Shen Qingqiu reacted the fastest. The moment the door closed, she dashed towards it. She slid her dagger into the crack of the door and pried it forcefully, causing the metal-covered wooden door to chip but remain unmoved. Behind her, Xiao Muyu’s expression changed instantly. She tensed up and said, “I smell something burning.”
Shen Qingqiu withdrew her dagger, her eyes fixed on the door. She touched the door with her fingers and quickly pulled them back. Xiao Muyu grabbed her hand and saw her fingertips turn red.
Su Jin and Zuo Tiantian turned pale, “Are they trapping us in a fire?”
As soon as they finished speaking, a hissing sound began. Thick white smoke started to pour into the room from nowhere.
The four of them were forced to move back. Shen Qingqiu kicked the glass window hard, but it only trembled, remaining intact.
Outside, Chen Kaijie, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, suddenly fell to the ground as Xiao Muyu and the others were pushed into the room. His nose and eyes burned painfully, and he began to roll on the ground.
He realized something was wrong but couldn’t stand or open his eyes. He panickedly turned on the group voice chat, “Captain Xiao, cough, cough, I’m…I’m suffocating.”
Xiao Muyu had wanted Chen Kaijie to find a solution, but hearing his voice, she knew he was in the same situation as them.
“Captain Xiao, the fire is starting!” Su Jin said in a panic.
Through the smoke, they saw sparks and heard crackling sounds.
Xiao Muyu recognized the sound of electrical sparks from short circuits starting fires.
Shen Qingqiu covered her mouth and nose, trying to approach, but Xiao Muyu pulled her back, “It’s no use, we can’t put out the fire. Chen Kaijie, we’re trapped in a fire. Stay calm and don’t run around. Tell me your situation?”
“Everything seems normal here, but I feel suffocated. When I tried to stand and run, I hit an invisible wall and couldn’t get out. Cough, cough.”
“Can you tell where the temperature is higher? Or is it the same everywhere?” Xiao Muyu asked quickly.
“The west side is hotter, like there’s a fire.”
“Then move to the northeast corner, lie down and don’t move!”
Xiao Muyu was calm but serious, directing Chen Kaijie to avoid the fire.
Soon, the sparks turned into flames, spreading quickly.
“Get to the bathroom!”
By now, the air was not just filled with thick white smoke but also the acrid smell of burning objects, releasing toxic black smoke, and the temperature was rising.
The four of them felt they couldn’t breathe. Following Xiao Muyu’s instructions, they crouched and rushed to the bathroom door, but it wouldn’t open!
Shen Qingqiu kicked it repeatedly, but it wouldn’t budge.
Xiao Muyu led them back to an area not yet engulfed, using clothes to cover their mouths and noses, lying on the ground.
“This is a reenactment of the fire scene. The things that couldn’t be opened then, we can’t open now. It wants us to experience its pain, so Chen Kaijie, don’t move.”
“I understand.” Chen Kaijie realized what was happening. The other four were trapped in Room 409, and he was outside, but in an invisible Room 409. Luckily, they had voice communication, or he would surely die.
Shen Qingqiu’s face darkened, “What does her pain have to do with us? If she wants revenge, I don’t care, but if she dares to touch you, even if she’s a ghost, I’ll make her pay!”
Shen Qingqiu’s anger was palpable. When she got angry, both humans and ghosts feared her.
Through the smoke, Xiao Muyu’s gaze softened as she looked at Shen Qingqiu’s blurry figure, then she coughed and said to the air, “Since you’ve trapped us, show us what you want.”
After she spoke, the system prompt sounded.
“Player Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Zuo Tiantian, Su Jin, Chen Kaijie, triggered Key Plot 004, and activated Hidden Task 004 – Who is the real culprit.
“Note: The system cannot forcibly stop NPC revenge. Your only chance is to complete the hidden task.”
The system’s mechanical voice was slow. By the time it finished speaking, a third of the dorm was already on fire, and the four of them were dizzy from the smoke.
Chen Kaijie could only cough, unable to speak.
“Chen Kaijie, hang in there, breathe less,” Shen Qingqiu urged.
Shen Qingqiu was sweating, anxious yet helpless. For the first time, she felt completely powerless.
The hidden task appeared soon after the system’s message. It was simple.
“Identify the culprit who cursed Class Seven of Death: ____.”
There was an explanation: This task is in the form of a fill-in-the-blank question. Incorrect, incomplete, or unanswered submissions will not score.
Answer time: Unlimited, as long as you can endure.
Zuo Tiantian and the others were furious. Unlimited time meant as long as they weren’t burned to death, they could keep answering. But they were just ordinary people, how long could they last?
“Luckily, we have the answer, Captain Xiao, submit it. Cough, cough,” Zuo Tiantian urged, weakly.
Xiao Muyu, her eyes stinging from the smoke, was already dazed.
Zuo Tiantian’s words stopped her from acting. She closed her eyes and tried to analyze the situation.
The culprit was undoubtedly Lin Xue, or so she thought. But the system’s task made her doubt.
If it were that simple, the system wouldn’t give them such an easy task. From past experiences, she felt the system wasn’t friendly, so she didn’t dare be rash. The mention of incorrect or incomplete answers also seemed odd.
Shen Qingqiu noticed Xiao Muyu’s hesitation and pushed her inward, half-kneeling to shield her. She coughed, saying, “We can hold on, think about who the culprit is, and go with your gut.”
Zuo Tiantian and Su Jin, though weak, understood that Xiao Muyu wasn’t sure about Lin Xue being the culprit.
This realization chilled them. What if there were more culprits?
They couldn’t think clearly, but seeing Shen Qingqiu’s actions, they struggled over to surround Xiao Muyu, murmuring, “We’re a team, Captain Xiao, your decision is ours. Don’t worry.”
Xiao Muyu opened her eyes but couldn’t see the others through the smoke. She only felt their burning bodies around her.
She also felt Shen Qingqiu’s hand, calm and strong, conveying trust and protection.
The flames were close, the heat devouring everything in the confined space. She couldn’t help but touch Shen Qingqiu’s scorched shoulder, already burning hot.
Her fingers recoiled, but Xiao Muyu couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer.
She couldn’t let them die here.
Memories of their rooftop conversation and the system’s reaction replayed in her mind.
The culprit was related to Liu Ya. The system had paused before giving a small decline.
She remembered the system seemed confused, reluctant.
When she boldly stated Liu Ya wasn’t the culprit, there was no movement. But when she added that the cursed people weren’t just Class Seven’s students and teachers, the platform slightly lowered.
Two separate statements should have caused two movements, but there was only one small shift, indicating Liu Ya was neither right nor wrong!
With this realization, Xiao Muyu quickly recalled all her interactions with the dorm supervisor. Images flashed rapidly, and Xiao Muyu opened her eyes, writing down two names on the control panel, and submitting them.
A cracking sound, like breaking glass, signaled that something had been unlocked.
Instantly, Shen Qingqiu felt the intense pain on her back vanish. The oppressive heat dissipated faster than it arrived, and fresh air flooded their lungs.
Outside, Chen Kaijie, who had been unconscious, started to breathe deeply, his face regaining color.
“Wake up, Tiantian, wake up,” Su Jin urged, slapping Zuo Tiantian’s face until she groggily woke up.
Opening her eyes, she saw Su Jin, Xiao Muyu, and Shen Qingqiu smiling at her. The room had returned to normal, with no smoke or fire.
“Chen Kaijie, are you alive?” Shen Qingqiu sent a voice message to the group.
Chen Kaijie, relieved, breathed deeply, “Alive and well. Fresh air is precious. Thanks to you, Captain Xiao, Miss Shen, Tiantian, Su Jin, I’m still here.”
Despite the danger, he tried to lighten the mood, though his joy couldn’t hide his lingering fear.
The four women were silent for a moment before Su Jin said, “Don’t be silly. They’re Chinese ghosts, after all!”
Everyone laughed.
Shen Qingqiu’s smile quickly faded. She looked at the door and said softly, “Let’s get out.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, staying alert. Before the others could react, Shen Qingqiu kicked the door open and dashed out, finding no trace of the dorm supervisor.
Xiao Muyu followed, pulling Shen Qingqiu, “She’s gone. Let’s cool off.”
Shen Qingqiu inspected Xiao Muyu’s burnt hand, worrying, “I told you it was hot. Are you hurt? Will it blister?” She fussed, calling the others to wash up.
“You too,” Xiao Muyu said, quickly removing Shen Qingqiu’s jacket, revealing her scorched shirt underneath. She paused, recognizing the importance of this moment, “So, you understand now?”
Shen Qingqiu pulled her into the bathroom, saying, “Let’s go.”
“Let’s cool off first,” Shen Qingqiu urged, noting Xiao Muyu’s impatience. She looked at Xiao Muyu, her expression unreadable.
Zuo Tiantian, reeling from their near-death experience, whispered, “I nearly believed those nonsense beliefs.”
Su Jin corrected her, “Believing in ghosts doesn’t mean we’re idiots.”
“Exactly,” Shen Qingqiu affirmed, pulling them into the bathroom to wash up. “Cool off. We’ll discuss later.”
They were alive, but many questions remained.
Why did the system have so many intricate rules?
Could there be other culprits, not just Lin Xue and Liu Ya?
Would they face more challenges and dangers ahead?
