In Virtual Reality 34 ☆ Death Notice (18/25)

[On Xu Qin's right, the ferocious monster burst through the door, her razor-sharp talons ensnaring Peng Jia Lang's neck. With a sickening crunch, the unfortunate young man perished.]

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[On Shen Jia's right, the raging beast shattered the entrance, her claws latching onto Xu Qin's neck. In an instant, the hapless youth met his demise.]

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[In the corner of the solitary lavatory, devoid of any other living soul, the monstrous fiend tore through the doorway, her gnarled and pointed talons clutching onto Shen Jia's delicate neck. With a brutal snap, the unfortunate young man breathed his last.]

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**

As Xu Jin Yi discovered that her progress was automatically saved and replaced upon entering the restroom. The order of the NPC's deaths was randomized, causing her to become stuck in the men's restroom storyline.

Xu Jin Yi pondered this predicament, rubbing her chin in thought, as she viewed the game's crimson interface displayed within her VR glasses. It seemed that luck would play a role in achieving the desired outcome.

Though NPCs could perish, Xu Jin Yi was determined to achieve a Happy Ending in her first playthrough. She could always explore other storylines and endings later.

Moreover, completing the Happy Ending could earn her recognition and accolades from the game's official personnel and the online community. As an exclusive game tester, this would also increase her popularity and lead to greater discounts for other games. Allowing her to indulge in her favorite lychee soda without breaking the bank.

With all these benefits in mind, Xu Jin Yi focused on her current environment and planned her next moves.

Lying on the sofa, the young woman concentrated intently, eager to overcome the challenges and emerge victorious in the "Death Notice" VR game.

Crazy Little Zhou's slamming of the door was a random act, but it followed a pattern.

The first door to be hit was safe, while the adjacent one became the prime target. With each slam, Crazy Little Zhou grabbed someone, leaving no door unturned.

The room's schematic diagram below:

____________ 冂冂冂冂冂

Door

__[wash basin]冂冂冂冂

The blueprint of the men's restroom with a sitting toilet and a door was nine cubicles in total, ignoring the urinals. The doors in the top and bottom rows were safe, but the occupants of the remaining three were doomed.

The door slammed by Crazy Little Zhou for the first time was absolutely safe, and the unlucky one is the door to the right of the safe door.

Consequently, the first door in both the upper and lower rows was entirely safe. Although the individual inside would undoubtedly feel frightened, they would not face a GAME OVER scenario.

And Crazy Little Zhou will definitely not leave without grabbing someone, but any of the other three inexperienced individuals who were captured would not survive.

Therefore...

Xu Jin Yi let out a deep sigh.

"Ultimately, it is me, the senior, who must bear the burden."

**

"—— Are you in there?"

The ghastly fist of the female ghost violently pounded against the wooden door, producing a spine-chilling and eerie laughter.

Shen Jia, who was hiding inside, firmly clamped Xu Qin's mouth shut and refrained from making any noise.

Once they entered the restroom, each of the four fled to a door. As Shen Jia was about to take cover in the compartment to the right of Xu Qin, Silence seized him and hurled him into the same compartment as Xu Qin.

The two large men huddled together in the same cubicle, trembling as they listened to the ghost's unsettling laughter outside their door.

Xu Qin's eyes were glazed over in terror: "We're done for!"

However, it appeared that they were not meant to meet their demise. The ghost battered down the wooden door next to theirs.

Relying on her agile reflexes and quickness, which she had sharpened through years of combatting monsters, Xu Jin Yi promptly wriggled out from underneath Crazy Little Zhou's arm and made a quick escape!

Departing the teaching building was not a wise decision since there were still 352 ghost patrols outside. Thus, Xu Jin Yi could only sprint up the left staircase.

Crazy Little Zhou was momentarily stunned, then with a shriek resembling an air defense siren, she bolted off in the direction that Xu Jin Yi had fled.

After roughly a minute, as they heard the sound of footsteps growing fainter and fainter, the remaining three cautiously emerged.

"Peng Jia Lang?"

"Shen Jia! Xu Qin!"

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The trio encountered each other, but their expressions were far from relieved.

"She hit the door where Silence hid." Shen Jia's face darkened with a mixture of anger and guilt. "If they hadn't pushed me away earlier, I would have been the one dead."

Xu Qin tried to comfort him by patting his back, but words remained unspoken between them

Shen Jia's mind was focused on the next course of action. "The first priority is to leave here and go back to our dorm," he said, closing the wooden door and scanning the area. The broken boards in the neighboring toilet cubicles were a reminder of the danger they faced.

"...You two go back first." Shen Jia had a plan, and it required him to go to the multimedia control room on the third floor. There, he hoped to find a button to control the class bell. He explained to Xu Qin and Peng Jia Lang, "I have observed that in this university, the school rules and regulations are the criteria for our survival. During class time, there are no students running around in the hallways, but there are fewer rules after class."

Xu Qin inquired, "What are you going to do there?"

Shen Jia replied with conviction, "I'm going to try to control the class bell. Once it rings, the campus security will come to investigate, and the situation here will be exposed. We will have a better chance of survival." He walked out the door and looked down the dark corridor, then turned to his two remaining roommates and said with a tinge of sadness, "Don't die, okay?"

"We can stay and help you, Shen Jia. Three heads are better than one," Peng Jia Lang said.

"I appreciate your help, but there's a saying, 'three blind men leading each other.' Do you know it?" Shen Jia refused, knowing that their success hinged on his ability to navigate the situation.

Silence, who was familiar with the university, had been chased away by Little Zhou and was not with them. Despite the risks, Shen Jia could not abandon Silence, who had helped them in the past.

As the one who had almost been beaten to death, Shen Jia felt guilty about his predicament. "Besides, Silence has helped us so much. I can't just leave them behind now, can I?"

Xu Qin pondered for a moment. "So... are we the burden?"

Shen Jia, feeling guilty about his predicament, responded with a pained expression, "No need to ponder, we've always been the burden." He knew his position well, and acknowledged that he needed Silence's help to get through this situation more than Silence needed them.

"Let's go," Without further ado, they discussed their plan and Shen Jia set off with determination, running towards their goal.

What attracts ghosts more: sound or light?

Having only fleeting encounters with the ghost patrols, Shen Jia remained uncertain for some time. Determined to experiment, he gritted his teeth and retrieved his phone, activating the flashlight mode and waving it about while shouting incoherently.

However, he refrained from shouting too loudly, as he feared that the Crazed Little Zhou, still lurking about the premises, might hear him.

To his surprise, the ghostly sentinels swiftly shifted from the left flank to the right, amassing below the second floor where Shen Jia was hiding, yet they didn't dare to enter the teaching building.

He glanced in the direction of the dormitory, but could only make out vague shapes; those two individuals must have seized the opportunity to retreat.

Shen Jia's second plan was now set in motion.

Turning off the flashlight, he stowed his phone in his pocket.

"---!!"

A piercing sound echoed faintly from above, startling Shen Jia, who swiftly concealed himself.

Rapid footsteps descended to the first floor, and Shen Jia peeked out only to glimpse the red hem of a dress vanishing around the corner.

Although he didn't hear a Silence's voice, Little Zhou was clearly in pursuit of something, and Shen Jia deduced that it must be the pink hoodie.

In his frenzied state, Little Zhou was relentlessly chasing after Silence. As Shen Jia had anticipated, Silence couldn't evade her for long.

Uncertain if his conjecture was accurate, Shen Jia knew he had to take a chance.

Racing upstairs, he reached the central multimedia control room.

Fortunately, the room was unlocked, the door slightly ajar. He pushed it open and rapidly located the button for the school bell.

The school bell system had two distinct modes - automatic and manual. During the daytime, the automatic bell would signal the start and end of classes, while the manual bell was reserved for emergency situations, with two buttons to activate the start and end of classes.

Shen Jiayi held his mobile phone in one hand and pushed the manual bell button with the other. Suddenly, his wrist became trapped in the control panel, rendering him immobile. In front of him, a colossal eye materialized on the wall, staring at him unblinkingly, as if questioning his random button-pushing. Shen Jiayi muttered sheepishly, "I didn't intend to cause any harm."

It dawned on him why the control room was not locked, but the question remained: was it truly useful? He slipped his phone in his mouth and activated the start of class button with his free hand, causing a piercing sound to pierce his head. Fortunately, his other hand was not ensnared.

As he assessed the situation, he couldn't ascertain whether it would be beneficial in the current predicament.

**

Unbeknownst to him, the bell had proven to be incredibly advantageous. Xu Jin Yi ran up and down the stairs, pursued by the manic Little Zhou, who was hot on her heels. Xu Jin Yi had barely eluded her on numerous occasions by sliding under Little Zhou's outstretched arms. She was now stuck in a stalemate with her pursuer when a high-pitched noise rang out.

Little Zhou, who had been sprinting after her, came to an abrupt halt and started moving slowly. Xu Jin Yi dashed towards the stairwell and peeked back, noticing that this was a chance to break free.

She dashed towards the wall of the male dormitory, intending to climb over and make her escape. However, she heard a cautious voice emanating from other side of the wall, asking, "Is that Shen Jia? Or Senior Silence?"

It was Xu Qin.

Xu Jin Yi asked, "Has Shen Jia returned?"

"He... he went to the control room on the third floor to help you with the class bell," Xu Qin said. "Do you need my help?"

"Just stay in the dormitory," Xu Jin Yi refused.

Xu Jin Yi refrained from further frivolity, realizing the gravity of the situation. Despite her extensive experience with multiple playthroughs, her luck had run dry, and leading the greenhorns proved more difficult than anticipated. This turn of events was unacceptable!

With a final warning to Xu Qin on the opposing side of the wall, Xu Jin Yi reluctantly made her way back to danger. Meanwhile, she dialed Shen Jia's number, determined to execute their plan flawlessly.

"Listen carefully," Xu Jin Yi uttered immediately as Shen Jia answered the phone, "is your hand restrained? Change the ringtone to 'Automatic' to disengage the lock. I'm positioned outside the educational facility, and Little Zhou is still inside."

"Shen Jia, pay attention! As soon as you press 'Automatic,' an alarm will blare instantaneously, and Little Zhou's speed will soar. You need to press the button and rush to the second floor, specifically room 204. Remember, the second floor!"

"Room 204, middle window! Little Zhou's speed is alarmingly fast, and 204 is the closest and safest height from which you can jump. I won't be able to catch you if you go any higher."

"Remember, it's room 204! And you must hurry! Little Zhou is currently sweeping through each floor. Once you've pressed the button, descend the central staircase and sprint towards room 204, the middle window. Do you understand?!"

Shen Jia inhaled deeply, his eyes resolute but his voice quivering imperceptibly. "I understand."

After hanging up, he gazed at the still staring gigantic eye and pressed 'Automatic.'

The eye shut instantaneously, and the restraints relinquished.

All at once, an intense wave of terror engulfed Shen Jia's entire body!

Acting on instinct, he pushed open the partially ajar control room door and bolted!

She's upstairs!

The urgent footsteps echoed in Shen Jia's ears, and the shrill laughter of the monster drew closer and closer.

Although he had only descended one floor, it felt as if he had scaled towering mountains and treacherous cliffs.

204...204...!

He sprinted left after reaching the lower floor and quickly found the door to Classroom 204 on his left.

As he barged through the door, Shen Jia made a beeline for the middle window, taking a step forward —

— the middle window was without glass and Shen Jia fell straight down. In an instant, his bones collided with what felt like the hard alloy door frame.

Xu Jin Yi stood at the back of the teaching building, arms outstretched to catch him.

Thankfully, this was just a VR game! If a big guy like Shen Jia, who stood over six feet tall, fell from the second floor in real life, her arms would have snapped in two if she tried to catch him.

Safely cradled in Xu Jin Yi's embrace, Shen Jia was carried away at breakneck speed, dodging the phantom patrols that lurked in the shadows. Finally, they arrived at the male dormitory area.

Shen Jia felt so dizzy and nauseated that he almost vomited, recalling how he had felt nothing when he rode a roller coaster for the first time.

But being carried by Xu Jin Yi was an entirely different kind of roller coaster ride.

**

That night, there were no dreams in the game. Xu Jin Yi didn't stay up late, retiring at the designated time.

The following morning, as soon as she logged in, Ah Ma messaged her to let her know that the scattered, small-sized noodles had sold out.

After procuring additional supplies from the canteen manager, Ah Ma organized the thirty-plus members of their group to pay for the noodles they had eaten.

You cannot simply partake in food and drinks and always promise to repay later.

Fortunately, she accumulated somes chool hours for her efforts.

While Shen Jia enjoyed a leisurely morning, his roommates were occupied with a full course load.

"Night exploration seems challenging," Xu Jin Yi contemplated, "Perhaps a daytime expedition would be more feasible."

What triggered her sudden lack of faith in her luck changing?

In the past, Xu Jin Yi stood out amongst thousands of hopefuls to receive free game prizes from the gaming website.

Shen Jia voiced no objections. When Ah Ma disclosed the total academic points earned, she inquired, "May I accompany you on this venture?"

As of late, Ah Ma was occupied with organizing students; now that all was finished, she had some free time.

"Absolutely," Xu Jin Yi assented, "We aim to discover new materials from the campus vending machine."

Located in the library area on the fourth floor of the lab building, the vending machine piqued their curiosity.

In addition, they intended to explore the library in the daylight.

The specters, though present, were less belligerent during daytime hours. Even if they were to come across Little Zhou again, the entity would not dare to pursue them with such hostility as before.

That was an extremely aggressive encounter.

Xu Jin Yi made a definitive choice and led the new squad to the fourth floor of the lab building.

After their initial visit, Shen Jia grew familiar with the layout. The trio made their way to the fourth floor by ascending the stairs and, this time, did not encounter Little Zhou.

Upon unlocking the door to the library, Xu Jin Yi guided them to the vending machine situated in the corner.

Through the red and white glass facade, one could observe numerous beverages. The prices listed on the top astounded Ah Ma.

The young girl's frustration was palpable as she leaned heavily against the transparent vending machine, her eyes filled with anger at the revelation that obtaining a single bottle of drink required a staggering 100 school hours. "What's the point in giving me a drink if you can just steal my money directly?" she seethed, her tone laced with anger.

Xu Jin Yi chuckled in response, recognizing the girl's initial reaction as being similar to her own. However, she saw the value in the HP and SAN healing "functional drink," and proceeded to demonstrate by swiping her campus card for 80 and selecting the "coffee powder" option.

"Compared to the somewhat complicated pasta, coffee made from powder and water is much more convenient, right? Not to mention, ghost students love it too."

Suddenly, Ah Ma interjected, "Excuse me, there seems to be a problem."

Shen Jia, standing behind Xu Jin Yi, also noticed and spoke up, "It seems to be stuck."

Xu Jin Yi turned to investigate and was puzzled to find that the "coffee powder" had disappeared without a trace.

Frustration began to mount within her, and she struggled to contain the urge to smash the machine in anger. After taking a deep breath, Xu Jin Yi crouched down and felt around the vending machine exit. "Could it be here...?" she muttered to herself.

As she probed, her fingers brushed against something unexpected, something that didn't feel like a package of "coffee powder." Instead, it felt like a fat hairband.

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