5 analyse

In the cafeteria the next morning, Liu Yang and Li Jian sat beside Zhang Yaoyang, eating and chatting.

"So, you're saying you dreamed I pushed you off the dormitory building?" Zhang Yaoyang, curious, interrupted their conversation as they sat around a table.

"Yeah, it was you!" Liu Yang replied, somewhat incredulously. "I guess seeing Da Zhuang jump off the building during the day led to some subconscious thoughts at night. But seriously, that dream felt so vivid, like I actually fell off the building."

"By the way, I heard there was a fire at the supermarket we often go to last night, and many people died," Li Jian suddenly spoke up. "The news lately is filled with deaths all over the world, it's unsettling."

"It might just be a coincidence, who knows what got into Da Zhuang," Liu Yang shook his head silently. "Neither Gao Yu nor Chu Han came back to the dorm last night, looks like they're also planning to move out."

"Yeah, with things like this happening, who would dare to stay in our dorm?" Li Jian nodded, taking a bite of his steamed bun. "I'm thinking of moving out too."

With Li Jian's announcement, Zhang Yaoyang and Liu Yang fell silent.

"That's probably for the best. After all, it's a dorm where people have died. The sooner we move out, the better," after a while, Liu Yang seemed to have made up his mind, turning to Zhang Yaoyang. "Crow, why don't you move out too? Come with me to dorm 602, there are two empty beds there."

"Let's see," Zhang Yaoyang sighed, falling into silence.

After breakfast, the three of them headed to the classroom. Despite what had happened, life had to go on, and they couldn't afford to fall behind in their studies.

In the classroom, Zhang Yaoyang sat quietly in a corner, appearing attentive to the lesson. However, only he could see the bright black dialogue box in front of him.

Dream Forge: 2788.

SAN: 87.

Abilities: Dream Detection (Basic), Dream Intrusion (Basic).

Dreamscape: Unopened.

"My Dream Forge value increased by 10 points, but my SAN value decreased," Zhang Yaoyang frowned. He glanced at Liu Yang, who was busy on his phone in front of him, pondering. "Is it because I entered his dream? Or did I alter his dream?"

Zhang Yaoyang remembered that his SAN value was 90 points last night. But after Liu Yang woke up startled, he felt a headache, and his SAN value immediately dropped by 5 points. After a night's sleep, it had increased by 2 points.

"No, I don't have enough information to analyze," Zhang Yaoyang shook his head. Suddenly, he took out the strange figurine from the desk drawer again. It remained motionless, just like before.

But Zhang Yaoyang no longer saw it as an ordinary item. Last night's experience explained everything.

"Since I have some time now, let's analyze it from the beginning."

Zhang Yaoyang stared at the figurine, his mind racing. "Within a month, three suicides occurred at school. I checked online and found out that the first student's suicide date coincided with the day Li Da Zhuang started making this figurine."

"Ten days later, the second student committed suicide. Then, after Li Da Zhuang finished making this figurine, he also committed suicide... And then there was my dream last night. If all of this isn't related to this figurine, I wouldn't believe it."

"However, I have a feeling that this figurine is just a medium. The real reason for the suicides might be related to the figure in my dream!" Thinking this, Zhang Yaoyang's pupils contracted slightly. He recalled the indescribable figure from last night, feeling a chill creeping over him. Simultaneously, on the interface only he could see, the SAN value flashed, changing from 87 to 86.

"So that's it?"

Surprised, Zhang Yaoyang took a deep breath, seemingly realizing something. Recalling the terrifying figure once more, this time, perhaps due to familiarity, he felt slightly better, without the previous chill. And the SAN value on the interface didn't continue to decrease.

"I think I'm starting to understand what this SAN value is..." Zhang Yaoyang raised his head, lost in thought again.

Fifty minutes later, as the class ended, Zhang Yaoyang was the first to leave the classroom. As he walked out, his SAN value on the interface rose from 86 to 87 again, with no other changes.

Vaguely, Zhang Yaoyang had a conjecture.

Quietly returning to the dorm, he turned on his computer and casually logged into a video website. In the search bar, he typed 'Ju-On' and started watching the movie.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the dorm seemed to chill.

In about ninety minutes, Zhang Yaoyang almost blinked his way through most of the movie, sometimes getting so engrossed that he jumped at the ghostly figures on screen. As the film neared its end, a creeping sense of unease settled in, prompting him to check the interface again, raising an eyebrow in response.

Sure enough, the column representing his SAN value had dropped from 87 to 86.

"SAN value seems to reflect my mental state," Zhang Yaoyang pondered silently. "But what exactly does this number signify? Fear level? Mental stability? Or perhaps... my sanity?"

"If this is all the doing of that creature from my dreams, why did Li Dazhuang lose it while I remained intact? What sets me apart from him?"

Shaking his head with a hint of frustration, Zhang Yaoyang's SAN value unexpectedly dropped again to 85 as he pondered further. Clearly, thoughts of the eerie figure from his dreams caused a subtle decline in his SAN value, though he seemed to be gradually becoming immune to the memory of that figure.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

Lost in thought, Zhang Yaoyang was startled by the sudden ringing of the phone. Fishing it out from his pocket, he saw it was Liu Yang calling.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Yaoyang, Li Jian and I ran out of toothpaste. We're heading to the supermarket to grab some. Want to join us at Sunshine Supermarket?"

"To the supermarket? Sure, I actually need to restock on shampoo from last time."

"We'll wait for you at the supermarket entrance."

"Got it, I'll be there in a moment."

Ending the call, Zhang Yaoyang quickly got up and headed out. Unnoticed, the computer screen, left open, displayed a pop-up window slowly emerging from the bottom right corner...

Sunshine Supermarket was just a block away from Zhang Yaoyang's third-rate university. All the students had the habit of shopping there, so when he heard "supermarket," Zhang Yaoyang instinctively headed in the familiar direction.

Within seven or eight minutes, he arrived at the supermarket entrance, finding it unusually deserted, likely due to the midday lull. Not a soul was in sight on the entire street.

Failing to spot his roommates, he pulled out his phone, but before he could dial Liu Yang's number, he felt a heavy pat on his back.

Startled, he turned around to find Liu Yang and Li Jian smiling behind him.

"What are you standing there dumbfounded for? Let's go in," they chimed in unison.

"You two rascals!" Zhang Yaoyang shook his head in resignation, then turned and walked through the supermarket's entrance.

Inside, the flow of people increased noticeably. Many pushed shopping carts silently through the aisles, occasionally accompanied by murmurs. However, Zhang Yaoyang furrowed his brow, "The supermarket's air conditioning seems to be blasting today."

Despite it being September, well past the peak of summer, he couldn't shake the feeling of chilliness in the air, as if the AC was set too high.

Shrugging, he made his way to the household goods section. A lady in a work uniform approached with a smile, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Just browsing," Zhang Yaoyang waved her off politely. But after taking a few steps, he felt something amiss.

He stopped, turned back with suspicion, "Hey, you two, why so quiet today?"

In his wake, Liu Yang and Li Jian stood silently, their countenances adorned with smiles, yet their voices remained silent.

"Excuse me, pardon me," another voice chimed in, disrupting the tranquility. Zhang Yaoyang turned to find a middle-aged man with glasses pushing a shopping cart, a genial smile gracing his lips.

"Oh, of course," Zhang Yaoyang stepped aside courteously, allowing the man to pass. Behind him, a young couple continued their animated conversation, their smiles mirroring the man's as they approached.

As the group passed by, Zhang Yaoyang narrowed his eyes, a vague unease settling in his gut. Something was amiss, but the source of his disquiet eluded him.

His pocket suddenly buzzed violently, jolting him from his thoughts. Retrieving his phone, he saw Liu Yang's name flashing on the screen.

"You..." Zhang Yaoyang's incredulous gaze swept over Liu Yang and Li Jian, who remained motionless, their unsettling smiles fixed upon him.

Silence.

In an instant, the entire supermarket descended into eerie stillness. Even the middle-aged man froze in his tracks, his head twisting unnaturally to maintain his smile, his eyes locking onto Zhang Yaoyang.

And the young couple, the lady in the work uniform who had spoken earlier, and every other patron in the store—all halted mid-action, their faces frozen in identical, deathly smiles directed at Zhang Yaoyang.

Drip!

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Zhang Yaoyang's forehead, splashing onto the ground with a hollow echo.

It was then, in that chilling moment, that he finally realized—the smiles adorning every face in the supermarket... were all identical...

As if drawn by the hand of a child, crude and yet hauntingly stiff...