Chapter 6: Extreme Growth 1

After sorting the game, Lekai prepared a huge pot of hotpot. The aroma was mouthwatering, but the professor had little appetite, remembering that these beasts had eaten human flesh. Lekai, however, paid no mind and ate with abandon, not stopping until his belly was round and taut.

The cavern was spacious, equipped with training apparatus that must have belonged to Lekai’s father. Stranger still, among the eighteen small rooms surrounding them, one was so cold it felt like an ice cellar, perfect for storing meat without spoilage. As he gazed at that room, the professor's eyes flickered with a peculiar light.

Guided by Lekai, the professor toured each room in turn, before they returned outside to sit and talk.

"Lekai, would you mind if I examine your body?" the professor asked, producing a device, his smile reminiscent of a sly wolf.

"Teacher, I’m fine, very healthy, no need for a checkup," Lekai replied cheerfully. "Why don't you teach me something instead?"

"No, no, your teacher is not just a professor. I intend to guide you comprehensively, which means I must understand your body. Come, lie down, it won’t hurt," the shameless professor grinned mischievously. Lekai was a bit anxious, but obediently lay down on the stone platform.

The professor, device in hand and eyes shining with strange excitement, looked like a predator about to feast. With trembling hands, he lifted Lekai’s down jacket, revealing his snow-white stomach. The device, about five inches long and resembling a pen, glowed red as he plunged it down.

This device, the universal energy scanner from the pinnacle of cosmic technology, originated from a secret department, generally used by authorities to assess special forces personnel. Though it seemed small, it could scan the body and provide a comprehensive analysis.

Luckily, the tip didn’t go in deep—painful, but bearable. Lekai showed no resistance, only frowned as he watched. The professor pressed a spot on the device, and a virtual screen flashed before them, streams of intricate data cascading like a waterfall. Lekai was utterly baffled, unable to decipher any of it, but this display alone convinced him the professor was qualified to teach.

Though Lekai had learned some things from his father, he could only understand simple books. In this world, there was so much he longed to grasp and explore. The best learning was through school, but Lekai was barred from that—not only by his father's constant warnings but by his own inexplicable fear. The vast dome above seemed a prison; once inside, he would lose himself, lose his freedom.

These two—identity and freedom—meant more to Lekai than life itself. The professor from the outside world could fill this gap; now, he could learn without risking the dome’s confines, and nothing could be better.

Lekai didn’t know what the professor’s examination revealed. The professor, stunned for nearly ten minutes, finally exhaled deeply, his expression grave, his tone resolute. "Lekai, from today onward, your daily life and training will be managed by me. Can you do that?"

Lekai sat up and asked, "Will this make me stronger?"

"It will. Absolutely."

"Alright, I’ll follow your lead."

With a few simple words, Lekai agreed to an arrangement that would later cause him endless suffering. Yet, no matter what grand adventures he endured, he would never forget those days in the cave—the most precious memory of his life, and the beginning of his lifelong battles.

The professor was no mere talker. In just one night, he drafted a detailed plan of ten thousand words, almost as if he wanted to squeeze twenty-five hours from each day. The schedule was astonishingly precise—even bathroom breaks and sleep were strictly timed. Any capable adult would see it and utter only one word: "Madman!"

Lekai glanced at it and nodded. "Not bad. Just a bit tougher than my usual training. But these cultural studies are new—I’m looking forward to them!"

The professor was silent for a moment, then smiled thinly, his words squeezed from between clenched teeth: "Excellent. But this is only the beginning."

Sure enough, by the second day, Lekai’s happiness vanished. The training load doubled. On the third day, then the fourth, it increased again and again.

The professor’s regimen was among the most formidable special forces training plans imaginable. Even adults would find it terrifying, but clearly, it didn’t trouble the little monster Lekai much. Only then did the professor realize that Lekai’s abilities were no accident—his power to hunt mutant beasts was not luck.

Up at five every morning, with an hour allotted for washing and breakfast, followed by half an hour’s rest—the professor’s time to impart knowledge. It wasn’t formal lessons; instead, he shared anecdotes, legends, and wild histories, which Lekai loved best. The professor’s mind was a treasure trove of stories, broadening Lekai’s horizons.

According to the professor, the universe was vast beyond measure; humanity could barely scratch its surface. As far as was known, there were nine major star systems, each ruled by a dominant force or empire. Every empire was colossal, with countless planets and innumerable worlds suitable for human habitation. Lekai’s home, the Azure Star, was one insignificant planet, ignored by the empire for reasons unknown until recently. When it was discovered, a fleet was dispatched to conquer it. The native inhabitants, fierce beyond expectation, dared to resist and even launched "nuclear weapons," which led to the planet’s irradiation. Out of humanitarian concern, or perhaps out of pragmatic use, the empire funded the creation of the Dome, gathering the surviving humans together.

"So, strictly speaking, you should thank the imperial fleet. If not for them building the Dome, ninety-nine percent of this planet’s population would have died."

Lekai was silent for a while. "But they invaded our homeland, destroyed everything. Are we expected to thank them?"

The professor laughed. "Survival of the fittest—whoever has the biggest fist rules. If your fist is big enough, the nobles of the empire will bow to you. That’s the truth."

Lekai swung his fist fiercely. "My fist isn’t big, but it’s hard. One day, I’ll drive these cursed invaders off our planet!"

The professor replied, "That’s inevitable. If you can’t manage even that, how can you ever conquer the universe and be respected across the stars?"

For the first time, hatred shone in Lekai’s eyes. "If not for these invaders, my mother wouldn’t have died early, my father wouldn’t have disappeared, and I wouldn’t have to live alone in this damned cave! I’ll master every skill, and find my father!"