AnalogHorror: Rule Kaidan 4016
Chapter 171 - 79: The Thing That Peeped Through the Window

Chapter 171: Chapter 79: The Thing That Peeped Through the Window

Lin Yi listened in a deep silence.

In the matter of the sculptures, he had guessed a tiny bit, but compared to the information Tian Bufan had figured out, his knowledge was just like a joke.

Lin Yi opened his mouth, only to feel that whatever he said would seem pale and powerless in front of Tian Bufan’s considerations, so he could only blurt out a trite phrase:

"Ninety-nine percent sure... might as well say it’s absolutely certain."

Tian Bufan said with disdain, "One hundred percent is too arrogant. It’s not too late to make a conclusion after I see it with my own eyes."

He stood up, patted his clothes, and then began to tidy up his change of laundry.

The sound of water from Kuai Hongji’s side had stopped.

"By the way, Old Lin. Based on my observations today, I believe there should be a transformation pathway between art students and sculptures."

"This pathway should be: Art Student ’Normal’ — Art Student ’Anomalous’ — Non-human Classmates — Statues."

"Those non-human classmates exhibit some observable characteristics that lie between abnormal art students and statues."

"Yesterday in the classroom, I saw them fighting with the sports students. Their arms turned a kind of bluish-gray, similar to an incomplete plaster-like substance."

"They displayed a different kind of agility in the darkness than under sunlight, a violent disposition, and even demonstrated a portion of intelligence, enough that even the sports students could only suppress them with a numerical advantage."

Lin Yi could only listen. The information was not difficult to accept, but as a person who was gradually accepting an abnormal world view and continuously overwriting his cognition, he clearly needed some time to digest this information thoroughly.

And what Tian Bufan had said had, to a certain extent, given him a preliminary understanding of the "pathway."

If blood turns into tomato sauce, and tomato sauce turns into plaster,

then the idea of people turning into statues doesn’t seem unacceptable...

But...

Is this damn issue really about "acceptance"?

The world seems to be screwing up!

Tian Bufan said, "If you consider the transformation pathway as a chemical formula, then there must be catalysts and conditions within the pathway. Once those can be figured out, the pathway can be completed."

"After that, perhaps a method of reverse transformation can be found."

Lin Yi expressed surprise, "Reverse transformation?"

Tian Bufan nodded, "That brings us back to the issue of the ’Novice Village’ internal and external layers that I mentioned before."

"Those unreachable layers aren’t impossible to go to. If the correct ’identity’ is applied, theoretically one could travel there safely, but the question is, how do I transform back after attaining that kind of identity?"

"If it’s only one-way transformation, then it’s useless."

"But if reverse transformation is possible, that’s the same as..."

"As long as I protect myself well, I can maintain a green name across the whole map."

(*Note: In some games with faction divisions, a red name represents a state where one can be attacked by hostile factions, while a green name signifies a safe, attack-proof status.)

Lin Yi, not fully comprehending but nonetheless greatly shocked.

"If that’s the case with students, then I suspect it’s the same with teachers." Tian Bufan continued, "Where there are experience students, there are homeroom teachers, where there are sports students, there are physical education teachers, and where there are art students, there are art teachers."

"If there are normal art students, then there are normal art teachers, and if there are abnormal art students... naturally, there are also abnormal art teachers."

"So—"

It was a roundabout conversation that finally came back to the main point.

"So, the teachers and students in the fog are the abnormal art teachers and abnormal art students," Lin Yi said solemnly.

With that, the two concluded the discussion on the second question perfectly.

2: [The teachers and students appearing on foggy days are abnormal art teachers and abnormal art students.] — √

This one, seemingly simple and even if only the conclusion were to be stated, could be summarized in one sentence.

However, Tian Bufan, by guiding Lin Yi’s thoughts, dissected the "knowledge points" within, bit by bit, from a "cognitive" level, helping Lin Yi to gradually accept and change his cognition.

Eventually, a massive amount of knowledge points was expanded.

"Remember, all of this will be on the test," Tian Bufan, having finished organizing his clothes, joked uncharacteristically.

Lin Yi replied with a wry smile, "Understood, Teacher Tian."

Tian Bufan waved his hand, "Kuai Kuai has finished washing up. Take some time to digest this information. After I shower, we’ll continue talking."

He looked in the direction of the restroom; indeed, the restroom door opened, and Kuai Hongji emerged carrying his dirty clothes.

Just then, Wei Shan, who had been silent, suddenly bellowed at Kuai Hongji:

"Yin Bi, pick up my pillow!"

Kuai Hongji looked down at the door, then let out a sardonic snicker, "Fatso, you haven’t picked up a pillow in all this time? What, are you disabled?"

Despite his words, he still picked up the pillow and threw it at Wei Shan.

Wei Shan caught the pillow and immediately lay down with it behind his head to sleep.

Tian Bufan then headed towards the restroom.

"Old Lin." Tian Bufan opened the restroom door, and just as he was about to enter, he suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"You tell me... from which moment did you start to take for granted the abnormality of the school district, accept the school district’s abnormality, and even proactively accept the ’rule’ that’s completely detached from reality like ’tomato sauce will turn into plaster’?"

Lin Yi stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning, Tian Bufan’s question echoing in his ears like the sound of a bell, making his head buzz.