Hearing the praise from his own system, Yu Deng puffed out his chest and snorted at the main system, "Did you hear that? Tongtong praised me. Stop being paranoid."
The main system's electronic hum hesitated for a few seconds.
System 01's voice remained very calm:[Yes, the host is doing well. The main system does not need to harbor unnecessary doubts about the host.]
The main system still seemed a bit suspicious, but with System 01 covering for him, it didn't notice anything odd. The main system ultimately gave up investigating Yu Deng's thoughts.
[...Alright. But Player Yu Deng, please be aware that you need to complete the special task as soon as possible. If you only complete the main task but fail the special task, you will still be considered a failure.]
"Oh... I got it."
Seeing that the main system had fallen silent and seemed to no longer be monitoring him, Yu Deng finally relaxed.
[Host, don't worry. I have already blocked some signals for you, so the main system can no longer spy on your thoughts. You can proceed with your plan in peace.]
"Eh? Really? That's great! Thank you, Tongtong, you're amazing."
Yu Deng complimented the system softly a few times and then returned his focus to finding a solution for the instance, calmly thinking about his plan to clear it.
Though he had a goal now, all he had were vague ideas. Yu Deng steeled himself and tried hard to sort out the key details.
First, he needed to complete both his main and special tasks. Once he was sure he could clear the instance, he could then do some damage to the instance. Otherwise, he might fail the task, and he definitely didn't want to die…
Yu Deng counted on his fingers, solidifying his rough plan, and began to focus on how to crack the main task.
The main task required him to rank in the top three of the final exam to leave. He didn't want to stay here for two months, so the most important condition was to have the final exam happen earlier. In other words, he needed to change the scheduled time for the exam, or... change the teachers' and students' perception of time?
Yu Deng felt a slight headache and, bearing the dizzy feeling, slowly started to piece together his thoughts.
He recalled the ringing sounds from the nightmare he had earlier, lifting his head to look at the teaching building in the distance. He vaguely saw a giant clock embedded at the center of the top floor, and the clock's base was connected to the school bell, with each bell ringing from this electric bell.
The clock was a tool for showing time, and the bell was a sign to guide students' schedules... So could he use this clock?
[Ding. Congratulations, Player Yu Deng, for discovering a hidden rule: The students of Guihuai High School are always the same group of people, repeating the most profound year of their lives. Here, time is eternal and can be altered. When the collective consciousness realizes that time has changed, the time within the instance will shift accordingly.]
Just as he thought!
It was like how the NPCs believed his sprained ankle couldn't heal instantly, so he had to wait almost a week before fully recovering. In this school, made of distorted things, teachers and students were controlled by terrible rules, struggling in the food chain, and their perception maintained the rules, repeatedly becoming monsters.
So, as long as he made the teachers and students believe the final exam was ahead of schedule, he could take the exam earlier!
Yu Deng discovered the key to breaking the deadlock, his eyes growing brighter.
He was so smart! He really figured out a way!
The issue with the exam time had a solution now. Now, let him think about how to rank in the top three and dismantle the instance!
[Wow, I heard the instance hint! Baby is so awesome!]
[Although Baby is a little silly, he's really optimistic and working hard to clear the instance.]
[Today's wife isn't silly, she's a smart baby!]
[Watching Baby grow from the first instance, when Baby knew nothing, to now slowly learning to find clues and clear instances, I'm proud of Baby.]
[But... has Deng Deng used all his wisdom just to clear the instance? He's always being tricked by bad men, wuhuhu.]
Yu Deng's live stream quietly climbed to the top of the live stream recommendations, with many viewers licking their screens while analyzing the plot and setting of the instance.
Yu Deng was completely unaware of this. While he was deep in thought, he was surrounded by his task targets as they left the self-reflection room.
He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice a step beneath his feet and nearly missed it. "Huh?"
Zhuang Lin, taking advantage of his athletic background, quickly moved ahead of the other two and reached out to steady Yu Deng.
Zhuang Lin pulled Yu Deng into his arms, trying to block the other two from seeing. "Baby, what are you thinking so intently about?"
Lu Yan was a second slower and didn't manage to catch Yu Deng. He lowered his hand casually. "Deng Deng, your sprained ankle just healed. Be careful."
Yu Deng shook his head, lifted his leg and swung it a few times, realizing he wasn't injured, before answering Zhuang Lin's question. "I was thinking about something very important."
Yu Deng said this as he looked at the others one by one.
If he wanted to complete his tasks and create some disruption, he might need his task targets' help.
Yu Deng added seriously, "It's related to all of you too."
"Hmm? It's related to us too? What is it?" Lin Qinxu cooperatively asked.
"I haven't figured out how to tell you all yet."
Yu Deng's head was dizzy, and he hadn't decided how to get them to help. He raised his chin and said, "Anyway, I'll tell you all once I've figured it out."
The others naturally agreed.
When they left the secluded building and approached the teaching building, Yu Deng finally heard clearly what the broadcast had been saying earlier.
The speaker, whether a student or teacher from the broadcast station, spoke in a flat tone, devoid of any emotion.
"Starting today, all students at Guihuai High School are required to attend class on Saturdays and Sundays. No more day students allowed. A half-day holiday at the end of the month… Morning reading time will be at 4:30 AM. School will end at 6 PM. Evening study time will start at 6:30 PM… Each class break will be changed to three minutes…"
"Starting today, all students must not keep long hair. Hair length cannot exceed two centimeters… Close relationships between boys and girls are prohibited… No electronic products allowed. Any violations will result in…"
"Top ten students in the grade may use hot water, and meal times will be extended by ten minutes… Students at the bottom of the monthly exam rankings cannot have dinner and must go to the self-reflection room…"
The broadcast continued with a long list of new regulations. Yu Deng felt his vision blur after hearing just a few lines… This wasn't a school; it was worse than a prison, not even meeting the standards of a certain Geneva Convention!
Yu Deng became more determined to end the dungeon as quickly as possible. However, the students on the road seemed to have no objections, continuing their activities in a numb state. Only a few students looked up at the sky, silently expressing futile rebellion.
Yu Deng turned around and asked, "Did Guihuai High School become like this in the previous two cycles too?"
"Yeah, it's pretty scary, right? The various rules in Guihuai have become a form of torture."
Yu Deng nodded.
Living in such an environment would drive even the most normal person insane. He had been here for less than half a month, and he often felt depressed. Long-term exposure would be unbearable. Furthermore, the regulations openly praising class and privilege were clearly forcing everyone to scramble for the top of the food chain.
As Yu Deng thought about this, he looked up and saw a tall boy blocking a female student's path about ten meters ahead. The boy was holding several wriggling worms in his hand, attempting to tear open the girl's collar and push them inside, with even more obscene actions. The girl's expression showed some changes, and she struggled slightly.
What was going on...
Yu Deng felt an urgent need to stop it, but he had no tools at hand. Lu Yan noticed his intention and handed him the baseball bat he had used to beat the manager earlier.
"Deng Deng, stop him."
Yu Deng took the bat, weighed it, and aimed carefully, throwing it at the boy's leg.
With a loud thud, the boy fell in pain, reflexively releasing his grip. The girl took the opportunity to push him away, giving a grateful glance at Yu Deng before running off.
Before Yu Deng could relax, the boy started twitching on the ground, his body contorting until he morphed into the same kind of wriggling worms he had been holding earlier. Giant worms, over four or five meters long, squirmed on the ground, their jaws aimed directly at Yu Deng.
"??!!"
Yu Deng's vision went dark, and he nervously shrank behind his task targets.
"Ugh..."
He was terrified of the eerie buzzing of those worms.
Dr. Lin clicked his tongue, stepping in front of Yu Deng. With a swift motion, he threw a scalpel, its sharp tip piercing the giant worm's head.
Schlup!
The writhing dark green worm split down the middle, quickly shrinking and disappearing from sight in an instant.
Yu Deng, half scared, half confused, stared blankly at the empty ground ahead. "Huh? Wait, that boy..."
"He... he's already completely turned into a monster," Lu Yan said softly, turning Yu Deng's face away so he wouldn't look back at the spot where the boy had been.
"This is something we only discovered later. If you keep bullying the weak, you will undergo a transformation yourself."
It was a sad truth. The lower-ranked students, unable to receive any privileges or protection, struggled to survive, thus creating a food chain of bullying. However, the status gained through bullying was a mistake, a poison wrapped in honey.
If you don't maintain your bottom line and continue to bully the weak, you'll eventually turn into a monster.
Yu Deng understood. For both players and NPCs, the so-called second food chain was nothing but a trap.
But what about his task targets?
Yu Deng pursed his lips. "Then... what about you guys?"
Could they, the top-ranked students, those who could easily deal with these transformed monsters, also become monsters?
The three people surrounding Yu Deng fell silent for a few seconds before Zhuang Lin broke the silence.
"Well, we won't become like that guy, but... Tsk, baby, are you scared?"
Are you thinking that once you finish your task, you'll leave us?
They weren't stupid. From Yu Deng's reactions, they had already guessed that he might need to complete a task, and once it was done, he would most likely leave them.
Was it because Yu Deng hated this place and didn't want to stay? If that were the case, why couldn't they just destroy everything? Why couldn't they break free?
The main system appeared again, chattering and offering some reminders.
[Hey, did you notice that when the school doctor made his move, the stream camera was a bit shaky?]
[Yeah, the aura was quite terrifying too. Damn, after asking the baby, the other two also seemed pretty scary.]
[After all, the three of them look like key characters in the copy. It's normal for them to darken further. If it weren't for Deng Deng, they might have gone crazy by now.]
[Yeah, if an ordinary player were playing, these three might be the biggest obstacle to clearing the dungeon.]
A suppressed, terrifying aura lingered in this corner, but Yu Deng remained unaware. He thought for a moment and shook his head. "If you guys listen to me, I don't think there's anything I'm afraid of."
These were the people he was most familiar with in this copy. Aside from occasionally tricking him, they usually gave him a sense of safety.
Most importantly, Yu Deng had already realized that his task targets all possessed strong abilities.
His eyes sparkled.
Yes, in his plan, there were many things his task targets could help with!
Dr. Lin was a temporary teacher and also had the power to punish people, so he definitely had a lot of authority. Lu Yan and Zhuang Lin could also intimidate many students.
If he let them handle the others and he managed these three, he wouldn't have to be so stressed about changing the perception of so many teachers and students.
This is called grid management!
Yu Deng cleared his throat. "Didn't you guys say you'd listen to me?"
You guys? So, they weren't special cases?
The three men exchanged looks, somewhat displeased, but still nodded.
"Of course, we can help, baby," Lin Qinxu's voice was low and seductive, coaxing, "They're just students, I'm much more capable than them."
"Who are you looking down on?" Zhuang Lin threw aside all pretense, "I'm baby's dog, so of course, I should do the work."
Lu Yan snorted coldly.
The three of them stood beside Yu Deng, creating a subtle balance. No matter which one Yu Deng chose, someone would inevitably be consumed by jealousy and do something terrible.
No one would admit to not being chosen, and no one would willingly watch their beloved praise someone else. Even stray dogs wanted to be the favored pet.
Yu Deng didn't notice the undercurrents among his task targets. He looked at them in confusion, not understanding what they were arguing about.
These were his task targets, and they were all being obedient now. He was very satisfied, so why should he choose just one?
"Can't you all listen and help me?" Yu Deng said in frustration, then, without reasoning, added, "No arguing, all of you need to help me."
The few men vying for favor finally stopped. Each of them had their own thoughts and had already decided what they could do for Yu Deng.
For example, Zhuang Lin decided to speed up the clock, Lu Yan planned to change the countdowns for each class, and as for Lin Qinxu? He planned to wait for Yu Deng to give him instructions.
"Let's head back to the teaching building first," Lin Qinxu said. "The preparation bell has already rung, and the next class is your homeroom teacher's, baby. You should probably go through the leave process first."
"Oh..."
At this moment, the teaching building already resembled something out of a nightmare, with a thin layer of black mist surrounding it. Staring at it too long gave a twisted, bizarre illusion.
After rushing back to the classroom, the bell rang.
But this time, Yu Deng didn't plan to attend class properly. As soon as Teacher Wang entered, he raised his hand, his face scrunched up as he nervously made an excuse to skip class.
"Teacher, my stomach hurts... I'd like to go to the school clinic first."
With his status as a good student, Yu Deng easily got permission from Teacher Wang. Before leaving, he tugged at Lu Yan's sleeve, signaling him to remember to get to work, then slipped out of the classroom.
Yu Deng searched around for a few minutes, feeling dizzy, and finally found Lin Qinxu's temporary office.
Inside the office was only Lin Qinxu. He wasn't wearing the white lab coat of a school doctor but instead was dressed in a black formal shirt, sitting in the office chair. The computer on the desk was on, as if it had been waiting for Yu Deng to arrive.
"What would you like me to do, baby?"
Yu Deng's idea was actually very simple.
With his own abilities, it was impossible for him to make it into the top three. Cheating was not allowed, and he wasn't likely to let those classmates who were focused on grades submit blank papers.
Given that, why not try a different approach and become the one setting the questions? He had the principal's authority, so it should be fine, right?
Yu Deng walked a bit closer and whispered, "Lin Qinxu, as a teacher, can you be the one setting the questions for the final exam?"
"It's possible," Lin Qinxu was somewhat surprised by Yu Deng's suggestion. His eyes showed admiration, but his expression remained serious. He pondered for a few seconds. "However, it's very difficult, and the risks are especially high. After all, I'm just a substitute teacher for a single subject."
So, this meant he couldn't help him?
Yu Deng froze for a moment. "Teacher Lin, you don't want to help me..."
He had just claimed that he was more useful than the others, so why was he showing two faces now?
Yu Deng bit his lip, feeling a bit wronged. "Were you lying to me earlier...?"
"I wasn't lying to you. I'm very willing to help you."
Lin Qinxu patiently clarified, "What I meant was that this matter carries a great deal of risk. If something goes wrong, I might end up like the principal or turn into a monster. Of course, it's also very possible I might just disappear."
Although he was just talking about potential outcomes, Lin Qinxu's tone grew increasingly lower, as if he couldn't control the pressure.
"What should I do? If I can't see you again, baby, I'll be really sad."
Yu Deng was startled and stared at Lin Qinxu in confusion. "Ah... Is it really like that?"
Disappear? That's so serious...
"Yes. Even so, I'm willing to take the risk to help you, baby. But, I think I should ask for a little encouragement and comfort in return. That's not too much to ask, right?"
Lin Qinxu hid the turbulence in his eyes and the sharp surgical knife hidden in his sleeve. He lowered his gaze, like a disappointed yet docile large dog, asking its master for a reward.
Lin Qinxu pretended to be considerate, saying, "Any comfort will do, just a little bit is fine."
Yu Deng thought about it seriously and felt that it seemed reasonable. If the consequences were so severe, giving a little encouragement made sense.
He decided to show some mercy and nodded. "Okay, then. I'll give you a little encouragement."
A smile appeared in Lin Qinxu's eyes, and his breath caught for a moment. Then, Yu Deng walked over and sat down on his lap.
Through the thin school pants, his hips pressed against his legs.
Yu Deng grabbed Lin Qinxu's collar and made him lower his head.
"You... lower your head."
Yu Deng adjusted his position and bit Lin Qinxu's lips.
This was the first time Dr. Lin received such initiative from Yu Deng, and he froze for a rare moment.
Lin Qinxu's collar was still being tugged—Yu Deng's grip was a little unsteady, and the collar was tightening around his neck, causing some pain, but more so a sense of excitement from being dominated.
Although Yu Deng had been kissed many times before, he was still quite awkward when doing this kind of thing.
He tried to recall the steps from before when he had been kissed, and his soft pink tongue poked out, gently licking the man's thin lips.
Because Lin Qinxu was somewhat stiff and hadn't yet recovered, Yu Deng's tongue hesitated, blocked outside.
Yu Deng looked at the still unmoving Lin Qinxu with his round, dark eyes, somewhat dissatisfied.
"Are you made of wood? Didn't you say you wanted encouragement? Why aren't you moving?"