(6/10)
Yuying University
Chapter 486: It’s like drops of water sinking into the deep sea, and flying snow escaping into the sky.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[?]
[Wait, did I hear that right? What did he just say? Isn’t he basically selling out every other anchor but himself?]
[And making all the students break the school rules… uh, he makes it sound easy, but how could it be that simple?]
[I think the anchor is just bullshitting.]
The student council member stared expressionlessly at Wen Jianyan, seemingly contemplating something.
It was dark all around, with only the young man’s face appearing starkly white.
Wen Jianyan’s expression was composed, as if the public-enemy-of-all-anchors statement hadn’t just come from his mouth.
“Don’t worry, it’s very simple. It’ll only take a minute, you won’t even have to wait for the principal to arrive, and you’ll reap the biggest harvest since the school year started.”
It was an extremely tempting proposal.
“Of course, even if I’m just talking big, you can always take me back into custody at any time, can’t you?”
“A win-win situation.”
Wen Jianyan blinked, bringing his wrists together in a gesture of surrender:
“How about it?”
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[Uh… he really is just bullshitting… right?]
*
With the experience from last time, every student arrived at the lecture hall early and took their seats.
Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, eventually becoming as black as ink.
As the class time approached, the previously noisy classroom quieted down, and the atmosphere became heavy, giving one the illusion of being strangled.
Everyone’s eyes were glued to the closed classroom door, nerves stretched taut, waiting for the vice principal to arrive.
“Ding-ling-ling!”
The class bell was deafening, making every anchor jump.
The second after the bell stopped, the classroom door was pushed open from the outside.
A figure walked in.
The anchors in their seats were all stunned, all their attention drawn to it.
“Click, clack, click.”
The even sound of heels clicking on the floor was sharp and monotonous.
That was…
Everyone’s pupils couldn’t help but shrink.
On the lecture platform stood a female teacher in a red dress. Her bloodless face was as pale as paper, her eyes were dark and deep, and her five fingertips were a piercing crimson, so rich it looked like blood could drip from them at any moment.
“…”
Wen Jianyan looked up and scanned the room.
The classroom before him was dead silent.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[…]
[I’ll say it again, let’s crowdfund the female teacher from the admissions office to assassinate Wen Jianyan. He fucking deserves it.”]
In their seats, every anchor’s expression was tense, their eyes fixed on him, not missing a single one of his movements.
They had no suspicions.
And they shouldn’t have had any suspicions.
The “Yuying Comprehensive University” instance had never undergone any changes. Even for the audience, they had never seen an anchor progress from their sophomore year to their junior year.
And the absence of student council members outside the lecture hall also proved that this ideological and moral education class was by no means just a simple repeat of the last one.
The anchors were prepared to face the unexpected.
And here it was, the “unexpected.”
Now was the transition period from the second school year to the third. So, for the teacher in charge of “admission procedures” to appear was perfectly logical.
Admittedly, Wen Jianyan’s disguise was not perfect.
According to the instance’s process, every anchor sitting here had already completed the admission procedures, meaning they had all seen “her”.
However, the lighting in the admissions office was too dim and the environment too oppressive. The anchors wouldn’t remember the teacher’s detailed appearance, but they would firmly remember her [Key Features]—the long red dress, the red nails, the pale and cold face.
The more distinct the features, the easier it is for people to forget information beyond those features.
Moreover, Wen Jianyan, as a “disguiser”, was more than experienced.
Under the watchful eyes of all the anchors, the “female teacher” on the platform raised her black-hole eyes, slowly scanned the lecture hall, and then gave a cold smile:
“Good evening. Everyone’s admission procedures have been completed. Next, the matriculation ceremony will begin shortly.”
“?”
The anchors were stunned, their breath catching.
What matriculation ceremony? They had never heard of it.
The pale fingertips, coated in scarlet nail polish, tapped lightly on the desk, making a “tok-tok” sound. The small, monotonous sound echoed in the silent lecture hall, easily interrupting the thoughts of the crowd, which were already in disarray due to the new information.
It didn’t matter if they hadn’t heard of it.
In this instance, the NPCs were bound by rules. They could only set traps within the rules; they couldn’t lie to the anchors.
On the platform, the “female teacher” met everyone’s gaze, her smile inexplicably making their hearts pound with fear.
“Students, please follow me.”
After speaking, the “female teacher” turned around directly, ignoring the surprised, horrified, or hesitant expressions of the other anchors in the classroom, and walked out of the classroom with even, slow, and elegant steps.
Below the platform, the anchors looked at each other.
Huh? Go out now?
If they remembered correctly, anyone who remained outside the lecture hall after the class bell rang would be subjected to indiscriminate attacks from an unknown entity, with a slim chance of survival.
But…
Listening to the sound of high heels gradually receding in the corridor, the anchors exchanged glances, a look of struggle in their eyes.
Even the most inexperienced anchor understood what the words “matriculation ceremony” might mean. If not attending the ceremony could result in failing to advance, then according to Nightmare’s usual practice in such a high-difficulty instance, there was a high probability of being directly eliminated and killed, with their livestream room permanently closed.
Could they afford that gamble?
The answer was no.
Soon, the first person to try appeared.
After making full preparations, he slowly stepped over the threshold of the lecture hall and then waited—
Nothing happened.
The corridor was dark and silent. The attack from last time did not occur, and the items he carried did not sound any alarm.
Seeing this, all the anchors breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, their hearts were in their throats again.
From the looks of it, this was part of the instance.
Although they were spared a possible attack in the corridor, the so-called “matriculation ceremony” might represent an even more deadly danger.
But they had no choice but to face it.
The anchors exchanged glances, stood up from their seats, and followed one after another.
*
Outside the teaching building.
The “female teacher” stood motionless not far away, her pale face hidden in the darkness, her whole body exuding a suffocatingly terrifying aura. The red dress on her body was piercing and grim, like a wound slashed open in the night.
The anchors’ eyes were wary as they stopped a few steps away.
Not far away, the red-dressed, cold-aura female teacher did not speak first, so the anchors naturally did not dare to make any rash moves and could only wait where they were.
Suddenly, “she” turned her head to the side, looked into the darkness, and pulled at the corner of her mouth, her voice light and flirtatious:
“Is that enough?”
The voice was lively and carefree, not at all like a voice an NPC could produce.
Wha—
The anchors’ pupils shrank abruptly, a bad premonition suddenly rising in their hearts.
As if to confirm their suspicions, cold figures emerged from the darkness beside the teaching building. There were probably hundreds of them. The scarlet armbands hidden in the darkness were extremely conspicuous.
Before they could figure out what was going on, “Ding-ling-ling!”
Behind them, the piercing class bell rang inside the teaching building, shattering the darkness, symbolizing the start of the ideological and moral education class.
“?!”
In that instant, the hair on everyone’s body stood on end!
What?? The ideological and moral education class is only starting now?? Then what they heard just now was…
“Just this.”
Not far away, the “female teacher” smilingly took out a small, palm-sized alarm clock from her pocket and shook it gently. The metal surface of the clock reflected a cold glint in the night.
“Isn’t it very similar? I spent a long time choosing it.”
The voice began to change from a cold female voice, eventually transforming completely into a clear, smiling male voice.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the long red dress and the nail polish began to disappear like an illusion. The female teacher’s figure also began to lengthen, turning into a tall and slender young man.
“!!!”
The moment they saw the person’s face, Tiger Bro, Leopard, and the others were horrified.
“You…”
Their murmured words were drowned out by the surrounding hostile and hateful voices.
“It’s you?!”
“What are you trying to do?!”
Wen Jianyan seemed not to hear the anchors’ questions, but continued to stare straight at the student council members not far away:
“See, I succeeded, didn’t I?”
The student council members didn’t answer, but stared at him without a word.
“You wouldn’t dare to deny it, would you? After all, I have evidence here.”
Wen Jianyan slowly rolled up his sleeves.
The skin on his forearm was no longer white; under the skin were scarlet, cracked patterns. But what was most eye-catching was not the fine lines like cracked porcelain, but the bluish-purple palm print on his arm.
It was the mark left when the student council member had grabbed his arm just now.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[?]
[What does that mean??]
Wen Jianyan said:
“Strictly speaking, our school doesn’t have any rules that absolutely cannot be broken. As long as you can bear the price of breaking the rules, you can survive.”
Hugo had succeeded, and so had Wen Jianyan.
“But among them, the price for breaking some rules is very terrifying.”
“For example… destroying public property.”
Like the great fire in the library.
Looking at the student council members not far away, Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes, the smile on his lips gentle yet eerie. “Or, leaving during a very, very important class that is even related to the essence of the school.”
For example, the ideological and moral education class.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[Huh??? I still don’t get it?]
[Fuck, I think I get it!]
[Ahhh me too, everyone go look at the anchor’s health points.]
Reminded of this, the audience in the livestream room finally noticed:
Wen Jianyan’s health points had, at some point, dropped by 20. Combined with the bluish-purple palm print on his arm, these two features together looked very familiar—
[Holy crap, isn’t this the same mark left when the anchor skipped class during the ideological and moral education class last time and was chased by that invisible monster?!]
[Oh… so that’s why you only get chased by those monsters if you skip the ideological and moral education class. It’s because this class has a unique status in the [Yuying Comprehensive University] instance!]
“Of course, you guys are definitely not those monsters,” Wen Jianyan shrugged and rolled down his sleeves. “Although I’ve lost my memory of that time, I’m not so incompetent that I can’t even figure this out.”
Besides, those monsters had no physical form, nor would they cause a person to lose consciousness as soon as they caught them.
“However,” Wen Jianyan’s tone suddenly changed, “if I were to guess, they are actually the rules of this instance itself, and you just borrow their power when you catch people.”
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[Oh right, after all, at the library entrance just now, as soon as the anchor pointed out that the others hadn’t broken the rules, the student council lost that power. So that’s why!]
“If we break the school rules, we will be ‘eaten’ by the instance,”
Wen Jianyan touched his neck. The pain of having a piece of flesh torn off by invisible teeth in the previous school year seemed to be still branded there. He shrank his neck, looked up at the student council members not far away, and showed a thoughtful expression.
“If we are caught by you, we should be eaten by you, right?”
That’s why the student council members were so proactive.
Probably to “scramble for food.”
In just a few sentences, the entire logic of the instance was sorted out, without any blind spots left.
And after hearing all this, the anchors finally understood their current situation completely.
They stared at the young man not far away with incredulous eyes, anger and hatred dancing in their gazes. Even though they were no longer rookies, they had never seen someone so terrifyingly vicious, who would cooperate with NPCs and use various means just to send them to their deaths.
“So, you did all this just to lead us to break the school rules?”
One of them asked slowly, suppressing his anger.
“Just a small deal with my new friends,” Wen Jianyan shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s not personal against you, don’t mind it.”
Deceiving these anchors was too easy for him.
The information gap between them was too large.
The anchors only knew that leaving the lecture hall would lead to an attack, but they didn’t know why. They recognized the teacher from the admissions office, but they didn’t know her true authority. They knew to choose the more difficult path in the instance, but they didn’t know that when this choice was deliberately created by another anchor, believing it was a dead end.
With such a large information gap, Wen Jianyan could even deceive a god or two for fun.
“So, I suggest you all run now…”
Wen Jianyan seemed to have thought of something and blinked with a smile:
“Oh, it seems it’s too late.”
The leading student council member raised its hand expressionlessly.
The next second, the countless student council members behind it reached out towards the horrified anchors—just as they had towards Wen Jianyan and his group earlier.
The anchors also wanted to resist, but unfortunately, they had already “broken the school rules.” So, regardless of whether they used items or talents, the moment they were caught by the student council members’ hands, they lost their ability to resist. They could only lower their heads, having lost their willpower, and stood silently in place.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze swept across the crowd before him, pausing slightly on Tiger Bro and the others.
The process of their gazes changing from shock and disbelief to hope and then despair was so complex that Wen Jianyan took it all in.
Just then, a cold voice from a student council member came from the side:
“No, you did not succeed.”
Wen Jianyan retracted his gaze and looked over.
The student council member’s face appeared pale and terrifying in the darkness, and it said in a flat voice: “You said you would make everyone violate the school rules. You failed.”
Wen Jianyan smiled calmly. “Oh?”
“There are still more than a dozen people left in the lecture hall who did not follow you out,” the student council member stared straight at Wen Jianyan, its eyes like black holes. “They did not violate the school rules.”
“Can’t be helped,”
Wen Jianyan shrugged helplessly. “These people are too experienced and have too many resources. Even if they didn’t find the flaw in my plan, they have enough means to determine the best choice at the moment.”
For example, a prophet, a medium, or some similar item could allow them to stay in the lecture hall without seeing through the lie—and they wouldn’t share this information with others. After all, that was the way of veteran anchors.
“So, you failed,” the student council member said slowly.
It slowly took a step forward, its eyes once again burning with malice and greed.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[Fuck, the anchor gave you so many kills and you’re still not satisfied! I think this little bastard is going to go back on his word and not let the anchor go!]
[Tsk tsk tsk, a double-cross. Just what you’d expect from this instance.]
But before the student council member could continue, Wen Jianyan continued his own words as if nothing had happened:
“However… it’s precisely because they have experience and resources that I’m not worried.”
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[?]
[Huh?”]
The student council member also paused. It looked at Wen Jianyan and said slowly:
“Not worried about what?”
Wen Jianyan’s gaze passed over the student council member’s shoulder and looked towards the distant teaching building. He squinted slightly, a tiny orange light seeming to dance in the depths of his light-colored eyes.
—“Of course, not worried that they’ll die in the flames.”
Wen Jianyan’s voice carried an unignorable hint of amusement.
At this moment, the livestream camera suddenly switched, moving to the distant teaching building.
The building was hidden in the night, blending into one.
However, in the pitch-black corridor, the gradually spreading firelight could be vaguely seen. The fire was raging, and in the blink of an eye, the light shining through the window turned into a blade piercing the night. In just a few short breaths, the fierce fire, carrying the shrieks of vengeful souls, burst out from the windows and doors, making a fervent crackling sound.
In the “Integrity First” Livestream Room:
[…]
[…]
[I get it now, so he sent Su Cheng to do this? Using Arnold as a human torch to transport fire? You’re so damn wicked!]
Ahhhhhhhhhh how many buildings are you going to burn in this instance, you brat!]
[In a sense, the anchor has set a new record for backstabbing in a short time… First he sells out the other anchors, then he immediately turns around and sells out the student council, the whole process taking less than ten minutes.]
[Hahahahahahaha damn, it’s true hahahaha!]
“Oh right, I think our school has another unwritten rule, right?”
In the midst of the flames, Wen Jianyan smiled at the student council member and said:
“Once a building is destroyed, the related rules are also destroyed accordingly.”
The library before was just like that.
Although the library had strict rules about “borrowing” and “returning” books, after the entire library was put to the torch, these rules also vanished into thin air.
After all, if the library is gone, how can one talk about “borrowing and returning”?
In the darkness, the young man’s face was illuminated the color of flames.
Facing the blazing fire, he laughed and asked:
“If even the lecture hall is gone, how can we talk about skipping class or not?”
Almost the moment his voice fell, the compulsory force of the rules that the student council members had applied to their palms disappeared.
The previously unconscious anchors suddenly woke up and instinctively began to resist.
The student council member’s face was extremely grim. It pounced forward, trying to catch Wen Jianyan.
But Wen Jianyan had long anticipated it.
He was already prepared to flee.
Moreover, Wen Jianyan was now the “Society President.” Although he was the only one on the scene who had violated the rules, he was also the only one who could not be controlled by the student council members.
And as for the anchors Wen Jianyan had tricked, in the past, they might have avoided the student council members’ sharp edge. But with their lives threatened, their fiercest and most ruthless fighting spirit was aroused. Like cornered beasts, they counterattacked with all their might.
—The student council’s numerical advantage was also lost.
And so, Wen Jianyan escaped.
Effortlessly, silently.
Facing the chaotic scene in the night and firelight, the young man smiled and waved, his teeth snow-white, his smile brilliant:
“Be careful not to let your vice principal get burned to death too.”
Dropping this provocative taunt, he elegantly blew a kiss, then turned and disappeared into the darkness without a trace.
Like a drop of water into the deep sea, like snowflakes vanishing into the vast sky.
*
Wen Jianyan ran wildly in the darkness.
He left the flames and clamor behind, running quickly towards the coordinates Su Cheng had sent him.
Adrenaline was still pumping, his heart pounding.
But for some reason, his legs suddenly gave way, and he stumbled forward two steps. If Wen Jianyan hadn’t reacted quickly enough to steady himself against the nearby wall, he might have fallen face-first onto the ground.
“…”
Wen Jianyan’s brow furrowed tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
Why suddenly…
Suddenly, Wen Jianyan seemed to think of something.
He froze slightly, lowered his head, and pulled open his collar with his fingers to look at the blood-red human-face badge hidden underneath.
It was the existence of this badge that gave him the capital to gamble with the student council, but at the same time…
It concealed too many unknown terrors.
Wen Jianyan curled his fingers, grabbed the badge, and tried to remove it from his collar.
A sharp pain shot from his chest. Wen Jianyan gasped sharply, clenched his fingers, and yanked downwards with force!
He succeeded.
Wen Jianyan’s vision went black. He leaned against the wall, drained of strength, and slowly let out a breath. His forehead was already covered in cold sweat without him realizing, and even his breathing was a little shaky.
He lowered his head and looked at the badge in his palm.
In the faint light, he saw the badge fading at a visible rate. The facial features that had protruded like a human face were also rapidly shriveling, becoming dull and smooth.
“…”
But there was not a trace of joy on Wen Jianyan’s face.
This is bad.
The situation he had most wanted to avoid had now come to pass.
Wen Jianyan put the badge back in his pocket, took a slow, deep breath, and closed his eyes tightly.
Soon, he prepared himself mentally, then pulled open his collar and looked down.
In the faint light, he saw that where the society badge should have been, a nail-sized, rouge-like bloodstain had appeared at some point. It was exactly the size of the badge, its outline still blurry, but it was already gradually taking on the shape of a human face.
He didn’t know if it was an illusion…
In the dim, distant firelight, the face seemed to be smiling at him.
