Edited by Jules
“If we truly met in the past, doesn’t that mean that I already entered the Advent World when I was fifteen?” Xiao Lan said.
The youth in uniform lowered his head in contemplation. The sunlight outside the window limned his silhouette in a gentle halo, like a painter specially outlining an oil painting with a slender brush after the initial sketch.
Xiao Lan then turned his head to look at Luo. “But I was living in the real world after that, so what happened later? How did I return, and why were you sealed in an envelope?”
Luo looked at the teenager before him. The youth’s eyes were clean and limpid, identical to the ones in his memory.
What was different was the lack of the original ignorance and terror in his gaze, now replaced by a firmness and calmness polished by the years, which made him stand out in the crowd.
This was the gaze Luo was most familiar with.
The smile on Luo’s lips didn’t change. “I very much want to know as well. Perhaps we will only know when I recover more of my memories.”
In Luo’s memories, he just leisurely sat there and read most of the time. The only thing related to Xiao Lan was just that one short meeting.
Luo had the feeling that this encounter had had some sort of impact on the original him, and had changed several very important things.
He truly was very curious about what on earth happened after that.
Because they still had classes later, they didn’t speak for long before they parted ways.
•
Nothing special happened during the day classes, as if this was genuinely a peaceful and tranquil institute.
At dinner time.
Arranged on the plate was:
Tomato stew with yesterday’s bread (The bread looked identical to the one yesterday, where it was so hard it could produce a knocking sound).
Chilli biscuit soup.
Watermelon and bacon rice.
It seemed today’s theme was the colour red.
The moment the students saw the food, they practically sighed in unison. Then, with hearts like dead ash, they ate these strange dishes that were written to be dinner, but read like murder weapons.
Even the expressions of the players, who were used to great waves, couldn’t help turning bitter. Why wasn’t any of the food provided in the Advent World’s instances normal?
Was it to urge players to complete the instance sooner and not be reluctant to leave?
Speaking reasonably, who would be reluctant to leave this place where they could kick the bucket at any time ah?!
Only Xiao Lan ate with perfect contentment and no psychological barriers at all.
The students around him looked on with increasingly admiring eyes.
If he truly was a student here, he might become a new generation of legend in the institute within a semester —
The man who faced the cafeteria’s attack without a change in expression.
Just as Xiao Lan finished eating dinner.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The headmistress, Madam Wilder, suddenly stood up. She announced to the students, “Children, unfortunately, a student has passed away. Tonight, we will be holding a funeral for him. Please follow your respective monitors to the assembly hall to offer him final blessings.”
Wljb Ojc atbeuta la kjr j ilaaif ragjcuf; rtbeivc’a atf uejgvljc yf mbcajmafv lo atf raevfca tjv jc jmmlvfca? Qts kbeiv atf lcralaeaf vlgfmais tbiv j oecfgji obg tlw?
Zbgfbnfg, ibbxlcu ja atf gfjmalbcr bo atf raevfcar jgbecv tlw, cb bcf fzqgfrrfv yfklivfgwfca bnfg atlr, jr lo la kjr rbwfatlcu atja mbeivc’a yf jcs wbgf mbwwbc ab atfw.
•
Xiao Lan followed the students to the assembly hall.
Before they entered, everyone got a candle. This was to pray for the deceased student during the funeral.
The assembly hall was also in the same gothic style as the rest of the institute; the dome was very high and there were stained windows all around. The assembly hall was decorated with candles; while it couldn’t be considered bright, the warm, yellow light of the candles brought a slight warmth to this ice-cold building.
Xiao Lan surveyed this assembly hall.
It looked a little like a church, but the statue of the deity in the center wasn’t one he had seen before. It was a woman with two snake tails. Her eyes were lowered to look at the students below. She had a compassionate expression, but the snake tails made her look a little bizarre.
In the center of the assembly hall was a coffin with a figure lying inside, and fresh flowers were arranged around it. Because it was rather far away, Xiao Lan couldn’t see the face of the person in the coffin for the time being.
The headmistress, Madam Wilder, walked up the steps with a candle in her hand. She mourned for this deceased child in a remorseful tone. During her speech, her eyes were filled with tears and she choked up with sobs; it really didn’t look feigned at all.
At that moment, Xiao Lan saw in the crowd Cily and the other two who had shared campus gossip with him.
The three of them just happened to be near Xiao Lan, so he secretly took a few steps forward and went to their sides.
“Hello.” Xiao Lan quietly greeted them.
The three also quietly returned the greeting.
Xiao Lan saw that the headmistress on stage wasn’t paying attention to this side, and softly said, “Why is the student’s funeral held by the institute ah? What about his family members?”
Cily’s expression was a little complicated. She lowered her tone and said, “I’m not clear on what excuse your family members used to send you here, but the people who come here — aside from the rare few who are handicapped — are mostly illegitimate children that the family clan don’t know about, children from previous marriages, or orphans abandoned by relatives after their parents’ deaths.
“Once we’re tossed in here, they basically don’t care about us. Even if we die, those people wouldn’t care at all. Previously, there was a student who died in an accident, but their guardian wasn’t willing to come and claim the body.
“Gradually after that, if a student dies, the institute will directly hold a funeral for them.”
It turned out that the so-called ‘special children’ were special in this respect?
They were all a bunch of children who wouldn’t be missed and who were unloved.
Cily’s voice was a little gloomy. “If not for the headmistress, perhaps there really wouldn’t be anyone who cares about us.”
Dave said, “Thank goodness there’s Madam Wilder…”
San Lang, who had always been silent, also nodded.
When Xiao Lan heard this, his mood became even more complicated.
To these children, Madam Wilder was gentle and beautiful, and filled with patience towards the students; she was like their knight in shining armour.
But the human oil in the handcraft classroom proved that matters weren’t as beautiful as they thought.
A group of children basically abandoned by their families, children whom no one would care about even when they died, and who were full of trust and longing towards their headmistress — wanting to do something to them was truly too easy.
“Yes, it’s a good thing there’s Madam Wilder,” Xiao Lan echoed, then changed the topic. “When did the institute start holding funerals?”
Cily thought about it. “I heard that the very first funeral was held for Madam Wilder’s daughter. After that, she couldn’t bear to not let the students have funerals after their deaths, so she began holding them for the students too.
“But I don’t know when it started.” Cily turned to ask her companions, “Do you guys know?”
Dave and San Lang both shook their heads to indicate that they weren’t sure.
Xiao Lan noted the word ‘daughter’. He asked, “Do you know what Madam Wilder’s daughter was called?”
The teenagers weren’t sure either.
It just so happened that the headmistress’s eulogy ended right at that moment. In the next segment, everyone stepped forward to bid farewell to the deceased student and to leave the candle on the coffin in remembrance.
After that, the body would be kept in the hall for the night before it was buried the next day.
Xiao Lan also followed the crowd and slowly moved forward as he gradually approached the coffin.
He took advantage of getting closer to pray to look into the coffin.
The candlelight was still too dim, and Xiao Lan could just barely see the appearance of the person in the coffin. He was wearing a uniform and lying peacefully with closed eyes and both his hands over his chest. Nothing looked out of place.
But when the light flickered for one instant, the skin of the body seemed to reflect it.
It didn’t look like the lustre of human skin.
Before he could take a closer look, the student behind him had already come forward, and Xiao Lan had to give way to them. He glanced at the body in the coffin. In any case, there was still the night. He decided to find an opportunity at night to come and take a look.
By the time the funeral ended, the sky had turned completely dark.
A light red moon was hanging in the pitch-black night sky. The light it cast was also a faint red colour, giving this night a dangerous air.
The students returned to their dormitory under the monitors’ lead.
Xiao Lan also walked to his dormitory.
However, a schoolboy dressed in uniform walked towards him from the side. Compared with ordinary students, there was an extra badge on the schoolboy’s chest. According to school regulations, this was the symbol of a monitor.
The monitor walked over to Xiao Lan. “Excuse me, are you Student Xiao Lan?”
Xiao Lan: “Yes. Is something the matter?”
“It’s like this: Kriv has a night duty tradition. Every night, each form will arrange for a student to patrol at night.” The monitor seemed a little hesitant. “Although you’re a student that has just joined, according to the arrangements, it’s your turn for night duty tonight.
“You can go look for the nightwatcher later. He’ll tell you what you need to take note of during night duty.”
Sure enough, the game wouldn’t allow players to experience a pure, cheerful and easygoing campus life.
With the night of the red moon plus the night duty system, perhaps this was the danger that had been set up for them.
It just so happened that Xiao Lan had been looking for an opportunity to leave the dormitory at night, and he now had a perfectly legitimate excuse. He simply nodded and agreed.
•
He followed the monitor’s directions to the nightwatcher’s residence.
The nightwatcher glanced at Xiao Lan with an expressionless face. He shoved a kerosene lantern into Xiao Lan’s hands. “You can go wherever you please, but a word of advice: It’s best that you don’t go to the forest outside the institute.”
He paused, an expectant smile surfacing on his face. “Unless… you don’t want to come back.”
For teenagers brimming with curiosity, the more forbidden the place, the more attractive it was. Looking at his expression, it was obvious that he was looking forward to Xiao Lan entering the forest.
Xiao Lan didn’t answer him. Regardless of whether the other had done it out of goodwill or malice, if the clues truly pointed to the forest, whether it was dangerous or not didn’t matter, as Xiao Lan would still have to take a trip there to clear the game.
The door of the nightwatcher’s residence closed behind him. Xiao Lan raised the kerosene lantern and walked into the night under the red moon.
The night of the red moon was especially quiet.
The moonlight wasn’t bright, and Kriv didn’t have any electric lights. The light of the kerosene lantern could only illuminate the area around Xiao Lan. Everything seemed shrouded in a deep black fog that made one’s sight hazy.
Rather than being a light for the student, it was better to say that the lantern was a beacon for those things that stalked the night.
To be safe, Xiao Lan put out the kerosene lantern for the time being. If he needed light, he still had 【Nuclear energy flashlight】, which was much more convenient than this thing in every way.
Xiao Lan walked to the assembly hall.
It had already been a short while since the funeral ended. The people tidying up should be more or less done, so it was just the right time for him to go over and see what was strange about the body.
In the darkness, Xiao Lan did his best to conceal his figure in the cover of the buildings, and stayed silent as he advanced.
Suddenly, his footsteps stopped.
Because a place close to the assembly hall up ahead was emanating the scent of blood.
The bloody scent was accompanied by the clack of high heels on the ground, as well as some kind of sharp blade cutting into skin.
Xiao Lan’s breathing turned shallow and he hid in a corner while also secretly searching for an angle to observe where the sound was coming from.
What appeared in his line of sight was a blood-coloured dress. The gorgeous dress outlined a woman’s lithe figure. A black veil covered her head from her hair bun all the way to her back, fully concealing her visage.
It was the rumoured Lady Red Moon.
Lying on the ground was a figure in black, surrounded by a puddle of dark red blood. That person was unmoving, and was most likely dead.
Lady Red Moon’s back was now to Xiao Lan. She was holding a folding fan, which looked like the type most commonly used by noblewomen. When it was opened, however, it reflected an icy light under the moon; it looked incomparably sharp.
She brandished her fan, and the body on the ground was sliced up. The slicing sound Xiao Lan had heard was this.
Not long after, Lady Red Moon had already taken the skin off the body, just like in the rumours.
The next instant, Lady Red Moon tilted her head, as if checking to see if there was anyone in the vicinity.
Seeing this, Xiao Lan held his breath completely and didn’t move, as if he was just part of the shadows.
After checking her surroundings, Lady Red Moon withdrew her gaze. She picked up the skin next to her, and in practically an instant, was far away, leaving behind nothing but a blood-red afterimage as the tapping of high heels echoed crisply in the dark night.
How fast.
Xiao Lan couldn’t help frowning. Given this kind of speed, even his original body might not be quicker than she was. Plus, he had been forced to shrink back to his 15-year-old appearance, and his stamina and explosive power had been reduced to some extent.
If he was chased by Lady Red Moon, it might be very hard for him to escape.
Why was he suddenly longing for 【Sparks and lightning all the way】?
No no no, it was still better to forget it.
Xiao Lan promptly put a stop to his horrifying thoughts. If he were to use 【Sparks and lightning all the way】, he couldn’t say for sure if he would be able to outrun Lady Red Moon, but he would definitely become famous overnight, and become the campus’s new legend —
Butt Sparkling Hero of the Red Moon.
The author has something to say:
I made up the funeral procedure.
🤣🤣
I held my breath, so scary
A new legend for sure, but can you imagine how it will even circulate? XD
“He scuttles through the corridors on the night of the Red Moon… It is said that he can even outrun Lady Red Moon! Students, if you hear a crackling in the distance and see a brightly lit figure approaching, run as fast and as far as you can!”
“… but he always be faster”
😂😂😂😂😂
I was just starting to get scared and then that came out of nowhere lmao
😂😂🤣🤣
🤣🤣🤣
Thank you for the chapter ❤️
With the number of students it would be a long funeral. Maybe their candles burn out really slowly or they light them just before prayer
thanks for the chapter~
What a nice title for a legend xDDD
Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)
LMAO the shorts (?) are still da best 😂👌🏻
Oh My Lord I literally just held my breath as I read the part where the woman appeared, I’m scared of jump scares QvQ
ugh, why do I have the feeling that lady red moon is actually just pretending to leave and actually knew that Xiao Lan was there and then will appear behind/beside/infront (tho appearing behind is much more scarier than the front =.=) Xiao Lan sooner or later?
hope not tho QAQ
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter! -^^)❤
thanks for the chapter! <3
It was sort of explained that there was no system in place where beginners start at beginner game in the past. It was random and MC here got bad luck where he started his first game at a higher difficulty.
Oh thank you, that makes sense!
I remembered that CW or WN said that the Advent World of the past is not a system where it can be bound by any rules. That’s why a crazy player harmed XL of the past without a second thought
Yep its because before the Advent World was lawless, our best guess is that if you go to see other people’s comments and theory about Xiao Lan you might find something thats at least 40%-80% percent correct, there was also another comment about a crazy theory of Xiao Lan being Xiao Chengyan but since its too crazy I will gladly repel that theory but you should check it out anyway.
💜💜💜
Oi! Gostaria de levar sua tradução para o Brasil! O que você acha? Se estiver interessado, me adicione ao Discord: nipon_love # 4433
I also have a great novel for you to translate if you’re interested! Thankful!
In his dream/memories he was 15 and his mother is already dead? Or maybe still in the hospital anw, clearly this was the time that he was suppose to be already in debt. Since either before or after his mother got sick they were already in debt. Is this the chance that Lou and XC met? I mean maybe the reason?
Luo finds a lot of his conveniently in there games. so, have they done all these games before? ah i don’t like thinking about it QAQ