Mai'er noticed that Ai Bi was acting somewhat differently today.
Compared to yesterday's friendly aloofness, today she exuded an aura of sharpness that deterred others from approaching.
What had happened? Was it just morning grumpiness?
Mai'er carried a puzzled heart and cautiously voiced this question.
"It's just a bad dream," Ai Bi said while nibbling on the buns Mai'er had bought. Hearing this, her expression eased slightly.
"Oh, it's just a dream then. Don't think too much about it."
Knowing that it wasn't morning grumpiness, Mai'er finally breathed a sigh of relief and her usual smile returned.
The gathering spot was set in the grandest and most magnificent hall of the school. The academy placed great importance on the freshman orientation ceremony.
Every year, the enrollment of new students signified that the empire would welcome a new batch of warriors.
They would come to the Noah Academy to acquire knowledge and train in combat skills, and in the future, they would fight on the battlefields in the development zone and by the River of Death for the survival of all humanity.
Enrolling in the Noah Academy, from another perspective, meant signing a contract with life and death.
However, you never know when your end will come. Ai Bi and Mai'er arrived a bit late; the hall was already packed with people, and the two had to search for their class's location amidst the crowd.
The Noah Academy had five grades, and the number of classes in each grade was not fixed but varied according to the number of new students enrolled each year.
Each class had no more than thirty students to ensure that every student could receive meticulous guidance from their teachers.
The number of first-year freshmen this year was considerable, totaling ten classes.
"1-2" meant the second class of the first year.
Ai Bi and Mai'er quickly found the banner that read "1-2."
They found an empty seat and sat down. Some students around them were chatting with others, while some were using their communication devices.
They looked no different from ordinary students in the normal world.
Ai Bi observed the people around her and suddenly became lost in thought.
She was thinking about the system Xiao Qi that had suddenly appeared just now.
She still remembered the sentence she saw on the first day she woke up in this world: "End the apocalypse, and you can return to your original world."
She originally thought that what she needed to do in this world was to eliminate zombies, but what did Xiao Qi say just now? Charm male and female gods?
These two were not only different, but the styles were completely opposite.
Something felt off about this, but before she could ponder further, Xiao Qi suddenly disappeared.
She wanted to continue asking questions, but it was too late as Xiao Qi had vanished without a trace.
Time quietly reached seven o'clock, and the noise in the hall gradually subsided.
Ai Bi saw a middle-aged man walking up from the side of the stage.
He was tall and burly, exuding a strong sense of oppression, and the long scar on his face made him appear fierce and formidable.
His expression was stern, and he stood tall on the stage. After scanning the entire room, he began to speak only after the audience had completely quieted down.
"Welcome all freshmen to the Noah Empire Academy. I am the academy's chief instructor, Lei Wenqi."
He gave a brief self-introduction followed by a speech that was much shorter than what one would expect from a school leader in the normal world.
"Please welcome Mr. Ye Yonghui, the principal of the Noah Empire Academy," Lei Wenqi said. When he mentioned the principal, his expression changed to one of deep respect. The principal was an old man with white hair, and unlike Lei Wenqi, he exuded a scholarly and gentle temperament.
Despite his advanced age, the principal's spirit was excellent, and he stood tall on the stage. His kind and gentle gaze gently swept across every student present.
"My children, welcome once again to the Noah Empire Academy."
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from below the stage, indicating how much the principal was respected and loved by the people of the empire.
The principal waved his hand, and the applause gradually died down.
"I want to tell you that every piece of knowledge you learn and every combat skill you master here will give you a better chance of survival on the battlefield in the future. From today on, you will face challenges that are unimaginably difficult and cruel. You carry the hope of all humanity's survival, bear everyone's worries and blessings, and for this, you must make extraordinary efforts that ordinary people cannot imagine."
"But please remember, the battle is not just for others, but also for your own survival."