Upon reaching the wooden crate, Chi Hao observed it briefly before, under the slightly nervous gazes of the other two, he unhesitatingly lifted the lid.
Seeing the contents inside, Gong Liang smiled and said to Tong Zheng, "You guessed correctly. The instance is actually kind enough to grant us a period of rest."
The wooden crate contained not danger, but food and water, and even a few sets of clothes.
Tong Zheng stepped forward and lifted it. The crate wasn't very heavy, so he asked for the opinion of the other two, "Should we carry it over for everyone to use?"
Chi Hao acknowledged with a sound, and together with Tong Zheng, they lifted the wooden crate.
Gong Liang followed them slowly, a feeling of being watched by unseen eyes lingering behind him. However, when he looked back, there was nothing but snow-covered mountains stained red.
Chi Hao, walking ahead, had the same sensation. Yet, he was no stranger to this feeling of being observed and knew that, for now, nothing could be seen.
Upon seeing Tong Zheng and the others carrying the crate back, Ke Wuwen and You Mi hurried over to inquire.
"What is it?"
Tong Zheng opened the lid of the wooden crate for Ke Wuwen and You Mi to see, then smiled, "Let's distribute it among everyone. See if we can wake up the unconscious. We don't know how long this rest period will be, so let's at least get some food and water into them."
"Okay, good," You Mi nodded. "I'll go get Gao Zhenli. She's much better now that the temperature has risen."
Ke Wuwen opened his mouth, then hesitated and lowered his head. "Um, I'll go get Brother Gu."
"I'll go get him," Tong Zheng pushed Ke Wuwen back behind him. "Even if you can wake him up, he's injured so badly. With your slight build, can you even get him up?"
As Tong Zheng approached Gu Chenhui's snow cave, he saw Gu Chenhui walking out on his own. Tong Zheng couldn't help but exclaim, "My god, you can move?"
Gu Chenhui smiled and explained, "I have a special medicine on me. Fortunately, it wasn't destroyed in the checkpoint."
"So, you are now..."
Knowing what Tong Zheng wanted to ask, Gu Chenhui immediately explained, "A full recovery is impossible, but I'm no longer so severely injured that I can't move while lying down."
You Mi, who was helping Gao Zhenli out, also saw Gu Chenhui and exclaimed in surprise, "You can stand up now?"
"Yes," Gu Chenhui could walk without assistance. "Thank you, Miss You Mi, for treating my injuries promptly."
"You're welcome," Seeing Gu Chenhui awake, You Mi felt greatly relieved. "Mr. Chi and the others have found food and water. You should come and eat something quickly too."
Everyone first distributed the clothing, then took their food and water. The original ten people were now reduced to eight due to the deaths of Mo Xiao and Lü Bin.
Hao Yu was confused about the deaths of Mo Xiao and Lü Bin. "How did they die? I clearly passed the instance successfully."
"Their deaths are likely unrelated to you," Gu Chenhui analyzed while eating. "The rules of this instance are very clear: one person's success or failure affects the lives of the other nine. Therefore, the reason these two died should be because they did something extra."
"But, what exactly did they do?" Ke Wuwen asked curiously.
You Mi also murmured to herself, "Yes, it's so cold, what would they have done?"
"Who knows," Tong Zheng opened the water he had warmed in his arms and handed it to Ke Wuwen. "Perhaps the system was displeased with our survival rate, and set new challenges for some people. In any case, they are dead, and no one can tell us what exactly happened."
Gu Chenhui finished eating as quickly as possible. "Since that's the case, there's no need to dwell on this matter. Everyone eat and drink your fill, and seize the time to rest. The next challenge will likely begin soon."
Everyone nodded, their gazes tacitly turning towards the remaining three people.
Those who had not yet entered the instance were Chi Hao, Gong Liang, and Gao Zhenli.
Seeing everyone looking at her, Gao Zhenli appeared somewhat nervous, biting her lip and assuring them, "I, I will definitely pass the instance. I absolutely will not let everyone's efforts be in vain. Please, please believe me."
You Mi gently patted Gao Zhenli's tightly clenched hands, comforting her, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"That's right," Ke Wuwen said with a smile. "Sister Zhenli, even I could pass, so you definitely can."
Tong Zheng was amused by Ke Wuwen's words. To support his young friend, he went along with it. "Yes, relax. This kid managed to pass smoothly, so I believe you'll be fine."
Gu Chenhui's gaze swept across Tong Zheng and Ke Wuwen, with a hint of envy he himself hadn't noticed. He then turned to Gao Zhenli and said, "Under these instance rules, we have no other option but to trust you, don't we? More importantly, it's not whether we believe in you, but whether you believe in yourself."
Gao Zhenli nodded. "I understand. Thank you all."
Actually, Gao Zhenli really wanted to ask Gu Chenhui how he possessed such extraordinary willpower before, but she decided against it. Some things couldn't be learned; they could only be understood through personal experience.
"Oh, right," Tong Zheng, seeing that everyone had fallen silent, hesitated before deciding to voice his doubt. "None of us are new to entering instances. In all previous instances, the number of players was always a fixed eleven. But in this instance, there are only ten. Do you have any thoughts on this?"
"Why would there be ten people?" Gong Liang glanced indifferently at Chi Hao. "Isn't that Jing Minghe the eleventh person?"
Before anyone else could speak, Gong Liang continued, "He's always been here. Others might not have noticed, but Mr. Chi here, and... Gu Chenhui, you two should have the same feeling as me, right? That gaze has never left us."
"What!" You Mi's eyes widened, and she quickly looked around. However, she saw nothing and felt no sensation of being watched.
Gu Chenhui raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, "I initially thought you were an ordinary player. It seems you are also inextricably linked to that person."
Gong Liang sneered. "I don't know what you mean by 'that person.' I only care if the game is fun."
Chi Hao slowly ate, oblivious to those around him and their words. He cared neither about the system nor about 'that person.' All he wanted was to see Jing Minghe as soon as possible, and then leave this place with his Jing Minghe, taking him to a place that belonged only to them.
Ke Wuwen leaned into Tong Zheng's ear and whispered, "Brother Tong, is my idol really watching us?"
Before Tong Zheng could answer Ke Wuwen's question, the surrounding environment changed in an instant. Except for Gao Zhenli, everyone else was confined in a glass display case, wearing strange clothing.
All the display cases formed a circle, with Gao Zhenli standing in the center, holding a paintbrush and facing a blank canvas, her expression one of surprise.