Night had fallen. Luo Yu and Sun Heng each slipped out of their dormitories to meet up.
After the blackout incident, the school had cracked down hard on the students. Under the pretext of "safety," they'd conducted several room checks, effectively locking down student movement.
Sun Heng had only made it out by using an item.
He'd assumed Luo Yu would be held up too—had even been planning to sneak into the girls' dorm to find her. But to his surprise, Luo Yu had beaten him to the meeting point.
"You're... something else," Sun Heng said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
He should have known better. Someone who could venture into the dangerous Small Woods alone and come back with intel—of course Luo Yu wouldn't be stopped by a locked dormitory door.
It was terrifying. Was this really the kind of power a new player could have?
Was she actually some hidden veteran wearing a newbie's skin?
"Oh. Yeah," Luo Yu said, nodding absently. She wasn't really processing what Sun Heng was praising her for.
She'd just... walked out. Naturally. The dorm matron hadn't dared stop her.
Luo Yu cut to the chase. "Did you get the Exorcist Master Statue delivered?"
At that, Sun Heng straightened with confidence. "Relax. Everything's done just like you said. The old principal said they need some time to prepare—they should be back at school by tomorrow."
He tried to persuade her: "Look, once the principal and his people return, we should get the mission completion notification. Everything after that is just NPC business. For safety, we really shouldn't get involved..."
He glanced at Luo Yu's expression: serious, resolved—she'd clearly made up her mind.
He sighed. No point in arguing further.
"You sure about this?" Sun Heng asked.
"Sure," Luo Yu replied.
"Alright, then." Sun Heng said. "Tomorrow, I need to head to the Back Mountain first to make sure the mission completes. I won't be able to cover you here at the school. Be careful going solo."
With that, he turned to head back to his dorm. He'd only taken a few steps before he spun around, jogged back, and shoved a pile of items into Luo Yu's hands.
"Friendship offering," he said.
If they ever met in another game, having someone like Luo Yu on your team would boost your survival odds by a lot.
Sun Heng had been through three games—his stash wasn't huge. After keeping back a few life-saving essentials for himself, he'd given her almost everything else.
Call it an early investment.
"Don't be polite. You never know when you'll need 'em," Sun Heng added.
Luo Yu wasn't polite at all. She scooped it all into her pockets, no questions asked.
Sun Heng added: "I think... maybe we can actually pull this off."
This wasn't empty talk. Right before he'd left his dorm earlier, Sun Heng had been cornered in the bathroom by some guys from other rooms.
They'd crowded around him, grinning. Said he looked like a rebel, that they'd noticed teachers targeting him a few times—so clearly he had potential. They sincerely invited him to join their group.
Something like the "ADC Buddies Club."1 Pretty cringey.
Sun Heng had accepted the invitation to get information, and they'd led him to their secret base, where he'd listened to them talk big.
Inside that secret base, the kids were nothing like their daytime zombie-selves.
They huddled together, complaining about teachers, the school, the suffocating atmosphere. Every one of them was alive in their own way—with thoughts, ambitions, something to say.
Sun Heng even spotted a few familiar faces from his own class. The ones he remembered as quiet, mousy types—the kind who kept their noses buried in textbooks from bell to bell.
Only then did Sun Heng fully believe that Qinggang High wasn't completely rotten—that the monsters hadn't consumed everything.
That beneath all that fear, there was still a fire burning. Sincere. Honest.
He no longer thought Luo Yu's plan was pointless.
Even if, deep down, he knew this was just a game world...
"It's going to work," Sun Heng said. He told Luo Yu everything he'd seen. "They seem to be cooking something big too. I think it's part of the game progression, so I hinted they should seize the moment and time it right."
"Mm. Thanks," Luo Yu said. Her expression relaxed a little.
She hadn't been a hundred percent sure—there was still some nervousness under the surface. Sun Heng's news was an unexpected gift.
Their business done, they parted ways.
The dormitory at night sank into a false peace, a staged tranquility.
When Luo Yu got back to her room, Liu Shuang was staring at her with a strange look. The other two didn't start anything, but their ears were obviously pricked, listening.
Like flies. So annoying.
Luo Yu snapped: "What're you staring at? Keep it up and I'll gouge your eyes out."
The other two flinched and immediately went to bed. Even Liu Shuang twitched, but she wasn't willing to back down. After recovering, she glared at Luo Yu again.
Trying to provoke her?
Thought she could cause trouble now that Luo Yu had no one backing her up?
Luo Yu rummaged through the pile of "junk" Sun Heng had given her and spotted a stack of talisman paper.
She focused, and the item info appeared in her mind:
[Basic Spirit-Repelling Talisman]2
Cheap and effective basic talisman. Can deal minor damage to spirit-type entities.
Can also be used on other monster types, but with reduced effect.
One talisman might not threaten Liu Shuang. But Luo Yu had a whole stack of them... and she had important things to do tomorrow. No way she was letting these roommates cause any trouble tonight.
Luo Yu moved fast—she shoved Liu Shuang onto the bed, and while Liu Shuang's mouth was open in shock, Luo Yu grabbed a handful of talismans and stuffed them in.
Liu Shuang went completely still.
For good measure, Luo Yu found some rope and tied her up tight. The other two heard the commotion but didn't dare make a sound. They just hid under their blankets, pretending to be asleep.
Oh god! Why had they ever thought about messing with her?!
Just tie her up! Leave us alone! Leave us alone! Leave us alone!
But Luo Yu wasn't playing favorites. She dealt with the other two trembling monsters just as thoroughly.
Not a single one got away.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning. Day Five of the game.
If the players never uncovered the school's secret, they'd have been fully infiltrated by the monsters by now. No recovery possible.
If they'd found the monsters' disguise but never learned the truth from the Wolf Pack, the Small Woods would have been locked down—players either paying a heavy price to break through, or wandering confused until Day Seven, when the monsters lost all restrictions and the slaughter began.
Luo Yu and Sun Heng were down to two.
But they had all the critical information.
Morning homeroom. Luo Yu heard an announcement over the PA: "Due to force majeure, teachers are unable to report for duty, so all morning classes will be replaced by self-study."
She knew—Sun Heng was making progress.
The high-level monsters disguised as teachers had probably gone to the Back Mountain to stop the real teachers from returning.
Luo Yu didn't waste a second. Right in front of the entire class, she cut class. Openly. Deliberately. She strolled out of the classroom.
"Hey!" someone called after her. "You—class isn't over!"
The "person" stared at her, something wrong shifting in their eyes. Dangerous. Unnatural.
Luo Yu met their gaze without flinching. If anything, her presence was stronger. She narrowed her eyes—equally dangerous—and silently formed the words with her lips:
Wait.
Die.
Soon.
Summary:
Luo Yu and Sun Heng coordinate their survival strategy during a nighttime meeting, with Sun Heng delivering the Exorcist Master Statue to the old principal. Sun Heng learns of a secret student resistance group called the "ADC Buddies Club" and shares this information with Luo Yu, bolstering her confidence. Back in the dormitory, Luo Yu violently neutralizes her monster roommates using spirit-repelling talismans. The chapter ends with Luo Yu cutting class on Day Five, facing down a monster-imposter teacher, and delivering a three-word threat.
Trivia:
- The school conducted multiple room checks after the blackout incident, severely restricting student movement.
- Sun Heng has survived three previous games and is now investing resources in Luo Yu as a future ally.
- The ADC Buddies Club represents genuine student resistance, showing that Qinggang High still harbors human defiance.
- Day Five is the critical turning point—if players haven't discovered the truth by now, the monsters have already won.
- Day Seven marks the moment monsters lose all restrictions and begin mass slaughter.
- The wolf pack in the Small Woods holds the crucial truth that players must discover.
- Luo Yu's basic spirit-repelling talismans work on spirit-type entities but have reduced effectiveness against other monster types.
- The real teachers are being blocked at Back Mountain by monster imposters.
- Liu Shuang and the other two roommates are confirmed monsters based on their reactions to the talismans.
- The PA announcement claims "force majeure" as the reason teachers can't report—a bureaucratic lie masking the monster confrontation.
Translation Notes:
1 ↩ From Chinese internet gaming culture: "ADC" (Attack Damage Carry) is a League of Legends role. The full club name "ADC朋友社" carries chuunibyou (cringey, self-important) energy—a group of rebellious students naming themselves after a gaming role to sound cool. Localized as "ADC Buddies Club" to preserve the awkward, tryhard tone.
2 ↩ In Chinese folk religion and xianxia fiction, talismans (符纸) are paper strips inscribed with mystical characters used for exorcism, protection, or attack against supernatural entities. The source term "驅鬼符" literally means "ghost-expelling talisman." Localized as "Spirit-Repelling" to broaden applicability to various monster types while preserving the exorcist function.
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• 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.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• 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.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.