176: 176 Something is wrong

Just as the banquet hall was filled with clinking glasses and a strong atmosphere of academic exchange—

"Crash—!!!"

A sharp, ear-piercing sound of breaking glass, like a thunderclap, tore through the harmonious music, clearly coming from somewhere outside the banquet hall!

Immediately following, there was a dull thud of something heavy falling.

The music abruptly stopped.

All conversations instantly ceased.

The entire banquet hall fell into a dead silence; everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events, and instinctively looked towards the direction of the sound.

That was the direction of the corridor leading to the lounge area.

"What happened?"

"It sounds like glass broke?"

"Oh my god, could it be that someone..."

Whispers and uneasy speculations spread rapidly like ripples on water.

The school leaders' faces instantly turned grave, and security personnel had already begun to act swiftly.

And amidst the crowd, Professor Mike's face suddenly turned ashen white!

An extremely ominous premonition coiled around his heart like a cold, venomous snake!

He remembered that Researcher Julie had just gone in that direction!

"Excuse me, let me through!" Mike could no longer maintain his scholarly demeanor, roughly pushing aside the crowd in front of him, rushing towards the corridor exit as if he had gone mad.

Only one thought was in his mind: Something happened to Researcher Julie! What on earth did that foolish woman do?!

He practically stumbled out of the banquet hall and into the corridor that connected the main building to the side wing lounge area.

Everything in the corridor was as usual; the lighting was soft, the decorations elegant, no different from when he had left it earlier, except that a distant window had a large hole, and the night wind was whistling in through the opening.

Mike looked out the window, his heart sinking to the bottom. A figure lay below; he was very familiar with the clothes—they were Researcher Julie's.

He bolted towards the stairwell.

However, just as he ran about ten meters, rounding a corner, the surrounding air seemed to instantly become viscous and cold!

The originally clear corridor scene began to twist and blur, like a television screen with poor signal.

What chilled him even more was that he found himself clearly running forward, yet the distance to the stairwell in his line of sight hadn't shortened in the slightest!

Instead, it seemed to be constantly receding!

He sprinted with all his might, his lungs burning, but the surrounding scenery seemed to be cycling in place!

"This...? No, this isn't possible!"

Mike abruptly stopped, panting heavily, looking around in horror.

He tried to run back, searching for the entrance to the banquet hall, but the way he came had also disappeared, replaced by another dark corridor that looked identical but stretched infinitely!

Absolute silence enveloped him; even the sound of his own heartbeat seemed exceptionally loud.

A deep sense of fear, originating from the unknown, began to erode his firm scientific beliefs.

"Is anyone there?! Help!"

He shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the empty, eerie corridor, but he received no response, as if he had been isolated in a separate space, cut off from reality.

Professor Mike ran fruitlessly like a headless fly in the infinitely looping corridor for a long time.

Fear, like cold vines, coiled around his heart, almost suffocating him.

Just as he was on the verge of despair, a familiar outline of a doorway ahead finally pierced through the distorted light, gradually becoming clear.

It was the entrance to the banquet hall!

Hope ignited instantly!

Mike used his last ounce of strength, stumbling and lunging towards that large door, which symbolized safety and reality.

"Bang!"

He violently pushed open the heavy door, and the familiar lights and warmth washed over him.

However, before he could rejoice, the scene before his eyes made his hair stand on end, and his blood seemed to freeze at that moment!

Inside the banquet hall, all the guests, scholars, waiters... they still maintained their previous postures of conversing and raising their glasses.

But... all of them had their backs to him!

Dense rows of backs, like silent sculptures, frozen under the magnificent crystal chandeliers, the entire scene presented a chillingly eerie atmosphere.

The banquet hall, which had been bustling with voices moments ago, was now so quiet that he could hear his own heavy and terrified breathing.

"You... you all..."

Mike's voice was dry and trembling, filled with a fear he couldn't control, "Wh-what happened?"

The moment his words fell!

"Swish!"

As if receiving a unified command, the hundreds of figures in the hall, who had their backs to him, at the same moment, with stiff and synchronized movements, all turned their heads!

Those faces, originally either refined, enthusiastic, or respectful, now all turned towards him, bearing exactly the same, standard yet eerie smiles, like masks!

Their eyes were empty, yet they seemed to be focused solely on him.

Immediately after, hundreds of mouths opened and closed at the same time, emitting layered, yet extraordinarily uniform sounds.

The sound was terrifying to the extreme!

"Found you..."

"Found you..."

"Found you..."

The sound echoed in the empty banquet hall, as if from hell, repeatedly assailing Mike's already taut nerves!

Professor Mike's pupils dilated to the extreme, the color instantly drained from his face, and an boundless chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

He let out a piercing scream, his body trembling violently, and he retreated sharply, but his legs gave out due to extreme fear, and he fell to the ground in a sorry state.

He scrambled backward on all fours, wanting only to get away from those hundreds of eerie smiling faces and the hypnotic voices.

"Professor Mike? Professor Mike! What's wrong with you?!"

A clear and concerned voice abruptly pulled him back to reality from the extreme terrifying illusion.

Mike violently shivered. He saw the principal shaking his arm with both hands, looking at him with worry.

"I... I..."

Mike was still shaken, gasping for air, cold sweat rolling down his forehead, soaking his collar.

He stared blankly at the perfectly normal scene around him, then at the principal's face full of concern, his mind blank, completely bewildered.

All that just now... was it another illusion? But... why did it feel so real?

The recent events had completely overturned his understanding, shattering the logic and scientific worldview he relied on.

"Professor Mike, don't just stare, Researcher Julie... something happened to her!"

Mike followed the direction of his finger. Below, Researcher Julie was lying on the ground screaming, her arm twisted strangely, and she appeared to be in a state of frenzy!

"Don't come over! Don't..."

Their eyes met, and both could feel the fear in the other's heart!

Something was wrong! This situation, he was not right!