Everyone looked up at the door, and the moment they clearly saw the state of the person in front of them, they were almost unable to blink, their faces showing disbelief.
Xiao Huai's hair was disheveled, with singed strands barely visible. His complexion was as pale as paper, his clothes tattered, and his body was covered in deep wounds that exposed bone. Blood continuously seeped out, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly, stained with blood.
Amidst everyone's shock, he slowly walked to his seat.
The smell of blood suddenly filled the entire classroom. Hu Jiang couldn't help but stare at Xiao Huai, whispering with concern, "Xiao Ge, are you okay?"
It had only been half a day since Xiao Huai left in the morning with just a fracture; how could he look like he was dying now?
Xiao Huai lifted his right hand slightly, which was less injured than the rest of his body.
"I'm fine. I can still write."
He said this lightly, taking out a roll of bandages from his pocket and trying to treat the bleeding wounds as best as he could.
The players nearby dared not look at him; damn, just looking at it was painful.
Without even furrowing his brow, Xiao Huai directly sprayed medicine onto the exposed bones. The mix of blood and medicine made those around him involuntarily pinch their noses.
Xiao Huai ignored them, with only more cold sweat on his forehead proving he was indeed human.
He was in great pain.
He Lecheng raised an eyebrow, glancing at Xiao Huai a few more times. There were still two minutes until evening self-study.
There was no harm in doing something during these two minutes.
As for why he was so severely injured, only he knew.
After the exam, He Lecheng smiled at everyone. "Good evening, classmates. Make sure to rest well tonight; see you tomorrow. Don’t forget, the finals are in four days."
The players let out a sigh of relief only after He Lecheng left.
Xiao Huai was still lying on his desk, having fallen asleep as soon as he finished the test.
But anyone with understanding knew he wasn't just sleepy; he had fainted from exhaustion.
Pan Qing looked at Xiao Huai, wanting to ask what he had been doing all afternoon, but seeing him like that made him not want to ask.
Ning Gaoqiang spat, "Serves him right; he's just asking for it."
Hu Jiang, however, said hesitantly, "Brother Ning, you can't say that... He's still our roommate."
"Hmph, what's a roommate? I just can’t stand pretty boys. Look at him now, getting beaten up like this is good for him."
Hu Jiang retorted, "You!"
He knew Ning Gaoqiang wasn't a good person, but cursing a teammate like that was a bit too much.
At that moment, a low laugh from Xiao Huai came from the window seat.
Ning Gaoqiang immediately shut his mouth.
Xiao Huai raised his gaze, bloodstains still on his face, adding a sinister edge to his appearance.
"I was wondering what that stench was; turns out it's just you talking, that mouth of yours that only knows how to spout nonsense."
He stood up and walked to Ning Gaoqiang, a small bear plushie appearing in his hand.
Seeing the bear, Ning Gaoqiang's pupils constricted sharply. Wasn’t this the white bear plush that appeared when Hui Yulian died?
How could he have one!?
Xiao Huai toyed with the bear, whispering, "Tell me, isn’t it true that as long as I want, your organization’s parts will be inside it?"
He lowered his eyes, his pale lips curling slightly. Every contour of his face seemed gentle yet held a sharp coldness.
Ning Gaoqiang felt a chill all over; his face turned pale, and he couldn’t say a word. After Xiao Huai left, he realized his palms were sweating, standing there dumbfounded, unable to move.
Hu Jiang followed Xiao Huai, as they shared a dorm. Out of concern, he quietly asked, "Xiao Ge, how did you get this doll?"
Xiao Huai didn’t look at him. "Playing games."
"Oh... playing games, huh? You went to play games?" Hu Jiang asked, surprised.
Xiao Huai turned to him, revealing a faint smile. "Yes, I played a game with Hanako"
He replied lightly, as if it were no big deal.
"What about these injuries?" Hu Jiang noticed the blood still seeping from Xiao Huai’s wounds and couldn’t help but ask.
Xiao Huai turned his head and continued looking ahead. "As long as I’m not dead, it’s fine."
Hu Jiang knew Xiao Huai probably wouldn’t tell him any more details.
Even a novice in a horror game knows how crucial information is here.
Moreover, they were just several unfamiliar faces to each other.
Xiao Huai returned to the dorm, wiped his face, and lay down on the bed without changing his clothes.
Hu Jiang turned on the light and studied in the dorm.
It was nearly eleven o'clock, but Ning Gaoqiang still hadn’t returned. Hu Jiang glanced out the door. "Why hasn't Brother Ning come back yet? If he doesn’t return soon, it’ll be bad during the dorm check."
Xiao Huai suddenly laughed. Hu Jiang turned to the sound, meeting Xiao Huai’s gaze.
He said softly, "Would you be willing to live with a roommate who could kill you at any moment?"
After saying this, he turned to the side.
Hu Jiang suddenly realized something. He climbed onto his bed, waiting for the dorm supervisor to arrive.
That night, when the dorm supervisor came for the check, he added, "Kids, Ning Gaoqiang has applied to change dorms. You two should get along well from now on."
After the supervisor left, Hu Jiang widened his eyes. "He can actually change dorms?"
"Of course; after all, that doesn’t violate dorm rules." Xiao Huai, who hadn’t been asleep, replied softly.
Hu Jiang sat up to look at Xiao Huai. "Xiao Ge, are you really a newbie? You seem to know how to play pretty well."
Xiao Huai didn’t respond immediately. After a moment, he said, "Hmm."
"Hmm?"
Just as Hu Jiang was about to say something, Xiao Huai remarked, "Everything is about to end, this dream."
When he said the last sentence, his voice was very soft, but he was sure Hu Jiang could hear it.
Hu Jiang’s pupils contracted, and he stopped speaking, lying down to sleep.
At two in the morning, Xiao Huai woke up from his bed. He sat up and looked at Hu Jiang’s bed next to him.
His gaze was icy.
His acting skills were really good.
---
Day Four
After one night passed, no one had died, but all the players were exhausted, on the brink of collapse. They could barely hold on any longer.
The daily meals made them nauseous, and the key was the constant studying, making their heads nearly bald; poor exam results meant immediate death sentences.
When the bell rang for the first class, He Lecheng did not come to class.
The players exchanged glances. "Is the homeroom teacher not coming to class today?"
"I don’t know; can NPCs be absent too?"
They didn’t know that in He Lecheng’s office sat a student wrapped in various bandages, looking disheveled and lazy.
"Teacher, you said the rules of the school are true, right? Rule seven—when under too much pressure, some means can be taken to relieve it."
He Lecheng looked at Xiao Huai, smiling, "Hmm."
In the first level of the dungeon, NPCs cannot lie.
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