Chapter 146: College Entrance Examination (Gaokao)
"Can coercion be used?"
Tang Xinjue repeated this in her mind, a slight smile rising from her lips.
It was clear that with the arrival of the second cycle, some changes were affecting more than just the examinees.
The rules of the dungeon prioritize balance, with both ends of the scale increasing and decreasing simultaneously. When examinees regained some of their abilities, their strength surpassed that of ordinary people, and they would have to face the dangers of the dungeon.
Tang Xinjue filled in her answer sheet with a focused gaze, seemingly oblivious to what was happening outside.
At the same time, her mental power, like a thin, transparent net, captured the scenes unfolding outside the examination hall.
The NPCs who had strictly adhered to the rules throughout the previous "college entrance exam" and shown no aggression towards the examinees finally shed their peaceful facade, baring a hint of fangs.
This dangerous leak lasted only a dozen seconds, and as if by illusion, they returned to normal, continuing their invigilation duties as ordinary teachers.
Squeak—
The two invigilators from exam room 307 pushed the door open again and walked back in. As usual, they glanced around the room, then turned expressionlessly... Wait?
Their expressions suddenly changed. Their heads whipped around simultaneously, their bulging eyes fixed on the seat at the very back of the row.
The seat where Tang Xinjue should have sat was now empty!
How could this be?
The two invigilators immediately scurried towards the empty seat, their faces thick with disbelief.
They had only been gone for a minute or two, and had clearly been standing outside the door the entire time. How had Tang Xinjue managed to slip away right under their noses?
The air remained silent, but their eyes darted frantically at an inhuman pace, as if they were sending some unique message.
By the time their eyes stopped rolling, the two had just arrived at Tang Xinjue's seat. Before they could even examine her, they heard a puzzled voice:
"Teacher, what are you doing?"
Turning around, they saw Tang Xinjue sitting right in her seat, her marker still clutched. Her pale, plain face tilted upward, staring blankly at them.
Invigilator: ???
Instantly, the exam room door flung open, and a group of invigilators rushed in as if facing a formidable enemy, surrounding Tang Xinjue's seat.
Tang Xinjue raised an eyebrow. "What? Counter-terrorism?"
The crowd dispersed, and the female invigilator emerged. She looked at Tang Xinjue with an unreadable expression for a moment, then turned to the invigilator in 307. "Is this what you were saying, someone's missing?"
Invigilator: "Uh, but... we did just discover this..."
"Missing? Who?" Tang Xinjue exclaimed in surprise. "You're not talking about me, are you?"
She raised a hand and swore, "The surveillance footage can prove it. I've been answering the questions diligently, I haven't even raised my head."
The invigilator opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. The young woman paused for a moment before saying, "If you must say something's missing, could it be the teacher's brain?"
"..."
"Alright, don't disrupt the exam." The female invigilator, seemingly too lazy to maintain a false smile, simply barked out two commands, leaving the invigilator, who was at a loss for words, feeling completely lost.
Before she could lead the group out, Tang Xinjue stopped her. "Teacher, I think the invigilator here is a little overly sensitive. Can I call you directly next time if I have questions?"
The female invigilator slowly turned around and gave a long laugh. "Sure. My last name is Lü. I'm usually in the lobby on the third floor. Just call me when you need me."
"Okay, Teacher Lü."
*This Lü 绿, meaning green
Tang Xinjue nodded obediently.
Silence returned to the classroom. The two newly appointed invigilators didn't even pretend to be polite this time, simply standing silently by Tang Xinjue's desk.
After watching Teacher Lü leave, they all turned to stare at Tang Xinjue—
—Where's she??
Glancing at the empty seat, the two exchanged glances, their astonishment evident.
This wasn't even a moment or two—just a second ago, the girl was sitting there perfectly still!
How could such a living person disappear in the blink of an eye?
If they could sweat, they would surely be dripping with sweat by now. However, given the previous experience with the invigilators, they didn't immediately report the situation to their superiors, but instead continued their search. Only after turning the seats upside down did the two invigilators finally realize:
This time, Tang Xinjue was truly missing.
Walking down the deserted fifth-floor corridor, Tang Xinjue removed her mental power suggestion.
The first time, it tricked the invigilators in Room 307 into thinking she had slipped away. The second time, it was used on everyone else, allowing her to walk out openly behind the departing invigilators.
After two uses, her mental power was nearly depleted. Fortunately, Tang Xinjue was adept at it, completing the series of operations just before the overdraft limit. Otherwise, at that point, the already high risk would have increased several points.
Pausing silently, she stopped in front of the door to Room 508.
Tang Xinjue was certain the thirteen marble-throwing sounds had come from here. But at that moment, the other side of the door was completely silent.
Her mental power detected no unusual movement; the person who had thrown the marbles seemed to have already left.
She lowered her eyes and listened for a moment, until her quiet senses were interrupted by a rush of footsteps approaching the door from inside 508. She immediately retreated.
The invigilator in 307 should have confirmed and reported her disappearance. The invigilators had their own internal communication system, and the footsteps deep inside 508 were most likely the invigilator receiving the order.
Tang Xinjue considered hiding in another room or returning downstairs, but as she turned, a sudden thought struck her, and her mental power and vision almost simultaneously shot backward.
Then, at the end of the deep, dark corridor, she caught a glimpse of a still-present figure.
It was a petite, short-haired girl.
The girl's head shape was somewhat similar to Guo Guo's, but her hair was thicker. Her face was hidden in shadow, but through her spiritual power, she could vaguely discern a pair of cool, compact features. She silently gazed at Tang Xinjue.
Below her thin neck and shoulders, there was only the bare cuff of her sleeve, no arm. This was the only missing part of her body.
The next moment, the girl turned and walked deeper into the hallway. Tang Xinjue, without hesitation, followed her.
"I see her!"
"She's there!"
The invigilator's urgent shout echoed in the distance, followed by a swarm of footsteps. Tang Xinjue ignored it, her attention fixed on the short-haired girl.
The girl had reached the end of the corridor, with no room to move forward. In a flash, she vanished before the wall, leaving only the tightly sealed walls on her left and right.
[Where is she?]
[Gone, gone. Another went looking for her, and then disappeared too...]
The words of invigilator 508 resurfaced in her mind, and the next moment, Tang Xinjue arrived at the same spot.
Three bare walls stood close at hand, bare save for flaked paint. Tang Xinjue's movements remained unchanged, seemingly poised to crash into them—
"Faster."
A barely audible voice suddenly reached her ears. Tang Xinjue, without hesitation, increased her speed and slammed into them!
"Ding-ling-ling—"
Guo Guo rushed into the classroom just as the exam was about to begin, still dazed and almost bumping into the doorframe. Clutching her forehead, she regained consciousness, and tears welled in her doe eyes as she gazed into the exam room.
Finally, only after the invigilator silently helped her back did Guo Guo manage to sit down. As soon as she opened her paper, tears began to fall onto it.
The only thing more terrifying than the college entrance exam is finally finishing it with such agonizing effort, only to have to retake it the next time you open your eyes.
And even more terrifying than repeating the exam is opening the paper and discovering the questions are completely different from the last time!
Someone, please save her!
After finishing the Chinese language test with sobs, Guo Guo collapsed in her chair with a splitting headache, clutching her head as she breathed her last.
The pain wasn't physical, but rather a stinging sensation within her brain, the result of being repeatedly tortured by the test questions, draining her brain cells. It felt like a group of tiny figures were reclaiming land in her temples, or like invisible beings were plucking out her hairline one by one.
In short, it was excruciating pain.
But even more painful was the fact that, unsure of what the dungeon test would actually cover, she didn't dare to give up the exam. To avoid dragging down her roommates from afar, Guo Guo forced herself to finish each question, the nausea-inducing effect evident.
"Wow, I really can't take it anymore... Xinjue! Wanqing! Zhang You! Where are you?"
Guo Guo wiped away her tears, and only after the invigilator's sullen face and repeated urging did she slowly walk out, holding onto the wall like a middle-aged man with exhausted kidneys.
"Stop rushing me! My legs are numb from sitting. You're invigilating my Gaokao exam, and I'm even more pitiful than you. Please, let me rest a little longer."
Despite the invigilator's fierce look, she felt helpless. The invigilator couldn't do anything about her, so she could only stand back and stare blankly.
After lingering at the door, Guo Guo wiped her eyes and slowly walked out. But this time, she stopped after only two steps.
Wait, what was that just...
Turning her head quickly, she saw the short-haired girl leaning against the windowsill a few meters away.
Guo Guo sniffed in shock.
If she remembered correctly, this girl looked just like the one she'd seen in that inexplicably appeared exam envelope—"Cai tongxue?"
By the time Guo Guo realized she'd shouted, she'd already reached the short-haired girl. She was staring down at a paper, ignoring her.
Huh? Paper?
Taking the Gaokao exam papers out of the exam room isn't allowed!
Guo Guo was startled, subconsciously following the girl's gaze. She discovered that, aside from a few lines of headings, the rest of the "paper" was completely blank.
The headings read: "The First Higher Education Entrance Examination in University Town."
"Um, Cai tongxue..." Guo Guo's heart beat inexplicably faster. She looked up and saw that the window behind the girl was open. Thick white fog shrouded the massive, unified window frame, and looking down, she could faintly make out the height of a five-story building.
Guo Guo reached out to touch the girl's arm, but her fingers suddenly slammed against the windowsill, sending a chilly sensation.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Can see, can't touch, cold, this isn't...
Isn't this a spirit form?
When did she regain her Yin-Yang vision?!
Looking up in shock, Guo Guo gasped: the short-haired girl's face was staring coldly at her from less than five centimeters away!
"I didn't mean to!"
Guo Guo pulled her hands back, only to realize that the short-haired girl's arms had vanished, leaving only the bare school uniform wrapped around her slender body, like a wandering spirit blown up by the wind.
But the next second, the spirit suddenly leaned back, falling out of the window with its lower body over its waist.
Guo Guo:?
Don't try to scam me!
At the same moment, a force suddenly grabbed Guo Guo from outside the window, sending her lurching forward uncontrollably and plummeting straight down from the same spot!
The author has something to say: -------
Guo Guo: I'm crying, I'm a loser, I can't solve the college entrance exam questions, but as soon as I step out the door, NPCs scam me.
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