The heavy topic was gently shelved, and the members of Squad One shifted their focus to planning their next move.
The current Deceit incident had affected a university campus.
With the dense student population, they had to be extra cautious.
Right at that moment, someone called out.
“Captain!”
Yu Chi’s Superpower had finally received feedback.
His expression was grave.
“I couldn’t find any trace of the principal, but I detected an abnormally high concentration of Deceit in the southwest corner of the campus.
I’m afraid the Deceit has released pollution there.”
The southwest corner of the campus?
“The dormitories!” the students gasped in unison.
Xu Xinrong’s face instantly drained of color.
She had just used the broadcast system to urge the other survivors to return to the dormitories as quickly as possible.
Yet now, an outbreak of Deceit pollution had erupted right there.
Had she doomed them all?!
“It’s not your fault,” Bian Ying said, sharply sensing the girl’s distress.
She patted Xu Xinrong’s back soothingly.
“If anyone is to blame, it’s me.”
“How could we blame you, Ms.
Bian…” Xu Xinrong shook her head frantically.
If it hadn’t been for Bian Ying’s protection along the way, they would have been dead long ago!
Tan Linyan, however, was thinking a step ahead.
“If there’s no issue with the rules themselves, then it can only mean some students have broken them.”
As soon as he spoke, a chilling murmur echoed unprompted in everyone’s minds.
[Rule Manifestation: Students who violate school rules must enter the introspection room for reformation!]
The voice seemed to descend from a mysterious and distant High-dimensional space, piercing their eardrums and striking directly into their Brain domains.
It was impossible to ignore, leaving them trembling in fear.
The students jumped in terror.
Introspection room?
Reformation?!
These words reeked of danger, yet they distinctly remembered that the school rules mentioned no such things!
The rules had upgraded.
This was a punishment mechanism that had never appeared in the rulebook before.
It seemed highly likely that the surviving students had indeed broken a rule.
“There’s no time to lose.
Let’s head to the dormitories first,” Tan Linyan ordered immediately, taking a deep breath as the new rules brought a dangerous signal.
“Understood!”
The members of Squad One stood in strict formation.
With well-drilled precision, they kept the students protected in the center, effortlessly dispatching any Deceits they encountered along the way.
The students watched in dumbfounded awe.
“I thought Ms.
Bian was amazing enough…
I didn’t expect the Operations Department to be even better!
Especially their captain!”
“Shh, I still think Ms.
Bian is more amazing!”
“Yeah, exactly!
Ms.
Bian is definitely better!”
Meanwhile, Bian Ying—the subject of the students’ whispers—was being dragged along at the very back of the group by Zhou Haizhi.
“Show some enthusiasm!” he muttered exasperatedly.
“This is a great opportunity to earn merit!”
“Yes, Boss,” Bian Ying hummed dismissively.
Upon reaching their destination, the group halted, taking in the visibly abnormal dormitory building before them.
Under the gloomy sky, the silent building stood utterly still.
The windows of the student rooms were all tightly shut, leaving only the main entrance wide open.
Peering inside from the outside revealed nothing but pitch-black darkness, hiding whatever lay within.
Ever since they stepped into this area, the Deceits they had been encountering along the way had vanished.
Only vast, heavy shadows shrouded the dormitory like a lingering haze, clinging to it like a second skin.
Deathly silence and eerie strangeness permeated the air.
As a chilling wind swept past, the frigid air carried faint, seductive whispers that brushed past their ears, sending waves of goosebumps across their skin.
The members of Squad One glanced behind them.
There had been a lush grove of trees in front of the dormitory, and they had just walked out from the path cutting through it.
But now, that path was gone.
“Captain, the road disappeared!”
“Could this be a Deceit’s trap?
It lured us here on purpose!”
“Then wouldn’t all the students in the dorms be…”
“Quiet,” Tan Linyan reprimanded with a frown.
He then turned to the person beside him.
“Chi, can you use your Perception?”
Yu Chi’s face grew increasingly pale.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and nodded.
“There are still survivors inside.”
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
“However…” Yu Chi’s tone shifted, his expression turning solemn.
“There are quite a few Deceits hiding in the building.”
“Save the students first,” Tan Linyan said, taking a deep breath.
Just as Squad One was about to move, the students, led by Xu Xinrong, eagerly raised their hands.
“We can help too!”
“Yeah, we’ve killed Deceits before as well!”
“You guys…?” Yu Chi finally noticed the random assortment of items the students were holding, none of which looked remotely like weapons.
The students looked expectantly at Bian Ying.
Bian Ying nodded.
“They really have.”
Yu Chi shook his head.
“The situation inside the dormitory is unclear.
What if the Deceits we encounter are stronger than the previous ones?
We can’t let you take that risk.”
“But aren’t you taking a risk too?” Xu Xinrong pointed out abruptly.
Yu Chi fell silent.
The others also said nothing.
They had long been accustomed to taking risks; after all, joining the Deceit Investigation Bureau inherently meant putting their lives on the line to fight against the Deceits.
Ultimately, it was Tan Linyan who made the decision.
Unclipping a small Energy Gun from his waist, he handed it to Bian Ying and spoke softly, “If that’s the case, let these students follow you.
Is that alright?”
“…”
“It is.”
With her boss winking so hard his eyes were about to cramp, did Bian Ying really have any room to refuse?
Absolutely none!
“Let’s go,” Tan Linyan said, withdrawing his gaze.
He led the members of Squad One unhesitatingly into the dormitory building.
Zhou Haizhi hastily shot Bian Ying a look.
“Earn that merit!”
“…Got it.” Bian Ying nodded helplessly.
After watching Zhou Haizhi follow the squad inside, she led the students behind her into the building as well.
“Ms.
Bian, I live in 417!
If we can’t beat them, we can run there!
As long as we follow the rules, the Deceits definitely won’t be able to touch us!”
“Yeah, Ms.
Bian, I live in…”
“Mhm,” Bian Ying responded half-heartedly.
Where the others couldn’t see, a flash of sharpness flickered through her usually indifferent and weary eyes.
A high-risk Deceit should be enough for her to get officially promoted, right?
***
Inside the gloomy dormitory building, Bian Ying plunged into bottomless darkness the moment she stepped through the doors.
There was no sign of life around her; she could only sense her own breathing.
Wait!
She suddenly realized—only her own breathing?!
She had followed right behind Squad One, and there was a group of students right behind her…
Yet now, all of their presences had completely vanished.
In the pitch-black environment, her senses were magnified infinitely.
A cold, clammy breeze brushed past her, and a sinister, eerie laughter echoed faintly in her ears.
DRIP, DROP, DRIP…
The sound of water droplets splashing against the floor surfaced intermittently.
Outside of Bian Ying’s field of vision, the narrow corridor ahead was strung with countless blood-red threads webbed together, forming an inescapable net.
The moment a prey stepped inside, the shadows lurking in the darkness would break free of their restraints and pounce, biting and devouring to their hearts’ content.
Bian Ying stood rooted at the entrance, completely motionless.
The shadows waited for ages, but she showed no sign of moving.
Just as they were about to lose their patience, she finally moved.
They immediately grew excited again!
But the next second—
KNOCK, KNOCK.
Bian Ying decisively turned around, walked over to the Dorm Manager’s room on the left, and knocked on the door.
The shadows in the dark were baffled.
They wondered, “What on earth are you doing?!”
The originally dark and silent dormitory experienced a brief moment of stagnation due to her actions.
Not only that, but Bian Ying also raised her voice and shouted, “Dorm Manager, I know you’re in there!
Hurry up and come out!”
In the lobby, which was completely devoid of natural light, her words caused blindingly white fluorescent lights to snap on.
By this light, Bian Ying caught sight of the inescapable net of blood-red threads.
Fresh blood dripped from the strands, splattering onto the floor and gradually pooling into small puddles.
Just then, the door to the manager’s room opened.
Controlled by a shadow, the empty-eyed Dorm Manager stared expressionlessly at Bian Ying.
Bian Ying looked at the shadow behind her.
It was clinging to the woman’s back.
It had no facial features, but Bian Ying could somehow sense that the shadow was absolutely furious.
She let out a wicked chuckle.
In response, a trace of murderous intent crept into the Dorm Manager’s stare.
Bian Ying suppressed her smile and quickly said, “Dorm Manager, I remember that visitors need to register, right?”
The shadow behind the manager was stunned.
It wondered, “How does she know that?!”
Since Bian Ying hadn’t triggered any rule violation, the Dorm Manager could only reluctantly take out the registration book and hand it over.
That was fine; there was still a second hurdle.
After filling in her information, Bian Ying thoughtfully added, “Dorm Manager, you still need to give me the access card.”
The Dorm Manager froze.
The shadow on her back twisted in hideous rage, yet it was unable to attack Bian Ying due to the restrictions of the rules.
It cursed inwardly, “Damn it, the second hurdle can’t stump her either!”
The corners of Bian Ying’s lips curled up; she had bet correctly again.
After all, since she lacked sheer power, she had no choice but to outsmart them.
Unable to attack and unable to out-talk her, the shadow on the Dorm Manager ultimately gave up on her.
The Deceits hidden in the shadows could only watch helplessly, gnashing their teeth in anger, as Bian Ying took the access card and headed upstairs completely unharmed.
Bian Ying wasn’t in a hurry to move forward; she needed to verify something first.
Approaching the door of Room 417, she cleared her throat.
“Xu Xinrong?
Xu Xinrong, are you there?”
Meanwhile, inside Room 417, Xu Xinrong’s vision had spun wildly the moment she stepped into the dormitory building.
By the time she regained her bearings, she was already standing inside her dorm room.
“It’s Ms.
Bian!”
“Ms.
Bian, we’re in here!”
Hearing their voices, Bian Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
“As long as you’re all safe.
Just stay hidden in your room and don’t come out until this is all over.”
As Bian Ying spoke, her gaze shifted to Room 414 next door.
“By the way, do you know who lives in Room 414?”
She had passed by it on her way over.
Unlike the other dorms, which were pitch-black and tightly sealed, the door to 414 was wide open, and light was spilling out from within.
Inside Room 417, the four girls looked at each other in dismay.
“Room 414?”
“…Ms.
Bian, nobody lives there.”
“Huh?!” Bian Ying’s pitch rose slightly.
Nobody in 414?