Chapter 20: The wall of ghosts seems to stretch on forever...
The elevator doors behind her had already closed, and Liang Jun had lost the only source of light in this unknown space.
She dared not move around freely, as if she sensed something hovering around her, just like that night in the corridor of the teaching building.
After barely adjusting to the darkness, Liang Xun surveyed her surroundings.
The so-called seventh floor was just a large, dark platform, with the elevator shaft standing on one side of it. Opposite Liang Jun were two stairwells that led to who-knows-where.
Liang Jun wanted to turn around and look behind her.
[Hidden rule triggered.]
3. There is only one way to get to the study room: walk up the stairs on the right side of the library to the sixth floor. Please remember your right side; no matter what happens, firmly choose your right side.
Liang Jun paused for a moment.
Why would this hidden rule be triggered here?
If she remembered correctly, this known rule should apply to the study room area, not the library area.
Assuming the system is correct, could this be a hint from the system to the player?
Back in the study room.
As long as you keep choosing your right side, you will definitely be able to return to the safe zone of the study room.
Suddenly, Liang Jun thought of something and abruptly turned around to look at the elevator shaft behind her.
The elevator shaft, standing abruptly on the platform, is at least three meters high. The cold, metallic doors are tightly shut, and the surrounding area is empty. There are no buttons to reopen the elevator doors.
The idea of taking the elevator to other floors was completely shattered at that moment.
The only option is to take the stairs.
If you choose your right side as the rule states, then your frame of reference should be the direction from which you exited the elevator door.
Liang Xunbi stood facing the elevator shaft behind her, raising her right hand high—
Walking in such pitch-black darkness is tantamount to completely blinding oneself.
A person without a vision will only go around in circles, and Liang Jun doesn't want to choose the wrong direction in this environment.
With the occasional draft coming through the corridor, Liang Xun followed the direction her right hand was pointing and groped her way to the stairwell on the right side of the platform.
A sensor light bulb was thoughtfully installed on the ceiling of the stairwell; as soon as Liang Jun approached, a small patch of yellow light lit up above her head.
By the dim light, Liang Jun discovered that the stairwell was divided into two parts leading up and down.
The staircases here aren't as tidy as those in the library.
A thick layer of dust covered the cement steps, and the slender iron railings swayed in the draft, with patches of mottled rust falling off them.
Up or down?
Without hesitation, Liang Jun went straight downstairs.
The library only has six floors. The seventh floor is already an extra strange space. If I insist on exploring the unknown eighth floor, then I will be in real trouble.
Liang Jun had enough self-awareness to hold onto the loose handrail and walked down the stairs step by step.
The only thoughtful touch that Liang Jun found was the presence of motion-sensor lights at the landings in the stairwell.
For safety reasons, she usually waits until the light bulb comes on and the road ahead is completely clear before taking any action.
They had reached a corner of the stairs. Using the light, Liang Jun looked up at the floor signs—
A round blue sign with white borders hangs in the center of the edge of the table, with the number "7" printed in bold on the label.
Still on the seventh floor.
She went up to the seventh floor again.
Liang Jun remained unusually calm; she knew she had stumbled into a maze.
In this rule-based world, nothing is unexpected.
Liang Jun's gaze shifted to her side.
The staircase leading to the next floor had been completely sealed off with cement. Instead, two unknown staircases remained on either side of the floor level.
It's another choice.
As if she had a premonition of what would happen next, Liang Jun raised her right hand again, as if guiding someone, and decisively chose to enter the stairwell on the right.
The following process felt like being trapped in an infinite loop.
Each time Liang Jun re-entered the corner platform, she would see the number seven above her head; the stairwell to her side was still blocked by layers of thick cement, and the only options she had were two dark stairwells on the left and right; after confirming the left and right directions, Liang Jun would enter the dark hole on the right again.
This cycle repeats itself endlessly, seemingly without ever reaching an end.
Although she was initially very attentive, after repeating the process for so long, Liang Jun seemed to know exactly what to do next even with her eyes closed.
She became slightly complacent. After confirming that she hadn't reached the sixth floor, Liang Jun went straight to the stairwell on the right and continued the same boring exercise.
This is the fifty-sixth time we've reached the corner platform.
Although going downstairs wouldn't take much physical effort, the dim light and the strong smell of dust in the space made Liang Jun feel like she couldn't breathe.
She had moments when she questioned the rules and the system—but only moments.
Just like before, she quickly glanced at the floor signs and then prepared to turn around and walk to the right.
wrong.
Something seems to have changed.
Liang Jun paused, looking again at the floor sign hanging high above.
The original number seven was a corner pointing to the upper right, but the sign now displays a strange symbol with a corner pointing to the upper left.
Liang Xun traced the marks with her fingers in mid-air, copying them one by one.
"This is……"
To test the validity of her idea, Liang Jun tried it several more times.
"A mirror image of the number seven?"
A chill ran down Liang Jun's spine from behind.
She was certain that this was the first time she had ever seen unusual floor signs.
If she does what she did before, rushing headlong into the stairwell on the right, or simply ignores the error in the sign—
Liang Jun dared not imagine what awaited her.
Since the identifier has been mirrored, it means that the left and right sides of the identifier should also be mirrored accordingly.
The "right side" that is strictly defined in the rules should now be the direction to your left.
Liang Jun took a deep breath and was about to enter the stairwell on the left when a belated sense of dread washed over her once again.
Just one step away.
She stopped and stood still on the platform.
Large beads of sweat were dripping vertically from his forehead, mingling and tangling with the dust on the ground.
"Regardless of any anomalies..."
Liang Jun softly repeated the rule, her voice echoing in the empty stairwell.
"Please firmly choose your right side..."
She was so close, so very close, to being fooled by her own cleverness.
After confirming the rules again, Liang Jun regained her composure and entered the stairwell on the right once more.
After walking down one flight of stairs, the motion-sensor light bulbs turned on again.
Liang Jun looked up to carefully distinguish the floor signs, only to find that everything had changed completely this time.
The bold white "6" is printed in the center of the circular sign, making it even more eye-catching under the yellow light.
Liang Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Her legs suddenly went weak, and she managed to stand up by holding onto the wall.
"We've finally arrived..."
She breathed a sigh of relief, then pushed open the heavy stairwell door.
The dazzling sunlight shone directly into her eyes, and Liang Jun raised her hand to shield them. After her eyes adjusted, she slowly lowered her hand.
Before me stood the familiar gate to the study room.
Through the turnstile, Leung Yung could see the active players in the study room.
They had finally escaped the deadly swamp. Without saying a word, Liang Jun staggered and lunged at the turnstile.
Name: Liang Yan
Identity: Student.
"Recognition successful—"
The scent of living people rushed towards me.
The moment Liang Jun stepped into the study room, she felt as if the musty smell on her body had been washed away, and even her breathing became much easier.
The study room was a bit crowded.
Compared to yesterday, the study room today can be described as "packed".
Perhaps the longer people survive in the game, the more profound their understanding of the importance of the safe zone becomes.
Liang Jun looked towards the sofa area and found it was already packed with people. Some players had even brought their bedding from their dorm rooms, planning to spend the next few days on the sofas.
That is one method.
So what if the rules can be deciphered to zero?
Preserving my own life is more important than anything else.
The thought briefly crossed Liang Jun's mind, but she didn't dwell on it further and turned her gaze elsewhere.
She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been alone.
If there had been enough time, Gu Keke and the other two should have finished their exploration and returned to the study room long ago, right?
Thinking this, Liang Xun walked towards the corner where they had stayed last night.
Gu Keke's back was turned to him, and Luo Chuange seemed to be arguing with her about something; their conversation looked somewhat heated.
With nothing to do, Song Ming sat next to Luo Chuange, his gaze sweeping over each player who passed in front of him.
The moment Song Ming caught sight of Liang Yan, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he stood up.
"Sister Yao?!"
Upon hearing his voice, Gu Keke and Luo Chuange, who had been arguing fiercely, also stood up and looked in Liang Xuan's direction.
Upon seeing that Liang Jun was unharmed, the group members all breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes reddening.
Gu Keke rushed directly to Liang Xun, hugged her tightly, and buried her entire body in Liang Xun's.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have separated from you without permission!"
Gu Keke's voice was very nasal, as if she had been crying for a long time. "The two of us should have been together. What was I thinking? Why did we have to go down the stairs separately..."
Liang Jun pulled her off him and met Gu Keke's eyes.
Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, with bright red veins covering them.
"It's okay, I'm perfectly fine."
She pushed Gu Keke toward the gathering place, saying, "I also have my own problems. It was my own willful insistence on going to the elevator, otherwise you wouldn't have been so worried."
Upon seeing the two return, Luo Chuange sat down again.
“She cried for a long time because of this,” Luo Chuange smiled helplessly, with a few traces of blood in his eyes. “Song Ming and I took turns comforting her, but it was no match for you coming back in person.”
The person is still alive.
Gu Keke pulled out a chair for Liang Jun, and Liang Jun sat down.
The moment her legs finally relaxed, she felt her calf muscles twitch violently many times.
"By the way, let me tell you the hidden rules first."
Before the others could speak, Liang Jun shared all the experience points she had earned on her own with the remaining three.
After relaying the information, Liang Xun asked, "Did you receive a system notification?"
Several people nodded in unison, confirming the correctness of the hidden rules.
Song Ming handed Liang Jun an unopened bottle of mineral water, which she readily accepted and drank.
The cool water soothed her throat, making Liang Jun's voice clearer.
"How did you get into the study room?" She glanced briefly at the empty water bottles in front of them. "Did you come together?"
The others didn't notice Liang Jun's probing gaze.
"We searched the second-floor reading room, and it took us a full hour and a half—"
Luo Chuange took a sip of the water in front of him. "We came up empty-handed, without finding any clues. We figured the third floor was where you were investigating, so we took the stairs to the fourth floor."
"Why didn't we take the elevator?" Liang Jun asked curiously.
If Luo Chuange had similar thoughts to himself, he would probably choose the same way to go upstairs.
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The author's note: Systems and rules cannot be completely trusted!
To avoid spoilers, I'll stop here for now (covers mouth).
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