Chapter 175 - Never Submit

In Zero's eyes, there seemed to be a hint of memories from years long past. They were not happy memories, but they were ones he could never forget.

"Thirty years ago, the red gates brought monsters before humanity could even awaken. The early stages were clearly a disaster as humanity's firepower quickly fell behind when the monsters' strength increased far too quickly."

As he spoke, what appeared before Zero's eyes was no longer a group of new students, but the image of a fifteen-year-old boy holding nothing but a steel bar he had picked up from some construction site.

Back then, he didn't even have a pistol. Weapons like kitchen knives broke too easily, so the steel bar was his best choice.

"Now I am an S-rank hunter, a principal admired by everyone, but back then I was just a kid desperately holding onto a steel bar and running from place to place."

Zero spoke with a smile, but there was an indescribable bitterness hidden in his words.

"Back then, I was also considered lucky. I ran from place to place, but wherever I went, there was always someone to help me. But along the way, I witnessed many people who were less fortunate than me.

They didn't complain to me about what they had been through, but the fragments of their bodies scattered along the road made me understand the brutality of those days."

The more they listened, the worse everyone's mood became. It felt like a child born in peacetime listening to an old man endlessly rambling about World War II.

The glorious wars of the past were something the younger generations could never truly understand. The two eras were far too different, so no one truly wanted to give up the abundance of the present just to experience the suffering of history.

This also couldn't be blamed on young people or later generations. No one would willingly trade comfort for suffering. And very few people would put others before themselves.

This was also similar to how ordinary people often criticized politicians, even though they had never had to take responsibility for a group of people, let alone millions of people.

Zero wasn't too disappointed when he saw their reactions. It would have been strange if they had burst into tears instead.

"Back then, the monsters were so powerful that they made people desperate. Even the world's number one martial artist couldn't withstand a single hit from them. Faced with such absolute, overwhelming power, what did humanity do?"

At this point, the way everyone looked at Zero changed slightly. They understood what Zero was trying to say. He was reminding them not to give up just because Nexus was too powerful.

"That's right. We never gave up resisting. They're just a bunch of creatures with power but low intelligence, so what right do they have to make us submit? Even if they have superior intelligence, we will never submit. Humanity's great will shall never submit to any difficulty."

Zero's passionate words suddenly gave the young people in front of him a strange feeling.

It sounded ridiculous, but they felt like they could face Nexus. So what if they lost now? What if they still lost in the future? As long as they refused to accept defeat in their hearts, they would keep improving day by day.

Defeat was the motivation to train. If they weren't afraid of difficulties, weren't afraid of failure, and were never satisfied, they could keep moving forward forever.

"Defeat, victory… Throughout your lives, you will experience them again and again. Whether you win or lose, only you yourself will have the right to judge it in the moment before your death.

So if you haven't died yet, don't get discouraged too soon. There's still a chance. If you want to get discouraged, then wait until the moment before your death to get discouraged."

The more Zero spoke, the more fired up he became. At first, he had only been standing there talking, but now he was waving his hands as he spoke, as if he had become completely caught up in his own words.

These words weren't just for the new students, but also for himself. He had always reminded himself this way so that discouragement would never get in the way of his efforts.

Today you win, tomorrow you lose. Throughout your life, this will happen again and again.

Being happy when you win will also make you neglect your efforts. Being discouraged when you lose will also hold you back. If that's the case, why not leave everything for the final moment of your life to decide?

Win or lose, only one answer is needed. Whether it's the greatest joy or the deepest despair, you only lose an extremely short moment before death. The rest of your life is completely unaffected.

"You came to the American Hunter Academy to learn and improve day by day. That's why I want you to get rid of those gloomy faces right now. Your journey has only just begun, so don't let it end right here."

Zero raised his fist high into the air. The sunlight at this moment was like an actor hired to shine its light, making his fist glow like a lighthouse guiding thousands of people here.

Such an incredibly cinematic symbolic image made it impossible for everyone not to applaud. Thus, the gloomy atmosphere caused by their fear of Nexus quickly disappeared, and the square regained its usual confident spirit.

Seeing the change in the students, Zero couldn't help but feel secretly delighted. This was even better than he had expected.

As expected, humanity's elites were no ordinary people. Their ability to overcome failure and keep moving forward was also one of the reasons they truly were elites.

"Very good. Your spirit isn't bad at all. Since you came here to learn, I should also briefly tell you about the classes. At the American Hunter Academy, we only have six classes.

I know that dividing them this way means there are too many students in each class, but we're hunters, so don't compare us to ordinary classes."