“Chapter 189: Genius Kindergarten (Part 2)”

"Chapter 189: Genius Kindergarten (Part 2)"

"'...Little friend, little friend?'"

"Just as a hand was about to touch Jie Fangcheng, he abruptly opened his eyes."

"It felt as though a considerable time had passed since he jumped into the Bottom of Hell, yet it also felt like only an instant."

"The space and time at the Bottom of Hell were extraordinarily chaotic. All he saw were swirling currents; it felt as if he was wading laboriously through mountains and rivers, enduring storms and fiery ordeals. At some point, a sudden flash of white light appeared before his eyes."

"Upon opening his eyes again, it was as if countless messages had flashed through his mind, but when he tried to focus on them, he couldn't grasp a single one."

"Before him, a young woman with a gentle demeanor was smiling softly at him."

"If something seemed off, it was that this young woman looked unusually tall... No, it was as if Jie Fangcheng himself had shrunk."

"He looked down and found himself wearing a sky-blue uniform, complete with stubby arms and legs and a backpack slung over his shoulders."

"When Jie Fangcheng reached out his hand, what appeared in his vision were the somewhat chubby paws of a toddler."

"Well, this is interesting. Traveling through the tumultuous flow of time, only to encounter a childlike version of himself."

"'Little one, it's your first day of school; we can't be late,' said the gentle woman in front of him, extending her hand. 'Come, the teacher will take you to the classroom.'"

"Jie Fangcheng: '...'"

"What is this?"

"Having experienced infinite games before, Jie Fangcheng quickly came to his senses."

"It seemed that he had successfully entered that game."

"So is this an instance?"

"Jie Fangcheng looked at the NPC before him but couldn’t find any name floating above her head."

"What's the situation now?"

"Everything was uncertain. Jie Fangcheng took a moment to glance around."

"This appeared to be a kindergarten. Human toddlers with tiny backpacks were curiously looking around, then following the 'teacher' into the classroom under her guidance."

"At the entrance of the kindergarten classroom, colorful balloons hung, bearing the name of the kindergarten."

"'Genius Kindergarten,' a straightforward name."

"As Jie Fangcheng was lost in thought about his current situation, the teacher in front of him finally ran out of patience."

"'Little one, you must listen to the teacher. If you don’t behave, the teacher will get angry!'"

"Just then, a human toddler, also wearing a backpack like Jie Fangcheng, squeezed up beside him."

"The toddler spoke in a babyish voice to the teacher, 'Teacher, let me take this classmate to the classroom!'"

"The teacher looked at the newly arrived child and smiled knowingly, 'Little Ming is so helpful, what a good child.'"

"'Thank you, teacher.'"

"Zhan Xiaoming squeezed out a smile, then took hold of Jie Fangcheng's sleeve and hastily left the teacher NPC's proximity."

"Once they reached the classroom door and saw that no NPCs were paying attention, Zhan Xiaoming finally let out a sigh of relief, then looked at Jie Fangcheng with a somewhat speechless expression."

"'New here?'"

"Jie Fangcheng wasn't sure how to define his current situation, but since Zhan Xiaoming had obviously helped him, he could only nod in agreement, 'I suppose so.'"

"'I suppose so?'” Upon hearing this answer, Zhan Xiaoming seemed like he wanted to say something, but ultimately just sighed exasperatedly.

"Which district are you from? Didn't you do any research before entering this instance? Even if you didn't, you should have at least tried the 'Virtual Instance,' right? How could you space out in front of an NPC? If you act strangely, you could lose your life... Ah, never mind. Just follow me."

Being new here, Jie Fangcheng was admittedly unclear about what was happening.

The player in front of him was surprisingly eager to help, which was unexpected for Jie Fangcheng.

After all, Zhang Dao'an had died at the hands of 'players,' so Jie Fangcheng had a generally negative view of all game players, seeing them through a lens of distaste.

He originally thought he would land in some sort of game hall or something and start fighting right away, but to his surprise, he opened his eyes to find himself a toddler.

Going on a killing spree in a kindergarten wasn't something Jie Fangcheng could bring himself to do.

Zhan Xiaoming clearly regarded him as an ordinary new player. Though he internally thought this player was rather reckless for not preparing before entering an instance, he still walked while explaining things to him.

"Check the basic details of this instance in the system notifications. I'll just remind you: this isn't a 'Simulation Instance.' This is a real instance. If you die here, you're really dead. Keep that in mind, and avoid situations like earlier."

Having said this in a murmur, he looked at Jie Fangcheng. "Any questions?"

Jie Fangcheng pondered, "Yes."

"What are they?"

"Where do I find the system notifications?"

Zhan Xiaoming: "..."

Zhan Xiaoming: "???"

His expression almost exploded, "You're kidding me, right? Don't tell me you've never even been to a 'Simulation Instance' and came straight to the real instance? With such daring, why didn't you just go straight to 'The Hunting Ground'?!"

Everyone had turned into children, and the newcomer in front of him looked fresh-faced and innocent. How could he not know even the basics?

Jie Fangcheng asked humbly, "What's a 'Virtual Instance'?"

"You...!"

Seeing that the NPC at the classroom door had begun to notice them, Zhan Xiaoming had no time for further explanations and gave him a quick demonstration instead.

"In the instance, the button to pull up the system interface is the same as in the 'Virtual Instance'... Oh right, you haven't been there. Look at your wrist; there's an X that only you can see."

This was all too familiar. The system summon button from the infinite game 'Do Not Reply' was right here.

Jie Fangcheng looked down and indeed found a red X on the inside of his wrist, albeit a more intricate and ornate version.

Just as he was about to press it, Zhan Xiaoming hurriedly stopped him.

"Hey! You really did enter an instance unprepared! When you pull up the system interface, your eyes will glaze over, and it will look strange when you interact with the screen. It's a dead giveaway! If any of these teacher NPCs catch you doing it, you're done for. Check it in the restroom during the break."

As one of the teacher NPCs began to approach, Zhan Xiaoming quickly and quietly warned him, "This instance is a 'Goblin Instance.' There will be ghosts that normal children shouldn't see. If you respond, you will trigger the ghosts' attacks. Just remember, if anyone talks to you and you're not sure if they're alive, don't answer. Just pretend you don't see or hear them."

Ghosts? Jie Fangcheng was quite familiar with that subject.

He didn't elaborate, just nodded in acknowledgment.

Soon, a teacher NPC approached the pair, wearing a kind smile that made her seem like an ordinary kindergarten teacher.

"Little friends, class is about to start. Hurry back to your seats, okay?"

Fearing that the newcomer beside him might space out again, Zhan Xiaoming simply took Jie Fangcheng by the sleeve and led him to the classroom, thanking the teacher NPC on the way. The label "Senior Class (4)" was posted above the classroom door, evidently indicating their class.

Upon entering, they found that more than half of the children were already seated, each quietly sitting at their desk, appearing very well-behaved.

When everyone has the same expression, it's indeed hard to distinguish who is a player, who is a regular NPC, and who is a ghost indistinguishable to ordinary people.

Zhan Xiaoming wouldn't have dared to identify Jie Fangcheng as a player if not for his overtly conspicuous and abnormal behavior at the school gate.

At this point, they each found their seats. Zhan Xiaoming sat in the second row, while Jie Fangcheng walked to the back row and sat at an empty desk with his name on it.

Once he sat down, his desk mate leaned over to him.

"You're Jie Fangcheng, huh? My name is Wang Zheqi. From now on, we're desk mates!"

The child's voice was quite shrill, and as he leaned in closer, there was a faint, almost undetectable, scent of blood.

Taking Zhan Xiaoming's earlier advice to heart, Jie Fangcheng wisely remained silent.

While others may not be able to distinguish, he could instantly identify who was a ghost.

His desk mate might look human, but upon closer inspection, this child had no legs; his lower body was severed at the knees, exposing a blood-soaked cross-section as if torn by a wild animal.

"Hey, why aren't you talking?" The child ghost suddenly leaned in closer, resting the back of his head on the table, and twisting his head around to stare directly at Jie Fangcheng with his large, black eyes. "You're really impolite, you know."

Jie Fangcheng: "..."

Glancing at the table where the child ghost had rested his head, Jie Fangcheng reached into his backpack.

Inside, he found five children's books, a pencil case, and a kid's water bottle.

Alas, no tissues were to be found.

Left with no alternative, Jie Fangcheng discreetly tore a page from one of the children's books and used it to carefully wipe the spot where the ghost child had placed his head.

The ghost child beside him looked somewhat bewildered.

He couldn't help but alternate his gaze between Jie Fangcheng, the table, Jie Fangcheng again, and then back to the table.

"Can you see me?"

The ghost child asked.

If it can't be seen, then why bother wiping the table?

If it can be seen... isn't the reaction too nonchalant?

The child ghost came closer again: "Hey! Speak up! You can see me, can't you?"

Jie Fangcheng finished wiping the table without saying a word. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should swat away the annoying little ghost who kept asking, "Can you see me?" Just then, the teacher NPC finally appeared.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?"

As the teacher began to speak, the child ghost promptly sat up straight, appearing as disciplined as a well-behaved kindergartner listening attentively to the teacher.

The teacher smiled warmly: "Congratulations on passing your final exams and moving on to the senior class. I'll be your class teacher. My last name is Liu; you can call me Teacher Liu. You're all good kids who make your teachers and parents proud, aren't you?"

A chorus of young, sharp voices rang out: "Yes!"

"In this new class, we should all strive to be the most perfect children. Can we do it?"

"Yes!"

Teacher Liu clapped her hands, smiling: "Excellent. Since we are in a new class, we'll have new class rules. I've printed them out for everyone. You'll have the first half of the class to memorize them, and I'll be checking in the second half, so be ready!"

With that, Teacher Liu on the podium picked up a stack of A4 papers and started distributing the class rules to each desk, even placing a sheet on the table next to Jie Fangcheng where the ghost child sat.

Once the papers were distributed, the teacher returned to the podium, her expression still beaming.

Jie Fangcheng opened the A4 paper, relieved to find that the text was not overly long.

[1. Good children listen to their teachers and parents and do not question their instructions;

Good children eat well, sleep well, and should not wander around during naptime;

Good children handle their own affairs but may seek teacher assistance at designated times;

Good children will not engage in conflicts with classmates;

True good children will receive praise from the teacher every day.]

Each rule was both oddly normal and strange, but Jie Fangcheng, with his good memory, had them down after only two reads.

Meanwhile, the ghost child next to him seemed to be struggling painfully to memorize the rules from the A4 paper.

With nothing better to do and seated in the back corner of the classroom, Jie Fangcheng decided to survey the room.

The classroom was filled with over thirty children. Some were obviously players—their eyes were so seasoned, they could easily replace the teacher on the podium.

Others had also finished memorizing and were carefully scanning their surroundings for clues, obviously players as well.

There weren't many ghosts—counting the one next to Jie Fangcheng, there were only five in total.

Another ghost child was sitting next to Zhan Xiaoming, making faces at him.

Zhan Xiaoming, who recognized Jie Fangcheng as a player, clearly had experience of his own and ignored the distractions to continue memorizing the class rules.

Half of the class time quickly passed, and the teacher NPC on the podium clapped her hands, commencing with the quiz as promised.

She was patient, smiling as she questioned each student and gently reminding those who were actual children and couldn't answer.

The class period soon came to an end, and because Jie Fangcheng sat at the very back, he was not called upon for the quiz.

There was a benefit to sitting at the back: Jie Fangcheng noticed that the teacher on the podium did not quiz any of the five ghost children in the class.

After class, Jie Fangcheng followed Zhan Xiaoming's advice and headed to the restroom.

After closing the door of the cubicle, Jie Fangcheng tapped the inside of his wrist, and a virtual screen immediately appeared in front of him.

If "Do Not Respond" resembles the outdated style of a social media app from years past, then the interface of this new game is remarkably advanced.

Personal information, friends, inventory, messages, store—it's all there. There's even a forum interface, though it's currently grayed out, indicating that it can only be used once he exits his current location.

Jie Fangcheng first clicked on his personal information.

[Name: Jie Fangcheng (Grade F)]

[Unregistered Hunter]

[Bloodline Not Detected]

[Not Affiliated with Any Guild]

……

Finally, following a series of "Not" tags, there appears to be an entry that breaks the pattern.

[Alert: Special Relationships Not Registered]

Special relationships? What could that mean?

Finding his personal information unremarkable, Jie Fangcheng closed that interface and opened the system prompts. This time, he finally saw the basic information of the dungeon.

[Dungeon: Genius Nursery (Level 1)]

[Overview: Do you wish for a genius offspring? Are you troubled by your child's lack of intelligence and obedience? Choose Genius Nursery! Satisfaction guaranteed for every parent! Make your child the pride of your life! Allow your child to fulfill the dreams you couldn't! Genius Nursery—Where only top-quality children are produced! What are you waiting for? Enroll your child now! We are certain to meet your demands!]

[Content: As a student of Genius Nursery, failing to meet parental expectations is a capital offense!!]

[Win Condition: Gain parental approval and become a qualified genius child.]

As he watched Jie Fangcheng, he couldn't help but sigh: "These 'chicken babies' are so intense, they even go all out in gaming dungeons."

Jie Fangcheng casually browsed through the interface, wondering if there was any other information available.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't particularly enthusiastic about clearing the dungeon. Compared to that, he was more interested in finding the connection between this game and his own world—then, just get to the fighting, killing, and demolishing. Let's cut to the chase, everyone.

Just as he was navigating through the interface, Jie Fangcheng's hand froze.

He lowered his head.

A face was peering at him from under the toilet stall door, its eyes pitch black.

"Hey, seatmate, do you have any toilet paper? I forgot to bring some."

Despite Zhan Xiaoming's earlier warning, Jie Fangcheng couldn't help himself.

He kicked the face squarely.

A blood-curdling scream instantly filled the restroom. It didn't sound like it came from a child, but rather seemed like the wailing of an angry, tormented spirit.

"Aaahhhh—!"

Jie Fangcheng cleared his ears, recalling Zhan Xiaoming's warning about not casually conversing with ghosts.

This definitely wasn't a casual conversation. But this little ghost had the gall to peep on someone in the bathroom—though Jie Fangcheng hadn't really been using the bathroom, just sitting on the toilet browsing through the interface.

That wasn’t the point. Who wouldn’t be offended by such a gross and disgraceful act of voyeurism?

Wasn't a kick justified??