Luo Yu knew something was off about the school, of course. As a player, her mission was to find the root of that wrongness. When the girl came up to her and brought it up herself, Luo Yu immediately sensed it - an NPC offering information of her own accord.
"Oh?" Luo Yu replied, glancing at the nameplate on the girl's uniform without changing her expression, then asked, "Liu Shuang - you think something's strange around here?"
Liu Shuang pointed at the two empty beds in the dorm room and lowered her voice. "It's them. They've changed way too much lately."
Luo Yu had no idea who the other two roommates were, but she could pretend she did.
She nodded with a put-on solemn look. "Yeah, I noticed."
Then she probed. "Tell me," she said.
Liu Shuang poked her head out, scanned the hallway, confirmed no one would be back anytime soon. Only then did she speak. "...You remember what Li Yi used to be like, don't you?"
Li Yi - that must be one of the roommates. Luo Yu had no way of knowing what Li Yi used to be like. But Liu Shuang wasn't really asking. She just mentioned it, then kept going on her own.
"Li Yi used to be such a nice person," Liu Shuang continued. "She was always cleaning the dorm, helping everyone out with little things. But her grades were terrible - math especially. She failed all the time. The teacher always yelled at her..."
"One afternoon, I came back to grab a book and caught her crying alone. Later she told me the teacher didn't like her, the classmates were cold to her... she said she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to drop out." Liu Shuang continued.
At this, Liu Shuang's hand began to tremble.
She took several deep breaths. Only after grabbing Luo Yu's arm did she steady herself.
Luo Yu could see it clearly. Liu Shuang wasn't shaking from sympathy for Li Yi's situation. She was shaking from fear. Deep, genuine fear.
She looked like she was about to cry. But she forced herself to continue: "Back then - back then I said a few comforting words to Li Yi. I thought she was just stressed, you know? I didn't think much of it. But then... then she changed. She turned into... into this!"
Liu Shuang's voice shot up, agitated. Then, as if suddenly remembering herself, she flinched and hunched her shoulders, looking around nervously.
She dropped her voice. "Now all Li Yi does is study. She won't even talk to me when I try. And sometimes... sometimes I'll see her reading, totally focused, and the next second she's looking right at me with this weird smile on her face."
"The other girl in this room is the same. They're like completely different people now. I... they... are they crazy or something?" she continued, her voice dropping to barely a whisper.
Luo Yu listened in silence, patting the back of Liu Shuang's hand in reassurance.
At the same time, she sorted through what she'd learned.
First: two people in her dorm were off. Li Yi had been bullied by teachers and classmates for her bad grades - then her personality suddenly flipped. She became obsessed with studying and started acting weird.
Luo Yu's own time at the school backed this up: any player behavior not focused on studying drew hostile responses from teachers. The teacher she'd encountered was a monster. Teachers in other classes probably were too.
And thinking even darker: maybe all the teachers were monsters.
Monsters disguised as teachers might be bound by some restriction - they couldn't attack students directly. But they could still break students. Through relentless pressure, stirring up conflicts in class, and controlling the school's overall mood.
And the students who ended up in their crosshairs -
If it was a player, based on what happened last night, they'd probably get eaten alive.
If it was an NPC student, they'd go through a personality shift, turning into the monster's helper for breaking others.
So why wouldn't monsters just eat the NPC students directly? And why did NPC students only change their personalities instead of dying after being targeted?
Those two questions might be the key to unlocking Qinggang High School's secret!
But before diving into them, a bigger problem loomed for Luo Yu and the other players:
How many students had the monsters already taken control of? How many normal students were left?
Judging from the atmosphere in the classroom and the borderline obsessive state of the kids in the cafeteria... the answer probably wasn't reassuring.
If things kept going like this, before they could even survive the seven days, every student in the school would become a puppet of the monsters.
And the monsters might stop holding back - and go straight for the players.
So it came down to either uncovering Qinggang High School's secret or surviving seven days...
Sun Heng had been right, Luo Yu realized. The "survive seven days" objective was a trap. If players just played it safe, clinging to the days without exploring the school's secret...
By the time there were too few normal students left, and the monsters' movements grew too unchecked, everyone would end up dead in a monster's mouth.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Luo Yu's temple.
Only now did she finally see the game's true malice.
"It's not just Li Yi..." Luo Yu murmured.
Liu Shuang, who'd been quiet for a while, suddenly perked up. "Yeah - our class too. So many people in this school are acting strange..."
The situation was grim. She'd have to discuss it with the other players tomorrow.
Luo Yu sighed and was about to climb into bed when Liu Shuang grabbed her sleeve.
"Hey, Luo Yu... actually, I found something," Liu Shuang said, her eyes darting nervously. "Come with me. I'll show you."
"It's already late," Luo Yu replied, wanting the information but knowing breaking curfew was against the school rules. "How about tomorrow - "
But Liu Shuang was already pulling her out of the room.
Luo Yu tried to pull away - and couldn't. She frowned and had no choice but to follow.
Meanwhile, Mr. Short - who'd split from the group - was buddying up with Mr. Fatty.
"Fatty, thanks to you I'd be lost. I honestly didn't know what to do!" Mr. Short said.
Mr. Fatty chuckled. "Don't mention it. Us new players have to look out for each other, right?"
"You have no idea - when I saw that monster eat someone, I was terrified. After talking with you, I finally calmed down," Mr. Short continued.
Mr. Fatty kept his eyes on Mr. Short with a grin. "It's nothing. We're almost there. Let's hurry up."
"Yeah, yeah." Mr. Short picked up the pace.
"Honestly, you're the man! You've got serious guts - tricking that Sun Heng's whole team, gathering info, and still remembering us newbies," Mr. Short continued, flattering him as they walked.
Mr. Short had been wary of Mr. Fatty at first. He figured the guy was just Sun Heng's errand boy, and coming to him out of nowhere probably meant trouble.
But Mr. Fatty wasn't nearly as simple as he looked. On the surface, he played along with Sun Heng. Behind the scenes, he had his own plans.
Like this time - he'd told Mr. Short he'd found what looked like a way out of the game, and wanted to bring him along to check it out.
Mr. Short had jumped at the chance.
If the escape point was real, he could leave the game early. If it was fake, he'd just be wasting his time - no real harm done.
Besides, Mr. Fatty said the exit was on the dormitory roof. He'd already confirmed it - going up there didn't violate any school rules.
They finally reached the rooftop.
Mr. Short looked around and didn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"So, Fatty - where's the exit?" Mr. Short asked.
Mr. Fatty couldn't be lying to him, could he? But if he was, what did he gain from it?
Mr. Fatty didn't answer.
Mr. Short saw him staring straight ahead, a strange smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. It sent a chill down his spine - it reminded him of that monster in the classroom, the one that had eaten the freckled girl.
"Fatty... what are you..." Mr. Short took a step back.
Mr. Fatty turned to the side. Behind him, another figure emerged.
"No! That's - that's not right! How is she here?! She's not - " Mr. Short exclaimed, backing away in terror.
"You're not... you're not the Fatty..." he whispered.
A short, choked scream rang out across the rooftop.
Mr. Short crumpled to the ground. Completely still.
On the other side, in the girls' dormitory.
Liu Shuang led Luo Yu by the hand to the first floor lobby.
"Where are you two going?" the Dorm Auntie asked, blocking their path.
Liu Shuang looked up slowly, her expression hollow. She smiled at the Dorm Auntie and mouthed two words — "Prey."
The Dorm Auntie's eyes darkened. She smiled back.
"Oh, your roommate's suddenly sick? Well, I suppose I can make an exception. The school hospital's not far - hurry there and back," she said with a hollow smile.
"Oh, wait. Sign in first." The Dorm Auntie pulled out a thick register book. She leaned past Liu Shuang to look at the girl behind her. "This student - what's your name - "
Halfway through her sentence, the auntie finally made out Luo Yu's face in the dim light.
Hold on... she thought.
That's... that can't be... she thought again, her voice barely a whisper.
She trembled in fear. The register slipped from her hands and hit the floor.
Summary:
Luo Yu learns from her roommate Liu Shuang about Li Yi's transformation from a kind student into an obsessive, creepy figure after being bullied for poor grades. Luo Yu deduces that the monsters controlling the school are turning students into their puppets and that the "survive seven days" objective is a trap designed to kill passive players. Meanwhile, Mr. Short is lured to the rooftop by Mr. Fatty on the promise of a game exit, only to be killed when he realizes the Fatty is no longer human. Liu Shuang leads Luo Yu to the dormitory lobby, where she mouthes "prey" to the Dorm Auntie - revealing herself as a traitor - but the auntie freezes in terror upon recognizing Luo Yu's face.
Trivia:
- The monsters controlling the school are disguised as teachers but cannot attack students directly - they break them through psychological pressure and social manipulation instead.
- Students who are broken by the monsters become their "puppets" - still human in appearance but helping the monsters break other students.
- The monsters are willing to eat players directly, as Luo Yu witnessed last night when the freckled girl was killed.
- The game's "survive seven days" objective is a deliberate trap - playing it safe and hiding will only give the monsters time to turn all NPCs into puppets, then kill all players.
- Liu Shuang appeared traumatized and scared while telling Luo Yu about Li Yi, but she is actually working with the monsters and acting as bait.
- Mr. Fatty was also a monster or monster-controlled puppet, having already replaced the real Fatty to lure Mr. Short to his death.
- The Dorm Auntie is also colluding with the monsters, as shown when she understood Liu Shuang's mouthed word "prey" and smiled back.
- However, the Dorm Auntie becomes terrified upon recognizing Luo Yu's face, suggesting Luo Yu is known to the monsters or poses a special threat to them.
- Luo Yu is completely unaware that Liu Shuang is leading her into a trap - she still believes Liu Shuang is a scared, helpful NPC.
- The rooftop is confirmed to be a location where going does not break any school rules, making it a convenient kill zone for the monsters.
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.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school 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.
• 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.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• 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.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's 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.
• 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.