I created a foundation

When everyone dies and only a very few survive, this in itself is the biggest doubt.

If the purpose of "Nightmare" is to kill indiscriminately, then the most reasonable approach is to ensure that no one is left alive to prevent information leakage.

unless……

He left the person alive on purpose.

Yukino's gaze slowly shifted from Miura and Yuigahama's faces, which were twisted with fear, to the dark night outside the window.

The school's bell tower stands silently in the distance, like a silent giant.

The night wind blew, and the leaves rustled, as if countless ghosts were whispering.

This ghost is called "Nightmare".

His killings were not random.

He carefully selected his targets and deliberately left behind "survivors".

why?

In Yukino's mind, the "happy smiles" on the faces of her dead companions that they had just described emerged.

fear.

despair.

Then there are the false dreams.

And finally...death.

This process is like a carefully choreographed drama.

And drama needs an audience.

Yukino's breathing seemed, for a moment, to become lighter than usual.

She looked back at the two girls in the corner who were still trembling with fear that they had only just realized.

They are not survivors.

They were just...carefully selected by that "nightmare".

Is it the "dessert" saved for last?

still is……

To attract something...

Yukino's pupils shrank slightly without anyone noticing.

Bait.

These two words, like the coldest venom, spread silently in her heart.

They are bait.

He had always believed himself to be the center of campus life, the "perfect gentleman" who could deftly resolve all conflicts and disputes with his gentle smile and smooth social skills. He was accustomed to the spotlight and to being in control.

But now, he stared blankly at Yukinoshita, who exuded an air of indifference. It was as if an invisible barrier separated her from the panic-stricken classroom and the world on the verge of collapse. For the first time, Hayato Hayama felt so clearly his own insignificance, and an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.

Yukino no longer paid attention to him.

To her, this "ordinary person" caught in intense self-doubt is no longer the core consideration of her current mission. His confusion and fear seem insignificant in the face of the upcoming, even more cruel reality.

She quickly sheathed her pistol, her movements smooth and effortless, as if she'd practiced them a thousand times. Then, from the inside pocket of her black windbreaker, she pulled out a simple, dark-colored encrypted communicator with a faint blue indicator light flickering on the corner.

Under the gazes of Hayato Hayama, Yumiko Miura, and Yuigahama Yui, who were either shocked, terrified, or bewildered, Yukino put the communicator to her ear and reported to the other end in a calm, emotionless tone:

"This is Investigator Yukinoshita, codenamed Ice Queen."

"Basic intelligence has been obtained through preliminary interrogation. The source of the incident has been essentially confirmed to be a humanoid anomaly codenamed Nightmare. Its core abilities are highly suspected to be psychic attacks and forced dream entry."

"Based on its known killing patterns and the deviations found in the three survivors at the scene, it is preliminarily determined that its predatory behavior is clearly selective and purposeful."

Yukino's voice was clear and calm, and every word was like a precisely calculated program code.

"Comprehensive Assessment: Recommend raising the target's threat level from the initial monster level to ghost level."

"I will use this classroom as the pre-set battlefield, using the three survivors as dynamic bait, conducting tactical control and waiting for the target to reveal themselves after nightfall."

"Requesting remote tactical data support from headquarters and authorization to activate the Level 1 combat plan. Report completed."

There was silence on the other end of the communicator for a few seconds, and then an equally calm but slightly magnetic female voice was heard. Ye Shan felt vaguely familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere.

"Understood. Investigator Yukinoshita, your judgment and tactical plan have been approved. The long-range tactical lock program will be activated in three minutes, covering a 500-meter radius centered on you. All relevant intelligence access to the Foundation database regarding Nightmare will be available to you after the lock is completed."

The voice paused, then added, "Good luck, Ice Queen."

The communication was unilaterally cut off, and the blue indicator light on the encrypted communicator flashed a few times and then dimmed.

The classroom once again fell into a suffocating deathly silence.

The brief, jargon-filled conversation was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. Before the ripples had subsided, they were swallowed up by deeper unknowns and fears.

Night, as if promised, began to fall slowly.

The sky outside the window gradually transitioned from the orange-red color dyed by the setting sun to a gorgeous violet, and then, bit by bit, was eroded and swallowed by the darkness like thick ink.

The light faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the shadows in the classroom were infinitely stretched and distorted, as if they came alive and turned into ferocious beasts that chose their prey.

The air seemed to freeze, and every minute and every second seemed as long and difficult as a century.

Yuigahama Yui and Miura Yumiko had stopped crying long ago, not because they were no longer afraid, but because the extreme fear had seized all their strength, and even the instinct to cry was temporarily lost.

They hugged each other tightly, almost convulsively, their bodies trembling violently with uncontrollable fear, their teeth chattering uncontrollably, making tiny "clucking" sounds.

They dared not close their eyes, because the horrific scenes of their classmates dying silently last night replayed in their minds like a nightmare. They were afraid that if they closed their eyes, they would follow in their footsteps and walk towards eternal death in the sweet illusion.

But they dared not open their eyes, because every shadow, every subtle sound, could hide the man who brought death and despair. They were afraid of catching a glimpse of that elegant yet hideous face in some unsuspecting moment.

Hayato Hayama's face was as pale as paper. He leaned against the cold wall with his body slightly hunched, trying to resist the chill that spread from deep within his heart.

For the first time, he deeply realized that "waiting" itself could be the most cruel and exhausting form of torture. Unknown threats were far more devastating than known dangers.

In stark contrast to the panic and despair of the three of them was Yukinoshita Yukino in the center of the classroom.

After ending the call, she casually dragged a wooden chair that looked relatively intact to the center of the classroom.

It was the most conspicuous spot in the entire room without any obstruction, and there was nowhere to hide.

Then, she sat down calmly, her back straight like a sword drawn from its sheath. Even in the gradually dimming light, she exuded an awe-inspiring and inviolable aura.

What was even more unbelievable was that she actually took out a small paperback book with a simple cover from her windbreaker pocket.

With the last bit of thin and bleak sunlight coming in through the window and the faint halo of light reflected from the distant city, she quietly turned the pages of the book, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her.

Her petite and calm figure was out of place against the thick atmosphere of fear around her.

However, in the eyes of Hayama, Miura and Yuigahama, who were almost swallowed by despair, Yukino's existence was like a distant but indestructible lighthouse in the dark, storm-ravaged ocean.

She didn't say a word of comfort or even look at them.

But she just sat there, reading calmly and attentively. This simple act itself miraculously dispelled the darkest darkness in their hearts and brought a little bit of illusory but extremely desired sense of reliance.

Time passes minute by minute.

The light in the classroom grew dimmer and dimmer, until finally, even the handwriting on the book in Yukino's hand was almost illegible.

Miura Yumiko bit her lips hard, trying not to make any sound, but tears fell silently like beads from a broken string. She could feel Yuigahama Yui's body trembling violently, and the fear was clearly transmitted through their tightly pressed limbs, amplifying her own fear.

Hayato Hayama clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, trying to use the pain to maintain his consciousness. He forced himself not to think about the terrible consequences, but to focus all his attention on Yukino.

He saw that Yukino's breathing was steady and long, and her posture did not change at all, as if she had long been accustomed to waiting in such darkness and crisis.

What kind of person is this?

Ye Shan's heart was filled with confusion and an indescribable awe.

Finally, when the last ray of light outside the window was stingily swallowed up by the horizon.

The classroom was plunged into complete darkness, where one could not see one's hand in front of one's face.

Dead silence.

Yukino closed the book in her hand. The slight sound of the pages rubbing against each other was clearly audible in the extreme silence, like thunder.

Then, Yukinoshita Yukino raised her head, her calm ice-blue eyes piercing through the thick darkness as she gazed at the tightly closed door of the classroom that led to the outside world.

Chapter 119: Waiting before Dawn

Yukino's report ends.

From the other end of the communicator, Kasumigaoka Utaha's calm voice with a hint of teasing came.

"learn."

"The tactical plan has been approved."

"Remote lock is on."

"Good luck, Ice Queen."

After a slight hiss of electricity, the communication was completely cut off.

The classroom was once again engulfed in deathly silence.

The night is like a slowly seeping poison.

The sky outside the window is eroding inch by inch.

The last piece of stubborn orange burned out.

The inky darkness completely reigns.

The air is thick.

Breathing also became heavy and labored.

It was as if every speck of dust was saturated with fear and hovered motionless.

Time has lost its original scale.

Every tiny jump of the second hand is infinitely stretched.