The remaining six candidates hurriedly gathered their belongings, tension crackling in the air like a live wire.
Among them stood a stern-looking boy wearing thick, bottle-bottom glasses—an image straight out of a school honor roll photo. His scholarly aura was unmistakable.
The boy with the top-student look pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and declared, "Everyone can follow me. I pass every exam with top scores. I'm confident I can lead you safely to the school bus."
As soon as he spoke, several candidates instinctively moved toward him, drawn by his confidence like moths to a flame.
Then suddenly—
A figure appeared silently behind the top student.
His confident expression faltered, stiffening at once.
His eyes swept over the other five candidates like a hawk measuring prey.
With a cold edge in his voice, he muttered, "It's up to you. I already have sixty points. Your lives mean nothing to me."
Without waiting for a response, the top student turned and walked away, leading a small group of followers behind him.
Lucas stood silently, watching their backs fade into the distance.
He gently stroked the kitchen knife strapped to his side and sighed with exasperation.
"I only have forty points..."
Rising to his feet, Lucas noticed the remaining four candidates edging closer to him.
Their intentions were unmistakable.
One of them, a young man with a blank expression, was pushed forward as a representative.
He stood stiffly before Lucas and spoke, "You killed the invigilator. You're strong. Following you gives us a better chance of reaching the school bus."
Lucas raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.
"Didn't expect weird students like you to have such sensible logic..." he remarked dryly.
He glanced toward the direction the other group had gone.
If all of them ended up dead, Lucas would secure enough points to reach sixty.
But now, with these four following him, a strange sense of responsibility bloomed in his chest.
"Relax," he told them, eyes serious. "I cherish life—especially mine."
The group's faces lit up slightly with hope, a faint flicker of humanity returning to their otherwise expressionless eyes.
"I've already figured out the safest route for us."
---
The winding trail behind the school building was empty, eerily so.
Lucas led the way, his eyes alert and sharp. Four candidates trailed closely behind.
"I've been watching the patterns," Lucas explained. "This is the only path no one else takes. That means it's the safest."
They stopped at a split in the path. The way forward was dark, tangled, and quiet as a grave.
The four followers exchanged hesitant looks, unease growing in their hearts.
Lucas, however, clapped his hands in satisfaction.
"There are only 45 available seats, and 103 candidates left. They'll be fighting each other like rats in a cage."
"So obviously, the road full of ghosts is the safest!"
A beat of silence.
A road full of ghosts? Safest?!
The four candidates stared at each other in horror.
For the first time since entering this twisted world, they felt genuine emotion—fear.
Was it too late to back out?!
---
Meanwhile, chaos had already descended on the school grounds.
Desperate cries for help echoed through the halls.
"Help me! Please!"
The top student didn't even turn around.
He ran without looking back, ignoring the screams of his own teammate.
Only when silence fell did he finally pause, panting heavily.
Just as he stepped onto the first floor, a ghostly figure appeared in his path.
His only remaining teammate had vanished.
Staring at the long corridor ahead, the top student gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
---
Back on the ghost trail, Lucas and his team moved cautiously.
Suddenly, a voice crackled through the school intercom system.
"All radios are now broadcasting elimination updates in real-time."
Lucas heard a familiar number echo from the speakers.
"Candidate Jason died in examination room 4102. Ten points will be deducted from room 4102."
The four teammates gasped in horror.
"That's fast!"
"If three more people die, all points for this section are gone!"
"Disgusting!"
Lucas tilted his head at them.
"Aren't you at least a little sad that your classmate just died?"
The young representative from earlier answered coldly, "If we don't get enough points, we'll die too."
Suddenly, a shadow darted from the undergrowth.
It moved with terrifying speed—too fast for the naked eye to track—heading straight for the young representative's neck.
Before anyone could scream, Lucas's blade flashed.
The shadow dropped to the ground, cleanly sliced in two.
The young man looked down and gasped.
It was a snake…with a human face!
Cold sweat poured from his forehead.
Lucas casually shook the blood from his blade.
"Don't worry," he said calmly, "You're my points now. I'll protect you."
The words were sincere.
Lucas was committed to reaching sixty points, which meant ensuring his teammates survived.
But in the young representative's ears, his words sent chills down his spine.
If not for the points…
Would that terrifying kitchen knife swing their way next?
---
As they continued walking, something changed.
The four candidates, previously empty-eyed and numb, began to regain traces of normal human emotion.
Lucas killed two more human-faced snakes without breaking a sweat.
Their mouths dropped open.
"He's incredible..."
"Maybe... maybe this road full of ghosts really is safer?"
An old lady suddenly appeared, asking for directions.
She barely got a word out before her head and body were separated.
Four candidates: "Hiss..."
Red-eyed crows swooped down from the sky.
Lucas caught one mid-air with his bare hand.
Crack!
He shredded it into quarters.
Four candidates: "Wow..."
When a hanged man blinked open his dead eyes,
Lucas ended him with one clean strike.
The group no longer panicked.
They simply nodded.
"Confirmed. This really is the safest path!"
"Being a salted fish... is the happiest life!"
Their eyes shimmered with emotion.
In their minds,
Lucas's figure had become tall, unstoppable—almost divine.
---
To Lucas, however, none of this was impressive.
The ghosts on this trail were mere nuisances—low-level threats.
Backed by legendary items in his inventory, nothing could truly harm him here.
On his system panel, a notification appeared.
Strength +5
[Current Strength: 98]
"So killing ghosts improves my stats..."
This unexpected discovery made Lucas look at these low-tier enemies differently.
They were no longer threats.
They were XP mobs.
"What a great way to farm power..."
Lucas couldn't help but grin.
---
: Why is Lucas's strength increasing when he kills ghosts?!
: Is this a new feature? I didn't hear anything about it!
: Maybe for him, killing ghosts is training.
: 6666! For us, surviving one minute is a blessing!
: Watching Lucas slice through enemies like vegetables… if I hadn't checked their stats, I would've thought they were weaklings.
---
As for the top student?
After hiding and running, enduring trial after trial, and even sustaining injuries, he finally reached the school gate.
"There's still time! There are seats left on the school bus!"
Tears almost welled in his eyes.
After everything he had endured, victory was in sight.
He sprinted toward the vehicle.
There were still plenty of empty seats!
But as he neared the door—
Someone blocked his path.
A man stood atop the bus steps, arms crossed, unmoving.
The top student slowed, confused.
He pushed up his glasses.
"Excuse me, could you move aside?"
The man, with distinctly foreign blue eyes and an eerie calmness, smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Sorry," he said coldly,
"No one gets on the bus until my teammates arrive."
---
(End of Chapter 42)
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