Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Morals did not matter. Family bonds did not matter. Only academic performance mattered.
That was the message Dead Silence Academy was conveying to Qin Lan.
And it made him deeply unhappy.
Xue Chuan, however, had not thought that far.
“Phew… Looks like my essay-writing skills are as sharp as ever.”
“At this rate, I could become a freelance writer and make easy money.”
Xue Chuan stretched and flashed a confident smile.
Qin Lan could not begin to understand where that confidence came from.
“You were a blind cat who happened to stumble over a dead mouse.” Qin Lan sighed. “If you tried to make money with writing that bad, critics would tear you to pieces.”
Xue Chuan sneered. “Is that so? Sounds to me like you’re jealous of my talent.”
“Admit it. My literary brilliance is a dazzling pearl, and its radiance is blinding those dog eyes of yours.”
Speechless, Qin Lan silently crumpled the second essay he had prepared.
He was beginning to regret ever worrying about this idiot.
He should have let the anomaly slaughter him.
Class was already over, so their conversation no longer triggered an attack. That was the only reason they could trade insults with such enthusiasm.
“Want to look around outside? I get the feeling there’s more to explore in this instance than one classroom.”
Xue Chuan gazed into the corridor with interest.
Qin Lan narrowed his eyes. “You don’t look scared at all… Do I need to remind you that this is a 4-Star instance?”
“Have you decided you’re doomed anyway and might as well die sooner, or do you actually think you can fight a 4-Star anomaly?”
The words were both mockery and a probe.
Ever since meeting Han Chan from Shanhai Pavilion, Qin Lan had been curious about Xue Chuan’s progress.
How much stronger had this fellow become over the past two months?
“Hehe.” Xue Chuan smiled suggestively. “As the old saying goes, one day as husband and wife earns a hundred days of devotion…”
Qin Lan answered wearily, “The saying you want is, ‘After three days apart, a man deserves to be seen with fresh eyes.’ Just how bad is your Chinese?”
“It’s a miracle you managed to remember the ‘fever on a rainy day and Mom carries me to the hospital’ formula. Memorizing that alone must have almost drained you dry.”
“Forget the unimportant details.” Xue Chuan waved dismissively, looking extremely pleased with himself. “After some intense training, my strength has skyrocketed!”
“I may not be able to defeat a mere 4-Star anomaly, but escaping with my life won’t be a problem!”
That genuinely surprised Qin Lan.
He could escape from a 4-Star anomaly?
Where did that confidence come from?
Qin Lan soon thought of something and immediately grew wary. “Wait. If you suddenly pull out some out-of-control 4-Star cursed artifact…”
Xue Chuan scoffed. “Who are you looking down on? Who still relies on third-rate methods like cursed artifacts?”
“Do you know what I’ve been doing for the past two months?”
Qin Lan paused. “What? Chasing women, working your wrist, and living off rich girlfriends?”
Xue Chuan’s face darkened. “Fuck you… I’ll have you know I’ve watched more than a thousand movies over the past two months!”
Qin Lan froze.
Qin Lan fell silent.
Qin Lan began questioning the meaning of life.
“Uh, buddy, watching that kind of movie too often is bad for your health. And watching more than two thousand in a row would take over eighty days…” Qin Lan looked as though he wanted to say more but thought better of it.
“I know everyone skips the opening parts of those movies, but could you at least show the plot some respect?”
“People are putting genuine effort into the scenes you’re skipping.”
Xue Chuan exploded. “Fuck!”
“You don’t understand shit!”
“I did it to broaden my imagination and uncover my Talent’s potential!”
With that, Xue Chuan reached into his pocket and took out a cloth doll.
“See? One casual grab, and I can pull out a voodoo doll. As long as an anomaly isn’t chasing me nonstop, staying alive is ridiculously easy!”
Qin Lan stared at the doll in Xue Chuan’s hand. Sure enough, its information panel appeared.
[Death-Substitution Doll (Consumable)]
[Description: This doll contains a unique magical power. It will block the next fatal injury suffered by its user.]
[Time Remaining: 30 minutes]
Qin Lan’s pupils contracted.
Shanhai Pavilion’s reputation was well deserved after all.
Even someone as unreliable as Xue Chuan now possessed a way to preserve his life against a 4-Star anomaly.
Judging by what he had shown, drawing items from his Talent was no longer as random as before. He could now guide it with his thoughts and narrow the range of possible results.
It truly was a Talent brimming with potential.
“Shanhai Pavilion… It seems I really should pay them a visit.”
Qin Lan made a mental note to visit the mysterious academy when he found the time.
“Speaking of which, you’ve caused quite a stir yourself, Old Qin,” Xue Chuan said, putting away the Death-Substitution Doll. “Senior Han told me you charged into an unsolvable instance and came back out in one piece.”
“And recently, you almost tore the sky down over Safe Zone 088…”
Xue Chuan chuckled, a sinister edge creeping into his smile.
“Those bastards in the United Government aren’t easy to deal with. You’ve made it onto their blacklist…”
“Once you reach the Central Region, they’ll definitely target you.”
Qin Lan did not particularly care.
He spent most of his time in the Fallen Zone anyway. Even if the United Government wanted to make trouble for him, it might not find many opportunities.
Once he grew stronger and reached the level of a 4-Star Anomaly Hunter, or perhaps an even higher realm, even the United Government headquarters would have to think twice before moving against him.
“So, want to take a look around?” Xue Chuan urged him again. “I’m not afraid of a 4-Star instance. Don’t tell me you are.”
Fair point.
Qin Lan nodded, rose, and walked out of the classroom.
The moment he stepped through the door, a suffocating sensation washed over him.
It was not because a powerful anomaly had appeared, nor because of some terrifying curse.
It was because every corridor in the teaching building had been sealed behind iron bars.
The place resembled a maximum-security prison. Starting from the second floor, every level was enclosed by bars spaced less than half a palm apart.
Even on a bright, sunny day, only scattered fragments of light could slip through.
Qin Lan frowned deeply. Something seemed lodged in his throat, leaving him unable to speak for a moment.
“Is this a school or a concentration camp?”
Xue Chuan came out behind him, saw the same scene, and immediately cursed. “Does this school have gas chambers too?”
Qin Lan said nothing. His gaze swept the area and found a slogan fastened to the bars.
[Unauthorized jumping from buildings is strictly prohibited. Violators will receive a formal warning.]
Qin Lan stared at it.
Good. Very good.
Xue Chuan’s face twisted in disgust. “This is sickening. Just standing here is making my stomach churn… I feel like last night’s midnight snack is about to come back up.”
The corner of Qin Lan’s mouth twitched. “You think you’re the only one who feels nauseous?”
“What the hell did the students at this school go through? Could anyone actually survive in a place like this?”
As the two spoke, a staticky announcement suddenly crackled through the corridor.
The voice was hoarse and furious.
“Which class do those two students belong to?”
“Who gave you permission to loiter in the corridor during the break?”
“Standing around with nothing to do is outrageous! Is school a place for you to chat? If you have that much time, go solve two more problems!”
Before Qin Lan could react, a tangled mass of darkness appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Strictly speaking, it looked more like viscous ink–living ink.
It filled the corridor with a revolting, fishy stench. Puddles of black fluid seeped from beneath it and gradually spread forward.
[Escape the Dean of Students’ pursuit.]
The notification made Xue Chuan turn pale.
“Buddy, something’s wrong. Let’s get back in the classroom!”
“One Death-Substitution Doll doesn’t feel like enough anymore…”
Qin Lan shook his head, his expression grave. “Haven’t you noticed? The classroom door is already shut.”
Xue Chuan stared in disbelief. He glanced back and found the door sealed by an unknown substance, making entry impossible.
Unwilling to believe it, he reached out and touched the barrier. His face immediately contorted.
“We can’t enter… It says going in now would cost our class points and make us lose this week’s Red Banner…”
“This godforsaken place even has a weekly Red Banner?!”
Qin Lan pursed his lips.
“What did you expect, kid?”
“Welcome to high school in China.”