1 Return

Pegasus Planet. In the secret underground training base in the Beikun Icy Plains.

Inside a cramped room, there was just a bed and table. The room was simply decorated, and its empty steel-gray walls looked exceptionally stern.

There was a tiny cupcake on the table, and it was the only item in the room that made it feel warm and lived in.

Xu Hui, who was sitting upright on the bed, rolled up a piece of paper to form a small rod and then poked the rod into the cupcake.

Xu Hui's ancient face revealed a satisfied smile. He seemed very satisfied with his skill at making paper rods.

He spoke to the young man standing at the other side of the table. "088, it's your eighteenth birthday today. You're an adult from this day on. You can leave the training base and officially start serving the organization."

Xu Hui, a little melancholy, said, "I remember that you were just six years old when you arrived. You were the most talkative of the lot, and you liked to ramble on nonstop. I'd always thought that you wouldn't live long. I didn't expect you to pass Hell's Training alive. It's worthy of celebration."

"It's all because of your nurturing, Teacher."

088 was an unusually handsome young man. His smile was like the afternoon autumn sun—clean, radiant, and filled with energy.

Even though Xu Hui had seen much of the world, he had to admit that this young man's handsomeness was unparalleled. The shape of his eyebrows gave him a pure, spiritual quality that made him look a little like a deity.

Even though someone could change their appearance at will with plastic surgery, they'd never be able to achieve such an effect.

The organization had injected the youths with the Spirit Beings' Genetic Medication and nurtured these youths as if it were cultivating parasites. The organization got these youths to kill each other to eliminate the weaker members.

Through these methods, the youths continuously got stronger and more refined. The evolutionary direction of 088 was extremely strange. His appearance continuously trended toward perfection, and he possessed exceptional charisma.

088 was extremely talkative but only had average abilities. He must've relied on his exceptional charisma to survive up until now!

Xu Hui had to admit that his high regard for 088 was also due to the other party's charisma.

This unique charisma was extremely useful when it came to human interaction. This quality made him much more valuable than an average assassin.

The organization would never let a unique talent like 088 be an assassin on the frontlines. This lad would definitely live for a long time. He had a bright future ahead of him.

"You will leave the training base and officially serve the organization tomorrow."

Xu Hui said, "Seeing that we're teacher and student, I hope that you'll climb the ranks. You can even take care of me in the future should you have the chance."

"You must be joking, Teacher. You're an elder of the Blood Deity Association. When will there come a time where you'll need me to take care of you?"

088 said, a little emotional, "I remember very clearly. There were six batches of 1200 people, but now there are only a few dozen people left. If it hadn't been for your care, Teacher, I would've died a long time ago. How could I have made it through Hell's Training without you?!"

Xu Hui nodded. He was very pleased with 088's attitude. This young man was usually detestably talkative, but right now, his words of praise were exceptionally soothing and came at just the right time.

He then let out a deep sigh. "Hell's Training is extremely cruel. There's only a 4% survival rate."

The Blood Deity Association was willing to pay any price to nurture the best youths. However, Xu Hui lamented the high elimination rate.

More than ten years had passed, and the Blood Deity Association's efforts had paid off. This batch of youths had grown, and each had their own unique abilities. They were going to become the backbone of the organization in the future.

088 was only eighteen years old, yet he looked calm and collected. He talked about his tragic past without a trace of emotion. That made for a good assassin.

Xu Hui masked his emotions and said calmly, "Only by being powerful and cold can you grasp your own fate."

He then gave another example. "I remember this very clearly. There was a girl with exceptional potential during the training when you were fifteen. I think she was called 006. If she hadn't blocked the thrust of the sword for you and given you the healing medication, she wouldn't have died."

"That's right. 006 was too soft and emotional."

088's starry eyes brightened as he recollected the incident. From his perspective, it had happened ages ago, so long ago that he'd almost forgotten about it.

That bright and gentle girl had died right in front of him from blood loss.

He could no longer remember what she looked like. All he remembered was how she'd grasped his hand tightly as she died. Both their arms had been covered in blood, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hold onto him tightly.

That feeling of helplessness from being unable to grab onto anything had jolted him awake every night thereafter.

That and how the girl's eyes had slowly dulled as she died, like a petering flame, until all that was left was icy-cold ash.

Her merciless, cold, and ugly death had left a deep impression on his soul that day.

Xu Hui made an exception for 008 and expressed his thoughts as a way to show goodwill. "We don't get a do-over, which is why we have to make decisions calmly and cautiously in our line of work."

"Teacher, what if we could be reborn and start over again?" 088 suddenly asked. "For example, if you could go back to when you were eighteen, would you still choose this path?"

Xu Hui waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's meaningless to talk about the hypothetical. Time can never be changed. We can't live our lives over again."

088 said seriously, "Teacher, if you could live your life over again, would you be an ordinary man or would you still be a cold-blooded murderer?"

"What are you talking about! Insolence!"

Even though Xu Hui wanted to be friendly with 088, he couldn't tolerate him spouting nonsense and being this impolite.

As the head trainer of the underground base, Xu Hui had the right to kill anyone in the base.

Even though 088 had passed Hell's Training, he was still an insignificant pawn in front of him. What right did he have to be this insolent with him, his teacher?

Xu Hui's expression turned dark, and he stared straight at 008 with his drooping, triangular eyes.

088's abilities weren't up to par, but he was one of the smarter people in the underground base, so he must have a reason for being so insolent.

Xu Hui was experienced and crafty. Even though he had raised his voice just now, he was actually calmly and secretly observing 008.

088 smiled. "You're not alarmed when faced with change, nor are you angry when faced with humiliation. You're calm and collected. Teacher, the mindset that you've cultivated over eighty years is truly exceptional. You sure make a good role model for me."

Xu Hui didn't speak. The more arrogant 088 became, the more shocked and doubtful he grew.

088 was merely a Level Three warrior. Where did he get the confidence to speak this arrogantly to him, a Level Seven expert?

Xu Hui activated his sixth sense. There was no one else in the room, and he couldn't sense anyone outside the room either.

Could there be a bomb buried in the room? Was 088 thinking of dying with him?

Xu Hui felt that with 088's personality, there was no way he would do something so drastic. Furthermore, there was no way 088 could procure such a powerful, massive bomb.

"You must be very confused, Teacher? Why would I suddenly seek my own death and provoke you?"

Xu Hui's confused and cautious attitude made 088 happily laugh out loud. "Teacher, I've already told you. I've been reborn. So I wish to change fate and change my way of life."

Xu Hui collected himself and didn't pay any heed to 088's mockery. Instead, he asked him about the details of his rebirth. "Oh, what time are you from?"

"A hundred years in the future. In terms of age, I'm even older than you, Teacher." 088 sighed again. "Unfortunately, the powerful abilities that I had didn't come with me after my rebirth. Tsk, tsk…"

"You came back a hundred years from the future?" There was a perplexed look in Xu Hui's ancient eyes. He wanted to take action and capture 088, yet he also wanted to hear what nonsense he'd come up with. He asked, "088, what's it like one hundred years from now?"

"My name isn't 088. That's just an uninteresting serial number that you guys gave me. My real name is Gao Xuan," he corrected Xu Hui. Then, he said slowly, "Tens of thousands of galactic races are engaged in war with one another a hundred years from now, and humans are on the brink of extinction. It brings me to tears every time I talk about it."

Gao Xuan then said, a little relieved, "Fortunately, I was reborn and can live again. No matter how bad the situation gets, I can live for another hundred years. Fate's been kind to me."

"So that's the case…"

Xu Hui looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but he suddenly extended his arms. Source Power erupted from all around him. His skinny, ancient body was like an eagle capturing its prey as he ferociously pounced toward Gao Xuan.