Legs, hurry up and move! I'm going to die!
Lin Mo was full of confidence in him, but reality had smashed her expectations to smithereens, and now the prime target for her emotional outburst was right here.
Lin Nan stared at the putty knife in the sink, gritting his teeth tight.
I can't die by that thing.
“How could this happen...” Sitting in her chair, Lin Mo murmured to herself. Unable to believe it, she refreshed the page several times, yet only that solitary 6 remained displayed at the top.
Did it freeze? A loading error?
Then why did this happen?
...Damn it. Damn it to hell!
Such a massive discrepancy in score quickly made her realize what had happened. Resentment welled up from deep within her, like a demon thrashing inside her internal organs, about to tear open her chest and burst forth.
The score... Did someone tamper with the score?!
Damn it! Damn it all!!
Presumptuously altering someone else's destiny, stealing the fruits of another's hard work, effortlessly gaining everything that belonged to someone else, unilaterally doing things that could ruin a person's entire life without paying any price at all.
Why did people like this exist no matter which world she was in?!
Why was there always someone in every world trying to destroy her younger brother's future?!
Buried pain surged up from the depths of her heart, memories of the past flooding back as sorrow washed over her again and again like ocean waves.
Her vision blurred. The light from the phone screen flared into hazy outlines before her eyes, the black characters on top seeming to float, twisting and scattering to pieces.
Tears dripped onto the screen and slid down. Lin Mo dropped the phone, covering her face as her palms instantly grew wet, ragged whimpers choking in her throat.
Why did this happen?
Was her brother simply not destined to go to school?
Lin Mo once again recalled the moment she lifted that body. The hollowed-out chest, all the internal organs scooped out, with a massive quantity of explosives packed inside, bulging against the skin and flesh.
And right now, the ticking countdown of those explosives seemed to echo right beside her ears, ready once more to blow her into floating ash and shattered bone.
In death, her brother's eyes had been a murky gray, his skin a pale blue-gray, his hair greasy. Because his body had been hollowed out, he was so light it defied belief.
But he was supposed to go to school; he hadn't even finished summer break...
No. It couldn't happen like this again. She couldn't make another mistake!
Her family must never be destroyed!
After that incident, she had returned to a normal person's life due to uncontrollable mental issues. Yet even after crossing over into another world, there were still people doing this.
There were still people... still people doing this!
She would never let anyone rob her "younger brother" of his life again. She would make them understand that even attempting to steal an opportunity from her "younger brother" came with a price.
“Ah—ah...” Lin Mo was on the verge of collapsing. She wiped the tears from her face. The post-traumatic stress disorder from her past left her mind in total chaos, gory images of mangled flesh flashing relentlessly through her brain, her tear ducts completely out of control.
Killing intent struck her chest like a torrential storm. The floodgates holding back her emotions tore open, pouring out violently. She felt rage—an absolute, overwhelming rage!
...
Hearing the hysterical crying below, A9's arrogant laughter froze mid-air. It turned to look at the agitated Lin Mo in terror.
She had only let out a single whimper when she killed Forsiman. Could what happened now be even harder for her to accept than killing Forsiman?
It wasn't even her score that got swapped! Lin Nan was just an unidentified person she had known for a few months!
Wouldn't taking the exam again next year solve the problem? Maybe if he seized a competition opportunity, he wouldn't even need to take exams anymore...
“Um, hey...” A9 usually didn't dare speak to Lin Mo, terrified she would find an opening to stab it.
Let alone now, when her emotional state was so unhinged.
Floating at a cautious distance, it spoke up weakly, unsure if it was trying to let her feel its magnetic presence.
Lin Mo didn't answer.
Beside her, Lin Nan, fearing for his life, had come close to bolting straight through the door.
Yet contrary to the anger he had anticipated, Lin Mo's sorrow gushed out like a flood, but her rage wasn't directed at him.
Instead, it merely submerged herself.
If he just left like this and let her continue spiraling out of control, would things really get better?
Gritting his teeth, despite his heart pounding violently up in his throat, he backed up and shut the security door.
Fine...
Apologize properly and see if getting hit with a stick again would settle this matter.
“I'm sorry.” Lin Nan's face was pale. Making no attempt to quibble, he swallowed the outcome raw. “I let you down.”
The clock on the wall ticked rhythmically, while madness and despair shattered her into pieces.
“No, this isn't your fault...” Lin Mo's voice was suppressed, as if she were desperately holding something back.
“Don't you think I'm lying to you?” Lin Nan walked slowly behind her, asking hesitantly, “Aren't you suspicious... or angry that my past grades were fake?”
Even to himself, saying such a thing felt absurd. No matter how stupid a person was, they couldn't possibly get a 6.
Someone who genuinely could only score a 6 wouldn't be able to cheat their way to good marks anyway—that was an issue of sheer intelligence.
Lin Mo didn't reply to him. Her shoulders slumped, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Worst comes to worst... worst comes to worst, I'll just take it again next year.” Lin Nan closed his eyes in despair.
He had never suffered such a humiliation in his life, but being alone right now, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and suffer in silence.
He wanted to raise a hand to touch Lin Mo in comfort, but feared worsening her compulsive behavior. In the end, his palm merely hovered above her shoulder.
Rain began to fall outside. The window beside them wasn't closed, letting fine mist drift inside. He didn't dare move or close the window, allowing the raindrops to hit his face over and over.
The rain was fitting for the scene. It hadn't rained for several months; he still remembered the last time was a Sunday, the day Lin Mo had returned home drenched to the skin.
The chipped window frame rattled as dead trees outside swayed in the wind. A few crows hidden in the foliage, realizing it was raining, flapped their wings and took flight.
Inside the room, her muffled weeping turned sharp, sounding like the final cry of a dying bird.
The temperature plummeted. Whistling winds blew in through the window. Having maintained a single posture for so long, his entire body felt frozen like ice. Aside from Lin Mo's voice, the room felt so empty it seemed void of any living thing.
...
Lin Mo opened her eyes behind her hands.
A9 was floating outside to escape the creepy atmosphere in the room, when a voice suddenly echoed in its mind.
Then, it felt a sharp pain in its tail, as if it had been severed clean through. The intense agony brought it instantly to its senses. It scrambled back in panic, its voice squeezing into a sycophantic squeak: 【Do you have any orders for me?】
The last time it courted death by entering Lin Mo's subconscious, the price for being released alive was leaving a portion of its lifeform permanently trapped in her subconscious.
In other words, Lin Mo could harm it whenever she pleased.
...It couldn't be helped. Was it really supposed to die in her subconscious for the sake of some illusory pride?
【Can you find out who did this?】
A9 felt a lump in its throat. Should it tell the truth? If Lin Mo took action again, who knew how off-track the plot would derail.
But with its little life held firmly in another's hands, it could only speak cautiously: 【This character holds a high position and has offended many people. Someone will handle him for you. This is an important plot point in the comic that won't deviate much and must be completed. We just need to wait and reap the benefits without lifting a finger.】
【Besides... even if you kill him, the score won't change back...】
After it offered such a lengthy persuasion, Lin Mo merely demanded with stubborn persistence: 【Where is he?】
A9...
What was it supposed to do?! It was starting to miss Tourist—at least he wouldn't proactively meddle in plotlines that didn't belong to him.
While it hesitated, its head inside her subconscious flew straight off, smashing into an invisible wall with a loud thud.
Opening its eyes again, it had become the most loyal informant.
【I confess! The chief mentor of the Inspection Department manipulated things behind the scenes for his good-for-nothing son and swapped your brother's test scores.】
Its subconscious lifeform, dizzy and disoriented, groped around until it retrieved its head, popping it back on with lingering terror.
The Inspection Department was a directly subordinate sub-ministerial regulatory agency combining administrative enforcement and standard-setting functions, operating independently of the local educational system.
Simply put, he was in charge of teaching materials—not a particularly high-ranking official.
A9 fearfully rubbed its completely intact head on the outside, feeling as though its pain tolerance had improved significantly.
Pouring out everything like beans spilled from a sack, it blurted: 【In two days, there will be an assassination targeted at him. There are three assassins, coming from an organization called the Covenant of the Scales. That chief mentor leaked secrets belonging to their organization.】
【One sniper responsible for long range, one assassin responsible for disguise, and one wiretapping specialist. I don't know anything else; it's outside my assigned zone.】
Lin Mo lowered her hands and wiped away the tears on her face with the back of her hand. 【In two days?】
【Yes, in two days. He's traveling from Licheng to Yucheng for a conference, which is why they picked this window of opportunity for the assassination. But I have to warn you, I have zero knowledge of any plotlines outside Licheng. Don't blame me if something goes wrong. Plus, he's dead in two days anyway, so there's really no reason for us to do something thankless...】
“Lin Nan.”
Having vented her emotions, Lin Mo had finally calmed down completely. Her voice was quiet, impossible to hear unless one leaned in close.
“Hmm?” Standing behind her all this time, Lin Nan raised his head.
“Start packing your things,” she said, looking up with a tense expression, her face still tear-stained from her outburst. “Take everything important.”
Lin Nan couldn't discern her intentions. Did Lin Mo feel that Licheng's education system was too corrupt, so she had decided to move to another city?
Or did she think the person who tampered with the scores was powerful enough to attempt to silence them permanently?
Yet the more he thought about it, the less either explanation fit Lin Mo's character.
But where to go? Would leaving Licheng ruin his own plans?
Lost in thought, he met Lin Mo's somber gaze, ultimately relenting with a nod. “Alright, I'll pack. When the time comes, we'll leave together.”
With that said, Lin Mo turned to pack as well, leaving only the rustling sound of items rubbing together in the air.
After a while, Lin Mo spoke again, announcing, “I... will probably look for another part-time job.”
“Why?” Lin Nan was caught off guard. “You already have so many jobs. If it's because we need money to leave...”
Lin Mo: “I just don't want to work at the food stall anymore. I'm going to quit tomorrow and find a new job.”
Since that was the case, Lin Nan had nothing left to say. “Whatever you decide.”
His sixth sense told him that Lin Mo switching jobs right before leaving was not a good omen.
Not an ill omen for Lin Mo, but for someone else...
Once they finished packing, the two lay down in opposite corners of the room as darkness fully fell.
Unlike before, amid the exceptionally chilling atmosphere, Lin Nan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, his voice suddenly broke through the darkness.
He spoke earnestly, “Next time, I'll score better than this.”
So stop being angry. It's too terrifying.
In the total silence, the sound of rain outside grew even clearer.
Lin Mo gave no response, as if she had fallen asleep.
Even though A9 understood what Lin Nan was trying to convey, it still couldn't help but mock internally:
Hahaha! What kind of guarantee is scoring better than a 6? Even I could do that!
Rate on N.U.
