Zong Jiu passed the days eating, reading, petting his cat and sleeping. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the first month.
With much attention and anticipation, the Masquerade Ball was finally here.
On the afternoon of the thirtieth, there was a bang and the tall perimeter wall of the third-floor broadcasting studio descended.
Where no one could see, the large broadcasting studio started to warp, expanding.
Rows of tables lined with white napkins appeared out of thin air, and a huge dance floor was paved with intricately patterned marble.
High above, the pure gold chandeliers shifted, as if gathered by an invisible giant hand and then merged into a refractive crystal tower. Strings of tassels shimmered from the peak, brightly illuminating the entire banquet hall.
[Limited-Time Welfare Event: Masquerade Ball has officially started]
[The panoramic camera has been enabled. The entire ball will be broadcasted live.]
[The scene is being constructed and will open at 7 p.m. I ask for your patience in the meantime.]
[After the Masquerade Ball, the banquet hall will be permanently closed and changed back into the broadcasting studio. Please take note.]
Many trainees had already visited the inner city’s fashion boutique in advance and were now waiting for the ball to begin.
To prevent being seen and having their identity exposed when changing into costume, the system allowed trainees to wait in the fashion boutique before the start of the event. When the ball commenced, they could head straight from the fashion boutique to the banquet hall hallway, making sure their identities were not exposed before they changed.
Zong Jiu wasn’t in a hurry to go to the event. He had already decided to act as No. 1.
Based on the Devil’s diva personality, he was sure to make a grand entrance at the very last moment, just as he had during the first evaluation round. He would appear at the highest point before everyone, grabbing all eyes.
Therefore, Zong Jiu even leisurely ordered room service, slowly savouring dinner before looking up at the time.
7:45 p.m.
The ball started at seven and the time allotted for entrance was one hour. If a trainee hadn’t entered by eight, that meant they automatically forfeited their eligibility to attend the ball, and the banquet hall would bar all subsequent entries.
It was about time.
He neatened his clothes, walked into the elevator, and pressed the button to the indoor city.
By now, most people would have made their entrance. In the banquet hall, trainees were dressed to the nines, with the party in full swing.
It was as Zong Jiu had guessed. As faces were masked, everyone was decked out in all manners of clothes, among which a fair number chose to crossdress. At a glance, there were maid costumes, witch costumes, fairy costumes; each decked with hotter and more voluptuous curves than the other, even carrying themselves as appropriate.
Needless to say, the live broadcast was startled at the sight.
[Fuck, I’m not watching the upcoming audition for the female edition of Thriller Trainee, am I? /confused cat.jpg]
[How are a group of crossdressers pulling it off so well!! I’ve stared at that girl in the sailor uniform for so long; his every action and even the way he walks – damn, who would believe that’s actually a man?!]
[I can’t do this anymore, I’m seriously about to die of laughter. The trainees really went all out in order not to be discovered by others.]
[Holy shit. I have reason to suspect that many of the trainees in this banquet hall are actually female cross-dressers!! Wouldn’t one usually feel bashful when cross-dressing? What happened to that? How are some of them so skilled at it?!]
Ktf olgra tbeg kjr gfrfgnfv obg qfbqif ab wjxf atflg fcagjcmf. Snfgsbcf wbnfv jybea atf yjcdefa tjii, bmmjrlbcjiis ajxlcu j rfja ys atf rlvf jcv milwylcu lcab mbcnfgrjalbcr.
C klvf gjcuf bo klcf kjr rajmxfv bc atf ibcu ajyifr, jr kjlafgr lc yijmx aezfvbr gbjwfv klat rfgnlcu agjsr lc atflg tjcvr. Ktfgf kfgf fnfc j ofk mifnfg agjlcffr ktb vgfrrfv eq jr kjlafgr. Po la kjrc’a obg atf wjrx, atfs kbeiv yf lcvlralcuelrtjyif ogbw atf jmaeji kjla rajoo.
On the other hand, the huge champagne tower was spreading puffs of sparkling fragrance tinged with colour in the air.
Thousands of exotic desserts were laid on small square plates, glistening tantalisingly under the light.
Above the mezzanine, crimson tapestries were draped from the high vaulted dome and strands of golden tassels hung down in the air. Further behind, a string ensemble was playing Eine kleine Nachtmusik in G major, a soothing tune, and the conductor’s back was to the dance floor below, his hands waving languidly in the air, his posture relaxed.
Tsuchimikado stood in front of a long table, conflicted as he slowly took a large tray of desserts, then went to sit at a long table at the side.
It was unknown what magic sorcery was done to the desserts at tonight’s ball. After having one, it was impossible to stop. The taste simply exploded on the taste buds.
Tsuchimikado didn’t usually go to the dining hall. Especially after participating in the Thriller Trainee competition, considering that they didn’t need to eat, he dedicated all his time to gaming, occasionally requesting room service for a few cups of an otaku’s favourite drink—iced cola. In the end, after so long of not ingesting food, what was intended to be just a taster ended up whetting his appetite.
As such, whilst polishing off the desserts on the tray with his head lowered, he discreetly observed other people’s costumes to see if he could identify anyone he knew.
Anyway, Tsuchimikado dared to beat his fake bosom and declare that no one would find him out.
That’s right. For he had thrown away his dignity and cross-dressed _(:з」∠)_
He even took it a step further, wearing a sailor uniform!
It was white with blue accents matched with a navy cap. He had even completed the look with a bow, adjusted measurements, white stockings, and leather shoes. There was no way of telling that he was that unlucky No. 10 from the appearance!
Although it originally embarrassed him to wear women’s clothes, in fear that he would be recognised, Tsuchimikado had taken time to learn how to behave more feminine from the stylist NPC in the fashion boutique over the past few days. By now, his disguise was complete enough to pass off as a real girl.
As for why Tsuchimikado was pulling all the stops, it was naturally because he had made a bet with the Exorcist as to who could identify the other.
If Tsuchimikado lost, he would have to surrender a blue talisman to the Exorcist, which was the most precious thing for a Yin-Yang Master. Despite his luck, ever since he inherited the title and became a glorious Yin-Yang Master, he possessed less than ten blue talismans.
If the Exorcist lost, he would have to hand over an A-rank dagger that Tsuchimikado coveted for a long time.
It was an extremely tempting bet for both the Exorcist, who had the general means to succeed, and Tsuchimikado, who had a masterful grasp of managing people and affairs. They had often made bets with each other in the infinite loop and were also friends, therefore they were sure that the bet would be honoured.
It was for this reason that Tsuchimikado would behave unlike a usual listless hard-core shut-in and work so hard at cross-dressing. After all, there was no point in putting in the effort without an incentive.
As he took dainty bites of the dessert, checking around him, a commotion suddenly came from the doorway.
At that very moment, the icy mechanical voice of the system resounded in the banquet hall.
[Time is up. The first stage has ended and no further entry is allowed. However, trainees can still freely choose to leave and give up their eligibility in the middle of the ball.]
The sailor-uniformed beauty Tsuchimikado looked back just then and caught sight of the figure at the entrance.
The doormen stationed at either side of the entrance hastily shut the heavy doors behind him.
Black suit, tight vest; dark red, gold-clipped tie; the Egyptian cross.
Shoulder-length hair that was tied up; leather gloves; shiny black shoes.
Black mask; scholarly aura; dangerous austere; elegance in every action he made.
He emerged like a dark shadow, slicing through light and annihilating it in his wake.
“Get out of the way, hurry up. It’s him!”
“Omg, No. 1 actually attended the ball and didn’t even change his attire.”
Countless trainees watched this scene with awe and backed away, spontaneously forming a vacuum where nobody had the guts to come forward.
The bullet chat was shocked.
[Isn’t that him—! He arrived right before the bell, and didn’t bother disguising himself at all.]
[That’s expected. Even if everyone recognised him, no trainee would dare to lock it in with the system kekeke.]
[True that. But wait. I believe there’s a large possibility that the mysterious instructor is No. 1, but it’s also as everyone else said. Nobody would dare point him out anyway! So awkward.]
[To be honest, I’m considering if anyone would deliberately dress like that and impersonate No. 1.]
[…Sister, are you out of your mind? Who would dare to impersonate him? It’s impossible.]
The thoughts of the trainees in the banquet hall mirrored the bullet chat; no one considered the possibility of impersonation.
This aligned with what Zong Jiu had speculated.
Zong Jiu expressionlessly accepted the surrounding gazes of frenzied reverence cast upon him, calmly cutting through the crowd and walking towards the centre of the banquet hall, whilst also internally giving himself another hat tip for his wisdom.
If someone else were to do this, they would definitely be unable to pull it off so well. After all, dressing the part was one thing, but achieving the same impression was another thing altogether.
What made the Devil stand out the most was his temperament.
Zong Jiu didn’t understand it in the past, but after viewing the memories the little Devil shared with him, he now could.
One embodied the circumstances of his birth. All light was unable to escape his thick, twisted malice.
That, for Zong Jiu, was effortless.
Now he parted the crowd as Moses parted the Red Sea; where he went, all eyes followed.
Even if people secretly believed he was No. 1, nobody dared to earn the survival points.
/Feels great.jpg
Disguised as No. 1, Zong Jiu felt that he could even find a place to wait for the Devil to come right up to him; nobody would dare come up and ask him for a dance anyway.
Just as Zong Jiu settled down, his gaze was suddenly drawn to someone in a penguin costume who strode before his line of sight and cast him a frigid glance.
The man was wearing a penguin hood yet was walking primly. While his eyes were dark and not at all like a penguin, an Antarctic chill radiated from his body.
That gaze—it had to be Zhuge An!
Seeing the other person’s costume, Zong Jiu had to strain extremely hard to keep his smile in check.
But in the spirit of their alliance, he did not go up to expose Zhuge An’s identity and cash in ill-gotten wealth. Instead, he imperceptibly caught the other’s eye, silently acknowledging the other.
Their gazes slid away. After that, just as he prepared to start looking for any suspicious No. 1 candidates in the vicinity, there came another clamour from the crowd.
He looked up. There was someone who was dressed exactly the same as him standing before the railing on the mezzanine floor of the banquet hall, looking at him with an unreadable smile.
Zong Jiu, “…”
Hang on, he was dressed exactly the same???
Wow.
Zong Jiu passed the days eating, reading, petting his cat and sleeping. In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the first month.
With much attention and anticipation, the Masquerade Ball was finally here.
On the afternoon of the thirtieth, there was a bang and the tall perimeter wall of the third-floor broadcasting studio descended.
Where no one could see, the large broadcasting studio started to warp, expanding.
Rows of tables lined with white napkins appeared out of thin air, and a huge dance floor was paved with intricately patterned marble.
High above, the pure gold chandeliers shifted, as if gathered by an invisible giant hand and then merged into a refractive crystal tower. Strings of tassels shimmered from the peak, brightly illuminating the entire banquet hall.
[Limited-Time Welfare Event: Masquerade Ball has officially started]
[The panoramic camera has been enabled. The entire ball will be broadcasted live.]
[The scene is being constructed and will open at 7 p.m. I ask for your patience in the meantime.]
[After the Masquerade Ball, the banquet hall will be permanently closed and changed back into the broadcasting studio. Please take note.]
Many trainees had already visited the inner city’s fashion boutique in advance and were now waiting for the ball to begin.
To prevent being seen and having their identity exposed when changing into costume, the system allowed trainees to wait in the fashion boutique before the start of the event. When the ball commenced, they could head straight from the fashion boutique to the banquet hall hallway, making sure their identities were not exposed before they changed.
Zong Jiu wasn’t in a hurry to go to the event. He had already decided to act as No. 1.
Based on the Devil’s diva personality, he was sure to make a grand entrance at the very last moment, just as he had during the first evaluation round. He would appear at the highest point before everyone, grabbing all eyes.
Therefore, Zong Jiu even leisurely ordered room service, slowly savouring dinner before looking up at the time.
7:45 p.m.
The ball started at seven and the time allotted for entrance was one hour. If a trainee hadn’t entered by eight, that meant they automatically forfeited their eligibility to attend the ball, and the banquet hall would bar all subsequent entries.
It was about time.
He neatened his clothes, walked into the elevator, and pressed the button to the indoor city.
By now, most people would have made their entrance. In the banquet hall, trainees were dressed to the nines, with the party in full swing.
It was as Zong Jiu had guessed. As faces were masked, everyone was decked out in all manners of clothes, among which a fair number chose to crossdress. At a glance, there were maid costumes, witch costumes, fairy costumes; each decked with hotter and more voluptuous curves than the other, even carrying themselves as appropriate.
Needless to say, the live broadcast was startled at the sight.
[Fuck, I’m not watching the upcoming audition for the female edition of Thriller Trainee, am I? /confused cat.jpg]
[How are a group of crossdressers pulling it off so well!! I’ve stared at that girl in the sailor uniform for so long; his every action and even the way he walks – damn, who would believe that’s actually a man?!]
[I can’t do this anymore, I’m seriously about to die of laughter. The trainees really went all out in order not to be discovered by others.]
[Holy shit. I have reason to suspect that many of the trainees in this banquet hall are actually female cross-dressers!! Wouldn’t one usually feel bashful when cross-dressing? What happened to that? How are some of them so skilled at it?!]
Ktf olgra tbeg kjr gfrfgnfv obg qfbqif ab wjxf atflg fcagjcmf. Snfgsbcf wbnfv jybea atf yjcdefa tjii, bmmjrlbcjiis ajxlcu j rfja ys atf rlvf jcv milwylcu lcab mbcnfgrjalbcr.
C klvf gjcuf bo klcf kjr rajmxfv bc atf ibcu ajyifr, jr kjlafgr lc yijmx aezfvbr gbjwfv klat rfgnlcu agjsr lc atflg tjcvr. Ktfgf kfgf fnfc j ofk mifnfg agjlcffr ktb vgfrrfv eq jr kjlafgr. Po la kjrc’a obg atf wjrx, atfs kbeiv yf lcvlralcuelrtjyif ogbw atf jmaeji kjla rajoo.
On the other hand, the huge champagne tower was spreading puffs of sparkling fragrance tinged with colour in the air.
Thousands of exotic desserts were laid on small square plates, glistening tantalisingly under the light.
Above the mezzanine, crimson tapestries were draped from the high vaulted dome and strands of golden tassels hung down in the air. Further behind, a string ensemble was playing Eine kleine Nachtmusik in G major, a soothing tune, and the conductor’s back was to the dance floor below, his hands waving languidly in the air, his posture relaxed.
Tsuchimikado stood in front of a long table, conflicted as he slowly took a large tray of desserts, then went to sit at a long table at the side.
It was unknown what magic sorcery was done to the desserts at tonight’s ball. After having one, it was impossible to stop. The taste simply exploded on the taste buds.
Tsuchimikado didn’t usually go to the dining hall. Especially after participating in the Thriller Trainee competition, considering that they didn’t need to eat, he dedicated all his time to gaming, occasionally requesting room service for a few cups of an otaku’s favourite drink—iced cola. In the end, after so long of not ingesting food, what was intended to be just a taster ended up whetting his appetite.
As such, whilst polishing off the desserts on the tray with his head lowered, he discreetly observed other people’s costumes to see if he could identify anyone he knew.
Anyway, Tsuchimikado dared to beat his fake bosom and declare that no one would find him out.
That’s right. For he had thrown away his dignity and cross-dressed _(:з」∠)_
He even took it a step further, wearing a sailor uniform!
It was white with blue accents matched with a navy cap. He had even completed the look with a bow, adjusted measurements, white stockings, and leather shoes. There was no way of telling that he was that unlucky No. 10 from the appearance!
Although it originally embarrassed him to wear women’s clothes, in fear that he would be recognised, Tsuchimikado had taken time to learn how to behave more feminine from the stylist NPC in the fashion boutique over the past few days. By now, his disguise was complete enough to pass off as a real girl.
As for why Tsuchimikado was pulling all the stops, it was naturally because he had made a bet with the Exorcist as to who could identify the other.
If Tsuchimikado lost, he would have to surrender a blue talisman to the Exorcist, which was the most precious thing for a Yin-Yang Master. Despite his luck, ever since he inherited the title and became a glorious Yin-Yang Master, he possessed less than ten blue talismans.
If the Exorcist lost, he would have to hand over an A-rank dagger that Tsuchimikado coveted for a long time.
It was an extremely tempting bet for both the Exorcist, who had the general means to succeed, and Tsuchimikado, who had a masterful grasp of managing people and affairs. They had often made bets with each other in the infinite loop and were also friends, therefore they were sure that the bet would be honoured.
It was for this reason that Tsuchimikado would behave unlike a usual listless hard-core shut-in and work so hard at cross-dressing. After all, there was no point in putting in the effort without an incentive.
As he took dainty bites of the dessert, checking around him, a commotion suddenly came from the doorway.
At that very moment, the icy mechanical voice of the system resounded in the banquet hall.
[Time is up. The first stage has ended and no further entry is allowed. However, trainees can still freely choose to leave and give up their eligibility in the middle of the ball.]
The sailor-uniformed beauty Tsuchimikado looked back just then and caught sight of the figure at the entrance.
The doormen stationed at either side of the entrance hastily shut the heavy doors behind him.
Black suit, tight vest; dark red, gold-clipped tie; the Egyptian cross.
Shoulder-length hair that was tied up; leather gloves; shiny black shoes.
Black mask; scholarly aura; dangerous austere; elegance in every action he made.
He emerged like a dark shadow, slicing through light and annihilating it in his wake.
“Get out of the way, hurry up. It’s him!”
“Omg, No. 1 actually attended the ball and didn’t even change his attire.”
Countless trainees watched this scene with awe and backed away, spontaneously forming a vacuum where nobody had the guts to come forward.
The bullet chat was shocked.
[Isn’t that him—! He arrived right before the bell, and didn’t bother disguising himself at all.]
[That’s expected. Even if everyone recognised him, no trainee would dare to lock it in with the system kekeke.]
[True that. But wait. I believe there’s a large possibility that the mysterious instructor is No. 1, but it’s also as everyone else said. Nobody would dare point him out anyway! So awkward.]
[To be honest, I’m considering if anyone would deliberately dress like that and impersonate No. 1.]
[…Sister, are you out of your mind? Who would dare to impersonate him? It’s impossible.]
The thoughts of the trainees in the banquet hall mirrored the bullet chat; no one considered the possibility of impersonation.
This aligned with what Zong Jiu had speculated.
Zong Jiu expressionlessly accepted the surrounding gazes of frenzied reverence cast upon him, calmly cutting through the crowd and walking towards the centre of the banquet hall, whilst also internally giving himself another hat tip for his wisdom.
If someone else were to do this, they would definitely be unable to pull it off so well. After all, dressing the part was one thing, but achieving the same impression was another thing altogether.
What made the Devil stand out the most was his temperament.
Zong Jiu didn’t understand it in the past, but after viewing the memories the little Devil shared with him, he now could.
One embodied the circumstances of his birth. All light was unable to escape his thick, twisted malice.
That, for Zong Jiu, was effortless.
Now he parted the crowd as Moses parted the Red Sea; where he went, all eyes followed.
Even if people secretly believed he was No. 1, nobody dared to earn the survival points.
/Feels great.jpg
Disguised as No. 1, Zong Jiu felt that he could even find a place to wait for the Devil to come right up to him; nobody would dare come up and ask him for a dance anyway.
Just as Zong Jiu settled down, his gaze was suddenly drawn to someone in a penguin costume who strode before his line of sight and cast him a frigid glance.
The man was wearing a penguin hood yet was walking primly. While his eyes were dark and not at all like a penguin, an Antarctic chill radiated from his body.
That gaze—it had to be Zhuge An!
Seeing the other person’s costume, Zong Jiu had to strain extremely hard to keep his smile in check.
But in the spirit of their alliance, he did not go up to expose Zhuge An’s identity and cash in ill-gotten wealth. Instead, he imperceptibly caught the other’s eye, silently acknowledging the other.
Their gazes slid away. After that, just as he prepared to start looking for any suspicious No. 1 candidates in the vicinity, there came another clamour from the crowd.
He looked up. There was someone who was dressed exactly the same as him standing before the railing on the mezzanine floor of the banquet hall, looking at him with an unreadable smile.
Zong Jiu, “…”
Hang on, he was dressed exactly the same???
Wow.
