Chapter 20: You seem quite happy? Let me fix that!

"...And that's how things stand."

It took Baili Dao and the others a considerable amount of effort to confirm that Wu Wang was still a living person. Only then did they sigh and recount everything they had experienced today to exchange information.

Naturally, Wu Wang had to reveal something as well.

However, he did not mention how he had managed to escape the little black room, as that involved his [Undying] trait.

He simply said that Teacher Yao had only brought him to the door of the black room to scare him and hadn't actually thrown him inside.

To this, the three believed him without question.

After all, they couldn't imagine how a newcomer could have emerged alive from such a place.

"So, how exactly did you manage to get your proof?" Shi Gandang asked, his expression still looking unnatural.

Wu Wang responded with a smile, "Even though I'm a newcomer, asking about someone else's skills is supposed to be quite impolite, isn't it?"

Skills!?

The hand Baili Dao had been reaching out to light a cigarette suddenly began to tremble.

Skills weren't actually that rare; which Spirit Disaster player didn't have ten or eight of them on them?

The key was—he was only Level 1.

Aside from becoming an official beta tester, the rewards for the newcomer tutorial generally only consisted of consumable items, similar to the [Band-Aid for Treating Non-Existent Illnesses] he had used.

Wild players like the Earth Walker Shi Gandang might not know, but players with skills at Level 1 were extremely rare.

According to the records he had seen in the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs archives, only five people were known to have obtained them so far.

They were the Director of the Bureau, the Leader of the Disaster Cult, the President of the Tarot Society, and two free players who didn't belong to any organization—the latter two being quite prominent figures among Spirit Disaster players.

All of them were individuals who had single-handedly slaughtered their way through the entire newcomer tutorial.

Only through such an overwhelming method of clearing the tutorial would the system make an exception and grant skill rewards at Level 1.

If that was the case...

Was this kid one of them too?

"Stop asking, everyone. Personal information is indeed a very private matter. We were inconsiderate just now; I apologize to you," Baili Dao said, stopping the other two curious children.

In truth, his heart was racing with excitement.

A newcomer like "The Widow"—if he could recruit him into the Bureau, the man would undoubtedly become a major powerhouse in the near future!

When the time came, he could brag at the Bureau about how he was the one who guided him through his entry. *Holy crap, just thinking about it gives me a rush; it's like the ultimate achievement unlocked.*

He had previously thought the guy had mental issues...

It was fine; the Bureau had the best psychologists in the country. There was still hope for him.

"Besides, if you really want to gouge out an eyeball, you need to secure the eyelids, pry open the gap between the tendon ring and the orbital bone, and slide three fingers between the eyelid and the eyeball to grab the roots of the six sets of muscles. Only then can you pull the eyeball out along with the optic nerve. It's too much trouble," Wu Wang said with a sigh.

"?"

*Are you serious, man!*

*What are you even talking about!*

*Can you please not say such horrifying things with such a straight face? Do you actually know how to do that?!*

"Let's sleep first. On the way back, the school doctor told me there are twenty minutes left before lights out. If we don't rest, it'll be considered a violation of school rules. Time's almost up."

Before anyone could comment on his words, Wu Wang flipped over to the top bunk and immediately fell asleep.

Hearing this, the three didn't waste any more words.

They each returned to their respective beds to lie down.

Violating school rules was a very serious matter.

A moment later, a strange sound drifted from outside the dormitory.

It was the sound of iron chains dragging across the tiled floor, a clattering noise so piercing it was unsettling.

A massive black shadow wandered through the corridor. Every time it passed a dormitory, it would lean down and peer through the observation window on the door to carefully check on the sleeping students.

The three men, pretending to sleep, broke into a cold sweat.

The sense of oppression from this thing was far stronger than those tentacle ghosts in the cafeteria!

"Snort! *Zzzzz*—Snort! *Zzzzz*—"

An abrupt snoring sound came from the top bunk.

The giant shadow outside froze, then turned around to continue checking the next dormitory.

"Seriously, man, how much heart do you have? You can fall asleep in three seconds in a place like this?" Tu Xingsun stood up to look at the top bunk, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

Wu Wang's lips were slightly parted, his breathing was steady, and his muscles were so relaxed that there wasn't a hint of alertness.

The kid actually fell asleep!?

"Let's rest too. There are still four days left; we can't stay awake the whole time, can we?" Baili Dao suggested.

In his view, The Widow must have realized this in order to sleep so peacefully.

The three lay back down.

Gradually, drowsiness washed over them.

And at that moment, on the top bunk, Wu Wang slowly opened his eyes...

————

"Bzzzt! Beep-beep-beep! Ring-ring-ring!"

In the early morning, various noisy sounds echoing throughout the campus woke everyone up.

The wake-up bell in this ghost school was as piercing as an air-raid siren; it was almost enough to shake the eggs out of a neighbor's hen and wake them up too.

The three of them climbed up groggily.

Baili Dao looked at the motionless top bunk and reached out to wake the person, since being late would result in being sent to the little black room.

To his surprise, he grasped nothing but air.

Wu Wang was gone!

"Didn't he get his proof? He doesn't have to attend class, so he probably went out to look for clues," Tu Xingsun said as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

After yesterday's events, no one viewed him as a mere newcomer anymore.

"True. Let's go then. There's an exam today. If possible, try to do well," Baili Dao said, walking to the door to remind the two behind him.

Unexpectedly, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

With some uncertainty, one of them asked, "Brother Baili, can you... actually do those questions?"

Baili Dao frowned and said, "It's alright. Although my academic background isn't top-tier, for high school knowledge, I should be able to get seventy or eighty out of a hundred. What about you guys?"

"I'm a junior college graduate."

"I never went to school."

"?"

The two answers were more heavy-hitting than the last.

There was even a damn survivor of the nine-year compulsory education system!

"You guys... *sigh*..."

"Forget it, let's find a way to cheat."

Baili Dao had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure.

A bad premonition rose in his heart.

It couldn't be that these two guys didn't die from vengeful ghosts and urban legends, only to be finished off by an exam, could they?

That would be truly ironic.

————

Teaching Building, 6th Floor Office.

Teacher Yao was grinning happily as he flipped through the white ring in his hand.

This was the authority bestowed upon him by Principal Wang.

With this item, he could move through any part of the school unimpeded; he could enter other teachers' offices to conduct investigations and interrogations without needing permission.

It was essentially a universal pass.

It would make it easier for him to find the true culprit behind the little black room incident.

Even though he already knew who it was.

"Yo, old man, you seem quite happy? Here, let me treat you."

A voice filled with loathing rang out from behind him. The smiling expression on Teacher Yao's face vanished instantly.

That damn, bratty student was here!

"Where's the official seal? I'll just use the OA system myself." Wu Wang acted as if he didn't belong to anyone else, immediately starting to rummage through Teacher Yao's desk.

Veins popped on the man's forehead.

His fingers even began to grow long and sharp, nearly transforming into the form of a vengeful ghost.

"Give it here! I'll stamp it for you!"

Although he was surprised that this guy actually managed to get a certificate that excused him from classes, as long as the procedure was correct, he wouldn't worry about being held accountable.

Teacher Yao also reached into a drawer, pulled out a [School Rules List], and handed it over.

This was what they had agreed upon yesterday.

Wu Wang stuffed it into his pocket without even looking at it.

Since he didn't have to attend class, he had plenty of time to slowly study these bizarre [School Rules].

He had other business here.

He took out a slip of paper filled with writing and placed it in front of the stamping Teacher Yao. The words written on it made the man shudder to his very core—

"I know Principal Wang asked you to help investigate the situation with the little black room. We can cooperate."

"Pick the teacher you loathe the most. I will pretend to be trying to find ways to skip class, and then I'll link the black room incident to them, framing them."

"That way, they will be seen as a traitor who opened the black room to help students escape, and you will be the great hero who uncovered the truth. Principal Wang will think highly of you, and your status will naturally rise."

"Now, tell me the location of the Arts Building."

After reading the contents of the note, Teacher Yao snapped his head up, meeting Wu Wang's eyes with an expression of disbelief, attempting to discern any emotional fluctuation in his gaze.

However, he only saw the calm, unmoving stillness of those dead-fish eyes on the youth's handsome face.

Damn it!

Is this guy really a student?!

His own mindset and every move seemed to be under this guy's control.

Because of this proposal...

He was truly tempted.

"What exactly do you want to do?" Teacher Yao asked the same question as yesterday.

Wu Wang silently picked up the note.

He then pulled a lighter from his person and burned the white paper, filled with temptation, into ashes to avoid leaving any evidence that could lead to trouble.

Then, he smiled and answered with words that Teacher Yao had not expected—words that were coincidentally identical to what Teacher Yao had thought in the depths of his heart yesterday

"To obtain privileges within the rules, and to satisfy my foolish curiosity."

"!?"

*He knows my inner thoughts!?*

At that moment, Wu Wang's handsome, pleasant face...

Became extraordinarily hideous and terrifying in Teacher Yao's eyes, looking just like a demon skilled at bewitching souls...

(End of Chapter)