Reincarnated In a Cthulhu World And Everyone Is Obsessed With Me - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Prey – Mental stability is the supreme compliment in the apocalypse…

Shadow Guild attire was far too conspicuous, so Xia Mingyu changed into his own civilian clothes before heading out: the most basic white shirt and black trousers—cheap goods bought for ten credits for three pieces at a base roadside stall.

Yet, when Xia Mingyu walked out of the room, Tang Yaopeng still stood dazed for a moment. They say clothes make the man, but as long as the looks and temperament are sufficient, even roadside rags can exude the aura of a fashion runway.

The Sanctuary and the Sentry Tower were positioned symmetrically around the core of the base. As Xia Mingyu had glimpsed from the sky-rail, the two magnificent white buildings looked like the wings of the base—angels descending to save humanity, protecting this corner of the world in a protective crouch.

After walking with Tang Yaopeng for a distance, they bid farewell at a corner. Tang Yaopeng added one last sincere remark: “Senior… I’m really happy to have met you again. Being near you, it feels like my mind becomes stable. It’s very reassuring.”

Mental stability is the supreme compliment in the apocalypse. Xia Mingyu smiled faintly. “Did you forget? I’m a Guide.”

Even if he still didn’t know how to use his pheromones.

When Xia Mingyu reached the Sanctuary, he thought the protesters had expanded to its gates. The usually quiet and solemn white building was surrounded by a clamoring crowd. Confused, he stepped inside.

The interior was much more peaceful. It wasn’t as cold and rigid as he had imagined; instead, it was exquisitely decorated, transparent, and bright. Like a five-star hotel lobby from the peaceful era, Xia Mingyu noted internally.

In the center, a giant screen projected a light blue glow, scrolling through pages of Sentinel and Guide missions. As soon as a team claimed one, it vanished, replaced by another.

• A-Class: Purge large monster tides around S-class domains. Issuer: Nirvana Guild.

• C-Class: Harvest a nascent domain 79km outside Southern Third Base; capture a live mutant specimen. Issuer: Southern Third Base Research Institute.

• D-Class: Intercept the Great Migration from Southern Fourth Base; clear small monster tides. Issuer: Southern Fourth Base Sentry Tower.

People bustled about, following the Sanctuary’s daily rhythm, but Xia Mingyu’s presence broke the pattern. Standing tall and elegant, his pulled-back hair revealed a superior shoulder and neck line, drawing frequent side-glances. He ignored the ambiguous stares and looked up at the missions.

As he prepared to move, the screen dispersed into star-like sparks, showering the hall. Xia Mingyu waited quietly until the sparks coalesced into a figure—the Sanctuary Avatar. He wore a white suit, and his face was entirely forgettable, as if calculated to be the most average face possible.

While the people around him noticed nothing, Xia Mingyu asked softly, “Did you appear for me?”

The Avatar nodded slightly. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, welcome to the General Sanctuary. I can answer your questions and handle your business directly.”

“I need a registration form for Dove Academy.”

A moment later, the Avatar said, “You have been registered. Additionally, since your Star-Net balance is below zero, a student aid fund has been provided. I wish you success in your studies.”

“…Thank you,” the “broke-apocalypse-resident” Xia Mingyu replied sincerely.

He realized then that from the moment the Avatar appeared, others had become blind to him. A girl ran straight toward him; he stepped aside, and the ends of his hair passed right through her face like a ghost.

Xia Mingyu looked at the Avatar. “What is the meaning of this?”

“To protect your safety.”

Not a very convincing lie. Xia Mingyu sneered. “Then why didn’t you protect me when that Sentinel was hunting me down?”

The Avatar didn’t answer. His face remained void of emotion.

Xia Mingyu tested him mercilessly. “You couldn’t beat him?”

The Avatar’s figure flickered slightly.

He really couldn’t? Xia Mingyu narrowed his eyes. “Was that Sentinel S-class?”

The Avatar remained silent. Xia Mingyu paced toward him, thinking. An S-class Sentinel. The main figures of the Shadow Guild are currently in Southern First Base. The one who hunted me wasn’t Sheikh, so it must be the second-in-command, Ruan Congyun.

Xia Mingyu almost wanted to laugh. Only a few days after rebirth, and he had already crossed paths with both of Shadow’s S-classes. Was he cursed?

Just as he closed in, the Avatar finally spoke. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, please believe that the Sanctuary is always the primary executor in maintaining the interests of Guides.”

Xia Mingyu glanced at him. “Whatever.”

Ruan Congyun had struck heavily, yet he had walked out of the Shadow Guild unscathed. This meant he currently posed no threat to them. But Xia Mingyu didn’t believe for a second that Shadow would simply let him go. Don’t play games with me; we’re all foxes here. He knew that once a predator marks its prey, the prey never leaves its sight.

Unless… the entire base was the Shadow Guild’s hunting ground?

Xia Mingyu looked at the Avatar with interest. “Does the Sentry Tower have an avatar too?”

“Mr. Xia Mingyu, the Avatar is merely a part of the base. The entirety of the Southern First Base is Many as One.”

“Many as One,” Xia Mingyu repeated warmly. “Meaning, you share a single central hub?”

So, the base could track his every move, even inside Paradise. The Sanctuary and the Sentry Tower were one and the same. What kind of method allowed such precise monitoring?

Xia Mingyu stared directly into the Avatar’s eyes. Beneath the black irises lay a sea of information and flickering fluorescent light. His voice was soft and gentle, like a whisper in the night. “I don’t know how to use mental power yet, but thanks to that Sentinel’s pursuit, I taught myself a trick.”

The Avatar stepped back, his figure flickering like a short circuit.

Xia Mingyu’s peach-blossom eyes were full of smiles. “I found a strange mental fluctuation inside my body—is that the right term, Mr. Sanctuary? Why is it such a coincidence that it was sitting right on the Star-Net interface of my pupils?”

In the next instant, a massive mental strike pierced the Avatar like a bullet shattering glass. Fluorescent blue sparks scattered where he had stood. Xia Mingyu blinked; his eyes welled with bitter, involuntary tears from the backlash.

The sparks didn’t reform into a man. Instead, a voice vibrated from the void—the voice of a young, pouting girl. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, please don’t be so rough next time. Promise me, okay?”

Xia Mingyu smiled tenderly. “No.”

“What if I provide you with another large sum of money?”

Xia Mingyu, ever flexible, replied, “We can negotiate.”

The Avatar dissolved into a snake-like current and receded like a tide. The sounds of the real world rushed back into Xia Mingyu’s ears.

“AH!!!”

A short-haired girl screamed in terror, pointing at him. “You… you… how did you just appear out of thin air!”

Xia Mingyu’s eardrums rang. He calmed her without missing a beat. “Sorry, I can teleport.”

“Is that your ability?” she asked suspiciously.

Xia Mingyu didn’t want to explain and simply nodded politely. Suddenly, another female voice roared from behind, “Qin Louyue! Why are you running off again!”

A long-haired girl with flaxen-brown hair and black-rimmed glasses marched over. She looked scholarly, but her voice had been incredibly loud. She stared at Xia Mingyu’s face and froze. “…A guy?” She sounded almost disappointed.

Xia Mingyu realized the “beauty” she had yelled at to move was him. His polite smile stiffened.

The long-haired girl bowed solemnly. “Forgive me, my eyes failed me.”

The short-haired girl, Qin Louyue, faked a sob. “Sister, you know I don’t want to go to school…”

The older sister, Qin Emeng, sighed. “Do you know how hard it is to follow an idol? Ever since the Tower announced Sheikh’s inauguration ceremony will be held at Dove Academy, the registration is overflowing! I only got these forms because I booked a mental soothing session today.”

…Sheikh? He’s coming to Dove Academy?

Xia Mingyu’s heart tightened. “The Chief Sentinel’s ceremony is at the academy?”

“Yes, tomorrow! They say it’s to boost enrollment. Only students can see Sheikh in person; otherwise, you’re stuck with the Star-Net’s glitchy live streams.”

Xia Mingyu smiled in realization while thinking expressionlessly: I want to drop out.

Qin Emeng reached out a hand. “I’m Qin Emeng, B-class Sentinel. This is my twin, Qin Louyue, C-class Sentinel.”

Xia Mingyu shook her hand. “Xia Mingyu, B-class Guide.” Her hand was strong and calloused, a warrior’s hand. To meet her eyes, Xia Mingyu leaned down slightly, his hair tied with the colorful string cascading over his shoulder.

Qin Emeng laughed. “You’re so handsome. Will we be classmates at the academy?”

Faced with a question he didn’t want to answer, Xia Mingyu used his most deceptive, brilliant smile. “Thank you.”