Hourglass Project - Chapter 17

At 6.30 AM in the morning, the wake-up bell rang through the room’s broadcast system.

The Double Huang from the third floor quickly put on their academy robes and hurried downstairs to wait for the other three, only to find that there wasn’t a single player on the first floor.

Looks like they were the earliest.

They waited only a few seconds before the dormitory doors opened from the outside. They looked over, it was a woman.

She looked around forty. Her face was kind, and the thick cotton coat she wore made her seem a bit plump. She closed the door, set her umbrella aside against the wall, looked at the Double Huang, and smiled. “Oh, what a lovely bright red.” She was referring to the scarves around their necks.

The color was indeed eye-catching.

“Thank you,” Huang Jijun smiled back, then asked, “Are you a teacher at the academy?”

“Yes. You can call me Teacher Naxi. I’m your homeroom teacher.” After introducing herself, she smiled and asked, “Where are the other students? Why aren’t they downstairs yet?” She took out a dark-brown pocket watch, flipped it open to check the time, then tucked it away again with a slightly troubled look. “At this rate, you all might have a little less time to eat breakfast.”

She let out two soft, joking laughs. The Double Huang understood what she meant. They had looked at the schedule, breakfast was from seven to seven-thirty. And now…

Huang Jijun tugged back her wide sleeve to check the time. Almost seven.

Hmm… it did seem like they wouldn’t have much time to eat.

Huang Yuhan rested both hands on the handle of her umbrella, its tip standing straight against the floor. The black academy robe draped over her tall figure accentuated her presence even more. Even the black umbrella looked nearly like a scepter in her hand.

It didn’t take long before several players came down. The other three of their group were still behind.

Once the five of them gathered together, their combined presence drew the stares of the other players. They were all wearing the same clothes, yet somehow the five of them looked more refined—more striking.

Probably because of their natural looks.

Teacher Naxi introduced herself to them again, counted heads, and saw they were still missing a few. She checked her pocket watch again, it was already past seven.

“Looks like a few of our students are a bit shy. Let’s wait a little longer.” Her words were gentle and tactful, she was clearly a homeroom teacher with high emotional intelligence.

Two minutes later, the remaining players finally came down. After counting again and confirming everyone was present, she introduced herself one last time.

Then she prepared to lead them to the dining hall. Picking up her umbrella, she pushed open the door, turned back with a smile, and said, “Remember to open your umbrellas.”

She stepped outside with her umbrella open. The rest followed. Luckily, most people had brought umbrellas and wouldn’t have to walk through the snow unprotected.

“Hey, we can see the surroundings much more clearly now.” Huang Yuhan commented cheerfully.

Indeed, compared to yesterday’s heavy snowfall, visibility today was much better. The academy buildings were all clearly visible, though everything outside the academy remained shrouded in haze.

Huang Jijun scanned the area, and her gaze stopped somewhere. “The Chapel of Sacred Words…”

They looked over and saw a tall, magnificent church. In front of it stood a plaque, its surface laden with snow. On it were four characters:

Chapel of Sacred Words

So this must be where they held their daily services. They didn’t know what the point was. What kind of ideas it intended to spread.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the dining hall. It was still decorated in that archaic style, and there was no one inside. When Naxi entered with them, they saw the food had already been laid out on both sides. A quick look told them most of it was familiar.

To people who had spent so long stealing from each other to survive back on Earth—excluding the five-person team—this was pure temptation.

Naxi told them to hurry since they had less than half an hour remaining.

As soon as she left, the players looked at one another. Although they hadn’t had a good meal in ages, the game-born wariness still clung to them. They worried the food might be dangerous.

“Remember our mission?”

“By the final day, at least five players must still be alive…”

“……”

They fell silent.

The atmosphere grew heavier. Huang Jijun glanced at Li Moyao. After receiving her nod of permission, she walked to one of the large trays holding food. The other players immediately watched her closely.

She picked up a delicious-looking piece of bread with metal tongs. After observing it for a long moment, she put it back down and said, “I think it’s fine.”

“How do you know?” a player asked.

Huang Jijun looked at him and smiled. “My ability relates to this sort of thing.”

Before the man could speak again, Huang Yuhan happily headed to grab a tray. “Eat, eat, eat!”

They watched her pick up a tray and start piling food onto it as she walked. In no time, the tray was full. She set it onto a wooden table, then went back for another tray.

Some players were stunned. They looked at her overall condition, and understood.

Li Moyao began choosing her food as well. Liu Jingtao followed her, and then the remaining three of the five joined in.

Once someone started, the other players no longer hesitated. The food was the same for everyone. If they died afterward, then everyone would die together and the mission would fail anyway.

In the remaining twenty minutes, everyone ate as quickly as possible. They were all worried something might happen if they exceeded the time limit, and their guesses were terrifying.

Would they die if they didn’t finish in time?

…It actually seemed possible.

With that thought, the players ate even faster, barely tasting the food. They pressured themselves to keep going, thinking they could savor things again at lunch.

Though they didn’t know if people would die before noon arrived…

Their anxiety deepened.

“Hic—”

A long burp drew everyone’s attention.

The man who burped rubbed his snow-reddened nose and laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry.”

The female player beside him looked slightly disgusted and raised her red scarf to cover her nose. Her voice came out muffled. “At least try to mind your image.”

Several players laughed, the fear they’d been holding in since morning finally loosening.

Up ahead,Teacher Naxi heard it too. She turned and smiled. “Looks like my students ate very well.”

At her comment, they each let out awkward little laughs.

They entered the chapel.

The first thing the players saw was the tall white stone statue directly facing the double doors. The statue was a man about five meters tall man, wearing a cloak and hood that covered his eyes. The lower half of his face was expressionless. His raised arms, parallel to his chest, gave off an aura of generosity and acceptance.

Teacher Naxi told them to find seats, but insisted that everyone gather in the front rows.

She checked her pocket watch and said, “There are still five minutes before the service begins. I trust you’ve all read the academy’s rules. After the service ends, you’ll need to summarize its contents, so make sure to listen carefully.”

At that reminder, everyone remembered. Anxiety crept in. It really felt like the reflection essays they used to write after school events.

They found seats and waited. During these few minutes, they saw the second NPC of Mohe Academy.

A woman in a black robe with the same red scarf.

The scarf was the same bright red.

She was probably the one who would recite the service content. Holding a thick leather-bound book, she walked to the lectern. After a brief glance at them, she lowered her head to organize her things.

Li Moyao raised her eyes toward the woman and curled her lips into a smile.

Beside her, Huang Yuhan let out a low grumble, “Hmm…”

All five of them caught the faint sting in the air.

The scent of bl00d.

But it vanished instantly.

The moment her shoe brushed against something, Lin Yi stopped mid-movement. She bent down to look—a white, undecorated rabbit plush toy was under her chair.

“Huh?”

Her instincts tightened. She straightened up and said to the girl beside her, “Luobao, there’s a rabbit under my seat.”

Tao Luo glanced down and said, “Don’t touch it.”

Even if it were a child’s lost toy, finding one here was strange, especially since they hadn’t seen any children so far.

Lin Yi naturally wouldn’t touch it. She immediately got up and moved to another seat with Tao Luo, leaving the rabbit toy where it was.

But even after changing seats, she couldn’t relax fully. After telling the others, they all switched to another row. Luckily, they were already at the last row of players, making it easy to move to a different one.

“What happened? Why did you suddenly switch seats?” Teacher Naxi noticed and asked.

Huang Yuhan thought for a moment, then said seriously, “That row of chairs… was poking my butt.”

Teacher Naxi laughed. “Looks like I’ll need to report that to the academy director, hehe.”

Five minutes passed quickly. It was time—according to the academy schedule—7:45.

The woman beneath the statue began her recitation.

“Hear the Sacred Words. Embrace the process. Always remember the Curse God’s guidance.”

“Under the Curse God, hold devotion in your heart. Do not forget today’s teachings. Contemplate the Sacred Words, and you will receive the Curse God’s selfless gifts. To obtain guidance, you must obey. As followers of the Curse God, follow your inner will. Otherwise, the Curse God shall deliver curses, burdening you with the weight of the Sacred Words forevermore…”

Two hours of nonstop recitation. The woman never paused for water, and her voice never showed signs of strain.

Perhaps stopping would be considered disrespectful to the Curse God.

The five summarized the contents on the spot:
Reflect seriously on the Sacred Words, consider their deeper meanings, follow your inner will for future actions, do not betray the Curse God, and listen to His guidance.

First of all, judging by the name, they didn’t think the Curse God was a benevolent deity. His “guidance” was likely something bad. When connected with their mission, they concluded that the guidance might very well be urging them to kill.

Of course, it was only a guess. If they were wrong… well, they’d be offending the Curse God.

“‘The Chapel of Sacred Words is always open. The Curse God especially favors nighttime gratitude and prayer.’”
That was the closing line of the service.

Leaving the chapel with the others, the five began discussing among themselves.

“Nighttime gratitude and prayer?” Lin Yi frowned. “Why nighttime?”

“Maybe nighttime here isn’t a good thing,” Huang Jijun said. “At the very least, it’s not peaceful.”

Li Moyao smiled. “Remember the rules of Mohe Academy?”

The other four looked at her, and those who understood immediately understood.

Mohe Academy’s Main Rules

3: Students must not leave their rooms at night.

The five shared tacit understanding among themselves. Liu Jingtao, however, didn’t grasp the meaning behind their smiles. She asked, “Moyao, what do you mean?”

Before Li Moyao could respond, Huang Yuhan cut in with a grin, “I suggest you read the paper on the back of our door a few more times. It’s very useful~”

Seeing they didn’t want to explain, Liu Jingtao awkwardly murmured, “Oh…”

Teacher Naxi led them to an old European-style building. They went to the third floor, where the layout was a hallway and several classrooms.

Inside a classroom, Teacher Naxi told them to choose their seats, but once chosen, they couldn’t switch again.

The seats were paired desks. Huang Yuhan turned around, wanting to sit with Li Moyao. But the moment she looked back, she saw the person she was looking for already sitting with the long-haired girl.

Li Moyao smiled at her, while Liu Jingtao sat there looking slightly embarrassed.

Raising her eyebrows, Huang Yuhan sat with Huang Jijun.

“Damn it, she stole my Moyao,” she muttered through clenched teeth the moment she sat down.

Huang Jijun glanced at the two and laughed. “Next time, be faster.”

The two girls beside them leaned over, whispering as they plotted, planning to drag Li Moyao to their dorm to sleep tonight.

“All right, children, settle down,” Naxi said from the podium with a smile. “I’ll start handing out paper now. You have thirty minutes to summarize the service content. Make sure you write seriously, or the teacher will punish you.”

She picked up a stack of thick brown papers and handed them out as she walked aisle by aisle. “There are still five minutes before you start writing. Don’t begin early. The teacher doesn’t like that.”

In a place like this, it was better to obey.

Li Moyao looked at the desk. Two fountain pens and several thick, brown-covered books. The top one was titled Bible.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Liu Jingtao picking up the top book and opening it. She smiled. “Teacher said not to touch things yet. Be good~”

Startled, Liu Jingtao looked at her, face slowly reddening. She whispered, “The teacher probably meant we shouldn’t start writing yet…”

Li Moyao didn’t respond, just smiled lazily.

A moment later, someone suddenly stopped next to them. A voice dropped from above.

“Well, well. Caught a disobedient child~”

“Ah…” Liu Jingtao jumped, staring up at Teacher Naxi in panic.

Teacher Naxi gently closed the Bible and placed it back on the stack, patting her shoulder with a kind smile. “Remember what the teacher said. Don’t touch anything yet~”

The long-haired girl shrank back slightly, lowering her head without another word.

Naxi returned to the podium, smiling at them all. Then she checked her pocket watch. “Two minutes left. Go over your summaries in your heads.” She paused, then added, “And remember. Not yet.”

Feeling Naxi’s gaze drift to her again and again, Liu Jingtao lowered her head even further.

Her seatmate, Li Moyao, glanced at her and spoke lazily, “Just listen next time~”

Ignore Moyao’s words and you’ll suffer~

Liu Jingtao nodded, grabbed the sleeve of her black robe, and whispered, “I’m sorry…”

“Mm~” Li Moyao smiled.

And the girl continued holding onto her sleeve without letting go.

When the waiting period ended, Naxi let them begin writing. She paced the aisles while they worked.

Li Moyao picked up one of the fountain pens, twirling it lightly before removing the cap and starting to write.

Beside her, Liu Jingtao peeked at her movement. Her gaze slid quietly toward Li Moyao’s profile, a faint gleam of slyness, and hunger flashing through her eyes.

“I hate writing reflections the most…” Huang Yuhan sighed.

“In school you could write whatever you wanted. Now you actually have to take it seriously.” Huang Jijun said as she neatly finished a paragraph.

“Otherwise we’ll get punished…” Huang Yuhan slumped, staring at the pen tip as she wrote. Halfway through, she suddenly grew irritated and scribbled out a long chunk of text in one go!

She glanced over it

Acceptable, though her handwriting wasn’t great.

“Huh? Child, why is your scarf dirty?”

They turned toward the voice.

Teacher Naxi stood next to a male student, pointing at a small stain on the red scarf near his mouth.

The boy looked confused. “Maybe I got it on myself during breakfast…”

“I see. How careless,” Teacher Naxi said, patting his shoulder and smiling warmly. “Be sure to wash it clean. I don’t want to see it again tomorrow.”

He nodded quickly.

Teacher Naxi continued walking, but she never once stopped near the five. They were relieved. In school, the last thing anyone liked was a teacher hovering over them while they wrote.

Liu Jingtao squeezed her pen, racking her brain, occasionally stealing glances at Li Moyao. She saw that she was already done and flipping through a book. She leaned slightly to peek at her paper.

Just as she caught a few words, she suddenly felt an intense gaze. She looked up and saw Naxi’s eyes shift away from them.

“…”

She frowned and quickly looked away, focusing on her own writing.

10:30.

Teacher Naxi collected their summaries and told them to stay quiet and study, then left the room.

“Study? Study what?” Lin Yi muttered, twirling her pen. “She didn’t teach anything. Are we supposed to study how to do homework without a lesson?”

Tao Luo opened the Bible. “Studying is fine. Sleeping is fine. As long as it’s quiet.”

Lin Yi raised a brow and laughed. “You really know how to exploit loopholes, Luobao~”

“No,” Tao Luo said humbly.

Lin Yi chuckled, burying her face in her arms, her laughter muffled.

Outside the window, the falling snow showed no intention of stopping.