Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 62: The Strong
On the Endless Sea, the scenery varied in different places. There was sunshine illuminating the waves and gentle breezes caressing the deck, but also terrifying waves engulfing warships and continuous cannon fire shaking the heavens.
The same vast ocean carried all kinds of people, but their sailing dreams generally fell into three categories: one, to pass the night safely; two, to make money; and three, to climb the tower.
There was a little overlap between the second and third goals. Those focused solely on making money found that climbing the tower was one of the many ways to get rich; those who were intent on climbing the tower would occasionally find some money in treasure chests.
At this moment, on the Endless Sea within the Hebei region, on the route to the “South Flying Island”, two such ships met.
“A cute overview of the Endless Sea… Planning the most cost-effective route for you… How to defeat the tower guardians…” Xu Wang read down the list handed over from the neighboring ship, barely getting through three items before feeling exhausted. He sighed, handed the list back, and apologized. “Sorry, it really doesn’t have what we want.”
In the past month, they had been approached by “businesspeople” more than a dozen times. Some were lone wolves on floating spheres, and others, like the group they just encountered, were four people on a large ship.
Each time, Xu Wang and his team would receive the list with great expectations, only to be doused with the cold reality.
All the lists combined from these teams weren’t as comprehensive as the ones they had previously received from Mao Qiping.
Today’s list was even worse. It was printed fancily, with few serious items, looking more like a brochure from a small travel agency—the kind that forces you to shop once you’re there.
“Not a single useful item?” The one in charge of the liaison was disappointed. He stood behind his ship’s railing, blowing a green strand of dyed hair out of his face. “Really not going to take another look?”
“No, thanks.” Xu Wang sighed and gave the other party an apologetic look.
His three teammates, who stood behind the captain to assist, were already familiar with the routine and immediately returned to their posts—Wu Sheng at the ship’s wheel, Kuang Jinxin with the spyglass on lookout, and Qian Ai on deck watch.
Within two minutes, the sailboat was underway again.
Xu Wang left the railing and returned to the center of the deck, facing Qian Ai’s worried expression.
“Hm?” Captain Xu asked with concern.
Qian Ai looked to the sky and sighed heavily. “It’s so hard to buy anything about the fourth level!”
“It’s normal.” Xu Wang was more accepting of the situation. “We’re close to Beijing here. Most are just those who have only passed the first level and come to try their luck.”
Forget about finding the fourth level on the list; it was rare to even see content for the third level. Most were basic rules about the Owl and various aspects of the Endless Sea, and not all were accurate.
“If I had known, I would have bitten the bullet and gone to Shaanxi,” Qian Ai regretted. “Even if it means spending more on transportation, at least Mao Qiping there has some substantial information.”
“Shaanxi’s vast Endless Sea isn’t a place where you can just find Mao Qiping by going there.” Xu Wang had already thought this through. “Besides, is it just a ‘little’ transportation fee? Four people, including train fares and a month’s accommodation—calculate how much that is.”
They were currently entering the Endless Sea of Hebei Province but still lived in Beijing, only needing to carpool to the border of the two regions each night. It was essentially a daily commute, arguably the most cost-effective option.
Qian Ai hadn’t thought that far, but with Xu Wang’s analysis, he quickly dismissed the idea. “Saving money is more important. Anyway, we’ve collected so much stationery. Whatever demons or monsters come at the fourth level, bring it on!”
His words “bring it on” were swallowed by a huge wave.
Dozens of cannonballs rained down from the sky, all landing around the sailboat. The sea nearby churned violently, causing the sailboat to bob and weave dramatically!
Qian Ai was speechless. He meant for the fourth level, not this!
Despite the complaints, their days of continuous battles had honed their quick reactions. Wu Sheng immediately stabilized the boat, and at the same time, Kuang Jinxin reported the situation. “Captain, it’s the same team that was selling information just now—”
Xu Wang and Qian Ai exchanged glances. So, they switched from selling information to robbery? This was a fresh tactic.
The two ran to the stern of the boat. Without using the spyglass, they could see the familiar ship amidst the waves that they had parted ways with not long ago.
Wu Sheng stabilized the steering wheel and came out of the cabin, glancing at the attackers nearby and asked their captain directly, “Shall we fight back?”
“Wait a moment.” Xu Wang frowned. “We need to know the reason for this attack first.”
Wu Sheng shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Thirty days in the Endless Sea had convinced Wu Sheng of one belief: any problem that could be solved with intelligence and stationery wasn’t a problem.
But their captain always liked to make external connections, chatting with this one and that one, only resorting to fighting when all talks failed.
“Little Green… Handsome guy—” As the waves calmed down and the bombardment ceased, Xu Wang initiated a “social call”. “You do your business, and we go to the Flying Island. Why are you attacking us—”
Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin exchanged glances. What the captain almost blurted out just now was definitely “Little Green Hair.”
“We are also going to climb the tower,” came the reply from the other side. “Fair and high competition—”
Qian Ai was exasperated. “This is the route to the Flying Island. What use do you, a trader, have for going to the Flying Island—”
“That’s none of your concern—” The other side was indifferent, evidently determined to persist.
Xu Wang probably understood what was happening and asked straightforwardly, “If we give you money, will you stop causing trouble—”
There was silence for about ten seconds on the other side, maintaining a semblance of dignity, before a reply came. “Well, in that case, we might be open to negotiation—”
Sure enough.
Xu Wang had no further issues and immediately turned to Wu Sheng and said, “Let’s fight.”
In the past thirty days, Wu Sheng had accumulated the most weapons, so he always took the lead in battles.
But the situation changed so quickly that Wu Sheng was caught off guard. “Are we done talking?”
Qian Ai, who was about to persuade their captain not to easily spend money, was also stunned. “Are we still fighting?”
Captain Xu replied to both. “Yes, we’re done talking. Let’s fight.”
Qian Ai was confused. “Then what was the point of asking if paying them would work?”
Wu Sheng said, “He was just curious.”
Xu Wang agreed. “I was just curious.”
Both spoke simultaneously, then stopped and looked at each other.
Qian Ai covered his aching chest, feeling like a redundant person!
“Splash—”
Suddenly, a gigantic whale tail emerged from the water, striking directly at Green Hair’s group’s boat!
The decent-sized sailboat was no match for the massive whale tail and capsized, overturning on the sea surface.
All four members of Green Hair’s team were on deck, and with the boat capsized, they couldn’t even swim out.
The whale seemed satisfied and dove deep into the sea, disappearing without a trace. Soon, the overturned sailboat turned into a misty sea fog and gradually dispersed in the sea breeze—if the entire team returned home, their mode of transport would vanish as well.
The sea returned to calm. The four friends looked at each other, with Wu Sheng being the most confused. “I haven’t even used a single stationery.”
“I used it!” From below the boat, a familiar voice came.
The four friends looked over the railing down at the sea, where an inconspicuous floating sphere gently bumped against the side of the ship with the waves. Sitting inside the half-open sphere was none other than Captain Yue Shuai.
“There’s no need to thank me too much,” Yue Shuai said, straining to look up from his low position. “But if you insist on thanking me, I wouldn’t refuse too strongly…”
“Since you put it that way, how can we not thank you?” Xu Wang leaned halfway out, bowing respectfully. “Thank you.”
Yue Shuai was taken aback. “…Just a verbal thanks?!!!”
Xu Wang chuckled, about to tease some more, when suddenly he sensed something amiss. “Why are you on a floating sphere?”
“When a five-person team becomes a four-person team, someone has to leave,” Yue Shuai said with a gesture of nobility. “So the captain had to wander.”
From the sixth level onwards, teams needed five members. If they regressed to a four-person team, some would vote someone off, while others with better relationships would have one member voluntarily leave. They would reunite once both sides reached the five-person level again—this was the only useful information Xu Wang and his team had gained in the Endless Sea.
A month had passed since their last encounter at the third level. If Yue Shuai’s team had charged through the levels with full force, they might have even progressed past the sixth level. But now they were back to being a four-person team…
“Did your team fail to submit your papers again?” Xu Wang felt sympathetic for their fellow voyager.
Yue Shuai narrowed his eyes at him. “What do you mean ‘again’…”
Xu Wang hesitated, not wanting to rub salt in the wound.
His teammates, unaware of the subtleties, honestly revealed—
Kuang Jinxin: “Actually, when we first entered the Owl, we received your submission information. Back then, you submitted 3/23. The last time we met at 3/23, we didn’t say it, but we knew you had regressed…”
Qian Ai: “This time you said your team went from five to four members. It’s obvious you failed at the five-person level again…”
Wu Sheng bluntly remarked, “This is the Hebei Endless Sea… You didn’t regress all the way to the first level, did you?”
One cut draws blood, two can kill, and three will lead to hell*.
*Clarity: It’s illustrating the fact that as each of the teammates spoke, what they said became more and more severe, with what Wu Sheng was saying being the most impactful and harsh.
Yue Shuai: “Captain Xu, it was nice seeing you. Goodbye!”
“Hey, how fast can a sphere float?” Xu Wang quickly interjected. “Come up. Let’s go together.”
This sudden invitation caught Yue Shuai off guard, and he instinctively reminded them, “Just so you know, I’m also heading to the Flying Island. I’ve passed the first level and am planning to head to Shaanxi from here!”
“This is the route to the Flying Island.” Xu Wang rolled his eyes. “If you were thinking of going to Treasure Beach, we wouldn’t even consider taking you.”
Yue Shuai was even more confused. “But that makes us competitors. There are already two teams climbing the tower, leaving only one spot. How can you take me?”
Xu Wang sighed, emphasizing the lack of understanding between them. “We’re not taking you. We’re sending you. We’re not going to the Flying Island today!”
Yue Shuai stood there in the sea breeze, completely dumbfounded, feeling an unexpected warmth in his heart, as if someone had placed a warm patch on it.
Seizing the moment of Yue Shuai’s distraction, Xu Wang turned to consult his teammates. “We’ll delay our departure by a day. Is that okay?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve been drifting for a month; one more day won’t make a difference. Besides…” Qian Ai glanced below the ship and sighed. “It’s kind of sad to see him like this. If we can help, we should.”
Kuang Jinxin readily agreed. “They kicked him out of their team; we shouldn’t kick a man when he’s down. We should offer help in his time of need!”
Wu Sheng shrugged. “I have no objections. Their team isn’t a threat to us anyway.”
Xu Wang felt a deep sense of pride in his teammates. He knew they were all good-hearted!
He looked down at Yue Shuai again. “Hurry up and come aboard—”
Yue Shuai: “……”
Suddenly, he didn’t want to board anymore. He feared that if he got on the ship, he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself from beating these guys up!
Ten minutes later.
“I can tolerate failing levels 1 to 5, because every time we face different teams, the situations and luck vary. But this 6/23 level, we’ve attacked it twice and failed twice, both times brutally beaten by the same team. It’s so humiliating—”
Captain Yue Shuai not only boarded the ship but also finally found an opportunity to pour out his grievances.
Thus, the rest of the journey was spent with the four teammates, reluctantly listening to the tragic cycle of the Yue Team…
……
Seven days ago, 6/23, Castle Hotel, Beijing time, 00:03.
In an endlessly long corridor laid with dark patterned carpet, candlesticks were lit at intervals along both walls, illuminating one wooden door after another. The doors all looked the same, distinguishable only by their number plates. At a glance, they seemed like countless identical doors stretching endlessly into the distance.
In the silence, the door of room 1009 silently opened a crack, and behind it, five pairs of eyes peered out into the hallway.
Yue Shuai: “First priority?”
Ji Yiming: “Find a secret passage.”
Tao Anan: “Or a save point.”
Wei Tianhang: “Safety first at critical moments.”
Su Mingzhan: “Then I’m reassured.”
Yue Shuai: “…Don’t steal the captain’s lines.”
Ensuring safety, the five slipped out of the door, leaving their starting point to begin their challenge.
The first stop was next door, room 1008, because last time they found a secret passage there. If they hadn’t met that team later… Well, forget it. They couldn’t bear to look back at what happened afterward.
In any case, even though the content of the levels might change, being so close, it was worth trying again for any potential surprises.
Room 1008 was unlocked, but opening it revealed only darkness.
Using the light from their phones, they thoroughly searched the room but found nothing, so they reluctantly moved on to 1007—without any clues, they had no choice but to search systematically.
Room 1007 was also unlocked.
But as Yue Shuai cautiously pushed the door open, a flood of golden light poured out!
Inside, the room was decorated like a church. The painting of the Virgin Mary floated in the air, her every frown and smile seemingly alive, lovingly watching over the empty rows of pews as if waiting for people to sit and bask in the holy light.
Only a save point would emit such warm light!
Yue Shuai couldn’t believe his luck. He immediately led his teammates inside, carefully locked the door, and eagerly sat in the pews, reverently.
The Virgin Mary in the painting slowly looked up, seeming to meet their gaze…
“Knock, knock.”
There were two knocks at the door. It was sudden, but unhurried, and was gentle, carrying the politeness of a visit.
The Virgin Mary lowered her head again, and the golden light in the room gradually faded—saving required absolute silence. Any disturbance would immediately interrupt it unless it became quiet again.
The five held their breath, pretending to be air, hoping to deceive their competitors outside.
However, the person knocking seemed certain there were people inside and knocked again.
“Knock, knock.”
In the midst of holding his breath, Wei Tianhang suddenly had a realization and whispered very softly, “Could it be an NPC?”
Yue Shuai was reminded by this sentence. He sought his companions’ opinions with his eyes, and after receiving affirmative responses, he stood up, cautiously opened the door a crack.
Outside the door were five people, all dressed in black. The one who knocked on the door seemed the most amiable among them, with gentle eyes and brows. Seeing Yue Shuai, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly smiled amiably. “This save point can only accommodate one team. Can you give us the opportunity?”
Yue Shuai also responded with a smile. “I’ll consider it.”
Then he slammed the door shut with a “bang”, turned back quickly, and shouted three words. “Five Black Party!”
His four companions’ expressions changed instantly.
Wei Tianhang: “…Fuck!”
Tao Anan: “Why is it them again?”
Ji Yiming: “I finally got back to this level with the wild team. I don’t want to back out now…”
Su Mingzhan: “Tsk, more bad than good.”
Although their moods varied, their actions were incredibly unified—they all sprung up at top speed and ran towards the door to support their captain!
In just a few seconds, all five gathered at the door. Yue Shuai forcefully pulled it open, and each of his four companions hurled a weapon into the corridor!
The five in black didn’t dodge or avoid. They just stood there calmly, and all the weapons turned into droplets of rain the moment they approached them.
The Yue Family Army was shocked. However, before they could figure out what defense the other party used, a voice of an owl rang in their ears—
[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Death Choir] on you~~]
The world suddenly became quiet.
The five were immobilized. It was as if their ears were covered by a soundproof membrane, unable to hear anything. Then, a very fine ringing passed through their nerves, followed by the sound of a heavenly choir of children’s voices…
The scenery in their eyes, whether the corridor, the Five Black Party, or the candlelight, slowly faded, turning completely white.
[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending you home.]
The five inside the room disappeared, and the gentle man who knocked on the door was the first to enter, followed by the other four.
The last one to enter was a man with profound features. His expression was indifferent, exuding a cold aura and an inherent “keep out” oppressiveness.
He was the last to enter, but the four in front of him naturally parted to the left and right, clearing a path to the painting of the Virgin Mary.
The man in front of the painting seemed uninterested in admiring it and sat down in the center of a bench.
The gentle man and the other three followed, taking seats behind him.
Suddenly recalling something, the man turned to the gentle man who knocked and asked, “The Five Black Party… What is that?”
After thinking for a moment, the gentle man grinned. “Maybe it’s a compliment to our uniforms.”
The man frowned slightly, seemingly unsatisfied with the answer.
The gentle man became serious, no longer joking. “We encountered them at this level last time. It must have been after that encounter that they gave us this nickname.”
The man had no recollection of this but still gave instructions. “Next time we meet them, tell them your name first, then proceed with the rest.”
“Understood.” The gentle man realized that the boss didn’t like the nickname given by the other party and insisted on replacing it with his own name.
But, the Five Black Party sounded so imposing. What exactly was the boss dissatisfied with?!
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