However, the clown in the air—the one about the same size as John Carter—kept shrinking and shrinking, until he was only palm-sized, then fell from the sky. The Wheel of Mischief disappeared, and the space turned into pure darkness.

John Carter regained his ability to move and rushed over, scooping up the barely breathing Simba, gritting his teeth tightly. “You bastard, I don’t want this damned gift! Change back right now!”

The tiny Simba twitched his nose. “Fr...iend, this is the last thing I can do for you...”

He tried to reach out and touch John Carter, but his hand fell weakly. “I’m so tired, I feel so awful... friend, we’re going to say... goodbye... forever...” Simba slowly closed his eyes.

John Carter finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears fell one by one. Just two years old, he had lain in a hospital bed enduring bone-deep pain and hadn’t cried, but now, this companion who had been with him for ten years...

John Carter gritted his teeth tightly, feeling for the first time the helplessness and anger of being weak.

...Huh... was it an illusion? Was Simba peeking at him???

...It wasn’t an illusion. The tiny Simba was lying in John Carter’s palm, secretly laughing...

This... guy actually tricked him into crying!!!

“You...” John Carter murmured, his eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing that John Carter had noticed, Simba quickly sat up. “Ahem, John Carter, hey, hey, just a little joke, okay? Look, I’m already miserable enough... Hey, hey, let’s be reasonable, okay, kid, don’t pinch my nose!!!”

Aaaaaahhhhh~~~~~~~

Early the next morning, at ten o’clock, John Carter was stunned for a moment. He usually woke up at six, but he had slept especially deeply this night—he’d never felt like this before.

Simba, where’s Simba?

John Carter scratched his head. In the end, Simba had activated that weird wheel. Next to his soul sea, the Mischief Clown was reduced to palm size, and forcibly activating the Wheel of Mischief had cost him dearly—he’d fallen into a deep sleep. If he did it again, it might really cost him his life. From here on, it was up to him.

The gap in the seal had been forcibly widened just a little. Although the peak value only increased to 50 Grasso, for John Carter, the meaning was completely different!

...What’s that smell???

There was a strange odor in the room, almost enough to knock John Carter out. What was with the color of the bedsheet? It looked like it had been soaked in sludge. John Carter hurriedly opened the window—this definitely wasn’t him wetting the bed.

Feeling refreshed and clear-headed, although his soul power was still a bit unstable, John Carter could feel a surge of vitality welling up inside him.

Excited, he opened the door and smelled the aroma of food. His stomach immediately rumbled. A hearty breakfast was already laid out on the table, along with a note.

“Xiao Zhong, from today on, you’re a real man. Do what you want to do—every path in this world is made by people walking it... I’m taking your Aunt Xue Li on a belated honeymoon, you know, your Aunt Xue Li has too many admirers, and lately my cooking skills can barely satisfy her. Wife comes first—go for it, young man, you’re the best.”

John Carter couldn’t help but laugh. Uncle Carter’s looks weren’t enough, so he needed to make up for it in other ways. These years had really been hard on the two of them. He would work hard too, to give them a satisfactory answer sheet.

After breakfast, John Carter dashed all the way back to school. This was a kind of training, after all, and there were no classes today. He had to figure out how to recruit enough people for the Oddball Club. Along the way, John Carter felt like the world was completely different—his steps were so light, everything around him was so clear, he could almost feel the plants breathing.

It was a pity John Carter didn’t look in the mirror. His once dull and weak eyes had become as deep as the sea.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Mark Brooks and a burly guy shouting at the top of their lungs. It seemed this was the poor kid Mark Brooks had talked into joining.

“Baron, your idol is here. This is our Oddball Club’s vice president, John Carter,” Mark Brooks said.

Baron immediately walked over and bowed. But with his size, his presence was a bit intimidating. “Hello, senior, I’m Baron Grantham, the new member of the Oddball Club. Please take care of me.”

John Carter didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who would be teaching whom was still up in the air. Judging by Baron’s build, he’d probably be considered outstanding even in the Warrior Academy. Off to the side, Mark Brooks was winking, as if to say, “Bro, aren’t I awesome?”

Even with the addition of Baron, the Oddball Club’s awkward situation hadn’t changed. Compared to their shabbiness, the other clubs were in full bloom—handsome seniors, beautiful upperclasswomen, attractive club introductions, and rows of club achievements below, completely outshining the Oddball Club. Only someone like Baron would have been talked into joining.

Suddenly, the students became excited, and a crowd surged toward the east. “Senior Natasha!”

“It really is Senior Natasha, Senior Natasha of Black Rose and Senior Miriam are here!”

John Carter and Mark Brooks looked at each other and could only smile wryly and shake their heads—there was nothing they could do. Natasha had been a celebrity since her first year, a genius girl from the Command Division, rumored to be the principal’s granddaughter. Black Rose was one of the academy’s four major clubs. She became vice president in her first year, and this year, with the previous president graduating, Natasha took over as president. Now, Black Rose was even more impressive.