Chapter 147

Chapter 147

When a profound yearning for death obscures one's reasoning, it becomes exceedingly difficult to dissuade them; only assertive intervention can halt their course. Yet, in a solitary dwelling such as this replica, where individuals reside in isolation, there exists no one to avert a student's self-destructive act.

The audience watched helplessly as the live stream darkened, as if a flower had withered.

Though it was not their first time witnessing death, everyone still felt a deep sorrow.

They were uncertain whether this student could return to the battlefield again, as his mental state was already on the brink of danger.

"I thought only the copies of the insane were torturous, but I never expected that a seemingly ordinary copy would be even more grueling."

The audience returned to Ji Xinghai's live stream, which was the only place that gave them some courage to fight against fate and allowed them to catch their breath in the current environment.

"Day after day, constantly eroding the students' willpower, and it seems endless. Forget about the students; even I outside am starting to forget the existence of the rescue team, forgetting that this is a special building that changes every fourteen hours. In such a place, there are never lasting emotional connections; everyone is alone."

"Yes, we may be homebodies, but we still have the internet. What do the students have?"

The students indeed possess something akin to the torrential rain that has soaked the copy.

"Ahh! Ahh—!" Ji Xinghai held his umbrella without expression, but inside he was screaming like a groundhog.

Rain at the first door, rain at the second door, rain at the third door—he thought they would give him a break, but the fourth door also had rain, an extreme downpour.

Rain makes people irritable.

Regardless of what type of resource space it is, there won't be much gain in such heavy rain. Instead, getting wet could lead to a fever, making it all not worth it.

He squinted at the murky water that had already submerged his shoes, sensing an ominous premonition.

The academy, once again, had lowered its standards.

Ji Xinghai returned to his room, which had long been upgraded with a loft and a small garden. The loft, like the basement, was used for storage, while the small garden had a winding pond for which he hadn't yet decided what fish to keep. Now it had another use.

He cleared the drains in the bathroom, kitchen, and pond, ensuring every drainage channel was unblocked. Then he moved the items from the basement to the loft and transplanted the plants into pots.

These tasks seemed simple, but by the time he finished, it was already noon. The rain had slightly subsided but refused to stop completely, coming in intermittent bursts.

Here it comes again, he thought. The cycle of reward and punishment was relentless, with the next round promising to be even more severe.

Few students had enough stored food. Seeing the rain pause, they naturally went out to search for food and supplies, but the rain wasn't entirely gone, and these intermittent showers were enough to soak their clothes and make them sick.

Ji Xinghai indeed possessed a raincoat, yet the replica's health system functioned with an "I don't care how you feel; I decide" philosophy. It disregarded the robustness of his actual physical state; the mere presence of a breeze or a drizzle was sufficient for it to label him as "ill."

Then he'd have to find medicine for colds and fevers, so he might as well just stay by the fireplace and relax.

Time passed slowly. The rain stopped and started again, turning into a torrential downpour around four or five in the evening. The gray sky turned pitch black, as if a hole had opened up, pouring down a deluge.

The students searching for supplies in various resource spaces were scattered by the rain, some even rolling down in mud. If not for their quick reflexes and grabbing onto a crooked tree along the way, they might have met their end.

Those who had evaded the calamity had no further interest in the provisions and hastened back to their quarters. Yet the design of the replica was perpetually interwoven. As the students sought solace by the hearth, their vitality began to wane.

"Achoo!" A sneeze was a signal, followed by chills, shivers, and then a transition from extreme cold to extreme heat. Their temples throbbed painfully—a sign of fever.

After preparing for so many days, the students had some resources. They immediately dried their bodies, changed into warm clothes, drank warm water, took medicine, and placed ice packs on their foreheads.

During this period, the rain continued unabated. The students, exhausted and feverish, took their medicine and went to bed, ignoring the rain. When they woke up from their fever, they found the floor covered with shallow water, and the bedposts swayed, creating ripples.

"Ah!" Still ill, they were shocked into a cold sweat. Except for those like Ji Xinghai who had prepared in advance, most students hadn't anticipated the rain flooding their rooms, which they considered impregnable fortresses.

"The room isn't invincible. Damn, damn, I forgot about this right after the bugs left."

The students jumped out of bed in panic.

A shallow layer of rainwater had already seeped onto the floor, and the planting area was severely affected. The roots of the plants, submerged in water, showed signs of rotting within a couple of hours.

Only then did the students think to clear the drainage pipes, but they were already clogged with floating debris.

"The basement." After gathering the important things that couldn't get wet, they remembered the food stored in the basement.

But it was too late; the basement was already flooded, and the fruits, vegetables, dried meat, and grains were all soaked and rotten, floating like black sludge.

Losing their stored food made the students feel colder than the rain. The dripping sound intensified, with some drops even landing on their heads, causing a bone-chilling sensation.

It turned out the ceiling was leaking.

The white-painted ceiling had already formed droplets, and water flowed down the walls. The room's usual hard-to-find hints now loomed large: "Owner, please find some waterproof materials."

The students, enraged, wiped their faces with trembling hands: With leaks everywhere, what good are the hints? It's not that they didn't want to find waterproof materials; they simply couldn't find any!

In comparison, Ji Xinghai's room was far better off. He had always been kind to those he liked, and this upgradeable room fell into that category. Therefore, when the house asked for something, he always complied. Indeed, he had found waterproof materials two days ago—two large barrels of rubber—so the walls were now wet, but the ceiling remained intact.

Not only was the ceiling fine, but the floor and basement were also unaffected. Excess rain had no chance of entering the elevated house, and the garden, though wet, drained properly without flooding indoors.

"Thanks to your reminder, I wouldn't have had to scramble to save supplies." Ji Xinghai praised the room.

A line appeared on the ceiling: "Owner's upgrade materials are well-prepared."

This mutual praise between man and house satisfied both parties.

Nevertheless, the copy was resolute in imparting a lesson to the students. Despite their meticulous preparations, at the stroke of three in the morning, the water cascading down the walls and pooling outside inundated the ground floor of Ji Xinghai's residence. The drainage system was overwhelmed, hence water continued to seep into the basement and the cultivation area.

Ji Xinghai heard the commotion, came downstairs, assessed the situation, and deemed it manageable before returning to sleep.

Sleep is the greatest priority.

The audience outside were all watching the live stream. After several waves of natural and man-made disasters, their civilization was reduced to just over fifty people. The flash floods and mudslides caused by the heavy rain during the day took three lives, while seven more succumbed to high fevers after returning to their houses. Later, the rooms filled with water, rising to the ceiling, drowning five more.

In just one day and night, the number of survivors dropped from fifty to just over thirty.

"Haven't you seen those students who dove into the sewage to grab supplies? They've been scratching themselves, and now they have bright, pus-filled rashes on their necks."

"Is there poison in the water?"

"With all the rotten vegetable leaves, bugs, and rats in the water, what do you think? There might be an epidemic once the water recedes."

"Surviving alone is indeed a harsh and difficult task."

Day eleven of the scenario: sunny, no rain.

Ji Xinghai woke up early due to the stench. The water had not fully receded, and many things on the first floor were still submerged. Only the fireplace's flame burned inexplicably in the water, dispelling the darkness and cold.

He squatted on the stairs for a while. The bottom parts of the furniture submerged in the water had rotted black overnight, suggesting that the sewage had some corrosive properties. Moreover, there were inexplicably more dead insects and rats in the water, and he could already smell the nauseating stench from where he was squatting.

If this situation wasn't dealt with, it would be even more harmful than the storm.

However, the drainage outlets were clogged with debris. He would need to dive down to clear them, but even then, the small openings would likely get blocked again soon. It was better to find another solution.

Ji Xinghai scanned his surroundings and noticed the bathtub he had brought from the beauty salon, which was still intact and floating on the water. He jumped into the bathtub and used a broken table leg to paddle towards the resource door.

Hiss!

The resource door wouldn't budge because of the water pressure. Ji Xinghai had to use about sixty percent of his strength to open a crack, allowing the sewage to gush out. He decided to open all four doors, and the sewage poured out.

The amount of sewage in his room was limited, and with all four doors open, it drained quickly.

Wearing shoe covers, Ji Xinghai walked through the wet, muddy ground. The inside of the house reeked, but the outside was sunny and pleasant. The four doors led to different landscapes, making it seem like a good time for a walk.

After thinking for a moment, he called out the blonde vampire from the book: "Clean this place up and sprinkle some insect repellent. I'm going for a walk."

The blonde vampire's face changed from confusion to anger in just two seconds: "You want me to clean up here while you go play outside?!" Among all the creatures in the book, why did he have to be the one to suffer?

"The capable must bear more responsibility." Ji Xinghai left without sincerity, choosing a random door to exit, leaving the enraged vampire behind, whose handsome face was twisted in fury.

When Ji Xinghai stepped into the resource space, he found himself in a beautiful setting. In front of him was a babbling stream, and behind him was a vast plain with rare herbs and plants. A lake reflecting the blue sky lay ahead, like a gem embedded in the tranquil land.

But when he turned around, he saw four tightly closed doors standing like solitary graves. He remembered seeing dozens of doors lined up the first time he saw them. Had all their owners died?

These four doors were different from the others. The area in front of his door was covered with fan-shaped filth, emitting a foul odor. Ji Xinghai couldn't stand the sight.

But he really didn't want to clean it up.

So he went to the other three doors and kicked each one. He applied just enough force to avoid damaging the doors while opening a crack.

Sure enough, these rooms were also blocked by water, and when he kicked the doors open, the sewage rushed out eagerly.

It wasn't just a fan-shaped spill; the sewage from the three doors combined almost created a sea of filth, covering the mess in front of his own door.

Ji Xinghai had already moved back several meters when the doors cracked open, so none of the sewage splashed on him. Seeing that all four doors were now equally filthy, he felt relieved.

At that moment, excited voices came from the other three doors. He withdrew his gaze and turned towards the small lake.