I'll Take This Mission

Morning sunlight spilled across the campus of Linhai No. 3 Middle School, but it could not dispel the oppressive tension in the classroom of Class 7, Senior Year 3, where a clash seemed imminent.

Less than ten minutes after Su Bai hung up on Lin Que, their homeroom teacher, Qin Wan, hurriedly pushed open the classroom door.

Her face was somewhat pale, and the anxiety in her eyes was unmistakable behind her gold-rimmed glasses.

Three middle-aged men in black suits followed Qin Wan, each carrying a briefcase.

The man at the front had a slicked-back pompadour that gleamed with oil, and a senior badge from the Linhai City Education Bureau Safety Assessment Committee was pinned to his chest.

His name was Wang Hai, and he was the Education Bureau's notoriously "iron-faced judge." But everyone knew that, in private, he was extremely close to the Gu Family.

Beside Wang Hai was the Gu Family's chief lawyer, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and an arrogant expression.

At the rear was Zhang Lei, captain of the Abnormality Division's Third Squad at the City Appearance Bureau.

Helplessness and conflict were written all over Zhang Lei's face. Though he was grateful to Su Bai for saving his life, orders were as immovable as mountains, and he had to carry out Captain Bai Lan's command.

Every student in the classroom held their breath, too frightened to make a sound.

Even a fool could see that the Gu Family had mobilized official power to settle scores with Su Bai.

"Student Su Bai." Wang Hai walked up to the podium and looked down at Su Bai, who sat in the back row. His voice was as cold and hard as stone.

"I'm Wang Hai of the City Education Bureau Safety Assessment Team. In light of the characteristics your divine kingdom displayed during the simulated divine battle, we have reason to suspect that your initial small world has completely spiraled out of control and become a high-risk source of dark matter contamination."

Wang Hai pulled a document bearing a red seal from his briefcase and slammed it onto the lectern.

"Under the Great Xia Nation Deity Safety Management Regulations, any divine kingdom with a contamination index exceeding ninety percent is considered a 'mobile bomb' that poses an extreme threat to the real world."

"Now, on behalf of the Education Bureau, I hereby formally inform you that you are suspended from classes immediately and will be handed over to the City Appearance Bureau for compulsory divine kingdom excision surgery!"

An uproar swept through the class.

Lin Que was so anxious that all the fat on his body trembled. If the classmates beside him hadn't held him back, he would probably have already charged up to fight them.

Shen Yueli sat in the front row, a flicker of anger passing through her cool eyes. She quietly tightened her grip on her Moonlight Staff, seemingly making some dangerous decision.

"Commissioner Wang! This goes against the rules!" Qin Wan whirled around and spread her arms, blocking the space between Su Bai and Wang Hai.

"Su Bai's divine kingdom may have a high contamination index, but he didn't let a single trace of contamination leak into the real world during the simulated battle! His divine kingdom is sealed and controllable!"

"Besides, Principal Chen Tianxing has made it clear that Su Bai is under the school's special protection. What gives you the right to forcibly remove a student's divine kingdom without the principal's signature?"

Qin Wan argued on solid grounds, Demigod Stage spiritual power faintly surging around her.

The Gu Family's chief lawyer sneered and adjusted his glasses.

"Teacher Qin, please understand the situation. Of course we have to give Principal Chen face, but safety comes before everything else. The Gu Family young master's divine kingdom was destroyed by this kid's source of contamination. That's ironclad proof!"

"A student is wandering around school with a canister of poison gas that could explode at any moment. If the contamination leaks someday, the thousands of teachers and students at Linhai No. 3 Middle School will all be buried with him. Can you, Qin Wan, take responsibility for that? Can Principal Chen?"

Every word the lawyer spoke struck at the heart, setting Su Bai directly against all the other students.

Sure enough, a few of the more timid students in the classroom had already begun whispering, their gazes toward Su Bai tinged with fear and rejection.

Wang Hai waved impatiently. "Enough. Cut the nonsense. Captain Zhang Lei, proceed with the compulsory removal immediately!"

Zhang Lei took a deep breath and walked over to Su Bai with heavy steps.

He looked at Su Bai's almost excessively calm face, his eyes full of apology, and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear.

"Brother Su, I'm sorry. Captain Bai said the Gu Family is putting too much pressure on the higher-ups, so she can only follow official procedure. But she's left you a way out. As long as you take that practical combat assessment mission..."

Before Zhang Lei could finish, Su Bai suddenly burst out laughing.

He rose unhurriedly and stretched at length, his bones cracking and popping.

"Captain Zhang, your City Appearance Bureau sure works fast." Su Bai walked around the desks and went straight up to Wang Hai and the Gu Family lawyer.

Ignoring Wang Hai's gaze, which looked ready to devour him, he instead studied the red-sealed document with interest.

"Commissioner Wang, right? You said my divine kingdom is a mobile bomb that endangers public safety. Then let me ask: do you have direct evidence that my contamination has ever leaked?" Su Bai asked casually.

"Gu Chengfeng's divine kingdom was destroyed because he wasn't skilled enough in the simulated battle and suffered backlash from my rules. The divine battle agreement was signed in black and white: 'Life and death are left to fate.' What, the Gu Family can't afford to lose, so you're resorting to this underhanded official pressure?"

The Gu Family lawyer's face darkened. "Sophistry! Your divine kingdom is full of dark matter. The instruments detected it—that's ironclad proof!"

"What's wrong with dark matter? Did it eat your family's rice?" Su Bai rolled his eyes.

"Which law in the Great Xia Nation says I can't use dark matter to build my divine kingdom's ecosystem? Is it illegal for me to keep a few Anomalies that like sniffing car exhaust as my followers?"

"You!" Smoke practically poured from all seven of the Gu Family lawyer's orifices at Su Bai's twisted logic, and for a moment he had no idea how to refute him.

The laws of the Great Xia Nation did not expressly forbid using contamination as the foundation of a divine kingdom. People didn't use it because normal people couldn't stand the stuff, not because the law prohibited it.

Wang Hai snorted coldly, cutting off their argument. "Su Bai, being sharp-tongued won't help you. The Safety Assessment Committee's decision is final. If you refuse divine kingdom excision, you must take the 'extreme practical combat assessment mission' issued by the City Appearance Bureau."

A sinister gleam flashed in Wang Hai's eyes. "Without any outside support, you must enter the core area of Benevolent Heart Hospital in the western suburbs, recover the missing streamer's corpse, and bring back a sample record of a second-tier Anomaly."

"As long as you come out alive and don't let your divine kingdom's contamination run out of control in the process, we'll acknowledge that your divine kingdom is safe."

"Otherwise, you must come with us today!"

At the mention of Benevolent Heart Hospital, Qin Wan's face turned deathly pale.

"Wang Hai! This is premeditated murder!" Qin Wan flew into a rage, pointing at Wang Hai's nose as she cursed him.

"Benevolent Heart Hospital is one of Linhai City's three great forbidden zones! A third-tier, half-formed rule Anomaly has made its lair there! Forget a newly awakened student-even a demigod like me would face nine chances of death and one of survival in there! How is sending him there for an assessment any different from killing him outright?"

The students in the classroom all sucked in a breath of cold air.

Benevolent Heart Hospital's infamous reputation in Linhai City was enough to stop children from crying at night. Legend had it that it had once been the city's largest private hospital. Then a serious medical accident caused a dark matter leak, and overnight, every doctor and patient in the hospital turned into a twisted monster.

Any living person who stepped inside would be forcibly dragged onto an operating table to receive inhuman "treatment" from those mutated doctors.

Send Su Bai there? This was unquestionably a venomous scheme by the Gu Family to kill with a borrowed knife!

Zhang Lei gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak. "Commissioner Wang, this mission's rating really is too high. It's beyond a new student's capabilities. I suggest-"

"Shut up! You don't get a say here!" Wang Hai snapped, cutting Zhang Lei off. "This assessment standard was jointly set by the Safety Committee and the City Appearance Bureau's senior officials. Since he claims his divine kingdom can control Anomalies, he can go to the most dangerous place and prove it to us!"

Wang Hai fixed his eyes on Su Bai, a cruel sneer curling his lips. "Su Bai, your choices have been laid out for you. Either obediently go to the operating table and have your divine kingdom removed, or go to Benevolent Heart Hospital and die. Choose."

The classroom fell deathly silent.

Qin Wan closed her eyes in despair. The Gu Family wielded too much power. Once they were determined to go through official channels, even Principal Chen Tianxing would have difficulty intervening openly.

Shen Yueli had already tightened her grip on her staff. If they dared to use force, she would summon the Moon Shadow Elf at once.

Everyone waited for Su Bai's answer.

They thought Su Bai would surely break down, beg for mercy, perhaps even curse the unfairness of fate.

Yet.

Looking at Wang Hai's smug face, Su Bai suddenly broke into a brilliant smile.

There wasn't the slightest trace of fear in that smile. Instead, it was filled with the fervor and excitement of someone who had spotted a peerless treasure.

"Commissioner Wang, you just said that as long as I bring back a sample of a second-tier Anomaly from Benevolent Heart Hospital, I pass the assessment, right?" Su Bai asked with a beaming smile.

Wang Hai was taken aback and nodded instinctively. "That's right. But with your abilities-"

"Good! I'll take this mission!"

Su Bai cut Wang Hai off and agreed without hesitation.

The entire class was dumbfounded.

Qin Wan's eyes flew open, and she stared at Su Bai in disbelief. "Su Bai! Have you gone mad? That's Benevolent Heart Hospital!"

"Teacher Qin, don't worry." Su Bai turned and gave Qin Wan a reassuring look. "I've always loved going to hospitals for checkups. My back's been aching lately anyway, so it'll be nice to find an old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner at Benevolent Heart Hospital for a massage."

An old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner's massage, my ass! Those mutated Anomalies would skin him alive!

Wang Hai and the Gu Family lawyer hadn't expected Su Bai to agree so readily either. They exchanged glances, each seeing a sinister smile of successful scheming in the other's eyes.

"Since you've agreed, sign this life-and-death waiver stating that you're voluntarily accepting the practical combat assessment." The lawyer eagerly pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it to Su Bai along with a pen.

"Once you sign, we bear no responsibility whether you live or die. The mission deadline is forty-eight hours. If you haven't come out after forty-eight hours, we'll presume you've been assimilated by the Anomalies, and the City Appearance Bureau will send someone to take charge of your corpse."

Su Bai took the pen and, without even looking at the contents, signed his full name in bold, sweeping strokes.

"Captain Zhang." Su Bai slapped the signed document against Zhang Lei's chest, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a tone only the two of them could understand.

"Sorry for the trouble, but please pass this on to Captain Bai Lan. If she wants to test my bottom line, that's fine."

"But tell her to have enough funding ready. Benevolent Heart Hospital is a large-scale source of ghost stories. If I bring too much out on this trip, the City Appearance Bureau's warehouse might not have enough room."

Zhang Lei's pupils contracted sharply.

Looking into Su Bai's black eyes, deep as an abyss, he suddenly felt his heart pound wildly, though he didn't know why.

He recalled the terrifying scene at the unfinished Sunshine Waterfront building, where the young man had swallowed a peak second-tier Anomaly into his divine kingdom, skin, bones and all, as if gulping down a raw egg.

He... he's not going there to take an assessment... Zhang Lei screamed inwardly.

He's going there... to stock up!

"The paper's signed. Take care on your way out, leaders. I won't see you off." Su Bai clapped his hands, issuing a direct order for them to leave.

Wang Hai snorted coldly, put away the document, and gave Su Bai a look as though he were already dead before striding out of the classroom with the lawyer.

Zhang Lei took a deep breath and gave Su Bai a solemn nod before following them out.

Once they were gone, the classroom erupted.

Lin Que threw his arms around Su Bai's leg, crying with tears and snot streaming down his face. "Brother Bai! What were you thinking?! You might as well have signed yourself away to die! Let's run! My mother's cousin mines coal in the next city. Let's go stay with him!"

"Get lost. Stop wiping your snot on my new pants." Su Bai kicked Lin Que away in disgust.

He slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, glanced at Qin Wan, who was still in a daze, and grinned.

"Teacher Qin, please get me two days off. When I come back from the hospital, I'll bring you some local specialties from there."

With that, Su Bai shoved his hands into his pockets, whistled, and swaggered out of the classroom.

He was in a hurry.

Iron Hand from the black market had already prepared the materials for the school bus, and he still had to rush to the abandoned steel mill to pick it up.

With the [Midnight School Bus] as his ride, wouldn't he look the part of a Ghost Story Creator when he went to Benevolent Heart Hospital to stock up?