WTNL Chapter 511

Yuying University
Chapter 511: Graduation Ceremony 2

Through a slightly parted red velvet curtain was a vast, brightly lit venue. The anchors stood scattered within, their faces pale, their expressions weary and vigilant.

To have made it this far, they had endured hardships and paid prices unimaginable to ordinary people.

This was an SS-rank instance, with a survival rate of one in a thousand.

Among them, Wen Jianyan caught sight of his teammates’ familiar faces.

They were talking under the dazzling lights. Though the distance wasn’t great, it was as if the red velvet curtain separated them into two completely different worlds.

Mason’s voice sounded by his ear:
“What do you think?”

Wen Jianyan turned his head to look at Mason beside him. The man’s ghastly half-face was hidden in the darkness, leaving only his intact side visible.

“…”
Wen Jianyan stared at him for a couple of seconds and said, “Why must we do it on stage?”

“Very good… you’re as smart as I imagined.”
Mason smiled with satisfaction. He let go, and the red curtain fell, extinguishing the sliver of light.

Chaos descended upon them.

“This instance is rated SS, which means its internal loop is nearly perfect and almost impossible to break from the outside.” Mason stood with his arms crossed, glancing meaningfully at a spot not far away.

Wen Jianyan followed his gaze.

Student Council members were still moving about the narrow backstage area shrouded by the red curtain. They walked hurriedly, looking very busy, and paid the three of them no mind.

“—Only by entering the system is there a possibility of destroying it.”

Wen Jianyan nodded, indicating he understood. He leaned back against the curtain and sat on the floor in the shadows, propping his chin with one hand. “Do you know when I’m supposed to go on stage as the student representative?”

“That I don’t know,” Mason shrugged with a sneer. “But don’t worry, you won’t have to wait too long.”

As Mason’s words faded, the music from the speakers gradually softened. Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat, and sensing something, he turned his head to look not far away.

At the end of the backstage area, the curtain was not raised, but from the pitch-black darkness, a footstep sounded.

Solitary, thudding on the ground one step at a time, like a heavy beat on a person’s heart.

In the darkness, along with the footsteps, a figure gradually emerged.

It was a pale, thin, smiling middle-aged man. He wore a crisp suit and leather shoes, but his abdomen was swollen and protruding.

It was the vice-principal.

Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped half a beat.

“Zzzzwong—”
A sharp screech suddenly came from the microphone on the lectern, startling Wen Jianyan. He looked sideways and saw that a Student Council member had, at some point, appeared on the stage. In a flat voice, he spoke into the microphone:

“Welcome, everyone, to the Yuying Comprehensive University graduation ceremony. Now, let’s welcome our school’s vice-principal to give a speech.”

From below the stage came sparse applause.

The anchors had little enthusiasm for welcoming the grim reaper who might take their lives, but under the watchful eyes of the Student Council members, they began to clap reluctantly.

The vice-principal, a smile on his face, walked steadily towards the lectern as if he hadn’t noticed the three intruders. But as he was about to pass Wen Jianyan, his eyes suddenly moved. His cold, dark eyeballs shifted in their sockets, and his gaze landed precisely on him.

“!”
Wha—

The hairs on Wen Jianyan’s body stood on end. His danger-response mechanism kicked in automatically, but before he could do anything, the vice-principal had already walked past him, leaving only a dark, crisp back.

He passed through the curtain, climbed the steps, and walked to the lectern.

Instantly, the entire gymnasium fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The anchors sat in their seats, holding their breath, completely focused.

The vice-principal still wore that wide, mask-like smile. He slowly surveyed the entire venue, then raised a hand to tap the microphone and said in a drawn-out, phony official tone:

“Ahem, students, welcome to our school’s first graduation ceremony. Over these four years, your performance has been excellent. As the vice-principal of this school, I am deeply moved…”

The dry voice, amplified by the microphone, echoed through the vast gymnasium.

Perhaps because the vice-principal’s speech had begun, there were no longer any Student Council members moving about backstage.

Through the curtain, the vice-principal’s voice was somewhat muffled. The bland, meaningless platitudes sounded like some kind of blurred background noise.

Suddenly, Wen Jianyan, who was sitting on the floor, spoke:
“Hey.”

Mason turned to meet Wen Jianyan’s upward gaze:
“Hm?”

“Before I met you, I came from the administration building,” Wen Jianyan said, raising his eyes. “The club activity rooms on the first floor and the Student Council offices on the second floor were empty.”

“…” Mason looked thoughtful.

Wen Jianyan continued, “Have you noticed that only Student Council members are maintaining order in the gymnasium, but not a single student from the clubs?”

Whether maintaining order inside the gymnasium or bustling about backstage just now, all the students wore red armbands, without exception.

Mason seemed to realize where the conversation was going. He narrowed his eyes. “So, what are you trying to say?”

“Although the club members theoretically participated in the graduation ceremony alongside the Student Council, they’ve been deliberately excluded from the core system. In other words, the conflict between them and the Student Council has likely intensified.”

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

 […]

[He talks a good game with his analysis, but isn’t he the one who intensified their conflict?]

 [Hahahaha for real, every time a conflict escalates, the anchor is definitely in there stirring things up. The club members being excluded from the ceremony is probably related to the chaos he caused in the administration building. If he hadn’t interfered and forced the club members to stop the security guards, the Student Council would have wiped them all out long ago.]

 [Hahahahaha so in the end, you’re the real culprit!]

“So I need you to do me a favor,”
Wen Jianyan stood up, patting the dust off his clothes. “Find the club students and get them into the gymnasium.”

Mason stood his ground, shaking his head in disapproval:
“I admit, your guess is possible, but the club members are still part of the instance. Even if they have a grudge against the Student Council, they won’t do anything during the graduation ceremony.”

“I know, and I don’t need them to do anything.”
Wen Jianyan stood before Mason, looking him straight in the eye, and said softly, “—I just need their help to increase the ‘probability’.”

His talent was an apple sapling, from which two functions were born: one was “Flower,” and the other was “Fruit.” And what Mason wanted him to use was clearly the latter.

[Talent: Fruit of Lies]
Roll a six-sided die. If the result is within the specified number range, it is a success. Once successful, the lie he tells will unconditionally become fact for one minute.

If used properly, it could indeed become a game-changer that alters the situation and turns the tide.

The probability of success was related on one hand to his own luck, and on the other, to the “difficulty of the lie” he wanted to achieve.

The higher the difficulty of the lie, the smaller the required number range on the die, and vice versa.

If the difficulty was too high, the probability of the lie being realized would be extremely low. Even with such an exceptional talent, it would just be a waste of time and opportunity.

To not waste his talent, he had to increase the probability for the final die roll in advance.

“…”
Mason stared at him, a somber light flickering in the depths of his eyes. He remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, seeming to relent:
“What do you want to do?”

“Although the club members were excluded from the gymnasium, they’re still part of this instance’s NPCs. Even if they leave, they won’t go far… After all, you know, all the anchors are here. Where else can they go?”

Wen Jianyan shrugged. “So I guess, at most, they’re just outside the gymnasium.”

Mason listened quietly, not saying a word.

“I know a back door that leads outside the gymnasium, it’s roughly over there. I don’t think it’ll be a problem for you,” Wen Jianyan turned his head, looking out beyond the curtain. “The vice-principal’s speech might be ending soon. You’d better act fast—”

Mason: “No, you’re coming with me.”

Wen Jianyan: “?”

Mason: “You don’t think I’d feel safe leaving you here with my teammate, do you?”

Wen Jianyan: “…Although I may look tough, my feelings can still be hurt, you know.”

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

[Hahahahahahahaha!]

 [LMAO, looks like Mason knows just how destructive our anchor can be.]

 [That’s right, leave his teammate here with this guy, and he’ll probably have switched sides by the time they get back.]

After making the decision, the three of them acted immediately.

The backstage of the lectern was formed by two curtains.

Although entering the first curtain from the front of the gymnasium required passing a Student Council checkpoint, the second curtain was unguarded.

And behind this curtain was the swimming pool.

Wen Jianyan raised his hand and lifted the curtain. The heavy, sticky red velvet clung to his palm, making the hairs on his skin inexplicably stand on end.

Unlike the brightly lit area in front of the lectern, the area behind the curtain was pitch black with almost zero visibility. The air was cold and damp, and a sweet, fishy smell hit them.

The curtain fell behind them, completely blocking out the vice-principal’s droning voice. Suddenly, their surroundings became silent.

Wen Jianyan turned on his flashlight, but it could only barely illuminate a small patch of ground at his feet. He turned his head to look towards the swimming pool, but the heavy darkness was like some kind of solid entity that light could not penetrate, making it impossible for him to see what was there.

The darkness was unsettling.

From the side, Mason’s voice came:
“What are you waiting for?”

“…Nothing,” Wen Jianyan shook his head, retracting his gaze. “Follow me, this way.”

Although the light was dim, it wasn’t Wen Jianyan’s first time taking this path.

Using the faint light from the flashlight and the memory in his head, he led Mason and his teammate, quickly finding their way to the familiar dark corridor.

The light in the corridor was even darker. The narrow walls seemed to be closing in on them, and even breathing seemed to become difficult.

The three of them cautiously moved forward in the dark and finally reached the end.

From the darkness ahead came the sound of a doorknob turning.
Mason’s teammate said in a low voice, “This door won’t open.”

“Let me.”
With that, Wen Jianyan walked forward.

Unlike the other man, he simply placed his hand on the doorknob and pressed down lightly. With a creak, the rusty back door was easily opened.

The moment the door opened, Wen Jianyan’s breath caught in his throat.

He looked up, his gaze falling on the sky above.

The blood-red color in the sky had completely faded at some point, leaving only a thick, ink-like blackness. The overlapping, writhing blood vessels had also vanished, as if they had never been there.

—What happened?

“You guessed right.” Mason walked up and stopped beside him. “The club members are indeed here.”

Wen Jianyan’s thoughts were interrupted by his voice. He was startled and subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction Mason was pointing.

Sure enough, several figures could be vaguely seen in the darkness not far away. They stood motionless outside the gymnasium, lost in thought.

These were the club members who had not been allowed into the graduation ceremony venue and could only wait outside.

“Hey!” Wen Jianyan suddenly raised his voice and shouted.

“?!”
Mason and his teammate beside him were startled by his sudden shout.
Mason was taken aback. “What are you doing?!”

Wen Jianyan ignored him and just waved at the club member who had looked over. “Over here.”

The club member’s gaze fell on him. He was stunned for a moment, then obediently walked over.

But he was stopped by Wen Jianyan after just a few steps:
“Wait.”

The club member stopped.
“Bring the others over too,” Wen Jianyan said.

The club member gave him a deep look, then once again obediently turned and walked towards his companions.

“…”
 

Watching this surprising scene, Mason and his teammate couldn’t help but look bewildered.

 Mason frowned and asked in a low voice, “Why are they so obedient to you?”

Wen Jianyan thought for a few seconds, then looked up and said very seriously:
“Must be my personal charm.”

Mason and his teammate: “…”

In the “Integrity First” live room barrage:

 […]
[…]
[……Have you no shame?]

While they were talking, the first club member had already returned with his companions. They stopped at the back door, their pale, expressionless faces looking over from the darkness. The scene was extremely eerie and unsettling.

“You were excluded by the Student Council and couldn’t enter the gymnasium for the graduation ceremony, right?” Wen Jianyan asked.

The club members nodded.

Wen Jianyan: “Do you want to attend?”

The club members’ expressions darkened for a moment, and they nodded again.

Wen Jianyan held the door with one hand. “Then come in.”

The club members filed in through the back door.

Watching the unbelievably smooth process, even the well-versed Mason seemed a bit dazed. He turned his head. “How…”

Wen Jianyan: “It might be because of my personal…”

“Don’t make me use force.”

“…”
Wen Jianyan swallowed the word “charm” and obediently shut up.

The heavy, rusty back door creaked shut behind them. They were back in the narrow, dark corridor. Because there were now a dozen more club members, their progress became much slower.

In the deep darkness, only the sound of overlapping footsteps and the faint rustle of fabric could be heard.

The group moved silently forward in the dark.

They left the corridor and returned to the equally pitch-black gymnasium.

Just another ten meters or so ahead was the red velvet curtain.

Just then, Wen Jianyan suddenly spoke:

 “…By the way, did you know?”

 “When you trapped me outside the sports field at the beginning, I thought you wanted to snatch the graduation certificate.”

Mason: “…Is that so?”

“Of course,” Wen Jianyan continued. “After all, it was the fruit of victory our two small teams achieved together, only for me to steal it at the last moment… Plus, with your theory about the graduation ceremony, it’s actually the best way to leave the instance, isn’t it?”

“…”

 There was a brief silence in the darkness.

 A few seconds later, Mason’s casual voice sounded from the side. 

“Indeed.”

“But the graduation certificate is in your hands. Even if there’s a method, it’s just your word for it. How would I know you won’t lie to me? What if you pull some trick or give me wrong information? Wouldn’t I be dead for sure? —But it’s different if I put your teammates on the other end of the scale.”

 Mason’s voice carried a hint of a cold smile.

 “Someone once told me you’re a soft-hearted person. It seems that’s true.”

Wen Jianyan smiled:

 “But regardless, I’m grateful you told me the graduation ceremony is just a screening process. If they had been allowed to continue… my teammates might have all died.”

“Actually,” Wen Jianyan’s tone suddenly shifted, “in my impression, you’ve always been very noble.”

Mason’s voice was unreadable: “Oh?”

“I wonder if you still remember, back in that graveyard, when I was surrounded by you and your teammates.”

 Wen Jianyan said.

 “Although you let your teammates chase me, you yourself didn’t make a move, did you?”

—Of course, after they failed, Mason had set a vicious trap above the soil layer.

 But that was another matter.

Mason’s voice was smooth: “The longer the fun times, the better, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” Wen Jianyan continued.
“Including our brief cooperation to get the graduation certificate… strictly speaking, you didn’t really need us, did you?”

During his time with Mason, Wen Jianyan had not only failed to contribute but was lucky not to have been a hindrance. Su Cheng and the others who stayed behind had even turned the tables on Mason’s teammates. The only one who had been of any use in that cooperation was Orange Candy, who went to get the certificate.

 Even so, her position was not irreplaceable.

“Even so, you still extended an olive branch for cooperation, and even took the initiative to act with me… thinking back now, I’m truly very touched.”

 “Even in the library, after ‘killing’ Orange Candy, you found me and proposed a deal. The only price to help save my teammates was for me to go with you.”

 “So, in a sense, I really have to thank you. After all, you’ve paid very close attention to me, even favored me, since the beginning of this instance.”

Wen Jianyan drew out his voice slightly:

 “So…”

 “During our time together, I noticed something very interesting.”

 “You always seem to be able to do things others can’t.”

 “For example, ‘perceiving’ my existence deep in the earth, showing such strong combat ability in the admissions office, or always finding clues that even I hadn’t figured out yet—”

Mason’s voice became unusually impatient:
“What on earth are you trying to say?”

Wen Jianyan chuckled.
—If he wanted, he could always make his voice charming, gentle, and friendly:
“Nothing.”

 “I was just wondering how you offended Hugo, and… what Orange Candy wanted to tell me before she left.”

 “Be careful—don’t in—”

Before Orange Candy was sent out of the instance by the graduation certificate, she had left him a message, but because Wen Jianyan was in such bad shape at the time, he didn’t hear it all clearly.

At some point, the footsteps in the darkness had stopped.
In the dead silence, Wen Jianyan continued talking to himself:

 “Oh right, one last thing.”

 “In the library, why didn’t Orange Candy use her talent even when she was in such dire straits?”

A cold wind suddenly swept by. The next second, a terrifying force seized Wen Jianyan. Before he could resist, his throat was crushed in a cold palm, making a harsh gurgling sound.

In the darkness, that half-twisted, half-normal face drew near.
Mason finally dropped his disguise. He stared at Wen Jianyan with the same greedy gaze he knew so well, his voice like a sigh: “You’re so smart… so smart I don’t dare to let you live.”

Wen Jianyan choked out a laugh.
“…Even if my talent is a rare causality-type?”

The talents of the top ten or so anchors were all exceptional.
Bai Xue could manipulate and see probability; while he himself was guaranteed to survive, all fatal misfortune would befall those around him.

 Hugo was a combat type; his “smoke” was versatile for both offense and defense. Combined with his combat awareness and ruthless methods, he was nearly unbeatable in a real fight.
Orange Candy’s was time reversal; although the cost was extremely high, it could directly affect reality. Used properly, it could reverse the situation and completely turn the tide of battle.

But Mason was strange.

 Was he a psychic with high “perception”? Didn’t seem like it.
Was he a combat type like Hugo? Not that strong.

 Or was he actually a prophet who could predict the next move? That didn’t seem right either.
His role was very… vague.

Until now.

Wen Jianyan let his throat be squeezed, his smiling lips parting to force out the words: “Your ability… is to copy other people’s talents, isn’t it?”

Mason’s overly greedy and enthusiastic behavior from the moment they met was because he had sensed that Wen Jianyan’s talent was of the extremely rare causality type.

 He only knew of two people who possessed this type of talent.
One was Bai Xue, who was already well-developed and untouchable. The other was Wen Jianyan, who had just entered the secret council and hadn’t yet found his footing.

 The reason he had such a deep-seated hatred for Hugo wasn’t because he “took a fancy to Hugo,” as Orange Candy had said, but because he “took a fancy to Hugo’s talent.” But he had been defeated when he tried to make a move, which was why he would back down whenever he faced Hugo afterward.

“Be careful of Mason, don’t use your talent in front of him.”
This was Orange Candy’s final warning to him.

Wen Jianyan’s voice was hoarse and distorted. He clawed at the hand on his neck while still smiling:

 “So, the prerequisite for you to use your talent is that the other person must first use their talent in front of you… isn’t that right?”

This was why Mason had targeted Wen Jianyan so relentlessly after entering this instance.

 The first time, Mason used his teammate’s attack to try to force out Wen Jianyan’s true ability, but he failed.

 The second time, he tried to become teammates with Wen Jianyan to make him reveal his ability when attacked by a monster, but he failed again.

 The last time was this time.

And this time, Mason had almost succeeded.
It was just a pity…

The moment the last syllable fell, Mason’s fingers tightened abruptly. A “crack” sounded from the young man’s neck, and the next second, he fell silent.

 The choking, the laughter, all of it disappeared, leaving only a suffocating, dead silence.

 The young man’s neck was twisted at a bizarre angle as his body fell limply to the ground.

“…”

 Darkness and silence returned.

 Mason stood in place, his savage face expressionless, looking down at the corpse at his feet.

 His eyes were grim as he said slowly:

 “Ah, what a pity.”

 “I wonder when the next anchor with a causality-type talent will appear.”

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