The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1176: Muhahaha

Zhang Wei whirled around to find a woman standing at the podium. She had brown curls, a delicate heart-shaped face, and downcurved lips, a pair of rimless glasses perching on her nose. Dressed in a professional white shirt, a dark-colored fitted skirt that reached her knees, black stockings, and black heels, she held a teacher pointer in her hand.

Zhang Wei stared at Vermilion Bird, and an embarrassing thought flashed through his head: it wouldn’t be wrong to pursue his college teacher in a dating sim...

No! Stop! Zhang Wei gave himself a figurative slap. This isn’t the time for daydreaming! Our lives are on the line here!

Vermilion Bird maintained her composure as a teacher. “Take a seat. The class is starting.”

“Oh, right.” Zhang Wei looked around and realized that the only empty seat was by the window, in a corner of the classroom. Sitting beside the empty spot was the only student who wasn’t a silhouette. As Raven Shark had predicted, the bashful and introverted classmate turned out to be Zhou Jing—or Zhou Jing’s role in this game, to be more precise.

Her pronounced curves were drowning in the simple loose t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was put into a bun, and large black-frame glasses obscured her eyes behind the glare. She hunched over the desk with her head lowered. She might as well be announcing to the world that she was a nobody.

Wait, is she so immersed in her role?

Zhang Wei thought back to the death monster who had just crushed his heart and then looked at the bashful-looking girl. The two images just wouldn’t mesh. He turned to Vermilion Bird. She waited for him to sit down with a poker face.

Jaw clenched, Zhang Wei sat down next to Zhou Jing.

Vermilion Bird tapped on the blackboard and announced, “Class is starting. Today, we’re talking about striking a balance between physical health and serotonin doses.”

“For example, smoking after meals and having milk tea at night are bad habits that harm a human body, but at the same time, we have to admit that they make us happy, which can be good for our health...”

Wait, what nonsense are you teaching the class?!

Zhang Wei swallowed his comment and observed Zhou Jing. Her head was still lowered. If she had a turtle shell, she would have tucked her head inside.

Calm down, Zhang Wei. Don’t panic!

Think like Brother Yang! Analyze the situation calmly!

First conclusion: we all have to follow the rules of the game, meaning we can’t fight to determine the winner, but win this battle through this game. The Strange Realm lives up to its name! It’s so strange!

Due to obvious reasons, I, Zhang Wei, became the MC. I have the initiative and advantage. I’m the key to victory!

Naturally, I’m not here to pursue my teammates—no matter how hot Sister Vermilion Bird is—but to pursue our enemy: death monster Zhou Jing!

I don’t know if Zhou Jing has been brainwashed into playing the game character, or just forced to play the role.

There’s a difference, but is it a significant difference?

I...don’t think so.

Anyway, she can’t break out of the game’s constraints. According to Raven Shark, I just have to play by the rules and gain her approval to trigger certain plot points. Then Zhou Jing will fall for me until she loses herself to me.

Then she will die!

To conclude, this is a terrifying dating sim where the one to fall in love will meet their death!

I, Zhang Wei, will never develop feelings for Zhou Jing, but Zhou Jing has no say in whether she falls for me or not! Muhahaha!

With his newfound confidence, Zhang Wei flipped his hair and turned to Zhou Jing with a smile. “Hello, I’m Zhang Wei, a Taurus, type B blood. My hobbies are singing, basketball, and games.”

Zhou Jing jumped, ducking her head further shyly.

Tsk, what an overused trope.

Zhang Wei quickly flashed her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, it’s just that we’ll be classmates going forward. I wanna get to know you...”

The buzz of her phone interrupted his introduction. Zhou Jing took it out and glanced at it before shoving it back. She put away her textbooks and shouldered her bag. With a face as red as an apple, she threw Zhang Wei a nervous glance before saying quietly, “I-I’m Zhou Jing. Glad to meet you... I have to go now, though. Goodbye.”

Huh?

Before Zhang Wei could say anything, Zhou Jing crouched and snuck out of the classroom through the back door.

Zhang Wei paused, his lips curling into a smirk. Fine, playing hard to get, are you? Interesting, very interesting!

He sprang up and chased after her, only to find himself unable to walk out the door. He remembered then that this wasn’t reality, but a game, and a game would have a strict restriction on scene-changing. His schedule said that he was attending a class in the morning, then he would. He didn’t have additional action points.

“What are you doing, Zhang Wei? Chase after her!”

Vermilion Bird shouted from the dais—not as her character, but as herself.

“Whoa!” Zhang Wei started. “So you were acting!”

“Of course I was!” Vermilion Bird rolled her eyes. “I only put up the act because I didn’t want Zhou Jing to wake up. The Strange Realm has brainwashed her, but only temporarily.”

“Whew, that’s good.” Zhang Wei glanced at her. “So you don’t have to actually teach a class?”

“Do you think it’ll be necessary?” Vermilion Bird pointed at the silhouettes of the students. Like robotic NPCs, they continued whatever they were programmed to do and ignored their conversation.

“Right.”

Vermilion Bird said urgently, “Hurry up, Zhang Wei. Although time flows at a different speed in this realm, I can’t hold on for long.”

“I would’ve liked to chase after her!” Zhang Wei said exasperatedly. “But I’ve run out of actions for the morning.”

“What do you mean?” Vermilion Bird had never played a dating sim.

Zhang Wei caught her up quickly.

“Alright.” Vermilion Bird nodded. “Then don’t just waste your time here. Skip ahead. Skip all the unimportant plots.”

“Okay. See you later!”

Zhang Wei took his phone out and pressed skip. He was brought to a different scene.

The place looked like a classroom, but there were no desks or chairs. The walls were all floor-to-ceiling windows, letting the afternoon sunlight shine through the white curtains onto a grand piano. Glowing particles danced above the lid.

Sitting at the piano was a woman with silver hair and crimson eyes, the thin fabric of her intricate white low-cut dress hugging her curves. Her soft silver hair ran down her fair shoulders and back. With her eyes closed, she played a sad melody in graceful motions.

Although the game was over-the-top with outdated characterization, White Dew’s ethereal beauty was a lethal weapon in itself.

Zhang Wei stared, his heart skipping a few beats out of respect for her attractiveness.

A few seconds later, he recovered and strode up to White Dew.

“Pfft.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.