Several long minutes passed.
He Zhihan completely ignored Hao Qing, who seemed to be having a quiet mental breakdown in the corner.
Instead, he lowered his gaze to his bloodstained hands. Black blood stained his fingers, while the ache in his back gradually settled into a dull throb. Oddly enough... he liked it.
He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for a reason. Inside prison, he had become someone even the other inmates feared. Solitary confinement had become almost routine after he repeatedly beat fellow prisoners to death.
Even the guards avoided provoking him unless absolutely necessary. There had even been a time when the government deliberately placed a notorious serial killer in his cell.
By morning, only one of them had walked out alive.
Violence had long since become boring. But now he was trapped inside a horror game. He wasn’t bored anymore.
He had already fought the monster twice, and although he hated admitting it, he had accepted one fact.
He couldn’t simply beat the Teacher to death. Not yet.
He needed to figure out how this game actually worked. His eyes narrowed. There has to be a way to clear this Scenario.
Just then, the familiar robotic voice echoed inside his head.
[Player He Zhihan has successfully injured the Teacher twice.]
[Reward: 10/100 Points accumulated toward unlocking your Player Profile.]
He Zhihan frowned at the translucent panel floating before him. "..."
Another notification immediately appeared.
[The God of Madness wishes to become your Witness.]
He Zhihan blinked. "...Witness?"
The System answered almost instantly.
[Witnesses are the creators and overseers of the Infinite Endgame.]
[They may provide Players with Gifts, Skills, Artifacts, Blessings, or other forms of assistance.]
[Receiving a Witness during your first Scenario is an exceptionally rare honor.]
He Zhihan stared at the words for several silent seconds. "...Creators?"
Then, he burst into loud, manic laughter that echoed through the office. "So the bastards who made this game are actually watching?"
Without another word, he reached out and pressed Reject.
"Now let’s focus, shall we?" He Zhihan glanced at Hao Qing, who was staring at him blankly. "Are you okay, Doctor?"
Hao Qing blinked and slowly pushed himself to his feet. Clearing his throat, he nodded awkwardly. "...Yes. And... Thank you for earlier."
He Zhihan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you thanking me? I just wanted to kill the Teacher."
The Teacher was a Nightmare, and their official objective was to survive for six hours. But judging from the distant, echoing screams still vibrating through the school, hiding was a losing game. There had to be another way to clear the Scenario.
His thoughts drifted back to the unconscious little girl.
Both Dali and Hao Qing were experienced players, yet they had hesitated the moment they saw a child in this death trap. One assumed she was human; the other was simply shocked she was there.
That blind spot made her incredibly suspicious. In every horror story, the most obvious clue was always the one everyone ignored.
He Zhihan turned abruptly. "I need your coat, Doc."
Hao Qing blinked. "...What?"
"Your coat."
Though confused, Hao Qing slowly shrugged off his white coat and handed it over.
He Zhihan draped it over one arm before striding toward the office door.
Hao Qing’s eyes widened. "Wait." He hurried after him, lowering his voice to a frantic whisper. "What are you doing? Where are we going?"
He Zhihan unlocked the door. "You can stay if you want."
He pulled it open just enough to peer into the silent hallway.
"I’m going to find Jun..." His eyes narrowed. "...and the little girl."
Hao Qing hesitated for only a moment before hurrying after He Zhihan.
The hallway was just as they had left it. Dim, silent, and reeking of blood. Half-eaten corpses lay scattered across the floor, while dark crimson trails stretched into the distance.
Hao Qing unconsciously moved closer to He Zhihan. "...How are you so calm?" he asked quietly. "Aren’t you afraid of dying?"
He Zhihan didn’t even spare him a glance. His attention remained fixed on the corridor ahead. He needed to find the little girl.
After a long silence, Hao Qing spoke again. "...I lied."
He Zhihan kept walking.
"I’m not an experienced player," Hao Qing lowered his voice. "I’m a newbie too. I’ve only survived one Scenario and I...."
"Shut it." He Zhihan finally looked at him. His eyes were dark and empty, carrying a murderous glint that made Hao Qing’s words die in his throat. It was a warning.
Hao Qing swallowed hard and wisely fell silent.
He Zhihan walked ahead, carefully avoiding the pools of blood at first. After a few steps, he clicked his tongue and stepped straight through them anyway.
They had run a considerable distance from the art classroom. After several turns, they had ended up in another hallway entirely. If Dali and Jun had any sense, they would have ducked into the nearest room while the Teacher was focused on him and Hao Qing.
Eventually, they returned to the hallway outside the art classroom. The classroom itself lay ahead, but another office stood nearby.
He Zhihan stopped before its door. He tightened his grip on Hao Qing’s white lab coat before slowly pushing the door open.
The room was small and cluttered with stacked boxes.
Then, a cautious voice came from somewhere inside. "...That doesn’t sound like a monster."
It was Jun. The kid really did have the survival instincts of a sloth.
"It’s us," Hao Qing answered immediately. As he spoke, he grabbed several heavy boxes and began dragging them toward the door to barricade it.
After a moment’s hesitation, Dali emerged from behind the stacks. She didn’t look relieved. If anything, she looked even more shaken after seeing the bloody footprints leading into the room and the black blood smeared across He Zhihan’s face and prison uniform.
Without saying a word, He Zhihan raised the white doctor’s coat in one hand. "Where’s the child?"
"Here." Jun stepped out, carrying the unconscious little girl in his arms.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward He Zhihan.
A small smile curved his lips, though it never reached his cold eyes. "...Does she still have a pulse?"