Shadows of the Deep Space

"Principal, we really did our best," the guard insisted, his voice strained with urgency, "the attack wasn't isolated to this place alone. The First Intermediate Academy was hit too; we rushed here from nearby to support. Many of our brothers have sacrificed their lives tonight."

"I don't care, you're all responsible in my eyes, and I will sue every one of you!" Principal Luo Ken declared irrationally, his heart hardened out of desperation.

It wasn't that Principal Luo Ken wanted to make things difficult for them, it was the sheer number of students who had died in the attack. He couldn't bear the wrath of the blaming authorities above, let alone the anger from the parents of the deceased students.

You must understand, these were not ordinary parents—many were government officials and financial magnates. When Sima heard Luo Ken speak so firmly, he replied with a helpless tone in his voice.

"Looks like you're determined to pin this blame on us, huh?" Sima said, resignation weighing down his words.

Upon hearing Sima's response, Luo Ken's face flushed with anger as he pointed a trembling finger at Sima's mecha.

"You, you..." he spluttered, unable to articulate his fury.

That's when Captain Han Le spoke with a stern and instructive voice to Sima.

"Sima, that's no way to talk to Principal Luo Ken. Apologize now!" he chided.

Though Luo Ken was just a principal, one must remember that this was a key school in the Thirteenth District, and his position was not a lowly one. Although they were not from the same system, in the grand scheme of things, Luo Ken could be considered their superior.

He didn't want Sima to get an official complaint which could potentially result in a disciplinary action.

"I'm sorry," Sima apologized reluctantly.

"Hmph! This isn't over," Principal Luo Ken said, his expression softening slightly, yet he remained stubborn like a defiant duck.

At this point, Su Ming, standing to the side watching the debacle unfold, shook his head and sighed deeply in resignation.

"Ah!" he exclaimed with a heavy heart.

Chen Tong, meanwhile, scoffed over the communication channel.

"What a joke, risking our lives to rescue them, and not only do they not appreciate it, they turn around and blame us."

"Exactly, it's outrageous," Mink echoed in agreement.

"Mink, Chen Tong, that's enough. If someone snitches on you, you're done for," Tang Yan, who was piloting his mecha, came over and cautioned the two over the communication channel. He had no desire to see his students get dragged into the mess.

Following the warning, Su Ming and the others fell silent.

Soon, the scene's guards began to manage the aftermath, and before long, the bodies were neatly arranged on the open space of the playground.

Captain Han Le waved his hand, and several Iron Head units carrying large flamethrowers started to incinerate the bodies, disposing of them on the spot.

Of course, it wasn't that they were heartless and refused to give the deceased intact bodies for their families' final goodbyes; rather, it was because those infected by Chilami were living time bombs, even after being killed, requiring immediate disposal.

Watching this grim scene unfold, Su Ming and his comrades were overwhelmed with a profound sense of melancholy.

"Whimper~" the sound of quiet crying filled the air...

Many students, witnessing their classmates' bodies being burned, couldn't help but weep.

After all, humans aren't machines; they have hearts made of flesh, and even with understanding the necessity, it was still very hard and painful to bear.

In the midst of this, Teacher Tang Yan and others surrounded Principal Luo Ken with questions.

"Principal, what do we do now?"

"What can we do?" Luo Ken snapped back irritably, "we have to wait for instructions from above. Everyone should rest in place and wait for further notices. Calm those who need calming."

"Understood," Tang Yan and the others replied, heavy-hearted.

Time passed slowly, and soon morning arrived.

At that moment, Principal Luo Ken's phone vibrated, and a message popped up, which he read carefully. He picked up a megaphone and called out to everyone.

"Everyone, look over here!"

Swoosh~

All the students resting looked up at Principal Luo Ken.

Luo Ken then cleared his throat and addressed the crowd.

"My dear students, I know you have been alarmed. I am deeply pained,

My heart aches, I'm truly distraught..."

"..."

"Just now, I received the latest news that the outbreak of the Chilami occurred in the Lower City District. Our academy was affected because it is close to that area, but most of the Upper City District was not attacked. This means that your homes are safe. I will arrange transportation to take you all back to rest."

"That's great, we can go home now."

"It's over."

Many students said, excitedly.

At this moment, Han Le, piloting the Iron Wing Mecha, walked up to Su Ming and the others and said,

"You can return your weapons to us now."

"Okay."

Su Ming quickly handed the firearms he held to Han Le's subordinates.

Han Le saluted them and then went to keep watch over the surroundings.

Following this, Su Ming and his three companions controlled their mechas to crouch, opened the piloting compartments, and carefully crawled out.

Upon landing, Lin Chuyu realized the other three who came down were Su Ming and his friends, which surprised her. She nodded at them and gave a warm smile.

"Hey, hey, Su Ming, did you see that? Lin Chuyu is greeting us."

Mink said excitedly to Su Ming.

"Mhm."

Su Ming nodded back to Lin Chuyu.

...

Several hours later, a luxury bus stopped at the entrance to the deep blue villa area. Su Ming got off the bus empty-handed.

Although the Chilami invasion had been mostly resolved, due to their tenacious life and their propensity for hiding,

the school needed to be closed for a thorough cleanup. Every nook and cranny and sewage pipe had to be inspected—it was a significant undertaking. As a result, all students were sent home to study on their own.

And that wasn't even the worst part; they weren't allowed to take their books with them and had to wait for the school to deliver them later.

With his head down, Su Ming walked toward his house, never expecting that just after a few days of school, it would close.

The problem was that the upcoming city exam would still take place as scheduled, unaffected.

"What a mess!"

Su Ming felt a headache coming on, with his current knowledge, he doubted he could score well.

As Su Ming arrived at his house's entrance, he stopped in shock.

His family's doorway was under control—three armored transport vehicles were parked outside, a dozen guards in combat gear were standing in the yard, along with some stern-faced inspectors in black-striped suits.

At this moment, Su Yuan, looking despondent, was getting on the transport vehicle under the watchful eyes of inspectors, while Zhao Ning, with red eyes, stood at the doorway.

"Let's go!"

A man with a prominent nose and cold eyes gave the command sharply.

Security guards and inspectors quickly boarded the transport vehicles and left.

Watching Su Yuan being taken away, Su Ming's frown deepened—when it rains, it pours. It was bad enough that the school was in trouble, but now his home too.

He walked into the yard and approached Zhao Ning, who was crying.

Seeing Su Ming return, Zhao Ning hurried forward joyfully, tears streaming, and took his hand to check on him.

"My son, you're back, oh thank God. Are you okay? How did you get so badly hurt?"

"I'm fine, just took a tumble; it's only superficial. What happened to Father? What's going on?"

Su Ming asked with concern, no matter what, Su Yuan and Zhao Ning had always been very good to him.