Chapter 959 Twenty-six. The real world

  The afternoon sun is warm and sunny.

  The light and shadow sprinkled into the auditorium created a dreamlike atmosphere with the heat of the food on the long table.

   Chicken legs are piled up like mountains on the plate, colorful pastries are neatly arranged, delicate blood wheat bread and pies are lined up, and delicious food is waiting to be enjoyed.

   "I thought it was still daytime..."

   "A lot of food..."

   "How did the sunlight do it?"

  The sound of small conversations gathered above the auditorium, forming a hissing sound like a burning flame.

   Dogmeat's eyes glowed with real light, and he followed the team into the auditorium like a walking corpse. Only the head that turned with the food showed that he was still thinking.

  The students took their seats, and Dogmeat struggled to maintain his reason and did not extend his hand-the two weeks of etiquette teaching at the Giant Tree Academy allowed him to overcome some instincts.

   After all the students were seated, the professors in the seats stood up and prepared to announce that the New Year's dinner was about to start.

  clang clang clang clang clang-

   The rushing and noisy bells suddenly rang through the auditorium without warning. In the confusion of professors and students, there were cluttered footsteps in the corridor outside the auditorium.

  The cold and disgusting gatekeepers appeared, shouting indifferently: "Appear when there is stillness, everyone keep quiet!"

After the announcement of   , their figures disappeared outside the entrance of the auditorium, and they left in a hurry.

   "Seniors of all departments, confirm that all the students are here!" Professor Mai Wen, the arrogant man, shouted through the auditorium.

   The prefects at the head of the long table hurriedly left their seats to count the students.

  The hustle and bustle of the auditorium fell into complete silence.

   The prefects walked through the auditorium with hurried footsteps. At the New Year's dinner interrupted by the silence, everyone got the only good news: no students were left behind.

  The old professor raised the silver utensil at this time, and struck the edge of the utensil with the knife.

  clang——

With the sound of    bells, the old professor removed the utensils, picked up the knife and fork and cut open the steak with sauce on the plate.

  Professors started eating one after another, then students.

   In the warm sunshine, the sound of knives and forks and the sound of chewing brought the banquet back to its limited vitality.

   The New Year is quiet here.

  Dogmeat once again showed his talent: eating quickly and quietly.

  Frodot eats slowly and gracefully, a small piece of food fork will let her chew quietly for a long time, and the chicken thigh that needs to be reached is not in her recipe.

  The auditorium with only the sound of eating lasted for a while, disturbed by the sound of footsteps echoing from the corridor.

  The door was pushed open again. The gatekeeper stayed outside, the elder entered the auditorium, and the gatekeeper's cape made him glide into the auditorium like a brown bat.

   He raised the wine glass in his skinny palm, and as the wine swayed, the lazy voice of Chris, the vice dean, sounded from the glass: "Professors, bring the children to the senior year."

The    professors frowned, and the silence made it impossible for them to say no.

  Since Professor Chris has decided...

  The old professor waved his hand for the prefects to lead the team and left their seats to follow.

  Professor Rubehero passed by Professor Hagrid, who had not left his seat with a gloomy expression, and patted him lightly on the shoulder.

   He could probably guess what Professor Hagrid was thinking... Hagrid didn't like to leave the tree canopy and head to the dangerous trunk layer. He was dissatisfied that Professor Chris gave Lu Li the badge for free passage without authorization. This New Year's dinner even asked all the lower grade students to go to the trunk floor——

  The gatekeeper with a gloomy aura escorted the new students.

  The Academy of Giant Trees shrouded in silence, the students and the Night's Watch become the same: a shared silence.

   Descend from the long spiral staircase in the mixing area, take the lift and enter the trunk level in a few minutes.

  The pervasive darkness and uncertainty affected the students who were just entering the tree trunk layer. With curiosity and tension, they passed through the silent corridor and arrived at the archway leading to the surface.

Before    was about to step out of the giant tree, Professor Hagrid stood in front of everyone, silently staring at the night watchman elder.

   "Hagrid, let the students in." Professor Chris' voice came from the rippling wine.

  Professor Hagrid was unwilling to back away, and let the students follow the night watchman out of the giant tree——

   "... Put away your breath, don't scare the little guys."

   Hearing Professor Chris's voice, the students walked up to the roots of the giant tree, and an invisible shelter shrouded the broad platform under their feet, which was still dozens of meters away from the ground.

   Eyeballs with wings floated in the air, and their pupils exuded fluorescence slightly brighter than fluorite, wandering in groups, like a broken moon shrouded in broken clouds.

  Is there no sunshine for seniors? Why not use oil lamps for lighting?

   This is what the freshmen think. Soon they were disturbed by the obscurity of the silhouettes that stood around the platform mixed with the clutter they exuded.

  The freshmen huddled together like a group of weak young children, avoiding their eyes as if they were real.

   There were many gazes on Lu Li.

   The wine cup in the hand of the gatekeeper elder grew four slender feet, jumped to the ground and quickly crawled, leaping into the palm of Professor Chris.

   The lower graders therefore saw the little giant vice-principal at the long table and the one beside her...

"Because Dean Asammons has not returned from going out, this year's dinner party will be hosted by me." Professor Chrissy in the main seat gestured to the outlines beside him: "Then, let's first introduce you to the cuties in the lower grades. Own?"

   "Senior occult professor, you can call me Helmder." The emaciated figure in the old and refined standard musketeer's costume took off his top hat.

   "Professor of divination, undead." The pale, decadent, poet-like sentimental man beside Helmder ripped off his head, revealing centipede-like wounds and stitches.

   "Reckless lion, thunder, learn fighting skills." On the edge of the seat, a sturdy lion-like man with golden brown hair said in a low voice.

   "Don't show your magic?" Helmud chuckled.

   "To the juniors? I'm not a circus clown." Lei snorted coldly.

  Lu Li saw that the reckless professor Mai Wen's expression became complicated when facing Lei.

   "...I...is...Dream...T...Mi...S..."

  The students raised their heads and listened to the murmurs falling from the darkness.

   "This is our combat skills class professor. It is he who shelters this place from the approaching darkness, and blocks the silent hours of disaster."

The voice of    fell, the fireflies spread out, and the vacated area revealed the truth - outside the shelter, the solid darkness was climbing and wriggling.

  OM——

The chatter of   nails sliding the wine glass drew the attention of all the students.

"Although many of the students who were on the surface, fought in the old sewers, tested in the restricted area, or passed away couldn't hear the next words at this time, I still have to say... see the outside world? This is A world that is real, no longer false. It is also the world we want to change. Remember the meaning of Giant Tree Academy, remember the meaning of your existence... Don't go into that good night gently."

  Professor Chris, who suddenly felt disillusioned, stopped talking and raised his glass: "Now, the New Year's banquet officially begins. To our companions, to the gods, to the Giant Tree Academy, to Dean Asammons..."

   Her narrow, slightly curved pale golden eyes fell towards Lu Li.

   "To the exorcist."

   (end of this chapter)