Chapter 61.1: First High School (20)

The people in the classroom immediately became frightened and anxious, nervously looking around as if something that shouldn’t be there had appeared in the classroom.

Ruan Qing also tightly clutched the edge of his clothes, no longer as calm as before.

However, besides them, it seemed like there was nothing in the classroom.

The flame of the white candles flickered, casting a slight sway on everyone’s shadows, shaking their hearts as if held tightly by a hand.

Fear and unease spread.

When the classmate’s white candle went out, they immediately ran back to their seat with a fearful expression, trying to huddle with other classmates.

However, unlike before, this time, the other classmates instinctively shrunk away when the classmate approached, as if they were some kind of virus.

But the next second, the classmates immediately realized how they acted and no longer avoided that student. One of them held the student’s hand and spoke gently to comfort them, “It’s okay, this is just a rumor made up by students to get into college. Even if the flame on the white candle goes out, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Maybe it was the wind caused by you closing the door that extinguished the white candle. It’s just a coincidence.” Others also spoke up, not sure if they were comforting the classmate or themselves, but many classmates voiced their reassurances, trying to dispel the atmosphere of fear.

“We have to believe in science. There aren’t so many... ghosts in the world. Don’t scare yourselves.”

The classmate next to them immediately agreed, “Yes, yes, this legend has been circulating in the First High School for a long time. Surely other students have tried it, but we’ve never heard of any student getting into trouble.”

“That’s right. I’ve never heard of anyone getting into trouble. If something really happened, it would have spread long ago.”

“It will be fine. Everyone shouldn’t be too scared. After tonight, go home and rest well. It might even become a beautiful and exciting memory.”

Perhaps the comforting words had an effect as the classmate’s emotions were reluctantly calmed down, their expression relaxed a bit, and the other classmates were not as tense.

Only the players weren’t as optimistic, watching their surroundings vigilantly, holding onto the talismans and props to deal with supernatural entities in their hands.

After all, this was a supernatural instance, and it’s a side quest indicated by the instance. It’s definitely not possible for it to be like what those few classmates had just said.

Setting the scene at midnight with white candles clearly indicated an invitation to ghosts. An event that could receive blessings from deities? It was certainly not a good thing.

Deities? Perhaps they were actually a ghost?

They might have guessed the wrong direction from the very beginning, and it had now become a completely absurd mistake.

They had always thought that the ghost was still alive, that they hadn’t become a ghost yet. In reality, the ghost might have always existed, and it might have been keeping a close eye on them.

And they naively thought that as long as they protected their classmates or found out who died, everything would be fine.

They should never have focused their attention on the living, but rather on those who had... already died.

If it weren’t for this side quest, they would still be completely clueless and wouldn’t know how they died.

Almost all the players had thought about this and silently directed their gaze at a certain spot on the wall behind the classroom.

It was covered with the names of Class 1-1 students from the first year, as well as the names of students from previous years.

Perhaps the correct answer lay within those names.

Everyone was sitting quite close, and the light from the white candles wasn’t enough to illuminate the wall behind the classroom. They couldn’t see the names written on it clearly, but they could vaguely make out the drawings.

Even though the classroom was sunny and positive during the day, it seemed to change its appearance at night. The lines and colors appeared twisted and eerie, as if the drawings were like monsters.

Furthermore, with the flickering of the candles, the lines and colors of the drawings became intermittently bright and dim, as if they had... come alive, giving a feeling that they would break through the wall any second.

Everyone knew that it was just a visual effect caused by the flickering candlelight. However, if they looked at it for too long, it would still give them an uncomfortable feeling. So the players didn’t make any reckless moves to examine it with their white candles.

Their first task now was to protect their own white candles. After all, there was plenty of time to check the names, and there was no need to rush at this moment.

Tonight, they should focus on getting out of this classroom alive before discussing anything else.

Ruan Qing also felt very uncomfortable; it was just too oppressive, making it impossible to calm down.

Moreover, as time passed, his brain became increasingly uncontrollable, indulging in random thoughts that even mild hypnosis couldn’t prevent.

But deep hypnosis was too dangerous as it would affect his thinking and judgment, leading to cognitive confusion.

Ruan Qing was well aware of his current state being unfavorable. He glanced at the white candle in his hand, slightly tilting it and dripping some wax onto the table before placing the white candle on top.

Once the wax oil dried and solidified, it would hold reasonably well, preventing the candle from extinguishing easily due to sudden fear or unforeseen circumstances.

After securing the white candle, Ruan Qing wanted to shift his attention. He took out his phone to turn it on but was immediately stopped by Xiao Shiyi, who had been observing him.

Ruan Qing didn’t make a move; instead, he glanced at Xiao Shiyi.

Seeing Ruan Qing’s gaze, Xiao Shiyi calmly explained, “Brother Su, you might not be aware, but this legend has several rules, one of which states that between midnight and one o’clock, aside from the light of the white candle, no other light should be present.”

Someone with the status of a school tyrant might not be so obedient. Upon hearing such words, they might even develop a rebellious mindset and insist on using their phone.

But Ruan Qing was different; he understood the rule that recklessness led to death and obediently set aside his phone.

“Are there any other rules?”

Seeing that Ruan Qing didn’t insist on using his phone, Xiao Shiyi breathed a sigh of relief. After listening to Ruan Qing’s question, he nodded and began slowly explaining the content of the ten rules in the legend of ‘Receiving Blessings at Midnight.’

“Rule One: When starting to seek blessings, it is imperative to ensure that the classroom is illuminated solely by the light of the white candle.”

“Rule Two: When seeking blessings, one must ensure that they are within the radiance of their own white candle, preferably not straying outside its range of light.”

“Rule Three: If you hear any sound or if someone touches a place that the white candlelight cannot reach, please do not turn back.”

“Rule Four: During the process of seeking blessings, it is best not to doze off or lose consciousness. You must always ensure that your white candle is not extinguished and continues to illuminate yourself.”

“Rule Five: If a ‘person’ enters the classroom during the process of seeking blessings, ignore them, avoid talking to them, and do not maintain eye contact with them for more than three seconds.”

“Rule Six: Once the white candle is lit, it is not allowed to be taken out of the classroom unless it has been extinguished.”

“Rule Seven: As long as you are within the illumination of your white candle, you are absolutely safe and do not need to fear anything.”

“Rule Eight: Please do not believe in anything you see, as it is merely an illusion caused by your tiredness. There is no need to pay attention to it.”

“Rule Nine: If your candle has not been extinguished after midnight, it signifies a successful prayer for blessings. Please leave the classroom within five minutes, leaving the white candle behind to burn itself out.”

“Rule Ten: If your white candle accidentally extinguishes, immediately destroy it and leave the school within three minutes. Return to the school after three days.”

Xiao Shiyi recited the rules calmly and smoothly, without any hesitation. It seemed as though he was reciting the rules from memory, without adding any personal language. Clearly, he had memorized them very well.

Although his voice was steady and calm, reciting the rules in such an official manner at midnight gave a strange feeling.

Upon hearing this, the players’ expressions changed immediately. These rules were completely different from what they had heard in the afternoon!

Unlike other classmates who had slept for the afternoon, when they decided to come and seek blessings, they had approached other classmates or conducted research on the legend of ‘receiving blessings at midnight’.

The rules they had heard were only three.

The first rule was to avoid turning on the lights during the process of seeking blessings. The second rule was to preferably not leave the classroom. The third rule was to preferably not leave their own white candle.

None of the rules they had heard were mandatory, and there was no mention of all light sources being prohibited.

Moreover, there’s no need for much contemplation to know that what Xiao Shiyi just said was probably the most complete version.

They had been deceived.

If it weren’t for the school bully Su Qing asking Xiao Shiyi, they wouldn’t have known how many rules they were about to violate.

And the cost of breaking the rules was most likely death.

After Xiao Shiyi finished speaking, the player who had just glanced at their phone turned pale, lowered their head, and tightly clenched the item and white candle in their hands.

After hearing Xiao Shiyi’s words, Ruan Qing furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “Three minutes is not enough to leave the school.”

This teaching building was located near the center of the school, and whether they walked towards any school gate or try to climb over the wall, it was impossible to leave the school within three minutes.

After all, the First High School was very large, and it would take more than three minutes to leave the school, unless they were driving.

But driving was prohibited within the First High School campus, and even if it’s a teacher’s car, the parking lot was more than a three-minute run from here.

Therefore, three minutes was completely insufficient to leave the school. This one and only method for dealing with an extinguished white candle was just a decoration.

In other words, there was no real method to deal with the extinguishing of the white candle. Once their own white candle was extinguished, it was possible that they had already been marked for death.

No, or perhaps participating in this blessing ritual had already marked them for death.

 

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