Li Mo knelt to meet the petite girl's gaze, gently placing his hand on her head. "What's your name?"
The girl's voice was barely a whisper. "Shaori Heyou..."
Li Mo smiled faintly, his calm demeanor a thin shield against the oppressive atmosphere. He handed her a thermometer.
"Shaori, huh? I need you to do something very important for me."
The girl stared at the thermometer, confused but obedient.
"Watch this thermometer closely. If the temperature drops suddenly, let me know immediately," Li Mo instructed, his tone firm yet gentle. "I'll do everything I can to keep you and the others alive."
He paused, emphasizing the importance of her task. "This thermometer is critical. Don't lose it, no matter what."
Shaori gripped the thermometer tightly, as if it were the most precious object in the world. For the first time, a flicker of determination replaced the fear in her eyes.
In that moment, she found her purpose—a small yet significant mission that gave her the strength to move forward.
Li Mo watched the spark return to her gaze and nodded in approval.
"I won't lose it—I'll protect it!" Shaori Heyou responded firmly.
Li Mo nodded, his gaze shifting toward his watch.
"Good. Let's get out of here."
6:52 PM.
"So much time has already passed..."
The timing for the "Anomaly Resurgence" varied across worlds, but on average, it began around 6:00 PM and lasted until dawn at 6:00 AM.
Li Mo had spent considerable time studying the school's layout on a posted map earlier and noted that classes ended at 7:00 PM.
Judging by the current calm, Anomaly Resurgence would begin in less than ten minutes.
When that happened—the Anomaly Resurgence, chaos is inevitable...
Even for him, if he failed to secure a safe haven by then, death would be his ending.
Li Mo quickly retrieved his notebook. Time was short—he couldn't afford to worry about whether or not the notebook was trustworthy.
"I need to know a place in this school that's absolutely safe, a place where I can hide from the ghosts."
The moment the words left his mouth, the notebook responded almost instantly.
It was as if... it had been waiting for him to ask this question.
---
[My name is Li Mo. If you're reading this, I am dying—or perhaps I've already died, and is about to be reborn.]
[I've successfully dealt with the "Broadcast Ghost" hidden among the crowd. It is imprisoned with its host and won't be freed until the host dies.]
[But it seems the ghost has remembered my scent. Perhaps I am its ideal host.]
---
"Hmm...?" Li Mo's brow furrowed slightly. So it's targeting me?
It wasn't entirely surprising. The ghost seemed to be in search of the perfect vessel—likely why it forced Aikiri's head into that robust middle-aged body.
And since he had already died once, his body was now far superior to that of an average person.
As for these students... perhaps the Honkai corruption within them diminished their appeal in the ghost's eyes.
"Continue."
Li Mo didn't shy away from conversing with the notebook openly. Once this mission ended and he returned to reality, there was little chance of continued interaction with these students.
To the others, however, his act of "talking to a notebook" seemed unnerving.
Had they not experienced the anomaly firsthand, they would surely have dismissed Li Mo as an escapee from the mental hospital.
---
[Before Aikiri dies, I won't be targeted.]
[But I face another dire issue: the Anomaly Resurgence is about to begin. I must reach a completely safe zone before 7:00 PM—just eight minutes from now.]
[So I asked the notebook for a safe place, and its answer is... None.]
[7:01 PM, I died.]
---
Li Mo had anticipated the possibility of dying in the Resurgence, but he hadn't expected to last less than a minute.
He still had a few extreme measures left unused. This meant that when the Anomaly Resurgence began at 7:00 PM, he wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.
"No, it's unlikely to be a certain-death scenario. It's probably a problem with how I phrased my question."
After a brief pause, Li Mo asked again: "If I want to survive the Anomaly Resurgence, where should I go?"
---
[At 6:53 PM, I received the answer to survival.]
[At 6:55 PM, I led Shaori Heyou and 17 students downstairs.]
[At 6:58 PM, I found the school auditorium—it had no doors.]
[At 6:59 PM, we entered the auditorium.]
[At exactly 7:00 PM, the Anomaly Resurgence began. The ghosts wandered. Thousands of lifeless heads began to stir and roam the school, searching for new hosts.]
[By 7:21 PM, over a thousand severed heads had gathered at the auditorium entrance.]
[It felt as if something far more terrifying lurked within the auditorium, but I had no other choice but to stay here until dawn. Yet the sudden emergence of the head ghosts swarm left me in utter despair.]
[At 7:31 PM, I died.]
---
Li Mo closed the notebook. Although he still ended up dead, at least he knew the auditorium was relatively safe for half an hour.
Turning to the crowd, he shouted, "Now! Everyone follow me—run as fast as you can to the auditorium. The ghosts... are about to awaken."
He didn't wait to see if anyone complied.
The auditorium was a fair distance away, and while the notebook foretold his safe arrival, the future could change. If something happened to him along the way, the notebook's prediction would be meaningless.
He had to be extremely cautious to avoid death.
---
The others stood frozen for a moment before someone from the crowd broke into a run.
"B-Brother?" Shaori Heyou faltered, stunned, before snapping out of it. As the crowd surged forward, everyone followed suit, chasing after Li Mo.
Li Mo deliberately kept his pace controlled. Looking back, he noticed they were steadily catching up.
Though inexperienced and timid, their physical abilities were undeniable.
After all, they were Valkyrie students. Even the weakest among them wouldn't lag behind an average woman in basic running.
Ignore the hair, ignore the clothes—just follow the leader and sprint.
---
Before long, Li Mo led the 17 students to the auditorium.
The auditorium had no doors, and inside, dim lights flickered faintly. Drawing closer, they could make out over a dozen figures.
At the far end sat a pitch-black coffin, five burning funeral incense sticks atop it, and a vacant portrait frame hanging prominently without a picture.
A black coffin...
Black coffins were traditionally reserved for those who died in battle, committed suicide, or perished young. In certain eras, they symbolized great misfortune and curses.
Yellow coffins were for common folk.
White coffins were for deceased boys or unmarried girls.
Red coffins were for elders who passed peacefully.
Gold coffins were for royalty and the wealthy.
A black coffin in the center of the auditorium? An empty funeral portrait, five burning incense sticks, and a doorless auditorium...
What did it all mean?
=====================
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