Chapter 17
Yan He’s head was buzzing. It was all too chaotic, too much to accept.
How could perfectly normal people just turn into animals? Or were they not just animals, but maybe a bunch of yao jing—spirits?
He turned, staring at the lop-eared rabbit with a complicated expression. A flicker of hope sparked in his eyes. “Classmate Xiao Tu, can you do magic?”
Xiao Tu shrunk into his academy uniform in terror, using his big, drooping ears to block his vision. Why had he suddenly transformed? It must have been from seeing He Ting of the F4. This He Shao wasn’t flashy like Yun Xiao. It had been a week, and this was the first time anyone had seen him; they’d only heard his name and knew he was the one who beat Shen Shao so badly he had to leave campus for medical care and still hadn’t returned.
Xiao Tu was still grieving his sudden transformation when he heard Yan He’s earnest question.
Huh?
He was already miserable enough for transforming, why ask him such a braindead question? Was he being mocked?
The little rabbit was angry but didn’t dare show it. He flicked his ears, clutched his half-eaten carrot, and abruptly turned around in his uniform, presenting only his fluffy cotton-ball tail to the world.
Yan He stared at the short, fluffy, round tail, fighting the urge to reach out and rua it.
The distant stone clock tower chimed, its hands pointing to eight, signaling the official start of the welcome party.
All ten gates of the Colosseum—north, south, east, and west—slammed shut and locked at the same instant.
From that moment, no one could get in, and no one could get out.
Yan He checked his phone. Still no reply from Bai Yuzhou. He wondered if he’d even made it.
“Excuse me, coming through.” A young man with a baseball cap pulled low was squeezing sideways through the crowd, heading his way.
The host was giving the opening speech, so the plaza lights were dim and no one could see the boy’s face.
But Yan He recognized the voice. It was Bai Yuzhou.
Yan He had only saved one extra seat, which Xiao Tu had occupied. When Bai Yuzhou arrived, Yan He simply reached into the uniform, grabbed the fluffy lop-eared rabbit, and plopped it onto his own lap. “You sit down. I saved this spot for you.”
He gave Xiao Tu’s long, drooping ears a good rua. They were incredibly soft.
Xiao Tu’s ears twitched, but it felt surprisingly nice.
Suddenly, Bai Yuzhou snatched the small rabbit off Yan He’s lap and placed it on the seat between them. “This is better.”
Yan He suddenly remembered this rabbit was Xiao Tu. Had he just been harassing him like some kind of pervert?
In the dim light of the plaza, Yan He studied Bai Yuzhou. He had fresh scrapes on his face and a bruise forming at the corner of his mouth. Clearly, his first day on the run with an F4 red card hadn’t been pleasant.
Is this the price of being the protagonist? If so, I’m much better off as an NPC.
Luckily, everyone was focused on the stage for now, too busy to hunt down the red-carded student.
Yan He noticed the faint smile playing on Bai Yuzhou’s lips and couldn’t help but ask, “Man, you’ve been hunted all day. What could you possibly be happy about?”
Bai Yuzhou suppressed the complex emotions in his eyes. “Whether I’m happy or not, I still have the red card.”
The same specially-enrolled students who had tried to befriend him all week were now avoiding him like the plague, some even secretly reporting his location to the rich kids. In this entire academy, Yan He was probably the only person who would still save him a seat.
Yan He wanted to give Bai Yuzhou a huge thumbs-up. He really is the protagonist, alright. With an attitude like that, he’ll succeed at anything.
The welcome performances began on the Colosseum’s main stage.
An exceptionally handsome upperclassman walked out, several ornamental birds perched on his arm. At his feet, a macaque rode a unicycle onto the stage.
One should always boycott animal performances, but you can’t really stop the animals when they’re the ones insisting on performing—and interacting enthusiastically.
Yan He watched the endless transformations on stage, as the audience in the stands roared back with equal enthusiasm. He felt like the last living human who had stumbled into a zombie apocalypse.
I want to drop out!
He knew the F4’s high salary wouldn’t be this easy to earn. This was a high-risk job! More dangerous than running phone scams in northern Myanmar.
Just one of those “Emei Mountain cousins” (macaques) in the stands could send him to the hospital for rabies shots with a single swipe.
If an arctic wolf like Bai Yuzhou was struggling this hard to survive, what chance did an ordinary human corporate slave who only knew how to code stand?
No wonder when the original owner was caught stealing Yun Xiao’s million-yuan figurines, he wasn’t punished. Instead, he was sent to the empire’s most prestigious noble academy.
No wonder the original owner would rather jump in a swimming pool and kill himself than come here.
Yan He’s expression was impossible to describe. He finally, truly understood.
“And now, it’s time for new student interaction,” the host announced with a grin, snapping his fingers. “Let’s play a game!”
As soon as he finished, the entire block of seats under the new students groaned and lurched. They were on a lift.
“Pfft? Pfft!” Xiao Tu, who had been sitting quietly between Yan He and Bai Yuzhou, tensed instantly, dropping his carrot.
Like an elevator, they descended from the ten-meter-high stands, landing with a solid thud in the center of the Colosseum floor.
The new students, especially the dozens of specially-enrolled ones, began to panic.
One of them yelled, “What… what are you doing?”
“The upperclassmen performed like monkeys for you new students for so long. Now it’s your turn to put on a show for us. Seems fair, doesn’t it?” one of the rich kids sneered, arms crossed.
The freshmen had been laughing so hard just moments ago. A smile doesn’t disappear; it just moves to someone else’s face.
And now, it was their turn.
“Dear new students, don’t be nervous! You will play the role of the much-anticipated Roman gladiators! And our upperclassmen from previous years will act as the ‘prey’ for this simple game of chase.”
The host clapped his hands with relish. From beneath the stage, several large iron cages rose, containing an African lion, a leopard, and a black bear. They slammed against the bars, the cold, harsh sound echoing through the stadium.
Yan He was speechless.
Holy hell, I’ve only ever seen those in a zoo!
“Coo? Coo!” The lop-eared rabbit let out a weak, terrified squeak. Xiao Tu was already timid, but as a rabbit, he was even more so. Staring at the caged beasts, which were many times his size, his little heart was overwhelmed with terror.
With a thud, the fluffy little rabbit went rigid and toppled over, completely unconscious.
If one of those rampaging beasts stepped on him, Xiao Tu would be sent to the great beyond in his sleep.
Yan He bent down, picked up the fainted rabbit and its half-eaten carrot. Seeing he was just knocked out, Yan He sighed in relief and stuffed the terrified, puffed-up rabbit into his uniform pocket.
The rabbit was surprisingly solid, bulging the pocket and leaving only half of its soft, unconscious head peeking out.
A specially-enrolled student screamed, “You’re insane! All of you! The academy forbids causing physical harm!”
At Bestia Academy, students were strictly forbidden from using “hunting” in their beast form as an excuse to kill classmates with weaker forms. Violators would never be allowed to graduate, and Bestia would become their eternal prison.
It was said that in the entire academy, only the F4’s leader, He Ting—who was sitting in the VIP platform right now—had ever truly seen another beast lying dead in a pool of its own blood.
The host just smiled. “We are well aware of that concern. Our held-back upperclassmen still retain a final sliver of humanity. They will absolutely not break the rules.”
“If an upperclassman rips your uniform, or if you transform, you’re out! When the midnight bell tolls, the last student standing will win the right to make anyone in this academy do one thing, unconditionally.”
The heavy iron gates creaked open. One by one, the beasts crawled out, reeking of bloodlust, like demons emerging from hell.
The new students screamed in terror and scattered in every direction.
The audience erupted in cheers and applause, as if they were back in ancient Rome. The new students had become their entertainment.
“No wonder they changed the venue to the Colosseum. This is way more interesting than last year. Xu Shao’s ideas are the best.”
“What’s so scary? The upperclassmen may be held back, but they haven’t completely lost it. They won’t kill anyone. It’s just a game.”
“Stop just running! Can’t anyone fight back? This is a Colosseum, it’s only interesting if they fight.”
“…”
The new students weren’t just specially-enrolled; most were rich kids.
Even knowing the upperclassmen still had a sliver of humanity and wouldn’t kill them, their animal instincts screamed at the presence of predators.
It’s one thing to mess with the specially-enrolled students, but why should we rich kids be subjected to this humiliation?
The host, enjoying the chaos, added a new rule: “And dear gladiators, the audience is your lifeline!”
The statement was cruel. In the empire, the wealthy families were all interconnected. For the sake of those connections and status, the rich kids in the stands would naturally help their own.
But why would they lift a finger to help a specially-enrolled student they didn’t know and who was of no use to them?
The rich new students watched as ladders were lowered from the stands. They climbed up to a safe mezzanine level, a perfect place to watch the show.
Only then did everyone realize the truth. This wasn’t a “new student game.”
This was, purely and simply, a “specially-enrolled student game.”
The dozens of specially-enrolled students were the true entertainment for the entire academy. The Colosseum filled with their terrified screams.
The black bear moved with startling speed, a black whirlwind. It leaped and pinned a student with a buzzcut to the ground, easily shredding his uniform. The student, pale with fright and on the verge of death, poofed into a terrified hamster.
“Specially-enrolled student Zhou Jun is eliminated!” the host’s ruthless voice boomed.
Some students who had planned to get eliminated immediately threw that idea away. They didn’t want that experience. Worse, they would have to expose their beast form in front of everyone, which felt like being stripped of their last layer of dignity. It would be a psychological scar for life.
A student who was already timid finally broke, screaming and crying toward someone in the stands: “Senior Chen Xiong! I’m willing! For all four years, I’ll follow you! Please, help me!”
The rich kid named Chen Xiong laughed, completely satisfied. “Alright!”
More and more decent-looking specially-enrolled students began to submit, and the number of students left on the field dwindled.
Bai Yuzhou hid in a temporary safe spot, watching it all unfold with a numb feeling.
The specially-enrolled students were being picked over like products in a market. But he never wanted to be a product. Even if he won this gladiator game, the most he could ask for was for the F4 to retract his red card.
Bai Yuzhou couldn’t help but look for Yan He. Would he be willing to accept someone’s “assistance”?
Yan He was in total despair. I’m a straight man, dammit! This goddamn gay academy!
“Yan He, that jacket isn’t yours!” Bai Yuzhou blurted out. He was breathing hard from the running, and with the full moon overhead, the anti-transformation shot was wearing off. The arctic wolf’s keen sense of smell was taking over. He stared at Yan He. That black uniform, the one with the faint gold pattern, carried the scent of another man—no, another beast.
That jacket on Yan He was like a territorial marking, a silent declaration to all other predators: He is mine!
Yan He felt the jacket. “You’re right, it’s not.” His own uniform had been stolen by that cutthroat competitor Pan Ze.
In that instant, Yan He understood. He’d wondered why those transformed upperclassmen, who had been about to pounce on him, would suddenly recoil as if they’d seen a monster. This wasn’t just He Shao’s expensive uniform jacket. This was an imperial decree, a “get out of jail free” card!
Meanwhile, in the stands:
“That masked specially-enrolled student is Yun Shao’s lackey, right? Maybe he’s not good-looking enough to be a boyfriend, just a lackey?”
Someone else retorted, “Why can’t ugly people be lackeys? Pan Ze is a perfect example.”
An icy voice cut in from behind them: “Who’s a perfect example?”
The two rich kids turned and saw Pan Ze standing right there.
Pan Ze had zero interest in the welcome party, but the forum was live-blogging the whole thing, showing specially-enrolled “gladiators” breaking down and begging the rich kids for help in exchange for… favors.
Holy crap! How could Pan Ze sit still?
If Yan He’s brain short-circuited and he got involved with some random guy in the academy, wouldn’t that be like bringing in new competition for the “Number One Lackey” position? Unacceptable!
It was his duty to come here and fish Yan He out of the Colosseum.
Yan He’s vision was excellent. Hiding behind a small tree, he looked up and saw Pan Ze sitting on the railing, waving at him and grinning, showing off his impressive teeth.
Yan He was silent for two seconds, then stealthily moved to a different spot.
He looked up at the VIP platform. He Ting was sitting there quietly, his long legs crossed. The moment Yan He looked up, their calm, steady gazes met.
It felt like a silent invitation.
An invitation for what? I’m already secretly his lackey.
Whatever. He had his “get out of jail free” jacket.
A foul stench drifted past him. An African lion, its saliva dripping, stared at Yan He’s back with blood-red eyes.
In the VIP box, He Ting’s perpetually calm expression shattered. He shot bolt upright.
The audience noticed, too. “Which upperclassman is the lion? Why do his eyes look… wrong?”
“You’re right, those eyes… oh crap! Don’t tell me he’s completely lost it and turned into a real beast?”
At Bestia Academy, students were reluctant to transform too often, because with each transformation, they risked losing their remaining humanity, until one day they would become a true beast. And a true beast no longer saw humans as classmates, but as food.
The host’s face paled as he compared photos. They had confirmed it multiple times before the event! The upperclassmen chosen were on the edge, but they all still had their humanity! How could one suddenly lose control?
This… this was Xu Shao’s idea. It couldn’t be blamed on them.
The two hosts, who had been enjoying the show, were now terrified. If a student was actually mauled to death in the Colosseum, they would definitely be sent to the Discipline Room.
And besides the F4, no one came out of the Discipline Room smiling and in one piece!
They were screwed.
A tall, dark figure leaped from the high VIP platform and sprinted toward the field. From the sky above, the sharp, piercing cry of a massive bird of prey echoed.
Bai Yuzhou burst out from his hiding spot in the trees, his legs already beginning to transform. He gritted his teeth and screamed, “Yan He, RUN!!!”
Yan He was still patting his “get out of jail free” jacket, but he sensed the danger behind him. He instinctively turned, but before he could even see clearly, the massive beast pounced.
The lion’s paw swiped, and its claws easily snagged the blue and white mask from Yan He’s face, tearing it away.
The lion opened its jaws, its foul breath washing over him, and lunged for Yan He’s pale neck, ready to taste human flesh.
Just as everyone instinctively shut their eyes, unable to watch the bloody scene, Yan He exploded with an unknown strength. He threw a vicious punch straight into the lion’s massive face.
The lion’s head was knocked sideways. It stumbled, and its entire body went limp, collapsing in the sand. In its place lay a naked, unconscious, muscular male student.
He Ting skidded to a stop.
High above, the golden eagle landed on the tallest tree overlooking the Colosseum, folding its wings to watch.
Every single student in the stands was on their feet, staring in utter disbelief.
Never in the history of Bestia Academy had a student who had completely lost their humanity ever been turned back into a human.
Yan He scrambled up from the sand. The torn mask fell to the ground. He disgustedly wiped the lion’s drool off his skin and yelled, “I’m a straight man, I don’t kiss wild male beasts! Get the hell away from me!”
The moment Yan He stood up, the eyes of thousands in the Colosseum fixed on him. A collective trance seemed to fall over the crowd.
Everyone went completely silent.
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