Chapter 82.1: Ghost Embodiment (5)

  Ji Xuejun’s death was silent, without screaming, without blood.

When she was brought down, there wasn’t much blood left on her body.

Players knew that she was discovered as a living person by a fake player named Bao Yu, but they didn’t know the specific cause of her death; they could only guess it was due to excessive bleeding.

As soon as she was brought down, she was surrounded by corpses. Even the players behind bus 01 couldn’t see her specific situation.

Just like before, in the darkness, the corpses hung her on a tree, draining the last of her blood.

There were no trees on the side of the road where they parked, so they hung her on a tree in the distance.

Ji Xuejun wore a white outfit. As her body swayed under the tree, it looked like a humanoid pointer slicing through the darkness, counting down the next player’s time of death.

Pang Yang said with a grimace, “How do we defend against this? They can infiltrate the players!”

Their side was relatively fine, but over on Xue Wei’s side, several players no longer trusted each other.

Just now, another player died, and another “player” turned out to be a corpse. Among the new arrivals, there were only three players left: Xue Wei, Gu Xinghua, and a male player named Lu Si.

Gu Xinghua had always been with Xue Wei in the Yongming Guild, so there was naturally no suspicion between them.

Gu Xinghua suspected Lu Si.

Lu Si said with frustration, “I”m a player. My name is Lu Si, a player from the Yak Guild!"

Xue Wei coldly said, “He’s a player; only two corpses came up with him.”

Xue Wei remembered a detail.

When she placed her palm on the bus window, indicating there were six bunks, and six players could come up, some players immediately moved, but two people in the back were a bit slow to catch up.

They quickly passed the players in front, and the two players in the back never came up again.

At that time, she didn’t think much of it, assuming those two hesitated before making a decision, afraid there wouldn’t be a spot, so they caught up a bit slowly.

Now, thinking back, they followed in only after observing the people.

In the dark, faces were hard to see, and Xue Wei didn’t look carefully, but she distinctly remembered one of them wearing a red shirt.

This time, they were truly certain about Lu Si, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Xinghua said, “Corpses can actually say their own names.”

Xue Wei said, “Just registering is not enough. Next time a new player comes, we must provide more detailed information. This way, corpses won’t be able to infiltrate us.”

Pang Yang secretly said to Ning Su and Fang Qi, “We shouldn’t trust them.”

He was now like a startled bird, tense all over.

Ning Su: “No need to.”

He thought for a moment and said, “The dead body that spoke to you, did it say ‘Pang Yang, Yinhua Guild’?”

Pang Yang nodded.

Ning Su looked at Fang Qi again. “Did the dead body that spoke to you say, ‘Fang Qi, Freelancer’?”

Fang Qi nodded.

Ning Su continued, “Last time on the bus, the woman in the red shirt kept saying ‘Zhao Kehan, Hongyu Guild.’ Doesn’t it sound familiar to you?”

Fang Qi suddenly realized, “It’s what we said when we first got off the bus and introduced ourselves!”

Pang Yang also understood, “The corpses heard it; they’re using our own words against us!”

Lu Si, who had just revealed his situation: “...”

Xue Wei, who had mentioned that sharing detailed information could prevent corpses from infiltrating: “...”

Ning Su, receiving two death stares, remained silent.

Ning Su nodded. “The corpse with long hair may not necessarily be called Bao Yu. It could be a name she heard somewhere.”

Pang Yang sighed in relief, “So we can handle this. They’ll only repeat what we’ve said.”

Ning Su added, “Not necessarily. They might evolve.”

Pang Yang: “...”

Tired, let it all end.

Fang Qi said, “Having a few conversations is definitely useful. Even if they evolve to the point of responding, they would only know things we said in this instance. We can still keep secrets about the base.”

When Ji Xuejun got off the bus, there wasn’t much blood left in her body. They had only spoken for two or three minutes, and corpses were already carrying her body under a tree.

At that moment, the alarm sounded. Fang Qi quickly told the two, “I made a new discovery. Just now on the bus, a zombie touched me. It must have sensed my body temperature, but it didn’t realize I was different.”

Pang Yang immediately said, “No wonder last time, when Ning Su fought with the zombies, they didn’t detect that he was different. It turns out body temperature doesn’t expose us as different!”

Ning Su: “...”

Fang Qi nodded. “We discussed it at the time, and the behaviors of living people that might expose us may not necessarily be useful.”

As the corpses evolve, they might transition and be able to speak, think, and move.

Body temperature could not expose them, talking could not expose them, and based on the basket of vegetables from the old man and Ning Su letting him eat roasted sweet potatoes, eating should also not expose them.

It’s unclear whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Pang Yang, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. The last time the corpses came looking for him left a deep psychological shadow.

Just thinking about the feeling of having life-threatening corpses close to him, unable to breathe, move, or generate heat, made him immediately feel suffocated.

The next time the corpses come for him, at least he didn’t have to worry about his body being warm under the blanket.

“Ding Ling Ling!——”

The copper bell rang.

Players followed the corpses one by one towards the bus.

Since the corpses could now speak, players were no longer as cautious when talking.

Gu Xinghua glanced at Fang Qi, who had just narrowly escaped death, and asked Xue Wei, “How do the corpses determine that we are different? If the corpses notice us, how do we stay alive?”

Xue Wei revealed a sly smile. “Don’t bother with that. If the corpses find out that we are different, just kill them and silence them.”

Gu Xinghua was surprised, “They’re NPCs. Can we kill them?”

To be honest, in this kind of instance where one had to hide from NPCs, ordinary players usually couldn’t think of this method, and only a bloodthirsty person like Xue Wei would come up with it.

Xue Wei’s eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, “Why not? Haven’t you heard them say that guy called Ning Su fought with the corpses and was fine?”

The two understood. If the corpses really came for them, rather than waiting to die, it’s better to take care of the corpses that find out they were different.

As they were about to board the bus while talking, the sharp-blooded Xue Wei suddenly turned around.

A slender figure immediately turned back.

Ning Su also noticed.

It was a boy who looked like he was in his teens, and as soon as he got on the bus, he climbed into a coffin on the upper bunk.

Ning Su had noticed that dark coffin on the bus as soon as he woke up.

When the coffin lid was opened, a foul smell wafted out. The boy seemed oblivious, lying inside the coffin and covering the lid.

The bus swayed and started moving forward again.

Ning Su lay on his bunk, planning to sleep. He closed his eyes but saw the windbreaker hanging down from the upper bunk. Thinking about how Ling Xiao hadn’t gotten off the bus both times, he temporarily abandoned the sleep plan.

He quietly climbed to the upper bunk and saw Ling Xiao with closed eyes, not knowing what he was doing.

The bunks on the bus were just long enough for him. Ling Xiao’s long legs were slightly bent, appearing silent as a statue in the darkness.

Ning Su looked at him for a while, then carefully pressed his ear against Ling Xiao’s chest.

To confirm if there was a heartbeat, he pressed his ear very close, and the pale, soft earlobe brushed against the dark windbreaker, causing a sudden pause.

Although not touched by hand, the sensitive earlobe could confirm that the fabric of this windbreaker was the same as the robe worn by the flower god he nurtured in the <Flower Slave> instance. It carried an inexplicable scent, giving a vague and somewhat tangible sensation.

T/N: Happy New Year!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧ 

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