Lin Lue chose to surrender.
A small, clear bite mark was on his cheek, accompanied by a bit of moisture.
The culprit was munching on milk candy with her eyes closed, her little face looking satisfied and content.
With a blank expression, Lin Lue carried her and began searching for a teacher.
After finally encountering a female teacher, he flashed a polite, fake smile and prepared to speak.
However, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and vanished without a trace.
Lin Lue: “?”
He touched his face. ‘I’m not that scary-looking, am I?’
He looked at the little girl in his arms; she was sleeping like a docile kitten.
Lin Lue figured the teacher must have been in a hurry.
But after that, every teacher he encountered did the same thing, fleeing in terror as soon as they saw him.
One female teacher even ran out of her shoes without stopping to pick them up.
Strange, very strange.
Lin Lue wondered if the little girl in his arms was someone significant.
Tap, tap, tap…
The sound of footsteps echoed.
A female teacher with short blonde hair and large-framed glasses suddenly walked up to him, offering a warm and friendly smile.
“Sir, is there something I can help you with?”
Lin Lue was stunned.
When she didn’t run away after several seconds, he breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the previous teachers really did just have urgent business.
He quickly put on a smile and asked politely, “Hello. Teacher, do you know a student named Lin Xue’er? I’m her brother.”
“I’d like to learn more about her life here at school.”
“Lin Xue’er? Oh, so you’re her family. Of course I know her.”
“You want to know about her school life, right? Come, follow me to the office, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
The teacher spoke in a kind tone as she turned and walked away, her high heels clicking.
Lin Lue blinked, not expecting things to go so smoothly.
Carrying the soft weight in his arms, he quickly followed.
Suddenly, he felt a damp sensation on his chest.
Lin Lue looked down and saw that the little girl, who had been fast asleep, had woken up at some point.
She was clutching his clothes and taking small nibbles.
Lin Lue’s face darkened.
Just as he was about to stop her, she let go and stared into his eyes for several seconds.
Then, she closed her eyes again and turned her face away.
That expression seemed to say he was an idiot.
Lin Lue was nearly at his breaking point.
‘She’s hanging onto me and she still dares to be so arrogant?’
However, he couldn’t pull her off, so he could only ignore her.
‘Why get angry at a little girl?’
It wasn’t because he couldn’t win; it was purely because he respected his elders and loved the young.
—
They wandered further and further away until Lin Lue followed her into a remote, abandoned old building.
The corridor was silent, the walls were cracked, and green vines climbed through the gaps.
Everywhere Lin Lue looked, there was decay and desolation.
‘Is the school short on funds, or was this building intentionally designed with a wasteland aesthetic?’
The teacher pushed open the office door.
Lin Lue followed her inside, finding the interior equally dilapidated and old.
“Please, have a seat.”
Lin Lue looked at the wooden chair that was missing a leg and wobbling.
He felt like it would collapse the moment he sat down.
“Teacher, is the academy… very poor?”
Lin Lue ultimately chose not to sit; his sense of balance wasn’t great.
“It’s not a funding issue. I just personally prefer this style.”
“Oh, I see. I understand.”
Lin Lue stared intently at the wooden desk, which was covered in a layer of dust.
“Regarding Lin Xue’er, I wanted to ask…”
“Before we talk about that, I’d like to ask you a question first.”
The teacher didn’t sit down either.
She interrupted him and stood across the desk, staring directly at him, her glasses reflecting a white light.
“Do you believe that those from the Upper District are born noble and superior, and that we can never reach them?”
Lin Lue: “?”
Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “Yes, they are high and mighty, incredibly noble. To them, we from the Lower District are synonymous with filth and lowliness.”
“I imagine there isn’t a single person from the Lower District who doesn’t want to become an Upper District resident.”
“But the class structure is rigid. Trying to cross it is difficult—far too difficult.”
“However, it doesn’t matter. I’ve discovered a way, a very simple way, for someone from the Lower District to easily become an Upper District person.”
“To easily achieve social mobility.”
Her tone gradually became fanatical.
She stared at Lin Lue with wide eyes, her face flushed.
“Sir, you are a male. Your status in this world is lowly, let alone in the Lower District. Any woman who wants to toy with you can do so, and you won’t be able to resist. You know the feeling of powerlessness better than anyone.”
“If you could become an Upper District person, then… suffering would stay far away from you.”
Lin Lue’s brow furrowed.
‘Why does this sound so much like a pyramid scheme?’
No, a pyramid scheme was putting it lightly.
This smelled like a cult.
From the corner of his eye, Lin Lue spotted a newspaper in the corner.
Although it was old and crumpled, his eyesight was excellent. The headline read:
[The Purity Cult intends to extract blood from high-level Witches and forcibly transplant it into Lower District residents in an attempt to eliminate poverty and maintain female purity…]
Lin Lue:
‘Crap, I’ve really run into an anti-social cultist.’
“Sir, what do you think?”
“As long as you capture a Witch from the Upper District and replace your blood with hers, then you… will also be an Upper District person.”
Looking at her crazed expression, Lin Lue wanted to tell her to stop lying.
He had already read the newspaper behind her; the Purity Cult wanted to maintain female purity.
Lin Lue guessed she probably just liked his face and wanted to control him, turning him into a street-side attraction to lure in weak-willed girls as “test subjects.”
“I think… what you’re saying makes a lot of sense,” Lin Lue agreed superficially, though he was already planning his escape.
“Humph. Sir, you’re thinking of running, aren’t you?”
“Don’t try to fool me.”
The teacher let out a cold laugh, and her aura suddenly surged!
“Judging by your expression, you seem to be wondering how I knew? It’s only human nature; I was just testing you.”
“Sir, you won’t escape. I am nearly a First-Order Witch. A regular man like you, who can’t awaken or control Magic Power, is no match for me at all.”
“Be a good boy, and I won’t hurt you.”
“Are you willing to join our great cause?”
“If you still refuse… then don’t expect your sister, Lin Xue’er, to leave this school safely.”
Lin Lue felt a subtle shift in his heart.
‘She acts so tough, but she isn’t even a First-Order Witch.’
Lin Lue originally wanted to just grab her and refine her!
But she actually dared to use his sister as a threat?
Lin Lue wanted to say she was seeking her own destruction, but he felt that saying it out loud would be too dramatic.
“I’m willing to join,” Lin Lue replied.
“What do I need to do?”
The teacher nodded with satisfaction.
“Very good. I like people who know how to adapt.”
“First, let’s brand you with the Loyalty Mark!”
She raised a Black Seal made of an unknown beast’s bone and pressed it toward Lin Lue’s arm.
[Curse Power detected!]
[Curse Affinity +1]
[Curse Affinity +1]
The moment the seal touched him, the eerie Curse Power didn’t harm Lin Lue; instead, it was completely absorbed by his body.
Lin Lue blinked.
The curse attribute on this seal could actually be turned to his own use.
Lin Lue also noticed that his second status panel was gradually appearing.
Lin Lue had a bold idea.
‘Does this mean…’
One magic attribute, one panel?
Each panel has its own independent health and stamina?
Lin Lue’s expression became strange.
‘Holy cow, I’m really going to become a boss.’
When an opponent finally depleted one of his health bars, they would be met with his hidden second health bar, then a third…
The Nth health bar.