DSMC Chapter 135.2

T/N: I’ll be taking a break from posting next week, as I got a sudden business trip abroad…
TT-TT. See you then~

At last, the school’s dismissal bell rang.

The players who had been forced to attend evening study felt like fish hauled out of water, barely breathing.

In less than half a day, more than a dozen players had already died.

Gu Wenzhu finally met up with Qiu Xi, limping as they left the teaching building together.

Qiu Xi and Gu Wenzhu’s “bad luck” trait remained intact. Qiu Xi had been assigned to a regular class, while Gu Wenzhu to a sports class: the former had been randomly called on to recite texts, while the latter had to run 1500 meters. Both nearly died on the spot, and it had taken everything they had to escape the study session alive.

Many players had fallen during evening study. Those two hours of horror were something no one wanted to relive.

In summary, evening study was like a solo dungeon of blades and fire, full of questions they couldn’t solve in the morning turned into survival challenges at night.

Gu Wenzhu had nearly been buried under sports equipment, while Qiu Xi had almost been suffocated by “text.” It was truly a narrow escape from death.

The moment they walked out of the classroom, their first thought was that they had survived.

For now, neither of them wanted to stay in the teaching building or return to their dorms. At this point, being indoors didn’t seem safe anywhere.

They found a bench to sit and rest, both thinking at the same time: which class did Yan Jiyun end up in?

Qiu Xi gestured using sign language: [I think he’ll be fine. His ability is much stronger than mine.]

Ever since seeing Yan Jiyun sell information from the newbie and beginner instances for a high number of points, the two of them had gained a whole new understanding of his capabilities. On his own, he gathered more information than the two of them combined.

Still, neither felt they would drag the other down. They were teammates. They just needed better coordination.

But the game loved splitting teams apart.

After separating from Yan Jiyun, Gu Wenzhu and Qiu Xi had teamed up for two instances, and each time they were split up at the start. It took time for them to reunite. One full day in the last Newcomer instance, and a day and a half in the first Easy instance.

This time, it had only taken half a day. They were already quite fast.

Qiu Xi: [Did you notice anything special about this instance?]

After they entered the evening self-study session, it was essentially the instance’s punishment for failing their exam. The two of them had to stay for a full two hours before being released, and they had no idea that a student had jumped off a building. By the time they got out, more than an hour had already passed since the incident. The consequence of the punishment was missing the chance to obtain that piece of information.

Gu Wenzhu frowned. “I feel like the atmosphere in this school is really strange.”

The two of them had only just met up again before being dragged into the self-study room, so they hadn’t had time to organize or exchange the information each had gathered.

Qiu Xi nodded. [I feel the same. It’s kind of creepy. But then again, this isn’t exactly a normal school.]

Gu Wenzhu always carried a gentle demeanor. He was good at talking to people, often able to infer broader conclusions from small clues. Relying on that skill, he had repeatedly escaped dangerous NPC situations.

Although he had been tormented by running for half a class in the afternoon, he spent the remaining time gathering information from the sports students.

Most of them were straightforward, outspoken guys. With their blunt personalities, Gu Wenzhu didn’t need much effort to uncover some rumors and gossip about the school.

However, since he hadn’t met up with his companions, he hadn’t been able to pass on what he learned.

Gu Wenzhu said, “I heard something from my NPC classmates. There’s no ‘mermaid’ rumor at this school, but there is a lake, right next to the gym.”

Qiu Xi: [Is there anything special about the lake?]

Gu Wenzhu: “Not sure, but we can check it out. Supposedly there’s a statue in the middle of the lake, and wishes made there are quite effective.”

Qiu Xi was still a bit confused, as the information he found was related to something paranormal. [I heard that piano music can be heard in the music room late at night.]

Gu Wenzhu suddenly wasn’t so eager to check the statue anymore. “Is it possible the school has more than one rumor?”

Qiu Xi: [Does the lake have its own rumor too?]

Gu Wenzhu shook his head. “Didn’t hear anything weird, only that couples who make wishes there get their wishes granted, so a lot of students in secret relationships go there.”

Qiu Xi: [If the lake is also a rumor, then something should’ve happened to couples.]

After all, the ones making wishes there were couples.

Gu Wenzhu nodded, finding that reasonable. “Let’s gather more information before investigating the lake. For now, we can check out the piano room rumor, and find Yan Jiyun first.”

He guessed the instance’s main storyline involved investigating the truth behind the school’s rumors, and that those rumors might all be interconnected.

Qiu Xi had no objections.

After resting for a while, the two bought some food at the campus convenience store to fill their stomachs, then headed to the music building.

They weren’t the only ones. Many other players were heading there as well. Clearly, most people had reached similar conclusions.

On the first night of the game, the music building became a popular hotspot for players.

After entering higher-level instances, the system’s task distribution changed. In Easy instances, tasks were clearly guided and led players along the main storyline. But in Intermediate instances, the system no longer actively assigned tasks; players had to discover and trigger them on their own.

Players with sharp minds had an advantage in finding clues, while others might easily miss opportunities.

Neither Gu Wenzhu nor Qiu Xi were impulsive. Gu Wenzhu, being older, thought things through more thoroughly, while Qiu Xi, under his guidance, worked on improving his abilities beyond just intellect.

Qiu Xi once asked why he didn’t design a training plan for Yan Jiyun as well. Gu Wenzhu had simply smiled and said it wasn’t necessary. Yan Jiyun was too smart and understood his own strengths and weaknesses well.

After arriving at the music building, they didn’t rush in immediately but hid in a corner, observing the flow of players going in and out.

As more players gathered, it became clear that everyone had similar ideas.

They exchanged information with others and learned that almost no one who entered the building after 9 PM had come back out.

Qiu Xi signed: [Are we still going in?]

Gu Wenzhu said, “This area probably only opens after 9 PM. I’m guessing it’s some kind of escape-room scenario.”

Qiu Xi: [The piano room rumor… doesn’t that sound like something paranormal?]

Gu Wenzhu’s expression grew serious. They had never faced something like “ghosts” before. “Let’s go. We’ll see what’s inside.”

They wanted to find Yan Jiyun, but since everyone’s age had been adjusted in the game, it was normal that they couldn’t find him right away.

Gu Wenzhu figured that since so many players were following the “piano room rumor,” Yan Jiyun would likely come too.

Seeing other players entering, they stopped hesitating and followed into the music building.

As soon as they stepped inside, a chilling coldness swept over them.

One of the players who entered at the same time shivered. “This isn’t a paranormal instance, is it? I asked around earlier, and no one saw how Jiang Shiwen fell from the building.”

Gu Wenzhu stopped Qiu Xi, signaling him to slow down. Who was Jiang Shiwen? Had they missed something while in the self-study room?

Just as they reached the second floor, a melodious piano sound drifted toward them.

At this hour, the piano music felt especially eerie.

Everyone’s hair stood on end.

There really was piano music!

Gu Wenzhu and Qiu Xi couldn’t help but wonder, could they even find their teammate in such an atmosphere?

Everyone focused intensely as they moved upward, the sound growing closer.

Even more terrifying, a white figure drifted past them!

One of the female players screamed, “G-ghost!”

Qiu Xi instinctively moved closer to Gu Wenzhu. They had seen it too — a white figure with long hair and a flowing white lower garment.

Qiu Xi’s teeth trembled, [Is this really a paranormal instance?]

Gu Wenzhu calmly explained, “It could also be someone faking it. For example, installing rails on the ceiling and suspending a mannequin. Pull it manually, and it can scare people.”

Hearing his composed explanation, the others felt slightly less afraid. After all, believing in science could counter superstition.

But someone pointed out, “This is a game, not the real world.”

Gu Wenzhu countered, “Have any of you been in a supernatural or paranormal instance before?”

They all shook their heads.

Gu Wenzhu said, “Then the probability of this being one is probably low.”

They seemed convinced, but none dared to move forward.

Suddenly, someone said, “While I was waiting outside, I heard people say there’s a cat demon in the music building. Some players even had claw marks on their faces, really deep ones.”

A cat demon?

“Meow~”

As soon as the words fell, all six of them — including Gu Wenzhu and Qiu Xi — seemed to hear a cat’s cry.

They froze in place.

Some felt their scalps go numb; others were on the verge of breaking down.

“What kind of instance did we enter? Could it be some cultivation world with supernatural elements?”

“N-no way… maybe it’s just a stray cat passing by.”

“But the claw marks on players’ faces were real. I swear I saw them myself. Three deep scratches, faces covered in blood. They ran back to the dorm and stayed under the lights for a long time.”

Gu Wenzhu quickly pieced the information together. “Could the cat demon be related to Jiang Shiwen’s death?”

Thinking along those lines eased their fear a bit.

Qiu Xi admired Gu Wenzhu most for this. His calmness and ability to quickly analyze clues from minimal information.

“That actually makes sense. Maybe Jiang Shiwen was scared by the cat demon and fell from the building?”

“But then where’s the main storyline?”

Gu Wenzhu said, “Since the cat demon appeared here, maybe we can find clues about Jiang Shiwen’s death here as well.”

After all, there was also the “midnight piano” rumor.

Was the piano rumor connected to Jiang Shiwen’s death?

They finally stepped onto the second-floor corridor.

The drifting white figure was gone.

The piano music had stopped, and silence returned to the building.

As they pushed open the first classroom door on the second floor, the cat’s cry echoed once more through the entire building.

“Meow~”

Damn. T-that’s terrifying!