LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 68: Room 303
"Crazy…" Li Mo muttered, staring at the photo. The photographer must have been terrified, desperate enough to try and ward off a ghost with a phone's flashlight.
Or perhaps she'd been trying to confirm that the dorm supervisor was actually human.
This connected to SadPigIntestines's mention of the ghost calling names. "I'm in 207! Hurry! I don't want to die! It's said my name twice! I don't know what to do!"
Judging by the timeline, two repetitions seemed to be the limit. The photographer's roommate was probably called three times, then killed. That explained the urgency in SadPigIntestines's posts.
Li Mo recalled the ghost in the alley calling *his* name. Five or six times, with no effect.
"Different ghost. The one in the dorms kills after the third repetition. It wouldn't need a rule if it could just kill on sight."
"I have a lot of information, but two key pieces are missing. The exact rules, and the consequences for breaking them."
Understanding the Bizarre's behavior and the triggers was crucial. Like the "Door Kill" at St. Freya. A simple cause-and-effect. Open the wrong door, lose your head. Fatal for humans. Meaningless for a Head Ghost.
Staring at the first document, Li Mo mused, "If breaking the rules doesn't mean instant death, I can probably win after a couple of resets. Minor injuries won't kill me at that point. Only something like decapitation."
"But it's best to avoid dying altogether. One-and-done is the ideal scenario."
"Misfortune Ghost, are you there?"
"..."
"Right. Didn't think so." He'd been testing. The Misfortune Ghost had likely shielded him from death multiple times, hence its current dormancy. It had been terrified of the Bizzare-tainted Kiana, wailing before falling silent.
Two months in the black coffin with her… he could only imagine the toll it had taken on the Misfortune Ghost.
As for its origin... "It attached itself to me after I died. Maybe it was related to my death, or maybe I triggered some other unknown rule."
"Am I being too cautious?" he wondered. This was his home world. He had support, unlike at St. Freya. Even if he couldn't eliminate the Bizarre, he could stall until Elysia returned to seal it.
The thought was reassuring. He stretched, leaning out the window to breathe in the fresh air. Chiba Academy was visible in the distance, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
His laptop was locked away. Best not to use it. But he couldn't bring himself to discard it. Dangerous, yes, but its power was undeniable. A form of quasi-omniscience. He'd keep it sealed, a last resort for desperate times.
Chiba Academy had dismissed early. Unlike Shenzhou, schools here didn't have late-night study sessions. Otherwise, the ghost would never find its victims, still buried in their books at 10:30 PM.
Teachers here would say, "I've reduced your workload! Only one worksheet today!" One per subject. Brutal.
9:50 PM. Ten minutes until room check. Students were back in their dorms, chatting, playing games. Boys on the second floor, girls on the third. The hallway lights shone steadily.
Raiden Mei was in room 303, across from the dorm supervisor's room, 302. Exhausted from a day of antics with Kiana, she entered the dorm to find her roommates still discussing the morning's deaths. Seemingly unafraid.
Five girls in the room. One bed empty. Its occupant had moved out at noon, spooked by the ghost stories.
"So, is our dorm really haunted?"
"Haha, you believe that?"
"Well… how else do you explain what happened this morning? An entire room…"
"We don't know yet. The autopsy report isn't out. Trust the official announcements. We'll find out soon enough."
Raiden Mei stayed silent. She'd only joined 303 recently, after losing her funding and housing. The other students, mostly wealthy, ostracized her. Even the less affluent ones avoided her, fearing repercussions. She didn't want to cause trouble, so she kept to herself.
"Did you see the forum? Someone posted a picture of the ghost! But they deleted it quickly. Weird…"
"Photoshopped. Why delete it if it's real? Ghosts don't use smartphones." Ignorant of the true nature of Bizarre entities, they clung to their stereotypical images of Sadako, Kayako, and parlor game spirits. Vengeful, yes, but harmless if left alone.
A sudden knock echoed through the room.
"Who is it?!" Room checks started at 10:00 PM. The dorm supervisor was usually a few minutes late. Never early.
"I'll get it." One girl opened the door to reveal the dorm supervisor, accompanied by a handsome, white-haired young man.
"This is a student assigned by the academy," the dorm supervisor explained. "He'll be staying here tonight. Consider him a temporary roommate."
"A guy?!" The girls were shocked. A male in the girls' dorm? What if he… The scandal would ruin Chiba Academy's reputation.
The dorm supervisor opened her mouth to explain, but Li Mo cut her off. He stepped inside, scanning the room, pointing a thermometer at each bed.
The temperature dropped noticeably near the door, confirming the room's contamination. Beds retained the aura of their occupants, living or dead. But the thermometer showed no unusual readings. Everyone seemed normal.
Still, he remained suspicious.
"It's 9:55. I don't want to waste time. Return to your beds."
"You don't need to tell me your names. I'll call you One through Five. You can call me Six. I'll be in bed six." He spoke matter-of-factly, ignoring their bewildered expressions.
"Who are you? Why should we listen to you?" one girl challenged.
Li Mo calmly dialed the academy's principal, handing the phone to the girl.
She took it hesitantly, her expression shifting from confusion to disbelief to elation. "Yes, yes… I understand! No problem, Principal! We'll cooperate!"
"The principal? What did he say?" another girl asked.
"He said if we cooperate, our tuition and fees are waived for the rest of our time here! Plus a 500,000 yen scholarship!"
500,000 yen wasn't a fortune, but for these girls, it was a windfall.
"Really?! But what if… what if he tries something…"
"I have no ulterior motives," Li Mo interrupted. "Just behave as you normally would."
The girls relaxed, relieved. 500,000 yen was tempting, but not worth… that.
Li Mo turned to the dorm supervisor. "Start room check in 303 at exactly 10:00 PM. Finish by 10:30, then return to your room. Stay there for the night. No surprise inspections."
"Of course, of course." The dorm supervisor was unusually compliant. She'd been instructed to obey Li Mo's every word.
The girls exchanged uneasy glances. Something strange was happening.
"Do you think it's really a ghost…?" two of them whispered.
Two minutes to 10:00 PM. Everyone returned to their beds. Raiden Mei in bed two, Li Mo in bed six. Beds one, two, and three were on the bottom. Four, five, and six were above.
Raiden Mei sat on the edge of her bed, glancing at Li Mo. She recognized him from that morning. Same face, same white hair, but his eyes were now dark brown instead of blue.
"Um… have we met before?" she ventured.
"We have." His tone was dismissive, his attention fixed on the thermometer.
Suddenly, he turned back to her, pulling out his phone. "By the way, Raiden Mei, could I get Kiana's contact information?" His expression softened, the coldness from earlier gone.
Raiden Mei froze, staring at him warily. How did he know Kiana's name? And why did he want her contact information?
Li Mo realized his mistake. Other girls might have complied, eager to please for the scholarship money. But this was Raiden Mei. Besides, his priority was the Bizarre, not Kiana's number.
"Sorry, that was presumptuous. Just… carry on." He looked down, muttering, "The dream's influence is getting stronger…" He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The feeling wasn't limited to the Bizzare Kiana. It extended to the real Kiana as well. The mere thought of her made his heart race.
9:59 PM. The girls went about their usual routines. Number One pulled the covers over her head, a creature of habit even before lights out. Raiden Mei, Number Two, studied quietly.
Number Three giggled at her phone, the scent of young love wafting through the air. They never bothered to hide their conversations. Li Mo could hear the boy's voice on the other end, a low, smoky murmur: "Babe, still awake? I miss you…"
It seemed like a conversation that would continue long after lights out. So this was what young love looked like.
Li Mo nodded, thinking of himself and Kiana in the dream. Even more… intense. Inseparable. He blushed, turning away.
Number Four, on the top bunk, had already fallen silent. Perhaps Li Mo's presence had subdued her, or maybe she was always like this. Number Five checked her reflection in a small mirror, scrutinizing her skin for blemishes.
The dorm seemed peaceful, serene.
But was it?
"It's 10:00. Where's the dorm supervisor?" Number Five asked. Li Mo had specifically instructed her to be on time. Surely, a lowly dorm supervisor wouldn't defy the principal's orders?
"She's not coming," Li Mo said coldly. The rule had been revealed. Room 303 was now isolated.
"Rule? What rule? Wait, there's a paper on the door… it wasn't there before…"
Before anyone could react, Li Mo jumped down from his bed and strode towards the door.