Chapter 49: High Achievements Academy (Part Fourteen)

Chapter 49: High Achievements Academy (Part Fourteen)

In the two days following Wednesday, the school seemed peaceful on the surface, but underneath, something had undoubtedly shifted.

Ever since the players had disagreements and split into two groups, Guo Siming felt that using the methods of those teacher NPCs to treat the students might be the key to clearing the level, yet he couldn't bring himself to make the final decision.

However, after returning from the library on Wednesday, his belief in his own idea grew stronger.

He acquired information on students from Class 5 from many years ago at the library. From the data, he noted numerous similarities between those students and the ones currently in his class.

For instance, the top student in his class, despite her excellent academic performance, remained silent. Although she adhered to the school rules, during moments when Guo Siming looked up while teaching, he would catch her casting disdainful and gloomy glances at him.

This school was indeed peculiar; the good students often retained some semblance of a "living person's" demeanor, occasionally revealing human expressions, while the ones with poor academics were rather dull and expressionless.

In the information Guo Siming obtained, it was documented that the teacher worked diligently to retain the top female student, taking a long time to find out her desires.

This girl had been bullied by a male classmate during junior high, thus harboring a longstanding desire for revenge.

As long as the teacher constantly berated the boy, this "model student" would grow fond of the teacher and would not leave the class, even if her exam results were among the top ten in the whole school.

This clue came too easily, and Guo Siming considered the possibility of a catch.

However, he couldn't resist testing it out. Without resorting to insults, he merely criticized a few boys sitting at the back. Finally, when criticizing a certain boy, the usually grim-faced top student revealed a satisfied smile.

Guo Siming reflected on it thoroughly, realizing that obtaining this clue was as easy as it was difficult, given that it was directly stated by Zhang An in the office.

Yet it was also challenging.

Director Wei, apart from Zhang An, was relatively courteous towards them initially. However, after the first major examination, when everyone's grades declined, Director Wei became harsher, making it difficult to inquire about any clues. The director maintained a friendly demeanor only towards Zhang An, who consistently achieved top results.

Even now, Guo Siming was unsure how Zhang An managed to maintain such high grades among the students. Furthermore, he lacked the eloquence to retain Director Wei's trust as Zhang An did.

Winning Director Wei's trust was a challenging feat in itself, making the acquisition of this clue no small matter.

Moreover, that day, Zhang An and a few players who accompanied him also visited the library, gathering numerous clues as well.

As for why Zhang An didn't find any... it was actually more normal for him not to.

This clue was deliberately mentioned by him, with a high probability that he had already investigated it in the library. His reason for sharing it was likely to lure everyone into this murky situation.

Given these circumstances, the credibility of this clue skyrocketed.

The challenge of this dungeon seems to be competing with fellow player-teachers for the best students. Now that I know what needs to be done, perhaps I should genuinely try the method detailed in the documents.

After all, according to the records, Class 5 eventually ranked first in the entire school.

Guo Siming isn't fixated on the school's ranking; he merely hopes that the average score in his class exceeds 562, which would allow him to clear the dungeon level.

However, the teacher in the records managed to enhance the average score of their class by confining the underperforming students in the office, where they were gruesomely killed as the clock struck midnight.

Could this really be a viable strategy?

As Guo Siming hesitated, while passing the hallway during a Chinese language class, he noticed that Yu Hanfei, who was teaching class four, had already initiated his plan.

"Next, I will call upon a student to answer a question... Number 44! What are you dawdling for? Are you really that stupid to not recognize your own number? Look at your grades, look at your attitude towards learning, don't you feel ashamed? Huh?"

On the podium, Yu Hanfei was furiously chastising with spittle flying everywhere. Taking advantage of the fact that Jie Fangcheng, another Chinese language teacher, was occupied with his own class and wouldn't come to inspect, Yu Hanfei quickly adopted the abrasive approach of the teacher NPCs in handling students.

Inside the classroom, every student was sitting upright and tense, those at the back were trembling fearfully, while those at the front sat straight, awaiting their turn to be selected by the teacher to showcase their intelligence and excellence, and receive applause from their classmates.

Standing at the doorway, Guo Siming felt a chill run down his spine.

He suddenly recalled Zhang An's words, "They are NPCs, but are you?"

They always assumed that NPCs were programmed entities, fundamentally different from them - the vibrant players possessing self-thought and unique personalities.

But observing Yu Hanfei at the podium now, Guo Siming found him strikingly familiar.

Wasn't this how the NPC, who ranked first in teaching performance, conducted his lessons?

Were there any differences between that NPC's expressions and body movements and Yu Hanfei's current demeanor?

Initially, all players looked down upon these teacher NPCs, yet now, influenced by a single document, everyone began to mirror their behavior.

To clear this dungeon level, one has to become like an NPC... So, what distinguishes them, the players, from these pre-programmed, morally inferior teacher NPCs?

A cold shiver suddenly engulfed Guo Siming.

As Yu Hanfei concluded his class, Guo Siming abruptly stopped him.

"Yu Hanfei!"

Yu Hanfei was engrossed in scrutinizing the students' records in his hand. His first reaction was to shield the documents protectively, avoiding any prying eyes.

Guo Siming forced a smile, attempting to jestingly caution him, "Look at you, what are you hiding? Doesn't this remind you of how the teacher NPCs were wary of us when we first entered the dungeon?"

Yu Hanfei paused momentarily, offering a cursory nod before responding, "Do you need something? If not, I need to get going."

A sense of foreboding engulfed Guo Siming, yet ultimately, he stepped aside.

Yu Hanfei swiftly blended into the group of teachers milling about during the break, undistinguishable from the NPCs.

These NPCs are always in a hurry, engrossed in analyzing data even as they walk, and now there's one more person amidst them.

Guo Siming watches his retreating figure with a sense of desolation.

But during the afternoon class, Guo Siming hesitated for a moment, looking at the student roster in his hands.

"... Li Chuan," he called out the name of the boy who had bullied others during middle school, consoling himself that he deserved this fate due to his past actions.

Guo Siming persuaded himself, his voice gradually stabilizing, "You, answer this question."

.

Jie Fangcheng's half of the players continued to teach diligently, unaffected by the data.

But another wave of players had begun to mimic the teacher NPCs in their treatment of students; some, like Guo Siming, couldn't quite cross that line, doing no more than criticizing the weaker students, perhaps going as far as calling them "stupid".

Yu Hanfei had gone beyond merely aligning himself with the teacher NPCs.

Just criticizing weak students and praising the good ones like those teachers do would be of no use, right? Everyone can do that, and the players aren't even as proficient as the NPCs in instilling fear in the students.

Wouldn't the students still allocate more points to the NPCs rather than the players next time? How can they secure the top position, select a class with more good students, and then transfer them to their own class through repeated examinations?

Yu Hanfei hesitated for only two days before swiftly determining his course of action.

After another class, which was the last one of the morning, Yu Hanfei kept Gu Yaoyao and Qian You behind.

He exchanged a glance with Qian You.

Gu Yaoyao was an evidently well-behaved girl, who kept her head down upon entering the office.

Holding her last exam report card, Yu Hanfei began with a barrage of scolding.

"Look at your last exam scores. The class average in Chinese was 107, and you scored only 95. Huh? Gu Yaoyao, is there something wrong with your brain? Can't you even score the average? Do you realize how many points you're pulling our class down by?"

Gu Yaoyao's head sunk even lower.

After venting his frustrations, Yu Hanfei changed his tone.

"Look at Qian You over here, who scored 119 in the last Chinese exam, ranking within the top three in our class. You both are from the same class, he scores so well, and you perform so poorly, don't you feel ashamed? Let me tell you, Qian You has graciously offered his lunch break to tutor you. Listen to him diligently. Do whatever he says, or from the next session, you can spare yourself from attending my Chinese class."

Gu Yaoyao trembled all over, tears streaming down her face.

She took a fearful step back, only to be kicked forward by Yu Hanfei.

Before closing the office door, Yu Hanfei hesitated for a moment.

The sound of Gu Yaoyao's crying and Qian You's filthy curses echoed in the office, halted by Yu Hanfei's stern rebuke, "You are not allowed to speak in the school without the teacher's permission, Gu Yaoyao. Are you intending to violate school rules?"

Gu Yaoyao shut her mouth, while Qian You continued his tirade.

This was the privilege granted to his excellent students, a concession every teacher would make.

Seeing Yu Hanfei lingering, Qian You showed impatience: "Will it suffice if I raise my score in Chinese to over 130 in the next exam?"

Only then did Yu Hanfei breathe a sigh of relief.

He instructed, "Make sure to clean up after you're done, we can't let other teachers notice."

Qian You acknowledged with a grunt.

Yu Hanfei pondered for a moment, slightly worried that a teacher might return midway. Consequently, he activated his personal skill to hide in a corner, planning to leave once Qian You finished.

But just as he activated his skill, at the end of the hallway, a familiar figure appeared, swaggering towards him with a stick on his shoulder.

Yu Hanfei froze for a moment.

The initiation in the office couldn't be interrupted by this person!

Jie Fangcheng was holding a stick in one hand and gnawing on a bun with the other, clearly having rushed here without even finishing his meal.

Yu Hanfei had witnessed this individual beating NPCs before; no matter how powerful the NPC, they would become as docile as quails with a single strike, gasping for breath.

His strength was undeniable; he was practically invincible within this instance.

If he discovered what Yu Hanfei had done...

Yu Hanfei felt a shiver run down his spine.

As if sensing something, Jie Fangcheng suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the spot where Yu Hanfei was hiding.

"Who's there?"

Damn it!

Gritting his teeth, Yu Hanfei adjusted his expression before emerging from his hidden state.

"Brother Jie, why aren't you taking a noon rest…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Jie Fangcheng's face darkened at the sight of him, and without another word, he propelled himself forward with great force.

Reacting reflexively, Yu Hanfei retreated several meters, only regaining his composure after steadying himself.

"Jie Fangcheng, even if you're powerful, you can't just…"

With a loud "bang", Jie Fangcheng ignored him, smashing the office door with a single swing of his stick.

This is bad!

Cold sweat broke out on Yu Hanfei's forehead.

Inside the office, Qian You, who was halfway on top of the girl before they could even start, turned his head impatiently upon hearing the noise.

"What now?"

What's the matter?

The strike from Jie Fangcheng's stick sent the person flying from the desk to the wall, leaving a hole in the wall, and then tumbling down the hallway for about five or six meters before finally lying on the ground, blood streaming from all orifices, leaving a long trail of blood. Their fate was unclear.

Yu Hanfei had intended to flee when the office door was smashed open, but he retreated step by step back to the spot after reaching the end of the corridor and passing the escalator.

A blood-red, pointed weapon was pressed against his neck, forcing him back step by step.

Tong Xinxin moved quickly; after checking the first floor and hearing noises on the second, she rushed up immediately, just in time to see Yu Hanfei trying to escape.

Was there even a need to ask?

Tong Xinxin looked at him with an icy stare.

On the other side, Tan Chen also moved swiftly, quickly emerging from the office with a grim expression on her face.

"Bastard!"

The speed of Jie Fangcheng's strike matched the rapidity of Tan Chen's curse.

Yu Hanfei finally understood why, after being hit by him once, the NPCs reacted to his presence like mice spotting a cat.

The stick in his hand was merely a handrail dismantled and folded from the staircase, but when it struck, the initial sensation was not pain but a piercing cold.

A bone-chilling cold, akin to the depths of a frigid abyss tens of thousands of meters deep.

Yu Hanfei spewed a mouthful of blood with a single strike.

"Brother Jie..."

Jie Fangcheng hit and cursed simultaneously: "Who's your brother? Taking advantage of whom, you little brat?"

Yu Hanfei found it difficult to dodge; the relentless strikes came one after another, quickly causing a chilling aura to seep from his every pore.

Tong Shanshan's blood spike was ready.

"I'll kill him right here!"

Jie Fangcheng immediately ceased his assault: "Good idea!"

Both of their gazes were fixed on Yu Hanfei, who spat out blood, his expression a mix of horror and rage.

"Are you both insane?? It's just an NPC!"

"You're merely a player too," Jie Fangcheng responded coldly.

Tong Xinxin raised her blood spike high.

At that moment, a voice echoed from behind her.

"Hold on a moment."

Zhang Daoan arrived fashionably late.

"Let's patrol the academic building at noon," was his suggestion, and everyone had been following it for the past two or three days.

His rationale was quite solid: "None of us know how those players will choose after acquiring the information; they might take advantage of the students during the lunch break."

As for why it had to be during the lunch break... it was because lingering in the academic building was not permitted after the lights were turned off at night.

Gaoji Academy's self-study classes lasted until ten o'clock, and the lights in the academic building were turned off at half-past ten, leaving insufficient time.

Players generally wouldn't opt for nighttime activities either, since the risks in the dungeons were markedly higher at night compared to the daytime.

Hence, if any players were planning to make a move, they would most likely choose the lunch break to do so.

During the lunch break, if someone chose to stay back with a student alone, it certainly wasn't with the intention of tutoring them.

Therefore, following Zhang Daoan's suggestion, everyone began to patrol each floor daily during the lunch break.

Now that they had actually witnessed Yu Hanfei utilizing the information for such deeds, Tong Xinxin couldn't help but want to cut him down upon seeing him.

"Do you even consider yourself a human?"

Yu Hanfei had a clear view of the situation now; realizing that escaping death seemed unlikely, he leaned back in a resigned manner and scoffed with a derisive laugh.

"Not a human, you say? ... I'm merely utilizing NPCs for a successful dungeon clear! Dare you claim that during your numerous dungeon clears, you've never harmed an NPC for the sake of succeeding? How pretentious!"

Infuriated, Tong Xinxin raised the blood spike in her hand once again.

At that moment, Zhang An stepped in to restrain her again.

"Wait."

"Wait for what?!" Tong Xinxin rebuked angrily, "This scum doesn't deserve to live; it would be against all justice!"

Zhang An squatted in front of Yu Hanfei, refraining from any unnecessary chatter.

"You now have two options; the first one is to die right here."

Yu Hanfei stared at him.

"The second option," Zhang An said with a smile, "is, as you said, utilizing NPCs is common practice. So, offering goods as a ransom after a loss should also be quite normal, right?"

Yu Hanfei paused for a moment, then quickly scoffed, "You mean to say, if I hand over my items, you will spare my life?"

"No." Zhang An maintained his smile, "Just a chance to survive. If you hand over your items, I might persuade them to at least grant you a five-minute head start to escape."

Five minutes.

Yu Hanfei hesitated for a moment, surveying the group that surrounded him.

Xie Fangcheng, unbeatable.

Tong Xinxin, unbeatable.

Tan Chen, Xu Xiuxiu, and Yue Haiyang, he could take on these three, but it would be pointless.

This Zhang An didn't seem particularly powerful, but since his appearance, everyone seemed to heed his words, indicating he held some sway within this small group.

...Could it really be possible?

Before Yu Hanfei could finalize his thoughts, Zhang An stood up with a hint of regret.

"It won't work, he's unwilling to pay the protection fee. Let's get him."

The natural tone he adopted was akin to instructing a subordinate, and the others seemingly turned a deaf ear to it.

But he blocked Yu Hanfei's view, and just from his tone alone, he sounded like the undisputed leader of the team.

"Wait!" Yu Hanfei hurriedly interjected, his eyes fixed on Zhang An's face.

This person... he wouldn't lie, would he?

Within a team, a leader must honor their word, an essential quality. If he didn't keep his promises, it's unlikely that the others would trust him this much.

Especially since even a person like Xie Fangcheng was listening to him...

Yu Hanfei verified once again.

"You... you won't harm me, right?"

"Within five minutes."

Tong Xinxin subtly furrowed her brows, turning her head away with a look of disgust.

Yet, she did not intervene.

It wasn't her first time witnessing someone being forced to hand over their items in the game. Ever since entering the dungeon, this Zhang An had been shrouded in mystery, sticking closely with Xie Fangcheng. Even though Tong Xinxin found his cunning nature somewhat creepy, he was, after all, a companion.

Seeing him rob Yu Hanfei of his items now, she felt a genuine sense of revulsion.

Xie Fangcheng merely leaned against the wall holding his staff, remaining silent.

Meanwhile, Yu Hanfei began to reluctantly hand over his items.

One after another, while they looked impressive at a glance, they were actually quite common.

After relinquishing about a dozen items, Yu Hanfei finally stopped.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Zhang An's eyes were hidden behind his glasses, obscuring his expression. One could only hear him sigh regretfully.

"Quite dishonest, aren't we?"

Yu Hanfei attempted to defend himself, "These really are all I..."

Zhang An interrupted him, "You're not the only one with personal skills, you know."

Yu Hanfei froze for a moment before realizing the truth.

This man's ability might be able to ascertain whether he had indeed handed over everything.

Xie Fangcheng, who stood before him, now seemed bored, propping the staff he held in his arms onto the ground, standing there resembling a guardian deity.

Noticing Yu Hanfei's gaze on him, Xie Fangcheng threatened, "What are you looking at? Want to die right now?"

Yu Hanfei averted his gaze, finally gritting his teeth, and pulled out a somewhat worn whip from his backpack.

"This is an item I obtained after clearing a level three instance."

Zhang An took the battered whip into his hands.

[Item: Shepherdess's Whip]

[Description: Legend tells of a shepherdess on the plains who died the night before she was to marry her lover.]

[Hint: Whip it, whip it, tame your enemies as if they were lambs. Though the shepherdess is powerful, she will not assist everyone.]

[Function: The shepherdess's whip will lash all disobedient enemies!]

"That's really all I have," Yu Hanfei spoke up.

Zhang An turned to look at Xie Fangcheng.

Xie Fangcheng nodded slightly.

Only then did Zhang An crack a smile, "Pleasure doing business."

With that, he extended his hand, still holding the battered whip.

Yu Hanfei thought to himself that this guy must be insane, shifting from that tense atmosphere to now seemingly wanting to help him up as if nothing had happened...

Zhang An's extended hand passed over Yu Hanfei's head.

Yu Hanfei froze momentarily, following the trajectory of his hand, he saw him handing the whip to Gu Yaoyao, who had unknowingly stood behind him at some point.

That student NPC, who usually kept her head down, not daring to look at anyone, now made Yu Hanfei lift his head to realize that she indeed had a very pretty face.

At this moment, her mouth, which was bleeding due to Qian You's assault during her struggle, was partly open. One of her eyes remained tightly closed, with blood seeping out from it, suggesting that it might have gone blind already.

She was draped in Tan Chen's uniform, as her own clothes had been ripped and ruined by someone.

Holding the whip, Gu Yaoyao's fingers trembled slightly.

The girl who had always been obedient and compliant, who had endured constant humiliation to her dignity since joining this school, had never considered resisting.

Because everyone around had experienced the same.

Insulted by teachers, humiliated by top students, striving to succeed in exams... these were all the experiences they had endured.

No one had ever broken this cycle, this repetitive, seemingly never-ending cycle.

Now, with the whip in hand, Gu Yaoyao felt the rough texture of it against her skin like a blade—a blade pointing directly at her own throat.

The teacher named "Zhang An" consoled her, "I know this is hard. It's alright. If you can't muster the strength to wield this whip, please return it to me. Go back, take a nap, and resume your classes in the afternoon. Nothing will change."

—Nothing will change.

If these words were spoken to the weak, they would probably find immense relief in them.

But for those eager to resist, the unchanging state of things represented a nightmare.

Gu Yaoyao looked at the whip in her hand with her remaining eye and gradually gripped it tighter.

She asked softly, "Can I use this... to confront Qian You as well?"

"Yes."

A slow smile finally spread across Gu Yaoyao's face.

Several of her teeth had been knocked out, and as she smiled, blood from her mouth mingled with the tear streaked with blood from her eye, creating a sight both horrifying and pitiful.

"Thank you all."

In the school, the underachievers seldom had a chance to speak out loud. Her thank you was soft but firm.

Yu Hanfei was stunned, "What do you mean by 'all'?"

"Nothing in particular," Zhang An adjusted his glasses, "We won't lay a hand on you."

But the NPCs might not hold back.

Understanding the implications of his words, Yu Hanfei cast a discreet glance at Gu Yaoyao standing beside him, finding the situation utterly absurd and laughable.

Were they idiotic? Assuming that a mere student NPC armed with a potent item could kill him? It was nothing but a delusional fantasy!

Before he could process this fully, Tong Xinxin regained her senses and promptly pulled out her puppet from her pocket, tossing it to Gu Yaoyao.

"Sis, this is for you!"

The puppet in Gu Yao Yao's hand courteously lifted its skirt in a greeting gesture.

"Good afternoon, esteemed lady, I am at your service."

Gu Yao Yao was momentarily stunned.

Tong Xin Xin's smile was radiant, emanating a sense of exhilaration and satisfaction she hadn't felt since entering the game, "Go! Do what your heart desires!"