Ch107 – I’ll leave the rest to you

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Finally, after all the fighting, the curtain finally dropped on this fiasco.

Some of Class 5’s students shared its top students’ despair, collapsing and crying on the ground, while the underachievers laughed hysterically, which eventually trailed into tears. 

Even after falling into this situation, everyone only sympathised with the underachievers who had chosen the path of mutual destruction.

This was true of the trainees and the contenders in the live broadcast, not to mention the faceless NPCs in this instance.

 

 

It was clear from the political science taught in this instance that students who did poorly in exams had no business living.
Instead, they were better off becoming methane gas in the Corpse Pit, bringing warmth to First High School.

It wasn’t long before Class 5’s episode came to a close, just like that. 

Teaching assistants surrounded the trainees of Class 5, keeping an eagle eye on their movements.

 

After the execution order was laid out, just like the previous two rounds, trainees were unable to use special props.
They could only wait in silence for the teaching director to finish announcing every class’ result before their deaths.

Class 6’s turn came immediately after Class 5.

Every trainee in Class 6 felt like an invisible hand was gripping their gastric pouch, clenching it.

 

Extreme fear of life and death was akin to hanging off a precipice, arousing nausea in the pits of their stomachs.

“Class 6: 782 marks.”

This time, no one showed too much surprise.

 

After all, before this, the top students in Class 5 were strutting around pompously.
No one expected them not to pass the second monthly exam. 

On the other hand, Class 6 was one of the three classes that had failed to cross the bar in the weekly quizzes.
The fact that Class 2, which was in the same situation, had made it through by the skin of their teeth, was surprising enough, especially when taking into account that a student was caught cheating.
It would have been more surprising if Class 6 had managed to pull off the same stunt, but since they didn’t, the other classes were unfazed.

“Class 7: 815 marks.”

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A happy thing of note was that Class 7 had also passed.
From his seat at the very back, Tsuchimikado was visibly relieved.

Although Class 7 was now second only to Class 5 in terms of the number of faceless people, the atmosphere of the class wasn’t as bad as the latter due to Tsuchimikado’s presence. 

[It’s about to be Class 9 soon, AHHH I’m so nervous.]

[Me too, me too.
I’m willing to become a vegetarian for all my life if Buddha grants my prayer of letting Class 9 get through this safely.]

[Jiayou Class 9! One has already turned faceless; you can’t lose another at this point.]

But little did anyone expect that after Class 7’s announcement was made, Class 5 would start to clash again. 

Their ending was already spelled out.
Although all Class 5 trainees knew this, no one really wanted to meekly wait for their deaths, especially with it being in this way.
After the top students overcame their despair, they vented their rage on the underachievers, and both sides started to clamorously come to blows again.

The teaching assistants went up to maintain order.
And for a time it was mayhem.

 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection.
If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Pc tlr rfja, atf ktlaf-tjlgfv sbecu wjc tjv tlr tfjv jujlcra bcf tjcv, ktlif atf batfg tjcv kjr qgfrrfv ab atf mbgcfg bo atf ajyif.

Lf gjlrfv tlr tfjv.
Vegf fcbeut, yfcfjat atf oiju-gjlrlcu qijaobgw cba ojg boo, Rb.
1 kjr yfjwlcu ja tlw, jr atbeut fjufgis jkjlalcu j ubbv rtbk. 

For some reason, when Zong Jiu linked this to the Devil’s previous remarks, he had this feeling that the other had already put forward the ‘NPC’s assistance’ reward.
And at that time, No.
1 had said that… he would only guarantee his safety.
The exemption for the top five in class was very likely No.
1’s work.

Zong Jiu’s heart sank.
He was getting a bad hunch about this.

The consequences of the Hanged Man alone might not have been enough to warrant a reversed Tower card.

Perhaps at the appearance of this card, the conclusion had already been set in stone. 

He shut his eyes.

Behind him, Class 9’s trainees all clasped their hands together before their chests in silent prayer hoping for things to turn around.

Class 5’s commotion was finally suppressed by force, and the teaching director picked up the white paper again to continue the announcement.

At last, the knife hanging over everyone’s heads fell. 

“Class 9… 799 marks.”

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It was dead silent.

The expressions on the faces of Class 9’s trainees instantly blanked.

One mark.
It was just one mark.
And yet it was a world apart. 

The bullet chat recovered first.

[WTF!!! No!]

[Class 9!! AHHH my darling Class 9, how can this be!]

[Sigh… though I’m not surprised.
The beautiful promise is heartwarming, yes, but most of the time it’s just talk.
You still have to consider whether it’s actually achievable.] 

[Hear, hear.
Though I don’t understand why, at least the atrocious teachers changed their minds.
There’s only one faceless guy in Class 9, so even if he gets first, I’m still glad that the top five will be saved.
The only silver lining is that it isn’t a total wipe-out.
The Magician can still keep his life.]

[But that won’t be Class 9 anymore.
What about the other ninety-four students of Class 9?]

 

[Keep calm for now.
Maybe the Magician will have another plan? He himself said that he would protect all the trainees in class.]

Silence reigned on the quadrangle, only broken by Class 5’s monitor’s unhinged roars of laughter. 

“HAHAHA, brilliant! Brilliant! Die, die for me, all of you!”

At death’s door, his mental state had crumbled, and his speech was slurred.

But no one cared about his reaction now; everyone’s lines of sight were concentrated on Class 9.

For some reason, maybe because of the Magician’s splendid performance in the previous instance, many trainees and contenders harboured inexplicable faith in him, always thinking that he was hiding aces up his sleeve, ready to surprise them. 

Sure enough, in the fading echoes of the teaching director’s pronouncement, Zong Jiu slowly stood from his seat.

The white-haired Magician appeared so calm and collected, unlike what one would expect the recipient of grievous news to be.
Yet, it stirred everyone’s hearts, bringing unparalleled confidence to Class 9 at the moment of dread and despair.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

What could the Magician have in mind when cornered? 

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Not only Class 9, but every trainee on the quadrangle also looked over.
In the distance, the Devil arched a brow, watching this scene with considerable interest.

Zong Jiu did have an ace up his sleeve.

Only, this ace was too potent.
It was just a matter of whether he wanted to unveil it.

It was known to all that, with sufficient information, one could exchange them for unexpected things with the system.
Just like in Las Vegas, Zong Jiu had used the information of No.
1’s identity as the instructor to ask the system for hush money and benefits. 

That risky move from before had affirmed that as long as he had enough leverage, he could make deals with the system.

There were only two worlds in the novel ‘Thriller Trainee’.
One was the real world, and the other was the horrific world of the infinite loop.

From what Zhuge An told him, there existed a few special pathways in S+ instances.
While they were rare, maybe just one or two, these pathways could indeed lead to the infinite loop.
Coincidentally, the Devil had also verified this in front of Zong Jiu; if his guess wasn’t off the mark, No.
1 had possibly come to the infinite loop from the world of an S+ instance.

And it did make sense.
A pervert like the Devil wasn’t really something that the real world could concoct. 

Whatever it was that No.
1’s mind churned up, he himself was clear that he was different from the people of this universe.

Because he came from a peaceful reality, and while it was indistinguishable from the real world of ‘Thriller Trainee’—in his world, it was all just a book.

 

Through hints from Zhuge An’s and the Devil’s attitudes, Zong Jiu could surmise that his origin might have a completely different significance to the system.

Therefore… he ventured to guess that this information would hold considerable sway with the system. 

Zong Jiu might be able to use the information that he was a novel transmigrator to make a deal with the system and save everyone in Class 9.

Although this appeared to be overkill, to tell the truth, he was out of better options right now.

Zong Jiu didn’t want to use it unless it was out of absolute necessity, because he couldn’t fathom the consequences of what happened next.

[Oh god, whatever is the Magician thinking? I’ve already waited for a good few minutes, why is he just standing there? Striking a pose?] 

[I also want to know what the Magician has in mind.
Could it be that they have found the way out of this instance? Ermmmm.]

[Friend above, don’t panic.
The Magician wouldn’t scam everyone at a time like this.
I’m more inclined to think that he’s waiting for something.
Hold on, could he be linking up with the system?]

Spot on.
After Zong Jiu thought it through, he still ended up directly contacting the system.

The white-haired young man held his position, standing up straight. 

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But to everyone else, it appeared as though he had suddenly stopped talking.

All other classes on the quadrangle were furiously whispering to each other.
Only the trainees of Class 9 had a spark rekindled in their eyes.

[Request to the system has been submitted… Linking in progress… Please hold.]

Although it was already wiped up, it should be because he was presently inside an instance that the connection speed was much slower than in the trainee dormitories. 

While connecting, Zong Jiu slowly scanned every face before him.

Aside from that one vacant face, every other was full of hope and unreserved faith in their class monitor.

Their trust was palpable, and their gazes seemed to carry heavy weight.

One after another, he examined every face, and when his gaze touched the last empty seat in the class, he suddenly paused. 

That was index 99’s seat.

Before the results were announced, index 99 had raised his hand, saying that he was urgent for the toilet.

 

During the last exam, Zong Jiu had gotten the other to use this excuse to scout around the iron door.
So, when index 99 requested to use the washroom this time, the teaching assistant had nodded immediately without further questions.

But this time, Zong Jiu hadn’t assigned any mission to him. 

Taking a step back, at least twenty minutes had passed since Class 1’s results were announced.
For a span of time so long, it was obviously unreasonable were it just to use the toilet.

Somehow, a vague premonition hit Zong Jiu at this exact moment.

The reversed Tower; irreversible, destructive doom.
The Hanged Man; self-sacrifice and devotion.

The next second, his pupils suddenly constricted.
He strode to the last desk. 

On that empty desk, the handwriting in black marker pen on the table was shaky.

Words were written on its surface, most of them only half-formed without continuation.
The only words that could be chained into a sentence were:

—I’m leaving the remaining ninety-seven people to you, Jiu-ge.

There was a tiny smiley drawn behind the sentence, in exact likeness to the one drawn by index 15 on the paper slip.