The face in the mirror is not mine
After the chasing battle, Wen Jianyan knew the layout of the dormitory building like the back of his hand.
He cleverly used a few blind spots to sneak back into the room where he woke up before anyone could find him.
It was the same as when he left a few hours ago.
Dirty walls, cramped iron beds, cluttered stacks of books.
Wen Jianyan's line of sight hurriedly fell on the mirror hanging on the cabinet, daring not to stare at it for too long.
When he first woke up, he looked through the mirror and inadvertently met the face under the bed.
Even now, he could still seem to be able to feel the terrifying sight coming from the corner of the room, which made him feel terrified and cold.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and calmed down before walking slowly toward the mirror.
He deliberately didn't look inside the mirror this time but took it directly from the cabinet door.
In the previous hidden mission, both NPC and Xiao Jie mentioned a crucial mirror.
This made Wen Jianyan immediately think of his own experience after entering the instance.
After he glanced at the person under the bed in the mirror, the initial 20-minute survival time was determined.
And if he recalled carefully, every subsequent appearance of that ghost was in the mirror.
There might be some connection here.
Wen Jianyan tore off a pillow cover from the bed, covered the mirror, and then carefully looked down at the mirror in his hand.
It was a very ordinary vanity mirror, oval, with a slightly faded light green plastic frame that looked slightly whitish in the dark.
There was no mezzanine on the back, and nothing could be hidden.
Nothing special inside and out.
However…
Wen Jianyan used his fingertips to gently stroke the uneven surface under the mirror, as well as the rough holes that had been drilled by hand above the frame; his face showed a thoughtful look.
In other words, this was supposed to be the kind of vanity mirror that sat on the table.
However, now its base had been removed, two holes punched on the top, and hung on the cabinet.
Wen Jianyan raised his head and hurriedly looked around the room.
Finally, his eyes fell on a corner of the table.
In a cluttered pile of books, there was a small blank space that looked as if it had been left on purpose.
Wen Jianyan walked there and took a closer look.
There were rectangular grey marks left on the table as if something had been placed on it for a long time.
He turned the mirror upwards to make a comparison.
The size was almost the same.
At this moment, the pillow cover on the mirror surface suddenly fell down, as if it was pulled by some unknown force and slid down!
Wen Jianyan was startled, and subconsciously wanted to reach out to hold it, but he only barely touched the rough edge of the fabric.
The pillow cover slipped between his fingers and fell to the ground.
"….."
The air seemed to stagnate.
Wen Jianyan maintained a half-bent state. His eyes fixed on the pillow cover, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, as if a cold breath slowly crawled over the back of his neck, making his scalp tingle.
The room was eerily quiet.
…this is a D-level instance, a D-level instance, a D-level instance.
Normally, something that has already been experienced is unlikely to happen again!
He chanted over and over again in his mind.
Wen Jianyan closed his eyes forcefully, gritted his teeth, straightened up a little, and forced himself to look into the mirror.
The mirror faces the upper bunk near the right side of the door.
On the originally empty bed, a figure appeared at some point.
She was wearing an old school uniform with her back to the mirror, her long hair falling behind her, and she was sitting quietly on the bed at the moment.
However, judging from the curved breasts and the style of the school uniform, she was now… in fact, it should be the front.
Wen Jianyan's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the mirror.
In the mirror, the woman's long hair moved slightly, and the head turned around slowly—
"Crack!"
Wen Jianyan slammed the mirror upside down.
He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head to look behind him.
The bed in the mirror was empty.
Unconsciously, Wen Jianyan was already in a cold sweat.
He took out his ID card and glanced at it.
There were still three hours left to survive, and it seemed that his actions just now didn't trigger any mortal trap, so… the "person" in the mirror just now might not be a danger, but some kind of reminder.
But… how to be sure?
Wen Jianyan thought for a few seconds and then opened the hidden live broadcast interface.
The barrage came in like a tsunami, densely covering the screen, which was ten times more lively than before.
He glanced at the upper right corner, and there were more than 5,000 people online in real time.
Although he had a hunch for a long time, after seeing the live broadcast room growing so rapidly, the smile on Wen Jianyan's mouth couldn't help but be a little sincere.
[!! The anchor has opened the barrage!]
[Aaaaaaaahhhh, that seems familiar.]
[Familiar, my ass! the anchor is probably not going to survive tonight.]
[Open your eyes and don't talk nonsense. How many newcomers can pull the entire instance rating by themselves? I think he's some big shot who came to the novice village to play two hands.]
[So who's vest is he? Aaaaaah! Let me know if someone in the barrage figured it out, okay? I want to know!]
[Please, the anchor will reveal it himself afterward. For now, let's just pay attention to the situation, okay? (reward points 50)]
[Please figure it out. +1 (80 reward points)]
Good! Roll it!
Roll it up for me!
Wen Jianyan kept his face calm, turned a blind eye to all the barrages asking about the vest, and said hello with a smile: "I didn't expect after not seeing you for just a few hours, there would suddenly be so many new friends in the live broadcast room. Hello everyone."
He swiped through the rapidly refreshing barrage, selected a few fans with high rewards and thanked them, and then changed the subject:
"Did you all see that person in the mirror just now?"
The young man glanced at the iron bed not far away, and raised his brows with sincerity: "That was too scary, I really…don't want to approach that place at all."
There was an embarrassed look on his face:
"However, it seems that there will be clues. Do you want me to go up and have a look?"
A simple question, so natural that people didn't think much about it, but it lead the topic in a direction where more information could be obtained without a trace.
The barrage suddenly became lively, and the audience watching the live broadcast shouted:
[Go! Of course, you have to go!]
[Hurry up anchor, don't be a coward, Go! (Reward points 100)]
[Exciting! I already watched this instance several times, but this is the first time I saw the ghost in the mirror. I'm going to sit on the small bench and wait for the good show. (Reward points 100)]
First time?
That's good.
According to the information revealed in the previous barrage, it was estimated that they had already seen many anchors clear the instance called "Decai Middle School". Since they hadn't seen the ghost in this mirror, it means that she probably didn't take the initiative to attack the anchor.
Then it was more likely to be a clue.
Although his mind was clear, the struggle on Wen Jianyan's face became more intense, and he seemed to be very hesitant.
After the atmosphere was at its hottest, he sighed and let out a sigh of relief helplessly:
"Since I've said it, then for everyone's viewing experience, I'll climb up and take a look."
And with the buffering of the barrage just now, that creepy feeling had been diluted a lot.
After hiding the panel, Wen Jianyan climbed onto the bed carefully.
The metal frame couldn't bear the heavy weight of an adult man and let out a squeaky sound.
The bed was covered with a thin cotton mattress, compressed to the point of losing its elasticity. A few faded stickers were stuck on the wall, and the edges of the sheets were neatly tucked under the mattress.
At that time, Wen Jianyan stopped.
The touch under his palm was a little wrong.
He lifted the mattress and took out a thin notebook from below.
On the title page of the notebook were two beautiful words: Xu Yuan.
Most of the content inside has been blurred, and only two or three short diary entries were left to read clearly.
{X year x month x day, Clear
This girl is really scary, I always feel that she has a gloomy and infiltrating temperament. Every time I stay in the same bedroom with her alone, I feel very uncomfortable. This afternoon in the bathroom, A-Xin said some ridiculous things. Although it was a bit excessive, I also agreed with a smile. But as soon as I went out, I saw her leaving back. I don't know if she heard it… I'm feeling uneasy.}
{X year x month x day, Cloudy
I wanted to apologize several times, but every time I saw her back, I didn't dare to go forward.
After the art class today, I secretly followed her. I wanted to find a chance to say sorry to her but never found a chance.
I followed her to the grove and saw her breaking up the ham sausage and feeding it to the stray cat. The cat's name is Xiao Ju (Little Orange). I'm so happy, I wanted to go up and talk to her, and then…
I heard Xiao Ju's scream. I saw she held Xiao Ju and grabbed its throat with her hands.
Xiao Ju's claws formed long bloody marks on her hand, but she didn't move, as if she didn't feel it. She held Xiao Ju tightly and then stabbed it in the neck with an art knife.
Xiao Ju quickly stopped moving. I was trembling all over, and I didn't dare to move and just stood there motionless.
I should have gone up to stop it so that Xiao Ju might survive. But… I'm really cowardly. Only if I would be half as brave as A-Xin.
After I realized that my body could move, I ran back without looking back and laid down on the quilt, trembling.
I heard the sound of her opening the door and coming in. I could feel her standing beside my bed for a long time and not leaving. I also heard the sound of water dripping on the ground, but I didn't dare to move or speak.
Please, go away.
I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything.
{x year x month x day, Rainy}
Something has changed, but I can't tell what it is.
I seem to have changed in the mirror, but no matter how I rubbed the mirror, it's blurry and I can't see anything clearly.}
{x year x month x day, Rainy
Today, the class monitor sent me the wrong test paper again. More and more people started to call me by the wrong name. What's going on?}
{x year, x month, x day, Rainy
I went to talk to A-Xin after class, but A-Xin looked at me with very unfamiliar eyes and left after saying a few perfunctory words.
Why? Did I do something wrong?}
{x year x month x day, Rainy
It was the weekend, but I didn't wait for my parents to pick me up. I went to ask the teacher at the security office, but the teacher was very surprised and told me that Xu Yuan's parents had already picked her up and gone home.
...
But I'm Xu Yuan.}
{x year x month x day, Rainy
The mirror is no longer blurry.
But that face inside is not mine.}
Wen Jianyan flipped page after page, looking at the gradually messy handwriting on it, and the goosebumps on his back came out layer by layer.
He couldn't help thinking of the monster in the mirror in the duty room downstairs.
As it gradually approached him, the simple facial features on the pale face changed little by little, until it became more and more like him.
Wen Jianyan shivered.
He calmed down and continued to flip the pages.
On the next page of the notebook, there were only a few messy words written: {Where did my face go?}
In the deadly silent dorm room, only the sound of the turning of pages could be heard.
The next page.
The shocking red letters were so powerful that they almost cut through the paper:
{Have you seen it?}
The next second.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck."
The sound as if the neck bones were twisting one by one came from behind, making a tooth-aching crunching noise.
——"Have you seen it?"
A soft female voice sounded behind his ear, and the cold tone seemed to be filled with deep malice.
The hair on the back of Wen Jianyan's neck stood up.
It was so close that the voice seemed to be coming from the back of his head. He could almost draw a picture in his mind — the head that was completely twisted behind his back slowly turned around and looked at him little by little.
Slowly revealing that… face that lost its facial features.
The temperature in the air dropped to the freezing point as if it could freeze a person's muscles and bones in an instant.
He didn't have time to think too much, and told a lie decisively:
"Yes!"
The "clucking" sound stopped.
The bedroom fell into deadly silence again.
However, Wen Jianyan could clearly feel that he wasn't alone, there was something… quietly staying behind him at the moment, watching and waiting.
"I know where your face is."
The young man sat upright and didn't look back. He just faced the air and asked, "Do you want to get it back?"
"I can help you."
His voice was calm as if filled with great self-confidence, there was an irresistible certainty in it.
However, no one could see the warm sweat sliding down his forehead, leaving a cold wet mark on his cheek.
"….."
Time passed minute by minute, and the standards of calculation seemed to be out of balance.
Wen Jianyan was staring in front of him, his eyes flickering.
His heart was beating wildly in the chest cavity, the blood was hitting his eardrums, and the high-pitched noise was pulled away from the ears.
He counted down in his mind.
9, 8, 7…
At the moment when the countdown reached zero, he would open the store as quickly as possible and buy life-saving props.
However, before that, Wen Jianyan wanted to take a bet.
Bet that he got it right.
5, 4, 3…
Suddenly, a familiar mechanical sound rang:
[Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for triggering the hidden item (legend) task: please find Xu Yuan's lost face. After the task was completed, you will get a hidden item (legend)!]
At the moment, when the voice fell, the temperature around him began to rise slowly, and the feeling of being stabbed in the back, as if being stared at by someone, also disappeared.
"….."
Wen Jianyan turned his stiff neck and carefully glanced behind his back.
Empty.
As if a big stone in his heart fell to the ground in an instant, the excessive pressure suddenly disappeared, causing Wen Jianyan's limbs to go numb.
Good, it's over.
According to the information he got from the audience, this Xu Yuan had never appeared in the previous live broadcasts and coupled with the contents of the diary, she herself was more like a victim. Even if there was residual resentment, she should be far less dangerous than the female ghost in the mirror before, and the appeal in her diary was also very clear.
Therefore, Wen Jianyan never changed his initial judgment.
Like a clue, not like a danger.
It seems he made the right choice.
[Legendary hidden item task! Aaaaaaaahh! So strong!]
[Is he really going to find the legendary hidden item?! No way, this one really has something strange about him.]
[Why are you so excited? It's not like legendry hidden item hasn't been unlocked in other more difficult live broadcasts, right?]
[Upstairs doesn't have to show a sense of superiority. I think you don't watch the live broadcast much, right? Most of the anchors are newbies in the live broadcast. Let alone legendry, even ordinary hidden items are hard to find. Even if you start a new account, you can only get difficult hidden items but open legendry item tasks… I really saw it for the first time.]
Wen Jianyan's upper body swayed, and he reached out to the railing beside him a little slowly, and then leaned out with a sullen face ―
"Yuck—!"
The barrage became lively again:
[I'm dying of laughter. Now, it can be seen that the anchor is really afraid.]
[While being afraid of ghosts, he can still deceive them. He is very professional.]
[Bah! Don't pretend!]
[Although I haven't torn down the anchor's trumpet[1] yet, it really isn't necessary to pretend to be a newcomer in such a simple and rude way, right!]
[No, isn't it? Do you really think the anchor is pretending? Is it necessary to pretend to be a chicken? Please don't make excuses.]
[Upstairs doesn't know. It's because of this host, that the difficulty and viewing rating of the live broadcast hall "Decai Middle School" have increased, how can this be a real chicken, I don't believe it!]
When the two waves of people were arguing, the old viewers who had been in the live broadcast room from the beginning were stunned:
[???]
[!!!???]
[What? What are you talking about?]
New viewers come up in the barrage:
[Ah? Don't you know?]
[I also came in because of this, otherwise how could I come to see this D-level instance.]
[+1]
[+1]
…
[+10086, if you don't believe me, go out and take a look, the rating at the entrance won't lie.]
The number of people in the barrage fluctuated sharply, first decreased significantly, and then increased again.
The audience who came back were all in a daze:
[…Crap, really, the rating has really changed.]
[Even the trumpet of the big shot can reach this level with such limited resources. He's really too strong…]
[Damn, no matter whether he is a rookie or a boss, I announce that I will live in this live broadcast room from now on!]
[Invest in shares in advance, you won't lose money!]
Wen Jianyan's face was white, and he crawled out of the bed in exhaustion.
The twitching caused by the tension in the stomach finally disappeared, but the physical discomfort caused by it has not completely disappeared yet.
The mirror that was upside down on the table disappeared at some point, replaced by a small key with a faded nameplate hanging on it, which seemed to be the key to a locker.
There was a crumpled note under the key, with a line of words scrawled on it:
"Classroom 408 on the fourth floor, locker 368, Time limit: before 1:00 a.m."
It seemed that he had to complete this so-called "mission" before the time limit was up.
But… Classroom 408?
Wen Jianyan remembered the words he overheard in the women's toilet before.
The room where the mirror was located was dormitory 408.
Was there any connection between these two rooms? Or was it just a coincidence?
Wen Jianyan read the note over and over several times, but he didn't find any other clues.
He put the note and the key in his pocket.
At this moment, the sound of the bell ringing came from downstairs: "Deng-Deng-Deng-"
The bell rang ten times.
Clear and loud, as if amplified by some unknown force for everyone in the dormitory to hear.
"Snap!"
The lights in the corridor suddenly went out.
"It's time to turn off the lights—"
In the distance, an old witch's voice came from downstairs.
Her voice became extremely strange. The original thick voice was mixed with a hissing sound, which seemed weird, and in the boundless darkness, it seemed extraordinarily strange, giving people goosebumps for no reason.
"You bastards, don't let me find out that you are still outside the dormitory… hehe."
"Ding!"
The familiar mechanical voice sounded in the ears of each anchor:
[The live broadcast mission has been updated.]
As if to push everyone into the depths of nightmares and fears, the emotionless voice continued to say:
[Released mission: Leave the dormitory after lights are turned off and explore the campus.]
[In order to bring a better viewing experience for the audience, please ensure that the live broadcast is smooth and does not disconnect!]
At the same time, Wen Jianyan heard a "ding" in his ear.
Immediately afterward, a few lines appeared in front of him.
[NPC teacher Yang alienation countdown: 00:00:01]
[NPC alienation completed.]
[Target of hatred: Xiao Wen]
[Under the anchor's unremitting death-courting and persistent provocation, you have finally become the target of NPC hatred! Congrats to the anchor for this honor! Everybody celebrate, congratulations!]
Wen Jianyan: "….."
…I have a dirty word that I don't know if I should say or not.