Zhao Yibing’s eyes flickered slightly.
It seemed like everyone was now standing on her side.
But—
This wasn’t right at all!
She originally intended to publicly break up with Shen Ye, but now the situation had completely flipped.
—Now it was Shen Ye publicly breaking up with her!
I’m not his lapdog; how did things end up like this?!
“Shen Ye, we haven’t finished talking!” Zhao Yibing called out urgently.
“Stop right there!” A male voice shouted at the same time.
On the staircase, a boy blocked Shen Ye’s way.
“And you are?” Shen Ye asked.
“Sun Ming,” the boy replied.
Ah, third in the grade.
“Classmate Sun, class is about to start. Please don’t block the way,” Shen Ye said.
“Apologize to Zhao Yibing first,” Sun Ming demanded, crossing his arms and looking down at Shen Ye with an air of superiority.
“Apologize?” Shen Ye glanced at him, then at Zhao Yibing, who looked aggrieved.
“Classmate Sun, don’t get it twisted. Zhao Yibing called me over, not the other way around,” Shen Ye said, spreading his hands.
“Apologize!” Sun Ming roared, slamming his fist into the wall with a loud thud.
Shen Ye was startled.
Whoa, the otherworld version of a hot-headed brute?
Reluctantly, he turned back, walked up to Zhao Yibing, and spoke in a low, soft tone:
“Alright, you win…”
He seemed to have made up his mind. His eyes turned red, and he clenched his teeth.
“Zhao Yibing, you can keep harassing me now. Satisfied?”
“?” Zhao Yibing.
“?” Sun Ming.
Looking utterly aggrieved, Shen Ye ran up the stairs.
Zhao Yibing couldn’t hold it in anymore and shouted, “Wait a second—I didn’t mean to force you—don’t listen to Sun Ming!”
Ah, what was I thinking!
Why did I say something like ‘I didn’t mean to force you’?!
Sun Ming is such a mess-maker!
Thinking of this, Zhao Yibing shot Sun Ming a fierce glare.
Sun Ming panicked.
I was clearly here to support Zhao Yibing and humiliate that guy who couldn’t even get into a key high school.
How did things turn out like this?!
No way.
This needed to be fixed immediately!
Just as Shen Ye brushed past him, Sun Ming tried to salvage the situation.
“Hey, don’t leave! Stay here and explain yourself!”
He threw a punch at Shen Ye.
Shen Ye smirked lightly, unfazed.
As the former top student in his grade, Shen Ye excelled in agility.
His agility stat was at 2.
—Twice that of an average adult male.
Now, by adding his sole attribute point, his agility reached 3.
This already surpassed the level of a middle schooler.
With the battle experience of dodging bullets using the “Moonlit Deer Step” last night—
In front of the crowd.
Shen Ye suddenly sidestepped, dodging the punch with ease. Then, with a light leap, he pressed a hand on Sun Ming’s head, using the momentum to push off, ran a few steps along the wall, and gracefully bypassed the crowd, landing in the corridor.
The onlookers gasped in unison with exclamations like “Wow,” “Ah,” and “What?!”
His movements were so smooth and natural, as if running on flat ground, imbued with the innate elegance of an elven race.
Unforgettable.
Even Zhao Yibing was dumbfounded.
Sun Ming, having been publicly used as a springboard, was too stunned to react. Fight him?
Ridiculous!
Such a level of agility deserved full marks, right?
Everyone silently thought to themselves.
But Shen Ye couldn’t care less about the onlookers. He returned to the classroom to continue working on his exercises.
The bell rang—
Class began.
A female teacher holding a teacup and a stack of test papers ascended the stairs, only to find the stairwell completely packed. Annoyed, she scolded, “What are you all doing here? Don’t you know it’s time for class?!”
The students dispersed quickly, returning to their classrooms.
A few minutes later.
Class 9-5.
A short, chubby man entered the classroom, carrying a stack of papers, and announced directly:
“Thirty points for this written test, followed by a simulation exam outside.”
The test papers were distributed quickly.
Shen Ye, having long since moved on from the earlier drama, picked up his pen and began reading through the questions.
The paper consisted of relatively simple questions, such as:
- Identify the most suitable technique for enhancing movement speed from the following options.
- What is the primary role of agility in combat?
- What is the most effective basic exercise for practicing footwork, and why?
…
Written knowledge accounted for 30% of the total score.
The remaining 70% depended on the practical test.
Shen Ye began answering without hesitation.
As he worked through the paper, bits of forgotten knowledge resurfaced in his mind.
Shen Ye nodded slightly to himself.
—Looks like I’ll need to cram intensely before the next exam.
Time passed.
Once the test was over, the class gathered and headed to the field for the simulation exam.
“Hey, Night Bro,”
Chen Haoyu, trailing at the back of the group, tugged at Shen Ye’s sleeve.
“What?” Shen Ye asked.
“The tests take ages. They won’t call us for a while anyway, so why don’t we sneak off for a bit?” Chen Haoyu suggested.
“Where to?” Shen Ye chuckled.
“A manga café opened near the school’s back gate. They have a ton of new releases we haven’t read yet. Let’s climb over the wall and check it out.”
This sparked an idea in Shen Ye’s mind.
While everyone else was warming up on the field, waiting for their turn, he could use the time to work on today’s evaluation entries.
“You go. I’m not in the mood today,” Shen Ye said.
Chen Haoyu frowned slightly, disappointed.
Shen Ye smirked, asking, “What’s your plan?”
Chen Haoyu glanced in a certain direction and pouted. “I wasn’t going to show you because I thought it’d upset you.”
Following his gaze, Shen Ye saw students from Classes 9-2 and 9-3 gathering on the field as well.
Among them, a pretty girl from Class 9-2 was chatting with her friends.
Then, a boy from Class 9-3 approached her, and they began talking and laughing together.
Zhao Yibing.
Hot-headed brute—no, Sun Ming.
Shen Ye understood Chen Haoyu’s concern.
—But he had no time to dwell on such trivial matters.
“You should know, I don’t actually like her.”
Shen Ye whispered.
“Really?” Chen Haoyu asked.
“Of course,” Shen Ye replied.
“Hmph. She used to come looking for you all the time. After you missed that exam, she stopped coming to our class altogether,” Chen Haoyu pointed out.
“We’ve cleared things up. She won’t be bothering me anymore,” Shen Ye said earnestly.
Won’t be bothering me anymore…
That sounded fine, yet something about it felt off.
Regardless, Shen Ye had resolved the issue.
“Alright, that’s for the best.”
Chen Haoyu nodded.
Shen Ye checked the line and calculated the time.
Warming up, waiting, getting ready, and then the teacher saying “start” would take ages.
He and Chen Haoyu were tall and would be among the last to go.
That wouldn’t be until nearly noon.
On the field, others were warming up or practicing test moves.
There was no point in waiting here.
“Haoyu, hold my spot. I need to use the restroom,” Shen Ye said.
“Sure, I got you,” Chen Haoyu replied.
“If I don’t make it back, just say I wasn’t feeling well and went to rest,” Shen Ye added.
“Got it.”
Nodding, Shen Ye turned and walked off the field.
The campus was equipped with security cameras everywhere—except inside classrooms and restrooms.
The restroom… might still have people around…
The empty classrooms on the top floor are better.
He quickly climbed to the top floor, pushed open the door to an unused classroom, and walked to the farthest corner.
“Door.”
Shen Ye muttered in his heart.
On the wall, a classroom door quietly appeared.
In an amusingly fitting manner, the parchment nailed to the door turned into a homework notebook.
Shen Ye peered through the window into the room.
The giant skeleton wasn’t there?
Good opportunity.
Shen Ye casually took out the Crown of Pale Shadows and put it on his face, instantly transforming into a handsome male elf.
Then, he pinned a silver war medal to his chest before stepping into the Nightmare Door.
Click.
The door closed behind him.
Chilling winds blew through the corridor, making even his bones shiver.
At this moment, Shen Ye had two choices:
- Check whether the door at the end of the corridor was locked or open;
- Use the silver war medal to teleport directly to the elven territory.
…Only kids make choices.
To improve his evaluation, Shen Ye first crossed the corridor and reached out to check the lock on the door.
It didn’t budge.
The locked door ensured that other monsters couldn’t enter here.
What exactly was that giant skeleton up to?
Was it trying to monopolize me?
After all, I represent resources from another world.
Shen Ye didn’t kick the door open.
After all, his relationship with the giant skeleton was merely an equal exchange. If it decided to eat him, this relationship wouldn’t be able to restrain it.
Shen Ye was about to teleport away when he suddenly noticed something in the corner.
He crouched down and shone his phone light on it.
A black revolver lay there silently.
A gun?
He remembered—it must be the assassin’s gun!
Picking up the gun, he found a few bullets still loaded.
Good stuff!
The giant skeleton didn’t care for it, but to me, this is a treasure.
Getting a reward as soon as he entered—what a lucky start!
Satisfied, Shen Ye stored the gun, stood up, and placed his hand on the silver war medal.
The medal slowly emitted a pure white light.
The surrounding space began to distort.
Teleportation began!
A dizzying sensation overwhelmed him.
Solid ground materialized beneath his feet.
Then, something cold and hard was thrust into his hand.
“I truly lack the power to do more for you. Please take this; it’s a token of humanity.”
A voice echoed in his ears.
Around him were blue skies and white clouds.
A lush forest.
Streams, wildflowers, and leisurely wandering sika deer.
Standing by the water’s edge, Shen Ye looked around but saw no one. There was no sign of who had given him the item.
That voice sounded so familiar.
It seemed—
It was the same voice that had told him about the “Cursed Statue of the Fallen Demon King” when he awakened his “Door” ability.
Was it helping him?
Shen Ye looked down.
In his hand was a black short sword.
The blade’s spine was dull, and the hilt bore two connected heads—one human and one stag.
A faint light leapt from the blade, manifesting glowing words in the air:
“Nightshade.”
“Short sword exclusive to human scouts.”
“White rank.”
“Trait: Sharpness (Basic).”
“This is a short sword for assassination, imbued with the blessing of ‘Silent Sanctity’ by humans.”
“Silent Sanctity: Only human scouts with unsullied souls may wield this blade.”
“—The wielder of this sword is deemed trustworthy by humans and can be dedicated to intelligence transmission.”
A token of humanity.
Strange.
Where did that being obtain such a sword?
Why give it to me?
The sound of running footsteps came from the forest.
Shen Ye immediately hid the short sword in his coat and positioned himself advantageously, waiting silently.
The next moment.
Three elves appeared before him.
“Feylen?”
One elf called out.
“Hmph, you’re finally here—what took you so long?” complained the second elf.
“If you didn’t show up soon, we’d have declared the mission a failure and reported back,” said the third elf.
Who?
What?
Shen Ye was momentarily confused but quickly responded, “Something unexpected came up, so I’m a bit late.”
“Well, at least you’re here now.”
The leading elf said in a low voice, “We’ve gained the trust of this elven tribe. They think we’re heroic soldiers wounded on the battlefield.”
“Tonight, we act—kill their chieftain and seize their treasures.”
“Feylen, are you ready?”
Shen Ye glanced at the silver war medals on the chests of the three elves.
Sure enough, they were all highly decorated elven soldiers.
Shen Ye nodded. “My hands are already itching.”
The three elves seemed satisfied with his response.
Shen Ye suddenly touched his face.
“Don’t move!” the three elves shouted in unison.
Got it.
“Relax. I’m just adjusting it—it felt uncomfortable earlier,” Shen Ye said.
These three had the same medals and the same Crown of Pale Shadows as him.
They were undead!
—What a scam!
Damn skeleton, you must be the Feylen they’re referring to.
It was clearly your mission, and you dumped it on me?
Recalling the skeleton’s crawling figure in the corridor, Shen Ye had a sudden realization.
That thing was injured and couldn’t fight, so it resorted to this trick.
The leading “elf” glared at Shen Ye.
“When we enter the elven village, tread carefully. If you’re exposed, the elves will kill you on the spot.”
“Don’t worry. When Feylen acts, nothing goes wrong,” Shen Ye replied.
“It better not.”
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