Global Collapse-Chapter 449 - 424: Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year_1

Mingyue was hiding in a remote small inn, half her face visible as she peeked out the window at the familiar faces passing by on the street below.

Earlier, when she and Caoyuan were in the underground parking garage, she had abruptly seen another face identical to hers in the gap between nearby cars, staring intently at her.

Without a second thought, she had turned and sprinted away. After running quite a distance and looking back, she saw that other version of her face conversing with Caoyuan.

"It's a ghost..." Mingyue's gaze remained on Chu Changge and the others on the street below. "The one who transformed into me is a ghost."

Mingyue's mind raced. If I run now, she thought, the ghost most likely won't chase me. It'll use my face to deceive Caoyuan directly. But if I shout a warning and we split up, the ghost will chase one of us randomly, and it might come after me.

Understanding this, Mingyue chose to abandon Caoyuan and flee immediately. However, she was shrewd enough not to run out of the underground garage. Instead, she hid in a corner beyond the ghost's sight.

Sure enough, once Caoyuan had left, the ghost immediately got into a car and drove in the direction Mingyue had fled. Clearly, the ghost's primary target was her. However, this also indicated that the ghost couldn't pinpoint a player's exact location.

Only after confirming the ghost had left did Mingyue quickly exit the underground garage. After leaving the garage, she checked into a remote inn. Since their escape plan was likely already known to the ghost, Mingyue decided to stay there to mislead it.

Upon entering the inn, she had been puzzled. The ghost had found her so quickly. Logically, the other six people shouldn't have died so quickly.

It wasn't until just after eleven o'clock at night that she saw three familiar figures passing by on the street below her window. She was on the third floor, which gave her a clear view of the ground.

It was Fatty, Meiren Chu, and a player with the Fortune-teller class.

Watching Fatty below, sneaking around suspiciously like a thief, Mingyue frowned. "They didn't die? Did the ghost come directly for us?"

This makes no sense.

How could the ghost ignore six people grouped together and come directly for them? Besides, by then, she and Caoyuan had already separated from Xiao Tuwan, making them a much smaller target.

Staring at the three below, Mingyue frowned. "Although it's illogical, the very existence of ghosts is nonsensical. Perhaps the ghost in this instance is just unorthodox and kills whomever it pleases."

At that moment, only three people were below.

The Fortune-teller glanced at the time again. "Almost twenty-three hours of instance time have passed. Caoyuan must be dead by now. The ghost must know Xiao Tuwan's whereabouts; she's likely in grave danger... Twenty-three hours... Nearly half the instance time has gone by. The death toll has to be more than two."

That means the other three might also be dead, the Fortune-teller concluded.

The Fortune-teller initially considered going down to meet the three survivors. However, she then thought that the three of them together would be too conspicuous a target; they might have already attracted the ghost's attention.

"Forget it..." She shifted a step aside. "I'll wait and see."

At this moment, Fatty was hunched over, cowering, as he whispered to Chu Changge, "Brother Chu, we definitely can't be obvious and shout, 'I'm here, come and get me!' We need to act scared to attract the ghost's attention."

Chu Changge nodded in agreement.

"So, Brother Chu, you have to act scared too!" Fatty urged anxiously. "Look how convincingly the Fortune-teller beside us is acting!"

The Fortune-teller beside them touched her still-trembling arm. "I'm not pretending..."

Chu Changge expressionlessly shook his hand.

"Forget it." Seeing this, Fatty decided not to say more and continued walking down the deserted street.

Their movements followed a rather predictable pattern: first, they would stroll through a bustling area, then duck into deserted alleys. This made it easier for the ghost to find them and also easier for it to make a move. However, if not acted out convincingly, such behavior could easily look deliberate. Therefore, they all pretended to be searching for other people, while occasionally taking breaks.

Just then, Fatty noticed Chu Changge tilt his head up slightly. He followed Chu Changge's gaze upward. On either side stood two dilapidated buildings, with a few utility poles nearby. Between the buildings, the night sky was pitch-black. The weather was poor that night; neither the moon nor the stars were visible.

As Fatty tilted his head back to look at the sliver of pitch-black sky above, he suddenly heard Chu Changge's voice from the side, "Are you tired?"

"Huh?" He craned his neck back to look at Chu Changge.

Chu Changge continued, "If you're tired, let's rest here for a while."

The Fortune-teller also found it odd. I've gotten a pretty good sense of Chu Changge's temperament on this journey, she thought. Caring if others are tired really isn't his style.

Despite her puzzlement, she didn't show it. Instead, she took a few steps and sat on the roadside steps. "I wonder how Xiao Tuwan and the other two are doing."

As she spoke, she shot Chu Changge a questioning look, trying to convey her confusion: Why stop so suddenly? Did you discover something?

Unfortunately, Chu Changge couldn't read her mind. He merely sat down beside them without a word.

"What else could have happened to them?" Fatty also plopped down. "Nearly half the instance time is gone. I reckon their bodies are cold by now."

Mingyue, still by the window surreptitiously observing the people below, was startled when the man wearing glasses suddenly looked up. Have I been discovered? she thought.

Unexpectedly, he quickly lowered his head. Then the three of them sat down on the roadside steps, apparently resting.

The trio sat on the steps on Mingyue's side of the street. She saw the three of them with their backs to her, apparently discussing something.

How could they suddenly stop right below me? This is too much of a coincidence. Mingyue pressed herself against the window, observing their backs. Because the three were sitting so close to the inn where she was hiding, she had to lean right against the glass to see them below.

What are they discussing, stopping here all of a sudden?

Just then, she saw the man wearing glasses suddenly turn his head and say something to the other two. His companions immediately froze, their mouths ceasing all movement.

They sat there, motionless.

Then, Mingyue watched as the two immobile people suddenly twisted their necks in unison, slowly turning their heads around, their eyes gazing fixedly upward.

Mingyue's scalp prickled. Are they looking at me?

Did they spot me a while ago? But why that expression?

And just then, Mingyue suddenly noticed something odd about the glass in front of her. Light from behind her cast her reflection onto the transparent glass.

But at some unknown point, someone else had appeared behind her.

CRASH—

It was the sound of shattering glass. Fatty saw Mingyue on the third floor suddenly charge at the window and jump out!