Global Collapse-Chapter 548 - 516: This month, I want to be a better person! _1

Chapter 548: Chapter 516: This month, I want to be a better person! _1

Keke silently watched Gu Mian walk away. Considering this instance involved real death, Gu Mian hadn’t notified Chu Changge or Fatty before entering. He planned to test the waters alone initially. However, Keke stopped him halfway. The Doctor role was the only hope of saving her sister, so she naturally wouldn’t stand by and watch Gu Mian enter the instance alone.

Compared to other players, Keke, who had to support two people, possessed considerable experience with instances and a remarkably low death rate within them. She was confident she could lend Gu Mian a helping hand if he was in danger.

Though this person usually wouldn’t be in any critical situation.

After entering the instance, she initially planned to avoid other players and find Gu Mian alone. However, to her surprise, Gu Mian went directly to the employee dormitory and voluntarily joined the other players.

All players knew Gu Mian’s name was on the wanted list.

Logically, a wanted person, if sane, would never deliberately mingle with a crowd, yet he came voluntarily...

Just as Keke furrowed her brows slightly, questioning Gu Mian’s intentions, Cangyue Shisi suddenly leaned in and asked tentatively, "Do you know him?"

Keke instantly straightened her neck and cast a puzzled look at the person beside her. "Who?"

"Never mind." Seeing Keke’s reaction, Cang Yue chuckled softly. "I thought you knew him well, which is why you could say Gu Mian doesn’t look dangerous."

Keke also forced a smile. "Earlier, I didn’t notice what he had in his hand."

Cang Yue chuckled and didn’t press further.

Meanwhile, Wang Chuan doesn’t want candy and Xia Jianren nervously averted their gazes, exchanging surprised glances.

"Is it really okay for him to go out like this?" Xia Jianren seemed worried.

Of course, he wasn’t concerned about Gu Mian’s safety but rather feared Gu Mian might accidentally trigger the instance’s restrictions and implicate him.

Despite his fear, Xia Jianren didn’t dare follow and monitor Gu Mian, so he had to abandon the idea.

Wang Chuan, beside him, quickly averted his gaze. "Don’t worry too much. We’re all intelligent people; I assume he won’t act recklessly."

As Wang Chuan spoke, he glanced toward the bedroom where Zhao Shuang was still sleeping. The television had stopped broadcasting the news about the traffic accident at Fenshan Mountain and was now showing another news report.

"In recent months, the world has experienced frequent natural disasters, causing a huge blow to economic development..."

Cang Yue picked up the remote and turned down the television volume to avoid waking Zhao Shuang.

She averted her gaze from the television screen and looked at the other three. "Let’s discuss this instance first. The mission this time is to survive for thirty-six hours. The duration actually isn’t that long..."

Cang Yue had encountered survival missions in instances that required surviving for several weeks; this mere day and a half was the shortest survival task she had ever received.

She began hesitantly, "Actually, Xia Jianren’s suggestion isn’t bad. If we’re careful during these thirty-six hours and do less, we might be able to survive until the end."

Actively investigating the instance or not each had its pros and cons.

Actively exploring the instance had a higher probability of fatalities but might reveal the path to survival at once. If a path was found, the remaining survivors would be certain to make it through. However, it could also trigger a dead end, turning an instance where survival was possible into a death trap, leading to the entire group’s demise.

Not actively exploring the instance meant neither finding a path to survival nor triggering a dead end. Survival would then depend entirely on fate.

"This is our first time entering an instance with real death. I believe it’s safer to be cautious and avoid investigating the instance too much for now," Cang Yue mused aloud.

"I think so too!" Xia Jianren nodded eagerly. "In the past, I’ve seen many players trigger restrictions because they were overly active. In contrast, those who were initially less active had a greater chance of survival."

Wang Chuan frowned, clearly not entirely agreeing with Xia Jianren, but he didn’t immediately refute him. "Actually, I think actively finding the path to survival is best. Being passive does offer a chance of survival, but one’s fate isn’t in one’s own hands then... Of course, this instance is special. Even if I have different ideas, I can’t act alone. If you all think Xia Jianren’s advice is good, then I’ll go with the majority. Keke, what do you think?"

Keke, having been addressed, looked up. After glancing at the others, she reluctantly said, "I’ll go with whatever you decide."

Currently, Cang Yue and Xia Jianren both supported not actively exploring the instance. Wang Chuan disagreed, and Keke maintained an "I’ll do whatever you guys do" stance.

The situation became somewhat awkward.

"Perhaps we can ask Gu Mian for his opinion when he returns," Wang Chuan suggested.

"I always feel he won’t offer any reliable suggestions," Cang Yue muttered, her gaze fixed on the nearly silent television screen as she participated in the discussion, careful not to miss any news related to the instance.

At this point, Xia Jianren also asked, "That Gu Mian still hasn’t returned. Do any of you know him?"

No one responded.

A few seconds later, Cang Yue replied, "I matched into this instance alone. What about you all?"

Xia Jianren and Wang Chuan stated they also matched individually. Keke, feigning ignorance of Gu Mian, said, "I’m the same as you."

She had never intended to reveal her acquaintance with Gu Mian from the start. Whether others believed her or not was a different matter.

"So, it seems none of us know each other..." Wang Chuan turned to look at the sky outside. It was already exceptionally dark past seven in the evening. They would have to spend the next nearly ten hours in darkness.

On the bed, Zhao Shuang lay with her eyes closed. Her furrowed brows suggested she was still having a nightmare.

Cang Yue suddenly said, "Of course, even if we decide not to actively participate in unraveling the instance, it doesn’t mean we should discard all clues. Otherwise, we’ll be completely in the dark."

Having a decent understanding of the instance could increase their chances of survival.

Some clues are given at the start of the instance, like the chat history on Xia Jianren’s phone.

"We already know there was some conflict between Zhao Shuang and you all before the team-building event on October 1st," Cang Yue said, looking at the two men before her. "It seems she found out about a secret you were hiding."

Wang Chuan looked at the phone in Xia Jianren’s hand and nodded. "I think so too, but we don’t actually know what the secret is..."

They were players who had only recently entered the instance and were clueless about the chat history on the phone. Perhaps this secret was key to the instance’s core.

"What Gu Mian said wasn’t very useful either. Only that the taxi driver told him Fenshan Mountain was haunted, but he didn’t elaborate," Cang Yue frowned. "Speaking of which, he’s been out for quite a while now, hasn’t he? What on earth is he doing that he hasn’t returned?"

The others also looked towards the door. Gu Mian had indeed been gone for a long time.

Wang Chuan turned his head and glanced at Zhao Shuang, still asleep on the bed. "Should we go out and take a look?"

Even though this was an instance where real death could occur, they couldn’t huddle in this small house forever. They would have to venture out sooner or later.

Xia Jianren didn’t seem mentally prepared. He hesitated before saying, "I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave Zhao Shuang here alone. After all, she’s a key figure in the instance... Let’s wait a bit longer, maybe until she wakes up?"

Of course, if Zhao Shuang didn’t wake up until the next day, they couldn’t possibly wait here until the next morning.

It was well known that dangers would appear not long after an instance started. It was unlikely they could stay here safely until the next morning.

"We don’t necessarily have to wait for her," Cang Yue shook her head slightly. "If we decide not to actively explore the instance, this key character will be meaningless to us. In fact, it might be better to stay as far away from her as possible."

Wang Chuan agreed with Cang Yue. "Cang Yue is right. If we decide not to actively participate in unraveling the instance, it’s best to stay away from key NPCs. For example, this instance is named ’Amnesia,’ and Zhao Shuang happens to have amnesia. She’s obviously the key character of this instance..."

Just as Wang Chuan was speaking, a knock on the door suddenly interrupted him.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Everyone simultaneously looked towards the door.

Is he back?

Cang Yue instinctively took a few steps forward, but then she sensed something was wrong.

At the same time, Xia Jianren also exclaimed, "Wait!"

Cang Yue stopped, holding her breath and looking at the door. Something is wrong. This knocking isn’t right.

The others also fell silent, staring wide-eyed in the direction of the sound.

The dark brown door blocked their view, preventing them from seeing outside. Only the rhythmic knocking could be heard.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The sound echoed in the silent room. No one spoke. Xia Jianren opened his mouth but didn’t utter a word, then closed it again.

It’s regular, stiff, rigid. No normal person would knock like this.

Moreover, from start to finish, not a single voice, not even a cough, had been heard from outside. It was as if it wasn’t a person knocking, but the door itself making the sound.

This is the residence of the dead. It’s obvious who would be knocking like this.

Don’t make a sound! Cang Yue glanced at the others, signaling them with her eyes.

Even without her signal, the others wouldn’t have dared to make a sound. They all kept their mouths tightly shut, their eyes wide.

Everyone remained silent. After a few minutes, the knocking seemed to grow tired, and the sound weakened.

After a little longer, the rhythmic knocking stopped completely, as if whatever was outside had left.

Just as they were about to sigh in relief, a voice suddenly came from the bedroom. "Is someone knocking at the door?"

The voice wasn’t too loud or too soft; everyone in the living room heard it clearly. They looked over in shock to see Zhao Shuang, who had woken up at some point, sitting on the bed and looking at them.

Simultaneously, the knocking, which had stopped, suddenly resumed. This time, it wasn’t rhythmic; it was violent pounding.

It heard Zhao Shuang’s voice! It wants to come in!

The tremendous pounding on the door resounded continuously. The dark brown door vibrated violently, as if it would be smashed open at any moment.

"Everyone hide!" Cang Yue instructed in a hushed, panicked voice.

The living room wasn’t large; only the area behind the sofa offered cover. They quickly ducked behind the sofa, concealing themselves.

Zhao Shuang also seemed to realize something. She made no further sound, only wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, shivering as she watched the vibrating door.

"So what the hell is that thing outside? A ghost?" Xia Jianren asked, his voice barely audible from panic.

Wang Chuan held his breath and nodded slightly, not speaking.

"That guy is still outside, isn’t he?" Xia Jianren asked, eyes wide. "Could he be dead already?"