TYMIMA Chapter 32

In an instant, the sunset dropped half a degree behind the mountain peak. That line of red glow just fell into Oliver’s eyes.

 

A person whose life had lost all color, under nature’s favor, suddenly seemed to regain the brilliance of youth, as dazzling as the sun.

 

 

The car was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

 

In this eternal and prolonged silence, Si Hongche calmed himself down. He didn’t seem surprised, but raised his left hand covered with gun calluses and malice, thoughtfully playing with his fingers, as if counting down to the impending punishment.

 

An Alpha’s pheromones can soothe an injured Omega, and naturally can also oppress them to extreme pain.

 

Because of the high compatibility of AO pheromones, there is no defense against each other.

 

He hated betrayal the most in his life, let alone betrayal again and again.

 

But facts proved that no matter how much punishment, how much pain, some people would always repeat their mistakes.

 

Just as Si Hongche’s patience was exhausted and he was about to apply high pressure to force a confession, Oliver finally opened his lips.

 

Because he hadn’t communicated with people for too long, his accent had become very strange. He would unconsciously pronounce each syllable extremely clearly, with at least a two-second interval between words.

 

“It’s Knight Bear… Long-nosed Guard… Cabbage Maid.”

 

In the cartoon “The Golden House,” Knight Bear, Long-nosed Guard, and Cabbage Maid were the best friends of the golden curly-haired little lion. Their names were 121, 242, and 363 respectively. They accompanied the prince together, inseparable.

 

After growing up, the little lion bid farewell to his friends and set out alone on a journey to the Grassland Planet. Every time he licked his wounds in the deep night, he would look toward the nearby planet, and his friends would light fireworks representing longing on the roof of the Golden House, waiting for his return from adventure.

 

He was never lonely; his journey was always accompanied by friendship.

 

Si Hongche’s fingers suddenly stiffened in mid-air. In these few seconds of freeze-frame, his expression underwent extremely complex changes. Actually, he could guess that this might be Oliver’s lie, but regardless of whether this answer was true or not, he ultimately couldn’t bring himself to act.

 

“The Golden House” was Oliver’s favorite cartoon, so their first date was at the Golden House theme park in Capital City. There, Si Hongche met the three toy friends of the golden curly-haired little lion.

 

However, times had changed. The cartoon was no longer popular, the theme park had long been abandoned, and Si Hongche had forgotten the names of those three toy friends.

 

In fact, Si Hongche had already discovered that Oliver’s mental state had problems. He seemed to not exist in the real world, only reacting to people and things in the outside world when in pain.

 

Sure enough, once the crisis was resolved, Oliver reverted to his empty and bewildered appearance. He leaned weakly against the car window, avoiding the remnants of the sunset, hiding in the darkness.

 

Actually, for a 36-year-old adult to still like cartoons is a very laughable thing.

 

But his life had sunk in his eighteenth year.

 

He wasn’t stupid. At the moment he decided to give the Black Lantern Society a hint, he had also left himself an escape route. Coincidentally, these numbers had some special meaning.

 

He certainly knew how to use old attachments to make himself feel a bit better, but whenever he did this, he felt disgusted.

 

Disgusted by his own cowardice and meanness, and even more disgusted that the other person could be extremely cruel while still harboring old feelings.

 

He quietly closed his eyes, his breathing so light it seemed non-existent. He had set up a virtual realm for himself in his Spirit Realm system, once again falling into his long, beautiful childhood.

 

Since death was approaching, why not say a proper goodbye.

 

In the dormitory, the scenery around Lance lost its color bit by bit, like dye fading. The desk he had just sat on, the bed he was now lying on, the sunset leaking through the window, all turned into tiny particles, slowly floating away.

 

Lance and Zhan Pingchuan both sat up straight. Soon, the soft sheets beneath them also disappeared.

 

The illusion had vanished!

 

Zhan Pingchuan hypocritically showed a surprised expression and refused to remove his hand from Lance’s waist: “Am I not dreaming?”

 

Lance looked down at Zhan Pingchuan’s hand on his side waist, reached for the glasses beside the pillow, and put them on: “Classmate Zhan, I’m awake now.”

 

So please remove your hand.

 

Zhan Pingchuan pretended not to understand, saying reluctantly: “I’m still sleepy. Let’s sleep a bit more?”

 

Lance: “.”

 

Soon, the voices of other freshmen came from around them—

 

“Holy shit! What’s going on? Where are my thousand duck and chicken heads?”

 

“Where is this? Wasn’t I negotiating in the principal’s office?”

 

“Why is the ground so sticky? I should be on the high-speed train home!”

 

……

 

With nearly five hundred people watching, Zhan Pingchuan didn’t want to sleep for them to see, so he reluctantly withdrew his hand.

 

Liu Bo and Tang Li had just awakened. Liu Bo rubbed his eyes, and as soon as he woke up, he almost wanted to faint on the spot.

 

“It’s over, it’s over, we’re back again!”

 

Tang Li instinctively moved closer to Zhan Pingchuan, the peak combat power of the team. However, after just one step, he saw Zhan Pingchuan’s arm, at a speed of forearm muscle atrophy, slowly, extremely slowly, and unwillingly, withdraw from Lance’s waist.

 

Tang Li: “……” He stiffly moved back.

 

At the same time, the Federation intranet live broadcast, which had been closed for a long time, was restored. Guild representatives who had repeatedly complained to the Federation could once again see the scenes in the underground city.

 

After several hours, those freshmen, for some unknown reason, still remained in the initial passage. The ground was littered with the messy corpses of Pouncers, and the students’ mental state was obviously not normal.

 

[[Night Walker Guild] HandsBlue: Strange, how come after several hours, they haven’t moved?]

 

[[Galaxy Guild] Flora: Have you noticed, these students seem a bit off?]

 

[[Hera Guild] Hercules: What are they howling about? It’s just a C-level underground city, they don’t need to be this scared.]

 

[[Eternal Light Guild] Galaxy: Each generation is worse than the last. Why are they all clamoring to go home to daddy?]

 

[[High Tower Guild] HomeHasMyDarling: Where’s my knife? Where’s my knife? Where’s my knife!!!!!!!]

 

[[Ghost Eye Guild] NotBuyingBathroom: Damn, who fixed the live broadcast? Not the right time, turn it off!]

 

[[Roman Guild] Chaos: I understand less and less of what the two big shots from Ghost Eye and High Tower are saying.]

 

[[Ice Shard Guild] White Orchid Soldier: I understand, they must be frustrated that this batch of freshmen isn’t living up to expectations.]

 

Ashlen was the first to get up from the ground, not even caring that a Pouncer’s fish head was hanging on his waistband. He anxiously shouted: “The door! Find the door again!”

 

Tu Mo, not to be outdone, shouted loudly among the crowd: “Listen to me, everyone! No one is allowed to run around. If anyone startles the beasts inside, I’ll send them off first!”

 

Ashlen was scared out of his wits, turning to Tu Mo and gritting his teeth: “Fuck your mother, lower your voice! Do you want to attract it?”

 

Tu Mo was forced to lower his voice, saying hatefully: “Is your voice any lower?”

 

[[Night Walker Guild] HandsBlue: Sigh… how could a Frightening Bird scare them like this?]

 

[[Roman Guild] Chaos: These two are A-levels, right? They’re really not good. I don’t think we’ll find any promising talents this time.]

 

Lance pressed his palm against the solid ground, then looked toward the dim depths of the passage: “This time seems a bit different. My intuition tells me there’s no danger.”

 

Tang Li pricked up his ears: “Really?”

 

He didn’t disbelieve Lance’s ability, but the previous experience had left too great a shadow on him.

 

Zhan Pingchuan rested his chin on one hand, staring at Lance with a smile: “I’ll listen to you. Let’s go in and take a look.”

 

After kissing the gland, Zhan Pingchuan was in a state of temporary brain shutdown. This wasn’t an underground city; this was the breeding ground for his romance with his wife.

 

Besides, even if they encountered that thing with insufficient knowledge of math, physics, and chemistry again, he had escape experience.

 

If Lance knew what Zhan Pingchuan was thinking, he would mercilessly tell him that while he did escape from the Golden Parasite Human-Faced Owl through his own skills, the entire scenario was just part of Oliver’s illusion designed to reach the 363 count needed for the hint.

 

Lance smiled sweetly: “Classmate Zhan, will we get first place?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan raised an eyebrow: “Definitely.”

 

Tang Li: “!!!” Brother, you’re melting a bit brainlessly!

 

So, when everyone patted their butts and got up from the ground, swarming toward the direction of the door, Lance’s Sky team chose to go against the flow.

 

 

Ashlen: “?” Are they sick?

 

Tu Mo: “?” Can’t save those who are destined to die.

 

[[Night Walker Guild] HandsBlue: ???]

 

[[Galaxy Guild] Flora: It’s not completely hopeless. This team is quite brave.]

 

Lance and his team walked several hundred meters into the passage, finally discovering a bright green, serrated wild grass under an oil lamp. In the center of the grass was an almost imperceptible yellow flower bud.

 

Lance crouched down, adjusted his glasses, carefully examined it for a moment, then said: “It’s Bone Flower.”

 

Liu Bo: “What is Bone Flower?”

 

Lance explained: “A plant nourished by beast bones. Its appearance is sharp and ugly, and its leaves are highly poisonous. It can be applied to weapons to increase kill rates. Bone Flowers nourished by different levels of beast bones have different effects, but even a C-level beast’s Bone Flower sells for 100,000 yuan on trading platforms.”

 

Since there was a Bone Flower, it meant they weren’t far from where beasts lived.

 

Liu Bo instinctively exclaimed: “Classmate Lance, you know so much!”

 

But Zhan Pingchuan’s heart stirred slightly, his intelligence reclaiming the high ground.

 

He knew about Bone Flowers because he had been in underground cities with the guild since he was young. He had even greedily bitten those poisonous leaves once and almost died.

 

But how did Lance know?

 

He felt that for a high school graduate from a poor family background, Lance knew a bit too much.

 

Even with this illusion, Lance was the first to discover the anomaly. The danger perception ability could explain it, but to have such quick thinking when facing danger, not crying, not panicking, not anxious, even daring to wait until the last moment outside the door…

 

Was this really something an eighteen-year-old student who had never seen the world could do?

 

Zhan Pingchuan lowered his eyes, examining his future wife with interest.

 

Unless—

 

Lance carefully picked the Bone Flower, wrapped it in a tissue, and tucked it into his pocket. After doing all this, he casually replied: “It’s from ‘Encyclopedia of Strange Beasts and Plants.'”

 

Tang Li: “?”

 

Liu Bo: “?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “???”

 

Lance turned back, facing three bewildered faces, and was also confused for a moment. Then, tilting his head, he asked in puzzlement: “Didn’t you borrow this series of books from the library in elementary school?”

 

Tang Li was ashamed to the point of wanting to disappear: “I, I, I… didn’t go to the library in elementary school.”

 

Hearing it was a series of books, Liu Bo was utterly impressed: “Classmate Lance, no wonder you’re first in the grade.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “……………….”

 

He had been careless. He thought he had caught his wife’s little secret, but it was just a top student mercilessly crushing underachievers.

 

After asking, Lance inwardly sneered. A bunch of little idiots—how could he possibly tell them what wasn’t in the books?

 

For instance, the greatest value of the Bone Flower wasn’t the poison on its leaves, but the flower bud in its core.

 

It was an excellent supplement, particularly beneficial for plant system Awakened ones.

 

Just then, the heavy breathing of a raptor came from the depths of the passage. The breathing was mixed with irritability, anger, and warning.

 

It had sensed outsiders invading its territory and was ready to attack.

 

Tang Li and Liu Bo’s hair immediately stood on end, wishing they could run away immediately. However, Zhan Pingchuan clearly felt that this beast’s level wasn’t high.

 

Whoosh!

 

An extremely fast, deep green shadow shot out from the darkness, heading straight for Lance, who had the lowest level.

 

Lance deliberately didn’t move his feet, pretending to be slow to react.

 

Sure enough, the deep green shadow “bang” crashed into the transparent barrier, emitting hissing roars.

 

It landed on the ground, its rough claws gripping two protruding stones, its wrinkled wings spread, the spines on its skin all standing up.

 

It had a bird-like face, but fangs replaced its beak. Whenever it emitted a hiss, deep green saliva dripped from its fangs.

 

C-level beast, the Frightening Bird.

 

“Classmate Zhan,” Lance called softly.

 

“I’m here.” Zhan Pingchuan raised his right hand.

 

In an instant, two silver threads pierced through the barrier. With a flash of cold light, “puchi!” they stabbed into the Frightening Bird’s eyes.

 

The Frightening Bird let out a screech, its spine-covered skin scraping several deep marks on the passage’s stone walls.

 

“Well, thank goodness this thing can’t replace its eyeballs.” Zhan Pingchuan borrowed the Black Mamba Fang from Lance’s hand, weighing it as he walked over. As the Frightening Bird frantically flapped about, having lost its vision, he stabbed the knife into its throat.

 

The huge fangs suddenly closed, violently hitting the dagger with a “clang.” The toxin on the Black Mamba Fang quickly spread throughout the Frightening Bird’s body through its blood.

 

Zhan Pingchuan violently pulled out the dagger. The Frightening Bird struggled for a long time with a hoarse throat before finally crashing to the ground.

 

Zhan Pingchuan skillfully used the knife to cut open its skin and flesh, took out the leg bones, wrapped them well in oilcloth as trophies of this entry.

 

The Frightening Bird’s bones were good material for making weapons. Selling these two would be enough to treat Lance to shumai for a year.

 

With this, the first place in this Star University Challenge Cup competition was settled.

 

The door of the C-level underground city [Frightening Bird] opened with a bang. The last ray of light from the valley’s sunset shone into the passage, and refreshing cool wind swept in.

 

“The door, the door is open! We can get out!”

 

“No need to regress this time, the door is really open!”

 

“Mom! Take me home! I’m not going to school anymore, ahhhhh!”

 

A group of terrified freshmen ran out crying and shouting.

 

Five hundred people instantly filled the recruitment market. Many fell to their knees, weeping uncontrollably, a scene that frightened even the stationed Blue Pivot inspection team members.

 

Thinking that some of these freshmen would become their colleagues in the future made their hearts thoroughly cold.

 

Lance and Zhan Pingchuan were the last to come out. As they emerged, they saw Si Hongche’s private car raising a cloud of dust, speeding away.

 

The harsh sound of wheels crushing sand expressed the owner’s wordless anger.

 

Lance saw the window on the other side half-open, with a few strands of golden hair floating out, trembling in the valley wind.

 

Lance instinctively asked: “Zhan Pingchuan, is it bad for gland fatigue to be exposed to wind?”

 

Several hours of ability and pheromone consumption was a great burden for any Awakened one. Even for an S-level, without the comfort of Alpha pheromones, an Omega would suffer greatly.

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s nerves jumped.

 

Damn, I lost points!

 

He hurriedly threw the Frightening Bird’s leg bones to Liu Bo at the speed of tossing garbage, then quickly took off his school uniform jacket and wrapped Lance up tightly, leaving only a pair of round fox-like eyes exposed.

 

Zhan Pingchuan cleared his throat, explaining guiltily: “It’s not that I didn’t think you would understand, but I was afraid the bloody smell would bother you. In our Desert City, Alphas are especially caring toward their wiv… roommates.”

 

“…Mm.” Lance didn’t intend to point it out, but since Zhan Pingchuan had misunderstood… let it be this way.

 

Lance allowed Zhan Pingchuan to wrap him like a dumpling. He looked in the direction where the SUV had disappeared, slightly narrowing his amber eyes.

 

Since your wish is to be killed by the Black Lantern Society, I will grant it.

 

But the Alpha beside you must also die.

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)