Just like in the previous reload, the slovenly man very easily agreed to the withdrawal request.
Completely unaware that he had other plans, Xu Xi didn't make any other attempts. Instead, he took advantage of the time when the players were going to change into prison uniforms and turned to walk in a certain direction.
Inside the rather rudimentary first aid station, the medical staff were nowhere to be seen.
In the corner, that strangely dressed shaman was curled up with his head down. Upon closer inspection, his body was even trembling slightly.
Xu Xi slowly approached him.
Hearing footsteps, the man whose face was smeared with greasepaint, almost obscuring his original features, suddenly looked up.
Xu Xi immediately stopped in his tracks.
"... It's you? One of the contestants from East Asia? What do you want?" the man asked warily. At this moment, he was no longer as crazy and erratic as before.
Xu Xi was just hesitating about how to start a conversation with this person; this was his first time trying to fish for information from someone.
Fortunately, the other party actually took the initiative to speak first.
Xu Xi hesitated for a moment, then simply sat down on the other side.
He kept a bit of distance from the man, not enough to make the man feel offended, nor to give him the feeling of being looked down upon as if he were standing.
Operating under the idea that if the information fishing failed, he could just reload and try again, he had no psychological burden and went straight for the direct approach: "I've already withdrawn from the competition."
Before Xu Xi could say something else to lower the man's guard, the man suddenly relaxed, then said with an excited expression, "So you believe there are... inside?"
The word in the middle was mumbled by the man, but Xu Xi understood instantly.
He gave a low cough and nodded seriously. "That's right."
"I knew there were still smart people!" The man looked delighted, as if he had finally found an ally.
Xu Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. He found this person seemed a bit more straightforward than he had imagined?
So he deliberately feigned hesitation and said, "Seeing you acting so crazy earlier made me a bit scared. I figured it's better to believe it exists. I can't risk my life for that five million, right?"
"That's exactly the right attitude. The show team people are all blinded by viewership and hype, completely unaware of the immense danger hidden inside." The man sighed, deliberately lowering his voice. "I'll tell you, actually, those two warning phrases I just said weren't from me."
Xu Xi couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. "Then... who?"
The man looked at Xu Xi, his expression serious. "I don't know who either. Maybe it was something inside... Anyway, something possessed me."
After saying that, he couldn't help but shiver, then affirmed again, "Your decision to withdraw is absolutely the right one."
Actually, not really. Xu Xi remained silent.
But since that thing was willing to warn everyone, did it mean it could be communicated with? And its malice towards humans wasn't that great.
Otherwise, interfering with the blessing ceremony would be superfluous.
"As a shaman, can't you suppress those things?"
The man's face stiffened. After a moment, he leaned closer and whispered, "Hey, to be honest with you, little brother, I'm actually just a half-baked amateur. I used to make a living by performing blessings for those big bosses. Never had a problem before. Who knew this time..."
He really got into trouble.
Xu Xi mentally finished the sentence for him with some pity.
He had thought this so-called shaman might know some hidden information or have some key item on him.
But it wasn't a complete waste. At least he learned that within this instance, there might exist entities that could be communicated with.
Seeing that he now had an ally he could confide in, the man's condition improved considerably; at least his expression was no longer so terrified. Suddenly, Xu Xi had another idea.
"Since this place is so dangerous, why don't we run?"
The man was taken aback, as if he hadn't processed it. "Run?"
Xu Xi maintained a calm expression. "Yeah. Let's sneak away by boat. Isn't the show team staying on this island for three days? We can wait three days and then send a boat back to pick them up."
The man's eyes grew brighter the more he listened. By the end, he even had a feeling of sudden enlightenment.
"That makes sense!" The man slapped his thigh. "Whether they believe it or not is their problem. Let's run first!"
If after three days the show team and contestants are all fine, then everyone's happy. If something happens... well, at least they survived.
"Let's go! We're leaving now!"
Xu Xi quickly followed behind the man.
He had to try again, to figure out if it was a restriction on the players by the instance, or a restriction inherent to the instance itself.
——
"... Everyone, come over and change into prison uniforms."
After reloading again, Xu Xi wasn't disappointed.
Familiar with the routine, he applied to withdraw from the competition and once again went to find that shaman.
This time, he didn't leave with the man. Instead, he found an excuse to stay behind, silently watching the boat sail farther and farther away.
Ten minutes passed. Nothing happened.
Twenty minutes passed. Still nothing happened.
Until a staff member came to retrieve some forgotten supplies and discovered that their show team's boat was gone.
"Where's the boat???" This young man wearing work clothes and a sun hat stared blankly at the empty shore.
"The shaman gentleman drove it away," Xu Xi replied expressionlessly, standing to the side.
"..." The young staff member opened his mouth, momentarily unsure what to say.
"Do you have that shaman gentleman's phone number? Or does your director have it? You could call and ask," Xu Xi kindly reminded him.
"Yes, yes, yes. Before coming, the director made everyone exchange contact information." The young man finally snapped back to reality, hurriedly and flusteredly pulling out his phone from his pocket to make a call, cursing under his breath while dialing. "How despicable! How could he do this!"
In less than two seconds, the call connected.
"Hello—"
"Hello my ass! What's wrong with you? That's the show team's boat! How could you just sneak off with it? Hurry up and bring it back!" the young man shouted angrily.
"Hey, don't worry. Once I get back to land, I'll send someone to sail the boat back to you."
"You jerk..."
Listening to the familiar voice of the man on the other end, Xu Xi lowered his head in thought.
Great, great. So it turns out the players were being set up by the instance itself.
The young staff member was in the middle of his angry tirade when he looked up and saw that the East Asian youth who had kindly reminded him now had a fruit knife in his hand. He watched, dumbfounded, as the other person slit his own carotid artery with the knife.
"Hello? If you're not going to yell anymore, I'm hanging up. Don't worry, I'm a man of my word. I'll definitely have someone sail the boat back."
"... Someone... someone's dead." The young man murmured in a dazed voice.
The man on the other end of the phone made a confused sound. "What?"
——
"... Everyone, come over and change into prison uniforms."
Xu Xi rubbed his neck, then raised his hand with practiced ease. "I apply to withdraw from the competition."
This time, he finally obediently followed behind the players, observing as these ten players changed into prison uniforms.
After all the players had changed their clothes, the slovenly man clapped his hands. "Okay, everyone. Next, you will enter the camp. I've already said everything that needs to be said, so I won't repeat it. Tonight, you can rest well inside the camp. I've had people clean all the cells inside. Choose freely, single rooms."
"Tomorrow, we'll officially begin the challenges."
