Underworld Player

"Love is something to seize with one's own hands" was a motto of Lin XiaoYi's, and after finally meeting someone she considered her perfect Prince Charming, she was determined to exhaust every possibility of capturing his heart or regret it for the rest of her life.

She could be hard-headed, in some ways.

The frosty rebuff she had received at the café this morning had not dampened her spirits in the slightest. On the contrary, it had only ignited the flames of her fighting spirit.

Since Xia Wen's suggestion had not proved effective, she would just have to try something else.

She was the unsinkable campus belle!

So, she decided to trail Bai Zhi and document his daily activities—in the name of "research". Little did she know that it would lead her to witness yet another incident involving a supernatural entity.

The little boy with the schoolbag had been going around turning students into marionettes, one after another, and stuffing them roughly into his bag. If she hadn't been completely alert and attentive to everything going on around Bai Zhi, she wouldn't have noticed the boy lying in wait and promptly hidden herself in the women's bathroom. That fortunate circumstance had saved her from otherwise certain doom.

Then, she watched in helpless horror as her Prince Charming was turned into a marionette before her very eyes and stuffed like all the rest into the little boy's bag. As great as her confidence in Bai Zhi was, it would be a lie to say that she did not feel a twinge of worry that things might not end well.

She waited for the commotion at the entrance to the stairwell calmed down, before arming herself with a broom and bravely, if cautiously, making her way up to the rooftop—she was determined to rescue Bai Zhi's puppet, at the very least.

However, by the time she arrived at the rooftop, she was astonished to find the fight over, the captured students on the ground, no longer puppets but human again, and in the middle of it all, Bai Zhi standing tall, eyes raised to the heavens.

One look at this scene was all she needed to piece together the truth of what happened!

"I knew it, this guy is a hero! Normally keeping a low profile while he takes care of business, but always first on the scene in a real crisis... Even pulling of a risky gambit like getting caught on purpose was all part of his plan to save the five missing students, I'm sure!"

As she took in the sight of the students lying on the ground, Lin XiaoYi's eyes sparkled like diamonds. Her mind was already painting a picture of Bai Zhi as a stoic, yet passionate hero.

———

...Oh no, is that fraud here again?

Bai Zhi had noticed the movement at the doorway and turned to look. Just from the way she was looking at him, he immediately recognized her for who she was, and it left him flabbergasted for a moment.

Was this a joke? The real campus belle should be only too eager to avoid even breathing the same air as him, so how could she be here, looking at him with such admiration? This chick was clearly a fake! He was happy to let it go after it fled from the threat of a brick to the head, but now it was back?

I didn't reveal its identity to the two Players earlier, because I appreciate the money, the help with my homework, plus cleaning up and taking out the trash yesterday, but this is pushing it!

"If I were you, I'd leave, and quickly! This is no place for the likes of you."

Bai Zhi turned to look at the distant ground, and estimated a time in his mind. With a cold snort, he said to the fake campus belle, "Also, stop trying to get close to me. It'll never work."

"Are you... worried for me?"

Lin XiaoYi clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. She positively radiated with goodwill.

...Is this bitch mentally unsound?

As he saw how she reacted, Bai Zhi could not help sneering in disbelief.

To be fair, if the real campus belle did not treat him as coldly as she did, but adopted the kind of doe-eyed-damsel attitude he was being treated to now, he might even consider it adorable and endearing.

The problem was, of course, that the thing before him now was something inhuman, a supernatural entity just like the little boy!

It's not like putting a pretty face and figure on a horrifying threat is enough to make it cute and lovable! Unless...?

Suddenly, Bai Zhi recalled his obsession with a certain Nyaruko and found himself conflicted.

"...Whatever," Bai Zhi spat, curling his lip. Resolving not to be moved by his adversary's beauty, he strode past her with his gaze fixed firmly ahead and went down the stairs.

All temptation leads to suffering, and all that Bai Zhi wanted to do was wrap things up here so he could go back to his apartment, where he could properly study his newfound status as Player.

The smile on Lin XiaoYi's face froze awkwardly as she watched him breeze past her without a second glance, completely disregarding her earnest and vulnerable attempt to appeal to him. Finally, she grit her teeth and stamped her foot in anger as she shouted at his retreating figure, "Hmph! Bai Zhi, I will never give up!"

...to which Bai Zhi replied simply, "Har har."

Lin XiaoYi was utterly dumbstruck.

However, this setback could not faze the unsinkable campus belle, and she remained undeterred on her road to Love.

———

Down on ground level, Bai Zhi was eagerly met by Wu Hua and the squad, who were just about to head back up to the rooftop.

At first, Wu Hua looked glad to see the face of the one who had saved them from certain death, but he was immediately struck by a thought and raised a hand, his brows furrowing with concern.

"The boy turned to ash, but good news—the students are all back to normal, except they're still unconscious. They're just lying on the floor of the rooftop," said Bai Zhi calmly as his eyes went to the ring on Wu Hua's hand.

"There are at least two supernatural entities in this school. We got the boy, but the second entity, as you might have guessed, is the one that pretended to be your teammate up there. Its disguise is flawless; there's no way to tell the difference just by looking, but it may give the game away in other ways. The trick to defeating this entity is simple: as long as you feel no fear of it in your heart, there's nothing it can do. You need anything else?"

"Err, n-no..." Dazed by Bai Zhi's forceful lecture, Wu Hua only managed a weak nod in response.

"Good, well I'm off. Let me know if you need anything for a report or whatever."

With a curt nod, Bai Zhi made his way past Wu Hua and headed home.

Xu Qiang waited for Bai Zhi to turn the corner before turning to Wu Hua and asking, "Leader, do you think he's a free player? What level is he?"

He went on, "We were dead meat on that rooftop before he showed up. If he hadn't saved us—"

"We can discuss it later," said Wu Hua with a frown, interrupting Xu Qiang. "First, we should take care of the students. Get the hospital and the police to send more people."