Chapter 105: Crisis Perception Compass

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Crisis Perception Compass

As Dexter Luther spoke, he habitually turned around, a relieved smile of having just survived on his face.

However, the moment he turned, he was met by three pairs of eyes, each holding a different emotion, staring at him, immobile.

From beneath his hood, Grisha’s gaze was scrutinizing, with a hint of barely perceptible surprise.

Sean Chandler still wore his usual indifferent expression.

Seraphina Sullivan simply couldn’t be bothered.

The smile on Dexter Luther’s face froze instantly. Only then did he belatedly realize that while the crisis with The Silenti was temporarily over, the people around him now weren’t friendly NPCs. They were three Players of unknown origin and unknown strength!

’In my panic, I was the first one to reveal my Ability!’

He forced a laugh, trying to break the sudden tension with a good-natured act. "Heh... heh heh, hey everyone!"

Seraphina could hardly bear to watch his slow-witted reaction, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

Grisha remained silent for a moment before his hoarse voice was the first to break the stillness. "Right. Thanks," he said simply, acknowledging Dexter’s action of blocking the door.

Sean Chandler also nodded, his assessment just as brief. "Mm, nice Ability." His tone betrayed little emotion, but at least it held no hostility.

When it was Seraphina’s turn, she just quirked a corner of her lip and let out a humorless, "Heh."

Dexter Luther: "???"

He was momentarily stunned by their starkly different reactions, and the atmosphere immediately grew more awkward. A subtle silence filled the small hiding spot.

Seraphina, however, paid the awkward atmosphere no mind.

With the crisis temporarily averted, her thoughts immediately turned to the new Profession she’d awakened in this instance: Bird Breeder.

’The danger has passed. Now is the perfect time to test out its Abilities!’

Seraphina focused her mind, attempting to activate one of the Bird Breeder’s Skills: the Bird Manipulation Technique.

However, as far as her spiritual power could reach, there was only deathly silent emptiness.

There were no birds nearby.

The Skill failed to activate.

Seraphina’s brow furrowed slightly. That was to be expected.

Just then, Grisha, who had been sitting quietly to regulate his breathing, suddenly stood up. His movements were sharp and decisive; he had clearly made up his mind to leave.

"It’s still dangerous out there. You’re leaving now?" Seeing this, Dexter Luther couldn’t help but ask. He wore a perfectly calibrated expression of concern, as if he were genuinely just a kind-hearted greenhorn.

Grisha didn’t break his stride. His hoarse voice drifted out from under his hood. "Staying here is a waste of time, just waiting for danger to come to us. Better to go out and explore. We might find supplies, a way to deal with the Petrification, or clues about the truth behind this apocalypse."

Hearing this, Dexter Luther put on a thoughtful expression and nodded dumbly. "Oh, that’s a good point... As long as we’re careful to avoid those little monsters that cause Petrification, this instance doesn’t seem as dangerous as I thought. Man, to be honest, this is my first time in an LV2 instance. I’m a little nervous. There’s so much I don’t get."

Grisha glanced at him. The gaze beneath his hood flickered almost imperceptibly, but he didn’t respond.

’This guy... he’s acting far too naive. It doesn’t fit with a Player who’s survived long enough to reach LV2.’

Listening from the side, Seraphina was inwardly speechless. ’All right, he’s a lost cause.’

’His knack for playing the fool has certainly grown, but isn’t this act a little over the top?’

She became even more determined not to reveal that she knew Dexter Luther during this instance.

’Partnering with someone who has ’absolutely no sense of danger’ would make us an easy target.’

’I’ll deal with him when we get back,’ she made a mental note.

Grisha clearly had no intention of teaming up. Without another word, he flickered to the vine-blocked entrance.

Dexter seemed to realize his words had been a bit foolish. He rubbed his nose sheepishly and didn’t try to stop him again.

He waved his hand, and the thick vine Shield, as if alive, squirmed and contracted in silence, quickly clearing a path.

Without a hint of hesitation, Grisha shot out like a phantom, disappearing into the depths of the dimly lit alley.

Seraphina and Sean exchanged a glance and decided to leave as well.

Surviving for seven days would require supplies, and understanding this world would require intelligence. Hiding was not a long-term solution.

Seraphina, in particular, wanted to see if this dilapidated world held any special materials that her Talent could identify and "hoard."

The two of them quickly followed suit, leaving the temporary hiding spot.

In the blink of an eye, only Dexter Luther remained at the underground entrance.

After confirming that all three had gone, the naive, nervous, and slightly foolish expression on Dexter Luther’s face vanished without a trace. In its place was an exhausted relief mixed with lingering fear.

He leaned back against the cold, damp Wall, letting out a long, silent sigh. He raised a hand to wipe the nonexistent cold sweat from his brow.

"Phew... They’re finally gone. If a fight had broken out, I doubt I could’ve even handled one of them..."

He muttered to himself, his tone a world away from what it had been moments ago.

Clearly, his goofy, harmless act from before had been a deliberate Disguise, meant to lower the guard of the three other Players.

He glanced warily at the entrance. After confirming it was safe, he carefully retrieved a palm-sized, antique-looking metal device from an inner layer of his clothing.

This was a special item he had barely survived to obtain in his last instance.

[Crisis Perception Compass]

The device could detect the general threat level of nearby life forms and display it as a color.

The Compass’s scale was brutally simple: Green (low threat), Yellow (medium threat), Red (high threat), and Black (extremely lethal).

And just moments before, the positions of Grisha, Seraphina Sullivan, and Sean Chandler had shown up on the Compass as three terrifyingly clear, heart-stopping red dots!

Dexter Luther looked down at the Compass in his hand. It had since returned to normal, showing only a few scattered green dots. A bitter smile touched his lips.

"Damn it... I basically walked right into the Reaper’s den. This LV2 instance really is ridiculously terrifying. Even the other Players are monsters."

Meanwhile, Seraphina and Sean had left the temporary hideout and were beginning to cautiously explore the silent City of Petrification.

Beneath their feet, the road was cracked and covered in slippery moss. They were flanked by petrified figures in various poses and dilapidated buildings. A faint, ever-present stench of decay hung in the air.

"I wonder what useful supplies could possibly be left in this apocalyptic world."

Seraphina muttered to herself, her sharp gaze sweeping across the ruins of what might have once been shops or residences.

Her "hoarding" instinct was stirring, but their first priority was to find a safe place to stay and gather intelligence.

She thought back to the Bird Breeder Profession she had just awakened.

’It’s not what you’d call a powerful Profession, since neither of its two Skills are for combat. But as a support for reconnaissance and exploration, its potential is huge.’

’Of course, that’s all on the condition that I can actually find some birds to control.’