Lin Yi was startled and looked in the direction Wei Liang was pointing.
"One, two, three, four..."
"Five..."
"Six..."
"Seven..."
In the hazy distance, there was also the... eighth floor that penetrated deep into the foggy sky!
"What?!"
His gaze violently fluctuated for a moment, his heart, which had just calmed down, was suddenly raised again.
"The student manual didn't mention this!" he exclaimed.
Wei Liang said, "The student manual didn't mention it... but it is written in the Teaching Building regulations!"
"Huff—Huff—Huff—"
The mist rolled, the drizzle blurring.
The ethereal whispers and the rustling sound of stones rubbing against each other were extraordinarily harsh to the ear, and the gloomy and damp environment seemed as though it could crush the psychological defenses of everyone present.
"There's no time to think too much, we must get inside before the rain really starts!" Lin Yi said in a lowered voice.
In the face of unknown danger, seeking safety was impossible, the only thing they could do was choose the path that seemed relatively less hazardous.
"Go! To the Teaching Building!" Lin Yi took the lead and rushed toward the Teaching Building.
...
Walking from the last street lamp to the Teaching Building, they encountered no problems, which Lin Yi found strangely unsettling.
However, ever since entering the school area, Lin Yi had been feeling a sense of discomfort, but this feeling had clearly eased the moment he stepped onto the stairs of the Teaching Building.
Temporarily liberated from danger, Lin Yi took a few deep breaths and then began to observe the environment around him.
Although the internet claimed this was a newly built campus, Lin Yi couldn't find any trace of "newness" within the Teaching Building. Considering the terrible weather and harsh geographical conditions, it made sense that any building would look ancient.
Nevertheless, what comforted Lin Yi was that at least there were other students in the Teaching Building, hurriedly walking by without giving him a second glance.
Despite that, Lin Yi could sense a kindred warmth from them, a sensation he hadn't felt in the mist thus far on his journey...
"These must be the university life experience participants who arrived earlier, just like Wei Liang during his last visit, having not encountered this peculiarly abnormal weather," Lin Yi thought to himself.
After observing for a while, Tian Bufan immediately headed toward the staircase of the Teaching Building.
Watching Tian Bufan's retreating figure, Lin Yi couldn't help but slap his own head, then lightly shook it. His thoughts felt a bit hazy, as if influenced by the surroundings...
But then, he noticed a conspicuous sign not far away, which helped him suppress the feeling of dizziness.
He walked over and saw it read:
"Dear university life experiencer, if you are reading this sign, it means you have successfully overcome the influence of the abnormal weather and arrived at the Teaching Building. Please follow the instructions below, and you will obtain your Student ID card and begin your university life experience journey:
1. Please walk down to the negative first floor of the Teaching Building, then look to the first door on your left hand side; if the door sign reads 'Teacher's Office,' please knock and state your purpose.
You will meet your homeroom teacher there and register to receive your Student ID card."
"If the first door you see is not 'Teacher's Office' but another room, please do not enter, and continue to descend the stairs until you find the Teacher's Office."
"2. Before obtaining your Student ID card, do not trust anyone's words, and especially do not enter any classrooms other than the Teacher's Office."
"After you receive your Student ID card, please take care of it; you may discuss matters related to the Student ID card with other students, but never lend it to anyone, not even for a glance."
"Losing your Student ID card will be very troublesome. (This sentence is bolded and underlined)"
"3. After obtaining your Student ID card, locate the classroom on the corresponding floor to begin your university life experience journey."
"4. If the situation you encounter does not match any of the above, and you feel you are getting lost, or you start to feel unwell, do not continue to descend the stairs, immediately ascend the stairs on your left, and leave when you see a sculpture standing at the stairway entrance."
"You will meet the Art Teacher and embark on an Artistic Journey."
"We wish you a pleasant experience."
After reading the notice, Lin Yi looked toward the nearby stairwell.
The entry to the stairwell was a heavy turquoise fireproof isolation door, with the sign for the emergency exit glowing in sickly green.
Tian Bufan went over, pressed down on the door handle with force, and slowly pulled it open; a chilly breath seeped out from the gap as though behind it lay an underground ice cellar.
He pulled the entire door open, and behind it was a set of stairs leading to the basement.
Hung in the cramped and enclosed passageway of the stairwell was an old-fashioned incandescent lamp; the air was filled with dust mixed with a musty earth smell, and visible gray mist particles nearly occupied the entire passageway; it looked just like a mine shaft tunnel from the last century.
Just as he was about to step into the stairwell, Wei Liang suddenly grabbed his hand and cried outs, "Old Lin!"
Lin Yi turned around in bewilderment.
Wei Liang's face under the peaked cap was covered with fear, and his voice trembled like a flag in the wind, "Old Lin, don't go..."
"If I remember correctly, the Teaching Building... doesn't have a basement at all!"