Chapter 2: Ivywood Girls’ Academy (2)

The Bald Man's death was so disgusting that almost everyone ran to the side to vomit.

Only a few people remained standing behind Smiling Tiger.

The short-haired girl frowned and murmured, "He didn't scream or struggle when he first entered, so why…"

Then, as if realizing something, she suddenly looked up.

It's the uniform!

When Rowan had asked about the uniform earlier, Smiling Tiger had said, "Well, it is school rule, after all."

So, the reason the Bald Man died the moment he stepped into the school building might have been that he wasn't wearing a uniform.

They had been fine not wearing uniforms outside, but the moment they entered the school building, they had to have them on.

That means the school rules have a specific range of effect.

Some of the smarter ones gradually caught on to this and frantically rushed to the wardrobe, grabbing the uniforms and putting them on—regardless of whether they were male or female.

There were plenty of uniforms in the wardrobe, so there was no need to worry about running out.

However, after witnessing a death firsthand, everyone was on edge, snatching at the uniforms in a frenzy. In the chaos, several girls were even shoved to the ground.

In the face of death, things like chivalry and etiquette were utterly meaningless.

At that moment, "Bang!"—another person jumped from the upper floors.

The sickening sound of flesh colliding with the ground sent chills down everyone's spines.

The players hurriedly put on their uniforms and followed Smiling Tiger.

⸻

Fourth Floor, Class 44

Smiling Tiger led the players into a classroom and instructed them to find seats. Then, he walked up to the blackboard and wrote down a few words—

Leo Carter.

"Welcome to Ivywood Girls' Academy, students," he said. "I am your homeroom teacher, Leo Carter. You are all top students that transferred from the First High School, and I believe you will lead the entire grade to excel and achieve the best results in this exam!"

After speaking, he placed his work badge on the podium and sat in his chair, silently observing the players' expressions.

Not a single one of them dared to speak. They didn't even dare to make eye contact with him.

Leo smiled. "This is your first time meeting each other. Since you'll be classmates from now on, why not take the next thirty minutes to introduce yourselves and get to know one another?"

"C-can we do that during the evening self-study session?"

A player asked timidly, terrified of unknowingly breaking a rule.

Leo nodded. "Of course. The timer starts now—thirty minutes. Use it well, because soon, you'll have an exam."

"An exam? What kind of exam?!"

The Muscular Man couldn't hold back his frustration and looked up at Leo.

Leo met his gaze. "A placement test, of course. Different students require different teaching methods, don't you agree?"

The sudden rhetorical question made the Muscular Man freeze.

"It's been over ten years since I graduated high school—how the hell am I supposed to pass an exam?!"

Given Smiling Tiger's ruthless nature, this exam was bound to be life-threatening.

For a moment, everyone was more focused on figuring out how to survive the exam rather than making introductions.

Then, Leo suddenly spoke again.

"Among you, some students are exceptionally gifted—some have even memorized the test bank. Why not seek their help?"

His words were like a bomb dropped into the ocean, sending waves rippling through the players.

"Them?"

Everyone quickly understood—

Some people here were different from the start.

Like him.

The Muscular Man's eyes snapped toward Rowan. "You! It's you, isn't it? You know something!"

He stormed up to Rowan, the dagger in his hand glinting under the moonlight.

Rowan sat in the seat last row by the window, his expression lazy and indifferent as if the destruction of the world had nothing to do with him.

"From the very beginning, you asked Smiling Tiger for a uniform. How did you know you needed one? Do you know the school rules?"

Everyone turned their gaze toward Rowan.

He was the most suspicious out of them…

Just as the Muscular Man said—why would Rowan think of wearing a uniform?

By all logic, why would a man put on a girl's uniform so easily?

Unless… he really knew something.

The short-haired girl also looked at Rowan, observing him calmly, trying to read his expression.

Rowan leaned forward slightly, resting one hand on the desk with his palm against his chin.

Under the moonlight, his dark red eyes glowed like a blood moon—mysterious and bewitching.

His lips parted slightly as he pointed toward the corpse downstairs and slowly said, word by word:

"This is a girls' school. I like crossdressing—especially in pink skirts."

The lone viewer in Rowan's livestream burst out laughing.

The Muscular Man: "..."

Realizing he was being played, the Muscular Man's face twisted in rage. He grabbed Rowan's wrist, squeezing it tightly.

"You little shit, you think this is funny?"

Yet Rowan acted as if he couldn't feel the pain at all. His lips curled into a smirk.

"Instead of wasting time interrogating a crossdressing enthusiast, why don't you ask if anyone has an identity card?"

"Identity card?"

The Muscular Man latched onto the unfamiliar term, his eyes flickering with interest.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Rowan said casually. "My name is Rowan Sterling. Since we're classmates now, let's get along, alright?"

Faced with Rowan's unbothered attitude, the Muscular Man had no choice but to let go.

"Jack Steele."

Stretching out his hand, the short-haired girl introduced herself next. "Yulia Reed."This is my second time in a dungeon. You're an experienced player too, aren't you?"

Rowan didn't shake her hand. He merely smiled. "I don't remember, but I suppose I am."

Yulia's expression remained neutral as she withdrew her hand.

Their conversation was brief—just a simple introduction.

But the entire room had been watching.

Some of the new players were utterly confused, staring at them in shock.

Others, though, were observing them with curiosity.

Yulia sighed, as if making up her mind, before speaking.

"We are all chosen individuals, players in the gods' game. This is only the first layer of the dungeon, and the mode is simple survival. As long as we follow the rules, we won't die. We just have to survive for seven days to clear the level."

She paused, glancing around.

Most of the players still looked completely lost.

So she continued.

"Humans chosen for this game must clear eighteen layers of horror dungeons to return to reality."

Rowan spoke up.

"And what's the selection criteria?"

His eyes carried a hint of amusement.

Yulia met his gaze.

To be honest, she does not know the answer either.

Just as she was about to respond with silence—

Leo, who had been quietly watching, suddenly spoke.

"It's Potential."

Rowan turned toward him.

For the first time, there was a flicker of genuine emotion in Leo's eyes.

Even a touch of madness.

"It is the potential to make our world less boring."

"Heh."

Rowan looked away, lazily resting his head on the desk, as if about to drift off to sleep again.

"Damn it," Jack Steele muttered, clearly frustrated. "So we're just their playthings, huh?"