Chapter 112.1 Merfolk Shore
Of course, it was impossible to make a mistake. Wen Shi, an orphan, had no blood ties to his supposed “Big Brother.”
However, the notion of being an older brother seemed odd when applied to this newcomer. It was hard to explain, but he just didn’t seem to quite fit in. There was a noticeable difference between his manner and the cultural norms of modern society.
No one said a word, and a strange quietness descended upon the dorm room. Only the soft sounds of the elderly janitor changing water and mopping the floor would break the silence at times.
Cleaning turned out to be a pleasant process. The elderly janitor ghost had a liking for the heavy scent of blood in the air. When he was stuffed back into the Ghost Box, a smile was still clinging to his parched skin.
Wen Shi opened every available window and the door to the balcony, ensuring the air flowed freely.
A small card hung by each bed, showing the student’s identity. With no glass to obstruct it, the moonlight bathed a small card in its glow. The words “Aaron” gleamed.
Arlon spotted the bed assigned to Wen Shi. “Little Brother, there’s a man on your bed.”
“…That’s my friend.”
“Little Brother?” Song Yan on the balcony honed in on the key point, looking at Wen Shi. “Boss, you have another brother?”
Wen Shi was curious as well.
Arlon shook his head. “You seem like a very young cub.”
The aura was too pure and gentle, devoid of any aggression.
Song Yan on the balcony continued to focus, “Boss, with so many family members, why do they have to choose you as a sacrifice to resurrect someone else?”
Segueing it so naturally into a topic, it caused Wen Shi’s temples to twitch.
It’s clear you really want to mess with the true spirit.
On the bed, Jian Qingrong opened his right eye, his gaze appearing calm on the surface. However, his pupil, stained by the darkness, seemed ready to surge with waves at any moment.
Because of Song Yan’s words, Ji Yuanzhi’s daily “he’s so pitiful” face made its punctual appearance.
“Sacrifice?” Arlon’s tone slightly rose, his raised eyebrows mirroring the displeasure of a master.
The dizzying sensation of strong liquor burning the throat once again reverberated throughout the entire room.
Wen Shi weakly smiled. “Let’s save this topic for a future afternoon tea party.”
To appease the anger, the weakest little kitten of the whole family hurriedly poured a glass of water for Arlon.
Amidst the boundless moonlight, Wen Shi succinctly introduced the current information in the instance, “There are two types of merfolk in the campus—artificially created subpar merfolk and wild ones with high combat strength.”
Then, he briefly explained the habits of merfolk, “Humans prey on merfolk, and in turn, merfolk use humans as tools, tearing them apart for consumption after mating.”
Arlon listened without any reaction and went straight to the core question, “What goal do you want to achieve?”
“To live and to perform in the music concert,” Wen Shi smiled shyly, “Mingzhu Music Academy should offer a stage for singing and dancing to its students.”
Illuminated by his dreams, in Arlon’s eyes, Wen Shi was like a snow lotus on a distant ice mountain, the only pure white jasmine in the world.
Ji Yuanzhi, having seen this expression countless times, was well aware of the conclusions Arlon had drawn. He calmly thought: Maybe you should take a look at what dance Pei Wenwei will be performing before reaching a conclusion.
After laying out his dreams, Wen Shi still didn’t pry into the privacy of his parallel world self. It was already past two o’clock, so he tapped on the ladder of the upper bunk, signaling Jian Qingrong to return to his bed and get ready to rest.
Jian Qingrong wasn’t going to be as obstinate as the mini octopus. He obediently came down.
“Good night.”
His tousled hair naturally fell down, and his deep voice carried the gentle charm typical of a gentleman. In reality, Jian Qingrong was just like the mimetic octopus. One employed an adorable appearance to simulate cuteness, while the other disguised himself as a soft target under careful manipulation.
Wen Shi yawned, bewildered by the cunning performance. “Good night.”
After a sprinting ordeal, the belated muscle soreness made him want nothing more than to get into bed and seize the opportunity to sleep.
Arlon wasn’t particularly talkative. He went to an empty bunk to rest.
The tools in the dorm were limited. The blood on the dressing mirror behind the door had been wiped a couple of times by the elderly janitor ghost, now spreading out in a blurry mess. The mirror was completely smeared with bloody water that still emitted a sharp scent of blood. Undisturbed, Arlon loosened his belt, tossed the blanket aside, and settled into slumber.
The night ended swiftly.
When the alarm went off the next day, everyone felt like they hadn’t slept much because they had only started resting in the early hours.
Wen Shi went to the cafeteria first, bought two bags of bread, and handed one bag to Arlon.
The prices at the academy were high. Fifty yuan was simply not enough. If things continued this way, late-game players might start fighting over campus cards.
“You…” Wen Shi hesitated.
Arlon’s aggressiveness was too pronounced. Bringing him into the class would undoubtedly make him the center of attention. However, keeping someone like him confined to the dorm room might not be feasible given his personality.
Solving such crucial matters could still be relied on the sponsor. Ji Yuanzhi handed over a pair of black-framed glasses, “Put these on to lower your visibility.”
The thick lenses had no prescription, but when Arlon put them on, his demeanor indeed gained a touch of refinement. Even Wen Shi, upon seeing him, would overlook his sharply defined face, leaving behind a rather unremarkable impression.
Upon stepping outside, the sound of melodious singing greeted them.
Students were singing by the distant fountain, while on the opposite side, seniors rehearsed a musical on the open space near the dormitory building. If anyone stopped to watch, they’d be angrily told to move along. In the farther distance, there were students doing stretches and morning jogs on the playground.
The campus in the early morning was livelier than the past two days.
Banners hung across the cafeteria, dormitory building, and tree-lined paths, all bearing the message: “15 Days to the Music Concert!”
The broadcast followed suit with enthusiasm, “Dear students, this is a vast stage you’ve earned, a step toward changing your destiny. Time waits for no one, so practice diligently!”
The students were brimming with high spirits, their faces radiating the ambition to participate in the music concert. This atmosphere reminded Wen Shi of the college entrance exams.
Song Yan unconsciously lifted his head in response, and it was only after a moment that he realized he had been influenced, overcome by an urge to go all out.
Wen Shi formed a somewhat unfavorable speculation, “In this instance, anything related to sound and words seems to influence players’ minds and subtly brainwash them.”
The study room was just a microcosm. This death rule actually covered the entire instance.
On the way, Wen Shi met two players who wore noise-canceling headphones obtained through trading. They approached him to chat, attempting to find out what had happened during last night’s evening study session.
Seeing that the two of them didn’t pay any particular attention to Arlon, Wen Shi felt completely at ease.
“Don’t overuse your sympathy,” he offered a reminder.
Within the instance, even the most pitiful NPC, when engaged in combat, wouldn’t show mercy.
Wen Shi wasn’t selflessly sharing clues. If too many players transformed into subpar merfolk and were subsequently eaten, they would become vengeful ghosts wandering the dormitory building, causing trouble.
The two players seemed to contemplate his words.
Today, Wen Shi chose a seat at the back row. The Wandering Corpse was already familiar with the class routine, so there was no need to worry about him anymore.
There were a total of four classes in the morning: composition, rehearsal, and the last two combined into a single class: vocal training.
He stared at the schedule. “All three mentors’ classes crammed into one morning. I have a feeling something’s going to happen.”
There were a dozen fewer students compared to yesterday. The petite girl he had encountered yesterday, with dark circles under her eyes, passed by him. She managed to keep her eyes open and said, “Next time I do divination, I can tell you the result for free.”
This was her way of repaying Wen Shi for his reminder last night for them to avoid teachers.
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