Super God Academy: Kabuto

The warm atmosphere of dinner was interrupted by a slow but unusually steady knock on the door. The sound carried a certain businesslike rhythm, quite different from the usual casual visits in old-style residential buildings.

"You continue eating, I'll go open the door." Lin Yu put down his chopsticks, stood up calmly, and walked towards the entrance. Inwardly, however, he thought: They've arrived faster than expected.

He gripped the doorknob, took a slight breath, and opened the door. Standing outside was a woman with impeccable posture and a cool, aloof demeanor. She had short, neat blond hair, a beautiful face that lacked gentleness, and sharp, focused eyes. A well-tailored dark business suit further accentuated her competence. She was none other than Lianfeng, an important member of the Super God Academy.

"Hello, who are you looking for?" Lin Yu stood at the door, subtly shifting his body to the side, blocking most of the view into the house, his tone as if he were asking a stranger a question.

Lianfeng's gaze swept calmly over him, then turned directly into the room. Her voice was clear and polite, yet carried an undeniable purpose: "Excuse me, I'm looking for Qilin."

Lin Yu's eyes flickered slightly as he stepped aside to make way for Lian Feng. "Please come in." His movements were natural, but his gaze swept over Lian Feng's entire body like a scanner, capturing every subtle expression and body language.

Lianfeng strode in, her steps elegant yet with the crispness characteristic of a soldier. Her gaze quickly swept across the simple living room, finally settling on the dining room from which the aroma of food wafted.

"Brother, who is it?" Qi Lin poked her head out from the restaurant, with half a rib in her mouth and a look of confusion on her face, as if her dinner had been interrupted.

Lin Yu had already walked back to the restaurant, picked up his half-eaten rice bowl, smiled at Qi Lin, and said in a relaxed tone as if he were talking about the weather: "I don't know her, she said she was looking for you. You two chat, I'll just finish washing the dishes." He acted like a considerate older brother who would give his sister some privacy.

But as he turned to walk towards the kitchen sink, his gaze briefly met that of Lianfeng, who had just entered the living room. There was no surprise in his eyes, only an unspoken understanding, and a deep, guardian-like scrutiny. Lianfeng's gaze was equally sharp; in silence, they completed their first remote assessment and confirmation.

Lianfeng walked straight into the restaurant. Qilin had already put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a napkin, looking at this extraordinary uninvited guest with a puzzled expression.

"Hello, Comrade Qilin." Lianfeng stopped at the dining table, presented an identification with a special insignia, her gaze sharp and direct. "I am from the Special Operations Department of the National Security Bureau."

"The Security Bureau?" Qi Lin's doubts deepened, and she sat up straight.

Lianfeng cut to the chase, her tone calm yet each word clear: "My trip is about the alien armed attack we encountered yesterday on Feiliu Airport Road, and... the unknown armored figure who took you away during the attack. We need your assistance in the investigation to find out why you were able to return home safely under such extreme circumstances. This is related to national security and subsequent response strategies."

"Feiliu Road... Armored Men?" Qi Lin's pupils suddenly contracted, her heart skipped a beat, and the fragments she had forcibly interpreted as "nightmares" surged in her mind again. "Wasn't that... a dream? How are my colleagues... Lao Jin and the others?"

Lianfeng paused for a moment, her eyes revealing just the right amount of heaviness and official regret: "We are very sorry. The attack resulted in casualties among some police officers and civilians. The scene was extremely horrific."

"This...how is this possible..." Qi Lin's face turned pale instantly, her fingers unconsciously gripping the edge of the table until her fingertips turned white. "I woke up in my own bed. My brother said I had a day off today, but I was too tired and overslept...how could this be..."

"Your brother?" Lianfeng keenly caught this key word, her gaze sharpening again as she turned toward the kitchen.

Just then, Lin Yu slowly walked out of the kitchen, his hands still damp. He walked to Qi Lin's side, gently placed his hand on her slightly trembling shoulder, his voice steady and reassuring, yet also revealing the last vestige of his secret:

"Qilin, look at me. That... isn't a dream."

"Brother..." Qi Lin looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion, fear, and an urgent need for confirmation.

Lianfeng's gaze fell on Lin Yu with a tangible intensity, her tone certain: "Mr. Lin Yu, it seems you are not entirely ignorant of this matter. In fact, it may be far more than just 'knowing'."

As if in response to her question, and as if to provide a more direct answer to the tense atmosphere—

call out!

A dark red streak of light swiftly swept in through the gap in the not-quite-closed window, drawing a graceful arc in the air!

Like a hummingbird returning to its nest, the Kabuto insect hovered lightly and precisely beside Lin Yu, its dark red carapace gleaming with a cold luster under the light. It flew slowly halfway around Lin Yu and Qi Lin, its compound eyes flashing faintly, before finally hovering quietly above Lin Yu's raised palm, its posture proud, like a silent swearing-in.

"The one you're looking for is me." Lin Yu's gaze calmly met Lian Feng's suddenly narrowed eyes. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable certainty. "As for Qi Lin, she does possess something you're interested in—the unactivated super gene of a first-generation sniper from the Divine River. I respect all her choices as an individual and as a warrior. However..."

He paused, then spoke clearly and resolutely:

"I personally will not join Super God Academy. That's my stance."

"Brother..." Qi Lin looked at the floating red mechanical life form that she had only glimpsed briefly in her "dream," then looked at her brother beside her, who suddenly seemed both strange and incredibly familiar. The overwhelming information left her speechless for a moment, her voice choked with sobs and confusion, "What... is going on? I feel like a fool, an outsider who knows nothing..."

Lianfeng's attention quickly shifted from Lin Yu. She stepped forward, her expression becoming more solemn, and looked directly at Qilin, conveying a formal invitation and a heavy entrustment:

"Comrade Qilin, based on your demonstrated potential and its connection to last night's events, I hereby formally extend an invitation to you on behalf of the nation's higher-level security and defense departments. The dormant power within you is urgently needed by the nation to cope with unknown threats. Are you willing to accept this responsibility and contribute your strength to protecting this land and its people?"

Qi Lin didn't answer immediately. She took a deep breath, turned her head, and her gaze met Lin Yu's beside her. Her brother's eyes were complex, filled with concern, reluctance, and worry, but deep down, they conveyed a sense of letting go and trust. There were no words, but in that brief eye contact, it seemed as if a thousand words flowed through their eyes.

She looked at Lianfeng again, the confusion in her eyes gradually replaced by something firmer. She straightened her habitually slightly forward-leaning spine, opened her shoulders, and tucked her chin slightly. This posture was no longer merely that of a young policewoman, but more like that of a warrior truly ready to accept a mission and step onto the battlefield. Her voice was clear, steady, and carried an unwavering determination:

"I am willing. As a police officer, and more importantly, as a citizen of China, I am willing to serve my country."

Lin Yu watched as the familiar yet new resolute light gradually ignited in his sister's eyes. That light stung his eyes, yet soothed his heart. Finally, all the turbulent emotions dissolved into a barely audible sigh. He raised his hand, his fingertips gently tracing the cool, yet seemingly warm, carapace of the Kabuto insect instrument. His voice, devoid of any sharpness or aloofness, held only the softest, most tender, and irreplaceable affection of a brother:

"I really just wanted you to be safe and sound, and never get involved in these fighting and dangerous things in your life."

His gaze went deep into Qi Lin's eyes, as if he wanted to forever etch her innocent yet incredibly brave appearance into his heart.

"However," he released his grip, letting the Kabuto insect device vanish in a streak of light, a forced, gentle smile playing on his lips.

"I respect your choice, Qilin."

The living room fell silent, save for the faint noise of the city outside the window. An interrupted dinner, a revelation of a truth, a chosen future. The ordinary routine came to a halt, and the road to the unknown and thorns had been laid out beneath our feet.