In this situation, an ordinary person walking in would face certain death. Even if Lu Liangting, the protagonist himself, had entered, he would have perished. There were simply too many ghosts, all of them ruthless, cunning little imps.
Since this was a mission location with a difficulty level identical to Sunshine Apartment, a scenario of guaranteed death shouldn’t exist here.
Even without Bai Yu by Zhao Mingyue’s side, there should still be a sliver of hope for her survival. That would be the normal logic.
Thinking this, Bai Yu didn’t reveal herself to wipe out all the imps here in one fell swoop. Through their mental link, she simply told Zhao Mingyue to focus on the mission and not to think about anything else during the process.
Zhao Mingyue, unable to see the wraiths, walked straight to the bed in the far-right corner.
Fortunately, this bed still had a wooden board to sleep on. Of course, expecting it to be remotely clean was impossible. It was covered in black charcoal ash and a thick layer of dust.
Just as Zhao Mingyue hesitated, she suddenly noticed countless threads of blood gathering on the bed. They wove together like a spider’s web, separating the dust from the bed’s surface.
“Thank you, Sister Yu!” Zhao Mingyue immediately understood. Bai Yu was helping her.
With Bai Yu’s assistance, she didn’t waste any more time. She directly rolled over and lay down on the bed, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.
This very action made the imps in the dormitory seem to witness something utterly terrifying. They scrambled over each other to flee out the door, not daring to linger for a single second more.
Bai Yu knew these imps weren’t afraid of her. They were afraid of another “thing.”
Now lying on the bed in the corner of Room 404, Zhao Mingyue began counting down silently in her mind.
Only ten seconds. It would pass quickly.
The mission name was “Under the Bed.” Barring any surprises, the ghostly monster was beneath the bed. As long as she didn’t look down and kept her eyes shut no matter what noises came from underneath, everything should be fine.
Zhao Mingyue began her countdown. She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but she felt time slow considerably at this moment. When she counted to five, her consciousness suddenly grew groggy. The fear she had just suppressed stirred again.
She had a very strange sensation, as if another person’s memories were surfacing in her heart.
When the count reached ten, she wanted to open her eyes, but they refused to budge. Her entire body was out of her control. She couldn’t even perform a task as small and simple as moving a finger.
She wanted to call out Bai Yu’s name, to have Bai Yu rescue her, but she couldn’t produce a single sound.
This feeling was akin to being mentally awake while her body had crashed into a dead state.
“I discovered her secret. She wants to poison the principal. She found out I know. Wait, I recognize her. Isn’t she dead?”
“I didn’t see wrong. It’s her, it has to be her…”
“She’s back, she’s back for revenge!”
“I need to tell the principal. No, wait. If I go, I will definitely die. She’s right there in the classroom!”
“I have to escape. There are so many people. If I slip away by myself, she won’t notice.”
In her groggy consciousness, Zhao Mingyue couldn’t distinguish if another person’s memories were entering her heart or if she was simply hearing that person’s voice. Yet, why did she feel like she was becoming this student? Even the fear in her heart felt connected.
Though her eyes were closed, Zhao Mingyue vaguely saw, through another person’s perspective, the interior of Room 404. To be precise, Room 404 before the fire.
Back then, the walls were still snow-white. The sounds of children playing could be heard from the playground outside the dormitory. Everything felt so vivid.
The dorm was empty, save for “himself.”
Seizing this time, “he” pulled a notebook from the locker and began writing and sketching. It was a diary.
Zhao Mingyue wanted to read its contents, but no matter how closely she looked, she couldn’t see the words on the page. This world was so real, yet so unreal.
After writing, “he” took off his shoes and socks and sat on his bunk.
That very same bed Zhao Mingyue was lying on right now.
“He” huddled under the blanket, hesitating. Should he tell everyone about this matter? But “he” was afraid one of the roommates was that person in disguise.
An unknown amount of time passed. The roommates got up and went to class. No one noticed “he” hadn’t gotten up yet.
“Are they gone? That person.”
“They should be gone. If she wants revenge, her targets are in the classroom. She should be there.”
“It’s so quiet. Is there really no one left in the dorm?”
“Probably no one left.”
As “he” muttered to himself, Zhao Mingyue distinctly heard another person’s breathing. Not from below, but from above.
Intermittent, faint.
‘Don’t lift it, don’t lift it, don’t!’
She wanted to warn him, but she couldn’t make a sound. She could only watch as her perspective lifted the blanket…
—
On the bed, Zhao Mingyue’s eyes snapped open. Without a second thought, she leaped down with a whoosh.
Her eyes were somewhat vacant. Her chest heaved violently. Her face was slightly pale. Her palms were slick with sweat.
She now understood why the mission was called “Under the Bed.”
The ghost wasn’t under the bed at all!
The one under the bed was herself!
This was a bunk bed. For the top bunk, the “bottom of the bed” was the lower bunk.
“What did you see?” Bai Yu asked.
“I saw a disfigured face, and… and eyes. Right, right there.” Zhao Mingyue pointed at the top bunk.
Just moments ago, that ghost had been staring at her through the gaps in the bed boards of the top bunk.
That gaze was ten times more terrifying than the Fifth Floor Female Ghost, Xiao Lian!
“By the way, Sister Yu, how long did I sleep?”
“Ten seconds.”
“Ten… ten seconds?!” Zhao Mingyue frowned. In that memory, at least over an hour had passed.
As she spoke, Zhao Mingyue rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt like she was adjusting to the darkness somewhat.
Her pocket vibrated. The Mastermind’s Phone buzzed. She pulled it out and glanced at it, only then realizing it was a reward.
[Night Vision +1]
[Willpower +1]
Pocketing the phone, Zhao Mingyue couldn’t be bothered to think about the rewards. She hurriedly recounted the general experience to Bai Yu.
After listening, Bai Yu fell into a thoughtful silence.
“A ghost seeking revenge… interesting.”
—
At the same time, Lu Liangting arrived at the designated location right on schedule.
This time, he wasn’t alone. A girl with long, curly hair was at his side.
It was worth noting that this girl was neither his cousin nor any other relative.
She was… a classmate.
As for how he met this girl, that was a long story, starting one morning when he arrived at class to find his desk covered in hearts drawn with red paint, with a pig-slaughtering knife stabbed into it.
Yes, the perpetrator of that act was the girl standing right beside him.
“Look, I’m here for something very important. I don’t care what you’re here for, but once we’re inside, don’t follow me.” The moment Lu Liangting finished speaking and turned to the girl beside him, he found her frozen in place.
Her eyes were fixed on the school gate, her body trembling involuntarily.
“How can it be this place…”
