Dimensional Interlayer · Mysterious Animal Research Club
It was an enclosed room as large as a soccer field.
The air circulated just as it did outside. The walls and floor were wooden, and Thaumaturgy lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow.
"Wow, this whole huge place is ours now," Ushas said excitedly.
Xia Xiu glanced around. Aside from a set of furniture for receiving guests and a complimentary holographic projection board, there was nothing else.
"It's a little bare right now. I checked, and if we want to add equipment, we'll have to buy it with credits... Of course, we can also pay out of pocket," Camille explained to everyone present after reading the introduction that had suddenly appeared on her interface.
"No problem. I'll take care of it." Ushas waved a hand.
While Camille and Ushas chatted, Xia Xiu had already made himself comfortable on the complimentary sofa. He asked Jarvis:
"Jarvis, does this place support food delivery?"
[Sir, this area supports food delivery!]
Excellent. That'll make things much more convenient.
"Camille, are there any missions assigned to us yet?" Ushas asked, her face still brimming with excitement.
"Uh, let me check." Camille glanced at her interface, then began tapping through it.
[Ding-] [Sir, you have unlocked the [Academy Bulletin] search function!]
Xia Xiu opened the [Academy Bulletin], where a stream of community missions kept refreshing.
"There are this many?" Ushas watched the constantly updating listings, overwhelmed by the sheer number.
"There's... there's a search function. You can filter out some of the trivial missions," Lifenel reminded her timidly from the side.
"Oh, there really is. Thanks."
"Ribbit. Now that our club is established, we should be targeting the mysterious animals in the [House of Languages]. President, you know how to get into the [House of Languages], right?" Muji the Traveling Frog asked Camille.
"Yes. I looked into that. For a club to enter the [House of Languages], it needs at least one member with an [Animal Communication Certificate]. And this [Animal Communication Certificate] is a little unusual-it's issued by animals," Camille replied.
"Muji, issue us one," Ushas suddenly said to Muji the Traveling Frog.
"...Ribbit. Even if I wanted to issue you one, Terra's authorities would have to recognize it," Muji said, speechless.
"A talking frog doesn't count as a mysterious animal!?" Ushas exclaimed in shock.
"...Ribbit. Our Traveling Frog species generally has the level of intelligence required to connect to a Lineage," Muji answered helplessly.
"What's the difference?" Ushas asked, confusion written across all three of her eyes.
"...Ribbit. You'll have to ask Terra's experts about that. Who knows how they classify things?" Muji rolled his eyes at Ushas.
"The prerequisite for taking the [Animal Communication Certificate] exam is the ability to communicate with animals. My [Synesthesia] happens to give me that ability," Camille said.
"I'll find some time to take the exam soon. Then we'll be able to enter the [House of Languages] and pick up missions there."
"That way, we can avoid competing with the other students in our year, and our club members will soon earn all the credits they need for their first year," Camille said, full of enthusiasm.
"Ribbit. And we can exchange any extra credits for useful resources at the academy's think tank," Muji the Traveling Frog added.
The Mysterious Animal Research Club's future now looked bright.
Every club member was imagining what they would exchange their plentiful credits for.
There were so many things in the think tank they wanted.
"President, I want to take a mission. It needs your approval, so could you clear it for me?" A languid voice interrupted their daydreaming.
Camille turned toward Xia Xiu, who was scrolling through the [Academy Bulletin] on the sofa. A message requesting her authorization popped up before her, and she curiously examined its contents.
[Feed the [Black Demon Hound]!?] [Mission rating: ★★★☆☆] [Mission requirements: Feed the [Black Demon Hound] for one week.] [Mission reward: 50 credits, plus one request commensurate with the mission's difficulty.] Note: You must carefully read "Black Demon Hound Guidelines {link+}" before accepting this mission.
Camille reached out and tapped the plus sign beside "Black Demon Hound Guidelines {link+}," expanding its contents.
Black Demon Hound Guidelines-{expanded ▽} ▷ Image {A large, sexless, black, long-haired canine creature standing 1.5 meters at the shoulder, with a pair of bright orange-red eyes and a mouthful of protruding teeth.} ▷ Abilities: ① When an individual with a high level of intelligence makes eye contact with the [Black Demon Hound], that individual or one of their close relatives will die within approximately one year after eye contact is broken. (Note 1: If both the individual who makes contact and their relatives are stage-two Thaumaturgists, this effect becomes [Misfortune Aura], lasting one month.) (Note 2: This effect does not affect the individual's newborn descendants or newborn relatives.) ② The [Black Demon Hound] can pass through walls. ③ When the [Black Demon Hound] comes into contact with a "cross marking," it can summon black flames at a temperature of 1,538 degrees Celsius. (Note: A cross marking means two lines intersecting perpendicularly in the geometric sense. Do not bring the [Black Demon Hound] to a crossroads. Do not make any perpendicular, cross-shaped gestures. Do not wear any clothing bearing cross patterns...) ④ The [Black Demon Hound] possesses meme contamination-[Suffocating Gray Matter]. [Suffocating Gray Matter]: After an individual remains in contact with the [Black Demon Hound] for more than two minutes, they will feel as though their body has been "filled" with something (Note 1). After more than five minutes of contact, the individual will die of suffocation. (Note 1: The filling sensation the individual experiences is actually a form of highly compressed "ash." It primarily fills the individual's lungs, but other affected areas include, without limitation, any organs, tissues, and the circulatory system.) (Note 2: During the first two minutes, the meme contamination is sensory contamination {similar to a cognitive deception effect}. After the individual dies, the contamination warps reality, turning the illusion into reality {gray matter materialization}.)
By the time Camille finished reading the [Black Demon Hound]'s information, her face had gone white with fear. What kind of monster was this!?
Camille anxiously said to Xia Xiu:
"No!!! We're still freshmen! Why would you take this kind of... this kind of mission that could kill not only you, but your family too!"
Xia Xiu merely pointed at himself with an unconcerned smile and said:
"I have no family. I'm alone in this world."
Camille froze for a moment at his words. The way she looked at Xia Xiu changed at once, and the tragic histories of all sorts of romance novel protagonists flashed through her mind. Her eyes grew misty as she gazed at him.
She had always assumed Xia Xiu was a young nobleman. She had never imagined his background was so tragic.
"I feel like you're thinking some very unkind things about me," Xia Xiu said helplessly as he looked at Camille's watery eyes.
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