Chapter 27: The Terrifying Tenth School Building

The young girl gazed at the spectacular sea of flowers filling the sky, lost in thought.

"Fireworks... it feels like I haven't seen them in a long time."

"Then, if there’s a chance next time, and we find ourselves in the same summer, we can go to Nara for the competition. We should be able to see a wonderful fireworks display then," Su Wen said with a gentle smile.

"Who do you think set off these fireworks?"

"Who knows? Perhaps some gentleman with more money than he knows what to do with."

He had never imagined that if the money were right, the service quality of Schlott Heavy Industries would be so exceptional. But there was nothing to regret. After all, that money couldn't really be spent anyway.

Su Wen glanced at Lighthouse No. 43, which still shone brightly in the distance. Because it was being used to research hurricane energy diversion technology, it had become a restricted area.

Everything was in the past now. A grand display of fireworks was a sufficient curtain call.

He stood up, felt the evening breeze sweeping across the coastline, and said calmly, "Let’s go. It’s time to head back."

Ten days passed.

After finishing breakfast, the countdown before Su Wen’s eyes began to tick again:

[15 natural days remain until the 'Player's' scheduled death.]
[Timer started.]
[Choose whether to start the game.]

Thanks to it being the weekend, he wasn't worried about being penalized. Habitually, he opened his computer:

[The Inescapable Patient]
[Game Type: Role-Playing]
[Real-time Span: Five Days]
[Game Difficulty: Low]
[Background:
Time: Early Era of Origins
Location: Old School Building, No. 10 Middle School, Coastal Old District
The soul information of the deceased at the No. 10 Middle School has not yet returned to the Sea of Silver. Due to the cognitive pollution from the Abyss Frontier, the old school building has expanded into a 'Tier 2' large-scale Dead Zone.
The Dead Zone resonates with dream frequencies, causing widespread cases of death within dreams across the Jiangnan region. The danger level is extreme. It was only ended after the sacrifice of 13 Night Watchers.
This event influenced the timeline of the birth of 'Heavenly Hymn,' triggered the beginning of the 'Death-Sleeping Maiden' destruction event, and holds a 15% influence on the awakening of the 'Bronze Throne.']

[Game Objectives:]
[One Star: Successfully escape the old building of No. 10 Middle School]
[Two Stars: While escaping, uncover what actually happened at No. 10 Middle School]
[Three Stars: Hidden Objective]

[Note: Completing the minimum rating will prevent the player's death in reality.]
[Trial Ability: None]

At this moment, the screen began to be shrouded in darkness. Countless whispers emanated from the computer's background audio:

"Kill him."
"I am innocent."
"Don't save me."
"I see you, I see you."
"I'm sorry, I am a patient."

Amidst the background whispers and the heavy darkness, Su Wen saw a line of text appear on the screen:

[Certain heavy forces are influencing your thoughts.]
[You are unable to move.]
[Primary Fear Immunity activated.]
[You have broken free from fear and oppression.]

He slowly opened his eyes from the darkness, feeling as though his perspective was that of someone lying in bed. There were no lights in the room; it was pitch black. Su Wen turned his head and saw that he was lying in a bed in a six-person dormitory. But besides himself, there was no one else.

Drip.
Drip.

A drop of thick liquid fell from the rusted iron railing of the upper bunk onto his face. Only by turning up the brightness could Su Wen barely make out that it was dark red.

[Analysis: Uncoagulated blood, source unknown.]
['Deep Dream' Corruption +1]
[Note: If 'Deep Dream' Corruption accumulates to five points, the character will fall into a deeper, more terrifying dream.]

The dark red blood flowed across the screen, eerie and bone-chilling. Su Wen sat up. He first looked at the upper bunk. In the dark shadows, a rag doll lay on its side, its head and body connected by ragged, broken threads. One of its eyes was a button, but the other stared at Su Wen as if it were a human eye. Thick, dark red blood oozed from the severed neck of the doll.

[Analysis: A doll missing some parts.]

Su Wen picked up the doll.

[Store]
[Contacted Source of Nightmare 1: Manner of Death]
['Deep Dream' Corruption +1]

He felt the screen grow even dimmer. Aside from this bizarre doll, the only thing left in the dormitory was a torn page of notes:

[July 23rd: The doctor said my illness won't let me live much longer, and I need to take medicine.]
[July 24th: We have no money at home. I don't plan to tell my parents.]
[July 25th: The sparrow next door is already dead.]

[Analysis: A note scribbled by a middle school student.]
['Deep Dream' Corruption +1]

Su Wen hadn't gained much information, but his 'Deep Dream' Corruption had already reached three points.

[You feel someone is watching you.]

The next second, he controlled the character to turn around. Behind him, there was nothing but the tightly shut door, and no sound at all. Su Wen packed up the items in the room and prepared to turn the handle of the locked dormitory door.

At the very moment he opened the door, he saw a massive, deformed figure crawling on the ceiling of the hallway. It was a giant, grotesque creature with over a dozen arms that resembled human limbs more than the legs of an arthropod.

The next second, its head twisted at a bizarre 90-degree angle, staring fixedly back and forth at the area where Su Wen was. Its head looked like a fuzzy ball covered in spikes, with a pair of massive black eyes on each side. It also possessed enormous, spider-like mouthparts.

"Little thing, you look quite unique."

Unlike facing a natural disaster, the oppressive feeling brought by this kind of eerie entity in a dark, claustrophobic environment was even greater. Su Wen cursed under his breath, but instead of closing the door, he opened it fully and stepped out. He could clearly see that this 'deformed lifeform' had not 'noticed' him yet.

[Analysis: Stillborn Aggregate, Tier 2. Hunts the 'Near-Dead' in the Border of Death and attaches the torsos of the deceased to its own body. Abnormal factor: Abyssal pollution.]

He tentatively took a step out of the room with slightly more force.

[You have been spotted.]
[Danger!]

A bright red warning flashed. In an instant, a gaze of death focused upon him. The deformed creature transformed into a black shadow and lunged at him. Su Wen was also a Tier 1 Transcendent, specifically an [Imprint Knight] with a focus on both spirit and strength. He rolled to dodge the Stillborn Aggregate's pounce.

But the very next moment, under the relentless assault of over a dozen residual limbs, Su Wen's movements were instantly disrupted, and the massive mouthparts bit down fiercely right before his eyes.

The screen turned blood red.

[You have died!!]
[Do you wish to reload?]