Volume Three: The Academy's Full-Scale Rampage - Death at the Hands of the Dead

Xiao Wu over the rooftops of buildings, pushing her speed to the limit, heading towards the League of Scholars.

As Scavengers, she naturally knew the location of the League of Scholars, but she never imagined that one day she would step into that place, especially as an intruder.

"Monet, Evelynths..."

Xiao Wu clutched her chest tightly. Although she had felt relatively calm when she emerged from this World's Little Corner, she now felt increasingly agitated, as if countless ants were crawling inside her. But she dared not relax for a moment, only focusing on increasing her speed; every second was extremely precious. Even the slightest delay could mean the worst—

The bodies of those two people.

"... Tsk!"

Forcibly suppressing her anxiety, Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and moved forward. She hadn't experienced this feeling of sitting on pins and needles and her heart pounding in her chest for a long time.

"Fear...?"

Yes, this was the feeling of fear. Although she was thinking about Monet and Evelynths, images of her deceased loved ones kept flashing before her eyes. Auntie Lucy, covered in blood on the balcony, and Margaret, broken into pieces in front of her—each one a gruesome death, vividly remembered even after so many years.

She is strong, she possesses power— Xiao Wu is aware of her strength, but what good is it? Isolated from society, living in the bustling city, she loathes her past yet holds no hope for the future. She had a family she had worked so hard to raise, yet she failed to protect them, and now, even the place she could call home has been destroyed, and the fate of the two who were captured is unknown.

What's the point of someone who can't do anything, can't protect anything, and can't change anything, even if they are powerful?

What was Lucy thinking before she died? Was she resentful that she couldn't even see her one last time? And what about Margaret? Did she die filled with resentment, cursing the world, raping her father, and failing to save her?

I want to know, but I dare not know.

"Ah..."

Xiao Wu's speed at full speed is terrifying.

Just as I was lost in my memories, the scenery around me changed.

On a small peninsula by the sea, a large building made of gray stone sits quietly on the once smooth coastline.

The headquarters of the League of Scholars.

Although it is not small in scale, it is not conspicuous in appearance. When most people see it, they would probably just think it is an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere.

Arrive.

Although they were still quite far apart, Xiao Wu's keen hearing still picked up the sounds of commotion inside the building.

"What happen?"

Has something gone wrong inside? It doesn't matter; whatever happens inside, my purpose will not change.

"Wait for me, Monet, Evelynths--!"

Thump! Xiao Wu landed steadily at the entrance of the League of Scholars, an iron gate reminiscent of a cemetery gate, which gave off an inexplicable sense of oppression.

Should we just charge in head-on? Or sneak in from the side? Normally, to avoid encountering monsters like Fiaz, sneaking in would be the preferred option. But now there's a commotion inside, and even if we go in head-on, they might not have time to deal with us...

Just as she was thinking for a moment--

"What a rare guest!!!"

A streak of dark light came hurtling towards her, but Xiao Wu nimbly dodged it, narrowly missing it. The object then miraculously returned to the attacker's hand after passing her.

It is a sickle.

A man wielding a scythe appeared before her, a twisted smile on his face, half of which was covered in runes.

Upon recognizing the person, Xiao Wu startled. "You are... Vice Captain Soya Links of the Enforcement Team? What are you doing here?"

Is it a mission to carry out Enforcement Team? -- No, Xiao Wu's intuition told her it wasn't that simple.

"'Why are you here?' Why am I obligated to answer you? Heh heh, you wouldn't understand even if I told you, so why don't you just get lost?"

"... I'm really sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to. Could you please make way for me?"

Xiao Wu took a step forward, but Soya blocked her way.

"No way! Now that that troublesome guy Fiaz is gone, this is the perfect opportunity for us to take action. Let him clean up the small fry inside, and I'll just keep watch and observe."

Fiaz isn't here? 'That guy'? Are they just waiting to see what happens?

Xiao Wu was a little confused, but the fact that "Fiaz isn't here" was certainly good news for her, as it would greatly reduce the danger of her actions.

But this guy in front of me—

"Get out of the way!"

"Impossible!" Soya spun the scythe around his shoulder and laughed. "That's how we divide our tasks. He'll clear the way for the mobs, and I'll cut off all contact between this place and the outside world, making sure no one gets out—and of course, no one gets in either."

Something's not right.

This is definitely not a task assigned by the Enforcement Team. It is impossible for one of the deputy chiefs to be out on official business without his subordinates.

"The 'he' you're referring to... is it Ling Ye?"

"Who else could it be? Seriously, aren't you asking too many questions? Why are the women Ling Ye has his eye on so troublesome?"

"... You're the one who talks too much nonsense! Fine, I won't argue with you anymore. Since you insist on stopping me, then I apologize for any offense!"

Click! The black and white twin pistols— Black Star and White Night—appeared in her hands, their dark muzzles locking onto Soya.

"This is an ultimatum—get out of the way!"

"Ultimately, it has to come to violence, but that suits me just fine—although my superpowers have nothing to do with violence, I'm actually a martial arts enthusiast! Ha! Let me see just how strong the woman Ling Ye has his eye on really is!"

Soya laughed loudly and swung his giant scythe at her! The sharp blade sliced through the air, aiming for Xiao Wu!

With a crisp snap, the sickle was firmly caught by the bayonet on the pistol.

"Your speed and strength are both top-notch. Although you're clearly not Physical Enhancement System, it's evident that you've done quite a bit of research on hand-to-hand combat—but don't you think it's a bit ridiculous to dare to get close to me based on that alone!?"

With a flash of light, the scythe flew from his hand with ease, while another gun was pointed at Soya's abdomen.

"Are you afraid they'll die?"

"--!!"

Xiao Wu's movements froze instantly, and Soya took advantage of this opening to create distance.

"What do you mean..."

"It's exactly what it sounds like," Soya shrugged and joked. "You probably can't imagine how they died, because you're afraid of losing them, afraid of losing everything you love, just like... the old lady who was stabbed to death and the little girl who jumped to her death."

The words had barely left her Xiao Wu as if she'd been struck by lightning. How could this be? She'd never had any interaction with this Soya before, so how did he know about her painful memories? Could it have been Ling Ye who told him?

"Stop guessing. Nobody has told me any details about you, not even Ling Ye." Soya looked at Xiao Wu's surprised expression with satisfaction. "But if I had to say, it's probably because you told me yourself."

"Shut up!"

With a pull of the trigger, a spiritual energy bullet, emitting a dazzling light, shot out. However, his usually unerring shooting skills faltered this time—the bullet grazed his shoulder and flew into the distance, leaving only a bloody mark.

Did it miss?

Xiao Wu was taken aback. Although she had been distracted by Soya's words, the Gun Fu she inherited from her mother had long been part of her instincts. Even without conscious aiming, she would never miss a shot if she relied solely on her subconscious instincts!

"This guy..."

This man named Sawyer Links is strange.

"What's wrong, Xiao Wu? You've already underperformed? Don't disappoint me too much, otherwise how can the people who died because of you rest in peace?"

"--I told you to shut up!"

Although she was roaring angrily, Xiao Wu was constantly analyzing her opponent's abilities. She couldn't rule out the possibility that Soya possessed a special ability to disrupt projectile trajectories, so after her first attack missed, she immediately put away her dual pistols, charged forward with her fists, and switched to close-quarters combat.

"Oh dear, what a pity, I didn't win!"

"!?"

The powerful punch, like a pile driver, missed its mark, grazing past Soya's cheek! It should be noted that Xiao Wu's hand-to-hand combat skills were far superior to her marksmanship, yet she managed to miss at such close range!

Soya, however, maintained a mocking expression.

"Surprised? But it's not me who's affecting your performance... Why don't you take a closer look?"

Take a good look...

It wasn't until he pointed it out that Xiao Wu realized something was wrong.

My arms feel so heavy.

It's not a physical weight, but more like a mental burden.

"Dance... dance..."

Xiao Wu slowly lowered her head.

"Why... why not..."

Something grabbed her arm, causing her punch to veer off course.

"Why didn't you save me... I hate you... I hate you..."

A face so familiar it's terrifying.

Her once mature and beautiful face was now stained with blood; her ashen skin was devoid of life, and her murky eyes were filled with resentment.

Even so, Xiao Wu recognized her at a glance.

"Lucy... Auntie?"

The moment she called out the name—

"... dance!!!"

Twisted, gray-black hands dug into Xiao Wu's skin, and dirty blood gushed from Lucy's mouth, eyes, and nose. She opened her crooked mouth and bit down on Xiao Wu's arm!

It hurts!

Xiao Wu almost cried out in pain. She, who always had an extraordinary tolerance for pain, couldn't even withstand this simple bite! But the blow to her spirit was far more severe—the person who had died because of her mistake was now taking her life in front of the enemy, and she was once the family member who cared about her the most!

Instinct compelled Xiao Wu to wave her hand, trying to shake Lucy off, but Lucy seemed glued to her and wouldn't budge! Just then—

"Sister... Sister Sakura Dance..."

The slightly childish voice pierced her heart like a nail. Looking in the direction of the voice, a small body appeared beneath her and grabbed her feet.

"It's all... your fault!"

On its small body was a mutilated head, with only bits of flesh remaining above the mouth, and rotting brain matter stuck to its shoulders. Even so, its broken jaw was still weaving words of hatred.

"You promised... you'd protect me... Liar... Liar... Liar!"

"... Mar... Margaret?"

Sharp nails pierced Xiao Wu's ankle, tightly binding her and making it difficult for Xiao Wu to move. Just as Xiao Wu was suffering from both physical and mental trauma, Soya, who was only a few steps away from her, took off her shirt.

His muscular upper body was covered in maggot-like purplish-black runes, which writhe and crawl across his skin like worms—an indescribably grotesque and repulsive sight! Soya, however, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it, stretching his rune-covered hand towards Xiao Wu—

Even the strongest person has gaps in their heart. As long as there is the slightest gap, I can penetrate it and appreciate every bit of the pain you have endured...

The runes detached from her skin and flew into the air, like a swarm of flying insects attacking the shocked and unprepared Xiao Wu.

"Past stains don't disappear; they only accumulate over time, their magnitude exceeding your imagination..."

The first rune touched Xiao Wu's forehead.

The next instant, Xiao Wu collapsed to the ground as if power had been cut off, the purplish-black runes enveloping her like a shell, isolating her from everything outside.

Soya revealed a smug, sinister grin.

"Just let your shameful past kill you, woman!"

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I just finished my electrical engineering exam, and I did terribly... And my book's clicks and Monthly Votes haven't been going up these past few days... Need some consolation QAQ