Chapter 6: Haunted School

Source: https://www.gongzicp.com/novel-1388844.html
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

This also made it impossible for Shu Yushuang to find anyone to ask about Shu Ya's whereabouts. 

She tried calling Shu Ya several more times, but the result was the same as before. 

In the end, Shu Yushuang could only report it to the police first.

But Shu Ya was already an adult, and there were many possibilities for her disappearance. Shu Yushuang knew that even if she reported it to the police, the hope of finding Shu Ya was still slim. 

In the following year, Shu Yushuang never gave up searching for Shu Ya. 

But in reality, she no longer had much hope that "Shu Ya was still alive." 

An entire year! 

If she were still alive, how could she not come back to see her, not even make a single phone call? 

One afternoon in spring, Shu Yushuang received a phone call.

The caller was the police officer in charge of Shu Ya's disappearance case back then.

The officer's name was Tang Yin. She was around the same age as Shu Yushuang, and when Shu Yushuang reported the case, Tang Yin had only graduated from the police academy a year earlier.

Although the authorities did not take the disappearance case seriously, Tang Yin had been helping Shu Yushuang search for Shu Ya during her free time over the past year, and they eventually became good friends.

When Shu Yushuang received Tang Yin's call, she was quite surprised because Tang Yin had never called her during work hours before.

Shu Yushuang answered the phone, and Tang Yin's anxious voice came from the other end.

"Yushuang, are you free right now? I want to talk to you in person."

"Right now?" Shu Yushuang looked at her watch. "I get off work in two hours. Can you wait for me?"

"I'll come to your workplace to find you."

Tang Yin hung up the phone right after saying this, not giving Shu Yushuang a chance to respond.

Shu Yushuang could tell that Tang Yin's tone was very urgent. Given that Tang Yin said she would come to find her right away, Shu Yushuang was certain that she had something very important to tell her.

In less than half an hour, Tang Yin appeared in front of Shu Yushuang.

As soon as she saw Shu Yushuang, Tang Yin couldn't wait to say, "I think I know where Shu Ya went."

Hearing this, Shu Yushuang immediately became alert.

She asked in disbelief, "You know where my Master went?"

Shu Yushuang's voice trembled slightly with excitement. Tang Yin sighed and said, "I should say I know where she went before, but she's probably gone now.”

Although she had already mentally prepared herself, Shu Yushuang still felt as if she had been struck by lightning when she heard Tang Yin say this. It took her a long time to recover.

"What do you mean by 'gone now'? Do you mean she is no longer in the place you knew, or that she is no longer... alive?"

Shu Yushuang's voice became very soft when she said the last three words, but Tang Yin still heard them clearly.

Tang Yin vaguely replied, "I mean she is no longer in that place."

"Then is she still alive?"

Tang Yin didn't know how to answer this question, nor did she know whether she should tell Shu Yushuang everything she knew. 

Although she used a euphemism, she was quite certain that Shu Ya was already dead.

Because she was now experiencing the same fate as Shu Ya.

Shu Ya had fallen into that terrifying game and had been missing for so long—there was no way she could still be alive. What's more, they had found Shu Ya's personal belongings.

After a long pause, Tang Yin nodded and said to Shu Yushuang, "Maybe she's still alive."

Shu Yushuang eagerly asked again, "Then where did she go?"

"She..."

Tang Yin suddenly remembered the rule of that game: it was strictly forbidden to mention the game to non-executors, or else one would be immediately erased.

However, Tang Yin was very skeptical about this.

Her attitude towards the game was extremely conflicted. On one hand, she thought it might really be a terrifying death game; on the other hand, she refused to believe it.

She had already entered a level and experienced a series of bizarre events, yet she still hoped that it was just a game, a high-tech game.

But if it wasn't merely a game, Tang Yin believed that as a righteous police officer, she shouldn't be afraid of supernatural events.

If there was anything to fear, it should be the ghosts that were afraid of her.

In the end, Tang Yin decided to tell Shu Yushuang everything exactly as it was.

"A couple of days ago, I was at a scene, and I found an unclaimed phone there."

Seeing Shu Yushuang sit up straight and lean closer, Tang Yin sighed and said, "That really is Shu Ya's phone, but it's a crucial piece of evidence, so I can't give it to you right now. Besides, it's not with me at the moment."

Disappointed, Shu Yushuang leaned back in her chair. Tang Yin continued, "I found a strange app on that phone called 'Hell Online,' with a skull icon, but all my colleagues said they couldn't see the app."

Hearing this, Shu Yushuang suddenly remembered that when she had just bought Shu Ya a new phone, Shu Ya had also mentioned such an app. 

At that time, she couldn't see it herself and thought Shu Ya had made a mistake. She even considered that maybe Shu Ya didn't want her to spend money and had made up an excuse to return the phone.

But now, hearing Tang Yin mention the app as well, Shu Yushuang finally believed that Shu Ya hadn't lied to her. 

If Shu Ya had lied to her, it might have been to get her to return the phone, but Tang Yin had no reason to lie to her.

"I couldn't open the app, so I handed the phone over to my colleagues in the tech department to see if they could help. It was only then that I realized other people couldn't see the app."

"On my way home, I took out my own phone and found that at some point, that eerie app had also appeared on it."

As she said this, Tang Yin took out her phone and placed it in front of Shu Yushuang. "Can you see it?"

At that moment, Shu Yushuang finally saw the app that Shu Ya had mentioned to her six years ago.

The creepy skull icon gleamed with a dangerous light as if it were trying to take her life.

"This is it?" Shu Yushuang took Tang Yin's phone, wanting to examine the icon more closely. "Is this what my Master mentioned... Is it this?"

"It should be. Since you can see it too, it looks like you've been chosen as well."

“Chosen for what?"

Tang Yin did not answer Shu Yushuang's question directly, but asked her again: "Have you seen this icon on your Master's phone before?"

"She mentioned it to me, but I couldn't see it and thought she was lying to me. I...I shouldn't..."

Speaking of this, Shu Yushuang's voice was so choked that she was speechless.

Tang Yin could only comfort her: "It's not your fault, it's just that you weren't chosen at that time, so you couldn't see it."

Shu Yushuang calmed down and repeated her previous question: "What do you mean by chosen?"

Tang Yin said: "Look at your own phone. I think that icon should also appear on your phone."

"How is it possible..."

Although Shu Yushuang said she didn’t believe it, she was already convinced to some extent. After all, she had really seen ghosts when she was younger.

She took out her phone and was shocked to find that it also had the app.

"Hell Online, what is this?"

"Open it and you’ll find out."

Actually, as she asked that question, Shu Yushuang had already opened "Hell Online."

When Shu Yushuang opened the app, lines of blood-red text slowly appeared on the pure black background.

Congratulations, lucky player. You have been selected by the advanced version of Hell Online to become an 'Executor.'

Your game field will not be limited to the small phone screen but will take place in a much broader space.

Source: https://www.gongzicp.com/novel-1388844.html
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com

You will experience the most extreme horror and adrenaline rush.

Use your wisdom to solve the mysteries and return to reality.

Complete the advanced version level to receive a substantial cash reward.

Note:

1. Executors must enter a dungeon once every year.

2. Executors can choose any time within the year to enter a dungeon. The dungeon is randomly assigned and cannot be chosen. Executors can enter a dungeon before the year is up, and early entry will earn extra rewards.

3. Executors must enter a mandatory dungeon every two years. Upon completing this dungeon, they will receive both cash and item rewards. After completing the mandatory dungeon, they may skip entering dungeons for a year.

4. Executors may use violence in the dungeon. Using violence against other executors and the ghosts in the dungeon is permitted.

5. Death in the dungeon means true death.

6. It is forbidden to disclose any details about this game to anyone (except other executors). Violators will be erased.

7. Completing ten dungeons will allow you to leave the advanced version of the game.

8. Before starting the official game, executors must complete a preliminary dungeon, which does not count towards the total.

Finally, good luck. Try your best to survive.

Tang Yin waited silently as Shu Yushuang read through the content.

Shu Yushuang asked Tang Yin, "Did my Master also enter this game?"

"I think so."

"Do you believe what it says here?"

"Well..." Tang Yin suddenly hesitated. "I would rather believe this is just a high-tech game."

"Can a high-tech game make people go missing?"

"I don't know. Maybe there was a server malfunction or something like that..."

Even though Tang Yin said that she felt that her words couldn't even convince herself. Clearly, they were even less likely to convince Shu Yushuang.

"Can I find my Master in this 'game'?"

"Maybe."

"You've already entered one of these..." Shu Yushuang glanced at the phone again, "dungeons?"

"I have."

"After entering the dungeon, do you still think this is just a game?"

Tang Yin's gaze wavered for a moment, but then she regained her resolve.

"That's right, it's just a game."

Shu Yushuang looked at Tang Yin, and after a long silence, she stood up and said, "Thank you for taking the time to come here and tell me about this today. It's getting late."

How could Tang Yin not understand that Shu Yushuang was politely asking her to leave? She nodded toward Shu Yushuang, then got up and left.

Now, only Shu Yushuang remained in the office, holding her phone, lost in thought.

That very night, Shu Yushuang entered the adaptive dungeon.

She opened "Hell Online" and chose to enter the dungeon.

In that instant, everything before her went black, followed by a sudden, intense feeling of weightlessness.

When the light returned to Shu Yushuang's eyes, she found herself in a completely unfamiliar place.

No, it was unfamiliar only because she hadn't been here in many years, but in reality, she knew this place.

It was the school she had first entered many years ago.

The school where she had seen the charred female ghost.

Just then, a notification sound came from her phone. It was a message from "Hell Online."

"Beginner's Adaptive Dungeon: The Burning Haunted School.

Do you remember this place? I think you haven't forgotten. This is your nightmare, a shadow that will haunt you for the rest of your life.

Do you still remember that woman, her body charred... oh no, that female ghost?

Yes, that was not an illusion; she was real.

She didn't harm you before, but today... that might change.

This is a cursed school. Every few years, several cafeteria workers are burned to death inside the school.

But do you know why, when the fire broke out, with so many people in the school, it was only them who died?

Go and uncover the mystery here.

Task 1: Avoid being caught by the female ghost.

Task 2: Discover the truth behind the deaths of those victims.

Number of Participants: 1.

Time Limit: 3 hours.

Note: Both tasks must be completed to pass the dungeon.

Shu Yushuang's emotions were extremely conflicted.

Why did this game know about what she experienced as a child?