"Come."

After hearing the shout, Yang Ruiqing abruptly raised his head.

A black heavy object was falling rapidly from above, dropping straight toward his head.

Everything happened too suddenly.

So sudden that there was no time to react.

Normally when people encounter something like this, they instinctively dodge.

But Yang Ruiqing stood there as if stunned, completely motionless.

With a dull bang, the flowerpot smashed onto the ground and shattered into pieces.

And Yang Ruiqing...

did not die.

Just before the pot struck him, someone had violently tackled him aside, sending both of them crashing heavily onto the ground.

The person who had thrown himself over him was Wen Ruyu.

The moment Wen Ruyu saw that forum post, he realized something was wrong. That was why he wanted to find Yang Ruiqing as quickly as possible.

Fortunately he was already on campus.

The teachers' apartment building was not far from Yang Ruiqing's dormitory.

He could reach him within half an hour.

But Wen Ruyu had not expected that Yang Ruiqing was not in the dormitory.

Only his roommate was there.

That roommate was Wei Jiayu.

Wei Jiayu had not expected someone to come looking for Yang Ruiqing. He looked at the person standing at the dormitory door with a complicated expression before finally answering honestly.

"He... went to the library."

Wen Ruyu quietly thanked him and turned to leave, his steps hurried and somewhat panicked.

Right now he only wanted to find Yang Ruiqing as quickly as possible.

"Wait!"

Wei Jiayu suddenly called out and quickly chased after him.

"It's already late. It's not safe for you to go alone. I'll go with you."

Afraid Wen Ruyu might refuse, he paused before adding,

"I'm his roommate. I'm also a bit worried about him. We can head back together afterward."

Wen Ruyu hesitated briefly, then agreed.

The two of them headed toward the library.

Wei Jiayu walked beside the figure wearing a hat and mask. Countless questions filled his mind.

He wanted to ask again and again.

But every time the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.

In the end he did not ask anything.

He was afraid of hearing the answer he did not want.

During Wei Jiayu's silent struggle, they soon arrived at the library.

Wen Ruyu's attention was entirely on the entrance.

When he heard the shout "Move!" and saw the figure standing outside the library doors—

he did not hesitate.

He used all his strength and threw himself forward.

The flowerpot smashed into the ground with a loud crash.

The sound was harsh and unpleasant.

But Wen Ruyu paid no attention to anything else.

He looked down at Yang Ruiqing beneath him and pushed himself up slightly with trembling arms.

Fear and lingering terror still filled his beautiful eyes.

"A-Are you okay?"

Good.

Good thing he made it in time.

When people experience extreme shock, tears often become uncontrollable.

Wen Ruyu's eyes were already filled with tears. As he blinked, they fell onto the face of the person beneath him.

Yang Ruiqing still had not fully recovered from what had just happened.

He stared blankly at the person lying over him.

Those eyes were so beautiful they almost felt unreal.

Without thinking, he reached up and touched the tear that had fallen onto his face.

Wet.

Just like the eyes looking down at him.

Was he crying because of him?

Yang Ruiqing unconsciously pressed his lips together.

A strange emotion rose in his chest.

His heartbeat suddenly became loud.

So loud it felt almost noisy.

For a moment he did not answer.

The person above him grew anxious.

Wen Ruyu seemed about to check his injuries.

Yang Ruiqing grabbed his wrist and said hoarsely,

"I'm fine."

Wei Jiayu had already recovered from the shock.

His body still felt weak.

If Wen Ruyu had been even a moment slower, one of them would have died.

He quickly ran over and helped Wen Ruyu to his feet.

Wen Ruyu's body was still weak from the shock and he immediately stood up with Wei Jiayu's support.

Being pinned down was not comfortable.

But when the weight and warmth suddenly left his body, Yang Ruiqing felt something inside his chest become strangely empty.

It felt unpleasant.

Perhaps it was because he had just nearly died again.

And the noise.

His heartbeat had been loud since earlier.

He hated noise the most.

After helping Wen Ruyu up, Wei Jiayu immediately turned to Yang Ruiqing, his voice full of concern.

"Are you okay?"

Yang Ruiqing shook his head slightly.

When Wei Jiayu reached out, he subtly avoided the gesture and picked up his book himself.

Then he stood up.

It was as if the near death experience had not affected him at all.

Instead the person most affected was clearly Wen Ruyu.

His body was still trembling.

Even with the mask covering his face, he looked fragile and shaken.

And strangely...

seductive.

This was clearly someone Yang Ruiqing had always disliked.

Suppressing the thought, Yang Ruiqing looked calmly at Wen Ruyu.

His voice carried no emotion.

"Do you like me that much?"

Wen Ruyu was caught off guard.

Since it was Yang Ruiqing asking, he did not know how to explain.

In the end he simply pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Yang Ruiqing did not seem bothered by the silence.

"I understand."

The words were somewhat puzzling.

Wen Ruyu did not understand what he meant.

Before he could think further, a book suddenly appeared in front of him.

Yang Ruiqing was holding it out.

"This book is for you."

Wen Ruyu paused and looked down at the book in confusion.

Seeing that he had not taken it, Yang Ruiqing extended it again.

"It's a gift."

This time Wen Ruyu accepted it.

If he wanted to protect Yang Ruiqing, he needed to build some form of connection first.

Refusing the gesture would not be appropriate.

He would treat it as a thank you for saving his life.

Holding the book against his chest, Wen Ruyu lowered his head slightly.

His long eyelashes trembled softly.

"I had a conflict with my roommate. I don't have anywhere to stay tonight."

"Could I stay in your dormitory for one night?"

"Sure."

Wei Jiayu answered before Yang Ruiqing could.

His response was extremely fast, almost as if he feared Wen Ruyu might change his mind.

Not only that, he quickly tried to convince Yang Ruiqing as well.

"Third Brother doesn't stay in the dormitory anyway. He can sleep in my bed. I'll sleep in Third Brother's bed. It won't disturb anyone."

Yang Ruiqing glanced at him calmly.

He did not object.

"Okay."

Seeing both of them agree, Wen Ruyu quietly let out a breath of relief.

The corners of his eyes curved slightly as he thanked them.

"Thank you."

His hat had fallen off when he saved Yang Ruiqing earlier.

Now his soft hair and those star bright eyes were fully visible.

When he smiled, it looked as if light flowed through his eyes.

Beautiful enough to take someone's breath away.

Yang Ruiqing suddenly felt his heartbeat become even louder.

He glanced at Wei Jiayu, who was staring at Wen Ruyu in a daze.

For some reason, a trace of irritation rose in his chest.

He calmly interrupted.

"Let's go back first."

Wei Jiayu snapped out of it, his ears turning slightly red as he looked away.

"R-Right. It's getting late. Let's head back to the dormitory."

The three of them began walking toward the dorm building.

Night had already fallen deep.

Street lamps dotted the campus, but their light did not reach very far.

The darkness gave the surroundings a faint sense of unease.

There were not many people wandering outside anymore.

Most students were heading back toward the dormitories.

As a guest, Wen Ruyu naturally had none of his own belongings in the dorm.

So when they passed the campus convenience store, he told the two of them to go back first.

He planned to buy some toiletries.

Afterward he would go find them.

But Wen Ruyu had only walked a few steps—

when a dull crash suddenly exploded behind him.

The sound was especially jarring in the quiet night.

In the next second, a piercing scream shattered the silence.

"Ahhhh!!!"

"Someone got hit by a car!"

"Ahhhh! Someone was hit!"

"Call an ambulance!"

"Call 120!"

Wen Ruyu stopped instantly.

His slender body stiffened.

Even his heartbeat nearly stopped.

A crowd had already gathered around the victim.

Even though he was not far away, he could not see who had been hit.

Not even a corner of clothing was visible.

But Wen Ruyu already knew who it was.

Yang Ruiqing.

Because at the exact moment the screams erupted, a cold voice echoed in his mind.

A voice that only players could hear.

"Loading dungeon information."

Wen Ruyu stood frozen.

His eyes stared blankly at the crowd.

The surrounding noise seemed distant, as if separated by another world.

Only the system's voice continued echoing in his mind.

Yang Ruiqing was dead.

Why was it still like this?

Was his death unavoidable no matter what he did?

No.

Wait.

He had not heard the confirmation that the dungeon had fully loaded.

The dungeon had not finished loading.

Yang Ruiqing might still be alive.

That thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Wen Ruyu snapped out of his daze and staggered toward the crowd.

He desperately pushed forward, trying to force his way through.

But there were too many people.

And Wen Ruyu did not have much strength.

After great effort he finally squeezed through the crowd.

What greeted him was a horrifying sight of red.

Less than half a meter away lay a man.

His body twisted unnaturally.

Blood pooled beneath him.

His skull had been crushed.

Something white mixed with blood had already spilled out.

The red liquid slowly spread across the ground.

It was Yang Ruiqing.

Their eyes met.

Yang Ruiqing had not died yet.

He looked at Wen Ruyu and opened his mouth slightly.

He seemed to want to say something.

But blood poured from his mouth.

No sound came out.

His breathing was already fading.

His skull had been shattered.

Even his brain matter had spilled out.

There was no saving him.

Yet he refused to close his eyes.

He stared at Wen Ruyu with wide eyes.

As if filled with unwillingness.

Even if he were on an operating table right now, surrounded by the world's best surgeons, nothing could save him.

And the next moment the system's voice confirmed it.

"Ding."

"Dungeon successfully loaded."

Wen Ruyu's slender body began trembling uncontrollably.

He had expected the result.

Yet hearing the system confirm it still made his legs give out.

He collapsed to the ground.

His face had turned completely pale.

He was certain Yang Ruiqing's death had nothing to do with those obsessive stalkers.

Those people never acted in front of him.

This was done by the real murderer.

But the method was far too blatant.

Someone had openly run him over with a car inside the university.

This overturned every assumption Wen Ruyu had made.

The killer did not need any particular reason to kill Yang Ruiqing.

Everything Wen Ruyu had done had been pointless.

No one could save him.

Just like when the romance scam scandal had been exposed.

Everything had already been predetermined.

Wen Ruyu spoke in his mind, his voice trembling.

"Does that mean no matter what I do, Yang Ruiqing will always die?"

System 099 immediately responded.

Its voice was cheerful, but devoid of any real emotion.

"Dear customer, yes."

"Yang Ruiqing is the main boss of this dungeon."

"His death is the core condition required to start the dungeon."

"It must happen."

Wen Ruyu's heart sank.

His fingers tightened until the joints hurt.

"My mission is to lower the dungeon difficulty."

"Dear customer, please carefully review your mission requirements."

"Your mission is to lower the difficulty of the dungeon."

"Not to prevent the dungeon from forming."

"And besides, you do not have the ability to stop a dungeon from forming."

System 099 even gave a small laugh.

As if mocking Wen Ruyu's naivety.

"Then everything I do..."

"is meaningless?"

Wen Ruyu's voice carried confusion.

It trembled slightly.

"Please explore that question on your own."

"System 099 cannot provide assistance."

Wei Jiayu had left earlier, intending to return to the dormitory first.

But before he had gone far, he heard the sound of a crash behind him.

Then came the screams.

He pushed through the crowd and immediately saw Yang Ruiqing lying on the ground.

His eyes widened in shock.

His heart tightened.

But not because of Yang Ruiqing.

Because of Wen Ruyu.

Seeing Wen Ruyu sitting there in shock, completely lost, Wei Jiayu's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately covered Wen Ruyu's eyes.

"Don't look."

He knew how much this person liked Yang Ruiqing.

He could not imagine how devastating this moment must be.

But he knew one thing.

Wen Ruyu could not keep looking.

He grabbed Wen Ruyu's wrist and pulled him into his arms.

Then he began dragging him away.

"It's too chaotic here."

"Let's go."

Wen Ruyu had no strength left.

His body moved like a puppet as Wei Jiayu pulled him away.

No one noticed that on the second floor of the dormitory building, a shadow stood by the window.

The lights were off.

From below, no one could see the person standing there.

The figure held a phone.

It was pointed at the scene below.

Recording everything.

The person had originally intended to capture Yang Ruiqing's death.

But when Wen Ruyu suddenly entered the frame, the person's hand froze.

Wen Ruyu was far too recognizable.

Even wrapped in a hat and mask, his slender beautiful figure stood out among the crowd.

The person stared at the screen.

Because of the darkness and the number of people around him, Wen Ruyu's figure was difficult to notice unless the video was zoomed in.

So the person did not bother editing the clip.

Instead, they opened a chat window and sent the entire video.

"Yang Ruiqing is dead."

A moment later a payment notification appeared.

The person smiled in satisfaction and left the window.

The noise below continued.

An ambulance siren approached in the distance.

But the body on the ground was already growing cold.

Yang Ruiqing's eyes remained open.

His pupils were unfocused.

Filled with unwillingness.

And resentment.

It created an ominous feeling.

As if he wanted to drag everyone around him into hell.

At the moment Yang Ruiqing lost his final breath—

the space of Third University distorted ever so slightly.

Then it returned to normal.

No one noticed.

But the entire campus seemed darker.

Even though the lights still shone everywhere, they felt dimmed by a gray haze.

Cold.

Oppressive.

Dangerous.

At the same moment—

in a corner of the university, more than a dozen unfamiliar figures suddenly appeared.

As if they had materialized from thin air.

No one noticed.

A cold mechanical voice echoed in their ears.

"Welcome, players."

"You have entered the dungeon: Third University."

"Dungeon Objective: Discover the truth behind Yang Ruiqing's death."

"Current Progress: 0%."

"Dungeon Rank: S."

"Dungeon Mode: Multiplayer."

"A Rank Clear: Resolve Yang Ruiqing's resentment."

"B Rank Clear: Find the murderer behind Yang Ruiqing's death."

"C Rank Clear: Survive for seven days."

The players immediately began reading the dungeon information.

Their lives depended on understanding every detail.

While most players were still reviewing the information—

a young man wearing a hooded sweatshirt suddenly shouted in panic.

"Why is it this dungeon?!"

"We're finished!"

"This time we're really dead!"

The horror game had only existed for a year.

But there were already countless dungeons.

Not every player recognized them all.

A short haired female player asked nervously,

"W-What do you mean?"

"What's wrong with this dungeon?"

The man who had shouted was named Lin Zhou.

His lips trembled as he forced out an ugly smile.

"This dungeon's clear rate..."

"is zero."

A zero clear rate meant no player had ever survived it.

They might not survive either.

It was essentially a death sentence.

"Stop saying such depressing nonsense."

A deep rough voice interrupted.

The speaker was a tall man named Han Yi.

He looked around at the group.

"No one clearing it doesn't mean we can't."

"Are you all going to stand here and wait to die just because the clear rate is zero?"

Struggling might not help.

But not struggling meant certain death.

Han Yi's words snapped everyone out of their despair.

They forced themselves to calm down.

Han Yi turned to Lin Zhou.

"Tell us what you know."

Lin Zhou took a deep breath and steadied himself.

"I don't know much. The player forums only briefly mentioned this dungeon."

"I just know it seems connected to romance scams."

"You should check the university forum."

"There are related posts there."

Everyone immediately pulled out their phones and opened the university forum.

Originally there had been three highlighted posts pinned to the top.

Now only one remained.

"Campus Heartthrob Yang Ruiqing from the Finance Department Running Romance Scams With Multiple Victims!"

"Total amount exceeds hundreds of thousands!"

"Chat records and transfer receipts included!"

"Confirmed evidence!"

The short haired female player, Sun Xiao, looked up uncertainly after reading it.

"Could it be..."

"Yang Ruiqing was killed because of the scam?"

"No."

Han Yi rejected the idea immediately.

His tone was firm.

Sun Xiao looked confused.

"Why?"

Lin Zhou answered for him.

"For investigation type objectives, discovering key clues usually increases the mission progress."

"The dungeon objective and the dungeon clear condition are different."

"The clear condition determines whether we survive."

"But the objective progress determines the rewards."

He looked at the group.

"We've read the post."

"But the progress is still 0%."

"Which means—"

"Someone framed Yang Ruiqing."

The moment Lin Zhou finished speaking—

the progress increased to 1%.

It was small.

But it proved they were correct.

Someone had framed Yang Ruiqing.

A sharp glint flashed in Han Yi's eyes.

He looked at the group and spoke gravely.

"Our first task now..."

"is to find the person who framed him."

Chapter 28

Comments