Su Ming’an inquisitively stared at those cat ears, feeling a vague sense of familiarity with the Cat Boss. However, the Cat Boss’s gaze quickly shifted away, raising his hand.
"Let’s begin." The Cat Boss said lightly.
In the next mont, a white transport light rose from everyone.
...
[You are about to be transported to the third instance...]
...
[Player (Su Liujin)]
[Ability: War God Dragon King Narration (Excluded Level)]
[Item: Book]
[Survival Resources: Bread*1, Mineral Water*1]
...
[Second Perspective·Player (Wang Xingkong)]
[Ability: Perception (A-level)]
[Item: Infinite Bouquet]
[Survival Resources: Chocolate Cookies*1, Eastern Leaves*1]
...
[You have entered the third instance·Mingxi Campus!]
[ (Please note, the yellow bar in the upper right corner is your Health Points. Hunger, cold, injury, and poisoning will reduce your Health Points. When Health Points are depleted, you will die.) ]
...
[Disciple Ga·Third Stage·Dream of Alice]
[Key NPC for this stage: Shen Xue]
[Key clue locations for this stage: Teaching Building, Auditorium, Laboratory]
...
The white light dissipated, Su Ming’an opened his eyes.
The starry night hung down, twilight filled the sky.
The sumr phoenix leaves were as green as carpet, and a cicada-like sound reached his ears. A vending machine emitted a cold light, quietly situated in the shade, selling orange soda.
The distant teaching building was like a slumbering giant beast, its glass surfaces reflecting fragnted moonlight. All around was silence, complete stillness.
Su Ming’an was dressed in a sumr school uniform, a white shirt with a blue and white striped tie, standing under the phoenix tree. Gray school uniform pants with double side pockets, white lines running down the sides of his legs, and wearing a pair of white sneakers.
A yellow bar labeled [Disciple Health Points: 89/100] appeared in the upper right corner, indicating his initial Health Points.
"...Am I a student?" He stretched out both hands, looking at his clean white palms.
At this mont, a system prompt sounded in his ear.
...
"Ding-dong!"
[The basic rules will now be issued, please contestants carefully review: ]
[Rule 01: The nature of this stage is a "competitive killing instance," with 24 contestants. The instance will only end when the number of survivors drops to 6.]
[Rule 02: There are a total of 24 roles in this stage: 6 teachers (Language Teacher*1, Math Teacher*1, Physics Teacher*1, History Teacher*1, Music Teacher*1, Art Teacher*1), 4 staff (Security Guard*1, Lab Manager*1, Cafeteria Aunt*1, Dormitory Manager Aunt*1), and 14 students.]
[ (Distribution complete, your role is: Su Liujin·An Art Teacher who likes to dress in student attire) ]
[ (Your second identity role is: Wang Xingkong·A diligent student working part-ti for tuition) ]
[ (Players must adequately play their teacher or student identity. If reported or complained about, and dereliction of duty is proven, players will face execution.) ]
...
Su Ming’an felt slightly relieved, being an Art Teacher shouldn’t be difficult to portray. If he had to beco a Physics Teacher... he might not even match up to a high school freshman.
Speaking of which, he wondered which player was assigned as the Cafeteria Aunt and the Dormitory Manager Aunt, and whether Su Rin was on the sa stage with him...
He was quite curious to see.
"24 people..." Su Ming’an touched his chin, it seed it wasn’t the previous kind where billions of people squeezed into one instance, but a chanism similar to parallel instances.
The system continued to release rules:
...
[Rule 03: This instance features a "guard and hunt" chanism—each player has a "true friend" they must protect until the end. Each player also has a "nesis" they must find a way to eliminate. Only the player knows who their "true friend" and "nesis" are. If the "true friend" is eliminated, the player will suffer a 200% reduction in strength, if the "nesis" is eliminated, the player will receive a 200% strength boost.]
[Rule 04: At certain ti points, all 24 players will gather, pair up 1v1, forming 12 two-player teams, persisting until the next pairing. Pairing must be mutually agreed upon, if pairing fails, singles will face execution.]
[Rule 05: When the "Alice in Wonderland" story is completed and the survivor count drops to 6 or fewer, the instance ends.]
...
The rules were very clear.
In short, deal with your "nesis," ensure your "true friend" isn’t eliminated, and complete the "Alice in Wonderland" story in the end.
Every once in a while, there will be a "pairing" phase, players must choose another player to act together, preventing so players from hiding in corners forever.
Su Ming’an could foresee that the scheming during this phase would be extrely severe. Aggressive contestants could deliberately trick their "nesis" into pairing, quietly eliminating them. Conservative contestants could pair with their "true friend" to confront their "nesis" together. Figuring out how to make the other believe you, and how to probe the other’s "true friend" and "nesis" is bound to require a lot of scheming.
If A’s true friend is B, nesis is C. While B’s true friend is C, nesis is A. C’s true friend is A, nesis is B—then it’s practically a thrilling winter drama. He wants to kill her, she wants to save her, she wants to kill him, he wants to save him...
The cruelty of the Disciple Ga began to appear. This stage’s survival rate was set at 25%, aning that 75% would die in bitterness.
He lowered his gaze, rapidly analyzing.
He thought of an interesting point.
—Is there a possibility that so players’ "true friend" and "nesis" could be the sa person? Can a "true friend" beco a "nesis"?
...
"Ding-dong!"
[Matching contestants for you...]
[Matching successful.]
[Your match number is: 000000001.]
...
[Contestants for this match are: No. 01 Su Liujin, No. 02 Phoenix, No. 03 Lv Yuqing, No. 04 Mizuyu Rena, No. 05 Anthony, No. 06 Hua De, No. 07 Xue Jiarui, No. 08 Li Xi’er, No. 09 Zhou Sheng, No. 10 Qi Mon, No. 11 Geng Lan, No. 12 Qian Lexin, No. 13 Lu Xinyi, No. 14 Fu Wenwen, No. 15 Liu Chongping, No. 16 Jia Xi, No. 17 Wang Xingkong, No. 18 Shi Ying, No. 19 Ian, No. 20 Ruan Chun, No. 21 Xi Li, No. 22 Wu Yi, No. 23 Hui Bai, No. 24 Qi Zhou, No. 25?]
...
Su Ming’an glanced through, seeing many unfamiliar nas.
He simply classified them.
Numbers 1-6, Player group. All six are well-known players.
Numbers 7-16, Unknown group. The nas are all unfamiliar.
Numbers 18-20, Luo Washa group. Number 18, Shi Ying, is one of the eight protagonists and has a Favorability System. Number 19, Dragon Emperor Ian, is Sique’s love debt. Number 20, Ruan Chun, is a stranger that he does not know.
Numbers 21-24, Strategy group. These four individuals were his initial six choice strategy targets, playing significant roles in the plot. However, things soured between Su Ming’an and Xi Li later because Xi Li inexplicably transford into a Demon Race persona and tried to imprison him; he only escaped by bombing Xi Li.
Additionally, why are there 25 people when there should be 24?
Su Ming’an stared at the screen; next, the system would randomly match him with a "True Friend" and a "Nesis."
He hoped the range for "True Friend" would be between Number 2 Noel, Number 3 Lv Shu, and Numbers 21-24, while "Nesis" would be among Numbers 7-16.
"I hope my True Friend is strong enough to protect , and my Nesis is weak enough to be easily defeated," Su Ming’an thought silently.
A mont later, a system prompt popped up:
...
[(Player Su Liujin, your True Friend is: Number 22. Your Nesis is: Number 21.)]
...
Su Ming’an closed the interface.
Wu Yi as "True Friend," this outco is not bad. Although Wu Yi seems like a cunning youth, he should have so skills... However, Wu Yi was once killed instantly by Blood Prince Xi Ge, and it was the Fun Demon who resurrected him.
Xi Li as "Nesis"... This ans that if Su Ming’an wants to gain strong power, he must kill her. Even if he doesn’t, keeping the "Nesis" alive might directly lead to failure during the instance settlent. Although it isn’t ntioned in the rules, with Su Ming’an’s acuity, he doesn’t think keeping the "Nesis" alive would end well.
Xi Li was soone he originally chose; an unnoticed girl in a wheelchair, her attempt to imprison him was not out of her own intent but due to the demonic persona on her — does he have to kill her?
"..."
Su Ming’an closed his eyes.
The dice had fallen. Even if he rolled back, the result wouldn’t change because he couldn’t interfere with the system.
"...Let’s see again." he murmured quietly.
Parasol leaves drifted down; he found a plaque in his pocket — [Mingxi High School Art Teacher · Su Liujin], he touched his white hair, confirming his appearance hadn’t changed and he remained Su Liujin itself.
It seems the system created 24 people out of thin air on Mingxi campus, rather than possessing soone.
He checked his watch; it was exactly 1 AM on the sixth day of the instance, students were all asleep in their dorms, only teachers and staff could go outside.
Playing the part is the top priority. Before finding the "True Friend" and "Nesis," only by playing his role well could he survive.
Su Ming’an wasn’t afraid of Dragon Emperor Ian’s strong power; the third rule states that dereliction in acting would lead to execution. In the campus background, neither teachers nor students are allowed to kill, as it’s illegal. Only if he could ensure he killed soone without consequences could he act.
But this third stage won’t last long; the attrition rate guarantees it’s a dangerous story background, where non-player conflicts lead to death.
He must quickly find his "True Friend" and "Nesis"; if his strength soared by 200%, he could crush everyone, even if reported, enough to fight the whole instance. But if his strength weakened by 200%, he’d be completely at the rcy of others, reduced to a helpless jellyfish.
"Not killing Xi Li, at least preserve Wu Yi...
He needs to obtain the fourth "Twelve Stories," and keep watching Sique’s past love debt.
As for Little Su, Su Ming’an guesses there should be 24 contestants over there too, all 2021 version players. Since the 24 contestants here are 2024 version players and Luo Washa natives. Combined from both sides, there should be 48 contestants on campus, and victory conditions don’t conflict between Su Ming’an’s side and Little Su’s side. It’s like two simultaneous matches.
About the delusional Shen Xue... anyway, she doesn’t even know she’s Su Ming’an, surely won’t care about an innocent jellyfish.
"...Snap, snap, snap."
He walked a few steps, suddenly hearing rustling from the bushes nearby, he imdiately stopped and held his breath, activating Spatial Concealnt, standing behind a tree.
...Who is it?
He waited cautiously, hearing faint sobbing.
"Brother, brother..."
Su Ming’an quietly approached.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo—"
The night wind passed over the shimring lake, moonlight suspended above the jade lake, resembling a flawless blue amber. A breeze shatters it into fragnts like a broken jade pendant.
Su Ming’an took a few steps closer, seeing a female student hiding in the bushes crying, above her head a distinct line of text read:
[Number 14 · Fu Wenwen]
This na, Su Ming’an hasn’t seen before. She should just be a regular Luo Washa person, her steps unstable, seemingly devoid of Force.
Her role identity is [Student], with a student badge on her chest; she likely sneaked out from the dormitory, violating the rule prohibiting students from going out at night.
If Su Ming’an reported her now, she’d be out. An opponent instantly decreased by one.
But Su Ming’an didn’t act, just silently watched.
——She’s burning paper.
Flas crackled, firelight flickered. She sat by the lake, sobbing while putting her handmade yellow paper into the fire.
"Brother, brother..." She repeated the call ceaselessly.
This scene inexplicably carried a kind of analog horror’s eeriness. A female student burning paper by the lake, flas dancing at night, the incessantly calling brother. In the shadows seed to be an indescribable Shadow, silently ready to move...
Su Ming’an quietly retreated a step.
He confird there were no dry branches or fallen leaves behind him, impossible to create crushing sounds. But in the next mont, he heard a faint "crack" beneath his feet.
A piece of brown-black dry branch inexplicably appeared underfoot, snapped by him.
The sound in this eerie night, extrely crisp and loud.
"..."
In front of the firelight, the crying female student slowly, slowly turned her head. Her full head of black hair lay over her shoulders like black satin, as she turned, Su Ming’an glimpsed her face also shrouded in black hair. Tears slid down her cheeks, dripped onto the ground, under the illumination of the firelight, red like blood...
Firelight flickered on the tree trunk, the night silent.
Afterward, Su Ming’an heard the sound of exhaling behind his head.
"..."
Firelight danced on his face like drifting ghosts.
As though his nape gripped by destiny, he tensely turned back, seeing a white-robed woman standing amidst the trees. She tilted her head, softly smiling at him.
At this mont, fear from mory thundered in his mind. He nearly thought his sight deceived him.
His entire body trembled, hands and feet cold, as if instantly devoured by the past. He rembered one by one, cold nights and days, his bloodied, aching hands.
Pupils violently trembling, after a mont, calm expression, gently speaking...
...
"Ms. Lin...?"
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