Ren Yi was stunned and fell into a reflexive silence. He slowly turned his gaze toward Lu Zihan.
Lu Zihan hadn't brought anything either.
"So, you guys aren't staying in the dorms?" Ren Yi asked, his brow furrowed as a sinking feeling began to settle in his gut.
"My mom said the school is very close to my house, so she told me to be a day student. I can just go home after school every day; no need for the dorms."
"My mom lives in the staff apartments on campus. I'm staying with her."
Ren Yi remained silent.
Ren Man had never mentioned anything about dorms.
No, it wasn't that he hadn't mentioned it—it was more likely that Ren Man had no idea what the housing situation was like in the University Department.
From the looks of it, he was the only one who had assumed dorm life was mandatory, painstakingly packed a suitcase, and lugged it all the way to school.
Finally, he turned to Lord Cha. "So, we don't have dorms?"
In his mind, how could a university not have dorms? A university without dorms lost half of its academic atmosphere instantly.
"Uh..." Lord Cha shook his head, then nodded, his tone vague.
"It's better if you don't go to the dorms. The school's dorms... aren't exactly suitable for living."
What did he mean by "not suitable for living"? How could those words even be combined in that way? It sounded incredibly ominous.
A blurry memory flashed through Ren Yi's mind.
On the day before his awakening, something had fallen from the dorm building and smashed onto the ground, getting his shoes dirty. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to see what it was at the time.
Thinking back, it definitely wasn't a "classmate jumping from the second floor to skip school" like the upperclassmen had claimed.
That truly was "not suitable for living."
Lord Cha's eyes suddenly lit up. He immediately scurried over, his tone becoming sycophantic and enthusiastic.
"No worries, no worries! You can leave your suitcase here with us. It's perfectly safe, and it definitely won't get lost!"
Ren Yi blinked, his face full of confusion. He instinctively pressed for more info: "Didn't you just say there's nowhere for anyone to stay? Where are you going to find a room to put my suitcase?"
Lord Cha waved a small paw, looking mysterious. "The dorms are uninhabitable, but we have classmates."
Ren Yi froze for three seconds, staring at Lord Cha for a long time before the realization slowly dawned on him.
Lord Cha meant the suitcase could be placed "inside" a classmate.
If some "family members" could be "homes," then some "classmates" could certainly be "houses."
The Wutong Tree overhead seemed to understand Lord Cha's words. Its canopy swayed gently, and its leaves rustled as if nodding in agreement.
Immediately after, a small opening cracked open at the base of the Wutong Tree, its edges entwined with lush green vines.
It was round in shape, like a rabbit hole.
Well, actually, it was a Cha-hole.
"There, right here." Lord Cha pointed at the hole, looking proud. "Come on, come on, step inside and see your Student Mentor's secret base."
Ren Yi hesitated for a moment but eventually followed him inside.
The entrance looked small, but the interior was exceptionally spacious. However, there were no lights, making it difficult to see the specific layout.
By the faint light filtering in from the entrance, he could only vaguely make out a round table in the center.
Ren Yi could feel that his perception seemed to be suppressed after entering, which made him feel slightly uncomfortable.
He took two steps forward. The floor seemed to be made of a very smooth material; the wheels of his suitcase emitted a silky "clatter" as they rolled across it.
Outside, once everyone had entered, the Wutong Tree's roots suddenly shifted, completely sealing the small opening.
The Wutong Tree extended two vines to wrap around that spot twice. Its canopy swayed gently, and its leaves rustled.
The sound was light and cheerful, as if it were giggling to itself.
Inside the "secret base," the moment the entrance closed, the last sliver of light vanished completely. The room plunged into total darkness, so thick he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face.
Ren Yi immediately stopped in his tracks. Behind him, Zhang Qiuqiu and Lu Zihan also instantly sensed that something was wrong.
"Student Mentor Cha? What are you doing?" Ren Yi asked immediately.
With a whoosh, a candle suddenly flickered to life on the round table. Lord Cha stood behind the candle, his face full of cunning.
"Heh heh, don't be nervous, new students! Since you're already here, why don't you take a moment to learn about our Board Game Club?"
He hopped over to a table covered in cards, pointing at them with his short legs, his tone oily and flattering.
"Our Board Game Club is short on people. If you join, you'll become core members immediately! You won't be exploited by upperclassmen, and you can train your logic and make new friends. It's great!"
At that moment, Lu Zihan finally caught on and slapped his forehead.
"Oh! I get it! You're trying to trick us into joining your club?"
Lord Cha was choked up by his words. His furry face twitched with difficulty until he finally seemed to make a decision.
Immediately following that, a pathetic wail echoed through the small room.
"I'm begging you, please join the Board Game Club!"
"We're really about to run out of people! If we don't get new members soon, the school is going to shut us down!"
"Just join! Think of it as doing me a favor. I'll help you handle anything you need at school from now on, okay?"
Ren Yi slowly covered his face.
What kind of plot development was this?
Could something like this actually happen?
However—excuse the digression—why did a Cha like to play board games?
Could its paws even hold the cards?
"Not joining," Zhang Qiuqiu said, crossing her arms.
"Student Mentor, you should reflect on why no new people want to join. A forced melon isn't sweet. Even if we're coerced into joining, we won't stay in the club sincerely."
"Why else do you think?" Lord Cha said with grief and indignation.
"It's because the restrictions here are a bit tight! There are no thrills, no excitement, and no bloody scenes, so those tasteless, violent thugs won't come!"
"But you have to believe me, this kind of rule is truly unique."
"We can play a trial round right now. You'll understand once you experience it!"
Ren Yi was starting to understand.
So, the "board game" Lord Cha was talking about was actually an Instance?
An Instance with very special rules?
He was actually a bit interested, but this was far too rushed...
"Wait, Lord Cha," Ren Yi intended to stall for time. "How about we discuss this later? Today is only our first day of school..."
"Too late." Lord Cha looked up from the pile of cards, revealing a cunning and triumphant smile. There was a hint of success in his tone.
"Just one trial. Your mentor will be at your beck and call from now on, serving you hand and foot..."
He ignored the nonsensical rambling.
As Lord Cha's smile widened, the corners of Ren Yi's mouth drooped.
Because by the light of that single candle, he could see what was beneath his feet.
Another Ren Yi was looking up at him with the same posture, his face full of unease and helplessness, even his gaze identical to his own.
As it turned out, the smooth, cold sensation beneath his feet was a giant mirror.
And the mirror was, in fact, the entrance to the Instance...
Ren Yi, Zhang Qiuqiu, and Lu Zihan exchanged looks, all seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.
Oh boy, we're screwed.
Rate on N.U.
