SVRP Chapter 11

Upon returning to her room, Qin Dongwan heard a crisp crunching sound. She opened the door to find Luo Shu sitting in a chair, nonchalantly munching on a cookie.

The mess downstairs hadn’t spread here. The bloodstains at Tang Zihang’s door were accidentally smeared when Zuo Chu dragged him upstairs. Despite this, Qin Dongwan couldn’t help but admire Luo Shu’s boldness.

It was the final noon of the last day. By all accounts, tensions should have been high, with rivals at each other’s throats. Yet, here was the “cold-faced killer,” calmly eating. Just thinking about last night’s events made Qin Dongwan’s stomach churn. Despite her hunger, she couldn’t eat a bite.

The kitchen, stained with blood, was left uncleaned. No one wanted to deal with the dismembered limbs and excavated organs left to rot. There was some chocolate and cookies in the fridge, enough to stave off hunger. Qin Dongwan wasn’t in the mood to cook, and Luo Shu didn’t insist, happily eating her cookies.

“There’s one lemon and one strawberry left. Which one do you want?” Luo Shu casually tossed a small packet to the ground. Clearly, she couldn’t finish it all. She held up two cookies, shaking them at Qin Dongwan as if they were on vacation rather than facing the final showdown of a deadly game.

The warm sunlight through the window illuminated the cookie packet. Qin Dongwan’s eyes were drawn to the bright red strawberry on one of the cookies. The memories of yesterday flashed through her mind, making her legs stiffen.

“Lemon, thanks.”

A beautiful arc traced through the air as the cookie packet landed in Qin Dongwan’s hands. She absentmindedly tore it open and started eating. The fresh, tangy filling tasted bland in her mouth. She chewed mechanically, even pausing before swallowing.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

After some hesitation, Qin Dongwan couldn’t help but ask before grabbing another cookie. Her impression of Luo Shu had changed over the past two days. Though Luo Shu had incredible fighting prowess, she wasn’t as erratic as described in the books. She just had occasional tantrums, like a typical teenage girl.

It was just a question; she believed Luo Shu wouldn’t harm her for asking.

“Afraid?”

Luo Shu’s slightly raised tone had an unconscious sweetness to it. She smiled with her eyes, but it didn’t reach her eyes; it was just an expression on her face.

“If being afraid could help me get out of here, I wouldn’t mind having a bit of that weak emotion.”

Luo Shu quickly unwrapped another cookie and fed it to herself, lying comfortably on the bed like a contented cat. By her side was the bottle of medicine from yesterday. The brilliant sunlight filtered gently through the window, casting a golden glow on her black dress.

A bright red stain appeared momentarily on Luo Shu’s pale leg before vanishing. Qin Dongwan blinked, thinking she was seeing things. When she looked again, Luo Shu’s leg appeared fine, but the unease persisted, urging Qin Dongwan to check. With newfound courage, she sat down on the bed and grabbed Luo Shu’s slender ankle.

“What are you—”

Before Luo Shu could finish, her face changed abruptly, clenching her fists tightly as if struggling to control herself. Qin Dongwan, who had just grabbed Luo Shu’s ankle, was kicked away with great force, stumbling and falling to her knees, suddenly realizing what was happening.

Fear, like a venomous cobra, slithered up her spine, spreading a chilling sensation. Luo Shu gripped the bed sheet tightly, her clear purple eyes filled with an eerie red hue, her petite body trembling violently.

She couldn’t just sit here and do nothing!

Enchantment, the most terrifying aspect of this stage, had been used on Luo Shu. In the original story, the ghost used this deadly skill on Zuo Chu before being brutally subdued by Luo Shu, leading to their enmity. Now, Qin Dongwan, having killed the ghost, stayed with Luo Shu for this reason. If Luo Shu noticed something wrong, she could easily subdue her. But now…

Luo Shu screamed, rolling off the bed, scratching deep marks on her arm in a desperate attempt to fight off the sudden attack. Qin Dongwan, no longer hesitating, grabbed the bottle by the bed and ran.

“Give it back to me!”

Luo Shu’s eyes were covered in a red haze, and despite her torn clothes, she chased after Qin Dongwan.

Running wasn’t an option.

Qin Dongwan turned and blocked with her hand, realizing the power disparity. Luo Shu, despite being shorter, easily grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Her eyes were filled with pure killing intent.

“Die!”

Qin Dongwan barely dodged the incoming fist, stumbling back and tripping over the bed. The smaller girl pinned her down, her weight and strength rendering Qin Dongwan’s arm useless.

The numbing sensation spread, making her arm unresponsive. Luo Shu’s eyes fixated on the bottle, her delicate hand reaching out.

A gush of thick, hot blood drenched them, the intense smell making Qin Dongwan nearly vomit. Luo Shu’s small body shuddered, her clear purple eyes slowly regaining their normal color.

“Was I controlled?”

Seeing Qin Dongwan under her, Luo Shu seemed displeased with the close contact. She slowly got up, the sticky blood making her uncomfortable. Noticing the bottle still in Qin Dongwan’s hand, she understood what had happened.

As an experienced player in a newbie stage, Luo Shu had different hints. One was that the ghost would use enchantment after dying to help its rival. To counter this, she had to give the enchanted person a big shock. The sudden blood shower jolted her out of the trance.

She rubbed her temples, the sticky blood nauseating her. Qin Dongwan, still in shock, sat at the edge of the bed.

Seeing her enemy again, Qin Dongwan instinctively stabbed her with a dagger, just as she did with the ghost. Protecting Luo Shu, she instinctively knew what to do.

The blood, seeping into her clothes, added to the surreal feeling. Had she really survived?

The bottle was taken by Luo Shu into the bathroom. The sound of running water indicated her cleaning up. Qin Dongwan, shaky, stood up, touching her sore arm, when a familiar scream shattered the temporary peace.

Her nerves tensed again. Grabbing her backpack, she rushed towards the room.