novelnext Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Chapter 51: 6? Or 9?
"What the f*ck?!"
Guo Shuai stared at the muscle-bound devil squeezing into the classroom, screaming inwardly.
'This thing is supposed to be a language teacher?!'
'Those muscles… one slap from it could plaster ten PE teachers against the wall and they'd never peel off!'
And also…
'Studying literature cannot save humanity—but studying medicine can?'
Guo Shuai's mouth twitched.
'Isn't that… backwards?'
'If that old man heard this, he'd be so furious he'd leap straight out of his coffin and beat this illiterate to death with his Diary of a Madman!'
Just as he was ranting internally.
On the podium, Fujino Juro's gaze swept through the crowd and locked onto Guo Shuai.
"You!"
Fujino Juro raised the still-dripping Pig-Slaughtering Knife and pointed it at Guo Shuai.
"Get up here!"
"Me… me?"
Guo Shuai pointed at his own nose, completely dumbfounded.
"That's right! You!"
Fujino Juro split open its fang-filled mouth into a kindly smile.
"Get up here and be my model! I want to demonstrate the structure of the human body for my students!"
"……"
Guo Shuai's two legs began shaking instantly, as though tiny motors had been installed in them.
It wasn't fear—it was genuine weakness.
To secure a seat earlier, he had not only drained his Mana Bar using Wind Force Heavy Pressure.
He had also been dragged by Wang Meng through a Magic Orb Crush on the staircase.
Right now, he was truly wrung dry.
"Heh…"
The Sakura Nation boy sitting in the row ahead of Guo Shuai couldn't suppress the schadenfreude spreading across his face at the sight.
His name was Izumishita Mukon.
The blond school bully Guo Shuai had killed just moments ago was his big bro.
Now only 2 male and 2 female students remained from the Sakura Nation group.
Watching this arrogant Huaxia man get selected to go die, he felt happier than if he'd won the lottery.
'Die! Ideally get sliced into sashimi!' He cursed viciously in his heart.
At this moment, Guo Shuai once again turned his pleading gaze toward the man at the back by the window.
However.
Jiang Nan still had the Notepad covering his face, breathing steadily—seemingly genuinely asleep.
'Boss… you really can sleep through absolutely anything!'
Guo Shuai wanted to cry but had no tears.
If there were a World Record for Bad Luck, he was certain he'd claim the crown—and by a landslide at that.
"Stop dawdling!"
On the podium, Fujino Juro grew impatient.
Thud!
With one hand it drove the Pig-Slaughtering Knife hard into the lectern, stepped off the podium, and reached out to grab Guo Shuai.
"Hiss…"
The entire class drew a sharp breath, every one of them breaking out in a cold sweat on Guo Shuai's behalf.
And at that very moment.
At the back of the room, the thumb on Jiang Nan's right hand—resting on his knee—had silently pressed apart his index finger.
The Finger-Gun Shape was set.
His perception had locked onto Fujino Juro's head.
The instant this monster tried to kill Guo Shuai for real…
He would pull the trigger without hesitation and turn its skull into an artistic explosion.
However.
The instant Fujino Juro's fan-like giant hand seized Guo Shuai's shoulder.
It stopped.
The expression on its face shifted from irritable to puzzled, then to shocked, and finally…
To something indecipherable.
It squeezed Guo Shuai's shoulder, then casually felt around his lower back.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk…"
Fujino Juro shook its head, making no effort to hide its disdain.
"The Magic Orb is severely damaged… irreversible."
"Kidney energy completely depleted… more drained than the mummies I've dissected."
It released its grip and shoved Guo Shuai back into his chair like discarding trash:
"You're already a Lone Warrior."
"A born waste of flesh… a body like this has absolutely no value even as a dissection model! It would only dirty my knife!"
"……"
Dead silence fell over the entire room.
The gun-shaped hand at Jiang Nan's side quietly lowered.
The crowd's previously held breath released—relieved that Guo Shuai had escaped with his life.
But…
Looking at Guo Shuai's instantly petrified face, everyone's mouths were curling wildly upward—wanting desperately to laugh yet not daring to, straining themselves terribly to hold it in.
'Lone Warrior?'
'More drained than a ghost?'
'Who would have thought that at such a young age, i had already… become like that…?'
'Too tragic… this is worse than dying…'
At this moment.
Guo Shuai slumped in his chair, eyes vacant, staring blankly at the ceiling.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a little like volunteering to be the model.
At least if he died…
No one would ever know he had become a Lone Warrior.
But now.
The whole class knew.
Even the ghosts knew.
So this was what they called…
A Social Death?
"Pfft… Hahahahaha!"
Izumishita Mukon in front couldn't hold it in any longer, clamping a hand over his mouth and letting out pig-like squeals:
"Karma! This is karma!"
"He kills my big bro, and ends up becoming a eunuch himself! Hahahahaha!"
However.
Right at the moment he was laughing his hardest.
A powerful hand wrapped around his neck.
"Oh, you seem to be having quite a grand time."
Fujino Juro's terrifying face pressed close to Izumishita Mukon's, eyes glowing green.
"You look great to me! Healthy, full of energy!"
"It's you then! Come be my model!"
"Huh?!"
The smile on Izumishita Mukon's face didn't disappear.
It simply transferred onto Fujino Juro's face instead.
"I… I…"
Izumishita Mukon stared at the gleaming Pig-Slaughtering Knife, and tears poured down his face instantly.
He could only answer, wanting to cry but having no tears left
"Ha… Hai, Teacher."
"Yoshi!"
Fujino Juro nodded with satisfaction and patted his cheek.
"You're quite something!"
"If you can survive those few cuts… I'll consider specially appointing you as my【Assistant】."
The moment those words landed.
Not only did every student react—even Lu Shiyan and Yekaterina in the corner lost their composure.
【Assistant】?!
Wang Meng didn't know what it was, but judging by the solemnity in that ghost's voice, it had to be something extraordinary.
He quietly poked the crazed woman sitting beside him—Natsuki—who had already mentally checked out.
"Hey, miss."
"What does that mean? What's an Assistant?"
At this point, Natsuki's mental state could only be described as "whoever asks, she answers."
Never mind questions—if someone told her to open her mouth and bark like a dog, she'd probably comply.
Drooling, eyes glazed, she babbled incoherently:
"Hehe… Assistant… good thing…"
"On the 1st day during Morning Study… that faceless Principal said…"
"Assistant… is the only identity in this Ghost Academy that guarantees survival…"
"As long as you become an Assistant… you receive the protection of the teachers and the Principal…"
"Free passage throughout this academy… rights equal to a teacher's… no local ghost dares to harm you at will…"
"You even receive… a map of the Ghost Domain's Terminal Signal Tower…"
"This is also the 1st time we've ever seen anyone with a chance of becoming an Assistant… hehe…"
"What?!"
Wang Meng was stunned by this enormous flood of information.
'Sure enough, a fool's mouth is the most useful!'
'Tells you everything, with none of the runaround!'
But what puzzled him was…
'Isn't the Terminal Signal Tower just that broken tower that got activated on the sports field?'
'How can there be another one?'
'From what this crazed woman is saying, this is clearly a different one! And it's inside the "Ghost Domain"…'
'Could it be……?'
A flash of insight struck Wang Meng's mind.
'The so-called map doesn't contain a layout of the Real World?'
'But instead—a map of every special location on this Eerie Island that contains a Ghost Domain?!'
That was core intelligence!
Just as Wang Meng was reeling in shock.
On the podium, Fujino Juro spoke up again.
It hoisted the terrified, weak-kneed Izumishita Mukon up onto the podium like picking up a chick, then swept its gaze across the class once more.
"Very good."
"A model has been found—but it's not enough."
"Next… I need a clever student to assist me in completing the surgery—to hand me my knives."
Its eyes scanned the crowd one by one, before finally coming to rest on the very last row.
"You!"
Fujino Juro pointed at the man who had been sleeping the entire time.
"The one using paper to cover his face while sleeping! Get up here!!"
……
"Baka!!"
"Get up here! You pack of idiots!!"
Eerie Island. Deep within Rainy Night Valley. A hidden encampment.
Outside a black tent constructed from special material.
A Sakura Nation squad stood in formation, being dressed down.
Compared to Hoshino Hikari's group and their cannon fodder-like Black Dragon Squad from before.
This group's equipment appeared unremarkable on the surface—yet they were armed to the teeth.
They wore black, form-fitting combat uniforms.
This was no ordinary black—it was an Exorcism Coating dyed using black dog blood mixed with mithril.
Each person carried 2 red Katanas strapped to their back.
The red on those blades came from the heart's blood of Sub-Dragon Breeds from the Polar Ice Wastes!
Though not true dragons, that supremely yang, unyielding blood was the natural bane of Cursed Creatures!
They were the Sakura Nation's newly assembled squad—the【Thunder Leopard Squad】!
At this moment.
Corporal Morishita, serving as squad leader, jabbed a finger at the 4 Extraordinary Ones standing with heads bowed in contrition before him, spittle flying as he berated them.
"Who told you to split up and go chasing Wandering Corpses?!"
"Don't you know the Cursed Creatures here all possess the ability to bewitch people?!"
"If you got yourselves killed, how would we carry out the top-secret mission Muraguchi-san entrusted to us?!"
"Sumimasen!!"
The 4 squad members, facing his overbearing pressure, could only bow at 90 degrees in apology, not daring to breathe.
Corporal Morishita, seeing this, showed not the slightest softening in expression.
"As your big brother! I do everything for your own good!"
"If there's something you don't understand, ask me—I'll tell you gently! But… you must never act alone!"
"We need to look like a team! We need the discipline befitting the Thunder Leopard Squad!"
"Starting from you! Reintroduce yourselves now! Reinforce team cohesion!"
He pointed to the burly man on the far left.
That burly man snapped to attention and bellowed:
"My name is Ishida Hideo! 36 years old! A single great archmage! My ability is B-Grade【Earth Armor】!"
Though his shout was so loud it set the surrounding leaves trembling.
Corporal Morishita still frowned and barked:
"I can barely hear you!!"
"You want to storm the mountain with that tiny voice?! Louder!!"
"Hai!!!"
So Ishida Hideo mustered every ounce of strength, veins bulging from his neck, and let out a roar.
"Yoshi! Very good! Continue!"
The remaining 3 followed suit and introduced themselves one by one.
"B-Grade ability【Flame Attachment】!"
"B-Grade ability【Blood Manipulation】!"
"B-Grade ability【Super Nutritionist】!"
Only then did Corporal Morishita nod with satisfaction.
He straightened his collar and introduced himself with grave solemnity.
"My name needs no introduction—you all know it!"
"My ability is A-Grade【Sea King】! I can manipulate water elements at will!"
As he spoke, he flipped his palm over, and a water gun formed entirely of high-pressure streams instantly took shape!
"Moreover, I can merge my body into water, rendering myself immune to physical attacks!"
The moment those words fell, his entire figure vanished on the spot—as though dissolving into the moisture hanging in the air.
The next second, he emerged from a single raindrop that had landed on a leaf.
Clap, clap, clap!
Every soldier broke into applause, eyes filled with admiration.
But Corporal Morishita showed no pleasure—his expression only grew graver.
"You should all be well aware!"
"The mission Muraguchi-san has assigned us is to locate the Terminal Signal Tower within this Ghost Domain!"
"And just 2 days ago, we attempted to carry out this very mission."
"But due to insufficient intelligence, we lost a precious A-Grade Extraordinary One!"
At this, a flash of grief crossed Corporal Morishita's eyes:
"And he… was my twin brother—Sergeant Morishita!"
"He was devoured by the Gatekeeper Monster!"
"That monster possesses the ability to Devour and Evolve! Which means… it has now acquired my brother's【Sea King】ability!"
"However, based on our analysis, after it has fed, its strength will enter a brief weakening period as it processes the Extraordinary Ones it consumed!"
"And the Black Dragon Squad—willingly sacrificing themselves for the Sakura Nation—became its 2nd meal, helping us drain it further!"
Corporal Morishita drew the red Katana from his back, blade aimed squarely at the middle school perched atop the hill.
"So now! This is our best moment to strike!"
"I will personally hold that counterfeit off!"
"And you all—seize that opening and rush inside to find the true Terminal Signal Tower!"
"Understood?!"
"Hai! Corporal Morishita!!"
The 4 answered in unison.
Not one of them was under 30—all seasoned, battle-hardened veterans.
Compared to Hoshino Hikari's group of inexperienced student soldiers, it was the difference between heaven and earth!
"Yoshi! I'm very satisfied with all of you!"
Corporal Morishita said gravely.
Then, he carefully reached into his pocket and produced a yellowed old photograph, displaying it to the group.
"Before we depart, I need you all to memorize 1 person!"
"This is a specially issued S-Grade Kill Order!"
"If you see this person—or anyone who strongly resembles them… kill them immediately! Not a single moment's hesitation!"
The 4 leaned in and studied it closely.
In the photograph was a young man wearing a black windbreaker, a Pocket Watch hanging at his neck, a cigarette tucked between his lips.
He looked somewhat rakish and world-weary—but even more striking was…
His left hand toying with a Scalpel, his right arm cradling a young girl in a Sailor Uniform.
In the background stood the still-intact【Rose High School】signboard.
And beneath the photograph, his dossier was written:
【Name】: Kujo Shiyan
【Former Codename】: Lu
【Date of Birth】: June 6, 1975, Osaka.
【Identity】: International Hitman Ranking #6, Surgeon.
【Crime】: Assassinated his father, the former head of the Kujo Family.
【Bounty】: Dead or alive—bring back the head, and the full support of the Kujo Family shall be yours!