Chapter 14

At these words, the Swindler finally had a strong reaction.
He stepped closer to Gu Yi'an and glanced down at the slightly yellowed pages of the work log.
"How is this related to clearing the game?"
The Swindler didn't reach for the work log in Gu Yi'an's hand, which made her trust him a bit more.
Gu Yi'an flipped through the pages of the log, quickly scanning the contents. "Judging by the handwriting, it's all recorded by one person. The security captain is responsible for writing the log, documenting daily events at the school. He treated it like his personal diary, after the students died, he even recorded his own speculations in it."
"Was it a little girl who died?" the Swindler asked.
Gu Yi'an examined the information written on the pages. "No, many people have died."
The Swindler didn't ask further. He stood there, idly watching Gu Yi'an flip through the log.
After a while, Gu Yi'an suddenly realized that time had passed.
"The third night is almost here. It's time to go back. Let's run."
Gu Yi'an reminded the Swindler and dashed out of the security room.
She had conserved her energy earlier precisely so she could run now.
The Swindler, with his long legs, overtook Gu Yi'an in just a few strides and ended up ahead of her.
He glanced back and said, "This won't do. What if it gets dark halfway?"
Gu Yi'an, still running, managed two words between breaths, "Run first."
They could figure things out once they reached their destination.
Suddenly, the Swindler stopped and said, "I have an idea."
Seeing him halt, Gu Yi'an, trusting him, immediately stopped as well.
Then, she watched as the Swindler quickly closed the distance between them.
A bad feeling crept over Gu Yi'an.
Before she could react, the Swindler reached out and scooped her up into his arms.
He seemed completely at ease, carrying her as if it were effortless.
But Gu Yi'an felt uneasy.
The sudden sensation of weightlessness and the disorienting shift in her perspective left her flustered.
Her body instinctively stiffened.
For a moment, she didn't know where to look, so she fixed her gaze on the Swindler's eyes.
They were beautiful, unlike the eyes of ordinary people, which often have a hint of redness or cloudiness. His were clear, distinct, and pure, almost childlike in their perfection.
The path from the lawn to the security room was clearly short for the running Swindler.
As soon as Gu Yi'an shifted her gaze away from his eyes, she realized he had already stopped.
"Watch your step," the Swindler said and released his hold.
Gu Yi'an was prepared, she grabbed his arm with her free hand to steady herself.
It was cold, the Swindler's body temperature was very low.
Just like when she had touched his hand as the second night approached, icy cold.
For someone with such good stamina, his body should have maintained a normal temperature.
The thought flickered through Gu Yi'an's mind. She withdrew her hand and looked toward the lawn.
It was no longer empty. A man with a gossipy expression stood there.
Gu Yi'an remembered this man as the one holding the merchant card.
Seeing that Gu Yi'an and the Swindler had noticed him, the Merchant strode over and asked, "Are you two trying to go in? I just barely managed to escape."
Gu Yi'an held up the log. "Did you find any clues? Want to trade?"
The Merchant's eyes sharpened, focusing on the log in her hand.
A bright smile instantly spread across his face. "I was going to suggest the same thing. To show my sincerity, I'll share what I know first."
The three of them stood in a triangular formation.
Gu Yi'an tacitly acknowledged that she and the swindler were on the same side. Seeing this, the Merchant also understood that the Swindler was Gu Yi'an's teammate. Neither of them avoided the Swindler during their conversation.
The Merchant said, "The ghosts have limitations. They may be numerous, but they can't directly cause our deaths, including the little girl we heard. I was chased and jumped from the third floor. With the grass as a cushion, I accidentally ended up leaving the office building."
After hearing the Merchant's words, Gu Yi'an didn't fully believe him.
Things definitely weren't as coincidental as the Merchant made them sound, that he just happened to jump and leave the office building.
For starters, jumping from the third floor carried some risk. Even with soft grass as a buffer, the height was at least 4.8 meters. The Merchant must have executed a deliberate force-dissipating maneuver upon landing.
Otherwise, he wouldn't look as clean and composed as he did now; he'd be somewhat disheveled.
Still, the Merchant's willingness to share this information was enough to demonstrate his sincerity.
Gu Yi'an agreed, "The ghosts probably aren't as powerful as we imagined. They started by using music and death notices to apply psychological pressure, and then their eerie appearances heightened our panic. You mentioned their numbers, that's crucial. To make us players die, they sent so many ghosts after us, which suggests they aren't strong. The only one we might need to worry about is the little girl from the music. She's the leader and likely the most powerful."
The Swindler listened to Gu Yi'an's analysis, his gaze as vacant as ever.
He wasn't particularly fond of long-winded explanations.
The Merchant listened attentively and nodded. "I also think we should focus on that little girl. I found some information in the office building."
"School bullying?" Gu Yi'an asked.
The Merchant glanced at the journal in Gu Yi'an's hand. "Did you find the same thing?"
"Yes."
Gu Yi'an looked up at the sky. "We can discuss this further once we're inside. It's been a while, the third night should be coming soon."
She calculated the time: from when the strong wind stopped and the sky turned white, to now, when she had returned to the lawn, it should have taken the same amount of time as when she left the round table until the second night began.
She was puzzled as to why the little girl's voice hadn't sounded yet.
The little girl shouldn't have let them off just because they were outside the office building.
The Merchant was also hesitant, speculating, "Perhaps the duration from day to night isn't fixed. It all depends on the demon's whims."
Gu Yi'an raised an eyebrow and glanced at the swindler.
Though the Swindler seemed lost in thought, he still kept part of his attention on Gu Yi'an.
He immediately caught her look and promptly said to the Merchant, "The reason it's called a game is because it has rules. The duration of the daytime will be a fixed value."
The game stipulated that the daytime would have a fixed length.
The implication was that he did not agree with the Merchant's idea of an unfixed time.
Gu Yi'an smiled and looked at the merchant. "What the swindler said is exactly what I wanted to say. If nothing unexpected happens, the third night should be approaching."
The Merchant's gaze at Gu Yi'an and the Swindler was teasing.
His eyes seemed to convey a message.
In a life-or-death game, why do the two of you act like you're here to make friends?
Gu Yi'an pretended not to understand his look.
Because the Swindler was a good teammate who stood up for his companions, she didn't mind being misunderstood.
After a moment's thought, Gu Yi'an said, "The arrival of the third night doesn't require the little girl to notify us. She's just following the demon's rules to kill. All we can do is wait for that moment to come."
The Merchant sighed. "When it really comes, you two go in. I managed to get out, so I won't wade into this mess again."
"And then wait for all of us to die? So you can clear the game alone?"
Gu Yi'an asked this pointed question in a calm tone.
She curled her lips into a smile and said, "Mr. Merchant, we've all guessed that the girl will kill one person per day according to the demon's rules. As long as there are still people alive in the office building, you'll always be safe outside."
"But are you sure your speculated way to clear the game is definitely correct?"
The Merchant didn't show much emotional fluctuation in response to Gu Yi'an's words.
He retorted, "Why are you so determined to go in and throw your life away?"
"Is it kindness?"
"Or because you're a saint?"
Gu Yi'an wasn't angered. "There's nothing wrong with kindness, and I'm no saint."
She changed the subject. "There are seven players in total. According to the rules, one person dies per day, but the demon said the game won't end until the eighth day. If we don't search for clues, we'll all die before the eighth day arrives."
Gu Yi'an kept a close watch on the sky as she spoke. "Everyone knows this, which is why we took the risk to leave the round table and enter the office building to look for clues. Why would we take such a dangerous step? For one reason only, to survive. We all want to live through this game and extend our lives in the real world by a few more days."
The Merchant remained silent, his face showing no expression.
The Swindler, who had been quiet all this time, moved closer to Gu Yi'an, positioning himself beside her.
He was tall, and when he lowered his head, he looked somewhat pitiful.
The Swindler whispered, "Don't pay him any mind. Whatever he can do for you, I can do too."
Gu Yi'an had been observing the Merchant's changing expression when she suddenly heard these words. She couldn't help but glance at the Swindler.
The Swindler's expression was serious, his eyes clear, giving the impression that he would definitely keep his promise.
Gu Yi'an averted her gaze but then turned back.
She gave the Swindler a meaningful look, signaling him not to worry about her situation.
She struggled to persuade the Merchant to go in with her, but her reasoning wasn’t as straightforward as she made it out to be.
While the idea that everyone was just trying to survive was part of her motivation, her main concern was not trusting the Merchant to stay outside alone.
This round consisted of experienced players. If the Merchant had managed to escape while the other three players were still trapped inside, he certainly had the ability to force his way back in.
And he hadn’t just escaped, he had obtained clues before doing so.
With someone like that, how could Gu Yi’an feel at ease letting him stay out of her sight?
What if she and the Swindler entered the office building, only for the Merchant to secretly sabotage them?
People would do almost anything to extend their lives by even a little.
Gu Yi’an didn’t want to become a sacrifice for the Merchant’s survival. She had to coax him into re-entering the office building.
Someone like the Merchant was not to be made an enemy.
The ideal situation would be to have him as an ally.
Gu Yi’an turned back and fixed her gaze on the Merchant.
The Merchant was a smart man. He would know what choice to make.
Now, it was a matter of who could outlast the other.