32: Chapter 32: What a sharp eye!

After Gu Changming finished speaking, he noticed that both of their expressions were a bit surprised.

Zhou Tunan's mouth hung slightly open, while Tang Ningfei's brow furrowed. The way they looked at him was as if they were looking at someone mentally unstable.

"There's no need for that, is there?" Zhou Tunan spoke first.

Tang Ningfei immediately nodded in agreement. "There really is no need for that."

Actively looking for that thing? How was that any different from seeking death?

Although obtaining more rules not mentioned in the Assessment could help more people.

But compared to that, their own lives were clearly more important.

At most, they would summarize the patterns of the Shadow Devourers while being hunted, but they would never engage in such suicidal behavior as actively seeking them out.

Gu Changming looked at their reactions and immediately realized he had been too hasty.

He was a regressor; his mindset toward the Assessment was completely different from theirs, allowing him to view it with composure.

They were only experiencing their second Assessment and had only a superficial understanding of the rules. Their hearts were likely filled with panic; asking them to actively approach a Shadow Devourer was no different from forcing them to their deaths.

Gu Changming raised his hand and lightly slapped his forehead, a look of slight annoyance and embarrassment appearing on his face.

"I didn't think it through," he said, his tone softening. "I was just focused on gathering more intel and didn't weigh the risks properly. So... what do we do next?"

Seeing him change his attitude so quickly, Tang Ningfei and Zhou Tunan both breathed a sigh of relief.

They exchanged a glance, and then Tang Ningfei said:

"Let's find a safe place first. We need a location that's more hidden, better for defense, and easier to escape from."

Zhou Tunan also nodded. "Right, and we need to find a few more teammates."

Gu Changming nodded and didn't raise any further objections.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

...

After a brief discussion, the three of them finally decided to return to Zhou Tunan's home.

After all, it was on a high floor with a better view, and they already had experience escaping from there.

If they encountered a Shadow Devourer again, jumping out the window once more might allow them to evade it.

There was no need to open the door; it had already been kicked in and ruined by a Shadow Devourer earlier.

As soon as they entered, Zhou Tunan and Tang Ningfei instinctively quieted their movements, fearing a Shadow Devourer might be inside.

Gu Changming followed last, walking straight to the wall after entering.

*Click.*

He flipped the switch, and the living room ceiling light instantly flickered on.

This sudden brightness caused Zhou Tunan and Tang Ningfei's bodies to stiffen almost imperceptibly, before they belatedly realized that it was safer in the light during the day.

Tang Ningfei was the first to adjust. After taking a deep breath, she looked at the other two. "I'm going out for a bit to see if there are any other survivors on this floor, or the floors above and below."

Gu Changming walked to the balcony and let the Mimic Beast on his shoulder fly off.

He sent it to scout the specific location of that Shadow Devourer, lest it suddenly appear and catch them off guard.

Zhou Tunan stood in the living room, still a bit uncomfortable and unsure of what to do.

After a moment, he turned toward the kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets to prepare food. Getting busy finally dissipated some of the awkwardness.

About an hour passed.

Footsteps and faint voices came from the doorway.

Gu Changming turned from the balcony and looked toward the door.

Tang Ningfei walked in first. Seeing Gu Changming looking at her, she asked directly, "How is it? Any sign of that Shadow Devourer?"

Gu Changming shook his head. "There's no movement nearby. I haven't found its specific location."

Tang Ningfei nodded and stepped aside from the doorway. "I found two people."

A man and a woman walked in behind her.

The woman was petite with a pale face, looking timid and shy; she kept bowing and nodding upon seeing Gu Changming.

The man was about thirty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking quite refined. After entering, he first scanned the environment quickly but politely before looking at Gu Changming.

Gu Changming's gaze lingered on the two for a moment before turning to Tang Ningfei, though he didn't ask anything.

Tang Ningfei explained, "Didn't the push notification say that gathering more people together increases the chances of survival?"

Hearing this, the corner of Gu Changming's mouth curled into an amused curl, his gaze shifting between Tang Ningfei and the two newcomers.

Higher survival rate with more people? That wasn't wrong, but that survival rate was built on the foundation of having someone to take the fall—sacrificing teammates to gain a few extra seconds to escape.

By bringing two extra people here, who are you planning to use as a shield?

And...

Gu Changming's gaze covertly swept over the man with glasses.

Having lived two lives, he had seen all kinds of people. Intuition and experience allowed him to make a rough judgment on whether someone was suitable as a teammate upon their first meeting.

This guy had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes revealed a calculating calmness.

This kind of person was definitely not the ideal teammate; instead, at a critical moment, he might harm others for his own sake.

Bringing back a time bomb... you certainly have a good eye.

Seemingly sensing Gu Changming's scrutiny, the man with glasses took a step forward, his smile widening as he reached out a hand toward Gu Changming. "Zhao Chenghan. I live downstairs. I heard movement up here yesterday and originally wanted to come up and see if I could help, but the noise stopped quickly, so..."

Gu Changming glanced at the outstretched hand but didn't take it, not even bothering to nod.

Zhao Chenghan's hand hung in mid-air. After a moment of awkwardness, he calmly withdrew it, his smile unchanging as if nothing had happened.

Behind him, the petite girl standing next to Tang Ningfei spoke timidly, "I... I'm Lu Shiyao... Sorry for disturbing you."

Gu Changming gave a soft "Mm" in response.

Just then, Zhou Tunan, who was busy in the kitchen, heard the commotion and poked his head out.

Seeing the newcomers, a smile appeared on his face as he walked out, wiping his hands.

"Newcomers? Welcome, welcome. I'm making food; I didn't expect anyone to come, so I'll make some more."

Gu Changming only gave the two another glance before turning back to the balcony to continue observing outside.

Zhao Chenghan adjusted his glasses and asked Tang Ningfei, "Is this friend observing the situation outside?"

Gu Changming's ears twitched, but fortunately, Tang Ningfei wasn't completely foolish; she only mentioned being on guard and didn't reveal the news about the Mimic Beast.

Zhao Chenghan smiled and didn't press further, turning instead to chat with Zhou Tunan.

After lunch, time passed slowly in anticipation.

As several hours passed, the sky outside gradually turned from a bright azure to a dusky yellow.

As the light dimmed, the atmosphere in the room became increasingly tense.

"To the stairwell," Gu Changming said.

The stairwell connected the floors and was relatively spacious; whether they encountered a situation, they could retreat upward or evacuate downward, making it the most suitable spot.

If they stayed in the room and a Shadow Devourer entered, it would be like a hawk catching chicks.

Everyone knew this, and no one objected. They began packing their weapons or equipment, and then the five of them walked out the door.

They removed the iron doors of the emergency exits on the floors above and below to avoid hindering their movement.

Once everything was done, the sky had completely darkened.

Sounds seemed to vanish along with the light, turning into silence.

In the distance, a scream echoed from afar.