You Really Had the Nerve (6K)

The academy has been completely locked down.

Classes were canceled, and students were confined to their dormitories with no option to go anywhere, while school staff and professors watched over them.

And musicians continued to arrive from Thousand Snow Lake or from outside the academy.

Half of these people were academy staff, while the other half were like private servants. He Wei Ni Ya could see all sorts of noble badges on them.

"It's quite a sight," Bai Wei said with a smile. "It seems that the so-called Primordial Two Great Families are getting serious. So many people died before and no one paid any attention, but as soon as Golden Sound died, especially their own Golden Sound, they immediately got anxious."

Hearing this, He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but nod.

"But it's not like they're completely enraged. It seems like they've only called in vassal families; not many of their own people have come." Bai Wei said slowly, "Is it because they still don't take that guy seriously, or because they want to ensure the smooth running of the Grand Ceremony? Hmm... probably both."

After listening to Bai Wei's words, He Wei Ni Ya carefully observed the bands gathered in front of the Forbidden Forest.

Indeed, He Wei Ni Ya did not see any members of the Primordial Two Great Families among these musicians. But even so, the nobles who came were not to be underestimated; the Lawrence Family, the first family below the Primordial Era, sent an elder musician.

He looked very imposing, with golden musical notes spreading out from under his neck like the tendrils of an ancient tree.

The musicians he brought were equally formidable, and there was even another prominent Golden Sound, in his own ensemble.

Clearly, they were all there to "hunt" the fake Daniel in the Forbidden Forest, just like they had done more than a decade ago when they hunted the Snowthorn Beast, but this time the group was definitely more formidable than the Snowthorn Beast hunt. He Wei Ni Ya roughly counted, and she estimated that there were at least five people who might be Golden Sound's men.

Seeing this scene, He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but ask Bai Wei in her heart, "Will that guy die at their hands?"

"Won't."

Bai Wei's answer surprised He Wei Ni Ya slightly.

She wasn't particularly surprised by the result, but she was surprised by Bai Wei's decisive answer, as if there was no other possibility.

Even though the Primordial Two Great Families did not come in person, with the current lineup, it is hard to imagine that person has any chance of surviving, given that they are only chasing after one person.

"Is he really that powerful?" He Wei Ni Ya asked again.

"Otherwise, why would even I find him troublesome?" Bai Wei raised He Wei Ni Ya's eyebrows and said, "If he's troublesome to me, then he's even more troublesome to others. He may not be the strongest, but he's definitely not someone the people here can kill."

... Can't the people here kill them?

It seems to be related to Bai Wei's body parts.

He Wei Ni Ya thought to herself silently.

On closer reflection, it's not entirely impossible. While there are many people coming, the Forbidden Forest is indeed vast. Even if these people search on a band-like scale, it would be difficult to cover every aspect. As a result, the fake Daniel, with his extraordinary perception, has a lot of room to maneuver.

Even if there's no way to confront them head-on, saving your life shouldn't be too difficult, right?

At this moment, He Wei Ni Ya recalled something that she had previously thought she had "forgotten."

She quickly remembered—it was Advancement Magic.

Previously, He Wei Ni Ya had never understood why, despite it being a forbidden spell Advancement Magic, it seemed that everyone around her possessed it, and everyone was secretly upgrading their spells.

It wasn't until the fake Daniel appeared and killed Olenna, who had successfully advanced, that He Wei Ni Ya realized there might be some connection between them, and that it was even possible that the Advancement Magic was released by the fake Daniel.

Bai Wei also gave a direct affirmative answer to He Wei Ni Ya's conjecture.

"It really is like that," He Wei Ni Ya said softly. "It's almost like..."

"Fishing," Bai Wei replied with a smile, "Or rather, sowing seeds."

He treated all the students in the Three Academies as his farm.

He Wei Ni Ya always thought that she had thought and done enough to make it to the end.

But compared to that fake Daniel, he's nothing.

Bai Wei seemed to have guessed what He Wei Ni Ya was thinking and said with a smile, "If you had to do it all over again, would you do what he did?"

"...Why not?" Although she didn't know why Bai Wei asked this, He Wei Ni Ya still answered properly, "He does think more and further ahead than I do. Although the risks are also greater, at least he has come this far. If I hadn't met you, I would have failed by now. In this respect, he is much better than me."

"You can see it quite clearly," Bai Wei chuckled again. "Looks like you consider him one of your own kind?"

"...Isn't that what you said?" He Wei Ni Ya said. "He and I are both predators."

"That being said, in my opinion, there is still a big difference between you and him," Bai Wei said. "What he can do, you can't."

"Are you saying I'm inferior to him?" He Wei Ni Ya pondered for a moment before saying, "If I had his insight, perhaps..."

"It's not a matter of limited experience," Bai Wei said with a smile. "You'll understand later."

He Wei Ni Ya frowned slightly. She felt that Bai Wei's words were somewhat meaningful, but before she could ask, Bai Wei continued.

"But you should definitely take a good look at how he's going to make this harvest." Within He Wei Ni Ya's field of vision, seven or eight bands led by Golden Sound had already entered the Forbidden Forest. They had summoned tracking spirits, clearly having done sufficient research. "He's definitely prepared much more for today than you are."

... Here comes the riddle-maker again.

He Wei Ni Ya sighed softly to herself.

But she also understood what Bai Wei meant. That fake Daniel was able to think of using Advancement Magic to collect musical notes, which was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment idea. He must have planned it for a long time.

Therefore, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the current situation, and he must have made some plans.

So this is what Bai Wei wanted her to see.

This is a far more mature predator than she is, and every step he takes is something she can learn from.

If she could, she would want to keep the Forbidden Forest under her watchful eye the entire time.

However, she knew that her life was not that long, and the Forbidden Forest was simply too vast; even with [Gazing] activated, it was impossible to see everything. Therefore, He Wei Ni Ya had no choice but to abandon this rather absurd idea.

If that's the case, then there's no need for her to stay here any longer. This hunt is definitely not something that can be finished in just a few hours, and it's very likely that the outcome won't be seen until He Wei Ni Ya leaves.

So He Wei Ni Ya decided to do something, such as finding and reading the "Advancement Magic" manual that she had been unable to obtain.

As for where it could be found, the only place He Wei Ni Ya could think of was Olenna's room.

If no one helps her pack her belongings, then "Advancement Magic" is very likely still in her room.

However, the dormitory is currently under martial law, with staff guarding each floor and every student confined to their room. It seems inappropriate for her to venture out at this time.

Just then, a clear female voice came from outside the door. "Time for dinner, Miss He Wei Ni Ya."

... The food delivery person has arrived?

He Wei Ni Ya immediately had an idea, so she opened the door and saw a girl with freckles on her face standing in front of her holding a plate of sandwiches and cheese.

"It's time to eat, Miss He Wei Ni Ya," the girl said to He Wei Ni Ya warmly.

He Wei Ni Ya nodded, then pretended to look at the food on the plate before saying with a slight look of difficulty, "This bread is getting a little cold."

"Oh? Is that so?" The girl immediately looked at it and found that it was indeed so, so she hurriedly said, "Okay, it seems a little cold. Maybe I was too slow. I'll go and get you a new one."

"No need for that," He Wei Ni Ya said. "Take me to the kitchen, I'll get it myself."

"But this..."

He Wei Ni Ya looked into the girl's eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "I can go with you to get it, can't I?"

The words that came out of He Wei Ni Ya's mouth seemed to carry a kind of command. A look of confusion flashed in the girl's eyes, but she quickly regained her clarity.

"Of course, Miss He Wei Ni Ya."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded and successfully followed the girl out of the room, at which point she heard Bai Wei sigh again.

"Sigh, the last time I used this rule was to order a troublesome big shot to die for me," Bai Wei said slowly. "Now, in your case, it's become a tool to deceive little girls. What a tragedy."

He Wei Ni Ya pretended not to hear... though she really wanted to ask who this so-called important person was.

With the girl leading the way, the school janitor waiting outside only glanced at her, assuming that He Wei Ni Ya was also going to deliver food, and didn't say anything more.

This way, I can find an opportunity to sneak into Olenna's room.

Just then, the girl suddenly spoke up, "Miss He Wei Ni Ya, I haven't had a chance to thank you yet."

...Thanks?

He Wei Ni Ya looked at the girl with some confusion. "Thank you? Why are you thanking me?"

"Um..." the girl said softly, "I'm Polly's friend."

Polly?

A name slightly unfamiliar to He Wei Ni Ya; she thought for a moment before recalling the blackened corpse.

"Polly and I were very good friends," the girl said softly. "I was working at the restaurant when the accident happened. I never expected her to leave like this, and I didn't even get to see her one last time... But I heard that you were the one who took her to Ms. Adele, so I've always wanted to thank you, but I never had the chance."

As she spoke, the girl stopped and bowed deeply to He Wei Ni Ya saw tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

He Wei Ni Ya was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you and her from the same place?"

"I don't know if we can be considered the same place," the girl said. "We all come from the Seed Zone, but not the same Seed Zone."

"I see."

He Wei Ni Ya nodded, and then the two continued walking toward the kitchen.

She didn't want to ask any more questions, but the girl still spoke softly beside her, "I'm just a bronze voice, Polly is a silver voice, but she has always taken good care of me. In this academy, she is my only friend."

"We also made a promise that after graduation we would open a sheet music shop in the Lower District try to settle down there... We don't have many dreams. I'm a bronze voice, I don't deserve to have big dreams. Polly is the same. Although she is a silver voice, her tone is not good, so she has never thought about participating in the Grand Ceremony."

"What we both kept thinking was... that we would consider it a success if we didn't have to go back to the Seed Zone."

"But, but..."

The girl was a little speechless. Fortunately, they arrived at the makeshift kitchen at that moment, and the girl quickly went to replace He Wei Ni Ya's lunch with a steaming hot one.

He Wei Ni Ya accepted the lunch, but remained silent, seemingly unwilling to say anything more or listen to the girl's past.

So she simply nodded and then turned and left.

Behind her, the girl bowed deeply once again. "Thank you so much, Ru. If there's anything I can do to help you, please don't hesitate to ask!"

He Wei Ni Ya didn't turn around, as if she hadn't heard anything.

This minor incident did not affect He Wei Ni Ya's actions.

She quickly found Olenna's room under the guise of delivering food. The male school workers who had been called in temporarily obviously did not know that the owner of the room had long since passed away, so they let He Wei Ni Ya walk in as if she were going back to her own room.

Upon entering the room, He Wei Ni Ya smelled a faint scent of blood.

She quickly found the source of the bloody smell—the bundles of blood-stained bandages by the bed.

He Wei Ni Ya immediately realized that this was the blood Olenna had shed during her advancement.

Clearly, this is also where Olenna performs her Advancement Magic.

He Wei Ni Ya set the food aside; the steaming sandwiches seemed to bring more life to the room than anything else.

The room was so messy and dilapidated that it didn't look like a girl's room at all. There were no cosmetics on the dressing table, just books. There were also various notebooks open beside the bed, filled with notes.

Clearly, after Olenna's death, no one entered this room to help her sort through her belongings, and it was left to its own devices.

"This lady doesn't seem to be very clean," Bai Wei said. "It's hard to believe she comes from a big family like the Lawrence."

"Yes." He Wei Ni Ya nodded, recalling Olenna as she said, "Olenna's mind was only focused on becoming Golden Sound and surpassing me; she didn't care about anything else."

"I see... So this can be considered a kind of obsession," Bai Wei said slowly. "Then would you say she succeeded in the end?"

He Wei Ni Ya looked at the mess on the ground, Olenna's voice echoed in her mind again.

"Remember this, I, Olenna Lawrence, would never resort to such despicable methods."

"I told you! I'm no worse than you! No worse than you, He Wei Ni Ya!"

She was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "I guess so."

After saying that, she immediately looked around. "Could you help me find where that book of 'Advancement Magic' is? I won't use [Gazing] here myself."

Bai Wei smiled, but said nothing.

After a long pause, he spoke again, "In the dressing table drawer... she never intended to hide it."

He Wei Ni Ya immediately went to the dressing table and pulled open the drawer.

Sure enough, I found "Advancement Magic" in the drawer.

But when she saw this book, "Advancement Magic," He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but frown.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not quite the same as the one I saw before," He Wei Ni Ya said. "This one is much more exquisite... but why is that?"

Does that fake Daniel use different priced bait depending on the identity of the person he's fishing for?

He Wei Ni Ya felt it was a bit far-fetched.

"Take this one out," Bai Wei said calmly. "Take a look at the one below. Is it the one you've seen before?"

... Is there another one below?

He Wei Ni Ya immediately picked up the book "Advancement Magic" and, sure enough, saw another book titled "Advancement Magic" below it. This second book was the same as the one He Wei Ni Ya had first looked at, but it was not as exquisite as the first one and looked like it was crudely made.

"Why is that?" He Wei Ni Ya asked, puzzled. "Are the contents of the two books different?"

"There might be some differences, but I don't think that's the point."

"...What's the meaning?"

"You can think about it from a different perspective. If you want to know who gave her this book, just think about who wants her to succeed in advancing to the next level, right?" Bai Wei said leisurely. "Besides that fake Daniel."

He Wei Ni Ya quickly came up with the answer, "Finnis?"

"You could say it's the Lawrence Family," Bai Wei said. "But I suspect the Lawrence Family didn't give her the book directly; it's more likely she found it 'accidentally.' Just like that fake Daniel did, making everyone who found 'Advancement Magic' think they'd discovered a treasure. Unfortunately, it wasn't a treasure, but bait."

... Fish bait?

He Wei Ni Ya silently looked at the two books of "Advancement Magic" in front of her and felt that what Bai Wei said was very apt.

There were two baits in front of Olenna.

Even if she were lucky enough not to encounter the one given to her by the fake Daniel, she would still die because of the one her family gave her.

Thinking of this, a very subtle emotion welled up in He Wei Ni Ya's heart.

But she didn't show it. Instead, she picked up the first book, the one that the Lawrence Family had prepared for her, and sat down at the dressing table to read it.

As soon as it was opened, a magical image slid out from the title page.

He Wei Ni Ya picked up the photograph and saw a smiling girl holding an elegant-looking boy, whose face was labeled "brother".

"Looks like she was a serious brother-obsessed girl," Bai Wei said. "It's just a pity that her brother couldn't even spare the time to help her pack her belongings after her death."

Without saying a word, He Wei Ni Ya put the photo back, then set down the one from the Lawrence Family and opened another, relatively tattered book, "Advancement Magic," to read.

It took quite a while to finish looking at it, and by the time the sun was almost setting, I had barely managed to see half of it.

Because this "Advancement Magic" is indeed very complex and has a long process.

However, in essence, it is still a kind of transformative magic, just as the fake Daniel once said.

No wonder everyone who uses it has such a poor complexion.

But the worse your mental state, the more you need to concentrate, so as to avoid making a mistake during the process, which could lead to utter ruin.

Seeing this, He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but wonder if she could have successfully advanced if she were in her shoes.

This was a question that was destined to remain unanswered, so He Wei Ni Ya didn't dwell on it for too long.

She glanced at the sky and figured that curfew was about to start, so it would be safer to go back to her room.

I'll keep this book, "Advancement Magic," with me and read it when I leave here tomorrow and arrive at the First Academy.

Just then, a shrill scream came from the Forbidden Forest.

"Help! Help me!"

He Wei Ni Ya instinctively closed the book and walked to the window.

Then they saw a blood-covered musician carrying another musician, who was also covered in blood and unconscious, out of the Forbidden Forest.

The school staff immediately surrounded them. "What's wrong?"

The still-awake player said desperately, "That guy is a madman! We're not hunting him, he's hunting us! He killed Zell, and he took the golden Sixth Sound from us!"

He Wei Ni Ya's eyes widened little by little.

She immediately understood something.

His prey wasn't limited to students who successfully advanced to higher levels.

Those school janitors and noble elders who came to hunt him down

They were also his prey!

This is still a hunt!

After the musician finished speaking, he fainted, as if he had reached his limit. The school staff immediately surrounded him and helped him up.

"This guy, he really dares to do that," Bai Wei said softly.

He Wei Ni Ya couldn't help but say, "Indeed... he's quite surprising."

"That's not what I was talking about," Bai Wei said calmly. "Haven't you noticed? He's come looking for you."

He Wei Ni Ya was stunned for a moment, not immediately understanding what Bai Wei meant.

By the time she came to her senses, she saw the unconscious musician vaguely open his eyes and glance into the dormitory building without anyone noticing.

In that one glance, their He Wei Ni Ya met.

In that instant, a powerful sense of oppression washed over her, making He Wei Ni Ya feel as if she had returned to that brief contact Seven Sound Festival, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Of course, this feeling only lasted for a very short moment before it was broken when Bai Wei spoke again.

"This is quite interesting," Bai Wei said with a light laugh. "How about going to meet your 'kind'?"