Chapter 23: The Hunting Academy

On the way back, Lin Tian was already dead drunk. Although he hadn't eaten much of the food, he had drunk as much alcohol as he could hold.

On the subway, Ye Yang supported Lin Tian while turning these questions over in his mind, yet he couldn't make sense of them. Lin Tian had been clear, and Ye Yang was certain he wouldn't lie to him, but there were some things that simply couldn't be spoken aloud.

"Ugh, forget it." Ye Yang shook his slightly dizzy head. There was no point in pressing for answers; Lin Tian likely didn't know the whole story himself, and even if his father were to come back from the dead, he probably couldn't fully explain all the mysteries. Better to stop thinking about it.

"A Hunter? Fine, so be it." Ye Yang took a deep breath. Regardless, the move had been made, and he had to play the game well. Whatever the reason, he was committed to being a Hunter now. In such an apocalypse, even if one didn't bother with the thankless task of saving the masses from fire and water, basic self-preservation was an absolute necessity.

"Um... Auntie Zhou, Uncle Lin has had too much to drink." Ye Yang said awkwardly as he helped Lin Tian onto the sofa. Zhou Yue was actually younger than his real age, and calling her "Auntie" felt incredibly stifling.

Zhou Yue didn't seem to mind; she didn't know Ye Yang's true age anyway. She smiled and brewed each of them a cup of tea before heading off to make the bed. Ye Yang sneaked a few glances and couldn't help but inwardly praise her.

Zhou Yue was a truly wonderful woman, and Lin Tian was a lucky man. Aside from her youth, she was quite beautiful; with her glasses on, she looked gentle and refined, and even without them, while she might not be a legendary beauty, she was a solid 80-point near-goddess.

What was most precious was her gentleness and virtue. Lin Tian had mentioned she had quit her job to stay home, care for their husband and child, and keep their little home in perfect order. No matter when or where, whenever he returned home, he could always find a smile waiting for him—a smile from the heart.

In truth, how pretty a woman is doesn't matter; it is this domestic virtue that is truly rare. Ye Yang couldn't help but think of his own Xiao Ya. He didn't know... alas, it was likely a grim situation for her.

"Bodyguard Number One is back! Come and play with me!"

With a sharp shriek, Ye Yang’s head throbbed instantly. Qi Fang had become thoroughly obsessed with the 3D version of Plants vs. Zombies. It seemed to support two-player mode on the computer, and after playing until late with Lin Tian’s little darling, she had latched onto him as well.

"Look, I have things to do tomorrow. Be a good girl, get some sleep, and listen to me." Ye Yang tried his best to sound gentle, but unfortunately, the girl didn't appreciate it.

"Listen to you?" The girl's eyebrows shot up. She squinted and said, "Who is whose bodyguard? Do you want me to remind you by calling you Slave Number One? Who is supposed to listen to whom? Ten seconds! Get into the game! Hurry up, I can't beat this level!"

"..." Ye Yang felt like crying.

However... when he was dragged out of bed at 6:00 AM the next morning by Lin Tian, staring at those bloodshot eyes, Ye Yang really did cry.

"Uncle, my great Uncle, I'm a wounded man, remember? My injuries haven't fully healed! Between the hangover and the gaming, you're waking me up at 6 AM?"

Lin Tian glared. "Who told you to drink and play games all night? Hurry up! That guy Wang Feng is probably already waiting for you at the academy, and he is not someone to be trifled with!"

"Waiting for me at 6 AM? Does the head of the Military Department have absolutely no nightlife? Could you please introduce him to a girl? This is too much." Ye Yang grumbled indignantly. But grumbling aside, he didn't dare keep the cold-faced 'Great Thunder King' waiting; Lin Tian had told him plenty of terrifying stories about the man while they were drinking the night before.

"By the way, what level is the Great Thunder King? And what’s the highest level for a Hunter?" Ye Yang asked while stuffing breakfast into his mouth. "What about the monsters? Can the strongest Hunter beat the strongest monster?"

"Stop blabbering! You aren't allowed to talk while eating! And no talking about work at home!" Lin Tian shoved a fried dough stick into his mouth. "Once you get to the academy, there will be professionals to teach you everything."

"…Then you can at least tell me where the Hunter Academy is, right?" Ye Yang asked, feeling depressed.

Lin Tian chuckled and nodded. "It's in... a place with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and the songs of birds!"

Question: What is a place with beautiful mountains, clear waters, and the songs of birds?

Answer: The Beijing Zoo.

Ye Yang spat out a mouthful of blood and ground his teeth. Fine, he wouldn't complain about being a student in his forties, but he was actually going to be going to school with giant pandas?

"Those giant pandas, just ignore them. The teaching building is near the Amphibian and Reptile House—the crocodile pond, to be exact. The playground is by the penguin exhibit, the cafeteria is in the otter area, and the dorms are near the gorilla enclosure. You’ll be living there from now on. But don't worry, we can sort that out once your place outside is settled and your little lover is taken care of."

"Noisy? Not at all, the gorillas are very easy to get along with. Well... except in the spring. Come on, come on, land resources are tight these days!" Lin Tian said cheerfully, ignoring all of Ye Yang’s protests.

"I curse you! I curse your little darling not being your biological daughter!" Ye Yang grumbled resentfully, keeping his voice below the threshold of Lin Tian's hearing.

Just as Lin Tian said, Wang Feng was waiting for them at the academy gate early. Seeing Ye Yang arrive, he glanced coldly at his watch: 6:40 AM. The two had even taken a taxi to get there.

"You're early," Wang Feng said with a slight smile.

"Heh, well, it's the first day, so naturally..." Before Ye Yang could finish, Lin Tian kicked him in the backside, muttering through gritted teeth, "Can't you tell he's being sarcastic?"

"..." Ye Yang’s smile stiffened. Wasn't 6:40 early? What kind of schedule did these people live on? Was the time zone difference really that big?

"The first lesson of the Hunter Academy: if the sun is up, you’re already late," Wang Feng said coldly. Cold sweat poured down Ye Yang’s back; it seemed this academy wasn't going to be fun at all.

Wang Feng wasn't specifically waiting for Ye Yang; he was working. He usually handled Military Department affairs in the afternoon and evening, but in the morning, he served as an instructor at the academy. After all, he was one of the few truly powerful Hunters in the Chinese Alliance.

"I have a class. Go handle the paperwork," Wang Feng said, leaving him behind. Ye Yang wiped his brow repeatedly. It seemed Lin Tian was right not to introduce him to any girls; even if he did, the man would never have time to manage a nightlife.

"That guy works so hard. Aside from eating and sleeping, he pours his heart and soul into his work. Sigh, he really is a man worth admiring," Lin Tian murmured. Ye Yang noticed that when he looked at Wang Feng, his eyes were full of respect.

"I'll handle the paperwork. You go wander around and get familiar with the environment. You’ll likely be spending most of your life here from now on," Lin Tian said casually.

"What? A lifetime?" Ye Yang was stunned. Did he have to go to school for his whole life?

"Hunters don't have a graduation. Even if you become strong, you still live here. The headquarters is essentially the teaching building; it’s called a school, but it’s actually your workplace. Of course, once you become a full-fledged Hunter, you can live outside and just come back when there’s work." Lin Tian walked away, leaving Ye Yang standing there in a daze.

Was he going to live with gorillas for the rest of his life? Then what was the point of buying a house? He wondered if Qi Fang could move in too; it would save Lin Tian a fortune.

Actually, the biggest problem wasn't the living quarters, but the fact that Ye Yang didn't know the way around. The academy was mixed in with the zoo, and he couldn't tell one building from another. Plus, it wasn't fully light out yet; if he accidentally fell into the crocodile pond...

"Hey? Tough guy? The tough guy who isn't afraid of infection?"

A shout caught Ye Yang's attention. He turned and blinked. Little Stone? He had actually run into the boy who used the magic cannon? What a coincidence! They had returned.

"Are you here to be a Hunter too? Ha! I knew you'd come!" Little Stone said with a grin. "Hunters were your father's invention, after all, and you’re so tough."

"Uh... not that tough," Ye Yang said awkwardly. He was just hacking at zombies with a knife, but compared to the way this kid wiped out so many with a single magic cannon blast, there was a world of difference.

Little Stone didn't seem very busy and was quite hospitable. Seeing that Ye Yang was lost, he volunteered to be his guide and took him on a tour around the zoo.

He had to admit, if you ignored the smell of animal waste and the noise, it was indeed a place of beautiful scenery—certainly better than the vast desert outside Northern Beijing.

"By the way, did you do your tests? Your grading assessment? What level are you? Did you do your Ability Positioning? What’s your ability? Did you do your Type Calibration? What’s your type?" Little Stone was a chatterbox, leaving Ye Yang dizzy and confused.

Ye Yang rubbed his temples. "What positioning? What calibration? Um... I understand grading, the 'LV' thing, right? I just got here and haven't done it yet."

"Ability Positioning is testing your powers to see what special skills you have, like my magic cannon or Teacher Ling’s metal defense. Type Calibration is to see where your strengths lie so you can be trained accordingly. I’m Power-type, Teacher Ling is Power-type, and Tingting is Speed-type," Little Stone explained.

"Oh..." Ye Yang nodded. It seemed there were many different kinds of superhumans. He didn't know any of this, so it was definitely necessary to learn.

"Anyway, we’ll be classmates and colleagues from now on. What’s your name? You know mine—I'm Ye Yang!"

"My name?" Little Stone paused, then laughed dryly. "Just call me Stone. My name is a bit strange."

"How strange?" Ye Yang became interested, and then... he found out exactly why it was strange.

"Zombie! Have you eaten breakfast yet? Do you want me to bring you some?" A young man in his twenties up ahead waved and asked.

"Pfft..." Ye Yang sprayed a mouthful of air. Little Stone ground his teeth, muttering bitterly, "Bring nothing! I told you not to call me by my real name! Call me Stone!"

"Your name is Zombie?" Even after the young man had walked far away, Ye Yang still couldn't recover. Who would give their child a name like that? His father must have really loved zombie movies to come up with such a creative idea.

"It's not like that. My surname is Sang, and my name is Shi. Sigh... don't ask. I almost broke ties with my old man over this name. He insisted that it would scare people and wouldn't let me change it," Sang Shi muttered, looking frustrated.

Ye Yang patted him on the shoulder, sighing. Having such an eccentric father, this kid’s life couldn't be easy.

As they were chatting, Lin Tian returned. He waved and tossed an envelope to Ye Yang. "The ability tests and such are in the teaching building. Oh? You met an acquaintance? Then let him take you. By the way, I’ve arranged a very good class for you—Class C. Remember to repay me later."

"Um... okay. Are you going to work? So diligent," Ye Yang praised. Lin Tian and Wang Feng were very hardworking; one would think that with their status, no one would be supervising them.

"Pfft, diligent my foot. I'm taking the day off to go home and spend time with my wife. Bye, call me if anything comes up." Lin Tian disappeared in a flash.

"Damn! This guy!" Ye Yang gritted his teeth and took back his previous praise. Compared to Wang Feng, this guy was truly despicable!

"Class C? You were assigned to Class C?" Sang Shi asked, looking stunned.

"Yeah, it’s a good class, right? That guy even told me to repay him," Ye Yang said happily. He hadn't expected Hunters to be divided into classes.

"Uh... I suppose. But I can't believe you're in Class C. Sigh, I don't know if that's lucky or..." Sang Shi pointed to the teaching building ahead. "Go inside and find Teacher Ling. I have to go train. He’ll handle your arrangements; his office is on the first floor."

"Alright, thanks." Ye Yang nodded. He didn't think much of Sang Shi’s strange comment, but when he finally understood, he nearly coughed up blood.

Class C! He really didn't know whether to call it lucky or unlucky.