Chapter 22: The Invitation
A Reluctant Curiosity
“Forget it, I’m not that curious.”
Seeing Chen Ya’s mischievous expression, Yu Li immediately put on a nonchalant air, as if about to brush her off.
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t do that! I’ll tell you everything I know, as long as…”
Chen Ya hesitated, seeming a bit embarrassed.
“As long as what?”
“Well, I call you Little Yu Li, but you use my full name. It feels so distant!”
“So? Should I call you Little Chen Ya too?”
Yu Li looked at Chen Ya helplessly.
“That’s not friendly at all! It’s just repetitive!”
“Then… Ya Ya. Is that okay?”
“Ugh… call me that again!” Chen Ya’s face lit up with excitement, a faint blush on her cheeks.
“…Ya Ya.”
“Wah!! A super invincible cute girl calling me Ya Ya… my life’s complete!”
“Chen Ya…”
Yu Li narrowed her eyes, giving Chen Ya a warning look.
“Hey, hey, okay, okay! Ya Ya it is, I’ll talk~”
Chen Ya toned down her overly enthusiastic demeanor and looked at Yu Li seriously.
“What part does Little Yu Li want to know?”
“…Everything.”
“Got it… then I’ll start with the basics.”
Chen Ya’s expression turned serious.
“Disaster Beasts, as the name suggests, are monsters that bring calamity. Appearance-wise, they’re like faded Magic Beasts.”
Chen Ya took a deep breath and continued.
“They’re like unavoidable natural disasters, destroying every living thing around them. Each Disaster Beast has unique abilities, but they share a common trait.”
Chen Ya paused, as if telling a story, glancing at Yu Li’s face. But Yu Li just stared back expressionlessly, spitting out cold words.
“Keep stalling, and I’ll ask someone else.”
“No, no, I’m done, I swear!”
Chen Ya grinned nervously and hurried on.
“Every Disaster Beast we’ve encountered has a shared ability: their aura can drive other creatures—Magic Beasts or even humans—into madness.”
“They’re like monsters born to destroy everything else.”
Yu Li listened to Chen Ya’s serious explanation, her brows furrowing slightly.
‘As expected of a world with abilities. Humanity faces terrifying monsters.’
But… something about the description of Disaster Beasts felt… off.
Hidden Truths
Chen Ya didn’t notice Yu Li’s doubt and continued.
“That’s the common knowledge about Disaster Beasts. Now, for Little Yu Li, I’ll share some things most people don’t know!”
Chen Ya flashed a smug smile.
“From my research, these terrifying monsters might not have any hostility toward humans. Or rather, they don’t care at all. They don’t even actively destroy other creatures.”
Yu Li frowned at Chen Ya’s contradictory statements.
“Humph, don’t believe me, Little Yu Li? I’ve read tons of reports on Disaster Beasts. Most of them only caused disasters because they showed up.”
Chen Ya got more excited, perhaps thrilled to share her passion with a quiet, cute girl.
“From their behavior, it seems like Disaster Beasts are always searching for something. And from the reports, there’s no record of them actively attacking humans.”
“So… their mere presence destroys other creatures, making them humanity’s greatest enemy… is that it?”
“Wow! Little Yu Li’s so smart! Exactly. They’re just too powerful, so their appearance alone brings endless disasters. Even if they bear no malice, they’re still humanity’s greatest foe.”
Chen Ya shook her head, looking regretful.
“Disaster Beasts seem to have their own goals. We don’t know what they are, but they won’t stop searching, even if it means entering human cities.”
“I see…”
Yu Li fell into thought as she processed Chen Ya’s explanation.
‘A clear goal… no hostility toward ordinary people… humanity’s greatest enemy…’
“Little Yu Li? Little Yu Li!”
Seeing no response, Chen Ya waved a hand in front of Yu Li’s face.
“Are you thinking about Disaster Beasts? Don’t worry! The Central District has isolation walls, and the school has a grand barrier. Disaster Beasts basically can’t get through~”
“Barrier?”
“Oh, you don’t know about the school’s barrier?”
Yu Li stared silently at Chen Ya, waiting for an explanation.
“Don’t look at me like that! I only know the grand barrier blocks outside threats. I don’t know the details… but that idiot might.”
Chen Ya’s voice grew quieter, as if she didn’t want to be overheard.
Ding—
“Oh no, class is starting! Gotta go, Little Yu Li!”
Chen Ya bolted back to her seat.
Watching her flee, Yu Li frowned, thinking over her words.
‘If that’s the case… things might be worse than I thought.’
A Frustrated Ling Hao
Ling Hao was in a foul mood today. He went to the student council room to see his childhood friend, but she refused to meet him, leaving him to eat another closed door.
Since that day, Lan Yi hadn’t seen him once.
“Damn it, what’s this supposed to mean? I said I’d handle it.”
Ling Hao scratched his head irritably, kicking a nearby trash can, spilling its contents.
“It’s all that lapdog Ye Sheng’s fault. Next chance I get, I’m teaching him a lesson.”
Whether it was bad luck or good, just as he mentioned Ye Sheng, Ling Hao spotted him. Ye Sheng was chatting and laughing with a white-haired, purple-eyed girl, looking carefree, completely unaware of Ling Hao.
“He framed us, made us like this, and he’s living it up!”
Seeing Ye Sheng so happy, Ling Hao’s temper flared. A faint red glow lit up his hand as he got into a fighting stance, ready to charge and punch Ye Sheng.
‘Not yet.’
Just as he was about to rush forward, Ling Hao stopped abruptly, reluctantly lowering his fist, as if someone had held him back.
“Tch, fine. He’s lucky this time, but I won’t let him off next time.”
Ling Hao shook his hand, shot a glance at Ye Sheng and the white-haired girl, and turned to leave.
A Fearful Escape
Lan Yi leaned against the door, clutching her arms tightly. Though she knew the incident wasn’t Ling Hao’s fault, she just couldn’t face him.
Today, Lan Yi locked herself in the student council room again. After Ai Xinglan’s persuasion, she no longer neglected her health as much, but her condition was still poor.
Unknowingly, the sky darkened again.
Facing the darkened campus, Lan Yi felt a strange sense of relief. These past few days, she had grown used to this.
She pulled out her phone, sent a brief reply to her family’s messages, and put it down.
Since that day, Lan Yi hadn’t gone home. Though her family was starting to worry, she still didn’t dare return. She feared dragging them into this, but more than that… she feared they’d look at her with those same judgmental eyes.
She was trapped in a cycle of avoidance—avoiding classmates, teachers, family. Now, Lan Yi felt fear toward everyone.
Lost in confusion, she didn’t know how long she could keep running.
Ding—
“Huh?”
Her phone, just set down, chimed again. This time, it was different—a special notification tone she’d set.
It was a single line from her “little sister,” whom she hadn’t contacted since the start of the school year.
“Senior, let’s go on a date tomorrow~”