Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
Just like that, Pandora began to live with us. No matter how many aspects of her I could not explain clearly, my big sister completely did not mind. She really began to take Pandora as her own biological little sister. Her sympathy for Pandora blinded her that she could not even see that the little sister in front of her was actually an alien creature on the verge of taking over the world.
Perhaps there was an eighty- or ninety-percent chance that this was due to her unreserved trust in her own little brother.
As for me? When Pandora privately showed me the full set of identity proof she had in her bag, I was really shocked. Still, once I recalled the far superior technology in the Xyrin Empire, everything made much more sense.
“This world’s information preservation and encryption technology is primitive and backward,” Pandora said matter-of-factly. To her, the pride of the human race—our modern computer technology—was worthless.
“Pandora, are you sure you want to come to school with me?” While I was on the way to school, I looked at Pandora’s transfer certificate and immediately felt my head hurt. This discomfort caused me to resent letting her stay among humans. Although I hoped that she would be able to integrate into the human race as soon as possible, I did not feel comfortable leaving her on her own.
On one hand, I was afraid that she would be bullied. However, on the other hand, I was afraid that she would bully others. How many problems do you think I’d have to deal with if I woke up one day and saw the President of the United States of America tied up in my living room, being tortured?
“As the only guardian of the Emperor in this region, I must always remain at your side,” Pandora responded, her expression unchanging. However, her tone made it difficult for me to doubt her seriousness.
“Alright, alright. However, make sure that you remember what I told you before…”
“Ah Jun!”
All of a sudden, I heard a voice that interrupted the conversation between me and Pandora. I turned around and saw Qianqian running towards me. She looked very lively and excited; I had no idea why she was so happy all the time.
“Ah Jun, why didn’t you come to class yesterday? You didn’t even apply for… en? Who is this girl?”
“Her name is Pan Lili. She is my little sister.”
“Your little sister?” Qianqian scanned Pandora from head to toe in shock. She knew about my background. That was why she was so shocked to hear that I had found a little sister. “You have a little sister?”
“That’s right. I did not expect it as well.”
On the spot, I told her the same story about Pandora that I told my sister. I explained once through about Pandora’s identity and said, “That’s it. Lili and I were both adopted so we have no idea what our real last name is. That was why we did not even bother changing Lili’s name. Her last name is Pan, but she is my biological little sister.”
“Ah…” Qianqian opened her mouth wide, still looking incredulous. Unexpectedly bumping into a long-lost sibling sounded like something that would only happen in movies. It looked like a plot that belonged to the television. The fact that it was happening right before Qianqian’s eyes made her feel at a loss as to how to react. “Really… unbelievable. Congratulations.”
As Qianqian spoke, she bent down and carefully touched Pandora’s cheek. “Your little sister really cannot see anything?”
“That’s right,” I stroked Pandora’s hair pitifully and pulled her backward without changing my expression. Although Pandora was already acting like a blind person as per my instructions and that was good enough to explain her unfocused eyes, I was still worried that the truth would be exposed if anyone got too close to her.
“Lili’s optic nerve is completely fine, but perhaps because of the overwhelming psychological blow in the past, she cannot see a thing now…”
I was not telling a complete lie. Pandora’s eyes really could not see anything. However, apart from these eyes, she had 132 different types of radar scanners activated, not for nothing.
“Really… but if that’s the case, shouldn’t she go to a school for the blind? The transfer certificate in her hand says that she’s transferring to our school.”
I expected that people would ask me that question so I answered quite naturally. “That’s true, but Lili insisted on staying with me. I had no choice but to give in to her. What’s more, Lili can take care of herself very well. Although she might have a little difficulty, she will definitely do well in a normal school like ours.”
Qianqian let out a soft ‘oh’. She seemed to understand that talking about these things in front of the little girl might hurt her feelings so she initiated a change in conversation. Finally, I heaved a sigh of relief.
To tell the truth—if Qianqian really wanted to ask all she wanted about Pandora’s situation, I would not have been able to hold up.
“Alright.” Once we got to the school gate, Qianqian took Pandora’s hand happily and said, “This is the school you will be studying at from now on. How is it? It’s not bad, isn’t it? Ah, I’m sorry… I forgot you can’t see…”
“I don’t mind,” Pandora answered plainly. Then, she gently leaned into me as if unwilling to leave her big brother’s side.
At the same time, Pandora’s robotic voice sounded in my brain: “175 meters in front of us, on the left, is a dangerous carbon-based being. That being is armed, but the threat level is extremely low. Do you want me to clear it?”
“What?” I was flustered by Pandora’s sudden report and did not know how to react there and then.
At that moment, a loud ‘bang’ was heard at my front left!
Me, “…”
Campus shootings! Why were there such ridiculous things happening these two days?
Yet, these ridiculous happenings were really happening to me. To be exact, a campus shooting was taking place in the prestigious school near my ordinary one.
I heard a loud scream and then saw three tall men running out of Cang Lan Private High School. Each of them held a gun in their hands. I guessed that they were the perpetrators. The man in the middle was strong; he looked just like a bull. He was dragging a person in his hands—clearly a student—whose pants were already drenched in blood. From that scene, I guessed that he was probably the victim of the gunshot.
The three armed men dragged their hostage towards a white car, not far away. At the same time, they fired shots all around at random. They seemed to be very nervous; they did not even properly aim their shots at anyone. Even so, many students were hit, and they screamed as they fell to the ground. If this was allowed to carry on, people would not be falling to the ground purely because they were shot.
At that moment, I could not afford to think too much about the back story behind the campus shooting in the prestigious school. I only had one thought in my mind: run as fast as you can… eh no, I should run and stop those three men!
I turned to run, but the first thought only flickered in my mind before it disappeared. That was human instinct. However, almost immediately, I realized I should not have been running. I should have been stopping those three armed men. Of course, I could not do it by depending on my capabilities. If I was the same person as before, I would definitely have escaped under these circumstances. Yet, I had another choice that day.
“Pandora, didn’t you say that Xyrin Apostles were natural warriors? Do you have a way of dealing with the current danger?” I quickly and anxiously questioned Pandora in my heart.
“Receiving external instructions… analyzing unclear instructions… execute!”
As Pandora spoke, the sky changed color at once. There was a low, dreadful, and buzzing sound as the sky rapidly darkened to a dark red. Countless golden light patterns appeared as well, forming a golden array that covered the entire sky. As the array appeared, everything around me went quiet. The running students suddenly halted in their positions. Even the flying dust seemed to be suspended in midair, looking like countless delicate particle clouds; the paper scraps dancing around in the air also stopped where they were, forming an extremely artistic effect.
Just as everything went still, Pandora-zero beside me entered combat mode. What looked like computer data illuminated with green light shot past me. Silver, close-fitting underclothes and golden battle armor wrapped around Pandora’s body. A translucent, light green mask covered the bottom half of her face, from her nose down. All that could be seen of Pandora was a pair of transformed, fuchsia eyes with no pupils, focused on the area in front of her.
I scanned Pandora—who was now dressed in close-fitting, golden battle armor—from head to toe. Awkwardly, I said, “Indeed, you have not matured.”
This was the first time I was seeing something as ridiculous as this happening in real life, and yet I could remain so calm. Was my brain really that strong?
Pandora did not pay any attention to my comment. Instead, she continued to look in front of her with her ice-cold gaze.
Under such circumstances, I could only exclaim: Science-fiction! This is simply something out of a science-fiction movie…!