Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Meanwhile...

Initially, the players split into three groups, led by Black Cat, Druid, and YeYe.

To call them leaders might be a stretch; they were really the three most popular players in the live stream. Druid, since his tentative streaming after the last major storyline, had become uncontrollable due to his gaming skills and high viewer retention. YeYe's group, known for their troublemaking antics, provided the most entertainment in their stream. Black Cat, a well-known forum figure, attracted a large number of cloud players after starting to stream.

Druid followed Lann to the auditorium, while Black Cat chose to go with the on-duty teacher to find the vice-principal. Lacking Lann's information sources, Black Cat had sensed something amiss from the teacher's words.

On the way to the administrative building, Black Cat subtly probed, "Teacher, about those spells you mentioned, how many people in our school know about them?"

The on-duty teacher glanced at him, a hint of wariness in his eyes: "Why do you ask?"

"Hey, we're not with those cultists. Otherwise, why would we have helped you catch them?" Black Cat patted his chest, "We just want to help. These crazy cultists have gone too far, even targeting the university. Who knows what evil plans they have. This is a sacred place of learning; we can't let them get away with this."

"Exactly, Mida University is our aspiration!" a player behind Black Cat chimed in, thinking of his character card and adding a bit of drama, "A distant relative's kid of mine studies here. I definitely can't let these lunatics have their way!"

"I want to study here too, I definitely can't let them get away with this!" [Majority Rules Minority] earnestly added.

Following his lead, the players behind him also chimed in:

"Yeah, I want to study here. Does Mida accept students over thirty?"

"What are the admission criteria, teacher?"

"Teacher, look at me, fit and agile. I really want to study at Mida."

[Stop it, guys, hahaha, I'm dying laughing. What kind of side agenda is this?]

[The teacher's expression is all wrong now.]

[On-duty teacher: This is the first time I've realized Mida is so popular.]

As the players' conversation drifted off-topic, the on-duty teacher's expression gradually shifted from skepticism to speechlessness, and then to a hint of pride. He indeed was wondering when Mida had become so renowned that even volunteer groups harbored so many aspirants.

"Cough cough, alright, enough talk. If you want to apply to Mida, please go through the proper channels," the on-duty teacher coughed, attempting to maintain the university's aloof image, but the upturned corner of his mouth betrayed him, "As for the spells we mentioned earlier, not many know about them, but it's not a small number either. Professors, lecturers, teaching assistants, and some upperclassmen should all be aware."

Black Cat: "Do you think... there might be insiders among these cultists?"

"Why would you think that!?" The on-duty teacher was shocked.

The players all knew that Albert was suspected of being a double agent during this period.

"Well... because I heard from Ian that he saw our school's blond senior hanging out with these people," Black Cat tried to justify his reasoning.

"Is that so," the on-duty teacher neither agreed nor disagreed, "Let's go find the vice-principal first. If something has really happened to the school, he might have something that can prevent outside invasion."

The group hurried to the administrative building, and Black Cat couldn’t help feeling a sense of foreboding, as if the campus was starting to get foggy.

This ominous fog reminded him of the previous incident in Arkham City.

The principal's office was on the top floor of the administrative building. Due to the large number of players, half chose the stairs and half the elevator. Black Cat followed the on-duty teacher closely out of the elevator to the top floor, immediately sensing something was amiss.

It was... too quiet here.

The on-duty teacher also noticed, quickening from a walk to a run, and burst into the principal's office: "What’s happened here...!"

What met their eyes was a man lying in a pool of blood, and a middle-aged professor muttering beside him.

"Professor Julius, what happened here?" The on-duty teacher approached the middle-aged man, who looked to be in his forties, with a scar running down under his left eye, his facial features rugged, giving an impression of uprightness and sternness.

The man didn't respond, concentrating on his spellcasting. A flash of green light from his hand, and the wound on the chest of the man on the ground stopped bleeding, though it didn’t seem fully healed.

Only then did he open his eyes and say, "When I arrived, the vice-principal was already like this, apparently attacked."

"How could this happen..." The on-duty teacher bit his lip, "Is Mida University their target?"

"I'm not sure. Why did you bring so many people here? Who are they?" Julius Calvin looked at Black Cat and the others warily.

"Oh, they are volunteers. Actually, just now..." The on-duty teacher explained the situation, including the discovery of suspicious individuals drawing unclear magic circles on campus.

"Unclear magic circles? Members of the cult?" Julius mused.

"It's possible. In any case, we can't let our guard down. I was coming to ask the vice-principal for advice, but I didn’t expect this to happen. What do we do now?" The on-duty teacher's face was filled with anxiety.

As the two talked, Black Cat and the other players were searching the room. Upon seeing the body in the pool of blood, their investigator instincts kicked in. Under Black Cat's command, each player searched a different area. [Majority Rules Minority] quietly moved closer to the two professors, blocking their view while attempting to read the older professor’s mind.

[You couldn't read anything from his face.]

Tch, another failed secret roll. [Majority Rules Minority] sighed internally. Then Julius looked at [Majority Rules Minority] and said calmly, "At this time, it's better not to involve too many unrelated people. I suggest we cancel the so-called campus decorating activity, send the volunteers home, and arrange for security to patrol the campus. Students staying overnight should return to their dorms or gather in the auditorium for easier protection."

His suggestion made a lot of sense under the circumstances, and the on-duty teacher nodded in agreement, "That sounds good. Let's first take the vice-principal to the infirmary, then I'll notify the professors in the Potion Department to take a look."

Hearing their conversation, it was clear they intended to exclude the players. [Majority Rules Minority] interjected urgently, "Wait, we can help!"

"Sorry, we don't need extra help right now. Besides, someone among you could be involved with the cult. For the students' safety, please understand this arrangement." Julius's suggestion, though harsh, was logical. [Majority Rules Minority] couldn't think of any counterarguments.

At this moment, Black Cat spoke up, "Please wait, are you a professor at this school?"

He addressed Julius, who frowned, "Yes, I teach history. What about it?"

Black Cat: "Professors, don't you think there's something odd about this scene?"

The on-duty teacher paused, "Odd? What do you mean?"

Seeking Even Numbers said, "The item that used to be on the top shelf of the display cabinet in this room is missing. I don’t think it was meant to be left empty."

He was referring to the display cabinet directly opposite the principal's desk, filled with all sorts of strange and unusual items. Typically, you'd see awards, certificates, and student trophies in a principal's office, but this was the first time seeing such bizarre objects in a display cabinet.

The players had previously rolled for investigation, and the results were eye-opening.

[Grade B item: Seed of the Giving Tree]

[Eternal Flame Sword (Damaged)]

[Strange Animal Corpse]

[Night Pearl]

[Meteorite from Outer Space (Grade Unknown)]

……

In short, a collection of inexplicably impressive items. If it weren't for the rule in the instance that nothing could be taken out, some players would have already tried to take them.

Of course, the truly important information was what Seeking Even Numbers noticed – the empty top shelf of the display cabinet, which, judging by the traces of opening and the cleanliness, didn’t seem like it was never used.

“So, it's likely that the culprit took something from there. Teacher, do you remember what was in there?” Black Cat asked.

On-duty teacher: "Uh, I rarely come to the principal’s office, but I do have some recollection of that item. The principal once said it was Mida’s greatest acquisition in the last ten years, a seed from the realm of dreams."

The realm of dreams? The dream world!

All the players, especially Black Cat, immediately understood the reason behind the vice-principal's attack. If this truly was an item from the dream world, then it must be the culprit's objective, possibly the coordinates to the dream world Soren was seeking!

Julius said, "It seems like a case of burglary. We should quickly check the surveillance; the culprit might not have gone far."

Black Cat: "It's not that I haven't gone far, it's that I never left this room."

The duty teacher's expression changed instantly: "Are you saying..."

[Quick, play some background music for our detective Black Cat]

[Playing now, how about the Conan theme song?]

[Black Cat is so quick at deducing! Have you guessed the murderer already?]

[The murderer seems pretty obvious.]

[Yeah, and with so many players here, although everyone's stats aren't high, rolling the dice one by one, someone's bound to succeed...]

[The comment above is hilarious, I knew something was off when players blocked the two teachers. Sure enough, behind them, players were just pretending to investigate and roll dice.]

[What a crowdfunded investigation]

Meanwhile, Black Cat had already started his deduction show, and just as the barrage guessed, the players had already uploaded the clues they successfully obtained to the player channel, with Black Cat responsible for the final assembly of clues and revealing the deduction:

"Looking at the direction of the wound, it's clear that the murderer stabbed from behind the vice principal. The victim shows no clear signs of struggle, indicating he likely knew the murderer. And judging by the trajectory and force of the wound, the murderer is taller than the vice principal and quite strong, most likely an adult male. Furthermore, the victim's blood is still warm, indicating the murder happened not long ago."

Black Cat, at some point, had snatched a pair of black-framed glasses from a nearby player. With the live stream's background music playing, he seriously adjusted the glasses and pointed a finger at Julius: "So, there's only one truth! The most likely suspect is Professor Julius, whose hands and body are splattered with blood."

The barrage went wild in cooperation.

[Although the body hasn't changed, the mind is still sharp.]

[Relying on crowdfunded clues, a detective taking turns rolling dice.]

[It's me, Black Cat!]

Julius laughed in exasperation: "Who are you to doubt me here? The blood on my hands and body is from trying to save the vice principal. Besides, if we're talking about suspicion, you people who were fussing around in this room are clearly more suspect."

"Then please tell us when you arrived here. You mentioned going to check the surveillance earlier. I've sent my partner to do so. If possible, please provide the exact time." Black Cat continued his aggressive questioning, while signaling to the players behind him.

Player Channel:

Black Cat: "Guys, there's a high chance he's the murderer. Someone with the 'Skilled Hand' ability, try to steal the hidden item or the weapon from him."

Jazz Phantom Thief: "Leave it to me."

The player known as Jazz Phantom Thief nonchalantly moved behind Julius.

[Skilled Hand: Success]

Jazz Phantom Thief curled his lips. Just as he pulled a seed from Julius's pocket, an old yet nimble hand grabbed him.

Overpowered in strength, the player lost miserably as Julius effortlessly snatched back the seed. The professor, who appeared stern and upright, now expressionless, said: "There are so many nuisances."

This posture said it all. Before the duty teacher could react, Black Cat roared, "Catch him!"

Professor Julius smirked, pulling out a bottle of blue potion from his pocket and without hesitation, threw it to the ground.

As the players lunged forward, the bottle shattered and its contents evaporated upon contact with the air. A fierce white vapor rose from the ground, leaving everyone momentarily paralyzed, seeing countless shadows flickering before their eyes.

By the time they regained consciousness, Professor Julius had vanished. Black Cat angrily left a message on the forum:

Black Cat: "Everyone be careful! A professor from Mida University is one of Soren's people. He took the Dream World seed, likely to be the coordinates for starting the ritual!"

Black Cat: "Find a way to intercept him. @Druid @Yeye, we're at the administrative building. Can you come and help encircle him?"

Black Cat's message had been out for a while with no response, except for some cloud players continuously bumping the post, until finally, an audience member who had watched both livestreams spoke up.

Buddha Hiss: "The Rebel Squad is in trouble; they've all been captured."

Long-Distance Love: "I just came from Druid's livestream... It's intense over there, I'm moved to tears, wailing for the Fourth Calamity, yyds."

……

The scene returns to the auditorium, where two elderly professors are about to risk their lives to buy time for the students to escape. Amidst the fleeing crowd, a group remains remarkably calm, even showing excitement and eagerness.

The Druid and the Strongest Man, who had been closely surrounding Lann, intuitively stepped forward to stop the professors.

"Professors, you'd better focus on chanting spells. At your age, engaging in battle could risk throwing out your backs."

"Right, it's better for the sunset red to stay in the back."

Alexis, taken aback, bristled: "Who are you calling sunset red?"

"It's a compliment to your enduring spirit," the Druid wiped his sweat, "but our culture respects the elderly. We can't stand to see someone old enough to be my grandfather sacrifice themselves. Don't worry, whether it's ten minutes or twenty, we can hold the line!"

He called out loudly, "Right, brothers?"

"Awooo! I've been itching for this!"

"Farming monsters! I came to this dungeon just to farm monsters!"

"Charge, charge, charge! Don't anyone dare steal my first kill!"

Players wearing red vests, unlike the terrified students fleeing around them, showed no signs of fear or despair. Going against the flow, they charged headfirst without proper weapons - most wielding cleaning tools like brooms or dustpans, or even impromptu knives and forks - recklessly confronting the bizarre creatures.

[Dodge: Failed]

A player holding a dinner knife failed to dodge in time and was struck by the creature's scythe, cut in half instantly, following in Aron's footsteps. Yet, the players behind him showed no signs of retreat. As one fell, another instantly took their place, also rescuing a student who had fallen in the panic.

"What are you doing?" The two professors, blocked by the Druid and the Strongest Man and unable to pass, could only watch the bloodshed ahead, almost desperate enough to step over their faces. The irritable Alexis pointed at the Druid's nose and scolded, "Aren't you afraid of dying? We're here to protect the students, what's it to you? Get out of the way!"

"Huh? What's it to you if we go and get ourselves killed?" The Druid's voice was even louder, "We're not students of Mida University, we don't need your protection. We'll do as we please!"

"You!" The little old man was so angry he couldn't even think of a retort.

Although Aldus remained calm, the deep furrows in his brow revealed his confusion about the players' actions: "Why are you doing this? Don't you have families and friends too? There's no need to go this far."

"Hmph, the reason is simple," the Druid confidently uttered something quite absurd, "Of course, it's because Mida University is the alma mater I've never set foot in!"

The livestream's chat followed suit:

[Exactly, Mida University is the alma mater I've never attended either]

[Sob, I want to protect this place]

[Professor qwq, we heard what you just said. How can the players bear to let you go to your deaths?]

[The professors are so nice, I hereby declare them as the best mentors in my heart.]

[I really can't handle this qwq, seeing teachers protect students like this makes me tear up.]

[Ahhh, the players must win!]

Aldus couldn't understand, nor could the students of Mida University around him. The only one who might grasp the players' feelings at the moment was probably Lann.

The red-haired youth slightly lowered his head, pursing his lips.

Ah, so that's the players for you, creatures both lovable and infuriating.

He raised his head, pulling the professors aside to calmly say, "Professors, since it's like this, let's not waste any more time. Every second we argue, another person could die."

Neither professor was indecisive. Aldus sighed and said, "I can't move while I'm chanting the spell. Please, take care of it."

The Druid nodded seriously: "We'll proceed with both plans simultaneously. Professor, focus on your chanting. As for the students, they'll try to break the glass. We absolutely won't let the creatures get a step closer to you."

Aldus was moved to a corner of the auditorium to begin his incantation, while other teachers stepped up, organizing the panicked students to focus on breaking a window. Alexis, following the Druid and his group, said, "My expertise is in monsters, not spellcasting, but I can guide you on how to deal with these creatures."

Upon hearing this, the Druid, without hesitation, crouched down, letting the old man stand on his back for a better view: "Thanks for the help."

Without any hesitation at this crucial moment, once he had a clear view, Alexis immediately instructed, "The one on the east, a D-class Stony Ghoul, heals quickly by sucking blood. Aim for its eyes."

Player Channel:

Strongest Man: "Attack the eyes of the eastern creature!"

Office Worker: "Understood!"

The player known as Office Worker gritted his teeth, looking deathly pale with a dangerously low health bar. Since the preset attributes of the cards were mostly average, the team's previous total wipeout against a regular D-class Ghoul was indicative of the challenge; even the lowest level creatures could be overwhelmingly powerful.

A single strike from the Stony Ghoul could inflict almost half damage to the health bar, meaning a bad hit could result in severe injury or even unconsciousness, turning the player into an easy meal for the ghoul.

After another player was grievously injured by the Stony Ghoul, which resembled a giant bat with grey, statue-like skin, it turned its greedy gaze towards the Mida University students shielded behind the players. Just as it was about to pounce, Office Worker, without hesitation, turned the dinner knife on himself, causing a profuse bleed.

The pungent scent of blood instantly drew the Stony Ghoul's attention away from the students and towards Office Worker. At that moment, a bullet, blazing with golden flames, pierced its eye.

The Stony Ghoul screamed in agony as young Albert calmly reloaded and fired. Seizing the opportunity of its blinded state, the surrounding players rushed in for an attack.

[Brawl: Successful]

[Damage: 1]

Even the slightest scrape from so many attackers was significant, and combined with Albert's searing golden flames, the Stony Ghoul soon fell.

Just as everyone was about to cheer, the creature's body turned to dust, its silver threads absorbed by the ritual track behind the cultists.

Then, a chorus of mad, eerie whispers seemed to echo in everyone's ears, followed by the appearance of more, stronger creatures.

[Damn, what's going on? Can't we finish them off!?]

[Looks like the chat's guess was right. This ritual track is too cruel, probably drawing energy from the deaths of creatures or humans, temporarily enhancing human creativity, revealing more and higher-dimensional creatures.]

[This is a surefire way to get killed!]

[The key to breaking this trap likely lies in the spell the professor is chanting, or somehow waiting to break the window. The secret is to minimize casualties and, if possible, to contain the creatures rather than killing them.]

[This is too difficult! It's already hard enough to kill the creatures, and now we have to restrain them too??]

With the appearance of two new D-class creatures, in addition to the one that killed Aron, there were now three creatures at the scene. Druid noticed Alexis, riding on his back, seemed to be trembling.

"Professor, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Alexis wiped the cold sweat from his brow, gazing solemnly at the scythe-armed creature.

I never expected to encounter it here.

A C-class special creature, the Grim Reaper's Scythe.

The Grim Reaper's Scythe looked like a desiccated corpse draped in a black cloak, with both arms transformed into meter-long scythes, which, when swung, would undoubtedly cause carnage. Beneath its hood, the face resembled a skinless, featureless person. Anyone who carelessly glimpsed beneath its hood would be relentlessly hunted until death.

The battlefield around the Grim Reaper's Scythe was the most brutal, with players cleaved at the waist or limbs severed, blood and entrails scattered everywhere. For some players who had perspective protection on, it must have looked like a mosaic of gore.

Druid shared the chat's reminder and calmly relayed Alexis's analysis of the creature.

Druid: "The Grim Reaper's Scythe prioritizes attacking players who see its face and appears to possess some intelligence. We might try a kiting strategy."

Druid: "We need someone to draw the Grim Reaper's Scythe's attention. Be mindful of the length of its scythe arms; it can harm anything within a two-meter radius when swinging. Maintain your distance!"

Under Druid's calm command, the previously panicked players quickly regained their composure. Agile players served as bait, successfully diverting the Grim Reaper's Scythe's attention, finally bringing a sense of a typical monster-fighting raid.

"Excellent, just like that, find a way to draw the creatures' attention!"

"Keep it up, keep it up. If you're seriously injured, swap out immediately, don't be greedy! I suspect player deaths also fuel the ritual track, so try your best not to die!"

Meanwhile, players not skilled in combat acted as battlefield medics, striving to transport their severely injured comrades to the rear.

Matcha Milk Green anxiously performed first aid on someone with a large gash in their abdomen.

[First Aid: Failed]

Matcha Milk Green: "..."

"Damn it, don't glitch on me now of all times!"

"Step aside, I'll handle this." A Mida University student nearby pulled out hemostatic cloth and bandages, adeptly administering first aid to the player.

Matcha Milk Green: "What are you doing here? It's not safe!"

The Mida student rolled their eyes: "We're students, not fragile objects. Our lives are important, but doesn't that mean yours are too? Don't treat us like flowers in a greenhouse."

Matcha Milk Green paused, looking across the other battle zones. The battlefield was divided into three parts: the first, where players were combating the three creatures; the second, students trying to break the window; and the third, a mix of players, students, and professors rescuing the injured.

"This person is almost gone!"

An elderly professor quickly approached the injured, pulling out herbs from his pocket and muttering, "Alas, I didn't bring any magic potions to dinner, and there's no time to brew any now. Hang in there."

After saying this, he chewed the herbs he pulled from his pocket and then spat them onto the open wound on the patient's abdomen.

[People Who Aren't Crazy], who was a bit of a germaphobe in real life, hesitantly offered, "...Or maybe I should just die once? I really don't mind."

"Don't talk nonsense." The old professor spread the herbs, speaking calmly, "I'm a master of potion-making, and as long as I'm here, I won't let you die."

Not Crazy, on the brink of tears, insisted, "No, no, no, I really don't mind."

"Stop the chatter. Survive this ordeal, and I'll write you a recommendation letter."

Spurred by this, Not Crazy suddenly sat up, eyes fierce, channeling a surge of strength despite the severe injuries, and pinned the old professor to the ground.

The old professor, puzzled: "? Are my herbs really that effective?"

He felt a chill run down his spine and turned to see that the D-class Lamia, which the players should have kept at a distance, had somehow appeared nearby. Its slit pupils fixed intently on Not Crazy and the professor. Not Crazy's push had narrowly avoided the creature's strike, but now the Lamia was within a meter, raising its massive tail.

Surrounding players were shouting for her to dodge. Not Crazy looked up, her eyes reflecting Lan's bright red hair and a handgun thrown towards her. Strangely, although Lan's eyes were brown, Not Crazy couldn't help but think of his green eyes. Those eyes seemed to say 'do what you want to do'.

Gritting her teeth, she picked up the handgun from the ground and aimed it at the Lamia's chest.

A player who had accidentally missed targeting the Lamia stood two steps behind it, clearly too late to intervene. Not Crazy thought, even if just for my admission letter, I'll give it my all!

[All-in activated]

[Shooting: Great Success] (Rapid Fire)

[Damage: 2d6=6+6=12]×3

The bullets, like a miracle, hit the Lamia's heart, hidden beneath its scales. The triple damage created three large holes in its chest. The Lamia collapsed, and Not Crazy, gasping heavily, watched as the other players, arriving on the scene, stared dumbfounded at the fallen creature and then at the blood-soaked, severely injured Not Crazy:

"Holy crap, a one-shot kill?"

"? We've been fighting for so long and it's just been scratches?"

[What a comeback from the brink of death, a true warrior!]

[You guys don't get it. This isn't about being barely alive and clueless; it's how we role-playing gamers do it.]

[Sis, you're so cool, so cool, ahhhh!]

After her remarkable feat, Not Crazy continued to sit weakly on the ground, turning to the old professor, "Professor, does this count towards my notice of admission?"

"...Next year, I'll ensure you're directly admitted to the combat department," the old professor said.