In Virtual Reality 20 ☆ Death Notice (4/25)

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Deep in thought, as Xu Jin Yi stood on the road outside the school cafeteria, she pondered over the events that had transpired after NPC Shen Jia's departure. The encounter had been a mere accident, but it prompted her to consider the limitations imposed upon her by the lack of a Campus One Card. There were many restricted areas within Dark Virtue University, such as the electronic doors of the dormitories and the laboratory building, that she could not access without one. Although the Leave of Absence provided a temporary solution within the canteen, it was uncertain if the rest of the school would follow suit. Yet to obtain a card, she was required to surrender the Leave of Absence to the counsellor, which she didn't want to do so soon. But then a sudden realization dawned upon Xu Jin Yi - who said it was necessary?

Due to excessive exposure to the PC gameplay, Xu Jin Yi's mind had developed a notion that turning in the Leave of Absence to the counsellor and completing the enrollment report was synonymous with obtaining a Campus One Card. However, it was crucial to understand that the campus pass was not issued by the counsellor. Upon reflection, one may realize that when a student ID was lost within the school premises, where was it typically found?

The confession wall or volunteer service number are often the first places to check for a lost student ID. If these options prove fruitless, one can always seek a replacement from a designated office. In the game's narrative, although the protagonist's student ID was temporarily deposited with a teacher, Xu Jin Yi could visit the Card Office and secure a replacement.

Perfect!

With the Leave of Absence and mobile phone safely stored away, Xu Jin Yi followed the school road to the playground of Light Virtue University. Having frequently played the Death Notice on her PC, she was familiar with the location of the Student ID replacement office, despite never having entered it. Upon arriving at the playground and encountering the door secured by a chain, Xu Jin Yi's gaze roamed along its perimeter until she came upon the modestly marked Card Office.

She stepped closer, studying the green and white sign with the words "Card Office" etched in bold letters. Through the transparent sliding glass doors, she could see a woman seated within.

With a gentle touch, Xu Jin Yi pushed open the door and, with a sigh of relief, discovered that it was not simply a background picture.

On the PC side, the mending office was utterly inaccessible. It took Xu Jin Yi an inordinate amount of time to find a way out of the map. With a stroke of luck, she managed to get in by exploiting a glitch, only to discover that the room was nothing more than a sticker, causing her to waste both time and nerves.

However, the remastered VR version brought her some solace.

Putting on a meek and coquettish demeanour, Xu Jin Yi approached the woman intently, who was staring at the computer screen and softly requested, "Teacher, could I please get a replacement Student ID?"

With a clicking of her neck, the woman sniffed and lifted her gaze to meet Xu Jin Yi's eyes. The woman's pupils were almost overflowing with tears as if they were filled with dark red liquid.

"Name, student number."

Good heavens, it seemed like every ghost in Death Notice had frightened Xu Jin Yi at first sight. But then, an NPC with a friendly demeanour, albeit peculiar, appeared before her. In the heat of the moment, Xu Jin Yi grabbed her phone and eagerly suggested, "Teacher, let's take a picture together!"

Woman: "...?"

"Name, student number." The NPC's voice was stiff and monotonous, showing no concern for Xu Jin Yi's fumbling hands.

"Silence, the school number is...," Xu Jin Yi hesitated, rolling her eyes before continuing with a smile, "160222."

Xu Jin Yi reported the school number of class 16.

The woman declared, "Students who have graduated should not receive a Student ID."

She returned her focus to the computer screen, her greenish-grey fingers rapidly typing away.

It appeared that even graduates were not eligible for a Student ID.

Unfazed, Xu Jin Yi pressed on, "Not even for alumni?"

To boost her status, Xu Jin Yi desperately tried to put gold on it.

However, the woman seemed oblivious and continued tapping away at the keyboard.

Her efforts proved fruitless.

Pausing to ponder the situation, Xu Jin Yi took the woman's words to heart.

Despite the fact that her Student ID had yet to be issued, she managed a warm smile and reached out to tap the desk. In a kind tone, she asked again, "Teacher, could I please get a replacement Student ID?"

With a click, the woman stiffened her expression and dutifully replied, "Name, student number."

"Silence, 190222," Xu Jin Yi answered.

**

In the end, Xu Jin Yi resorted to using her doctored junior identity, which proved successful.

She chose not to use her senior identity, as there were no senior students at Dark Virtue University, or at least she had yet encountered an NPC with a senior identity during her previous gameplay on the computer side.

As the protagonist in the game, 'he' was a freshman student from start to finish, battling various ghosts and monsters at all levels. Her death record was once over a thousand. Still, as her skills improved, she could enjoy the thrill of easily defeating everyone, even at level 1.

The blue and white Student ID flipped effortlessly at her fingertips as she pulled out her phone to check the time.

12:10.

It was lunchtime at the school, and the gamers usually were confined to their dormitories, as the [Dormitory Hygiene Cleaning] task was scheduled for noon. The results were to be checked and collected at 14:00 by the members of the student council.

Xu Jin Yi had difficulty navigating past the teachers and perished fifty times upon returning to the dorm due to the [Dormitory Hygiene Cleaning].

Her situation was so dire that she evaded the student council's inspection by fabricating an excuse to visit the counsellor.

And so, the counsellor's office became Xu Jin Yi's second home within Death Notice.

Xu Jin Yi felt a sense of freedom and excitement as she took advantage of the game's loopholes. The thrill of exploiting Death Notice was invigorating for her. She was happy, even if she wasn't sure if the counsellor was.

As she hadn't finished the quest report to the teacher, she wasn't yet assigned to a dormitory. This gave her a sense of freedom to roam the campus without worrying about running into a counsellor.

The canteen wouldn't open for another four or five hours, and the lab building, playground, and teaching building were off-limits during lunch break. The only place she could go was the dormitory building. Despite the restrictions, Xu Jin Yi still felt a sense of excitement and liberation as she explored the virtual world of Death Notice.

With a tight grip on her Student ID and a mischievous smile spread across her pink hoodie avatar, Xu Jin Yi basked in the thrill of her clever scheme.

**

The dorm region of Dark Virtue University was split into two distinct sections, with three structures allotted for male students and four designated for female students. Currently, only a mere 37 individuals remain on campus, labouring tirelessly to make everything spotless.

Holding a cloth in hand, Shen Jia vigorously scrubbed away.

He resided in Building 3, room 412 of the male dormitories. As a six-person dwelling, the interior of the dormitory was notably spacious. Yet, from the start of the academic year, only he, Xu Qin, and one other classmate remained from the original six occupants. Behind him, Xu Qin muttered a low curse, the sound of water continuously streaming from the sink never ceasing.

The towering young man grabbed a cloth and meticulously polished the mirror to a radiant shine, muttering curses under his breath, "I've never scrubbed so much in my life! Do those student union rascals think this place is going to become a laboratory? What's the purpose of all this cleanliness!"

Kneeling on the floor, Shen Jia busied himself with wiping away the dust beneath the tables and chairs. He sighed helplessly, "If you have the energy to complain, why not channel it into wiping more? We don't have enough dormitory points to spare this month."

Each individual in the dormitory was allocated 100 points per month, and daily inspections by the student council determined the number of points to be subtracted for cleanliness. When the cumulative points exceeded the allotted amount, the entire dormitory would face the consequences.

Worse still, when the dormitory occupancy was reduced from six to three, the total number of points allotted dropped to 300. Yet, the cleanliness of the three empty beds still factored into the overall dormitory hygiene evaluation.

In essence, the burden of six people had fallen onto the shoulders of three.

Breathing heavily, Shen Jia continued to toil away in resignation.

"Peng Jia Lang (彭佳浪) is nowhere to be found. If it weren't for the fact that the group size hasn't changed, I'd assume he's dead out there!" Xu Qin exclaimed with venom, slamming the cloth into the sink with frustration. "Even if he's slacking off, it's time for him to return!"

Putting the cloth aside, Shen Jia stretched out on the pristine floor, attempting to calm his breathing. It was a struggle, for he had skipped lunch, and his stomach was now rebelling in protest.

He shielded his brow with his right arm and exhaustedly closed his eyes.

After several curses, Xu Qin realized that no one was responding to him and cautiously peered out from behind the sink. To his surprise, he found Shen Jia lying prone on the dormitory floor.

"Shen Jia?!" he exclaimed, hastening to his side. His water-soaked hand was about to give Shen Jia a pinch.

"...... I'm not dead yet," grumbled Shen Jia, weakly swatting Xu Qin's hand to indicate that he was still alive.

Shen Jia weakly propped himself up, but Xu Qin had none of it. "You didn't eat at lunch, and now you're dizzy? How can you say it's okay?"

With a firm hand, Xu Qin pushed him back down. "Your face is as white as a sheet, and you expect me to believe that everything is fine?"

Undeterred, Xu Qin got up, grabbed a rag, and tidied up the last remnants of their shared dorm room. Striding towards the door, he announced, "Just wait here, I'll go to 411 and see if there's anything to eat."

Shen Jia could barely muster a response, his body weak from the effects of hypoglycaemia. He could only offer a low, defeated grunt.

Despite his doubts, Xu Qin pressed on. He knew that dinner might be his last chance of getting sustenance, but as he approached the door, he realized that he might not even make it to dinner. The looming threat of the student council loomed over him, and he feared that he might not even survive until noon.

The doorway was obstructed by Xu Qin's form, and the lack of light beyond did little to comfort him. Lying on the ground, Shen Jia struggled to keep his eyes open, squinting to make out the shapes blocking Xu Qin's path. To his horror, he saw three students, adorned with hanging tags and armed with pens and paper, standing in the way. It was the Student Union who came to check on them.

——— Translator's Notes ———

Peng Jia Lang

彭佳: Peng = surname , Jia = beautiful / fine / good . Lang = wave / breaker / unrestrained / dissipated / to stroll / to ramble, Beautiful Wave?

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