As Li Xin’s words fell, the entire examination room fell into a deathly silence.
He had long since sensed the several gazes fixed on him from behind. Without looking, he knew they were either cursing him to death in their minds or waiting for a chance to butcher him.
Li Xin couldn’t have cared less. Whatever he wanted to do had nothing to do with them. If they had the ability to kill him, he’d applaud them before closing his eyes.
Li Xin ignored the bunch behind him entirely, so naturally, he missed the slightly complex look on Yu Suheng’s face, which held the expression one might have when watching a large cat that had grown accustomed to doing exactly as it pleased.
The undercurrents among the players didn’t interfere with the school doctor, who acted as an NPC. He stared at Li Xin for a long moment, and seeing that he truly wasn’t joking, he suppressed his seething murderous intent and said as restrainedly as possible: “According to school rules, the routine questioning after the physical exam officially begins can only be conducted while the student is conscious.”
The meaning behind this refusal was obvious, and it even leaked a hidden rule loophole—if a student passed out during the electric shock phase, the exam could be terminated midway.
This rule made the remaining conscious players feel as if they had grasped a straw. Most of them had cleared a few dungeons before; they could easily use their own supernatural abilities or props to knock themselves out.
Even Feng Hao, who was shivering on the ground, jerked his head up. It was his ability that had knocked Liu Heng out, and under its influence, waking up would be nearly impossible without massive external stimulation—this was enough to minimize his suffering.
However, in the next second, that smiling voice shattered all their illusions.
In the dim light, the man tilted his head and said with a smile: “Is that so… well then, just wake him up, right?”
As he said this, Li Xin suddenly reached out and rolled up Liu Heng’s sleeve, revealing a bloodless left hand.
Feng Hao frowned hard at Li Xin’s movements. He was very confident in his ability, and since the doctor wasn’t preparing another shock, he couldn’t imagine what this strange NPC teacher could do to wake someone up.
However, Li Xin certainly had a way.
He had just confirmed that Liu Heng’s coma couldn’t be broken by ordinary means, but since the doctor’s shock could, it meant all that was lacking was a one-time intense stimulus.
The doctor’s frantic attempts to avoid completing the exam made Li Xin even more certain that failing to complete it would cause huge problems. If it only concerned the students, it would be none of his business, but with the students’ passing rate so low, there was no way he, the homeroom teacher, wouldn’t be implicated.
Teacher Rabbit’s remark about the “Principal loving serious teachers” was a hint that he must fulfill his obligations as a homeroom teacher.
Looking at the unconscious Liu Heng on the bed, Li Xin curled his lips. When he didn’t want someone to die, he had plenty of ways to ensure it.
Thinking this, Li Xin glanced at the finger joints of Liu Heng’s left hand, as if confirming something. After a brief observation, he did something that left everyone in disbelief: he swung the hammer in his hand and smashed it down with all his might.
“THUD!”
With a sound of impact that nearly shattered their eardrums, the hammer slammed into the metal operating table.
Feng Hao reflexively closed his eyes, then felt something graze his cheek, leaving a stinging, fiery pain.
Panic and unease forced him to brave the fear and open his eyes, where he saw, near his hand, fragments of… finger bone mixed with pulverized flesh.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Two screams overlapped almost simultaneously. One was from the terrified Feng Hao. The other was from Liu Heng, who had woken up on the bed from the agony.
“AH! My hand! My hand!!”
Physiological tears drenched Liu Heng’s face. He looked down at the source of the unbearable pain, seeing a hand with exposed, mangled knuckles and the heavy hammer held firmly in Li Xin’s grip.
Beneath the giant hammer were the shattered, unrecognizable remains of his finger bones and pulp.
The heavy blow had pulverized his left fingertips, and naturally, it had shocked him back into consciousness.
This time, however, the sharp, intricate pain made it impossible for him to pass out again.
“Madman! You’re a madman!!!” The psychological breakdown made Liu Heng ignore his fear; he roared at Li Xin in anger, wishing he could tear him to pieces.
The culprit merely took a step back, looked at the doctor who had inadvertently been splattered with blood, and said in a calm tone: “There, you can continue.”
Doctor: “…”
The wind from the hammer’s swing had made even the doctor step back instinctively. Now, seeing what had happened and looking at Li Xin’s still-calm, smiling face, he felt like he was looking at an absolute lunatic.
Doctor: “…You’re ruthless.”
Li Xin shrugged: “Thank you for the compliment.”
Seeing this “dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water” attitude, the doctor ground his teeth in frustration, but due to the rules, he was forced to say irritably: “He’s awake, but are you sure he can answer questions now?”
Watching the man on the bed cursing both of them in turns, the doctor felt his own kindness for the first time. He only sent players to their deaths, whereas the person across from him could make a player wish they were dead.
The swearing continued, but Li Xin acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing. He pulled a tissue he’d swiped from the dormitory out of his pocket and forcibly covered Liu Heng’s mouth.
Looking down at the man struggling with a twisted expression, Li Xin’s voice was faint, stating a fact: “You had better be quiet now, or I will break your other hand as well.”
The indifferent tone made Liu Heng’s body stiffen instantly. He stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him, but he didn’t entirely give up resistance.
Li Xin seemed to know his thoughts. He sighed lightly, his voice very soft: “It’s best to give up any unrealistic fantasies. If that doesn’t work, you still have two legs, your eyes, your ears…”
He paused, a hint of pity in his eyes: “Do you know the outcome of this? You will constantly feel pain enough to drive you insane, but you won’t die. Because I am a teacher, and he is a school doctor. We punish, but we will not let students die here.”
The suddenly mentioned doctor remained expressionless, looking as if he wanted to quit, but unfortunately, until the physical exam ended, he couldn’t go anywhere.
Liu Heng’s body trembled at Li Xin’s words. Li Xin’s tone didn’t sound like a threat—it was merely a statement of fact—but as Liu Heng looked into those pitch-black eyes, he was certain this man would do anything.
Seeing the man under his control calm down bit by bit, Li Xin released his hand and laid down his final bargaining chip: “Besides, do you remember how you ended up on this bed?”
The question made Liu Heng stop struggling entirely. He uncontrollably turned his head to look at the person sitting on the ground in the crowd, trembling in panic, and the hatred in his eyes began to burn.
Right. Why should I suffer this torture? I can’t die here—there’s someone who deserves it even more!
Suppressing his inner rage, Liu Heng, now completely calm, tried to ignore the bone-deep pain in his hand, gritting his teeth: “What do you want me to do?”
Li Xin stepped back to a safe distance: “Very simple. Finish your physical exam.” He then asked again in a tone that suggested he doubted Liu Heng’s intelligence: “You remember the form you filled out when you enrolled, right?”
Receiving the full force of the insult, Liu Heng swallowed the urge to curse and spat out viciously: “Start it, before I die!”
Oh? Fighting spirit.
Seeing this reaction, Li Xin couldn’t help but marvel.
As expected of someone who spends their life fighting in this hellhole. If this were a normal person, they’d have gone insane long ago after having their fingers pulverized. To be half-mad and still able to pull himself back—not bad.
Regardless, Li Xin was satisfied with the result.
With the agreement reached, Li Xin gestured for the doctor to proceed.
Seeing this, Liu Heng’s heroic expression of martyrdom stiffened. The doctor picked up the electric shock device with a look of extreme resentment, yet he was forced to turn the current down to the lowest setting.
Li Xin had guessed correctly; the doctor didn’t dare let anyone die during a physical exam in his infirmary, or the cursed Principal would label him a quack and send him to be “recycled.”
The doctor’s pained expression successfully amused Li Xin.
Since the doctor was miserable, Li Xin was happy. He even had the leisure to invite the players at the door to observe and learn: “Why are you hiding so far away? I suggest none of you try to fake illness to skip the exam later.”
He then added a threat, his voice soft: “Otherwise, I’ll have to resort to mandatory measures.”
The phrase “mandatory measures,” combined with the blood-stained hammer in Li Xin’s hand, was incredibly effective.
Lin Zhuanghong instinctively pulled his hands into his sleeves and gave a dry laugh: “Of course not, haha, I love physical exams the most.”
Yu Suheng: “…”
What a masochist.
After the farce, the physical exam continued.
The desire for revenge kept Liu Heng conscious through the electric shocks. Unexpectedly, aside from the shocks, the rest of the exam was just simple Q&A. The questions only covered two topics: name, age, and hobbies.
The age was definitely the one set by the system. As for hobbies…
Liu Heng subconsciously looked at the man sitting not far away, his mind flashing back to the almost mocking question Li Xin had asked before starting: You remember the form you filled out when you enrolled, right?
Liu Heng was stunned, but the successive jolts of pain pulled him back. He suddenly realized that his physical exam content was exactly the same as the form he had to fill out during enrollment.
Why do the same thing twice? It’s as if they are confirming something…
The doctor’s impatient voice came again, this time seemingly mixed with a certain excitement: “Don’t dawdle. Tell me, what are your hobbies? Can’t remember? Let me give you a hint, for example… playing ball? Jump rope? Paper cutting? How about paper cutting?”
The doctor’s relentless questions, combined with the pain that disrupted his thoughts, made it hard for Liu Heng to breathe. He almost wanted to blurt out an answer just to follow the doctor’s lead.
You remember the form you filled out when you enrolled, right?
The words flashed in his mind again. Liu Heng widened his eyes and found an answer from his drowning thoughts.
When they enrolled, their hobbies weren’t filled out randomly—they had avoided dangerous activities as much as possible. Naturally, the answer Liu Heng wrote was one of them.
Paper cutting? Ball? No, no, none of those. What I wrote was…
“Calligraphy! I like calligraphy! I’m done! Let me go!!”
Liu Heng roared with all his might. But instead of relief, a sinister laugh rang out, followed by the sound of a button being pressed.
The doctor had actually increased the current.
Liu Heng: !!?
The bone-eroding pain forced Liu Heng to hold back his screams, but the doctor showed no mercy, continuing to ask coldly: “Anything else? Continue.”
Anything else? Liu Heng couldn’t believe it. He clearly remembered writing only one answer.
“I didn’t…”
“Continue,” the doctor forcibly interrupted him, “How could a child only have one hobby? What else did you write? Basketball? Drop the handkerchief? Or…”
With the doctor’s persistent questioning, a trace of hesitation appeared in Liu Heng’s eyes.
Did I really write two answers back then? Did the dungeon force an answer onto me that I overlooked? Could it be…
More and more doubts surged up, but his body was in too much pain; he couldn’t grasp the images in his mind. Yet, the doctor acted as if he wouldn’t stop until Liu Heng spoke.
Liu Heng wanted to just say something to follow the doctor’s lead, thinking it might bring him relief. But for some reason, every time he wanted to open his mouth, he felt as if a mocking face appeared before him.
In the end, Liu Heng was unable to answer, only struggling and saying he didn’t have any others.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly heard a low curse near his ear, followed by a click as the switch was turned off.
The sudden relaxation of his body caused his tense thoughts to sink. Liu Heng opened his eyes with great effort, seeing the doctor muttering something beside him, and the eccentric teacher who had been clapping softly, walking slowly toward the doctor.
“Stop reading the menu, Doctor,” Li Xin said with a smile. “See how the student who passed the test is doing. If you delay tomorrow’s class, I’ll complain to the Principal about you.”