Zuo Lin'an quickly selected a player. Taking an inconspicuous step amidst the chaos, he quietly materialized behind his target.
However, just as his knife was about to pierce the person's neck, they suddenly spun around as if having anticipated the attack and threw something at him.
【Player has used a specter item. You have been immobilized for ten seconds!】
Rooted to the spot, Zuo Lin'an's mouth twitched. He wasn't afraid of special effects that repelled specters, but he dreaded this kind of crowd control. If there were too many of them, they could truly chain-control him to death.
For the next ten seconds, he stood frozen on the spot, unable to budge even an inch.
While hunting down players, that rascal Xu Youyou even wandered over to him with a grin, waving his hand in his face.
He was practically begging for a beating.
Fortunately, a moment later, Xu Youyou caught up to the player who had used the specter item on Zuo Lin'an. He violently twisted the player's head off, which could be considered avenging his friend.
Not bad. They could still be brothers.
Once the ten seconds passed, Zuo Lin'an regained his mobility. However, that brief window was enough for the other players to flee into the distance, leaving only a few gruesomely mangled corpses scattered around him.
Zuo Lin'an scanned his surroundings. With a swift step forward, he began chasing after the players who were clutching specter items, ready to use them against the specters at a moment's notice.
The remaining specters also intentionally let go of any players fleeing toward Academic Building No. 5.
By the end of the slaughter, only five of the eleven specters had survived.
As for the others, they had all been repelled by the players.
Once the cafeteria fell completely silent, the principal stood at the blood-stained, messy entrance of the cafeteria.
“Just now, two Specter Masters fled toward Academic Building No. 5.”
Zuo Lin'an frowned slightly.
“There were already several Specter Masters over there. Now with two more, they'll be even harder to deal with.”
Xu Youyou glanced at the time.
“There are only about a dozen minutes left before midnight. Do we continue hunting down the players?”
The principal had been repelled once earlier due to carelessness.
Fortunately, this was only his first time being repelled during this Scarlet Dream. Thus, respawning at the administrative building only took five seconds. It took him another few seconds to rush back, which didn't really impact anything.
Zuo Lin'an said, “The principal still has four more five-second respawn opportunities. With over ten minutes left before the end, it would be a waste to let them go unused. Let's head over to the dormitory area first and check things out.”
“We should at least maximize the value of those remaining four respawns.”
The principal replied, “Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking.”
Suddenly, Zuo Lin'an caught something out of the corner of his eye and shifted his gaze.
“Hmm?”
Looking closer, he confirmed what it was. The object was currently pinned beneath the severed limb of a player's corpse.
Xu Youyou followed his gaze.
“What is it?”
Zuo Lin'an took a few steps forward, kicked the corpse aside, and bent down to pick up the blood-covered object.
He shook off the blood on it, allowing everyone to see what it was.
Xu Youyou gasped, “It's a card!”
Zuo Lin'an turned the card over in his hand, examining it before slipping it into his pocket.
“Once we leave the Scarlet Dream in about ten minutes and return to reality, we'll know if NPCs like us can bring these out.”
Xu Youyou said, “Then I'll look around too. There should be seven cards dropped here in the cafeteria as well.”
Even though many players had just escaped, it was hard to say.
What if? What if some of the players they killed were also carrying cards?
At this point, Xu Youyou suddenly thought of something and turned to ask the principal.
“Principal, can we take them out?”
The principal was actually a bit surprised.
“In the past, no specters have ever tried to take cards out. Of course, they wouldn't be able to anyway. Student NPCs can, but they have no reason to do so.”
“But your situation is different. Although you are student NPCs, you are also specters.”
Zuo Lin'an said, “So, we still have to try and see if it works?”
The principal replied, “Yes, give it a try. It would be great if it works.”
Xu Youyou searched the area and actually managed to find two cards. After putting them away and confirming there were no other cards left, he walked back to Zuo Lin'an. “That's about it. Let's head to the dormitory area first to check on the situation.”
Meanwhile, near Academic Building No. 5.
Two Specter Masters were leading about a dozen people toward the building.
Several guards dressed in school uniforms standing watch nearby immediately shouted to stop them.
“Halt!”
The group stopped as ordered.
“Gentlemen, we have come to seek refuge with His Majesty. We hope you can grant us passage.”
The two guards exchanged looks, and one of them said, “Wait here.”
Having said that, he headed up to the second floor.
After finding someone on the second floor to report to, that person went straight up to the sixth floor to inform the Tianlong Guard stationed near the stairs.
The Tianlong Guard looked down from the corridor and spotted the group of over ten people. The two leading them, in particular, looked like they were not to be trifled with.
“Alright, I will inform His Majesty.”
The Tianlong Guard bypassed the two players with 【Spirit Vision】 and walked toward Class Two, entering only after receiving Xuan Jingyuan's permission.
“Your Majesty, a group of over ten people has arrived outside.”
“They were reportedly hiding in the cafeteria, but it was just subjected to a coordinated specter attack. They fled here to seek refuge with Your Majesty. Two of them are Specter Masters.”
Xuan Jingyuan pondered for a moment and nodded.
“Very well. First, inquire about their talents and specter items. Those with sufficient capability may go to the third floor, the average ones to the second floor, and the useless ones shall remain on the first floor.”
Clearly, those allowed on the second and third floors possessed some value. As for the first floor...
“Understood.”
The Tianlong Guard bowed and quickly departed.
The dozen or so people waiting outside the academic building were quickly brought inside.
Naturally, the two Specter Masters were sent to the third floor. After all, anyone who could become a Specter Master possessed at least two permanent specter items, and some had even cleared Three-Star difficulty Daily Dungeons.
Next, five people were sent to rest on the second floor.
The remaining seven useless individuals were, of course, kept on the first floor, casually assigned to classrooms that still had empty seats.
Looking at the cowering, terrified people inside, they immediately realized that the first floor was not a good place to be.
If a specter attacked, wouldn't the people on the first floor be the first to die?
Someone immediately ran outside to ask the guards, only to be warned not to cause trouble, or else they would be thrown out.
At this, they all quieted down.
Staying here at least gave them some peace of mind. Even if the guards outside wouldn't protect them if a specter appeared, they would at least sound the alarm immediately.
However, one frail-looking man who wasn't wearing a school uniform didn't sit down right away. Instead, he stood there, hesitating and looking deeply conflicted.
He seemed to be debating whether to do something, entirely unaware that his unusual behavior had already been noticed by one of the soldiers guarding the outside.
Rate on N.U.
