adbindia Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Chapter 61: The Map
The rain continued to fall.
After crushing 2 heads in an instant, the Faceless One showed not the slightest trace of madness.
On the contrary, it caught the rainwater falling from the sky and used it to wipe the blood from its hands.
Having done all that, it turned around to face Jiang Nan.
Finally, its gaze settled on the metal badge at the collar of Jiang Nan's windbreaker.
"Hmm?"
The Faceless One stroked its chin, seemingly sizing him up—or perhaps trying to recall something.
"Chinese Class Representative... are you a disciple of that brute, Fujino?"
It straightened its tie and slowly walked toward Jiang Nan.
Splash.
What no one expected was that this Ghost Principal actually gave Jiang Nan a gentlemanly bow.
"My apologies."
Its voice was no longer sharp—it was deep and refined.
"That discourteous fellow slipped out while I was sleeping this morning and ran a little wild."
"He caused you trouble and gave you a fright."
"He has since come to his senses and retreated on his own."
"As the principal of Rose High School, I offer you my most sincere apologies for the loss of composure just now."
Jiang Nan watched it coldly, his mind racing through calculations at full speed.
'Dual personality... or twin souls?'
'The black personality is clearly the high-intelligence type that operates by reason and rules.'
'And... it places a great deal of importance on this badge.'
In that case...
Without any hesitation, Jiang Nan pulled out a slip of paper.
【Your other half frightened me. I have suffered severe psychological trauma.】
【Requesting permission to visit the infirmary for treatment.】
The Faceless One peeled off the note. Rather than anger, it appeared even more remorseful.
"That is indeed the case."
"As principal, the fact that the school's most outstanding student was frightened is a dereliction of my duty."
It turned slightly to the side and gestured with a "please" motion.
"Please allow me to once again express my sincerest apologies."
"Now... you may proceed to the infirmary."
"If my memory serves me correctly, your mentor, Master Fujino, should be there at this very moment, honing his medical skills."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan did not move.
He took out another slip of paper.
【My legs have gone weak. I cannot walk. I need to bring a few people to help support me.】
"This..."
Something that resembled a troubled expression seemed to surface on the Faceless One's featureless face.
It "looked" at Jiang Nan's legs—standing ramrod straight—then glanced at the group of humans nearby, who were watching it warily.
Legs gone weak?
Those legs were straighter than a flagpole.
Its instinct was to refuse such an unreasonable demand.
But when its gaze swept once more across the 【Chinese Class Representative】 badge, the words that had risen to its lips were swallowed back down.
Good students had privileges.
"Phew..."
The Faceless One let out a sigh and gave a nod.
"Of course."
"Since it is for the purpose of caring for an injured person, bringing a few attendants along is entirely reasonable."
"Go quickly. Do not delay your treatment."
Jiang Nan gave no response whatsoever. He simply turned around and waved his hand at everyone behind him.
Signalling: follow.
Guo Shuai had not forgotten the important matter either. He sidled up beside Jiang Nan and reported in a lowered voice.
"Boss! That Sakura Nation girl is a Grade B Healing-Type ability user! She's a healer!"
‘A healer?’
Jiang Nan's eyes shifted slightly.
In an environment with no healing items, a healer capable of continuously restoring health was worth more than words could say.
So without any hesitation, he gave a nod, indicating to take her in.
Have her report to Liu Yuqing.
Opportunities like this falling from the sky were rare. Since one had presented itself, it absolutely could not be let go.
Especially since this person was clearly the type whose brain didn't work too well—the kind that was exceptionally easy to string along.
'Must secure her!'
'Definitely not because my team is still short a petite figure to balance out the composition.'
Jiang Nan reflected silently to himself.
But just at that moment, an inexplicable sensation of scorching heat suddenly rose from his lower abdomen, shooting straight up his spine and into his brain.
Buzz!
His heart pounded violently several times, and his blood seemed to boil.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Nan's brow furrowed deeply.
'Why has it been so stifling lately?'
'Especially physically... always inexplicably overheated.'
'This feeling... it's like an animal when spring comes, when all of nature stirs awake...'
'But that doesn't make sense.'
'I went 18 years without speaking a single word and was perfectly calm. How could I possibly lack even this much self-control?'
Jiang Nan forcibly suppressed the strange sensation within his body, sensing that something he didn't yet understand had changed in this physical form.
But now was clearly not the time to get to the bottom of it.
He led the group and prepared to leave the sports ground.
Just then, the previously silent Yekaterina suddenly spoke.
She stepped quickly to Jiang Nan's side, her voice cool and clear.
"Take me with you."
"I can offer a piece of critical intelligence about Kujo Shiyan that even you don't know."
Jiang Nan stopped walking and turned to look at her.
In the rain, this foreign woman with silver hair was meeting his gaze directly with those golden vertical-slit pupils of hers.
For some reason.
Looking at her eyes, Jiang Nan felt a strange sense of familiarity and closeness.
As though, in a vast sea of people, he had caught the scent of his own kind.
But this did not affect his judgment.
Kujo Shiyan, that scheming old fox, was unquestionably going to be an enemy from here on out—and knowing your enemy was the only way to win every battle.
This woman who had been at Kujo Shiyan's side all along surely knew some inside information.
So Jiang Nan glanced at Guo Shuai beside him.
"Yes, sir!"
Guo Shuai understood immediately, grabbed his gun, and positioned himself behind Yekaterina: "Ma'am, behave yourself and keep moving."
The group turned and departed in one great procession.
"Wait!"
The Faceless One behind them finally snapped to its senses. It stretched out a hand, pointing at Jiang Nan's group in near disbelief.
"No, wait... this student?"
"I told you to bring some people... and you've taken everyone on the entire sports ground with you?!"
"That's hardly reasonable, is it?!"
This wasn't going to the infirmary.
This was moving house!
Jiang Nan stopped walking.
He didn't turn around. He simply raised one finger casually and pointed at the space beside the Faceless One.
There, the madwoman named Natsuki sat drooling on the ground, grinning vacantly at thin air.
Wasn't there still one left?
How could it claim he'd taken everyone?
"..."
The Faceless One was completely speechless.
It opened its mouth, but in the end could only wave a helpless hand.
"Fine..."
“Who told you to be a good student?”
Good students... had justification for everything they did.
After watching Jiang Nan and the others left.
The Faceless One collected its exasperation, and the aura about it once again became stern and commanding.
"Shariki Sanae."
"Present!"
Shariki Sanae crawled out from behind the flagpole and lowered her head respectfully.
"Submit today's truancy list."
"Yes!"
Shariki Sanae flipped open the roll book in her hands.
"Truants for today: Sakuragi Yukishita, Nagano Ryo..."
"And... Kujo Shiyan."
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing the last name, the Faceless One's voice dropped to a sudden chill.
"Kujo Shiyan?"
"That fellow... actually dares to violate my school rules?"
"It seems... he's been running wild outside for too long and has already forgotten the rules of this place."
"Just because he's that person's disciple doesn't mean I wouldn't dare touch him."
The Faceless One waved its hand.
"He is due for a lesson."
"Go find him now."
"Have him come to the principal's office... I will discipline him personally."
"I will lead the remaining 'students' in morning reading and morning exercise in the meantime."
"Understood! Principal!"
Shariki Sanae let out a roar, dropped to all fours, and charged out of the sports ground, sprinting madly in the direction of the school building.
After it had gone.
The Faceless One turned around and looked at the only one remaining—Natsuki.
Natsuki was still crouched on the ground, letting out giggles of "heh heh heh", completely unaware of where she was.
Yet the Faceless One gave a satisfied nod, its tone approving.
"Not bad."
"Today's students are of very fine quality indeed—they already know to study on their own initiative."
"No noise, no fuss. Remarkably focused."
"Morning reading—begin!"
At its command, the eerie students all around opened their mouths and began babbling incoherently.
And Natsuki blended right in amongst them, joining along.
Not the least bit out of place.
......
On the path leading to the infirmary.
The rain gradually eased.
Jiang Nan's group moved quickly through the muddy path.
Liu Yuqing hurried to Jiang Nan's side, pushed up her fog-covered glasses, and murmured.
"Boss, the area we're in now... is different from before."
"The RV that was parked in the open lot, and the Terminal Signal Tower that had been lit up... both have disappeared."
Jiang Nan gave a nod.
He understood perfectly well why.
This was a Ghost Domain.
Just like the Scarecrow's Death Wheat Field, this was a space independent from reality—one that required specific conditions to be met before anyone could leave.
He looked toward Yekaterina.
The meaning was obvious: explain.
Yekaterina didn't hold anything back and answered directly.
"Wait until 6:00 AM."
"When morning reading and morning exercise have fully concluded, the rules of this Ghost School will temporarily loosen, and we'll be able to leave the Ghost Domain and return to the real campus."
"This Ghost School operates strictly according to rules. The class schedule is the key."
Jiang Nan nodded to indicate he understood.
Shortly after, the group arrived before the dilapidated school building.
Jiang Nan remembered Fujino Juro mentioning that his new dissection room was on Basement Level 2.
"Boss."
Guo Shuai glanced at the gloomy entrance to the school building and couldn't help but ask.
"Aren't we going to the warehouse to settle things with that Kujo Shiyan?"
Jiang Nan shook his head, turning him down.
Guo Shuai was loyal, but still lacked tempering.
Too impulsive—always only seeing what was right in front of him.
Now that Kujo Shiyan had already exposed his identity, there was no way he would be stupid enough to keep staying in that warehouse that had already been discovered.
Going now would only come up empty—and might even mean walking into a trap.
"Then what are we...?"
Just at that moment.
Wang Meng, who had been keeping watch on the surroundings, suddenly stopped in his tracks, his voice trembling.
"Big boss!!"
"Look over there!! That over there looks like it might be... the Archive Room!!"
‘Archive Room?’
Jiang Nan's eyes sharpened.
He remembered that the badge privileges Fujino Juro had given him had mentioned the Archive Room as a place humans would fight tooth and nail to reach—and furthermore...
It was very likely the place that stored the core secrets of this Ghost Domain, and might even be the location of the 【Terminal Signal Tower】!
So, Jiang Nan looked in the direction Wang Meng was pointing.
However.
All that met his eyes was a pool of water collected from the rain, surrounded by emptiness. There wasn't a single building in sight.
"Wang-ge..."
Guo Shuai rubbed his eyes and muttered.
"Are your reading glasses acting up? Where's the Archive Room? Isn't that just a puddle?"
But just then.
Jiang Nan pushed Guo Shuai aside and strode quickly toward the puddle.
When he lowered his head and looked clearly at the reflection in the water, the rare sight of surprise crossed that cold and impassive face.
'Wang Meng has good eyes.'
At that moment, Chen Tong squeezed her way up out of curiosity as well.
When she looked down at the puddle, her pupils contracted sharply!
She looked at the dilapidated, rotting school building before her—stained with blood and filth.
Then she looked at the puddle at her feet.
Within that still water surface...
Was reflected the image of a school building that was almost entirely new, radiating the warmth of sunlight!
And on the reflected nameplate of that building, 2 characters were engraved.
【Rose High School】
"Rose High School..."
Everyone froze.
So it turned out that not only had the students of Rose High School been dragged in here... even the entire Rose High School itself had crossed over along with them!
And what was more—it existed on the other side of this Ghost Domain in the form of a "mirror reflection"!
"But the problem remains..."
Chen Tong said, puzzled: "How do we get in? Do we jump into the water?"
Jiang Nan said nothing.
He instinctively stepped forward, bringing his body close to the water's surface.
Buzz!
In that very instant.
The Ghost Face Mark that had been present on his chest since entering this instance suddenly began to burn intensely!
At the same time.
The 【Chinese Class Representative】 badge pinned to his windbreaker collar also began radiating a dazzling red light!
2 forces resonated with one another!
‘Not good!’
The next second.
A thick surge of black smoke appeared out of nowhere and instantly enveloped Jiang Nan's entire body!
"Boss!!"
Guo Shuai's face went pale with shock. He reached out, trying to grab the corner of Jiang Nan's windbreaker.
Whoosh!
He grabbed nothing.
In full view of everyone present, Jiang Nan's figure vanished into thin air in the rainy night of the Rose School district.
......
The world spun.
When Jiang Nan opened his eyes again.
The sound of rain had disappeared.
The air was fresh—not the slightest trace of any bloody smell.
He looked around.
He found himself standing inside a spacious, well-lit archive room.
And on the table directly in front of him.
Spread out in silence was an enormous map.
Densely marked across it were the coordinates and grades of every Ghost Domain across Eerie Island, and...
The locations of the 【Terminal Signal Towers】.
The Map (author's own creation).