The Pact and the Path Forward
The Dean's office was a realm of polished wood and hushed authority, a stark contrast to the sun-bleached, sweat-stained arena they had just dominated. The seven students stood in a loose semi-circle before Yu Zhen's expansive desk, the air thick with a new kind of tension—the weight of expectation being formally laid upon their shoulders.
Yu Zhen studied them, his earlier public benevolence replaced by a grave, assessing demeanor. "You are here because the academy sees in you a spark that conventional education might smother," he began, his voice low but penetrating. "Class Zero is not an honorific. It is a forge. Our investment in you will be substantial—the best resources, focused tutelage, opportunities your peers will not see. In return, you have one objective: to become candidates worthy of Shrek Academy."
He let the name hang in the room. It was a star to steer by, distant and brilliant. "Do not mistake your victory today for a guarantee. Across the Federation, there are thousands of prodigies, each striving with equal desperation. The path to Shrek is paved with the broken pride of 'geniuses.' To walk it, you must shed all complacency."
His gaze swept over them, lingering on each face. "Therefore, your position in Class Zero is conditional. Each semester, you will face an assessment of soul power progress, combat proficiency, and theoretical mastery. Fail to meet the standard," his tone sharpened, "and you will be returned to the general student body. Is this understood?"
"Understood!" Their voices chimed together, a blend of determination and nascent anxiety.
Yu Zhen's eyes settled on Tang Wulin. "Tang Wulin. Your inclusion was a specific recommendation from Teacher Wu. Your file shows different metrics than your classmates. You will need to work twice as hard, sacrifice twice as much. This opportunity is a loan of faith—from him, and now from the academy. Do not squander it."
Tang Wulin's throat worked. He felt the eyes of the others, not with judgment, but with a shared sense of gravity. He looked not at the dean, but at Wu Zhangkong, who stood impassive by the window. The gratitude that swelled in his chest was too vast for words. It solidified into a rock-hard resolve. "I understand," he said, his voice quieter than the others but threaded with steel. "I will not fall behind."
"Good." Yu Zhen produced a stack of documents with a soft thwap on the desk. "Then you will sign this agreement. It outlines the benefits, the expectations, and a singular restriction: upon signing, you commit to completing your intermediate and advanced education at Donghai Academy, unless you gain admission to Shrek. We invest in our own future as well as yours."
Yao Xuan took his copy. The text was dry, legalistic, but the subtext was clear: You are ours now. It was a shrewd move by the academy—securing their talent against poaching from more prestigious institutions. 'A fair exchange,' he mused internally. 'Resources for loyalty. And Shrek is the goal anyway.' He picked up the proffered pen and signed his name with a fluid, confident stroke.
Beside him, Gu Yue scanned the document with a speed that suggested she was absorbing every clause at once. A faint, almost imperceptible frown touched her brow—not at the terms, but perhaps at the mundane human bureaucracy encircling her destiny. She signed with elegant, precise characters.
Tang Wulin signed next, his hand steady, treating the pen as if it were a forging hammer committing molten metal to a mold.
Xie Xie hesitated, his eyes darting to the door as if imagining other futures in more glamorous academies. Then he looked at Yao Xuan's already-signed document, then at Tang Wulin's. A flicker of loyalty overrode ambition. With a resigned sigh that was mostly theatrical, he scrawled his signature.
Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, still moving with the residual synchronicity of their fusion, exchanged a glance. A silent conversation passed between them. This was a path to greater strength, a structured way to hone the power they had unlocked. They nodded almost in unison and signed.
Wei Xiaofeng, however, shifted on his feet. The paper felt heavy in his hand. "Dean Yu," he said, uncharacteristically tentative. "My family… they have expectations. The Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy… I should consult them."
Yu Zhen's affable mask didn't slip, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop a degree. "The opportunity is present now, Wei Xiaofeng. I do not have the luxury to wait for familial deliberations. The forge is lit. You may step into it, or you may remain outside. There is no third option."
The ultimatum was clear, delivered with a calm that brooked no negotiation. Wei Xiaofeng's face paled. He looked at his two teammates, already committed. He thought of the Dark Demon Flash, of Yao Xuan's impossible claw, of the gap that had just been revealed. The chance to bridge that gap here, with them, warred with generations of family ambition. Minutes ticked by in silence. Finally, his shoulders slumped. "I… I must honor my family's wishes. I decline."
A ripple of disappointment, mostly from Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, passed through the group. Yu Zhen merely nodded. "A respectable choice. You may return to Class One. I wish you success at the Sun Moon Royal Academy." The dismissal was polite and final.
As Wei Xiaofeng left, the door clicking shut behind him felt like the sealing of a tomb on one future and the opening of a gate to another. There were now six.
"The six of you," Yu Zhen said, his demeanor shifting once more, the stern headmaster giving way to the hopeful investor. "You are now the sharpest point of Donghai Academy's spear. Our resources are deep—deeper than many assume. With full support, Shrek is not a fantasy. It is a target. My expectation is that at least four of you will hit it. If all six do…" He allowed himself a genuine, ambitious smile. "Then we will make history together."
The formalities concluded, the machinery of the academy whirred into action on their behalf. They were given a half-day to transition. Their new classroom was not a room at all, but a suite: a spacious, well-lit lecture hall adjacent to a private, advanced combat arena and several dedicated training chambers. It was a world apart from the crowded generic classrooms.
The dormitory shift was the most personal change. They were moved to a secluded wing of the teacher's residence block. No more crowded bunk rooms. Each was given a private suite—a bedroom, a small study, and a washroom—mirroring the accommodations of junior faculty. It was a statement of trust and an expectation of mature dedication.
When it came to choosing rooms along the quiet hallway, the unspoken hierarchy of their group manifested. Yao Xuan selected a room near the center. Without a word, Gu Yue glided to the door immediately to his left, her action so natural it seemed inevitable. Tang Wulin, seeking proximity to his brother and mentor, took the room to Yao Xuan's right.
Xie Xie claimed the next one, followed by Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi, who took adjoining rooms at the end of the hall. Wu Zhangkong's new quarters were stationed at the hallway's terminus, a silent sentinel overseeing his fledgling flock. The arrangement felt organic, a physical map of their emerging bonds.
Other privileges followed: unlimited access to the training facilities, a generous stipend for spirit foods, and the coveted double portion of Class A meals, with Class B available on demand. The academy was fueling them for a marathon of growth.
The next afternoon, the six students of Class Zero sat in their new classroom. The desks were arranged in a single, neat row. Gu Yue, Yao Xuan, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi. The empty space where Wei Xiaofeng might have sat was a quiet reminder of choices made.
The door opened, and Wu Zhangkong entered. He carried no books, only his usual aura of focused chill. He stood before them, his dark green eyes passing over each face, pausing for a millisecond longer on Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi.
"I am Wu Zhangkong. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next six years." His voice was flat, devoid of welcome or warmth, which in its own way was reassuringly consistent. "Yao Xuan, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Tang Wulin are familiar with my methods. To Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi: my pedagogy is built on combat, pressure, and breaking limits. Theoretical knowledge is necessary, but it is the anvil upon which practical skill is hammered. Your curriculum will reflect this. You will adapt, or you will fail the semesterly assessments and be removed. This is your only warning."
He didn't wait for acknowledgment. "Your first lesson begins now. It is not a lecture. It is an understanding. Look at the person sitting beside you."
They glanced left and right, at times meeting eyes, at times looking at profiles.
"They are not just your classmates. They are the benchmarks against which you will measure your growth. They are the partners who will block a strike aimed at your blind spot. They are the rivals who will force you to dig deeper into your soul than you believe possible. In this room, mediocrity is a contagion we cannot afford. You will push each other, learn each other's rhythms, and, when necessary, carry each other. The goal is not to be the best among the six. The goal is to make the six the best. Only then does Shrek become a possibility."
He let the words sink in, the concept of individual ambition being reforged into collective destiny.
"Tomorrow, the real work begins. Dismissed."
He turned and left as quietly as he had entered, leaving the six of them in a silence that was no longer anxious, but charged with a profound, shared purpose. The pact was signed, the path was set, and under the watch of their icy, unwavering guide, the forging of Class Zero had truly begun.