harleyscars Chapter 88 The Non-existent Basement
Chapter 88 The Non-existent Basement
The DV video ended abruptly there, and dormitory 404 fell into a deathly silence.
Lin Feng broke the silence first, taking a deep breath and speaking in a low voice:
"If the video content is true, then the goal of achieving an S-rank clear is very clear—"
"We must infiltrate the basement of that 'abandoned' school building on the back hill and completely eliminate that so-called 'Lord of Laughter'."
"But this is definitely a perilous adventure with a slim chance of survival," Sato Ichiro interjected. "The fact that Senior Qian Lili and the others never returned serves as a cautionary tale."
"Now that we've grasped the core secrets, getting a high-level completion rating shouldn't be a problem... Or, should we just camp until the end of the dungeon?"
Wasim rubbed his stubble and shook his head:
"There are seven days left in the dungeon. No one can predict what will happen in these seven days."
"The risks of passively waiting are not necessarily less than those of taking the initiative!"
"It's better to take a gamble than to live a life of constant fear and anxiety!"
The three fell into a brief moment of contemplation before beginning to discuss a preliminary action plan.
Sato Ichiro looked at Lin Feng half-jokingly:
"Lin Jun, I see that your relationship with Instructor Su is quite special now. Why don't you find an opportunity to try and find out some information about the back mountain from her? It's better than us running around like headless flies."
Wasim nodded in agreement: "That's right. If we really want to get in there, we might only have one chance."
"This opportunity must be used for the most crucial strike, and obtaining intelligence in advance is of paramount importance."
Lin Feng's brows furrowed slightly.
This suggestion had already been in his plans, but the timing needed to be carefully considered.
He pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This is indeed a feasible direction, but we need to wait for the right opportunity. Until then, we should keep a low profile."
"Agreed," they both replied in unison.
"Well, about this DV..." Wasim's gaze shifted to the camera, "Should we let Evelyn and the others see it too? After all, the final battle against the 'Lord of Laughter' requires strong negative emotional energy; there's strength in numbers!"
Lin Feng nodded: "Okay, it's almost lunchtime, let's go to the cafeteria first, and we can hand the DV over to them then."
As he spoke, he carefully wrapped the DV camera in a black plastic bag, then carefully stuffed it into his backpack and zipped it up.
........................
As soon as the three of them arrived on the first floor, they saw Uncle Wang, the dormitory manager, struggling to drag a huge, canvas-covered box, which looked unusually heavy.
His gray hair was soaked with sweat, and his usual signature, slightly stiff smile was now replaced by a real, strained expression.
"You three have come at the right time!" Uncle Wang's eyes lit up as soon as he saw Lin Feng and his two companions. "Help us out, this thing is too heavy, we need to move it downstairs quickly."
He turned to the side and gestured with his chin behind him.
Lin Feng looked in the direction his chin was pointing, and his heart skipped a beat—
Where there should have been a smooth wall, a downward concrete staircase has now appeared!
There was no door at the top of the stairs; it was like a dark hole that suddenly opened, exuding a cold and damp atmosphere.
The second rule of the dormitory instantly flashed into Lin Feng's mind:
There is no basement in the dormitory building. If someone invites or leads you to the basement, please firmly refuse.
At this moment, the rules have been triggered, and the non-existent underground entrance is silently inviting them.
"Uncle Wang," Lin Feng forced a perfectly measured apology, "It's really unfortunate, we're on our way to the academy for a class meeting, we'll be late if we don't leave soon!"
"Our advisor hates students being late the most. Why don't you try asking someone else?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the earnest expression that Wang Bo had painstakingly maintained as a "human being" suddenly peeled off like dried plaster on a wall.
His head suddenly tilted to the side at a strange and unpredictable angle, and his neck bones made a soft "click" sound.
A chilling, dark aura emanated from his hunched body.
What's even more unsettling is that his originally cloudy eyes are now being rapidly stained with an ominous, blood-red hue.
"Class meeting?" he repeated the word dryly, "Is it more important than...helping me carry my boxes...?!"
A chilling aura instantly spread, and the three of them felt as if countless icy centipedes were crawling on their backs.
Wasim's right hand had already quietly slipped into his pocket and was tightly gripping the handle of the flathead screwdriver.
His muscles were tense; if things went wrong, he would not hesitate to smash it down on the dormitory supervisor's head with all his might—
Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well go all out!
Lin Feng did not back down, his gaze fixed on Uncle Wang's increasingly inhuman eyes, his voice unusually calm:
"Obeying discipline is a student's top priority! No personal matter or issue can be an excuse for absence from a class meeting!"
"Uncle Wang, as the dormitory manager, you should understand and support this point even more."
As he spoke, Lin Feng casually extended his right hand and gently rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to his elbow, revealing the dark brown calming wood bracelet that Su Wan had given him.
In the dim light of the corridor, the rustic wooden beads gleamed with a warm and understated luster.
When the bracelet came into view, the stiff and strange expression on the dormitory supervisor Wang Bo's face froze for a moment.
Those pupils, gradually turning crimson, seemed to be restrained by an invisible force, revealing an expression between fear and confusion.
Lin Feng keenly sensed this moment of relaxation and immediately gave Sato and Wasim behind him a "retreat quickly" signal.
Without hesitation, the three turned around and rushed out of the dormitory building as if they were fleeing.
Only after they completely stepped out of the boys' dormitory did the three of them feel that the cold, menacing gazes had finally disappeared.
They both let out a long sigh of relief, their tense nerves relaxing slightly, only to realize that their backs were soaked with cold sweat.
"Just now...that staircase..." Sato Ichiro patted his chest, still shaken.
Wasim looked at Lin Feng's wrist, his eyes filled with relief and lingering fear: "Brother Lin, thank goodness you remained calm and collected just now..."
Lin Feng gently stroked the calming wood bracelet on his wrist, then glanced back at the dormitory building:
"Let's go, let's meet up with the girls at the cafeteria first."
........................
Lin Feng and his two companions waited at the cafeteria entrance for about five or six minutes before Evelyn arrived in a hurry with two other girls.
"Lin Feng!" Evelyn rushed forward, her voice urgent, "Zara is missing!"
Lin Feng's heart tightened: "What happened? Tell me slowly."
Evelyn explained quickly, "Everything was fine until we came down from the dorm together."
"When we got between the second and third floors, Zara suddenly said that she thought she had left behind her lucky charm bracelet, which she never took off her clothes with her, and she had to go back to get it."
"We advised her to finish her meal before going back to get it, but she said it was given to her by her grandmother and she would be uneasy if she lost it, so she insisted on going back immediately."
Anna, the Chosen One from Grizzly Bear Kingdom, added, "We waited for her outside the convenience store downstairs in the dormitory, but we waited for ten minutes... and she still didn't come down."
"When I called her cell phone, there was no answer at first, and then it said 'out of service area'."
"We sensed something was wrong, so we ran back to the dorm to take another look. It was completely empty; there was nobody there, even the bathroom door was open..."