Chapter 51 Is this still the Prisoner Academy?

Back then, at that time...

In the beginning of consciousness, there was a state of chaos.

Everything was blurry and unclear.

I don't remember what I was doing before. I don't remember my past experiences. I don't remember where I am. I don't remember what I was about to do.

He also doesn't remember who he is.

Even his perception of his surroundings became extremely blurry. He didn't know whether he was sitting, standing, lying down, or prone; he didn't know whether he was in reality or a dream.

However, even at this point, some instincts that have been gradually developed since birth do not disappear immediately.

So, subconsciously, before he had even fully grasped the situation, he opened his eyes.

My eyelids feel so heavy, and everything in front of me is blurry and I can't focus.

Under these circumstances, he vaguely noticed something through his blurry vision.

White...like silk...is it hair?

Something seemed to be very close.

Perhaps because his perception was so weak, even though it was already beyond the distance of normal social interaction, he could not detect the slightest trace of a living person from the "person" who was so close.

Immediately afterwards, something like a finger, but colder and harder than a human finger, gently touched his forehead.

Even though the area touched was my forehead, I felt a faint pain in the lower part of my neck, near my collarbone.

Who exactly is this person...?

He tried to open his eyes wider, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier against his will. If he hadn't been so unwilling to give up, he probably would have closed them completely by now.

But he still couldn't see the person's face clearly.

After that, the sensation on my forehead, the stinging in my collarbone, and the guy who was so close to me all seemed to disappear.

He couldn't sense their presence, but he heard footsteps gradually approaching him.

Finally, he could no longer hold on and closed his eyes again as the footsteps grew closer and clearer.

...

…………

How much time passed after that?

Wang Ma Xiaoji slowly opened his eyes.

My body still feels very heavy.

But at least... it's not like before when my understanding of everything was vague, or I couldn't even remember who I was.

Everything in front of me gradually came into focus and became clear.

However, before Wang Ma Xiaoji could even see the unfamiliar ceiling, another person in the room had already keenly sensed his awakening.

So... when he was finally able to see everything clearly, the first thing that truly and clearly came into view was a face.

A stranger.

The person looked very young, probably not much older than me. To be fair, this black-haired boy was of the kind of good-looking that would be considered attractive by normal human standards. However, perhaps because his expression was too calm... even to the point of being indifferent, it subconsciously gave people the first impression that he was "not easy to approach."

Although his hairstyle made him appear slightly more gentle, that gentleness diminished when he spoke in a businesslike voice.

"You're awake. How are you feeling now?"

The person standing by the bed was clearly looking down at you, but you didn't feel any sense of superiority.

Or rather...quite the opposite.

Because he could still be looked at as an equal by this person, Wang Ma Xiaoji suddenly had the thought, "Ah, so I'm still alive."

—This is his first encounter with Tsukino and Chiya, and with this new world.

*******

Even so, there are prerequisites for using the term "first encounter".

Given the circumstances at the time, a more accurate description would be "their first meeting while both were fully conscious." If we exclude the premise of being fully conscious, then their first meeting would be the day Tsukino and Chiya found Ohma Kokichi by the roadside.

...At least, although the truth of it is questionable, that's what the black-haired boy said.

Although Wangma Xiaoji woke up one day, his body was still very weak. He couldn't even maintain a certain level of alertness for long periods, let alone lie fluently. Perhaps it was his body's self-protective mechanism… Wangma Xiaoji felt that his daily routine these past few days had consisted almost entirely of sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, and—

Listen to the explanation from the boy who calls himself "Tsukino and Chiya".

At that time, Wang Ma Xiaoji's physical condition was not yet able to support his free movement. Therefore, during that period, this boy became his only source of information about the outside world.

Although Tsukino and Chiya seemed aloof, after spending a few days together, Ouma Kokichi discovered that he was not a taciturn person at all. In fact, contrary to his deceptively charming appearance and attitude, he was actually surprisingly good at speaking... that is, he was proficient in verbal skills.

In the past few days, Wang Ma Xiaoji did not reveal much information, but listened patiently.

On the one hand, his body simply couldn't support two-way communication, and even one-way listening was intermittent—each time, after a certain amount of time, Tsukino and Chiya would considerately stop talking, giving Ohma Kokichi more time to rest.

On the other hand, Wang Ma Xiaoji is still observing and analyzing the situation.

After all, it's probably better not to say things like, "Actually, I was forced to join the infighting in Saiki Academy and went through a series of things before I died."

and……

Even though he was only listening to Tsukino and Chiyo's stories, the black-haired boy was generous with his information. From his words, Ohma Kokichi had a vague understanding of the current situation, but he couldn't be completely certain yet.

To say that you feel absolutely nothing, or even find it exciting and fun... is impossible.

What exactly is this world?

"This is the Hidden God Detective Agency. I... I guess I'm a temporary worker here. I met you while I was doing this part-time job."

"...In short, that's pretty much what the monster is like. We haven't found any clues about it yet."

"How are you feeling today? You seem to be in much better shape than the past few days..."

"You should get some rest. I'll talk about other things after you've recovered better."

Goodnight.

monster.

This is a concept I've never heard of before.

However, if what the boy who calls himself Tsukino and Chiya says is true, monsters either live in seclusion in their own territories or hide their identities within human society. Therefore, it's understandable that Ohma Kokichi hadn't heard of these things before. After all, most humans are unaware of the existence of monsters.

Tsukino and Chiya are humans who know about the existence of monsters. According to him, his parents are both human, so he is a genuine human too, but he currently works part-time at the Monster House to earn money—there have been other human employees there before.

Besides, judging from what Tsukino and Chiya have said these past few days, it seems that he mistakenly thought he was the unlucky guy who had been attacked by a monster and fainted in that place.

At least that's what Tsukino and Chiya said, but what they really thought... who knows?

However, no matter how Tsukino and he guessed, they probably couldn't have guessed that answer.

After all, even Wang Ma Xiaoji himself felt it was absurd. Even now, he couldn't be sure what state he was in, having been resurrected in a sense.

After his body had barely recovered, the suspicions that had been building up in his mind through conversations were finally confirmed through Wang Ma Xiaoji's personal investigation.

This is a world that looks ordinary, but is undeniably different from what he had imagined.

If he was unaware of the existence of strange creatures or monsters, he could explain it by saying that "these things rarely appear in public." But what about the supernatural beings who mainly reside in Yokohama?

Moreover, the literature of this world is far too barren. Wang Ma Xiaoji certainly couldn't have been unaware that most of the world's great writers, whom he remembered, had abandoned literature for martial arts. Especially now that even the people depicted on banknotes have changed…

If there's anything that hasn't changed, it's that this world also has the Ultimate High School Level.

Although in this world, the "Ultimate Students" are directly selected by a school called "Hope Peak," but...

"Wang Ma? Wang Ma?"

"If you don't get up now, the setting sun will be shining on your calves!"

"...You were almost right."

"Is it just a little bit off?"

"Why don't we do something while he's asleep?"

"Let's forget about this one."

"...Don't you guys even suspect that this guy is faking being asleep?"

The surroundings were noisy, but compared to the commotion caused when the two Nekomaru and Shusato Akane competed, the current situation was nothing.

However... they've all mentioned me in their conversations, so it seems they'll keep talking if I don't respond. This is really a headache.

And it seems a bit rare for someone to take the initiative to strike up a conversation like this!

"I heard you, I heard you... So? Why are you calling me?" Ouma Kokichi raised his head, yawning and pretending to be sleepy after just waking up. "If there's no interesting reason, I don't think you'd want to experience what the wrath of an evil leader is like, would you?"

"Tch, who would believe you?"

"Really? He didn't actually fall asleep just now, did he?! With all that noise?!"

The surrounding classmates were all talking at once, but fortunately, some of them were able to point out the key points.

"Actually... Ohma-kun."

"Everyone was just discussing going off-campus to play together after school today... Are you free?"

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Author's note: Xiao Ji: Where did this come from? Is this still the Prisoner Academy?