"Hahaha! Gu Ya, what madness are you spouting again, hahaha, you're killing me!"
"Kill us all? Do you have the strength for that? You can't even perform the simplest mech maneuvers, you consistently score zero on theoretical exams, your repairs are a disaster, you can't even tell a wrench from a pair of pliers. What's the point of your existence?"
"Gu Ya!!!" the homeroom teacher roared.
Gu Ya, still dreaming, jolted awake. He dazedly scanned his surroundings, finding himself in the bright classroom of Class E, Preparatory Mech Pilot Academy, located in Area 12 Wastewater Treatment.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the students seated inside.
"Hmph, another illusion!" Gu Ya snarled coldly, suddenly turning and grabbing Xu Jie by the neck, giving it a forceful twist.
However, Xu Jie's resistance was just as swift. They both flipped to the left and were soon locked in a brawl.
Now things were really getting lively. Xu Jie's two lackeys also jumped out, wildly punching Gu Ya's head with their fists.
"Beat me!?" Gu Ya's eyes blazed with killing intent as he glared at them. The two lackeys, startled, scrambled to the ground.
The homeroom teacher arrived in time, pulling Gu Ya away.
Gu Ya glared at the homeroom teacher and roared, "These illusions of yours won't stop me!" He swung around to strike the teacher.
The entire Class E descended into chaos. Some were pulling at Gu Ya, some were watching the spectacle, and others were loudly cheering.
School security guards rushed in to join the fray. Gu Ya was gradually cornered against the wall by the growing crowd.
Facing the furious gazes of everyone present, Gu Ya let out a cold "Hmph." He clenched his fists, imagining his lightsaber appearing in his palm.
But after three seconds, nothing happened. The emptiness in his palm sent him into a panic.
Facing four school security guards, along with a multitude of students and teachers, Gu Ya was clearly at a disadvantage without a weapon.
Even so, Gu Ya had no intention of waiting to be defeated. He clenched his fists again and charged forward.
He only stopped struggling when the school security guards pulled out stun guns and electrocuted him into unconsciousness.
Twenty minutes later, Gu Ya, the assaulted students, and the teachers were all gathered in the Disciplinary Director's office.
After reviewing the on-site footage, the Disciplinary Director said gravely, "Gu Ya, do you know how heinous your actions were? Get your parents here! The school is preparing to expel you."
"Hmph!" Gu Ya said coldly, "You Black Star dogs manufacturing illusions, didn't you expect this? I don't have any parents in this world!"
"Tch, what are you joking about?" Xu Jie sneered. "Everyone in the class knows your mother works at my family's company. Yesterday, she went to my dad to ask for a raise and got kicked out of his office!"
Gu Ya burst into laughter, a wild, unrestrained laugh. "Can the illusions created by Black Star trash be any more fake? Hahaha! How ridiculous!"
Though his hands and feet were securely bound, Gu Ya refused to yield. He struggled desperately, imagining tools materializing in his hands.
But his system seemed to have vanished. No matter how much he summoned, he couldn't call it forth.
On the surface, Gu Ya found this world chaotic and laughable, but deep down, he was starting to panic.
"Without the system's help, how can I break through this illusionary world?"
"Calm down, first calm down. Think carefully about what happened in the last illusion."
Gu Ya stopped arguing with the people in front of him and lowered his head, immersing himself in his own world.
In the previous illusionary world, Black Star had created "General Ye" to embody Gu Ya's thirst for honor and power, "blood brother" to represent Gu Ya's yearning for family affection, "Ye Ying" for love, and his brothers for friendship.
These were all obvious illusions; all he had to do was kill them.
But this world was clearly not so easy to deal with.
First, Gu Ya sensed that the goals of this world were very unclear. The initial impression was one of chaos. Black Star's research into illusions seemed to have become even more advanced.
Family affection was easy to handle; he just needed to kill the so-called "mother." But what represented his other desires? He couldn't possibly kill everyone around him, could he?
The feeling of the security guard's stun gun hitting his body just now felt so real, even the unconsciousness was lifelike.
Moreover, without the system's help, how could he turn the tables?
Just as Gu Ya was meticulously contemplating his strategy, a woman around forty years old rushed into the office.
Without a word, she walked up and slapped Gu Ya.
Gu Ya clutched his stinging left cheek and looked up, instinctively calling out, "Mom?"
"You still have the nerve to call me Mom! Look at what you've done! Get down and apologize to them!" his mother shouted, her disappointment evident.
"Hmph! No need! I can't accept it!" Xu Jie said with a roll of his eyes, overcome with smugness.
"Sorry, sorry!" His mother quickly bowed to everyone, saying in a subservient tone, "It's my fault for not disciplining him properly! My son hit his classmates and teachers, and as his parent, I am responsible! I apologize to you all!"
"Is an apology enough?" one of the students who had been hit said angrily. "What about medical expenses, emotional compensation, and compensation for my private property that Gu Ya damaged? And for disrupting class order and hindering our studies, how will you compensate? Knowledge is priceless!"
"That's right! If you're going to apologize, be sincere! Get down on your knees!!" Xu Jie said coldly.
His mother looked distressed. After a long moment of hesitation, for her son's sake, she gritted her teeth and bent her knees.
Everyone around watched coldly as his mother slowly knelt.
Just as his mother's knees were about to touch the ground,
Gu Ya suddenly stood up, channeling his anger into strength. He tore through the restraint straps on his hands and feet, steadily supported his mother, and said coldly, "Even if it's an illusion, you're not allowed to kneel!!!"
"Sigh! Gu Ya, why are you like this! Your mother is willing to kneel for you, and you're stopping her?" Xu Jie shouted maliciously.
Gu Ya's eyes widened, his killing intent surging. He said coldly, "Xu Jie, I don't mind killing you again!"
Killing intent coalesced around Gu Ya, as if this vast office couldn't contain such materialized malevolence.
The people before him broke out in cold sweat for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Ridiculous! So funny! Still so deluded even now? Look at your own worth, hahaha!"
"Your whole family are poor people. Do you really think you can kill us? I can make your entire family unable to live with just a flick of my finger!"
Finally, the homeroom teacher said furiously, "Gu Ya! Your mother pleaded on your behalf, yet you not only fail to appreciate it but also spout nonsense here! I think you don't want to go to school anymore!"
Gu Ya helped his mother up, stood firm, and said coldly, "I don't care if I don't go to this school! Mom, let's go!"
"Sigh, sigh, sigh! You injured us, damaged our property, how can you just leave like this!" Xu Jie annoyingly chased after him, grabbing Gu Ya.
Gu Ya's face contorted, and he rammed his head forward, hitting Xu Jie so hard that stars appeared before his eyes and he stumbled backward.
Glancing coldly at the occupants of the office, Gu Ya took his mother's hand and quickly walked out.
"Son, what's wrong with you? Tell Mom, Mom won't blame you. Did they bully you so much that's why you hit them? Sigh, it can't be helped, son. Your father died young, and you're the only man in the family. Just endure it a bit longer, when you grow up..."
"Mom!" Gu Ya interrupted his mother coldly and said, "I know you're all illusions. I have to escape this place."
"Son, are you sick? It's okay, Mom will borrow money for you to get treatment! You can't have anything happen to you! You are Mom's hope, Mom can't do without you!"
Gu Ya turned his head, looking at his mother's panicked and helpless face.
His mother raised her worn wristband, hesitated for a long time, and dialed a number. Upon connection, she immediately said in a low, pleading tone, "Sister Wang, uh, there's something, my son seems to be sick. Can I borrow some money for his treatment? Don't worry, I'll definitely repay you!"
His mother made five or six calls, but all were met with refusal.
By the time the mother and son returned to their dilapidated home, his mother comforted Gu Ya and then, pretending to be normal, went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The day had passed in a blur, chaotic and fast. Gu Ya hadn't even had a chance to properly figure out what was going on.
Suddenly, Gu Ya remembered something. He walked to the kitchen door and asked, "Mom! Where's my sister?"
His mother, her back to Gu Ya, quickly wiped away tears from her eyes and replied, "Ah? What sister? Mom only has you, son."
Gu Ya nodded, inwardly laughing uncontrollably.
Can Black Star's illusion manufacturing get any faker!
"Let me tell you, son, Mom went to see the supervisor yesterday, and the supervisor agreed to increase my salary. From now on, it'll be 380 White Star coins per month, and I'll raise you to be strong and healthy! When you grow up, Mom will be at ease. You are Mom's hope!"
"Heh, is that so?" Gu Ya said with a cold laugh. He lightly picked up a sharp knife from the countertop and walked towards his mother.
A sharp glint of the blade flashed.
His mother looked at Gu Ya in terror. She instinctively reached for the knife sticking out of her waist, blood staining her hand. Trembling, she said, "Son, why? I gave birth to you and raised you, how could you stab me with a knife? You are my hope!"
"That's right," Gu Ya said with a cold laugh. "The way to break through this illusionary world is to shatter hope!"
His mother slowly slumped to the ground, blood flowing from her waist. She weakly extended her hands towards Gu Ya, her eyes filled with pain, surprise, and reluctance.
Gu Ya watched his mother fall into the bloodpool with cold eyes. He could indeed feel her love for him, but unfortunately, it was all an illusion.
"Son, Mom doesn't blame you. Being born into our family, it truly made things hard for you..." His mother whispered softly, her hands dropping, no longer moving.
Gu Ya stood silently, watching the "mother" lying in a pool of blood, and let out a cold laugh. He was waiting, waiting for this illusionary world to shatter.
But what came was the deafening sound of approaching sirens.