Association is a terrifying ability.
The real world for current human beings is the small earth under our feet.
The boundless universe is out of reach, only thoughts have no boundaries.
A word, a flower, a leaf can all bloom into a gorgeous and unique world.
In the world of horror, even a mere chuckle in your ear seems to be the darkness and death that is just around the corner.
——The group has already guessed the routine of this dungeon, but they haven't killed the main monster yet, so they can't leave the dungeon and have to continue going to class.
But this time, in order to avoid being affected by those NPCs, Jin Nan, Liu Yi, Jia Qing and Wang Yueran crumpled up the tissues and stuffed them into their ears.
The sound insulation effect of homemade earplugs can be imagined.
The whole morning, several people looked pale. When they heard the NPC start saying something wrong, they covered their ears tightly and ran straight to the toilet during the break.
Song Yang, Xia Jing and the old lady did not avoid it, as it really didn't make much sense.
At noon, after a morning of calm, the group reunited in the cafeteria. Wang Yueran choked up and said, "I called and asked, and Xu Jin also died suddenly."
Liu Yi thought of his good brother, and after a moment of silence, he muttered, "Why are they all dying suddenly? How exactly do monsters kill players?"
"Does this even matter?" Jin Nan said angrily. He grabbed his arm and said irritably, "Anyway, the monster is the thing that appeared in the middle of the night. If that thing only appears at midnight, we can kill it tonight and leave here!"
Jia Qing whispered, "It's easy to say, but you forgot that at that point in time, we couldn't even move."
Jin Nan shut up.
Liu Yi rubbed his eyes and analyzed, "The death mechanism in this dungeon is too strange. It shouldn't be possible that once a monster appears, no one can move. If that happens, we won't be able to resist the monster at all. Wouldn't that mean death? I think that at least the player chosen by the monster will definitely be able to move at midnight!"
Wang Yueran was puzzled and asked, "Then why didn't Xu Jin resist last night?"
Jin Nan sneered and pointed the finger at Xia Jing: "'No resistance' is what we heard from this kid. How can we be sure it's true?"
Xia Jing only glanced at him, and Song Yang said calmly: "I was awake when Xu Jin was killed last night, and I certainly didn't hear any sound of struggle."
Jin Nan's face darkened, he turned his head away, spat, and scratched his stomach hard.
Xia Jing looked at Wang Yueran: "You said that when Xu Jin was a child, he encountered a ghost that night and was frightened to the point of being unable to move, right?"
Wang Yueran was stunned. "Yes...wait, you mean, her association with death also includes...being unable to move?"
The expressions of the others became even uglier.
In reality, being paralyzed by fear is a state that can be changed with some effort.
However, the association with death actually transforms this autonomous and changeable state into a passive and unchangeable state?
This is also very detailed!
Jia Qing was so panicked that his throat was shaking. "Fuck, I was just imagining things. If the copy makes all those messed up details come true, then I won't even know how I died!?"
Having said that, Jia Qing immediately closed his eyes and began to chant the Great Compassion Mantra, vowing to clear all distracting thoughts from his mind.
Song Yang ignored him. For those with weak minds, this method might indeed better protect themselves.
He leaned forward, tapped the table with his finger, and said, "Let's sort out our thoughts and solve the problems one by one."
"First of all, I don't know for sure whether the main monster in this instance is the one that appeared in the middle of the night based on our imaginations."
Several people's expressions changed.
Is this still not certain?
Song Yang calmly analyzed: "You forgot that the main monster in our dungeon this time was an octopus-like monster. And the monster Xu Jin encountered last night, according to our speculation, was a green-eyed ghost."
Everyone was stunned. Liu Yi was the first to say, "But, the octopus monster might also mutate?"
Song Yang's cold voice made everyone slowly calm down.
"When we talk about the 'mutation ability' possessed by a Instance Master, we usually mean that the monster itself will disguise itself as a normal person or object, and then when it wants to kill someone, it will transform into its true monster form. It doesn't mean that the monster itself can transform into another monster form."
"Even if a monster possesses other transformation abilities, when the main monster of a dungeon kills a player, it will often revert to its true form. I've never heard of an exception so far."
"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that we've actually entered a one-in-a-million dungeon, where the main monster takes on a different form when killing people. But I think we can reserve our stance on the identity of the monster at midnight for now."
After hearing this, everyone was stunned.
If the monster at midnight is also a secondary monster... then where is the main monster?
Song Yang: "The second point is about the death of Huang Mo and Xu Jin."
sudden death.
Not only did they die suddenly, there was not a single scar on either of them. The copy even allowed them to remain alive even after death.
This is also a very strange point.
Jia Qing trembled and said, "Yes, let's not talk about how the monster that appeared at midnight killed Huang Mo and Xu Jin. Anyway, sudden death does not involve external injuries, which is understandable. Xu Jin might have had a heart attack like Wang Yueran said when she was a child-"
Wang Yueran moved his lips, wanting to say that it was just an exaggeration and that Xu Jin himself didn't have a heart disease. But before he could say anything, Jia Qing continued, "--But why are their states after death the same as when they were alive? Is it because they are in the game?"
Xia Jing turned his head and blinked: "I thought so at first."
Everyone looked at him immediately.
Xia Jing's voice was gentle, and he spoke slowly, "But this hasn't happened in other copies. Players will appear as they should after death. So you can think about it carefully--"
"All dungeons in Smiley City are bizarre, and the monsters' shapes and abilities are beyond imagination. However, Smiley City never sets up illogical clues in dungeons."
"In other words—'still alive after death', what's the logic behind this?"
Liu Yi immediately asked, "Could it be that the replica is trying to hide some clues from us by making them look alive? It's even possible that Huang Mo and Xu Jin didn't die suddenly, but were physically killed by the monster. But the replica erased all traces and forcibly changed their manner of death to sudden death?"
Song Yang shook his head: "It's impossible for the dungeon to forcibly change or cover up clues just to confuse players. If it really wanted to cover up clues, it could just erase all clues. In this way, it would be impossible for players to find the main monster and leave the dungeon at all."
But if you really do that, the copy is not a game, but just pure killing.
However, everyone knows that although the dungeon game is full of murderous intent, there must be a way to survive.
Jia Qing stopped chanting the Great Compassion Mantra and raised his hand. "Brother Yang, what you're saying is that Huang Mo and Xu Jin definitely died suddenly. There's no doubt about that. As for why the replica didn't show the bodies as they should be, maybe it's not to cover up clues, but to give us clues instead?"
Song Yang: "Yes, that's what I mean."
"What clues can this convey? The body does not change after death. This is too contradictory!" Wang Yueran said in a hoarse voice.
Yes, it's a contradiction.
These details seem to be full of contradictions, but what message is hidden in these contradictions?
Xia Jing lowered his eyes.
Or perhaps, "contradiction" and "irrationality" themselves are a kind of message?
Seeing that the lunch break was about to end, Song Yang said, "Let's look for more clues together this afternoon."
The group walked out of the cafeteria.
It was spring in the dungeon, dandelion petals were floating in the air, and outside the cafeteria, under a big tree, small insects were flying around.
Flowers are blooming in the green belt and the air is filled with fragrance.
Full of vitality and bright spring scenery.
However, even looking at this beautiful scene, everyone felt uneasy and uneasy.
Liu Yi whispered, "Huang Mo and Xu Jin both had accidents at midnight. Does that mean we are at least safe during the day?"
Wang Yueran touched his arm and said dejectedly, "That should be the case. That midnight monster won't start selecting players until evening."
Jia Qing swallowed his saliva and asked, "What are the criteria for the Zero Point Monster to select players?"
Song Yang was thinking about something, and when he heard this, he said casually: "Maybe it depends on the degree of fear of each person."
As soon as these words came out, everyone froze again, wishing they could rip their brains out of their heads and throw them away!
Jin Nan glanced at the lush tree above his head and kept scratching his back. Hearing this, he paused and made an irritable "tsk" sound.
He noticed the old woman trembling as she walked past him. He suddenly sneered and said loudly, "I heard that when people are about to die, they see ghosts floating around. Some people even actually see the Black and White Impermanence when they are about to die. Old man, have you ever seen these things?"
When the people in front heard Jin Nan's words, they all stopped.
This guy's intentions are not concealed at all.
Wang Yueran came over angrily, supported the old lady and said, "Shut up! Don't think you can scare people with just a few words!"
Jin Nan sneered disdainfully: "What I said is true. Before my grandfather died, he said he saw many people floating in front of him. Before my grandfather died, he said my grandmother came to pick him up. The old man is almost old now, maybe he really saw it?"
Wang Yueran: "You——"
The old lady was silent for a while, then said, "If I could choose, I would definitely choose to die first and let you children live."
Wang Yueran: "Grandma!"
The old lady patted her hands, indicating that she was fine, and said with a wry smile, "I once had a daughter, and only one daughter. She died unexpectedly at the age of sixteen. My husband also passed away a year ago. Leaving this place and returning to reality, I will live alone. So, even if I really die here, it doesn't matter to an old woman like me."
The old lady sighed, "But after living for over seventy years, if you still ask me if I'm afraid of death, then I'm really not. For me, it would be great to be reunited with my daughter and my husband in the other world."
Jin Nan never expected to get such an answer, and his expression twisted.
After the others were stunned, they felt a little complicated.
Jin Nan cursed softly and scratched his back hard again.
Suddenly, a rough voice sounded behind him: "Hey, look, what is this?"
Jin Nan was startled and turned around suddenly.
A thin, white caterpillar was hanging from the tree by a thread, twisting its body slightly, and it was hanging in front of his mouth, and he almost swallowed it in one bite.
Jin Nan's pupils suddenly constricted, his face changed, and he yelled and stepped back, tripping over a rock and falling to the ground, startling everyone.
The thin young man stood in front of Jin Nan with his hands behind his back.
The sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves, casting spots of light on the young man's body.
The young man seemed a little surprised by his posture. He tilted his head and asked seriously, "Are you okay?"
Jin Nan sat on the ground looking at him, breathing heavily in confusion. Because he was frightened, a layer of sweat broke out on his back unconsciously.
He didn't answer, but the young man continued to talk to himself: "I'm glad you're okay, but——"
The young man looked up at the big tree, then after looking away, he bent down, leaned close to Jin Nan's ear, and raised his lips.
Jin Nan tensed his body, held his breath, and stiffened like a stone.
The young man's breath was right beside his ear. His voice was very soft, slowly sharpening Jin Nan's ear canal: "There are more mosquitoes in the spring. Be careful, they will get into your collar."
…
When Xia Jing came over, Song Yang glanced at Jin Nan who was scratching his body not far away, leaving red marks on his neck.
This is clearly an allergy.
"What did you say to him?"
Xia Jing said with a kind face: "It's a very kind reminder."
Song Yang: "..."
The corner of his mouth twitched.
No one would believe you.
*
Yesterday, Wang Yueran and his friends walked around the entire campus but found nothing.
This afternoon, they set the main search site at the teaching building. They ran through all the teaching buildings for the first, second and third grade students during the breaks between classes, but still did not find any clues.
Gathering in dormitory 414 that night, Jia Qing was puzzled. "If the monster that appeared at midnight wasn't the octopus, then where is it? The teacher has ruled it out as a suspect, and none of the students seem particularly strange. Who else is in this school besides students and teachers? Security guards? Cleaning ladies?"
"I've also tested the security guard and the cleaning lady, they shouldn't be monsters." Liu Yi said hesitantly.
Jin Nan sat in the corner without saying a word. He felt itchy all over the day, as if there were small bugs crawling all over his body.
Not to mention his neck, he had scratched bloody marks on his arms. He was in pain and itchy at the moment and had no mood to participate in the discussion. He just had a gloomy face and tried hard to get rid of all the bad fantasies in his mind.
The old lady hesitated and said, "This is my first time playing this kind of game, so I don't really understand it. Let me ask you, kids—besides the school, shouldn't the supermarket and the road in that little picture on the cover be outside the school? Shouldn't we go outside and take a look?"
Song Yang replied, "There's an invisible wall surrounding the school, and our activities are limited to the school."
This was something he and Jia Qing had confirmed on the first day.
This kind of map restriction is also common in dungeons.
Song Yang changed the subject: "But I also care about the elements such as supermarkets, streets, homes, and large office spaces that appear on the cover of this copy."
There should be no meaningless elements on the cover of the copy.
Since their activities are limited to the campus, where are the streets, homes, office spaces, and supermarkets on the cover?
Wang Yueran raised a possibility: "What if the office space becomes the teacher's office, the home becomes the dormitory, and the street becomes the school path?"
Liu Yi immediately retorted: "What about the supermarket?"
Wang Yueran: "There's a canteen in this school. Didn't you notice?"
Jia Qing still felt something was wrong: "But these elements on the cover are completely different from the office and dormitory you mentioned! Take that supermarket, for example. I was very impressed. It's a big supermarket on the cover, which is completely different from the school canteen! At first, I thought we would be like in a zombie movie, going to the supermarket to collect supplies or something -"
"Don't mention zombies now!" Liu Yi's face turned green.
Jia Qing: "Damn it, Saorui! The late emperor died before his career was even halfway completed. Today, the world is divided into three parts, and Yizhou is exhausted. This is truly a critical moment for survival..."
After singing the "Great Compassion Mantra", this guy started to recite the "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital", which can be regarded as "learning and applying at the same time".
Song Yang was speechless. He glanced at the time and said, "Let's put this question aside for now. Let's get ready for tonight first."
When talking about the evening, everyone felt heavy-hearted.
Jin Nan suddenly spoke up: "Hey, I say, there's no evidence that only one player will be chosen by the midnight monster every night, right? After all, the idea that the midnight monster will choose the most feared player is just your guess. What if it chooses the first two or three most feared players tonight?"
He raised his chin towards Song Yang and said, "If two players are chosen tonight, it means that two of them will be able to move when the monsters appear at midnight. At that time, can we deal with the monsters here and then go to help the other side?"
If this is the case, the chance of survival is indeed greater than facing a monster alone.
But the problem also arises -
"We still can't really determine how the zero-point monster kills the players, so how can we know how to deal with the monster when the time comes?" Wang Yueran was too lazy to talk to Jin Nan, but now he had to join the discussion and think together.
"This is the problem the two chosen players will be working hard to solve tonight," Jin Nan sneered. "To solve such a difficult problem, we have to have the best among us, right, Song Yang, Xia Jing?"
His words were full of provocative innuendos.
There was no expression on Song Yang's face.
Xia Jing was observing the clock on the wall.
Song Yang said calmly: "If you think the two of us are powerful enough to control the fear in our hearts, then you may be overthinking it."
After Jia Qing finished reciting "The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital," he couldn't help but interject, "Brother Yang is a medical student. He's seen all sorts of bloody things and even operated on them himself. Besides, Brother Yang plans to go into neurosurgery, which means he'll have to open your skull and work on your brain. What could he be afraid of?"
"Fuck!" Jin Nan started swearing halfway through listening.
As for Xia Jing.
After looking at the bell, the young man's calm gaze fell on Jin Nan.
With that look in his eyes, I'm afraid that if an octopus monster suddenly appeared in his face at this moment, he could calmly tear the monster apart with his bare hands.
This guy is definitely a tough guy who can eat octopus raw in real life.
Jin Nan turned his eyes away angrily, refusing to admit that he was a coward.
Wang Yueran pursed his lips and said, "Let's reallocate the dormitories first."
Today there are only seven people left.
Two girls and five boys.
How to distribute it is a problem.
Xia Jing sat on the chair, suddenly shook his toes, and asked seriously: "What are you thinking about now?"
The young man's voice was gentle, as if he was just asking a very ordinary question.
But now when talking about "want", several people swallowed and looked at each other.
Jia Qing said weakly, "Right now, I'm probably thinking of the 'Chu Shi Biao' on repeat. I wonder if the monster will pick me and turn into Zhuge Liang and fan me to death with his feather fan tonight?"
Others: "..."
Okay, next one.
Liu Yi hesitated and said, "I didn't dare to think about anything all day, but it seemed like I was thinking about everything. It was all chaotic and I couldn't explain it clearly..."
Wang Yueran bit her lip and said with red eyes, "I'm very scared. I can't help but think about the green-eyed ghost that Xu Jin encountered. When I heard her talk about it before, I didn't dare turn off the lights to sleep for a month..."
The old lady held her in her arms and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, dear child, don't be afraid."
After clapping twice, the old lady sighed and said, "I have nothing to be afraid of."
Everyone looked at Jin Nan who was sitting in the corner.
Jin Nan lifted up his trouser leg to scratch an itch, pretending to be bold: "I'm not afraid of anything."
As a result, the person who is most afraid among them is Wang Yueran.
Song Yang thought for a moment and said, "If we really want to consider the possibility that more than one person will be chosen by the monster tonight, then putting the people most likely to be chosen in the same dormitory might actually make it easier to act."
Jia Qing counted and said, "Then it would be best if Wang Yueran and Liu Yi stayed in the same room. Otherwise, Brother Yang, you and Xia Jing should stay here tonight too?"
Song Yang looked at Xia Jing and said, "I'll separate from him today."
Xia Jing smiled: "I have no objection."
The old lady hugged Wang Yueran and said, "I'll accompany Ranran tonight, okay?"
The final decision was that Wang Yueran, the old lady, Liu Yi, and Song Yang would stay in Room 414.
Xia Jing, Jin Nan, and Jia Qing were transferred to 417.
Song Yang said slowly: "The dormitory has been assigned. Now let's talk about the specific arrangements for the evening."