This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 26

With three hours left until the end of the competition, Jiang Luo was in no hurry to submit his answer.

He calmed the excitement from having just confronted a malevolent spirit, stepped over to Ye Xun's side, and together they looked at the small stuffed toy that had been fished out of the swimming pool.

The toy's exposed cotton stuffing, soaked with water and torn as if cut by a sharp knife, looked pitifully damaged.

Jiang Luo, who had once fought side by side with the stuffed toy against a faceless adversary, could vaguely sense its importance to Ye Xun. He fell silent for a moment before awkwardly asking with concern, “Is the toy alright?”

Ye Xun silently stared at the stuffed rabbit split in two, his eyes gradually reddening. Wen Renlian had just dived into the water to retrieve the toy and was now wringing out the water from his clothes. He handed him a long towel from the swimming hall, his expression filled with worry, “Can it be repaired?”

Kuang Zheng, without even drying himself off, hurried over to the toy and crouched beside it. As a craftsman, he had a unique sense of connection to the objects he created. After inspecting it, his expression slightly relaxed, “It can be repaired.”

Ye Xun looked up at him sharply, saying nothing, but his anxiety was evident.

“But it requires a special material,” Kuang Zheng said, somewhat timid under everyone's gaze, “a resentful spirit willing to be absorbed by the resentment doll. The dense resentment of a resentful spirit can replenish the doll's energy.”

Ge Zhu sighed, “A resentful spirit willing to be absorbed by the resentment doll? It’s not that easy to find one…”

Jiang Luo pursed his lips, then suddenly stood up, “Aren’t there two resentful spirits in this school?”

Zhuo Zhongqiu exclaimed in surprise, “You mean those two female ghosts?”

Ye Xun looked up at Jiang Luo, his eyes filled with hope. Jiang Luo raised an eyebrow back at him, “If we promise to fulfill their wishes, those two resentful spirits should be willing.”

Kuang Zheng whispered, “Actually, just one would be enough.”

Lu Youyi and Seylor stayed behind with Ye Xun, while the others followed Jiang Luo to search for the resentful spirits. Although Jiang Luo spoke confidently, he didn't have much faith in convincing the malevolent spirits to willingly become part of a resentment doll.

But perhaps it was the sorrow in Ye Xun's eyes, or maybe it was because he had just dealt a significant blow to a malevolent spirit, causing some emotional turbulence, that Jiang Luo actually took on this task with no certainty of success.

Something he would never have done before.

Wang Xinhui's resentful spirit was on the sixth floor of the boys' dormitory. Jiang Luo, walking at the back, was somewhat distracted. But as he stepped onto the sixth-floor corridor, his companions in front of him suddenly vanished.

Jiang Luo frowned, focusing intently on the corridor.

The light flickered, the bulb an old model from years past. The walls were tinged with yellow, casting the entire view as if through an aged, vintage filter.

The concrete floor was damp, and at the end of the corridor, darkness loomed like the mouth of some giant beast.

Having been through this once, Jiang Luo knew he was being dragged into the memories of a fierce ghost again.

His constitution was indeed "lucky," but after facing the greatest evil ghost, Chi You, other specters seemed trivial in Jiang Luo's eyes. He walked forward calmly, making his way straight to the bathroom.