Meilin's state was more like her entire soul was wandering here.
"Should we help her?"
Sophia looked at Li Andy, who couldn't help but frown.
If they were to help her, it might lead to them being besieged by the living spirits here.
But since Sister Anna had spoken, she certainly hoped he could come up with a solution that satisfied both sides.
Just as he was about to step forward to help, Meilin made a move.
The girl's cheeks were slightly red, and she tremblingly cupped her hands, then her small mouth slightly opened, and a drop of crystal-clear liquid fell from the tip of her tongue, drawing out a long, thin thread.
The Teapot stared intently at her, its entire body stretching and tilting because of it.
After a long time, it loudly announced:
"Pass!!!"
...Everyone was stunned.
"Next!"
Clang, clang, clang, pots, pans, and ladles opened from both sides, clearing a path directly to Li Andy.
Next, it was him.
Li Andy's mouth twitched, and he walked to the front, taking out the water bottle containing holy water, then casually fiddled with it a few times.
"Pass, next!!"
Sister Anna gently swayed her lantern, making the water bottle ignore them.
They continued to follow Meilin's class.
As expected, every subsequent lesson was a distorted and magnified version of reality, and the assessments were equally absurd.
For example, in dance class, students had to perfectly perform a split, and even the slightest gap with the wall would result in amputation.
From walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, to how to use different tableware in various settings, even the angle of a smile and the direction of one's gaze were regulated.
Those "professors" shouted "dignity" and "elegance," tearing apart one "student" after another, and in the narrow Rococo-style corridor, "corpses" piled up like mountains.
Meilin passed the assessments time and again by a narrow margin, standing alone on the pile of corpses, swaying, looking very dispirited.
"Andy, can you confirm if she's an anomaly yet?"
Sophia was getting impatient; she wanted to resolve this quickly.
Although the academy courses in reality weren't so exaggerated, watching those absurd situations always made her involuntarily empathize, and her heart couldn't help but feel suppressed, like being tortured.
"She's not an anomaly," Li Andy said.
"Hmm?"
Just as Sophia was When in a daze, a joyful voice began to echo through the corridor:
"Congratulations on completing all the trials, Miss Lady!"
"You are only one step away from perfection!"
"Come, come quickly to me!"
"I will complete the final touch for you!"
As the words fell, a large door appeared at the end of the corridor.
Rows of practice dance costumes emerged from both sides, twisting in a paper-like dance in the wind, celebrating Meilin and guiding her way.
Meilin looked at the white light emanating from the large door, smiled, and with stiff legs, quickly walked in, disappearing into the white light.
Li Andy didn't hesitate too much and also led the girls to follow.
They passed through the door and arrived in another space.
This place was like an infinitely magnified music box, and in the center of the stage, a giant dancing girl's metal plate rotated continuously with the music.
Meilin stood still beneath it, looking up.
Suddenly, she was violently pulled into the air!
Her limbs hung limply, swaying in mid-air, like a puppet with broken strings.
"Good evening, members of the Church."
The dancing girl lowered her head and performed a curtsy towards Li Andy and the others; her enormous figure had a strange sense of oppression.
"Are you human?" Anna asked.
"That depends on how you define human."
The gears on the dancing girl's face rolled, and she bent two pieces of metal into a smile.
"Humans are an incomplete creation.
"Conflict stems from the desires deep within human nature, pushing the wheel of history, crushing countless lives.
"Technology is an extension of human desire, causing humanity to lose itself in the pursuit of perfection.
"You crave eternal life, yet you fear death;
"You pursue truth, yet you indulge in illusion.
"You created me, yet you cannot understand yourselves."
Emi blinked, a little confused:
"I don't understand... so, you're a monster?"
The dancing girl laughed, her mechanical voice echoing throughout the space:
"To other beings, aren't humans also monsters?"
Aya raised her pistol and aimed at the dancing girl:
"Night Raven Sister's Code of Conduct, Article One: Do not waver in your faith, and do not be deceived by any enticing words of evil spirits.
"So, what's the point of reasoning with a monster?"
"Bang!"
Blue flames spewed from the muzzle, and the consecrated bullet embedded itself in the circular plate representing the dancing girl's eye, completing the final touch.
"What a pity, I thought you all could understand..."
The dancing girl slowly stood up, raised her arms, and struck a ballet pose.
In an instant, the entire stage began to spin.
"Wh-what's happening!"
Sophia quickly steadied herself and also supported Youxi beside her.
At the same time, Anna raised her lantern high, and the shadows of the three Night Raven Sisters instantly stretched.
Aya's shadow transformed into a siren with a snake's tail and a human body, with snake scales shimmering with an eerie cold light in the shadows;
Emi's shadow transformed into a skeleton emitting black mist, filled with a decaying smell;
And Anna's own shadow grew hair-like tentacles, swaying silently.
"Monsters? Hahaha! All monsters!"
The dancing girl laughed, her gears spinning rapidly.
Meilin, suspended in mid-air, suddenly broke free and fell.
Just as she was about to hit the ground, a giant Faceless Nun rose from the earth, catching her in time.
Anna gently raised her hand, and the Faceless Nun tossed Meilin behind her.
Yuquan Youxi, who was behind her, reacted quickly and also summoned her own Faceless Nun, catching Meilin and pulling her back to her side.
The stage's rotation speed grew faster and faster, making it difficult for everyone to maintain balance.
The next moment,
"Bang!"
The ground cracked, and everything suddenly became weightless.
Li Andy, who had been waiting for the opportunity, surged all the blood in his body and pounced on Sophia and Youxi.
The three of them fell together into the abyss.