Ch82 – The Silver Lining Amidst Misfortune

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She tutted.
“Every year there are some students who have poor ability to withstand pressure.
It’s not just this rope, some have rammed their heads into the tip of the iron bed frames in their rooms, and guess what? It pierced right through their temples.”

“Then there are those who down detergent in the public toilets, upturning and festering their stomachs.
Some also run to the water tanks at the back and are only found after having soaked for a few days… ah, no wonder the drinking water during the days before had a weird taste to it.
Revolting.” 

Unheeding of their emotions, the hostel caretaker spoke in an open and upbeat tone, detailing the fates of students who had committed suicide over the years.

“How can they dream of entering a good university when they can’t even take this little bit of hardship? It’s a pity their parents went to such lengths to send them to town.
In the past, there was a student from the countryside whose village had supposedly raised money to send him here.
Yet he failed one exam and ended up being dragged back on a crate across several mountains.
If you ask me, these students were too sheltered.
Rather than harming society in the future, it’s better for them to just die now.”

 

 

These words, as well as the rope swaying in this lobby without breeze, caused the spines of many trainees to prickle.

If they really were the flowers of the motherland, then they surely wouldn’t believe in ghost hauntings.

 

The problem was this—

They were the ones who had survived to become B-ranks.
After so long in the infinite loop, there were no ghosts they hadn’t seen.
They naturally understood if a ghost was sighted in this school, it would no doubt be a malevolent ghost with the darkest, vilest intent.

Those who failed an examination were doomed to die.
Under such an oppressive environment, there was no telling how many who had died in the school became vengeful spirits out for blood.
One could naturally imagine the days to come in the next hundred and twenty days.

 

Done with her spiel, the caretaker finally got back down to business.
“Alright.
I won’t go on.
Pick your roommates.”

The trainees, who had assumed rooms would be fixed by class, didn’t expect they could choose for themselves.

Would this school be so kind?

 

All of the trainees were floored.
However, no one dared to question this, silently beginning to look for companions. 

It was ten people to one room, and as long as a group of ten was formed, they could go to the hostel caretaker to receive a room assignment.

Other trainees were veterans who pretty much had buddies they got along well with or were acquainted with.
Even if there weren’t enough, they could still look for comrades in the same guild.

Only the white-haired young man stood alone with his hands stuck into his pockets.

No one dared to go up to him and extend an invitation, nor did the man himself appear to have any intention to proactively seek roommates. 

Until a grey-haired man parted the crowd, tailed by his subordinates, walking over from a short distance away.

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The man’s jawline was sharp and cold.  He looked at Zong Jiu and nodded politely.
“Together?”

Every trainee in the lobby witnessing this scene was staggered.
If the live broadcast wasn’t only limited to the classroom, the bullet chat would probably flood as well.

People started whispering to each other.
“Could those rumours before be true? Did the Magician turn down that bigwig’s kindness to join the Night Clan?” 

“It’s most likely true.
Since when have you seen No.
2, I repeat, No.
2 take the initiative to issue an invitation?”

“What is the Magician playing at? He’s the only person to whom No.
1 had ever expressed his admiration in so many years.”

 

Whispered voices could hardly escape a half-vampire’s hearing.

Van Zhuo’s brows furrowed deeply.
He waved his hand. 

His Night Clan subordinate in Class 1 who scored third in the year immediately grasped his intent, loudly announcing, “His Lordship plans to gather class monitors in the year to study in earnest together.
It would be easier to communicate if everyone’s staying in the same room.

“A moment ago, Black Shaman of the Witch Society also agreed to room together.”

At this explanation, the scattered tittering ceased.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection.
If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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The school was flagrantly making trainees compete against each other.
so it wasn’t too bad of an idea for trainees to unite under such circumstances.
However, managing one class was already enough of a headache for Zong Jiu.
He didn’t want to be the one taking the lead.
Now that Van Zhuo intended to step up and pool wisdom for mutual benefit, Zong Jiu was more than happy to go along with it.

Members of the Night Clan and the Witch Society made up a substantial portion of the B-ranks.
With the heads of these two powerful forces expressing their cooperation, no one dared to jump out and pick a bone with them.

Soon, the ten class monitors congregated in the centre. 

Van Zhuo scanned his surroundings, his gaze falling on the class monitor of a particular class.

This class monitor of Class 7 was also a half-vampire from the Night Clan.
After bowing in respect to Van Zhuo, he consciously withdrew from the leadership circle.

Thus, a somewhat dumbfounded Tsuchimikado was added into the mix.

The Yin-Yang Master looked at this circle of top students, scratching his head of hair that was soon to bald from the future studying to come.
“About this… but I’m not a class monitor?” 

Van Zhuo dismissively waved his hand.
“The class monitor is under my command and would strictly adhere to my arrangements.
It makes little difference whether he joins or not.”

Although everyone was taken aback at how No.
10 had fared on the year rankings, at the end of the day, it was no more than a placement exam everyone was unprepared for; it was normal to make mistakes.

As one of the four S-ranks randomly assigned to this instance, though Tsuchimikado was a free agent, he possessed a lot of clout amongst trainees.
Whether it was from respect as a fellow S-rank or in other aspects, he deserved to be part of the core leadership circle.

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Tsuchimikado, “…” 

He really, really wanted to say—I can’t become a top student just because I’m an S-rank.
Mr.
Half-Vamp, times have changed, and mindsets are due to change as well!

How ‘bout he score first from the bottom in the next exam? Then maybe this big brother will finally wrap his head around how phenomenally an underachiever can underachieve!

 

After the numbers had been made up, they went to collect their room assignment.

The hostel caretaker raised her head to inspect them.
“All class monitors? Then go to room 101.” 

Unable to comprehend what she meant, they moved in single file to room 101 and opened the door.

This was a rudimentary room.
Wooden boards were spread on ten iron-framed beds, with mouldy rolls of quilts passing for covers.
From how strong the smell of rot wafting from the pillows was, it seemed at least two pillowcases would be needed to ward off the stench.

The whole student hostel only contained one large shower room.
There were no partitions inside at all, only an iron pipe resting on walls mottled with dirt.
One look around and glistening wet bodies would flash the sight.

990 B-ranks lived in this single five-storied hostel.
Let alone the fact public facilities were all on the first floor, things like the showers, boiler, and toilets were far from enough. 

In a sense, as long as trainees didn’t eat, they wouldn’t need to defecate in the toilet.
But during this hundred and twenty-day instance, they’d have to shower, right? However, hot water was only available at fixed timings—there would probably be wars breaking out every day over the showers.

Room 101 however, was different from others.
It had a cramped bathroom attached for their exclusive use.

“It looks pretty decent.” Tsuchimikado said as he glanced inside.
While it wasn’t large, it had all the necessities, sufficient for use to shower.

“Like this, we won’t have to snatch for spots in the mass showers with other trainees.” He clicked his tongue.
“Preferential treatment for honour roll students.
This school sure is authentic enough.” 

Black Shaman, who was beside Zong Jiu, suddenly spoke, “Let’s begin.”

The words seemed to set off a signal.

A faint black mist amassed above Black Shaman’s hands, whereas Van Zhuo’s dark red eyes were aglow with light.

Silence held like a spell in the room until the black mist on Black Shaman’s hands blocked those imperceptible corners the half-vampire pointed at, after which everyone looked at each other. 

“That will do.”

 Van Zhuo’s red eyes dimmed.

He massaged his temples, slightly fatigued.
“I’ll have to trouble you for the next hundred and twenty days.”

Black Shaman set his hands back down, unconcerned.
“It’s nothing.” 

Zong Jiu narrowed his eyes, able to decipher their enigmatic conversation.
“Wiretaps?”

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When at the classroom just now, he’d noticed there was surveillance installed in front and behind.

 

It wasn’t only in the classroom.
There was also surveillance installed in the hallways and stairwells of the teaching block, as well as the lobby and corridors of the hostel.

No one expected this would include their rooms as well. 

“Yes.
There are security cameras and wiretaps across the entire school.”

Van Zhuo’s expression turned grave.
“After everyone has settled in, inform the trainees in your respective classes.
Call them out and spread the word one by one.”

“During this time, nothing important is to be conveyed in public.”

With so many surveillance devices, the school would practically know all student movements like the back of their hand. 

It was easy to put together two and two.
The NPCs, not wishing for trainees to collude, were itching to catch someone to make an example of.

“Let’s shelve this for now.
We can continue the discussion after all of us have settled in.”

Zong Jiu looked around and picked a bed on the top bunk.

The white-haired young man stepped on the ladder to the side, rolled up his sleeves, and deftly made his bed. 

Done with that, when he was about to go get a pillowcase, a pale hand peeked out from black robes, passing one to him.

Zong Jiu lowered his head and saw the person clothed in black robes standing next to the bed under his.
From his angle, he could only glimpse thin lips lightly pursed under the hood.

“Thanks,” he said.

Black Shaman seemed to nod indifferently. 

His slender, ebony fingertip made a gentle tap in the air, and the quilt and pillowcase were swept by black mist, flying into the pillowcase and quilt cover by themselves.

This one move shook Zong Jiu up.

Who would have expected a shaman’s ability to be so handy?

After getting the room in order, the ten people sat back down to discuss ideas and strategize. 

Several other B-ranks didn’t dare to speak and looked extremely reserved.
Only Zong Jiu sat on his bed with a relaxed expression, one leg dangling.

Van Zhuo curled his finger and slowly rapped his knuckle on the table surface.

 

“Since we have to eliminate one from the ten classes, our only option is to do something about the marks.”

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“Do you mean to boycott the exam?” 

Black Shaman shook his head in disapproval.
“It’s impossible the system hadn’t considered the possibility of the entire cohort boycotting the exams.
When the time comes, we may be pushed into an even worse situation.”

“No.” Van Zhuo said apathetically, “How can they determine last place if everyone doesn’t answer and submits a blank paper?”

The people in the room entered deep thought.

This idea was plausible. 

Even if there was punishment, it shouldn’t be too heavy when divided evenly across everyone.

Black Shaman frowned.
“But this is too difficult to implement in reality.”

Indeed.

Even if the leaders of two major forces were present, all in all, their directive couldn’t light a candle to the horror the Devil evoked. 

It’ll only take one traitor within all ten classes to move his pen, and a fatal blow will be dealt to all the others.

“We still have a month.
There’s no need to be in such a rush.”

Unable to come up with a solution, Van Zhuo added, “It’s hard to ascertain if there would be other developments between now and then, so let’s wait and see what happens, and decide when it comes down to it.

After discussing the monthly exam, a new problem took the stage. 

They were also concerned about another question; ultimately, was this a simple survival instance or a supernatural instance?

With regards to this question, Tsuchimikado gave a definite answer.

“Many people have died in this hostel—no, this school.”

“A lot, far more than what you can imagine.” 

Although Yin-Yang Masters weren’t as sensitive to spiritual bodies as psychics, it was still a trade which dealt with otherworldly monsters, so they were experts as well.

From the moment he set foot into this school, the deep chill penetrating his bones made Tsuchimikado feel abject discomfort all over his body.

 

The school was originally built on unholy ground, only exacerbated by an unrelenting aura of resentment hanging heavily in the autumn air, dousing one’s skittish heart into the coldness of winter.

What surprised him however was despite the foreboding chill and the lingering resentment, the Yin-Yang Master didn’t discover any signs of wrathful spirits materialising. 

Tsuchimikado heaved a sigh.
“It could be their disappointment in this place during their lifetime was so overwhelming that… even after they died, they didn’t want to turn into earthbound spirits.”

“Nevertheless, that this isn’t a supernatural instance is truly a silver lining.”