Chapter 63.1: First High School (22)

Ruan Qing watched closely as the players’ white candles were completely extinguished, and tears instantly filled his eyes, and his body couldn’t stop trembling.

It wasn’t just a slight redness at the corners of his eyes this time, but his entire eye sockets turned red. Cold sweat started to form on his forehead, and even his mind went blank.

He was scared, and he couldn’t control it. His whole body tensed up anxiously, and his expression appeared extremely fragile. Tears were already swirling in his eyes, as if he was about to burst into tears the next second.

At this moment, the entire classroom was only illuminated by Ruan Qing’s white candle, but it couldn’t light up the whole room. The corners were engulfed in darkness, as if something was lurking within, waiting for an opportunity to drag people into the darkness and devour them completely.

The light from the only white candle also turned a dismal white, combined with the sudden drop in temperature, it felt like being in a freezing morgue.

The whole space seemed to be permeated with a sense of danger and fear.

Mo Ran and Xiao Shiyi also began to sense that something was wrong when only Ruan Qing’s candle in his hand remained lit.

Without hesitation, Mo Ran snatched the white candle from Ruan Qing’s hand and threw it forcefully to the ground.

However, the white candle... did not extinguish.

The white candle that was thrown to the ground rolled several times and only stopped when it hit a table leg, but the flame remained vigorous. The burning wax droplets covered the ground, and the bright flame became eerie at that moment, sending chills down people’s spines.

Under normal circumstances, a candle would usually go out when it fell, but Ruan Qing’s white candle didn’t. It didn’t seem to be affected in the slightest.

Seeing this, Mo Ran stepped forward with an expressionless face and stomped on it a few times, but the white candle... still kept burning.

It was eerie and hair-raising.

Everyone who witnessed this scene felt their hair standing on end, and an uncontrollable sense of fear arose within them.

Clearly, with the force applied by Mo Ran, the white candle should have been crushed, but whether it was the candle itself or its light, they remained unaffected, as if someone was still holding it carefully in their hands.

This situation was obviously abnormal.

There were less than three minutes left until 1 AM, and everyone’s hearts felt tightly clenched. Even breathing felt somewhat difficult, and the players were no better off than Ruan Qing.

They stood up after the white candle extinguished and, upon seeing Ruan Qing’s white candle still burning, they gathered together, watchfully looking around.

Not only did the white candle fail to extinguish, but the entire classroom turned cold after the sound of footsteps echoed.

Moreover, the coldness was abnormal, chilling to the bone as if something was not right at all.

It was as if... ghosts were right beside them.

And they couldn’t see them at all!

The players tightly gripped their props and prepared to immediately rush out of the classroom if there was an uncontrollable situation.

Just like the school bully Su Qing had said before, three minutes were simply not enough to leave the school; their only choice was to face the situation head-on.

However, the failure of the white candle to extinguish didn’t seem to be the worst thing. The worst thing was probably being left with only one candle in this situation, which clearly didn’t seem like a good blessing.

They silently watched those few people who were desperately trying to extinguish the white candle but couldn’t.

...Perhaps whether the white candle extinguished or not, it wasn’t a good thing.

After all, the white candles of the others were as fragile as thin paper, easily extinguished, but the white candle of the school bully Su Qing was different, as if it was being protected by some entity.

It didn’t require guessing what that entity was—it was a ghost.

Being protected by a ghost, it was highly unlikely that it was due to the ghost’s benevolence.

The most plausible explanation was that the ghost... had taken an interest in the school bully.

This midnight blessing was nothing but a deception; it wasn’t that humans received blessings, but rather, the ghost choosing their own vessel.

And this time, the chosen one...

The players silently gazed at a certain school bully NPC standing on the other side.

It had to be said that the creator was never fair—the teenager’s beauty was exquisitely perfect, as if a fairy had stepped out of a painting.

It was as if God had poured all his efforts into meticulously crafting a piece of art. Even in the dim classroom, the teenager’s exquisite and vibrant appearance remained untarnished.

Even the pale light of the white candle seemed to coronate him, making the teenager resemble a delicately beautiful flower blooming in the night, indescribably enchanting.

The players could easily understand why he had been chosen by the ghost.

After all, if they were given the choice to pick a body, they would most likely choose him as well.

It was a bit of a pity, though...

Mo Ran frowned as he watched the white candle burn brightly even when thrown to the ground. He picked it up and forcefully thrust the flame downward into the table.

Though the table was made of wood, it was quite solid. The fragile white candle, on the other hand, made of paraffin, would certainly break upon collision with the table.

However... it didn’t.

Mo Ran exerted considerable force, yet the white candle seemed as sturdy as a steel nail, piercing through the wooden table, with the flame illuminating the desk pouch where a backpack was placed.

Clearly, not only did the white candle not shatter, but it also didn’t extinguish even after penetrating the table, making people creepy.

Furthermore, the light of the white candle being blocked by the table made the classroom even darker, and an uncontrollable sense of fear arose from the depths of their hearts.

Because they had been staying in the classroom for so long, that chilling presence had become ingrained, like maggots attached to bones, making every cell in their bodies scream for escape.

It felt as if something terrible would happen if they stayed any longer.

Yet no one in the classroom dared to run. Nobody knew what consequences awaited them outside.

Being alone was the biggest taboo in supernatural instances, and they didn’t dare to guarantee that rushing out now wouldn’t provoke certain entities.

When Mo Ran inserted the white candle, he placed it on the table behind Ruan Qing. In other words, Ruan Qing was instantly shielded from the light by the table.

This meant that he was no longer illuminated by the white candle, and he wasn’t even within the range of its light anymore.

Rule Five: Only under the light of the white candle is one absolutely safe.

As well as Rule Two: It’s best not to stray beyond the range of one’s own white candle’s light.

But he was not there now.

Ruan Qing widened his eyes and reached out, wanting to pull out the white candle.

However... it was already too late.

The moment Ruan Qing left the range of the white candle’s light, a cold and eerie presence instantly engulfed him from behind.

A chilling sensation gripped Ruan Qing’s outstretched hand, followed by another cold touch slowly sliding down his face, as if something was caressing his cheek.

The icy temperature pushed Ruan Qing’s fear and terror to its peak. Tears uncontrollably streamed down his face, like pearls falling one by one, severed from their strings.

The cold breath clung to him like a shadow, and though Ruan Qing struggled, the overwhelming fear left his mind blank, rendering him unable to muster any strength. Even his body felt weak and powerless.

Normally, in such a situation, Ruan Qing would have fallen to the ground in a disheveled manner. However, he didn’t. He stood frozen in place.

It wasn’t because Ruan Qing had the strength to remain standing, but because that cold presence seemed to grip him from behind, holding his right hand that he had just tried to extend, preventing him from even falling to the ground.

Extreme fear and terror dominated Ruan Qing’s mind, unable to think calmly. He instinctively tried to seek help from Xiao Shiyi, who was nearby. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. In that instant, something invaded his teeth and even toyed with his tongue, preventing him from closing his mouth.

Unable to close his mouth, revealing his pearly white teeth, a faint pink movement could be seen inside, creating an immensely unsettling sight.

Ruan Qing’s tears flowed even more intensely, his sanity completely shattered, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, appearing pitiful.

This scene seemed to transport him back to that nightmare once again, as if his tongue would be forcibly pulled out.

Ruan Qing extended his other hand in an attempt to resist, but he couldn’t even see anymore, and in the next second, he sensed his hand being firmly controlled by someone.

Then came the cold and clammy sensation, which was felt through the fingertips.

Next, it reached the finger pads and then the fingers themselves, as if being relentlessly targeted by a sinister snake, sending a chilling sensation down one’s back.

An irresistible force accompanied it, as if it aimed to devour Ruan Qing entirely.

Like maggots clinging to bones, he couldn’t struggle or break free.

Ruan Qing desperately tried to pull his hand back, but he couldn’t stop it or break free. He could only whimper silently, tears already soaking his cheeks, making him look as fragile as a porcelain doll that would shatter with a little force.

However, his fragility and helplessness didn’t seem to evoke any pity. Instead, it tempted people to bully him even more and push him further into darkness.

Perhaps it was too dark, or perhaps everyone’s attention was focused on the white candle, but nobody in the room noticed anything unusual about him. It was as if he was still just standing there quietly.

 

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