Bai Zhou detested bullying in all its forms, including physical abuse, verbal cruelty, and the silent treatment.
After all, humanity had invented so many words to communicate, not to hurt one another. And since it had taken humankind three million years of hard struggle to learn to walk upright, there was truly no reason anyone should be forced back into the perspective of a reptile crawling on the ground.
"At its core, bullying and ostracism are nothing more than an ancient witch hunt. But before setting out on a perilous witch hunt, one must prepare for a struggle of life and death. Only by carrying the conviction to drag evil onto the cross and burn it to ashes does one earn the right to don the vestments of righteousness."
Bai Zhou's gaze grew profound, clearly reminded of the pyres that so frequently blazed across the civic plazas of Wancheng.
"—Yet do you possess such resolve?"
Bai Zhou's tone was faint and eerie.
"Please don't tell me that not only do you lack such conviction, but you're all blustering cowards who bully the weak and cower before the strong!"
"...Yuanmeng Middle School has no room for spineless weaklings!"
Bai Zhou snapped sharply, while secretly breathing a sigh of relief inside.
That had been close. A moment ago, he had nearly said Wancheng instead of Yuanmeng Middle School...
Bai Zhou knew next to nothing about schools in Tinghai.
However, this tedious, meaningless nonsense about seniority and upperclassmen... he understood it all too well.
After all, his experiences in Wancheng were still etched vividly in his mind.
Once upon a time, Bai Zhou had clawed his way to the position of chief student in the Youth Training Corps, basking in boundless glory. For a time, he had even miraculously suppressed the rotten culture of seniority worship and status posturing within the corps.
—And then, precisely because of seniority and status posturing, Li Wang had replaced him, leaving him to miss his chance to join the Black Robes forever.
"..."
The five students led by Junior Wu fell somewhat silent under the suffocating pressure of this mysterious Senior Zhou.
What on earth was this senior talking about? They couldn't quite understand, but it felt terrifyingly profound! What an intimidating aura!
What did he mean by burning to ashes, and what were the vestments of righteousness? Isn't this a school? Why did it feel as though a blazing cross were burning behind this senior's back?
Even though they were all anomalies born in the Reflected Ruin Realm, confronted by Bai Zhou—who spouted wild doctrines and threatened to burn things at every turn—they felt like mild, honest nerds by comparison.
"..."
Junior Wu specifically stole another glance at the school uniform Bai Zhou was wearing.
Yuanmeng Middle School had four grades. First-years had a single stripe on their left shoulder, second-years had two stripes, and more stripes signified greater seniority.
Yet...
Why did this senior have six stripes on his shoulder?!
They were packed so densely that he could hardly count them!
As an anomaly whose core rules of existence revolved around "seniority hierarchy and bullying classmates," Junior Wu's brain seemed to stall out, struggling to process it. Even so, he instinctively obeyed his primal reverence for an upperclassman.
Could it be... an outstanding graduate returning to school?
Just as myriad thoughts swirled through Junior Wu and the others' minds, Bai Zhou slowly approached, speaking again with earnest gravity:
"I am glad you call me senior."
"However, seeing you bully freshmen makes this senior very unhappy!"
With that, Bai Zhou's expression grew stern.
"As your most caring big brother, it is my duty to teach you a proper lesson..."
"Stand straight and behave! I'll say it once more: your senior is coming!"
"—Senior?!!"
It wasn't that Junior Wu and his peers didn't want to resist, but their "rules" dictated otherwise.
Under the suppression of a six-striped senior, they couldn't even budge, able only to wail in helpless anguish.
*Smack!*
*Smack!*
*Smack! Smack!*
At that moment, five burly, faceless students stood against the corner of the wall, their gaping, blood-red maws letting out miserable howls as Senior Zhou slapped them silly like spinning tops.
Beside them, the Explorer trio trembled in absolute terror.
*You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me...*
Huddled in the adjacent corner, they shuffled backward in tiny steps to widen the distance, doing everything possible to diminish their presence.
The chainsaw in Number 31's hands had long ceased to make a sound; the hulking man, over a hundred and ninety centimeters tall, ducked his head, desperately wishing he could shrink into a quail.
Just moments ago, those five anomalies had cornered them against the wall, utterly overpowering them.
Then what rank of "super anomaly" among Extraordinaries did this "Senior Zhou"—who was thrashing five anomalies like tops—correspond to?
Level 4? Or even Level 5?
What kind of place was this school?!
For a moment, even Number 9, who had believed this recruitment was her only chance to change her fate, began to doubt whether joining had been the right call.
*Can we run?*
*Right now?*
Neither dared utter a sound. Number 31 and Number 42 exchanged glances, their tacit understanding from years of growing up together allowing them to read each other's intent.
"...I'm afraid we can't!"
It was not a glance, but Number 9 speaking in a hushed voice, her grim expression shattering the silence and sending a jolt through the two men.
"What...?"
Following Number 9's tense gaze, the five students had already scrambled and crawled away in disgrace, leaving only "Senior Zhou" standing in place.
Then, Senior Zhou turned his head, casting an unfathomable, enigmatic look upon the trio.
*Tap...*
A crisp footstep echoed through the swirling grey fog.
"He's coming!"
The trio shivered from head to toe.
In terms of strength, all three had only recently advanced to Level 2. Even their big sister, Number 9, who possessed the greatest talent and the Fate Principle best suited to the pathway, had merely walked a little further along Level 2.
Such strength among wild Extraordinaries—or even in regional branch offices of official agencies—was enough to secure a respectable status and reputation... but inside Yuanmeng Middle School, it amounted to nothing.
Even worse, their rapid advancement had brought their pathways to the brink of losing control, leaving them in desperate need of official purifying draughts to purge the contamination.
Heaven have mercy, why did people like them have to cross paths with a super anomaly on the level of "Senior Zhou"?!
"Unlucky, unlucky, bloody unlucky!"
Number 42 muttered under his breath, his eyes gradually glowing with a faint red hue.
The trio's expressions hardened as they stood shoulder to shoulder.
At this point, they had no choice left but to fight with their backs to the wall!
Yet right at that moment—
Bai Zhou stopped before the three of them, studying them before speaking in a measured voice:
"Freshmen, right?"
"—Do you need help?"
...
"All units, attention! Anomalous individual detected!"
"Zoom in! Enlarge the camera feed from Number 9's perspective and center it!"
"Profiler! Where's the psychological profiler?"
"Staff officers, your task is to assess the anomalous individual's likely power level and analyze his core rules and behavioral logic!"
"..."
Inside the command vehicle, the scrawny commander barked order after order as everyone bustled frantically.
The appearance of an "anomalous individual" was unquestionably the most extraordinary event they had encountered so far.
Was this an opportunity? Or a catastrophe?
Just as all of them were on edge, the "anomalous individual" on the screen spoke abruptly, his voice resounding through the entire command vehicle:
"Do you need help?"
"...It's an opportunity!"
The moment those words landed, the scrawny man's spirits soared, the fire in his eyes flaring like a suddenly stoked blaze.
"Tell them to accept!"
"They must give an affirmative answer, immediately!"
*Kzzzt...*
Deep inside the fog-drenched campus, the crackling voice coming through the radio left Number 9 and her companions looking at each other with ugly expressions.
What did they mean, give an affirmative answer?
Having just realized the entity had no intention of attacking, the trio had been planning to brush him off and flee for their lives. Now, they were left momentarily speechless.
The person issuing that order truly had no skin in the game. Why didn't he come face this monster himself and see how it felt?
Yet the numerous rewards promised over the radio made them hesitate.
The purifying draught they coveted most was prominently listed among them—and it was merely the least conspicuous reward offered.
What should they do?
A life-altering choice only came once. There was no turning back, and a decision had to be made immediately.
In the end, the three exchanged looks, took a collective deep breath, and made a decision that went against their better judgment—a choice destined to alter the course of their lives.
"...Alright."
Number 9 summoned her courage and stepped forward. Looking up at the masked, mysterious Senior Zhou, she forced a smile that carried a tragic grandeur, like a warrior marching off to the river Yi:
"We truly do need your help, Senior!"
"The school is just too large. As new freshmen, we're completely unfamiliar with the grounds. Could we trouble you to show us around and help us get used to the campus?"
"Show you around..."
Hearing this, Bai Zhou appeared somewhat hesitant, as if he still had other matters to attend to.
Behind his mask, his eyes discreetly swept over the specialized radio at Number 9's waist, which had just broadcasted orders without the slightest restraint. He suppressed the urge to twitch his lips and roll his eyes, maintaining an aloof, impassive facade.
They really took him for an indigenous anomaly of the Reflected Ruin Realm, didn't they?
Well... excellent!
That was precisely the effect Bai Zhou wanted!
As he had wandered through the grey fog, Bai Zhou had already run into several groups of invaders who had been wiped out after ambush.
Hidden in the shadows, Bai Zhou had refrained from intervening, but he had quickly realized an important issue...
Relying on these recruited invaders, they probably wouldn't even probe a tenth of this school's true depth.
When the time came, the official forces sent in afterward would most likely face total annihilation!
Bai Zhou didn't care whether the official personnel were wiped out, but no one understood what lurked inside this school better than he did.
Even with the advantage of his school uniform, Bai Zhou still had to stay focused and proceed with utmost caution. Faced with the mysterious woman being fed deep within the campus, he had zero confidence in prevailing!
Under such circumstances, he had no desire to be the first cannon fodder to encounter her.
Thus, he realized he needed helpers... guinea pigs to help him scout the school.
More importantly, he needed a few pairs of "eyes" to expose the great terror hidden deep inside the campus to the authorities—ideally allowing everyone to see that mysterious woman through the cameras, or even catch traces of the Major...
And just then—
The bullied trio had stumbled right into Bai Zhou's sight.
Mere disgust for bullying had been only one reason for Bai Zhou to step in, and the least significant one at that.
The crucial factor was that when Bai Zhou laid eyes on the three of them, a subtle, indescribable resonance had stirred within his Fate Principle.
This was the first time Bai Zhou had felt such a faint attraction and resonance from natives of Blue Star. It originated directly from his Fate Principle, or rather, the Pathway inscribed upon it.
Bai Zhou had experienced a similar sensation before in the deep Ruin Realm... no, not the deep Ruin Realm... he had felt it in the ruins of the Troy civilization.
It was the mutual attraction between the Adventurer Pathway and relics of the Adventurer Pathway.
Yet Bai Zhou was essentially certain that these three were definitely not on the Adventurer Pathway, but rather on a similar pathway vastly inferior to Adventurer.
Because Bai Zhou had a distinct feeling...
As long as he wished, he could channel his Fate Principle through the power of his Heart, subtly influencing their perception and goodwill toward him.
It was a natural sense of superiority, as if he were a tiger while they were inherently rabbits born to be hunted and tamed by him.
At the same time, Bai Zhou entertained a seemingly fanciful possibility:
*If I learn the pathway they tread, could it serve as a reference to refine and perfect my own Adventurer Pathway?*
Driven by these multiple factors, the dependable Senior Zhou had descended from above, rescuing the three from dire straits.
The local guide of Yuanmeng Middle School had made his entrance—come on, use me!
"..."
Seeing Bai Zhou appear hesitant, Number 9 gritted her teeth and gave a couple of light coughs:
"Pretty please, Senior~ (ー_ー)ノ"
The sunny girl attempted to put on a dainty, pitiful act, squirming coquettishly to plead with Bai Zhou.
Yet perhaps because she had never done such a thing in her life, her expression and movements were so stiff she hardly looked human...
Standing behind her, Number 31 and Number 42 felt a wave of chills wash over them, almost gagging on the spot and ruining Number 9's grand plan.
*Big Sis, don't do this!*
*You're the sunny woman we all acknowledge as tougher than rebar, possessing a heart of steel!*
Bai Zhou was rendered equally speechless by Number 9's antics.
*Why the sudden melodrama, dear lady?*
After a brief silence, Bai Zhou felt the timing was about right. Only then did he reluctantly, with evident hesitation, nod his head:
"Very well."
"Junior sister, and the two junior brothers..."
Bai Zhou glanced at Number 31, who stood over one hundred and ninety centimeters tall like a fierce warrior, and then at Number 42 with his acne-scarred face and messy hair. The youngest "senior" on the scene blinked with an uncertain look:
"Keep close to me and don't fall behind."
"Otherwise, I can't guarantee you won't be caught by a teacher for a spot-check recitation."
—That was a lie.
Whether such a routine even existed was something Bai Zhou had no idea about; he had simply made it up on the spot to scare the newcomers.
The effect was extraordinary!
The trio's hearts skipped a beat. Though reluctant, they cautiously drew closer to Bai Zhou, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor dangerously close.
*As expected...*
Bai Zhou narrowed his eyes, musing inwardly.
As the three drew nearer, the resonance and suppression originating from the pathways became even more pronounced.
Judging by the shared discomfort and confusion the trio displayed, Bai Zhou could tell that they were experiencing the same sensation—only entirely reversed from his own.
Perhaps this was the dynamic between a "superior pathway" and an "inferior pathway"?
"..."
Letting his thoughts wander, Bai Zhou turned with an impassive expression to lead the way, heading straight into the depths of the grey fog.
Next, he would lead these three lackeys on an exhilarating adventure unlike anything they had ever experienced.
Now, how should he guide them toward that flesh-and-blood building where the mysterious woman was hidden...
Quietly plotting how to sell out his three newly acquired underlings, the thoroughly dependable Senior Zhou strode at the head of the group.
Behind him, the nervous trio whispered among themselves, each harboring their own ulterior motives—wholly unworthy of the complete trust Senior Zhou showed by exposing his back to them.
Hanging from Number 9's chest, the bobbing camera faithfully recorded Bai Zhou's mysterious silhouette as it flickered in and out of the grey fog.
"It's this 'anomalous individual'—"
Inside the command vehicle, the scrawny man's eyes gleamed as he stared at Bai Zhou's back.
"Maximize his projection!"
"I have a premonition... he might very well be our greatest key to breaking this stalemate!"
...
*Tap, tap...*
Bai Zhou led the Explorer trio through the mist.
Before long, at a bend along a tree-lined path, they ran headlong into four passing students.
"Who are they...?!"
The moment they got a clear look, the Explorer trio gasped in shock.
Inside the command vehicle outside the school, the operators and staff officers held their breath as the four silhouettes slowly emerged from the grey fog via the camera feed.
Was this "Senior Zhou" reliable or not? How had he run into four suffocating behemoths the moment he turned a corner...
—Compared to the other underclassmen, these four newly appeared students were noticeably, terrifyingly powerful!
Judging by appearance alone, their degree of abnormality nearly matched that of the "anomalous individual"!
They possessed most facial features, but one lacked a nose, another lacked ears—each was missing something, yet what each lacked differed, as if they complemented one another.
In a school with such strict discipline, these four somehow sported wildly dyed hair: tawny, blue, red, brown... looking as if they were chasing fashion trends from twenty years ago, instantly recognizable as the sort of menacing delinquents who could ward off evil spirits.
Along the sides of their blue-and-white uniforms, each bore four thick, bold stripes, indicating they were fourth-year seniors of the school.
One was sluggish and wooden; another wore a dead-eyed, dismissive sneer; a third was stoic, stone-faced, and supremely confident; the fourth wore a warm, gentle smile.
*Thud! Thud! Thud, thud!*
At that moment, all four had their hands shoved into their pockets, their shoulders swaying as they swaggered forward like four arrogant crabs.
Pacing to their own distinct rhythms while maintaining an eerie, suffocating collective pressure, the four seniors emerged from the grey fog, advancing rapidly toward Bai Zhou and the others like a shifting wall.
*Where did these Four Heavenly Kings come from... huh?*
Just as Bai Zhou was mocking them inwardly, he suddenly felt a vibration run through the school uniform he was wearing.
A peculiar sensation arose in Bai Zhou's mind—the uniform was transmitting its desire to him...
It was hungry.
Pride, envy, wrath, sloth...
It felt that it had encountered "failing delinquent students" with glaringly distinct personalities, and the traits of the Exam King drove the uniform to devour them all—
Turning them into bonded thralls under its command!
Just like the Marshal of Wrong Answers, the General of Pressure, the Chancellor of Guilt, and the rest of the Seven Heroes Under the King that the Exam King had once bound and Bai Zhou had liberated!
*Thump! Thump!*
Bai Zhou's heart skipped half a beat.
Because it wasn't just that.
As the four students drew near, something hidden in the deepest recesses of Bai Zhou's Fate Principle, honed and nurtured by the Wolf Knight...
A seed of battle intent—not even an embryonic form, merely the faintest sprout—
Stirred!
Chapter 117