Chapter 96

The girl who received a response excitedly continued the conversation. She scanned the transfer student in front of her from head to toe with her eyes, then asked in an appreciative tone, “Is your human skin clothing custom-made at one of the Su Consortium’s factories too?”

“Isn’t this some limited edition? The texture looks so premium.”

As she spoke, she touched her own face to show that hers didn’t feel as good as his; her fair and supple skin stood there practically glowing.

After so many days learning about the Weird World, Su Ximu wasn’t startled by the girl’s mention of “human skin clothing.” He knew it was just a nickname for outrageously expensive outfits.

Su Ximu had never bought any, so he told the truth. “I didn’t buy it. This is just how I look.”

He figured if he didn’t speak up soon, the girl in front of him might actually reach out and touch his face—like she was caressing the fabric of some pricey garment.

There were humanoid Weirds in the Weird World, so his answer wasn’t all that strange.

But instead of pulling back as Su Ximu expected, the girl’s appreciative gaze lingered. After hearing his response, she gave him another look, her eyes somehow even brighter.

Every little weird without much power of their own was influenced by the emotions of the powerful Weird they belonged to.

That said, Weirds still had subtle differences in personality and tastes.

Take Chu Wei, for example. She just liked pretty things.

Pretty objects, pretty Weirds, pretty human players—she liked them all.

Before this transfer student walked into the classroom, there had been other new faces sitting around, some not bad-looking. But none had quite hit her aesthetic sweet spot, so none had triggered her chit-chat reflex.

The thought that a Weird as good-looking as this one was about to become her classmate stirred a rare spark of goodwill in Chu Wei. She decided to play campus tour guide for him, helping him survive a bit longer in this school.

“Have you looked into our school before enrolling?” Chu Wei asked the clueless-looking transfer student in front of her.

Su Ximu, the one asked, nodded confidently.

Of course he had. He even knew exactly how many departments the school had. He’d memorized his schedule for the entire next week.

Chu Wei’s expression grew complicated at his answer. She figured this transfer student had hit the jackpot, running into a nice Weird like her on his very first day.

She simply led him over to the classroom window, her tone turning solemn. “Forget all that irrelevant crap you dug up. Listen up—what I’m about to tell you is the real stuff every Tanzhong University student needs to know.”

Her tone was so formal that Su Ximu wondered if he’d really missed something in his research. Even the players not far away perked up their ears, eager to mooch some intel.

“Mm, thanks for telling me.” With the girl so serious, Su Ximu matched her vibe—he was one step away from whipping out a notebook. “Go ahead. I’ll make sure to remember it.”

Chu Wei was clearly delighted by his earnest response. Her planned quick rundown expanded into a full briefing the moment she opened her mouth. “Do you know about F4?”

Su Ximu shook his head right away.

He’d only heard classmates yelling the term on enrollment day.

Didn’t it refer to that guy who jumped off the helicopter… and then blew the damn thing up?

“F4—they’re legends, all from beyond the mysterious Tanzhong Five Cities. Every single member wields serious power, and that’s before you factor in the forces backing them!”

Unless you had the ability or a prop to cross the Gray Mist Zone, the outside world was a distant, enigmatic place for most Weirds.

“It’s said our world breaks down into five regions right now.”

“F4’s first member is Young Master Wu Jie, from the oldest North District. Word is, powerful existences are everywhere up there! His dad’s the North District head, and Young Master Wu Jie’s no slouch himself.”

“F4’s second is Young Master Wuchang from the East District. His family dominates there. A few years back, they built this horrifying new city modeled after something called the ‘Eighteen Levels of Hell.’ It’s split into eighteen layers, each one matching a different torment from those hells.”

Chu Wei shivered as she said it.

Dungeons like that? Forget humans—even Weirds would die screaming inside.

Compared to the other four districts, Tanzhong City seemed downright cozy.

She pressed on. “F4’s third member is Young Master Xi Wei from the West District.”

Her face turned dreamy. “He’s the mildest of the four young masters by far, and his family’s all about medicine. Gentle, refined, saving lives—practically saintly!”

“Rumor has it, that enrollment day helicopter explosion where Young Master Wu Jie accidentally hurt himself and Young Master Xi Wei? Happened because he tested a new drug for Young Master Xi Wei right before landing. Caused a bit of neural glitch.”

By now, Su Ximu had no clue what to jot down anymore. He met the girl’s expectant gaze, thought for a second, and flashed her a polite smile.

“Finally, the #%￥%# young master from the South District! He’s the most mysterious of the bunch. Hardly any rumors about him in school, but if he’s F4 material alongside Young Master Wu Jie and the rest, his power and backing have to be top-tier!”

Chu Wei sighed with real regret. Out of the Weird World’s five districts, why didn’t Tanzhong have anyone make the cut?

F4’s lineup screamed five members from the start!

Was it like the other classmates guessed? Tanzhong only rose up later, so they were too weak—other districts didn’t want to play with them?

“Sigh.” After a quick pang of melancholy, her tone flipped back to fervor. “After the semester kicked off, the four young masters rolled out a new game. Every student—even teachers—has to join in and follow the rules!”

Her eyes burned with fanaticism at the mention, tinged with fear.

If F4 wanted, they could make every student who got a Death Invitation feel honored beyond measure—gladly dying in a classmate mob with fanatical glee.

They could turn the whole school into a frenzy over snatching invitations.

But where was the fun in that?

Fear and screams made the perfect garnish for a death game.

The teen who picked up on the bullying undertones grew solemn.

Chu Wei was just about to explain the rules when a commotion erupted downstairs.

“A freshman got a Death Invitation!”

“Haha, where’s he at? Let’s corner him!”

“Quick—don’t let him slip away!”

Chu Wei forgot all about briefing the transfer student. A twisted excitement lit her face, and she bolted out the door.

She was on the slow side already. The whole classroom emptied—except for the players huddled in the corner. Su Ximu was the only one left.

Now that they knew F4’s “new game,” the players wanted nothing to do with heading downstairs.

Before this world, they’d been regular college kids. Barely any rule-breaking. Skipping luxuries to hit the game hall in uni town was edgy for the goody-two-shoes types.

Now? Thrust into this nightmare with a “game” hanging over them, death’s shadow everywhere.

And Tao Xi had just heard about the four—no, five—districts.

This wasn’t some pocket horror space. It was the full deal!

What rotten luck.

Still, reluctant as they were, the corner turtles dragged their feet after the crowd.

Their game hall chat last night nailed it: in this school, standing out meant higher death odds.

Not just them—the game hall itself had fused into the school library.

They’d crashed there the past couple days, a shaky safe spot. But come 6 AM, the Overseer booted them out.

They wandered the terror-student-infested halls on eggshells, splitting up to blend in.

Nobody risked straying far from the library.

As they shuffled, Tao Xi spotted the transfer student still there. He grumbled inwardly: no crimes, no vices—not even porn, gambling, or drugs. Hell, he’d helped a granny cross the street just days ago. How’d he end up here?

He forced a “team player” fanatic grin, but the awkwardness didn’t escape Su Ximu’s notice.

The teen by the window eyed the group rising from the corner, head tilted in thought.

Seconds later, he dropped the bomb. “Are you players?”

F4 didn’t have the juice to turn the whole school into their personal dungeon. The principal got offed by another Weird years back, and management had been brawling like dogs ever since—no successor yet.

So F4’s game—and the school itself—weren’t proper dungeons.

No heavy rule enforcement.

Like, no forced roleplay.

Tao Xi and company’s vibe felt more like endgame Wasteland World: Weird World bleeding into the invaded one.

Things would only spiral into more chaos.

Rules? Sometimes a player’s best friend.

Su Ximu didn’t know the full scoop. He just sensed no force stopping him from speaking up—or asking. So he voiced his hunch.

The six—including Tao Xi—jumped at the sudden question.

Poor newbies: first Weird World dive, broken dungeon, no rules, no vets. They exchanged baffled looks, faces a mirror of confusion.

Players?

What players?

Players what?

Their classmates’ sincere bewilderment made Su Ximu second-guess himself.

Not players?

But they sure acted like it.

One of the six snapped to it at the word “players.” Blank stare, then familiarity hit—pupils shrank.

Players!

The Weird Tales Horror Game he’d been grinding before arriving!

“Player” was generic for game operators, but in Blue Star World games, only the Weird Tales Horror Game branded it that way from start to finish.

Was this place actually a game-style Weird Tales Dungeon?

But no rules panel popped up.

Or, actually, it was also possible that they had it, but no one noticed?

What kind of existence was the transfer student in front of them?

Students who went to the Game Hall to play had basically all played the game. The only difference was their reaction speed.

Among the group, Tao Xi had slightly more guts. He forcibly mustered his courage, tried his best to stay calm, and asked the transfer student, “You, why did you say we are players?”

“You are also a player?”

It was well known that in the Strange Talk Game, veteran players and new players were not the same thing at all.

“I should count as…” Before he could finish speaking, Su Ximu’s ear tips trembled, and he twisted his head to look out the window again.

In the time it took to speak, Su Ximu and Tao Xi and the others had already fallen a few beats behind.

One minute earlier.

The freshman who had received the Death Invitation was cornered with nowhere to go, blocked under the teaching building.

His expression was panicked and fragile, nearly on the verge of collapse.

Just by looking at the props in these people’s hands, Xu Wei knew exactly what kind of hellish fate awaited him next.

Driven to the absolute brink, a do-or-die courage welled up in his heart.

He knew he was no match for these terrifying monsters. He could only seize this final chance to make things a little easier for himself.

He timed it perfectly, his gums nearly bleeding from how hard he clenched his teeth.

He glanced once more at the scissors, utility knives, and spiked wooden sticks in the monsters’ hands… Xu Wei hesitated no longer and charged at full force toward the wall not far away.

A few seconds later, the anticipated pain and the scene of his brains splattering everywhere did not arrive.

Xu Wei slumped to the ground there, his expression ashen. He had failed.

He saw the monster that blocked him grinning ferociously at him, its mouth nearly split to the ears.

The monster’s tone was both furious and fawning: “What kind of thing are you, daring to use the same name as Young Master Xi Wei!”

“Kill him! Kill him!”

“Rip off his legs first! So he doesn’t run off later.”

“F4!”

“Two young masters of F4 are here! Clear the way quick!”

The crowd of ‘people’ parted like the Red Sea, forming a wide path. Amid the thudding footsteps and the students’ fanatical clamoring, two men with unfamiliar faces walked right up to Xu Wei.

They were not Wu Jie and Xi Wei from that day; those two were still recovering from their injuries.

One of the men had a handsome face full of weariness. He seemed somewhat disappointed by the prey’s performance in front of him and tsked. “So boring.”

With that, he lazily waved his hand.

The motion was like a puppeteer manipulating his obedient puppet.

Xu Wei struggled as he watched the monsters pounce toward him. “Get lost!!”

“Ah! Ah!! If you’ve got the guts, eat your father! In eighteen years, your father will be a good man again!”

This was precisely the moment when Su Ximu and Tao Xi and the others stood by the window.

“It’s Xu Wei!” The instant he recognized Xu Le’s voice, Tao Xi felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

Su Ximu also found the voice familiar.

But with no time to think deeply, he instinctively wanted to stop what was happening downstairs. However, unpracticed with his power, he could only fall back on the most primal solution.

He grabbed something at random, took aim, and hurled it downstairs with force.

Only when the object halted mid-air, caught by some power, did he notice what he had thrown—a chair.

A chair had been tossed down from the upstairs classroom window.

In that instant, all the students froze at this blatantly provocative act and couldn’t help looking up.

Even the man who had first signaled the students to attack was a bit surprised. He looked up with keen interest.

A few seconds after he threw the chair down, Su Ximu remembered.

That voice sounded like a classmate named Xu Wei from his old school.

Not his roommate, but once when he and Wu Yang went out to eat, they ran into a drunken lout at a night market stall. In the end, Wu Yang clashed with the drunk.

He couldn’t stand by and watch Wu Yang get beaten by several people at once, so he rushed in too.

Somehow, in the middle of the brawl, their side turned into three people.

Afterward, when they were hauled to the police station for mediation, he and Wu Yang learned that the classmate who had jumped in to help was named Xu Wei—from the same floor dorm as them. They just hadn’t been close before.

But as Xu Wei had put it, they were brothers from the same floor dorm—how could they let a few drunken idiots bully them when they were out?

The memory wasn’t long. Now it was Su Ximu’s turn to look down from on high while slowly confirming in his mind that these classmates really were players.

“Was this chair thrown by you?” The man asked, though he already knew the answer.

Su Ximu didn’t respond. He raised his hand, took aim, and threw another chair down. This time, he finally wielded his power properly.

The chair, now cloaked in a layer of white fluorescence, shattered the obstruction and slammed with a bang onto the head of the handsome man, who hadn’t dodged and still wore that amused look on his face.

Hiss!

All the students gasped in shock.

Down in the pile of students, Chu Wei gasped too.

The transfer student actually dared to smash Young Master Wuchang!

Upstairs,

Tao Xi and the others gasped as well.

The way they looked at the boy beside them now held even greater certainty.

“Scum.”

They heard the boy upstairs say it quietly.

This was the first time Su Ximu had ever spoken harshly since arriving in this world.

Mostly because in every dungeon before, he hadn’t even processed the situation yet.

Wuchang 04, struck and insulted, curled his lip. “Interesting.”

“Classmate, you’ve successfully caught my attention.”