Chapter 2878 - 1099: How Could Things Be Such a Coincidence

Chapter 2878: Chapter 1099: How Could Things Be Such a Coincidence

Tuesday, the next day.

After lunch.

Zheng Qing returned to the dormitory and immediately picked up the latest issue of the "School Newspaper" when he saw it on the desk. He flipped through it from the front page to news, to supplements, and then to the advertisement and announcement columns; he even checked the centerfold, but he couldn’t find it.

There was no sign of Xin Fat Man’s article about the ’mysterious creature escaping from the First University lab’.

"Where’s the exclusive news you mentioned yesterday?"

He shook the thick, bloated newspaper and curiously looked at Xin Fat Man half-leaning against the bedhead grooming Tuan Tuan.

"The editorial department vetoed it in the final review."

Speaking of this matter, the fat wizard looked annoyed and unexpectedly praised the rival of the school newspaper: "Do you know why they killed this article? ’Unverified single source information’! You said there was a ’source’, how could it be ’unverified’? Had I known, I would have sent this article along with pictures to the "Beta Town Post", at least they understand what’s news!"

As he spoke, he angrily got up and slapped a crumpled parchment on the table. Tuan Tuan meowed in reproach, raised its tail, and jumped off the fat wizard.

Zheng Qing chuckled.

He wasn’t surprised by how the "School Newspaper" handled it.

Even though it was almost semi-public, the Giant God Soldier was still a highly confidential project within the school. Any mention of the project group would undergo strict review, let alone news concerning the true appearance of ’Edge Model One’.

The fact that the school hadn’t confiscated this parchment from Fat Man was already quite surprising.

He looked around and didn’t see Xiao Xiao.

"Where’s the doctor? Did he go to an additional class?"

Ever since confessing to his peers yesterday, Xiao Xiao had seemingly entered a ’accelerated busy’ mode; in just one day, his presence transitioned from ’barely visible outside class hours’ to ’vanishing halfway through classes’—Zheng Qing had reason to believe the school had also granted him temporary authority for Time Conversion. He just didn’t know how long Doctor Xiao converted each time.

Considering he needed to organize dozens of courses within two weeks, even if the content posed no difficulty, it was still a very stressful task.

For Zheng Qing, it was a very novel feeling.

Since he used to be the one disappearing from everyone’s view, he now found it especially intriguing to experience others around him vanish in such a manner for the first time.

"I don’t care if he drops dead!"

Xin Fat Man huffily lay back on the bed, arms crossed, looking sullen.

He still hadn’t fully forgiven Xiao Xiao for suddenly planning to graduate early—of course, one night later, his complaints had evolved from ’concealing early graduation’ to ’why did Sima know about it earlier than the dormitory 403 or companions from Absolution’, aiming to unite all possible forces.

Zheng Qing understood Fat Man’s sensitivity to this matter.

Because if he and Xiao Xiao both chose to graduate this semester, starting next semester, dormitory 403 would only have him left as a student of Jiuyou Academy.

Considering that Dylan’s schedule was opposite to theirs, one leaves early and returns late, the other returns early and leaves late; both having other social activities, shared dorm time might mean they hardly speak a few words in a week.

With that in mind, Zheng Qing’s gaze fell on Tuan Tuan, who was crouched by the edge of the desk licking its fur.

By then, Fat Man would have only a cat to accompany him through a long and dull two-year university career.

Thinking about it was just despairing.

"Don’t worry, we’ll often come back to see you."

He comfortingly patted the fat wizard’s shoulder.

The fat wizard gave a sideways glance, snorted: "Come back? Who cares if you come back... I’m fine alone in the dormitory, why are you coming back? Alone, I can tan my bare butt in the sun, let Linda come to the dorm and play Tarot Cards, and even divide half the dorm for magic potion experiments, why are you coming back?"

Zheng Qing coughed lightly.

He didn’t expose the stubbornness of the fat wizard—besides, he had a vague feeling some odd ideas slipped into Fat Man’s reply.

"As long as you don’t mind."

Zheng Qing cleared his throat, quickly changing the subject before Fat Man’s expression turned darker: "—That matter the night before last, did your editorial department have any new information?"

He hesitated for two days, and still felt being taken around Silent Forest was related to the crows, but he had no evidence.

Regarding the crows, Zheng Qing now had some understanding—such as many of them lurking in the school, harboring radical beliefs, engaging in illegal magic experiments, etc.—but many points remained unclear.

For instance, he didn’t think more powerful legendary wizards could remain unaware of so many ’crows’ hidden within the school; also, he noticed these ’crows’ understood the meaning of moderation well, choosing targets very carefully when acting, and until now, they hadn’t truly harmed any student in the school.

Except for him.

Since being ’kidnapped’ by Thomas once, he could clearly feel the distance between himself and the true crows growing ever closer, seemingly separated only by a thin layer of Mulberry paper, the answers right before him, tantalizingly close.

But like a sneeze during a cold, it just wouldn’t come out.

Making him feel particularly uncomfortable.

This was the reason why, nearing the end of the semester, he still occasionally got distracted by certain trivial matters.

Upon hearing Zheng Qing’s inquiry, the fat wizard glanced at him: "I’ve already told you, don’t hope for news from the editorial department. Since the school and Trident Sword jointly announced the crows’ eradication, the school newspaper wouldn’t possibly have any new information on them!"

Zheng Qing shook his head.

"It must be the crows," he counted on his fingers, calculating: "Think about it, since Black Wizard Walter was eliminated, Silent Forest started having accidents intermittently, from Ogre Tribes being slaughtered to Horseman Tribes disappearing, or Green Dragons being killed. The timeline’s so close, do you think there’s no connection?"

"I believe... but belief is futile."

Xin Fat Man shook his head: "Let’s swap perspectives, from an unrelated third-party’s view, by your logic, I could also say due to the pre-establishment of Edge Academy, the incidents of ogres, horse-men, or Green Dragon magical creatures being harmed occurred... If your causal relationship stands, why shouldn’t mine? You can’t forcibly relate a coincidence just because two events happened in quick succession."

Zheng Qing froze for a moment.

After a while, he muttered to himself, in a low voice: "Yeah... how could there be such a coincidence?"