Chapter 168: Online Romance

Chapter 168: Online Romance

“A City doesn’t even, exist.” As expected, Ronnie pointed out the crux of the matter.

“I don’t think that’s an accurate way to put it.” Xiran adjusted his glasses with a serious expression. “We only know for certain that at this moment, we cannot go to the city from the known parts of the Mist World. However, that doesn’t mean the city doesn’t exist. No one knows what’s inside the mist.”

“There may be nothing at, all.”

“Ughhhhh enough already!” Can pulled at her hair as she yelled. “Would you two stop talking about this? I’m getting fed up! Let’s talk about your online romance! Isn’t that much more exciting?”

Then she puffed out her cheeks in anger, “Ugh, I can’t believe my roommates! Even the one other single one ends up getting a boyfriend! She’s going on a date with him tonight without telling me!”

Gao Yang smiled faintly. “I’m more interested in the online romance too.”

He wasn’t actually interested, but it was better to disperse the tension before going on a mission, and talks about the truth of the world were too serious.

Xiran paused and looked at Gao Yang. He seemed to be wondering if he should tell him.

“Go on,” Gao Yang said in encouragement.

“Then I will.” Xiran smiled shyly.

“That’s the spirit!” Can slapped him on the shoulder. “Speak your mind! We’ll lend an ear to all your questions!”

“Back in elementary school, I wrote an essay titled, My Mom.” Xiran licked his lips and looked down at his clasped hands. “Growing up, we only had each other, and things weren’t easy. Ah, I digress. Sorry...”

“Anyway, that essay won a prize and ended up published in a monthly magazine for elementary school students.”

He glanced at the others and continued, “Not long after that, I got a letter from the A City. Her name was Lin Mengjuan. We were the same age. She said that she was moved by my essay, and that she grew up with a single mother as well. My school address was given at the bottom of the page, so she wrote to the address to contact me.”

The car moved at a stable pace, the interior quiet. They were all engrossed by the story.

“We became pen pals just like that. I hadn’t awakened then and didn’t know that A City didn’t exist.”

A smile tugged at Xiran’s lips as he recalled the time of simple happiness. “We wrote to each other every month to talk about our lives, and we even sent each other pictures of ourselves. When the Internet became more commonplace, we chatted online instead. She never videochatted with me, but we sometimes called each other.”

“Things went on like that until my third year in highschool. I planned to visit Lin Mengjuan in the A City came summer. She was happy and said that she looked forward to it.”

Xiran fell silent.

“But then you awakened.” Gao Yang could guess what happened then.

“I did. My math teacher was an awakener, and after learning of my plan, he subtly confirmed that I was human before telling me the truth of the world. Soon, I awakened with a Talent.”

The team made it to the school gate, and Gao Yang gave the instructions, “Watch the gates to make sure no one gets through, Xiran, Ronnie. If anything happens, contact me immediately. Do not make any move on your own. The rest of you, come with me.”

“Got it.”

“I, understand.”

Gao Yang, Gray Bear, Lithe Snake, and Can vaulted into the guardhouse through the window. Then they entered the campus. Walking along the shaded path, they soon spotted the fourth team.

Their confidence was evident in the way they split up to search the campus. Black Sparrow was walking around the running track with a flashlight, and she headed toward the flagpole platform. Yellow Butterfly, on the other hand, was in the hallway on the third floor of the teaching building, her flashlight signifying her location.

The other three teammates each went to the cafeteria, the dorm, and the staff building.

All the while, Nine Frost, the captain of the fourth team, stayed seated on the concrete bleachers of the open basketball court, his expression serious. He held himself like a general overseeing things from the command tent in a military camp.

After all the unforeseen dangers Gao Yang had been through, he was more cautious and didn’t tell his team to split up. Instead, they all searched the campus together.

They first went to the teaching building and searched each of the classrooms.

The classrooms differed little. There were the same abandoned desks and broken windows, all covered in a thick layer of dust and spiderwebs.

Can had an art glass bracelet on her wrist. It was a level 3 empowering item she got from the Guild. With Black Gold as one of the materials and imbued with a Talent for detection, the bracelet glowed when it was close to a powerful being; the more powerful the being, the more intense the light. It served as a sensor of sorts.

Can kept checking the bracelet nervously, making dramatic reactions at everything.

“Oh boy! Look, the bracelet seems a little brighter!”

“No, it’s in your head.”

“Oh boy oh boy oh boy! It’s really brighter this time! Look!”

“It’s the moonlight from the window.”

...

They soon went through all the classrooms.

Gao Yang thought for a moment. There was one place they hadn’t checked: the rooftop.

According to all the fictional stories he had consumed, rooftops were where many unfortunate incidents happened. It was the one place they must investigate.

The four of them headed to the rooftop with their flashlights. The lock was broken, and the rusty metal door was slightly ajar.

As the tank of the group, Gray Bear naturally took point and opened the door. Only once he made sure that there was no danger did he wave the others over. They followed him out.

And immediately, Gao Yang caught a figure at the corner of his eye.