Song Xiaoya was the first to jump onto the stage.
She stood face to face with Jiang Zhenbei.
Jiang Zhenbei looked at Song Xiaoya, then turned his gaze to Lu Ran, who was still sitting in the classroom, watching the drama unfold.
He thought for a moment and said, “Lu Ran, you come up first.”
Lu Ran had originally planned to just sit back and enjoy the show, watching how these four would meet their end right there.
But instead,
Jiang Zhenbei pulled him into the spotlight.
With no other choice, Lu Ran had to get up and walk toward the stage.
But at the same time, Liu Haitao, Zhu Xudong, and Deng Zhijie also followed him onto the stage.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit strange.
The crowd below also started whispering among themselves.
“There are quite a few people signing up this time.”
“These four guys all have rare classes, and they’re pretty good ones among rare classes too.”
“It’s a pity that Qin Wuyao, the only hidden class user, didn’t sign up. I wonder why.”
“If Qin Wuyao had signed up, what would be left for these people?”
“But then there’s Lu Ran. Why did the academy choose him?”
“Probably because of his high level. Plus, it’s said he has connections behind him.”
“Exactly. He doesn’t even need to come to morning meetings anymore. Leveling up so fast, he must have some expert backing him.”
“These days, it’s still the well-connected people who get the perks.”
…
For a moment, all sorts of comments were flying around.
Lu Ran stood on the stage, looking lazily at the four people opposite him.
“Xiaoya, I know you really want to participate in this Hundred Cities League, but the spots are decided by the academy’s discussion; individuals can’t interfere,” Jiang Zhenbei said.
At the same time,
his gaze swept over the other three.
The implication was clear: this wasn’t just directed at Song Xiaoya, but also at the three of them.
How the academy decides is none of your business!
But as soon as Jiang Zhenbei finished speaking, the four couldn’t hold back anymore.
“I disagree! Why should Lu Ran be the one chosen?”
“We might have lower levels, but in this world, your class is what matters most. Lu Ran is only high level because someone behind him helped him grind!”
“Is the academy choosing him just because of his connections too?”
“That doesn’t convince us. There’s no way they should pick some necromancer!”
…
As soon as these words were spoken,
Jiang Zhenbei’s brows furrowed tightly.
He said calmly, “You’d better watch your words. The academy doesn’t change its decisions based on who has connections. The reason we chose Lu Ran is, first, because he’s capable enough—though that’s secondary. The main reason is that the guild behind him holds significant sway. You should know that when it comes to deciding the spots for the Hundred Cities League, the guild behind the student carries a lot of weight.”
The moment Jiang Zhenbei finished,
a jarring voice came from the crowd: “Dean Jiang, are you saying our Overlord Supreme has no say?”
With that,
a muscular, heavily built man strode arrogantly onto the stage.
The students below stared wide-eyed.
“Someone from Overlord Supreme?”
“I heard that Liu Haitao is a probationary member of Overlord Supreme.”
“Overlord Supreme is a second-rate guild, but their overall strength is already close to that of a first-rate guild!”
“Is Dean Jiang really not even giving face to Overlord Supreme?”
“Is Lu Ran’s backing really that powerful? No way, right?”
…
As the dean of the academy, Jiang Zhenbei’s status wasn’t necessarily higher or lower than those from these large guilds.
But in this situation,
knowing full well who was behind Lu Ran, Jiang Zhenbei wasn’t about to give them any face at all.
So he replied indifferently, “That’s exactly what I mean. Overlord Supreme has no say. I think that’s pretty clear. After all, the student application forms clearly indicate which probationary guild they belong to.”
The unspoken message was:
The academy didn’t overlook Overlord Supreme, and neither did Jiang Zhenbei.
But even after seeing it, they still didn’t choose you.
Isn’t that enough to make things clear?
The muscular man’s brows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, “So this academy of yours is such a ridiculous place. I really overestimated you.”
Then,
before Jiang Zhenbei could respond,
three other people also walked onto the stage and spoke up one after another:
“So you’re saying my guild, Chaotic Heroes, isn’t good enough for your academy either?”
“And what about my guild, Rising Storm? Since when can’t we decide a spot for the Hundred Cities League?”
“My guild, Killing Spree™ Clan, refuses to accept this!”
“But we won’t let you ignore us and do whatever you want. If you really choose Lu Ran, that necromancer, we will make sure your academy regrets it.”
“We’ll join forces and sanction the Blackfire City Academy. And as for the so-called guild behind Lu Ran, do they dare to take on all four of us together?”
…
As Jiang Zhenbei listened to these people,
the corners of his mouth twitched.
“I advise you to think twice,” Jiang Zhenbei said, stopping there.
These four idiots were practically asking for death!
But his nonchalant attitude only made them even angrier.
“What? You still look down on us? Fine. The four of us will join forces and issue a guild war challenge against the guild behind Lu Ran! Dean Jiang, why don’t you ask on our behalf if that guild dares to accept?”
The four looked at Jiang Zhenbei with their noses in the air.
But Jiang Zhenbei found it very strange.
What positions do these four hold in their respective guilds? They probably aren’t the guild leaders.
But still, they shouldn’t be this brain-dead.
Your four guilds, along with your respective probationary members, ultimately weren’t chosen by the academy.
Instead, the academy chose Lu Ran, a regular class necromancer. Isn’t that enough of a clue?
Don’t you have that much awareness?
And now you’re directly issuing a challenge?
On behalf of the guilds behind you?
Are you even qualified to say such things? Can you bear the responsibility for it?
Can you really take on the people backing Lu Ran?
Just then,
one of them even emphasized, “We really don’t care about getting a spot in this Hundred Cities League anymore. But this guild challenge—you must accept it!”
Oh wow, now they’re really putting on airs?
But as soon as he said that,
Song Xiaoya and the other three felt their heads buzzing.
“No way! We can’t give up!”
“We… we have to get a spot. Any one of us four will do!”
“We absolutely can’t let Lu Ran get the spot!”
“Otherwise… otherwise, we will… we will die!”
…
Huh?
Die?
Jiang Zhenbei and the people from the guilds were stunned.
“What do you mean? If you don’t get chosen, you just don’t get chosen. How could you die?” someone asked.
“Before this meeting, we signed a contract bet with Lu Ran. If Lu Ran gets the spot, we die. Conversely, if any one of us gets the spot, Lu Ran dies,” Song Xiaoya said, taking out the contract with a pale face.
Jiang Zhenbei quickly took one of them and read it carefully.
After reading it,
he said with some shock, “This is absolutely ridiculous! How could you just casually sign something like this? Once a contract is established, it can’t be canceled. Not even the winner can nullify the penalty! Didn’t you realize before signing that once you signed it, either you or Lu Ran would have to die?”
And Lu Ran… cannot die. The country won’t allow it.
So the ones who will die… are the four of you!
