Chapter 38: A Misjudged Path to Survival

Another hidden, lethal rule is Rule No. 6 of the examination:
When the number of remaining students in a class is less than or equal to half, the exam is considered passed and terminates automatically.

Why would the number of students drop below half?
There are two possibilities:
One is that the specter has attacked and begun a massacre of the candidates.
The other is mutual slaughter among the candidates themselves.

Yes, it is entirely possible for candidates to kill one another. In his previous life, Chen Mu encountered exactly this situation during a lethal examination.

When an exam is nearing its end and the specter has yet to be found, extreme pressure can drive some candidates to madness. If they fail the exam, half of the candidates will die randomly; there is a very real possibility that they might be among the victims. But if they follow Rule No. 6 and reduce the class size to half, the exam passes, and they ensure their own survival.

One outcome is beyond their control, while the other is something they can manipulate. Under the threat of death, some will naturally choose the latter. Thus, systematic slaughter begins.

This is the most horrific scene in a lethal examination. The various rules of these exams are challenges to the existing social order. In Chen Mu’s memories, it was precisely after these lethal exams that people realized the existing order could no longer protect them; the order began to collapse rapidly, and the apocalyptic era of specters truly arrived.

Downstairs, in one of the classrooms, the candidates could no longer sit still and began searching for answers.

"Are we allowed to talk during this exam?"
"Yes, you’re talking right now, and the proctor hasn't stopped you."
"Brothers, let’s figure something out. We need to find the mole as soon as possible."
"Right, we’re all classmates; nobody wants to die. Whoever has turned into the specter, please just step forward. For the sake of our friendship, don’t make it difficult for everyone."
"Are you stupid? If they’ve turned into a specter, why would they stand up voluntarily? We have to find them ourselves!"
"How? There are so many of us. The test paper said you can't tell the difference by appearance. How are we supposed to find them?"

Soon, the classroom descended into chaos as the candidates began arguing over one another.

"Let me see your paper."
"Are you looking to die? You can't look! That violates the rules. I don't want to die just because you do."
"Look at that boy over there; he’s been sitting in his seat without moving at all!"

Someone shouted, and all eyes in the class turned toward the boy. Sure enough, he sat in his seat, eyes fixed forward, as motionless as a wooden statue.

"Do you remember what the paper said? Specters are lazy. They generally won't move until you discover them. The answer is obvious—he’s become the specter!"
"That’s right, he isn't moving at all! It’s him!"

"Teacher, we’ve found the specter."
"Great, this lethal exam is too easy."
"These rules were just trying to scare us to death. I didn't expect the answer to be this simple."
"It’s just like those final problems on a test; they look hard, but once you start, the trick is revealed."

The candidates were getting excited. Two strong boys, holding daggers, walked toward the motionless boy.

"Stab him! Stab him! Hurry up and drive the blade in."
"Brother Wang is the strongest, let him do it."
"A bit nervous, killing a specter for the first time."

Amidst the cheers of those around him, Brother Wang summoned his courage and plunged the dagger into the boy’s skull. However, the scene that followed left everyone stunned.

The dagger sank into the skull, but instead of black smoke, bright red blood spurted out. The cheering stopped abruptly, and the entire classroom fell into an instant, deathly silence. Every student stared, their eyes filled with horror and disbelief.

"Ah!!!"
"Murder!"
"Someone is dead—"
"Wait, if he wasn't the specter, why wasn't he moving?"
"Exactly! He didn't even speak. When Brother Wang walked up with the dagger, he didn't say a word."
"How could a normal person react like that?"
"No, look at his paper!"

The boy was dead. As students flipped through his test paper, one of them pointed at it and shouted. Two bold students stepped forward to examine the victim's paper. One of them cried out:

"His Rule No. 4 is different! Personal Rule: After the exam begins, you must remain motionless for half an hour. During this time, no matter what others say or do to you, you must not respond in any way, or you will be executed."

Hearing this, the entire class fell silent again. They finally understood why the boy had remained unresponsive like a specter even while being stabbed. It was because the rules dictated he could not respond!

In that moment, the candidates finally felt the cruelty and cunning of the lethal exam. Each rule was an invisible shackle placed upon every individual. One wrong move, and they would die, or worse, kill an innocent classmate.

Terror, horror, and despair began to spread throughout the classroom. Fear mingled with the smell of blood; some candidates, unable to withstand the immense pressure, began to sob. They finally understood the difficulty of finding the path to survival amidst these tasks. Within the layers of rules, the way to live was tightly concealed. Clearly, they had misjudged their path to survival.

Similar scenes were playing out in many other classrooms. Less than twenty minutes into the exam, a significant number of candidates had already been killed.

Meanwhile, in Chen Mu’s classroom, a similar situation arose. A candidate was sitting perfectly still, drawing the attention of others. Someone was already holding a dagger, eager to strike.

"Don't bother. He isn't the specter," Chen Mu said. "He’s just constrained by Rule No. 4 and cannot speak."

Chen Mu said this because, in his previous life, the candidates had done the exact same thing, stabbing the student only to realize they had killed the wrong person. Some candidates were skeptical, but remembering how formidable Chen Mu was, they found his logic sound and held back.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, as soon as the constraint of Rule No. 4 ended, the candidate shouted, "I’m not the specter! I can talk now! Chen Mu, thank you for saving me."

Chen Mu waved it off, indicating it was nothing. The other students looked at him with newfound respect and shock. Some who had doubted Chen Mu’s reputation as being exaggerated changed their minds, becoming even more impressed. It seemed Chen Mu was truly capable!

However, Chen Mu’s expression remained grim. He had yet to find the true path to survival. The exam was half over—a quarter of the time had passed!

Restlessness and unease began to permeate the air. In the Dark Night High School, at least one-third of the classes had already seen bloodshed. Under the scent of blood and the crushing pressure of the lethal exam, the minds of many candidates had begun to shift, and the seeds of slaughter were already being sown.