novelraw Chapter 152: Understanding
Chapter 152: Understanding
Silence reigned.
Xiao Gui'an watched the orphan-ghosts step into the dormitory rooms. At this final moment, he decided to leave everything to Xu Zisheng and the other players to handle themselves.
Slipping silently into the room following Xu Zisheng without revealing himself, Xiao Gui'an witnessed how the other maintained his current appearance.
The thin boy expressionlessly pulled out the Bone-Fixing Nails and drove them back into his body, gradually shrinking his originally adult-sized bones and flesh down to his current size.
Xu Zisheng had entered this orphanage in his physical form—Xiao Gui'an had almost forgotten that.
If something truly happened to him here, wouldn't he be completely erased from the real world?
Chosen Ones of Fate indeed weren't something just anyone could become.
Although there were still quite a few remaining players, Yang Qianqian's abilities had mostly recovered by now.
Under the Writer's seemingly unintentional yet deliberate cover earlier, she had already replaced all those players with puppet doppelgangers of her Witch Curse Doll.
Regardless of the final outcome, and without knowing what the judgment criteria would be, bringing them all along counted as an opportunity anyway.Otherwise, if they truly stayed behind, given the orphanage instance's degree of corruption, they wouldn't survive much longer.
Who knew how long the Writer could remain here, or how long he could 'mercifully' protect them?
And then there was Xiao Yong.
During the period from afternoon to night, Xu Zisheng had found an opportunity to suggest something similar to leaving to Xiao Yong.
Remaining vigilant, Xu Zisheng didn't spell everything out completely, only saying one or two sentences with strong implications.
The children in the orphanage had always been precocious;
they would understand.
Although Xiao Yong didn't give a direct positive response, only shaking his head slightly, a faintly tempted expression appeared on his face.
[What should we do? How do we take him with us? Time is almost up.]
Cheng He gave Xu Zisheng and Yang Qianqian a look.
Yang Qianqian seemed distracted, her gaze lingering more on the Writer not far away, stroking the neck of the doll in her arms, completely missing the signal Cheng He sent her.
[Sir...] She unconsciously curved her lips into a somewhat infatuated, morbid smile, her hand tightening around the doll's neck in her arms, causing the doll's head to tilt to one side.
[It's possible.]
Xu Zisheng, standing to the side, seemed to receive some kind of signal and nodded in approval.
He also thought now was a good opportunity.
A blind spot in vision, no 'time' or 'eyes' present—only the few of them were there, and Xiao Yong happened to have his back to them, as if saying 'act quickly'.
If they didn't step forward now, they would miss this 'deliberately' created perfect timing.
Xu Zisheng walked directly behind Xiao Yong and, with a swift hand and falling strike, cleanly knocked him out without any sense of resistance.
Or perhaps, the other hadn't wanted to defend himself in the first place?
Then he looked towards Cheng He, who had completely failed to receive the mental telegraph, and Yang Qianqian, who had just snapped back to attention, tilting his head to signal them to handle the follow-up.
It was a good method. Yang Qianqian could only repeat her old trick, creating a doll doppelganger for Xiao Yong to deceive onlookers.
As for this series of actions resembling kidnapping and bag-snatching, whether others saw it or not Xiao Gui'an didn't know, but he saw it clearly through the Proxy System's broadcast.
The three of them gathered together, their series of operations completely seamless, coordinated as if they had practiced it hundreds or thousands of times.
See no evil, hear no evil.
Xiao Gui'an resolutely averted his gaze and closed his internal channel.
Only when Xu Zisheng and the others, along with a seemingly 'unchanged' Xiao Yong, finally reappeared in sight did Xiao Gui'an look over again.
Needless to say, this Xiao Yong was no longer the original Xiao Yong.
He could roughly guess what had happened.
To prevent Xiao Le and the other little companions from noticing any flaws, just like before, he naturally picked up the mobility-impaired Xiao Yong, reducing their contact time.
The boy with the birthmark on his face seemed somewhat more outgoing today, directly wrapping his arms around the Writer's neck. Although somewhat embarrassed, he showed no intention of letting go.
And so, proceeding with mutual tacit understanding—primarily with the Writer silently providing cover and acquiescence—everything went very smoothly.
"Dong—"
Xiao Gui'an listened solemnly to the deafening, distant bell chimes. Tonight's bell seemed much calmer than the previous two nights, only more prolonged, as if it had no intention of stopping.
His mind was still pondering the final words Teacher Xu had said to him.
To prevent Xiao Le and the other little companions from noticing any flaws, just like before, he naturally picked up the mobility-impaired Xiao Yong, reducing their contact time.
After they took Xiao Yong away, they should be able to safely leave this instance, right?
For some reason, the powerful, bizarre massive black shadow from the night kept circling in Xiao Gui'an's mind, along with that painting he had glimpsed fleetingly in the corridor outside the Director's office initially.
"Take it away completely—"
Xiao Yong was that 'most obedient child'—wasn't that complete enough?
"It has always missed its friends—him, and also her."
Xiao Gui'an froze for a moment.
He suddenly realized something. Countless clues instantly connected in his mind.
Everything Xu Zisheng and the others had deduced was probably correct.
Only, it was far from enough.
It would depend on how this eerie instance's rules and system judged things.
Perhaps one Xiao Yong could allow them to leave this instance.
But the final written ending might not be one he wanted to see.
The difficult-to-touch, colorless, formless Dark Mist finally stopped, then, in this utterly silent deep night, rushed towards another corner of the orphanage.
There, row upon row of wooden boxes resembling black coffins stood quietly.