69 Stimulated under pressure

Moar is going to throw batches of students down the building every small cycle, they only have a bit of time to try and survive. He said to them there were some things in the library standing on the only floating island on their side of the building, they hope it could improve their survival ability in the future.

"Now, they are considering several very interesting means [to survive the fall]. As expected of my students, they are surpassing themselves in entertaining me."

[...]

[213 / Nadia]

After what happened recently, we were unable to use soul waves to communicate. As we had to use our mouth and speak, we couldn't easily identify and mention each other as we do with soul waves imbued with meaning, so we had to give ourselves ways to identify each other. We decided to number ourselves.

[A/N: This time the will be the POV of several students rather than one of the main characters of this volume. To make it easier to identify the recurring characters, rather than numbering them as they number themselves, I'll use names from Earth. For metaphors, I'll use some Earth-like metaphors.]

When I was adopted, I expected a bright future in which I would be among the strong. Little did I expect that I would be sent, together with many, to this place. This place is terrifying. It's impossible to escape the grasp of the Director.

We are weakened, struggling yet dependent on our torturer's whims. We are like vegan cats. Slowly dying, one by one, getting what we always had stripped from us, being given a bit of hope before every meal only to suffer more.

But just as we were helped and saw the light again, we were hit harder than before. How to survive this?

How long must we still suffer?

Will we ever stop suffering?

Will it continue until we all died?

Why is it happening to me?

Did I do something to deserve this?

Where did it go wrong?

Why me?

Why me... Why me... Why me...

[11 / Jack]

It's been quite a while since silence fell on our group.

As no one is yet used to speaking with their mouth, a perfect silence such as this is not a rare sight, but this one, in particular, does seem quite heavy.

I don't have to search very hard around me to find desperate faces. Some are even having a mental breakdown.

I myself am not faring much better, but if I want to survive I need more able thinkers.

-I have an idea!

I shout suddenly.

I have no idea whatsoever...

But as several heads turn to look in my direction, a sudden flow of ideas rush through my head.

This... This might actually work!

[...]

[213 / Nadia]

-213, hurry up!

-Yes!

I answer.

I throw an impressed look behind me. From a nobody, in barely half a small cycle, he took the lead of all of us.

Most people probably wouldn't have accepted being led like this by a nobody if the deadly situation did not require their full attention.

There wouldn't be any use keeping their pride if they had to die for it. Facing imminent death, one would use anything they could to survive.

On top of that, we are all adopted children from the weak, the little pride we have was accumulated over the span of barely a few cycles.

[...]

[11 / Jack]

Even as the temporary leader around here, if I don't take the most risks, no one would follow my improvised plan to the end. [1]

This is this thought that brought me where I am now, rappeling alongside the building with four other people, with as sole security a rope of clothes held by all the other survivors so far.

The rope is swinging with every movement, and as my hands hurt from the friction, I am conscious that it is held by people who are as weakened as me, and a few letting go is the only thing that stands between my life and death. More than ever since this whole thing started, I am conscious of the feebleness of my life. I am conscious of the level of weakness that overcame my body the moment I entered this place. But...

Whether I am weak or not right now won't stop me from doing anything to keep my life!

I strengthen my grip and, step by step, reach the height of the library.

When we were going up through the building, I remember having noticed the library's island being at the same level as a particular creature

This stage's creature happens to have something we can use to cross. However, it's a dangerous task that most certainly can't be done twice, the creatures aren't devoid of memory.

Now that we are at the level of the creature, we need to get its attention. And we're doing that most efficiently.

Among us, one of the volunteers does not seem to care much about his own life. This is an unexpected but welcome weakness.

-147!

[147]

In the midst of all this despair, only a thing brought me light. As I talking to 213, a feeling welled up in me. I don't know what this is, but if sacrificing my life can save her [2], I'll do it.

-147!

Right as I hear the signal, I push on the others to push myself to the window.

There is barely a meter between the rope and the window, but the closer I get to the window, the slower time seems to get. 1 meter, half a meter, a quarter, an eighth... Just as my body crosses the sill, right at the level of the wall's outer edge...

Everything ends.

[11 / Jack]

-147!

I felt the rope being pushed as 147 launched himself towards the window.

For a second, everything seemed to stand still, as we were all holding our breaths.

Then, suddenly, it all happened at once.

Tens of tentacles, similar to spikes transpierced 147 and continued their path far enough for a few of them to reach the island behind us, hitting some sort of protective shield.

By the time I saw them, they already were well past me.

It should be part of the plan, but what I didn't expect was 147 being killed before landing. As such, the trajectories of these tentacles are way higher than I thought they would.

I look up as I struggle to reevaluate the situation.

Among the three of us who are left, 185's arm was pierced.

Only one of us died, we were lucky.

-139! 145! Go!

Shaking the two survivors out of their stupor, I climb to the longest tentacle and step on it.

We don't have much time. Once it finished absorbing everything inside those it transpierced, it'll start moving again.

And now it is aware of our presence, it won't let us be even outside the building.

I turn my back to 147 and 185, knowing fully what is happening to them. I already saw it before. They might as well already be empty and floppy skins.

Still holding the rope, I lead 139 and 145 to the end of the tentacle.

Barely a few meters away from the end of the tentacle, it starts retracting.

We were prepared for this.

Using the past steps as a run-up, we swing ourselves on the rope. We cross most of the distance left by this method, and when the rope reaches equilibrium, they both push me towards the island.

Success!

They just pushed me for a few centimeters, but it got me close enough to grasp the edge of the island with my fingers. I climb up to the top of the island while looking at 139 and 145 behind me.

After pushing me, they immediately started climbing the rope as fast as they can to be well above before the creature attacks again.

At least that was the plan. We strongly underestimated the time needed for the creature to retract its tentacles and attack again.

I watch 139 and 145 being transpierced while the skins of 147 and 185 are floating down in the air.

[213 / Nadia]

So they died too... It is unfortunate, but the living must survive!

-139 and 145 died, pull the rope up!

I, along with many others, release the rope, leaving the job of pulling it up to those charged with it.

I go to take a heavy object that was given to one of the students at their arrival. Once the rope is up, I attach it to its end.

With several people, we swing the rope, and, after several trials, manage to send it to the library.

Now, 11 needs to find fitting places to attach the rope.

While he does so, we do the same with several other ropes we already prepared.

[...]

[11 / Jack]

I look at the students as they work on linking the lines to make a net.

We don't have enough clothes to make enough ropes to have a net that can save us from the fall by itself, however, we do have enough for it to be reachable enough from falling with a small rope with a hook made of objects.

We don't need to make grappling for everyone, we just need to do it for each batch of students being thrown down, which makes it easier to have enough clothes for such an arrangement.

[Moar]

Didn't know it could be so funny to watch a bunch of naked students work so hard to survive with such a serious look. The vision from a distance is hilarious!

I haven't laughed so hard since I've been isekai-ed.

Actually, when I think about it, did I take the time to have fun a single time up until making the school recently? I just spent my time planning, studying, fighting, and training. Having a little fun for once is something I've been missing a lot from my life. Even when I got a wife and kids, I didn't have much fun, and always thought about the future, up until their death. [3]

But going back to the subject, it's cute how some of the students are naked while still keeping their object that wasn't useful to the group.

What? A lolicon? A shotacon? Of course not! I don't do 3D!

What? I did my wife in volume 1? What does it have to do with that? She's obviously 1D!

What? The students are 1D too? Fuck! Well, I only do 2D! Do I look like a Youtuber to you?

[A/N: I know that's a very borderline joke, and of course I don't generalize YouTubers, 99.99% are nice and great people, but it's funny to make fun of a toxic minority, blame it on Nux if I like doing it so much].

That is so entertaining!

It looks like an action movie!

I worked so much on setting up the show. I gave them high-quality clothes, I even went through the trouble of not only modifying their body but also giving them the ability to love to death. If that isn't caring for others I don't know what it is!

I'll get the investment I spent in brainpower and time back through fun. This pool of chaos will give me some nice surprises again in the future!

Wanna see what's after that? Well, it's going to be released Soon™!

[1] There is actually something like that with human psychology. The beings of the center universe are pretty similar to humans in quite some ways, so I figured out I'd give them similar tendencies, though weakened. Basically, most people prefer to do nothing rather than take decisions even when the results are clear. If you have the choice between not doing anything and 10 people die and do something and 1 people die, you'll often do nothing. It's not the case for all humans, but it's the case for the majority of the population. Similarly, if you have the choice between doing nothing and dying and doing something and having chances of dying then you'll do nothing. Just imagine having to choose between death and Russian roulette, you'll tend to do nothing and die because fear favors inaction. I for example am somewhere in the middle. I wouldn't have a hard time deciding for others, but when it's about my own life, I'd have a hard time doing the Russian roulette.

[2] Hesitated whether I wanted to make 147 gay, but I decided killing the first gay to appear in the novel right away wouldn't be a good idea.

[3] I really want to rewrite that part with more story and stuff, I'll do a remake of the novel someday with higher quality writing, more details in the story, and updated jokes \u0026 comedy.