Chapter 12 Apprentice of the Future

　　The teenager, who had blurted out the words, was still immersed in the state of the individual battle mecha, thinking that the AI of the mecha was asking him. But halfway through his words, he suddenly felt something was wrong! A jolt of surprise struck him: "Strange, how could an AI appear here?"

　　Gu Moxun, whose Baihui acupoint on the top of his head had been unblocked, had a body different from ordinary people, for his sensory abilities far exceeding those of most. Yet the old man had stood silently behind him for a long time, but Gu Moxun hadn't noticed a thing!

　　He immediately spun around, staring in astonishment at the old man who was just inches away. Upon closer inspection, the old man wasn't a virtual image!

　　Shock colored his face. The old man before him was identical to the previous AI, even sounding the same—no wonder he'd mistaken him for the AI! It seemed the AI had been modelled after this old man. This elder was likely the mysterious big shot pulling the strings behind the scenes! Although Gu Moxun was a bit stammering and reserved, he was never a fool. This meant he was quite clever. He quickly pieced together the key points and guessed sixty percent of the old man's identity.

　　He focused his gaze again and saw that the old man wore a loose white ancient-style robe. The collar crossed in a "Y" shape, tied at the waist with a black sash. The robe's style was extremely rare in this era; few people wore such clothing. Gu Moxun had only seen it in previous history class—it was what humans wore hundreds of years ago, called... Hanfu...

　　The elderly man with disheveled hair looked rather free-spirited in his Hanfu, the corners of his mouth slightly raised as he smiled at Gu Moxun, his aged hands resting on a red sandalwood cane.

　　The cane's upper and lower ends were wrapped in metal—inside was red sandalwood carved with Loong patterns, connecting the two metal sections. The bottom end was shaped like a silver cone, while the top formed a golden Loong head.

　　At the sight of this iconic Loong-patterned cane, a name flashed in Gu Moxun's mind: "Wei Zhengdao!"

　　He immediately glanced at the old man's robe lapel—sure enough, five golden stars were embroidered on the right side. The previous AI hadn't had these stars! Was this the legendary pathfinder among leaders, the real Wei Zhengdao himself?!

　　After recognizing Wei Zhengdao, Gu Moxun's body instinctively snapped to attention. He paid his respect with a military salute, reporting loudly: "Trainee Gu Moxun from Mars Training School, ID HXZG113200957, reporting to Guide Wei Zhengdao!" The teenager's deafening shout left his face bright red, and for once, he didn't stutter like usual at all.

　　The name Wei Zhengdao was a legend of this era. If Chu Mufan was compared to the savior of the apocalyptic era, then the old man before him might just be the closest person to a deity in the space age.

　　As a child, Wei Zhengdao entered space with those survivors, and his father, like Chu Mufan, was also one of the Alliance's founding members. It can be said that Wei’s entire life, from childhood to old age, witnessed humanity's step-by-step journey from the apocalyptic catastrophe into the space age's prosperity. He is also one of the main leaders of humanity now, revered by space-dwelling humans as "Master Wei!"

　　During his tenure, he helped space civilization leap forward by an entire era. The fact that humans can now settle on various planets and the Alliance can develop stably is all thanks to the old man's contributions...

　　"So, how do you like the mecha I developed?" Wei Zhengdao asked with a smile.

　　"Um! It's...it's...incredible! M... Master...I heard...you want...to take me as your apprentice?" G u Moxun nodded, his nervous excitement making his stutter worse, but he still wanted to voice the doubt in his heart...

　　Wei Zhengdao smiled, as if he had long known the teenager's confusion. No longer hiding the truth, he began to patiently explain the reasons...

　　It turned out that Wei Zhengdao, already over a hundred years old, could pass away at any moment. He had always wanted to find a successor to be the Guide and to manage the Chivalry Hero Pavilion. However, a good successor required not only strict requirements but also a DNA sequence of at least Level 5 to be compatible with the "Star Core." Thus, being Master Wei's apprentice demanded far more than just martial skill and intelligence; one needed to resonate with the “Star Core”.

　　Without the advanced knowledge within the Star Core as a foundation, during the unpredictable era of humanity's return to Earth, one could never serve as humanity's Guide and navigate the volatile future. Therefore, DNA sequence matching was the primary criterion for this legendary master in seeking an apprentice, a standard far more challenging than finding a child with exceptional talent and brilliance. As a result, Wei Zhengdao had waited decades without finding a suitable candidate...

　　It wasn't until seven years ago, when Gu Moxun was six years old and undergoing DNA sequence testing for preliminary career orientation selection, that the old man discovered this jade-like teenager! According to Alliance law, every child must undergo DNA sequence testing at age six. In fact, when Wei Zhengdao established this testing system in the Alliance, it wasn't just for career direction selection. It was also to screen the DNA sequences of all new-generation children in the hope of finding those with high compatibility with the Star Core! Gu Moxun's DNA compatibility reached Level 7—a grade even higher than Wei Zhengdao himself own! Such a match was exactly the successor he had been waiting for.

　　When Wei Zhengdao learned of Gu Moxun's existence that year, he was enraptured. However, despite his high position and authority, the Chivalry Hero Pavilion lacked the qualification to educate children. According to Alliance law, he couldn't accept the young Gu Moxun as an apprentice. Thus, he encrypted all of Gu Moxun's records, classifying them as top-secret. Through covert arrangements, he ensured Gu Moxun entered his old friend's Mars Military Academy as a special enrollee, subjecting the boy to rigorous military training from childhood. This was to forge a strong physique and will, while familiarizing Gu Moxun with the operation and shooting skills of various weapons and equipment.

　　Now that Gu Moxun had completed the intermediate training, Wei Zhengdao immediately summoned this teenager to Dragon Head Fort, intending to accept Gu Moxun as an apprentice. He planned to provide this teenager one-on-one instruction and imparted all the advanced knowledge a Guide needs, preparing for the moment humanity returns to Earth in five years.

　　The Human Alliance's prosperity wasn't merely skin-deep. Though it had launched interstellar colonization, expanded territories, and ensured ordinary people to live and work in peace, undercurrents had been surging among various forces—all coveting the day of return in five years. Secret plans for the mother planet were being hatched in the shadows.

　　This is no alarmist talk. Wei Zhengdao's spies stationed on several major planets have all reported that factions were stockpiling grain, mustering troops, and grinding their weapons and feeding their horses! All were preparing to seize territories upon humanity's return.

　　Influenced by these high-level forces, people with an inexplicable hatred had spread among Alliance citizens. Were it not for annual increases in penalties, civil strife would erupt long before the return.

　　That's precisely why a guiding figure was needed. Without one, upon returning to Earth, these forces would run amok, turning the planet into a slaughterhouse again! Should all of those happen, the mother planet was suffering misery once again---undoing the chosen one's century of hard work to restore Earth...

　　At his age, Wei Zhengdao isn't sure he’d live to see the return, so he must train a successor: someone who can grow into a revered leader, guiding these factions....

　　Listening to the old man's rapid explanation, Gu Moxun felt his head spin. Why was his DNA special? What was this DNA compatibility grade? And what on earth was this "Star Core" it matched with? He'd never heard of a Star Core before. "W...W... Wei Zhengdao...Master," he stammered curiously, "W... what...is the...Star Core?"