The Door Opened

The flat-topped man frowned and protested. "I didn't! Stop talking nonsense."

"You didn't? Who are you trying to fool? I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Shut up!"

"Why are you so scared? Maybe you're the Faceling!

"I'm not a Faceling!"

"..."

As the two men argued fiercely, Lin Yang hurriedly shouted, "Shut up!"

Everyone fell silent. But the way they looked at the flat-topped man had changed.

Lin Yang said coldly, "This ends here. Fighting among ourselves will only make us fall apart faster."

His gaze casually swept over the flat-topped man, then the people beside Zhang Hao.

"No matter how you look at it, our watch system worked last night. No one on our side died. All the dead were on their side. Maybe the Faceling isn't on our side."

Only then did everyone's tense expressions ease a little.

Someone quietly congratulated himself on choosing the right side. A few who had doubted Lin Yang's arrangements yesterday now wore expressions of fear and relief.

But right afterward, almost everyone began instinctively checking the faces of the people around them!

Their gazes swept quickly over their companions. Keeping watch could stop the Faceling from killing, but it couldn't stop one from hiding among them!

During the day, they could nod and talk to one another. But at night, no one knew whether the person beside them with his eyes closed was really asleep or waiting for an opportunity!

"Fuck," the fat man swore, his voice carrying the exhaustion of someone who had narrowly survived.

"Good thing I sided with Brother Lin!"

"They were the ones who refused to keep watch," someone chimed in, a trace of cold relief in his voice.

"Brother Lin said everyone should take turns, but they wouldn't listen."

"They even said they'd reap the benefits without lifting a finger," someone added.

The muscular man overheard them, and his face twitched!

He shot to his feet, his face flushed red. His lips trembled for a long moment before he managed to force out a sentence.

"You... you clearly saw a figure, so why didn't you wake us?! You just stood by and watched them die?!"

The fat man looked at him, his expression barely changing, and spoke calmly.

"You said it yourselves last night. We were keeping watch for you. You didn't do a thing, and you'd reap the benefits without lifting a finger. I heard you loud and clear."

The muscular man gritted his teeth. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and spoke with a cold snort.

"Don't get cocky. There's no Seer in the game now. How long do you think you can survive? For all you know, the Faceling is hiding right beside you! Maybe it's you, fatty! Maybe it's him!" His hand pointed back and forth between the fat man and the flat-topped man.

The muscular man was named Zhang Hao. The skinny man beside him chimed in too.

"Yeah, what are you so happy about? If you can't find the Faceling, you'll die all the same!"

They seemed quite pleased now. It didn't matter to them whether they died, as long as the others suffered too.

His words plunged everyone into silence for a moment.

That was true. Without a Seer, who was the Faceling?

Even if they found a suspect, they couldn't confirm his identity.

Everyone's eyes fell on Lin Yang once more.

Lin Yang pondered for a moment. Rather than respond, he changed the subject.

"That's not what we should be worrying about right now. What we need to do is figure out how not to starve to death."

Everyone froze for a moment at his words.

Many stomachs began growling again. Since yesterday, they had eaten only half a piece of bread each. It did nothing to stave off their hunger!

"What are we supposed to do?"

"We'll starve to death in this classroom before we find the Faceling!"

Zhang Hao looked especially smug. "You only ate half a piece of lousy bread more than we did! You'll die all the same."

"Yeah, you'll starve to death in this classroom too!"

"..."

Lin Yang looked around. "Everyone, listen to me. Start searching! Look for the key."

"The key?" The fat man froze. Someone spoke up. "We've searched countless times. We've turned this classroom upside down and haven't found a key!"

"Yeah, there's no key here at all. Someone doesn't want us to get out."

Lin Yang said, "If we can't find it, we'll keep looking! We'll search until we find it!"

Some complained, while others felt helpless. But some still held out a sliver of hope and scattered to search for the key.

Lin Yang also pretended to search the classroom. His gaze stayed fixed on the lectern, but he still acted as though he knew nothing at all.

After all, if he went straight over and took out the key, it would definitely arouse suspicion!

Zhang Hao and the skinny man stood by, kicking them while they were down, amusement on their faces.

"Stop wasting your energy. Go on, listen to his bullshit! Where would there be a key in this godforsaken place?"

"You might as well wait for death in peace. As the saying goes, if the King of Hell wants you dead at midnight, you won't live to see dawn!"

Among Lin Yang's group, some grew increasingly desperate as they searched. "Where would there be a key in this place?!"

"Are we really just going to have to wait for death?"

"..."

Time passed, and they searched for about an hour.

Lin Yang came to the lectern.

The lectern was a wooden desk. Lin Yang pretended to search it for a long while before pushing it aside. The wood scraped against the floor with a creak, exposing the floor beneath.

Lin Yang's gaze fell on the third tile.

It was no different from the other tiles at a glance, but the color around its seams was a little lighter, as though it had been reapplied later.

He reached out and touched it. The cement's surface was rough, but much looser than the seams beside it.

No one was paying attention to him here, and no one believed he could find it.

He dug his fingernail into the seam and pried hard.

He removed the tile, revealing a key beneath the floor!

It was made of iron and felt a little heavy in his hand. A thin layer of yellowish rust covered its surface, but its teeth were intact.

A faint number was engraved on the bow of the key, but he couldn't make out the digits.

He gripped the key and pulled it out from between the tiles!

Someone nearby noticed and looked at his hand, then immediately sucked in a breath.

"The key!!"

At those words, everyone stopped what they were doing and gathered around.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the yellowed key in Lin Yang's hand.

"This!! He really found the key!!"

Then came wild joy! Everyone trembled. This was a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair!

Zhang Hao and the others froze. "The key?"

"They found the key?!"

Zhang Hao and the others were stunned. They moved closer to look.

But the fat man shoved them away. "Get lost. This key isn't yours."

Although the muscular Zhang Hao was also a little excited, he still put on an act.

"Pfft. Just because you found a key doesn't mean it'll open the door! Maybe someone buried it there because they didn't want it."

The fat man gritted his teeth and pointed at him. "Fuck you! Can't you say something decent?"

His words threw cold water on everyone who had begun to hope, naturally provoking their anger.

Zhang Hao hurriedly coughed. "I'm only telling the truth. What if it doesn't open the door? Wouldn't all that effort be wasted?"

His words drew everyone's gaze to the key.

Indeed, after suffering for so long, no one really believed anyone could open the door.

"Brother Lin, will it work?" Shen Cheng asked worriedly.

Lin Yang didn't answer.

He held the key in his palm, stood up, and walked toward the classroom's front door.

The crowd parted for him. Everyone watched him, their gazes filled with tension, anticipation, and an indescribable fear.

If the door opened, what would be outside? What if it didn't open, and this key was another trick?

He reached the door.

He inserted the key.

The key fit the keyhole. Perfectly!

He turned it. With a click, the lock sprang open.

The sound was soft, but in the quiet classroom, it was like a muffled thunderclap.

The door opened!