Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 51: Thank You for Your Contribution to Barrier Studies (Please Follow)

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Thank You for Your Contribution to Barrier Studies (Please Follow)

Duan Mingyuan did not want to miss this rare opportunity for academic exchange.

In front of them both, he opened the memo on his phone, not wanting to miss a single detail, "Question, can you exert ’Destruction’s’ full ability?"

After a brief battle, he began to doubt the adversary from his imagination that stood before him, wondering if Mrs. Bai Gu, after being corrected by Jiuyue, could truly exert a hundred percent of the enemy’s destructive power. If so, her several recent attacks, although unable to touch him, could have instantly demolished the entire Congyun Hotel.

The Time Stop could only be described as half-hearted, and the only decent aspect was the spatial strike.

This discovery made him feel somewhat regretful, "Is it the limitation of Life Energy? It is true, evaluating a Barrier should indeed adopt a multi-dimensional set of standards."

With Jiuyue’s reminder, they reached a consensus on the term "Barrier."

Indeed, as Jiuyue had anticipated, a Barrier-level battle erupted between them, but...

Mr. Mingyuan had never entertained the idea of fighting from the very beginning, just as he said, he came for academic dialogue.

As for victory, it was an incidental result, granted after the scholarly discussion had concluded.

It was as natural and untroubled as taking away bottled water prepared by the organizers from a conference venue.

At that moment, Jiuyue suddenly recalled Mr. Mingyuan’s declaration before the battle when they first arrived at the Congyun Hotel.

——He was the strongest.

These few words carried an unimaginable weight.

Mrs. Bai Gu did not continue her attack, the monster known as "Destruction" lowered its head, and the flesh that had accumulated around it began to fade away slowly. Within less than a minute, the monster vanished, and Bai Gu returned to her wheelchair.

Duan Mingyuan understood.

It seemed the transformation did not last very long.

If she could not defeat her opponent quickly, she would expose weaknesses.

Jiuyue could understand the feelings Mrs. Bai Gu was experiencing at this moment and even felt some sympathy for her.

She suspected that Mr. Mingyuan did not comprehend the astonishing fact he had casually mentioned—that all attacks as understood by cognition would deconstruct before reaching him.

No need for defense, no need for evasion...

How was this different from having an invincibility cheat?

Fortunately, Mr. Mingyuan was a decent person. He hadn’t, like in the videos, danced a 360-degree spin while using cheats and casually blew Mrs. Bai Gu’s head off as he passed by.

The gentle Mr. Mingyuan respected his elders, giving her ample time to express herself.

"Aside from growth potential, another commendable aspect is the Barrier’s duration since the death of the Extraterrestrial here, your ability has been in a constant state of activation."

Seeing Mrs. Bai Gu remain silent, Duan Mingyuan once again showcased his talent for finding other’s strengths.

Only after truly understanding "Barrier" could he systematize it, forming a quantifiable evaluation system.

One that Tang Qianqian and Yang Ping would use in the future.

Theoretical knowledge was indispensable in the construction of a "Barrier."

If it were up to him to evaluate, Mrs. Bai Gu’s Barrier would receive an A for outstanding in terms of growth potential and sustainability. As long as she remained here, the ghost stories of the Congyun Hotel would continue.

"Then there’s the slightly inferior aspect of the Barrier’s area, your ability encompasses the entire Congyun Hotel."

It wasn’t exactly expansive, even smaller than the intermediate-level wicked spirit he met last time at the abandoned construction site. Out of respect for his elder and a blank database, he decided to bestow a B, a mid-level evaluation.

"Lastly, the weaker aspects: Lethal Hit potency, activation efficiency, and precision."

He could only diplomatically express that these three were not Mrs. Bai Gu’s forte.

The Barrier depended on ghost stories for existence, and its rules were too complex, allowing even ordinary people the chance through sacrificial rites. If the "Lethal Hit," meant as a trump card, missed its mark, relying on the current rules and ghost stories alone, it would be difficult to harm those who came prepared.

And this high-potential Lethal Hit might also be countered by the particularities of the opponent.

For instance, if the person who inhaled the hallucinogenic mist was Comrade Tang Qianqian, based on her true inner portrayal, what would manifest would likely be an angry manager.

Though very angry, Life Energy would be zero.

With adequate intelligence, Tang Qianqian would be able to counter Mrs. Bai Gu.

Thus, the complete evaluation system for the Barrier appeared before him.

"Let’s settle for a C then," he determined.

Mrs. Bai Gu suddenly spoke up, leaning back in her wheelchair, her voice returning to its deep, hoarse state, "It’s exactly like the corporate evaluation method. No one loves grading everything with levels and data more than they do. That monocle you wear is a product of Universe Company, right? How much did they pay you to get someone like you to work for them?"

She was now certain that Universe Company must have sought after Duan Mingyuan.

This probably also explained why the legends of Yunlong City had suddenly disappeared, "It seems strength is unrelated to character; I misjudged."

She had assumed that someone who would bow to the company could never be strong. Ability is the extension of desire and obsession, how could someone spineless possess great power?

Yet, that is how unpredictable the world is. She had not left the Congyun Hotel for a long time, and the place she valued most eventually became her coffin, binding her there.

But that was also fine, as ignorance is bliss.

"Right, Mr. Mingyuan, why did you go to work for the Extraterrestrial’s company?"

Jiuyue interjected opportunistically.

Previously, Mr. Mingyuan had explained that he realized exorcising spirits was a lousy job, which was why he had decided to change his career path.

But she clearly misjudged Mr. Mingyuan.

What Mr. Mingyuan’s heart reflected was not the Universe Company, he could only piece together an imaginary enemy from those fictional works.

"Because driving out evil spirits is a rubbish industry."

Considering his future life seriously and responsibly, he should leave this rubbish profession as soon as possible.

Faced with the questioning from Mrs. Bai Gu and Jiuyue, he said, "Its rubbish nature is not only reflected in the low remuneration, high risk, and being misunderstood, the real danger is that the further you go in this industry, the farther you stray from humanity."

Casually twisting the shapes of evil spirits, transforming them into pure Life Energy.

From the initially strenuous and thankless act of helping others for joy, to respecting individual fates, even as life passed before his eyes, it would not stir the slightest ripple in his heart.

Until, he took life calmly.

"As you said, the company indeed came looking for me."

That was an earlier time, just as he had decided to give up this rubbish industry.

The company truly offered a generous price, as long as he agreed, he could skip the long and tedious learning process and get a treatment much better than that of clerical staff.

But just as he had said before, if the company found value, they would spare no effort to suck it dry.

However, after understanding the true "business" of Universe Company, a high school student not yet free from youthful enthusiasm could easily make some impulsive acts.

It was then that Duan Mingyuan realized that the Extraterrestrials were not much different from humans; their bodies were much more fragile than evil spirits.

"This is a correction for my own life."

At this academic conference, Duan Mingyuan voiced his decision for the first time, unaware if this decision had any inherent connection with the theme of the meeting or the future of the industry.

Over the past few years, he would occasionally recall the absurd things he did as a young man and, following his teacher’s advice, reflect on his actions from time to time, trying to learn from mistakes.

Study, get into a good school, graduate and get recommended for a job at a well-paid company.

Overtime, chasing performance, overtime.

This is the life experience every human goes through.

To this day, he arrived at Congyun Hotel and learned of the rise and fall of the Qian Congyun family’s past, and a thought that had always lingered in his heart seemed to have finally found confirmation.

He was willing to believe what Mrs. Bai Gu had said, that in her era, people like them were everywhere.

If you stretched the timeline, to see the world’s changes over decades...

Such people were few and far between.

In vast Yunlong City, a city with a population of 3 million, they could no longer gather enough people for an academic seminar of the highest level.

"Deities" were sharing, but at the same time, taking away.

"Maybe there was nothing wrong from the beginning."

Duan Mingyuan said, he couldn’t help but doubt whether the "reflection philosophy" was correct at all.

"You dealt with them... good, you’ve done very well! Extremely well! You must continue!"

Mrs. Bai Gu suddenly seemed to understand something. Her withered body almost stood up from the wheelchair in excitement. As an old predecessor in academia, she had great expectations of Duan Mingyuan, her younger colleague.

The faint green flames in her eye sockets flickered, her life as if revived in a last burst of radiance.

The only regret at this moment, perhaps, was that they were not fellow travelers.

Sacrificing lives has been a path of the wicked and heretical since ancient times, and in every record, the wicked and heretical do not deserve a happy ending.

From the moment she embarked on this path, she knew where it led, but to make an enemy of the "Deities," she spared no sacrifice!

It was too undignified for those who had walked the path to leave unsolved problems for their successors.

"Nice words are useless. If you can’t even pass my test, then don’t even think about protecting anything!"

The withered figure leaped from the wheelchair, soaring straight toward Duan Mingyuan, "Come at me, let this old one see your true ability!"

"Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the Barrier discipline."

Duan Mingyuan expressed his most sincere thanks to the old academic predecessor.

The leaping figure flew straight forward, then as if crashing into a painting, the burning green color was frozen in place.

Along with everything in the room.

Bright moonlight poured into the broken house, looking up, the starry night sky was spread out above.

Duan Mingyuan extended his right hand, and a card silently fell into his palm.

On it was Mrs. Bai Gu, and that yet-to-be-spread tale about the attic of Congyun Hotel’s fifth floor.

"Jiuyue."

He reminded the still-dazed little fox, "The meeting is adjourned."

"Mr. Mingyuan."

Jiuyue, coming to her senses belatedly, felt that in such a situation, she should show the appropriate shock and disbelief, but at this moment she couldn’t control the upward curl of her lips, and her tail almost instinctively began to wag.

—"You’ve killed people; you’re an Extraterrestrial!"