun Ruoxi’s eyes, making his expression as resolute as possible, “Anger is part of human nature—it’s a double-edged sword that can harm yourself and others, but also protect those you care about.”

“Haven’t you used your anger before, during the annual assessment, to protect Aili?”

“This time was the same. You were just afraid of us getting hurt. As long as you can keep a clear mind when you’re angry, there’s nothing to fear. That feeling will help you better protect yourself and the people around you.”

The blue-haired girl listened intently, nodding from time to time, as if truly taking it all in.

There was a light in her eyes.

And seeing her so obedient like this, Lin Zhen was reminded of the first time they met.

Back then, she seemed to listen to his words just as seriously.

It was after that time that Lin Zhen realized his words might really have some power.

And so, at certain times, he became more willing to persuade others with words, instead of using brute force like he did on the Trash Planet.

[Lin’s Verbal Barrage]

[Classic protagonist skill: Verbal Barrage]

[You got CPU’d again, Xiao Xi]

After the pep talk, Yun Ruoxi seemed much better. Like a little tag-along, she sat next to Lin Zhen, propped her head on one hand, and silently watched him work.

Lin Zhen was glad to have someone for company.

Being alone was always a bit dull, and since he hadn’t found the ancient battlefield, his mood was low.

Besides, Yun Ruoxi seemed to have a sort of magic—whenever she was around, Lin Zhen’s mood would unconsciously improve, and he’d find himself smiling more.

During work, Lin Zhen chatted idly with Yun Ruoxi, asking her about her terrifying battle record on the field—how she’d destroyed dozens of ships in a row.

“Xiao Xi, how did you do it? I mean, we’re both Level One Star Energy Users—even if there’s a big difference in Star Energy Index, it’s only forty or fifty points at most. But you keep doing things the rest of us can’t.” Lin Zhen asked.

He was truly curious about this.

Over the past year, Yun Ruoxi’s strength in the camp had been dominating—no trainee could defeat her.

Of all the trainees, only Mo Yuan could go a few rounds with her or hold out for a while.

“How did I do it…?”

Yun Ruoxi thought for a moment, then replied, “A higher Star Energy Index is important, but the key is the finer control of abilities and superior perception.”

“For example, Ajin Brother, your ability is a bit like mine, except you can only control metal.”

She pointed at a manual on the table. “But even if your ability was exactly like mine, and your Star Energy Index the same, you still couldn’t last more than a few moves against me.”

“Because—”

Swish!

The thin manual was instantly dismantled to the extreme.

More than twenty sheets floated in the air, folding themselves in different ways.

The binding thread danced elegantly, like a dragon or snake.

“I can split my telekinesis finely enough to attack you from dozens of directions at once, Ajin Brother—you wouldn’t be able to block it.”

Whoosh!

Yun Ruoxi smiled and tapped Lin Zhen with her finger.

The folded paper frogs, puppies, rabbits, and kittens began to circle around Lin Zhen’s head.

The thread even tied up Lin Zhen’s bangs, forming a little pigtail.

Lin Zhen stared in astonishment at all this.

At that moment, he truly felt the gap between them.

He absolutely couldn’t do that—he couldn’t even manage half.

“But Xiao Xi, how do you do it?” he asked curiously.

“Hmm…” Yun Ruoxi tilted her head, uncertain. “Maybe it’s just talent?”