Chapter 256 - 157: The Lion-headed Goose Mutates Again? An Escaped Vine! The Teacher’s Apartment Infiltrated?

Chapter 256: Chapter 157: The Lion-headed Goose Mutates Again? An Escaped Vine! The Teacher’s Apartment Infiltrated?

Although the gashes weren’t deep and Transcendents recovered faster than ordinary people, being injured was still a disadvantage when going out.

So, Chen Chong had her return to the infirmary for treatment. He told her to rest for a day or two before doing anything else. Coincidentally, her two younger brothers were also laid up there and needed her care.

Ning Yu insisted she was fine, but Chen Chong’s firm stance left her no choice but to reluctantly agree.

As for Ning Feng, Chen Chong also had him go back with Ning Yu.

After all, the kid wasn’t a Transcendent, just a normal person. He wouldn’t be of much use if he came along.

Plus, with more than half the Swordsmanship Club dead, they had all suffered a heavy blow, and he had seemed particularly listless these past few days.

Going back to care for his sister and the other two injured would also give him a couple of days to rest and recover...

When he arrived at the library, the area was quiet as usual, with no students passing by.

The library’s main entrance was guarded by several Fishing Club members who had been stationed there in advance. They quickly stood up when they saw Chen Chong arrive.

"Brother Chong!"

"Has anyone come by recently?"

"Aside from the people delivering food, we’ve been keeping anyone who passes by at least a hundred meters away. We’re on it, Brother Chong, don’t worry."

Chen Chong nodded and went inside.

Inside the library, nearly fifty early-stage Parasites were still sitting in the open area in the middle. The Lion-headed Goose was lazily strolling among the crowd.

The Assassin Insect was nowhere in sight. ’It must be hiding in the shadows...’

Perhaps out of sheer boredom, some of the fifty-odd people were gathered in groups chatting, while others read paperbacks they’d brought along. A few had even managed to get their hands on a deck of playing cards from somewhere.

The Lion-headed Goose was the first to spot Chen Chong and immediately spread its wings, flying over to him.

The Assassin Insect emerged from wherever it had been hiding in the shadows. It came to the shadow at his feet, affectionately rubbing its armored body against his ankle.

"Brother Chong!"

"Brother Chong!"

"Brother Chong..."

The calls echoed through the library, one after another.

Chen Chong nodded in acknowledgment, then reached out to pet the Assassin Insect with one hand and the Lion-headed Goose with the other.

As he was petting them, he noticed something was off.

The Assassin Insect hadn’t changed much, but the Lion-headed Goose...

’Why does it feel so much bigger?’

Even its feathers, its claws, and its entire head and neck were noticeably different from before.

A thought surfaced in his mind...

’Could it be... because it ate the Vine Core I gave it?’

’Did the Lion-headed Goose mutate and evolve again, becoming an even stronger Extraordinary Creature?’

At this thought, Chen Chong quickly used the Identification Skill on it...

...

「Meanwhile, at the faculty apartments.」

Ning Yu and Ning Feng returned to the first floor.

But just as she was about to step into the infirmary, her keen senses as a Transcendent gave her pause. She whipped her head around and looked behind them.

"Sis, what’s wrong?" Ning Feng asked, looking confused.

Ning Yu didn’t answer, her gaze just kept sweeping back and forth across the empty corridor.

After a long moment, she slowly lowered the hand holding her Bone Sword Whip.

"It’s nothing. I might have been mistaken. I thought I sensed the aura of a Bloodthirsty Vine..."

Ning Feng smiled. "You’re just exhausted, Sis. Brother Chong said that while the Parasites on campus haven’t been completely eradicated, there are very few left. They’re either in hiding or have already left the school. It’s not likely one would just happen to be right here."

Ning Yu nodded, not refuting him.

But as she stepped through the infirmary door, she glanced down the empty hallway a few more times.

Only after confirming there was nothing out of the ordinary did she finally relax and go inside.

「A few minutes later...」

In the empty corridor, a student walked in with a smile on his face.

His behavior and demeanor were no different from a normal person’s, with nothing suspicious about him at all.

But if one looked closely, they would notice a wound on the back of his neck.

Inside it, a small, grayish-green vine flashed for an instant.

The direction he was heading was not the infirmary, but...

The security guard’s room.

He knocked on the door repeatedly. When it opened, it revealed a security guard with an unfriendly look on his face, clearly annoyed at having his afternoon nap interrupted.

"Here to trade for a room?"

"Y-yes."

At this, the security guard’s face finally broke into a smile. He eagerly rubbed his hands together and pressed,

"So, you want a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom? And what food are you planning to trade with?"

"Let’s... talk inside."

"Sure, sure!"

As the security guard stepped aside, the student walked in, and the door slowly closed behind them...

...