The bell signaling the end of class rang.
No one in the freshman classroom stood up to leave.
Lu Zhi let out a wry smile. Shen Qi's approach was truly lethal, decisively tearing away the divine facade and ruthlessly shattering the freshmen's ingrained thoughts and beliefs.
The more brutal the truth about the Cage was, the more fearful the freshmen became. But after the fear came a burning hatred in their hearts.
Shen Qi simply said, "Class dismissed," and strode out of the classroom.
Luo Shiyu stood up and walked out of the classroom with a blank expression, as if he had known this would happen. Yet, Lu Zhi still caught a trace of heaviness in his eyes.
Lu Zhi took a deep breath and also walked out of the classroom.
The sunlight in the corridor outside was bright, but it couldn't dispel the coldness in the students' hearts.
From 1880 to the current year of 3202, spanning 1322 years, the number of humans who had died could be described as a sea of corpses, and even that would be an understatement.
Humans were fragile, and their lives were short. But their strong will and unyielding spirit of unity had brought humanity to this point.
Lu Zhi gazed at the lake, lost in thought, and murmured involuntarily, "Find the true gods..."
The gods of humanity, the gods who protected humanity, had always been present.
They were forgotten in the long river of history, slumbering in ruins across the world, waiting for humans to awaken them.
"Lu Zhi, what are you spacing out about?" Wang Cao Tian's voice suddenly sounded from behind Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi collected his thoughts, turned, and smiled, "Senior Wang."
Wang Cao Tian patted his shoulder with pity. "Poor junior. Were you scared? You look out of sorts. I'll take you out to relax tonight. Wanna go?"
Lu Zhi thought for a moment and nodded, "Sure."
"Great! What's your phone number? Let's add each other on Pang'e." Wang Cao Tian referred to Pang'e as the most popular chat software of the time.
Lu Zhi had been in this book for a while, but he had only used the internet to research information. He didn't know anyone personally. He directly communicated with Li Mei and others via text messages, and hadn't downloaded Pang'e. So, he said, "Give me your Pang'e number. I'll add you after I download it."
Wang Cao Tian widened his eyes exaggeratedly. "No way! You don't have Pang'e?"
Lu Zhi rubbed his nose and made up an excuse. "I was always focused on my studies, so I didn't pay much attention to these things."
Wang Cao Tian stared at him, making Lu Zhi almost believe that the other party had discovered something. Then, Wang Cao Tian patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Bro, I get it. I was also a wallflower back in school, envied and ostracized by the male classmates. I couldn't make any true friends either."
Lu Zhi thought that Wang Cao Tian was not only bragging about himself but also complimenting his looks.
"But don't worry, bro never judges people by their appearance. From now on, we're good brothers. If you need anything or don't understand something, just come to me. I'll definitely have your back." Wang Cao Tian promised, patting his chest. But no matter how he puffed out his chest or stood on tiptoes, he was still half a head shorter than Lu Zhi.
Lu Zhi: ...
If he didn't know Wang Cao Tian's personality, his constant "bro this, bro that" not only took advantage of him but he was only a year older.
"Okay." Lu Zhi genuinely wanted to be friends with Wang Cao Tian. With such a straightforward and heartfelt personality, it was no wonder Xia Zhi always seemed frantic if he didn't keep an eye on him, afraid this impulsive guy would be scammed while still helping him count the cash.
"Let's go, I'll take you to lunch." Wang Cao Tian felt thrilled to have found a younger brother.
Lu Zhi followed him. After eating in the cafeteria, he rested for half an hour before returning to the classroom for the next lesson.
In the classroom, the freshmen's expressions had shifted from initial excitement to a somber and suppressed mood.
Actually, Lu Zhi felt Shen Qi's approach was correct. The Cage was not a game; it was a war fought with lives, gambling on humanity's future.
If they harbored the same mindset as Qiu Lili, viewing the Cage as a blessing, then even if they knew the truth, their chances of being corrupted after entering the Cage would be very high. It would be better to nip it in the bud.
Shen Qi entered the classroom again and concisely explained the structure of the Cage, something humans had deciphered through millennia of experience.
Time slowly passed. When the bell rang, the freshmen were still left wanting more.
"That's all for today's lesson. Class dismissed." Shen Qi left the classroom as the dismissal bell rang, showing no intention of lingering. Several female students who wanted to strike up a conversation with Shen Qi under the guise of studying showed disappointed expressions.
Lu Zhi sighed. Regardless of the era, being good-looking, no matter how terrible one's personality, was highly attractive to the opposite sex.
Outside the classroom, the setting sun cast a glow that covered the entire campus. The evening breeze made people feel lazy.
Lu Zhi yawned and returned to his dormitory. He took out his notebook from the cabinet and organized the future plot he knew into a concise timeline of upcoming events.
A knock on the door interrupted Lu Zhi's diligent writing. He subconsciously asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Xia Zhi."
Lu Zhi suddenly realized that two hours had passed, the sky outside had completely darkened, and he had forgotten to eat dinner.
He opened the door and asked, "Senior Xia, is something wrong?"
Xia Zhi observed Lu Zhi's expression and said, "Wang Cao Tian said he messaged you but you didn't respond, so he asked me to check if you were in the dorm... Are you okay?"
Lu Zhi was stunned for a moment, then realized he was probably asking if he had adjusted after learning the truth about the Cage. So, he explained, "I'm fine."
Xia Zhi nodded. "Then let's go."
Lu Zhi: "Go where?"
Xia Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Wang Cao Tian say he'd take you out to relax?"
Thus, half an hour later.
Lu Zhi stood at the entrance of a XXX amusement park, adorned with colorful lights, and said with a wry smile, "This is where you said you'd take me to relax?"
Considering Wang Cao Tian's playful personality, he had expected to be taken to a bar, but he never imagined it would be a thrilling amusement park.
"Hehe, didn't expect that, huh?" Wang Cao Tian said proudly. "I'm familiar with the owner of this amusement park. They give me a fifty percent discount whenever I bring friends."
Lu Zhi thought that wasn't the main point. Normally, people came to places like this with their significant others.
"You'll get used to it," Xia Zhi said with the air of someone who had experienced it before. "Besides, coming here will be good for your physical training tomorrow."
Lu Zhi asked curiously, "What do you mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Xia Zhi said with a mysterious smile.
This made Lu Zhi extremely curious about tomorrow's training session, but Wang Cao Tian didn't give him time to ask further questions. He excitedly pushed them towards various thrilling rides like the Giant Pendulum, the Crazy Roller Coaster, the Spinning UFO, and more.
In short, after returning to his dormitory, Lu Zhi felt like his soul was still floating behind him. He climbed into bed and fell into a deep, dead sleep.
The next day.
The sky was clear and cloudless.
Lu Zhi and the freshmen stood by the coast, waiting for Shen Qi.
When Lu Zhi couldn't help but yawn, a yacht slowly approached. Lu Zhi immediately spotted Shen Qi, wearing a white shirt, standing on the yacht.
"Training begins." Shen Qi raised his hand, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal his well-defined wrist bones. A red string on his pale skin was particularly conspicuous.
Splash...
On the gently undulating sea surface, giant gears slowly emerged from the water.