Word Spirit: Silence

The twelve people who narrowly escaped collapsed on the field ridges, gasping for air.

After confirming that the terrifying crows dared not cross the boundary of the woods, the moment their taut nerves relaxed, the pent-up conflicts erupted instantly.

"Who pushed me just now?!"

Yu Shishi, with disheveled hair and bleeding knees, pointed at Bai Lianhua, who was drinking water, her eyes red.

"Bai Lianhua! That log was pushed down by you, wasn't it?! You wanted to use me as bait!"

Bai Lianhua, who was enjoying surviving a calamity, twitched her eyelids, but quickly put on a pitiful expression.

"Shishi, what are you talking about... It was so dark then, everyone was running, I almost fell too, how could I harm you?"

"On the contrary, you were running too slowly and almost dragged everyone down, and now you're slandering me... sob sob sob..."

As she spoke, she leaned towards Yang Wei beside her, looking as if she had suffered immense injustice.

The three boys next to them, who had previously pursued Yu Shishi, the so-called "Simp Group."

At this moment, in order to establish their position in the team, they all spoke up.

"Yeah Shishi, it was too chaotic just now, you must have seen wrong."

"Classmate Bai is so delicate, she wouldn't have the strength to push a log."

"Everyone was scared, let's not dwell on it."

Seeing the betrayal of her former friends and the defection of her pursuers, Yu Shishi trembled with anger: "You... you guys..."

"Enough!!"

An angry roar interrupted the argument.

Yang Wei slammed down the empty water bottle in his hand and stood up with a fierce look on his face.

He shoved Yu Shishi's shoulder, directly pushing her stumbling to the ground.

"Yu Shishi! Are you done throwing a tantrum?!"

Yang Wei pointed at her from above, spit flying.

"In that situation, no one could help you! Everyone wanted to survive!"

"This isn't Blue Star! It's not school! And you're not the little princess who's doted on by everyone in your family!"

"If you want to survive, shut your mouth and follow orders! No one is willing to pay for your Young Lady Temper!"

Yang Wei's words were like knives, brutally tearing apart Yu Shishi's last shred of dignity.

She looked around with hot tears, only to find that among the remaining dozen or so people, not a single one was willing to stand up and say a word for her.

Everyone chose to remain silent, or watch coldly from the sidelines.

Only Guo Shuai hypocritically stepped forward to block Yang Wei.

"Oh, Old Yang, calm down, don't ruin the harmony, we just escaped."

After speaking, he turned to Yu Shishi on the ground and said.

"Shishi, you too, apologize to everyone, and this matter will be over."

"Apologize?!"

Yu Shishi looked at the hypocritical face in disbelief, and her stubborn temper flared up.

"Why should I apologize?! She's the one who harmed me! You are all bad people! Bad people in the same group!"

"I'm not staying with you anymore! I'm going back! I'm going to find Yuqing! Wuwuwu..."

After speaking, she got up from the ground, wiped away her tears, and rushed into the edge of the dark woods without looking back.

Running towards the direction of the bus.

"Hey! Don't..."

Wang Jinsheng, a substitute on the basketball team and one of the former sycophants, subconsciously wanted to stop her.

But Yang Wei's cold gaze scared him back.

"Let her go!"

Yang Wei snorted coldly: "It's good that this ungrateful burden is gone, it saves some food!"

"I don't know if it will be truly safe after the sunrise tomorrow, our supplies are already insufficient!"

Wang Jinsheng shrank his neck and dared not speak again.

At this moment, Yu Shishi, who had run into the darkness, was running blindly.

In the darkness, Yu Shishi ran blindly in a panic.

Anger and grievance filled her mind, causing her to completely lose her reason.

"Plop!"

Suddenly, her foot tripped over something, and she fell heavily to the ground again, even one of her shoes flew off.

By the faint moonlight, she saw that what had tripped her was actually a scarecrow.

It stood quietly in the Weed Patch at the edge of the Wheat Field, Carrying a Lantern in its hand, looking down at her.

If it were any other time, Yu Shishi would have fainted from fright.

But at this moment, having just been humiliated by Yang Wei and betrayed by her Best Friend, the anger that had been building up in her heart had completely overwhelmed her reason.

"Even you are bullying me?!"

"Even you, a damn pile of straw, dare to bully me?!"

Yu Shishi screamed, grabbed a shoe that had fallen by her hand, and fiercely struck the Scarecrow's head!

"Slap!"

The Scarecrow's head, which was already held together by only a few threads, was directly knocked ninety degrees to the side.

It hung askew on its Neck at this moment, looking comical and ridiculous.

"Get lost! A good dog doesn't block the way!"

After venting her anger, Yu Shishi, covered in straw and filthy, haphazardly put on her shoes.

She got up from the ground and limped on, continuing to run towards the dark Twisted Forest ahead.

Until her figure completely disappeared into the night.

The Small Scarecrow with its crooked head suddenly moved.

"Creak... creak..."

Accompanied by a Scraping Sound, its crooked head slowly, bit by bit, turned back, revealing an incredibly ferocious face!

Where eyes had been drawn with Charcoal, two balls of dazzling Red Light lit up!

The Red Light instantly locked onto the direction Yu Shishi had left, its mouth opening and closing.

However...

Just as it seemed about to take action...

Ahead, Yu Shishi's figure crossed an invisible Boundary and plunged into the thicket of Twisted Trees.

Zz.

The dazzling Red Light in the Scarecrow's eyes instantly extinguished the moment it touched the Aura of the forest.

It froze in place, staring blankly in the direction of the forest for two seconds.

The ferocious Corner of its Mouth slowly turned downwards, seeming a little...

Wronged?

Afterward, it retreated back into the shadows and resumed its guard duty.

But this time was different...

It actually slowly opened its straw mouth and spoke intermittently in a hoarse voice.

"Bully... bully me."

"Bully me."

"Bully me."

The voice slowly changed from hoarse to clear and smooth.

The Scarecrow was imitating Yu Shishi's words and her voice...

Over by the wheat field.

After driving away the unsettling element, Yang Wei began to arrange the night watch.

"Guo Shuai for the first shift, Wang Jinsheng for the second, Wu Hao for the third... Lianhua and I will take the last shift."

Bai Lianhua, relying on sweet talk and personal service, had successfully managed to get the easiest shift.

Night deepened.

Apart from those on watch, the other students quickly fell into a deep sleep amidst fear and exhaustion.

In the latter half of the night, it was Wang Jinsheng's turn to keep watch.

The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, with only the rustling sound of the wheat waves being blown by the wind.

Suddenly.

"Wuwu... help..."

A faint and intermittent crying sound came from Deep in the Wheat Field not far away.

Wang Jinsheng, who was nodding off from sleepiness, jolted awake.

This voice... it sounded so familiar!

It's Yu Shishi!

"Shishi? You're back?"

Wang Jinsheng's heart leaped with joy.

He had always harbored wicked intentions towards Yu Shishi. Although he hadn't dared to speak just now, now...

If he could save her alone, wouldn't that be an opportunity to take advantage of her vulnerability?

Lust clouded his mind, and his IQ dropped to zero.

He even forgot to wake the others, and stealthily crept towards the sound.

"Shishi? Is that you? Don't be afraid, it's Brother Jin Sheng..."

He pushed aside the tall wheat stalks and saw a petite figure standing with their back to him.

She was wearing the same clothes as Yu Shishi, her shoulders shaking as if she were crying.

"Heh heh, Shishi, I knew you couldn't bear to leave us."

Wang Jinsheng swallowed and reached out to pat the figure's shoulder.

However.

The moment his hand was about to make contact.

The figure suddenly stopped crying.

Its head turned sharply, 180 degrees, at an angle no human could possibly achieve!

It wasn't Yu Shishi's face at all!

But a grotesque face stitched together with rags!

Stuffed with rotten grass inside!

It had no facial features, only a blood-red gap that split open to the ear root.

"Surprise!"

The thing let out a sharp, ear-piercing imitation.

"Ah!!!"

Wang Jinsheng was terrified out of his wits and let out a scream.

But the next second, the scarecrow instantly grew three arms and tightly locked onto him!

The gaping mouth widened and swallowed Wang Jinsheng's head in one bite!

Countless withered yellow wheat stalks instantly pierced his body, replacing his flesh and blood, and even his bones in an instant!

"What was that sound?!"

"Ah! Someone's screaming!"

Yang Wei, Guo Shuai, and the others were instantly startled awake. As if facing a great enemy, they grabbed their Window Breaking Hammers and wooden sticks, rushing towards the direction of the scream.

"It's over there! That idiot Wang Jinsheng!"

They pushed through the wheat stalks and arrived at the scene.

They found Wang Jinsheng lying on the ground, clutching his head, his face full of pain.

There were no monsters around.

"Jinsheng? What's wrong? Why were you screaming just now?!" Guo Shuai asked nervously, shining his Flashlight on his face.

The "Wang Jinsheng" on the ground slowly raised his head, revealing a simple and honest smile, and waved his hand.

"It's Okay, It's Okay... Embarrassed, everyone."

"It was too dark just now, I tripped on some Wheat Stalks and hit my head. It hurt so much I couldn't help but cry out."

Hearing this, everyone relaxed, followed by a Sky Full Of complaints.

"Damn! You scared the hell out of me!"

"Are you sick?! Falling down and screaming like you're being slaughtered!"

"Let's go, let's go, back to sleep."

Yang Wei grumbled as he put away his weapon and turned to walk back.

Guo Shuai, walking last, glanced suspiciously at Wang Jinsheng and asked with concern:

"Are you really okay? Did you hurt your head?"

"It's Okay, really It's Okay."

"Wang Jinsheng" stood up, his movements slightly stiff, but his tone was normal.

"Alright, then be careful, don't fall again."

Guo Shuai smiled and patted his shoulder.

Where he touched, there was a strange stinging sensation.

He looked under the moonlight and saw a few withered stalks of rice hanging on Wang Jinsheng's shoulder clothes.

"This is too careless, you're covered in grass."

Guo Shuai didn't pay attention, casually brushed off the rice stalks, and turned back.

And the moment he turned around.

The "Wang Jinsheng" standing in the darkness, his originally honest expression instantly disappeared.

The corner of his mouth slowly split open, revealing an evil smile.

Beneath the skin of his neck, surging rice stalks could be vaguely seen...

At the same time, outside the bus.

Compared to the eerie horror in the wheat field, the scene by the bus was different.

Jiangnan sat on the corpse mountain piled with crows like a thinker.

Below, Chen Tong, Wang Meng, and Liu Yuqing looked at him with eyes of almost fanatical admiration.

"Amazing! Truly amazing!"

Wang Meng was still sighing, "Hundreds of mutated crows! Wiped out just like that!"

"I peeked through a gap just now, and all the remaining crows ran away, not daring to come close!"

"Classmate Jiangnan... is too strong." Liu Yuqing couldn't help but praise.

However, unlike their high spirits.

Jiangnan, sitting on the corpse mountain, was extremely depressed at this moment, even wanting to cry.

What a loss!

A huge loss!

To put on this show, and to save his life, he burned over three hundred words in one go!

That was a whole year's savings!

And...

Jiangnan looked up at the roof of the bus.

Because of the indiscriminate "Human Gatling" barrage just now, although it killed all the crows...

But the already overloaded car roof was also riddled with holes by his Air Bullet.

It was now swaying precariously, cold wind whistling in, its last defensive attribute about to hit zero.

"Sigh..."

Jiangnan sighed inwardly.

Just then, a Buzzing Sound echoed in his mind.

He subconsciously glanced at the time in the lower right corner of his Field of Vision.

[00:00:00]

A new day had arrived.

[Ding! Daily Settlement complete.]

[Word Quota refreshed: +1 (Current balance: 6341)]

[Current location: Twisted Jungle]

[Sign-in successful!]

[Congratulations Host, you have obtained B-rank Word Spirit "Silence"!]

Hearing this prompt, Jiangnan, who had been feeling heartbroken moments before, instantly revived, his back straightening.

A new skill!

A detailed stream of information flowed into his mind.

[Word Spirit · Silence (B-rank)]

Effect: Casts a powerful Silence Field centered on oneself.

Within this field, everything except the Host will be stripped of its ability to Vocalize, forcibly becoming Mute.

Characteristic: Lasts for one hour. Mandatory rule, cannot be exempted.

Range: Radius of 30 meters.

Consume: 1 word.

Activation method: Place index finger to lips and softly utter the Activation Word: "Shh".

Looking at the introduction of this new skill, Jiangnan's eyes lit up.

Although it had no damage, this was simply a divine skill!

After being Mute for so many years!

He could finally let others taste what it was like!

He didn't believe that a normal person, after becoming Mute!

Could out-argue someone who had been Mute for Eighteen Years!