Chapter 103: Death Class 7 (Part 27)

Xiao Muyu didn’t know what had happened to the others. She had sensed something was wrong since that room ejected her.

She now stood between two rooms and could go left or right. But when she reached the intersection, she realized that the crossroads had turned into a T-shaped junction with the same layout on both sides.

She found the edge of the maze.

Forcing aside her shock, she quickly reactivated the group chat. There still wasn’t a single message. Her heart began to race in panic. She hurriedly opened the interface, her finger hovering briefly before tapping on the “teammates” tab.

Xiao Muyu instinctively looked beside her name. Her gaze passed over a big, red heart-shaped “囍” (double happiness) and stopped on Shen Qingqiu’s name, still shining brightly.

The disquiet in Xiao Muyu’s heart promptly vanished. She checked the other three’s names and confirmed they were fine. For now, she could relax.

Although Liu Ya had trapped her in an illusion, Xiao Muyu didn’t blame everything on Liu Ya’s malice.

She hadn’t triggered any punishment; she had only fallen into a dead loop. Liu Ya wouldn’t harm her for no reason, and now she was in a new place.

With no symbols around her, she could continue forward. She had broken the dead loop and reached the boundary.

She boldly speculated that they would encounter that situation whenever a loop occurred. Enter a control center and then come out at a new starting point.

Xiao Muyu closed her eyes and began to simulate the path she and Shen Qingqiu had walked. X and y axes formed a large plane, and their route was… the lines in her mind moved straight, turned left, and turned right…

Suddenly, Xiao Muyu opened her eyes and realized something. She had calculated the distance from where she and Shen Qingqiu had started, ignoring the process in between. They had taken 14 steps forward and 19 steps to the left.

In other words, if she used their first starting point as a reference, the room where the loop had appeared was positioned 19 steps to the left and 14 steps forward from the starting point.

So, the area they had passed through was at least a 19×14 space.

But that last room had teleported her to another place, and she wasn’t sure how far it was from her previous location. However, she could use this room as a new starting point and record the coordinates she moved to.

Xiao Muyu looked around. The passage stretched endlessly in both directions. Although the lighting wasn’t great, there were no obstructions. Yet, she saw no one.

She lowered her head in thought. If all the students from Class 7 had entered, there would be at least forty or more people. She and Shen Qingqiu had encountered three students. Including them, that made five. The probability of only seeing three people after walking for so long was quite low. They would have noticed if anyone was in the same area as them. So perhaps each person had a different starting point.

Gears turning, she took a deep breath, preparing to continue her journey.

She had already stayed here for quite a while. She had to make a decision.

Xiao Muyu could explore other things yet worried Shen Qingqiu might do something reckless if she couldn’t find her.

Xiao Muyu needed to explore this area while searching for Shen Qingqiu.

After some thought, she took the left path. Since these doors had no symbols, she must keep moving forward. At the next T-junction, the sign was a dot. Logically, she should turn right, but that was a dead end. Even if it went against common sense, she had only one path. Xiao Muyu decisively turned left.

She didn’t need to take action when Shen Qingqiu was around because the other woman was too strong and always protected her. However, in reality, even though she wasn’t as powerful as Shen Qingqiu, she had never been hesitant to fight when needed.

Even if it was risky, she had to try. She dared to.

She turned left—and nothing happened!

Xiao Muyu immediately stopped and looked back. Based on their analysis of the magnetic forces and previous experiences, she’d blatantly made the wrong choice. The rules couldn’t have changed. There must be a reason why turning left was the right choice.

Four fingers pointed in the direction of the current, palm facing down. The thumb should be pointing right… but it was actually pointing left. Xiao Muyu adjusted her thumb and immediately realized the issue. In a magnetic field, the direction of particle movement didn’t always align with the direction of the current. If it were a positive charge, they would align. But for a negative charge, it would be the opposite.

That meant she was now a negative charge.

After figuring this out, Xiao Muyu continued moving through the intersections—straight, right, right. It was still correct.

A person in a magnetic field would be a charged particle. Their charge could change between positive and negative. But what caused this change? Did the two girls who made the wrong turn have their polarities changed?

Xiao Muyu thought about that room and kept her doubts in mind. The answer to the rules was among them, yet aside from the three now-dead students, she hadn’t seen any other living person.

She remembered Liu Ya saying that there were only about twenty minutes left. Right now, she still had no clue. The only odd thing was that dead loop room.

Xiao Muyu cautiously walked ahead, following the symbols. Now that she had the rules figured out, she moved seamlessly. When she noticed she was turning left for the second time, a noise suddenly came from behind her.

She quickly turned around just in time to see a giant, monstrous creature crashing heavily to the floor, along with its rotten head.

One glance and Xiao Muyu’s gaze was fixed, not on the monster, but on a tall figure standing in the low lighting.

It was Shen Qingqiu.

Xiao Muyu didn’t know how to describe what she felt. The moment she saw Shen Qingqiu, all her senses focused on the woman. Her mind went blank, and she could only stare. Then, her heart began to pound violently as a feeling so intense surged in her chest that it almost brought her to tears.

Shen Qingqiu looked worse for wear. Her clothes were torn in several places, and bloodstains covered her face and hands. Her eyes, reddened with bloodlust and fury, carried a heavy, baleful aura. When she looked over, it was like a wolf locking onto its prey.

But Xiao Muyu noticed Shen Qingqiu’s gaze going blank upon seeing her. The hostility in those eyes immediately faded. Their gleam shattered and then wavered before emotions flooded in.

Xiao Muyu didn’t know what to say. She doubted anyone could understand her feelings at that moment. They hadn’t been apart long, yet it felt like a lifetime.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t speak. She strode forward, not even glancing at the symbols around her.

No other rule could determine her direction right now.

Her only rule and direction was Xiao Muyu!

Xiao Muyu didn’t even have time to stop her before Shen Qingqiu pulled her into a crushing embrace that actually hurt.

The closeness of their bodies couldn’t hide Shen Qingqiu’s frantic heartbeat or rapid, uneven breathing. Xiao Muyu felt too many things from this embrace—Shen Qingqiu’s tension, lingering fear, urgency, and overwhelming relief.

“I’m sorry I didn’t hold onto you.”

Xiao Muyu had always thought of herself as someone not prone to tears. Even as a child, she never cried. She didn’t cry when her father beat her or scolded her and when others bullied her. Even that time when her father and mother fought, and a pair of scissors came flying, stabbing into her arm, leaving blood pooling on the floor, she didn’t cry.

So, her mother called her a monster, cold-blooded. When her mother and stepfather died, she still didn’t cry.

But now, as Shen Qingqiu held her tightly, saying those words of apology—her eyes suddenly burned.

The hot tears in her eyes fell against her will. It felt so unfamiliar, yet so incredibly bitter.

“Lunatic, idiot!” Her voice came out choked and broken, as if her throat had been burned.

Xiao Muyu didn’t put up a front for once. Ignoring how filthy Shen Qingqiu was, she lifted her arms and hugged her back just as tightly. She should have done this long ago, holding on, never letting go.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t expected Xiao Muyu to hug her so willingly. The berating, fierce yet choked-up with emotions, made her own eyes turn red. Yet, she couldn’t help but smile.

“You can’t scold me when I finally found you,” she murmured. Her once-empty heart felt full again. She instinctively tightened her hold.

Xiao Muyu’s back and shoulders tensed. They still hurt from when she was thrown into the wall earlier.

Shen Qingqiu immediately noticed. She loosened her grip, her gaze urgent. “Are you hurt?”

Xiao Muyu shook her head. “I’m fine.”

She carefully looked at Shen Qingqiu, covered in grime and blood. Who knew how many fights she had been through?

“You… you’re like a raging bull!” Just imagining how Shen Qingqiu had fought her way here made Xiao Muyu shudder.

“Liu Ya told me you were in this direction. I had no idea where that room would throw you, and I stopped turning right. But I was afraid you’d stray too far, so I rushed over. Luckily, you were heading my way.”

For a moment, Xiao Muyu didn’t know what to say. A rebuke was at the tip of her tongue, but she could only frown. “Do you think you’re made of iron? What if you slipped up? Forget about finding me. Would you even be able to…”

“I was scared something would happen to you.” Shen Qingqiu lowered her eyes, visibly dejected and upset. “I can’t stay calm knowing you’re alone.”

Xiao Muyu softened, and she muttered, “Where’s my handkerchief?”

“Huh?” Shen Qingqiu blinked, then realized what Xiao Muyu meant. She quickly took out the handkerchief and sheepishly said, “I got too excited and made you dirty.”

Before Shen Qingqiu could hand the handkerchief over, Xiao Muyu snatched it and pressed it against her face.

Brows tightly knit, she held Shen Qingqiu’s chin, tilting her face to the side as she carefully wiped the blood off her cheek and near her ear. It turned out to be a cut.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t feel uncomfortable being held like that. Inwardly, she was smiling.

After wiping the wound clean, Xiao Muyu stuffed the handkerchief back into Shen Qingqiu’s hand.

“Your face is the only decent part about you, and you almost ruined it,” she tossed out.

Shen Qingqiu chuckled. “I look decent everywhere, as you’ve seen.”

Xiao Muyu shot her a glance. Instead of continuing the banter, she lowered her voice and spoke.

“Time is running out. We need to move fast. You said Liu Ya told you I was here. Why would she do that?”

Shen Qingqiu fell silent for a moment before giving her an abbreviated version of what happened.

Xiao Muyu was surprised and a little saddened. Despite her calm tone, she could imagine how anxious and distressed Shen Qingqiu must have been.

“You’re really okay? I touched your back, didn’t I? Does it hurt a lot?” Shen Qingqiu still couldn’t let it go. Then, her expression turned cold. “I said I’d carve up her ghost wife if she hurt you.”

Xiao Muyu shook her head, thought for a moment, and firmly said, “If something like this happens again, don’t be reckless. I’m not some caged bird—I can protect myself. You just need to keep yourself safe.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t respond right away. She reached out, firmly grasped Xiao Muyu’s hand, and after a long pause, whispered, “I won’t let go of you again.”

The cautious strength in that warm and soft hand made Xiao Muyu’s face heat up. She struggled slightly but couldn’t break free, so she let Shen Qingqiu hold on as she changed the subject.

“Qingqiu, how many intersections did you pass after that room? Do you remember?”

After asking, Xiao Muyu shared the information she had gathered earlier.

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment. She was naturally sharp about these things, so after briefly recalling, she answered, “I remember. If we use that room as the starting point, I went left 13, then back 6.”

“Left 13, back 6? Mine is right 17, forward 8.” Xiao Muyu put her hand out to Shen Qingqiu. “Dagger.”

Shen Qingqiu pulled out her dagger and handed it over. She watched as Xiao Muyu quickly carved several dots into the wall, marking them with numbers.

“I counted. If we take our original starting position as the reference point, that room was at left 19, forward 14. You moved back 6, and I moved forward 8, which lines up exactly. That means the point I was transported to and our initial starting point are on the x-axis—one on the left, one on the right.

“So, we can deduce that the horizontal distance between these two starting points is 19 + 13 + 17 = 49. 49, 409… Is that a coincidence?” Xiao Muyu turned to Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu smiled. “I don’t think so. You’ve figured out a key point. This maze is likely a 49×49 grid. Each room serves as a coordinate with a fixed position. Some are regular rooms, while others can transport people, like the one we found.  But it leads to the boundary instead of the exit, so we have to keep looking.”