Thank you @Pixi for the Kofi. (1/5)
Yuying University
Chapter 396: Brave Richard
Three minutes remained before class officially began.
“Creak—”
Accompanied by the grating sound of a chair scraping against the floor, Wen Jianyan stood up.
In an instant, several people in the classroom turned their heads at the noise.
Wen Jianyan looked toward the classroom door beside him.
The old door was tightly shut. The hallway outside was empty, but as time passed, it seemed to be gradually darkening. A chill seeped in through the cracks, sending a shiver down the spine.
In the distant shadows, faint shapes could be seen moving.
“Class is about to begin,” the teacher said with a smile on his face. “Is there something you need?”
“…Nothing.”
Wen Jianyan withdrew his gaze and smiled subtly before sitting down again.
Orange Candy turned around, raising an eyebrow in confusion, as if asking what was going on.
Wen Jianyan pointed to the writing on the wall.
Orange Candy froze for a second, then showed a look of sudden realization.
“But it’s already too late,” Wen Jianyan said in a low voice. “We’ll just have to take it one step at a time.”
If they had seen that sign just a bit earlier, perhaps they would have had another choice. But now, if they left the classroom, not only would they face the danger of being marked absent, they might even trigger a rule conflict with Yuying Comprehensive University.
All because of a vague and possibly dangerous warning? That was too risky.
Better to stay.
“Riiiiing—”
The shrill sound of the class bell rang out.
“Welcome, everyone, to Film Appreciation,” the teacher said, still smiling as he stood behind the lectern. The dim lighting cast eerie shadows on his pale face, giving him an unsettling appearance.
“I’ll be your substitute teacher this semester. You can call me Mr. Sun.”
Wen Jianyan glanced again toward the door.
It looked like the lights in the hallway had gone out, leaving only darkness.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, the classroom seemed to be growing darker as well. A chilling cold crept across the skin where it touched desks and chairs, making people shiver involuntarily.
“This semester, I’ll guide you through one excellent film per class. Once the film begins, please do not enter or leave the classroom at will—it may disturb your classmates’ viewing experience.”
Mr. Sun pulled out a stack of papers and passed them to the front row to be handed back.
“By the end of the semester, please submit a 1500-word film review of a movie of your choice.”
Wen Jianyan lowered his head and examined the paper that had reached him.
It was a small piece of draft paper, old-looking, with a yellowish tint. Crimson horizontal lines stretched across it, and at the very top, in the same blood-red ink, were three large words:
Yuying Comprehensive University.
Wen Jianyan ran his fingers along the edge of the paper. A strange, icy sensation seeped into his skin.
…This didn’t feel like ordinary paper.
Mr. Sun scanned the room with a smile, his gaze landing on each student. It felt like something soft and slimy was crawling over one’s skin—deeply uncomfortable.
“The quality and content of your review will be tied to your final grade, so please take it seriously.”
In the classroom, the anchors exchanged glances with their teammates, eyes filled with surprise.
They hadn’t expected the elective course in this instance…
to be this formal?
“Well then, next I’ll be introducing the films for the semester—”
Mr. Sun was cut off halfway.
A hand had gone up in the back row.
A young man in a white T-shirt with delicate features sat there, looking innocent and well-behaved, like a model student:
“Teacher, I have a question.”
“…What is it?” Mr. Sun asked.
“You just said, ‘Please don’t enter or leave the classroom at will once the film starts’…” Wen Jianyan rested his chin on his hand and tilted his head slightly. “So if it’s not at will, then we can leave the classroom?”
Mr. Sun’s smile didn’t change, but his expression seemed to darken slightly.
The classroom temperature dropped. Already cold, the air now turned biting. An invisible pressure rose sharply, making it hard to breathe.
Just as the anchors tensed, bracing for something to happen…
Mr. Sun, face dark and unwilling, slowly said:
“Each person may only use the restroom once per class.”
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room barrage:
[??? I’ve seen this instance so many times, and it’s the first time I realized there was such a rule hidden in there!]
[Damn, the NPC in this instance is really malicious! They don’t reveal any info that could help the players. If that line from Sun hadn’t been questioned, they’d have lost their only chance to go to the bathroom without even knowing!]
[Seriously impressive… That attention to detail blew me away. Never would’ve thought to interpret the line that way.]
After hearing Mr. Sun’s reply, all the anchors in the room were visibly shaken.
Even though their levels weren’t very high, their senses in instances were sharp enough.
They knew—if this anchor weren’t here, they would’ve totally missed the only opportunity the instance provided…
A chill ran down everyone’s spine again as they clearly felt the malicious intent hidden within this instance.
They turned toward the back row.
Amid countless stares, the person in question remained calm and unruffled.
He looked down slightly, a thoughtful expression flickering in his eyes.
Just as expected.
Although this instance had many traps of all kinds, equally, the rules within it restricted both the players and the ghosts.
NPCs could disguise themselves as students or faculty, and they could withhold helpful information. However, they were still bound by the rules.
That was why, earlier at the dormitory entrance, even when her identity was exposed, that female student hadn’t attacked them. It was also why “Mr. Sun,” though unwilling, had to answer Wen Jianyan’s question and reveal the rule.
In other words, even though they were prey, they weren’t completely without advantages.
“Well then, next I’ll introduce the films we’ll be watching this semes—”
Before Mr. Sun could finish his sentence, another hand shot up.
He looked over, his face darkening again.
It was that same person.
Wen Jianyan: “Teacher, if we want to use the restroom, do we just tell you directly?”
He blinked innocently.
The underlying question was: How exactly do we trigger the mid-class bathroom rule?
Mr. Sun’s voice squeezed out from between clenched teeth:
“…Yes.”
“If you need to go to the restroom, you must raise your hand and inform the teacher.”
Keywords: raise your hand, inform the teacher.
“Thank you, teacher.” Wen Jianyan smiled and lowered his hand, sincerely expressing his gratitude.
The smile on Teacher Sun’s face hadn’t faded, but the gaze he cast on Wen Jianyan was chilling to the bone, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his eyes.
He said, “Next time, don’t interrupt the normal flow of class. Otherwise, I’ll deduct the corresponding credits from your scores.”
Wen Jianyan sat up straight and made a zipping motion across his lips.
Teacher Sun: “…”
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room barrage:
[Hahahahahahahaha!]
[Hahahahahahahahahahahaha, what a jerk!]
[I’m dying laughing. Now I finally understand why this anchor always offends people. With antics like that, not offending people would be the real surprise!]
[Tsk tsk tsk, feels like he’s going to end up with a ton of enemies at this school sooner or later.]
“Now then, here are the movies available for appreciation this semester.”
Teacher Sun, still wearing a grim expression, began repeating himself for the third time:
“Students may choose on their own during this class session.”
He lowered his head and fiddled with something on the podium. The screen in front of the blackboard slowly descended. It looked quite old, and what should have been a white projection screen now had a dirty, strange yellow hue, with faint brown stains that looked vaguely like dried blood.
As the projector buzzed and whirred, text began to appear on the screen.
There were quite a few movies listed:
“A Day in the Life of Wang Ni”
“Brave Richard”
“Thank You, Teacher”
“First Love: Our Eternal Love”
Even though they had been prepared for surprises, the anchors sitting in the classroom were momentarily stunned when they saw the movie titles.
They were… surprisingly normal?
They had assumed it would be some terrifying horror flick…
On the podium, Teacher Sun spoke again:
“After choosing your movie, write the title on the scratch paper just handed out.”
The group exchanged looks.
It seemed they really were allowed to choose which movie to watch for this class.
Below the podium, the anchors whispered among themselves.
“Captain, which movie should we pick?” Wei Cheng, seated in the front row, turned around and asked quietly.
Orange Candy glanced at the list on the screen and shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter. They’re all the same to me.”
And indeed, for her, they were pretty much the same.
This was just a minor scene within an A-rank instance. The odds of a high-level threat appearing were slim.
Besides, Orange Candy wasn’t a puzzle-solving type of anchor—she specialized in team battles and offense. So before anything actually began, these movie titles meant very little to her.
She looked at Wen Jianyan and tilted her chin.
“Here. You pick.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Wen Jianyan.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room barrage:
[Hahahahahahahaha!]
[You guys are unreal! Picking the unluckiest one to make the decision, really?]
Wen Jianyan forced a smile and said, “Uh… wouldn’t it be better if one of you chose?”
“No, no, I think the captain’s right,” Wei Cheng, who had been in an instance with Wen Jianyan before, shook his head. “We’re all better at anchor-on-anchor combat than decoding mechanics. In this situation, no one’s more qualified to pick than you!”
Wei Cheng’s talent was predicting instant death crises, which was difficult to use here.
Su Cheng’s ability, though also predictive, had to be activated manually and consumed limited uses—so burning one right at the beginning felt wasteful.
From a certain angle, Wen Jianyan did seem like the most suitable one in the group to choose the film.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room barrage:
[No, no, no, he’s the least suitable! Come on, people, wake up!]
[LOL! Intelligence and luck are not the same thing!]
Seeing the trust in his teammates’ eyes, Wen Jianyan gave an awkward chuckle:
“Ha… haha… well, alright then…”
After carefully scanning all the movie titles, Wen Jianyan said,
“How about… ‘Brave Richard’?”
“Oh?” Orange Candy raised an interested eyebrow. “Why that one?”
“Just a gut feeling…” Wen Jianyan replied.
Of course, it wasn’t just a gut feeling.
“A Day in the Life of Wang Ni” covered too long a time span.
“Thank You, Teacher” involved a “teacher”—and in school-type instances, teachers had different powers than students, potentially becoming a major variable.
As for “First Love: Our Eternal Love”, despite sounding like a clichéd teen movie, the word “our” in the title struck him as ominous.
Sure, the word “Brave” in a horror film usually wasn’t a good sign either,
but compared to the other three, it was the most manageable option.
Still, they were just titles.
There wasn’t enough information to make any solid judgments.
Wen Jianyan was well aware of his own luck—or lack thereof. Rather than get slapped in the face by hindsight, it was safer to say he picked it on instinct.
“Alright then.”
Orange Candy shrugged and didn’t press further.
“Let’s go with ‘Brave Richard’, then.”
Everyone nodded.
The other anchors also seemed to have made their choices.
The classroom gradually quieted down, and the sound of pens scratching against paper filled the air.
Wen Jianyan twisted the pen and wrote on the first line of the scratch paper:
“Brave Richard.”
The moment he finished writing the last character, he felt a cold chill spread up his fingers from the paper, making him shiver involuntarily.
A buzzing sound echoed in his ears—like the projector starting up.
【Film Appreciation Starting Soon…】
The next second, darkness fell over his eyes.
When he opened them again, the scene before him had changed.
It was a large lecture hall, very similar to those at Yuying Comprehensive University.
But unlike the eerie, ominous vibe of the instance, this place felt lively and full of energy.
The hall was filled with students. Some were diligently taking notes; others were sprawled out asleep on their desks, not even pretending to study.
The windows were sealed shut, making the room hot and stuffy. The thick air reeked of human sweat.
On the podium, an elderly professor with white hair was speaking.
Maybe due to his age, his voice was so frail that it got drowned out by the soft ambient noises in the lecture hall, making it hard to hear what he was saying.
Wen Jianyan glanced around.
Suddenly, as he was scanning the room, someone in the middle of the lecture hall stood up abruptly.
It was a tall, buzz-cut male student in a tracksuit. He shot up with a loud noise.
The lecture hall fell silent at once due to his sudden movement.
Wen Jianyan looked over.
The male student’s face was deathly pale, as if he’d seen something terrifying.
His pupils were dilated in fear, his chest rose and fell rapidly, and he stood trembling in place, panting.
He seemed to be holding something in his hand—
but from where Wen Jianyan sat, he couldn’t see clearly.
On the podium, the elderly professor adjusted his glasses and said, “Richard, you…”
Richard?!
Catching that familiar name, Wen Jianyan’s ears perked up and he leaned forward slightly.
However, before the teacher could finish speaking, the boy called Richard suddenly bolted out of the classroom. Even though the teacher called after him, it was as if he didn’t hear a word—he dashed straight out the door.
Wen Jianyan’s body tensed, ready to give chase.
But before he could do anything, someone else had already moved.
The figure was fast. Wen Jianyan only caught a flash of bright orange hair.
It was Orange Candy.
Right after her, two more people rushed out.
The classroom descended into chaos.
The teacher on the podium was so furious he was practically fuming, banging on the blackboard and shouting for quiet.
“……”
Wen Jianyan relaxed slightly.
The people who had just chased after Richard were all members of their team, though it seemed there were others who had also chosen to watch the same film and must have heard the same thing.
Still, since Orange Candy had gone after him, Wen Jianyan wasn’t too worried about what would happen next.
He leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly twirling a pen between his slender fingers. His half-closed eyes fell on the now-empty seat Richard had left behind. It was unclear what he was thinking.
Nearby, whispers floated through the air.
“What just happened?”
“No idea…”
“Do you know that guy?”
“Not really, but I think he’s from Management Class 3? But running out like that during class… that’s a bit too…”
After Richard dashed out of the lecture hall, Orange Candy immediately followed with incredible speed.
The rest of the team followed as well.
Since it was class time, the corridor was completely empty, making it easy to spot Richard’s fleeing figure up ahead.
But perhaps due to his emotional breakdown, the anchor who had their physical stats enhanced inside the nightmare still couldn’t catch up to him no matter how hard they tried.
They watched helplessly as Richard charged straight into the men’s restroom.
By the time Orange Candy arrived, Richard had already locked himself inside one of the stalls, emitting dry retching sounds so intense it was as if they were tearing his lungs apart.
“……”
Orange Candy frowned slightly.
She raised her hand, about to knock on the stall door.
But just then, others arrived.
Not only members of Orange Candy’s team, but also another squad.
Clearly, they had also selected Brave Richard during the film appreciation class and had thus ended up in the same scenario.
“Hey.”
The leader of the other squad was tall, with a scar across his forehead.
He glanced down at the much shorter Orange Candy with a trace of disdain in his eyes. “Step aside, kid.”
Orange Candy’s live room barrage:
[……]
[Hiss!]
[Hiss!!!]
[HISSSSS!!!!!!]
[Brave Richard? No—it’s Brave Scarface!!!!!!”
“…What?”
Orange Candy slowly withdrew her hand, narrowed her eyes, and turned her head to look at the scar-faced man.
She smiled, turned fully to face him, and said:
“Say that again?”
Class was clearly about to end.
Within a few minutes, the elderly professor on the podium began packing up his things and then slowly shuffled out of the classroom.
Wen Jianyan stood up immediately.
He skillfully navigated through the students who were packing up and heading out, making his way toward the front of the lecture hall.
Richard had left in a hurry, leaving behind a mess.
Pens, books—all scattered across the desk. His backpack had fallen beneath the seat and picked up some dust.
In the seat next to his, a girl with a ponytail sat looking dazed, watching the dispersing students as if unsure of what to do.
“What happened to Richard just now?”
A puzzled voice rang out.
The girl started and turned toward the source of the voice.
Standing nearby was a young man in a white T-shirt and black track pants. His brows were furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t know…”
The girl shook her head in bewilderment, clearly just as lost.
“He was just twisting his water bottle beside me, and then out of nowhere, he just ran off…”
Water bottle, huh?
Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes.
“Um, you are…?” The girl looked at Wen Jianyan hesitantly, unsure of his identity.
“Oh, I’m Richard’s new roommate,” Wen Jianyan replied with a smile.
The clean-cut young man extended his hand, his eyes bright and full of sincerity—enough to make people naturally trust him. “I used to study literature. I just transferred to the management department recently.”
“Oh, I see.”
Faced with Wen Jianyan’s unreserved charm, the girl’s face flushed slightly.
“So if you’re his roommate… Do you know what’s going on with him?”
“I’m sorry,” Wen Jianyan sighed, looking a bit guilty. “I just transferred here recently too. I haven’t had the chance to get to know everyone yet, so I’m not really sure either.”
“Alright.” The ponytailed girl sighed, clearly not holding out much hope anymore.
She began to tidy up the scattered items on the desk.
At that moment, a slender hand reached out beside her.
“…?”
The girl froze and looked up.
“I was heading back to the dorm anyway,” Wen Jianyan said with a soft smile. “I’ll take his bag back for him.”
