In the dead of night, dark clouds drifted past the crescent moon, and moonlight gently blanketed the school, dispelling much of the darkness. Yet, some hidden corners remained shrouded in unknown blackness.
Following a group of kids, Qin Nuo left the complex building and headed towards the back of the school, where a desolate field lay scattered with garbage merging into the soil.
A wire fence enclosed the area, but after countless days of wind and rain, it had long since rusted and corroded beyond recognition. Tattered cloth hung from the sharp hooks.
The kids, including Atu, seemed familiar with the place, running to a corner of the fence where a hole had been pried open, and they slipped through.
Qin Nuo followed, crouching down to squeeze through.
"This is called the dog hole. We used to sneak out of class through here. Do you remember?" Atu looked at Mo Ting and chuckled.
"No need for such a name," Qin Nuo said as he emerged, brushing the dust off his clothes.
Glancing around, he saw that beyond the fence was a small hill, surrounded by a bamboo grove. The rustling sound of the bamboo swaying in the night breeze was incessant.
Mo Ting blinked, still puzzled, and asked, "Where to next?"
"Just follow us."The kids ran towards the bamboo grove, and Qin Nuo kept pace, weaving through the dense bamboo. In the distance, he could vaguely make out a silhouette.
Shining a flashlight, they saw a simple tin house covered with straw, surrounded by chopped bamboo reinforcing its foundation.
Qin Nuo was astonished, and Mo Ting's expression mirrored his as she asked, "Whose house is this?"
At that moment, the kids began clearing the weeds at the entrance. Agai laughed and said, "It used to belong to the Old Man who guarded the back gate. He had no children, so he built this tin house. After he left, it was abandoned."
"We took over this place. Back then, when the school disbanded our club, we hid all our performance props here, gathered at night, and then sneaked back into the school through the back gate to perform on stage!"
Agai explained with a broad smile, as if those were their happiest times.
Qin Nuo looked at Mo Ting and asked, "Do you remember?"
"Kind of," Mo Ting replied, her expression uncertain, as if she recalled something but it was still vague.
"No rush. There are many things inside that might jog your memory," Agai said.
Over there, after removing the tall weeds, Atu approached the door, lifted a stone, and smashed the completely corroded lock.
Creak!
The iron door opened, and a stifling wave of heat rolled out from inside, engulfed in darkness. The kids entered one by one without hesitation.
Soon, candlelight flickered inside, pushing back the darkness.
Atu found an oil lamp from somewhere and placed it aside, surprised, "This oil lamp still works after all this time?"
Qin Nuo entered as well. Although the air inside circulated better, it still felt suffocating.
The space was cramped, almost claustrophobic.
The surroundings were cluttered with dusty items, and in some corners, he saw a few blankets and pillows laid out.
On an iron bed lay many bottles and jars, with rats scurrying inside. When the flashlight shone, the rats and cockroaches scattered out of sight.
Qin Nuo stepped on something and looked down. It was a ragged doll in a dress, which he picked up. It was tattered, with some bloodstains on it.
"This is the doll Grandpa gave me. I couldn't find it back then, and now it just appears out of nowhere?"
Tang Rou came over, took the doll with delight, and hugged it to her face, ignoring the dirt and bloodstains.
Dafu and the others rummaged around, the eerie atmosphere of the house not dampening their cheerful mood.
In a corner, Agai pulled out a moldy, cotton-stuffed quilt and laughed, "Atu, remember this? We shared this blanket, and you wet the bed. Look! The stain is still here. It cracks me up, a teenager wetting the bed!"
Atu's face darkened with embarrassment and anger, "That never happened. I've said it a hundred times, it was some stray dog that peed on it, not me!"
"Yeah, right. I saw you sneak into the bamboo grove to change your pants. Don't try to fool me!" Agai tossed the quilt over.
Atu sidestepped it, his face dark as he walked away.
"Qin Feng, look at this. The water bottle you left behind is still here. Yanan accidentally broke the inner flask!"
Dafu found an old water bottle, its color faded, with a few stickers still on it.
"I remember. I was upset about it for a while," Qin Nuo said calmly, his expression tinged with nostalgia.
"Of course, you said it was your family's most precious item!" Dafu chuckled with his hands in his pockets.
Though they claimed to be helping Mo Ting recover her memory, it felt more like a trip down memory lane, as they searched for nostalgic items throughout the house.
Mo Ting stood there, her gaze moving over each item, the confusion on her face seemingly lessened.
Qin Nuo approached and asked a question.
Mo Ting glanced at Qin Nuo, neither nodding nor shaking her head.
Qin Nuo felt puzzled. What did that mean?
Dong.
A long, resonant bell tolled, echoing in their ears—it was the ancient school bell ringing.
Qin Nuo glanced at his children's digital watch. It was two-thirty in the morning.
His eyebrows furrowed as he realized something, and he abruptly looked up, suddenly noticing the tin house was empty.
Qin Nuo's face froze for a moment. On the ground was Tang Rou's doll. Turning around, he saw Mo Ting still there. "Where are they?"
"Gone."
"They, like me, are captive birds, manipulated at will. But while I've forgotten everything, they still retain some memories."
Mo Ting spoke softly, her head slightly lowered.
Qin Nuo asked, "You still haven't remembered anything?"
"I've recalled a bit, not much, but it's useful for you," Mo Ting replied.
Qin Nuo was puzzled. He noticed the confusion and fear in Mo Ting's eyes had vanished, but her gaze was still dim, lacking brightness.
"You're not in the cage, I can tell. You're investigating why we ended up like this, so you're eager to get my memories," Mo Ting seemed to be talking to herself.
Qin Nuo was surprised. This girl had only remembered a few things, yet she saw through the situation so clearly?
"Then why didn't you speak earlier when I asked?" Qin Nuo inquired.
"He's watching us from the shadows..." Mo Ting's face showed a hint of fear.
Qin Nuo's expression shifted. "Who is he?"
"I don't know. I can't recall that part of my memory. I only know he's terrifying and has done horrible things to us."
Mo Ting's expression was wooden.
"But after a specific time at night, he seems to be restricted somehow and disappears, so I didn't dare to speak."
The restriction she mentioned, Qin Nuo thought, must be the game's rules.
In the game instance, there are restrictions on players, as well as on the instance boss. These rules are set as absolute commands that cannot be violated, to restrain the otherwise invincible instance boss.
Just like in everyday games, no matter how difficult the level or how powerful the boss, there is always a weakness, a way to clear it!
"So, can you tell me the memories you've recovered now?" Qin Nuo asked.
"I wasn't in the performance club for long, not because I didn't love performing, but because the atmosphere in the club terrified me."
Mo Ting walked to the side, gently touching the decaying wooden cabinet, her expression calm.
"Initially, the club was founded by Tang Rou, who gathered those of us who loved performing. The atmosphere was great, despite occasional disagreements, everyone was united."
"Our goal was to create a perfect skit for the Children's Day gala and amaze everyone."
"But Tang Rou was very strict. Every script we came up with was rejected by her for being too bland, not meeting her standards for amazement."
"We had everything planned except the script until Yanan joined the club."
"Yanan was incredibly smart. His scripts were not only compelling in terms of story but also in dialogue and background, achieving unparalleled brilliance."
"He submitted a skit script, and Tang Rou decided he should be the club's editor."
"However, Yanan was difficult to get along with, having almost no friends in class. He was brilliant but extremely opinionated. He wouldn't allow anyone to alter his scripts, and the roles had to meet his satisfaction."
"To him, the script was like a child, not to be touched by anyone. This led to conflicts with many club members, and even Tang Rou couldn't mediate, causing some members to leave."
Mo Ting spoke, clearly having strong impressions of Yanan.
Qin Nuo had already guessed Yanan's personality from Agai and the others' descriptions.
Reclusive, extreme, antisocial!
Thinking about it, this character setup not only fits within the instance but also aligns with a typical antagonist in novels and anime!
"What happened next?" Qin Nuo asked, knowing the key was yet to come.
"At that time, several core members of the club suggested to Tang Rou that Yanan be kicked out, but Tang Rou needed his intellect too much to do so, tolerating his behavior."
"But with someone like him in the team, conflicts were inevitable. Almost all club members disliked Yanan."
"Yanan seemed not to need friends. His extreme mindset centered around himself, demanding everyone comply with him."
At this point, Mo Ting's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if trying hard to recall something.
It was like holding a piece of blurry memory glass, no matter how much she wiped, it wouldn't clear.
"I remember there was someone who argued with him the most, but I just can't recall who it was." Mo Ting held her forehead, looking pained.
"If you can't remember, just skip it. Share what you can recall clearly, don't force yourself."
Qin Nuo quickly interjected, fearing Mo Ting's fixation on this memory might erase everything else she had remembered.
Mo Ting nodded, blinking her eyes, and continued, "I also remember someone persistently bothering Yanan, causing scenes in the club."
"What did they look like?" Qin Nuo probed.
"Tall and thin, with long hair, a girl," Mo Ting said.
"A girl?" Qin Nuo was slightly taken aback.
"A club member?"
"No, every time Yanan met her, they would argue," Mo Ting shook her head.
"Later, as the Children's Day gala approached, we focused on rehearsals, and those who clashed with Yanan temporarily tolerated him for the club's sake."
"But one night, Yanan suddenly disappeared. A few days later, he returned, but he seemed like a completely different person!"
At this point, fear appeared on Mo Ting's delicate face for the first time, "And after that, many terrifying things began to happen one after another..."