Global Collapse

"Mr. Gu, I can't say I've ever seen a guest on a matchmaking show tie up their potential date." As soon as the door was pushed open, a highly sarcastic remark reached Gu Mian's ears.

He looked up.

To his surprise, Teacher Sweet was in his room, standing right in the center and watching him with a look of displeasure.

It seemed the host had come to deliver her suffering employees.

At her feet, several tightly bound employees were still writhing like clumsy caterpillars.

Gu Mian made a mental note: It seems ropes can indeed bind ghosts.

Thinking this, he managed an awkward yet polite smile. "Well, you're seeing it now, aren't you?"

Gu Mian couldn't resist adding, "You might have never seen anyone tie people up with ropes, but I've also never seen a matchmaking show that allows ghosts to participate, heh heh heh."

His final laughter was clearly perfunctory, sounding almost sarcastic.

Teacher Sweet's eyebrows twitched, looking somewhat exasperated.

Not only was Teacher Sweet in Gu Mian's room, but there were also several cameramen carrying video cameras.

These pale-faced cameramen were omnipresent, capable of squeezing into the tiniest crevice.

Just as Gu Mian was speaking, one cameraman scurried over to give him a close-up.

This instance really has a strong reality show vibe...

Teacher Sweet knew Gu Mian was a thorn in her side.

For this reason, the instance NPCs had even held a special meeting to discuss him. The conclusion was unoriginal: get him out as soon as possible; otherwise, who knew what might happen later.

Of course, some had proposed bold ideas, like a 'righteous backstab,' but such audacious suggestions were unanimously rejected.

Teacher Sweet deeply empathized. With Coach Che and Mr. Green as prior victims, she truly couldn't afford to be complacent.

Moreover, she'd heard that a statue of an Evil God in some forgotten corner was constantly being destroyed—a truly innocent victim.

To avoid becoming the third victim, Teacher Sweet had always wanted to find an opportunity to kick Gu Mian out of the instance.

Unfortunately, she lacked the authority.

Teacher Sweet felt a headache coming on. She looked at Gu Mian and asked, "You already know the most important clue in this instance, don't you? Did you tell the other guests this clue to get them to leave, just so you could stay here alone and operate more conveniently?"

She understood Gu Mian's intentions.

Last night, Gu Mian had maniacally dragged No. 4 into an all-night discussion about life. The next morning, Teacher Sweet learned about their conversation from her miserable employee.

"It seems you realized early on that this instance was unusual. Well, it's not surprising that you'd notice..."

Teacher Sweet muttered to herself, "However, if you're trying to understand your relationship with this game, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. Because even I don't know the answer."

"Even if you're an advanced NPC in this special instance?" Gu Mian countered.

By now, the bound ghosts had stopped struggling. They quieted down, appearing to listen to the conversation between the two.

Teacher Sweet spread her hands. "Even though this is a special instance, and even if I'm a somewhat advanced NPC, if I don't know, I don't know... But judging by your words, did someone tell you that you can get more information out of host-type NPCs?"

She guessed correctly, indeed.

But Gu Mian didn't waste words with her. "If I believed everything you said, wouldn't that be rather undignified for me?"

Of course, Gu Mian wouldn't be easily persuaded by her.

An NPC's words are as trustworthy as a ghost's promise.

Besides, with so many reasonable ghosts in this instance, not making good use of them would be a colossal waste.

Seeing Gu Mian's opportunistic look, Teacher Sweet opened her mouth to speak, but then, as if noticing something, she closed it and looked behind him.

Gu Mian also turned to look and saw the Fortune-teller's head peeking furtively around the doorframe.

The Fortune-teller had come upstairs originally wanting to discuss class matters with Gu Mian, and perhaps to recruit him.

Unexpectedly, just as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard what sounded like people talking inside.

When she reached the door, she realized the person talking to the Doctor was Teacher Sweet.

"What are you two..." The Fortune-teller stared at the two people in the room, her expression puzzled.

It was the same last time.

Those two seemed to have had a conversation in the hall as well.

But the Fortune-teller hadn't paid much attention back then.

An NPC and a player—what could they possibly have to talk about?

And now, the Fortune-teller had stumbled upon them talking again.

But after witnessing Gu Mian's distinctiveness, the Fortune-teller couldn't help but become suspicious.

Actually, before Gu Mian, she had seen players who dared to attack ghosts in an instance—quite a few, in fact.

That was when the game had just begun. Some players didn't believe in the supernatural, claiming that instances were just data and ghosts couldn't harm them. The Fortune-teller vividly remembered one such player who, when a ghost appeared, mustered their courage and attacked it with whatever they held...

The aftermath was too gruesome to describe; even a brief recollection made her feel sick.

Other players considered themselves the chosen ones, thinking that since death wasn't real, there was nothing to fear. Yet, upon entering an instance and encountering a ghost, they'd flee faster than anyone, and their screams when caught were utterly bloodcurdling—nothing like the people who had once claimed 'we won't really die.'

Reality was far more terrifying than imagination.

The Fortune-teller had never seen a player who could withstand such terror, until now…

She saw not only Teacher Sweet standing in the middle of the room, hesitating to speak, but also the figures on the floor, trussed up like rice dumplings and wriggling clumsily.

The Fortune-teller's mouth fell slightly agape.

It didn't take a genius to know this was the Doctor's handiwork.

To date, he was the only player the Fortune-teller had seen who could truly take action against ghosts.

And when he struck, he struck to kill.

She saw the Doctor turning back to look at her. The instant his gaze met hers, the Fortune-teller shuddered violently.

She had always considered this Doctor a comedic character. Every time she saw him, he would do something highly dramatic, capable of making people laugh even in the most terrifying environments.

For instance, giving the impotently furious driver a resounding slap; or suddenly emerging from under a bed at the most perilous moment, causing everyone to scatter in fright.

But this moment was different.

That fleeting glance, one he hadn't managed to conceal in time, carried an aura of wanting to kill and silence, so oppressive it was suffocating.

Terrifying.

"You two chat... I'll be going..."

Realizing something was amiss, the Fortune-teller immediately decided to turn back. Under the gaze of the two people in the room, she walked with mechanical steps, quickly heading towards the stairs.

For some reason, she had an ominous premonition, as if staying in this instance a moment longer could prove fatal.

"Yuwen Hao was right…" The Fortune-teller had reached the top of the stairs. She looked back at the open doorway, a lingering fear in her eyes. "I should have left this place sooner…"

Just then, she heard Teacher Sweet's voice come from the room again.