Runaway Guide-Chapter 31
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Chapter 31 – Growing up
Time passed really fast. The speed at which the children grew up left Emperor Tran and Queen Anna astonished. In a blink, the child whose short legs previously couldn't reach the ground when he sat on the sofa had now grown into a slender young boy.
The story of Xi Wei's life in St. Paul Academy could even be written into an inspirational novel for omegas.
When he was 9 years old, he and Klaire took the blue belt in combat test and stunned the alphas in the whole school.
At 10 years old, Xi Wei got the perfect score in a test about mecha driving theory which was known to be extremely complicated, once again shocking the whole school.
He joined the wilderness survival course at 11 years old. He went with the teacher and the other children in his grade to learn the skills of survival in the wilderness. Under the interception of countless intelligent robots, a lot of alphas gave up halfway. However XI Wei persisted until the end and even won the first place.
At the age of 12, St. Paul Academy offered a practice course on driving a low-level intelligent machine armor. Since His Majesty had told the headmaster to give Xi Wei the same courses as alphas, Xi Wei became the only non-alpha student in the school to ever participate in this driving class. As a result, Xi Wei drove his fiery red machine armor all over the place completely unrivaled, making the alpha learning operator expression looked unusually ugly.
—Not only powerful in close combat, this omega's ability to drive a machine armor is also really good?!
Only Klaire knew that it happened because Xi Wei had been reading books on the theory of driving a machine armor since he was very young, he basically started learning at least five years earlier than anyone else. While the alpha students were still trying to understand the various buttons in the machine armor's cockpit, Xi Wei had succeeded in manipulating his machine armor to make various jumps, kicks, and rotations. The red machine armor driven by Xi Wei was like a burning fire. The alpha students who saw him immediately fled, trying to avoid him lest they be used as practice sandbags.
Of all the students in their grade, only Klaire and Carlo were able to barely keep up with Xi Wei's driving skill.
Klaire because he stayed with Xi Wei every day, he had made rapid progress under the boy's watchful eyes. He read all the books given by Xi Wei, and adding to that his rich experience from having lived a lifetime, he was able to advance together with him.
Carlo was born of the Berch family.
The old patriarch of the Berch family, Aston Berch, was the most famous machine armor manufacturer in the whole Empire, even His Majesty Tran's S-Class intelligent machine armor, Lion King, was made by him. The descendants of the Berch family seemed to have inherited a talent for manufacturing and driving machine armors. Carlo’s performance in the machine-driving class was particularly prominent. Once in the cockpit, the alpha was no less aggressive than Xi Wei.
For this reason, Xi Wei, Klaire, and Carlo often practiced their driving skills together.
Carlo did not like omegas. In his mind omegas were weak, always needing others to protect and care for them. But Xi Wei was not the same, Xi Wei was a very special omega. Not only he was good at physical combat, capable of winning against a group of alphas in close combat, his driving skill level was also high enough to beat all alphas in their grade. Carlo grew up hating the weak and respecting the strong, so in his heart, Xi Wei also gradually became a friend worthy of respect.
In the past few years Carlo had completely ignored the fact that Xi Wei was an omega, and only treated Xi Wei as an alpha buddy.
This afternoon, Carlo once again asked Xi Wei and Klaire to practice controlling machine armor.
Klaire's machine armor was white, Carlo's black, and Xi Wei had a red one. The three C-Class machine armors were activated by the owners, the smooth body lines of the metal humanoid machines shimmered with dazzling luster under the lights.
Xi Wei's voice proposed through the voice channel: “Let's play a survival game, see who can live to the end!”
Klaire’s voice answered: “OK, first is to kill Xi Wei.”
Xi Wei asked in surprise: “Why not kill Carlo first?”
Carlo said seriously: “Because you are too strong. If we keep you, the one who will win in the one must be you.”
Klaire smiled, “Yes, be careful Xi Wei!”
Sitting on the sidelines was Aiden who watched this familiar scene. Xi Wei's red machine armor was attacked by the black and white machine armors. Incredibly, even though he could barely support himself, he wasn't in a disadvantageous position.
The three mechas flew around the field with 'I dare you to chase me' attitude. They saw the red machine armor suddenly lifted its metal arm and delivered a punch to Klaire's white machine armor's chest!
Klaire immediately activated the shield function. Sparks splashed in the air, the white machine armor took a flexible turn while also swinging its fist in a punch, making a decisive counterattack to the red machine armor's abdomen! To make matters worse, Carlo’s black machine armor was also behind him, its sturdy fist was attacking the back of the red machine armor!
Seeing that he was going to be attacked from front and behind, Xi Wei's right hand moved to control the balance lever, pulling it down, while his left hand simultaneously pressed a quick series of complex instructions on the keys. The next moment, the red machine armor shot into the sky, having jumped to a very high altitude. The huge red machine armor completed a beautiful lateral rotation in the air, then landed steadily behind the black machine armor. It swept its leg over, causing the black machine armor to lost its balance. Carlo’s cockpit immediately experienced a violent shake, he hurriedly stabilized the balance lever and quickly took a few steps back.
Klaire smiled and praised, “Beautiful!”
Carlo was depressed: “Who are you praising? The two of us are allies!"
Klaire coughed and said: “Hurry and get up before he hit you on the side… Oh, it’s too late!"
Taking advantage of Carlo’s retreat, Xi Wei manipulated his mecha to suddenly swing its right arm. A fiery red light appeared inside the red machine armor's grasp, the dazzling electric knife cut into the black machine armor's neck!
The connection line in Carlo’s cockpit was immediately cut off, the black machine armor crashed to the ground with a loud “bang”.
Meanwhile, Klaire also took advantage of Xi Wei's attack on Carlo to quickly approach him from behind and send a punch to the connection key at the back of the red machine armor. Xi Wei was aware of this, his mecha's right leg suddenly kicked back, landing directly at the other machine armor!
In reaction, Klaire braked and his white machine armor jerked to a stop, at the same time a white light knife appeared in his left hand. While Xi Wei's field of vision was blinded by the white light, he simply thrust the knife, directly cutting the energy center on the red machine armor's chest!
The red machine armor lowered its arms and finally turned off.
Coming out of the cockpit, Xi Wei walked to Klaire with a smile and scolded, “You always do sneak attacks, where is your face?”
The youth in front of him had a pair of black, bright eyes, his pure black hair making his skin appear paler. Although his mouth was scolding Klaire, but he was obviously not angry, apparent by the very bright smile gracing his face, his slightly curved mouth was very rosy.
Being stared by that pair of clear eyes, Klaire's heart started beating unceasingly; how he wished to hug and kiss him mercilessly.
The older Xi Wei grew, the more beautiful he looked. If it weren't for his violent nature, the alphas who liked him in St Paul Academy would have been all around the school.
But even if his reputation of violence had spread throughout the empire, his even more beautiful appearance as he grew older still stirred many hearts. There were still some not-afraid-of-death alphas who regarded him as a Male God in their hearts, secretly and silently loving him while looking forward to one day become stronger than Xi Wei, to thoroughly conquered this sly omega.
However, Xi Wei kept getting more and more powerful. Those alphas who wanted to conquer Xi Wei with their strength once they grew up was too embarrassed to say anything as they heard reports every day of Xi Wei beating masters and creating records.
For those alphas, Xi Wei adopted an attitude of complete disregard.
Staying by his side, all these years there were only Klaire, Carlo, and Aiden- these three good friends.
Looking at the teenager who stopped in front of him, Claire couldn’t help but smile, naturally reaching out and gently rubbing Xi Wei's short black hair. “You are really too powerful, I and Carlo together cannot beat you, I can only do sneak attacks to win against you.”
Xi Wei glanced at him and said: “Don't drag Carlo into this, aren't you the only one particularly fond of these kind of sneak attacks?”
Klaire smiled confidently: “I can’t beat you honestly, so I have to use roundabout strategies.”
The change in Klaire was also quite big. Such a lovely child had now grown tall, his stature had become slender and firm. Adding to that his striking appearance, with blue eyes as deep as the mysterious sea and eye-blinding golden hair; his smiling appearance was especially charming.
At present, he had yet to enter voice-changing period, so the sound of his voice still resembled that of a boy's. Xi Wei was curious- after his voice changed, would he recover the same gentle and low tone ha had in his previous life?
As he was thinking, the cockpit of the black machine armor was also opened and Carlo came out from inside. As the black machine armor was just lying on the ground after losing its center of gravity, his hair was a bit messy. However, the determined youthful features on his face matched perfectly with his slightly messy brown hair, he looked very handsome.
Walking quickly to other two teenagers, Carlo asked: “Xi Wei, that air jumping and rotating move you did just now, where did you learn this?”
Seeing the class leader's serious eyes, Xi Wei couldn't help but laugh, “Just say that you want to learn it. I'll lend the book to you when we go back.”
“…” Carlo coughed awkwardly, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Seeing that the three people had stopped fighting, Aiden also came over. He smiled and said, “Are you hungry? It’s time to have supper."
Aiden, who was seldom involved in these intense activities because of his weak physique, preferred to sit there quietly as a bystander. Every time Xi Wei and Klaire went to the machine armor training room, Aiden would sit in the auditorium, watching those small partners fighting in the wide field.
He had grown up looking more and more like his father Randy. The teenager’s skin was pathologically pale, and his facial features looked particularly gentle and soft. Xi Wei was very fond of this quiet, gentle roommate of his. Everywhere he went, he must bring Aiden along. Aiden was also very happy to follow Xi Wei, sitting silently in the auditorium and watching Xi Wei drove his machine armor handsomely. Every time he saw Xi Wei beat Carlo and Klaire, Aiden’s lips would raise in a shallow smile.
At this moment, his eyes were still trained on Xi Wei’s body. He smiled and continued, “The school restaurant has a buffet, dinner has just started.”
Such a gentle voice was really comfortable to listen to. Xi Wei smiled and put his arm around the boy's shoulder: “Yes, let's go to eat.”
Carlo also couldn't help glancing back at Aiden. He had no idea how far the new medicine Aiden’s father let the Central Hospital to develop had progressed… Looking at Aiden's slightly pale face, Carlo frowned, feeling somewhat upset, then turned away.
Aiden watched as he turned away, smiled and asked Xi Wei: “He still hates omega, doesn't he? He turned away when I looked at him."
Xi Wei hurriedly grabbed Aiden's hand and said comfortingly: “Carlo has a stinky temper, just ignore him. Let's go eat.”
The three of them entered the school restaurant together while Carlo looked for a good place to sit. Xi Wei looked at Klaire and said, “Today you win, so it's your treat.”
Klaire smiled in agreement, “No problem, just take whatever you want.”
This place was the self-serving restaurant of the St. Paul Academy which opened only at certain times of the week to improve the food-quality for the students.
The food served in the restaurant was very rich in variants. The four people each had a full plate to eat. Xi Wei's was filled with a large variety of food, grilled chicken wings, fried steak, braised fish, everything. He loved to eat meat products. It was strange how he wouldn't be fat no matter how much he ate, his figure always stayed slender and flexible.
Klaire knew Xi Wei loved to eat oranges and took a few of them. He also thoughtfully peeled the skin before handing it to Xi Wei. Xi Wei unconsciously stuffed it into his mouth and chewed slowly. Klare's eyes gazed at him tenderly, and once Xi Wei was done eating, he peeled another orange and handed it over, this continued on and on.
Carlo sat next to him and ate his own steak. He had always been rigorous, cutting a steak was done as serious as doing homework.
Soon, Aiden also returned. Different from the other three whose plates were full of meaty meals, Aiden's plate was filled with beans, green vegetables, radish and other vegetarian dishes. The doctor advised him to eat more light food, Aiden himself also had little interest in meat, he preferred vegetarian dishes.
The four of them sat down in the corner of the restaurant. Aiden calmly took out a bottle from his bag, poured some pills in his palm, and swallowed them with warm water, before bowing down to start eating.
Carlo watched as he ate so many colorful pills, then glanced at his plate which was filled with mostly vegetable dishes, and suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling in his heart. He couldn't help saying, “Every day you eat carrots, radishes, and all kinds of other vegetables, are you a rabbit?”
Aiden: “…”
Why does me eating radish every day bother you? Class leader is simply sick. Because you hate omega so much, you are always spouting nonsense about how “omegas are very troublesome”. What do you care about what an omega like me is eating? I’m not eating in your house.
Aiden was a little angry in his heart, but his temper had always been mild. Even if he was angry, he would not start cursing or beating people like Xi Wei. He looked up at Carlo, and said in a soft voice, “Class Leader, I'm free to choose what I want to eat. Today's meal is Klaire's treat, radish and other vegetable dishes are also very cheap. You don't mind if I eat a little more, do you?"
Carlo: “…”
Listening to his soft and pleading voice, Carlo felt a slight tremble in his heart; he wished he could just bring all the delicious food in the restaurant to him.
After a moment of silence, Carlo touched his nose in embarrassment, “Cough, I mean, the things you eat have to be nutritionally balanced. Is it okay to only eat vegetarian dishes? We are in the age of growing, I think you should consume more protein."
After saying this, he cut a piece of his steak with such a serious face and discharged it onto Aiden's plate.
Aiden: “…”
Putting something you have eaten and is now containing your saliva in other people's plate, don't you know how to be polite?
With some disgust, Aiden set aside the piece of steak and continued to eat his carrots.
Aiden's bowing head appearance as he quietly ate his carrots really resembled a cute little bunny. Feeling a bit upset, Carlo thought: he obviously has poor health, isn't it better to eat a little more? What if his condition becomes worse? What if he has a bad stomach? Isn't his immune system bad? These days the weather is unstable, someone with poor health is prone to catching cold, you know?
Of course, Carlo was too embarrassed to say these words out loud, he could only swallow them back into his belly.
After supper, Klaire and Carlo went back to the dorm, put on their helmets, and went to play machine armor driving simulation.
Klaire regarded Carlo as a sparring partner. He wanted to improve his level as soon as possible, and Carlo was a rare capable opponent. The two of them played several rounds every night in the dorm, their winning and losing counts usually ended up in a draw. However, in this evening’s 10 rounds of battles, Carlo actually lost from the beginning to the end. He played very badly.
Looking at the black machine armor lying in the distance, Klaire finally couldn’t help asking, “What’s the matter with you? What are you so absent-minded?"
Carol took off his networked helmet with some annoyance, turned back, and said seriously: “After this year’s final assessment, Xi Wei and Aiden will go to the Andromeda Galaxy’s Ellen College, while we will continue to stay at St. Paul Academy and wait until 18 years old for the Imperial Unified Examination.”
Klaire nodded: “Yes, from adolescence until 18 years of age, omegas will be send to Ellen College to have four-years of closed education. The teachers there will teach them about estrus and mark-relevant physiological knowledge. The level of omega pheromones in their body will gradually rise, so naturally they can't stay with alphas. This is the rule of the Empire, shouldn’t you know it already? "
Seeing Carlo's stiff expression, Klaire couldn't help but tease him: “Why, are you reluctant to leave Xi Wei, or reluctant to leave Aiden?”
Carlo’s face suddenly turned red: “What nonsense are you talking about? I just think, we have been eating together every day, then suddenly there will two less of us… I'm not quite used to it."
“Is that so?” Klaire came over to look at him and found that the class leader was constantly avoiding his eyes; his ears were also red. Klaire burst into a laugh and said, “Carlo, if you really like Aiden, you need to face the feeling in your heart. Don't waste time by hesitating, otherwise, once it's too late you'll only be left with regrets."
Klare talked from his own experience. In the previous life he was always hesitant, worried that his confession would screw up the relationship between the two of them. He kept on dragging and dragging, until in the end, he didn't even get the chance to say “I like you” before he suddenly died in an accident.
In this lifetime, he became someone who must grab every opportunity.
Xi Wei would be 18 in a few years. According to the rules of the Empire, all 18-years-old omegas would be matched with the appropriate Alphas. Klaire, as Admiral Byron’s alpha eldest son, his status was considered a good match with Xi Wei, but he knew that this matter would not be that easy to solve. The empire had several military leaders, and among the leaders' sons, there were also some excellent alphas close to their age. It would not be easy for Klaire to win.
His Majesty was very fond of the Berch family, Uncle Berg's marriage to Berch family Drew was the best proof.
Berch family's power in the empire was extremely large, especially the machine armor manufacturer master, Old Aston, whose disciples were spread all over the world. The S-Class intelligent machine armors made by Berch family were extraordinary. As long as the Berch family could be courted, the royal family would always be the empire’s leading force in term of combat weapons.
If His Majesty wanted to secure a stronger political marriage with them, Xi Wei’s most-likely marriage partner would be the one closest to their age in Berch family: Carlo.
Carlo was the nephew of the current head of Serpent Cops, General Drew. He was also the alpha eldest son of Berch family's current generation. As Old Aston's grandson, if His Majesty Tran truly wished for a stronger connection with Berch Family, the possibility of Xi Wei being married to Carlo was very high.
However, Klaire could see that the one Carlo cared about was actually Aiden.
This class leader, although he said “omegas are very troublesome” all day long, his awkward concern towards Aiden was quite obvious. Klaire saw this guy's puppy love awakened, it was easy to see that he liked the terminally ill “very troublesome” omega.
Listening to Klaire's words: “If you like Aiden, you have to face your own heart,” Carlo's face turned bright red, he awkwardly said, “You, you don’t think too much! I care about him just because… I am the class leader, caring about the students is a must for me."
This was the same excuse he had used for several years. Klaire laughed, “If Aiden's disease can be cured, he will be married off at 18 years old. Meanwhile, at that time you will just be admitted into the Military Academy, the association isn't likely to match you with him. If you don’t take the initiative, there will be another alpha to care for him and take care of him in the future."
At the thought of another alpha taking care of Aiden, of him being embraced and kissed by someone else, Carlo's eyes suddenly turned fierce, like a beast whose scales had been touched, “No, his body is so weak, other Alphas will definitely not take good care of him!”
Klaire started laughing: “Still won’t admit that you like him?”
Carlo: “…”
The class leader whose mind was finally opened didn't know where to put his eyes on. He felt especially ashamed. He, who kept on saying that 'omegas are very troublesome', actually had come to like one of those very troublesome omegas. This situation was very troublesome.
Klaire put away his smile, and with a rare show of seriousness he said, "Carlo, we lived in the same dorm for so long, do you think of me as your friend?"
Carlo did not hesitate to say, “Of course, you and Xi Wei are my best friends.”
Klaire said: “I also think of you as my good friend, so, I'll tell you a secret.”
Carlo looked at him doubtfully: “What secret?”
“I like Xi Wei." Klaire answered with a smile.
Carol: “………..”
The class leader's mouth instantly dropped into a perfect 'O', so round one could almost stuff an egg into it.
T/N:
Look at that, Carlo finally realized his feeling for Aiden :3
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