Rules-related weird stories: 4016

“I seem to be… trying to teach you how to do things. I've overstepped.”

She didn't say anything more, as if words would be pale and weak at this moment.

“It's nothing like that, and… this is my choice.” Mu Daxian's tone was calm and firm, then he changed the subject, “As long as it's not the 'Angel', then the problem won't be too big…”

“I hope we can meet at the art building, teacher.”

“Yes, hopefully.” The homeroom teacher - 039 responded.

“Good luck to you.”

“To you as well.”

After a brief greeting, Mu Daxian led the bewildered Mao Feiyang towards the stairwell.

Beside the stairwell was the entrance to the skybridge, and the skybridge had an open space with several load-bearing columns. Mu Daxian took Mao Feiyang there to wait for the security guard to appear and take homeroom teacher - 039 away.

Mao Feiyang whispered, “Does 'Angel' refer to that 'Angel Sculpture'?”

Mu Daxian nodded: “That's right, at least it looks like an 'Angel'.”

“'Looks like'?”

“I can't explain too much to you.” Mu Daxian shook his head. “Don't try to understand the 'Angel'. If you encounter the Angel, just follow the rules.”

“The rules only say to run to the art gallery and shout the Night Watcher's name, but the problem is, we're not in the art building. What should we do if we encounter the 'Angel'?”

“Run, what else can we do?”

“Huh?”

“What's with the 'Huh'?”

Mao Feiyang pursed his lips: “Didn't you say you were experienced?”

“Isn't my rich experience in running away experience?”

Mao Feiyang opened his mouth, speechless for a moment.

“Hey, someone's coming!”

Mu Daxian patted Mao Feiyang's shoulder.

“Oh man, it's Lao Lin!” Mao Feiyang exclaimed.

The door of Class 2, Group B, opened, and Lin Yi cautiously poked his head out, took a look and retracted it, then took another look and retracted it again, repeating this several times before cautiously sneaking out of the classroom.

Mao Feiyang: “…”

“Lao Lin, he… I haven't seen him for a day, why does he look so stupid?”

Mu Daxian was silent for a moment: “I guess his mental state isn't very stable.”

“Uh… maybe… Hey, Lao Lin was called to the office by the homeroom teacher!”

Mu Daxian explained: “Before leaving, the homeroom teacher needs to remove the identity credential to prevent it from being lost due to some unforeseen accident. If a mimic obtains it, it would be detrimental to the trainees.”

Mao Feiyang pondered: “Would that turn it into a mimic art teacher?”

Mu Daxian shook his head: “No, the contamination is downward. You can only affect units with a lower contamination depth than you. It's almost impossible to reverse the situation. So, after the mimic obtains the homeroom teacher's identity credential, it will only contaminate some trainees' perception of the homeroom teacher's identity.”

“Similarly, after they seize the identity credentials of the trainees, they can only influence those with unstable mental states, or weaken the will of normal people through various means.”

“What did Mr. Lu Xun say…”

“Idiots will always drag you down to their level and then defeat you with their rich experience at that level… Mimics are pretty much the same.”

“As for the mimic art teacher you're interested in…”

“They are products formed when art teachers bear extraordinary power that they shouldn't have, and are continuously contaminated.” When Mu Daxian said this, his tone was somewhat complex, mixed with some pity and admiration, but more so with disgust and disdain.

It's hard to imagine so many emotions swirling in one person's eyes at the same time.

“Similarly, if art students absorb extraordinary power beyond their own capacity, they will also become strange art students.”

“I see…” Mao Feiyang nodded, seemingly understanding.

“You understood?” Mu Daxian was surprised.

“Uh…” Mao Feiyang was stunned, “Actually, I don't really understand.”

Mu Daxian facepalmed: “I'm really giving up on you. Don't pretend to understand if you don't, it'll cause trouble.”

“Okay…” Mao Feiyang confessed, “I mainly don't understand that the mimic art teacher is actually transformed from an art teacher…”

Although Mao Feiyang only met the art teacher once, he always felt that the art teacher had a special charm, elegant, calm, and composed, seemingly in control of everything, and… not evil at all.

“Villains don't think they're villains.” Mu Daxian shook his head. “They only think they've discovered a brand new belief, seen more things, like the ancient prophets, trying to teach us with their things…”

“What they insist on is completely different from us.”

“But the abstract thing is that they still insist that everything they do is right, that we can't understand them…”

“Physical contamination isn't scary, Xiao Mao… What's scary is cognitive contamination.”

“That unhesitating, absolute trust in unspeakable things… that is the real contamination and baptism.”

“They… are a group of 'fanatics'.”

Mao Feiyang pondered: “Since that's the case, why not try to find a way to eliminate them?”

“Why wouldn't we want to? I dream about it.” Mu Daxian shook his head helplessly. “But we can't! You don't understand, and I can't explain the things inside.”

“I can only say that the price to pay to eliminate them in the art building is too high.”

“If it could be solved by just paying some painful price, then we would have acted long ago, but the real problem is that it's completely useless.”

“It's useless even if we throw in the entire campus.”

“The most cost-effective approach is 'restriction', using the least amount of life and property to restrict them from all levels, and then find a way to solve the problem…”

“None of the rules in the campus mention confrontation, not because confrontation doesn't work. If one or two mimics or Nightwalkers threaten you, just kill them, but a large-scale 'war' is impossible.”

“Wait, wait, wait…” Mao Feiyang was confused, “Didn't you say you can't eliminate them, how did you mention killing them again? Isn't that the same thing?”

Mu Daxian said: “I didn't explain it clearly.”

“'Cannot eliminate' means that they cannot be eliminated in the art building.”

“'Can kill' means that they can be killed on campus.”

Mao Feiyang still didn't understand, but Lin Yi had a flash of inspiration—the sun!

There is no sun in the art building layer all year round, but the campus is different. The campus has daytime!

Sunlight is deadly to mimics and Nightwalkers!

“Let me put it another way.” Mu Daxian said, “Those who can be eliminated are all unimportant things. What are mimics and Nightwalkers? What are we?”

“Don't take life too seriously. As long as there is a concept of 'life' and 'death', then it is vulnerable.”

“Pseudo-humans, at least, are still a form of life. Of course, even if they are pseudo-humans, it's still quite difficult to kill them in the art building.”

“I seem to be talking a bit too much… but you seem even more interested in listening.” Mu Daxian patted Mao Feiyang on the shoulder, “You kid, you're a natural-born artist. After this trip, I reckon you won't even need to find a way to switch back to being an experience student…”

Mao Feiyang shook his head like a rattle-drum upon hearing this, repeatedly saying no.

Mu Daxian touched his cloth bag and chuckled: “Sometimes, what you think might not be your true feelings. Your subconscious reaction is the most genuine.”

“My judgment of people is very accurate. You truly have an innate affinity for art… it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call you a '先天 艺术 圣体 (innate art saint body).'”

Mao Feiyang's mouth twitched violently: “I… really don't want to.”

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Mu Daxian waved his hand: “I respect your choice.”

Mao Feiyang breathed a sigh of relief.

Mu Daxian added: “So I also advise you to respect your own choice.”

He pointed to Mao Feiyang's chest.

“Don't look at me, ask your own heart.”

“Asking my heart still says no.” Mao Feiyang shook his head.

Mu Daxian didn't say anything more, looking at the doorway of the teachers' office, “That Old Lin you mentioned is coming out. Looks like… it wasn't easy for him.”

Mao Feiyang followed his gaze.

At this moment, that 'Lin Yi of May 7th, 19:40' was leaning against the door of the teachers' office, panting heavily. After resting for a good while, he finally supported himself against the wall and stood up, then returned to Class 2 of Group B.

“Are you alright?” Mu Daxian asked with concern.

“Huh?”

Mu Daxian subtly gestured with his mouth, his gaze falling on his hand.

“I'm fine… to be honest, I don't feel anything wrong.”

“Alright then, but you can't be careless.”

Mao Feiyang nodded.

About ten minutes later, Mu Daxian suddenly sensed something and got up, walking to the bridge railing, looking into the distance.

Mao Feiyang quickly followed, asking nervously: “What's wrong? Could it be that 'Angel' is here?”

Mu Daxian glanced at him sideways: “If the 'Angel' was coming, I would have run away already. Look for yourself… it's the security guard.”

Mao Feiyang perked up and quickly followed Mu Daxian's gaze.

He saw that in the thick mist, streetlights were scattered like starlight, and within them, there was a figure slowly advancing like an icebreaker. Just seeing the security guard from afar, Lin Yi could feel a sense of warmth, as if no strange or bizarre things could exist where the security guard was.

However, as the security guard approached, Lin Yi gradually felt a sense of discomfort. It was a faint sense of rejection, which he had never felt from the security guard before.

Mao Feiyang frowned, his eyes feeling a little sore, and he couldn't help but mutter: “Why do my eyes feel so sore when I stare at the security guard, but it feels much better when I look away?”

“That's normal.” Mu Daxian said, “Otherwise, the rules wouldn't tell you to stay away from the security guard as much as possible.”

Mao Feiyang was slightly stunned, then shivered.

“Holy shit…”

Originally, because of the student rules and the fact that he followed the security guard to the teaching building on the night of his admission, he still remembered the sense of security that the security guard brought. But he had forgotten that the art student rules required [Everything is prioritized by following the art department rules]. He should try to stay away from the security guard, instead of thinking that the security guard could bring safety!

At this moment, Mao Feiyang clearly realized the importance of the conflict and priority between rules. If it weren't for Mu Daxian's reminder, he would likely have forgotten!

This wasn't because he was mindless or stupid, but because after experiencing the security guard's sense of security, he had this impression subconsciously and hadn't changed it in time.

Lin Yi felt the same way, but he was even more aware that this was the point to pay attention to after knowing too many rules—when encountering conflicting rules, you must follow the one that conforms to your current identity and positioning, instead of acting according to habit.

Forcibly reversing habits and subconscious actions is the greatest constraint and mandatory enforcement brought about by "rules."

Mao Feiyang lowered his gaze and began to avoid the security guard, while asking in a deep voice: “Can you tell me, why should I try to stay away from the security guard?”

Mu Daxian didn't avoid it, continuing to squint at the security guard, as if he was training his eyesight. Hearing this, he said: “The security guard's 'extraordinary characteristics' are too complicated. I can't explain it clearly to you for the time being. You only need to know two things…”

“First, the security guard can directly absorb extraordinary power within a certain range, including the power within our bodies, and… the power within the streetlights.”

“Have you read novels? You can simply understand it as the security guard having a controllable but always-on anti-magic field around him. If we get close to him, our bodies will become weak…”

“Then aren't we very dangerous? If we encounter pseudo-humans or night walkers at this time… No, they are also affected by the security guard's field!” Mao Feiyang exclaimed.

“That's right, and judging from the degree of influence, the security guard's aura is even more deadly to them.” Mu Daxian said slowly, “If we don't have extraordinary power, we are still living people after all, but if those things lose their extraordinary power, they may directly turn into corpses.”

“And look, the security guard rarely actively approaches streetlights… because his field will also affect the streetlights.”

Lin Yi was shocked, thinking, so that's how it is.

“But the kerosene lamp in his hand seems to be fine?” Mao Feiyang said.

“Didn't I just say that the power of pollution is transmitted downwards, and that old kerosene lamp… its extraordinary characteristics are stronger than the security guard's.”

“Oh… oh oh oh oh!!!” Mao Feiyang suddenly understood, “Then you just said two things, what's the second?”

Mu Daxian glanced at him faintly: “Second… the security guard will likely give an art student a beating when he sees one.”

“Give… give a beating?” Mao Feiyang felt unnatural under Mu Daxian's gaze, “Literal meaning?”

Mu Daxian nodded, his expression a little strange: “And… your small frame probably can't take one hit.”

“Uh… what about you?” Mao Feiyang was a little curious.

Mu Daxian was silent for a moment, pursing his lips: “All beings are equal.”

Thank you to book friend “usjdnshhs” for the reward!!