Yize had just stepped eagerly out the dormitory door when his body suddenly felt as if it had been yanked back by invisible ropes, forcing him to freeze in place.
Wait! I can’t run!
A crucial point he had overlooked in his panic hit him like a bucket of ice water, snapping him instantly awake—he had already, according to the system’s lowest-difficulty suggestion, personally agreed to Dean Clea’s request to go to the Raymon Territory.
The system’s risk ratings had never been wrong. “Agree to go” was rated D-level risk, but “fleeing at the last moment” had just triggered a genuine S-level warning!
Weighing the options, even a fool could tell which was safer.
The unknown dangers outside might well be far more fatal than following the “main character group.”
He’d almost been scared out of his wits just now by the deadly combination of those three names: “Lian,” “Rhea,” and “Sara,” and had completely lost the ability to judge rationally.
“Calm down, Yize, calm down… The more critical the situation, the more you have to trust the system’s judgment.” He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his racing heart. His face flickered with uncertainty as his mind began to analyze the situation at unprecedented speed, seeking a solution.
Luke watched blankly from the side, unable to keep up with this upperclassman’s illogical mood swings and actions.
Yize suddenly turned around, tossing the massive pack filled with “survival supplies”—which he’d just treated like a treasure—back to the ground with a muffled “thud.”
Lian only enrolled two years ago… That bit of information was like a key unlocking his memories. That meant the main storyline of this world’s “Chronicles” had only truly started two years back! And this Raymon Territory incident was very likely an important early quest or story node in the game!
The official heroine, Senior Sara, would also be going, and since she had just taken the advanced magic exam at Moonleave Academy, she must have already met Lian, who was also at Moonleave.
Following the usual game routines, these two officially paired CPs were probably already acquainted and maybe even starting to spark some ambiguous feelings.
Yize could practically foresee the days ahead—not only facing the threat of monsters, but also being forced to closely witness the protagonist and heroine growing from strangers to confidants, their feelings heating up rapidly amid crisis after crisis—this “romantic adventure history” was, for someone who only wanted to be a background NPC, a form of mental pollution and latent danger!
As for Rhea… that character was notoriously difficult to win over; back when the game was first released, not a single person succeeded in her route.
Without exception, they all pushed Rhea to go dark and become a villain.
Her very existence was a ticking time bomb.
Yize only hoped he could stay as far away from her as possible.
At this thought, Yize suddenly realized a problem: Dean Clea had said earlier that Sara couldn’t go because of her exam, but now Luke said she’d be going too?
Was the dean just out of date, or… had she deliberately concealed the truth? That familiar sense of being lured in by a boss only to fall into a giant pit washed over him.
No matter what, Yize now saw clearly—this journey to Raymon Territory would be the toughest quest he’d faced since arriving in this world! One wrong step, and he’d be doomed; the cannon-fodder sense was maxed out.
“Luckily… I still have the system.” Yize consoled himself. The system’s risk ratings were his only compass in this dark forest.
As long as he clung tightly to the “NPC options,” and was cautious enough, sneaky enough, he should… maybe… possibly… be able to hang on to his little life, right?
He let out a long breath and finally noticed Luke still staring at him like a curious baby. “You got anything later?” Yize asked as calmly as he could.
Luke shook his head in confusion.
“Good, then come with me to Miaomiao Bookstore.”
Miaomiao Bookstore was the place where Yize co-published his novels, as well as his important source of information and “little stash of gold.”
At the mention, Luke’s eyes immediately lit up, and he crowded closer in excitement. “Senior! You finished your new manuscript? Quick! Let me see it first! I promise I won’t leak any spoilers!”
“Not finished yet.” Yize shot him an exasperated look. “When have I ever not let you see it first? This time we’re going for business—gathering intel about Raymon Territory and… the other academies’ movements.”
Hearing it wasn’t for a manuscript, Luke’s enthusiasm instantly fizzled out.
Yize ignored him and began to focus on pulling items from his seemingly ordinary but actually storage-enchanted magic ring.
Bottles and jars, scrolls, oddly shaped materials… A variety of items were methodically laid out on the floor, leaving Luke dizzy and dumbstruck.
“Senior… What do you have in that ring? Running a general store?” Luke couldn’t help but joke.
“What do you know?” Yize replied without looking up, still checking items. “These are all for staying alive. When you’re out and about, especially where your identity could be exposed, perfect disguise is the key to survival.”
He swiftly sorted the necessary equipment:
Two [Shadowmist Cloaks]: When infused with magic, they greatly reduce the wearer’s presence—a magic tool for blending into the background and avoiding attention.
Two [Faceless Disguises]: As thin as cicada wings, these masks blur facial features, making it hard for others to remember your face and even confusing them about your gender.
Several vials of strange, red-glowing potion: Yize carefully set these on a padded mat.
This, then, was Yize’s “background character travel standard kit” refined over years.
At Yize’s gesture, Luke curiously donned a [Shadowmist Cloak] and put on a [Faceless Disguise].
The effect was immediate. The tall, distinctive red-haired boy now looked like nothing more than a blurry, human-shaped shadow, his presence plummeting, achieving the “indistinguishable from man or beast, male or female” realm Yize described.
Next, Yize picked up a red potion, tipped his head back, and drank a bottle, then handed another to Luke.
“What’s this?” Luke took the potion, peering at the lava-like liquid flowing slowly inside.
“[Voice-Changing Elixir].” Yize began to explain, but instead of his usual clear male voice, out came a crisp, charming, slightly childish girl’s voice!
“Pfft—!” Luke nearly crushed the bottle in shock, his eyes wide as saucers. “S-senior?! Your voice?!”
“Not bad, right?” Yize (in a girlish voice) seemed very pleased, nodding. “Drink up, we’re short on time.”
Luke eyed the red potion in his hand, swallowed nervously, and, driven by curiosity, downed it in one gulp.
The potion tasted faintly of mint, with a strange, burning sensation slipping down his throat.
He cleared his throat and, full of anticipation, opened his mouth, eager to see if he too now had a charming girl’s voice: “Obu shing zheei voise…”
He hadn’t finished his sentence before freezing up completely.
That sticky, as-if-his-mouth-was-full-of-hot-eggplant, oddly sharp, and extremely slurred voice… Was that really coming from his own throat?!
This was absolutely not a sweet girlish voice.
He looked at Yize in horror, his eyes screaming: Where’s my promised lovely voice?!
Why do you sound like a cute girl, while I’m… this?!
Yize saw Luke’s “life questioning” expression and couldn’t help it—he burst out laughing, a girlish giggle ringing in the dorm. “Almost forgot to warn you, the voice-changing elixir’s effect is tuned by the user. Looks like your luck is… well, pretty special.”
He honestly hadn’t expected that this sturdy young man would end up with such an extremely “clipped” voice.
Luke completely broke down. He clamped his mouth shut and refused to utter another syllable.
He’d rather wrestle monsters than hear that awful sound again!
Inside, he grumbled furiously: Senior, just how much free time do you have to invent such deadly potions?!
The inspiration for this potion had indeed come from Yize’s own bitter lessons during his early days after transmigrating—he’d been stunned by Rhea’s “domineering older sister” voice and realized that voice was the most easily overlooked yet crucial part of any disguise.
“All right, all set. Let’s go.” Yize checked their gear one last time, satisfied.
Wrapped in Shadowmist Cloaks, with blurred masks and altered voices, even if Dean Clea stood right in front of them, she might not recognize them at a glance.
Luke looked at the blurry, even-he-couldn’t-stand-it reflection in the mirror, his eyes making a final silent protest: We’re just going out, senior, do we really have to go this far, looking this weird?!
Yize gave him a “you’re still too young” look and, in a sweet girlish voice, earnestly said, “How is this over-the-top? I don’t even think it’s safe enough. Remember, these are extraordinary times. Any slip, and we’ll be doomed. Caution is the only protection for background characters like us.”