Apocalypse Forecast

Martin did not end up touching anything.

Not only did he not touch anything, but he also couldn’t hold back any longer and ran away crying.

This made Huai Shi feel very awkward, as if he had bullied a child, leaving him with a guilty conscience—Heaven knows he just wanted to comfort Martin.

Why did this happen?

Next came selecting a permanent address for the classroom. After some thought, Huai Shi moved back to the original location, continuing to be neighbors with the Border Law discipline.

For some reason, of all his neighbors, he got along best with the Professor of Border Law. In just a few days, their relationship had become quite good.

One could only say that when it’s fate, it’s fate, right?

That Professor even enthusiastically invited Huai Shi to be his teaching assistant several times. He said that after toiling for a few more years, obtaining a few certificates, and publishing several academic papers, Huai Shi could become a veritable giant in the field of Border Law.

”How could someone as talented as you get into art?”

Even during the celebration ceremony, the Professor was still lamenting with regret, ”It’s truly a loss for the field of law! Have you considered changing your career? It’s not too late...”

It was indeed too late!

Huai Shi really didn’t want to deal with those increasingly complicated clauses, riddled with more and more loopholes. He felt like if he got involved, he would spend a lifetime patching up bugs for others.

He could only decline politely.

He was extremely busy the entire day.

Besides the necessary preparations and procedures, there was the choice of the classroom setup plan.

On the day the spots were announced, many people proactively approached him, all of them students about to graduate from the construction engineering program.

They submitted their plans and applications, hoping that Huai Shi would entrust them with the classroom’s construction, utilities, renovation, and so on.

It didn’t require him to spend money, praise them, or owe anyone any favors.

All it took was his nod of approval. It didn’t matter if a few students had to pay out of their own pockets; they even brought their own materials and design plans with higher specifications.

If you ask why, it’s because these projects accounted for academic credits, and a significant number of them at that!

Due to the unique nature of the Ivory Tower, all sorts of accidental damage were inevitable. This included, but was not limited to, student brawls, various types of explosions, collateral damage from club conflicts involving heavy weaponry, and frequent lab accidents, among other incidents. Thus, destruction and reconstruction were extremely frequent.

Apart from a few main buildings within the fixed framework, the others all underwent revisions every few months. Even places like the photography club experienced this, where all sorts of random spectral phenomena could appear in the darkrooms used for developing photos.

As for the strange phenomena caused by the precipitation of Source Substance, they were countless.

Things like the little red shoes in the dance room, the mysterious eighth step, and the enigmatic footsteps in the washroom were already so common that no one found them strange anymore. When faced with such inexplicable, baffling, and utterly confusing phenomena, it was more cost-effective to demolish and rebuild rather than painstakingly try to resolve them.

Therefore, architecture students graduating from the Ivory Tower were exceedingly familiar with all kinds of border constructions and specialized engineering projects.

How could they not be familiar? Newcomers would set aside their textbooks on their first day of class and join their seniors in practicing demolition using shaped charges. Furthermore, the architectural classrooms would engage in a fiery conflict every month to decide the school’s architectural style and territorial divisions for the following months.

Moreover, to practice their skills, this bunch of restless fellows took on the decoration and renovation of all the public classrooms in the school.

They worked quickly and did a good job, but repairs weren’t included. They had a huge annual budget but would build relentlessly, often exceeding it. Once the budget was depleted, they’d even use their own money to continue.

Each classroom and specialty had its own unique requirements. While theoretical classrooms could be largely uniform, practical ones varied greatly. After going through such a cycle, even a complete novice—heck, even a pig—could become adept at design, or at least learn to copy existing plans.

There were only one or two slots for official classrooms each year.

If this project was executed well, it meant that two designers, a Scholar specializing in construction, another in electrical engineering, plus the on-site construction supervisor—at least a dozen students in total—could graduate with top honors, ensuring their future achievements would be limitless.

After agonizing for several hours, Huai Shi unceremoniously dumped all dozen or so proposals on Yuan Yuan to sort through, while he himself sneaked back home.

There’s no need to take such matters to heart; after all, he had seen the world.

Besides, no matter how good the job was, it wouldn’t compare to his own home.

This was evident from seeing the teachers from the construction engineering department sneakily strolling around his home every now and then. Occasionally, when they glanced towards the Stone Marrow Pavilion, their eyes would shine strangely, making Huai Shi feel extremely uncomfortable.

Uncle Fang is so old; why would anyone still be after him like that?

That was simply too despicable!

If they still refused to leave despite being nicely advised, then someone venturing out in the middle of the night would need to beware of getting kicked by a horse...

With this plan in mind, he returned home, only to see Uncle Fang approaching him with a serious demeanor.

This made him a bit uneasy.

”What’s wrong?”

”Young Master, there’s a visitor waiting in the lounge.”

”Who?”

Huai Shi was puzzled.

He had been tired all day and honestly didn’t want to see anyone. But since Uncle Fang had let someone in without his permission, it meant the situation was unusual.

Soon, he saw the uninvited guest in the lounge.

An Old Monkey in a suit was lying on his sofa, holding a teapot and teacup with its feet, while skillfully peeling a banana with its hands.

It was watching a swimsuit competition on the television.

”...”

In an awkward silence, Huai Shi’s expression twitched, and he tentatively asked, ”Chancellor?”

”Yes, it’s me,” the Old Monkey replied cheerfully, nodding. It stood up from the sofa, scrutinized Huai Shi, and walked around him a couple of times. Then, it slapped his shoulder vigorously. ”Not bad, not bad, young man. You’ve done well. It took quite an effort on my part to bring you to this school. Don’t become complacent or arrogant. Continue to strive for new heights, understand?”

”...”

And so, Huai Shi formally met his chancellor for the first time under such bizarre circumstances.

”Are you getting used to the Ivory Tower?”

...

”Is there anything you find difficult at work?”

...

”Young people shouldn’t be overly modest. You should be full of vitality and strive to achieve something great.”

...

”Young man, do you have a girlfriend this year?”

...

”Is there anything you need the school’s help with? How about I assign you a female secretary? Men and women working together... Oh, right, you already have a female student. That young lady is far too serious; it gives me a headache just looking at her. Do young people nowadays all like that type?”

...

”Huai Shi, why aren’t you talking?”

”...”

In the silence, Huai Shi blinked, watching the polar bear on the sofa in front of him bizarrely transform into a sea lion with an innocent and curious look.

He wanted to pull out The Hammer of Sorrow and smash its brains out.

”I say, Huai Shi—”

The sea lion shook its head with a sigh, asking earnestly, ”Do you have any complaints about me?”

”No, not at all, of course not!”

Huai Shi shook his head like a bobblehead doll, earnestly saying, ”Chancellor, I have no grievances with you whatsoever. How could I possibly have any complaints?”

You Old Turtle, why must you be so verbose?

Do you really not know whether we have any grievances? Weren’t you the one who dragged me here with fifty graduation certificates? And now you’re acting all silly to amuse me, think it’s fun?

If Huai Shi didn’t know that, regardless of anything else, he was facing a Fifth Stage powerhouse right in front of him, he would have long since pulled out a gun and pressed it against this old thing’s forehead.

The more I look at this fellow, the less he seems like a good sort.

”Oh, good then.”

The sea lion chancellor patted its belly and, after letting out a couple of contented barks, said with satisfaction, ”I was worried there was some misunderstanding between us, but it seems I was overthinking it.”

”Yes, Chancellor, you were overthinking it.”

Huai Shi repeated like a parrot, eagerly staring at the blasted sea lion in front of him. The tea has been drunk, words have been spoken, why isn’t it leaving yet?

A knowing smile spread across the sea lion’s face. ”Are you wondering why I haven’t left yet?” it asked.

”Not at all! How could I!” Huai Shi laughed nervously, guilty as charged. ”Chancellor, you’re such a distinguished figure. It’s an honor to have you in my home. How could I possibly be eager for you to leave? I can hardly welcome you enough!”

”That’s good.”

The sea lion nodded. ”Then I’ll sit for a while longer.”

???

Huai Shi tilted his head, lifting the teacup before him for what felt like the umpteenth time. Honestly, how can this old codger still not get my meaning?

”Ah, I just remembered, I can’t stay any longer.”

The chancellor patted his head and suddenly transformed into a black leopard. He stood up from the sofa as if ready to take his leave. Huai Shi was overjoyed at the prospect of him leaving, but then he heard the principal say, ”Alright then, let’s head out. We can talk more on the way.”

”Head out?”

Huai Shi was stunned. He had just returned home and hadn’t even taken a bath yet. Go out for what?

I’m not going anywhere today!

”Well, now that you have an official, permanent classroom, you’re at least considered a member of the academic staff, a formal employee of the Ivory Tower.”

The chancellor, licking his paw, remarked, ”In the old days, that would also make you a reserve member of Utopia, a formal Sublimator of the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy.”

More than that, I’m already an official member of Utopia, assessed by the All Spectrum Heaven Sphere—do I really need to tell you this?

Before Huai Shi could even finish his internal retort, he heard the chancellor’s next words:

”...it’s also time for you to see the Book of Fate.”

”What!”

His eyes widened. ”The Book of Fate?”

Now?

Suddenly, the bombshell from the chancellor nearly made Huai Shi jump out of his skin.

Although he had been scheming to join the research faculty and secure a permanent classroom precisely for this, he had never imagined it would happen so quickly.

He had planned to bide his time.

Wait a month, then go to the library and casually ask, as if by chance: I’ve heard the Book of Fate is here. Could I perhaps take a look?

Yet, on the very day he became an official member, the chancellor had shown up at his door.

So abrupt.

”Didn’t Ye Su tell you?” the chancellor looked over in confusion. ”I thought that big mouth told everyone everything. He didn’t mention it to you?”

”...Er.”

Huai Shi coughed for a moment, then said seriously, ”Well, I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”

”Then shall we be off?” the chancellor said.

”Now? So suddenly?”

Huai Shi was panicking internally, a feeling that something was off gnawing at him. He was about to refuse, to say he hadn’t brushed his teeth or bathed, and certainly hadn’t undergone seven days of fasting and purification—how could he be so presumptuous?

But then, the chancellor’s black tail flicked.

His vision blurred.

He had been transported from the lounge of his home to a vast square.

Before them, illuminated by distant lights, the massive library stood in darkness, its own lights extinguished and doors shut for the night.

And there he was, still sitting on his own sofa.

We’re here already?