Leaving

When the results came out, Yue Shi was sitting in his usual spot in the library, flipping through the original version of the last forty chapters of 《The Story of the Stone》.

A voice suddenly blared over the loudspeakers, echoing throughout the school: "Congratulations to Student Yue Shi for achieving outstanding results in the graduation exam. With a total score exceeding 600 points, he has been awarded the title of 'Outstanding Graduate'."

There was a momentary silence, followed by a wave of chatter erupting from every corner.

"Incredible, that's just too incredible," the new students marveled, having already realized how difficult it was to get a high score.

For the average graduates from before, the school would drive them away like flies the moment they finished. They were forced to head to their chosen worlds immediately, forbidden from lingering on campus for even an extra minute.

But for Yue Shi, the school's attitude had undergone a clear shift.

A man in a sophisticated deep blue uniform appeared at the library entrance, specifically looking for him. "Student Yue Shi, the Principal would like to see you in the office for a chat."

Yue Shi looked at the man. He was dressed meticulously and possessed a steady temperament. He didn't look like a teacher; he was likely a member of the school's administrative staff.

He closed his book and picked up the snow leopard from the table. "Let's go."

The man stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation. Under the watchful eyes of the others, Yue Shi walked out of the library, crossed the playground, passed the teaching building, and arrived at a standalone building in the deepest part of the campus.

Yue Shi had never noticed this building before. It was shielded by a ring of dense thickets and seemed to possess almost no presence at all.

"Only outstanding graduates can come here. To everyone else, this place does not exist," the man said as he pushed the door open. Yue Shi followed him inside.

The corridor was long, and various specimens were hung along the walls.

They were specimens made from the remains of gods.

At the end of the corridor was a red door. The man knocked, and a voice drifted from within: "Come in."

The door opened.

The office was extremely strange. Through the windows, one could see every corner of the school in a perfect 360-degree view with no blind spots.

A figure sat in the swivel chair behind the desk. Their age, gender, and face were all impossible to look at directly.

"Sit," the indescribable Principal said calmly.

Yue Shi took a seat in the chair opposite the desk. The snow leopard jumped down from his arms and crouched by his feet, licking its paws.

"Your graduation exam score is 612, which exceeds the threshold for an outstanding graduate. Congratulations," the Principal said.

Yue Shi nodded. "It's what I earned. By the way, what exactly is this school?"

The Principal leaned back against the chair, tapping a finger lightly on the desk. "Almost every outstanding graduate asks that question. I'm honestly tired of explaining it. However, the school rules apply to the leadership as well, and I have an obligation to fulfill the requests of an outstanding graduate, provided they aren't excessive."

"There is no harm in telling you. This school was originally just a very ordinary small world. It was only as large as the campus, and the people within it remained in the school forever."

"Later, an entity took this school and compressed many peculiar worlds together, transforming it into the Multi-World Joint Higher Vocational School."

"A school is naturally a place to cultivate talent, except the enrollment threshold for this school is being a True God."

Yue Shi listened quietly.

The Principal continued, "Every so often, many True Gods report for enrollment. Whether they are willing or not, whether they arrived by accident or were recommended, they were all destined to become new students here."

"They come from various worlds to study here. The True Gods who are eliminated become nourishment for the school. Their power is absorbed, and their knowledge is recorded, becoming a part of the institution. Thus, the school grows stronger and stronger."

Yue Shi's brow furrowed slightly. "So, the school is farming True Gods?"

The Principal nodded. "You could understand it that way. But more accurately, the school is performing a gu-style screening."

"'True God' may sound lofty, but in the quadrillions of worlds out there, the population base is simply too large. Naturally, the number of True Gods is as numerous as the hairs on an ox."

"The outstanding graduates are the true talents the school filters for. Those who are eliminated are merely nourishment."

Yue Shi asked, "What special treatment do outstanding graduates receive? And what do I need to do for the school?"

The Principal pulled a deep blue certificate from a drawer and pushed it toward Yue Shi. The words 'Outstanding Graduate' were printed on the cover, with Yue Shi's name, student ID, and a gold-stamped school emblem below.

"You don't need to do anything for the school. As an outstanding graduate, you can choose to stay and work here, or you can leave. The school is your backing; you can return at any time. You also have the right to recommend new students, just as Tang Zhuhe recommended you."

Yue Shi picked up the certificate, looking puzzled. The school was as generous to outstanding graduates as it was harsh to new students.

"What is the ultimate meaning of this school's existence? The whole process feels like doing a lot of useless things."

"Recruitment, exams, elimination, graduation. It's like a machine that runs forever without anyone knowing what it's actually doing."

The Principal countered with a question, "What is the meaning of your existence? What is the meaning of your evil deeds?"

Yue Shi was momentarily stunned.

The Principal added, "A school is a school. Naturally, it does what a school is supposed to do."

"The mysterious entity that originally transformed the school has long since vanished. This school is simply maintaining its own existence out of instinct."

Yue Shi fell silent. The snow leopard rolled over by his feet, exposing its fluffy belly.

"Tang Zhuhe was also an outstanding graduate back then. What was her score?"

The Principal shook his head. "She didn't become an outstanding graduate because of a score. She made a special contribution to the school."

"Huh?" Yue Shi's eyes widened.

"She helped perfect the school rules, closing every possible loophole," the Principal said with a look of gratification.

Yue Shi gave a dry laugh. No wonder survival in this school was so difficult and no shortcuts could be taken—it turned out there was a shill among them!

If he had known he could graduate as an outstanding student that way, why would he have studied so hard?

However, he quickly realized that the knowledge in the books was real. Once he learned it, it was his, and no one could take it away. Those things were worth more than a certificate.

"I want to leave. I'm leaving the Bewitching Beauty Painting Workshop for good," Yue Shi said.

The Principal took a key from the drawer and placed it on the desk. "There is a special passage in the first basement level of the library. Keep walking down until you reach the end, and you will find a door. Use this key to open it, and behind it will be the place you wish to go."

"If you want to return to the school in the future, you can use this key to open a door in that same location to come back."

Yue Shi picked up the key and gripped it in his hand. He scooped up the snow leopard and turned to leave.

Who would ever want to come back to this gods-forsaken place?

The library didn't have a first basement level; one could only enter it by holding the key.

The basement had no lights, only a winding staircase leading downward. Yue Shi descended step by step, his footsteps echoing in the darkness.

After walking for a long time, he finally saw a sinister, ominous red door.

Yue Shi inserted the key into the lock and turned it.

Click. The door opened.

Behind the door was a void of white light. He stepped inside, and the brilliance swallowed him whole.