Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Cheng Miao’s heart jumped at the Dean’s answer. She pressed the advantage. “Was his name Tan Tao?”

“You know him? He was a hardworking child and well liked.” The Dean sighed and narrowed her eyes toward the window, lost in some memory.

“What illness did he have?” Qin Musong rose. His height placed a subtle pressure on the Dean, and she shifted aside to escape it.

“Pneumonia. He insisted on continuing his studies until it was too late to save him.” Tan Tao had clearly been a favorite of the teachers. The Dean’s eyes reddened as she spoke of his death.

She wiped their corners, then looked up at everyone. “As you requested, we’ve arranged for you to join two classes. At night, you’ll also stay in the dormitories with the students.”

“We… have to attend class?” The short woman who had been frightened by the students asked in surprise. Her shrill voice grated on the ears.

“Wasn’t that your request?” The Dean looked at her in confusion. “You said it would bring you closer to the students’ real lives and help uncover the problem.”

“Y-yes…” The Dean’s stare unsettled the short woman. She hunched, her hair falling around her face until she looked more frightened than any ghost.

“There’s one science class and one liberal-arts class. Go to whichever you choose. The teachers have already been informed.” The Dean removed her glasses, wiped them on the corner of her shirt, and put them back on. “These are your student cards. You’ll need them to eat and enter the dormitories.”

Cheng Miao accepted hers. The photograph displayed her exact face, which made her uncomfortable. “Dean, which class was Tan Tao in?”

The Dean considered the question. “The science class.”

The students were taking their midday nap, so the players remained in the small classroom to introduce themselves and form groups.

“The three of us will take the science class,” Cheng Miao announced. “Tan Tao’s classroom is most likely to contain clues, but it will also be the most dangerous.”

This was a team mission that required everyone to cooperate to escape. The veteran players understood that.

“We’ll take the liberal-arts class. If the instance arranged it, there must be a reason.” The speaker was a young woman in a floral dress. With blunt bangs, long straight black hair, and delicate features, she looked like a doll.

“Wherever Qiaoqiao goes, I go.” A tall young man stood beside Qiao Jin with a backpack over one shoulder. As he spoke, he took out a fruit candy and handed it to her.

“This is my teammate, Xiao Ming. His name is Qian Ming.” Qiao Jin pointed at the tall young man, who flashed a broad white smile.

Both were veteran players. Cheng Miao silently assessed them. Very capable veterans.

The final division placed nine people in each class. The science group consisted of Cheng Miao, Lin Zhu, Qi Jiajia, Qin Musong, the short woman Xiao Zhao, courier Brother Zhang, repairman Old Yu, university student Chen Yu, and a round-faced young woman called Freckles.

Brother Zhang and Old Yu had each cleared two instances. Chen Yu was an Advanced Dormitory player, while Xiao Zhao and Freckles were newcomers.

Qin Musong’s level exceeded Cheng Miao’s estimate. He was already a Hotel player.

The other seven players followed Qiao Jin and Qian Ming to the other class. There were exactly four newcomers this time, two assigned to each group alongside veterans.

Since entering the instance, Xiao Zhao had behaved erratically. She either chewed her fingernails in silence or spoke in a shrill voice. Unable to bear it, Old Yu edged closer to Brother Zhang and put more distance between them.

Qin Musong was not talkative, so Cheng Miao had to assume responsibility for leading.

“Inside an instance, death usually requires a condition,” she explained, drawing on her previous experience. “Don’t panic too much. Once we identify the rules and avoid triggering them, we can prevent most deaths.”
The number of players made Cheng Miao uneasy. She hoped more of them would survive.

“Th-then what happens at the beginning, before we’ve found any rules?” Xiao Zhao asked. She squeezed through the middle of the group, trying to find the safest position.

Cheng Miao fell silent. None of the veteran players answered either.

Growing agitated, Xiao Zhao darted behind Cheng Miao and began shoving her, demanding an answer.

Qi Jiajia had been irritated for long enough. She shouldered Xiao Zhao aside, reclaimed her position as Cheng Miao’s little shadow, and grabbed Cheng Miao’s sleeve.

Looking up, Qi Jiajia smiled at the woman who was already preparing to explode. “Obviously, people have to die before we can discover the rules. Ma’am, if you keep acting this crazy, we’ll soon be able to learn something from your death.”

Xiao Zhao’s face went white. The next instant, she pointed a bloodied, chewed finger at Qi Jiajia. “How can a little girl say something like that? Are you cursing me to die? Didn’t anyone teach you manners?”

Qi Jiajia’s words sounded like both a curse and a prophecy, striking Xiao Zhao’s deepest fear. Without thinking, she raised a hand to slap the girl.

The vicious blow was about to land. Cheng Miao reached to pull Qi Jiajia away, but a large, well-defined hand caught Xiao Zhao’s wrist first.

“Infighting is the worst thing a team can do. Control yourself.” Qin Musong’s low voice resembled a cello, though no one was in the mood to appreciate it.

Xiao Zhao stood with a bloodless face, her hair tangled from her own pulling until she looked more like a ghost than any ghost did.

Qin Musong flung her hand away and left. Old Yu and Brother Zhang avoided the motionless, head-bowed woman like a plague.

As Chen Yu and Freckles passed, they faintly heard Xiao Zhao mutter from behind her black hair, “It isn’t fair. Why scold me? She was the one who…”

This was Freckles’s first instance. The instance itself had not frightened her yet, but Xiao Zhao’s reaction certainly did.

Chen Yu linked arms with Freckles and guided her onward. Anyone who remained in the Game long enough encountered newcomers like this.

No, not only newcomers. Even veteran players could suffer a mental collapse after entering too many instances. Nothing could be done. It was fate.

When Cheng Miao’s group reached the science class, lessons had not begun. Students lounged around joking and roughhousing, but every conversation stopped when unfamiliar faces entered.

“You’re the visiting students, right? I’m the class monitor.” A square-faced boy stood and directed them to their desks with impressive authority.

Cheng Miao’s deskmate was a handsome young man in sportswear, sweat still dripping from his hair. “Hello. I’m Ma Yuan.”

Cheng Miao gave him a flawless smile. “Hello.”

She took a textbook from the desk and spread it open. From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of sorrow in Ma Yuan’s gaze.

No. It was not directed at her, but at her seat.

Before Cheng Miao could ask, the bell rang. She glanced back. Everyone had taken their places. Even Xiao Zhao sat hunched at a desk, as if the furniture might devour her at any moment.

Brother Zhang sat in front of her, his broad back hiding most of her body.

The class was mathematics. Cheng Miao’s head soon spun. Through the teacher’s lecture, she vaguely heard a faint sound behind her.

Someone seemed to be muttering under their breath, the words wet and indistinct inside their mouth.