However, after the chaos subsided...

The youths discovered that only four people remained from the fallen human pyramid!

The glasses-wearing youth who had been standing at the very top had mysteriously disappeared!

This unforeseen situation completely dumbfounded the remaining four!

For a moment, the four youths, their thoughts in disarray, fell into despair and panic once more.

They even began to suspect that the glasses-wearing youth might have already been eaten by the female ghost?

Medium human meat, devoured clean?

But soon, the voice of that "female ghost" rang out again, directly addressing their chaotic breakdown.

"Are you talking about a youth with glasses? He hasn't disappeared. He's hanging at the junction between the spout and the body of this giant kettle."

After this voice spoke, the four confused youths suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The silence lasted for half a minute before one youth finally broke the awkward atmosphere.

He knocked on the kettle wall as if knocking on a door, cleared his throat, and said:

"Ahem, well... you... you're not a female ghost? So, you're a player trapped inside this kettle?"

His tone was polite at first, but then he couldn't help but continue asking:

"Did you summon us here to rescue you? But how can your voice travel so far?"

"And why are you trapped inside this giant kettle? Why does this giant kettle even appear in the Mist Forest of Oddities?"

"Was the loud noise we heard outside the Forest of Oddities just now made by this kettle?"

The more the youth asked, the more questions he had.

And these doubts made the four youths, who had just begun to lower their guard slightly against the "female ghost," become highly suspicious once again.

They even started to doubt the claim that the glasses-wearing youth was simply hanging from the kettle spout.

If not for considering that staying near this giant kettle might attract other powerful players who were also summoned, and the fact that they truly had nowhere else to go, they probably would have already been unable to resist the urge to run away.

"I..." That clear, cold female voice seemed to grow even weaker because of their suspicion. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Let me make it brief..."

Perhaps also due to her weakness, she didn't answer all their questions, only offering a simple explanation:

"I am indeed a player trapped inside this kettle..."

"I don't know how far my voice travels... nor do I know why it can travel so far..."

"But I suspect it might be because the spout of this giant kettle can project sound further?"

"As for the loud noise you heard, and this 'Mist Forest of Oddities'... I know nothing about these things."

As soon as she said this, the Rebellious Youth immediately questioned again:

"You can't possibly not even know why you're trapped inside this giant kettle, can you?"

This time, the weak female voice sounded a bit more certain:

"I was initially captured alive by a powerful player. She imprisoned me inside a giant crystal ball..."

"I don't know how long I spent inside that crystal ball, but I vaguely guessed that the powerful player seemed to want to use my physical body to resurrect a person from her past."

"But that powerful player also seemed to have enemies. I don't know what happened to the crystal ball containing me... it later transformed into the giant kettle you see now."

"As for why it later appeared in what you call the 'Forest of Oddities,' and why it's there... as a player trapped inside, I truly know nothing..."

The tone of this weak female voice was exceptionally sincere.

Moreover, judging from the timbre, this female player should also be quite young.

Age-wise, she might even qualify as a youth herself.

After a round of hushed discussion among the four newbie youths, it was again the slightly bolder Rebellious Youth who knocked on the kettle wall and asked:

"Alright, let's assume you really don't know many things. But you should at least remember who you are and what you experienced before being captured alive by that powerful player, right?"

"First, tell us about your situation before you were captured and put into the crystal ball. If we judge you're not lying, then we'll consider whether to rescue you."

The female voice sounded even weaker.

But she didn't refuse the question. Instead, she concisely recounted her experience before being captured alive:

"I originally lived in a peaceful era and was a high school girl."

"For some reason, one day, I and my classmates were suddenly pulled into a 'Juvenile Personality Reconstruction' school..."

"Out of our 80 classmates, some died accidentally, while others banded together and formed a mutual aid group. I was also a member of that group."

"Our mutual aid group supported each other, growing and struggling together within that bizarre school."

"Then, very suddenly, one day a mysterious powerful player arrived at the school. She didn't seem like a newcomer."

"Our mutual aid group didn't provoke her at all;we just discussed her a few times behind her back..."

"And then she directly slapped me, grabbed my throat, as if crushing me would be as easy as crushing an ant!"

"I had absolutely no ability to resist and thought I was going to die at her hands..."

"But I don't know why, that powerful player didn't kill me. Instead, she captured me alive and placed me inside a crystal ball."

"That powerful player was moody and erratic, seeming crazy and not like a normal person."

"The reason our mutual aid group discussed her was that we speculated she might have lost a loved one, which drove her insane..."

"That's why I guessed that being captured and put into the crystal ball might be because that insane powerful player wanted to resurrect her loved one."

After saying all this, the female voice became so weak it seemed it might vanish at any moment.

But even in such a weakened state, that voice, which still carried a hint of resilience, finally added:

"Everything I said is true... Please... you must believe me..."

Such a sincere tone.

The four youths were genuinely somewhat moved.

They even felt a bit envious: "You said you were pulled into the school together with your classmates? What about your other classmates? Are they all dead?"

"They didn't die... Well, to be precise, they weren't killed by that insane powerful player at the time..."

"But I don't know how long I've been trapped, so I can't be sure whether, after who knows how many years, my former classmates are still alive..."

Speaking of her old classmates, the female voice sounded quite sorrowful.

This feeling of sorrowful nostalgia resonated with these newbie youths.

They also thought of their own classmates, friends, and family.

They hardly dared imagine what would happen if they had to stay in this bizarre school for endless years...

Whether they could even survive.

Even if they did survive, they'd most likely end up as those soulless Hollow People, right?

This sense of empathy weakened their guard against the "female ghost" once more.

However, the Rebellious Youth voiced another doubt:

"But we're also newbies who just got pulled into this bizarre school. Our current strength is probably even weaker than yours was when you were captured alive..."

"This... are you sure we can rescue you?"

What the youths were thinking was, if the "female ghost" wanted them to call for help from others, that probably wouldn't work.

They could only wait here for powerful seniors to arrive.

If they left, who knew what they might encounter.

Surprisingly, however, the female voice didn't seem disappointed. Instead, she asked further:

"You just got pulled into the bizarre school? Have any of you sold your blood?"

A youth quickly replied, "No."

"Our initial time is sufficient;there's no need to sell blood for now."

"But among the people we know, some have sold their blood."

The weak female voice asked again, "Then have you eaten human meat, or consumed any 'Exile Fruit'?"

The youths shook their heads repeatedly. "No. We haven't obtained any 'Exile Fruit,' and we can't overcome the psychological barrier to eat human meat..."

Hearing this answer, the weak female voice carried a hint of pleasant surprise:

"In that case, your flesh and blood is pure."

"Then your flesh and blood can save me!"

This decisive tone made the four youths frown in unison.

Huh? Flesh and blood? Are you seriously going to eat people??

Seeming to realize the youths had misunderstood, the female voice explained again:

"Don't worry, I'm not going to suck your blood. I'm asking you to drip your pure blood onto three stones embedded in the kettle spout."

On the kettle spout? Three stones?

Wouldn't that mean they just need to convince the glasses-wearing youth to drip blood on the stones?

But the four youths couldn't help but grow suspicious again—

If it's just about dripping blood on stones, then the "female ghost" only needs to talk to the glasses-wearing youth, right?

After all, only he is hanging on the spout, closest to those so-called three stones.

And another strange thing—

The "female ghost" only responded to their four questions.

What about the glasses-wearing youth hanging on the spout?

Didn't he ask the female ghost any questions?

Or did the "female ghost" speak to him privately, and they didn't hear it?

But the "female ghost's" voice can clearly travel far;why would she speak to him privately?

Or perhaps, the glasses-wearing youth is already dead?

In any case, after learning how to rescue the "female ghost," these four youths became suspicious of her again.

After a moment of silence, the youths briefly discussed and finally, with the Rebellious Youth as their representative, knocked on the kettle wall and questioned again:

"You make it sound like we only need to drip a little blood on those three stones. But what if you're some evil entity that directly drains all our blood?"

"Besides, we get benefits from selling our blood! But if we drip blood to save you, what benefits do we get?"

As this question was asked, the hearts of the four youths pounded wildly.

If they could really get some benefits from this "female ghost"...

Could they also become powerful quickly?!

Could this giant kettle become their opportunity to rise in this bizarre world?!

Being youths, it's inevitable they have some chuunibyou spirit.

Although instinctively fearing death.

Who doesn't want to become a powerful, respected figure who stands tall, commands the wind and rain?

And that "female ghost" seemed to have sensed this youthful mentality.

After a moment of silence in the air, the weak female voice declared without hesitation:

"As long as you're willing to save me..."

"I can promise to grant three wishes to the person who saves me."

Ah, this...

This familiar phrasing.

It completely stumped the four youths.

After a long while, the Rebellious Youth said bluntly, utterly speechless:

"Three wishes? That's way too fake! Do you think you're the Aladdin's lamp?"

"If you were really that omnipotent, able to grant any three wishes, how could you possibly have been captured alive by a powerful player?"

This skepticism made the other three youths nod in agreement.

However, the "female ghost" promptly amended her statement: "Of course I'm not Aladdin's lamp. The three wishes I mentioned don't mean I'm omnipotent, but that I will do everything within my power to fulfill three wishes for my savior."

"If you feel a verbal promise isn't enough to show sincerity..."

"Then I can give you a benefit in advance."

A benefit in advance??

Is there really such a good thing?!

The four youths' eyes practically lit up in unison.

But soon, just as they were almost ready to agree directly...

The Rebellious Youth suddenly suggested:

"I think we should form a human pyramid again and check if that four-eyes is really hanging on the kettle spout."

"If he really is, we'll get him down, then the five of us can discuss it together before making a decision!"

This suggestion quickly gained unanimous approval.

After all...

This world originally didn't lack cunning minds, but since the glasses-wearing youth had more, they felt they had less.

So, bringing down the glasses-wearing youth, who had more cunning, was clearly more advantageous for them!

Thus, the four youths quickly decided and started forming the human pyramid again.

The first time they tried the human pyramid, it took them a long time to figure it out.

This time, they were highly motivated, and with the experience from last time, the speed of forming the pyramid was noticeably faster.

Then, according to plan...

When this newly formed human pyramid disbanded.

There were indeed five youths standing on the ground!

The four youths surrounded the glasses-wearing youth and asked him a bunch of questions. They learned that there were indeed three stones embedded in the kettle spout.

The glasses-wearing youth had even tried to dig them out but couldn't get them loose.

The Rebellious Youth asked, "So, are those stones survival stones?"

The glasses-wearing youth shook his head. "They don't look like survival stones from the outside. I don't recognize what kind of stones they are."

Unable to get more information, the five youths focused on discussing whether they should trust the "female ghost's" words and drip blood on the stones.

The final decision, made by the glasses-wearing youth, was: "Let's first hear what benefit we can get in advance if we agree to save her."

The female ghost didn't beat around the bush and said directly:

"As long as you agree to save me..."

"I can help you get rid of the prison watches you're wearing."

As soon as these words were spoken, all five youths were utterly shocked!

After all, although they were just newbies, they had learned from the conversations of those powerful seniors—

The "prison watches" on their wrists were almost the very symbol of their status as "sinners"!

Wearing such prison watches, the Superior People from the normal cities would directly control their life and death!

So even the powerful seniors they looked up to were extremely fearful of the Superior People from the normal cities...

They were nothing more than ants under the control of the Superior People!

Yet this mysterious female ghost trapped in the giant kettle claimed she could help them get rid of their prison watches...

If it were true...

Wouldn't that mean they could shed their "sinner" identity?!

Then... could they return to the normal world?

Or perhaps, become Superior People within the normal cities?!

For a moment, the breathing of all five youths grew heavy and ragged.