Something Happened in the Girls' Dormitory

I am the third generation contract holder of the Ancient Mirror, which means that before me there were two others who possessed this special card. At present, I have already mastered the Ancient Mirror’s ability to absorb and emit light, yet when it comes to fighting, my powers are far less convenient than Chen Hao’s brute strength. Clearly, I need much more practice before my abilities can truly become an asset in battle.

“Zijian!” I rose to see Chen Hao returning to the dorm, dripping with sweat as if he’d just finished some strenuous exercise.

“Something happened?” I flipped off the bed.

“Bad news! There’s trouble over at the girls’ dorm!”

“The girls’ dorm? You mean Han Xue and Wen Lingyu’s place?”

“Yeah! The entire building has been sealed off by a black barrier—no way in or out.”

At this, I hurriedly called Han Xue, but there was no answer. I told Chen Hao to fetch Sun Cheng, while Pang Dongqiang and I would go rescue the two girls. Li Yuan and Wu Mingran, who hadn’t awakened their abilities, were to stay behind and be ready to support us if needed.

“Han Xue, please be safe,” I muttered.

Meanwhile, in the girls’ dormitory—

Han Xue crouched beneath the small window of the door, peering into the pitch-black hallway. “I can’t see anything—it’s so dark…” A chill ran through her, and she instinctively clutched her blanket tighter.

“Lingyu?” Han Xue called softly, waking Wen Lingyu from the lower bunk. After the last game, the two remaining students from the Literature Department had moved into the same room.

“What is it, Xue?” Wen Lingyu rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up.

“Lingyu, something’s wrong,” Han Xue said nervously, running to Lingyu’s bed. “The whole hallway’s pitch black. I’m scared.”

Wen Lingyu pulled out her phone—no signal. There had been signal during the previous games, but now it was as if they were completely cut off.

“It seems someone’s targeting us,” Wen Lingyu analyzed. “All we can do now is wait for them to come rescue us.”

“You mean Zijian and the others?”

At that moment, Chen Hao, Sun Cheng, and I rushed to the entrance of the girls’ dorm, only to find the entire building was shrouded in thick, black mist.

“If you’re scared, go back—I can’t protect you,” I said to Chen Hao.

He shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Transference!” Sun Cheng commanded. Light flared beneath our feet, and in an instant, we were transported inside the dormitory.

“Where are we?” I wondered how Sun Cheng had the girls’ dorm coordinates. Suddenly, a shriek shattered the silence.

“Brother Sun Cheng!” Wu Ziwei rushed out with a smile, throwing her arms around Sun Cheng. “I knew you’d come for me,” she said, burying her face in his chest. “I missed you so much.”

Sun Cheng basked in her affection, while Chen Hao watched, practically drooling with envy. “Hey, ladies, I’m here to save you too—can I get a hug?”

He walked toward the girls behind Wu Ziwei.

“Get lost!” Hu Xing’er shot an air cannon at him, sending Chen Hao flying several meters.

“Hu Xing’er! So, the ones behind her must be…”

Lin Xiayue, Zhong Ling, and Chu Yuyan stepped out from behind Hu Xing’er.

“Well, Lin Zijian, you made it,” Lin Xiayue said, fixing her eyes on me. “You’re not here to save me, are you?”

She tilted her chin haughtily, but the blush on her face was unmistakable.

Chen Hao circled Hu Xing’er and her friends, grinning. “I like girls with your kind of fire—hit me again!”

Hu Xing’er, fed up, retreated into the dorm, leaving Chu Yuyan and Zhong Ling as Chen Hao’s new targets.

“Sorry, I’m here to break the barrier around the dorm,” I said, reluctant to admit I’d come for Han Xue and not wanting to embarrass Lin Xiayue. Instead, I settled for a diplomatic answer.

“Oh, I see.” Lin Xiayue chuckled lightly, brushing past me.

“Lin Xiayue, are the girls from the Law and Literature Departments living here too?” I asked.

“That’s right,” she replied. “After the last game, all the girls moved into our building—keeps the filthy boys at bay. And you’re one of them, of course.”

“Yes, yes, I am.”

My priority was finding Han Xue and Wen Lingyu; nothing else mattered. Following Lin Xiayue, I found Zhou Zitong and Xia Qingqiu.

Xia Qingqiu asked why Wu Mingran hadn’t come. I was too tired to explain, so I urged Lin Xiayue to help us find Han Xue and Wen Lingyu quickly.

As we entered their hallway, the temperature plummeted, and everyone gasped.

A woman in white, swaying a soul-calling banner, wandered from room to room.

“That’s…” Lin Xiayue’s voice trembled.

“White Impermanence…” I whispered my suspicion.

Sensing our presence, White Impermanence turned.

“Well, aren’t I lucky—to run into so many contract holders at once.”

With that, she charged toward us.

“Aaah!” Wu Ziwei shrieked, and Sun Cheng instantly activated his transference ability, whisking her away.

Lin Xiayue’s shy demeanor vanished, replaced by the authority of a true leader.

“Stop!” Purple light erupted from her, pinning all of us to the floor with sheer gravity.

“Oh? Gravity manipulation?” White Impermanence laughed. “Hearts contract holder, you’re not quite there yet.”

She seemed unaffected, drawing ever closer.

“Lin Xiayue, withdraw your power!” I shouted.

Lin Xiayue quickly did so, stepping behind us in shock—her abilities had failed her for the first time.

Chu Yuyan could heal, but I wasn’t sure if Zhong Ling had any abilities.

Chen Hao, Hu Xing’er, and I took the front.

“Cover me!” I said to Hu Xing’er, dashing forward with Chen Hao.

“Air cannon!” Hu Xing’er’s power compressed the air into bullets, halting White Impermanence briefly.

“Interesting,” she said.

Chen Hao and I attacked from both sides—he went for the soul-calling banner, I struck at her face.

“Brute strength!” Chen Hao’s power engaged, nearly tearing the banner from her grasp.

My fist flashed toward her face.

“Photon emission!” A blinding white light burst forth.

White Impermanence hadn’t expected me to blind her; she cried out in pain, and Chen Hao snatched the banner.

“Hu Xing’er! Lin Xiayue!”

Hu Xing’er fired another air cannon, hitting White Impermanence squarely and knocking her down. Lin Xiayue followed with enhanced gravity, pinning her to the ground.

Chen Hao and I seized the chance to rush past, reaching the room where Wen Lingyu and Han Xue were hiding.

Once we’d gotten the two out, we saw White Impermanence had shaken off the gravity hold.

“Mere contract holders dare to challenge me?” she roared, the banner flying from Chen Hao’s hands.

At that moment, two girls from the Law Department—who’d been hiding—finally made their move.

Xia Qingqiu unleashed fire, while Zhou Zitong’s power immobilized White Impermanence.

White Impermanence gasped, “You… you’re helping them?!”

Flames engulfed her, and she dissipated into black smoke.

As she vanished, the black barrier disappeared, and our connection to the outside world was restored.

“Han Xue, you’re safe.”

“Hmph.” She turned away, refusing to meet my eyes.

Chen Hao, meanwhile, bragged to Wen Lingyu, “See, Lingyu? That’s my strength!”

Once the ordeal ended, Lin Xiayue led her group back. Zhou Zitong and Xia Qingqiu seemed to have something to say, but kept their thoughts to themselves. White Impermanence’s final words were troubling, but none of us pressed further.

As we left the dorm, Pang Dongqiang rushed up. “Is it over?”

“Of course!” Before I could answer, Chen Hao shouted, “With me here, what can’t be solved?”

We all burst out laughing.

“Yes, it’s over,” I replied.

Elsewhere in the dorm, a girl emerged from the black smoke. “Zhou Zitong, Xia Qingqiu, are you two planning to betray us?”

Two girls, who’d been waiting in the shadows, stepped forward.

“You acted so soon—what if you killed the wrong person?” Zhou Zitong asked.

“We have no choice. If the Joker isn’t destroyed, the whole world will be doomed!” the woman who’d become White Impermanence shouted.

“You’re just like Black Impermanence—too reckless!” Zhou Zitong retorted.

“Fine, from now on, we’ll stay out of each other’s way. You hunt the Joker, I’ll deal with the contract holders myself,” the White Impermanence woman said, stepping back.

“Agreed, on one condition,” Xia Qingqiu interjected. “Don’t hurt Wu Mingran. Or I’ll be very angry.” Real flames flickered in her eyes.

Zhou Zitong added sternly, “Don’t kill Pang Dongqiang either—I haven’t settled the score with him yet.”

“If you have that much energy, find the Joker’s host quickly. All the Spades Thirteen contract holders have awakened,” White Impermanence said before vanishing into smoke.