The banquet had begun.
Bright lights shone through the crystal chandeliers in the hall, and the upper-class people in luxurious and beautiful clothes mingled with each other, their reserved smiles glowing in the lights.
Yao Ye had a polite smile on his fair and handsome face. After being introduced by Father Yao, he greeted many elders and demonstrated his good upbringing with his behavior.
“Eh? He’s quite handsome. Brother Li, is that him?”
The pink-haired girl looked at the young black-haired NPC with a flash of surprise in her eyes.
This NPC was really beautiful. He possessed a clear, open, and alluring disposition that couldn’t be found in reality.
Brother Li rubbed his chin and doubtfully replied, “That’s probably the case, but the gameplay guide on the forum didn’t mention that he was this handsome. It just said that he is a rich, arrogant scion, with a face deserving of a beating. I heard he’s a little obese as well.”
The guides he bought from the forum were all descriptions of the best ways to pass the instances that top-ranking players had figured out after trial and error. The guide had a detailed introduction to Ghost Island and its plot, but they did not go into detail regarding this rich scion who appeared at the start.
The NPC’s cowardice had dragged everyone else down several times and also attracted the boss’s aggro, so the NPC was generally used as bait to attract monsters in the early stage and had little research value.
The other two young men also nodded.
One of the young men who nicknamed Dollar looked at the terminal on his wrist, read through the plot again, and muttered, “The plot did not specify the name of this NPC. It only said that he bullied a big boss in junior high school and held a party on this ship. This decision eventually caused the whole group of people to become stranded on the ghost island, where they eventually met miserable ends. This young man is likely the mentioned NPC.”
Brother Li didn’t want to worry so much. He was annoyed just looking at that NPC’s handsome face.
Unfortunately for him, players couldn’t change their appearances in this holographic game. He could only enter with his original body data. As a result, he couldn’t improve his appearance at all, making it extremely difficult to impress a girl.
“Okay, no matter what he looks like, he is just an NPC cannon fodder. Let’s discuss our plans after arriving on the island…” Brother Li suggested calmly.
The others looked at the dozen minutes left on the countdown and looked at him speechlessly.
Since they had to discuss the plan, why not just do that now instead of waiting until it was about to start?
They thought this guy already had a plan in mind.
However, although they were secretly complaining in their hearts, everyone still discussed it seriously and planned every step in detail.
First of all, they had to be careful not to make too much noise when they got to the island, at least not when they first landed.
The big boss would search along the coastline when people landed on the island, so they were basically doomed if they were discovered this early.
By the time they finished discussing, there were only two minutes left, so the four-person team fell silent and waited for the plot to unfold.
At this time, another young man named Rock suddenly said, “Brother Li, have you heard the news that has been circulating on the Internet recently?”
The others looked confused.
Rock continued, “It’s rumored that the game “Tales of the Unusual” is not fantasy; it’s real. Once you die in the game, your psyche will be greatly damaged. I heard that several people have ended up in vegetative states, never able to wake up again.”
The pink-haired girl didn’t know much about this game before. When she heard the news for the first time, she immediately looked shocked and hesitant.
“Really? Wouldn’t that make this a life-threatening game?”
Brother Li’s expression abruptly turned ugly when he noticed the girl he had finally met up with wanting to leave.
“Don’t listen to Rock’s nonsense, miss. Rumors only stop with the wise! Rock, grow some brains, won’t you?! If there is really a problem, how could the Federation have released it? The media’s backlash alone is enough to kick the president out of office!”
Dollar also showed a look of disapproval. “That’s right, Rock, you think too much. You’ve always been a worrywart, and you refuse to change your ways. You’re being way too anxious about this!”
Rock’s demoralizing words had come just as the game was about to start, causing the originally cheerful atmosphere to become stiff.
Seeing that nobody agreed with him and being unable to produce concrete evidence, Rock had no choice but to angrily shut up.
[Countdown to the beginning of the plot: 10]
The plot was about to begin. Brother Li gave Rock one last look, hugged Pink Hair next to him to comfort her, and waited for the countdown to end.
[Countdown to the start of the plot: 0]
Crackle…
In the spacious and exquisitely decorated hall of the cruise ship, the lights began to flicker, and violent tremors caused everyone to scream.
“Ahh!!!”
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“Ahhhh!!!”
Boom!
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The chandelier shattered, the lights disappeared, and the entire cruise ship was plunged into darkness.
“Ctttt!!! Lfiq!!!”
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Ca atf rjwf alwf, j teuf ktlgiqbbi jqqfjgfv lc atf rfj.
Compared with the huge whirlpool, this giant cruise ship was like a small leaf, struggling to survive between the raging storm and the ferocious whirlpool.
Yao Ye nearly vomited.
Except for a few cruises as a child, he had not been on a ship for so long that the swaying of the cabin caused his face to pale. He had become seasick.
“What’s going on?”
Yao Ye was dizzy and he had also been separated from Father Yao.
The screams came one after another, almost piercing his eardrums.
Sea water poured into the cabin from the deck, and he fainted from the impact of the sea water before he could follow the crowd to the safer upper cabin.
His vision plunged into darkness.
Splash… The sea water lapped at the beach.
After an unknown amount of time, Yao Ye finally regained consciousness.
He subconsciously licked his chapped lips, only to find his mouth filled with the bitter, salty taste of seawater.
No, he had to wake up quickly!
Yao Ye recalled that he had been in a shipwreck. If he lost consciousness for too long, he was afraid that he would drown.
Driven by the desire to survive, Yao Ye struggled to open his eyes.
Yao Ye was taken aback to discover himself sprawled on a soft beach, where gritty sand grains scraped against his cheek, causing a mild stinging sensation.
“Ugh!”
Feeling as if his limbs had turned into lead and reeling from seasickness, Yao Ye sat up with great difficulty. His seasickness, unabated, caused his stomach to twist, compelling him to rest on the shore to catch his breath.
Glancing around, he spotted others in a similar state of distress, including a few familiar faces.
Yao Ye scanned the area, unable to find his father amongst the survivors. Anxiety washed over him, mingling with a sense of disappointment.
He had no idea if his old man had made it out.
Yao Ye massaged his temples in distress. When he reopened his eyes, he found a stranger standing before him.
Before him stood a young man with silver hair and an average build, who regarded the seated Yao Ye with disdain.
Yao Ye was taken aback by the stranger’s appearance. He couldn’t fathom what he had done to cause the stranger to have such an unpleasant expression on.
What does this guy want? Does he intend to fight?
Yao Ye’s temper wasn’t good either. He raised an eyebrow and warily eyed the stranger, ready to react to any potential threat as he stood up.
“Hey, brat!”
The silver-haired young man, who went by Brother Li, casually took out the boning knife he carried. The glinting blade sent a shockwave of fear through everyone nearby.
Yao Ye, who was originally pondering over how he could counter an attack, went silent. Twitching his lips, he forced out a strained smile.
“C’mon, mate, there’s no need for that. We don’t know each other, do we? Can we talk this through? If I’ve done something to offend you, I’ll apologize.”
Yao Ye’s pale face turned even whiter as he took a few steps back from the knife hovering beside his throat.
What the hell was this?
Not only had the ship capsized, but he also had to deal with a threat at knifepoint after he was washed ashore and barely survived?
Yao Ye remained bewildered, doing his best to appease the stranger and avoid further trouble. His current weakness and the presence of the knife made defiance unwise.
Brother Li, observing the fear and trepidation on Yao Ye’s face, sneered in disdain. He signaled to a companion nearby with a nod.
His companion, Rock, produced handcuffs from seemingly nowhere and secured Yao Ye.
Yao Ye was speechless.
Who the hell were these people? And why did they all have handcuffs?!
Yao Ye, now essentially a prisoner, was ushered aside by Rock and placed under close watch. He felt thoroughly demoralized.
What the fuck was going on?! Why was he handcuffed all of a sudden?!
Seeing that the rich scion NPC had been restrained, Brother Li raised the knife once more in warning and gestured towards the remaining shipwreck survivors who were regaining their consciousness.
“You lot! Listen up! I’ll only say this once. Pay attention, or face the consequences!”
The survivors on the sand hesitantly watched by the side.
They cast unkind glances at Brother Li, the knife-wielding assailant, but remained passive, reluctant to intervene on Yao Ye’s behalf.
After all, those who could afford to be on that cruise ship were mostly well-off individuals. They had never encountered a thug like Brother Li and were unsure how to respond.
Furthermore, human nature is inherently self-serving, and they felt no obligation to aid Yao Ye. The thug had a knife on him, and they were stranded on a remote island. If they intervened and sustained injuries, only God would know if they could last until a search and rescue team arrived.
Seeing their apprehensive expressions, Brother Li sported a smug smile.
He loved how realistic this game was.
Few things were as satisfying as witnessing the upper class, who mistreated him in reality, suck up to him here.
Brother Li, who held a deeply twisted resentment toward the wealthy, continued, “Shortly, the owner of this island will arrive to deal with disobedient individuals. I advise you to keep quiet. If you attract its attention, I’ll sacrifice you first!”
Having said this, Brother Li adopted a menacing demeanor and directed, “Now, follow me, all of you! Or don’t follow, and await your doom!”
The survivors exchanged uneasy glances, not quite believing in Brother Li’s claims of a murderous island owner. However, with the thought of ‘better safe than sorry’ and the fear of being left behind, they eventually complied, trailing after him.
Watching from the sidelines, Brother Li’s three companions couldn’t help but be amused.
“Brother Li, you’re quite adept at this! They actually followed your lead!” the pink-haired girl remarked with admiration.
Brother Li responded with pride, “Indeed, this is a method that the top players have come up with. After landing on this island, these NPCs will panicked for a while. They ran around and perished in great numbers before realizing the futility of their actions. One top player just so happened to take charge during this period of panic and it worked out surprisingly well, allowing him to unlock most of the plot. He managed to survive till the end by relying on these NPCs.”
“That’s why I said this mission was straightforward. We just need to scare them a bit, and they’ll be more obedient than trained dogs,” Brother Li added, grinning mercilessly.
The pink-haired girl joined in the laughter, and the four of them chatted merrily.
Following them, the survivors ventured apprehensively through the dense woods, fearing the emergence of ferocious, man-eating beasts.
“Hurry up!”
Rock shoved the NPC before him, disdainfully looking at the man’s frail form. Yao Ye grimaced at the hard shove. Any sluggishness in his steps would result in a harsh blow to his back.
Although they had only covered a couple hundred meters, Yao Ye felt as though his heart was already on the verge of exploding due to his exertion.
Savages! This bunch of savages!
Gritting his teeth, Yao Ye seethed. He had never endured such humiliation.
“Brother, I really can’t recall any offence I’ve committed against you. I’ll make it up to you after we get out, alright? Is a million alright?”
Yao Ye swallowed his pride and desperately pleaded.
Rock kicked him indifferently. He had no patience for this smooth-talking NPC. That money would only exist in the game anyway, so the bribe had no effect apart from irritating him.
“Shut up and walk!”
Yao Ye crumpled to the ground, tears welling up in his fury. His eyes met those of the other survivors, who quickly averted their gazes. Even those who had received favours from Father Yao in the past now regarded him with cold indifference.
Damn these ungrateful wretches!
Yao Ye’s cheeks flushed with indignation. His father had invested heavily in Yunhai City over the years, and these people had all benefited to some extent. While they had previously treated him kindly, now, in the face of adversity, they treated him more indifferently than a stranger. They were simply heartless.
Roar!
Just as Yao Ye despaired, an inhuman scream pierced the air nearby.
Everyone jumped in fright, panic spreading among them.
Brother Li and his crew wore satisfied smiles.
The pivotal point in the plot had arrived.
This particular scene involved the boss executing criminals. In the original plot, ignorant survivors had stumbled upon the scene and met gruesome fates.
“Hmph! Keep your voices down and come with me! I’ll show you the truth of it all! Rid yourselves of all that resentment; I’m helping you here! So, after you see for yourselves what’s going on, listen well and obey my words, or else!” Brother Li declared coldly.
Hearing his words, the survivors revealed sceptical expressions, still not fully trusting Brother Li and his companions.
They followed Brother Li earlier because they were disoriented by the situation. They didn’t know where to go, so they followed the crowd. After all, in the outside world, they were all respected individuals. Obeying a few thugs was out of the question.
Brother Li and his companions rolled their eyes and sneered at these haughty NPCs, fully aware of their hidden thoughts. They led the group to a small hill.
The thick trees concealed their presence, making them invisible from the outside.
“Look down there!” Brother Li pointed disdainfully to an open area at the base of the hill. “This is what happens when you heed my words.”
Sigh, this boss liked to carry out his judgments in all sorts of places. Moreover, he had a penchant for chopping people into two. Players affectionately called him Knife-bro. Using this execution scene to terrify the disobedient NPCs seemed rather fitting.
Roar! Screech—!
In the clearing at the hillside, a humanoid monster with a crow’s beak roared at something nearby, its shrill voice filled with terror.
Across the crow-beaked monster was a massive man standing over two metres tall, covered in bandages, and wearing a bloodstained leather apron that resembled a butcher’s attire.
He wielded a long knife and advanced toward the crow-beaked monster wordlessly.
Terrified, the crow-beaked monster attempted to flee but was paralyzed by an invisible force. All it could do was brandish a bone blade and futilely attack the big man.
Splurt!
The bone blade sliced through the big man’s bandaged abdomen, but he seemed unfazed as he seized the crow-beaked monster by the head.
The crow-beaked monster emitted a piercing screech as it was effortlessly caught.
In the blink of an eye, the long knife swept across, cleanly severing the lower half of the crow-beaked monster, scattering internal organs and blood across the ground.
“Scree—” Before the crow-beaked monster could cry out in agony, its head was crushed by the big man and tossed aside.
“Ugh!”
Yao Ye covered his mouth, unable to suppress a low whimper.
Ever since his youth, he had been haunted by bizarre experiences, making him intensely fearful of bloody scenes. Caught off guard, he nearly lost his composure.
The massive man with the bandaged face appeared to sense something and abruptly turned to face the hillside where everyone was gathered with an indiscernible expression.
“Ahhhh! He’s looking this way! Monster! It’s a monster!”
“Help! Someone, call the police! There’s a murder!”
“Ugh, please, help me! Somebody, please help!”
Fear gripped everyone, and they began to scream and cry out in panic, disregarding Brother Li’s previous warnings.
Brother Li and his companions could only watch in exasperation.
He had warned these wastes not to make a sound, but they couldn’t control themselves. No wonder so many perished!
After observing for a while, the enormous man bent down to retrieve the bone blade from the crow-beaked monster’s broken limbs and hurled it toward the hillside.
Boom!!!
The bone blade struck a survivor in the head with deadly accuracy.
The unfortunate victim didn’t even have a chance to scream before collapsing lifelessly.
Yao Ye happened to be near the deceased and bore the brunt of the falling body. His eyes met the deceased victim’s.
Those lifeless bloodshot eyes were filled with unwillingness and resentment toward the living.
“Ahhhh!!!”
Yao Ye could bear it no longer. He crawled out from beneath the dead man, sobbing uncontrollably with heaving breaths.
What exactly was this place?
Hell?
Was there anyone out there who could save him?
At the base of the hill, the massive man who was about to continue his executions paused as a familiar voice reached his ears. He froze in place, as if under a spell.
TN: Next chapter will be on the following Sunday (Nov 19).
It’s always so cool how the author mixes the universes together!!