Chapter 346 - 315: They’re Still Alive?

Chapter 346: Chapter 315: They’re Still Alive?

’Tsk, tsk... Why does this feel like we just finished picking our team and are about to jump into voice chat?’

’You guys just don’t get it, do you? The teammate in the weirdest outfit is often the most reliable one...’

The student handbook might have advised against discriminating based on someone’s system, race, or even life form, but that was just ’advice,’ not a ’rule.’

Lloyd was from the Judgment Court, and he’d always cultivated the persona of a righteous youth who despised evil. Naturally, he sneered at these "classmates" from the Taboo System, his disdain and rejection unconcealed.

But he only grumbled internally. Outwardly, he said nothing as he followed William into a nearby office. He hastily changed into the set of outdoor hunting attire the other man handed him, put on the shoulder cape and tricorne hat, and considered himself ready.

"If there are no further issues, let’s move out!"

At Professor Fernando’s command, the 18 members of the squad followed him to the end of the corridor, boarded a spacious freight elevator, and began their descent.

The elevator had no floor markings. It seemed that once you pulled the lever, it would just keep going down, as if descending into the very depths of hell.

After five minutes, the elevator still hadn’t stopped. Professor Fernando merely nodded at the two lecturers from the history department, and a "game interface" suddenly materialized before everyone’s eyes—

It included a minimap for positioning and orientation, a list of individual responsibilities, and a long string of numbers in the top-right corner of their vision, all of which read ’0’.

It was basically missing only health and mana bars and skill icons.

This wasn’t Lloyd’s first time seeing such a "game interface." The Chief Judge had let him experience it during the execution of the Thought Demon, so he naturally looked unfazed.

The other students, however, showed clear surprise and astonishment on their faces. Some even reached out as if to touch something. It was obvious they had never worked with a powerful individual from the Wisdom System and were quite inexperienced.

This prompted Professor Fernando to explain.

"Don’t be nervous. This is a Projection created by Wisdom in your field of vision. Get used to it quickly... Also, remember to pay attention to the top-right corner. That indicates the intensity of the Spiritual Contamination you’re currently suffering."

As soon as he finished speaking, a student immediately asked a question.

"Huh? Mine says ’5.’ Doesn’t that mean..."

"Yes. As we continue to descend, that number will get even higher. Be prepared. But don’t worry too much; the two lecturers will help you all resist a portion of it."

Professor Fernando replied in a low voice.

The faces of the students present couldn’t help but change slightly. This was especially true for the few "outlaws" with low Rationality values who had chosen the Taboo System. Their expressions turned quite ugly, clearly showing they were terrified of Spiritual Contamination.

Lloyd was much the same, tilting his head with a look of utter confusion.

’Spiritual Contamination? Where? Why don’t I feel anything?’

Not only was the string of numbers in his top-right corner still ’0,’ but he also hadn’t heard any system prompts. He truly wasn’t suffering any Spiritual Contamination at all.

’Maybe those two lecturers are being "nosy"?’

The elevator continued its descent for another five minutes, reaching an unknown depth.

Suddenly, Professor Lawrence’s voice echoed in their minds.

"You... almost at... the periphery... Coordinate data... has been... calculated... sent to Lloyd... It’s up to... I wish you... good..."

His voice was intermittent, accompanied by a hissing static, like a bad signal.

Lloyd, however, had received a complete set of spatial coordinates and could open a Teleportation Gate at any moment.

He looked toward Professor Fernando, asking with his eyes if he should begin.

The professor, however, made a gesture, signaling him not to rush. Then, he took a strange Crystal Ball from his pocket.

The Crystal Ball looked a bit like a decorative snow globe, but it wasn’t filled with cartoon figures or fairytale castles. Instead, it contained a mass of slime-like substance that was constantly churning and changing, displaying all sorts of bizarre patterns, colors, and textures.

’For some reason, Lloyd suspected the thing inside was... alive?’

Professor Fernando held the Crystal Ball and studied it for a few seconds, seemingly confirming the changes in the substance within, before finally nodding at Lloyd.

Lloyd then gently tapped his new piece of equipment, which he had just acquired today, and entered the spatial coordinates the professor had sent over.

No spatial rift or Teleportation Gate appeared. The elevator just shuddered slightly, continued downward, and then suddenly seemed to be going... up?

’Hmm... no, that’s not right. Is it moving left and right?’

Lloyd felt a sense of disorientation, or rather, he had lost his ability to discern direction.

The students in the elevator had a much stronger reaction. Some were squeezing their heads, seemingly trying to regain their sense of direction; others began to dry heave; still others started to stumble and sway, on the verge of collapsing.

Fortunately, the lecturers and the professor seemed relatively normal, though their faces were a little pale and their gazes somewhat unfocused.

These symptoms lasted for about half a minute before Lloyd was the first to regain his bearings. He could feel that the elevator had stopped moving and was now hovering in mid-air.

’We must have reached our destination.’

Lloyd quickly took out the cube-shaped Spatial Compass to confirm his position.

’Yep, that’s right. The positioning is precise. The coordinates the professor sent are right outside the door.’

But the others in the elevator hadn’t recovered yet, so Lloyd seized the opportunity. While fiddling with the pocket-watch-sized spatial device in his hand, he touched the elevator walls and boldly released a bit of his inspiration.

It turned out this elevator was also a piece of Spatial Equipment, specifically designed for group teleportation.

Its overall shape wasn’t a traditional rectangular prism or cube, but rather like a massive bell placed upside down on the ground, enormous enough to cover so many people.

And the Space Pocket Watch in his hand had already formed some kind of connection with this elevator. He could now control it, making it appear at any coordinates he needed for everyone to use as an exit.

’So my main task on this trip isn’t to open a door, but to drive an elevator?’

Lloyd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Just then, he noticed Professor Fernando glance at the Crystal Ball again before asking:

"Alright, everyone still alive? Time to get out."

With that, he nodded at Lloyd again, showing his approval.

’He probably thinks I’m a good elevator operator, huh?’

But a few students were coughing dryly while whispering:

"COUGH, COUGH... I didn’t expect to get so dizzy. I read the seniors’ accounts in the student handbook, and none of them mentioned it being this bad. Could it be because the person the Space System sent this time is a new student?"

"Probably? That was awful. I felt like my soul was about to fly out of my body... Huh? Why did the Spiritual Contamination get stronger?"

"My Spiritual Contamination got stronger too. Is the place outside the elevator really where we’re supposed to be? Could he have made a mistake?"

"We’re not going to get killed by that ’honor student,’ are we?"

Lloyd had no intention of paying them any mind, but the Bald Mage next to him interjected irritably:

"You idiots. This spatial transit was extremely smooth and fast, no worse than what the lecturers or even the professors can do. If it were one of the trips I’ve taken before, you weaklings would have probably passed out on the spot."

After retorting on Lloyd’s behalf, the Bald Mage turned back, nodded at him, and offered his praise:

"You’re not bad, kid. You look like a gust of wind could blow you over, but your academic skills are top-notch. You have my approval! If these guys give you any more trouble, I’ll take care of them for you."

"Uh... thank you... but honestly, I don’t care what they say at all."

Lloyd replied, somewhat amused.

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt several disgruntled gazes fall on him.

Fortunately, it was limited to mere displeasure and dissatisfaction, with no real hostility.

’Probably just the instinctive resentment of a slacker toward a top student.’

"Alright, save your academic disputes for after we get back. There’s no dueling ground here. We should get going."

Professor Fernando spoke up just in time to smooth things over, then gave the elevator door in front of him a sharp kick.

With a CLANKING and WHIRRING of gears, the scene outside the door was slowly unveiled.

"This..."

"Huh? Why are there people here?"

"Are they... Are they still alive?"

The students let out a series of shocked gasps.

Lloyd’s eyes widened as well, staring at the bizarre scene before him.

Outside was what looked like a library. It was spacious, grand, clean, and bright—spotless, even. It didn’t look abandoned at all; it was even newer-looking than the tower of the Twisted System.

It was just a bit messy. All sorts of books were floating haphazardly in the air, along with students dressed in traditional Mage’s Robes.

These students looked as if they were still alive. Their faces held a youthful immaturity and vigor. Some were posed as if they were studying diligently, heads bowed, while others looked like they were chatting with their classmates.

But their movements were completely frozen in a single frame. They floated motionlessly in mid-air like wax figures in water. Their lifelike expressions and postures only served to create an indescribably eerie feeling.

Even Lloyd couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl.

He even felt as if the students’ gazes were, intentionally or not, drifting toward him...

Just then, a system prompt sounded in his ear:

[Ding! Madness Value +10]

[Ding! Madness Value +10]

He quickly glanced at the string of numbers in the top-right corner again. The long string of ’0’s had changed to ’20’.

’It doesn’t match the system prompts. I wonder which one I should believe?’