Chapter 19 A Narrow Escape

The players, carrying heavy corpses, were completely trapped in this dark corridor.

The teachers' faces were filled with an almost tangible, chilling killing intent. They slowly approached, like hunters closing in their nets, watching their prey's final struggle.

The viewers in Jun Xiangbei's live stream exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh no! This is really it! We're doomed!"

"There's no way we can escape with so many bodies on our backs!"

"Did Master Zhuge make a mistake this time?"

"Are we going to be wiped out? I can't bear to watch!"

Jun Xiangbei gently laid down Guo Wangfei's body from his back, held his sword across his chest, and a resolute glint flashed in his cold eyes.

Di Wenzhou and Bai Muling also put down the bodies they were carrying and gripped their weapons tightly. Although they knew they were no match for the enemy, they were unwilling to sit and wait for their deaths.

Xin Yuan'er felt a bitter taste in his mouth and was sweating profusely, but he still forced himself to stand in front of Yue Qingqing and the body.

Yue Qingqing's face was deathly pale, and the light of her healing power flickered faintly at her fingertips, but she didn't know where to direct it.

Zhuge Jin held Yan Ruxuan's cold shoulders, feeling the terrifying pressure surging from all directions, his heart pounding wildly.

Was there a calculation error? Or did the world line shift exceed expectations?

He forcibly suppressed the surging blood and the stinging pain in his mind, casting his last bit of perception toward the six cold corpses.

There, something seemed to be being stirred, like a dormant ember about to be ignited!

In Zhuge Jin's live stream, someone speculated:

"Zhuge Jin looks terrible! Has this really exceeded expectations?"

"He seems to be looking at the bodies? Is there still a chance?"

"We've come this far, it's definitely not over yet. I'd guess there's a prophet's next move."

"It's alright, it's alright. Even if Zhuge Liang can't do anything, Bei Shen can just throw out a few high-level items and it'll be over."

Just as Teacher Li grinned maliciously and raised his pointer, the female teacher's arm once again merged into the wall, and the dormitory supervisor brandished her giant scissors—at the very moment all attacks were about to land—

An unexpected change occurred without warning!

Six thick, impenetrable black auras of resentment surged forth from nowhere, like angry dragons breaking free from some long-standing restraint, and suddenly burrowed into the six corpses carried by the players.

The viewers in Xin Yuan'er's live stream were completely bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! What's going on?"

"What is that? How did it get inside?"

"Such strong resentment, much stronger than before."

The moment the resentment came into contact with the remains, there was no terrifying fusion or mutation. Instead, it was like a drop of water merging into the ocean, silent yet triggering a fundamental change.

On those six cold corpses, the lingering obsessions and the returned, complete souls became one.

Yan Ruxuan's neck was smooth as a mirror after being broken; Sun Yifan's spine was twisted and shattered; Li Fei was cut in half at the waist; Tan Nianci's throat was slit; Guo Wangfei's body was stitched up; and... Xu Ziyi's limbs were twisted and her whole body was soaking wet.

They arrived here in their most complete form, filled with boundless resentment and sorrow.

The viewers in Zhuge Jin's live stream thought they had guessed correctly:

"My God! This is... a complete ghost form?! Could this all have been part of the prophet's plan?"

"The prophetic ability is too overpowered. I hope the prophet isn't in the same dungeon as me."

"Holy crap, this kind of scheming gives me goosebumps!"

"I'm different. After the dungeon ends, I'll go and ambush the Prophet and recruit him into our guild, hehe ∩_∩."

"The person upstairs is dreaming. A player with that kind of ability would have already joined a guild."

Immediately afterwards, to the players' astonishment, the six figures, each imbued with all their power, resolutely turned around and stood between the players and the teachers who were closing in.

"Don't hurt our classmates anymore!!!"

At this moment, the six voices converged into a roar that shook the entire space!

Only then did the viewers in the live stream realize:

"Classmates? They're talking about the players?"

"Holy crap, are they protecting the players?"

"So this is the meaning of the Requiem Mission: not rest, but awakening."

"They stood in front, using their demonic forms to fight against the embodiment of rules."

They stand with their backs to the players, facing the executioners who once inflicted endless suffering upon them.

"This time... I will absolutely not let you... succeed!!!"

The broken yet resolute vows resounded once more.

At this moment, the viewers in the live stream began to speculate:

"It's on fire! It's really on fire!"

"Were they reminded of friendship? Remembering the pain of being killed by their teachers, so they're helping the player now?"

"The players helped them find their bodies, and in return, they protected them."

"You... dare to resist?!" For the first time, Teacher Li's expression changed drastically, revealing a mixture of shock and anger at being provoked by ants, and a hint of... barely perceptible panic?

How could these remnant souls, whose consciousness should have been completely suppressed and obliterated by the rules, possibly gather such a powerful will to resist?

"Teacher Li panicked! He actually panicked!"

"So even you embodiments of the rules can be afraid!"

"Rebellion! Rebellion! They all deserve the most severe punishment!" the female teacher roared shrilly, her arm, which had merged into the wall, flailing wildly as countless pale, ghostly hands reached out again!

However, this time, what awaited them was no longer the players' panicked escape.

Yan Ruxuan's headless body suddenly took a step forward, and an invisible barrier unfolded. The pale ghost hands crashed into the barrier, making a sizzling corrosion sound, and were actually blocked.

Sun Yifan let out a hoarse roar, his twisted body bursting with an abnormal speed, crashing into the dormitory administrator wielding a giant pair of scissors like a cannonball, causing the administrator to stagger.

Li Fei and Tan Nianci stood back to back. Li Fei's hands were clenched as if forming an invisible broken sword, which he swung at the incoming pointer. Tan Nianci, on the other hand, spread her arms, and the wound on her throat emitted a ghostly light, forming a sonic wave that disrupted the other teachers' steps.

Guo Wangfei pressed his hands to the ground, and the ground in front of him suddenly cracked open, with countless black threads filled with resentment wrapping around the teachers' feet.

Xu Ziyi was enveloped in a surge of moisture, and the icy water flowed around her as if it had a life of its own, slowing down the teachers' movements. A layer of slippery frost quickly formed on the ground.

Zhuge Jin's live stream:

"My God, they're so strong. This is not the level of a C-rank dungeon at all."

"Perfect teamwork, is this the bond between classmates?"

"Is it possible that they were such supportive friends during their lives?"

"An eye for an eye? Using resentment to fight against the rules."

Six ghost students, relying on the powerful force generated by the resonance between their souls and the remains, and their unwavering will to protect at all costs, managed to temporarily withstand the attacks of all the teachers!

In the corridor, resentment and the power of rules clashed wildly, erupting with booming sounds, flashing lights, and ghostly shadows, like a miniature version of a battle between gods and demons.

The players were stunned by this sudden reversal, staring blankly at the tragic and shocking scene before them.

Just then, a cold system notification sounded in everyone's minds:

Side Quest: Requiem, Completed!

"Task rewards are being calculated..."

"The mission target (six ghost students) has been detected using their own soul power to fight against the core of the dungeon rules. The reward is converted into real-time combat support and a special intelligence report."

"Intelligence Unlocked: Teacher Li's real name is Li Mingyuan. He was once the strictest dean of students at the school. After his death, his obsession merged with the core of the instance, becoming the embodiment of rules. His power comes from his absolute control over 'order.' Breaking his control will weaken his power."

"Congratulations to all players for receiving the Ghost Student's Blessing: Guardian of Resentment (Temporary). Your next attack will have a rule-breaking effect."

Several more lines of comments floated across Jun Xiangbei's live stream:

"The reward is here: intelligence and a buff."

"Li Mingyuan, we know his real name now, but what's the use?"

"It can increase the dungeon exploration rate, but players are usually lucky to survive in low-level dungeons, and they generally won't explore the dungeon storyline."

"So breaking his order can weaken him. No wonder the monster students' rebellion made him so panicked."

The side quest is complete, and the reward is being distributed in this form.

"What are you all standing there for!" Jun Xiangbei was the first to react, shouting as his longsword hummed.

His sharp gaze locked onto Teacher Li Mingyuan, who was engaged in a fierce battle with Yan Ruxuan and the others—it was now.

"Cover me!" Jun Xiangbei shouted in a low voice, his figure moving like lightning as he rushed straight towards Li Mingyuan!

Di Wenzhou and Bai Muling immediately understood, and despite their injuries and exhaustion, they launched an attack to restrain the other teachers.

Xin Yuan'er also yelled and threw out a few distracting gadgets: "Watch my smoke grenade! Flashbang! Oh my god, this ice is so slippery..."

Yue Qingqing then cast her last healing light upon Jun Xiangbei as he charged forward, providing him with meager support.

"The teammates are starting to provide cover!"

"Xin Yuan'er is still as funny as ever, but well done!"

"Qingqing's treatment may be weak, but her intentions are impeccable!"

Zhuge Jin stood against the wall, his face still pale, but looking at the situation he had orchestrated and at Jun Xiangbei's resolute figure rushing towards the final boss.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes beneath the white veil, followed by a smile that conveyed both relief and a sense of complete control.

He himself has already set the stage for the climax of the play.

And the ending seems to be no longer far away.

Viewers in Zhuge Jin's live stream saw that smile and began to speculate:

"Zhuge Jin smiled! He had indeed planned this all along!"

"Everything is under the prophet's control."

"Could it be that he orchestrated this whole scheme from the very beginning?"

"He's playing a grand game, and we're all just pawns."

"As expected, prophets are the most annoying."

At this moment, Jun Xiangbei gathered all his strength and unleashed a sword strike with the effect of "Guardian of Resentment." Like a startled swan in the dark night, it carried all the resentment and hope of the six ghost students, tearing through the air and piercing straight for Li Mingyuan's heart.

Li Mingyuan sensed the rule-breaking power contained in this sword strike, a power that could threaten his very essence, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared on his face!

"No--!!!"