Chapter 210

Floyd had just made a small move, his heart pounding like a drum, terrified that Charles might notice. He quickly grabbed the tissue.

After a few attempts to wipe it off, he found himself calming down with each motion. "It won't come off, it just won't come off. What are we gonna do? Are we being haunted by the 'Smiling Boy'?"

For Floyd, having someone else around to take the fall was far more comforting than being haunted alone. Even if they couldn't escape in the end, at least there would be someone to take the hit for him, giving him a final chance.

Charles glanced at the ceiling, squinting his eyes. "Is it possible that the 'Smiling Boy' is marking us?"

"If we get this indelible bloodstain on us during the day, it will come for us at night and take our lives."

Hearing this, Floyd's face turned even paler.

He remembered the people who had been killed by the 'Smiling Boy' before.

Those victims, like them, had no idea what they had done to trigger the ghost's killing spree, and then they were inexplicably killed by the 'Smiling Boy'.

He never expected that this mission room would have such unclear and deadly rules!

Charles pressed his knuckles to his chin, pondering for a moment before speaking. "It turns out the killing rule was hinted at from the start. On the first day, when we searched the dorm on the first floor, there were bloody footprints on the ceiling of the hallway, and blood was dripping down... I was lucky to dodge it."

"If I hadn't dodged that drop of blood, it would mean I was marked by the ghost. Maybe the person who died that night wouldn't have just been the big guy, but me too!"

Listening to Charles' reasoning, Floyd was filled with fear and despair.

He had tried his best to avoid anything that might trigger the death rules, so why did he still end up with this eerie bloodstain on his hair?

Outside, the sky quickly darkened.

As the sun set, the distant mountains around the school swallowed the last bit of light at a visible speed.

The group gathered in an open space, sitting in a circle on the ground, quietly passing the time.

It was still early for them to sleep, and to avoid any accidents, they decided to stay outside a bit longer. At least with more people around, they felt a bit more secure.

Charles didn't hide what had just happened. He told everyone about the indelible bloodstain on their heads and asked the others to check themselves for any similar marks.

Soon, the others confirmed they were free of any bloodstains.

The four of them silently distanced themselves from Charles and Floyd, as if afraid the eerie bloodstain might spread to them.

"So, the 'Smiling Boy' is going to strike again tonight..." Finnegan's voice carried a hint of mockery.

Surprisingly, the usually harsh and cold Wilhelmina tried to comfort the two. "Let's not panic just yet. We can't be sure this bloodstain is the 'Smiling Boy''s mark... Besides, didn't we find a way out before? Tonight, we might not even have anyone die."

"If the 'Smiling Boy' does come for you tonight, try responding to his smile as we discussed. If our guess about the 'exit' is correct, you might survive, and so will we."

From Wilhelmina's tone, it was clear she didn't want anything to happen to Charles and Floyd.

At least, Charles needed to survive.

After all, he had provided them with so much help to stay alive.

Only he could continue to find useful clues for the team, far better than the others. It would be a huge loss if he died tonight.

"Alright, we'll be extra careful tonight," Charles replied.

"But you all need to be cautious about that hidden card."

"I suspect... that card is still somewhere in the dorm building."

Charles' tone carried a hint of mystery.

The group even had the illusion that Charles already knew where the card was hidden.

But no one chose to ask. Even if Charles knew where the card was, he wouldn't tell them.

Soon after, the school bell rang ten times.

The sky outside was completely dark, and there was no light or sign of life in the school.

The group gradually returned to the dorm building, looking for an empty room to rest.

Floyd nervously followed behind Charles, once again reaching the second floor.

In the hallway, he kept glancing at Charles' back.

His eyes were sometimes sinister, sometimes anxious.

Finally, he clenched his fists by his side and made an important decision...