I Just Want to be a Throwaway Character - Chapter 74

Chapter 74: World 4

At the Stheran Academy, Ji Wan’s movements stiffened as she felt Lu Fanghan’s hand, so much larger than her own, tightly enclose her palm.

Lu Fanghan… what was she doing? She was being a public menace in broad daylight!

Ji Wan wanted to pull her hand away from the hooligan’s grasp. But the moment she looked up, she met Lu Fanghan’s deep, steady gaze, and her will immediately crumbled.

It was ridiculous…

Oh, whatever, whatever. It’s just holding hands. I won’t lose a limb.

Ji Wan’s cheeks turned crimson as she felt a sense of reckless surrender. Still, her eyes darted nervously around the academy. She was so embarrassed. She worried that the other students at Stheran Academy would look at them strangely. After all, Lu Fanghan was the center of attention wherever she went.

Luckily, there weren’t many people around, or it would have been utter social death. The entire walk, she felt like a thief, sneaking around.

Lu Fanghan just smiled, indulging Ji Wan’s adorably silly behavior. Ji Wan looked like a bouncy little white rabbit, and in Lu Fanghan’s eyes, she was cute no matter what she did.

But social death can be delayed, not avoided.

At a corner, Ji Wan ran into two other people who were also holding hands.

She was momentarily taken aback as she watched Ouyang Keke swing Shang Yanxi’s hand back and forth, all while acting coy. Was that flushed, bashful, and lovesick person really Ouyang Keke?

This scene… Ji Wan felt she couldn’t bear to look.

Ouyang Keke and Shang Yanxi also clearly saw Ji Wan. The two couples stared at each other.

Ouyang Keke quietly pulled her hand away from Shang Yanxi’s, awkwardly scratching her head. “Wanwan, what a coincidence, haha.”

Ji Wan wanted to pull away from Lu Fanghan’s grip too, but she turned her head and saw Lu Fanghan’s half-smiling, half-teasing expression. She quietly stopped trying.

She could only laugh along with Ouyang Keke. “Yes, the weather is great.

The completely disjointed conversation made the atmosphere even more awkward. The topic died right there.

For some reason, Ji Wan and Ouyang Keke both felt guilty, as if they had been caught in the middle of a secret affair.

Lu Fanghan and Shang Yanxi silently sized each other up, a knowing expression in both of their eyes.

Finally, they nodded to each other and led their respective partners away.

Ji Wan and Ouyang Keke shared a knowing glance before they were each pulled in a different direction.

After Keke was gone, Ji Wan felt her face burning. She was so embarrassed her toes were curling.

Lu Fanghan didn’t say anything, just gently ruffled Ji Wan’s hair. “Alright, I can only take you to the dorm. I might be gone for a while. Be a good girl and wait for me to come back. If you’re obedient, there will be a reward waiting for you.”

Lu Fanghan spoke with a doting tone. Watching Ji Wan’s face grow redder and more tempting, Lu Fanghan felt her throat go dry. Although she was reluctant to leave Ji Wan, the situation with the Dark Guild was not looking good. Lu Fanghan knew she had to prioritize.

Thinking of the Dark Guild’s recent actions, a cold glint appeared in Lu Fanghan’s eyes.

Ji Wan, who was about to brush Lu Fanghan’s hand away, paused.

The plot seemed to have reached the point where the Dark Guild was preparing to launch a concentrated attack on the Magic City. Remembering the tragic descriptions in the original novel, Ji Wan couldn’t help but worry.

Ji Wan looked up into Lu Fanghan’s tender, deep eyes. After a moment of thought, she didn’t speak. Instead, she gently wrapped her arms around Lu Fanghan’s waist and leaned her head against her chest.

She whispered a simple instruction: “Be careful. I’ll wait for you.”

She had so much more to say to Lu Fanghan, but in the end, it all condensed into this one quiet sentence of concern, which nevertheless warmed Lu Fanghan’s heart.

“Okay,” Lu Fanghan said, no more words needed. She hugged Ji Wan’s soft body back, gradually tightening her embrace as if she wanted to melt Ji Wan into her bones.

After a long while, Lu Fanghan gently released Ji Wan and left.

As she watched Lu Fanghan’s back disappear without a single look back, Ji Wan suddenly had a flashback. She saw a figure in flowing white robes walking away, as if she had said the exact same words before.

But for some reason, after that person left, everything turned to a shade of gray, followed by a sharp, painful ache in her heart.

Unbeknownst to Ji Wan, her eyes were already filled with tears. She shook her head, trying to cast away the inexplicable feeling of sadness.

“Lu Fanghan is the female lead; she’ll definitely be fine,” Ji Wan told herself.

But despite her reassurances, her anxiety only grew. The Dark Guild’s ultimate weapon was a massive clump of dark energy hidden beneath the ground. If it were allowed to erupt, the Magic City would be destroyed in an instant. In the original novel, Principal Su Li and Teacher Luo Bing sacrificed their lives to stop the disaster.

And now, she was the only outsider who knew the Dark Guild’s location. The mission was also related to the Dark Guild.

Maybe…

A look of determination slowly hardened in Ji Wan’s eyes. She wanted to protect her friends, her teachers, Grandpa Lu, Uncle Ji, Xiao Hua…

And… Lu Fanghan.

Suddenly, Ji Wan felt a cool sensation on her wrist. She looked down to find a beautiful silver bracelet around her slender, fair wrist. It wasn’t her jewelry. Ji Wan was a little surprised, but when she looked in the direction Lu Fanghan had left, her mood lifted.

She gently rubbed the bracelet. But the moment she thought about how much danger the bracelet’s owner was in, her expression turned serious.

“Little One, how do I join the Dark Guild?” she asked the system in her mind, her tone more grave than ever.

“Host, this mission is very dangerous. How about we give up?” Little One asked, sounding worried.

“Tell me,” Ji Wan said calmly. If she couldn’t do this mission, the number of sacrifices would be countless.

Seeing Ji Wan’s determination, Little One sighed in resignation. “Okay, Host.” At worst, it would just have to pay constant attention to whether the Host was in danger.

…

On a narrow street, a petite figure in a black robe moved through the shadows. She was wrapped up tightly as she entered an underground chamber. Ji Wan forcefully suppressed her fear.

But it was strange. Ever since she entered the area of the Dark Guild, she had felt a surge of energy within her body. But it wasn’t enough. Ji Wan had a feeling that something incredible was hidden within her.

In the basement, a sallow-faced, gaunt man in a black robe stood guard at the door. His withered body was like a terrifying, walking corpse.

The guard saw Ji Wan enter and slowly reached out to block her. His voice was hoarse. “Show me your credentials.”

Ji Wan forced herself to remain calm and casually pulled a token from her pocket. The man took it, bringing his eyes close to the token to inspect it carefully. He squinted hard, as if he wanted to stick his eyes right onto it.

He looked at the ordinary-looking woman in front of him. His cloudy eyes shifted between Ji Wan and the token, comparing their identities.

The disguised Ji Wan felt cold sweat trickle down her back. The token was something she had asked Little One to create on the fly; it wouldn’t last long. With the time limit about to expire, Ji Wan adopted the unique tone of a high-ranking member of the Dark Guild. “Have you seen enough?”

The man didn’t dare offend the “dignitary” in front of him. Although he still felt something was odd, he returned the token to Ji Wan and stepped aside.

Ji Wan felt the tension in her heart ease slightly. She quickly put the token back in her pocket. The moment it was back, it vanished.

But just as Ji Wan took a step into the Dark Guild’s main entrance, a strange, commanding voice rang out. “Wait.”

Ji Wan’s footsteps subconsciously stopped. She turned to see an imposing old man walking in. Unlike the guard, his face was flushed. But the guard didn’t ask to check his token; instead, he bowed respectfully.

“Host! Find a way to leave now! It’s the Dark Guild’s Vice-Leader!” System 111 urgently warned. This was a level Ji Wan couldn’t handle.

Ji Wan’s eyebrows, hidden beneath her black robe, subtly raised. She clenched her fists nervously. She wanted to pretend she didn’t hear him and just walk in.

But the Vice-Leader clearly didn’t intend to let her go easily. He gave the guard a look. The next second, Ji Wan was blocked at the door.

“Host!!” System 111 was close to crying. What should I do? What should I do?

Little One frantically thought of a solution. Ji Wan took a deep breath, turned to face the old man, and stood there expressionlessly, not saying a word. The black robe concealed her, giving her a sense of profound mystery.

Doubt appeared in the old man’s eyes. Who is this person? She doesn’t even show me respect.

“What department are you from?” The old man’s oppressive aura pressed down on Ji Wan. But the dark energy vanished instantly.

The old man was surprised and increased his power, but the energy disappeared again. A look of shock appeared in his eyes, and he looked at Ji Wan with caution. How could I not know there’s someone with this level of power in the Guild? She can absorb my energy so effortlessly.

The old man refused to give up. His expression turned serious as he unleashed a full-powered dark magic attack on Ji Wan. The guard next to Ji Wan couldn’t withstand the immense pressure of the dark magic and fainted. But Ji Wan remained calm, standing in place.

The old man’s magic was depleted, yet Ji Wan showed no reaction. The Dark Guild’s Vice-Leader began to pant, his heart filled with terror. “H-how is that possible? Just who is she?”

Ji Wan looked at the old man strangely, watching him huff and puff like he was practicing Tai Chi in front of her. He was red in the face and covered in sweat.

“Little One, the Dark Guild’s Vice-Leader? Is that all?” Ji Wan asked, bewildered. She had just been so scared her legs were shaking a moment ago.

“… ” System 111 was speechless for a moment. “Host, did you see the powerful dark energy he had on him?” it asked.

Ji Wan looked at the Vice-Leader and replied. “No, I just saw him making some weird poses. As for the dark energy, are you talking about this thing in my hand?”

As she spoke, Ji Wan casually raised her hand. A ball of black mist obediently swirled around her palm.

“…”

“Host!! That’s a dark element! Throw it away now!” System 111 shouted urgently.

But Ji Wan just looked at the element curiously. She gently poked it with her finger, and the dark element shrank back as if it were shy. It was… kind of cute.

System 111: “…”

On the other side, the old man’s expression was even more complex. It took a great deal of effort to simply control the dark elements. Without the secret arts to help him, he would look even more monstrous than the lowest-ranking guild members.

But the person in front of him could manipulate the dark element they both revered and feared so easily. Her talent might even surpass their Guild Leader’s. Could she be the Guild Leader’s illegitimate daughter from the outside?

Feeling the atmosphere grow strangely quiet, the old man looked at her with utter astonishment. Ji Wan felt like she had somehow, for no reason, managed to pull off a powerful bluff.

“Ahem, Miss. My apologies for the offense. May I ask who you are?” The old man respectfully bowed, instinctively showing deference to a stronger being.

But Ji Wan didn’t dare to speak. She knew that everything that just happened was strange and she couldn’t give herself away. She could only follow through with the misunderstanding.

Ji Wan remained silent, simply giving the old man a faint look and uttering a single sentence. “I’m joining. Lead the way.” She exuded the aura of a grand master.

The old man didn’t dare to defy her. Instead, his face was filled with pleasant surprise. With such power, the resurgence of the Dark Guild was within reach! When the Guild Leader came out of his secluded training, he would surely be rewarded for bringing in such a “talent.”

No matter how delighted the old man was, Ji Wan was still filled with lingering fear. If it weren’t for that strange dark element, she might have been dead already!

And just like that, Ji Wan effortlessly joined the Dark Guild. Unbeknownst to the old man, his act of “recruiting” Ji Wan would be the very reason the Dark Guild would ultimately fall and be destroyed.