Chapter 43: Choice

So, go or not?

The question plagued Xueqiu, unanswered even by morning.

She woke to a bright room, but no sunlight streamed through the window—it was covered by a white shade. Even without it, there’d be no sun, only a scarlet sky.

Perhaps Youdu had no day or night, though time ran normally here. She could still charge her phone in this “Investigation Team” base, though…

So, should she go?

Per Xia Yin, in a few hours, Ou Ziyun would announce their outing with the research team.

If so, why hadn’t she told Xueqiu earlier? She couldn’t figure it out.

In her memory, Ou Ziyun, the student council president, wasn’t deceitful.

On the contrary, she was proud, assertive, a confident senior who seemed to control everything.

So, should she go?

Xueqiu changed into casual clothes. New to this place, she didn’t know the layout.

But she didn’t need to worry—opening the door, she found Xia Yin leaning against it.

She didn’t know when he’d arrived, silent as if he’d spent the night in the corridor.

“Waiting for me, Senior?” she asked softly.

“You and that Chisaki are both hopeless with directions. If I don’t guide you, you’ll get lost, and our noble president will roast me again.”

Xia Yin didn’t look at her, eyes on his phone. “Decided yet?”

Xueqiu hesitated a second, nodding almost without thinking.

“Good, good. Didn’t freeze my butt off coming to you last night for nothing. In this weather, staying in bed 24/7 is best. Sleeping’s great, right? But… time to find them.”

Xueqiu didn’t tell him she hadn’t actually decided.

The research team’s destination wasn’t a park or amusement park—it was a sand-swept wasteland, like Death Valley, maybe worse.

She was just a freshman, ranked D.

Even if she were A like Ou Ziyun or Su Xi, they were only sophomores.

Xia Yin was S-rank but had repeated his sophomore year thrice—still a student.

And he said outside wasn’t safe.

Xueqiu followed him through a corridor with no rooms, just walls, occasionally passing windows where she heard a distinct “rustling.”

Xia Yin led her to the dining hall. With enough rooms for the four, the facility likely had a library or gym too.

At the table, Xueqiu first saw Ou Ziyun, then Su Xi, and across from them, a man.

He smashed a boiled egg on the table, peeled it in seconds, and popped it into his mouth. Beside him sat a bowl of soy milk and a plastic-wrapped fried dough stick.

The food here seemed normal, not the compressed biscuits or instant vegetable soup Xueqiu had expected for the next seven days.

“How long ago? Roughly… 18-something to 19-something?” the man said.

“Anyway, that’s the deal. No progress for a century. Before that, there was no Spiritual Academy. Ghost slayers were called Pivots, and slaying and research happened under some… what was it called… hall?”

At the table, the man chewed his dough stick, words muffled to near incomprehensibility.

Xueqiu recalled he told them to call him Old Gu but hadn’t shared his age.

Sometimes he rambled like an old uncle, other times like a recent grad scraping by…

“Morning, Brother Xia,” Su Xi waved.

Xia Yin grabbed some buns and soy milk from the breakfast corner, sitting with Xueqiu, who seemed intrigued by Old Gu’s words.

Or rather, by anything about the Academy or Investigation Team.

“Why the hundred-year gap?” Ou Ziyun asked, ignoring the others, focused on Old Gu. “War?”

“War’s part of it. Everything we eat or wear is shipped from the real world. Develop here? Nonsense! You can’t even drink the water…” Old Gu said.

“But the gap wasn’t just that. Some high-profile ghost slayers got assassinated. A big family was wiped out…”

He gulped soy milk like a drunk downing rice wine, his tone like barroom banter.

Ou Ziyun didn’t press further, turning to the two beside Old Gu—specifically, the petite, white-haired girl with evasive eyes.

“Xueqiu, this afternoon we’re joining the Investigation Team to visit a nearby ruins lab. Want to come?” Ou Ziyun asked.

Her tone, like Old Gu’s, was casual, like inviting someone for a stroll.

Xueqiu hadn’t expected Xia Yin’s “few hours” to mean now.

“Don’t bother, Madam President. Sending a freshman out there is like sending her to die. Is this a concentration camp? Is outside a shower or a gas chamber? Not much difference,” Xia Yin said.

“Uh, actually, there aren’t many monsters nearby. Just a trip to the closest ruins,” Old Gu said, scratching his head awkwardly.

His lazy gaze somewhat mirrored Xia Yin’s, but with a middle-aged slump.

“Your call, Xueqiu.”

Ou Ziyun’s tone held no pressure.

Xueqiu had thought this might be a test, like a tribal rite of passage—hunting a beast alone.

She had no strong opinion.

If her starting rank wasn’t E, if her Contract leaned toward defense or attack instead of mimicking ‘Hakutaku’ with ‘Mirror Demon’…

If she didn’t go, it was fine, she told herself.

There’d be other chances to raise her rank.

Per Xia Yin, just attending this trip would earn credits, boosting her hard-earned D.

Besides, he’d advised against going, and she usually listened to him.

“What’s wrong? Tummy ache? Want me to take you to the infirmary? There’s one here, right, Old Gu?” Xia Yin coaxed.

“I’ll… go. I’m fine.”