Chapter 20
Chapter 20
A large sheet of metal mesh surrounded Xiao Huai, keeping the flames outside where they could not pass through it.
He curled up in the corner, ensuring that the mesh covered as much of his body as possible.
His jacket had already been soaked in mineral water and draped over his face to stop more smoke from entering his lungs.
The monsters’ screams rang throughout the cafeteria as the fire slowly diminished.
One hundred and twenty-four gods had now gathered in Xiao Huai’s stream.
Half an hour passed before the blaze finally began to die, the roaring flames gradually subsiding.
As the smoke cleared, ruined walls and an ash-covered floor emerged.
Xiao Huai lazily removed the jacket from his face. All the water in it had already evaporated.
He had lain motionless inside the metal mesh.
Everyone else had assumed he was dead. In truth, he had fallen asleep.
His skin was flushed red from burns caused by the intense heat. He kicked aside the metal mesh, which had grown as hot as a furnace.
Xiao Huai leaned into the corner, his expression weary. Bright yellow flames illuminated his face, their light dancing within his scarlet eyes.
His uncanny beauty sent a thrill through the heart of every god watching.
They had not felt this excited in a very long time. That a mere newcomer could make their hearts race was extraordinary.
Xiao Huai laughed. On that devastatingly beautiful face, his smile was a marvel unto itself.
The blood covering his body had dried into scabs, making his grin look all the more bewitching.
He gazed into the depths of the flames, yet it seemed as though he were looking directly into the eyes of the gods beyond the screen.
“My honored gods, did you enjoy my performance?”
He rose. His legs trembled slightly from the violent exertion, but his gaze remained utterly resolute.
With a teasing smile, Xiao Huai bent at the waist as though tipping an imaginary hat and gave a gentleman’s final bow.
“Thank you for watching.”
At that moment, every god’s eyes lit up as they stared at Xiao Huai, longing to reach through the screen and touch him.
It had been ages since they had seen such a mad newcomer.
His existence made the horror game far more entertaining.
Newcomer Zone, District 39 seemed to erupt. A torrent of donations and comments flooded Xiao Huai’s stream.
[The Gods’ Livestream: Entertainment Above All.]
[Ding! Congratulations. Xiao Huai has won the favor of one hundred gods, who have now followed you~]
[Upgrading recommendation pool… Promoted to Newcomer Zone, District 1.]
[The gods bless you! Desire you! Await your death! Await the magnificent blossoming of the flower of death!]
Xiao Huai paid little attention to the system notifications that followed. They merely informed him that his balance had reached five thousand Survival Coins, and that unlocking the Level 2 shop required a cumulative total of ten thousand Survival Coins received.
He had not expected a little dramatic flair to excite the gods so much.
They truly were a pack of evil gods, obsessed with horrific, thrilling, and bloody spectacles.
Still, that was not necessarily a bad thing. Xiao Huai liked excitement himself. He coughed lightly, bought a tube of medicine, and applied it to his left wrist.
He could barely feel any pain in his left hand anymore. If he kept abusing it like this, he would probably need an amputation before the seven days were over.
Forty minutes earlier, he had discovered that sources of fire cost nearly ten times their normal price inside this instance. He could afford a lighter, but what use would one lighter be?
Against thousands of monsters, it would accomplish nothing.
He could have gambled everything on continuing upstairs in search of a safe room. If he was lucky, he might have found one, but the monsters chasing him upward would have blocked every route.
He could not allow himself to be trapped in the classroom building. He would have only one chance to head for the upper floors.
Should he risk it all on a single bet?
He might as well put on a show for the gods instead.
All the way from his leap off the second floor to the cafeteria, he had been purchasing items.
The more danger and excitement there was, the more the gods enjoyed it.
So all he needed to do was stay alive while playing as wildly as he pleased.
He had recalled a type of safety lamp: the Davy lamp.
Davy lamps were commonly used in mining. Flame could not pass through the metal mesh, yet it could continue burning inside the lamp.
What if he stood inside the lamp while the flames remained outside?
He would be a beast trapped amid fire, dancing on the edge of a blade.
When flames reached the metal mesh, their heat would rapidly spread into its other sections, but the fire itself could not pass through.
It worked much like a firebreak, though it was considerably more dangerous.
At the time, he had nearly eight hundred Survival Coins. A lighter cost five hundred, but matches cost only one hundred. The metal mesh also cost one hundred, while water cost fifty per bottle.
Purchasing all the necessary items had cost him five hundred Survival Coins in total.
Five hundred Survival Coins in exchange for the ultimate thrill.
Now he drew a deep breath. Seeing his new balance of 5,234 Survival Coins made everything feel worthwhile.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
He chuckled softly and left the cafeteria.
One hour and twenty minutes remained in the game.
Miss Hanako, will you be there?
* * *
On the third floor of the west classroom building, Xiao Huai slowly made his way forward. Not a trace of color remained in his face, and sheer exhaustion made his body feel as heavy as lead.
This world drained his mental energy even faster.
He went straight to the restroom and knocked on the door of the third stall.
The west classroom building was unnaturally quiet. Without monsters pursuing him, the silence was so complete that even a needle striking the floor would have been audible.
He parted his lips. “Hanako, I’d like to play a game with you.”
A violent pounding suddenly erupted from inside the stall. Xiao Huai raised his eyes and rested his right hand on the door handle.
He turned it gently.
A mangled body appeared before him. Half the five-year-old girl’s face had been burned away.
A pair of pitch-black eyes regarded Xiao Huai coldly.
Rotten flesh covered her lips. She opened her mouth slightly, releasing a voice that sent chills down his spine.
“You want to play a game with me?”
Xiao Huai had expected that she would not recognize him. The world of 1987 and the world they had occupied before seemed to exist independently of each other.
“Yes. Since I came to ask you to play, does that mean I can choose the game?”
The girl nodded. “Yes.”
Xiao Huai moved a little closer. Leaning against the stall’s doorframe, he watched her quietly.
After a moment, he bent down and whispered several words beside her ear.
“I want to play Truth or Dare.”
…
At Ivy Girls’ School, only a few minutes remained before evening study began. Every student in the class was already seated, waiting for the upcoming test.
Only the desk in the far corner beside the window stood empty.
He Lecheng arrived unexpectedly early, carrying a stack of test papers. He narrowed his eyes at the clock and spoke with a gloating smile.
“Oh dear. It appears someone from our class will be absent from this test.”
The instant he finished speaking, the door was flung open with a crash.
A mouthful of blood sprayed across the floor.
A trace of unruly mockery colored the man’s low, hoarse laugh.
“Ha. I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, sir.”