AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 34 - 34 16 Law of Survival

34: Chapter 16 Law of Survival 34: Chapter 16 Law of Survival “What?

Eliminate attention…?

What do you mean?” Wei Liang’s eyes rounded in confusion, and a question mark seemed to hang over his forehead.

Lin Yi explained, “It means trying to avoid letting him stare at me.”

“Ah, I see!

That’s what you mean!” Wei Liang said, feigning sudden enlightenment, “You mean to divert his attention!”

“Exactly, that’s what I mean,” Lin Yi nodded, “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?

Have you encountered anything like this, or heard any similar rumors?”

“Nope,” Wei Liang replied without hesitation, then paused before adding, “To be precise, even if I did, I ignored it…

just like what just happened.”

Wei Liang’s words made Lin Yi freeze for a moment before quickly realizing the truth: Wei Liang was playing dumb, having fooled even himself.

“But can we really complete the seven-day trial just like this?”

Wei Liang shook his head, his expression one of helplessness: “That’s why although I really want to help, I’m actually powerless.”

“However…”

“However what?”

“However, if you really want to think about the problem, you could try,” Wei Liang said, staring at Lin Yi with utter seriousness.

“Hmm?” Lin Yi squinted his eyes, “What do you mean?”

Wei Liang smirked mysteriously, “When you think hard about something, don’t you usually fall asleep?

So, I can keep an eye on you, and the moment you show any sign of dozing off, I’ll wake you up right away.”

“What do you think?”

“I can’t feel that sensation of being watched like you can, but it seems like you’re having a tough time…”

“If you truly feel like you’re in an inescapable situation, wanna…

give it a shot?”

“This…” Lin Yi hesitated before admitting, “If we try it, could it lead to…

death?”

Wei Liang didn’t beat around the bush, responding gravely, “If you wake up, there’s no problem, but if you can’t be woken up, then you’re gone.”

“The key issue now is that you’ve been targeted by that person, and once the classroom lights go out again, it’s hard to say what might happen.”

Lin Yi fell silent.

The air suddenly grew still, and Wei Liang didn’t rush him, leaving only the sound of the incandescent bulb swinging from its long chain in the quiet classroom.

Lin Yi fidgeted with his watch, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths.

Wind howled outside the window, and fine raindrops pattered against the pane, the cold turning to white mist.

The quiet ticking of the quartz watch’s hands seemed to sync with the rise and fall of Lin Yi’s breaths.

On one hand, there was a classmate whose actions depended on the environment and whose behavioral patterns were still unpredictable;

On the other, there was that indescribable sensation of being pulled into the abyss whenever he delved deep into thought…

It seemed that both paths were fraught with difficulties!

Suddenly, Lin Yi felt as if he was desperately choosing between ways to die.

Clearly…

neither option was what he wanted.

He wanted to live and earn the thirty thousand yuan prize money for the experience, to help with his grandma’s medical expenses.

He couldn’t afford to take any risks, especially battling against unknown forces with no chance of winning.

“The thoughts I’ve had before appeared unintentionally, which is how I was able to pull myself out in time with Wei Liang’s help.”

“But what if I actively think about things in this environment?

Could it cross the red line of the rules?”

Everything was unknown.

“I can only look for a solution within the rules.

Abiding by the rules is the means to self-protection!”

“Although the process was extremely dangerous just now, in the end, it was because I followed the rules that I escaped disaster.”

“Once the rules are broken, I can’t dare to imagine the consequences.”

Lin Yi took a long breath and opened his eyes to meet Wei Liang’s expectant gaze, shaking his head in denial:

“Let’s not, I can’t afford to gamble.”

“This isn’t a game.

If something goes wrong, we, no, I don’t have a chance to ‘reload’ and start over.”

“Then I’m out of ideas,” said Wei Liang, a mix of regret and relief, “but I believe you can come up with something on your own, fight on!”

“Right,” Lin Yi nodded.

Wei Liang comforted, “Besides, the classroom’s lights might not go out again until morning, right?”

“You sure know how to put it…” Lin Yi replied, resigned.

That Wei Liang, always speaking in favor of his decisions.

One moment he gave off a do-or-die vibe, as if he’d reincarnate if he failed, and the next, he was consoling him earnestly…

“Liangzi can only play when the wind is at his back…”

Lin Yi gave up on getting a decisive opinion from Wei Liang.

He glanced at his watch.

23:55.

Five minutes to midnight.

Midnight is a peculiar time, especially in a creepy setting, it’s easy to associate it with metaphysical rules like not looking into mirrors.

The weirder the place, the more likely it is to carry an aura of terror.

Lin Yi felt an unbearable pressure coming from both time and his classmate.

“Old Lin, if I get sleepy, I need to read some comics to stay alert.

If anything comes up, tell me.

Don’t try to tough it out alone,” Wei Liang instructed, then he began flipping through his comics.

Lin Yi nodded, remaining silent.

“First, let’s establish one thing…

thinking is actually okay, but I can’t think about things that are ‘unreasonable’…”

“Especially anything that conflicts with the rules that I already know.”

“So…

I must find the reason why that classmate is focusing on me within the rules, and I have to figure out how to resolve this crisis before things get worse.”