I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

Weng Yang suddenly shivered.

It was summer, but the air was thick with the damp, chilly cold of deep winter that seeps into your bones.

The cold air crept up her feet and down her calves, making them tingle in waves.

But looking around, it's still the familiar campus, the familiar banyan tree, the familiar long slope.

The streetlights in the distance flickered dimly, and the shadows of the trees on the ground swayed wildly.

"Jasmine? Are you alright?"

Weng Yang turned to ask his friend and saw a girl who also looked bewildered.

"I'm fine, why is it suddenly so cold—"

Tan Moli's bangs were damp with mist, almost sticking to her forehead, and her lips were purple from the cold.

"Wengyang...where is this?"

Tan Moli's voice was trembling with tears: "Weren't we moving props for tomorrow's club culture festival? The display board rolled down the hill while we were going uphill, and we went to chase after it..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Weng Yang remembers it clearly.

Ten minutes ago, the two of them received the display boards, balloons, and banners they would need for tomorrow from the school gate.

The two took a shortcut up the hill to get to the teaching building, but the slope was steep. Weng Yang's hand slipped, and the heaviest piece of KT board rolled down and hit a tree trunk with a loud thud.

The two of them chased each other down the slope, and as they ran, everything suddenly went white before their eyes. When they opened their eyes again, they were in this place.

"Looks like they're still at school."

Weng Yang took a deep breath. "The fog is too thick. Let's walk slowly."

The two supported each other and carefully moved forward two steps.

Beneath my feet lies the familiar asphalt road, with an unrepaired crack in the surface.

This is a landmark crack on the main road at the west gate of the school. Last month, the road repair was only half completed, leaving an unsightly scar.

As a result, Jiangnan University students posted confession walls every day to complain about it.

Weng Yang looked up and followed the direction of the road:

Through the thick fog, one could vaguely see two rows of banyan trees along the roadside, their canopies spread out like giant umbrellas.

"It's a school," Weng Yang murmured. "We should still be at Jiangcheng University."

"The school?" Tan Moli paused for a moment, then became even more confused. "Why is the school so quiet?"

Yes, it's too quiet.

It should be just past one o'clock now. In theory, the night market stalls near the West Gate should be bustling, and most of the dormitory buildings should still have their lights on.

But now, apart from the rustling of leaves in the wind, there is no other sound.

The sounds of car horns and the noise of the night market have all disappeared.

The streetlights, which usually stay on all night, flickered in the thick fog, like candle flames about to go out.

Quiet.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire campus.

Every familiar blade of grass and every tree is still there, but it is precisely because they are so familiar that the desolate silence feels particularly eerie.

It was as if... everyone in the entire school had vanished into thin air, leaving only the two of them.

Just then, two lines of pale black ink writing appeared before their eyes without warning:

Welcome to the instance: High School Ghost Stories

Current number of participants: 10/10

[Instance Mission: Within 72 hours, find three locations associated with strange tales on campus and complete one of the corresponding daily tasks. Successfully completing a task will allow you to exit the instance.]

1. Loud noises are prohibited on campus at night.

2. Please abide by the student code of conduct as much as possible.

3. After turning off the lights, please go to sleep as soon as possible.

4. Those who fail to complete the task before the countdown ends will be eliminated.

Countdown: 71:59:47

The blood-red numbers were flashing in the upper right corner of her vision. Tan Moli's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

"Duplicate...erasure?"

Her voice trembled violently, "Weng Yang, what is this? Is it a prank? Who's playing tricks on us?"

Weng Yang also felt cold all over, and his palms were covered in cold sweat.

She wasn't unfamiliar with online novels; she was very familiar with terms like "copy" and "annihilation."

But she never imagined that something that only existed in novels would actually happen to her.

"It's not a prank, there's no cell phone signal."

Weng Yang gritted his teeth and supported the swaying Tan Moli, after all, the ink-wash calligraphy and the jumping countdown in front of him were simply inexplicable.

"What do we do now..." Tan Moli sobbed softly, "Are we going to die here?"

"Won't."

Although Weng Yang said this, he was not sure in his heart. "This thing is something that we can get out by finding three strange tales to check off."

We still have time. Let's find a safe place first, and then search slowly after daybreak.

"Then, let's go to the administration building first, that's closer."

Tan Moli clung tightly to Weng Yang, and the two of them moved forward little by little along the main road.

The eerie fog was incredibly thick.

The almost milky white vapor filled the entire field of vision, and all the buildings in sight were only a blurry corner.

"There's a security guard's office in the office building, and there are teachers on duty. There might be other people inside too."

The two walked forward through the thick fog, each step filled with trepidation.

What usually takes five minutes to walk took them almost twenty minutes.

We didn't encounter a single person along the way.

The windows of the security booth were dark, and the booth was empty. Even the incandescent light that usually stayed on all night was off.

The vending machines by the roadside were still lit up, but they were cold and lifeless, devoid of any human presence.

When I passed by Teaching Building No. 3, the entire building was pitch black.

The more familiar a place is, the more terrifying it becomes when it's shrouded in thick, empty fog.

Weng Yang could even hear his own heartbeat, "thump-thump," which was particularly loud in the quiet campus.

Tan Moli clung tightly to her, her head bowed low, not daring to look at the roadside.

……

Finally, the Youth League Committee office building came into view.

The entire building was pitch black, with only a faint light coming through the window of the duty room on the first floor.

But when they got closer, they realized that the light was coming from an emergency light.

The duty room was empty; the chairs were pulled out, and the surveillance footage showed a blank screen.

The lids of the thermos cups on the table were even open.

"Master Wang? Master Wang, are you there?"

Weng Yang lowered his voice and called out twice towards the security booth.

She still remembered the text notification she had just received, which she didn't recognize.

But no one responded.

Tan Moli grabbed Weng Yang's arm tightly in fright: "Weng Yang, no one's here... could it be that the whole building is empty?"

Weng Yang didn't say anything, but just silently pulled her upstairs.

The two of them didn't even dare to take the elevator, and slowly climbed up using their phone flashlights as a guide.

The third floor is the Youth League Committee office. Their mentor, Teacher Li, often works overtime until very late, and might be there sometime.

The light pierced through the thick fog, illuminating only a few steps beneath our feet.

The corner of the staircase was pitch black, like a series of open mouths.

"Knock knock—"

Suddenly, a soft sound came from upstairs.

The two stopped simultaneously and held their breath.

"Who?" Weng Yang shouted, mustering his courage.

no respond.

In the silence, only their rapid breathing could be heard.

"Maybe...maybe it was the wind," Tan Moli said softly, but she shivered first.

Weng Yang didn't say anything, gripped his phone tightly, and continued walking uphill.

The corridor was empty, and the offices on both sides were closed.

They walked to the door of Teacher Li's office, which was ajar with a crack in the door.

"Teacher Li?" Weng Yang gently pushed open the door.

A faint blue light emanated from the computer screens in the office.

The office chair was pulled out and placed next to the desk, as if the owner had just gotten up and left.

The lesson plan was spread out on the table.

The computer screen was lit up, but it was covered with dense, garbled text.

The black characters danced wildly, like countless twisting insects.

The entire office was empty.

"It's so quiet." Tan Moli's voice trembled slightly. "Where is everyone? Where did Teacher Li go?"

Weng Yang walked to the computer and reached out to touch the mouse.

The screen is unresponsive, and the garbled text is still jumping around wildly.

The entire office building was eerily quiet.

Apart from them, there seemed to be no other living creature in the entire building.

The two took out their phones again, but the screen still showed "No Service" and the signal bars were empty.

Still no signal.

Weng Yang put down his phone, his heart sinking deeper and deeper. "I can't make calls or send messages."

"Is it really a dungeon?"

Tan Moli's lips became pouty, and she only dared to shed tears silently when she cried:

"What do we do now...? Will we really die here, like in the novels?"

Just as Weng Yang was about to comfort her, he suddenly heard a "bang".

The sound came from the window.

It was very light, like someone gently tapping the glass with their finger.

They both turned to look at the window at the same time.

The office is on the third floor, and outside the window is a grove of sycamore branches.

Their hearts leaped into their throats. Weng Yang, being bold, walked step by step toward the window while still on her phone.

The fog was so thick that the glass was covered with a layer of water vapor, making it impossible to see the outside.

Weng Yang reached out his hand, wanting to wipe away the water vapor and look outside.

The instant your hand touched the glass—

"Bang bang bang!"

Suddenly, a rapid slapping sound rang out!

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

The banging made the glass vibrate, as if many hands were desperately pounding on the glass from outside the window.

What is it? What is trying to get in?

Startled, Weng Yang took a step back and bumped into the table.

Tan Moli let out a silent scream and quickly covered her mouth.

The water vapor on the glass condenses into ice at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Immediately afterwards, countless handprints appeared on the ice.

They come in all shapes and sizes, some for adults and some for children.

Some fingers are spread out, while others are curled up.

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

"Bang bang bang!"

The slapping sounds grew more urgent and heavier.

The entire window was shaking, and the window frame creaked and groaned as if it would be smashed at any moment.

The owner of those handprints wanted to come in.

Weng Yang looked around and saw the metal filing cabinet in the corner. He immediately pulled Tan Moli over and shouted, "Quick! Block the door!"

The two of them worked together to push the heavy filing cabinet behind the door, bracing it against the door panel.

The pounding sound outside the window continued.

Before the two of them could catch their breath, they heard the door behind them shake slightly.

There's something there; push the door open from the outside.

The filing cabinet creaked against the door.

Weng Yang and Tan Moli huddled together under the table, covering their mouths tightly, barely daring to breathe.

The thing outside pushed the door twice, but couldn't open it, so it fell silent.

But they knew it hadn't left.

It was right outside the door, separated from them by only one door, just a step away.

A fishy, ​​foul smell seeped in through the crack in the door.

The two could even sense that the source of the stench was standing at the door, observing them.

"Weng Yang, what do we do now?"

Tan Moli stood firmly against the door, her face contorted with terror; she could no longer cry.

"What is that outside the door?"

"sleep."

Weng Yang's mind raced, repeatedly processing the clues the text gave him: "The lights are off now, let's go to sleep, we need to fall asleep quickly!"

Tan Moli stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

……

……

Zhao Weilai felt a cool sensation on her face, as if someone was blowing ice shards onto her face.

Deng Ziwen frowned, and used one hand to shield her face from the wind.

The wind was strong, carrying a fishy, ​​foul smell of lake water.

"Ziwen?"

Zhao Weilai rubbed his aching temples. "We..."

She froze halfway through her sentence.

The two people were still by the artificial lake.

The willow trees by the lake are still there, and the streetlights are still there.

However, a thick white fog enveloped the lake, reducing visibility to less than five meters.

The streetlights cast a dim, yellowish light, as if covered by a thick veil, and could not even illuminate the lake surface a few meters away.

What's even stranger is that the surroundings are eerily quiet.

The two people were arguing so loudly just now, and there were also students talking as they passed by in the distance.

But now, there's nothing.

"Let me take you back to your dorm first, the fog is too thick."

Looking at the thick fog around him, Deng Ziwen's expression turned serious: "I don't know why, but I just feel something's off."

Zhao Weilai nodded and looked around.

The deserted shore was empty, with only the two of them remaining.

"Wait a minute, where are my things? I need to submit my resume tomorrow."

Zhao Weilai crouched down and groped around in the grass. "My phone, wallet, and ID were all in my bag. How did they disappear in the blink of an eye?"

Deng Ziwen also touched his pockets, and they were empty.

His cell phones are all gone too.

"Mine is gone too."

He frowned. "It might have fallen somewhere when the wind was howling earlier? I'll help you look for it."

The two crouched in the grass, searching for their lost items by the dim light of the streetlamp.

The grass was thick and dense, covered in dew, which soaked the legs of both of their trousers.

Zhao Weilai's hands were cut in several places by the grass blades, and they were both painful and cold.

"Where did it go...?" she muttered as she searched, feeling anxious and scared.

Just then, Zhao Weilai's ankle suddenly tightened.

Cold and slippery.

It looks like a human hand.

Zhao Weilai's body froze instantly.

A bone-chilling cold shot from her ankles straight to the top of her head, making her scalp tingle and her hair stand on end.

"Zi...Ziwen..." She slowly turned her head, "Something...has grabbed me..."

Deng Ziwen was stunned for a moment, then immediately looked down Zhao Weilai's leg: "What?"

In the thick fog, you couldn't see what was in the grass.

All that could be seen was a pale hand wrapped around Zhao Weilai's ankle, with long, sharp nails that were deeply embedded in her trouser leg.

"Holy crap! What the hell is that?!"

Deng Ziwen cursed and pounced on it without thinking, grabbing the "hand" with both hands and pulling it outwards with force.

The thing was incredibly strong and slippery, impossible to grasp. Instead, it dragged Zhao Weilai towards the muddy shore of the lake.

"What the hell is that?!"

Zhao Weilai screamed in fright, grabbing at the grass on the ground with both hands to steady himself.

But the mud was soft and slippery, and her body was still being dragged little by little toward the lake.

"NIO! Push harder! Don't let go!"

Deng Ziwen's eyes reddened, and he almost lunged forward, using his body to pin down Zhao Weilai's leg. Then he raised his foot and kicked the hand hard.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

He kicked extremely hard, putting all his strength into each kick.

But the thing seemed oblivious, still gripping Zhao Weilai's ankle tightly.

The gravel scraped Deng Ziwen's arms and knees, but he didn't even care about the pain. Zhao Weilai also turned his head and kicked desperately with his other foot—

"thump!"

The ghostly hand was suddenly kicked away by Zhao Weilai and fell into the water in an arc. Deng Ziwen took the opportunity to grab Zhao Weilai's arm and drag her back from the lakeside.

The two fell to the ground and crawled backwards for several meters before stopping.

Zhao Weilai was panting heavily. Deng Ziwen pulled up her trouser leg and saw five bluish-purple finger marks on her ankle.

The two were both startled and frightened when they heard a splashing sound coming from the lake through the thick fog.

It looks like a huge fish splashing in the water, or like a boat oar striking the water.

In the hazy white mist, a blurry figure drifted towards the shore with the sound of rushing water.

Something's here.

"Run!" Deng Ziwen grabbed Zhao Weilai and turned to run.

But the fog was so thick that they couldn't see the road at all.

After running a few steps, Deng Ziwen almost fell, but luckily Zhao Weilai pulled him up.

The stench of the lake water grew stronger and stronger, almost suffocating people.

The sound of water behind them grew closer and closer—"splash, splash," like someone walking barefoot on the muddy ground.

Just at this critical moment, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.

The man was holding a brick in his hand. Without saying a word, he smashed it hard towards the lake!

"Clang!"

The brick missed its target and landed on the concrete with a crisp sound.

"Run! Run towards the cafeteria!"

Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai were stunned for a moment, but before they could think, they ran forward with the people who came.

As they got closer, they realized that the person who had called out to them was a middle-aged woman wearing a cafeteria uniform.

The woman was around fifty years old, wearing a cafeteria uniform, slightly overweight, but looked very friendly.

"Quick! You two, come with me!"

Without saying a word, the woman grabbed them and ran towards the nearby first canteen.

The three ran very fast, and the sound of water behind them stopped only briefly before continuing.

The distance of a few dozen meters felt like an eternity for the three of them.

Finally reaching the cafeteria entrance, the woman took out her key, tremblingly opened the side door, pulled the two inside, and then quickly locked it behind her.

"Splash—"

"Splash..."

The stench of water, accompanied by white mist, rushed towards the door. The three people hid behind the tables and chairs, keeping a safe distance.

The sound of water outside continued, and the door vibrated slightly.

I don't know how much time passed before the sound of water gradually subsided.

Safe.

Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen's legs went weak and they collapsed to the ground, still somewhat shaken.

The middle-aged woman didn't react as strongly; she simply peeked out, supporting her lower back, and waited until she was sure the thing was gone before speaking to the two of them:

"You two are students, right? What are you doing by the lake in the middle of the night?"

"Auntie, thank you for saving us," Zhao Weilai said, panting. "May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Liu Guilan. I usually get my food at the first canteen. You've probably seen me when you're getting your food."

The woman smiled honestly, "Luckily I ran into a living person. I just got off work and went home. I walked around for ages, but I couldn't get out of the school gate. I just kept going in circles, like... being trapped in a maze."

I sensed something was wrong, so I went back to the cafeteria. Just as I got back, I heard a noise by the lake. When I ran over, I saw you guys being chased by that thing.

As she spoke, she patted her chest, looking as if she still had lingering fear:

"It scared me to death! I couldn't see what it was, I could only hear the sound, it was really creepy."

Deng Ziwen and Zhao Weilai exchanged a glance, both seeing fear in each other's eyes.

Even the cafeteria ladies encountered a "ghost wall" (a type of maze-like illusion), which means this is no coincidence.

Just as Zhao Weilai was about to explain, faint black ink-wash characters appeared before the eyes of the three of them at the same time.

—Exactly the same as what Weng Yang and the others saw.

The instance name, number of participants, quest details, and a constantly flashing blood-red countdown timer.

……

……

"Huh? What's this thing?"

Liu Guilan was startled and reached out to grab at the air: "Why is it floating in front of me? Am I seeing things?"

She rubbed her eyes and patted her head, but the words still floated there clearly.

"It's not that I'm seeing things, Auntie."

Zhao Weilai had already realized what was going on, and said softly with a pale face, "This is a dungeon."

She explained to Liu Guilan what a dungeon and a quest were in simple terms that Liu Guilan could understand.

And what happens if you fail to complete the task?

Liu Guilan was stunned, her eyes wide open.

"You mean, we've been pulled into some kind of game?" She pointed to her nose, "We can only get out by completing the mission? If we don't... we die?"

Zhao Weilai nodded.

Liu Guilan was silent for a moment, then suddenly spat out a "Pah!"

"What nonsense! I think it's just a prank. It'll be fine when it gets light!"

I've lived this long, what strange things haven't I seen? Don't worry, Auntie's here!

Besides, this is such a big school, and so many people have gone missing. The police will definitely come to rescue us. Don't be afraid, okay, kids?

She spoke with a strong voice, but her legs were shaking uncontrollably.

Zhao Weilai didn't expose her.

Deng Ziwen glanced around:

The cafeteria is very large, with two floors and hundreds of seats, with rows of tables and chairs neatly arranged.

The windows were all closed, but the kitchen utensils inside were still there.

An emergency light in the corner was on, emitting a faint white glow that barely illuminated the hall.

……

"This place should be safe."

Deng Ziwen said, "Why don't we rest here for a while and wait until it gets light and the fog clears before we see if we can leave?"

"I think so too."

Zhao Weilai nodded, pursed his lips, the anger from their earlier argument had long since dissipated.

"As for the ghost story... since it says there are ten people, there should be others besides us. Let's look for them when it gets light."

Putting everything else aside, just having more people around gives you more confidence.

……

……

Meanwhile, outside the instance.

—Even the president of Jiangcheng University wants to go to the rooftop for some fresh air.