Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Teacher
"What is this?! What in the world is this?!"
Zhang Wenda stared, his pupils wide, at the lines of percentages. His heart raced.
’What is a high-density parasitic cyst cluster? And what the hell is a protein-like humus polymer?’
Zhang Wenda had no idea, but one thing was certain: these were definitely not substances that belonged in a human body! And the short-haired female teacher before him... she wasn’t human at all!
’If she’s not human, then what in the world is she?’ The thought made Zhang Wenda’s skin crawl, and his breath came in short, ragged gasps.
Zhang Wenda had clung to a final shred of delusion: no matter how bizarre the Youth Palace was, a school packed with so many students couldn’t possibly be a problem.
But he was wrong. Horribly wrong. The teachers in this school weren’t even human!
’Calm down, calm down. Don’t panic when something happens. Take a few deep breaths. Whatever you do, don’t panic.’ Zhang Wenda secretly pinched his thigh, forcing himself to calm down.
’Based on my experience at the Youth Palace, I should be fine as long as I just act normal at school.’ As he thought, he warily eyed the students around him, who were all listening attentively to the lesson.
Zhang Wenda’s body remained coiled and tense throughout the entire class, prepared to face any danger that might suddenly arise.
The class period, which felt like an eternity of torment to Zhang Wenda, passed without incident.
Fortunately, the clearly inhuman female teacher had caused no trouble during the lesson.
Zhang Wenda finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the inhuman teacher pick up her textbook and leave the classroom.
’Thank god. She was really just teaching. Whatever she is, she isn’t a threat to me at the moment. As long as she leaves me alone, I’m good.’
As the break began, the sounds of students roughhousing and shouting filled the air.
Seeing the completely ordinary scene around him, Zhang Wenda’s racing heart began to calm. But just as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his forehead, a thought suddenly struck him.
’Wait, that’s not right. If all the rules at the Youth Palace are designed to make students mine resources for those goblin-like creatures, then why disguise a monster as a teacher to teach us here at school?’
Instantly, a host of chilling possibilities flooded his mind, including the idea that the entire school was nothing more than a food farm... or something else entirely.
The possibility made him so anxious he couldn’t sit still.
Just then, Pan Dongzi bumped into him, shoving his wooden desk slightly to the left. His eyes gleamed with desire as he said, "Haozi, everyone said that roasted sparrow was delicious! When are we going to have it again?"
"Is food all you think about?" Zhang Wenda shoved him off his desk, pulled a lollipop from his pocket, and popped it into his mouth. "Let me ask you something. Has anything weird been happening at school lately?"
"You know... anything besides classes and homework? Any school rumors?" Zhang Wenda was trying to fish for clues.
"Besides classes and homework? Rumors? What are you asking about? I don’t get it."
But just as Zhang Wenda was about to explain further, a student with three red bars on his sleeve walked in.
"Zhang Wenda, Teacher Ouyang wants you to come to the faculty office."
"Teacher Ouyang? Who’s Teacher Ouyang?"
"The teacher who just taught our class, that’s Teacher Ouyang." Pan Dongzi’s words made Zhang Wenda’s heart sink. ’Fuck! She really is coming for me!’
Though it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do, Zhang Wenda finally stood up, his steps heavy. He’d already experienced the consequences of breaking the rules once before.
As the class bell rang, the students in the hallways vanished in an instant, leaving Zhang Wenda to walk alone down the eerily empty corridor.
He touched the red scar on his forearm through his uniform, which helped calm his nerves slightly. If she really tried to make a move, he wasn’t entirely without a way to fight back.
After dawdling for a while, Zhang Wenda finally reached the faculty office. He stared at the wooden door, which seemed unnaturally proportioned—wider at the top than the bottom—and stood nearly five times his height. He swallowed hard, then reached out and knocked.
With a CREAK, the door swung slowly open, revealing Teacher Ouyang at her desk, writing something.
She was wearing a floral dress, her short hair neatly styled. Everything seemed so normal.
But when she turned to face him, Zhang Wenda thought her head looked a little too large. He blinked, and the impression was gone. It must have been a trick of the light.
But then Zhang Wenda remembered the substance percentages he had seen earlier. He knew this "Teacher Ouyang" was definitely not what she seemed, and he immediately put his guard up.
"Teacher Ouyang? I heard you were looking for me?" Zhang Wenda asked, bracing himself.
"Yes. Don’t be nervous. I’m not upset that you didn’t do your homework. Would you like some candy?" A thumb-sized White Rabbit creamy candy was offered to him.
Zhang Wenda looked from her kind face to the candy in her hand and wisely shook his head. "No, thank you."
"You’re not having any?" Teacher Ouyang’s face instantly showed surprise.
"You’re like a completely different person. You’re refusing candy? I thought you loved sweets more than anything." The faint scent of sandalwood once again wafted into Zhang Wenda’s nose.
Her hand, as cold as ice, reached out and rested on Zhang Wenda’s arm. Goosebumps instantly erupted all over his skin.
Zhang Wenda forced his head up and saw the woman’s head, now so close it filled his entire field of vision. She looked down on him, her smile as stiff and fixed as a porcelain doll’s.
"Because... because I have a cavity..."
"Is that so? A cavity, you say. I see. Well, you should eat less candy then."
Feeling the hand on his arm finally let go, Zhang Wenda, who had been feeling almost suffocated, let out a shaky breath.
"Wenda, have you run into some trouble recently? Why didn’t you write a single word of your homework?" The faint sandalwood scent drifted over again, and beads of sweat began to form on Zhang Wenda’s forehead.
"Nothing’s happened."
"Oh? Really? But from what I’ve heard, that’s not the case at all."
Hearing this, Zhang Wenda’s heart hammered. ’What does she know? What is she planning?’
Just as the atmosphere in the office grew tense, Zhang Wenda felt a hand clamp down hard on his left shoulder, the force so great he thought his arm would be dislocated.
Zhang Wenda clutched his arm and spun around, only to see an unexpected face.
"Teacher Rabbit?"
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