The students had already dealt with the ghosts.
Gu Jiu and the other two stepped out, first noticing the fragmented remains scattered across the ground. A group of menacing ghosts had been wiped out by the students without leaving a trace. If not for the ghostly characteristics, one might think they were utterly annihilated and beyond death.
Though the ghosts weren’t truly dead, their current state posed no threat to the players.
Turning to the students, they all had bewildered expressions, unable to believe they were the ones who had done this.
Were they… really this strong?
Clapping her hands, Gu Jiu said with a smile, “Well done! You’re all amazing. You need to believe in yourselves—you can do it! See? Didn’t you just prove it?”
Encouraged by her affirmation, all the students regained their courage. Their eyes lit up brightly, no longer dull or timid like before. Now, they were brimming with confidence about the tasks ahead.
They could do it!
They could escape the confines of this school that had held them captive.
Lin Ran raised his head and asked, “What do we do next?”
This question, though simple, symbolized their resolve. They were ready to follow Gu Jiu and work together to break free from the school of reincarnation’s hold.
Gu Jiu was quite pleased with their motivated spirits.
“That’s for you to decide,” she replied with a smile. “We’re outsiders. We don’t know how to find the reincarnation node—you’ll have to help us.”
The students froze, exchanging glances before turning to Lin Ran.
As the leader among the students, Lin Ran hesitated briefly before saying, “Then let’s head to the playground!”
“Sounds good!” Gu Jiu agreed.
As they followed the students towards the playground, Chai Yingying looked puzzled and asked, “Why the playground?”
Previously, Ji Linfan had told them to head to the playground, but the players hadn’t had the chance to ask why. Was it simply because the playground was the center of the school? Or was it because the reincarnation node was hidden there?
Gu Jiu chuckled. “Precisely because the playground is the center of the school! Do you remember the map Ji Linfan drew?”
“Of course, I remember. The ghost distribution in the school forms a circle, with a pentagram inside…” Chai Yingying’s voice trailed off as she suddenly realized something. “Shengying School is normal during the day but becomes a haunted school at night. The ghosts inside gain power from reincarnation, making them immortal. From the map, the whole school is basically a ghost-rearing site. The ghost distribution forms a ghost-rearing array…”
The concept of a ghost-rearing array was something players had encountered in other game worlds. But since there hadn’t been any mention of it in this world, they hadn’t considered the possibility.
Who would have thought that this school truly had a ghost-rearing array?
The array’s core was the playground. Destroying the core would dismantle the ghost-rearing array.
“…It might not be a ghost-rearing array, but it’s pretty close,” Gu Jiu said after a moment of silence. “The school’s playground is the only clean area—there are no ghosts there. That makes it unique. As for why that’s the case, I’m not sure.”
It was likely Ji Linfan didn’t know either. He had just instinctively felt the players should go there.
Now, with the students suggesting the playground, it confirmed Ji Linfan’s hunch.
Chai Yingying pouted, realizing she might have overthought it. “Still, the school’s ghost distribution map really does resemble ghost-rearing arrays from other game worlds. If those principles apply here, then destroying the core should disrupt the reincarnation school’s array.”
“Why not give it a try?” Gu Jiu said with a smile. “Just follow them for a while. We’ll see what they do soon enough.”
Chai Yingying thought about it and agreed, letting go of her concerns.
A hundred students moving through the campus at night was an eye-catching sight—there was no way to hide them.
It didn’t take long for them to attract the attention of some players who were being chased around by ghosts.
Pei Yongyong and her partner were running for their lives, being chased by five ghosts. Out of breath and barely holding on, they stopped in their tracks when they saw the scene ahead. “What are you…?”
Before they could finish, the students spotted the approaching ghosts, grabbed their weapons, and charged without hesitation.
Watching the students ferociously take down the ghosts—especially when those powerful ghosts were defeated so easily—left Pei Yongyong and her partner stunned.
“What’s going on?”
Chai Yingying smirked with pride. “Didn’t expect that, did you? The young miss encouraged them to come out. Now they’re leading us to overthrow the school.”
Pei Yongyong and her partner instinctively looked at Gu Jiu.
She actually managed to convince these numb and despondent students to join forces with the players to fight the school’s ghosts? But how could she be so sure the students would be able to handle the ghosts?
At that moment, Pei Yongyong saw the students mercilessly chop down several ghosts. Their eyes sparkled as they turned to Gu Jiu, their faces lighting up with excitement after receiving her encouragement. They looked ready to take on more ghosts with unmatched bravery.
There were plenty of players around, but the students seemed to be completely focused on Gu Jiu.
Chai Yingying said, “Don’t feel too envious. That’s what happens when you’re not the first one to challenge the Dean. You didn’t leave as deep an impression on the students.”
In Chai Yingying’s view, these students were like fledglings. Trapped in the cycle of reincarnation within the school and tormented for so long, they had grown numb and were on the brink of despair. Gu Jiu, as the first to resist the cafeteria staff and even walk away unscathed after confronting the Dean, had given the students hope and courage. That was why they were so loyal to her.
If anyone else had tried to do what Gu Jiu did, they wouldn’t have persuaded the students so easily.
Timing and fate were everything!
Pei Yongyong understood her point and felt a little speechless.
She had to admit, though, that without guts and a willingness to take risks, this wouldn’t have worked. This player named Gu Jiu was undeniably impressive. No wonder Chai Yingying, the notorious point-collector who had just advanced to a B-rank field, was willing to follow her.
As they passed the cafeteria, Gu Jiu suddenly spoke up, “Hold on.”
The students stopped in unison, all turning to look at her.
Seeing this, Pei Yongyong and the others were even more convinced of how much the students trusted Gu Jiu. Their faith in her seemed almost blind, as if they wouldn’t question any decision she made.
Damn it. Why hadn’t they seized the opportunity earlier to challenge the cafeteria staff and break through the students’ emotional barriers like this young miss?
Gu Jiu led the group of students into the dormitory of the cafeteria staff.
The ghostly staff members were still hiding there tonight. When they saw Gu Jiu and the group of students enter, their expressions were filled with both shock and fear.
Pei Yongyong and the others quickly noticed that these cafeteria ghosts hadn’t changed. Their strength was still the same. It was clear that, like the students, they were victims too. That’s why they hadn’t undergone any transformation or gained enhanced powers like the other ghosts.
But victims who became perpetrators were no less hateful than the original perpetrators.
“Do you want to teach them a lesson?” Gu Jiu asked the students gently, her tone almost sweet. After all, these staff members had been feeding the students pig slop every day, which was truly detestable.
The students didn’t reply. Instead, they simply gripped their weapons tightly.
The cafeteria staff trembled in fear, spinelessly begging for mercy.
The chubby uncle lunged forward and clung to Gu Jiu’s leg, crying, “Please don’t hurt us! We’re victims too! We’ve been trapped in this school and can’t go anywhere. The only thing we could do was bully the students… They have the lowest status here. No matter how we mistreat them, the Dean never says anything…”
“Of course, she doesn’t,” Gu Jiu sneered. “She can’t wait for you all to tear each other apart, end your own lives, and become ghosts of this school, joining her forces.”
The chubby uncle trembled violently, his fat quivering with fear.
Seeing this, the students made their decision.
Lin Ran spoke up, “We won’t kill them, but they have to come with us to the playground.”
The cafeteria staff didn’t want to go, but faced with the glaring students and players, they had no choice but to follow with sullen expressions.
By this point, Pei Yongyong finally pieced everything together.
No wonder these cafeteria ghosts became so compliant after being taught a lesson by Chai Yingying and her group. Part of it was their cowardice, but another part was their hidden agenda—they wanted to use the players to deal with the Dean.
“I thought you guys were just that amazing, getting these cafeteria ghosts to make midnight snacks for you and keep watch at night,” Pei Yongyong muttered, recalling the ridiculous sight of those fawning ghosts willingly taking shifts to stand guard.
Chai Yingying shrugged, trying to console her. “Don’t worry, I only found out today that they were victims too.”
Being slower than the young miss in connecting the dots was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a fact she accepted with ease.
Pei Yongyong rolled her eyes, clearly not comforted, though she figured Ji Linfan must have deduced as much, which was why he suggested heading to the playground.
Along the way, they encountered more players being chased by ghosts. Before the players could act, the students had already ferociously dealt with the ghosts.
Gradually, more and more players gathered together.
“Where’s Old Ji and his partner?” Chai Yingying asked worriedly. “Did they get caught by the Dean and her ghosts?”
“Hopefully not…” someone replied uncertainly. The Dean was incredibly powerful, and if she had caught them, it wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover, with the ghosts’ strength enhanced tonight, players being hunted down everywhere had slim chances of escaping.
As they spoke, the Dean’s towering figure appeared.
“Run to the playground!” Ji Linfan’s voice rang out. Everyone turned to see him and his partner running frantically around a corner. The Dean, being so tall, was the first thing they noticed, followed by the two players.
The sight of the Dean struck fear into the students. Her oppressive presence still held a strong grip on their minds, paralyzing them momentarily.
Gu Jiu gently encouraged them, “Don’t be afraid. Believe in yourselves! She’s not as strong as you think. You can do it!”
With Gu Jiu’s encouragement, the students, led by Lin Ran, charged toward the Dean.
Ji Linfan and his partner sprinted toward the group, nearly tripping over themselves from exhaustion.
The others quickly supported them as they arrived, gasping for air, their faces pale. It was clear they had been chased for a long time.
“If you hadn’t come… we’d have been caught by her…” Ji Linfan’s partner managed to say between labored breaths.
Once they caught their breath and turned to look, they were greeted by an astonishing sight.
The students had pinned the transformed Dean to the ground. Using both hands and feet, the hundred students piled on top of her like a human tower. No matter how much the Dean flailed her unnaturally long limbs, she couldn’t break free.
A group of players stood in stunned silence.
The incredibly powerful Dean had actually been subdued by the students?
Not only did the students hold her down, but they also used their weapons to chop off her three-meter-long limbs. The Dean’s screams echoed far and wide.
Players: “.…” Honestly, aren’t the students the real bosses of this school?