The monster trying to stop Luo Yu froze in confusion.
"Wait--since when did these softie students stop listenin'?" it muttered.
The monster scratched its head and plopped down. A few whispers broke the classroom's silence, and some students shot Luo Yu complicated, sideways glances.
Luo Yu had no time for the small commotion. She walked straight out of the classroom and headed to other classes to recruit people. Last night, she'd made plans with that girl to move together, scheduled for the long break before third period. But since circumstances had changed--no teachers would be around all morning--Luo Yu decided not to wait for the break. She'd go get her now.
The girl had been hesitating about skipping class. But the moment she saw Luo Yu striding confidently down the hallway, with no one yelling at her and nothing going wrong, her courage skyrocketed. Not only did she come along herself--she brought several friends from her class.
Luo Yu led them toward the Broadcasting Room. The Broadcasting Room sat on the top floor of the Office Building, connected to the Classroom Building by an overhead corridor. Along the way, Luo Yu barely encountered any monsters. The two security guards she did run into she took down with the gadgets Sun Heng had given her. The students following her watched, jaws dropped.
"Isn't it... wrong to kill people?" someone shrank back and asked.
"Those things... they didn't really feel like people," another voiced doubt.
"Revolutions always need bloodshed!" others shook their fists, righteous and furious.
But their voices carried hesitation. Luo Yu wanted to explain, but the girl from last night beat her to it. "They're not people. They're monsters."
She laid out the truth: The school had been taken over by monsters. Real students had been killed and replaced. And what they were about to do... It sounded like a grotesque, brutal, bloody fairy tale. But it was real. It had happened. The students were shocked. Skeptical. Unable to believe it. But then they remembered how the school had changed. The hellish environment. Their own experiences... Everyone fell silent.
"Maybe it's true," someone whispered after a long pause.
"And even if it's not, what do we lose by fighting?"
"Things aren't right. We should resist. We need to make things go back to how they were!"
As the voices rose, hesitation and doubt melted away. The students' words grew steadier, firmer.
Youth really is something, Luo Yu thought. She didn't regret her decision at all now. Ahead lay their destination. Luo Yu quickened her pace, stepped forward, and kicked the Broadcasting Room door open.
Bang.
The "person" stationed inside whipped around in alarm.
How did students find this place? Why are they all charging in here, faces twisted with fury? This isn't good--so many people, so much yang energy... The other monsters are handling the accident at Back Mountain. There's no way one monster can take this group! Wait...
The monster's eyes darted. It couldn't win, sure. But maybe it could scare them off? Just a bunch of snot-nosed kids--once they saw its true, awe-inspiring form, they'd surely cry and run. The school would be theirs in two days anyway. Showing its real face now wouldn't cause that much trouble. Thinking that, the monster let out a twisted laugh. Its jagged fangs emerged, drool flying. In an instant, it transformed from a well-dressed human into a grotesque monster.
Checkmate. Scared yet?
It glared provocatively at Luo Yu, standing in front, even imagining it might snatch a tasty bite or two...
Huh?
When it saw the expression on Luo Yu's face, the monster blinked.
Why is this student smiling so contemptuously? Is she looking down on it? How dare--
Luo Yu soon demonstrated exactly how she dared.
"We've got numbers. This is our fight! Get it!" she shouted.
The students swarmed forward, fists and feet flying. Righteous group beatdown! The result was inevitable. Luo Yu successfully seized the Broadcasting Room. She cleared her throat and turned on the microphone.
"Students of Qinggang High School--this is the ADC Friend Society." Luo Yu borrowed the underground resistance group's name.
"Everyone--some of you may have only just arrived at Qinggang. Others may have lived here for nearly three years. No matter which grade you're in, one thing is clear: Qinggang High School has changed. It wasn't always like this..."
The speech was prepared last night with that girl's help. Sincere and heartfelt, it painted a picture of what life at Qinggang had been like before... The simple, warm, laughing days before the monsters took over. Luo Yu's voice traveled through invisible radio waves into every classroom. The monsters listened in confusion. But the surviving students--every single one of them showed emotion in their eyes.
"Yeah... Is this really the way things should be?" someone murmured.
Back then, they'd worried about grades and stressed over exams, sure. But they'd also found joy in the struggle, let loose in their free time. It shouldn't be--It shouldn't be like this now...
"IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THIS!" A boy in one classroom jumped onto the podium and shouted, his voice ringing like a bell. "WE SHOULD RESIST!"
He was a member of the ADC Friend Society. He didn't know who exactly was in the Broadcasting Room, but since they'd used the ADC name--that meant they were on the same side! And if the ADC had already taken over the Broadcasting Room, then he needed to step up too.
Inspired by him, more and more students rose in the classroom: "RESIST!" "RESIST!" The same scene played out in other classrooms. Their voices merged into a flood, echoing through the entire Classroom Building. The monsters hiding among the students panicked. They were terrified of the awakened students, terrified of the power radiating from them... The power of fury. Anger burned through them like wildfire. They couldn't hold their human forms. Their monster strength drained away. To survive, they fled--streaming into the Small Woods.
Over in the Small Woods, Sun Heng had just finished his own fight when he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden wave of monsters stampeding his way. He'd been stalling the monsters here for Luo Yu's plan. The principal and his group looked all noble and righteous, but they were practically useless in a fight. If not for the Ghost-Catching Master Statue, they might not have beaten the monsters back at all. Now, a massive horde of thoroughly pathetic monsters came pouring in--and the Ghost-Catching Master Statue activated again. It floated into the air and sucked the monsters in like a vacuum. Unfortunately, though the monsters were weak, there were too many of them. As it swallowed the last one, cracks split across the statue's surface--and it shattered into pieces.
Sun Heng watched the Ghost-Catching Master Statue turn to splinters, his heart bleeding in agony... If it hadn't broken, bringing it back to the Player Center would have made for a seriously powerful item. But as pained as he was, the moment the last monster vanished, a voice chimed in his head:
"Dear Player, congratulations on clearing Qinggang High School. You will be exiting the Game World in ten seconds. Countdown: Ten, nine..."
"Eight..."
In the Broadcasting Room, Luo Yu heard the countdown too. She handed the microphone to the students beside her and quietly walked out... She was just a visitor in this world, after all.
"Six, five..."
Luo Yu leaned against the wall and sighed. In her final moments, she hadn't even gotten to see the man who'd made her heart race.
"Congratulations. I can't believe you actually pulled it off."
Huh? That voice?
Luo Yu's head snapped up. And there he was--that devastatingly handsome face, lit with a smile that made her dizzy.
"Three, two..."
No time left! He's an NPC anyway. It's not like there'd be consequences!
In her final moment, Luo Yu listened to the impulsive voice screaming inside her. Her desire got the better of her fear. She cupped his face and kissed him.
"One..."
Cool.
Soft.
She'd kissed him. She was so moved.
A single tear slipped down her cheek--and in the next instant, she dissolved into particles of light and vanished.
Summary:
Luo Yu leads a student rebellion against monster-occupied Qinggang High School, successfully seizing the Broadcasting Room and rallying the survivors through a heartfelt speech. The monsters flee to the Small Woods, where Sun Heng and the Ghost-Catching Master Statue destroy them, triggering the game's clear condition. As the countdown to her exit begins, Luo Yu finally meets the handsome NPC and impulsively kisses him, dissolving into particles of light with a single tear on her cheek.
Trivia:
- Luo Yu is a visitor/transmigrator in this world, not a native student.
- The monsters are weakened by yang energy and student anger.
- Sun Heng appears to understand the game mechanics and references the Player Center.
- The Ghost-Catching Master Statue destroys itself after absorbing the monster horde.
- The ADC Friend Society is an underground resistance group, not an official school club.
- Luo Yu prepared her speech with the girl's help, making it sincere and persuasive.
- The girl's courage only grows after seeing Luo Yu act confidently without consequences.
- The monster in the Broadcasting Room initially plans to scare the students with its true form.
- The "clear the game" condition triggers immediately after all monsters are defeated.
- Luo Yu's kiss is impulsive, driven by the realization that the NPC is not "real" and therefore has no consequences.
Notes:
• 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.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• 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.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.