In Douluo Continent, I am the mastermind behind the scenes.

Chapter 99. Welcome to Despair Academy

The scene shifts to Zhan Renhai leading her professional team to transport the nine members of the Tang Clan to a secret base outside the city.

The first thing Zhan Renhai did upon returning to the base was to instruct his subordinates to place the nine members of the Tang Clan into nine ice coffin-like containers and begin connecting the corresponding equipment.

As for why Zhanren Mukuro didn't personally participate, it wasn't because she was lazy. It was simply because it was too troublesome for her small arms and legs to lift people up. What was the point of having subordinates? They were just there to do things that she couldn't do herself.

Half an hour later, all the equipment had been debugged. Zhanren Mukuro came to the control panel, stood on a small wooden box, tiptoed, and pressed a red button.

The next moment, the nine members of the Tang Clan in the illusion slowly woke up.

"Are we...dead?"

Beibei immediately checked her body and found that all her cultivation was sealed, and she couldn't even summon the Dragon Slayer Saber. She slumped to the ground in a dejected state.

"Senior Brother Beibei, please don't do this. We're not dead. We've just had our cultivation sealed and been imprisoned in this place. We still have a chance to escape."

Huo Yuhao panicked. His cultivation was sealed, and he couldn't even sense the original power of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm. He was reduced to an ordinary person.

But he still tried to comfort Beibei. He knew that if the Tang Clan members worked together, they still had a chance to escape this hellish place. If they continued to be so despondent, they would lose all hope.

Just then, Cai Meier suddenly spoke up: "Let's search around first and check the surrounding environment before making a decision. That person didn't kill us, but just locked us in this godforsaken place, which means we're still useful. Maybe they're negotiating with the Sea God Pavilion."

"In short... everyone must trust the Sea God Pavilion and Shrek Academy; they will definitely come to our rescue."

Encouraged by Cai Meier, the eight members of the Tang Clan finally regained some morale and began to observe their surroundings.

This is... a conference room?

No, that's not quite right. Calling it a meeting room isn't quite accurate. Apart from a stage, there are no tables or chairs below.

Suddenly, a black and white bear descended from the sky and landed directly on the desk of the podium. "Welcome to the School of Despair. I am Principal Monokuma."

"Principal? Monokuma? What the hell are you doing?" Cai Meier stepped forward, making a move to scratch Monokuma's face.

The next moment, Black and White Bear waved his hand, and a whirlwind struck Cai Meier, blowing her away like a kite with a broken string, and she crashed heavily to the ground.

"Aunt Cai..."

The eight members of the Tang Clan rushed forward to check Cai Meier's injuries.

Thankfully, Monokuma held back; Cai Meier only suffered some minor cuts and bruises and was otherwise unharmed.

"Now, let's begin reading the school rules." Ignoring the strange looks from the Tang Clan's nine members, Black and White Bear mechanically announced, "Rule number one: You may only live together within the academy grounds. The duration... there's no end in sight. In other words, you will live here for the rest of your lives! *Pfft pfft pfft...*"

"Live here...for the rest of my life?" A hint of sadness flashed in Mo Lian's eyes. Her life had ended before it even began. Was she to spend her whole life in this dark and gloomy room?

"Don't worry, you're not just in this room, but the entire academy. Our budget is ample, and you won't feel uncomfortable at all." Monokuma chuckled mischievously. "Don't even think about leaving by brute force. This place is completely isolated from the world, and all exits are sealed off. Even if you scream your lungs out, no one will come to save you."

"However, our school has prepared a special rule for students who want to leave: any method of killing is acceptable, only students who successfully kill others can leave here."

Upon hearing this, the Tang Clan members' faces darkened, and their spirits plummeted. This... this was going to force them to fight amongst themselves!

After a moment of silence, Monokuma's voice rang out again. "Killing any student will grant you graduation, but you must not let other students know you are the murderer. After a period of investigation following each student's death, a class trial will be held according to regulations."

"During the class trial, you must discuss who the murderer is. If your deduction is correct, only the murderer will be punished; otherwise... everyone except the murderer will be executed, and the murderer will graduate and leave Despair Academy."

"Alright, here's your student handbook. It contains other school rules and a map of Despair Academy. Let's all enjoy our despair-filled school life together, hee hee hee..."

The monokuma disappeared.

These words did not stir up any emotion in the Tang Clan's nine members. Would they turn on each other? Haha, they are the closest of brothers and sisters. How could they possibly draw their swords against each other because of outsiders' instigation?

Led by Cai Meier, the group began searching the academy according to the map in the student handbook. The doors and windows leading to the outside world were sealed with special metal materials, and with their current abilities, they had no way to escape.

The academy is divided into two areas—the teaching area and the dormitory area. The second floor of the teaching area is inaccessible for the time being. As for the first floor, well... there's not much to search. There are two classrooms, a meeting room, a restroom, and a recreation room. In addition, there is a large red door, but it is locked and cannot be opened for the time being.

(P.S.: For the sake of the plot, the structure of Despair Academy will differ slightly from the original work. Please refrain from criticism if you disagree.)

After a busy morning, everyone's stomachs were growling with hunger. Without any cultivation to protect them, they were just a group of ordinary people who were physically strong and could not possibly fast for a long time.

Upon arriving at the canteen located in the dormitory area, everyone was surprised to find that the canteen had an exceptionally complete range of ingredients and spices, with resources almost comparable to a small hotel.

As a master of grilling fish, Huo Yuhao volunteered to take on the role of chef and performed his grilling skills for the Tang Clan members.

Everyone is used to eating delicacies, so Huo Yuhao's grilled fish... well, it's not that delicious, it's only at the level of a roadside stall. But... it's not that bad either. Eating grilled fish from a roadside stall once in a while is quite a unique experience.

After eating grilled fish and drinking freshly squeezed juice, the Tang Clan members' expressions gradually softened.

"What do you mean by killing each other? How could we possibly do such a thing?" Tang Ya took a bite of grilled fish, clenched her little fist fiercely, and waved it at the camera above everyone's heads.

(End of this chapter)