Inside the camp.
Everyone watched the brown-haired, blue-eyed young man who had quickly walked over to the medical team personnel, their expressions varied.
"So you're withdrawing from the competition too?" Daisy raised the corner of her eye slightly. "Have you thought it through?"
"Of course." Buriman smiled. "Compared to being a contestant, I'd rather be a survivor."
"Everyone, I wish you good luck in what comes next."
The medical team leader didn't say anything; he didn't have the authority to interfere with the contestants' choices.
Since a contestant wanted to withdraw, he could just lead them out. Whatever happened afterward was none of his concern.
"Then come with us."
The camp's main gate closed again as this group left, and the front hall, which had briefly gained a bit of liveliness, returned to its empty state.
"Another player has withdrawn." Daisy crossed her arms, her tone seeming both reflective and mocking. "Eleven players have dwindled to just eight so quickly."
Winifred let out an "Oh": "Be precise, madam. They merely withdrew; they didn't die. Being eliminated doesn't represent the final outcome."
"I think we should be considering how to clear this instance right now," the long-sleeved woman interrupted them, "not bickering here."
The players present exchanged subtle glances upon hearing this.
This was their first time participating in a mixed-team competition. To be honest, the difficulty of this multiplayer instance far exceeded their expectations. Some of their past experiences were completely inapplicable here.
Winifred suddenly spoke up: "Now, is everyone willing to reconsider my initial cooperation proposal?"
He slowly scanned the group. Though his face wore a hearty smile, his tone carried a deeper meaning. "Surely you all aren't still clinging to the idea of hogging the rewards alone?"
"Being too greedy... will only make you die faster."
Before the others could respond, a burst of static suddenly came from the loudspeaker.
"Testing, testing, contestants, can you hear me—"
——
In the monitoring room.
"One contestant fainted and was eliminated, another chose to withdraw." The slovenly man clicked his tongue in annoyance. "The challenge hasn't even started yet, and problems keep popping up."
Xu Xi watched the brown-haired, blue-eyed young man who had also forfeited on the screen and fell silent for a moment.
Well, actually, forfeiting leads to death too, and it's a path with absolutely no chance of survival.
Unable to read lips and without the viewer perspective, Xu Xi didn't know why the other player withdrew midway. He could only attribute it to that player also trying an unconventional approach.
Scared and trying to run away from the competition?
He never even considered that possibility.
He felt any single one of these players was more capable than him.
So perhaps the other player discovered something, thinking the survival rate would be higher by withdrawing?
Not long after, someone entered the monitoring room.
Xu Xi glanced over instinctively.
Buriman offered a slight smile to the East Asian young man sitting on the left and greeted him amiably. "Apologies, I hope my arrival hasn't disturbed you."
He familiarly sat down beside him.
"Your choice was truly wise." No sooner had he sat down than Buriman couldn't help but mutter quietly. "This place is much more stable than in there."
He didn't use the word "safe," but "stable," clearly aware that simply withdrawing didn't equate to actual safety.
"Why did you withdraw?" Xu Xi asked bluntly.
He was never good at fishing for information anyway, so he didn't care whether the other answered. His purpose for this save file was purely to verify methods of death.
Gathering some instance information was a bonus; not getting any was fine too. He could experience it personally in the next save file.
"The reason I withdrew is the same reason you withdrew," Buriman replied with a smile.
"..." Damn, crafty foreigner.
Although Xu Xi hadn't held much hope for this person's answer, he still felt a slight choke.
I withdrew to wait for death. Are you doing the same?
Thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "But I think your choice is very unwise."
"Huh?" Buriman was taken aback. "Why do you say that?"
However, he then saw the East Asian young man beside him coldly shift his gaze away, no longer paying him any attention.
For some reason, a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in his heart.
Frowning in thought for a while, Buriman seemed to remember something. He hurriedly snatched the mouse from a show team staff member on the other side to review the earlier surveillance footage.
"Hey, what are you doing—"
Ignoring the protesting staff member, Buriman quickly found the footage of Dana being attacked. Seeing nothing in front of Dana, his sense of foreboding grew worse. He took a deep breath and scrolled further back to the recording from last night inside Polina and Dana's room.
The expression on his face instantly froze.
——
[Surprise, surprise, or not? There's nothing there, oh (ip Hua Nation)]
[I can't take it. I thought this guy was so confident about withdrawing because he had actually figured something out (ip Hua Nation)]
[Master Xu Xi withdrew because he has his own plan. What about you? (ip Hua Nation)]
[Your nation's contestant also chose to withdraw from the very beginning. Why would he say our contestant's choice is unwise? Forgive my bluntness, but this judgment is truly rather odd (ip Rice Nation)]
[I suggest you take a look at the commentary on our nation's official channel (ip Hua Nation)]
[Hua Nation people are arrogant and conceited; their contestant is the same (ip Prettyland)]
[Mon Dieu! Hearing such a comment from your geographical location is the most moving irony I've heard this century. I must praise you; you've let me appreciate the humor of geography. My dear, you are quite artistic (ip Romantique)]
[Does the Maple Nation player count as having failed? (ip Kangaroo Nation)]
[Our player is merely unconscious; she has not failed! (ip Maple Nation)]
The casual retort Xu Xi uttered stirred up some waves in the live stream.
Netizens from different nations speculated about the meaning of his words.
[What exactly is the Hua Nation player relying on? Why does he seem so at ease? (ip Hans Nation)]
[Could it be that the Hua Nation player himself knows what happens after withdrawing? (ip Bear Nation)]
[That's impossible. No one can foresee the future (ip Windmill Nation)]
[The Hua Nation player clearly wasn't genuinely puzzled about Buriman's reason for withdrawing. I think what he wanted to ask was, 'Why are you seeking death?' (ip Coffee Nation)]
[But his perspective is so lacking; he can't observe anything. What could he possibly know? (ip Garden Nation)]
[The fact that he withdrew himself is enough to make one think (ip Thousand Lakes Nation)]
The ongoing commotion in the live stream continued, and time within the instance never stopped.
In the monitoring room, the slovenly man glanced at Buriman's unpleasant expression, thinking this guy was also acting strangely.
He stood up. "No more waiting. Let the contestants start the challenge now. The sooner we finish recording, the sooner we can go back."
This place is a bit sinister.
But then again, that's what brings in the big viewership.
