NFBE Chapter 284 [Empire] Today is another day to strive to be a good student.
Chapter 284 [Empire] Today is another day to strive to be a good student.
During the afternoon class, the old teacher stood at the center of the podium, his voice steady and powerful. Today's topic was the famous "First Army Battle Plant Encounter" in imperial history. He spoke slowly and clearly, each word carrying a hint of profound meaning.
"The vampire vine," he said, and the classroom suddenly fell silent. Everyone had heard this terrifying name, but few knew its true origin. "It's an extremely rare species of combat plant, and it once caused terrible storms in the history of the empire."
He traced a battlefield on the star map screen. It was a desolate planet, its land cracked and devastated. He pointed to an area and said, "It was here—the Fallen Star Field—that the Imperial Vanguard first encountered the vampire vines."
On the screen, a huge vine penetrated the wreckage of the abandoned mecha. The vine was covered with thorns, and deep red juice dripped from the tips of the thorns, forming pools of glaring bright red marks.
"This plant has an extremely cruel habit," the old man continued, his voice low, as if afraid to disturb the still vines on the screen. "It feeds on blood, whether it's human, exotic beast, or even the bio-energy in mechas, it will absorb it without hesitation."
He swept his eyes across the class, as if to make sure every student was listening attentively. Then he added, "And the terrifying thing about it is that it not only devours life force, but also somehow invades the victim's consciousness, transforming their pain and fear into its own energy."
A fragmented video began playing on the screen. It was captured by a soldier's recording device in the Vanguard Army. In the footage, blood vines stretched out from the ground and sky like countless slender snakes, madly entwining soldiers and mechas. Every time a soldier was pierced by a vine, blood flowed rapidly along the vine, dyeing it a deep crimson.
The attacked soldier let out a brief scream and then stopped moving, but the vines grew stronger and stronger, even producing more branches on the battlefield and continuing to spread in all directions.
One classmate couldn't help but whisper, "How were they eliminated?"
The old man was silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "The Vanguard Army ultimately abandoned the entire battle zone and detonated the planet, completely destroying this patch of vampire vines. But the price was... an entire Vanguard company of soldiers, with almost no one surviving."
The classroom was so quiet that only the sound of breathing could be heard. I stared at the vine, lost in thought, and the image of the seedling suddenly appeared before my eyes.
"The reason the vampire vine is listed as a forbidden species among combat plants is because its growth cycle is extremely short and its aggressiveness is almost uncontrollable. If any vine had been removed from the planet, it would have spread rapidly elsewhere, causing catastrophic consequences." The old man paused, his tone emphasizing, "Thus, combat plants should never be underestimated, nor should they be attempted to be tamed..."
The last sentence seemed to hit me hard.
I glanced down at the seedling on the table. Its slender stems and leaves swayed slightly, as if silently mocking me. More like mocking the blood-sucking vine the old man had just mentioned.
What a strange thing.
Its lush green color was particularly eye-catching under the classroom lights, as if it knew it didn't need to be low-key at all, and was certain that no matter how terrifying the old man described the vampire vine, it would not be able to shake its superior attitude.
"What an arrogant fellow," I thought to myself, the corners of my mouth twitching involuntarily. "He's just a young seedling, isn't he? Do you really think you're so great?"
But soon, this self-deprecating feeling was replaced by a deep fear. I gently tapped the edge of the flowerpot with my fingertips, and it trembled slightly, as if startled by me. The movement was imperceptible, but in my eyes, it looked like a kind of contempt:
"Vampire vine? Nothing more than that."
I gritted my teeth and suppressed the urge to throw it out the window. Its "I'm born to be the boss" aura was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Was I overthinking it? Or was it truly beginning to display some kind of...intelligence?
I can even imagine the sarcasm it uttered when commenting on the vampire vine - "Shoe carrier? That thing is not worthy of being used as fertilizer. I think it's better to be used as fertilizer for me."
This thought made me even more uneasy. You know, this seedling hadn't shown any aggressive behavior so far. Apart from devouring the vitality, it had always stayed quietly in the flowerpot. But that feeling of arrogance made me feel suffocated.
My hands clenched into fists under the desk, and I couldn't help but whisper to myself, "Why are you so arrogant? Wait until you grow up."
However, it seemed to understand what I said and shook slightly again, as if answering:
"How long do you think it takes to grow up?"
Trying to focus on the teacher's lecture became a struggle. Every time the teacher talked about the abilities or historical background of a certain combat plant, I could feel the seedling on the table chirping.
It made no sound, but its almost imperceptible aura was like an invisible whisper, constantly invading my attention.
For example, when the teacher mentioned the vampire vine, its stem shook slightly, as if to say with disdain:
"Vampire vines? Those low-level things that only suck blood."
When the teacher turned to talk about the terrifying deterrent power of the man-eating rose on the battlefield, its leaves actually curled up slightly and then slowly stretched out, as if it was yawning.
"Tsk, what kind of combat plant is this? It's so weak."
I stared at it intently, my heart filled with anger but with nowhere to vent.
"Will you please shut up?!" I roared in my mind.
Of course the seedling couldn't respond, but I could just feel its "I'm invincible" attitude.
When the teacher mentioned a plant called poison grass, I felt like laughing. Its toxicity was so extreme it was called "the impassable wall of thorns for the Imperial Legion." But the seedling leaned forward slightly, its expression filled with disdain and mockery, as if it had just heard a poorly written joke.
"Poisonous grass? That's all it is."
I couldn't help but lower my head and force a smile at it, as if threatening: "Behave yourself. If you dare to be arrogant again, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"
Its leaves shook disapprovingly, as if to say:
"Okay, let's try it?"
I lowered my head even lower, pretending to be listening carefully, but in reality, I was almost unable to contain my anger at this little thing.
The teacher had been teaching for nearly half of the class, but my attention was already scattered by it.
I rubbed my brows vigorously and sighed inwardly: "Today is another day to strive to be a good student."