The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

The glance that came over was fleeting, lasting less than a second before being casually looked away.

But in that very second, the sorrow that was trying to conceal seemed to freeze instantly in the blood throughout the body.

He abruptly shrank back behind the curtains, his back slamming heavily against the cold wall, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his throat.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

Do not!

It can't possibly be a coincidence!

They're here to see me! That must be it!

That man, the man in the black jacket with a cigarette in his mouth, his last glance was definitely directed at me!

The melancholy that was trying to conceal was a complete mess in my mind, with countless terrible thoughts churning wildly.

"Damn it!"

"I was so careful, how did they even find me?!"

The sorrow always seems to be trying to cover up something, and I can't understand it, nor do I have time to think about it.

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything; only one word remained in my mind...

run!

"No, we can't stay here any longer."

His attempts to conceal his sorrow only made it more obvious. It's obvious that once he's caught, his fate will be worse than death.

The other party will definitely not let me go.

The desolation, which seemed to be trying to conceal its true nature, made him struggle to his feet from the corner, almost tumbling and crawling, and frantically began to pack his things.

There wasn't much to pack. He rushed to the table, grabbed his wallet and phone, stuffed them haphazardly into his pocket, and then lunged toward the door without looking back.

His hand was already gripping the cold doorknob, and he was about to forcefully turn it open.

"Squeak—!"

The moment he opened the door, a series of unhurried footsteps could be clearly heard in the hallway.

The sound was coming from afar and was heading in his direction.

His attempts to conceal his sorrow suddenly froze, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

He swiftly withdrew his hand, and with all his might, slammed the door shut again, locking it from the inside!

"Bang!"

He leaned against the door, panting heavily, his heart pounding deafeningly in the deathly silent room.

Although he couldn't be sure if the other party was looking for him, he still hid immediately, trying to cover up his sorrow.

"Damn, I was so stupid!"

"Why stay at home? Why not just find a hotel where nobody knows you!"

The desolation only served to mask the ugliness, and inwardly cursed her own foolishness.

The most dangerous place is the safest place? Who came up with this bullshit logic?!

Sometimes, the most dangerous place is precisely where the greatest danger lies.

The footsteps outside stopped.

But this silence terrified him more than any sound.

The sorrow, always trying to be concealed, was carefully concealed as she tiptoed to the smaller window on the other side of the living room.

This window faces another road in the community.

He stood in the shadows of the curtains, like a thief, carefully peeking out through a barely perceptible gap.

Next to the old Santana downstairs, a man in blue overalls was leaning against the car door, looking down at his phone, looking no different from an ordinary resident waiting for someone.

It's pathetic that he always tries to cover it up, only making it more obvious that he's been recognized!

He appeared with that man in the black jacket yesterday!

My heart sank to the bottom.

Undeterred, he quietly moved to the kitchen, whose window faced the back of the building, where a messy pile of garbage lay.

He peered through the gap in the curtains again.

A man wearing a baseball cap was squatting next to a trash can, pretending to rummage through something, but his gaze kept drifting towards the building he was in.

"It's over."

"It's completely over."

His body, which was trying to conceal his sorrow, swayed and almost lost its balance.

"I'm fucking surrounded!"

This cramped, dilapidated rental room has become an airtight iron cage.

"You're dead!"

These three words struck him hard, making him feel dizzy.

A desperate thought flashed through my mind.

Suicide, then immediately respawn at the respawn point!

But he extinguished the thought after only a second.

it's useless.

Given the madman-like behavior of the "Mad Dog" guild, since they were able to find their real-world address, they've probably already laid an ambush at the respawn point.

I'm afraid that as soon as I'm resurrected, I'll be pinned to the ground by a dozen strong men.

Thinking of that scene, my body, which was trying to hide my sorrow, began to tremble involuntarily.

He did not regret swindling Jin Buhuan out of those 8.8 million source crystals.

Not at all.

If given another chance, he would still do it without hesitation.

He now only hates himself for not being careful enough!

I hate myself for being so stupid as to hide at home!

If it were a city where nobody knew you, how could the other person possibly find you so easily?

Fear and regret intertwined, like two venomous snakes, frantically gnawing at his reason.

Just then.

"despair."

Outside the door, the footsteps that had been silent for so long began to sound again.

Very light, very slow.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

One tap after another, clearly striking the concrete floor of the stairwell, also striking the fragile nerves that the sorrow always tries to conceal.

The footsteps stopped in front of his door.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at this moment.

The footsteps outside the door stopped, and a deathly silence enveloped everything.

The desolation was always trying to be concealed. Leaning against the cold door, I subconsciously held my breath, afraid of making the slightest sound.

He pressed his ear against the door, trying to catch any sound outside, but he couldn't hear anything.

There was no knocking, no picking of the lock, and certainly no violent breaking down of the door as expected.

There was nothing there.

But the more he tried to hide his grief, the more his fear swelled, almost bursting his reason.

What are they waiting for?

Are you waiting for me to walk right into your trap?

Or are they simply enjoying this cat-and-mouse game, relishing the sight of their prey trembling in despair?

Can't wait any longer!

Sitting and waiting for death will only lead to your demise!

The thought flashed through my chaotic mind like lightning, forcefully dispelling a trace of fear.

"No! I can't just give up like this, there must be another way!"

Driven by the survival instinct, the mind, which always tries to conceal its sorrow, begins to operate at an unprecedented speed.

Run? Impossible. We're blocked off in all directions. This is the sixth floor. If I jump and get caught, I'll die anyway.

What should I do? What should I do?!

In this despairing darkness, a faint light suddenly flashed from the depths of his memory.

The sorrow, though seemingly concealed, only served to highlight it. Then I remembered something.

Just recently, while he was strolling around the safe zone, he witnessed a good show in front of the general store in the center of the safe zone.

Then, the once-popular Tianhu Guild was completely wiped out.

Those expelled from "Wasteland Era" and those with red names are now red-named.

"Perhaps I can give it a try."

A crazy idea sprouted in his mind and grew wildly.

"If he can use the rules to seek protection, why can't I?"

"Yes! That general store! That NPC!"

"Now, that might be my only chance to survive!"