Global Collapse-Chapter 414 - 397: Full_1

"You should understand they are not the same."

"I know, but I..."

"Who's there!"

The sudden voice in her dream startled 007, making it a bit difficult for her to open her eyes.

She saw a chandelier lightly swaying from the ceiling. The ceiling, not originally white, was now dotted with different-sized spots of mold due to the dampness.

She stared blankly at the green mold spots for a while before remembering that she was still within an instance.

Days and nights without sleep in the real world had pushed her consciousness to the brink of collapse, and then she had entered a special instance.

"Damn it, I actually fell asleep. It looks like I still don't have enough Attribute Points..." 007 muttered, supporting herself on the ground as she struggled to get up.

The phone on the wooden counter beside her kept ringing incessantly. It seemed the ringing was also to thank for her waking up.

007 immediately reached for the phone on the counter and glanced at the clock opposite her.

It was already eight-fifty.

She had probably slept for about thirty minutes.

Now holding the phone, Fatty's anxious voice came through, "Why didn't you answer? I thought something had happened to you."

This instance had specifically turned off their protective mechanism. In here, death meant actual death.

007 never expected that she would fall asleep in such an environment. Pinching her brows, she hoarsely replied, "Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep. Did anything happen?"

Fatty seemed surprised for a moment, but then he sighed in relief. "That makes sense. You looked like you were about to fall asleep in the car... But let's not talk about that. I called precisely because nothing seemed to be happening. The last time the Doctor came here, it was slightly past eight, but now it's eight-fifty, and I haven't seen a trace of the Doctor. I originally wanted to ask if you'd seen the Doctor, but I didn't expect you'd fallen asleep."

Listening to Fatty's anxious voice, 007 apologized, "I don't know because I was asleep. I'm sorry..."

At this point, she suddenly recalled her dream, hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you asked Chu Changge?"

"Brother Chu also said the Doctor hasn't been to his place for a while either. By the way..." Fatty's voice took a peculiar turn. "Did Brother Chu ask you when the Doctor last saved his progress at your place?"

007 paused. She didn't quite understand why Fatty would suddenly ask such a question. Her brain, having just woken up, was a bit sluggish, but she still recalled quickly. "Yes, before I fell asleep. Did he ask you too?"

Fatty on the other end confirmed, "Yes, he did, about half an hour ago..."

While listening, 007 looked at the clock in front of her again, watching the second hand ticking away.

It was also about half an hour ago when Chu Changge asked her about this.

Fatty's voice continued from the receiver, "The Doctor came to my place four times but only saved his progress three times. The last time, he just brandished his lighter to spook me."

Hearing this, 007 instinctively asked, "So when did he last save his progress at your place?"

"Before I realized the Doctor was that woman."

007 asked again, "Then what about the last time he saved his progress at Chu Changge's place?"

Fatty seemed to recall for a moment. "The Doctor has saved his progress at Brother Chu's five times. The last time, if I remember correctly, was when I was on the phone with Brother Chu. Right, it was when I figured out that woman was a character controlled by the Doctor."

"What's wrong?" Fatty's voice came through the phone.

007 gave a wry smile. "It's nothing. Thanks for telling me this."

With that, she hung up.

007 turned her gaze toward the door.

The night sky looked like paper splashed with thick ink; the entire sky was permeated by darkness, a boundless expanse of black as far as the eye could see.

Data or clues about the game could be found in both her bookstore and Fatty's. Only Chu Changge hadn't revealed a single word; he claimed he found nothing. Considering Chu Changge's performance in the previous instance, 007 didn't quite believe him. Moreover, Chu Changge had asked both of them about the last time Gu Mian saved his progress. According to Fatty, Gu Mian last saved his progress at her place.

007 thought while looking at the pitch-black night sky. What did it mean that he last saved his progress here...?

Gu Mian hadn't directly transmigrated into the game, so there were many inconveniences. Even if he noticed something amiss, he couldn't ask questions directly and had to wait for options to appear before he could make a choice.

Currently, he was following Xiao Niao deep into this ant-nest-like structure.

Actually, even though there are no options on the screen, I still have choices.

He was controlling his game character and could make two decisions right now:

One, turn around and run, leaving this very spooky place.

Two, follow Xiao Niao to what she called the "room prepared for you."

Gu Mian considered option one and even briefly tried it out. But he had barely begun to act on it when option one died in the womb. The moment he turned his head, he saw that the curtains covering the cave entrances he had passed were all slightly lifted. Emaciated faces, so thin they were almost deformed, squeezed into the gaps, holding lamps and staring blankly at him. These people seemed to be anticipating something. Gu Mian was sure that if he tried to run back, those people would stop him at all costs.

Stroking his chin and staring at the somewhat dim screen, Gu Mian murmured, "Feels like I've entered a wolf's den..."

While muttering to himself, he also glanced down at the chainsaw lying quietly at his feet. If he himself had entered this game, he wouldn't be afraid of those people who were practically skin and bones. But now, he was just a player controlling a game character. He couldn't wield a chainsaw to cut off anyone's head, nor could he stir up any real trouble in this game. If he encountered an irresistible force, he could only quietly accept death. Although there are saves even if I die... But I always feel that saves are an uncontrollable element; it's better to use them sparingly... So, it's best not to die.

"We're here. This is where you'll rest. Holy Daughter, please go to bed early."

Gu Mian saw new text appear at the bottom of the screen.

Xiao Niao skillfully led him into a relatively more ornate mud den. She seemed very practiced. This was the only such den around; it seemed she also felt it wasn't appropriate for the Holy Daughter to stay with a group of civilians starved to skin and bones.

Although this cave was much tidier than where the others lived, it couldn't change the fact that it was still a mud den.

The mud den in front of him was roughly hollowed out into a squarish shape. A table was placed against the wall, and on it, a kerosene lamp barely illuminated the space. Beside the lamp was a chipped porcelain bowl, about two-thirds full of water.

The water was somewhat murky, with steam rising from the rim of the bowl; it looked like freshly prepared hot water.

A chair was placed in front of the table; one of its legs was already a bit loose.

Next to the table was a bed—a makeshift bed made of old clothes and sofa cushions, with a blue bedsheet spread on top. It looked a bit dirty but was relatively tidy.

It was clear this room had been carefully prepared; it was countless times better than the mud dens the others lived in.

Xiao Niao looked somewhat sheepishly at the bowl of water on the table, then turned her head towards the screen, swallowing hard, and said, "I'm sorry, Holy Daughter, we don't have any food today. Please bear with it and have some water. We'll be able to eat tomorrow."

Gu Mian saw Xiao Niao's Adam's apple, prominent due to her emaciation, bobbing up and down relentlessly, as if she were gulping down saliva.

She had an expression that looked like she wanted to eat someone. Even if someone else were sitting in front of the computer, they would have noticed something was off about her.

At this moment, options finally appeared on the screen again:

[Where do you get your food?]

[Can I take a walk around?]

[How many exits does this place have?]

[I'm scared. Will you sleep with me tonight?]

The fourth option was quite in the style of certain adult-themed games. But even if an absolute lecher were sitting at the computer now, they wouldn't dare choose this option when facing a woman with glittering eyes who was staring at them and constantly swallowing. Besides, Xiao Niao's appearance was rather unfortunate. Gu Mian, of course, was a man of noble character. Although choosing any other option would yield more information than the last one, Gu Mian, with mock solemnity, chose the fourth option— "Sleep with me."

Xiao Niao froze. "Holy Daughter, you seem a bit different this time... No, it's nothing. I need to report some things to the village leader first. I'll come and accompany you when I return. Please wait here and don't wander off."

With that, she turned, lifted the curtain, and left.

Of course, Gu Mian wasn't going to just wait there.

After Xiao Niao left, he immediately began to rummage through the room. He found a lighter in a drawer, successfully detached a loose chair leg, and finally, even blew out the kerosene lamp on the table.

The room instantly plunged into darkness.

Gu Mian had long suffered from the lack of an inventory. Now that he finally had an inventory in this game, he stuffed everything he could fit into it—including the loose chair leg and the extinguished kerosene lamp.

Confirming there was nothing else to take, Gu Mian immediately left this mud den and entered the corridor outside.

The corridor was very dim. Of course, Gu Mian wouldn't go back the way he came; a dozen or so hungry ghosts with glittering eyes were waiting for him there.

He noticed that Xiao Niao had headed deeper into the structure when she left.

So, he controlled his character to grope his way deeper into the darkness.

Before long, he came to a fork in the path: one way led right, the other left.

Without hesitation, Gu Mian headed left.

He didn't use the lighter. He hadn't walked in the darkness for too long before he saw a light ahead.

It seemed to be light seeping out from behind a curtain that wasn't tightly closed.

Gu Mian immediately crept forward stealthily.

Ahead was another mud den. Due to the curtain, Gu Mian couldn't see inside, but he could "hear"... Actually, it wasn't that he could hear the sound, but rather the dialogue of the people inside was displayed at the bottom of the screen.

"Village leader, there's one more thing. When the Holy Daughter arrived, the hut Bai Sha and the others were in caught fire... This has never happened before. I keep feeling something is off with the Holy Daughter this time."

Gu Mian guessed this was Xiao Niao speaking. So, the one he burned alive was named Bai Sha?

Then, the next line appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"No need to worry. The Holy Daughter has been here many times. This time was just an accident... Later, take some people to carry their corpses out. Adding the Holy Daughter, we can have our fill..."

Although it ended with an ellipsis, Gu Mian still figured out the meaning. Just as I thought, they're planning to make a move on me... 'Have our fill,' my ass!