Urban Powers After the Apocalypse

"Roar!" The entire class immediately raised their right hands in enthusiastic response to Old Pang's call.

This distinctive mode of speech had become a trademark of Class 3, and no matter what others thought, every time it happened, Xu Mo couldn't help but recall a certain little-mustached leader from a century ago... the same powerful rhetoric and the fervor of the audience.

"Someone's transferring schools at this time? Are they serious?" HeShang pushed up his glasses in disbelief.

"Who knows? Maybe there's some special reason." Although transfers into Class 3 weren't unheard of, they were certainly rare. But Xu Mo wasn't someone who liked to pry into others' business, so he just smiled at HeShang and quietly asked, "Do you think this transfer student is a guy or a girl?"

"A girl. A beauty." HeShang answered without even lifting his head.

"How did you guess that so accurately?" Xu Mo was taken aback. Though no one was in sight yet, the stir of excitement among the guys sitting near the door made it pretty obvious.

"Well, I was the one who told her the way to Old Pang's office," HeShang said, without even a hint of hesitation.

"Forget I asked."

Although HeShang was immersed in his otaku world, endlessly shouting "twin-tail lolis forever", his real-world taste was still intact. He wasn't a complete degenerate when it came to the 3D world.

The transfer student indeed turned out to be a beautiful girl. She was about 1.6 meters tall, and though her pink sportswear was a little loose, the curves of her body—highlighted by the fit at her chest and waist—were clear to see. She looked like she was into sports, with healthy, glossy skin that was a rare tan shade for a girl her age. While her features on their own weren't particularly striking, their arrangement was flawless. Her neat, dark eyebrows and lively eyes curiously scanned the room, every movement and smile radiating youthful vitality.

While she might not reach the level of the campus beauty Lin Yijing, she was more than enough to be the class flower of Class 3.

"Hi everyone, my name is Xu Bilin, from Shangkai Experimental High School. I love martial arts novels and video games, and I hope to make many good friends here," the girl introduced herself.

Why… does she look so familiar…

Xu Mo stared at the smiling girl on the podium, his mind drifting to a face he hadn't seen in three years, one with the same smile and two shallow dimples. The memories of that summer when they first met seemed to flood back...

The same delicate, flower-like girl… now withered in another world.

"Hey! Earth to you!" HeShang's finger waved in front of Xu Mo's eyes, pulling him back to reality. He gave him a mischievous wink. "What's up? Is the beauty making your heart race? It's rare to see you fall for a girl. Finally, someone has pierced through the tough exterior of our iron-hearted Xu Mo!"

"No... I just think she looks very similar to someone I used to know," Xu Mo said casually, though a pang of pain twisted in his heart.

"Hmm… nice excuse. Keep it up, maybe you'll mature soon. Heh heh."

HeShang made a lewd gesture below the table, but before he could continue, Xu Mo kicked him hard, and he groaned silently, biting his lip in agony, not daring to make a sound because Old Pang was still in the room.

"Okay, that's enough. Xu Bilin, you can sit in the fifth seat of the third row. Let's start the class."

The entire class of boys stared longingly in Xu Mo's direction because Xu Bilin's assigned seat was conveniently in front of him.

Of course, this wasn't because Old Pang had a special favor for Xu Mo, but because the girl who used to sit in front of him had been hospitalized with a broken leg, leaving the seat vacant, which was now given to the transfer student.

However, the "killer looks" of the boys weren't directed at Xu Mo but were instead focused on Si Mo Bai, the class "prince" who sat in front of Xu Mo. The pairing of "class beauty and class prince" was a natural source of rumors, so no one even bothered to direct their attention at Xu Mo, a person with little presence.

But when Xu Bilin pulled out her chair and placed her bag down, Xu Mo noticed that she seemed to give him a slight, almost imperceptible smile... one that felt strangely familiar, as if she knew him.

Was it just a coincidence? Or was it because he was overly sensitive due to the events from two years ago, making him more attuned to her resemblance in both aura and appearance?

Maybe it was due to losing so much blood last night, and now, being bathed in the warm breeze of the classroom, Xu Mo suddenly felt a strong wave of exhaustion. He struggled to stay awake for half the lesson, but soon, his body gave way, and he dozed off, still sitting upright.

In his semi-conscious state, Xu Mo felt himself slipping into a strange, almost surreal condition. The sounds around him faded, and his body seemed to sink into a warm, relaxing atmosphere, as if he were floating in a hot spring. The most bizarre thing was that he could vaguely sense a strange space, one that seemed to exist inside him. In the center of this space, there was a small, glass-like sphere glowing with a cyan light, flickering sporadically as though it were trying to transmit some kind of message.

Xu Mo wasn't sure whether this was real or just a dream, but he had an uncanny feeling that the cyan light was somehow familiar to him. He cautiously reached out with his consciousness toward the glowing point.

Just as his consciousness brushed against the cyan light, it suddenly fragmented into countless smaller, mist-like particles. A torrent of information surged into his brain like a tidal wave!

Xu Mo let out a muffled groan as intense pain, like a blade cutting through his skull, forced him out of the strange state. But the influx of information didn't stop. Instead, it intensified, and Xu Mo had to clench his teeth tightly against the agony, struggling to hold back a scream.

He didn't know how long it lasted, but eventually, the pain began to recede. Slowly, he straightened up, exhaling deeply. But when he looked down, he found his shirt soaked with cold sweat, and the corner of his English textbook was covered with deep bite marks from where he had gripped it.

What just happened?

After a few moments of stillness, Xu Mo suddenly had a jolt of realization, nearly leaping up in alarm. He had just remembered something that shouldn't have existed in his memory!

Superpowers? Gentle Touch?

What the hell! Where did this come from? Why is it suddenly in my head? And why do I feel this strange, innate sense of familiarity with it?

"Xu Mo, can you answer this multiple-choice question?"

At that moment, Old Pang's voice pierced through Xu Mo's chaotic thoughts. Xu Mo stood up instinctively, his face pale, as though he were stumped by the question.

Xu Mo had no idea which question Old Pang had asked. His eyes quickly glanced toward HeShang, who sat straight-backed, trying not to attract attention. Xu Mo suddenly remembered that HeShang had barely written anything on his English test, so asking him for help was completely pointless.

"Uh... the answer to this multiple-choice question should be..."

Xu Mo's eyes frantically scanned the page, and then, he noticed something surprising. Xu Bilin, using her hairband as cover, had secretly raised two fingers in his direction.

"Oh, the answer is B!" Xu Mo answered, though it surprised him. Still, he didn't hesitate to take the opportunity.

"Yes, correct! You can sit down," Old Pang responded, oblivious to the silent exchange between them. "Now, let's discuss the features of this sentence structure..."

As Old Pang continued the lesson, Xu Mo sighed in relief. Just as he was about to thank the mysterious "savior," he noticed a small note on his desk.

"A small favor, no need to thank me. The weather's turning cold, take care of yourself."

Though there was no signature, the author of the note was clear.

It had been so long since he and she exchanged answers like this under the teacher's nose... Xu Mo silently folded the note and tucked it into his pocket, burying his face in his open textbook, doing his best to hold back the tears. He couldn't hear anything else Old Pang said. The rest of the world seemed to disappear.