WTNL Chapter 14.1

Decai Middle School
Chapter 14.1: This dog scammer is here again!

In the pitch-black darkness, only the flashlight in Kong Shixing’s hand emitted a faint light. The light beam swayed slightly with his steps, feebly swallowed by the darkness ahead.

Kong Shixing looked at Su Cheng with concern and asked in a low voice, “Is your survival time still enough? If not, I can transfer some to you first.”

Su Cheng raised his head, feeling somewhat flattered, and waved his hands, “It’s, it’s still enough…”

When he was acting together with Wen Jianyan earlier, he had accidentally completed the main storyline mission. Coupled with the unexplained sudden surge of traffic in his live broadcast room, his current point reserves were quite ample.

“That’s good.” Kong Shixing nodded. “Since that’s the case, everything will go according to what we just agreed upon.”

Recalling the other party’s proposal just now, Su Cheng was momentarily taken aback, and the expression on his face involuntarily stiffened.

He subconsciously turned his head and cast a glance behind him.

In the darkness, the young man’s tall and straight figure was faintly visible. The distance was too far to see the expression on the other party’s face clearly, but even so, that upright and aloof face was still clearly outlined in his mind.

The help along the way, the rescue at critical moments, and the forbearance and sorrowful expression the other party showed when mentioning his sister…

These images rushed into his mind all at once.

Su Cheng pressed his lips tightly together, and an indescribable sense of guilt welled up in his heart.

Kong Shixing noticed his anomaly and frowned: “What’s wrong? Go ahead.”

Su Cheng remained silent for a few seconds, turned around, and walked towards Wen Jianyan at the end of the team.

The young man seemed to notice the footsteps coming towards him. He raised his eyes and looked at Su Cheng. Swaying light and shadow brushed past his handsome features, and starlight seemed to fall straight into those clear and deep eyes.

His eyes carried an almost intimidating brightness and candor, making the already guilty Su Cheng almost afraid to meet his gaze: “Finished?”

Wen Jianyan’s voice was clear and bright, with a slightly cold texture, carrying a hint of imperceptible concern.

He paused and added the second half of the sentence: “How is your classmate over there doing?”

“…” Su Cheng gave a low “Mm” and looked away.

Wen Jianyan seemed not to notice. A trace of worry brushed past his brows, and he continued on his own: “After all, you are all still students. Encountering this kind of thing, it must be hard to calm down completely. But don’t worry, as long as I am here, I won’t let any danger fall upon you.”

Su Cheng: “…”

It’s over; I feel even more ashamed.

In the live broadcast room 789326qwk:

[Hahahahahaha he’s acting, he’s acting!]

[Who understands? The streamer is really so charming when he’s scamming people. (Tipped 50 points)]

[Damn, if I didn’t know this guy’s true colors, I feel like I’d be fooled too.]

[Right, right, even through the screen I can feel my resolve wavering.]

[…What should I do? My morality is condemning this dog scammer, but I can’t help getting more and more hooked the more I watch. (Tipped 50 points)]

[Hooked +1. (Tipped 100 points)]

Looking at the other party’s conflicted expression, a smiling curve brushed past Wen Jianyan’s lips.

He very considerately offered a topic: “By the way, you have something to ask me, right?”

Su Cheng: “…Mm, mm.”

He stammered: “I-it’s just that I was so busy running earlier, I didn’t have time to ask what exactly you discovered on the fourth floor of the teaching building just now, and what on earth happened at that time? C-can you tell me?”

Wen Jianyan sighed regretfully in his heart.

This way of coaxing information was a bit too stiff and direct, lacking even the slightest sense of artistry.

But then again, since the other party had no experience in this area, he couldn’t be too demanding, right?

Su Cheng raised his eyes somewhat nervously, looking towards Wen Jianyan.

“Of course.”

The young man before him seemed not to have the slightest suspicion, nodding candidly.

Immediately after, he briefly summarized what he saw after opening the locker.

The more Su Cheng listened, the more alarmed he became. Although he had smelled that thick, putrid stench of blood earlier, he hadn’t clearly seen what was exactly inside the locker. He didn’t expect… that inside would actually be such… evil things.

Su Cheng hesitated for a moment and asked: “So, are the things in that locker your sister’s?”

“No, they are not.” Wen Jianyan shook his head, stating with certainty: “These things belong to the person who harmed my sister.”

All of this was verified after he returned to the dormitory building.

The female student in the dorm who initially gave him the key was not Xu Yuan, but the person who, through some method, forcefully swapped identities with Xu Yuan and stole Xu Yuan’s “face.” Therefore, the locker that the key opened actually belonged to her, not Xu Yuan.

However, for some yet unknown reason, she didn’t seem to have succeeded.

Nevertheless, Xu Yuan also lost her identity and face because of this, becoming that faceless ghost, wandering endlessly in the dormitory building, instinctively searching for what she had lost—

A face.

These were the deductions Wen Jianyan made based on the known clues.

Su Cheng was stunned. Before he could ask anything, he heard the other party throw out a bombshell of information with a steady tone, without any warning: “Furthermore, this matter might be exactly related to why this school has become like this.”

Su Cheng widened his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy and dazzled by the other party’s sudden conclusion: “What—?”

“Remember the notebook I found in that locker?”

Wen Jianyan took a thin pamphlet out of his pocket and waved it lightly in front of the other’s eyes: “I flipped through it briefly at the time and found that there are many unbelievable things written inside, things that could almost completely subvert my past cognition, even including… the source of the entire school’s mutation.”

Su Cheng subconsciously held his breath: “What?”

“A method.” Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes and elaborated: “To be precise, it’s a ritual.”

Su Cheng had a bad premonition in his heart: “A ritual? Could it be to summon something?”

“Exactly.” Wen Jianyan cast him an approving look and continued: “A mirror.”

Su Cheng was stunned: “A mirror?”

“Yes, a mirror that can fulfill all of people’s wishes.”

As a scammer, Wen Jianyan always subconsciously paid attention to details.

And the female student in the dorm with her head upside down was wearing an old-fashioned school uniform, a style from at least twenty years ago, which was even earlier than the time when the dialogue in the hidden side quest took place.

Coupled with the contents recorded in the pamphlet, he could basically confirm that this incident with Xu Yuan was the beginning of the entire school’s mutation, and that transaction involving Xiao Jie must have happened a long time after that.

Perhaps because of this, the hidden item related to it was of “Epic” rank.

—However, Wen Jianyan was not prepared to say all this information out loud together.

The viewers watching the live stream were also shocked.

[So the main storyline of this instance is actually like this!]

[So is the streamer lying or not? I can’t tell anymore…]

[It should be made up, right? Isn’t his unlock progress only at 71%? Plus, he hasn’t even gotten his hands on the Epic-level item yet. How could he have already dug out the entire main storyline?]

[As a viewer who has watched the Decai Middle School instance more than once, I can responsibly say that the conclusion the streamer has drawn now… has a high probability of being true.]

[Right right, I’ve watched it a few times too. Although those streamers basically all went for the side storylines, there are many details inside that match the streamer’s conclusion.]

[This actually aligns with that mirror in 408 too. I think the streamer probably isn’t lying this time.]

[Then I don’t understand. If this is the truth, why would the streamer say it out loud?]

[I don’t understand either. The streamer should know that the other side is preparing to deal with him, right? Is it really okay to just carelessly blurt out the truth he deduced?]

Su Cheng was too shocked to speak.

The young man before him continued speaking on his own: “Besides this, there is an even more crucial thing written in that notebook.”

Su Cheng asked in a slight daze: “Wh… what is it?”

“How to destroy the mirror.”

Wen Jianyan stared steadily at the other party, his expression serious and solemn, as he lightly dropped another bomb no less powerful than the previous one.

?! Su Cheng widened his eyes and subconsciously opened his mouth wide, but broken words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t speak a single sentence for a long time.

A few seconds later, he finally found his voice and asked in disbelief: “Y-you mean, you know… how to end all of this?”

No, he didn’t know at all.

But that didn’t affect his ability to make things up.

Wen Jianyan nodded without changing his expression.

“Although I’ve always refused to admit it, my sister…” He pursed his lips, a well-concealed trace of gloom brushing past his brows and eyes: “Should be, already gone.”

The young man’s fingers hanging by his side slowly tightened. The distinct veins on the back of his fair hand showed due to the exertion, and a spot of crimson blood seeped through the bandages.

“My sister was a very kind child.” He raised his eyes, his gaze shining like stars, carrying an unquestionable determination: “I also cannot allow more victims to appear. Even if it’s for her, I must end all of this.”

Su Cheng looked back at him and fell into silence.

After a long while, he slowly spoke: “Xu Wen, you are a very good older brother. Xu Yuan… will definitely feel comforted.”

Wen Jianyan, immersed in his role, did not see that “Cheng Huaquan,” who had been walking slowly at the very back with his head constantly lowered since earlier, paused slightly, slowly raised his head, and looked in this direction.

His face was even paler than before. The junction between his neck and cheeks was slightly wrinkled. A pair of pitch-black, hollow, bottomless eyes looked emotionlessly in this direction. His entire face appeared puffy and stiff, somewhere between human and inhuman, giving off a hair-raising, bizarre feeling.

In the live broadcast room, a viewer suddenly recognized the person before them.

[Wait… isn’t this the streamer with the highest initial survival time?]

[Hahahahaha sorry, I just remembered the streamer’s 20-minute initial time. LMAO, it’s truly bad luck to the extreme.]

[No no no, that’s not what I mean! I mean, that streamer died way back around ten o’clock at night! I saw it with my own eyes!]

[?]

[???]

[?????]

[Yeah, speaking of which, I do have an impression of this. I even saw this scammer’s room number in his live broadcast room. His stream has been disconnected anyway, so he’s definitely dead.]

[How did he die?]

[He was killed by the most troublesome ghost in this instance.]

[…Xu Yuan?]

[Fuck, right! According to this streamer’s deduction, that ghost is Xu Yuan!]

[So, this person right now is Xu Yuan wearing the streamer’s skin???]

[And the streamer even said he was her brother right in front of her?]

[Then, regarding this scammer streamer who appeared out of thin air claiming to be her brother, what do you guys think Xu Yuan herself would think?]

After drawing this conclusion, the passionately discussing barrage suddenly fell quiet for a moment.

[…]

[Fuck, that really is bad luck to the extreme.]

[Hahahahahahahahahaha rollover guaranteed!]

[Hahahahahahahahahaha I can’t stop laughing, is this the power of a famously E-rank luck streamer?]

After listening to the information Su Cheng brought back, Kong Shixing was stunned.

He subconsciously held his breath, almost unable to believe his ears.

…Incredible, truly incredible.

This was absolutely no ordinary clue, and it couldn’t possibly be an ordinary item!

If… if what that NPC said was true, after following this procedure and completing the entire storyline, it wouldn’t just be a 100% exploration unlock, it could even trigger a Platinum achievement!

After achieving a Platinum achievement, the entire instance would be closed.

And as the streamer who received this honor, he would become an epic figure with a perfect clear, his name forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Under the temptation of immense benefits, an excited light radiated from the depths of Kong Shixing’s eyes, and his entire body trembled slightly.

He looked at Su Cheng: “That pamphlet… did you get your hands on it?”

Su Cheng lowered his eyes and shook his head.

Indecisive trash.

A flash of hostility crossed Kong Shixing’s eyes, but upon thinking of the other party’s utility value, he forcibly swallowed the words that were about to blurt out.

He took a deep breath and said in as calm a voice as possible, “It’s fine, let me take over from here.”

Kong Shixing turned around and walked towards Wen Jianyan at the end of the team.

And Wen Jianyan was just waiting for him.

Watching the veteran streamer walk towards him, he raised his eyebrows and asked knowingly, “What’s wrong? Is there something the matter?”

Kong Shixing suppressed his excitement: “Brother Xiao Wen, I heard… you know the way to end all of this and return the entire school to its original state?”

Wen Jianyan silently curled his lips.

Greed is forever the deep-rooted bad habit of humanity.

When a person desires something, that is exactly when their mind is most easily clouded.

The young man froze, averted his gaze to cover up, and said in a stiff tone: “This is not something you students should be concerned about.”

Before Kong Shixing could speak, Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and said solemnly: “This school is truly too dangerous right now. You guys should leave as soon as possible. I’ve actually already contacted my superiors; they should be here very soon. Once we leave this floor, I will escort you out of the school. You don’t need to worry about what happens next; just leave it to me.”

Apply a bit of appropriate pressure.

Create a sense of urgency.

Kong Shixing got a little anxious.

He stepped forward, shortening the distance between him and Wen Jianyan: “After experiencing all this, do you really think reinforcements will come? Even if your call really went through, do you think they can get in?”

“…” Wen Jianyan’s eyes flickered, and he fell silent.

“If you really want to protect us, then let us help you solve this together.”

Kong Shixing took another step forward: “Only in this way can we truly save more people, isn’t that right?”

In the live broadcast room:

[Wait, this familiar rhetoric…!]

[This dog scammer is at it again!]

Wen Jianyan hesitated for a few seconds before finally conceding.

“It’s not that I don’t want this to end; it’s just…”

Seeing the other party’s attitude soften, Kong Shixing grew faintly excited and pressed: “Just what?”

The corridor fell into a dead silence.

After a long time, the young man let out a shallow sigh and said with some difficulty: “…The conditions are too harsh.”

“What conditions?” Kong Shixing asked almost impatiently.

“We need three things to complete the ritual.”

Wen Jianyan pulled a small red cloth bundle from his pocket.

He nimbly untied the hair wrapping the mouth of the bag, revealing a molar and half a lock of hair lying inside: “I have already obtained one of them, but I still have absolutely no clue about the other two.”

“Th-this is…?”

At that moment, the system notification sound rang in Kong Shixing’s ears, and he couldn’t help but widen his eyes. —A Hard-level hidden item?!

The young man gave a bitter smile: “I don’t know what it is either.”

Kong Shixing’s eyes started glowing green. He knew what this was!

He hadn’t expected that the thing he had been searching for since entering the instance but couldn’t find, was actually on this NPC from the very beginning! This NPC was practically a walking treasure trove!

Wen Jianyan waved the red cloth bundle in his hand at Kong Shixing: “I got this from the duty room. The process of getting it was very difficult, and I also paid a great price for it.”

Kong Shixing suddenly realized. So this was why the old witch kept chasing after this NPC.

“I only know the locations of these three things, but I don’t know exactly what they are.”

Wen Jianyan took a small pamphlet out of his pocket. The moment he saw the pamphlet, Kong Shixing’s eyes lit up fiercely. His gaze clung greedily to the pamphlet, moving along with it.

The young man opened the pamphlet, used one hand to take out a piece of paper tucked in the middle, and then used the other hand to pass the pamphlet to Kong Shixing: “Hold this for me.”

Kong Shixing was taken aback and subconsciously took the pamphlet from the other’s hand.

He raised his eyes, an inquiring gaze falling on the piece of paper in Wen Jianyan’s hand.

The night was pitch-black, so dark in the corridor that one couldn’t see their own fingers. Kong Shixing’s flashlight was currently in Su Cheng’s hands, and the faint light could not penetrate such dense darkness.

The young man before him unfolded the paper, frowning, his gaze heavy and serious.

After a long time, he raised his head: “Of the remaining two, one is right on the fourth floor, and the other one…”

Wen Jianyan frowned, let out a sigh, and showed Kong Shixing the missing corner of the paper: “I only know it is in this dormitory building, but I am not clear about the specific location.”

Kong Shixing’s gaze shifted from the cloth bundle in his hand to the paper. He subconsciously swallowed his saliva, and it took him a long while to forcefully pull his gaze back: “The other one, I might know what it is.”

Wen Jianyan put on a stunned look: “…What did you say?”

Kong Shixing took out an identical small red cloth bundle from his own pocket. Inside the bundle lay a small severed piece of a finger. The cross-section was neat and bright red, looking as if it had just been cut from a hand, appearing exceptionally glaring in the dim light.

“Th-this is…” Wen Jianyan widened his eyes, abruptly stepped forward, and naturally took the cloth bundle from Kong Shixing’s hand.

Support me on Ko-fi