Chapter 12: Learning Without Reflection Leads to Ruin

“What does ‘non-lethal’ mean?”

Wu Wang recalled that the emblem on the other person’s school uniform was different from his own.

Since Uncle Baili Dao seemed willing to teach, it was best to clarify.

After all, his role was that of a complete novice; he had nothing to fear from raising suspicion.

“Non-lethal means that if you fail the mission or die in this instance, you won’t truly die. At worst, you’ll lose your equipment, drop levels, or face similar penalties,” Baili Dao reassured him, patting his shoulder. “This kind of instance is as rare as winning the lottery. You’ve got really good luck, kid.”

He was telling the truth.

A newbie encountering a non-lethal targeted instance—such extraordinary luck was unprecedented.

Even Tu Xingsun beside them chuckled, saying, “Don’t be afraid. This is a team instance. We’re not monsters with three heads and six arms; we won’t eat you.”

“Hmm, I see. You’re just a two-armed one,” Wu Wang replied thoughtfully.

“?”

Tu Xingsun was momentarily stunned.

Why did it feel like he was being insulted? But he couldn't find any fault with what was said.

Seeing the others growing impatient, Baili Dao waved his hand and said, “Let’s split up and investigate why there’s truancy here. Maybe we can farm some valuable rewards from the source.”

This was a normal, unspoken rule in multiplayer instances.

Gather clues, exchange information.

No one would kindly carry a useless player through the instance.

“Uh, before we split up, how about we go to class first?” Wu Wang’s sudden suggestion interrupted the plan.

He then pointed at the dormitory door, or more precisely, at a small, inconspicuous note stuck at the edge.

It read: “Late to class, locked in the black room.”

Baili Dao whipped his head around and saw the note stating—

[Late to class: one hour confinement in the black room]

[Disrespect to teachers: one day confinement in the black room]

[Violation of school rules: severe punishment]

[…]

The note was small and torn halfway, only three lines were visible.

The “black room” mentioned in the mission appeared.

Since there was a side quest about the mystery of the black room, it was clear this was no joking matter. It was almost certain there were ghosts involved!

As for the strict school rules…

Most likely, they were deadly rules.

Baili Dao glanced at Wu Wang in surprise.

The door was already plastered with a messy assortment of study schedules, vocabulary lists, even physics formulas. That tiny note, no bigger than half a palm, was easy to overlook even if you searched deliberately.

He had been watching Wu Wang the entire time.

Wu Wang had noticed the note the instant Baili Dao turned away.

Such keen observation!

“Is it class time now? How do you know?” the masked woman frowned.

She hadn’t seen any clocks or class schedules inside the dorm.

Wu Wang opened the door as he answered, “A minute ago, there were lots of footsteps running in the hallway outside. Now, hardly anyone is moving. I guess they’re rushing to class to avoid being late.”

“…”

Everyone exchanged glances.

About three seconds later,

Tu Xingsun couldn’t help but curse, “Damn! You should’ve said this earlier!”

The moment he finished speaking, the four dashed out like arrows released from a bow, panicking as they ran downstairs.

Sure enough, only a few students remained, desperately sprinting toward the teaching building.

“I’m in Senior Grade 3, Class 1. How about you?” Baili Dao quickly asked.

“Class 7.” “Class 3.” “Class 5.”

The three answered simultaneously.

Their school uniforms, upon entering Gaoshan High School, bore an added student ID badge on the left chest, showing their names and class numbers.

“Alright! Everyone, be careful!”

With that, the four sprinted onward.

Fortunately, the teaching building was nearby, and clear signboards marked each classroom’s floor and location.

Though this saved them time searching,

By the time Baili Dao burst into Senior Grade 3, Class 1, it was already packed.

On the podium stood a middle-aged man wearing glasses with lenses as thick as bulletproof glass. He wore a plain gray suit, had his hair slicked back meticulously, and bore a stern expression.

“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and come in! You’re a minute late!”

The presumed teacher’s voice brimmed with anger, clearly displeased by their borderline tardiness.

Luckily, they weren’t officially late.

Baili Dao sighed in relief.

After apologizing, he entered the classroom.

Only one seat remained empty—it must be his.

But as he approached, his expression suddenly shifted.

“Why are you here?” Baili Dao whispered.

Answering was none other than the novice with the ID “Widower”!

But how did he get into the classroom before him?

When the four ran out, hadn’t he still been inside the dorm?

The dorm was six stories tall.

And most puzzlingly, he was still wearing that strange military gear. How did the teacher let him in?

Glancing at the teacher on the podium who was not paying attention to this side, Baili Dao sat down and turned to Wu Wang beside him.

“Tell me, how did you run so fast?”

“Instead of worrying about that, you should be concerned about what’s about to happen,” Wu Wang said calmly as he pulled a notebook from his drawer.

Baili Dao looked puzzled.

Wu Wang explained, “This records all the exam scores for the whole class this semester.”

He then pointed to the last name on the list—Liu Yang.

Baili Dao immediately sensed something was wrong.

Only Liu Yang’s name was marked in red.

“He failed three exams in a row. See, it’s the guy next to you,” Wu Wang nodded left.

Following his finger, Baili Dao saw a trembling boy sitting in his seat.

The boy kept biting his fingers with his head down. From the side, his face was pale, and his teeth had bitten his lip until it bled. Yet he seemed oblivious to the blood flowing into his mouth.

Before Baili Dao could ask more,

The middle-aged teacher barked angrily from the podium: “Liu Yang! Get up here!”

At the call of his name, the boy twitched as if shocked by electricity.

Then, in despair, he walked up to the front.

Wu Wang and Baili Dao’s eyes followed.

Unexpectedly, the teacher did not scold or punish him physically.

With a tone of bitter disappointment, he said, “You know what to do, right? Go ahead.”

“Okay, Teacher Yao…”

Liu Yang’s voice was faint as he walked to the window.

Then, he leapt down.

“!?”

Baili Dao almost shouted in shock.

He had just jumped off the sixth floor!

None of the other students even lifted their heads. They continued studying as if nothing had happened.

Before Baili Dao could recover, Wu Wang suddenly nudged his foot.

“What are you doing?” Baili Dao whispered sharply to avoid drawing attention.

Wu Wang’s expression turned serious: “Look at Liu Yang’s seat.”

He looked over and saw a terrifying sight.

Another Liu Yang sat there!

But this Liu Yang’s head was smashed like a broken watermelon, red and white tissues exposed.

He kept his head down, gripping a pen and furiously working on problems, mumbling, “Next time I’ll definitely pass... pass...”

The eerie scene sent chills down Baili Dao’s spine.

He had encountered a ghost right after entering the instance!

“Class, prepare seriously for tomorrow’s test!”

“Learning without thinking leads to confusion! When you learn something in class, think about how to make it your own. Don’t be like Liu Yang—after two stints in the black room, his grades are still terrible!”

Teacher Yao’s voice echoed through the classroom.

His gaze also fixed on Liu Yang, with a look of disgust.

The students, previously indifferent to Liu Yang’s suicide, now trembled.

Panic spread across their faces.

To them, going to that place was worse than jumping off a building!

The black room!

Baili Dao immediately focused on this key information.

The school’s eerie atmosphere must be tied to that place!

Looks like they had to find a way to investigate it.

Wu Wang seemed to read his mind, patting his shoulder with a bright smile.

“Don’t worry. After class, I’m going to the black room to see what’s going on!”

“Can you even find it?” Baili Dao asked in disbelief.

Wu Wang shook his head, grinning.

“No idea. But when I entered the classroom, Teacher Yao told me to go to the black room after class for an hour of reflection about my appearance.”

He proudly patted his bulletproof vest.

“This old man’s just jealous of my stylish outfit!”

“…”

Baili Dao was momentarily speechless.

This guy had probably only arrived a few minutes earlier than him!

Found the grade list, noticed Liu Yang’s problem, offended Teacher Yao.

Was this coincidence, or was the guy really that unlucky?

“You’re way too reckless!” Baili Dao warned.

Going to the black room without knowing anything would probably mean certain death!

Unexpectedly, Wu Wang laughed, “Then I’ll investigate outside first.”

Baili Dao: “?”

“Report! I need to use the bathroom!”

Wu Wang suddenly stood up, hands raised.

Teacher Yao glanced coldly and said, “Go after class.”

“But it’s my period! I need to change my pants.” Wu Wang persisted.

Now Teacher Yao couldn’t hold back.

“You’re a boy; you don’t have periods!”

“Are you defining my gender?” Wu Wang frowned in rebuttal.

Seeing this, Baili Dao relaxed.

He slid a bit to the side, putting some distance between himself and Wu Wang.

He suddenly felt this newcomer’s brain and luck might both be a bit problematic.

Better not get too close, or he might get dragged into trouble.