Was that what "gazing up at the bright moon" meant??
Watching the teacher calmly and elegantly hold her head high, Xiao Ran even wondered for a moment if she'd studied in the States. Why did she look so much like the Statue of Liberty?
"Bzzzz..."
The classroom had already descended into chaos. Some students pulled axes from their backpacks, while others took out daggers. The more dexterous students had started helping their classmates remove their heads.
Those who weren't as handy could only grimace and beg for help.
But there were also a few chosen ones. While everyone else was fretting over how to lift their heads, they simply cupped their chins in both hands and gave a gentle push. Their heads came right off, easy as that.
Xiao Ran took a closer look. The cause of death on the other student's Student ID clearly read: "Decapitation."
Now that was a first. Who'd have thought that dying horribly could ever turn into an advantage?
Before long, heads were being held aloft all over the classroom.
The teacher seemed pleased with the students' efforts. But when she glanced over and saw that Xiao Ran, seated at the back, still hadn't done anything, she frowned. "You there. Why aren't you raising your head?"
As the teacher's gaze turned increasingly hostile, Xiao Ran stood up with a smile. "Sorry, Teacher. I was just thinking of another old story and got a little distracted."
The teacher raised an eyebrow. "What story?"
Xiao Ran walked behind a classmate he'd already turned into his servant, then suddenly drew the cleaver hidden beneath his cloak and brought it down.
"Young Master Offers Head! I'll borrow your head for a moment!"
With that, a huge head landed in Xiao Ran's hands.
As Xiao Ran raised the blood-soaked head, the teacher's gaze turned feverishly eager. "Your name is Wang Meng, right? From now on, you're our class representative for Chinese."
"You've earned Teacher Tang's favor. You'll receive an extra Campus Badge for this class."
Xiao Ran hadn't expected such a perk. But what exactly was this Campus Badge for??
The teacher's gaze swept across the other students' hands. Most of the class had finished raising their heads.
But a few slow students were lagging behind, and that was clearly souring the teacher's mood.
Especially the chubby boy in the front row. While everyone else had an axe or a dagger, he was using a razor blade, slicing his neck until it was a bloody mess. His head showed no sign of coming off.
The teacher's expression darkened. "Idiot! If you keep cutting like that, your head will come off filthy and ragged. Even a dog could do a neater job!"
As she spoke, she pulled out a ruler with her other hand and whipped him hard across the face.
"Smack!"
The chubby boy didn't even have time to scream. His body suddenly began to swell, ballooning to its limit before rapidly collapsing inward.
"Ahhh!!"
His anguished howls echoed through the classroom. The other students seemed used to this sort of thing. Some even watched his body being compressed with eager anticipation.
"Crack, crack, crack, crack..."
Before long, the boy had been compressed to the size of a coin. The teacher held him between her fingers, toyed with him for a while, then casually tossed him toward Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran caught him. The little thing felt surprisingly heavy in his hand. Though it was made of compressed flesh, it felt more like metal.
He could still make out the chubby boy's pained features. His mouth was wide open, as if pleading for something.
A notification followed right after.
"You have obtained [Campus Badge of Suffering]"
One of Seventh Middle School's important resources. Can be used to purchase special items in the dormitory.
"So this is what they mean by a badge."
Remembering the "leek" boy he'd met at the school gate, who'd warned him to buy a single dorm room if he could, and how Driver Brother also seemed to care a lot about the dormitories, Xiao Ran grew even more curious about them.
"Ring-ring-ring..."
The bell rang outside, signaling the end of class. The teacher left with a beaming smile, and just before she reached the classroom door, she gave Xiao Ran one last lingering look.
As soon as she left, another badge appeared on Xiao Ran's desk.
But it was different from the one he'd just received.
This one bore only the name [Campus Badge], and the notification merely said it could be exchanged for supplies in the dormitory.
Clearly, it wasn't nearly as valuable as the badge made from the chubby boy.
Xiao Ran glanced aside and noticed that the student he'd turned into a servant had a [Campus Badge] on his desk too.
Since a servant's belongings belonged to his master, Xiao Ran pocketed it without hesitation.
He glanced at the information on the servant's Student ID.
Name: Yang Dongliang
Class: 2017
Cause of death: Poisoning
Xiao Ran handed him his head and told him to pay attention in class. Then he got up and left the classroom, heading toward the dormitory building.
There were few student voices near the dormitories, but every door and window was firmly locked. Some had even been fitted with security bars, and a few windows had been completely boarded up.
"What a strong aura of death!"
Xiao Ran hadn't even entered the building yet, but he could already feel a thick wave of death wafting from within.
It was no less intense than at Niujia Slope during his last trial.
If anything, it was worse.
A sign hung on the dormitory entrance.
[Dormitory Rules]
Rule 1: No more than six people may stay in the same dormitory.
Rule 2: In mixed-gender dormitories, please do not make strange noises at night.
Rule 3: Once the dormitory lights are off, do not open the door for anyone, no matter who knocks.
Rule 4: If you need anything, please see the dorm supervisor.
Ghost Story: Every night before going to sleep, be sure to count the people in the dormitory and check that the number is correct.
After carefully reading the Dormitory Rules, Xiao Ran walked into the building.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a chill washed over him. It was at least seven or eight degrees colder inside than outside, more like a giant ice cellar.
He gently knocked on the dorm supervisor's window.
"Whoosh!"
The window slid open a crack. An eye peered through and looked Xiao Ran over, then quickly shut again. A few seconds later, he heard chains rattling behind it.
"Whoosh..."
This time, the window opened all the way. An old woman peered at Xiao Ran through the iron bars, her eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down. Then she smiled warmly. "What is it, dear?"
Xiao Ran took the glasses case Driver Brother had given him from his inventory and handed it to the old woman. "My brother said you left your glasses case in his car, so he asked me to bring it to you."
"Your brother?"
The old woman hesitated, but as soon as she saw the glasses case in Xiao Ran's hand, her expression relaxed. She quickly took it and put on the reading glasses inside.
With her glasses on, the old woman's vision was clearly much better. She no longer had to squint at people. "Wait here a moment," she told Xiao Ran.
She took out a key, unlocked the door, and came outside.
"You said your brother was the driver from No. 404?"
"That's right!" Xiao Ran nodded emphatically. "I'm here to go to school, and my brother made sure to tell me to bring this back to you."
Xiao Ran said it with a straight face.
When you were away from home, you had to make your own connections.
After Xiao Ran confirmed it, the old woman's smile grew even warmer. "So that's how it is. You're here to study. Have you been assigned a dorm yet?"
"Not yet. I just arrived. I figured you'd have trouble without your glasses, so I brought them to you as soon as I got off the bus."
"You're such an honest boy." The old woman smiled so broadly her dentures nearly fell out. She took Xiao Ran by the arm and led him inside. "You've come at just the right time. The dormitory is important. I'll help you pick a room."
As she spoke, she took a dormitory register out of her pocket.
Xiao Ran's heart stirred. "Grandma, my brother said I could stay in a single room if I paid a little extra. I was wondering if it was expensive."
"A single room?" The old woman curled her lip. "Why would you stay in a single room? Even dogs wouldn't live there. Why would I let one of our own kids suffer? Come with me."
She led Xiao Ran upstairs.
On the second floor, they turned left. Xiao Ran noticed signs outside several rooms, and every dormitory door was different.
The cheapest doors looked flimsy even at a glance.
The better ones were mostly iron doors, and better still were security doors.
The most extravagant was a metal door covered in yellow talismans.
The old woman took Xiao Ran to the very last room. He glanced at its ordinary iron door and saw two strips of sealing paper stuck to it.
Looking at the door, Xiao Ran had a bad feeling.
Oh no. Did this old woman mistake me for one of the "locals" like Driver Brother?
The old woman pointed at the door and smiled. "Dear, you can skimp on everything else, but never on where you sleep. This room is the one. I wouldn't give it to anyone else."
She tore off the seals and shoved a key into Xiao Ran's hand. The wrinkles on her old face bunched together.
"Um..."
Xiao Ran wanted to ask a couple more questions, but the old woman only patted him on the shoulder with the knowing air of someone who'd seen it all. "Don't ask, don't ask. Go inside and you'll understand."
Then she walked off without looking back. As she went, she kept glancing over her shoulder at Xiao Ran, covering her mouth as she giggled.
Xiao Ran was just as confused. All he could do was take the key and open the door.
"Click!"
As the lock turned, Xiao Ran gently pushed the door open and poked his head inside.
The room was empty. There was nothing but a bed and a table.
"That's it?"
Just as Xiao Ran was wondering what was going on, he sensed something and looked up. A coffin hung directly above his head.
At the same time, blood-red text appeared before Xiao Ran once again.
[Side Quest triggered: Spirit Coffin Dormitory]
Quest requirements: When the lights go out, you must sleep in the coffin and obtain five Campus Badges.
Quest hint: Once you lie in the coffin, your identity will temporarily change from student to Night Ghost. You can choose to kill other Night Ghosts, or students from other dormitories.
For each Night Ghost you kill, you can obtain three Campus Badges.
For each student you kill, you can obtain one Campus Badge.
Quest difficulty: E-rank
Quest reward: E-rank
(Note: After transforming into a Night Ghost, you can use Campus Badges to activate the Night Ghost's special abilities. But be careful not to let other ghosts discover your identity. Otherwise, you may become a target for every Night Ghost.)
Before you continue