Chapter 209: Preparation
Lin Ye had actually already thought of the ending, but it was time for his sister to sleep, so he ended the storytelling session.
"Alright, time for bed. Put out the fire, then everyone return to your own cabins. Don't wander around at night."
Lin Ye began directing the students to pack up their things.
"Huh? Go to sleep now? Teacher, are you an elementary school student?"
"Right, I just finished listening to a horror story, I'm scared to sleep alone."
"Anyone want to sleep together? I'm afraid there's someone under the bed..."
"Yep, that's me."
"Oh no, I'm scared to go to the bathroom tonight."
"Has anyone heard the rumors? Could what the teacher said be true?"
"Hard to say, after all, it happened twenty years ago, we weren't even born then." ...
The students chattered incessantly, discussing the mask-wearing killer while packing up.
Some students who were good friends gathered together, taking drinks and snacks back to their cabins to start a second round of partying.
Lin Ye didn't bother with them; cabin parties were fine as long as they didn't go outside and wander around.
"Can I sleep with sister today?"
Lin Jing held Yang Hua's hand; since she finally got to go out and play, she didn't want to sleep so early.
"Of course, but you must be asleep by midnight."
Lin Ye glanced at Yang Hua; his impression of this girl was quite good.
"Leave it to me. I usually take care of my little sister at home, I'll make sure Jing goes to sleep on time."
Yang Hua said seriously.
"Thank you for your trouble."
The three returned to the cabin. After washing up, Lin Ye went back to his own room.
He planned to go out patrolling tonight and also ask Li Xu for some specific information about the Truth-Seeking Society.
Just as Lin Ye was thinking about his course of action, he suddenly saw a very strange thing on the wall of his room.
It was a blood-red smiling face mask.
Lin Ye was absolutely certain that there had been nothing on that wall at noon.
Ultimately, the blood-red smiling face mask was something Lin Ye completely made up on the spot; this kind of thing shouldn't exist at all.
'But why did I mention a blood-red smiling face mask? Have I seen something similar before? But I have no memory of it... Could it be in the ruins? Is it an item from the ruins? But why did it appear on the cabin wall? Did someone bring it out and hang it on the wall? And what is their purpose?'
Lin Ye pondered various possibilities. This mask was clearly very problematic, but in the end, he still took the mask down from the wall.
Because his instincts were warning him that it was best to put on the mask as soon as possible.
Lin Ye carefully recalled today's experiences.
The accident on the Main Road.
The strange figure on the path.
Driver Wang feeling unwell and being replaced by someone else.
The liquid that grows tendrils upon skin contact.
The depths of the ruins.
The two cultist students, Li Yang and Li Xu.
The two head students.
Beneath the flesh sac.
The Truth-Seeking Society.
The strange mask that shouldn't exist.
Mixing all this information together, Lin Ye reached a conclusion:
The Truth-Seeking Society wants to perform some kind of ritual in the ruins. This ritual is related to what lies beneath the ruins, and the sacrifices are them.
The mask is likely related to what's under the ruins. The Truth-Seeking Society wouldn't anticipate Lin Ye being able to enter the depths of the ruins, nor would they take the time to create a mask Lin Ye made up and hang it on the cabin wall.
'So, to find out information about what's under the ruins, I have no choice but to wear the mask. The Truth-Seeking Society is coming soon. If I don't prepare, I might not be able to stop them from performing the ritual. When that time comes, Lin Jing and the students will all be used as sacrifices.'
"Good thing I'm not Li Ze, but the mask-wearing killer instead."
Lin Ye put on the mask and turned to look at the mirror hanging on the wall. The reflection was no longer Teacher Lin Ye, but the crimson mask-wearing killer.
'Seems like I don't feel anything... Wait, this is...'
Lin Ye suddenly felt he had gained some peculiar abilities.
First, he could move freely around the camp through underground tunnels. The tunnel entrances were under the wooden beds in each cabin.
Second, he could turn corpses into flesh puppets and bone traps. Flesh puppets could observe and mark the positions of prey, while bone traps could ensnare prey that stepped on them.
Third, he could influence the accumulated active flesh within the tunnels. If prey entered the tunnels, he could control that flesh to kill them.
These abilities originated from the mask and could only be triggered by wearing it.
'Why does this sound somewhat similar to the story I made up? Did the mask influence me to tell the story, or did the mask come into existence because I told the story?'
Lin Ye didn't ponder it too much. The guests were about to arrive; he needed to prepare for their reception in advance.
Putting away the mask, Lin Ye left his room and knocked on the door next door.
"What's up? Does brother want to sleep together too?"
Lin Jing poked her head out and asked.
"No, I might go out patrolling later, just letting you know in advance."
Lin Ye found an excuse for his impending absence from the room.
"Roger that. Brother, you should rest early too, don't work too late."
Lin Jing said obediently.
"Of course, I'll rest after dealing with some chores."
Lin Ye smiled and returned to his room, then put on the mask.
He still had three corpses he could use to make flesh puppets and bone traps. But before that, he needed to change clothes.
Fortunately, the Camp Administrator was about the same size as him.
Lin Ye smoothly reached the Administrator Cabin via the underground tunnels. After changing into the full set of gray-blue work clothes from the closet, Lin Ye opened the basement.
"Someone's coming, shhh."
"Could it be the teacher?"
The two head students hid inside a cabinet.
"It's me. Later, the cult that turned you into this state will send people over. I need to make some preparations first. You stay here and don't run around."
Lin Ye took off the mask, moved the furniture aside, and pulled two corpses out from the corner of the room.
The head students had seen him kill Li Yang, so there was no need to hide this from them.
"Teacher, we want to go out and help you... Why are there two corpses here?!"
Head Student Number One was startled; he only now realized he had been sharing the room with corpses. He thought the bloody smell in the room was coming from himself.
"You just noticed? I saw them earlier."
Head Student Number Two was clearly much bolder than Number One.
"That fat guy was from the cult. He killed the Camp Administrator, the one without clothes."
Lin Ye put on the mask and began making flesh puppets and bone traps. The process was very simple: just disassemble the corpse, separating it into flesh and bone parts. Then, he could use a certain mysterious power through the mask to create them directly.
At first, Lin Ye thought disassembling corpses would be difficult, but after starting, he discovered it was actually a bit easier than learning to drive, which he picked up instantly.
'I actually have a talent for this? If I'd known, I would have studied medicine.'
Lin Ye successfully disassembled the two corpses and, using the mask, turned them into flesh puppets and bone traps.
"...Don't you think the teacher's movements are a bit too skilled?"
Head Student Number One whispered to Number Two.