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The changes were not limited to just these two. Aside from Xu Hang lunging at Wang Huacheng, everyone else's attention was drawn to the tall figure emerging from Cattail Marsh, causing them to overlook the person running in from another direction.
Those who failed to react were momentarily stunned. This was no longer a matter of who was the cicada and who was the mantis; these three could either be allies or representatives of three different factions. The few people surrounded in the middle struggled to comprehend the complexities of the situation in that instant.
Xu Hang faced Wang Huacheng, easily overpowering him. He was the first to assess the battlefield, while Wang Huacheng, pinned down, squirmed and shouted in a state of panic.
“What are you doing? Let me go!”
Xu Hang paid no mind to Wang Huacheng's pleas. The usually taciturn man was particularly tight-lipped at this moment, ensuring that Wang Huacheng would not become a threat while keeping an eye on the others.
The tall figure that had emerged appeared somewhat dazed. Its features were distinct yet markedly different from those of a human. Its skin was a shade of blue with a slight pallor, resembling what they had seen before in zombies. The Outsider's vigorous movements caused its sleeves to ride up, revealing skin that was anything but normal.
Xu Nuan and her companions noticed that the Outsider's arm had been cut, and there were tears in its clothing, with red blood seeping from the wounds.
It was human, yet not quite human.
As Xu Nuan pondered this confusion, the figure rushed over with a series of chattering sounds. It could speak but was unable to express its thoughts at that moment. A bold idea flashed through Xu Nuan's mind, but she had no opportunity to voice it.
“Wu Wu! It's Wu Wu! He killed Gold Breakthrough!”
Wang Huacheng suddenly screamed, prompting everyone nearby to instinctively cover their ears.
While shouting, Wang Huacheng continued to struggle and spoke harshly to Xu Hang.
“He's a madman! Aren't you going to catch him?”
“If he goes berserk, everyone will die!”
Wang Huacheng seemed to recall something that filled him with despair again. The look of hopelessness on his face slightly moved Xu Hang, but as he quickly thought of something else, Xu Hang darkened his expression and growled.
“Shut up!”
The pressure in the words caused Wang Huacheng to pause briefly, but he soon struggled even harder. Seizing a moment of opportunity, he pulled out a short knife and swung it directly at Xu Hang. Xu Hang barely managed to dodge, and they became entangled in a fierce struggle.
At this moment, the Zombie version of Wu Wu approached Xu Nuan and the others. He wielded two short knives, displaying much more skill than the previous Zombie, significantly increasing his lethality.
Xie Huai, who was closest to Deng Yinyin, instinctively pulled her aside, narrowly avoiding Wu Wu's attack. However, this left Xu Nuan exposed in front of Wu Wu. Xu Nuan had been prepared; she quickly bent down to evade the knife that Wu Wu swung at her and took the chance to sweep at his legs, inflicting some damage.
Gu Ze, who was near Xu Nuan, acted with even greater efficiency. Ignoring Wu Wu's pale and frightening skin, he swiftly dodged the attack and then circled around to reach Wu Wu's side. Just as Wu Wu was retracting his knife to strike again, Gu Ze seized his wrist, targeting the most vulnerable spot and forcefully twisting it downwards.
"Ugh!"
This time, Wu Wu reacted much more vigorously, displaying behavior more akin to a human. His knife techniques became erratic and leaned towards brute force. However, against Gu Ze's skilled fighting style, this approach proved ineffective.
It was as if Gu Ze was putting on a performance; this already impressive man showcased his ability to handle the situation single-handedly, earning everyone's admiration.
Xu Nuan managed a strained smile. Once she confirmed that Gu Ze could handle Wu Wu, she turned her attention to a woman who had emerged from another direction. This woman had once been an ally of Wu Wu but now stood aside watching them without moving. He Min and Chi Xiaoming kept a vigilant eye on her, creating a subtle standoff among the three.
What initially seemed like a perilous situation was suddenly defused. The momentary daze dissipated, allowing Xu Nuan the opportunity to observe this familiar figure closely.
"Qi Huan."
The graceful woman across from her was also one of the Second Batch Players—a once-prominent dancer who had suffered an accident that injured her leg, preventing her from ever performing on stage again. When she first entered the game at thirty-one years old, Qi Huan often sat quietly by herself with a gentle smile, rarely voicing her opinions and going along with whatever others decided. Her relationships with other players were neither close nor distant; Xu Nuan had never seen her form strong bonds with anyone.
Xu Nuan remembered Qi Huan's eyes back then—quiet yet bearing the weight of worldly experience, tinged with melancholy but devoid of despair. Now, as Xu Nuan locked eyes with Qi Huan again, she saw solitude reflected back at her—still no despair.
Qi Huan bore wounds as well: one on her abdomen and another on her right shoulder. Both women were injured, which aligned with their initial discoveries.
As Xu Nuan noticed Qi Huan, she saw that Qi Huan was also looking at her and quietly called out her name.
"Xu Nuan."
Xu Nuan felt too weary to lament the passage of time. Her gaze drifted to the bloodied short knife in Qi Huan's hand as she gently asked a question.
"What happened?"
She wasn't lowering her guard, nor was she suddenly feeling benevolent. To be fair, in the team of Second Batch Players, she hadn't interacted much with Qi Huan, only exchanging a few casual greetings now and then without delving into anything deeper.
Yet, Qi Huan's gaze told her that there was no malice behind it. But it was a woman's intuition, perhaps a ridiculous sense of familiarity. After such a long time apart, Xu Nuan surprisingly saw the figure of Tang Jingshu in Qi Huan—both exuded an air of independence and elegance. Although she felt this sensation stemmed from memories influenced by various factors in her mind, Xu Nuan didn't believe that at this moment, when they had the upper hand in numbers, Qi Huan would make an irrational choice.
Indeed, Qi Huan gave her a familiar feeling that came not only from Tang Jingshu but also from herself. That calm and rational demeanor reminded her of her past self and also resembled He Min from before. This realization made Xu Nuan feel an inappropriate urge to greet her, even though the background noise was filled with Xu Hang fighting Wang Huacheng and Gu Ze clashing with Wu Wu.
Compared to the slight surprise shown by He Min and Chi Xiaoming, Qi Huan was not taken aback by Xu Nuan's question at a time when everyone else was harboring their own thoughts.
Qi Huan smiled lightly, reminiscent of the first time they met and exchanged greetings. Back then, they had no idea how cruel this game would turn out to be or how arduous each person's journey would become. At that moment, Xu Nuan felt as if everyone had returned to their beginnings.
In that fleeting moment, she caught a glint of coldness in He Min's eyes as she looked at Qi Huan.
Startled, Xu Nuan snapped back to reality, her gaze fixed intently on Qi Huan while her peripheral vision deliberately noted He Min's reaction. Upon closer observation, she realized that Chi Xiaoming was also paying attention to He Min.
Deng Yinyin and Xie Huai were merely acting as background figures while Xu Hang and Wang Huacheng's fight came to an early conclusion. Gu Ze and Wu Wu were still entangled in their confrontation. It wasn't a matter of strength; rather, Gu Ze seemed to be probing something, and no one dared to disturb his interest. Instead, they felt sympathy for Wu Wu, who had originally rushed back with great momentum.
With a slight smile, Qi Huan pointed at the subdued Wang Huacheng and then at Wu Wu, who was being toyed with by Gu Ze, slowly uttering four words.
"Colluding in mischief."
These simple four words explained Wang Huacheng's odd behavior, the lack of struggle from Gold Breakthrough, and Wu Wu's return after leaving.
Just looking at Wu Wu's uncontrollable state—hardly different from a Zombie—the true culprit seemed to rest solely on the still-cursing Wang Huacheng.
Recalling her encounter with Wang Huacheng a few days prior brought a sense of absurdity to Xu Nuan. To survive in this game, one truly couldn't afford to be genuine; even a fleeting moment of sincerity could lead to irreversible consequences.
"Thank you for the reminder."
With a shift in thought, everything fell into place. At this moment, Xu Nuan chose to trust Qi Huan—a departure from her usual style—which naturally displeased the others. However, that no longer concerned Xu Nuan; she simply watched Qi Huan standing quietly there, unchanged as ever.
"Handle it; it will become infected."
Qi Huan shook his head, his gaze distant and profound, slowly shifting to Wu Wu, who was like a trapped beast.
"You all better leave immediately; he's about to explode."
The tone of Qi Huan's words was so calm that Xu Nuan and the others didn't immediately grasp the severity of what he said. By the time they reacted, Gu Ze had already delivered a flying kick that sent Wu Wu sprawling far away, unable to get back up, only able to lie on the ground and groan. Xu Nuan and the others could clearly see Wu Wu's face contorting in a strange way that was difficult to describe with concrete examples.
"What’s going to explode? People can explode?"
Deng Yinyin was particularly sensitive to those words and had already run far away while questioning Qi Huan.
At this moment, Gu Ze also strolled back slowly, first glancing at the bruised Wang Huacheng, then casting a sidelong look at Qi Huan before speaking.
"Let’s go; he has already become a monster. We won’t get anything out of him."
Though this statement seemed directed at everyone, it was really meant for Xu Nuan alone. Among those present, she was the one most concerned about Wu Wu's identity. Even Chi Xiaoming, who clearly knew who Wu Wu was, remained unmoved, even watching Feng Feng set a trap for himself.
The fact that Wang Huacheng could use Wu Wu to scheme against their group proved that Wang Huacheng's role was even more significant. Keeping him around would be their greatest gain from this trip. As for Wu Wu, Xu Nuan was already quite certain that he could not be Another Founder.
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