The two of them sprinted down the corridor, with a twisted specter hopping after them. Fortunately, the specter moved awkwardly, its limbs uncoordinated, allowing Zhao Yi to quickly lead them away from the principal.

"Why didn't you use that earlier if it's so powerful?" Yang Linlin asked, panting and clutching her chest.

Zhao Yi replied, "Because it has a long cooldown."

"And why are you holding your chest?" he added.

Yang Linlin shot him a glare. "What do you think!"

Earlier, Zhao Yi had kicked her Winnie the Pooh plush to save her. Though it wasn't a hard kick, in a life-or-death situation, Zhao Yi had used considerable force, leaving Yang Linlin in pain.

"Sorry, special times call for special measures... Want me to rub it for you?"

"Get lost!"

Zhao Yi rolled his eyes. Women are such strange creatures. He offered to help, and she told him to get lost.

The computer lab was in another building, and with three hours left until the next day's morning class, Zhao Yi and Yang Linlin decided to try their luck there. Who knows what they might find?

"By the way, where did you get that shotgun?"

"In the last dungeon, I was in a survival scenario. Worried I'd encounter something similar again, I stocked up on guns, knives, tents, firewood, ropes, fishing lines, sunscreen, waterproof bedding..."

Seeing the array of items in Yang Linlin's inventory, Zhao Yi praised, "I didn't expect you to be so prepared. It's a good thing you brought guns this time; otherwise, we might have had to escape through a window and leave someone behind."

Hearing Zhao Yi's compliment, Yang Linlin lifted her chin proudly and said, "Of course! I'm no rookie!"

She paused, then pulled a shotgun from her inventory and handed it to Zhao Yi. "Here, take this shotgun. When the domain system opens, using it will increase your proficiency in firearms."

Zhao Yi accepted the shotgun from Yang Linlin with thanks. This wasn't an ordinary shotgun from the outside world; it was an item exchanged from the game store. Though it wasn't very effective against specters, it could stun them and had a decent silencing effect, making it a valuable item for newcomers.

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Live Stream Comments:

: "The 'Crusher' costs 2000 points in the store, and my goddess just gave it away?"

: "Damn! Is Yang Linlin falling for this nutcase Zhao Yi? I'm unfollowing!"

: "Zhao Yi saved her twice. Regardless of personal feelings, it's only right to return the favor with a gift."

: "My goddess... my goddess... But it's okay, I'll still like you!"

: "Such a simp!"

...

They found the computer lab, and Zhao Yi shot the lock with his gun. The door opened. Computer labs in high schools are often underused, with students mostly playing games rather than studying. However, in schools with special programs, a computer lab is a necessary public facility. It might not always be used, but it must be there.

Yang Linlin kept watch while Zhao Yi used the school's network to search for information on Chen Qiong.

"How's it going?" Yang Linlin asked, unable to resist as she watched Zhao Yi's fingers fly over the keyboard.

Zhao Yi, eyes fixed on the screen, replied, "The person has a significant background. All online information about him has been blocked and erased!"

"But no worries, I can check the 'Black Sea.'"

Yang Linlin was puzzled. "Black Sea, what's that?"

"The internet's junkyard," Zhao Yi explained. "Typically, information on the internet isn't completely deleted. All data that once appeared is dumped into the Black Sea when cleaned up."

"But accessing the Black Sea requires a complicated key, involving compiling, trial and error, modification, and then logging in."

His explanation left Yang Linlin dumbfounded. "Were you a hacker before? How do you know so much?"

Zhao Yi's expression was serious. "No, I'm a psychologist."

"I once had a patient who was a hacker with severe paranoia. He'd tell me he could inject his spirit into the internet and roam the endless sea of code..."

Yang Linlin rolled her eyes. "You believe a madman's words?"

Zhao Yi continued, "At first, he wandered aimlessly in the virtual world. After some treatment, we could finally explore together."

Yang Linlin: "???"

Live Stream Comments:

: "LOL, so the one being 'treated' was you!"

: "I knew this guy had some mental issues. Maybe he got infected by spending too much time with the mentally ill?"

: "Haven't you seen his profile? Zhao Yi must be joking. He's treated over a thousand severe mental illness patients!"

: "I was a med student too, and though I'm not in psychology, the name 'Forgotten Angel' is really famous in the field!"

...

"And then?"

"Then I was the only one left."

"Why?"

"Because I cured his paranoia."

Yang Linlin rolled her eyes. "So you're saying you have paranoia too?"

Zhao Yi successfully logged into the Black Sea and snapped his fingers. "Paranoia?"

"No, this isn't paranoia."

"My spirit can truly communicate with data."

Yang Linlin laughed, thinking Zhao Yi was just teasing her, and didn't give it much thought. But if she had walked to the front of the computer, she would have been shocked to find... Zhao Yi's computer wasn't running any programs at all!

The keyboard wasn't even plugged into the computer.

"Found it."

Zhao Yi squinted, focusing on the computer screen. The light cast shadows on his face.

"Chen Qiong's mother had an argument with the homeroom teacher of Class 8, Grade 1 at Rockridge High School, resulting in an accident. She fell from the third-floor corridor and died on August 13, 3032, after failed resuscitation."

"Cause of death: severe brain damage."

"A week later, Chen Qiong infiltrated the school, wielded a cleaver, and split his homeroom teacher Liang Ming's head in half before escaping."

"Since then, Chen Qiong vanished without a trace... and the teachers and students at Rockridge High School began mysteriously disappearing within a month, with no survivors..."

"During this period, City A dispatched numerous police officers to search Rockridge High School, but found nothing..."

Zhao Yi's account left Yang Linlin in a daze.

"August 13, 3032... A week later is August 20, and another month is... September 20, 3032!"

"Isn't that... the day our main quest ends?"

Yang Linlin suddenly realized, as if uncovering an important clue!

During the day, she saw an electronic calendar under the classroom's large clock.

The date marked was 3032!

Which means...

They've returned to... a past timeline!

Back to the last seven days of the curse!

"No wonder... no wonder the seating arrangement on that roster... only goes up to September 19!"

"Zhao Yi, your guess was right!"

"On September 20, everyone... will die!"