Taking the Bus

[The following day]

2:30 PM

Pluto City Long-Distance Bus Terminal

As a coastal city, and also a peripheral city that receives the most immigrants and tourists, its passenger transport station is quite developed, with buses departing for different cities every hour.

A backup shuttle bus is also provided, which will run every half hour if there is a large flow of people.

The bus that Luo Di and his companion were going to take was the one that had been temporarily added as a backup bus.

What they held in their hands was the most expensive and longest-distance bus Train Ticket, from Pluto City to Neptune City.

* Neptune City is located at the other end of the country and is also a port city. Its original name was Oki*.

Since the total journey will take more than 12 hours, and to take into account the comfort of passengers, this giant luxury bus also has sleeper berths, which cost four times the normal price.

Money was not a problem for either of them.

The squad leader has already made a fortune at the Fighting Arena, not to mention Luo Di himself also receives a share of the Fighting Arena's profits and a full subsidy from the Investigation Bureau.

The two of them booked the last row of sleeper compartments.

Close and lock the door, then place sunflower seeds, peanuts, and drinks on it.

"Now you can tell me, what should I be careful about at the rally?"

Shh!

The class monitor put his finger to his lips to indicate that there was still something left to do.

She reached out and pressed her hand against the door, and an invisible substance quickly covered the entire private room, seemingly disguising the space.

Then he slowly sat back on the bed, crossed his legs, and began to tell his story:

"You will participate in the gathering as a ' Reserve Partner,' and the most crucial thing is that you will undergo a special test during the gathering. Once you pass, the word 'prospective' will be removed, and you will be fully accepted by the sorority."

This assessment no longer requires you to fight your way through.

It won't be any sister who contacts you or anything like that.

Instead, you need to spend some time alone with your Grandmother. Only after your Grandmother acknowledges you will the sorority accept your existence. It sounds simple, but it's the most dangerous and easiest way to expose yourself.

"Grandmother? The Monsters in the Corner, the founder of the sorority?"

"That's right."

"The Monsters in the Corner seem to be forbidden from coming into reality, don't they?"

"The physical body is not allowed to come, but it doesn't say that the consciousness is not allowed to come."

Just as your consciousness can be projected into a distant, True Hell, your Grandmother's consciousness can also be projected into a special vessel at the gathering, thus bringing her incarnation into existence.

The first item on the agenda is the Descent Ritual, in which all the sisters participate.

Based on past experience,

The Reserve Partner brought by the sisters for the first time will spend some time alone with the Grandmother at the arrival site.

There are often three different outcomes:

1. Once you are recognized by your Grandmother as her official partner, you will stay by the side of one of your sisters until that sister completes the selection process and moves to the corner.

2. His Grandmother noticed the problem and executed him on the spot.

3. Those who fail to gain their Grandmother's approval and become official partners will undergo special transformations and be reduced to servants of the sorority.

"Squad leader, how confident are you that I won't be detected?"

"The original plan was for us to be together every day during this period, maintaining close proximity and even physical contact 24 hours a day, so that my disguise could slowly permeate your whole body and disguise your entire mind."

Grandmother is merely Incarnation Descent; her power cannot exceed the limits of reality, and the probability of her seeing through it is very low.

Little did I know that you would spend most of your last week at the Fifth Hospital, and my disguise and transformation of you were not yet complete.

This could be dangerous, depending on your Grandmother's condition and your behavior at the time.

Luo Di didn't seem to care about this so-called "danger." In his opinion, someone as meticulous as the class monitor must have enough confidence to have led him this far.

He was more concerned about the class monitor's situation.

"Does your disguise need to be conveyed slowly through 'day and night's interaction'?"

"The human brain is the most complex thing. Even corners can form within it. It can evolve into different concrete forms according to different people's thinking, and it can drive the human body to grow and evolve in a certain direction."

Even if my "disguise" is perfect, it mostly refers to the outward appearance.

I'm still far from achieving a perfect inner disguise; only by venturing into the depths of the Corner can I find that perfect disguise. Right now, I can't even perfectly disguise myself, let alone help those around me to do so.

My abilities are limited, and this is all I can do.

"Class monitor, you've decided to use the corner as your main Ascension Path, haven't you?"

"Otherwise what? I'm not a genius like you, capable of Consciousness Connection to worlds with the necessary pathways. Even if I were to be associated with the True Hell thanks to you, it would only be a byproduct."

Even if I could follow you to the True Hell, my current body wouldn't be nearly enough. I might be used as a flesh slave by the creatures of hell as soon as I get there.

I need to become stronger too... right?

"When do you plan to conduct the gap selection again? Besides, you should be considered Crevice screening failure, so is it possible for you to be selected again?"

When Luo Di posed the question, the squad leader immediately unscrewed a can of high-proof craft beer and gulped it down.

Snap!

A large can of beer slammed heavily onto the table, flushed his face, and the class monitor's posture became less than polite.

"The corner is very generous. It's very rare for me to survive after failing. You could even say I took advantage of a loophole."

The corner not only allows me to participate again, but also gives me more attention.

As for when... it won't be long.

Luo Di suddenly leaned forward and asked the question that concerned him most, "Is it related to the rally?"

The class monitor looked helpless. "Why are you always able to grasp the key points? When I was in school, my grades in academic subjects and logic analysis were only average to above average."

Luo Di's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated this.

"Since it's related, I'll cooperate fully. Let's continue with the matters concerning the gathering. If I gain my Grandmother's approval, is there anything else I need to be aware of?"

"As long as you can get your Grandmother's approval, no one will suspect you. Just don't give yourself away too much and get through the gathering normally."

At this point,

The class monitor suddenly took off his shoe from his right foot, which was under the table, and stepped on Luo Di's body.

At the same time, a rosy face, exuding the smell of alcohol, also moved closer.

"Of course, since you are my partner."

During the gathering, the two of us would be assigned to the same room, and even... cough! Grandmother would ask us to do that, and she might even watch and give her evaluation, which could be considered a kind of 'unnecessary assessment'.

As I've mentioned before, my Grandmother placed great importance on the balance of Yin-Yang.

If you're not good at this, you'll lose a lot of points, and your Grandmother will do everything she can to improve your abilities in this area.

"But Luo Di, you should be fine."

"Oh."

"Ah! You didn't even react at all!"

"Since it's a requirement of the assembly, then follow the requirements. Make sure your plan is foolproof, and make sure you achieve final victory in the next Crevice screening."

Luo Di's expression was unusually serious; in his mind, survival seemed to be the most important thing.

"Are you... worried that I might die again?"

"Since you've encountered an unexpected situation like Teacher Guo's, you might encounter other unexpected situations as well. If you can have your sisters arrange competition for you without any surprises, that would naturally be the best scenario."

Pfft~

The class monitor couldn't help but laugh, and that laugh slowly turned into a smile, which became the most memorable smile in Luo Di's memory.

"Thank you~ I'll take this seriously this time, and I won't die so easily."

Luo Di then changed the subject, "Why were you so determined to leave the sorority in the first place?"

"Hey! I was just starting to feel touched, and now you're throwing a serious question at me! What am I supposed to do if I don't want to answer?"

"Then I won't answer."

Glug glug glug! Another big gulp of beer down his throat.

"Ugh, I just can't do anything with you!"

I am very good at getting along with others, whether they are real people or Pseudo-Human.

When I first joined the sorority, I was very happy. Everyone helped each other, at least on the surface, and they took me to many fun and carefree places like Eden.

But as time went by, that feeling returned!

The feeling of being dominated, manipulated, and treated like a puppet.

The squad leader's gaze also changed during his speech, becoming cold and filled with murderous intent.

"Grandmother has a very strong desire for control. She not only requires us to meet up with her after we go to the corner, but she also plans out each of our growth paths."

Each of the sisters will drink blood from their Grandmother's body.

This blood is indeed a good thing; it will greatly enhance our pituitary gland, which is why our sisters are stronger and more difficult to deal with than Pseudo-Human of the same level.

Because of "Grandmother's Blood," she was able to exert control over us to some extent.

This feeling might be insignificant to other sisters, perhaps tolerable, and some even enjoy the feeling of being dominated.

But I cannot accept it.

I finally managed to break free from my father's control, only to fall into an even more terrifying form of control.

So, I spent more than two years pretending to be weak, with exhausted potential, and even occasionally making mistakes, which finally led to my position as a "core sister" being replaced by someone else.

As a regular member, I used the excuse of going home to develop independently, and only then was I able to break free and return to high school to study in peace... Even so, I still belonged to the sorority, and all I gained was temporary freedom.

Once I went to the corner, I would be called by my Grandmother again.

Therefore, I chose to escape through death.

But this time is different. Because of your intervention, Luo Di, I may really have a chance to escape the control of the sorority while still alive and gain the freedom I truly desire.

The specifics will have to wait until we get the opportunity and until Grandmother gives us the details about the 'promotion.' Let's talk about something a little lighter, don't be so tense."