Teaching Begins with Piecing Together a Body [Infinite]

[Welcome to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Academy of Infinite Worlds]

[Graduation?]

[No. Your goal is to stay alive and hand your "assignments" to me.]

Guan You, a graduate student in quantum biology, entered an infinite world and unexpectedly "landed" a teaching position, but lost his most important roommate, Zhang Zhibai.

The master surgeon who had lived in his mind for five years was already an inseparable part of him.

Before he could appeal, the Infinite Intangible Cultural Heritage Academy assigned him a deadly mission: teach a black one-star class on [Chinese Knot-Weaving Techniques]. As a "thoughtful" consolation, it also gave him an "assistant," Zhang Zhujin.

A completely different face.

But unmistakable habits: movements, expressions, and that rising lilt at the end of his words... all familiar to the bone.

Only those eyes were different, drained of every trace of warmth and full of cold mockery.

This definitely wasn't Zhang Zhibai.

But Guan You was certain that if he pried open this fake's mouth, he'd find out what had happened to Zhang Zhibai.

And so the classroom became a silent battleground between them:

Zhang Zhujin leaned lazily against the wall, watching as a trainee was bound tight by an out-of-control bundle of nerves. He chuckled leisurely. "Does this 'self-binding' count as a new take on intangible cultural heritage?"

A flash of blades. Guan You severed the bundle of nerves and rescued the trainee, while his arm seemed to have eyes of its own, yanking Zhang Zhujin away from the splattering slime just as he wandered into the danger zone.

"Stay back. Your 'little tricks' aren't clean enough."

A mistake while welding a root carving sent splintered bone shards flying like buckshot! (Tighter scene.)

Guan You kicked away the sharp pieces and darted sideways, blocking Zhang Zhujin completely in his shadow. "We don't accept your 'artistic embellishments' here."

A trainee's cleaver slipped from their hands, spinning lethally toward Zhang Zhujin--

Guan You knocked the weapon away with one palm, then turned and pinned him in place with fingers so forceful they nearly grazed his collarbone.

"Keep your 'little tricks' in check. If you play with fire again, no one's putting it out for you."

Zhang Zhujin lowered his eyes to the hand pressed firmly against his chest, the corner of his mouth curling in a lazy smile. "Professor~ How many times have you said that now?"

"Or," he said, raising his eyes as malice flickered within them, "you could stop holding me back... and help me rack up points?"

?--

"Who are you, really? Where's Zhang Zhibai?!"

The teaching whip pressed against his throat like a venomous snake. Its tip was scorching hot, and murderous intent mingled with suspicion in Guan You's eyes.

Instead of retreating, Zhang Zhujin moved closer. The skin at his neck brushed the cold whip. He raised his chin provocatively, the smile on his lips painfully bright. "Want to know? Beg. Me."

Guan You flicked his wrist, and the whip tip grazed the annoying face, neither lightly nor hard. "Beg? I'd rather... tear off your disguise with my own hands and see the answer for myself."

?

--

Years later, the first ironclad rule among the academy's survivors was:

Want to live? Cling to Professor Guan's leg! Stay away from Assistant Zhang's play zone!

Professor Guan, now a legend, stood before a line of new students and adjusted his rimless glasses. His icy gaze swept over them all and settled on Zhang Zhujin, at the very end of the line, smiling brightly with eyes of unfathomable depth.

His thin lips parted, each word like a blade:

"Line up. Keep up."

"Anyone who falls behind is responsible for the consequences."

**[Reader's Guide]**

1. CP: A cold-on-the-outside, crazy-on-the-inside research big shot as the pursued (Guan You) x a drama-obsessed master surgeon, possibly, as the pursuer (Zhang Zhibai/Zhang Zhujin). Strong x strong, with a shared-consciousness premise.

2. Setting: Intangible cultural heritage techniques x deadly games x consciousness uploads x a points System. A touch of cosmic horror and a touch of suspense.

3. Highlight: Teachers earn points for putting students in danger, but the pursued has a strong sense of morality (for now).

Theme: The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage depends on everyone