WTNL Chapter 5.1

Decai Middle School
Chapter 5.1: Congratulations to the streamer for triggering the scenario: Chase Battle

“Clang!”

Wen Jianyan fell flat on his back, landing in an extremely ungraceful manner.

His tailbone knocked against the hard floor, sending a burst of faint, dull pain that slightly twisted his expression and forced him to bite back a low curse between his teeth.

But this was not the time to complain.

Wen Jianyan swallowed his grievances, bared his teeth, raised his head, and quickly scanned the environment he was in.

Bright incandescent lights overhead, a sink with dirty edges in front of him, and rows of dark blue stalls behind him—whether it was the color scheme or the facilities, it looked much newer than the scenes in the previous instance.

It was obvious that this was a restroom.

A women’s restroom.

“…”

Even people who didn’t often watch movies knew clearly that this kind of scene right before their eyes was absolutely a favorite location for various horror films.

Suddenly being thrown alone into such a place, Wen Jianyan, who wasn’t a brave person to begin with, couldn’t help but feel even more slightly terrified in his heart right now.

Steady, steady, steady.

He repeatedly muttered to himself in his mind.

Wen Jianyan walked to the door, reached out, and pushed hard.

It didn’t budge at all.

The door handle was shaken, making a clattering sound, but the door panel was as if it had been sealed with cement, remaining completely motionless under Wen Jianyan’s shaking.

…

Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic!

Besides, this is a D-rank instance, a D-rank instance! It shouldn’t throw people into a certain-death situation this quickly.

Wen Jianyan squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying hard to calm himself down.

He took out his identity card from his pocket.

[Identity Card]
Name: Cheng Wei (Changed to: Xiao Wen / Xiao Zhao)
Age: 16 (Changed to: ???)
Occupation: 1st Year High School Student at Decai Middle School (Changed to: Intern Teacher for 1st Year High School at Decai Middle School / Director Shen’s distant nephew)
Related Plot: Not yet unlocked (Changed to: ???)

Wen Jianyan noticed that the few lines of text related to the “Xiao Wen” identity had deepened in color considerably compared to before, while the text on the “Xiao Zhao” side was a faint gray, as if it would disappear in the next second.

He revealed a thoughtful expression.

It seemed that as the number of people who believed it increased, this identity would gradually solidify, simply as if it was being acknowledged step by step.

Then, as long as his identity wasn’t exposed, could he perhaps create a plot that had never existed in this instance before?

—It was simply like tampering with the script.

He composed himself and reeled in his wandering thoughts.

This wasn’t something a person like him, whose life was in imminent danger, should be worrying about right now.

Wen Jianyan flipped the identity card to the back.

He saw that the numbers on the back of the card were frozen at 21:05, motionless.

Looking at that stagnant countdown, he couldn’t help but freeze slightly.

This meant that survival time was not consumed inside the “hidden side quest”.

Not wasting time was a good thing.

But… this also symbolized a dangerous tendency.

Outside, although survival time was a restriction, it was also a kind of protection to a certain extent.

According to the information revealed by that veteran streamer earlier, in this kind of simple instance, as long as you didn’t break the rules or actively court death, time wouldn’t be deducted, which would always give streamers a psychological buffer zone.

However, inside this “hidden side quest,” this rule obviously didn’t apply.

In other words, he couldn’t predict anything that was about to happen next.

Wen Jianyan shuddered, an ominous premonition suddenly rising in his heart.

Right at this moment, an inorganic mechanical voice sounded in Wen Jianyan’s ear: “Ding, detected that the streamer has been broadcasting for two hours. Do you wish to initiate point settlement?”

This voice pulled Wen Jianyan back from his dazed state.

“Initiate,” he answered.

“In E-rank live broadcast room 789326qwk, the average number of viewers per hour is 2000, exchangeable for 200 points.

Detected that the streamer is a newbie streamer; your points earned from this live broadcast will be doubled. 400 points have been settled into your account.

You are still 4600 points away from upgrading your live broadcast room. Please keep up the good work, streamer, and create more brilliance!”

“During your live broadcast, you received tips from a total of 63 people, obtaining a total of 500 tip points.

Detected that the streamer is a newbie streamer, the system will not take a cut from this live broadcast. 500 points have been settled into your account.”

[Your remaining account points are: 900]

[Next points settlement time is: 24:00]

“Wait…” Wen Jianyan suddenly realized something: “A cut? Your system actually takes a cut?”

“Yes,” that inorganic voice answered politely. “After the newbie streamer period ends, the system’s cut from tips will gradually increase.”

“…”

The corner of Wen Jianyan’s eye twitched, and he said dryly, “You guys really know how to make money.”

He suddenly had an ominous premonition and continued asking, “What about the points from the number of viewers? Will you take a cut from that?”

“No.”

But, before Wen Jianyan could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard that mechanical voice continue to say:

“However, as your streamer rating increases, the point exchange ratio will also flexibly change. All our rules will take the audience’s viewing experience as the starting point; please rest assured.”

—Translated, that meant right now it was one to ten, but in the future, it might not necessarily be, right?

Wen Jianyan: “…”

Rest assured, my ass!

That group of viewers’ viewing experience required him to exchange it with his life!

Damn capitalists!

Before he could continue questioning, approaching footsteps came from outside the washroom door. Immediately after, the low laughter and playful banter of two girls transmitted through the door panel.

“!”

Wen Jianyan was startled and reflexively dodged into one of the stalls.

The second after he hid inside, he heard a “creak.” That restroom door, which just now hadn’t budged at all under an adult man’s shaking, was pushed open this easily.

“Tap, tap, tap.”

Along with light footsteps, the conversation of two unfamiliar girls came from outside the door.

“…Speaking of which, have you heard about that?”

The girl’s lowered voice carried a thrilling excitement.

“What?”

“You know, that legend!”

Wen Jianyan stood inside the restroom stall, listening to the conversation outside, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

As an adult man, secretly hiding in a school girls’ restroom eavesdropping…

It was truly a bit perverted.

The conversation between the two girls outside continued.

“Ah! Are you talking about…”

“Yes!”

Unknowingly, the girls’ footsteps stopped right in front of the door of the restroom stall Wen Jianyan was in. Their shadows slightly swayed under the door gap, and their voices clearly transmitted through the stall door:

“A mirror in dormitory 408. As long as you can find it, it can grant you one wish.”

The other girl’s voice was somewhat hesitant: “Do we have a 408 on the fourth floor?”

“It’s said there was, but 408 was later sealed off with cement.”

The girl said mysteriously, “You have to go look for it after midnight to find it. And after you open the door…”

“Oh stop it!”

The other girl raised her voice in some panic, interrupting the other’s narration: “If Teacher Yang hears you, she’ll definitely punish you with confinement!”

“That old witch?”

The girl’s voice turned gloomy: “A few days ago, she not only slapped me but also punished me by not letting me eat dinner. For this kind of ugly, cheap, and disgusting woman, dying early would be a contribution to the world.”

“Y-You, keep your voice down…”

“I won’t.” She giggled twice: “Anyway, that old witch better pray I’m not the one who finds the mirror; otherwise, I won’t let her off.”

The faucet turned on and off. The two girls chatted and laughed while finishing washing their hands, and their footsteps gradually moved away.

As the footsteps left, all the sounds in the restroom seemed to be sucked away by a sponge, leaving only a heart-palpitating deathly silence.

Wen Jianyan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and lowered his eyes to look at the gap at the bottom of the stall.

The shadow that was just swaying had disappeared.

…Did they leave?

He raised his fingertips, just about to push the door open and walk out.

“Drip, drop.”

The sound of dripping water came from outside the door, and Wen Jianyan’s movement involuntarily paused slightly.

“Drip, drop. Drip, drop.”

The sound of dripping water drew closer, sounding right against the door.

“Drip, drop.”

A drop of scarlet, viscous liquid fell from the ceiling, landing on the back of the young man’s fair hand.

Wen Jianyan stood stiffly in place. A shuddering sensation slowly crawled up his spine, and an unspeakable sense of terror made his entire body turn cold.

Immediately after, he felt the back of his neck itch a bit.

It was simply as if… long hair hanging down from the ceiling was swaying, gently brushing against his cold-sweat-covered skin.

Right at this moment, a girl’s laughter rang out from above Wen Jianyan’s head:

“Hehe, eavesdropping, caught you.”

Before the sound of the word “you” had even landed, Wen Jianyan abruptly raised his foot and viciously kicked the restroom door in front of him.

Half the hinges fell off, and the entire door crashed to the ground with a “clang”, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The next second, as if his ass was on fire, the young man’s figure darted out with a “swish,” rushing towards the outside of the restroom door without looking back.

“…”

Seeming to not have reacted for a moment, the hair hanging down from the ceiling paused for a bit, then as if enraged, it fiercely surged toward the direction where the young man’s figure had disappeared—

The viewers in the live broadcast room hadn’t reacted either.

[?]

[???]

[I was still waiting for the look-up jump scare!! Why did he just run away directly!]

[I’m so mad! Look up! If you don’t look up, what are we supposed to watch!]

[Fuck, this streamer darts faster than a rabbit. I think he’s running so fast he’s leaving afterimages.]

[Hahahahahahahahahah fuck, the streamer’s desire to survive is practically overflowing the screen; I’m roaring with laughter, fam.]

Aaaaaaaaahhhh!

There’s something behind me, there’s something!!!!

Wen Jianyan screamed frantically in his mind while running for his life.

Nonsense! If I don’t run, what am I waiting for?! Waiting for the other side to politely ask, “Excuse me, can I kill you”?

Of the thirty-six stratagems¹, fleeing is best!

Who cares what that thing is, just run first and talk later!

After rushing out of the restroom, a highly familiar corridor appeared before his eyes, stretching pitch-black into the distance, with almost no end in sight.

Obviously, he had returned to the dormitory building again.

It was just that the scene before his eyes was much newer than before. Most of the stains on the walls and floor had disappeared; he was probably not in the same timeline.

Right at this moment, rustling sounds came from behind him, like something rubbing against the walls and floor.

While running forward, Wen Jianyan took a moment to turn his head and glance back.

That single glance made his entire scalp go numb.

Pitch-black hair was like writhing snakes, clinging to and extending outward from inside the restroom door. Deep within that oppressive dark tide, ghastly pale limbs could be faintly seen clustered together, surging towards his direction wave after wave.

A faint, intermittent humming came from amidst the hair.

A mechanical, flat voice sounded highly inappropriately:

[Congratulations to the streamer for triggering the scene: Chase Battle
Scene countdown: 10:00]

__

Note:

1. The Thirty-Six Stratagems: A Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war and civil interaction. ↩︎

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