Chapter 40: Arrival
Time rewinds by half an hour, it was just past eleven in the morning. Some had just finished their classes, others were heading to the cafeteria, and some hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet. Scattered students moved about the campus.
Right at this moment, a few girls appeared at the school gate. Their steps were unsteady, stopping every ten steps or so, heads slightly lowered, unable to see their eyes but with stiff expressions, resembling hungover loiterers from society.
The security guard initially intended to stop them, but facial recognition at the main entrance let them through. A closer look revealed they were third-year girls from the Broadcasting Department.
Ah, looks like some schoolgirls went out and partied for two days.
The gate opened, letting them in, and after they left, the security guard closed the gate while saying to his colleague, “Look at these girls now, one night out playing and they’re already this weak. Back in our day, even picking wheat wouldn’t tire us.”
”Still, they need more exercise. They should follow Yuan Xiaoling’s example from their year and department—find a sporty girlfriend… or boyfriend.”
As they walked into the school, more and more students noticed them, drawing all kinds of stares.
However, no one recognized them, only marveling from afar how some university lives were so carefree, partying like that.
It wasn’t until classmates saw them and approached.
”Li Xiaoyu, Zhang Lili, where have you been these past few days? You haven’t shown up for class, and the Academic Advisor has been asking.”
Then casually placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
Everything seemed normal, but after this sentence, silence fell in that direction. After a long pause without hearing anything, curious onlookers glanced over—
”AAAAHHHHH!!!!”
Something happened at Tianhai University.
To sum it up, several female students from the Broadcasting Department who had been missing for a few days returned today, but they looked very strange. A familiar classmate approached and touched their shoulder, and upon contact, the person collapsed, life status unclear.
The principal received the urgent report in the office building.
”How can it be unclear if they’re alive or dead?” the old principal hurriedly asked. “Did no one attempt emergency assistance?”
At least check, we do have a school doctor.
”No, because anyone who made contact got into trouble too, so no one dared approach, fearing contamination.”
”……”
That does make sense.
”What’s the situation now?”
”Apparently, they’re heading towards the dormitory.”
The girls took identical steps, slowly walking toward the Broadcasting Department Dormitory. The way was clear as news spread on forums, and students kept their distance. Some timid ones had even fled off-campus.
There were a few bold students who followed not too closely, live-streaming on their mobile phones.
”…They haven’t stopped or attacked anyone, they’re just moving forward, not sure what they intend to do…”
”Their direction seems to be the Broadcasting Department Dormitory.”
Inside the dorm, there were too many people, each engrossed in their own activities. When the news finally spread, the sound of many rushing downstairs caught others’ attention. In the rush to put on clothes, they arrived just in time to see them at the bottom of the stairs.
A girl rushing ahead tried to flee the dorm, descending the stairs, only to look up and see two emotionless faces, scaring her into screaming and sitting down hard.
Those behind also saw and instinctively turned back up the stairs, wanting to return to their rooms. However, those at the stair corners couldn’t see this and wanted to leave as fast as possible. With both groups colliding, the stairs became completely blocked.
”Don’t crowd, don’t push, stay calm, go back to your rooms! Don’t block them, and don’t provoke them!”
Gu Hui and Qiao Lili were trying to maintain order, but when those two showed up and the stairs got blocked, everything spiraled out of control.
”There’s nothing we can do, they’re completely stuck at the first-floor corner. Those above can’t come down, those below can’t go up,” Qiao Lili said helplessly. “We can only rely on… is Xiaoling back?”
Gu Hui shook her head. “I don’t know. I called earlier, but couldn’t get through afterward. Maybe she’s unavailable.”
Time doesn’t stop for congestion. In this short half-minute, the two eerie girls had already entered the dorm, being just one step away from the nearest student.
She felt completely drained, recalling the horrifying video uploaded on the forum. Behind her, other students screamed in terror, but she couldn’t muster a single sound.
Perhaps, this was what it felt like waiting for death…
Suddenly, moisture surged on the first floor of the dorm, rapidly converging at one point. A towering water-blue figure blocked the two individuals.
”Ribbit!”
A massive water-made frog squatted at the staircase entrance, like a guardian deity, and the eerie girls halted their steps.
At this moment, everyone lifted their gaze toward the dorm entrance. The noon sun shone brightly, illuminating the radiant and adorable face of the maiden, along with her majestic Dabeitù.
”Ladies, let’s talk this out nicely,” she said. “We’re all classmates.”
……
News of Yuan Xiaoling’s timely arrival spread even faster, giving Tianhai University a new anchor.
Even the old principal stood up, reaching for his coat hanging on the rack. “Let’s go, we can’t let Xiaoling face this alone.”
”But Principal,” a teacher nearby whispered, “Xiaoling just came back and hasn’t finished dealing with things yet.”
The old principal silently sat back down.
”We shouldn’t interfere with her. Let her focus on the task at hand.” he said.
Meanwhile, at the first scene of the incident, the White-haired Maiden approached the girl lying on the ground. No one dared approach after the incident, creating a small uninhabited zone.
”Bai Ling,” someone shouted from afar, “She just touched them and collapsed!”
Bai Ling nodded slightly, acknowledging she understood, then slowly squatted down for a closer inspection. A layer of ethereal energy flowed within the girl’s body, moving from her limbs to her head.
Exquisite Spiritual Power techniques confirmed it was likely from the Inner Stone of the Mind. As for the person, they were in a semi-alive, semi-dead state, not quite fully gone, since the material world cannot observe the Spiritual Realm. To determine life or death in the brain, perhaps the abilities of Xiaoling’s roommate would be needed for a slight probe.
”Come on, it won’t spread,” she told the distant onlookers.
Everyone hesitated a bit, but a few finally mustered the courage to approach. They had been following the two girls and livestreaming.
”Carry her to the Infirmary and place her there.”
……
After Yuan Xiaoling arrived, the atmosphere calmed down. The stairs weren’t clogged anymore, and everyone orderly headed upstairs. The timid ones retreated to their rooms, while the bold ones stayed upstairs to secretly observe.
The two eerie women, after Xiaoling spoke, froze like malfunctioning dolls, neither moving nor speaking.
Yuan Xiaoling knew their names: the one with mid-length hair on the left was Li Xiaoyu, and the short-haired one on the right was Zhang Lili, names she’d heard from her roommate before.
But that was all she knew—just their names.
Seeing no movement from them, Yuan Xiaoling took a few steps forward, attempting to get closer for observation. At that moment, they started moving with a clicking sound, lifting their arms at odd angles.
”Go… home…”
”Go… home…”
Though eerie, it was at least some form of communication.
Yuan Xiaoling blinked her eyes, her sharp little mind quickly processing the situation, and blurted out, “But your home isn’t here. This is the school dormitory, just a temporary residence for the next two years. If you intern next year, then it’ll be only one year left.”
Their bodies froze again.
Just as Yuan Xiaoling was about to move forward, she suddenly felt a chill, sensing some ominous warning. Her battle-honed instincts kicked in, and she waved her hand, causing water elements under the Tide Agreement to surge wildly.
The Water Dragon manifested!
”Roar——!!”
A colossal water dragon taller than the dormitory erupted from the dorm entrance, roaring thunderously at the ground.
Everyone on campus could feel the violent tremor beneath their feet, cracks forming on windowpanes.
Countless heads tilted upward, gazing at the enormous water dragon, some muttering,
”Miss Dragon King, she went all-out.”
