"No, I really don't think we can do this."
The dorm auntie swallowed hard, picked up the logbook from the floor, and quickly hid it behind her back.
She added, very seriously: "It's way too late. Being out after curfew is against school rules. I can't let you two go out."
As she said this, she made sure to give Liu Shuang a look that had a clear meaning.
Message: This one's untouchable. Back off.
Liu Shuang held her ground: "But my roommate's really sick. She needs to get to the hospital right now."
She gave the dorm auntie a look right back: You're refusing easy money? Are you stupid?
Both of them were trying very hard to communicate just by moving their eyebrows. Unfortunately, neither side could understand what the other one meant.
Sure, they'd been careful not to make eye contact with Luo Yu while doing it, but...
Luo Yu: It's way too obvious! I can't NOT notice!
Whatever trust she'd built up from feeling like she and Liu Shuang were in the same situation disappeared on the spot. Thinking back, Liu Shuang had seemed like a totally normal student this whole time, but her story didn't actually make much sense.
And now, with this weird behavior on top of everything else...
Luo Yu's throat tightened. She quietly pulled her hand back and took a wary step away.
Luckily, Liu Shuang and the dorm auntie were focused on arguing with each other, so neither noticed her move back.
In the end, the argument stopped suddenly when the dorm auntie used her authority: "I'm the one in charge here, so what I say goes! If she's sick, take her tomorrow! Absolutely not tonight!"
Liu Shuang choked on her words. She shot the dorm auntie an irritated glare, stomped off, and went straight back to the dorm--completely forgetting Luo Yu was even standing behind her.
The dorm auntie wasn't exactly thrilled either.
This kid's way too reckless. And she doesn't listen to reason.
If you're going to target someone, pick someone weak and simple. Don't try to go after the important people right away.
Do you have any idea who that girl Luo Yu really is?
Because last night, she'd seen it with her own eyes...
She shuddered at the memory.
Thank God I can think fast. That could've been bad.
Luo Yu and Liu Shuang walked back to the dorm together. The other two girls they'd been gossiping about earlier were already there, studying.
The moment they saw Luo Yu walk through the door safe and sound, they exchanged a look of pure surprise.
Then their eyes swiveled to Liu Shuang, full of confusion.
Hey. Why'd you bring her back again?
The question was all over their faces. Luo Yu would have had to be blind to miss it.
Luo Yu's eye twitched: Can you guys at least try to scheme behind my back?
But honestly, this little scene confirmed everything. The other three girls in the dorm--everyone except her--were at least somewhat suspicious. It was very likely they'd all been taken over by monsters.
Which meant... she was sleeping in a monster's nest tonight.
What a headache.
Liu Shuang, for her part, didn't bother answering the other two's silent questions. She was clearly still angry about the dorm auntie's interference. Without a word, she crawled into bed and went to sleep.
Luo Yu climbed up to her own bunk too.
She didn't have a choice. There was nowhere else to go. And compared to the alternatives, the dorm was probably safer.
She closed her eyes--but she didn't dare fall into a deep sleep. Her mind was still racing through everything that had just happened.
Liu Shuang had said she wanted to take her to see something important... Looking back now, who knew if that "something important" even existed? But one thing was certain: Liu Shuang definitely had bad intentions toward her.
The other three girls in the room might've even teamed up to trap her.
First, Li Yi and the other one disappeared. Then Liu Shuang used that chance to earn her trust and lure her somewhere dangerous.
If the dorm auntie downstairs hadn't stopped them, Luo Yu was pretty sure she'd be in serious trouble right now.
But why did the dorm auntie protect her?
Could it be that she was actually a good person?
And why were Liu Shuang and the others setting up a scheme specifically against her? Was there a monster commanding them to do it? Or could it be...
Suddenly, an extremely terrifying thought flashed through Luo Yu's mind.
Her eyes snapped open. She scanned the other three people in the room, all seemingly fast asleep.
...Were they even human anymore?
Meanwhile, in the first-floor lobby.
Luo Yu had barely left when Yang Tian walked in casually, arriving just before the curfew deadline.
She'd just spent some time alone with Sun Heng, and a hint of charm still showed at the corners of her eyes. When she spotted the dorm auntie, she didn't forget to give a sweet smile: "Good evening, Auntie."
The dorm auntie wasn't going to bother with her at first--until she realized the logbook was still blank. Then a nasty little idea started forming in her head.
"Hello there, classmate."
She waved Yang Tian over.
"Listen, with all those student disappearances on campus recently, the school's put in a new rule. Starting today, every student coming back to the dorms has to log their name and time in, for safety purposes. Go ahead and fill this out, would you?"
Student disappearances?
Yang Tian's eyes lit up. She moved right up to the dorm auntie.
She had a feeling this game character was about to give her important background information. She needed to take this chance to ask for more details.
"Auntie, what's this about disappearances? There are all these weird rumors floating around--it's so scary!"
Yang Tian asked the NPC for information while sneaking a look at the logbook.
She was careful not to sign right away. Instead, she flipped back a few pages.
"Don't be nosy." The dorm auntie put on her stern face.
But she quickly switched to coaxing: "Go on, log your info. If there's still time, I'll tell you a bit."
The NPC was getting more relaxed. Yang Tian felt secretly happy about her success.
At the same time, she successfully found what she was looking for in the logbook: all the other girl players in the game--including Luo Yu--had already logged their names and return times.
So registration is an unavoidable part of the game's progression.
Seeing the other signatures put Yang Tian's guard down completely.
What she didn't realize was that every single one of those signatures was a forgery. The pages full of handwriting had been completely blank just seconds before she'd opened the book.
Once Yang Tian finished signing, the dorm auntie gave a satisfied smile.
She casually made up a story about a student going missing in the Small Woods. She warned Yang Tian that wild wolves might be wandering around there. She told her to stay away, and then sent her on her way.
Both of them were perfectly happy.
Yang Tian thought she'd gotten important game information. She was already planning to show off to Sun Heng tomorrow, and to make Luo Yu feel bad about it.
The dorm auntie, meanwhile, stared at Yang Tian's retreating back, her pitch-black eyes gleaming with an eerie light...
She fell for the trick just like that. What an idiot.
The dormitory.
Luo Yu kept her eyes open all the way past midnight.
Now that she'd confirmed something was off with the other three, she didn't dare sleep at all.
What if they made a move while she was unconscious--or worse, just straight-up strangled her?
But staying awake wasn't a real solution either.
Her eyelids kept trying to glue themselves together. She'd doze off for a few minutes, then jolt awake, forcing herself to stay alert and keep an eye on the three "abnormal" ones.
So tired... This is pure torture...
Sometime after midnight, Luo Yu was still fighting to keep her eyes open.
And the Evil God, who'd been thinking all day about that little touch on the back of his hand this morning, finally gave in. Under the cover of night, he looked carefully toward Luo Yu's location.
...And immediately spotted her staring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes, looking just like a ghost herself.
…
This follower of his definitely had something strange going on.
Summary:
Luo Yu's trust in Liu Shuang shatters after discovering her roommates are scheming together, leaving her trapped in a monster-controlled dorm. The dorm auntie's sudden protection hints she knows something about Luo Yu's true nature, while Yang Tian's gullible signing of the forged logbook sets her up for future consequences. Meanwhile, the Evil God's growing fixation on Luo Yu reaches a peak as he observes her sleepless, haunted state in the dead of night.
Trivia:
- The dorm auntie witnessed something about Luo Yu last night that made her afraid enough to protect her from Liu Shuang's scheme.
- All three of Luo Yu's roommates are acting under monster influence, making the dorm a literal monster's nest.
- The logbook signatures from other players were magically forged seconds before Yang Tian looked at them.
- The Small Woods is where the dorm auntie claims a student disappeared, possibly tied to wild wolves or the Evil God's territory.
- The Evil God has been fixated on Luo Yu since she touched his hand this morning and is now actively monitoring her at night.
- Yang Tian believes she's gained valuable game intel but has actually been manipulated into signing a trap.
- The dorm auntie's protection of Luo Yu conflicts with her otherwise strict and self-serving behavior, suggesting hidden motives.
Notes:
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• Liu Shuang - A female NPC student and Luo Yu's roommate. Appears nervous and traumatized, sharing unsettling observations about Li Yi's transformation. Later revealed to be working with the monsters, acting as bait to lead Luo Yu into a trap. Her fear and trembling might have been feigned to gain Luo Yu's trust.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Luo Yu - A female player inserted into the game world. Tasked with uncovering the school's mysteries. Possesses keen observational skills and analytical thinking. Shows empathy but remains pragmatic about survival. At the time of this chapter, she has already encountered a teacher-monster and survived an attack, leading her to understand the game's true threat. A female player trapped in the Escape Game at Qinggang High. Has lost her memory of events prior to her arrival. Must either uncover the school's secret or survive seven days. Physically slender and not particularly strong. A hopeless sucker for beautiful faces, she cannot bring herself to hate someone attractive even when they're trying to kill her. Maintains a self-deprecating, wry sense of humor even in mortal danger. A player who observes rather than leads. She notices the subtleties in group dynamics and feels mildly disgusted by Yang Tian's showy behavior. Quiet and perceptive. Female protagonist trapped in the Escape Game. A high school student with a bold, flirtatious streak, she is drawn to the handsome cashier without understanding why. Currently suffering from memory loss regarding the previous night's events. Appears carefree but is observant of the school's oppressive atmosphere.
• Li Yi - An NPC student and former roommate. Originally kind and helpful but struggled academically. After being bullied by teachers and classmates, she underwent a complete personality shift, becoming obsessive about studying and exhibiting eerie behavior. Now serves as a "puppet" for the monsters, helping to break other students.
• Yang Tian - A beautiful woman who survived two Escape Games by leveraging her looks to attach to powerful players. Aligned with Sun Heng, she shares a class with him and acts as his vocal supporter. Calculating and possessive, she views Luo Yu as a threat, displaying hostility and jealousy. Flirtatious and sharp-tongued, she taunts others to assert her position.
• Sun Heng - Scar-faced veteran leader of the main player faction. Pragmatic and calculating, uses other players as disposable assets. Previously had Yang Tian attached, his interest in Luo Yu fuels her jealousy. Subtly predatory toward female players, gave Luo Yu a rules handbook, warns rule-breaking = death. Luo Yu trusts his warning.