Chapter 75

Chapter 75

The guide NPC's intention was clear. The voice over the broadcast continued, "As it's the first day of school, official classes will start tomorrow. For today, teachers, please lead the new students to their classrooms and familiarize them with the school rules~"

After that statement, the broadcast went silent.

"Why weren't we given any instructions?" A young girl with a schoolgirl haircut frowned, "And where's our luggage? Why did this dungeon even change our clothes?"

"You've shrunk into a kid and you're worried about clothes?" The slightly darker-skinned girl beside her remarked cheerfully, "I quite like this dungeon, I feel younger."

The schoolgirl-haired girl retorted, "You wouldn't like it so much if you died here."

This made the darker-skinned girl exasperatedly reply, "Can't you think positively for once?"

"Are you both veteran participants?" Chen Yun, who had been listening to their conversation, approached and asked.

"Yes, are you too? My name's Jin Xi." The schoolgirl-haired girl looked at the suitcases beside Chen Yun and Xie Yin Xue, "How come your luggage wasn't taken?"

Chen Yun explained, "It's probably due to our roles."

Chen Yun then took the initiative to explain the current situation to the clueless newcomers.

Xie Yin Xue, during her explanation, observed the group of children. Only five of them had expressions of confusion and doubt—they were the newcomers. Veterans wouldn't have such expressions.

Including the two new teachers, the total number of newcomers in this dungeon was seven.

However, there were sixteen people in this dungeon, eight males and eight females. Even accounting for veterans pretending to be newcomers, the veterans outnumbered the newbies.

...Does the number of newcomers diminish as we progress?

"I'm Chen Yun, a veteran. To make identification easier, let's all share our names," she suggested.

Chen Yun's words snapped Xie Yin Xue back to the present.

He parted his lips, simply introducing, "I'm Xie YinXue, a veteran participant."

The other male teacher, still seeming disoriented, said despondently, "My name's He Wei. I'm a newcomer."

He quickly looked up at Xie Yin Xue and Chen Yun, pleading, "I don't understand any of this. Since you're veterans, please guide me."

Xie Yin Xue remained noncommittal.

Chen Yun, always compassionate, nodded, "I'll do my best."

Seeing this, the female teacher took a few steps toward Chen Yun and introduced herself, "My name's Wu Yue Han. I'm also a newcomer."

"Why didn't they explain anything?" A young girl with a typical schoolgirl haircut complained, "And where's our luggage? Why did this dungeon even change our clothes?"

"You've transformed into a child and you're fretting about clothes?" The slightly tan girl beside her laughed, "I quite like this setup. I feel younger."

The schoolgirl retorted, "You'd think differently if you were to die in this dungeon."

Exasperated, the tan girl shot back, "Can't you be a bit more positive?"

"Are you both seasoned participants?" Chen Yun, having overheard their chat, interjected.

"Yes, and you?" The schoolgirl replied, shifting her gaze to the suitcases by Chen Yun and Xie Yin Xue, "Why wasn't your luggage taken?"

Chen Yun elucidated, "It's probably related to our roles."

Chen Yun then proceeded to inform the befuddled newcomers about their current situation.

Xie Yin Xue, meanwhile, scanned the group of children. Only a handful looked bewildered—sure signs of newcomers. Seasoned participants wouldn't appear so lost.

Including the two new teachers, there were seven newcomers in this dungeon.

Yet, with sixteen participants in total, the newcomers were outnumbered. This meant that something dire must have happened for so many to be on the brink of death at once.

The scenario seemed eerily reminiscent of her first time in the game. The memory cast a shadow over Chen Yun's eyes.

Yun Mei Zhen nodded heavily in response to Wu Yue Han, then looked up at her with a mix of confusion and hope.

Sun Ling Xi heaved a sigh and announced, "I'm Sun Ling Xi, a veteran participant."

At this revelation, her three roommates looked baffled.

Ji Shan Shan confronted her, "What? Ling Xi, you never told us about this!"

"I did," Sun Ling Xi responded with resignation, "But you didn't believe me, so your memories about 'Locking Life' faded... until you entered the game."

The most handsome boy in the group furrowed his brow and asked, "I'm Pei Qing Rong. Do any of you recognize me?"

"So you're Pei Qing Rong," Ji Shan Shan said in astonishment, her tone suggesting some familiarity.

"Right," Pei Qing Rong patting a chubby boy next to him introduced, "This is my roommate Liu Yi. He's a newcomer."

Including He Wei, there are a total of ten individuals from Dongqing University in this instance, with all the newcomers still inside.

The dark-skinned girl who just had a banter with Jin Xi uttered a surprised "Oh?" and then jokingly remarked, "Did not just a single dormitory enter, but the entire school?"

"What on earth happened at your school?" Liu Buhua asked curiously, "Why did so many of you enter?"

"Wei Xiao and I entered the game two months ago while we were swimming," Pei Qingrong said with a shrug, sighing, "As for the others who came in after us, I have no clue."

Luo Changsheng happens once a month, and two months ago was when Pei Qingrong and Wei Xiao first entered the game, so it seems this instance is their third.

After Bu Jiuzhao also introduced himself with a scowl, everyone had a general understanding of one another, and their full attention returned to the instance at hand.

"Didn't the guide NPC instruct us to find the school rules in a classroom?" Wei Xiao, appearing shorter now, stood on his tiptoes and craned his neck to peek past Xie Yinxue, gazing into the empty classroom, "Shall we begin then?"

Ji Shanshan walked over to the door of classroom 101 on the first floor of the teaching building and asked, "But there are so many empty classrooms. Do we have to search them one by one?"

The school layout resembles the character "口". The main entrance faces the teaching building which has four floors, each with four classrooms. To the left of the teaching building is a two-story dormitory, and to the right, there's a cafeteria and a library. Overall, the setting looks more like a kindergarten, matching the participants' reduced heights and appearances.

After Ji Shanshan made her statement, she headed towards an empty classroom.

However, as she reached the doorway, she couldn't proceed further because Xie Yinxue had grabbed the collar of her dress, saying, "Wait."

Chen Yun quickly stepped in to stop Ji Shanshan, "Don't rush in. The guide NPC said to 'find the classroom and get the school rules', not 'find the school rules in the classroom'."

"What's the difference?" Lei Chenglei inquired.

"The difference is significant. The first emphasizes finding the classroom, the latter is about finding the school rules," Pei Qingrong responded seriously, adding, "And we're still not sure—"

Picking up from his sentence, Xie Yinxue softly continued, "If these classrooms are empty or not."

Ji Shanshan instinctively said, "There's no one inside..."

But as she spoke, her voice began to fade.

Indeed, there were no people in the classrooms, but that doesn't necessarily mean... there are no ghosts.

Looking once more at the silent, empty classrooms, Ji Shanshan suddenly felt countless eyes staring intensely at her. Those glares seemed almost tangible, emanating a coldness as if seeping from the depths of the earth, enveloping her entirely, sending shivers down her spine.

She swallowed hard, taking a step, but this time, she stepped backward.

After Ji Shanshan moved away from the empty classroom's doorway, the crisp sound of the school bell began to ring.

The guide NPC informed them that they were newcomers and that official classes would start tomorrow. Hence, they could ignore the current school bell. However, what truly unsettled them was the distinct sound of reading that gradually emerged from the classroom once the bell stopped.

At first, everyone thought they might have misheard. Yet, Sun Lingxi, after carefully listening, confirmed, "The sound of reading is indeed coming from inside."

Ji Shanshan's complexion had turned ghostly white the moment the reading started. Now, she appeared even more shrunken and trembled with tearful eyes.

Seeing this, a paternal instinct welled up in Xie Yinxue. Given that he had numerous adopted sons but not a single adopted daughter, he was about to comfort Ji Shanshan when he heard a sarcastic voice near his feet say, "Oh, I'm so scared."

Looking down, he found it was Bu Jiuzhao.

Noticing Xie Yinxue's gaze, Bu Jiuzhao hugged his arms and shivered mockingly, imitating Ji Shanshan. His emotionless face displayed no trace of fear, making it clear he was ridiculing Ji Shanshan's timidity.

Xie Yinxue: "..."

Such behavior truly warranted a reprimand.

Consequently, Xie Yinxue began to chastise him.

Leaning slightly forward, Xie Yinxue gently tapped Bu Jiuzhao's forehead with his fingertip, admonishing, "Don't bully your peers."

Bu Jiuzhao: "?"

Had Xie Yinxue still not left his role-playing mindset from the last game instance? It's as if he genuinely considered himself "Teacher Xie" now.

But given Bu Jiuzhao's current petite size, Xie Yinxue could easily overlook him with just a glance.

So, after tapping Bu Jiuzhao's head, Xie Yinxue straightened up and advised the others, "Avoid entering the classrooms for now. Listen from outside to find the one without reading sounds."

"Agreed," Chen Yun nodded, adding, "And even if it's silent, don't rush in."

The group then spread out in a limited radius, looking for classrooms devoid of reading sounds.

Liu Yi, the chubby youngster, teamed up with Pei Qingrong and Wei Xiao. As he approached the window of Room 203 and heard no reading sounds, he enthusiastically raised his arm, waving towards Xie Yinxue, who was standing outside Room 204, exclaiming, "This classroom has no reading!"

Since he was calling out, his voice was louder than his regular speaking tone. In a campus where only reading sounds resonated, his voice seemed especially jarring and conspicuous.

Xie Yinxue frowned upon hearing the shout, but before he could signal Liu Yi to be quiet, everyone saw a woman dressed in bright red formal attire, holding a teaching stick, rush up from the staircase and strike Liu Yi's mouth with it.

"Ah!"

Liu Yi cried out in pain from the blow. Due to a child's developed tear ducts, his tears streamed down instantly. As he continued to sob and whimper, with each cry, the woman in red delivered another strike of her stick to his mouth. After three hits, one of his front teeth was knocked out.

From a distance of about four or five meters, Pei Qingrong, limping from an injury, rushed over, swiftly covering Liu Yi's mouth and whispered, "Don't shout."

Liu Yi looked terrifiedly into the eyes of the woman in red. However, when his mouth was covered, his screams were muffled.

Consequently, the woman's fourth strike hovered in mid-air. She paused for a few seconds, and upon noticing Liu Yi's silence, she retracted her stick and started to walk slowly towards the staircase.

Throughout, she did not glance at anyone else.

But just as she was about to descend the second floor, it seemed as if something bright caught her peripheral vision, making her suddenly turn to look at Xie Yinxue.

Xie Yinxue met her gaze and, upon recognizing her face, his eyes briefly flickered. The woman in red, however, shot him a cold, sinister smile, a gaze full of malice and focus, as if she was looking at prey that had once escaped her grasp.

Yet, she did not linger on the second floor and quickly vanished into the stairwell.

Everyone else held their breath, only daring to whisper after she was out of sight, "Where did she come from?"

"I don't know," Yun Meizhen, hiding behind her familiar and real-life teacher Wu Yuehan, whispered back, "She just appeared in the stairwell all of a sudden."

"Godfather…" Liu Buhua tugged at Xie Yinxue's trouser leg, asking softly, "Did you see her face?"

Xie Yinxue nodded, a slight smile forming on his lips, "I did."

Both he and Liu Buhua had encountered the woman in red before. She was the staff member from their escape room experience, "Xu's Photo Studio." The very one who had been chased by the police and had committed suicide.

Yet, Xie Yinxue never imagined he would encounter her again in "Lock Long Life," especially since she was already dead in the real world.

"How did she become an NPC in 'Lock Long Life'?" Liu Buhua was also perplexed, "It seemed she has fixated on you, Godfather. Maybe because I've become smaller, she didn't recognize me."

Xie Yinxue maintained a composed expression, saying nonchalantly, "She wanted to kill us before; now she's just trying in a different place. It's not much different."

Liu Buhua scratched his head, "True."

"So, what happened?" Bu Jiuzhao asked, with hands behind his back, feeling a bit left out, "What did you guys do to upset her?"

Xie Yinxue responded, not completely ignoring Bu Jiuzhao, "Well, Buhua and I might have disrupted something of hers during an escape room game. She then sent ghosts after us, but they failed. My disciple then consumed her ghosts."

"You went to an escape room with Buhua?" Bu Jiuzhao frowned upon hearing this, clearly focusing on a completely different aspect of the story.

Xie Yinxue gave an acknowledging hum, then complimented, "It's quite fun."

Bu Jiuzhao: "..."

Seeing the rest of the group gradually converging around Liu Yi to check on him, Xie Yinxue didn't continue his conversation with Liu Buhua and Bu Jiuzhao but also went over. Thankfully, apart from a swollen mouth and a missing front tooth, Liu Yi appeared unharmed.

"It seems we shouldn't speak loudly here," Jiang Mo remarked with a lingering fear. "Let's keep our voices down."

"Exactly," Jin Xi, despite his youthful appearance, advised maturely, "Hold on a bit, Liu Yi. Any injuries sustained in the game will vanish once we leave the instance. Just make sure you stay alive."

Liu Yi sniffled and nodded vigorously, not daring to utter a word now.

Once everyone settled down, they realized that while Classroom 203 seemed silent, it wasn't devoid of all sounds. Even He Wei detected it, commenting, "It sounds like the flipping of pages from within."

"Exactly," Zhang Caixia, who listened more closely, added, "And the sound of writing."

It was as if there were students inside, engrossed in their studies and assignments.

However, the sounds were so faint that unless one listened intently, they'd be easily overlooked. If not for Xie Yinxue and Chen Yun's repeated warnings against entering rooms recklessly, participants might've assumed a silent room meant it was unoccupied and would've ventured in.

"Let's check the other classrooms," Wei Xiao suggested. "Everyone, be careful. If you find a silent classroom, don't shout—just signal with your hand."

Having witnessed Liu Yi's ordeal, no one wanted to repeat his mistake.

Eventually, after surveying each floor, they located the only classroom from which no sound emanated. Before entering, Jiang Mo couldn't resist commenting, "The number of this classroom is quite ominous."

For it was Classroom 404 on the fourth floor.

Indeed, the school rules mentioned by the guide NPC were right there in plain sight on the teacher's desk—16 volumes in total, conveniently one for each person.

"Why am I so exhausted after climbing just four flights of stairs?"

Liu Buhua gasped for breath as he asked, stabilizing himself by clutching Xie Yinxue's legs. While his physical condition was relatively good, nearly all the other kids, excluding Bu Jiuzhao, sprawled on the floor, winded as if they'd run miles and unable to speak.

Yet, the adults—teachers like Xie Yinxue and Chen Yue—were entirely unaffected.

After catching his breath, Wei Xiao looked at his feeble palm, saying, "It seems our stamina has diminished along with our size."

"This isn't good," remarked Zhang Caixia, who had been joking earlier but now wore a serious expression. "If we encounter danger, escaping will be challenging."

Pointing to the bold, highlighted graduation conditions on the first page of the school rules, Xie

A Note from the Author:

NPC: "Why is it when others shiver you want to embrace them, but when I shiver, you want to hit me?"

Mr. Xie: "Those in the know, understand. No need for further words."

npc：？