Chapter 9: A Narrow Escape from Despair

Think carefully; perhaps you will discover something. I shook my head vigorously, always feeling that I had overlooked something. This matter is crucial, even capable of determining our survival.

"What do you mean?" Ye Ruoxue said

Ye Ruoxue was somewhat frightened by my actions; she instinctively shrank back, her voice filled with difficulty: "I know it was wrong for me to hit you, but you kissed me first."

I apologize. I looked at Ye Ruoxue with pity; she is a petite girl who has followed me up so many flights of stairs, naturally exhausted to the point of nearly collapsing. Even I, as a male, felt somewhat physically drained.

This is the truth of everything. There is only one way to ascend this staircase, and that is to go against the grain. Continuously moving up and down the stairs, one must find the only correct path. Do not concern yourself with the surrounding environment, for it is all an illusion. I said this coldly, and then I walked on with Li Ruoxue

However, while ghosts can obscure our perception, they cannot diminish our physical strength. Compared to descending stairs, the energy expended in ascending stairs is several times greater. A person can continuously descend a dozen flights of stairs, yet cannot ascend the same number consecutively. Therefore, to determine whether one is going up or down the stairs, one only needs to carefully observe the physical effort required for the ascent.

The sky grew darker, and the entire teaching building seemed like a ghostly prison, ready to swallow us at any moment. Ye Ruoxue curled up in my embrace, her eyes filled with immense fear.

If I am not mistaken, three years ago that girl faced a situation similar to ours; she also chose to jump from a building, and she died.

It can only be this way, I suddenly made up my mind. Then, under the astonished gaze of Ye Ruoxue, I kissed her fiercely on the face. Her skin was smooth, and kissing it made me feel very comfortable

After walking three times, we still found ourselves on the second floor, yet my expression remained unchanged as I continued to pull Li Ruoxue along. Soon, we reached the fourth one, and at this point, the original second floor had vanished, leaving an empty doorway awaiting us

"Quickly remember, you worthless person. Poor in studies, dysfunctional family, and no girls like you. A worthless person like you has no use in living if you can't come up with a solution. You might as well die here." I scolded myself while shouting frantically.

Then I continued, "Ghosts can obscure our senses, causing confusion in our sight and hearing; what we see on the second floor and what we hear are all illusions"

"What are you doing?" Ye Ruoxue exclaimed in shock, then gave me a hard slap across the face. I ignored the pain on my cheek and coldly looked at Ye Ruoxue, saying, "Go ahead, keep hitting me."

However, upon careful consideration, I find myself uncertain about what this method truly is. After all, I am merely an underachiever. My academic performance is not commendable.

Second floor, still the second floor, still the second floor

Then, I paused, glanced at the pitch-black surroundings, and suddenly roared, "We have never gone down the stairs; we have only been continuously going up and down between the fourth and fifth floors."

Faced with such a dire situation, I find myself utterly helpless. My heart is filled with immense regret. If only I had not come here; although there are still curses in the class, they have not yet befallen me. For the time being, I am safe

However, after thinking for ten minutes, I still couldn't come up with any solution. Ye Ruoxue sat in my arms, looking at me helplessly and said, "Forget it, I can't move anymore. It seems we are going to die."

What are you doing? Isn't this going back the way we came?" Ye Ruoxue asked in confusion

"But even so, this is only the second floor," Ye Ruoxue asked again

After five minutes of my frenzied actions, I finally calmed down. At this moment, I felt neither fear nor trepidation. Instead, I was filled with an indescribable excitement

This is the true nature of this staircase, an endless staircase that can never be fully traversed, as we are constantly going up and down. We are caught in a continuous cycle. What we perceive as the eternal second floor is merely the fifth floor; thus, even if we were to walk for ten thousand years, we would still be unable to escape

If I do not find a way to unleash my potential, then I am doomed. My face is already swollen, and there is blood at the corner of my mouth. Meanwhile, my thoughts are converging like never before. My brain is calculating rapidly

"Wait, you said you are very tired?" Suddenly, my eyes lit up as if I had discovered something.

Yet my heart has already sunk into despair, but I continue to strive to think, gazing at Ye Ruoxue in my arms. My heart is in immense turmoil. Am I destined to die here with Ye Ruoxue?

If I do not find a way to let out my final roar, what awaits me is annihilation

The ghost has obscured our perception. When we think we are going upstairs, we are actually going downstairs; when we believe we are going downstairs, we are in fact going upstairs. Thus, no matter which way we go, we cannot escape. Even if we want to jump off, we are on the fifth floor, and jumping down leads to a dead end.

It is precisely because of this moment that I need to act this way. I coldly looked at Ye Ruoxue and said, I am forcing myself. I know that I am a loser, a waste.

Yes, there is no way out. I shook my head and sat down on the ground, feeling powerless. Going down is not an option, and going up is also not feasible. Even jumping out of the window or seeking refuge in the library leads to a dead end; what awaits us is a predetermined outcome of death.

Upon careful consideration, there must be a way. I shook my head in vain; although my body trembled with fear, my mind was rapidly spinning.

"If you won't hit, I will." After saying this, I gave myself several hard slaps. Ye Ruoxue was stunned by my actions, and it wasn't until a few minutes later that she finally reacted, gripping my arm tightly.

"Indeed, I am very tired right now," Ye Ruoxue said helplessly

We no longer have much time left, holding her hand, I slowly walked down the stairs. When I reached the middle of the staircase, I suddenly let out a cold laugh, then grabbed Ye Ruoxue's arm and turned back, retracing my steps.

However, within this staircase from which there seems to be no escape, my death has become foreseeable. I can already sense that the spirits within the building are restless; if we do not take any action soon, we are doomed to die.

"That is not correct. Even so, it is still insufficient to leave this place." I suddenly shook my head and began to sigh again. I knew that time was running out, and death was closing in step by step. If no action was taken soon, everything would come to an end

I originally thought that this staircase was used by ghosts to confuse us. It altered the floor signs, and later I realized that all of this was false. Everything is false. What we see, what we hear, all of it is false. I suddenly exclaimed.

From the very beginning, I have had my doubts. No matter how tall the building in this world, it is impossible to remain trapped forever. As long as the people inside continue to move either downward or upward, they can reach the top or the bottom of the building. However, whether we move down or up, we still remain on the second floor. There is no change at all

Indeed, we are now in a dire situation

Yet Ye Ruoxue stared at me in a daze, no longer obstructing me. Her face was filled with astonishment

I already know how to get out. I said with a cold smile. After speaking, I took Ye Ruoxue's hand and began to walk towards the stairs. At this moment, the sky was gradually darkening. Night was about to fall.

"In that case, we are completely out of options," Ye Ruoxue said in terror. Her delicate face was now twisted by fear, and her body was trembling irregularly.

No, this is the true path of the staircase I said with a cold smile

Zhang Wei, what are you doing? It's already this late," Ye Ruoxue asked with a sobbing tone

However, even if I knew, there was absolutely nothing I could do. It was only when you suddenly mentioned feeling very tired that I accidentally discovered something. It connected to the student who committed suicide three years ago. Only then did I finally understand the reasons behind everything

"You are mistaken; what you see and what you hear may all be false." I said, my face pale as I looked at the surrounding walls.