Chapter 2: The Ancient Greek God of... |
"Holy crap, seriously? Someone managed to draw on Zhou Bin''s face without him noticing?"
"Absolutely. You heard his screams too, right? Hilarious! The entire Teaching Building must have heard it. I wonder which capable fellow Daoist managed to pull that off, and how they even did it."
"I heard someone used one of those delayed-ink pens while he was taking his midday nap. So satisfying! Wait, wasn''t our great President Yan in that classroom too?"
The hallway buzzed with relentless chatter right after the exam. Mathematics was the final subject of the Spring Semester Entrance Exam. The students were already like tightly coiled springs ready to unleash their pent-up energy, and Zhou Bin''s defaced face added an extra layer of amusement, filling the inside and outside of the Teaching Building with an atmosphere of pure joy.
Meanwhile, the sole witness to the entire incident, Yan Huan, had quietly grabbed his bag and slipped away the moment the exam ended. With the school day nearing its close, he casually found an empty classroom on one of the upper floors where people rarely went and ducked inside.
"Click."
Turning around to shut the door and cut off the noise from downstairs, Yan Huan casually tossed his bag onto the chair behind him and sat down.
Taking a deep breath, he gazed around the deserted classroom and spoke tentatively,
"Earlier... that voice in my head. Are you there? Whether you''re a system or some kind of Cheat, you should at least explain the situation to me, right?"
As if in response, an ethereal cat''s cry suddenly echoed through the empty classroom.
Yan Huan leaned to the side and saw a long-haired black cat. It stood in the aisle next to the desks, head tilted and tail raised, staring at him with a pair of brilliant emerald eyes.
''A stray cat that sneaked in?''
The moment that thought surfaced, the black cat broke into a light trot. It leaped onto the chair of the desk in front, then bounded up, landing squarely on the desk right before Yan Huan.
The black cat spun its chubby body around, licked its paw, and promptly sat up straight in front of him.
At the same time, the voice that had previously echoed in his mind returned,
"Hello, Yan Huan."
''Great. A black cat that speaks in my mind. Just another touch of Fantasy Element.''
But having just experienced that bizarre incident with Bai Yi, Yan Huan''s capacity for acceptance was currently terrifyingly high. He simply leaned in close, bringing his face right up to the feline''s round visage to meet its gaze,
"What exactly are you? And what in the world was that situation earlier?"
"I am a god of this world. As for what just happened... please allow me to explain our current predicament."
The black cat looked up at him adorably, and the voice in his head continued,
"In short, this world is facing an Invasion, and I need your help."
Yan Huan was taken aback by the black cat''s serious tone,
"Did the Trisolarans really attack?"
"No, a Fantasy Power from another world is currently invading the world you live in."
The black cat shook its head, and an ethereal glow instantly bloomed before Yan Huan''s eyes.
First, the phantom image of a fierce, claw-waving crab appeared. It seemed to be, like the cat, a god from some other world.
Then, the phantom dissipated, and more introductory information about this other world popped up,
[Invasion Force World ID: 114514, Definition: Otome Fantasy World, Name: Cruel Flesh X Training]
"Stop, hold on a second!"
Before any more dangerous words could pop up, Yan Huan waved his hand with a dark expression, dispersing the light before him and letting the floating text scatter like smoke.
He took a deep breath, suddenly recalling the strange voice that had emanated from Bai Yi earlier.
He seemed to suddenly remember something regarding that superpower Bai Yi possessed, the one that allowed her to be ignored by others no matter what she did.
[Indifference]...
''No wonder it sounded so familiar!''
At this moment, dead, dirty memories suddenly began to assault the gentlemanly Yan Huan in his mind.
''Good grief, so it''s the Ancient Greek god of erotica that''s invading!''
The black cat let out another cute "Meow" and spoke in Yan Huan''s mind once more,
"The invading force has caused anomalies in this originally normal world, ultimately giving birth to five incredibly dangerous Modifiers. The thing on Bai Yi just now was one of them. They bond with female Hosts blessed with Fate, feeding on their Desire to gradually grow stronger. Eventually, they will completely mess up the Worldline, and at the same time, completely ruin your current life."
Yan Huan blinked, tempted to ask, ''What does this have to do with my current life?''
But he abruptly remembered how Bai Yi, someone he barely knew, had inexplicably tried to doodle on his face earlier, murmuring strange things like "The Future is Long." He swallowed the words he was about to say.
Moreover, if he possessed an ability like "Indifference" that could break free from the rules of reality, what he would do would definitely not be as simple as drawing on Zhou Bin''s face.
Putting himself in her shoes, he did not believe she would stick to such petty pranks forever...
Judging by Bai Yi''s words, she had probably just obtained that Modifier. She was still in the phase of tasting the forbidden fruit, so her actions were somewhat within acceptable limits for now.
If given enough time...
The black cat blinked its emerald, slit-like pupils, seeming to see through his current confusion and gloom. As it licked its fur, it explained,
"Over the past dozen years, thanks to your self-discipline and diligence, you now possess unimaginably handsome looks, a super-intelligent mind, and excellent interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, you are the only Transmigrator in this world, the sole existence I can communicate with. In other words, Fate favors you as well, making you the perfect target for that world''s power of Desire. You should understand what this means."
Indeed. Looking back, even though he had started off in an Orphanage with no prominent family background, Yan Huan had consistently maintained a disciplined lifestyle.
His studies went without saying; his grades in his previous life were absolutely outstanding. If his physical health hadn''t been so terribly poor, he wouldn''t have died of overwork and been reincarnated in the first place.
Therefore, in this life, he started exercising early to build a solid foundation.
By persisting with daily workouts, he not only gained a healthy body but hadn''t lost a single strand of hair, completely breaking the curse of "Only By Going Bald Can One Become Stronger"!
But was it precisely because of this that he was targeted by this so-called invading force?
Yan Huan shuddered. In an instant, countless images from literary and artistic works laden with symbols of desire automatically flooded his mind.
The academically brilliant, coldly stunning Flower of the High Ridge; the gentle, kind-hearted, and well-endowed Girl Next Door; the tsundere, beautiful-as-a-flower Eldest Miss...
Such excellent, attractive girls probably did absolutely nothing wrong, yet through a twist of fate, they were influenced by bizarre items, inexplicably defiled, or even outright corrupted...
''Wait, no. It''s also possible they actually did something inappropriate, and then someone with that power sought revenge, ruthlessly doing this and that to them.''
''Regardless of the scenario, right now, I''m probably a gender-bent version of the former!''
His expression stiffened slightly. The thought that his years of hard work had actually become the reason he was now in deep danger gave him the distinct illusion that "Good People Deserve to Have Guns Pointed at Them."
At this moment, Yan Huan couldn''t find it in himself to be happy. He leaned back in his chair, feeling utterly devoid of the will to live.
He couldn''t help but ask: ''Six-year-old Yan Huan, why did you have to make that birthday wish?''
But quickly, he sat up a little straighter,
"Wait a minute. Why do you need my help? Aren''t you a god? Can''t you just step in and eliminate these Modifiers directly?"
Hearing this, the black cat looked at Yan Huan with an expression of utter helplessness, as if asking:
''Are you serious? You''re relying on me, a cat?''
Fortunately, the black cat still provided a proper explanation,
"I do not possess the World Intervention Ability. The same applies to gods from other worlds. This is exactly why the Modifiers choose Hosts within the world to bond with."
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, seemingly catching a blind spot. Stroking his chin, he glanced at the black cat before him,
"So, you can give me a similar Modifier too, right?"
"Correct, but it differs from the Evil Modifiers they possess. I can only grant you two simple things."
Appreciating Yan Huan''s clear-headedness, the black cat raised its left paw like a Maneki-neko and explained,
"First, I can grant you Resistance against the Modifiers'' effects. This means that no matter what the Modifier is, its effects will only partially work on you. However, this Resistance is not invincible. The Modifiers'' power will continuously grow stronger as they consume Desire, and your defensive efficacy will gradually diminish until it fails completely. When that happens, you will likely be completely doomed."
Then, lowering its left paw, the black cat raised its right,
"Second, every week I can randomly provide you with a Permanently Retained Reward, including various Abilities, Attributes, and Skills. Typically, you will choose one out of three options.
"These rewards might be strengthened by absorbing their power during the process of Resolving the Modifiers. These granted abilities will not disappear even after you completely eliminate all five Modifiers. Consider it your compensation for helping to Resolve the Modifiers and restoring the Worldline to normal."
Yan Huan narrowed his eyes, unswayed by the empty promises the black cat was painting. Instead, he meticulously pressed for details,
"Resolve the Modifier? How exactly do I resolve them?"
The black cat lowered its paw, returning to a seated posture, and then spoke to Yan Huan word by word, with absolute gravity,
"There is only one way to Resolve the Modifiers, and that is: to make the Modifier''s Host willingly give up possessing the Modifier.
"Furthermore, please remember this above all else: under no circumstances can you expose that you know the Modifiers exist. Once a Host realizes you can perceive the Modifier, the Desire within them known as ''Overcoming Insecurity'' will grow exponentially. This will ultimately cause the Modifier to evolve directly into its Complete Form, against which your Resistance will be entirely useless. When that happens, it''s game over!" ''Understood, understood. A Cheat must never be exposed.''
''Think about it carefully. Imagine you were granted the Indifference ability and attempted to do something bad to the School Belle, only to suddenly be discovered by the entire class right when you were ready for action, exposed to everyone''s view.''
''In the dead silence, you helplessly watch as they raise their mobile phones at naked you...''
''That wouldn''t just be an Adult Film for venting; that would be a pure Horror Film!''
Yan Huan let out a bitter smile and muttered,
"In other words, I need to make them give up their Modifiers on their own without revealing that I know about them? You might as well just let me die. If I had a Modifier like Bai Yi''s, I wouldn''t give it up even if it killed me, okay?"
"..."
The black cat blinked its big, adorable eyes, not knowing what to say to comfort Yan Huan. After all, facts were facts, leaving no room for argument.
He loved watching Japanese Anime/Dramas, but he absolutely hated the idea of a Japanese Anime/Drama becoming reality. Not to mention, the one playing the role of the violated victim would be himself!!
After a long silence, Yan Huan gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and sat up straight with an expressionless face. He looked at the black cat in front of him and held out his hand,
"Hand it over."
"...Hand what over?"
"This week''s Random Ability. Today is Friday, don''t tell me I have to wait until next week to get it?"
"..."
The black cat twitched its tail, somewhat amazed by his level of acceptance.
Subsequently, three illusory, golden orbs of light popped up before Yan Huan''s eyes like magic. As the orbs swirled, text burst forth from them.
[Ability: Perfect Expression Management — Expressions are meant to be the windows to emotions, but now they have become your ever-changing mask.]
[Skill: Empty-Handed Blade Catch — You can''t catch more than one blade, though, unless you have four hands!]
[Skill: 100% Successful Backflip — Hey, wanna come over to my place and watch me do a backflip?]
With dark lines forming on his face, Yan Huan pinched the fat cheeks of the black cat in front of him and demanded,
"What the hell is this stuff you''re giving me? How are these things supposed to help me Resolve the Modifiers at all?!"
The kitty meowed with an innocent face, causing the voice in Yan Huan''s head to buzz loudly,
"It''s not like I decide this! I told you it''s random, completely random!"
"You just wait. If they ever finish me off one day, I''m going to finish you off first!"
Just as Yan Huan was pinching the black cat''s chubby cheeks to vent his frustration, a sudden knocking sound came from the door of the empty classroom,
"Knock, knock, knock."
Yan Huan''s body stiffened. Along with the black cat in front of him, he turned his head to look at the classroom door.
The doorknob turned, and the door was slowly pushed open, revealing a male student outside wearing the gray Far Moon Academy uniform and thick, black-rimmed glasses.
Seeing that it was a male, both Yan Huan and the black cat simultaneously let out a sigh of relief. Coincidentally, Yan Huan recognized the boy at the door.
It was their Student Council''s Accountant and Technical Logistics officer, Yabashi Ki.
His hair was thick with slightly long bangs, and his complexion was a bit pale. Beneath the slightly reflective lenses of his glasses, his eyes revealed a hint of anxiety,
"President, why aren''t you replying to messages! Everyone has @''d you so many times in the group chat, and you aren''t picking up your phone either. What are you doing up here all alone? If someone from your Examination Room hadn''t told me you headed upstairs... Hey, a cat? Where did that come from?"
As Yabashi Ki spoke, his attention was drawn to the chubby black cat in front of Yan Huan. Yan Huan shot the cat an annoyed sideways glance, then immediately selected the one option among the three illusory orbs that seemed somewhat useful,
[Ability: Perfect Expression Management]
In an instant, his facial muscles felt as if their Ren and Du Meridians had been opened, becoming incredibly flexible.
It was as if the keyboard controlling his expressions suddenly expanded from 61 keys to 107 keys, adding a vast array of new notes. Not only that, but the sensation of having perfect control over every single corner of his face made Yan Huan feel a remarkable sense of novelty.
The muscles on Yan Huan''s face rippled from top to bottom before finally settling into an apologetic smile. He smoothly lifted the black cat and asked,
"It''s a stray cat I just picked up. Cute, isn''t it?"
"Meow~"
"It really is adorable. Have you given it a name yet? But can it really be a stray when it''s this fat?"
"Meow!"
"I plan to call him Myau-chan."
"Meow?"
"Myau-chan, huh? That really is a good name... Wait, no! President, now is not the time to talk about this! Hurry up and check your phone! Yurianna is dying of anxiety!"
Hearing this, Yan Huan cradled the black cat in his arms and pulled out his Smartphone from his bag, which was still in airplane mode due to the exam.
The moment he connected to the school''s network, a dense barrage of notification sounds erupted like a series of explosions.
The most commonly used social app here was one called "Plane." Not only did it have features like online payments and a social feed, but one could also scroll through cringy short videos on it. Thus, Yan Huan had always treated it as the alternate world''s version of WeChat.
"Ding, ding, ding~"
"Far Moon Academy Student Council Main Management Group (5)"
Secretary - Yurianna: "Have any of you seen the President? It''s urgent!"
Accountant - Yabashi Ki: "Nope. I don''t think any of us were in the same Examination Room as the President. But since exams just ended, he should still be at school..."
Secretary - Yurianna: "The fact that he''s still at school is exactly why I''m desperately looking for him! Quick, quick, help me contact the President. The Principal is looking for him!"
Vice President - Sakuramiya Hitomi: "The President is not in the Student Council Office."
Accountant - Yabashi Ki: "Ah, his phone isn''t going through either... He''s probably busy having a secret rendezvous with some girl and has absolutely no time to check his phone."
Vice President - Sakuramiya Hitomi: "Yabashi-san, please refrain from making careless jokes about a classmate''s private life."
Accountant - Yabashi Ki: "I''m sorry, I was wrong, Vice President."
''Vice President Sakuramiya is as stiff and serious as ever...''
The string of chat messages below was way too long, and Yurianna had @''d him in several other large Student Council groups as well. Yan Huan simply put his phone down and asked Yabashi Ki directly,
"It''s too long, I can''t read it all... The Principal is looking for me, what''s it about?"
Yabashi Ki took a deep breath and said to Yan Huan,
"Um, the Principal said that your Mama came to the school looking for you, President, and told you to head over there immediately!"
''Mama?''
Yan Huan''s motion of cradling the cat faltered slightly as he froze in place like a statue.
A parent coming to school to look for their child was well within the realm of reason, but the problem was...
His parents in this life had passed away in a Plane Crash shortly after he transmigrated, and he had grown up in an Orphanage since he was a child!
Suddenly out of nowhere, where did this Mama even come from?!
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