Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Class Is In Session
"Ya…Yamero!!"
Faced with Lu Shiyan's command, Hoshino completely broke down.
She clutched her collar tightly with both hands, crying her eyes out, desperately shrinking back until there was nowhere left to retreat.
"Please…"
"Lu-san…I can work like a horse for you, even go feed the monsters…but I don't want to…"
Watching Hoshino like this, Lu Shiyan hadn't yet spoken when the Sakura Nation boys on the other side of the classroom grew restless first.
Especially the boy who had just been roaring for revenge—Kinami Yoshishi.
He shouted loudly at Hoshino.
"Baka! What are you pretending to be above this for?!"
"Being able to give yourself for a strong person like Lu-san—that's an honor you couldn't earn in several lifetimes!"
"Hurry up and do what Lu-san says! Take your clothes off!"
"Exactly!"
The other 4 boys chimed in, their eyes shamelessly wandering over Hoshino's petite figure.
"It's not like we'll live much longer anyway…rather than being eaten by monsters, we might as well let everyone 'enjoy' themselves before we die!"
"Once Lu-san gets tired of her…could he share her with us for a taste?"
"I…I…"
Watching these compatriots whose expressions were more terrifying than the monsters outside, Hoshino closed her eyes in despair.
Was this the apocalypse?
Was this human nature?
Or was it…
Just like Lu-san said…
Was this the inherent savagery of Sakura Nation people?
"Hey! You bunch of idiots!!"
Just then, an angry shout shattered that nauseating atmosphere.
The girl who had earlier refused Hoshino's treatment stood up, pointing at the group of boys and cursing:
"All of you shut up! A bunch of gutless trash who only bully the weak!"
Hoshino's eyes snapped open, as though seeing a faint ray of light in endless darkness.
So…there was still someone willing to help her.
However, the very next second, that ray of light was mercilessly snuffed out.
"Natsuki! Stop putting on your act here!"
Kinami Yoshishi was cursed into a fury and snapped back: "Who doesn't know you were the 'public bus' back at your old school?"
"Always hooking up with older men! What right does trash like you have to lecture us?"
The girl called Natsuki let out a cold laugh, her eyes full of contempt.
"What right do I have?"
"The right that Lu-san is here! He is this school's current 'king'!"
"You rats from the sewers—what right do you have to covet what belongs to Lu-san?!"
Crack.
Hoshino seemed to hear the sound of her own heart breaking.
So…
It wasn't to help her—it was to defend that strong man's 'ownership.'
But Natsuki didn't stop her attack; she pointed straight at Kinami Yoshishi.
"You especially! Kinami Yoshishi!"
"I saw it with my own eyes when we were escaping!"
"Your little sister, Kinami Rie, clearly went to lure that monster away on her own initiative just to save you!"
"And you, you worthless coward—you ran without even looking back! You even gave your own sister a shove!!"
"You coward! You murderer! And you have the face to play the devoted brother here?!"
"You!!!"
Kinami Yoshishi had his darkest secret stabbed right in its core; the change in his expression was visible to the naked eye as he went red with rage.
The other 4 boys, hearing this explosive piece of gossip, all froze as well, the looks they shot him turning strange.
"Shut up! You're lying!!"
Kinami Yoshishi flew into a furious rage, grabbed the bench beside him, and charged forward.
"A woman like you is best at deceiving people! I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!!"
It looked as though the classroom was about to erupt into a full riot.
Slap!
The sharp sound of a slap rang out.
Lu Shiyan had appeared between the two of them at some unknown moment.
He backhanded a slap, striking Kinami Yoshishi hard across the face, sending him flying along with the bench.
"So damn noisy."
Lu Shiyan exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze sweeping the room.
Those 4 boys who had just been stirring up trouble had their legs go weak on the spot from that one glance, and they bowed frantically in apology.
"Sorry, Lu-san! We were wrong! We shouldn't have coveted what belongs to you!"
Lu Shiyan looked at them with the eyes of someone regarding garbage, not even bothering to say a single word.
He turned around and looked at Hoshino, who was huddled in the corner, his tone flat.
"I'll say it again."
"Take off the 'skin' you're wearing."
"Specifically, this yellow-green skin."
Lu Shiyan flicked off his ash and added:
"Also—I have a lifelong beloved. I have no interest in a little girl like you who hasn't even finished developing."
"……"
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone understood what Lu Shiyan meant.
He hadn't been trying to take advantage of Hoshino at all—he was telling her to take off that hatred-drawing military uniform and return to the identity of an ordinary person.
That way, these students would be able to accept her treatment.
"O…okay! I'll take it off right now!"
Hoshino felt like a condemned prisoner receiving amnesty; she hurriedly, frantically stripped off that combat uniform, revealing the civilian clothes underneath.
Though still somewhat disheveled, she at least no longer looked like an 'enemy.'
She carefully walked up to an unconscious girl and began using her ability to treat her.
This time, no one blocked her, and no one dared speak.
Because they feared that Huaxia man who was smoking.
Kinami Yoshishi on the floor struggled to crawl back up; even with half his face swollen like a pig's head, he still bowed deeply.
"Lu-san hit me right! It was my fault! I caused you trouble!"
Lu Shiyan still paid him no attention and turned to walk toward the window.
However.
The instant Lu Shiyan turned away, the eyes Kinami Yoshishi had cast downward filled with venomous hatred.
His right hand quietly reached toward the back of his waist, where a sharp dagger was hidden.
"Die…damn Huaxia man! Humiliating me like this—I'll take you down with me!"
The instant he drew the dagger, poised to plunge it into Lu Shiyan's back—
Bang!
A blur of motion flashed past.
Kinami Yoshishi only felt his chest hit as though by a sledgehammer; his whole body spun a full circle in the air before crashing to the ground!
"Sorry, Lu."
Yekaterina, who had said nothing this whole time, withdrew that long, powerful leg and said coldly:
"He just tried to ambush you."
"But I held back—he probably didn't die."
Before she even finished speaking, Yekaterina's pupils contracted sharply.
Because Kinami Yoshishi on the floor was not crying out in pain and rolling around as expected.
His chest—had that dagger he had been holding in his own hand plunged straight into it.
Directly into his heart.
Blood surged out, staining the floor red in an instant.
"Guh…guh…"
Kinami Yoshishi had blood foam spilling from his mouth; his body convulsed twice and went completely still.
"Damn!"
Lu Shiyan's half-smoked Huazi dropped to the floor, his cheek twitching from the pain of the loss.
"I just knew today was unlucky—even drinking cold water is enough to chip a tooth."
This was big trouble now.
In this strange middle school, killing was a forbidden taboo.
Right away.
On the back of Kinami Yoshishi's slowly cooling hand, the black human-face mark that had been still suddenly began to writhe.
Wisps of black mist seeped out.
That was a curse.
The gaze of the one who truly controlled this school—the Principal—watching.
……
At the same time. The school playground.
The air after the rain was unusually fresh, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Jiang Nan led the group through the teaching building and arrived at the base of a tall tower in the corner of the playground.
It was an old-style Signal Tower approximately 30 meters tall.
The tower was covered in thick moss and vines, clearly having stood abandoned for decades.
"This is the place."
Jiang Nan took out his Notepad.
【Liu Yuqing goes to activate it; Guo Shuai stands guard.】
"Understood!"
The 2 of them moved immediately.
Liu Yuqing took the Tablet and walked briskly to the control console at the base of the Signal Tower, fitting the Tablet into the dust-filled slot.
Hum!
The red light at the top of the Signal Tower lit up.
【Connecting to terminal…】
【Map activation progress: 1%…4%…】
The progress bar moved slowly, like an old dial-up connection.
Inside the vehicle.
Jiang Nan leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting.
He was reviewing the battle just now and the figures on the second floor.
‘There are people on the second floor of the school—more than 1.’
‘But why are they staying here? Are they waiting to die? Or are they trapped?’
Jiang Nan's brow furrowed slightly, an uneasy sense that something was off nagging at him.
Just then.
Chen Tong, who had been sitting beside him helping him with a massage, suddenly let out a startled cry.
"Jiang Nan! Look!"
She trembled as she extended her wrist.
There, on the inner side of her originally fair wrist, a jet-black mark had appeared at some unknown moment.
It was a…
Contorted human face.
"This mark…it suddenly appeared on me just now, and it's burning hot!"
Jiang Nan's gaze sharpened; he grabbed her wrist to examine it.
Immediately after, as though realizing something, he yanked open his collar.
Right in the center of his chest.
There was an identical Screaming Face Mark.
"Boss! Me too!"
"I have one too!"
At that moment, Yu Shishi, Wang Meng, and even Guo Shuai and Liu Yuqing who were standing guard outside—
All discovered in horror that this strange mark had appeared on their bodies.
"When did this…?"
Before anyone had time to react—
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
3 deep, resonant, far-reaching bell tolls echoed across the entire school grounds!
Immediately after.
A clear, polite female voice rang out directly inside everyone's minds.
"Dear students~ and teachers…"
"Due to a serious disciplinary violation, this break period has ended early…"
"The bell has now rung."
"Everyone please immediately return to your posts and seats…and prepare for class…"
"Those who are late…will be given a demerit on their record, you know~…"
The instant those words fell.
Hum!
The Screaming Face Mark on everyone's body instantly erupted with a dense surge of black mist, enveloping each of them entirely!
But the very next second.
Everyone vanished into thin air on the spot.
The entire playground was empty—only that solitary Signal Tower remained, along with the Tablet still slotted into the groove.
On the screen, the progress bar had finally jumped to 100%.
【Map activation successful!】
【Current location: Rose High School】
Immediately after, the screen flickered once, and a blood-red text message popped up.
It was the final warning left behind 26 years ago by someone in despair.
【Those who come after…】
【This is a hell disguised as a school…it may bring power, but more than that, it brings despair and death…】
【Believe me…】
【If you are assigned an identity…pray with everything you have that you are a student…】
【You absolutely will not want to be a 'teacher' here…】
【Because what you will be teaching is not humans…】
【But a group of…true devils!!】