On the first floor of the dormitory building, Qi Dao and Wang Yang headed straight for the main entrance after reaching the first level.
The reason they were unaware of the existence of two main entrances, or even the concept of two entrances, was because the northern side was quite remote and lacked a proper main entrance.
It was more of a hidden door.
However, the northern side was adjacent to 25 dormitories, so logically, the candidates on the first floor should have noticed its presence as soon as they stepped out of their rooms.
Yet, no one had discovered its location so far, making it a hidden existence.
Indeed, since the night watchman of the morgue served as the boss of this examination hall, it adjusted its responses based on the actions of the candidates in the instance.
Among the two keys, one had to be a visible crucial item, while the other was hidden, indirectly increasing the difficulty of the instance and enriching its setting.
In fact, it could be predicted that among the over six hundred candidates in this examination hall, without Huo You’s interference, this key would be the only item needed to open the door, and the northern entrance would be irrelevant.
This was what they called “acting according to circumstances.”
Now, Wang Yang and the others, still unaware of the truth, were heading straight for the southern main entrance.
The main entrance was indeed massive, and the enormous lock was nearly impossible to break through—it could only be opened with a key.
They had previously reached an agreement, so even with a pile of keys in hand, they wouldn’t cause any trouble.
Real action would only come when they were close to testing all the keys or had already found the right one.
However, while Wang Yang and Qi Dao appeared relaxed on the surface, they were actually highly vigilant.
There was no helping it.
They were both from Zhongyue Star, and their schools, Qingya High and Thirteenth Middle School, were in the same district, locked in fierce competition.
The rivalry had grown so intense that even the teachers and students would flip each other off and spit in disgust when they crossed paths on the street.
Take Liu Luo, for example.
Didn’t he know that Liu Shen had no interest in him?
Moreover, Liu Shen wasn’t the type to string people along or give ambiguous responses in matters of romance.
She had rejected Liu Luo multiple times.
Even a dog would know which path didn’t lead to a generous owner offering a meaty bone.
Yet, Liu Luo persisted, driven by his deep-seated animosity toward Qingya High and his desire to conquer it.
Even if he failed, he could still save face by maintaining his hostile stance.
Given this context, it was impossible for them to coexist harmoniously and successfully complete this instance together.
“Your half.”
“My half. We’ll take turns testing the keys one by one.”
“Let’s start. Focus on your own tasks and don’t waste time.”
“There’s only half an hour left before the instance ends.”
Both sides began their tasks according to the original plan, and they worked quickly…
Over a hundred keys were tested in just a few minutes.
They were truly unlucky, having tested a hundred keys without finding the one for the southern main entrance.
At this point, some people around Liu Luo were growing impatient and dissatisfied, believing that Wang Yang and the others had deceived them by providing a pile of useless keys and wasting their time.
Many agreed.
Qi Dao immediately sneered,
“We already said these weren’t our doing, and we couldn’t guarantee that any of these keys were real. It’s just that both sides had a bit of wishful thinking.”
“ Now, if there’s no real key, who’s to blame? We can only blame ourselves for falling for that person’s scheme.”
“Who knows if that person is your ally, and you’re all in on this together to trick us.”
Wang Yang: “Then call the police.”
Tempers flared, and before the anticipated breaking point, they were already at each other’s throats.
There was no helping it.
Although the education system in this world was set against the backdrop of a vast cosmic era dominated by spiritual bodies, parasitic entities, and the Cthulhu system, the evolutionary quality of human life remained unchanged.
They hadn’t crossed the racial genetic curve, and while they had absorbed extraordinary powers and knowledge within a decade, they still lacked the life experience and mental maturity to match.
Young people, after all, were still young.
Full of youthful vigor.
Huo You’s earlier explanation to Brook had been spot on.
Just as the two sides were about to come to blows-
Suddenly!
Vine-like thorns erupted from the ground, attacking both groups.
“Who’s there!”
“Damn it!”
“Watch out!”
Qi Dao, Wang Yang, and Liu Luo were all attacked.
Someone with a parasitic body capable of sensing energy fluctuations from other parasitic bodies immediately pointed in a direction and shouted,
“They’re over there! Damn it, there’s an ambush!”
The direction he pointed to was the passageway near the northern dormitory area.
The door was closed, and since both groups had been focused on testing the main entrance, they hadn’t noticed anything suspicious inside.
However, it was clear that some of the people inside had parasitic bodies with group concealment abilities, hiding them for a certain period.
All of them had F-level parasitic bodies, with no significant difference in overall strength.
The gaps lay in their functions and control.
At this moment, those inside were eager to strike, likely because their concealment ability was about to expire…
Over twenty candidates burst out of the passageway, releasing their parasitic bodies and launching indiscriminate attacks on the two groups.
Qi Dao immediately spotted a thin, monkey-faced man in a windbreaker among them.
“It’s you! Chen Ze!”
Qingya High’s strength lay in its excellence in foundational subjects and various exams, producing elite students like Liu Shen and Qi Dao.
On the other hand, Thirteenth Middle School was known for its troublemakers, who excelled in combat and skirmishes, including Chen Ze, Jock, and Liu Luo.
They were the “school tyrants” of their district.
While their performance in foundational exams paled in comparison to Qi Dao and Liu Shen, Thirteenth Middle School’s overall scores in battlefield and instance simulations were slightly higher than Qingya High’s.
However, the downside was that while Liu Shen and the other top students competed in written exams, they rarely clashed in private.
In contrast, Liu Luo, Jock, and the others often caused trouble within their own school, even leading to conflicts between their families.
For instance, when Wang Yang and the others saw Chen Ze ambushing them, they immediately attacked Liu Luo and his group.
Chen Ze was already the top troublemaker at Thirteenth Middle School, known for his ugly appearance and the nickname “Little Monkey King.”
As he stepped out of the passageway, he opened his left hand, revealing a pink, fleshy, faceless, hairless ball that wriggled in his palm.
It wasn’t particularly dirty or grotesque in appearance, but it gave off an unsettling, nauseating vibe.
Yet, it was quite famous.
Almost every student knew what it was.
F43 Parasitic Body: Hairless Face (First-Generation C-Class Cthulhu Monster: Chu Chu)
The Hairless Face, a formless, wriggling mass of flesh, could instantly strip the hair from any living creature it touched due to its insatiable greed for hair.
It would then absorb the hair into its own skin and release itch-inducing bacteria into the now hairless pores of its victim, leading to bacterial infestation.
At best, it caused unbearable itching and skin diseases.
At worst, it could invade internal organs, causing excruciating pain and driving the victim to seek death-depending on the individual’s immune system.
For example, given Huo You’s current antibody index, if the Hairless Face’s itch-inducing bacteria attacked her skin without Brook’s intervention, she would likely suffer from skin diseases and severe internal organ damage…
Fortunately, it wasn’t her facing this disgusting parasitic body-it was Wang Yang, Liu Luo, and the others.
In an instant, the candidates from both schools took two steps back.
The confidence they had in facing Chen Ze and his twenty-plus followers began to crumble.
“Team up!”
“Wang Yang, get over here! Damn it, why is Chen Ze in this instance? That hairless monkey king!”
“Is this our Zhongyue’s doing?”
“Get out of the way!”
The Hairless Face leaped from Chen Ze’s hand, bouncing like a pink ball before shooting into the crowd.
Qi Dao, on high alert, immediately released his parasitic body—a mechanical bat with metal wings.
F41 Parasitic Body: Industrial Iron Bat (First-Generation C-Class Cthulhu Monster: Metal Infector)
“Go!”
Qi Dao aimed the Industrial Iron Bat in the direction of the Hairless Face’s bounce…
Whoosh!
The metal wings extended to a meter in length, flapping and creating a gust of wind that swept up dust from the ground.
The dust particles densely covered the Hairless Face’s pores, which were about to release bacteria.
Ugh, it was even more disgusting now-a sticky, wriggling mass of flesh with bacteria eggs squirming inside.
Anyone with trypophobia would have fainted on the spot.
However, it did manage to block the bacteria eggs from spreading like a shower of petals among the group.
Wang Yang shouted in approval, then pressed his hands down, releasing a small red dog from his left hand.
It exhaled hot air, roasting the surroundings and making the other parasitic bodies uncomfortable, causing them to howl in pain.
His setup wasn’t bad either, with first-generation C-Class Cthulhu monsters.
Otherwise, despite his slightly lower intelligence, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up with Qi Dao and Liu Shen.
With the two of them teaming up, they managed to neutralize the threat posed by Chen Ze, and the situation seemed to be turning in their favor.
Suddenly.
Qi Dao’s expression changed drastically.
He quickly dodged, but a heavy punch still landed on his chest.
He choked, spat out blood, and rolled to the ground, drawing a knife from his waist to block.
Clang!!!
The blade of the attacker’s weapon struck with such force that Qi Dao’s arm, already injured, was in excruciating pain.
He was forced to kneel, his kneecaps aching.
Liu Luo’s legs were wrapped in a yellow glow.
His parasitic body was a muscle enhancing auxiliary creature.
When attached to a specific body part, it released hormones that temporarily increased the muscle’s explosive power by 15 units.
If attached to the arms, the punching power would increase by 15 units.
In practical terms, among the over 600 candidates, only Liu Luo had the highest strength index, nearly matching the night watchman of the morgue, allowing him to hold his own in a one-on-one fight for several rounds.
Similarly, his proficiency with this parasitic body was quite high, given his experience in numerous fights and his expertise in ambushes.
After spitting blood, Qi Dao broke free from Chen Ze’s restraint.
Despite the blood seeping from his kneecaps, he quickly reacted and shouted,
“Wang Yang, retreat! They’re in this together!”
What?!
Wang Yang’s mind was still lagging, unable to process the situation, and his body couldn’t react in time-Chen Ze had already smoothly taken advantage of the opening created by Liu Luo’s ambush, directing the Hairless Face to pounce on Wang Yang’s body.
Wang Yang’s legs were already entangled by vines, courtesy of Liu Luo’s right-hand man.
They had indeed teamed up.
The supposed rivalry between the school tyrants of Zhongyue’s Thirteenth Middle School didn’t exist in this instance.
They had chosen to band together.
Who said school tyrants lacked subtlety and cunning?
That they were all brash and reckless?
Look at how strategic they were being.
Qi Dao watched helplessly as Wang Yang was about to be taken down… while he himself was barely holding on against Liu Luo’s close-quarters assault.
He even began to suspect that Liu Shen, who had left the group alone, must have been followed by these people.
Wait, was that bastard Jock also in this instance?
The three of them were always a unit, splitting up to deal with their enemies.
Damn it!
Liu Shen was done for, and so were they!