Ji Bie Li couldnât believe that the Hunter she was connected with was so unreliable.
She couldnât help stopping in her tracks, her mouth slightly agape, yet she didnât utter a single word.
It took her a while before she found her voice again:
"Since we know that the ghost in the instance is part of the Survivor Camp, this means that the key to our survival lies with you Hunters. As long as you catch the ghost lurking in this city, all of us players will be safe."
Reaching this point, Ji Bie Li paused, and then continued, "I know the people youâre looking for are from our Survivor Camp, probably someone named Meiren Chu and another individual called Fatty."
It took Gu Mian a while to understand who Ji Bie Li was referring to as "Meiren Chu."
Wasnât that Chu Changge, who was equipped with the [Blood-stained school badge]?
Once players equipped this item, their nickname changed to "Meiren Chu." There were rumors that if one managed to remove all the blood stains from the badge, its power would increase, but Gu Mian and his companions had yet to find something that could clean the blood off the badge.
It seemed Fatty was always careful to stay more than three meters away from other players. He probably thought his in-game nickname was too conspicuous. After all, it was a name that had been repeatedly announced.
Ji Bie Liâs voice came through again, "In fact, you donât have to go looking for those two. We can first focus on dealing with the ghost in this instance."
As she spoke, she quickly began ascending the staircase.
She was inside a skyscraper stretching over thirty floors. It was the tallest building within her sight.
Normally, such tall buildings would have elevators, but it seemed the cityâs power supply had been cut. Only the street lamps still cast a faint glow. Consequently, the elevators in this building were out of service.
Of course, even if the elevators were functioning, I wouldnât be foolish enough to take them instead of climbing the stairs. After all, elevators are hotspots for paranormal activity. If I were stuck in such a confined space when a ghost suddenly appeared, there would be nowhere to run.
Fortunately, her physical condition had been enhanced considerably. She wouldnât feel tired climbing a few floors, but ascending more than twenty floors in one go was still a bit much.
As she continued to climb the stairs, she quickly resumed speaking:
"I suspect that the key to improving our ratings in this instance isnât the hide-and-seek game between players, but the Evil Ghost hiding among us. As long as all players join forces to deal with the Evil Ghost, everyoneâs rating will surely be high. If we can make the other Hunters understand that the rating gained from teaming up against ghosts is far higher than from hunting other players, then your two friends in the Survivor Camp wonât be in danger, and they wonât have to worry about the Evil Ghost in this instance finding them."
Gu Mian stopped in front of a storefront. "So, youâre suggesting that I inform the other Hunters about this?"
Ji Bie Li fell silent.
Gu Mian continued, "With this arrangement, youâd have it pretty easy."
He understood that Ji Bie Li didnât want to deal with the other Hunters directly. She also knew that the other Hunters wouldnât be easily persuaded. If they not only ignored her words but turned around and captured her, the loss would be immense. It would be a case of losing the lady and the soldiersâa terrible bargain. That wouldnât be worth it at all.
Ji Bie Liâs somewhat flustered voice came through the earpiece: "Since youâre a Hunter, the other Hunters canât pose a threat to you. But itâs different for me. If I confront them directly, I could be caught and eliminated."
Gu Mian frowned, his flashlight still on, casting a bright beam into the dark night.
At that moment, the light shone through the glass door of a storefront, illuminating the counter inside. He could vaguely make out the shadow of something behind the counter, quivering slightly.
He took a step forward and said, "I think your speculation might be incorrect."
Ji Bie Li was silent for a moment. "Where is it incorrect?"
"As I told you earlier, the ghost in the instance should belong to the Survivor Camp. This is the premise for Hunters being able to restrain the ghost. But have you considered this: if the ghost belongs to the Survivor Camp, it cannot harm other survivors or Hunters."
Members of the Survivor Camp cannot hunt Hunters, nor can they hunt other members of the Survivor Camp.
If the ghost were in the Hunterâs Faction, then it hunting players from the Survivor Camp would be perfectly logical. But since it also belongs to the Survivor Camp, why would it pursue other players from the Survivor Camp?
Ji Bie Li was stunned by his words.
Her mind raced, and she finally sensed that something was amiss.
Right, if the ghost also belongs to the Survivor Camp, then it has no reason to hunt other survivors. Is it merely trying to scare people?
As she pondered this, Ji Bie Li furrowed her brows and said softly, "Perhaps the ghost isnât bound by camp restrictions when it kills?"
It actively avoids Hunters because itâs afraid of being caught. But for players in the Survivor Camp, it wouldnât have such concerns. So, the ghost only pursues survivors.
"Let me ask you," she heard his voice come from the receiver, "have you personally seen the ghost kill anyone? Or found any playerâs corpse?"
Without even needing to think, Ji Bie Li blurted out, "No. Isnât it just that the instance started too recently, and the ghost hasnât had time to kill anyone yet?"