Right now, there were a total of four people gathered in this open area.
That's a very unlucky number.
The good news was that, according to his Blessing's assessment, all four were human.
The news of uncertain quality was that none of the four looked like new players. He couldn't sense any clear goodwill or malice, and it was obvious they had already spotted him—all four of their searchlights were now pointing his way.
"Hey, sir over there, are you an explorer? An explorer player here for a tour?"
One of the four stepped forward and spoke. Judging by his voice, he was from Japan.
"We're all human, all of us. Please rest assured we're not monsters. I'm Dennis, an outdoor streamer, an explorer."
Another man followed up, waving his hand and grinning at Gao Hai. This one didn't seem like a veteran player; he seemed like a newcomer who had wandered in by mistake.
Besides the two who had proactively greeted him, another man and woman remained silent, observing Gao Hai from a slight distance.
From their posture, it looked like they were ready to use their Obsession Items at a moment's notice. They seemed quite vigilant.
"I am an explorer."
Knowing he'd been exposed, Gao Hai stopped hiding, stood up, and spoke calmly.
"I'm a player explorer, here for a tour. I haven't been to the Heart yet. How about you?"
He didn't let Chika Fujiwara come out from behind him right away, telling her to wait a moment before asking the group of four.
"We haven't either. This is the Great Space, and we haven't confirmed which direction leads to the Artery. You don't have to be so guarded. Just let your companion come out. It's not dangerous here, don't worry."
The Japanese man spoke again. He seemed to have some way of detecting the situation over here and appeared quite concerned about the hidden Chika.
"Really, the three of them are pretty good people. If they hadn't looked out for me, I definitely wouldn't have made it here."
Dennis chimed in again, his attitude very enthusiastic.
"No need. This is fine. Where did you all come from? Have you seen anyone else?"
But Gao Hai was unwilling to approach. On his side, he was the only veteran player with Obsession Items. Chika was a complete newcomer without the formidable physique of Kaguya or Maki. The other side had at least three veteran players. If a fight broke out, he would be under immense pressure. Therefore, he had to maintain a safe distance no matter what.
"There are cave openings all around, just as you can see. This place is completely different from the intel. The only thing we can confirm is that way leads to the Turning Point. But we're explorers, aren't we? We have to find a way to the[Heart]. If we just turn back now, we can't be called explorers. Want to team up? I think things might be a lot better if we work together."
The Japanese man took another step closer, speaking cheerfully.
"I'll pass. The two of us are fine. I wish you luck in reaching the Heart."
Having gained nothing from the conversation, Gao Hai frowned and decided to retreat back into the tunnel he came from.
Based on his experience so far, while there were indeed dangerous corpses in the caves, as long as he stuck to his[Explorer]identity and wore the full explorer outfit, he should be able to safely avoid their attack triggers.
But the three people over there presented too many uncertainties. Not to mention the two who remained silent, the Japanese man seemed to be projecting goodwill, but Gao Hai's Blessing wasn't registering any. In fact, because he was being somewhat uncooperative, he was beginning to sense a faint, indistinct malice.
While it wasn't the kind of malice that suggested an immediate intent to attack, in Gao Hai's view, the attitude of these three was clearly not the cooperative type.
Since that was the case, he would give up on contacting and cooperating with them and continue on with Chika, who he at least knew something about. At a minimum, he wouldn't have to worry about someone stabbing him in the back in a crisis.
Having made up his mind, Gao Hai took a step back. Then, he suddenly felt a flicker of confusion; he vaguely sensed he had overlooked something just now.
"At least consider your companion's opinion. Don't be so stubborn, right? Cooperation is the best way to survive, isn't it?"
But the Japanese man still wouldn't give up. He took another step forward and spoke earnestly to Gao Hai.
This guy just doesn't quit...
Just as Gao Hai was trying to recall what he'd overlooked, the man's words interrupted him. Annoyed, he was about to retort, but then, he realized something in the man's words.
He just said, companion's opinion?
Realizing something, Gao Hai turned his head and saw that Chika Fujiwara had, at some point, slipped up next to him. She was crouched down behind him, moving stealthily.
Why did she come out?
Not expecting her to act on her own, Gao Hai frowned. Just as he was about to say something, Chika mouthed something at him, then glanced toward the Japanese man before pulling out her phone and typing for Gao Hai to see.
[I kept hearing you talking to two people, but then one of the voices just disappeared. Don't tell me some death flag was triggered?]
The line of text made Gao Hai whip his head around, looking toward the Japanese man, in the direction of the man who had greeted him so enthusiastically, the one who called himself Dennis.
He wasn't there anymore.
The man was no longer where he had been standing.
Was he attacked by some anomalous power?
Did he just vanish?
But he and Chika had seen a corpse in the cave earlier. Generally speaking, the anomalies in this instance were supposed to leave bodies behind.
Or maybe...
Gao Hai raised his head.
His gaze shifted upward, toward the ceiling of the cavern.
He found him very quickly.
The man, mouth agape, was slumped against the rock wall, wedged in the corner between two walls in a way that defied gravity, staring right at him.
In the dim light, his face was deathly pale, without a trace of color.
The man's eyes had rolled back, leaving only the bloodshot whites facing Gao Hai.
The explorer suit he was wearing was in tatters... no, it was dissolving, as if it were an item that had lost its efficacy and could no longer maintain its existence, thus beginning to break down and disappear.
Gao Hai's eyes met the man's face. He felt as if he could see him letting out a silent roar.
For a moment, he thought he was done for, already preparing to use an Obsession Item to put up a struggle.
But after calming down slightly, he confirmed that it was just a corpse, just like the keyboard warrior he'd seen on the ground earlier—the one he'd sprinkled some ashes on before leaving. It was an ordinary corpse that had not yet been corrupted and transformed by an anomalous power.
The question was, how did he die so silently?
What attacked him, and where is it?
And so Gao Hai's gaze shifted slightly, looking up at the entire cave ceiling.
Drip—
A corpse, impaled by a hanging stalactite, came into Gao Hai's view.
Then another corpse, a stalactite piercing its stomach, hanging from the ceiling in defiance of gravity.
One after another, corpses that had died in all sorts of positions on the ceiling, amidst the dense forest of stalactites, just hung there silently. He hadn't noticed them at all until he looked up.
[Welcome to Red Nut Gray Hole]
[We hope we can have a pleasant time here]
A clamor of voices rose in his ears.
The corpses seemed to stir.
Those weren't just corpses hanging from the ceiling.
They were tourists, led by a tour guide, visiting the cave.
Tourists...
They are[Tourists]?
At that moment, Gao Hai felt the voices in his ears grow more piercing, more muffled, more difficult to discern.
The Japanese man seemed to still be saying something.
He had moved closer, seeming to want to observe the situation with Chika beside Gao Hai. But because the girl was crouching and a rock pillar was in the way, he couldn't see her at all.
But Gao Hai just tilted his head slightly, trying to make out that voice.
That voice was saying...
They were saying...
[Now, everyone, please look up. Look, isn't the stalactite structure here peculiar?]
The next instant, Gao Hai hit the ground and rolled, pulling Chika with him. The two of them tumbled together right back through the opening they had just come from.
Piercing screams, agonizing wails, chaotic footsteps...
All sorts of sounds mixed together, interspersed with the voices of the three other players and other unidentifiable, blood-curdlingly strange noises.
It sounded as if the three players hadn't been overwhelmed by this sudden assault.
But Gao Hai had no interest in confirming their situation. He simply left, choosing to head in a different direction.
"Just now, the voices in that place..."
Somewhat frightened by the bizarre cacophony, Chika Fujiwara followed Gao Hai closely, looking at him cautiously, unable to hide her curiosity.
"It has nothing to do with us. We're just explorers. I am the explorer Gao Hai. I am going to the Heart, then leaving this place. And you?"
Gao Hai turned to stare at Chika and spoke quickly.
"I am the explorer Chika Fujiwara. I'm also going to the Heart, then leaving here. Um, I didn't do anything wrong just now, did I?"
The girl answered hurriedly, then asked again carefully.
"Notifying me when you spotted an anomaly was correct. But don't be overly stealthy. If you're a step too late, there are no second chances. You must report any situation immediately, unless there's some special restriction preventing it."
As he spoke, Gao Hai paid no mind to Chika nodding her head rapidly like a chick pecking at grain. He was already replaying the entire sequence of events that led to the anomaly.
That man, Dennis, he became some kind of medium for the activation of the anomalous power. Those things on the ceiling probably appeared through his corpse. The question is, how did he die so silently? Was it because he said something he shouldn't have?
If that's the case, then what he said was...
[We're all human, all of us]
Was it because he misidentified himself?
Realizing this, Gao Hai finally had a more tangible understanding of the[personal identity]that the rules repeatedly emphasized.
He felt a gentle tug on his clothes.
Gao Hai turned and saw Chika pointing in a certain direction.
He followed her gaze and saw, deep within a cavern, a faint, pale yellow light, different from the searchlights of the supply boxes they had seen before.
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 10 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉