Why is my anime art style so weird?

But there's no way around it; Totsuki is finished, it's time to leave...

Regardless, I will always remember everyone...

Xu Ming fell silent as he read the diary entry.

Unlike the previous assembly-line style research notes, this diary entry is filled with the author's rambling thoughts and emotions.

It is clear that Marui Zenji was in a state of turmoil when he wrote this diary entry.

Xu Ming soon discovered a new problem.

According to the diary entries, most of the members of Polaris Dormitory completed their withdrawal procedures on June 28 and were expected to leave Totsuki on June 29.

Therefore, all members of Polaris Dormitory decided to hold a farewell party on the evening of June 28th to say goodbye to each other.

But here's the problem.

After carefully inspecting the bookshelves in the room, Xu Ming discovered that they contained a large number of manuscripts and research findings.

For a scholar, research findings are as important as a draft manuscript is to an online novelist; their importance is self-evident.

If Marui Zenji left Totsuki Academy, it's impossible that he wouldn't take these research findings with him.

Moreover, this important diary only goes up to June 28th.

All the details suggest that Marui Zenji suddenly disappeared on the eve of his departure from Totsuki.

Xu Ming even boldly speculated that Marui Zenji wasn't the only one who had gone missing. Most of the Polaris Dormitory members, including Yukihira Soma, had disappeared.

Moreover, they likely disappeared at the same time!

The system gave a time limit of 12 midnight to 6 am, and Xu Ming was almost certain that the members of Polar Star Dormitory disappeared during this period.

As if to verify Xu Ming's guess, the system suddenly sent a notification.

Ding!

—The host has discovered an important clue. Please follow the prompts to find the next clue.

The specific steps are as follows: Please prepare 7 candles and 44 grains of white rice in advance, and return to room 205 after midnight.

—Arrange 7 candles in a circle in the center of room 205, light the candles, close your eyes, and then throw rice grains one by one into the center of the candle circle until all 44 rice grains have been thrown. You will then get the answer you want to know.

—Tip: Remember, no matter what noise you hear, do not open your eyes until you have thrown all 44 grains of rice. Remember this!!

After reading the system's prompt, Xu Ming's expression turned serious.

In the original work, the friends from Polar Star Dormitory liked to gather in Marui Zenji's room, room 205.

The farewell party on the evening of June 28th was no exception.

Something must have happened at the farewell party that night, which led to the disappearance of most of the Polaris Dormitory members.

Xu Ming will be able to find the answer by simply following the steps prompted by the system.

However, the system's final prompt, written in scarlet text, seemed to be warning Xu Ming that things were not as simple as he had imagined.

With time still ahead of him, Xu Ming continued his search inside the mansion.

结果徐明在208、211、107、112、116分别发现了五个整理好的行礼箱。

Each dormitory in Polaris Dormitory should have a nameplate at its entrance, but the writing on them has become blurred and illegible.

Xu Ming could only make a judgment based on the books left in the room.

The five suitcases belong to Hayao Ibuzaki, Daigo Aoki, Shoji Sato, Ryoko Sakaki, and Yuuki Yoshino, respectively.

The fact that these suitcases were not taken away indirectly corroborated Xu Ming's guess.

Room 206, located next to 205, belongs to Isshiki Satoshi, the former seventh seat of the Ten Outstanding Young Heroes.

He was also the first student to go missing from the Polar Star Dormitory.

Xu Ming found nothing in his room.

Clothes were neatly folded in the wardrobe, blankets were neatly folded on the bed, and textbooks were neatly arranged in a corner of the desk.

Judging from the traces left at the scene, Isshiki Satoshi did not seem to have gone far; it was as if he had suddenly disappeared.

Of course, it's also possible that someone came to clean the room afterwards.

However, since the Polar Star Dormitory had called the police, and the police would have definitely told them not to disturb the scene after they arrived, so this possibility is very small.

Xu Ming found no more useful clues in the mansion after that.

So Xu Ming began preparing for the night's operation.

The Polaris Dormitory was still inhabited, so Xu Ming easily found some white rice in the kitchen and put a handful in a plastic bag. That amount definitely exceeded 44 grains.

As for candles, it would take at least three or four hours to go out and buy them.

It's already 3 PM. I came back from outside, and the sun was almost setting.

Traveling through the distant moon's forests in dim light conditions might lead to unknown dangers.

Left with no other choice, Xu Ming had to ask Granny Wenxu for help.

"Why are you making such a fuss, kid? There are no candles here! If you want some, go out and buy some yourself! And you'd better never come back!"

Grandma Wenxu immediately gave Xu Ming a severe scolding.

However, Xu Ming, who already knew part of the truth, sensed something different in her words.

Chapter Eleven: The Shadow Over the Totsuki Tea House

Grandma Wenxu clearly knew some of the inside story, but for some reason, she didn't, or rather, couldn't, tell him.

Therefore, she deliberately displayed such a hostile attitude in order to drive him away.

Despite Xu Ming's repeated attempts to persuade her, Grandma Wenxu, seeing his resolute attitude, finally had no choice but to find him a spare candle for when the power went out.

Everything is ready.

Xu Ming then needed to choose a room and patiently wait for midnight to arrive.

He could have taken a shortcut and waited directly in room 205.

However, since the system had clearly indicated the steps and spoke in such a serious tone, Xu Ming decided to abandon this shortcut just to be on the safe side.

The people of Polaris Dormitory may have all disappeared in Room 205. Who knows what terrible changes might happen in Room 205 between dark and midnight?

Similarly, Xu Ming also ruled out the adjacent room 206, whose owner, Isshiki Satoshi, was the first to disappear. Perhaps room 206 was the most dangerous room in the entire Polar Star Dormitory.

In addition, according to Grandma Wenxu, it is also dangerous to wander around outside the room after dark.

After careful consideration, Xu Ming chose room 204, which was the closest room to room 205 and had been previously unoccupied.

Xu Ming had made up his mind that after dark, no matter what happened outside, he would stay in room 204 and not go out until midnight, when he would rush to room 205 next door as fast as he could.

Upon arriving at room 204, Xu Ming casually turned the doorknob.

Perhaps because the Totsuki Tea House closed down, Granny Fumio has become too lazy to manage the Polar Star Dormitory, and most of the rooms in the entire mansion can be easily opened.

This has made things convenient for Xu Ming.

Of course, even if it's locked, it doesn't matter; for Xu Ming, it's just a matter of using some force.

After entering, Xu Ming locked the door from the inside and then found a spot near the window to sit down.

Waiting is agonizing.

Fortunately, I still have my phone to pass the time.

Xu Ming took out his phone from his pocket and began to carefully search for news related to Far Moon online.

As Xu Ming continued to swipe his finger across the screen, his expression gradually became serious.

Xu Ming discovered a terrifying fact online.

Apart from the original third seat of the Elite Ten, Tousuke Megijima, and the original fifth seat, Somei Saito, who successfully dropped out of school and returned home to inherit their family businesses.

None of the remaining ten heroes survived; they either died or went missing.

Even the former commander-in-chief, Senzaemon Nakiri, who was usurped by Azami Nakiri, has disappeared.

After the Totsuki Tea House was forcibly closed, Azami Nakiri also disappeared from public view.

Currently, all of the Totsuki Group's businesses other than Totsuki Tea House, such as resorts and research institutes in various locations, are managed by Nakiri Soe, the rightful heir of the Nakiri family.

Despite only closing a culinary academy that wasn't particularly profitable, the loss of the prestigious title of "Japan's No. 1 Culinary School" severely damaged the Totsuki Group, causing its stock price to plummet by 50%.

Logically speaking, with such a large-scale disappearance incident occurring throughout the academy, and the missing being celebrities, the Tokyo authorities should have investigated thoroughly and at least provided an explanation.

After the initial large-scale search, the authorities, whether giving up or for some other reason, gradually began to downplay the matter.

Various news reports also reveal signs of deliberate manipulation of public opinion.

Netizens are forgetful. In just six months, after the initial hype died down, the Totsuki Incident quickly faded from public attention due to deliberate suppression by the authorities and a shift in public interest.

Xu Ming believed that public opinion was being manipulated because he discovered that journalists, who were known as the uncrowned kings and loved to get to the bottom of things, unusually only gave a general report on this incident.

For example, regarding the first person to die, Terunori Kuga, the news only recorded the time of the fire, the number of deaths, and the general cause of the fire; no further details were provided.

Afterwards, the disappearances of the Ten Heroes and the trainees were treated as routine matters, with only a brief report on the progress of the search.

As we all know, in today's internet age, with a massive amount of information, it's impossible to attract netizens' attention without exaggerated headlines and content.

However, the reports about Totsuki are deliberately made to be so dry and boring, as if they are afraid of being noticed.

If it were just one report, it wouldn't be so bad, but almost every report online is like this, leaving Xu Ming no choice but to be suspicious.

Behind the Totsuki Incident, it seems as if an enormous shadowy hand is enveloping the entire Totsuki Tea House.

Time flies when you're killing time on your phone, and before you know it, the sun has set.

Xu Ming took out the biscuits and mineral water he had prepared in advance from his backpack and ate a simple dinner.

Xu Ming brushed the crumbs off his hands and stood up to look out at the mountains and forests.

As darkness gradually enveloped the mountains and forests, the tall trees in the distance resembled deformed monsters, baring their fangs and claws in the night wind.

The rustling noises and bizarre shadows created an eerie atmosphere in the dark forest, far more terrifying than during the bright sunshine of day.

Xu Ming wondered if it was because of the large temperature difference between day and night in the mountains or some other reason, but the air in the mansion was filled with a bone-chilling cold.

What Xu Ming found even stranger was that, although there were people living upstairs and downstairs, the entire mansion was now eerily quiet, without a sound, as if he were the only one inside.

Unable to come up with a solution, Xu Ming sat down against the wall and began absentmindedly fiddling with his phone.