The dean stared at Gu Jiu, her expression severe. Her eyes gleamed with a ghostly light, like a lurking specter in the dead of night.
A student who accidentally caught sight of this scene almost burst into tears from fright.
“I like obedient, well-behaved children,” the dean said coldly. “Those who break school rules must face punishment! You, young lady, should reflect on your behavior in the confinement room.”
Gu Jiu met her gaze without flinching, smiling as she asked, “Excuse me, but I really don’t understand which school rule I’ve broken?”
The dean’s stern gaze bore down on her.
At that moment, the chubby cafeteria uncle waddled over, his voice brimming with excitement as he recounted Gu Jiu’s earlier misconduct—flipping a tray of food onto his face. His expression was filled with venom, as if he couldn’t wait for her to be sent to the confinement room.
The mere mention of the words “confinement room” made the surrounding students shrink back, wishing they could vanish on the spot.
The players present took note of the students’ reactions. After three days of observation, they had come to understand the terrifying significance of the confinement room in the minds of the students. Consequently, they too were extremely wary of the dean, the only person with the authority to send rule-breakers there.
The dean asked, “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
Gu Jiu remained composed, lazily asking in return, “Did anyone see it?”
The cafeteria uncle shouted, “Everyone here saw it!”
The other cafeteria staff nodded in agreement, but the students remained silent, showing no reaction.
Gu Jiu ignored the cafeteria workers and turned to the students, asking, “Did any of you see it?”
The twenty or so players present all cooperated by shaking their heads in unison. As for the other students, they still didn’t move. Gu Jiu decided to take their silence as confirmation that they hadn’t seen anything. Smiling, she said, “Teacher, look, they didn’t see anything, so this proves I didn’t do it! You adults shouldn’t falsely accuse students; that’s not right. These cafeteria workers are obviously going to take his side—they can’t be used as evidence.”
“Teacher, you can’t just wrongfully accuse a good student!”
The cafeteria uncle was so infuriated by her argument that his mouth twisted in rage.
The dean’s lips tightened into a frown as her sharp gaze swept over the students present. Some of them were already trembling but still refused to speak. The silence only made the atmosphere more awkward.
Finally, unable to contain himself, the cafeteria uncle jumped out to argue with Gu Jiu.
“The grease stains on me are the evidence!” He pointed at his oil-streaked uniform. To preserve the evidence, he had deliberately refrained from cleaning up.
Gu Jiu retorted confidently, “You work in the cafeteria, so it’s normal for you to be covered in grease. Maybe you spilled it on yourself while carrying food—what does that have to do with me? If you’re going to accuse me, at least have some legitimate proof!”
“You—”
Neither side was willing to back down.
Although the cafeteria workers testified against Gu Jiu, not a single student present dared to speak up. In the end, due to insufficient evidence, the matter was dismissed.
The dean’s mood was visibly sour as she sent the cafeteria staff back to work. She stayed behind, silently watching the students eat, her ghostly gaze making her seem even more menacing.
The students, still dazed, watched the disgruntled cafeteria uncle storm off in anger. A strange feeling stirred in their hearts as they sneaked glances at Gu Jiu. However, under the dean’s watchful eye, they dared not act on their thoughts.
Chai Yingying secretly gave Gu Jiu a thumbs-up, thinking to herself that the young lady’s ability to weasel out of trouble was truly impressive.
As the meal concluded, the dean said, “At seven o’clock, you must report to Classroom 305 for self-study. Latecomers will not be allowed to enter.”
With that, she clicked away in her high heels, leaving the cafeteria. Before departing, she shot a glance at Gu Jiu—a look that made it clear Gu Jiu was now on her radar.
The students filed out of the cafeteria like a school of fish, sneaking glances at Gu Jiu out of the corners of their eyes.
Other players gathered around Gu Jiu, giving her a thumbs-up. “Sis, you’re amazing! I heard the dean’s confinement room is terrifying. We thought you’d be the first to experience it.”
Gu Jiu replied casually, “I’m actually thinking of finding a way to check it out.”
“You’re kidding, right? You want to go in there?” A burly man, who looked more like a grown soldier than a high school student, stared at her in disbelief.
“I need to see what it’s like and why the students are so afraid of it.”
Chai Yingying stroked her chin thoughtfully. “The young lady has a point. These students turn into ghosts at night, but they’re still scared of something. Could it be because they’re too weak?”
“I don’t think they’re weak,” a female player interjected. “Based on what I’ve observed the past few nights, these ghosts are actually pretty strong.”
“Exactly! It’s not weakness—it’s the dean’s confinement room that terrifies them. They wouldn’t dare defy her.”
“But judging from their silence earlier, these students might not be as submissive as they seem. They could be harboring resentment but are just too afraid to act on it. That’s why, when Gu Jiu stood up to the dean, they chose to back her up.”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
After their exchange, the players dispersed from the cafeteria.
Dinner ended early, leaving plenty of time before seven o’clock. As long as they made it to Classroom 305 by then, they had time to explore the campus further.
Shengying High School was vast. Even after three days of exploration, there were still areas they hadn’t fully investigated.
Behind the cafeteria was a lake, its banks lined with willow trees. By day, the scenery was serene, with lush greenery reflecting in the lake’s crystal-clear waters. But at night, the peaceful scene turned eerie and foreboding.
Gu Jiu and her companions strolled along the lake’s edge. The water lay still, mirroring the dim twilight above.
It wasn’t yet seven o’clock, but the sky was already darkening. Dim streetlights flickered to life across the campus, casting weak, hazy glows that shrouded everything in a misty veil, making the surroundings appear dreamlike and indistinct.
Suddenly, ripples disturbed the lake’s calm surface.
The ripples grew, swelling from gentle undulations into turbulent waves, as if something deep within the lake was about to emerge.
The three standing by the lake didn’t move away. Instead, they observed with keen interest, casually chatting as they watched.
“What do you think it’s up to?”
“Probably looking for a scapegoat.”
“It climbs out every night, leaves everything wet and covered in weeds, but it never seems to go beyond the cafeteria area…”
A head broke the water’s surface.
Long black hair, like trailing water plants, floated around it. At a glance, it blended seamlessly with the lake’s natural vegetation.
The hair surged toward the shore, extending rapidly as if alive. Beneath it, a deathly pale face grinned with an unsettling smile.
Chai Yingying unsheathed a sword that gleamed with cold light. With a single slash, she severed the hair just as it reached her feet. Scoffing, she taunted, “If you’ve got the guts, come up here!”
The water ghost couldn’t come ashore, so it relied on its long hair to drag people into the lake.
More and more strands of wet, flexible hair emerged from the water. They looked like a mixture of water plants and human hair, unnervingly agile.
Unfortunately for the water ghost, it was up against Gu Jiu and her companions. No matter how much hair reached the shore, it was all promptly cut down.
Eventually, the water ghost let out a furious screech, causing the lake’s surface to ripple violently. Realizing it couldn’t gain the upper hand, the ghost reluctantly withdrew its hair. It floated in the water, staring at them. Beneath the shimmering lake surface, its ghastly pale face and blood-red eyes glared at them. In the dim twilight, it looked chillingly grotesque.
Chai Yingying couldn’t help but rub her arms. Although she was used to encountering all kinds of ghosts and monsters, she had to admit that some scenes still gave her the creeps.
Seeing that the water ghost had ceased its attacks, the three of them stopped their actions as well.
Finally, Lu Ji tossed a few folded paper fish and a paper turtle into the lake.
As soon as the paper figures touched the water, the ghost’s hair darted out, entangling them and dragging them to the bottom of the lake.
Chai Yingying looked worried. “Lu Ji, won’t your paper constructs get destroyed?”
“They won’t,” Lu Ji said confidently. “My paper constructs have been upgraded to B-grade items. They’re much stronger now.”
Chai Yingying glanced at her with envy before turning to Gu Jiu. “Miss Gu, now that you’re a B-grade player, has your innate skill been upgraded? Let me guess—does that creepy red nail of yours look even more like a ghost’s claw now?”
Gu Jiu replied with a smirk, “Of course it’s been upgraded.”
Chai Yingying’s envy deepened.
When she became a player, she hadn’t awakened any special innate skill. Because of this, she was determined to earn as many points as possible to acquire life-saving tools for herself.
The three of them reached Classroom 305 before 7:00 p.m.
Classroom 305 was spacious, capable of seating over a hundred people. It was clearly designed for boarding students to use as a self-study room.
Evening self-study sessions ran from 7:00 to 9:00.
During this time, everyone was required to be in the classroom. Wandering around outside was dangerous, as it could lead to countless unpredictable threats.
The students had already taken out their textbooks and exercises to study. Meanwhile, the players, who had no need to study, gathered in the back of the classroom to quietly share their findings.
Gu Jiu and Lu Ji sat by the wall.
Chai Yingying sat next to them, whispering with a female player.
Although B-grade players had their own ways to clear the game, they were generally more willing to share information with others. Unlike D-grade or C-grade players, who often hoarded secrets, B-grade players recognized the unpredictable nature of higher-level challenges. Banding together was often more effective than going solo.
While everyone wanted points, their priority was ensuring a smooth escape from the game.
Moreover, as B-grade players, they had a better understanding of the game’s truths. They knew that the system encouraged cooperation among players. Sometimes, teamwork even led to bonus points.
The female player, Pei Yongyong, leaned in and asked, “Sister Chai, you all went to the lake behind the cafeteria earlier. Did you find anything?”
“That water ghost can’t come ashore, and we didn’t go into the water. So, no major discoveries,” Chai Yingying replied, stroking her chin. “But now that you mention it, the ghost’s face does seem familiar.”
Pei Yongyong’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Familiar how?”
“It looks like someone we saw during the day,” Chai Yingying said thoughtfully. “But I can’t remember where… You know how it is—there are just too many students at Shengying High.”
Pei Yongyong, looking disappointed, quietly shared her own discovery in the art classroom.
“There’s a plaster ghost there. Every night, it comes out and roams around, looking for someone to paint its portrait,” she whispered. “If the painting isn’t good enough, it’ll eat you.” She grumbled, “That ghost is so annoying. It’s better to stay away from that place.”
Suddenly, someone called out, “The dean’s here!”
The players quickly grabbed the textbooks on their desks, pretending to study.
The dean appeared outside the window like a phantom. Her sharp eyes scanned the classroom, as if searching for someone breaking the rules—someone she could drag off to the confinement room.
Her gaze lingered briefly on Gu Jiu, the problem student.
Gu Jiu looked up and gave her a smile.
It was a smile filled with provocation. The corners of the dean’s mouth drooped even further, signaling her worsening mood.
For the rest of the study session, the dean remained stationed outside, watching over the classroom like a hawk. The players, unable to speak freely, began passing notes instead.
Chai Yingying tossed a note to Gu Jiu:
[Miss Gu, it looks like the dean has her eye on you.]
Gu Jiu glanced at the note and casually scribbled a reply before tossing it back:
[Someone has to draw aggro, and it doesn’t matter who.]
Chai Yingying had no words for this and could only give her a thumbs-up in admiration.
Over the past few days, they had encountered many ghosts, and aggro had been drawn plenty of times. However, all the players had unanimously agreed to avoid provoking the dean. At night, the dean’s authority on campus was absolute, making her an extremely dangerous figure to cross.
No one expected that after three nights of avoiding her, Gu Jiu would finally start targeting the dean.
—
Chai Yingying sent another note:
[Are you suspicious of the confinement room?]
Gu Jiu’s response was quick:
[A bit. We won’t know for sure until we take a look.]
Chai Yingying frowned as she wrote her reply:
[I think the confinement room is really dangerous. Let’s hold off for now.]
Gu Jiu’s next note, however, made her freeze in shock:
[You’re right, which is why I want to send a ghost to test the confinement room first.]
Chai Yingying stared at the note, stunned by Miss Gu’s audacity.
She really dares to think big.