Scarecrow Ability, Brute-Force Solution

Quite a few students spoke up.

"Wasn't the gate open? I came straight in."

Chen Yu looked around, his gaze settling on a girl.

"Brother Chen Yu?!"

The girl seemed to recognize Chen Yu as well. As if she had seized a lifeline, she hurriedly rushed toward him. "Why are you here?"

"Han Ningning?"

Chen Yu was somewhat surprised as well.

Why had Han Ningning suddenly appeared at the school?

Moreover, there was a man following behind Han Ningning.

When the man saw Han Ningning walk over, he followed her, frowning as he asked, "Who is this?"

"He's my classmate."

Han Ningning knew Chen Yu did not want to reveal his identity, so she gave a simple introduction before introducing the man to Chen Yu.

"Brother Chen Yu, this is Li Hao, a [Cleansers] investigator who returned from the 'Rift.'"

Chen Yu glanced at Li Hao and found that the eerie aura on him was quite powerful. He greeted him, "Hello."

"Oh, hello. I've heard Han Ningning mention you. She said you were a Ghost Controller with fairly decent abilities. Now that I've met you, you truly are extraordinary."

Li Hao offered an official-sounding compliment as he greeted him.

Han Ningning had indeed told the Investigation Bureau that she had a classmate who was a Ghost Controller, but the Investigation Bureau had not connected that Ghost Controller classmate with [Nightfall] or the [Mysterious Man].

Li Hao was around thirty, in the prime of his life. His muscular build gave people a strong sense of security, and he was a rather upright person with a good reputation within the Investigation Bureau.

"Why did you come here?" Chen Yu asked. "And what's with those Head Balloons outside?"

Li Hao remained silent. Han Ningning glanced at the students huddled in the corner before explaining, "Ever since the supernatural resurgence, the school has fallen as well. Ghost Balloons took over this place. Just as the authorities ordered the school to evacuate all students, the Ghost Balloons had already begun attacking.

"Three nights ago, every student who tried to flee the school was brutally killed by the Ghost Balloons' rules. Those heads floating in the air now are the students' heads."

After saying that, Han Ningning pointed at the ring of gold surrounding the classroom. "The higher-ups at the Investigation Bureau said I was a student here and knew the place better, so they sent me to handle this supernatural incident. They also assigned Senior Li Hao to assist me.

"But after we arrived, we learned that the Ghost Balloons were level 12 entities and extremely difficult to deal with. Brother Li Hao possesses a level 13 ghost and can escape on his own, but he can't ensure the students' safety. Our goal is to get every student out of here."

Chen Yu looked at the Head Balloons filling the school. "So these Head Balloons are blocking your escape route?"

"Yes," Han Ningning said. "There are too many students for us to get them all out safely, so we used gold to isolate the eerie aura first. Right now, this classroom is the only safe place in the entire school."

"I see. Then let me lend you a hand."

Chen Yu nodded, then turned to head outside.

"What are you trying to do?"

Li Hao suddenly spoke up. "Don't tell me you want to deal with the Ghost Balloons alone?"

"What? Is there a problem with that?" Chen Yu asked.

"Your courage is admirable, but Ghost Balloons aren't so easy to deal with. As a Cleansers member of the Investigation Bureau, I can't just watch you go to your death."

Li Hao said this not because he looked down on Chen Yu, but because he was worried Chen Yu would die at the hands of the Ghost Balloons.

"Then what are you planning to do? Keep waiting here?" Chen Yu asked curiously with a faint smile.

Li Hao said, "Since another Ghost Controller has arrived, you can assist me together with Han Ningning. With the two of you helping me, I should be able to take care of the Ghost Balloons."

With that, Li Hao walked outside.

Threads formed from intestines spread throughout the entire campus.

They were like infrared lasers. If one carelessly touched them, they would be entangled by the intestinal threads and become one of the Head Balloons.

The corridors were filled with them as well.

Although Li Hao did not understand how Chen Yu had made it safely to the teaching building, he had no time to think about that now.

After stepping outside, he directly awakened the ghost sleeping within his body.

A pair of ancient red scissors stained with crimson blood appeared in Li Hao's hand.

[Level 13 Ghost Scissors!]

Chen Yu recognized it immediately.

After taking out the Ghost Scissors, Li Hao did not hesitate to snip at the intestinal thread.

Crack!

Ghost Scissors were incomparably sharp.

Carrying a powerful force of rules, they directly snipped the intestinal cord into two.

"That did it?"

Chen Yu froze, but Han Ningning and Li Hao were not pleased. Instead, they shook their heads.

Chen Yu quickly realized why.

If it had truly been that simple, Ghost Balloon could not have trapped these students for so long.

Sure enough.

The next moment, a bloodied intestine that had appeared from nowhere crawled over like a worm. In the blink of an eye, it stretched and extended without limit, becoming a new intestinal cord before connecting itself to the severed section.

The Head Balloon neither fell nor rose. It continued floating steadily in the air, completely unaffected.

Li Hao tried again, repeating the same move, but another new intestine simply replaced the severed one. In the end, it was futile.

Li Hao then asked Han Ningning for help.

After cutting the intestine, Han Ningning used her Ghostly Smiling Face to block the newly appeared intestine, but it still had no effect.

Instead, their actions seemed to enrage Ghost Balloon.

Bloodied intestines burst out from hidden shadows that could not be detected, writhing like countless tentacles as they lashed toward the two of them.

Fortunately, Li Hao reacted quickly enough to cut through the intestines with Ghost Scissors, narrowly avoiding disaster.

If they had been entangled by those intestines, they would likely have become part of the Head Balloon as well.

Seeing this, Chen Yu said with a smile, "It's useless. Unless you solve the problem at its source, these intestines will keep coming forever. You'll never get out."

"I want to solve it at the source too, but where is the source? Do you know?"

Li Hao could not help asking.

The best way to resolve this [Ghost Balloon] was to find the source anomaly.

With the power of Li Hao's level 13 [Ghost Scissors], if he had truly found the source, the problem would have been resolved long ago.

"The reason it isn't showing itself is because it wants to play with you until you die."

Chen Yu smiled, then instantly unleashed his Ghost Domain.

The power of the Ghost Domain covered the entire school.

A familiar figure appeared before Chen Yu.

"Every grievance has its source, every debt has its owner. To resolve this anomalous incident, we need to find the debtor."

After saying that, Chen Yu walked out of the safe classroom wrapped in gold.

"What are you going to do?"

Seeing Chen Yu's actions, Li Hao frowned and asked seriously.

"Find the debtor."

Chen Yu said, "There isn't just one anomaly in this school. We have to deal with them one at a time."

Chen Yu's target was the rich second-generation heir, Li Kun.

After unleashing his Ghost Domain just now, he had already sensed Li Kun's presence.

Although the anomalous aura within Li Kun's body had been deliberately concealed, it still could not escape the eyes of the Slaughter Ghost Domain. Chen Yu had still caught a trace of it.

Li Kun was also in one of the classrooms in the teaching building.

"Brother Chen Yu..."

Han Ningning was a little worried about Chen Yu.

Although Chen Yu had seemed extremely powerful before, this anomalous incident was different from the previous ones.

The anomalies involved were easily over level ten, utterly beyond comparison with the previous Anomaly Zoo incident.

She anxiously said, "Have Senior Li Hao, one of the [Cleansers], go with you? It would be safer that way."

But Chen Yu merely said flatly, "No need."

With that, he turned and left, weaving through the intestinal cords.

Han Ningning wanted to follow him, but her strength was still far from enough to let her pass through those intestinal cords.

Her face filled with anxiety as she said to Li Hao, "Brother Li, Brother Chen Yu is very strong. Maybe the two of you can resolve this anomalous incident together."

"No."

Li Hao refused decisively. "This anomalous incident is extremely dangerous. I can't let him risk his life with me. He's still young and can't handle such powerful anomalies. Besides, I've already sent out a distress signal. The Investigation Bureau has probably arranged for powerful Ghost Controllers to come support us."

"But... he's already left..."

Han Ningning spoke with the same anxious worry as before.

Li Hao glanced in the direction Chen Yu had left. It was pitch-black over there.

He said, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone die in front of me. Let's follow him. Be careful—don't let those gut ropes wrap around you."

Han Ningning nodded, and the two of them followed Chen Yu.

Linjiang No. 1 Middle School.

Inside a classroom.

Quite a few students huddled in the corners, trembling uncontrollably, their faces filled with terror.

Some students had already lost arms or legs.

Others did not have a single patch of intact flesh left on their bodies.

Their school uniforms, once full of youthful vitality, had been dyed red with blood. So much time had passed that the blood staining their clothes had begun to congeal and darken.

[Heh heh heh heh...]

A bizarre figure stood before all the students. Some knelt on the ground, while others lay facedown. Not one of them dared raise their heads. Their bodies shook violently, clearly gripped by overwhelming panic.

The bizarre figure's hands looked as though they had been fashioned from withered, spindly branches, stretched out to either side.

Its clothes were already tattered beyond recognition, as if draped over a wooden frame. Straw poked out from the holes in the ragged clothing.

It wore a farmer's conical hat. Its head was pitch-black, with only a faint red glow in its eyes and a sinister sneer at the corners of its mouth visible.

This was the Weird Scarecrow.

Ever since the weirdness had run rampant, none of the students had been able to escape the school.

Classrooms that were not protected by gold quickly fell.

This classroom had no gold to block out weird energy, allowing the Weird Scarecrow to descend.

[Heh heh heh, filthy little rats, I'm very pleased to meet you here.]

"D-Don't kill us..."

"Please... I don't want to die..."

Hearing that crow-like cry, the students shuddered and hurriedly began begging for mercy, kowtowing.

[Don't worry. I won't kill you—but only for now.]

Like a ruler in complete control of everything, the Weird Scarecrow said with a sinister smile in its hoarse voice, [As long as you're willing to play a game with me.]

A game?

What game?

Everyone looked bewildered.

But they knew one thing.

If they refused to play its game.

They would die!

"I'll play! I'll play!"

"Me too! Tell us, what game do you want to play? As long as we can stay alive!"

All the students hurriedly shouted.

[Very well. Let's play a game of Wooden Man...]

A Wooden Man game?

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

Would they survive as long as they stood still?!

Some people became excited. They could practically see a chance to live.

The Weird Scarecrow gave a sinister grin and walked over to a desk. With its wooden hands, it gently lifted the desk and then tossed it to the other side.

Repeating the process, it threw over more than a dozen desks.

The desks had formed a clear defensive line.

[Now, I will explain the rules of the game.]

[That row of desks in front of you is your chance to survive. You will begin at the starting point. Each time, I will count to three. Once three seconds are up, you must pretend to be wooden men and remain completely still. Otherwise, you die.]

[After five rounds of counting, anyone who has not touched a desk with their hand will die, even if they have not moved before!]

[So make sure to seize your chance.]

[This is merely an appetizer before the distinguished guests arrive...]

Was this difficult?

Everyone looked confused. Did that mean they only had to touch the desks to survive?

Who was the distinguished guest it had mentioned?

Someone even the Weird Scarecrow called "distinguished"?

[Now, the game begins.]

The Weird Scarecrow ignored their thoughts and called out directly.

Everyone's expressions turned grave as they stood at the starting line, ready to sprint.

The Weird Scarecrow closed its eyes and began counting down.

[One...]

[Two...]

[Three...]

When it counted to three, the Weird Scarecrow suddenly opened its eyes, a faint red glow flickering within them!

There were fifty-six students in the classroom.

However, they were all quite clever. Their movements at the start had been minimal, so the moment they heard it count to three, they immediately froze.

The Weird Scarecrow's gaze was piercing as it swept across everyone.

Only after seeing that no one had moved did it close its eyes again.

[One...]

[Two...]

[Three...]

The Weird Scarecrow opened its eyes again, but no one had been caught.

But by the third round, those students had been too afraid of dying to make any big moves. Once they realized there were only five rounds in total, they had no choice but to pick up the pace.

And once they sped up, they lost their balance.

One student stumbled, failed to steady himself, and fell to the floor with a scream.

[Hehehe, moved, moved!]

A chilling gleam flashed in the Weird Scarecrow's eyes.

In an instant, the rule was triggered.

They saw—

The student who had just fallen suddenly rose to his feet with vacant eyes. He spread his arms wide and stood there in the shape of a cross.

Like a mannequin, he remained motionless where he stood.

What was going on?

Hadn't he moved?

Was he actually fine?