Chapter 122.1 Merfolk Shore
To what extent did the students from the academy go all out in their competition? Even after the collapse incident, once the lighting rig was removed, they resumed a fresh round of vying for the stage.
The senior girl, who was excessively frightened, had a bruised leg and remained stuck in the fear of betraying Asa. She seemed a bit mentally unsettled.
“Move out of the way…” Her gaze filled with fear, suddenly displaying hostility towards everyone around her who came close.
She grabbed a longsword stage prop, and began swinging it recklessly. Seeing that the senior student couldn’t keep her emotions steady, it was Mr. Qi who stepped in, knocking her unconscious and calling the school clinic for a bus.
The scene was a mess, with everyone in a flurry.
Wen Shi successfully achieved all his objectives for this trip. Continuing to stay didn’t make much sense. Just as he left the stage, Chubby Guy came from the side. “Was it really necessary to go the extra mile?”
Obtaining a performance slot was already accomplishing the main quest to the fullest extent.
Inside, Wen Shi let out a small chuckle.
“If you just loaf around until the day of the performance, do you believe the Merfolk King will slap you with his tail once you’re on stage?”
Though he didn’t say it outright, it was clear Chubby Guy didn’t think the S-level instance’s difficulty was this minor. He wanted to gauge Wen Shi’s reaction.
Like magic between his fingers, an extra coin appeared. Wen Shi smiled and evaded the question, “I intend to live a long life.”
His inheritance wasn’t something that could be passed to any cat or dog.
The aisle was narrow. Wen Shi and Jian Qingrong walked out one after the other. Once outside, he nodded towards the academic building across the way.
Arlon’s spiritual presence enveloped the area, allowing him to to detect even the slightest movements.
With the stage accident resolved in advance, he left the rooftop. The two parties met at an uninhabited path surrounded by dense forest.
“You performed well.” Arlon praised without reservation, commending Wen Shi’s portrayal of the stone.
Jian Qingrong was even more sincere, “Indeed, it was very good.”
“……” Wen Shi reminded himself not to get lost in their compliments.
On the way back, he started pondering his next plan: exploring the principal’s dormitory.
In reality, to learn more clues, he could take on the side quest posted by Mr. Ruan. The mention of a heart earlier was a prelude to a mission. However, Wen Shi preferred stability and chose to steer clear of such introductory quests. As long as there wasn’t a clear directive, he had the right to quit halfway at any time.
To go to the principal’s dormitory, the first step was to figure out the principal’s daily schedule and find a time when activities were not overlapping.
Generally, there weren’t many people in the faculty dormitory during the day, but the principal appeared mysteriously. Wen Shi didn’t want to gamble on this probability.
Luckily, he didn’t have to solve all the challenges alone.
Ji Yuanzhi wasn’t in the dorm. Wen Shi waited for about half an hour until Ji Yuanzhi returned, accompanied by an unexpected person: Luis.
No matter how many times he saw it, Luis’ flawless face had a strong impact.
“For the next two days, Luis will be acting with us.” Ji Yuanzhi had already discussed with Luis. Wen Shi didn’t inquire about the specific details, simply nodding in agreement.
“Lately, the principal has been taking walks near the lake behind the campus from midnight until two in the morning. He lives alone on the first floor.”
Luis began to spill information as if pouring out beans.
According to Ji Yuanzhi, Luis’【Bewitch】skill was the real deal.
Luis could strongly attract NPCs. It wasn’t just due to his skill. His charm value was high, coupled with a record of achievements. All in all, even with multiple restrictions like the academy’s prohibition of romantic relationships and the disdain of senior students towards new students, there was still a group of people fascinated by him.
Luis sketched a diagram. “The principal and several other administrators don’t reside in the same building as regular staff. They’re in the north wing, just like us. It should have a spacious interior, with the first and second floors connected like a loft.”
Wen Shi opened his mouth in surprise. “You managed to find out all of this?”
Ji Yuanzhi: “Luis charmed the dorm supervisor. They often chat together.”
“……”
Luis: “The dorm supervisor emphasized repeatedly that the principal lives alone. They say he’s very selective and doesn’t show interest in anyone. When I asked a few other students about the principal, they also somewhat emphasized this.”
When multiple NPCs discuss a common point, be cautious.
Ji Yuanzhi looked at the diagram and said, “The worst-case scenario is that living alone implies only one person can enter the principal’s residence at a time.”
The group fell silent. Finally, Wen Shi spoke up, “Let’s go check it out tonight. If entering alone isn’t feasible, one person can stay outside while the other enters.”
He glanced at Jian Qingrong. Without speaking, Jian Qingrong nodded, “I won’t go.”
Sometimes, having more people wasn’t better. He could control a certain type of monster, but there were no such NPCs in Merfolk Shore for him to manipulate. If he insisted on going, he might not even escape as quickly as these people in critical moments. Wen Shi would still have to worry about him.
Jian Qingrong’s expression was shadowed, but this vulnerability was about to end soon.
Wen Shi’s gaze didn’t immediately shift away. They unintentionally met each other’s eyes again. Jian Qingrong concealed the whirlpool in his gaze and gave a faint smile.
Wen Shi: “……”
Something’s up, he’s definitely plotting something.
Restriction wasn’t the same as control. Wen Shi never attempted to control Jian Qingrong’s thoughts and actions. He merely said, “Don’t go overboard.”
In front of him, Jian Qingrong always displayed the docility of a tamed large dog. He nodded, displaying an obedient demeanor.
Wen Shi had an adventure planned for the evening, but right now, all his focus was on the principal. He discussed several potential scenarios with Ji Yuanzhi and Luis, devising contingency plans.
On the other side, Arlon calmly observed their discussions, refraining from offering additional suggestions. After being turned down once before, he hadn’t brought up the idea of joining them again.
Around twenty minutes later, Wen Shi had nearly finished discussing their plans. He was about to take a sip of water when Arlon handed him the cup.
“Thanks.” Wen Shi lifted the cup, then looked at Arlon with a suspicious expression. “Big Brother, you…”
You’re being unusually quiet and eerie today.
“Big Brother will keep an eye on that person for you,” Arlon glanced toward Jian Qingrong, whispering softly, “Aren’t you always worried about him causing a biohazard crisis?”
Wen Shi nodded. That was true, but he always felt that neither of these two were to be underestimated. Before Wen Shi could say anything, Arlon reminded him with concern, “Be careful tonight. Send a message every half hour to report your safety. I’ll adapt as needed to find you.”
“Hmm.”
Night fell silently. At this hour, using the dormitory’s main entrance was no longer an option. With Arlon around, Wen Shi didn’t need to use his points to transform. Arlon used his psychic power to move everyone, including Wen Shi, from the balcony to the ground floor.
“Despite having such a powerful family, I’m not living off them.” Once they landed smoothly, Wen Shi couldn’t help but admire his entrepreneurial spirit.
Luis knew well that cooperation among players required avoiding prying into each other’s secrets. Faced with the individual Wen Shi referred to as ‘Big Brother,’ he forcibly suppressed his curiosity.
Whether due to the overcast sky or not, the night breeze felt unusually damp and cold.
They hadn’t yet left the dormitory area for long when the cold grew more intense. Not far away, the school clinic appeared sinister and terrifying in the darkness. The principal’s dorm was located in the quietest part of the campus. To reach it, they had to bypass the school clinic.
Separated by a stretch of lush tree shadows, the school clinic wasn’t far from the dormitory building. The academy had numerous century-old trees, their gnarled branches making it even harder to see the sky at night.
Everyone remained vigilant of their surroundings.
Luis liked to be upfront about things. “Die as friends, not as enemies. We’re in a temporary alliance. If danger arises later, we’ll each look out for ourselves. But I don’t want to end up in a situation where we turn on each other.”
There were always some oddballs who, when monsters appeared, would push or trip others intentionally. Some would even use items to slow down others’ progress.
“Rest assured,” Wen Shi assured, “We’re not those kind of people.”
“Shh.” Ji Yuanzhi suddenly halted, cautiously surveying their surroundings. “The air’s getting more humid.”
There was no significant change. Neither Wen Shi nor Luis felt anything.
But if Ji Yuanzhi said so, it was undoubtedly a reasoned assessment. Both of them came to a stop. Wen Shi contemplated whether to transform to enhance his night vision. Just then, water vapor in the air spiked dramatically.
The moisture in the air crystallized into frost in the cold. Wen Shi’s slender eyelashes were almost sticking together.
“It’s here.”
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