ISWTDB Ch98

Chapter 98: Interstellar ABO (13,14)

Ying Zhao listened to Bella’s words and raised an eyebrow, thinking that this female lead was not only arrogant but also foolish. Seeing that the classroom door was right in front of him, he didn’t want to waste more words with this woman, so he directly walked past her and entered the classroom.

When Bella saw that Ying Zhao actually dared to ignore her like this, her expression became even more unpleasant. She gritted her teeth inwardly and decided that she must teach him a lesson.

Immediately, Bella thought of the physical training class with Instructor Abner later today. This course had always been Ying Yan’s weak spot, so she could take this opportunity to suppress this crippled monster’s arrogance.

She was determined to let Instructor Abner see what kind of person Ying Zhao really was, someone not even worth a fraction of the attention the instructor gave him.

Thinking of this, Bella turned back and waved at a Beta boy known for his excellent physical abilities. When he came over, she whispered a few words to him and handed him something. The Beta boy nodded and quickly left.

Bella’s face showed a hint of a smug smile, as she eagerly anticipated the upcoming physical training session.

As for Bella and her accomplices’ little schemes, everything was naturally within Ying Zhao’s grasp thanks to the monitoring of System Xiao Bai.

It was just some petty tricks. Since someone was so eager to help him gain presence in front of the male lead, Ying Zhao didn’t mind accepting the favor.

After calmly finishing the theoretical knowledge class on potions, the potions teacher asked Ying Zhao a question as usual, and Ying Zhao answered fluently as always.

It had to be said that this was largely thanks to the detailed memories of the original owner. Ying Yan’s mental strength was only at an A-level, so he couldn’t achieve photographic memory. However, he was very diligent and serious, even willing to painstakingly memorize those complex potion books.

Ying Yan not only had a solid grasp of the knowledge taught in class, but the original owner also loved to study potion-related materials in the library. He was very knowledgeable in this field and could even discuss with the potions teacher on equal terms.

After finishing the potions class, Ying Zhao returned to the dormitory to change clothes before heading to the physical training ground. By the time he arrived, most of the students in the Potions Department were already there.

The Imperial Academy placed great importance on both the mental strength and physical fitness of its students. Regardless of whether they were in the Mecha Department, everyone had to undergo relevant physical training.

The academy even selected the best from among them, and those with extraordinary talent would have the chance to truly engage with mechas, or even enter the military for further training and development.

The original owner’s mental strength and physique were both at an A-level, which was quite formidable for an Omega. In theory, physical training shouldn’t have been seen as his weak point.

However, on one hand, the original owner wasn’t someone who liked to compete physically, and his focus wasn’t on that. On the other hand, his coordination was poor, and he was naturally less developed in terms of motor skills.

His reflexes were not sharp, always a step behind others. In a place like the Imperial Academy, where talent was abundant, this naturally made him seem less outstanding.

Moreover, there were always classmates around the original owner who were looking for opportunities to make things difficult for him. It was common for him to be embarrassed during physical training due to pranks.

But the original owner didn’t mind, because for him, potion studies were the most important. As long as he could excel in anything related to potions, that was enough.

However, this time, Ying Zhao didn’t plan to pass the situation as simply as the original owner did. Since someone had gone out of their way to make things difficult for him, Ying Zhao was going to show them that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Once all the students had gathered on the field, Abner appeared in a crisp military uniform. It had to be said that fate had indeed given the male lead a good appearance. In the entire military, the male lead was a very dazzling presence.

What’s more, his combat prowess was quite strong. Although he was currently only a lowly second lieutenant, Abner was still young, with limitless potential ahead of him.

He also carried an aura that made it hard to see him as anything other than a serious and upright soldier, which was why Bella was so infatuated with him.

Sure enough, when Abner appeared, a small wave of gasps could be heard among the students, showing that Abner was indeed quite popular among them.

However, he always maintained a serious and upright facade, leading those who didn’t know him to think he was an especially stern and earnest soldier.

Abner had all the Potions Department students line up in formation, his gaze briefly and subtly landing on Ying Zhao. Then, following the arrangement from the last class, he paired them up for sparring practice.

In the past, the original owner always practiced alone because no one wanted to pair up with him. But this time, Bella actually approached Ying Zhao and said gently, “Ying Yan, I’ll be your sparring partner. I always see you practicing alone, but how can you improve your combat skills that way? Let me help you.”

Ying Zhao naturally knew that Bella wasn’t so kind. Her words implied that the original owner was antisocial and that no one was willing to team up with him. Moreover, Bella was only doing this to show off in front of Abner.

But Ying Zhao didn’t expose her and instead nodded. The two of them then began to spar, following the moves Abner had taught them.

Ying Zhao’s combat prowess was naturally high, completely outmatching Bella’s flashy but ineffective moves. However, since this was just sparring, Ying Zhao restrained all his strength, merely going through the motions.

But because of his familiarity with combat, even these simple moves looked exceptionally fluid and graceful.

Watching Ying Zhao’s agile movements, a blend of strength and beauty, even the surrounding students and Abner couldn’t help but glance at him. For a moment, Bella’s eyes turned red with jealousy.

So after a few exchanges, when she saw Ying Zhao’s fist coming toward her, Bella suddenly cried out and fell to the ground.

Clutching her abdomen in pain, she looked at Ying Zhao with tearful eyes and said, “Ying Yan, how could you? I partnered with you out of kindness, and this is just sparring, a process to familiarize ourselves with the moves. How could you hit me so hard?”

Hearing Bella’s words, the surrounding students all cast reproachful glances at Ying Zhao.

Both Bella and Ying Yan were under Abner’s special attention, so from the moment they started sparring, Abner’s discreet gaze hadn’t left them.

He knew, of course, that Ying Zhao hadn’t used any force when he punched Bella, and that Bella was trying to frame Ying Yan on purpose.

But seeing the situation, it was clear that everyone was on Bella’s side. And since Bella was the person he was trying to get close to, Abner didn’t want to offend her, so he had no choice but to feign concern and say, “Bella, are you okay? It’s common for strength control to slip during sparring. You should go to the rest area and take a break instead of sparring with Ying Yan.”

Hearing Abner’s words, Ying Zhao was somewhat surprised. Although Abner’s words seemed to downplay the situation, they were clearly leaning in his favor, hoping Bella wouldn’t continue to bother him.

But Ying Zhao didn’t take up Abner’s offer. Instead, he pressed his lips together silently and then firmly stated to everyone, “I didn’t do it. I didn’t hit her hard. I don’t know why Bella would fall to the ground as soon as I touched her!”

Bella’s face turned red when she heard Ying Zhao’s words, and she immediately pointed at him, accusing, “Are you suggesting that I’m falsely accusing you? You clearly knocked me to the ground with a strong punch. I didn’t even mean to blame you, so why are you refusing to admit it?”

Bella angrily refuted, occasionally casting a pitiful glance at Abner. Abner hadn’t expected the usually gentle and weak Ying Yan to suddenly become so assertive, which gave him a bit of a headache.

He then heard Ying Zhao continue, “I said I didn’t do it, because I didn’t do it. I’m not that weak!”

The surrounding students were immediately puzzled upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, wondering what knocking Bella to the ground had to do with not being weak.

Even Abner’s gaze toward Ying Zhao showed some displeasure, thinking that he shouldn’t be so stubborn. Abner had already offered him a way out, and Ying Zhao shouldn’t continue to stir up trouble.

After all, the physical training course was a very important part of the curriculum. Bella knew that if she went to the infirmary, it would undoubtedly reveal that she wasn’t really injured, so after blaming Ying Zhao, she didn’t continue to make a scene. She just wanted to leave Ying Zhao with the impression that he didn’t know how to appreciate kindness.

Abner still pretended to check Bella’s condition briefly, knowing that she wasn’t seriously injured, and then let her rest on the side while the others continued the class.

Once all the students had familiarized themselves with the techniques, they began real sparring. After all, only through actual combat could they identify their shortcomings and develop true fighting skills.

These sparring sessions didn’t require pairs; instead, students could freely choose opponents to challenge. As for injuring opponents, in this world where strength was revered, even at the Imperial Academy, as long as it didn’t cause permanent injury or death, it wasn’t considered a big deal.

As soon as Abner announced that they could begin free sparring, a Beta male student who usually followed Bella stepped forward.

Ying Zhao naturally recognized this student as the one Bella had arranged to teach him a lesson. The student stood in front of Ying Zhao, looking at him with disdain and said, “You despicable guy, how dare you harm a weak Omega. I challenge you to avenge Bella!”

Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow at his words and nodded, accepting the challenge. Then, the Beta male immediately rushed at him with a powerful attack.

Although this boy was just a Beta, his physical strength had reached S-rank, which was a level most Betas couldn’t achieve. Because of this, he had always performed exceptionally well in physical training and was very proud of it.

When he attacked Ying Zhao, he didn’t hold back at all, and a gust of wind whipped past his ears. Ying Zhao felt the force of the attack and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Even though the boy’s physical strength was S-rank, the force he used was clearly far above that level. Seeing his rapid burst of strength and bulging muscles, and noticing the tightness of his body and the red veins in his eyes, Ying Zhao quickly deduced that the boy had taken a drug that temporarily boosted his physical abilities.

It seemed that Bella had found this boy not just to embarrass him but with the intention of having him crippled during this sparring session.

With that thought, a cold glint flashed in Ying Zhao’s eyes. He no longer held back, skillfully dodging the boy’s attack. Then, with a swift turn and leap, he counterattacked, delivering a sharp kick to the boy’s abdomen.

The Beta male was sent flying by Ying Zhao’s kick and fell to the ground, unable even to get up.

All the students were shocked by this scene. They were well aware of the boy’s physical strength and never expected that someone they considered weak in physical abilities like Ying Zhao could easily defeat him with just one move.

Ying Zhao dusted off his clothes, though there was no actual dirt, and ran a hand through his hair, looking particularly bold and striking. Many students were stunned by Ying Zhao’s demeanor, their eyes filled with admiration.

He walked over to the Beta male, who was lying on the ground, glaring at him with hatred, and said expressionlessly, “I already said I’m not that weak. And, the person you just challenged is the same ‘weak’ Omega you mentioned.”

Ying Zhao’s indifferent expression was seen as utter disdain by the proud Beta male. Already in severe pain from the heavy kick, which felt like his organs were shifting, the boy became so furious upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words that he lost consciousness.

Ying Zhao ignored his unconscious opponent, turned to Abner, who was still in shock, and nodded at him, saying softly, “Instructor Abner, I suspect he took a drug that temporarily enhances physical abilities. However, it seems that the drug didn’t work as intended.”

After speaking, Ying Zhao didn’t care how much information he had just revealed. He simply walked over to the rest area and sat down to rest.

At this moment, the remaining students finally understood what Ying Zhao had meant earlier when he said, “I’m not that weak.”

If he had really intended to hurt Bella, given that Bella was clearly physically weaker than this Beta male, she would have been spitting blood and fainting by now, not just lying on the ground wailing.

And what Ying Zhao said to the Beta male just now made everyone realize that even though Ying Zhao was missing a gland, he was still an Omega.

For a Beta with S-rank physical strength to challenge an Omega was already a shameful act, and the fact that the Beta had even taken a drug beforehand made it even worse.

Regardless of whether the drug had taken effect, using it during a regular sparring session was a violation of the Imperial Academy’s basic rules. Once confirmed, the Beta male would face expulsion when he woke up.

This physical training session made many students start to change their views on Ying Zhao. He wasn’t as isolated and weak as they had imagined; he might actually be quite strong. Despite missing a gland, this Omega’s charm was undeniable.

Soon, some people also began to realize that Bella’s earlier behavior had been suspicious. It was clear that Bella had been trying to frame Ying Zhao.

Although they didn’t particularly like this somewhat gloomy boy, the fact that someone would deliberately frame an innocent person still caused some of them to feel uncomfortable.

Many people cast strange glances at Bella, but due to her status as the young lady of the Auston family, they wouldn’t say anything more to avoid bringing trouble upon themselves.

As for Abner, who had been watching from the sidelines, he was still in a daze, his mind repeatedly recalling Ying Zhao’s every move during the fight.

That brisk posture and fluid movements made Abner feel like he had never truly known this person before. Such agility, coupled with a unique sense of sensuality.

Especially when he possessed such exceptional talent in both pharmacology and combat, yet still treated Abner with such gentleness—this stirred a secret sense of superiority within Abner.

Unconsciously, he began to pay more attention to Ying Zhao. Perhaps, this boy was far more endearing than he had initially imagined.

After the class ended, Ying Zhao left the training ground directly. As for Abner, he needed to stay behind to accompany the “injured” Bella and naturally couldn’t be with Ying Zhao.

Ying Zhao was quite pleased with not having the bothersome protagonist interrupting him. After quickly settling his lunch, he continued with his classes as usual.

When the day’s lessons were over, he even made a trip to the library to search for some pharmacology books to enrich himself. It wasn’t until night had fully fallen that he reluctantly left the library and returned to his dormitory.

As soon as Ying Zhao returned to his dorm, he eagerly headed to the underground lab, wanting to continue working on the half-finished potion from the previous day.

But when Ying Zhao opened the locked cabinet and took out the partially completed potion, he discovered that more than half of the Yuteng grass he had picked yesterday was gone. The remaining amount was clearly insufficient.

Ying Zhao stared in disbelief at the herbs in front of him. According to his calculations, the Yuteng grass he had picked yesterday should have been enough to refine this potion. How could it be that when he opened the cabinet today, the quantity had decreased so much?

The cabinet was still securely locked, so even if a thief had come, they wouldn’t have been able to steal from the underground lab.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhao quickly summoned Xiao Bai from his sea of consciousness and asked him to pull up the surveillance footage from the underground lab.

Sure enough, he discovered that a certain unreliable man had sent his spirit hawk to sneak into the lab and deliberately steal the herbs Ying Zhao needed.

Seeing this, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but smile wryly. He realized that the man was worried he would become so engrossed in making potions that he wouldn’t visit him, so he had come up with such a ridiculous plan.

Now that he didn’t have enough Yuteng grass, he would certainly have to find that man and ask to pick some more.

However, Ying Zhao didn’t feel any discomfort about this; in fact, he was a little happy that he now had an excuse to go see his lover.

Seeing that it was already late, Ying Zhao took advantage of the moonlight to head towards Ernest’s mansion.

The Marshal, who was always monitoring Ying Zhao, sensed his intentions and quickly had his spirit hawk manifest to guide Ying Zhao safely through the Imperial Academy’s simulated training zone and into his garden.

By the time Ying Zhao arrived at the garden, Ernest had already been waiting for some time. Although he still had to stand in the shadows, being able to observe his beloved up close made the Marshal very happy.

Upon seeing Ying Zhao, Ernest couldn’t help but speak first, gently saying, “Little one, why have you come again? Are you out of herbs?”

When Ying Zhao heard Ernest’s words, he inwardly rolled his eyes, thinking about whose fault it was that the herbs ran out. But outwardly, he obediently said, “Yes, uncle, I’m sorry. I’m running out of Yuteng grass for refining the potion, so I need to pick some more from your place.”

Ernest naturally sensed Ying Zhao’s frustration; the little one was obviously reluctant. Hearing him pretend to be obedient, the Marshal found it amusing.

In high spirits, he agreed and watched as Ying Zhao swiftly collected the Yuteng grass from the garden. Ying Zhao moved quickly, and after finishing, he was eager to return to his potion-making.

Just as he stood up to leave, Ernest suddenly called out to him. The man tossed a small package to Ying Zhao, which he caught effortlessly.

When he opened it, he was surprised to find some very rare Luoluos. The Luoluos juice was sweet and rich in nutrients, with beautifying effects, making it an excellent supplement for Omegas.

However, its yield was very low, and it was extremely expensive. Many people had never even seen one, let alone tasted it.

But Ying Yan, who was quite knowledgeable about plants, recognized them. Though he had never seen the real thing, he had come across information about them in the library’s botanical illustrations.

Ying Zhao looked at the Luoluos in surprise, then turned his gaze towards Ernest. He then heard Ernest casually say, “I bought some random fruit today, but it’s too sweet. As an Alpha, I don’t like such sweet things, so I’ll give them to you, little Omega.”

Hearing Ernest’s words, Ying Zhao couldn’t help but twitch his lips. How could such a fruit be something you just randomly buy? It was obvious that these Luoluos were specially ordered for him by Ernest.