A night of deep sleep.
In reality, seven days of “rest” were occupied tightly by work, socializing, and boxing workouts. Yet, in the midst of only getting four hours of sleep per day, she managed to have a rare good night’s sleep in a dangerously high-level A-grade instance.
It’s said that good sleep is dreamless, but this night, she not only had an extremely wonderful dream, but woke up still feeling the lingering joy, fresh and energized.
She dreamt that she and her boyfriend finally appeared together.
In the dream, her boyfriend was just as she had imagined, a year older but shy and cute, wearing a white shirt, jeans, with a backpack slung over his shoulders, short and neat hair, looking like a university student.
He was nothing like the self-deprecating person he described himself to be. With a fair complexion and a charming smile showing shallow dimples when he smiled under the sun.
She held his hand in the dream, feeling the warmth and softness of his palm.
“Rong Rong.” His voice was clear and tender, calling out to her with affection, his voice carried on the wind.
In that moment, the three years of text messages on WeChat had voices now.
They ran on the luxurious Dawn Goddess ship, feeling the sea breeze, indulging in beautiful foods. They expressed their longing for each other over the years, kissing under the setting sun on the bow deck, lost in a world of orange and red.
There were even some contents that cannot be written here.
Upon waking, those beautiful scenes still flashed before Rong Rong’s eyes, the touch of the dream lover’s hand too perfect to forget.
For a moment, she felt dizzy – perhaps the dream was the true and beautiful world; and waking reality was just a brief nightmare in the cracks.
The knocking on the door pulled her out of bed. Opening it, Luo Huayue and Zhang Haiyang stood there:
“Rong Yi! Can you believe Yuheng Nian is on the ship too? Ahh! I spoke to him, and he said he would personally guide me in painting!”
Rong Rong: “Who?”
Luo Huayue, eager to go outside with a full set of painting equipment: “A world-class master of oil painting! Oh my! He’s nothing like the rumors, so friendly, just like my grandpa! I can’t miss this opportunity, I’m going!”
Zhang Haiyang, with a bag full of books and wearing glasses Rong Rong had never seen him wear before: “Professor Fei is still waiting for me, Rong Yi, I’ll go too, remember to have breakfast in the restaurant.”
Rong Rong grabbed him: “Who is Professor Fei?”
Zhang Haiyang pushed up his glasses, although calmer than Luo Huayue, his reddened cheeks revealing his excitement: “Ah, you probably don’t know him; he is a famous marine biologist in our academic circle. I showed him the photos you sent me, and he said he has some ideas and wants to research with me.”
With that said, he hurriedly followed Luo Huayue’s footsteps.
Rong Rong scratched her head, her mind still muddled from the beautiful dream world.
So, they both met their idols on the ship and had dreamlike encounters with them?
What kind of divine probability is this!
However, except for her, other players must have entered the “Lucky Carnival” because they carried dreams that were hard to fulfill.
It seems that even those with worldwide renown have things they cannot achieve.
The bathroom in the cabin was equipped with all the necessary cleaning supplies, skincare and makeup products, all of her preferred brands. In the closet, there were a few sets of clothes that suited her style.
After a comfortable hot bath and applying makeup, her stomach timely growled with hunger.
The cabin was designed very user-friendly, with clear signs pointing to the restaurant, banquet hall, swimming pool, playground, casino, cinema, sauna center, showing where to go.
Wow! She didn’t notice yesterday when suddenly entering the instance, there was so much fun to have on this ship, like a carnival.
In the restaurant filled with exquisite food, Rong Rong saw Ice and Zhang Haiyang.
For a moment, she couldn’t remember why she sent them there yesterday.
Ice had changed into a delicate suit, picking and choosing from the wide array of buffet items, waving the food tongs at her to come over.
“Sister, are you awake? Do you want to watch me practice boxing later?” He eagerly arranged egg whites in the plate to form a flower.
Rong Yi asked curiously, “Is there a place on the ship where you can practice boxing?”
“Yes! There’s a dedicated boxing gym on board, and they even have small competitions every day! I just went to check it out; the skill level is quite good. I’ve already registered!” His eyes couldn’t hide his excitement.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper match! Besides, aside from you guys, no one else on this ship knows me, so even if I lose, it’s no big deal. I want to have a good fight!”
Rong Yi watched him leave, and then heard a deep, magnetic voice behind her gently inquire, “Do you also want to watch the boxing match?”
This question wasn’t for Rong Yi but for the lively girl beside him, Raymond.
Seeing Raymond’s attentive attitude, Rong Yi knew he had found his “live stream partner” this time.
The girl looked fresh and likable, blinking her big grape-like eyes and asking, “Mr. Lei, who is she?”
With a look of fear of jealousy, Raymond, in a very macho manner, playfully hit Rong Yi’s shoulder: “This is Rong Yi, our team captain. Don’t be fooled by her appearance, she’s full of muscles, one can take on three!”
Rong Yi replied, “…You’re exaggerating.”
It’s not necessary to describe me as so terrifying, do you see that girl looking a bit jealous?
The girl giggled, greeted Rong Yi warmly, and expressed her desire to go play in the pool. Raymond readily agreed, and the two happily left, exuding a sweet and ambiguous atmosphere of “more than friends, less than lovers.”
Surely, this live stream would have a great effect, Rong Yi thought.
Luo Huayue presented him like he was a treasure to her: “Miss Rong, this is Master Yu Henian! Master Yu, this is our captain, Rong Yi.”
The painting on the easel was already taking shape, in the midst of being colored. Even though Rong Yi didn’t understand art much, she could still feel the passionate pursuit of natural beauty in this half-finished piece.
“I’ll go to the restroom, you guys talk first!” Luo Huayue said, placing her painting tools on the stand and flew like a small bird into the cabin.
Rong Yi: …Looks like they found me for some small talk.
She hadn’t interacted much with people from the art world and stood somewhat awkwardly next to Master Yu, trying to find a topic: “Master Yu, nice to meet you. How many copies is this for you?”
Master Yu Henian maintained a smile from Luo Huayue’s time, and with a somewhat stiff tone, said, “So, you are little Luo’s friend. Hello, I’m Yu Henian.”
Rong Yi was taken aback.
The words were correct, but somewhat disconnected.
She ventured, “Hello, I’m Rong Yi. Most players who enter the game have some ambitions in their hearts. If I may ask, as a great artist like yourself, what unfinished wishes do you still have?”
Master Yu Henian still smiled, facing towards the sea, “Little Luo is a very talented child, I hope she can achieve higher success in painting.”
Rong Yi was a bit perplexed.
Was this Master Yu socially anxious? Only saying such courteous words and avoiding eye contact with people he conversed with.
She leaned forward, wanting to see what was so captivating beneath the sea that drew Master Yu’s gaze.
The azure waves were clear, not even a shadow of a fish could be seen.
As she turned her head, she suddenly saw Master Yu’s eyes.
Those eyes that once held wisdom now shimmered with colorful light like clouds in the sky, without blinking, sending an inexplicable chill down her spine.
“…Master Yu?” she called softly.
“You are little Luo’s friend, right? Hello, I’m Yu Henian.”
Goosebumps spread from her arms, and Rong Yi couldn’t help but take two steps back.
Luo Huayue ran out from the cabin, shaking off the water droplets from her hands, and cheerfully said, “Miss Rong, Master Yu is such a good person, right?”
Rong Yi watched as she greeted Master Yu with a bright smile, and Master Yu immediately turned to respond, benevolent and kind, making people feel as if they were basking in a warm spring breeze.
The way Luo Huayue was treated and the way she was treated were almost two completely different attitudes!
Rong Yi surveyed her surroundings—
Yesterday, the deck was bare, but today, there were various recreational facilities such as swimming pools, barbecue grills, outdoor karaoke, sun loungers, and more.
With the beautiful weather, perfect facilities, and harmonious atmosphere—it seemed as if a fairy tale filter had been added to everything around, everyone was happy, fulfilled, and actively enjoying the present, looking forward to the future.
Infectious in this atmosphere, Rong Yi’s mind was filled with bubbles of tranquility and happiness, almost forgetting to think—
If it wasn’t for the rigid and formulaic response from Master Yu Henian that had startled her into a cold sweat just now.
Just a moment ago, her usual rationality returned. She had a conjecture:
There must have been over a hundred players just on the deck.
Adding the ones in the cabin, how many people must that be?
Were there so many players yesterday?
The players she saw at breakfast, were they really players?
She quickly summoned the floating screen and called all the team members to gather on the deck:
Rong Yi: Drop everything you’re doing! Come by yourselves, don’t bring anyone! Quick!
Rong Yi: If I can’t see you in ten minutes, you’ll be kicked out of the team.
Under her stern words, the reluctant crowd reluctantly gathered on the deck, complaining that there wasn’t anything urgent, so why call them here.
Ice had been staying in the cabin, and upon seeing the spectacular scenery in the sky, he was just as shocked as Rong Yi’s reaction, astounded on the spot.
Rong Yi threw a punch, Ice reflexively dodged, “Hey, daring to attack your coach, you’ve got guts!”
But Rong Yi had no intention of joking around; her tone was serious as she stated her conclusion.
“In this copy, there are NPCs.”
The crowd was puzzled, and Zhang Haiyang smiled, “There are no sailors, no stewards. If you mention NPCs, at most, the captain from the broadcast yesterday can be considered one, but none of us have seen him.”
Rong Yi shook her head, “The NPCs here have already mixed in with the players.”
“Don’t you think there are more people on the ship now than yesterday?”
Most people lose their sense of direct perception after a certain threshold of numbers. Over a hundred, over two hundred, in their eyes, they are all “a lot.”
But Rong Yi, a specialized student, had a more keen sense of numbers’ direct perception. Coupled with the shock from Yu Henian, it made her mind clear.
There are definitely more than 300 people on the ship now.
“The grandmaster Yu Henian next to you is very likely an NPC,” she said to Luo Huayue.
She glanced at everyone, “And your marine biology expert, your boxing match opponent, your livestream partner.”
“They are most likely not human.”
She stopped others from making rebuttals:
“You won’t notice because these NPCs are specifically tailored to meet your needs, so they appear flawless to you.”
“But as soon as a different person interacts with them, flaws will quickly emerge.”
“For example, when I talked to Yu Henian, he couldn’t respond to me.”
“If you don’t believe it, try it. Let Luo Huayue talk to the marine biologist, Zhang Haiyang talk to Yu Henian; Ice interact with that girl, Raymond visit the boxing gym.”
“Then, tell me your conclusions.”
She looked at the confused expressions of the crowd, furrowed her brow, and clapped, “Wake up! The clouds in the sky look wrong, don’t stare at them.”
“Do you remember the information from the broadcast yesterday?”
“The things we see could affect our health, hinder our survival!”
“Remember, this is an A-rank instance, everything it does could be a form of attack!”
The team members dispersed hesitantly.
The surrounding bustling laughter invaded her mind. Rong Yi shook her head, feeling like she was about to indulge in that inexplicable atmosphere of joy again.
While her sanity still held, what else could she do?
Right, before going to sleep yesterday, did she message her boyfriend?
Rong Yi opened the communication interface with X and saw the messages she had sent, only to remember—
She had doubted her boyfriend’s identity.
Yesterday, her mind was clouded. She really dared to think like that!
Could it be that for the past three years, the one she was in love with wasn’t human?
That would be too absurd!
But this morning, her boyfriend really replied to her:
X: [Sad frog shedding tears jpg]
X: If I come to see you, will you be scared of me?
X: Will you dislike me for being ugly, for having a bad job?
Rong Yi’s heart tightened.
He neither denied nor mocked her speculation—what did that mean?
Could her absurd guesses actually be close to the truth?
Her heart raced, her hands trembled slightly.
By the sound of those words, was he planning to come see her?
In this game?
Before her brain could react, her conscious communication had already conveyed her thoughts:
Rong Yi: I remember before entering the first instance, you asked me the same question.
Rong Yi: My answer remains the same.
Rong Yi: Get a grip.
Her boyfriend was online and replied immediately.
X: [Sad frog shedding tears jpg]
X: My Rong Rong always keeps her word.
X: So, it’s agreed, when we meet, you can’t reject me.
