School

The opposite side had a row of two- or three-story buildings.

It was much like the area around a typical school, filled with restaurants, internet cafes, stationery shops, and the like.

The internet cafe was doing brisk business, while the female owner standing in front of the stationery shop had a face as grim as if she were about to die.

Jiang Cheng walked to the entrance of a coffee shop, paused for a few seconds, then pushed the door open and went inside.

The first floor was almost empty. He found the stairs and went up to the second floor, then proceeded directly to the third.

As soon as he arrived, he saw that the seats by the window were all occupied.

There were about seven or eight people, and their gazes were all focused on Jiang Cheng's face.

"Brother!" The Fatty, squeezed into a corner, looked at Jiang Cheng with teary eyes. "It's so good to see you here!"

Jiang Cheng hadn't expected to see Fatty here, but after a single glance, he shifted his gaze away.

These people in front of him must be his teammates for this mission.

There were more people than last time.

Including Jiang Cheng, there were nine people in total this time.

"Hello," a man in a white suit stood up and greeted Jiang Cheng with a smile. "You're really amazing, to be able to find your way here on your own."

Indeed, Jiang Cheng hadn't chosen this coffee shop at random.

Most of the surrounding buildings were low-rise, so only this place offered the best view. Moreover, the third floor had large glass windows, allowing a clear view of the school opposite.

Jiang Cheng looked at the school outside the window, then slowly turned back. "Is this school the mission location this time?"

"It should be," the man in the suit shrugged. "I've already asked the server here. This isn't an ordinary school; it's an art academy."

Just as the man in the suit was about to say more, a fierce roar suddenly came from his ear. "Where is this place? Who are you people? I'm calling the police!!"

Jiang Cheng turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in a tank top loudly questioning them. He was agitated, clearly his first time entering the Nightmare World.

"We've told you everything we need to tell you. Whether you can accept it is your problem," a young man wearing a baseball cap leaned back on the sofa, squinting at the middle-aged man. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth curled into a smile. "I'm not your father, so I have no obligation to care whether you live or die."

"I'm calling the police! Calling the police!" The middle-aged man's expression looked fierce, but Jiang Cheng could tell with a glance that he was merely terrified.

The middle-aged man had likely realized this world was different from the real one but was genuinely resisting the fact.

Otherwise, he could have chosen to leave instead of staying here.

There were three recognized newcomers this time. Besides the middle-aged man in the tank top, there was a man and a woman.

The woman was wearing a cute dinosaur pajama set with a short tail dragging behind her. Her face was deathly pale, looking as if she might faint at any moment.

The man was slightly better off than the woman, but according to Fatty, when the man first appeared, he was worse off than the middle-aged man. Not only was he emotionally agitated and questioning everyone present, but he had also flipped over a table in the coffee shop in public.

"Alright," the man in the suit walked forward and said naturally, "Let's go take a look at the school."

"Is the school definitely the mission location?" This time, a woman in a qipao spoke. Her light smoky makeup exuded the charm of the last century. She had a great figure, but her appearance was unremarkable.

"Not necessarily," the man in the suit smiled at her. "But there's no harm in trying. We all know that we'll only encounter those things once we reach the true mission location."

Upon hearing the man mention "those things," everyone's expressions became solemn, and no one spoke further.

The group walked out of the coffee shop. Even the hysterical middle-aged man silently followed at the end of the line.

Fatty seized the opportunity to squeeze over. "Doctor," he whispered, "I was so scared when I didn't see you when I first arrived."

Jiang Cheng, too lazy to waste words with him, directly asked, "How did you find the coffee shop?"

Unexpectedly, Fatty licked his lips, looking somewhat embarrassed to say, "I didn't find it. My spawn point was right here. As soon as I opened the door, I was standing on a table on the third floor of the coffee shop, facing the school."

Jiang Cheng glanced at Fatty and remained silent for a moment before continuing, "What about the others?"

"They all arrived after me."

"Were their spawn points also in the coffee shop?"

"Not entirely," Fatty shook his head, then tilted his chin, gesturing for Jiang Cheng to look at the front of the group. The man in the suit was comforting the woman in the dinosaur pajamas. "The guy in the white suit, like you, found his way here himself."

Jiang Cheng took a breath. "So, besides him and me, the remaining seven people were all born in the coffee shop, and you even landed directly on a table on the third floor."

"Doctor, if you insist on putting it that way, I won't argue with you." Fatty seemed much improved compared to his first time in the Nightmare World; at least he could speak more fluently now. He continued, "But please don't use the word 'spawn.' I think 'descend' is more sacred."

Jiang Cheng "tsk-ed" and was about to lecture Fatty when they had already reached the school entrance.

The main gate remained silent, but the smaller door beside it creaked open with a long groan.

Then, a middle-aged woman walked out, introducing herself as the reception teacher and saying she was here to welcome them.

Since they were unclear about the mission content and their roles, everyone wisely chose to follow the middle-aged woman, the first NPC, in silence.

Typically, the first NPC's role was to explain the players' identities within the instance and the background of the mission they faced.

Through their conversation with the woman, they learned about the identities of the characters they were playing.

They were a photography team under a cultural media company, specifically invited to film the school's upcoming anniversary celebration.

And as the man in the suit had said, it was indeed an art academy, primarily recruiting students for music and related majors. It wasn't large in scale, but according to the woman, it had a very strong reputation and had produced many celebrities.

"People from your company delivered the equipment yesterday," the middle-aged woman said. "It's in our equipment room now, so you don't need to worry."

"Can we go see the equipment room?" the young man wearing the baseball cap suddenly asked.

He was now wearing the hat backward, and an earring on one ear seemed to be inlaid with a gem, reflecting light in the setting sun.

The woman suddenly stopped and looked at the young man, her expression instantly darkening. "No, absolutely not!"