Volume 2, Chapter 4: Valkyrie, Fu Hua

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When Xia Chen felt another Stigma enveloping his back, instead of happiness, he experienced extreme pain.

The Stigma named Ana Schariac within him began to revolt.

Xia Chen lost control over his body as ice rapidly froze the entire room, spreading outward.

It felt as though the Stigma inside him was jealously throwing a tantrum.

However, Xia Chen lacked the ability to directly communicate with the Stigmata.

He had tried asking Rin to manifest their consciousnesses, but she explained that it was not yet possible.

The Stigmata consciousness cannot separate from the physical Stigmata, and although Xia Chen possessed the potential to enter the stigma space, likely due to insufficient Honkai Energy, it remained inaccessible to him.

Just as he feared things might worsen, Virtual Space suddenly emerged around him, absorbing all the icy shards.

It was Sirin's doing.

Xia Chen felt as if two Authorities were injected into his body, both seemingly on the verge of going berserk.

If someone could visualize this interaction, they would notice that these two...were actually fighting.

Unfortunately, witnessing women brawling remained unseen to him.

Luckily, the energy imbalance resolved quickly, indicating their awareness of restraint.

However, Xia Chen couldn't help but sigh at the room now left in disarray.

Next...would he need to mediate the relationship between these two Stigmata?

Of course, before that, he had to ascertain Sirin's stance towards him. Was it hostile? Or perhaps favorable?

Once his body stabilized, he attempted to establish a mental connection with Sirin, similar to what he had previously done with Ana.

The connection smoothly formed.

"Don't disturb me; I'm going back to sleep."

A yawn seemed to echo, and then the link abruptly severed.

Xia Chen was momentarily speechless.

Meanwhile, Kiana woke up in her room.

Glancing at the bedside alarm clock, she realized it was only 8 PM.

"I just slept for a short while, but...what a vivid dream."

"Will I...really become a Herrscher?"

With a furrowed brow, the girl drifted back into deep slumber.

The next day, Xia Chen woke up early.

As per Himeko's schedule, he had three-hour training sessions every morning.

Naturally, the intensity of these sessions was significantly lighter compared to the Immortal Blades' regimen. Although the girls at Saint Freya possessed ample talent, their environment fostered a certain level of complacency.

Rushing to increase pressure could easily backfire and undermine his efforts.

Xia Chen remained indifferent; his primary goal during this time was obtaining the Jizo Mitama. As for other matters, they held little concern for him.

Moreover, sustaining the rigorous training intensity akin to the Immortal Blades required substantial funding and resources. Without them, it would only accelerate the depletion of the Valkyries' lifespan.

Unfortunately, the Far East Branch's finances were far from optimistic.

On another note, with Theresa leading the rebellion against Schicksal, the ultimate fate of these Valkyries remained uncertain. Would they eventually join Anti-Entropy or disband entirely?

All he could impart was some battlefield experience and conduct sparring sessions within the limited available resources. Beyond that, there wasn't much more he could do.

His classes were scheduled to start at 8 AM, but Xia Chen arrived at the training ground by 6 AM.

Saint Freya's facilities surpassed those of the Ocean Branch, with ample heavy-duty equipment and nutrient supplements available. However, the Valkyries here did not have rigorous training requirements; when Xia Chen entered, only one person was doing weighted running exercises.

It was Valkyrie Fu Hua.

As the former leader of the Spark Project from the previous era, she now concealed her identity, training her battle-worn body like any ordinary Valkyrie student.

Xia Chen sensed that Fu Hua had very little superior transformation factor left within her. This became evident as he looked at her without experiencing the usual desire he felt towards Wendy or Kiana.

Clearly, the MANTIS genes in Fu Hua's body no longer attracted him.

The Valkyrie, still possessing a youthful appearance, glanced briefly at Xia Chen, slightly taken aback before greeting him, "Hello."

"I'm Fu Hua, an A-rank Valkyrie student. You must be the new teacher, right? Teacher Himeko mentioned you."

Fu Hua greeted him warmly.

At this moment, she had an additional important task - observing Xia Chen closely.

Xia Chen smiled and introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Xia Chen. Currently, still an A-rank Valkyrie."

He paused briefly before intentionally asking, "I recall that even B-rank Valkyries have squad captain capabilities. So why are you still a student as an A-rank?"

Within Schicksal, B-rank Valkyries were already expected to engage on the battlefield, making it a significant waste of resources for an A-rank Valkyrie to remain a student.

However, Fu Hua was prepared with an excuse. "Due to certain health issues and gaps in theoretical knowledge, I am here to further my education."

Indeed, Fu Hua wasn't technically lying.

She then casually inquired, "So, will Teacher Xia Chen be teaching here long-term?" The term 'teacher' rolled off her tongue naturally without any awkwardness, despite Xia Chen being only 18 years old.

After all, considering age, Fu Hua herself could be seen as a young woman merely seventeen plus several hundred thousand months.

"I don't know," he replied half-jokingly, "I'm like a brick; ready to be placed wherever needed."

Fu Hua smiled warmly.

With few words exchanged, Xia Chen and Fu Hua resumed their individual training routines.

Soon, more Valkyrie students entered the gymnasium one after another.

Upon seeing Fu Hua, they couldn't help but whisper:

"Expectedly, the Class Monitor is the first to arrive."

"She's always so diligent."

Then, as they noticed Xia Chen,

"Wow, who's that handsome guy?"

"I think he's the new male teacher."

The Valkyrie students giggled among themselves.

Although they possessed some awareness of being Valkyries, Saint Freya Academy's influence made them feel more like typical students than warriors. Consequently, they weren't as serious as soldiers from the Immortal Blades.

Even Susannah, despite her straightforward nature, only teased Durandal privately.

If these Valkyrie students had treated Durandal similarly, she likely wouldn't have gotten upset, but Rita would have been eager to impose penalties.

However, Xia Chen didn't emphasize strict discipline here.

He simply waited for eight o'clock to arrive.

"Mei, Mei, I had that weird dream again, and this time..." On their way from the Valkyrie dormitory to the training ground, Kiana seemed slightly downcast as she shared details of her dream with Mei.

"It felt like I was with him..."

"Hmm, what happened between you two?" Curiosity piqued by Kiana's hesitance, Mei prompted gently.

Bronya, expressionless, analyzed the situation, "Based on Kiana's character, the reason for her hesitation likely involves more intimate aspects of human biology. It could be either kissing or engaging in sexual activity."

"Nonsense, I would never!" Kiana protested, but her response lacked conviction.

Mei's expression turned somewhat peculiar. "So, did Kiana give away her first kiss in the dream?"

"I couldn't control my body," Kiana said resignedly. "Besides, don't worry, Mei, your 'first' will definitely be mine."

"Kiana, stop saying such things."

Despite herself, Mei's face flushed red.

The three of them continued walking together towards the training ground.