"What does it mean by large-scale joint exam?" You Huo asked.
No one answered.
The fog behind him receded and his surroundings cleared up.
He was standing on an empty street. To the right was a lonely small house and to the left was an old basketball court.
The basketball hoop was old and rusty, the paint on the backboard was chipping off and it would let out low creaks as it swayed in the humid evening wind.
Blood-red sunset in the distance shone down, illuminating the street.
You Huo looked around, "Qin Jiu?"
There was no answer.
Qin Jiu wasn't there, the Yu father and son duo wasn't there, Chu Yue wasn't there, and the other three ladies were also not around.
You Huo's expression instantly fell.
An old-fashioned speaker was tied to the streetlight at the corner of the street. It quietly let out small static sounds:
[A large-scale joint exam, also known as a simultaneous multi-region screening examination.]
[This examination includes a total of 2048 examinees from different countries and regions.]
Over two thousand?
So, where are they? Stuck at the entrance to this exam?
You Huo listened expressionlessly to the systems bullshit.
[This exam is divided into three stages.]
[The first stage is a screening test. It is to be completed by examinees independently.]
[Note: Performance in the first stage will determine your position in the second stage.]
[The second stage is an open exam. At this stage, you will meet companions from all over the word and can freely compete and eliminate.]
Freely competing was understandable.
Strictly speaking, their previous exams also allowed examinees to compete with one another, but they had brought that "competitive" factor down to an all-time low and conversely forcible turned it into a team battle.
But freely eliminating was quite intriguing.
The bald man back then only did it to Shu Xue because he feared for his life and pushed Shu Xue out when his life was at risk. In other words, he had the NPC do the dirty work.
As for examinees directly killing another examinee, he hadn't seen it yet.
The ability to freely eliminate others – That likely meant that mutual killing would become a possibility.
There was a trace of disgust in You Huo's eyes.
[The third stage is a special stage, also known as bonus question stage. Examinees who successfully pass the second stage will enter the bonus question stage under the premise that all conditions are met. Part of the points from this stage will be included to the total score and the rest will be distributed in the form of rewards.]
Hearing this, You Huo understood.
He is currently in the first stage and would need to fight alone.
The great master was visibly in a poor mood.
The system took a deep breath and began to introduce the first stage:
[This is a coastal town called Brandon. Shirley and Sali are a pair of siblings. Shirley is a little girl who likes to dress up and one of her favourite activities is to look in the mirror. Whenever there is something that can reflect her appearance, she would always stop to look at it for a while. Sali on the other hand is a little greedy with food but he loves his little sister very much and would always share half of anything delicious with his sister. They are truly a pair of lovely, good children. However recently, this pair of siblings have encountered a difficult problem and have been troubled by it for a long time. Even now, they are unable to reach an answer. Can you help them?]
[The exam time for this stage is 3 days. The cumulative score after 3 days will be the final score for the first stage.]
[Important reminder: Don't make Shirley cry, and don't make Sali hungry.]
[Special reminder: Incorrect answers can be changed but a price will need to be paid with every change.]
[Good luck.]
The system must have taken the wrong medication today. It actually said that incorrect answers could be changed.
But hearing the last half of that sentence, it probably meant that it wasn't anything good.
The speaker fell silent.
Soon afterwards, thud—- thud—– sounds could be heard from the basketball court.
It sounded like a duet.
You Huo turned around and saw a boy and a girl standing on the edge of the basketball court bouncing their rubber balls.
The little girl wore a standard horror movie styled red dress and had her hair tied into a small ponytail. The little boy was wearing denim overalls.
Other than that, the two of them looked almost exactly the same; golden-yellow hair, snow-white skin and a look of innocence as they looked over in You Huo's direction.
They appeared very young and may possibly have not yet attended elementary school. With their small statures, tall people like You Huo appeared even larger.
You Huo walked over.
Both the brother and sister could only see him if they did their best to look up, but their hands didn't stop.
They continued to bounce their balls with a lot of strength. The balls hit the ground with a very heavy sound, but they didn't look like they were exerting much force and was instead smiling sweetly with their mouths closed.
Their blue eyes were very clear, and their eyelashes that were the same colour as their hair were long and thick.
They were extremely beautiful, like a pair of exquisite dolls.
But they also gave off a strange feeling that couldn't be explained.
"Shirley? Sali?" You Huo looked at the two of them.
The two neither nodded nor shook their heads and just looked curiously at You Huo.
After a while, the pair of siblings suddenly grinned and said sweetly: "You guess?"
The teeth they revealed were thin and dense with some still stained with blood. It was unknown what they had just eaten.
You Huo: "....."
A pair of lovely, good children.
System, are you blind???
"Are you staying as a guest here?"
This pair of siblings like to talk at the same time. Their actions were surprisingly in sync.
"I guess." You Huo said.
He glanced up. The street on this side wasn't covered in white fog and the other side was facing the sea. The area in which he can move about in was very small; except for the small house, there was nothing else.
Beep beep beep.
A burst of electronic sounds suddenly sounded.
That sound was very familiar. It was the same as the warning sounds invigilators receive.
You Huo almost thought Qin Jiu had arrived but after looking around, he realised that the source of the sound was the watches the pair of siblings wore.
"It's late. We should go back."
Sali spoke like an older brother.
Shirley let out a sound of agreement and again smiled sweetly, revealing her bloody teeth.
They held their rubber balls in their arms and led the way.
The ball was bigger than their heads.
You Huo watched on for a while and suddenly stretched his hand out: "Give me the ball."
Shirley looked up. Her snow-white cheeks moved as she spoke: "You want to help?"
You Huo: "I don't have that intention. I want to check the weight."
Shirley: "...…."
She puffed up her cheeks and retracted her hands. She held the ball tightly in her arms.
Sali raised his head and said: "Mum and Dad said that we should carry our own things."
Shirley: "That's right. You're so ignorant."
You Huo: "....."
Alright then.
The pair of siblings rejected the guests unreasonable request.
A moment later, Sali realised that his feet were no longer touching the ground.
A pair of thin, slender hands passed through under his arm and lifted him up.
That guest said: "Then I'll have to carry the ball together with the person."
His tone was cold and indifferent, like a bully.
.....A bully that looked especially good.
Under the dark stares from the pair of siblings, You Huo placed the two back down.
He originally thought the two rubber balls just looked heavy, but he didn't expect it to really be quite heavy.
It was as if there was something stuffed inside it.
What could be put into something of this size?
You Huo's expression wasn't very good.
Sali pulled out a key that was hanging from his neck and opened the door.
You Huo had thought that he would smell something strange———
For example, something rotting? Or something sour? Or perhaps something bloody?
In accordance to how normal horror movies worked, the house would probably have a smell that made people uncomfortable.
But unexpectedly, there was just a faint fragrance in the house.
It was so faint; it was easy to overlook.
It was as if someone had left some kind of woody incense stick somewhere but had forgotten about it and, after all these years, only a small residual smell was left.
Some say that smells and memories are very closely linked. It helps make the moment become more vivid and memorable.
The moment he smelt this; countless memories started to get restless.
You Huo could almost feel surges in his brain and heart.
He stepped in and stopped at the door.
A large French window on one side, a living room straight ahead and 'U' shaped stairs that led upstairs. When the sun rays filtered through the window from outside, a square shaped block of light was cast onto the stairs.
And there was also.....a wooden passage that went downstairs. Once downstairs, there would be a separate room.
These have all appeared in his dreams.
This was actually his house, but he wasn't able to recognise it from the outside.
It was because the system had stupidly modified its exterior into a haunted house.
But the details and decoration inside was different. There were pictures of the pair of siblings hanging on the walls as well as dolls and marbles scattered across the floor. There were traces of children living here in every corner of the house.
"Why are you just standing at the door?" The siblings urged him, "Hurry up. We still haven't done our homework."
While he was momentarily in daze, the balls in their arms had disappeared.
"What homework?" You Huo asked.
The question this time said that the pair of siblings had encountered a difficult problem and the subject this time was also Mathematics.
He was thinking....
Could the problem be something to do with their homework?
But the combined age of these two here would only be eight years old?
What could their homework be? Elementary maths?
"Mm——–Before Mum and Dad go out to play, they would always like to leave us with a small question to test my brother and I."
Shirley was looking at a dressing mirror.
She lifted the corner of her dress and tilted her head as she looked at her reflection.
When the little girl stared at the mirror, her eyes didn't move. It was a little bone-chilling.
Older brother Sali picked up the dolls and marbles and placed them on the sofa. He beckoned to You Huo and said, "I'll show you our homework later. I'm the owner right now. If you want to have a room, you have to listen to me."
You Huo managed to squeeze out some patience. He followed after Sali.
"Mum said that guests should stay in the guest room. You can sleep in this room tonight." Sali dragged You Huo into the only bedroom on the first floor. He opened the window and said, "Look. This window faces the backyard. You can sometimes see squirrels outside. I like this room the most."
You Huo had no interest in the backyard or the squirrels.
With his arms crossed and his back towards the window, he watched Sali rush over to open a cabinet to pull out a duvet.
You Huo suddenly said: "I don't want to stay in this room."
Sali was stunned: "Why?"
He turned around and asked again: "Where would you stay then?"
You Huo leaned against the window and tapped his feet: "The one underground."
"How did you know there's another room underground?" After Sali asked this, he immediately shook his head: "Mum said no. Guests must stay here."
"Where's you mum?"
Sali was blank for a few seconds. He then replied: "Anyway, Mum said no!"
"My feet belong to me."
Sali suddenly let out a sharp scream. It was something wild children would do for no reason.
The tap tap tap of leather shoes grew louder.
Shirley stuck her head in from outside: "Sali, what's wrong?"
"This guest isn't being obedient." Sali glared at You Huo.
"Disobedient people are all bad children." Shirley walked in and stood next to her brother.
Sali: "Bad children will be punished."
Shirley: "A very terrible punishment."
Sali: "You will regret it."
As the two brats spoke, their expressions darkened and the atmosphere around them turned strange.
Many guests were afraid of them. They would be especially afraid at a time like thin and would always become pale and instantly turn obedient.
But the one this time remained indifferent.
You Huo snorted and was about to speak.
Suddenly, there were some sounds from behind him. The footsteps and whispers sounded like it was more than one person.
Soon afterwards, a lazy voice that carried slight amusement sounded from behind You Huo: "The first thing I hear after entering is a threat. Which brat has the guts to be so rude?"
You Huo froze for a moment and turned to look back.
He saw Qin Jiu standing outside the window with one hand on the window frame and the other supporting the opened window above him. He fearlessly taunted the children.
And behind him, the others were in the process of climbing over the fence. Yu Wen was getting ready to catch Old Yu who was straddling the fence while Shu Xue breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Finally found everyone."
Sali and Shirley stared at Qin Jiu: "Who are you?!"
Qin Jiu said, "Let me think. What do you call him?"
He raised his chin and pointed it at You Huo.
Sali answered straightforwardly: "Guest!"
Qin Jiu let out an 'oh': "Then I am the guest's boyfriend."
Old Yu fell off from the fence with a thud.
KK has something to say:
Qin Jiu has so many great one-liners