Chapter 2 Punishment Dungeon

On the podium, the teacher's overly enthusiastic voice rang out again, breaking the eerily tense atmosphere in the classroom:

"New students, you must be a little nervous at first. To help everyone get to know each other quickly, let's start with simple self-introductions."

"Please stand up one by one and tell the teacher and classmates your name, or... you can use any nickname you like."

He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses curving into crescents, his smile flawless. "In our happy campus, everyone gets along very well."

The price of pleasure might be death.

Zhuge Jin thought indifferently.

Almost the instant the teacher finished speaking, a cold system notification sounded in the minds of all players simultaneously:

Main quest triggered.

[Survival Mission: Survive for 7 days within the Happy Campus.]

[Main Quest: Explore and summarize the unspoken rules of the campus (0/?). Successfully summarizing and submitting the correct rules will earn achievement points.]

[WARNING: Violating the rules will result in the deduction of academic credits (initial credits: 5). Reaching zero credits will result in immediate termination of the course.]

Wishing you a pleasant campus life.

The quest notification hit the already anxious players like a boulder.

Meanwhile, viewers in the various players' live streams were also discussing the matter:

"Here it comes! Classic survival mission plus rule-based kill!"

"Only 5 credits initially? Won't they be gone after a few deductions?"

"The main quest is to summarize the rules? How are we supposed to summarize that? Are we just going to risk our lives to try and fail?"

"As expected of a punishment instance, it gives no chance of survival."

The self-introduction session began.

The order starts from the vicinity of the podium.

The first player to be called out was a very strong man. He stood up shakily, his voice trembling: "I...I am called Di Wenzhou."

He sat down immediately after speaking, as if standing for even a second longer would lead to disaster.

Next came the woman with wavy hair and red lips, who calmly stood up: "Bai Muling."

He was concise and to the point, unwilling to say a single extra word.

The third one was a young man who looked like a college student. His legs were shaking when he stood up, and his voice was barely audible: "Shi...Shi Zihao."

Then he quickly sat back down, almost knocking the chair over.

The fourth one was Yue Qingqing. She stood up timidly, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, and said in a soft voice, "I...I am Yue Qingqing...please...take good care of me."

That fragile and helpless appearance easily evokes a protective instinct.

Zhuge Jin could sense that Jun Xiangbei's aura softened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

The fifth was Jun Xiangbei. He calmly stood up, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his voice clear and steady, without the slightest hint of emotion: "Polaris."

He used a code name.

It is common practice for advanced players to remain anonymous or use code names in lower-level dungeons to avoid unnecessary trouble and attention.

The sixth one was Xin Yuan'er. He took a deep breath, stood up, and tried to make his voice sound normal: "Hello everyone, my name is Xin Yuan'er."

Xin Yuan'er's gaze swept over the ghost classmates around him, his lips twitched slightly, but he still tried his best to maintain his expression.

Finally, all eyes were on Zhuge Jin.

"Last new student, it's your turn." The teacher's smile remained unchanged, but her voice urged.

Zhuge Jin slowly rose to his feet, his pure white robe cascading down with his movements, outlining his slender figure.

A few strands of her long silver hair slid over her shoulders, creating a strange and ascetic beauty against the pure white gauze covering her eyes.

He did not speak immediately, but his gaze, hidden behind the white veil, seemed to slowly sweep across the entire room, taking in every face, whether horrified or terrified.

The brief silence carried an inexplicable pressure, and even the restless ghost students seemed to temporarily restrain their malice, curious about what this strangest-looking guy would say.

"Zhuge Jin".

The three words were clear and calm, spoken in an ethereal voice, as if they were not uttered from the throat but rather resounded directly in everyone's ears.

He finished speaking and sat down calmly, as if he had just completed an insignificant procedure.

Meanwhile, readers outside the book were buzzing with discussion:

[Zhuge Jin? A surname that has been changed? Sounds very clever.]

His eyes are covered by a cloth; can he see? Or is he simply blind?

Based on this description of his appearance, this person with the surname Fu is definitely a key supporting character.

While the teacher was looking down at the class roster, Xin Yuan'er quietly turned to Zhuge Jin and whispered, "Hey buddy! Your look... is pretty unique. Do you know something?"

"This place is really eerie, should we cooperate?"

His eyes held a hint of probing and a barely perceptible expectation.

Zhuge Jin did not turn his head. His gaze, hidden behind the white veil, seemed to sweep over Xin Yuan'er. He simply said, "Quiet. There's something behind you."

Xin Yuan'er was taken aback and subconsciously turned around.

Just then, he came face to face with the rotting arm wriggling with maggots, and the ghost classmate sitting behind him tried to reach out his arm to him.

Xin Yuan'er was so frightened that she almost jumped up from her chair. Her face turned deathly pale. She quickly turned back to sit up straight, not daring to say another word, her heart pounding.

At the same time, it also adds a bit of doubt and uncertainty to the mystery surrounding Zhuge Jin.

This little incident also caught Jun Xiangbei's attention.

He declined to comment on Xin Yuan'er's abrupt conversation, but became even more inquisitive about Zhuge Jin's reaction.

After the self-introductions, the teacher began to recite some school rules and regulations from the textbook, which were nothing more than clichés such as respecting teachers, being friendly to classmates, and attending classes on time.

It sounds perfectly normal, but in this context, every word makes one suspect that a deadly trap is lurking behind it.

The bell finally rang after a long wait.

The bell rang cheerfully and lively, yet it made the players' hearts tighten.

"get out of class is over, students, take a break. Don't be late!" The teacher smiled, closed her lesson plan, and left the classroom.

As soon as the teacher left, the atmosphere in the classroom instantly became lively.

The terrifying ghost students left their seats, moving their stiff, twisted limbs, and their conversations and laughter filled the air.

They seem to move around randomly, but a few always "inadvertently" approach the player's area, casting undisguised, greedy glances.

Several players sat frozen in place, too tense to move.

Di Wenzhou was drenched in cold sweat, Bai Muling vigilantly observed her surroundings, and Shi Zihao almost curled up into a ball.

Yue Qingqing subconsciously moved closer to Jun Xiangbei.

Jun Xiangbei calmly observed the ghost students' behavior patterns, trying to find possible rules or taboos.

Xin Yuan'er was restless, both afraid and eager to find out more, his eyes constantly glancing at the doorway and the wandering ghostly figures.

The boy named Shi Zihao was deathly pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He stood up abruptly, muttering, "The toilet... I need to go wash my face..."

He seemed unable to stay in this malevolent space for even a second longer, and staggered out of the classroom.

He staggered and rushed out of the classroom.

However, right at the door, he almost bumped into someone.

It's that teacher from earlier!

He was standing outside the classroom door, as if he had been waiting there all along.

Shi Zihao was terrified and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, teacher."

The teacher's smile remained warm, even more "kind": "It's alright, new student. But..."

He drew out his words, his eyes narrowing behind his gold-rimmed glasses, "Running in the corridor is a very dangerous thing to do."

"This is just a warning and a 1-credit deduction. Remember, being a good student means following the rules."

[Player Shi Zihao has violated the rules and has been deducted 1 credit. Current credits: 4.]

The cold system notification rang in the minds of all players simultaneously.

Shi Zihao stood frozen in place, his face drained of color.

Points were deducted? Was it really that simple to deduct points?

He didn't even know which rule it was; did he just run? Or did he bump into a teacher? Or... was he not allowed to leave the classroom?

Other players also felt a chill rise from the soles of their feet.

Rules are everywhere, punishments come suddenly, and people are completely unaware of them.

The chat in the live stream was also filled with shock—

"Holy crap! Isn't there a dungeon protection period? They deducted it already?"

"How was it deducted? Why was it deducted? Can't you even run away?"

"That teacher was definitely waiting at the door on purpose! He did it on purpose!"

"Oh no, we've already lost points at the very beginning. Will we even survive seven more days?"

"What are the rules?! I'm so anxious!"

The teacher patted Shi Zihao's stiff shoulder, smiled, and walked away.

Shi Zihao walked back to his seat in a daze, not even bothering to go to the toilet. He was trembling all over, enveloped by immense fear.

Just then, the school bell rang again.

The ghost students quickly returned to their seats, reverting to their "well-behaved" demeanor.

The teacher returned to the podium, her face still bearing that flawless smile.

"Alright, students, let's continue the lesson." He seemed to have completely forgotten the little incident that had just occurred.

"I have some good news for everyone. In five days, we will be holding a placement test to assess the new students' learning foundation. I hope everyone will prepare well."

His smile became even more "sincere": "Students who fail the exam will have to accept a small 'punishment'."

The word "punishment," spoken in a gentle tone, sent chills down the spines of all the players.

The ghost students in the classroom let out a suppressed, excited commotion and low laughter, their gazes toward the players becoming even more eager.

The players' hearts sank.

Exam? Reward? Punishment?

In this bizarre school, it's obvious to anyone with a brain that "punishment" is absolutely linked to academic credits or even life.

The pressure suddenly pressed down like a mountain, suffocating everyone.

The players' expressions grew even uglier, and even Jun Xiangbei frowned slightly.

With too little information, unclear rules, and an unexpected test looming, the situation instantly became dire.

Only Zhuge Jin had a very slight smile on his lips.

At this moment, the chat in Jun Xiangbei's live stream was filled with—

"An exam?! Does it have to be this exciting?!"

"Punishment for failing a grade? This punishment can't be as simple as just calling the parents!"

"Why is that Zhuge Jin still laughing? Is he courting death or is he really that capable?"

"How are we supposed to prepare? We don't even know what the exam will cover!"

"This is hellish difficulty!"

"My Lord, please think of a solution!"

Jun Xiangbei's gaze swept over Zhuge Jin once more.

Among the many players who were trembling with fear, Zhuge Jin, who could laugh, was undoubtedly the one who stood out from the crowd.

Is this man named Zhuge Jin truly ignorant and fearless, or... actually hiding his true abilities?

Zhuge Jin could feel the scrutinizing gaze. He maintained his posture, calmly calculating his next move.