The fierce wind churned up dark clouds. The next moment, it seemed like the rain swallows were about to make an appearance.
However, there were no swallows in sight. Not even a decent seabird could be seen.
Rong Yi gazed into the distance, finding no traces of land anywhere around.
This place was in the open ocean, where even seabirds couldn’t reach.
The deck beneath her feet was damp and sticky, as if it hadn’t dried in many days. She looked around and noticed players being transported here one after another, cautiously maintaining a distance from each other.
The atmosphere here resembled the Gikas Castle instance; players were experts, mostly solo, competing with each other.
“Dear players, hello!” a familiar and cheerful male voice echoed through the ship’s speakers, “Welcome aboard the Dawn Goddess Cruise!”
“Here, you will witness magnificent scenery like never before and experience extraordinary views beyond your ordinary knowledge!”
“Please enjoy this unparalleled journey that will last for a month!”
One player couldn’t help but ask, “A month? Why a month?”
“What happens if it goes over a month?”
No one answered. The broadcast fell silent, with only the sound of the sea breeze and waves hitting the ship’s side.
Rong Yi activated her floating screen. The communication from the traitor team in the Seven Nights Tales instance had dissolved automatically, leaving only Jingjing in her contacts.
Now, her team communication consisted of only one group: a four-member team consisting of four noobs and one flirtatious man.
All five members showed as “online.”
Based on the previous instance experience, there was a high probability that team members would be pulled into the same instance. They were all online, so…
Rong Yi looked up and saw over a hundred players around her. This was probably a ten-thousand-ton cruise ship, as despite the large number of online players, it didn’t feel crowded.
She asked over the communication channel, “Where are you guys?”
Luo Huayue replied, “By the ship’s side.”
Rong Yi looked over, but the ship’s sides stretched beyond her sight—
However, she quickly spotted Luo Huayue and Zhang Haiyang.
Zhang Haiyang was busy leaning over the ship’s side throwing up, standing out among the players with “caution” written all over their bodies.
“Ugh—”
Rong Yi: …
Luo Huayue patted his back, complaining, “Brother, you study marine life, yet you get seasick?”
Zhang Haiyang raised his head, looking pale, “What’s wrong? If I were rich, would I be throwing up like this?”
Luo Huayue: “Money is all-powerful, don’t compare like that. If you can’t even handle going out to sea for research, when will you graduate with your PhD?”
When Zhang Haiyang heard this, his eyes sparkled, “Isn’t there still Miss Rong?”
Rong Yi: “…Money isn’t all-powerful.”
Zhang Haiyang wiped his mouth, feeling a bit better, “I mean those shells and strange creatures you show me!”
“Stop hiding which part of the sea those treasures are from!”
Rong Yi: “If I tell you, will you ask me again? Aren’t you studying this?”
Luo Huayue scoffed, “Not very skilled at it.”
“I admit I’m not very skilled!” Zhang Haiyang defended, “But I am self-aware. Once I can’t confirm the specific species, I immediately send it to my mentor. My mentor is a renowned international expert in marine biology; he emailed me the next day asking where I took the photos. If there’s a confirmed living specimen, it’s a new discovery! I’ll definitely graduate with my PhD!”
Rong Yi was stunned by the words, “I have given you so much, are they all species that have never been discovered before?”
“All of them,” Zhang Haiyang’s eyes lit up, “And from their appearance, they are very distantly related to existing species. That beach is like the Australia of the new century!”
Rong Yi became even more confused. Her boyfriend… where on earth did he go for a business trip…
But then, her attention was captured by a familiar voice:
“Thank you for your support~ Yes, this time it’s an A-level instance, but with me here, my team and I will surely clear it safely!”
“That’s right, I have a team~ Look, isn’t this the short-haired girl you’ve been longing to see?”
The camera turned, revealing Rong Yi’s cold and beautiful face on the live screen, Raymond smiled and nudged her with his elbow, “Say hi to the friends in the live broadcast room.”
But Rong Yi was intrigued by his words, “A-level instance?”
She opened the floating screen and saw the detailed mission stating prominently “A-level.”
As she understood it, wasn’t A-level instance for the big shots? She had only done three instances as a newbie, how did she suddenly get into an A-level instance?
Her boyfriend had seen their situation through the live broadcast and messaged her:
x: Rongrong, check your score level!
Following her boyfriend’s instructions, Rong Yi found her score level hidden in the personal information interface, clearly showing the points earned from each instance.
E-level [Mr. Ogre’s Dinner] instance: 50 -lv5- total 50
C-level [Gikas Castle Mental Hospital] instance: 120-lv17-total 170
B-level [Seven Nights Ghost Stories] instance: 1350 -lv152-total 1520
x: The points from the last instance overflowed for you all!
x: Normally, like your teammate Zhang Haiyang, to progress to the next level at lv150 he has to clear at least five instances from B to D levels.
x: Level 150 is a watershed, below are regular players, above are veterans. Those who play well can be called experts.
x: Your points from the last instance overflowed, you jumped from a beginner to a veteran player, so the game could directly put you into an A-level instance!
Rong Yi heard someone calling her name, she looked up to see Ice still wearing boxing shorts and gloves, it seemed he was pulled into the game while still in the boxing gym.
Rong Yi: If the points from the last instance were all 1350, Ice should be lv135, how could he enter?
x: The lowest level player determines the team’s entry level into the instance. He could enter, which means his level must have reached lv150.
x: My guess is, to ensure your whole team met the standards for the A-level instance, the game must have given him more points, forcibly bringing him to the level of an expert!
At this moment, Rong Yi heard Raymond casually interacting with the audience in the live broadcast room, “The death rate in A-level instances is high, isn’t that thrilling?”
Rong Yi: … What’s the death rate?
x: Around 70%…
Rong Yi: So, the game’s elaborate plan is to lure us into A-level instances to die?
x: [Big panic, big problem.jpg]
Rong Yi: Why are you panicking?
x: In instances at this level, we can’t even use the log out card… Rongrong, don’t worry, I’m figuring out a way, I won’t let anything happen to you!
The boyfriend didn’t know what to do, and it had been a long time since he responded. However, Rong Yi suddenly had a guess:
Perhaps, everything was the will of the game.
From the beginning, the game had been trying to use copies to punish the protagonist for dying, but after three failed attempts, she decided to forcefully increase her level and enter a higher-level copy with a higher death rate.
What did she do to offend the game?
“It’s really tiring to play 1v4.” Raymond sighed at the handsome guy on the live stream, “What should I do? The capable ones have more to do. That’s just my luck.”
Luo Huayue couldn’t help but roll her eyes behind him and muttered softly, “It’s not like you didn’t kneel down and beg for a team at the beginning.”
But Rong Yi was also thinking about the same question: speaking of being “expert players,” the only one in the small team who could be considered as such was Raymond.
No, this was too dangerous. At the very least, she needed to drag another expert player into the team to ensure everyone’s survival rate!
She suddenly had an idea and sent a team request to her boyfriend.
With so many points, even Raymond admired her boyfriend, wouldn’t that make him an expert among experts?
She had been able to handle the previous copies, but her boyfriend was busy with studies, work trips, and falling ill. She had never thought to bother him with this.
But now, it was a matter of life and death, so she had to try.
She didn’t know if she could bring people from outside the copy into the team by temporarily initiating team formation within the copy.
She was about to discuss her plans with her boyfriend when the system suddenly popped up a notification.
It wasn’t a successful team invitation, but a reminder:
[Warning: Player not found]
Rong Yi: …?
She thought she had pressed the wrong button and sent a team request to x again.
The same reminder popped up:
[Warning: Player not found]
What did it mean?
Frowning, Rong Yi carefully read the seven words as if they were a comprehension question:
Does this mean that her boyfriend is not a player?
Didn’t he say he was also dragged into the game?
He knew so much about the game and had a lot of points…
If he’s not a player, then what is he?
Teammates gathered around her, whispering about the situation in the copy:
“Living on a ship for a month… is this a one-month long battle royale?”
“The clearance condition isn’t just staying alive, is it?”
“Look, this copy doesn’t even mention death penalties!”
“The mission of the copy is to stay alive, failing the mission means death, what else is there to punish?”
“From my experience, battle royale-type copies always have a limit on the number of people who can clear it. This copy doesn’t mention that, it’s a bit like the Seven Nights Strange Tales, as long as we have enough time, it should be okay.”
“Well, just survive for a month, I can do that. But first, what are we going to eat and drink?”
“From entering the copy until now, not to mention bosses, not even an NPC has appeared, it’s all players, this is not normal at all…”
…
The discussion of the teammates mixed in with her chaotic thoughts. Suddenly, like a spark lighting up the tangled straw of her mind, she raised her head abruptly.
The teammates all looked at her.
“Rong Yi, do you have any ideas?” Luo Huayue asked.
She does have a plan, but it isn’t about the copy.
It’s about her boyfriend.
No, now is a critical moment for the whole team to survive, and they can’t be distracted by personal feelings.
She struggles to calm her fast heartbeat, closing her eyes for three seconds.
Opening them, her focus has shifted entirely to the copy.
As the team members just mentioned, the biggest difference with this copy compared to the past ones is the absence of “penalties for failure” and “completion conditions.”
“Many advanced copies are like this.” Raymond, with more experience, nonchalantly remarks: “You have to deduce the penalties and conditions from the information provided by the copy. If you misunderstand, you’re already at a disadvantage from the start.”
Currently, the only information provided by the copy is the recent broadcast message, which contains very little information.
“1. We will see sights we don’t usually see.” Rong Yi summarizes the broadcast information:
“2. The journey lasts for a month.”
“From these two points, ‘survival’ should correspond to 1. The sights we see might affect our physical health.”
“2 should correspond to ‘completion.’ A month is not only the time we have to endure but also possibly the deadline for the copy mission.”
Rong Yi habitually strokes his chin in thought: “On a ship, what could define the ‘end of the journey’?”
Zhang Haiyang quickly responds, “Docking!”
Excitedly, Raymond slaps his thigh, “Yes, we have to get the ship to dock within a month, or if it remains at sea for over a month, we might-” perhaps for dramatic effect, he lowers his voice mysteriously:
“-never be able to end this journey, forever adrift at sea…”
Ice, being proactive, stands up immediately: “There must be logs and sea charts in the cockpit! If there are no NPCs, we should control the ship towards land as soon as possible!”
After a brief thought, Rong Yi instructs Raymond and Ice to search the cockpit while staying behind with Luo Huayue and Zhang Haiyang, mixing in with the crowd, hoping to find new clues.
Zhang Haiyang, still feeling seasick, pale-faced, remarks, “Ah, I really want to lie down somewhere… oh!”
Something hits him on the head. Confused, Zhang Haiyang looks around but doesn’t see who hit him.
Luo Huayue picks up the object that hit him.
It’s a delicate and ornate room key, with a fancy door number engraved on it:
202
“Hey, someone’s serving a pillow when I feel sleepy,” Zhang Haiyang twirls the key ring but doesn’t rush towards the cabins, “I hope we get adjacent rooms.”
As soon as he says this, Rong Yi and Luo Huayue are successively hit on the head by room keys, with door numbers 201 and 203 respectively.
Rong Yi faintly feels something is amiss.
Suddenly, there is a commotion among the players nearby, and the scent of food drifts in with the sea breeze—
“Oh! This steak is delicious!”
“Just when I felt hungry, a food cart arrives at our door. The perks of this copy are amazing!”
“Australian lobster! My favorite! The copy understands me!”
Luo Huayue swallows saliva, muttering quietly, “Ah, I’m a bit hungry too…”
Before she finishes her sentence, a shining silver food cart crashes behind her—she didn’t even see where it came from!
Opening the dish cover, steam rises from the snail noodle soup, emanating an indescribable aroma.
“Zhang Haiyang covered his mouth, endured it but couldn’t hold it back, then leaned over the ship’s railing and vomited.
Luo Huayue felt a little embarrassed: “I just happen to have a taste for this…”
In fact, Rong Yi also found it quite fragrant, more so than any snail noodles she had ever eaten before. It could be said that it was the kind of fragrance that people who love snail noodles dream of.
However, just as Luo Huayue picked up her chopsticks, her hand was gently held by Rong Yi.
“I feel something is not right.” She frowned slightly. “Don’t you think it’s too coincidental?”
“Zhang Haiyang gets a room when he’s tired. You get food when you’re hungry, and it happens to be your favorite food.”
“None of this makes sense!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a broadcast sounded on the ship. This time it wasn’t the cheerful voice of the guy asking for a beating, but the mature, reliable voice of a man:
“Hello, passengers, welcome aboard the Dawn Goddess. I am your captain, Lin Yue.”
“The Dawn Goddess is equipped with the most advanced ship facilities today, and a rich variety of entertainment options. Welcome to explore on your own.”
“In fifteen minutes, this area will experience thunderstorms, so please return to your respective cabins for rest. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“All staff will do their best to provide you with the most meticulous service. On behalf of the Dawn Goddess, I sincerely wish you all a pleasant journey.”
Luo Huayue picked up the steaming snail noodles and, amid the faint thunder in the sky, walked quickly towards the cabin: “Rong, look, isn’t this very illogical!”
It seemed like all the players had received keys to their own rooms, no competition, no confrontation. Everyone hurried back to the cabins before the storm.
The cabin was luxurious, splendid, and the more than a hundred people walking on the crimson thick carpet almost made no sound.
The three soon found their respective rooms. Zhang Haiyang pushed the door in and went to sleep. Luo Huayue sat by the porthole, eating snail noodles and enjoying the lightning and thunder at sea.
Rong Yi entered room 203, the decoration inside was not as extravagant as the corridor, it was simple and neat, which she liked.
This room made her relax and comfortable, but in her subconscious, there was always a voice saying:
Something’s not right, something’s not right, something’s not right!
The large bed was white and soft, just looking at it made her feel exhausted involuntarily.
She lay down, feeling as comfortable as if she were lying on a cloud.
Her mind was blank, hmm, what was she thinking just now?
Oh, right, about her boyfriend!
With her last bit of consciousness, she opened the communication interface with X, expressing all her thoughts without reservation.
Rong Yi: Although you’re usually only online at night, as soon as I start a dungeon, you’re online.
Rong Yi: Your online time in the dungeons coincides with the appearance time of several strange NPCs. Such as the handsome mannequin, male nurse, and senior A.
Rong Yi: Senior A’s handwriting is the same as the handwritten exhibition cards in the ogre dungeon.
Rong Yi: The handwriting on the sand during our video call is also the same.
Rong Yi: The creatures on that beach don’t resemble any known species.
Rong Yi: Is that really a beach in reality?
Rong Yi: You’re not a player. Don’t lie to me, honestly answer me.
Rong Yi: Are you human? This chapter has been read (please click next chapter to continue reading!)”
Wow, she just laid it out right away. Usually it would take a few hundred more pages!