Global Collapse-Chapter 611 - 579: Astonishing Everyone, Gu Bong Bong_1

Small cages were haphazardly strewn across the muddy ground, and the people inside them also appeared disheveled.

The light was dim, and Gu Mian could only clearly make out the attire of the people nearby.

They wore vibrant, varied masks, somewhat resembling clown masks. These large masks covered their entire faces, leaving only two gaping holes for their eyes.

Beneath the masks, they wore ragged, single-layer clothes in faded, dull colors, with clearly visible patches.

Their clothes didn't fit well; most were too short. Their thin trousers rode up their bent legs, exposing much of their calves.

The huddled figures could only clutch their exposed calves and ankles, trying to preserve what little warmth they had.

It was still dark, a time that should have been for sleep, but the cold had awakened those in the small cages. Some sat with eyes wide open, hugging themselves, while many others trembled with their eyes closed, apparently trying to force themselves back to sleep.

Dozens of such small cages were scattered across the muddy open ground. Not far away stood large, red-and-yellow striped tents.

The tents, resembling yurts, were quite large, each covering an area half the size of a sports field.

Gu Mian had seen such things before; real-world circuses also used similar red-and-yellow striped structures.

Three yurt-style tents encircled the cluster of small cages, and a few nearby searchlights provided the only illumination.

Gu Mian quickly understood the situation.

This is the Circus Dungeon, he thought. Considering the current situation, I'm still a Lower Class Person, and I'm locked in a cage... It seems they want us to perform on stage.

Gu Mian knew circus animals were kept in these kinds of small cages. And now I'm locked in one, he mused. This means our status is equivalent to circus animals in the real world; the audience watches us perform.

As he was thinking, he quickly glanced around but didn't see 007.

He glanced around and saw the eastern sky beginning to turn a pale gray; morning was likely approaching.

Gu Mian had never been one to be trifled with, even as a child. Forcibly confining him was harder than reaching for the sky.

In elementary school, some boys had tried to scare Gu Mian by locking him alone in the equipment room as a prank. Unexpectedly, the powerful Gu Mian kicked open the dilapidated door. Two boys outside couldn't dodge in time and had half of their front teeth knocked out.

For a long time afterward, those boys felt a phantom toothache and would burst into tears whenever they saw Gu Mian.

Therefore, a mere cage could hardly stop Gu Mian.

Especially since he had brought his chainsaw.

This time, the instance hadn't confiscated his... tools of the trade.

But Gu Mian soon realized he wouldn't need the chainsaw. The rusty small cage wasn't locked. The door yielded to a gentle push; in fact, a gust of wind slightly stronger than usual could blow it open a crack.

Puzzled, Gu Mian pushed the door open and stepped out. He glanced at the nearby cages; all were unlocked, yet no one inside showed any intention of escaping.

Those who heard the sound looked up at Gu Mian for a moment, then lowered their heads again, showing no reaction.

The circus cages Gu Mian was familiar with were always securely locked to prevent the animals from escaping.

This Circus was different. The cages weren't locked, and the people inside showed no desire to flee, likely believing escape was impossible even if they tried.

Of course, I didn't come out just to escape, Gu Mian thought. First, I need to find 007 and have her store the chainsaw. Such a large item could easily attract the attention of the Circus NPCs. Besides, I remember the instance mission: to gain 'Lu Yi's recognition.' This Lu Yi is probably in the Circus, so I need to stay here and find him. Mr. Green said the Circus Dungeon contained a key NPC for the global game, someone I need to find to ask some questions.

Mulling this over, he navigated through the chaotically placed small cages.

The rain showed no sign of abating. Soon, his clothes and hair were soaked, and the biting wind felt exceptionally cold.

The people in the small cages were faring much worse. Drenched by the rain all night, they shivered violently.

These were all Lower Class People, devoid of any rights.

There were no guards patrolling, and the cages weren't locked, yet these Lower Class People made no attempt to escape.

Gu Mian recalled that in the Slaughter's Game instance, the Lower Class People had been brave enough to take the mine owner hostage. Here, however, they seemed to have lost all fighting spirit, not even trying to escape.

Have the Upper Class People become even more perverse after the destruction of the forbidden zone?

As Gu Mian pondered, a faint call reached his ears. It was 007's voice.

Following the voice, he spotted a person crouched in a small cage, caked in mud, face obscured by a clown mask, weakly waving an arm to beckon him.

Despite the disguise, Gu Mian instantly recognized 007.

He quickly walked over and crouched by 007's cage. Her hands were caked in mud, and her clothes were, for some reason, also covered in it. By her feet was a small muddy hole, apparently one she had dug herself.

Gu Mian silently observed the pit 007 had made, then turned to the unlocked door of her cage, casually swung it open. "Were you planning to dig a tunnel out from under the cage?"

"I'm not blind," 007 retorted, wiping her muddy hands on her trousers. "My clothes are too different from theirs. Smearing mud on them helps me blend in."

By "theirs," 007 meant the Lower Class People in the surrounding cages.

Indeed, Gu Mian's and 007's clothing looked quite out of place among this group. After 007's mud treatment, the contrast was less jarring.

"With that mask, I almost didn't recognize you," 007 remarked, eyeing Gu Mian's rain-soaked lab coat from her cage. "Good thing that white coat is so distinctive."

"Distinctive is right. An enemy could spot me from a mile off," Gu Mian said. He took off his rust-stained white lab coat and handed it to 007. "Put this in your inventory. I have an enemy in this instance who'll recognize me the moment he sees this coat."

Gu Mian was referring to Teacher Slaughter, the host of the Slaughter's Game, who had watched the forbidden zone collapse.

I wonder if Teacher Slaughter has missed me since I left? Gu Mian mused. Will I run into him in this instance? What will his expression be like when he sees me again?

007 looked puzzled but still took the lab coat.

Next, Gu Mian handed her the chainsaw. She took it and stored it away with the same mechanical motion.

Upon entering this instance, 007 had been extremely cautious, not daring to move rashly. It was only upon seeing Gu Mian that she finally dared to leave her cage.

Their movements attracted a few glances from the nearby Lower Class People, but they quickly averted their eyes.

"What should we do now?" 007 asked, looking around in confusion. She clearly didn't understand the current situation.

The instance's premise had bewildered her from the start, and this scene only deepened her confusion. This instance felt very different from any she had encountered before.

"The instance mission is to gain 'Lu Yi's recognition.' So, we need to find this Lu Yi," Gu Mian said.

"Find him and get his recognition?" 007 echoed.

"No," Gu Mian said, getting to his feet and heading towards one of the red-and-yellow striped tents. "We should try *not* to get his recognition, at least for now."

I came to this instance to find a key NPC and ask some questions. If we meet Lu Yi right away, and he's so taken by my heavenly good looks that he immediately gives his 'recognition' and boots me from the instance, then we're screwed.