“Ah!!”
Several of the women let out sharp, brief shrieks and instinctively backed away to the very rear of the room.
Some even pressed themselves against the wall and turned their heads away, not daring to look.
Only then did Zuo Lin'an notice that Instructor An's specter had released one of its hands from the death row inmate's neck at some point.
It was this very hand that had pierced straight through the convict's body from behind, pulling out his heart and crushing it.
Watching this, An Wen looked highly satisfied and withdrew his specter.
As the specter's figure slowly faded and vanished, Zuo Lin'an finally let out a soft sigh of relief.
This was his first time seeing a specter, and its terrifying appearance had truly left him shaken.
An Wen glanced out at the corridor. A few staff members had already finished cleaning up the scattered body parts outside and were now arriving at their classroom.
He waited until the corpse inside the classroom was cleared away and the bloodstains were wiped clean before resuming his lecture.
“The way that death row inmate was killed just now is what I call a specter's method of execution.
Simply strangling someone to death with your bare hands has too low a level of cruelty. If you were to clash with other specters, your chances of losing would be quite high.
So, this subsequent act of piercing the chest and crushing the heart can, to some extent, be considered a supplement to my specter's cruelty.”
“Now that you've witnessed two instances of a specter executing its Death Rule firsthand—one from a distance and one through direct contact—I assume you all have a very clear understanding of what a method of execution is.
Next, look behind you.”
Everyone turned to look. Laid out at the back of the classroom were numerous weapons. They were all melee weapons, and they all looked remarkably compact.
These were likely the weapons An Wen had mentioned earlier—unobtrusive items that every student could carry with them into Sin Hunter City.
Since they couldn't afford to let other criminals notice them, the weapons had to be small and easy to conceal.
“Everyone, pick a weapon you like, one that feels comfortable, or one you're used to using. After that, we will begin our special training in killing techniques.”
Some of the students hesitated, but there were also those who acted decisively.
Zuo Lin'an, for instance, had no reservations.
After all, he had made his decision long ago. At this stage, emotions like hesitation and doubt had no place in his mind.
He still remembered what Instructor An had said before.
The most crucial and dangerous final step of becoming a Human-Specter Symbiont was fusing with the illusory specter body.
The success rate of this fusion depended entirely on how deep their inner obsession was to become a dungeon boss—or rather, a Human-Specter Symbiont.
Any hesitation or doubt now would turn into sharp swords stabbing back at them during the final fusion stage, ultimately leading to failure and total death.
As Zuo Lin'an approached, he scanned the selection. Ultimately, he chose a gleaming boning knife. It was about the size of his palm, with a blade roughly twelve centimeters long.
He casually twirled the knife in his hand before sheathing it with satisfaction.
After seeing the horrific deaths of both the student in the corridor and the death row inmate, he had formed a basic concept for his own method of execution.
The bloodier and more cruel it was, and the more discomfort it caused, the more vicious the Death Rule would be.
What could be more brutal than flaying skin, scraping bones, and tearing a body to pieces?
Perhaps... no, there definitely was.
But for now, this was the limit of what Zuo Lin'an could manage. After all, he was still a living human, and he had to consider the environmental factors within Sin Hunter City.
Xu Youyou glanced at the boning knife in his hand and picked up an identical one.
There were a few other students nearby who were also carefully making their selections.
One of the girls walked over and picked up a boning knife as well.
Zuo Lin'an glanced at her, feeling like she looked somewhat familiar.
However, she merely spared them a glance before turning and walking away.
Zuo Lin'an didn't dwell on it. Perhaps he was mistaken.
By now, those who had hesitated were also stepping forward to choose their weapons. Yet, judging by their expressions, they still hadn't fully adjusted to the idea.
The looks they directed at Zuo Lin'an and Xu Youyou were filled with surprise.
After all, the two of them were the youngest in the room. Realizing that they, as adults, weren't even as decisive as two kids in school uniforms left many of them feeling rather embarrassed.
Xu Youyou and Zuo Lin'an stepped aside to make room for the others.
“Brother An, have you thought of a method of execution?”
Zuo Lin'an replied, “Ideally, the more miserable the death, the better. But we must take the situation inside Sin Hunter City into account—things like environmental and time constraints, as well as other criminals.
Instructor An mentioned before that criminals are not allowed to kill each other in Sin Hunter City. That means we absolutely cannot be seen when we kill, or our identities will be exposed.
So when we strike, if conditions allow, we must find a secluded spot and act as quickly as possible.”
“Under limited conditions, we should make it as cruel and bloody as we can.”
Xu Youyou nodded. “I watched my mom kill people a few times before, so I'm already used to it.”
Zuo Lin'an recalled that Xu Youyou's mother was the specter that Aunt Mei had fused with.
“I've never seen it myself. Why don't you tell me about it?”
Xu Youyou said, “My mom can use specter power to manifest nine knives out of thin air. They stab into the target's eyes, neck, limbs, and heart. The heart gets two knives, piercing it from both the chest and the back.
Finally, she manifests a rope, wraps it tightly around their neck, hangs them up, and strangles them to death.”
Zuo Lin'an was somewhat surprised. “They're hanged in the end?”
Xu Youyou nodded. “Yes. The stabbing process only causes excruciating pain, but it doesn't kill them.”
“Apparently, when a specter executes a Death Rule, it uses its own power to temporarily keep the victim clinging to their last breath until the execution of the rule is complete.”
Zuo Lin'an realized, “I see.”
At this point, Xu Youyou suddenly leaned in closer and whispered, “Do you remember the girl who chose a boning knife just like us?”
Zuo Lin'an nodded. “What about her?”
Xu Youyou asked, “Don't you think she looks a bit familiar?”
Zuo Lin'an was startled. So it wasn't just his imagination?
“Have we met her before?”
Xu Youyou shook his head and glanced toward Instructor An at the front of the room.
“Don't you think she looks a bit like our instructor?”
Realization dawned on Zuo Lin'an!
That was it. No wonder she looked so familiar; he just hadn't made the connection before.
Could... Instructor An be related to her?
“Forget it, it's none of our business.”
Xu Youyou was about to say more when An Wen interrupted them.
“Have you all chosen your weapons?”
He stood at the classroom door, dragging a human mannequin in from outside. Seeing that everyone had made their choice, he nodded with satisfaction.
“Since you've made your choices, let's take a look at this mannequin first.
Next, I'll explain the areas of the body where you can deliver a fatal blow in the shortest time possible...”
Rate on N.U.
