Volume Two: The Thousand-Faced Youth, Where False Appears True Chapter 104: Inside and Outside

Huo Ye holds a unique position in the Sola Colony. How unique? Unique enough that the moment Eddie brought him back, he was subjected to mandatory examinations to ensure he was not a "Final Form" entity. Unique enough that Eddie, already a hero to humanity, defied public opinion to adopt him, signing countless treaties to ensure that whenever the colony required an investigation, Huo Ye had to be available at a moment's notice. Unique enough that despite being the sole hero who cleared out the Calamity advance party and minimized losses before the Reaper Hunting Corps could provide reinforcements, the colony suppressed the news and had already drafted contingency plans in case his consumption of the Calamity was ever exposed.

It was not that the top brass were overly suspicious or trying to make life difficult for the newly adult Huo Ye. On the contrary, they were diligent and responsible officials. They set aside their compassion and mercy, focusing entirely on the safety of humanity. Should they falter, the colony’s high walls could be breached, and then... the devastation would be beyond description. They bore a thousand-pound burden on their shoulders and had to tread with extreme caution.

The world’s greatest conflicts often arise not because anyone is wrong, but because their perspectives differ.

Huo Ye wanted to live his own life and even harbored a grand dream: to expel all Calamities. The colony, or rather the entire human leadership, could not fully trust this mysterious boy. His appearance and abilities were simply too bizarre—too unhuman. According to Eddie’s report, the way he had carried away the out-of-control entity in Sector C11 looked exactly like a Calamity.

The colony's contingency plans were broadly divided into two categories: external and internal. The external dealt with public opinion, and the internal with testing.

Huo Ye had consumed a Calamity in full view of the public. If mishandled, this could cause widespread panic. The colonial government’s general approach was to issue relevant news reports and guide the media to write stories that would help the public understand that "power is neither good nor evil; only people are." They framed Huo Ye as the eldest son of Eddie Halls, the heir to the Reaper Hunting Corps, and a young hero destined to care for the survival of humanity. In short, they aimed to promote positive energy and eliminate the unease in people's hearts. This was something the central governing body had always done.

Of course, independent media outlets are a difficult group to control. Yet, this time, the very outlets that usually thrived on blackening names to stir up discontent and generate traffic were surprisingly biased in Huo Ye’s favor. After all, it is hard to find "dirt" on someone when they are eating the very Calamities that humanity loathes. It was like someone announcing they enjoyed eating trash—especially non-combustible, toxic, and hazardous waste. While difficult to accept by normal dietary standards, he was undeniably contributing to environmental protection.

Some media figures even wrote: "We already have the 'Devil of Devils,' and now we have the 'Calamity of Calamities.'" The "Devil of Devils" was Eddie, and the "Calamity of Calamities" was Huo Ye. In a way, Huo Ye was following in his father’s footsteps.

The colony did not entirely distrust Huo Ye; they knew his will was firmly aligned with the colony, and his distinguished military service was an indisputable fact. They only feared that if Huo Ye were to lose control, he might launch indiscriminate attacks on both humans and Calamities. After all, if a Final Form entity were to go on a rampage on the battlefield, even Calamities could be attacked without restraint.

Thus, the colony issued a directive accompanied by a test—the "internal" policy. As long as Huo Ye passed this test, he would be fully accepted. From then on, the colony would tilt significant resources toward grooming this young genius who had already surpassed the Eddie Halls of the past.

But that is a story for another time. Huo Ye had already joined the battle. A hundred-person team battle—map: Twin Towers.

The two sides, Red and Blue, were represented by the two high towers standing far apart on opposite ends of the map. There were two conditions for victory: total annihilation of the opposing team, or the killing of the leader, or the capture of the opposing camp's flag.

The leader was originally decided at random, but during the half-hour of preparation, the position could be changed at will.

Shen Jiewen continued her commentary work today. Yesterday’s events were indeed shocking, but they could not affect her professional duties. Today’s work seemed interesting: a hundred-person team battle with Dai Hua'an participating.

There were no special guests today, just her, yet she remained as diligent as ever.

"Alright, dear viewers, I am Shen Jiewen, and I will be bringing you exciting commentary today. First, let us look at today's match. A hundred-person team battle—a format we rarely encounter. Following yesterday’s war mode, we have another rare competition type. You are in for a treat!"

"The Blue team’s leader seems to have been transferred to one person: Dai Hua'an, the vice president of the Wind Bell Club. It seems he is also the initiator of this hundred-person battle. I see. It looks like the Red team’s participants are in danger; after all, the larger the number of people, the better Vice President Dai can utilize his 'National War Speaker' command ability."

"The Blue team appears to be deploying their combat strategy. Before the battle begins, our microphones cannot pick up their conversation. Are you all curious about what they are discussing?"

"Now, let me look at the Red side... Oh?" Shen Jiewen’s fluent commentary, perfectly synchronized with the camera cuts, came to a sudden halt. She seemed startled for a moment, but quickly recovered: "It seems this team battle is about to get interesting. The Red side actually includes the famous young writer who was just revealed to be a sophomore at our academy—Night Rain Cold Crow."

"I’m sure that after the recent book signing event, even those who hadn't heard the name 'Night Rain Cold Crow' recognize him now. Night Rain Cold Crow, a Holy Light-type ability user, currently at A-grade strength—a power that truly cannot be underestimated. Furthermore, students, look at this: since registering this semester, Night Rain Cold Crow has a record of 167 wins and zero losses. A 100% win rate. I really want to say it’s incredible; even the current top student, Club President Tan Xiao, hasn't managed a 100% win rate. So far, the only record that can match this is the 'Bad Luck' account belonging to Huo Ye, president of the Star Club, with 178 wins and zero losses. Come to think of it, both are newcomers who burst onto the scene at Bancroft. I am quite looking forward to seeing who ends whose winning streak if these two ever collide."

Jiang Feng’s ability to guide public opinion was evident. By now, almost everyone subconsciously believed that Night Rain Cold Crow was a student who had enrolled normally, not the transferred Huo Ye. They were treated as two completely different people.

As a celebrity, Huo Ye did not take the leadership position for granted, because the leader in this mode was responsible for tactical command. Although Huo Ye understood tactics, he needed to train his Holy Light ability and his "Binding Dragon Silk," so he could not remain in the rear.

However, not accepting the leader position did not mean Huo Ye could not intervene in pre-battle planning.

Huo Ye pointed to the tower on the map representing the Blue team’s headquarters and said, "There. That is our target. Our opponent is Dai Hua'an. If we try to take him on head-on, we might be tactically outplayed to death. So, if we want to win, the best way is a decapitation strike combined with capturing the flag."

"Hmm, I think so too," the boy who was the leader said. "But that is quite difficult. Although Dai Hua'an isn't known for combat, he is still at least an A-grade. He will definitely arrange guards to prevent a decapitation strike. How many people should we send? If we send too many, our front line will collapse, and they might capture our flag before we succeed."

Huo Ye nodded and said, "Not many. Two people are enough."

"Two? It seems you already have candidates in mind, Great Writer. Tell us." Since Night Rain Cold Crow was a famous author who had shown impressive tactical understanding, the others in the discussion gave him some respect.

"Me, and my partner." As Huo Ye spoke, he pointed to Shangguan Yudie in the distance, who was leaning against a windowsill, long hair tied in a ponytail, clutching a short sword while gazing at the sky.

Shangguan Yudie looked over, smiled slightly, and then turned her gaze back to the sky.

Everyone was captivated by that fleeting, sweet smile. Who knew the "Ice Beauty" could look so beautiful when she smiled!

Huo Ye coughed to regain everyone’s attention, then said, "We are the phantoms of the battlefield, silent as the wind, pervasive as a shadow. With us here, there is no such thing as a flawless defense in this world. We will definitely give the Blue team a surprise they will never forget."