“Chapter 57 Dormitory Ghost Stories (End)”

"Chapter 57 Dormitory Ghost Stories (End)"

"◎A terrifying Shi Youqing...◎"

"Ren Yi lay on the ground, utterly unable to rise, feeling Bo Huai's punches like a hammer. In those few seconds, he trembled in pain, not daring to make a sound, his mind racing to find a chance to fight back... until he heard Shi Youqing and Ye Jing’s conversation."

"A call, a recording..."

"Ren Yi’s eyes widened instantly."

"'You're playing me?'"

"'There’s nothing about you worth playing with,' Shi Youqing shook his head in denial."

"'Damn it!' Ren Yi was on the verge of madness, his roar mixed with indignation and anger, but more than that, an unmistakable fear. His eyes splitting with fury, he looked up at Chen Zheng and the others above, his entire body tensed, glaring at them like a ghost, 'Don’t believe him, it’s not like that...'"

"Chen Zheng was obviously afraid of him, retreating while holding the staircase."

"'It’s not me... it’s Shi Youqing!' Ren Yi tried to get up, but before he could approach, a man with a cold expression swept him back to the ground with a kick."

"Ren Yi, holding his stomach, looked up."

"From the top of the stairs, Shi Youqing looked down at him, lips unmoved, evidently having nothing more to say to him."

"Ren Yi tried to move again, but the silent man suddenly grabbed his hand. Before he could react, his feet were off the ground."

"Bo Huai effortlessly lifted him, then swung his right arm, nearly leaving a blur in the air."

"Ren Yi passed out completely."

"In the meantime, more and more people ran down, including Yu Ze, who held a steel pipe he had prepared at some point. Seeing the scene, he paused slightly, then instinctively blocked the dorm supervisor and others behind him."

"Bo Huai dropped the man and, without a word, carried Shi Youqing on his back and left."

"Above, the dorm supervisor, quite frightened, yelled, 'I’ve called the police, nobody move! Whatever the situation, wait for the police to sort it out!'"

"'No, run!' Yu Ze hurriedly said."

"'Aren’t you coming?' Shi Youqing frowned and looked back, 'Let’s go together!'"

"The figure paused, then vigorously shook his head at him."

"The world seemed to be falling apart, not just the dorm supervisor, but all the students ran out, seemingly trying their best to stop them from leaving."

"Yu Ze desperately blocked the crowd, gritting his teeth, 'I can't leave anymore!'"

"'Can’t leave, then we have to try!' At that moment, Feng Bin charged through the crowd."

"He carried a wooden board on his back—ripped from a bed frame."

"Now a makeshift shield, he swept it back with force, creating a gap in the crowd, then tossed the board and grabbed Yu Ze, rushing downstairs."

"Shi Youqing sighed in relief, tightly gripping Bo Huai’s muscular arms, 'The exit is near the window by the sink, hurry!'"

"'Ren Yi is awake! No, he will...' Yu Ze’s face contorted almost ferociously as he looked toward the writhing figure in the corner. Suddenly pushing Feng Bin away, he lunged fiercely at the slowly rising boy, 'Stop worrying about me, the last person to leave this level will be dragged back by him! Even if we clear the level perfectly, someone is destined to die! I’m not an NPC yet—just go!'"

"'...What?' Feng Bin turned pale, glancing urgently at Shi Youqing."

"Shi Youqing, having heard everything, remained expressionless, glanced at the nearby exit, then suddenly turned back, 'Feng Bin, take Ye Jing out first.'"

"Without a word, Feng Bin clenched his fist and ran forward with Ye Jing, amidst roars and various warnings."

"Ye Jing trembled in fear, but Feng Bin, as if he heard nothing, reached the exit and forcefully pushed Ye Jing up, then turned and ran back, stopping unexpectedly after a few steps."

"Feng Bin had never seen Bo Huai like this."

"To prevent Shi Youqing from falling off his back, Bo Huai had used a climbing rope to tightly bind their waists. Now, he was running towards them with one hand pulling Yu Ze and the other holding the seemingly crazed Ren Yi."

"'...Is this even possible?!'"

"According to Yu Ze, the murderer in this instance would always leave the last player behind. Normally, players would rush to leave, not wanting to be the last one... but now, Shi Youqing and Bo Huai were planning to take the murderer out of the instance!"

"If a player stayed in the instance, they’d die, so wouldn’t the same apply to the murderer once they left the instance?"

"Meanwhile, Shi Youqing, realizing the knot around his waist was too tight to come down, gave up on the idea of walking by himself. He glanced back at the horde of NPCs surging madly towards them and called to Feng Bin in front, 'Meet us at the window!'"

"Feng Bin snapped back to his senses, turned, and sprinted towards the window, leaping into the white light."

"Yu Ze was utterly stunned."

"Approaching the exit, Feng Bin's hand reached out from inside, 'Give me your hand!'"

"Yu Ze, almost numbly, extended his hand, and was then pulled up."

"Shi Youqing initially thought of throwing Ren Yi up first to see what would happen, but Zong Zhu Yuan's voice came from behind, 'Don’t waste your energy, he won’t die, I’ve tried.'"

"Shi Youqing turned to look."

"Zong Zhu Yuan, completely ignoring the NPCs' frenzy, continued forward, only to be grabbed by the dorm supervisor, 'Don’t even think about running!'"

"Zong Zhu Yuan stopped, kicked back sharply, and with a fierce spin..."

"...left the dorm supervisor sprawled on the ground amidst screams."

"As a group of students rushed to help, Zong Zhu Yuan didn’t flee but continued to walk forward arrogantly, 'Shi Youqing, don’t you want to end the story here? Why not just kill him here and be done with it?'"

"After speaking, he tossed a pencil sharpener blade over."

"Bo Huai caught it first, clutching the blade tightly, his eyes cold. He aimed it forward but at the approaching Zong Zhu Yuan."

"Zong Zhu Yuan, startled, dodged backwards, 'Damn, can’t you even tell NPCs apart?'"

"Bo Huai’s eyes gleamed fiercely, 'You die first—'"

"Zong Zhu Yuan, 'What’s the rush... I’m just teaching him how to kill. After all, they’re both meant to die, so what difference does it make who does it?'"

"Bo Huai’s muscles tensed, unable to suppress his murderous intent. He dropped Ren Yi, and with a swift motion, aimed a strike at Zong Zhu Yuan, whose chest was suddenly stained with blood."

"'You’re actually serious?!'"

"The crowd surged again, and Shi Youqing grabbed his shoulder, 'Let’s get Ren Yi up there first!'"

"Bo Huai pursed his lips tightly, halting his actions and following Shi Youqing’s directive, swiftly carrying Ren Yi towards the exit."

"He first placed Shi Youqing into the window, then climbed up with Ren Yi."

"In the white light, Feng Bin and Yu Ze hadn’t left yet."

"Seeing Ren Yi still struggling, Feng Bin looked troubled, 'He... he’s still alive...'"

"'I didn’t plan to take him out,' said Shi Youqing, 'If he really died in the 'other world,' all our efforts would’ve been for nothing.'"

"Confusion flickered in Feng Bin’s eyes, 'So what now...?'"

"Shi Youqing smiled at him, 'Didn’t you forget? The dorm supervisor said he called the police.'"

"Feng Bin suddenly caught on, looking at him in disbelief."

"Shi Youqing’s eyes twinkled with a smile, 'Since Ren Yi is the system’s constraint for the last player to leave, then the police are the NPCs to constrain Ren Yi. Once the police arrive, we’ll throw him out.'"

"Bo Huai: 'Actually, we can throw him out now.'"

"Shi Youqing knew what he was thinking, his smile unwavering, 'Zong Zhu Yuan won’t be held back by him. He’ll kill Ren Yi first before leaving.'"

"Feng Bin: 'Zong Zhu Yuan hasn’t left?'"

"Shi Youqing nodded, 'Now that the rules are ineffective, he’s probably taking the opportunity to explore the White World.'"

"He must have done this often before, otherwise, he wouldn’t know that taking NPCs out was futile."

"Soon, the sound of police sirens echoed outside the exit."

"Hearing the approach of the police, Bo Huai forcefully pushed Ren Yi out."

"They didn’t linger, turning towards the source of the light."

"Walking along, Shi Youqing looked back at the dispirited Yu Ze."

"Yu Ze, his head hanging, followed them mechanically like a puppet."

"Shi Youqing said, 'Bo Huai, put me down.'"

"Bo Huai hesitated, then shook his head."

"Shi Youqing then spoke to Yu Ze, 'Then stay close to me.'"

"No response."

"Shi Youqing continued, 'You still have Guo Yalan’s letter, right?'"

"Yu Ze paused, then stiffly lifted his head."

"Shi Youqing looked away, his laughter gone, appearing tired, coughing softly, completely resting on Bo Huai’s back."

"Yu Ze staggered along, following the figure in front."

"Though he knew he couldn't survive with the NPC's assessment failed, the mention of Guo Yalan's name, as if by instinct, propelled him to move his legs, keeping close to Shi Youqing."

"Soon, Yu Ze's head throbbed increasingly, his vision blurring, and a tearing pain in his chest... He had a clear sense that he was about to die, yet he still mechanically dragged his feet forward."

"Vaguely, he seemed to hear Shi Youqing's voice again, 'Stay close, don’t fall behind.'"

"In excruciating pain, barely able to breathe, feeling as if his body were being crushed, he still struggled to move forward."

"Just before the point of asphyxiation, Yu Ze couldn’t help but lift his head, his step faltering."

"Where was Shi Youqing’s figure in front of him now?"

"No, that perhaps was Shi Youqing, a terrifying Shi Youqing..."

"A monster with silver-white long hair roared forward, each step flattening hills before him, its hair whipping like lashes, deflecting countless life-threatening currents aimed at him. The thousands of electrical currents merged and attacked him repeatedly, only to be swept away by the beautiful silver strands..."

"That was a battle between two forces, and the monster, besides moving forward, barely used its limbs, relying solely on its hair for a unilateral destruction."

"The currents that brought him unbearable pain were mere nuisances before those wisps of hair, easily swatted away like annoying mosquitoes..."

"Yu Ze’s eyes widened in horror, but his body’s instinct overrode his consciousness. Amidst agony and panic, he reluctantly closed his eyes..."

*

"In the pathway to reality, Shi Youqing opened the story of the instance."

"The unfolding scene brought an unsettling faint laughter, and in the center, small cats and dogs were being tortured... Then, an adult's voice began to echo."

"'Look at Lin Shuo, then at yourself! Why can't you learn from Lin Shuo?'"

"'Lin Shuo is so well-behaved, if only you were half as obedient as him!'"

……

"The chaotic scenes were filled with various forms of malice, quickly shifting to a pair of hands tearing at a toy labeled 'Lin Shuo,' eventually ripping it apart..."

"The scenes flickered briefly, spanning several years, and two teenagers were seen laughing and playing on a street."

"That was Lin Shuo and Ren Yi during their first year of high school."

"Walking to the school gate, Lin Shuo suddenly stopped, looking at Ren Yi with a troubled expression, 'I’ve been receiving some threatening letters recently...'"

"Ren Yi was surprised, 'What? Who? I'll confront them for you!'"

"Lin Shuo was silent for a few seconds before saying, 'The letters say that they know my dad gambles and are threatening to expose my family’s issues to the school.'"

"Ren Yi spat, 'That bastard... Don’t worry, I’ll help you find out who it is...'"

"'Actually, I don’t care at all,' Lin Shuo interrupted, 'My dad doesn’t represent me. Besides, my mom has already separated from him. I just find the person behind this very strange.'"

"Ren Yi scoffed, 'Some people just have a dark mentality. Since you don’t care, just let it be!'"

"Lin Shuo looked at him for a few more moments, then sighed and fell silent."

"The scene shifted to a month later, with the figures of the two teenagers again."

"Lin Shuo, pale-faced, walked ahead."

"Ren Yi followed behind, 'I heard about your mom’s situation. I don’t know what to say... But Lin Shuo, don’t suppress yourself. Tell me anything; I’ll do my best to help!'"

"Lin Shuo ignored him."

"Ren Yi patted his shoulder, his mouth betraying a smirk."

"That afternoon, Ren Yi was caught red-handed by Lin Shuo on the rooftop with a stray cat."

"'I, I was just playing with the cat!' Ren Yi quickly explained."

"'You, you’ve stuck needles in it!' Lin Shuo’s eyes reddened with anger, 'Those dead cats before... weren’t they your doing, too?'"

"'No! You’ve got it all wrong!'"

"'Misunderstanding? What about those threatening letters, were they a misunderstanding too?!'"

"Ren Yi froze."

"'What threatening letters?'"

"'Stop acting, I know you wrote them.'"

"Silence."

"'...So you were morose back then not because of the threatening letters, but because of me?'"

"'Ren Yi! We grew up together, did you think I couldn’t recognize your handwriting? No matter how you change it, I can always tell! When I asked you before, it was to give you a chance to confess and apologize... I never thought you’d be so vile!'"

"Ren Yi stared at him, then suddenly laughed, 'If you knew, why didn’t you say anything earlier? Watching me toy with you like a fool, did you feel a sense of achievement?'"

"Lin Shuo was taken aback, 'You... you’re unbelievable! Just give me the cat, go home, admit your wrongs to your family, and promise never to do it again, and I won’t tell anyone else about this!'"

“……”

"The wind was strong that day."

"Shi Youqing watched in the scene as Ren Yi placed the cat in a brick hole at the edge of the rooftop, saying coldly, 'Want to save the cat? Go save it yourself!'"

"That was the day Lin Shuo died."

"The boy who initially intended to seek help stopped in his tracks, realizing that teachers and classmates might discover his childhood friend’s actions, recalling all the moments they had spent together... He decided to first rescue the cat himself, leaving Ren Yi’s issue to be discussed later..."

"But there was never an opportunity for 'later.'"

"Back in the classroom, Ren Yi saw from afar the figure near the rooftop's edge struggling to save the cat. His expression darkened, knowing Lin Shuo’s character, he would eventually reveal everything. If teachers and students found out about his animal abuse, even if he wasn’t expelled, they’d certainly call his parents..."

"He looked up."

"The wind was strong, the distant youth’s clothes flapping wildly."

"'If only the wind could blow him down now!'"

"Ren Yi suddenly thought."

"But the next moment, a crazy idea surfaced..."

"After discarding Lu Mingliang’s photo sticker, everything had been going as he had planned, with Lu Mingliang fuming and intent on confrontation."

"Ren Yi: 'What’s wrong? So angry?'"

"Lu Mingliang: 'Lin Shuo never truly considered me a friend!'"

"Ren Yi: 'Surely it’s not that serious? You must have misunderstood.'"

"Lu Mingliang: 'You two are close friends, you’d definitely take his side!'"

"Ren Yi, in a joking tone: 'You’re funny. If you really think Lin Shuo doesn’t see you as a friend, just take revenge on him. Beat him till he’s black and blue!'"

"Lu Mingliang: 'I’m not that kind of person…'"

"Ren Yi: 'Then just scare him. Haven’t you always wanted to scare someone in the abandoned school building? Lin Shuo is easily frightened!'"

"Lu Mingliang frowned and walked away."

"That day, Lin Shuo died."

"With the disclosure of Lin Shuo’s family situation, his depressive state due to the threatening letters, and being seen jumping off the building alone, his death became Jing Shan High School’s first student suicide case."

"Initially panicked, Ren Yi gradually relaxed when he realized there was no trace leading back to him. Instead, it was Lu Mingliang who appeared constantly fearful and even more guilty than him."

"Close to Lin Shuo and knowing the threatening letters were burned, Ren Yi informed the school about the letters, curious if anyone suspected him."

"Far from being suspected, people thought he was struggling to accept reality and advised him to move on…"

"Ren Yi experienced an unprecedented pleasure."

"The feeling of controlling someone’s fate thrilled and excited him, and even killing the stray cat that escaped from the brick hole before Lin Shuo’s death no longer satisfied him... He wanted to control more significant lives."

"A slip in the shower and the doctor’s words inspired him."

"To kill by accident."

"If done covertly enough, he would not be punished."

"Ma Fan, who he was on good terms with but had a sensitive stomach, became his second target."

"Laxatives would be detected in an autopsy. To make Ma Fan suffer from diarrhea, he just needed to put a piece of spoiled meat in his lunchbox."

"The sharp corner in the toilet cubicle was inherently dangerous. Aside from the glue and the phone, nothing else required his arrangement."

"Even if Ma Fan didn’t die from the fall, he would chalk it up to bad luck, never suspecting someone was trying to murder him."

"After Ma Fan's death, Ren Yi planned to wait another half year before acting, but Ding Lin's presence intrigued him..."

"Someone widely despised in secret; even if his death was found unusual, no one would suspect Ren Yi, right?"

"This time, Ren Yi chose the abandoned school building."

"To credibly carry a backpack full of ice blocks into the building that day, he even spent a month bringing snacks and beer to those fools... Fortunately, it ultimately worked out."

"The windows of the abandoned school building were covered with light-blocking newspapers and tape by previous students, so sticking tape to the glass wouldn’t be conspicuous."

"The murder weapon was like a seesaw: tape in the middle prevented sticking, with glass attached outside the window and ice blocks dangling inside, melting away..."

"Once the weight of the melted ice dropped below that of the glass, the glass would fall."

"Then it was just a matter of calculating the melting time and Ding Lin’s arrival underneath."

"To give the remaining ice time to melt and create an alibi for not being in the building when the person died, he just had to follow Ding Lin to prevent him from arriving early, then be the first to rush to the body and cry for help after the incident, hiding any remaining ice pieces."

"With so much blood on the ground, a few water stains wouldn’t attract attention."

"Everything was under his control."

"Ren Yi thought smugly."

"Even if the deaths of those three were suspected, the suspicion wouldn’t fall on him... Different causes of death, methods, and personal relationships. Whether it’s revenge killing, crime of passion, or impulsive murder, he didn’t fit the profile."

"If there had to be a motive, like killing those small animals, it was just a matter of choosing which one was easier to catch."

"One leads to two."

"This time, Ren Yi targeted the new transfer students."

"Unbeknownst to him, the devil he watched was also watching him..."

*

"After reviewing the instance story, Shi Youqing directly asked the system, 'What’s the deal with Chen Zheng’s lie about going back to the dorm to find money that night?'"

"The system replied, 'Chen Zheng remembered the money was hidden in his socks only after reaching the corridor, but felt embarrassed to tell others, so he waited there for a while before going back and claiming he found the money in the dorm.' It paused, then continued with the points that mattered to the other party, 'Lu Mingliang’s photo stickers weren’t just an expression of non-mainstream psychology. He always believed he had killed Lin Shuo, and with the bullying from Ding Lin and estrangement from Hu Lei, his psychology was affected. Taking so many stickers was his plan to distribute them before dying, to be remembered by everyone.'"

"'...He was thinking of suicide?' Shi Youqing was stunned."

"'Yes,' the system continued, 'this instance had been cleared by many players before, but each time the ending was the same: Ren Yi continued his killing spree, Lu Mingliang committed suicide before the college entrance exams, leaving a suicide note about causing Lin Shuo's fall, Yu Xiaohui drastically changed his personality and dropped out of school... Chen Zheng, always suspecting Ren Yi but lacking evidence, eventually started doubting himself, leading to mental breakdown years later... and Hu Lei became Ren Yi’s next target...'"

"Shi Youqing frowned, 'And this time?'"

"The system replied, 'The story within the instance is still ongoing. Now that the truth is revealed, Ren Yi will face the consequences. As for the others, it depends on themselves, which is beyond my control. But, congratulations to you, the player. I swear, this is the best ending I have witnessed after countless cycles.'"

"Shi Youqing: 'So the system can also make oaths.'"

"The system: '...Simulating human behavior is a basic capability of our systems. I am not artificially unintelligent. Now, please return to reality as soon as possible.'"

"Shi Youqing nodded, without a word."

"After a moment of dizziness, he lost consciousness."

"Shi Youqing woke up in a hotel."

"Unaware that he had been unconscious for a day and a night, he opened his eyes to find Bo Huai and Feng Bin by his bed."

"Bo Huai, completely still as if in meditation, lunged at him upon his awakening, hugging him tightly, his arms like iron clamps impossible to push away."

"Shi Youqing was startled until Feng Bin mentioned how long he had been asleep, and he realized."

"...The caretaker his mother hired was really dedicated."

"Just as he was about to ask about Yu Ze, Feng Bin spoke up in sync, 'Yu Ze also came out, but... he’s currently in the ICU, and his condition isn’t good.'"

[? Author's Note]

"Sorry, this chapter is a bit long. I’ve been writing non-stop, and I'm late. Thanks to the little angel who sent a rocket: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1;"

"Thanks to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Cabbage 12 bottles; zbht (Love Raising Xiao Jiao Edition) 10 bottles; Mr. Zhong Li's w's 5 bottles; Riding on Mu Sicheng hehe, Esperanza 1 bottle;"

"I'm very grateful for everyone's support and will continue to work hard!"