"Tch, boring."
After staring at him up close for more than ten seconds, the girl finally confirmed, somewhat disappointed, that he wasn't lying—helped in no small part by Lin Guang's rather convincing appearance.
She always saw herself as a battle-hardened mercenary, someone who lived on the edge and killed without hesitation—not as a "woman."
But that didn't mean she was unaware of her own charm. If she truly intended to, even with her Sarkaz horns and tail, there would be no shortage of people willing to indulge her.
Failing to tempt him left her with an inexplicable sense of frustration. Her irritation deflated by half, and she dropped the act, standing up from his lap.
After a moment's thought, Lin Guang stood up as well, meeting W's slightly surprised gaze at eye level.
"Mm… It's not that I dislike you or fear you. And I didn't say all that to prove how composed I am."
"Maybe I didn't understand before, but now I do."
He looked at her seriously. "What I mean is—don't give up on yourself so easily."
"Give up on myself?"
W turned the words over in her mind, and a surge of anger rose within her. She hated this kind of condescending pity from someone who had clearly lived a comfortable, sheltered life.
She replied coldly, "What are you trying to feel good about? I'll do anything to survive. You have no idea what kind of hell I lived in before. Someone like you could never understand it. I don't need your sympathy."
"I might be a bit arrogant," Lin Guang admitted, "but that doesn't mean I don't understand."
He continued earnestly, "You struggled to survive—wasn't that so you could escape your past life? Or are you saying you've never even imagined what it would be like to leave that hell behind?"
"I—"
As he watched the silver-haired girl searching for words, Lin Guang gently placed a hand on her bare shoulder, his voice rising unconsciously.
"You're already in a new world. You've done it. You've won. You're no longer in hell!"
He paused for a few seconds, then his tone softened as he looked into her eyes.
"But if you keep living the same way you hated before… then did you really escape? Or are you still trapped in that so-called hell?"
It was unclear whether he was speaking to her or to himself.
"At least… I refuse to live like that."
"I…"
The silver-haired girl parted her lips.
She really wanted to refute him.
No one had ever said something like this to her before. No one had ever pointed this out. To her, no matter where she was, it always felt like she was still living in hell.
And yet, for some reason, her sharp instincts stopped her from speaking.
Because she could tell—Lin Guang wasn't just talking.
It was as if he had truly experienced it.
"Vishdel."
The girl froze, looking at him. "What did you just call me?"
"Vishdel."
Lin Guang met her gaze. His dark eyes were clear and bright. After studying her for a moment, he smiled.
"I've decided to give you a name—Vishdel."
"…Why?"
It took her a while before she managed to softly ask the question.
For a Sarkaz, whether one had a name or not didn't matter.
After all, they were nothing more than expendables of war.
As common as weeds. As worthless as weeds.
"Because I think a codename like an object doesn't suit you," Lin Guang said.
"If you're willing to start a new life in this world, then why not begin anew—with a new name as your starting point?"
"I welcome you to this world…"
He paused, suddenly seeming a bit self-conscious, as if realizing something.
"…though maybe I'm not qualified to say that."
"But still—"
"Welcome to this world, Vishdel."
"..."
The girl stared into his eyes, her expression unreadable. For some reason, her slender, lotus-root-like left arm moved to hold her right forearm as she fell silent.
After a long, long pause, she turned and left the room.
Only a barely audible nasal sound remained.
"…Mm."
…
Monday, Zhen sheng Experimental School.
Compared to the usual noise and bustle, Class 1 of Spirit Taming was eerily quiet today, as if a heavy pressure hung over the room.
"What's wrong with you all? Why the long faces—did someone die at home or something?"
Wang Dawei strode into the classroom wearing sneakers signed by the legendary Federation Spirit Tamer Kobe Bly, looking baffled.
The oppressive atmosphere instantly shattered. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen middle fingers were raised in his direction, and the class erupted into lively "friendly" banter.
"I went crab fishing last night and ended up in your mom's crab hole."
"Wang Dawei, your whole family's done for, huh?"
"No idea about my family, but yours must be wiped out."
"If one person in my family dies, your whole household's gone with them."
"Can you guys have some class for once? Stop dragging families into this!"
Wang Dawei burst into laughter, soaking in the long-lost "greetings" from his classmates, practically moved to tears.
After a while, someone finally gave a proper answer.
"Quit yelling! Today's the deadline, damn it!"
Already used to the chaos Wang Dawei brought, the chubby Deng Yifeng shouted before sighing miserably.
"Can Lin Guang even do it? If he still hasn't contracted a spirit beast, he won't be in our class anymore."
"He'll win," Wang Dawei declared confidently. "Didn't I say it in the group yesterday? Lin Guang already contracted a spirit beast—he's a Spirit Tamer now!"
"No way, seriously?!"
"Damn, that's insane. Cutting it that close?"
"Wang Dawei, if you're spreading rumors again, I'm breaking your balls in this afternoon's sparring!"
Facing the excitement, Wang Dawei smugly flipped his hair.
"When has my intel ever been wrong? Call me Intelligence King Wang Dawei!"
"I hope you end up like that anime guy—controlled by a seven-star Spirit Tamer and beaten to death by six humanoid spirit beasts."
"Knew it. No way a top student like Lin Guang would fail to contract a spirit beast."
"Looks like Lin Guang really is going to win."
"I wonder what kind of spirit beast he contracted. With so little time, I don't know how good the compatibility is."
"Then you go fight him this afternoon."
"Me? Fight Lin Guang? You serious…"
While the class buzzed with excitement, He Shenghuang frowned slightly. But as if thinking of something, his expression gradually relaxed.
Soon after, Lin Guang walked into the classroom in his blue-and-white uniform.
Seeing his energized classmates, he paused for a moment—then smiled and raised his right hand.
On it was a cyan mark, shaped like a demon's tail.