Global Collapse-Chapter 547 - 515: My Gu Gu Spirit Never Gu Gu! _1

Chapter 547: Chapter 515: My Gu Gu Spirit Never Gu Gu! _1

Gu Mian stroked the saw in his hand as he spoke.

The other players never took their eyes off this ferocious object, fearing that the seemingly abnormal Gu Mian would suddenly go mad and saw them all up.

At this moment, the fruit knife on the nearby coffee table seemed small and pathetic in comparison. Cangyue Shisi had completely abandoned the idea of comparing it to Gu Mian’s saw.

"Then, I flagged down a driver on the way and had him bring me here," Gu Mian continued. "He rambled on during the journey, telling me stories about how Fenshan Mountain has supposedly been haunted since the first of October..."

After internally complaining about the name Fenshan Mountain yet again, Gu Mian added, "Apart from that, there’s nothing else. According to the driver, the ghost in this instance is likely one of our former colleagues. According to the setup, there were thirty-nine people on the bus. Zhao Shuang survived, and eight are missing, which means there are at least thirty ghosts."

When Gu Mian said this, the atmosphere in the room noticeably changed.

Their expressions turned grim. Although they had mentally prepared for this, hearing it spoken aloud still filled them with fear.

Of course, the most terrifying presence at that moment was the man before them, dressed as a doctor.

He wore a slightly yellowed white medical coat over a light grey shirt, with a green leaf-shaped brooch pinned at the collar. Opening the player panel revealed that the name under his player icon wasn’t "Gu Mian" but a green "Doctor." The color of the text rather matched his brooch.

Cangyue Shisi didn’t dwell on why "Doctor" was displayed above his head instead of "Gu Mian."

Anyone with the name "Gu Mian" would probably want to disguise it, she thought. He’s clearly obtained a special item that can conceal his gamertag.

Wang Chuan and Xia Jianren also didn’t probe Gu Mian’s green gamertag much further. Like any normal person, their attention was riveted on the terrifying saw in Gu Mian’s hand.

Among everyone present, only Keke listened intently to Gu Mian, unconcerned about whether the saw might fall on her head.

She was somewhat puzzled as to why Gu Mian had come.

Gu Mian was the only one on the bounty list. A single wrong move could turn a life into tens of thousands of Game Coins. After discovering the players were initially scattered, Keke had assumed Gu Mian wouldn’t join them.

To her surprise, he hadn’t just come; he’d done so ostentatiously.

Keke was slightly baffled.

Meanwhile, Cangyue Shisi clasped her hands, reluctantly realizing she needed to ask something.

She stared at the object in the Doctor’s hand. After a few seconds of deliberation, she mustered the courage to speak, "Um, I suppose we should discuss how to survive next. But before we discuss how to deal with this instance, I’d like to ask, Doctor..."

As Cangyue spoke, she glanced up at Gu Mian, struggling to maintain a composed expression. "Your name is Gu Mian, right?"

"Indeed," Gu Mian didn’t deny it; he had grown accustomed to his real name being exposed. "You should have known when you first entered the instance."

Upon receiving confirmation, the other two male players took deep breaths, their expressions unreadable.

Cangyue pursed her lips and nodded. She didn’t ask the idiotic question of whether he was the person on the bounty list.

Now she finally had some understanding of why this Mr. Gu Mian had managed to dominate the bounty list for so long—his weapon alone spoke volumes.

"Well," Cangyue said, forcing a composed expression as she glanced at Zhao Shuang, who was fast asleep in the bedroom, successfully steering the topic away from Gu Mian. "Everyone knows that death is real in this instance, so we can’t approach it like before..."

Although players had always risked their lives in previous instances, the death protection mechanism had offered some comfort.

’You can resurrect even if you die’—this thought had often eased players’ minds in desperate situations during instances, making impending doom seem less terrifying.

But things were different now.

The death protection mechanism in instances was disabled; players now faced actual death.

The atmosphere in the room remained oppressive. Everyone seemed deeply concerned that the death protection mechanism was disabled—everyone, that is, except for the unreliable Doctor, who appeared rather indifferent.

"Anyway, let’s discuss our strategy. I believe everyone here has experience with several instances," Cangyue said, pointedly glancing at Gu Mian. "If anyone has suggestions, feel free to share them while Zhao Shuang is still asleep."

The sole survivor, Zhao Shuang, remained unconscious, giving the five players an opportunity to discuss their strategies.

Wang Chuan Doesn’t Want Candy was the first to offer his thoughts. A man in his early thirties with a composed demeanor, he spoke cautiously, "Based on my experience, more clues help complete tasks. Clues within an instance can sometimes be key to survival. Therefore, I suggest we actively investigate the current mysteries: why the bus overturned and what Zhao Shuang has forgotten. Understanding this could greatly increase our chances of survival."

As he spoke, he tried to look away from Gu Mian’s chainsaw, pretending not to see it.

"That makes sense," Cangyue chimed in after Wang Chuan finished. "I’ve been through quite a few instances, and sometimes a key clue can indeed determine everyone’s survival."

Gu Mian stood silently, not saying a word. What the two had said wasn’t wrong; in many instances, possessing a key clue could indeed prevent casualties.

This had been true for the taxi instance, hide-and-seek instance, trolley instance, Fairy Tale City instance, and Gaokao event he had experienced.

Correct exploration could significantly boost players’ survival rates. However, players might sometimes take a wrong turn and find themselves in a predicament. In such cases, the probability of being wiped out was high; staying put would actually guarantee a higher survival rate.

Xia Jianren, standing nearby, seemed to grasp this concept well. He immediately offered a different opinion in a hushed voice, "I understand the reasoning. But as we know, from now on, we face real death in instances. This is our first time in an instance with true death. If there’s any slip-up, we could all be doomed. Therefore, I suggest we be conservative and avoid reckless actions."

Hearing this, Cangyue nodded subtly. "Indeed, pursuing clues can sometimes lead to heavy casualties. We even risk death if we’re alone. It would be best if we avoid acting alone..."

She looked conflicted, her brow furrowed.

Keke remained silent, merely watching the other three. She appeared indecisive, just as she often had in past instances.

After a few moments of contemplation, Cangyue finally looked at Gu Mian.

By this point, Gu Mian had managed to discreetly slip the chainsaw back into the guitar bag. After all, an NPC was sleeping on a bed not far away and could wake up at any moment. If she did, Gu Mian couldn’t very well claim he was carrying a chainsaw to fix pipes, could he?

Although the chainsaw was now hidden in the guitar bag, its intimidating presence hadn’t lessened.

Cangyue cautiously began, "So, Mr. Gu Mian, do you have any thoughts?"

In her view, the only person on the game’s most wanted list must cherish his life dearly and thus be quite experienced in dealing with instances. He could likely propose a good plan.

However, this so-called "Doctor" didn’t seem very interested in the instance; he appeared lost in thought. When finally addressed, he responded with a startlingly absurd comment—

"Do as you like. I’m going out to take a look."

What on earth? Cangyue’s eyes widened. Before she could even protest, she watched him sling the guitar bag over his shoulder, open the door, and step into the dark hallway.

The other two male players were equally dumbstruck. Xia Jianren stared at the open door and the dark hallway beyond, swallowing nervously. "Is this really okay? This is an instance where we could actually die. Is he serious?" It’s like he has a death wish!

"Are people on the bounty list always this confident...?" Wang Chuan murmured, rubbing his hands.