Directly ahead of his line of sight were the three veteran players he had met during the first loop—united in appearance but divided in spirit—along with that foul-mouthed rookie.
He remembered that the cold woman was called Shelby, the talkative Japanese man was Kawano, and the loose-lipped rookie was an outdoor streamer named Dennis. There was one more person who had never revealed their identity, but Gao Hai had no interest in knowing their name; after all, this bunch hadn't brought him anything good in the previous loop.
Gao Hai's gaze quickly swept over the four of them. Judging by the direction they were heading, they were obviously moving towards the large space, which was no different from the last loop.
It was just that the location where he encountered these guys this time was completely different from before. Had he accidentally blocked their path?
"Hello, you two. I am an Explorer, Kawano, a player. And you?"
The Japanese man named Kawano revealed a look of joy upon seeing Gao Hai and Chika Fujiwara. His attention focused noticeably for a moment when he saw Chika; it seemed he was somewhat interested in this young girl in the prime of her youth.
"Please make way."
Gao Hai, having no intention of engaging excessively with these people, simply frowned and spoke, stepping in front of Chika Fujiwara to shield her.
He certainly hadn't forgotten the slight malice he had sensed from this man during the previous loop. However, the opposing party consisted of three veteran players, and this cavern wasn't large; if a conflict truly broke out, he might not necessarily come out on top. Therefore, Gao Hai decided to act cautiously and get rid of this group as soon as possible.
"Why be so cold? Acting alone in a place like this isn't a good thing. Surely the combined strength of you two can't compare to the strength of the six of us together, right?"
Kawano blocked Gao Hai's path, just like in the last loop. This man seemed to know nothing of politeness, displaying a forceful desire for Gao Hai's side to join their team. Although the smile on his face appeared very sincere, there was an unquestionable tone in his voice.
He seemed to sense something again... something was trying to influence his mind, yet he couldn't find the source. And because this force was simply too slight, Gao Hai, who was currently being [Watched] by the power of the Core Obsession, could barely feel it... Wait. Come to think of it, although this team was divided in spirit, neither that Shelby nor the silent man looked like they were teaming up here willingly, yet they still stood by this person's side. Could it be...
He turned his head to look at Chika Fujiwara behind him, who was cautiously trying to peek out, still somewhat unclear about the situation.
She seemed to show faint signs of being persuaded by this Kawano, though for now, she was obediently following Gao Hai, merely waiting for him to make a decision.
Could it be some special Obsession Item capable of assisting this guy in building a loose team?
"I have no interest in your clique. Don't block the way. I won't remain polite forever."
After a brief moment of thought, Gao Hai didn't show any strange expression, simply giving a cold answer just as he had at the start.
Then, disregarding how the other party might respond, he signaled Chika Fujiwara to follow him, and the two prepared to leave together.
"Uh, honestly, there's no need to be so cold, is there? I'm also considering everyone's..."
Kawano's brows furrowed slightly.
No effect? That shouldn't be happening.
This man indeed held an Obsession Item, and it was a very rare mental induction type.
As long as he made an invitation, he could quietly guide the direction of the dialogue partner's thinking to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the other party made a choice favorable to him, or at least wouldn't harbor malice towards him.
The effect of this Obsession Item wasn't overly strong; it couldn't truly control others' thoughts. But used covertly, it could always help Kawano gain some benefits.
Just like this loose team Kawano had organized now. In reality, apart from that curiosity-filled Dennis, the other two weren't people who liked team action; they had simply been induced by his persuasion and pleading, and thus remained.
But this man before him—he didn't look affected at all.
Could it be that the opponent held an Obsession Item capable of canceling out mental induction? Or was this guy's mind so resilient that he could withstand the power of supernatural items like Obsession Items?
He wanted to try again to see if he could persuade the other party to stay.
"You're fucking refusing the face given to you, huh?"
But Gao Hai couldn't be bothered to waste time with him. He took a direct step forward; unknown when, a pair of Blood Scissors had appeared in his left hand, while his right hand was already placed on the holster at his waist, ready to draw and shoot at any moment.
Damn uncouth brute!
"Ah-ha-ha, don't say that, don't say that. Please, after you, take care."
Realizing the other party was indeed impossible to communicate with, Kawano's expression darkened for a moment, but he immediately switched back to a smile and obediently made way for Gao Hai.
Shelby and the other man remained silent, very wary of Gao Hai and Chika's group, but they had no intention of taking action to help Kawano. And in a solo conflict, Kawano really wasn't sure if this strange man would pull out some Obsession Item he couldn't handle.
Especially given the opponent's explicit display of ill will. Considering the characteristics of his own Obsession Item, Kawano had to start considering the possibility that [this man is actually a perverted homicidal maniac, a twisted and terrifying lunatic, who simply won't attack me immediately due to the induction effect of the Obsession Item].
"Why be so aggressive? Isn't it good for everyone to cooperate?"
However, although Kawano made way, that Dennis frowned, stepping forward with some lack of understanding to block Gao Hai's path.
His next sentence, "We are all humans, why hurt each other," never made it out. Gao Hai had already reached out and covered Dennis's mouth, then, exerting force with one hand, pinned the man against the adjacent wall. The man's back hit the wall with a "thud," and a painful expression appeared on his face.
"Saying the wrong thing here comes at a great price. Trouble you to weigh what you should say carefully before opening your mouth next time."
Saying this, Gao Hai took Chika and left directly, paying no further heed to the commotion of the four behind them.
Hearing Gao Hai's words, Kawano realized something and looked toward Dennis, about to say something.
However, before that, Dennis, feeling he had been struck for no reason, spoke up first, very unhappily.
"What are you doing? We are all humans, why can't we just talk properly?"
Are all so-called 'team-wipe engines' this persistent?
Gao Hai, who really wanted to retort with that line, grabbed Chika's hand and accelerated their escape.
At this moment, Kawano also understood Gao Hai's meaning. After cursing "Bastard" at Dennis, he immediately took out his Obsession Item.
The next moment, Gao Hai felt the direction of that line of sight shift.
That gaze located in the world of the Research Base, which had been staring at him, shifted its attention rapidly after Dennis said the words [We are all humans].
Then, waves of malice began to spread within the cavern.
Shrill weeping, painful low groans, and messy footsteps—sounds like the struggles of many people trapped here—rang out all together in the cavern behind Gao Hai and Chika.
This time, Gao Hai and Chika Fujiwara, having distanced themselves in time, were completely unaffected by that death-courting rookie player. As for the final fate of those four, Gao Hai had no interest in finding out.
However, does revealing one's identity as a [Human] directly attract the attention of the Core Obsession?
Considering this point, if I grab a few players and find a way to induce them to say [I am human] at a specific time point, could I divert that thing's attention, thereby successfully reaching the [True Surface] and achieving clearance?
Gao Hai suddenly froze.
In the time between just dying in the previous loop and reviving, he had originally been thinking that there was no way to clear this instance, that it was simply an illogical dead end.
But now, after the curtain call of Dennis, this death-courting rookie, he had instantly discovered where the breaking point lay.
The reason the world where the Security Guard exists cannot be cleared is that the twisted, hateful obsession is constantly watching those who flee the cavern. So, as long as he ensures that thing's attention is attracted by other players during the time point when he and Maki are escaping, survival can be guaranteed.
The feasibility of this method is very high.
It's just that to succeed, there must be at least one player left behind as a sacrifice.
No, it should be two. Although the erosion effect of the Security Guard uniform hasn't been demonstrated yet, it's not hard to deduce from the various regulations that this identity is extremely dangerous. Therefore, there must also be a player acting as a Security Guard to say to other Security Guard actors, [You are off duty, I'll take over now], allowing the other players to smoothly leave the cavern and head to the surface.
In just a few seconds, Gao Hai successfully thought of a feasible method of passage.
A method with a high probability of success, though involving many operational troubles, capable of achieving a [Normal Clearance]—also known as the so-called Normal End.
It's worth a try.
Gao Hai thought secretly in his heart.
Although this would inevitably cause sacrifices and require letting others die, Gao Hai really didn't want to experience those twisted, painful ways of dying anymore. Given the chance to clear normally, he still wanted to see if he could succeed. Even if he couldn't succeed himself, at least sending Maki out of this instance would do.
"Gao-kun's aura was so intense just now, I didn't dare speak at all. And those sounds just now..."
It wasn't until they had completely distanced themselves from those four and arrived at a larger space that Chika Fujiwara breathed a sigh of relief, then whispered with some lingering fear. When fleeing just now, she had very sensibly not looked back to see the situation of those people, but she was still startled by those eerie sounds.
"If they choose to accept a rookie who knows nothing and has a temper, they have to be prepared to be screwed over."
Gao Hai shook his head and spoke casually.
"Eh? Then does Gao-kun think I am the kind of rookie who will screw you over?"
Chika Fujiwara froze for a moment, then asked in a whisper with some worry.
"At least so far, you are very reassuring. So, you must perform well next too."
Gao Hai, who hadn't expected Chika to ask such a question, froze for a moment, then put on a serious expression and spoke earnestly.
"Okay! Then Rookie Explorer Chika reporting for duty! I will work hard not to drag you down!"
Hearing these words, Chika Fujiwara immediately looked serious, straightened her body, and bowed to Gao Hai.
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