Chapter 2455: Chapter 2455: The First Target
Although Xu Huo has consistently stated that he is not a player of this instance, now everyone agrees with Bubble Bean’s proposal, so he and the Girl in the Painting are no exceptions.
They temporarily split into four groups.
The first group consists of Bubble Bean, the Yin Yang Master, and the eyebrow-pierced man, who have always been quite close.
The second group includes the green-haired female player, the earless man, and the scrawny woman who was roped in.
The third group is made up of Lao Chai and his two companions along with the Big Man who saved Yang Tian, making it a group of four.
The fourth group consists of Yang Tian, who was being chased, Chi Cai, along with Xu Huo and the Girl in the Painting.
Yang Tian cannot walk due to his legs, making him a burden. No one but Chi Cai is willing to take care of him; however, players with mobility issues are not a big deal, as an automatic wheelchair and Mechanical Being can fully accommodate him, though it’s inconvenient for fighting.
Yang Tian has no say in the grouping, Chi Cai is the only good-natured one, and Xu Huo and the Girl in the Painting are indifferent, so the four of them ended up together.
Regarding the unfair allocation, someone made some sarcastic remarks, "No problem, the friends found by the Hidden Friend are all about drawing people in, and not being able to walk might be just right! Perhaps it could help avoid misfortune!"
Yang Tian’s face darkened as he coldly retorted, "Don’t speak too soon, who will suffer first is still uncertain."
Under the high pressure of the death threat, the players’ emotions are not stable, and the perpetually foggy environment adds to the sense of oppression.
However, it’s more or less clear in the instance that random killing is not allowed, so verbal sparring is as far as it goes.
"Are we staying in the pavilion again tonight?" asked the eyebrow-pierced man, "I think we should find a relatively safe place to rest well, after all, there are more than twenty days to go."
"We’ve divided into groups, so each will manage on their own." replied the earless man.
After looking at the others and seeing they had no objections, they also agreed on the shifts for the night, and everyone went to take a nap while there was still time.
"Now we can finally get a good night’s sleep." Back in the cabin, Chi Cai laughed and said, "As long as we don’t attack each other, we’re very safe in this instance."
Xu Huo smiled and returned to his room.
Yang Tian and Chi Cai stayed in the dining area outside.
Seeing the Girl in the Painting pack her backpack full and head out, Chi Cai quickly called out, "Don’t leave the village alone."
The Girl in the Painting waved her hand dismissively and left without turning back.
As the door slammed shut, Chi Cai, feeling a bit awkward, turned back to stare at Yang Tian.
Yang Tian had been fine before, but ever since being rescued and finding his legs immobilized, he treated everyone with hostility, especially Chi Cai and the Big Man.
Chi Cai could sense his attitude and, apart from providing help when necessary, avoided provoking him.
When the players quieted down, the village seemed to calm as well.
Presumably because of too many outsiders, the villagers who usually loved to come out stayed indoors.
Except for the Girl in the Painting.
With a backpack full of snacks, she walked from one end of the village to the other, exchanging items with villagers whenever she spotted interesting food or toys. Some villagers were wary of outsiders and ignored her knocks, but the Girl in the Painting would persistently repeat her request via the communicator until they got annoyed enough to open their doors, which pleased her immensely.
Her journey was fruitful, and before long, three kids sneakily followed her outside.
Regardless of whether the villagers were happy, the kids were, and under Grandpa He’s suggestion, they selected a spot in the middle of the village to play.
Their joy was distinct and out of place in the village, seemingly creating a growing barrier between them and their surroundings.
"Li Chun..." A voice came from the direction of the grove, causing the Girl in the Painting to immediately look up, but saw only fog, making it seem like an auditory illusion.
Just as she was about to lower her head, someone called her name again from that direction.
"Someone’s calling me," she eagerly shared with her young playmates.
The little girl digging for worms looked up nervously and asked, "Is it your brother asking you to go back?"
"It seems like it," the Girl in the Painting replied, "But his voice is coming from over there, and he was asleep when I left."
"Are you going back then?" the little girl wanted to keep playing with her.
"No," the Girl in the Painting decisively said, "If he’s that anxious, he’ll come find me himself."
So, the group of one adult and five children continued digging for worms.
But Xu Huo did not come to find her, and the voice from the grove seemed to shift position, calling her from a different direction.
The Girl in the Painting, annoyed by the noise, bid farewell to her young companions and angrily marched towards the grove with a trowel in hand.
"Hey, did she just run off?" The players naturally kept an eye on what was happening, and seeing her suddenly run off, some were both suspicious and angry, as she had just disregarded their prior mutual agreement. If this continued, how could they cooperate?
"Isn’t it better she ran off?" The green-haired female player leaned against the window of a venue prop, gazing in the direction where the Girl in the Painting disappeared, saying, "If she’s the actor, things will be much easier today."
Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed, as a few minutes later, the Girl in the Painting returned, covered in grass and mud, carrying a small robot equally muddied and malfunctioned. Its distress indicator kept flashing, but its speaker persistently repeated her name.
The Girl in the Painting brought the robot to the player gathering spot, stomped it to pieces, and then, looking around at the people silently or openly watching her, she raised her middle finger to all of them.
Several people showed slight disdain, while others pretended not to see, waiting for her to leave before someone went to pick up the robot.
Chi Cai and the Big Man reached it simultaneously, both wanting the robot.
It’s certain that only the players here knew the Girl in the Painting’s name. The fact that the robot was placed nearby with a good signal ruled out it being put there by hidden players.
"We likely have an actor among us," Bubble Bean said from a distance of ten meters, "But if the other party dared to release the robot, they probably didn’t leave any traces. The robot is likely useless. Targeting that woman, though, seems peculiar."
Those who arrived early knew that Xu Huo and the Girl in the Painting were not dungeon players, regardless of the truth. Given the assumption that random killing might make one a target for the true Hidden Friend, players were reluctant to take that risk, especially since both individuals were formidable. Directly targeting the Girl in the Painting might be the act of a newcomer unaware of the situation.
Bubble Bean, the green-haired female player, and others turned their gaze toward the Big Man and the group of three who arrived later with Lao Chai.
