Who hid My Corpse!

The College had been completely sealed off.

Classes were canceled, and students were confined to their dormitories with nowhere to go. The staff and professors were vigilant in their watch over them.

And still, more Players kept pouring in from Thousand Snow Lake or from outside the college.

Among these people, half were college staff, while the other half looked like private servants. Hewinia could discern various noble house insignias on them.

"Quite the spectacle," Bai Wei said with a smile, "It seems the Taichu Two Families are truly serious this time. No one cared when so many died before, but the moment a Golden Note dies, especially one of their own Golden Notes, they become frantic."

Upon hearing this, Hewinia nodded in agreement.

"But they aren't completely frantic. It seems they've mostly called upon their vassal families; not many from their own houses have shown up," Bai Wei continued leisurely, "Is it because they still don't take 'that guy' seriously, or because they want to ensure the festival goes smoothly? Hmm... probably both."

After listening to Bai Wei, Hewinia observed the Orchestra gathered in front of the Forbidden Forest more closely.

Indeed, Hewinia had not seen any representatives from the Taichu Two Families among these Players. But even so, the nobles who had arrived were not to be underestimated. Directly below Taichu, the Lawrence Family had sent an elderly Player.

He appeared quite imposing, with golden notes that spread like ancient tree branches from below his neck.

And the Players he brought with him were just as formidable; there was even another prominent Golden Note among his own ranks.

Clearly, they had all come to "hunt" the fake Daniel in the Forbidden Forest, much like the hunting of the Snow Thorns Beast over a decade ago, but this time the team was undoubtedly more formidable. Hewinia roughly counted and felt there might be no fewer than five Golden Note individuals.

Seeing this scene, Hewinia couldn't help but ask Bai Wei in her mind, "Will that guy die at their hands?"

"No."

The promptness of Bai Wei's reply took Hewinia aback.

She wasn't too surprised by the answer itself but was caught off guard by how resolutely Bai Wei responded, as if no other outcome was possible.

Even without the Taichu Two Families present, the current lineup, meant solely for the pursuit of one individual, made it difficult to imagine that person surviving.

"Is he really that powerful?" Hewinia asked again.

"Otherwise, why would even I find him troublesome?" Bai Wei raised Hewinia's eyebrows and said, "If he is troublesome for me, then it goes without saying for others. He might not be the strongest, but he is definitely not someone those here now can kill."

...not someone those here now can kill?

It seemed related to the Corpse Blocks that Bai Wei held.

Hewinia silently pondered in her heart.

When she thought about it carefully, it wasn't entirely impossible; although there were many people, the Forbidden Forest was indeed vast. If these people conducted their search on the scale of an Orchestra, it would be difficult to cover every aspect. Thus, the fake Daniel, with his superior sensory abilities, would have a lot of room to maneuver.

Even if he couldn't confront them head-on, it shouldn't be difficult to preserve his life, right?

At this time, Hewinia recalled the thing that had made her feel as though she had "forgotten" something earlier.

She quickly remembered—it was Ascension Magic.

Previously, Hewinia could not understand why everyone seemed to have Ascension Magic, a forbidden spell, and everyone was secretly ascending.

It was only after the fake Daniel emerged and harvested the ascended Orenna that Hewinia realized there might be some connection. The Ascension Magic could very well have been released by the fake Daniel.

And to Hewinia's speculation, Bai Wei gave a direct affirmative answer.

"So it really is like that," Hewinia murmured, "It's almost like he's..."

"Fishing," Bai Wei answered with a smile, "Or rather, sowing seeds."

Using the entire student body of the Three Colleges as his farm.

Hewinia had always thought she had thought enough and done enough to make it to the end.

But compared to the fake Daniel, she was trivial.

Bai Wei seemed to guess what Hewinia was thinking and said with a smile, "If you had to do it all over again, would you do it like he did?"

"...Why not?" Although she didn't know why Bai Wei would ask such a question, Hewinia still responded earnestly, "He indeed thinks more and farther than I do. The risks are also greater, but at least he has made it this far. If I hadn't met you, I would have failed already. In this regard, he is much more formidable than I am."

"You see things quite clearly," Bai Wei laughed and continued, "So it seems you consider him a kindred spirit?"

"...Didn't you say so?" Hewinia responded, "Both he and I are predators."

"That may be, but in my eyes, there's still a significant difference between you and him," Bai Wei stated, "There are things he can do that you cannot."

"Are you saying that I'm not his equal?" Hewinia pondered for a moment and then said, "If I had his level of insight, perhaps..."

"It's not a matter of insight," Bai Wei said, smiling, "You'll understand in time."

Hewinia's brow furrowed slightly, feeling that there was something profound in Bai Wei's words, but before she could ask, Bai Wei continued speaking.