Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 39: The Docks

As the sun set and the streetlights started to illuminate, a pink Beetle navigated the not-so-smooth roads, swerving and dodging, moving forward in twists and turns.

Soon, they arrived at a roundabout. According to the map, taking the north exit would lead them directly to the dock, while the east exit would take them to the bridge.

Without any hesitation, Wu Sheng drove out from the north exit.

As if the zombies had disappeared with the sunset, the wide expressway was empty except for the occasional abandoned car with its hazard lights flashing.

Qian Ai’s tense nerves slightly relaxed, and he noticed the gun in Xu Wang’s hand, blurting out unexpectedly, “Captain, you’re using stationery now?”

Xu Wang, holding the Lightning Gun, turned around. “It’s bound to be used, so might as well have it out for defense.”

Qian Ai looked at the shiny weapon, feeling a bit odd. “The look of this gun… are you sure it’s real? It looks like a crystal model to me.”

Since they ran out, Qian Ai hadn’t heard a single gunshot, indicating the captain hadn’t actually pulled the trigger yet, just holding it for a morale boost.

Xu Wang didn’t like his long-awaited weapon being questioned. “If it weren’t for the limited bullets, I’d show you a shot right now and let you know what it means to shoot a hundred and never miss. I’ll become like the modern-day Li Guang*.”

*A Chinese military general of the Western Han dynasty. Nicknamed “Flying General” by the Xiongnu. He’s known for his archery and is often associated with archery excellence and martial prowess. In one song, he’s known to have pierced a stone with an arrow. 

Qian Ai still felt it was a bit wasteful to use such a fancy ‘stationery’ so early. “Actually, you should’ve tried the shaver first. Maybe like Wu Sheng’s scythe, it has added lethality!”

Xu Wang: “You can have it.”

Qian Ai: “Goodbye.”

“No, seriously, where are you taking my car…?” The Beetle’s driver, completely baffled by the “villains'” conversation, finally voiced his complaints and fears.

“To the docks,” Kuang Jinxin kindly answered.

The driver’s face changed. “Why the docks? Let me tell you, the north side of the city is even more chaotic than the south now. It’s literally hell on earth!”

Xu Wang immediately turned around. “Explain.”

“The virus broke out from the north side. I was there too, barely managed to cross the river back to the south on a boat.” The driver’s face turned pale. “Now everyone’s taking refuge in the south. The north is practically a dead city. Going there is like diving into a monster pit!”

Xu Wang said, “You’ve seen our fighting capability.”

The driver shook his head vigorously. “It’s no use. These zombies here are the lowest level. The ones in the north—the early-stage or near early-stage—are the real monsters. You won’t stand a chance!”

“Zombies have levels?”

“Yes, the closer to the source of the virus they are infected, the more thorough the mutation, and the more ferocious their capabilities!”

“Where’s the source of the infection?”

“The Central Hospital.”

The air suddenly became quiet, and the atmosphere became increasingly oppressive.

Even the Beetle’s driver felt it. “What’s wrong?”

Seeing his three teammates immersed in the sorrow of ‘life’s hardships’, Wu Sheng took on the role of ‘external communicator’. “We are actually heading to the Central Hospital.”

He had anticipated this.

From easy to difficult, that’s the rule of many things, especially in the “Owl,” where after all the hardships, the last thing is usually a big challenge. This is quite in line with the usual logic of the “Owl.”

“What, did, you, say?!” The Beetle’s driver panicked, unable to sit still any longer. “The docks, right? Just drop me off at the docks. You can have the car. I’ll go home myself!”

“How will you go back by yourself!” Qian Ai quickly restrained him.

The driver insisted, “It’s still better than going to the hospital to die!”

These words made Qian Ai’s heart tremble. He uncertainly looked at the captain and the advisor. “If the hospital is the source of the infection, then everyone inside must already be infected. Even if we bring the vaccines over, who are we giving them to?”

Kuang Jinxin pondered. “To the Zombie King?”

Qian Ai was speechless. “Brother, this is a vaccine, for preventing infection, not for curing!”

Wu Sheng said, “If the hospital is infected, yet we’re still tasked with delivering vaccines, then there must be an extremely hidden place inside that hasn’t fallen, with people still holding out, waiting to contribute to saving the world with their last breath.”

Xu Wang watched his confident expression. “You’re so sure?”

Wu Sheng quickly glanced back at him with a smile curling at his lips. “If I’m wrong, I’ll let you have the next chance to show off.”

“I don’t have such a need, okay…”

Xu Wang retorted somewhat grumpily, yet he couldn’t help but feel a swell of excitement in his heart.

It’s like a person who loves sweets telling someone who loves spicy food that he’s giving them his best candy.

The spicy lover has no interest in sweets.

But that’s the sweet lover’s best offering.

From this, it was evident that in these short seven days, he and Wu Sheng had bridged a gap of ten years of estrangement, returning to their high school camaraderie.

Xu Wang, in his self-absorbed deductions, couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy, quickly lowering his head to hide his emotions.

Wu Sheng didn’t notice the passenger’s whirlwind of thoughts, as he was focused on the road and contemplating the profound question of “what exactly is the captain’s need”.

The last sliver of the sunset completely vanished into the night. At the end of the road, the river was shivering under the light of the streetlights. A boat was gently rocking at the dockside.

They had arrived at the docks.

Wu Sheng lightly pressed the brake, slowing down to observe the surroundings from the last fifty meters.

However, just as the car slowed, a voice simultaneously echoed in the ears of all four companions—

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Drifting Hearse] on you~~]

In the next moment, the Beetle lost all response to Wu Sheng’s controls. It suddenly levitated and continued to “drive” forward in the air!

The four turned around in shock, or more precisely, looked back and down. Just a few meters behind and below their vehicle, the truck they had seen earlier outside the mall was silently moving forward as if muted!

No, not just muted—if the truck had been following them all along and Wu Sheng hadn’t noticed in the rearview mirror, it meant they had also used some item to “cloak” the truck!

But, if the truck was in front of them earlier, how did it get behind them?

“Damn, are they trying to throw us into the river?!” Qian Ai watched as the Beetle approached the water’s surface, his breath hitching. “I can’t swim—”

“Swimming won’t help.” the Beetle’s driver’s voice dropped, as if resigned to his fate. “The river is full of infected mutant fish. Fall in, and you’ll be gnawed to bones.”

Qian Ai: “…Do we have to go to such extremes?!”

“Sorry about this—” A voice of apology floated up from below, as if responding to Qian Ai’s lament.

With no zombies in the air, the four decided to roll down the windows and look down.

They saw no more zombies hanging from the truck; they must have been dealt with. In the two-seater cab of the truck, four young men around their twenties were crammed in. The one speaking to them from the passenger side window had a unique hairstyle. His sides were shaved extremely short, with the longer middle part tied back into a captivating braid.

What was more amazing was that this hairstyle, on him, didn’t look odd at all but instead seemed somewhat artistic and handsome.

That goes to show, the face is really important.

At that moment, the young man with the braids was sticking his head out, looking up at them with a look of apology on his face. “We didn’t intend to compete with you for this spot, but since there’s only one boat… let’s be considerate of each other—”

“Understood, understood. The situation is tough.” Xu Wang reached back for an explosive ball and tossed it out the window onto the top of the truck’s cab. “Here, have a ball—”

No matter how good-looking the competitors are, it doesn’t matter.

Besides, they’ve seen better in the Endless Sea.

The ball bounced twice on the roof and then exploded, filling the windshield with vibrant colors.

“Fuck—” the driver cursed, slamming on the brakes.

The river was ahead, and with the obstructed view, it was better to stop early than risk falling in.

“Talk too much and you’ll slip up…” A refined-looking student in the truck, who hadn’t spoken until then, sighed faintly in disapproval of his noisy teammate.

At that moment, Xu Wang and his companions’ car had floated to the riverside!

Xu Wang grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s plastic bag, hung it out of the window for those below to see, and loudly threatened, “This bag is full of explosives. If you dare throw us into the river, we’ll blow up your transportation!”

The driver popped his head out and flipped him off. “We’re at the river’s edge. Who needs a truck now!”

Xu Wang was taken aback, his threat feeling feeble and ineffective.

The handsome braid, the one who had just apologized, if not for the distance, might have reached out to push the driver’s head. “They’re talking about blowing up the boat! The boat! Ah, how many old ladies’ seats did I steal in my past life to end up with a captain like you—”

“Wait, let’s not fight,” said the only one wearing a fisherman’s hat in the truck. His earnest face was full of a sincere desire for “a team should all get along”. “Should I throw them or not?”

As this was being discussed, Xu Wang and their car suddenly stopped, perfectly positioned over the riverbank. A tad more forward, and it would fall into the water!

“The [Drifting Hearse] is his doing,” Wu Sheng whispered.

Xu Wang nodded barely perceptibly, murmuring, “Leave it to me.”

Eliminating the user of the stationery would automatically cancel the stationery effect.

And their car absolutely couldn’t drift even a centimeter forward. This was their only chance.

Wu Sheng knew Xu Wang was preparing to fire the first shot but was uncertain about the gun’s power. “Xiao Kuang’s explosive ball didn’t even crack their windshield. They must have used some protection.”

Xu Wang chuckled. “If it can’t even break a piece of armor, how can it be called ‘Unerring Accuracy’?”

For some reason, ever since he held the gun, he felt unusually confident, as if he could sense the legendary weapon’s power.

Inside the truck, the four were apparently arguing about whether or not to “accept the threat”.

Xu Wang held his breath. He stealthily extended out his hand holding the gun and aimed it at the chest of the guy wearing the fisherman hat. Then he pulled the trigger!

Under the night sky, a straight, piercing stream of water shot towards the truck’s windshield—so straight it was like a thin steel rod!

“Fwish—”

The swift stream of water indeed hit the windshield.

Then, the water splattered into a curtain, running down the glass…

Sometimes, your feelings for stationery might just be unrequited. — [Captain Xu’s Combat Diary]

The four inside the truck stopped arguing, perplexedly looking at their windshields, which had been washed clean.

The handsome braid bewilderedly looked at his teammates. “Why are they washing our truck…”

“Begging for mercy,” the driver, also the team captain with a buzz cut, confidently said. “That bag isn’t really explosives. They know they can’t fool us, so they’re blatantly begging for mercy.”

The fisherman-hat guy felt conflicted. “How can I act on this…”

The student with delicate features, who had been calm since the beginning, sighed. “To give roses, one’s hands will linger with its fragrance*. We might meet again in the future; if we can make a connection, let’s not make enemies.”

*Proverb referring to giving will also make you happy.

Midair, inside the Beetle.

Qian Ai: “Captain, this is kind of awkward now.”

Xu Wang remained silent, still holding down the trigger, clinging to his last bit of persistence.

Kuang Jinxin looked at the transparent water gun, then at the stream of water, and finally at the fisherman-hat guy, confidently saying, “Captain, it really is ‘Unerring Accuracy’. I saw the trajectory; if there wasn’t a windshield, the stream would have hit that person’s chest!”

“……” Captain Xu didn’t feel comforted.

There are no ‘ifs’ in the world. If there were, he wouldn’t have fired in the first place!

“A high-pressure water gun,” Wu Sheng suddenly said calmly.

Xu Wang finally reacted, continuing to shoot but turning his head towards Wu Sheng with a hint of hope. “Hmm?”

“I mean, this is a high-pressure water gun,” Wu Sheng said coolly. “If it directly hits a person or zombie, it might pierce through.”

The hope in Xu Wang’s heart, which had died, flickered alive again. “Really?”

Wu Sheng slowly nodded, as if to empower him.

Xu Wang took a deep breath, feeling his fighting spirit returning.

Qian Ai, utterly baffled, decided to ask anyway. “Captain, I’m still confused about something.”

Xu Wang didn’t look at him. His gaze was fixed on the windshield below, determined to fight to the end. “Speak.”

Qian Ai: “You said that every word in stationery matters. I understand ‘Unerring Accuracy’, but what about ‘Lightning’?”

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

It was a very pointed question.

So pointed that it gave all the companions an ominous premonition.

As if not wanting to let them down, right after Qian Ai’s last “what about”, Xu Wang’s gun suddenly lit up with a myriad of colors—purple, green, yellow, blue, red, orange, and a mix of rainbow colors, like a disco ball’s colorful spinning lights.

At the same time, rhythmic music burst out along with the stream from the gun’s nozzle, notes seemingly dancing within each water droplet.

Such a dynamic beat nostalgically reminded them of the 80s’ breakdance music.

“No colorful lights~~ No intoxicating drinks~~ Under the moonlight~~ Let’s dance, let’s dance, disco~~ disco~~ disco~~*”

*These are lyrics from the song “Moonlight Disco” by Zhang Qiang, who is hailed as the Chinese Disco Queen due to her covers of western disco songs in her early career. 

Inside the truck.

Handsome Braid: “They’ve started playing music, but the song is so weird…”

Fisherman Hat: “This way of showing goodwill is too sincere… Captain, it’s too hard to hurt people. Can I just use defense stationeries in the future?”

Buzzcut (driver and captain): “Fuck, why the hell do I want to move to this beat…”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 38: Car Jacking

When the security guard led the four to the side door of the mall, mysteriously handing over two items, they all wiped a cold sweat from their hearts. They had been too engrossed in selecting weapons and almost forgot the key point of this stage: Deliver vaccines… But first, they needed the vaccines!

Fortunately, the NPC of the mission line was diligent.

“All other doors are sealed. Only this one is accessible. Hurry up! Run towards the sunset of victory—”

After giving this “encouragement of love”, the security guard disappeared at the end of the mall; his great deed remained hidden.

The two items were a mini metal briefcase containing vaccines and a city map drawn on oil paper.

Outside the side door, there wasn’t a pedestrian street but a road. At that moment, several cars were parked haphazardly, looking as if the drivers had abandoned them in an emergency. Bloodstains on the ground spoke of the gruesomeness of their escape.

According to the map, their current location was in the southern part of the city, and the hospital was in the north. A river horizontally divided the south and north. To reach the north, they must cross the river, either by water or over a bridge.

Taking the waterway would be a straight line north through the commercial district, dock, and to the hospital, which was the shortest route. Taking the bridge would mean going east, then north, and finally west once they reached the north, a thrice-fold path doubling the journey.

Qian Ai looked at the clear map and said without hesitation, “If everyone has this map, then surely all teams would choose the waterway.”

“So the competition at the docks will be fierce.” Xu Wang carefully placed the vaccine box into his backpack.

“Then let’s do the opposite and head east to cross the bridge.” Qian Ai decisively changed his mind.

Wu Sheng shook his head. “Teams thinking like us might all swarm to the bridge to avoid the fray.”

Qian Ai was exasperated. “So it’s a vicious cycle?”

The captain and advisor looked at him. “We’re going to the dock.”

Qian Ai: “…Why?”

Captain Xu: “Shorter route, faster speed.”

Advisor Wu: “Even if we encounter competitors, they’ll regret why they chose this unfortunate path—one of no return.”

Captain Xu looked at his advisor, giving a rare affirmation during his moment of arrogance. “I admire your confidence.”

Advisor Wu accepted the praise with a smile. “You’re also quite decisive.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin, who had been silent, patted his teammate’s shoulder comfortingly. “See, this is why I never interrupt.”

Qian Ai felt genuinely hurt, still not understanding the principle and desperately needing his teammates to clarify. “Why not?”

Kuang Jinxin blinked blankly. “No reason. Just a gut feeling.”

Qian Ai: “……”

He felt as if the whole world had abandoned him.

“Bang—Bang—Bang—”

The thunderous collision noise was deafening, as if exploding right next to their ears. It not only made their scalps numb and their bodies shudder but also caused the entire glass door to tremble!

They all looked up sharply to see a heavy cargo truck crazily advancing on the road outside the door. The haphazardly parked cars were being knocked aside, spinning off to the roadside. The truck, with its sheer weight and speed, was clearing a bloody path through the congested two-lane road!

Finally, the truck cleared the last obstructing vehicle. But at that moment, all four heard the sound of a large group of people running frantically, getting louder as they approached!

After the truck cleared the obstacles and floored the gas pedal, just as it was about to leave the four’s field of vision, a horde of zombies chased after it from behind!

Their faces were swollen, drooling profusely, with wounds on their faces, necks, chests, and limbs. It seemed like endless pus and blood oozed from their wounds. Their skin turned a non-human, cyanotic hue, making them look like bloated corpses soaked in formalin for years.

Yet, their speed was unmistakable, like a group of adrenaline-charged people running wildly on the dusty road, crazily chasing the truck.

Perhaps, in their eyes, the truck wasn’t a vehicle but a moving meal box.

Finally, the truck left the four’s line of sight, but at that last moment, a tall, thin zombie, like a frog, leaped up and clung to the rear of the truck. Its legs dragged and scraped on the ground for a few meters due to the truck’s high speed before it managed to climb onto the cargo area.

And so, the truck drove away with that one zombie, leaving behind the chasing horde. Some persistently followed, while others stopped, standing around in confusion.

Suddenly, one of the zombies turned towards the glass door, tilting its head slightly and sizing it up in a daze. Then suddenly, with a howl, it charged towards them at full force!

The four instinctively retreated, and Qian Ai, moving too quickly, stumbled and fell to the ground. Simultaneously, the zombie slammed into the tempered glass door, causing a loud thud!

The side door wasn’t chained, but luckily, its automatic lock was relatively sturdy.

If it had been a person, they would have shattered their bones with such an impact. But the unsuccessful zombie continued to scratch and bite at the door in vain.

“We need to find a car…” Xu Wang, overwhelmed by the visual shock, tried to steady his trembling voice.

“Captain.” Qian Ai wanted to cry. “We can’t even get out right now. Can you not think so far ahead!”

“We’ll die without a car even if we get out,” Wu Sheng said. “So ‘getting out’ and ‘getting in a car’ must seamlessly connect.”

“How do we get out? Where are the cars? You mean those wrecked ones?” Qian Ai regretted it and really wanted to suggest to his teammates to just sit here and wait until 5 p.m. so they could all go home. TAT

“Screech—”

Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching against the asphalt resounded.

Xu Wang looked at his teammates, surprised, as if he had brought them this good luck. “Lao Qian, the car’s here!”

Qian Ai: “……”

Why did his wish come true now after being so unlucky for so long?!

Following the screech, the dozen or so stranded zombies collectively howled, like a carnival. The zombie that was pressed against the door immediately turned around, rushing back to the road and joining its brethren.

Only then did the four clearly see what stopped: a pink Beetle car, but unlike the normal single-door Beetles, this one had two doors on each side and was slightly larger overall. The two front lights even had eyelashes stuck on them, resembling a pair of eyes, flirting with pedestrians at any time.

This was the “Owl”, where seeing a car model not available in the market wasn’t strange. However, unique as it might be, without the weight of a truck, it needed the audacity of “whoever blocks it gets rammed”. Unfortunately, it lacked both, so its arrival was akin to a free head delivery*.

*Online term, usually in gaming, where it means to feed your opponents (by either purposefully or inadvertently getting yourself killed). Basically, a free kill.

“Xiao Kuang, give me some of your explosive balls,” Wu Sheng suddenly said.

Xu Wang immediately understood. “You want to distract the zombies?”

“Let me throw one to test the waters.” Wu Sheng took a handful of small balls from Kuang Jinxin. “If it works, we’ll scatter them all at once and make a run for it. We can’t let that car get away.”

Xu Wang felt conflicted, sensing that both they and the zombies were bad news for the Beetle’s owner.

The dozen or so zombies had already shifted their attention to the pink car, which was now surrounded. Several zombies had even jumped onto the car’s roof, bouncing with force as if celebrating.

Wu Sheng quietly disengaged the automatic door lock, grabbed the door handle, pushed it open with a forceful thrust, then quickly closed it again!

Click.

As the automatic lock clicked into place, the explosive ball landed on the road, about a dozen meters away. It first bounced half a meter high, then hit the ground and bounced again before exploding with a “bang”.

The noise was intimidating, yet what burst out was a colorful display.

“These are fireworks, aren’t they?” Qian Ai said, holding a screwdriver and finally feeling a bit relieved.

Wu Sheng frowned, obviously surprised that he had miscalculated the type and amount of explosive.

“It’s fine,” Xu Wang said. “The noise is enough.”

The trio looked up, and indeed, a third of the zombies that were surrounding the Beetle had now, fast or slow, moved towards the lingering smoke of the explosion.

Wu Sheng no longer hesitated, quickly reopened the door, and once again threw a handful of the colorful explosive balls towards the same spot!

The balls fell like rain, bouncing and exploding in a brilliant display.

“Bang, bang, bang—”

The splendor of the explosions was undeniable.

The zombies still around the car couldn’t remain calm and rushed towards the explosion site, and the first third of the zombies that had run over were now blasted into the air!

“I said it was an explosive.” Wu Sheng turned back, glancing coolly at Qian Ai. “And it definitely is.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Xu Wang was at a loss for words. “Let’s not boast at a time like this. Focus on the car!”

Just as the four focused on the Beetle, the last zombie on the car roof jumped down and ran towards the “rain of color”.

The path to the vehicle was clear.

The four immediately rushed out the door. Xu Wang, running at the rear and still wanting a real weapon for defense, gritted his teeth and selected the [Lightning Gun with Unerring Accuracy], which he had been eager to try since he got it.

The driver inside the Beetle, still bewildered by the explosion, saw four “villains” running out of the nearby mall: one wielding a scythe, one holding a screwdriver, one carrying a plastic bag, and one holding a crystal-clear, diamond-bright pistol in the sunset!

The Beetle’s driver instinctively knew he needed to flee, but his body was too stiff to move. Then, a scythe hooked directly onto his car door handle!

“Open the door—”

The villain with the scythe even yelled at him! TAT

Huh?

Can talk?

Can communicate?

Is it a person?!

Facing the “civilized driver” who could even brake sharply when zombies blocked the road, he immediately opened the door for his fellow human.

The one with the plastic bag and the one with the screwdriver squeezed into the back seat, while the one with the gun sat in the passenger seat without hesitation. Only the one with the scythe remained motionless until the other three were settled. Then, he pushed the scythe into the back seat. “Can’t put it in front. Hold it for me.”

Qian Ai, avoiding the blade with all his flexibility, reached out to grab the handle, but just as he did, the scythe was yanked away!

A zombie, coming from nowhere, pounced towards Wu Sheng from the side!

Advisor Wu instinctively made a horizontal slash with the scythe. The blade directly hit the zombie’s neck. With a “whoosh” the zombie’s head was cut clean off!

The head rolled forward a couple of times before coming to a stop, eyes still wide open in death.

Wu Sheng was no less shocked than the “victim”.

Firstly, decapitating someone—even a zombie—isn’t like chopping vegetables; it requires a physiological and psychological adjustment.

Secondly, severing a human neck isn’t so easy, especially since his hands were more accustomed to typing on a keyboard than wielding the godlike strength to cleave someone in two with a single blow!

“Wu Sheng—” Xu Wang leaned over, urging through the rear car window. “Hurry up and get in the car!”

Advisor Wu, who had just “killed” his first zombie, came back to his senses and immediately stuffed the scythe back into the back seat.

Qian Ai, who almost got cut by the scythe’s blade, finally managed to lay across the wooden handle, but with a desire to cry without tears. “I mean, can’t you choose a safer weapon, like a screwdriver? It’s quite good!”

“It’s not cool enough.” After passing the scythe, Advisor Wu left this simple and clear reason, then decisively slammed the rear door shut, pulled open the front door, and squeezed into the driver’s seat.

“Hey, hey, hey—” Just as the Beetle’s driver was about to protest, he was pulled over by four arms stretching from the back seat.

The Beetle’s driver was about to have a breakdown. “Be careful with the scythe. Ahhhh—”

Finally, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and the Beetle’s driver settled in the back seat. Captain Xu in the passenger seat had already fastened his seatbelt. Seeing Wu Sheng so naturally taking the driver’s seat, he casually asked, “Are you good at driving?”

Wu Sheng was holding the steering wheel in one hand and shifting gears with the other. “Let me put it this way, if Qian Ai’s [Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring] were mine…”

Xu Wang: “Like adding wings to a tiger?”

Wu Sheng: “Straight to scrap.”

Xu Wang: “…You’re better than Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring?”

Wu Sheng: “I knew you’d understand.”

Xu Wang: “I, do, not!!!”

As Captain Xu roared, Advisor Wu floored the accelerator, and the Beetle charged forward towards the zombies!

“You’ll hit someone if you rush like that—” the driver in the back seat panicked.

Qian Ai finally understood how he had been previously stopped. “Open your tiny eyes and look carefully. Are those still people?!”

“But still…” The young driver understood, but he couldn’t get past the psychological barrier.

Qian Ai couldn’t stand his hesitance. “You’re a grown man, brave enough to drive such a flamboyant car. How can you be so timid at a critical moment?!”

The young driver felt extremely aggrieved. “This isn’t my car! It’s my boyfriend’s!”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Why does every NPC have to have their own subtle emotional storyline!

Amid the chaotic conversation, the Beetle broke through the zombies blocking the road and sped away.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 37: The End of the World

At half past eleven at night, four fully rested people, uniformly carrying the small backpacks they bought in the afternoon, took what they deemed useful and rule-abiding items and took a taxi to the Yellow River Estuary Scenic Area. Naturally, the scenic area had closed for the day, signifying no entry for visitors. The ticket booth area was deserted, with only dry leaves rustling in the night breeze.

The four found a concealed corner to wait for midnight.

Their target location was right at the scenic area’s ticket booth, meaning they were precisely on the mark.

However, as this was the designated coordinate, the absence of any “fellow competitors” even as 11:50 approached made them suspicious.

“Could we have gotten the wrong place?” Qian Ai wondered aloud, looking around. “Or are the other teams hiding somewhere out of sight?”

“Don’t bother. If they wanted to hide, you wouldn’t find them.” Xu Wang rubbed his sore eyes. He had been on alert, scanning the surroundings for the past twenty minutes; other than the faintly glowing flora under the moonlight, there was no one to be seen.

Kuang Jinxin pondered for a moment and speculated, “Could it be that when we were at the Endless Sea yesterday, the other eligible teams had already come and attempted this challenge, with the losers lagging behind and the successful ones moving forward, leaving us alone today?”

Qian Ai looked at his teammates. “I’ve noticed you always hope for the best in every situation…”

Wu Sheng looked towards the depths of the scenic area. “The checkpoint for this challenge is at a hospital. If the coordinate is indeed the hospital, then there’s no need for a hard escape…”

Hearing the implication in his words, Xu Wang said, “You mean, other teams might have gone to a place closer to the hospital to wait for midnight? Maybe inside the scenic area?”

“Or what ‘they think’ is closer to the hospital,” Wu Sheng added precisely.

Xu Wang understood. Mao Qiping had mentioned that the city maps in 3/23 are fixed, but the real-world coordinates corresponding to those maps are slightly adjusted daily, either shifting or rotating clockwise or counterclockwise. So, even teams that have cleared this challenge before can’t be completely accurate based on memory.

But having experience should be advantageous. Only greenhorns like them, without any 3/23 experience, would naively stick to the given coordinates by the [Cheat Sheet].

Wait.

If there really were no other teams around… could it be that tonight’s challenge is filled with veterans and they are the only newbies?!

“Hoot, hoot—”

At midnight, the Owl hooted eerily.

The four felt as if they were freefalling from a plane. After falling at such a speed, their hearts were about to leap out of their chests before they landed on the cold ceramic floor tiles with a “thud”.

Under the dim light, the floor reflected a cool light, and the air was filled with the smell of disinfectant, creating a somber and oppressive atmosphere.

The high alertness induced by the “speedy zombies” didn’t allow them to delay; as soon as they landed, they sprung up, surveying their surroundings tensely.

Fortunately, it was a small place.

A men’s restroom.

“This respawn point is really…” Qian Ai couldn’t find the words as he looked at the urinals.

“Don’t be picky.” Xu Wang comforted him. “At least there are no zombies here, and the environment is somewhat familiar.”

“We were told there would be weapons, right?” Wu Sheng didn’t mind the setting. There was no audience anyway. In contrast, he was more concerned about tangible benefits.

“Could it be…” Kuang Jinxin pointed towards the end stall. “Those?”

The others looked and immediately understood Kuang Jinxin’s hesitation.

At the deepest part of the restroom, right in front of the last stall, were four squarely arranged metallic boxes, each about seventy to eighty centimeters tall. The silver boxes, adorned with antique patterns, were so tall that the top one nearly reached the ceiling.

“Are these weapons or armors…” Xu Wang looked up, feeling the weight of responsibility.

As the captain, he was the first to approach the box. Crouching down, he knocked on the side of the box like one would tap a watermelon, producing a thumping sound. It didn’t really give any clue, but it was more for psychological comfort. Seeing that nothing strange happened after the knocking, he reached out and gently slid the metal strip that was vertically placed on the upper part of the box wall facing him to the side.

The “box wall” was actually the door of the box, with the hinge on the bottom edge. The other three sides weren’t connected to the box body. Therefore, when he slid the metal strip away, the door of the box fell towards him, revealing the true contents inside.

An electric shaver.

“……” Xu Wang braced himself with his hands on the ground to keep from losing his balance while crouching.

A half-meter-tall box, and all it contained was a shaver?!

Don’t they know about eco-friendly packaging?!

“Captain?” Blocked by Xu Wang’s figure at the mouth of the box, the three teammates couldn’t see inside. They only noticed him suddenly freeze, so Kuang Jinxin voiced his concern with some worry.

“It’s fine.” Captain Xu waved his hand to his teammates while facing away, then picked up the shaver and stood up to enter the open compartment next to him. “You guys continue opening the boxes. I need to calm down for a bit.”

The three teammates stopped talking. They all saw the shaver in the captain’s hand and understood that what he needed most at that moment was not to “chat” but to have some “quiet time”.

Exchanging a glance to confirm their thoughts, Qian Ai was the next to go.

He was tall with long arms, so he directly climbed to the door of the compartment and opened the top metal box.

Click.

The box wall fell with a sound, revealing the same scenario as Captain Xu’s—a screwdriver.

Qian Ai, already mentally prepared, calmly took the screwdriver and jumped down from the door of the compartment.

Perhaps reaching his limit of endurance, as he landed, the door of the compartment suddenly slanted down with a “crack”. Qian Ai stood still for two seconds, then grasped the essence of this “weapon”.

He turned back, straightened the door, and tightened the screws again.

The scene was too comical, and the remaining two teammates couldn’t bear to watch, turning their attention back to the boxes.

“Sheng Ge, you go first.” Kuang Jinxin disliked making choices; he preferred the others pick first, leaving one for him.

Wu Sheng shrugged, walked over, and picked the second box from the top. Reaching up on tiptoes, he just touched the top edge of the box and lightly pushed it open. The box wall fell down.

A… scythe?

Wu Sheng reached out and felt it, only to see clearly that it was not a curved sword but a sickle, albeit with an extremely exaggerated design for the blade. The wooden handle was only thirty to forty centimeters long, while the blade itself was almost eighty centimeters long. It had a significant curvature, tapering down from the wide part at the connection with the handle and gradually narrowing towards the end, culminating in a sharp and pointed tip.

This top-heavy sickle was awkward to handle, and even more bizarrely, the wooden handle had a series of protruding rings, resembling bamboo joints.

Wu Sheng frowned, stepped back to create space, and swung the sickle forward vigorously.

He meant only to test the feel, but as he swung, the tip firmly embedded itself in the bottom of the box he had just opened.

“Clang—” A metallic sound rang out.

His arms, halted by the box bottom and unable to swing further, were left numb from the vibration.

Wu Sheng maintained his pose of swinging the sickle, looking astonished.

He had made enough space, theoretically not hitting the box, but as he swung down, the handle lengthened.

At the critical moment, Qian Ai, who had ducked into the bathroom compartment, peeked out. His heart was pounding, and he dared not shout, only managing to grit his teeth. “Next time you do something dangerous, could you at least warn us first—”

His teammate’s complaint snapped Wu Sheng back to reality. He retracted the “extendable sickle”, trying to shorten the handle back to its original length, but couldn’t push it back in.

Now the blade and handle were balanced, and the series of protrusions on the handle smoothed out, but it was even more inconvenient to hold. It was too big to be held like a spear due to its top-heaviness and too cumbersome to be slung or carried on the back like a regular blade.

With no other option, Wu Sheng had to carry the handle on his shoulder, letting the blade hang behind.

It was carried, sure, but such a weapon was essentially synonymous with “extremely inconvenient to use,” right?!

“So handsome…” On the other side, Captain Xu peeked out with eyes twinkling.

Advisor Wu, carrying the sickle, paused. “Huh?”

“Like Death’s scythe, it’s quite imposing.” The last part, “that even Death would look good”, Captain Xu kept to himself, savoring the thought.

“Really?” Despite saying it with disdain, Advisor Wu, carrying the sickle, elegantly twirled a full 360° to showcase the look.

“That’s enough. Don’t scrape us.” Qian Ai felt uneasy, even standing a meter away from the sickle. “Xiao Kuang, take your weapon—”

With time being of the essence, Wu Sheng hastily stopped spinning and stepped aside to give space to his teammate.

Only one box was left. Kuang Jinxin stepped forward to open it.

Inside was a bulging white plastic bag, like a takeout order.

Kuang Jinxin untied the plastic bag tied with a slipknot.

A bag full of colorful, candy-like, semi-transparent balls about the size of ping pong balls with a smooth and clear surface. Squeezing one lightly with his hand, it felt moderately soft and hard, similar to the texture of rubber.

The three teammates gathered around to look, squeeze, and smell.

Qian Ai: “Rubber balls?”

Wu Sheng: “You’d better not think about throwing them on the ground.”

Xu Wang looked at his advisor. “Did you notice anything?”

Wu Sheng confidently said, “The scent of gunpowder.”

Qian Ai hurriedly put the balls back into the plastic bag, fearing they might explode any second.

Xu Wang sniffed the balls again. With Wu Sheng’s hint, he seemed to really smell a bit of the gunpowder scent. Usually, gunpowder smells strong when it’s about to explode; this scent was faint. How did Wu Sheng discern it?

Seeing his question, Wu Sheng took the initiative to explain. “When I was a kid, I dismantled fireworks. They smelled like this.”

“Fireworks are meant to be set off.” Xu Wang looked at him puzzledly. “Why did you dismantle them?”

Wu Sheng said, “To study their structure.”

Xu Wang: “…….”

“So, is this a bag of mini explosive balls?!” Qian Ai looked at his teammate’s bag of “heavy artillery” and then at his own “screwdriver”, feeling a sudden surge of despair. They were teammates, fighting together. Did they have to be treated so differently?!

“Shave off your worries.” Captain Xu handed the electric shaver to his teammate, gripping it firmly. “I just tried it. It’s quite useful.”

Facing life’s unfairness, one should maintain a Buddhist-like calm and not only focus on oneself but also lead the teammates to the same mindset. — [Captain Xu’s Team Building Handbook]

Exiting the restroom, the four finally understood why they hadn’t encountered any zombies.

This was a fully enclosed mall, with locked entrances and exits. Security guards were patrolling each floor orderly and nervously. Customers, or rather refugees, had gathered on the first floor of the mall. From the messy bedding on the ground, they had been hiding here for quite some time.

The four men crossed past the sitting and lying refugees to the revolving door.

The tall revolving door was blocked, unable to be pushed from either inside or outside, and the side doors on both sides were tightly closed. The locks should have been engaged, but there were double safety chain locks tied on the door handles.

The clock in the mall showed that it was the afternoon. Outside the mall, there was a pedestrian street. Through the glass, one could see the row of shops opposite the street, each with its own style—some fresh and elegant, others fashionable and trendy, or clear and pragmatic. There were flower shops, gourmet food, cafes, and clothing stores located one next to the other, house by house, making it not difficult to imagine the hustle and bustle of the past.

But now, everything was in disarray.

The doors of the shops had been smashed open, the glass shattered, benches askew, awnings collapsed, walls splattered with blood, and limbs lying on the ground. There were neither living people nor zombies to be seen. The entire street was emptily quiet.

It was a clear evening, with not a single cloud in the sky. The setting sun generously spreads its light, casting a warm filter over this apocalyptic streetscape.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 36: Treasure Chest

They initially thought there was no choice in the treasure chest, but upon opening it, they found four smaller, more exquisite chests inside. The four teammates exchanged looks and, in a harmonious motion, each took one.

Qian Ai closely examined the chest he picked up, his mind awash with nervousness, excitement, and apprehension. He knew that the anticipation before opening a prize is often the most delightful part, allowing one to fantasize about a beautiful new world.

Taking a gentle breath, he looked at his three teammates. “Who will open theirs first…”

Before he could finish, his words were cut off by a sudden flash of bright light.

The dazzling light was intense but brief, lasting only a moment.

As Qian Ai lowered his hand from shielding his eyes, he realized his teammates had already opened their chests, with such casual motions devoid of any ceremonial respect for the chests!

Their arms chimed with a “Ding-a-ling~” sound similar to when they handed in their papers—cheerful and crisp.

Simultaneously, the chests in their hands disappeared.

“Stationery?” Seeing his teammates all lifting their arms to check, Qian Ai guessed the nature of the reward, feeling a bit disappointed. “Didn’t Mao Qiping say there would be money too…?”

“This stationery seems a bit different.” Kuang Jinxin extended his arm to Qian Ai, seemingly unsure how to explain, and instead let him look directly.

[Stationery Box]: [(Defense) Candy House], [(Illusory) Calling a Deer a Horse*]]

*(指鹿为马) Idiom referring deliberately confusing right and wrong, misrepresenting things (AKA calling white, black).

These were Kuang Jinxin’s entire stationery. “Candy House” was the reward from the last level, which Qian Ai remembered, so obviously, the chest provided [Calling a Deer a Horse].

Qian Ai was about to ask what was so different about it, as they’ve had many tools named after idioms before, when he suddenly paused, leaned closer, and finally noticed that the prefix before [Calling a Deer a Horse]—(Illusory).

It wasn’t offense or defense…

“Illusory stationery?” It seemed the only way to call it but saying it out loud felt strange to Qian Ai. “What does that mean? Fantasy? Magic? Illusion*?”

*Clarity: The word is (幻) which can mean fantasy, magical, illusionary… so it’s quite vague without further context.

“It’s probably a special category that can’t be simply classified as either defense or offense,” Wu Sheng pondered aloud.

Qian Ai was stunned. “You got an illusory stationery too?”

Wu Sheng looked at his teammates and slowly uttered in English, “Don’t Lie to Me.”

His voice was low, almost like a whisper. His face carried a smirk that seemed straight out of a luxury brand advertisement, mysterious and elegant. But Qian Ai just wanted to throw a treasure chest at him.

Their captain clearly empathized and nudged him with an elbow. “Speak human.”

Advisor Wu Sheng showed his arm in confusion. His eyes, which had just been electrified, were now filled with a pitiful look. “It’s just this name, [Don’t Lie to Me].”

Qian Ai, along with the captain, looked at the advisor’s [Stationery Box].

Ah, it was true.

[(Illusory) Don’t Lie to Me].

Such a high-class name was obviously tailored for their advisor. =_=

First encountering an illusionary stationery and then realizing stationeries could have English names, Qian Ai felt that there must be some surprise waiting in the captain’s chest, so he straightforwardly looked at Xu Wang, asking with his gaze.

Xu Wang shrugged. “I wasn’t as lucky as they were. What I got is just a regular weapon.”

Qian Ai observed him for a moment and straightforwardly said, “Captain, you’re enjoying this.”

[(Offense) Lightning Gun with Unerring Accuracy*]

*A hundred shots with a hundred hits (百发百中) Idiom referring to archery or gun shooting accurately and hitting the target every time. Metaphorically, it could mean being fully confident in doing things.

As Captain Xu showed off his weapon to his teammates, he couldn’t contain his joy, feeling like he had obtained an ultimate divine weapon. His soul soared to the clouds and then burst into fireworks. “Unerring Accuracy! Isn’t this cool? I’m just asking you guys, isn’t this gun so cool?!”

When he saw Fair Face use the stun gun in the previous level, Xu Wang wondered when he would also acquire a weapon-type stationery. Not that he wanted to go on a rampage, but at least when other teams tried to mess with them, they would have to think twice seeing this equipment.

Moreover—

Compared to arms swinging fire and wind and looking up at the sky and repelling nails, a lightning gun with unerring accuracy would be invincible in battle—this is how props should be, filled with the aura of a conqueror! Who needs to see a bunch of grown men romantically flying to the moon!

“Captain.” Kuang Jin Xin hesitated for a long time but finally spoke up to interrupt his captain’s reverie. “Isn’t this stationery a bit too violent…”

As someone who had experienced it firsthand, Qian Ai also wanted to advocate for “world peace”. “Wielding a gun is too brutal. With every shot, how much psychological trauma will be sown? After I was shocked last time, now every time I charge my phone, I feel like wearing insulated gloves.”

Xu Wang: “……”

The saddest thing in the world is when no one can understand your happiness.

“Wu Sheng.” Captain Xu looked towards the last hope. “What do you think of this weapon?”

Wu Sheng nodded calmly. “It’s quite good.”

Xu Wang raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

After some thought, Wu Sheng added, “It’s just that the name is too simple and crude, lacking poetry. Look at my ‘Don’t Lie to Me’…”

“Lao Qian!” Xu Wang suddenly turned his head. “Quick, open your box!”

Qian Ai felt wronged. None of the three had supported the captain, so why did the captain suddenly drop the bomb on him!

Whether it was laughter or numerous twists and turns, everything dispersed cleanly at the moment Qian Ai opened his box. This Endless Sea journey had seen them use three stationery and now they had opened three more. Whether it was a gain or a loss depended on Qian Ai’s action.

The air in the treasure vault quieted down as all eight eyes focused on Qian Ai’s hands, waiting to be blinded by the golden light.

Qian Ai held his breath, mentally counting one, two, three!

Click.

The lid opened in response, but there was no golden light. Instead, a stack of hundred-yuan bills filled the small box to the brim.

Qian Ai took out the money, and the box disappeared instantly, just like the ones his teammates had opened earlier. There was no “ding-a-ling~” sound of stationery updates, but the weight of the money in his hands was real.

“Ahem.” Qian Ai cleared his throat as a sort of initiation ceremony, then held the money in one hand and started rubbing it with the other, activating his proficient “money counting skill”.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin all stayed quiet, leaving only the rhythmic and dense sound of money counting in the vast treasure vault.

Soon, Qian Ai finished counting and then looked seriously at his teammates. “Twenty thousand exactly.”

Xu Wang nodded. “Keep it. It’s your gain.”

“No.” Qian Ai frowned as if the money burnt his hands. “You all got stationery. Why am I the only one who got money? It’s too vulgar!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jin Xin: “……”

Xu Wang sighed meaningfully. “Lao Qian, just be happy. Holding it in is uncomfortable. Trust me, I have experienced it.”

Qian Ai’s frown deepened, his voice full of righteousness. “You can insult me, but not money!”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Qian Ge, you seem to have spoken your true thoughts.”

“The Qian Ai who views money as dirt” lived for a total of two minutes from its birth to demise.

Then, the maxed-out Classmate Qian finally cracked a wide grin.

After so much effort, they finally saw some gains! TAT

But as much as he wanted to celebrate, Qian Ai knew well the source of the money, so after enjoying his moment, he still resolutely handed the money to Xu Wang. “This isn’t my gain. It’s our team’s loot. It should go into the communal wallet.”

Xu Wang didn’t take it. “Our gain is stationery, yours is money. It’s fair and reasonable.”

Wu Sheng provided theoretical support. “If you want to put this money into the communal wallet, then we’d have to share the stationery as well. Otherwise, it’s still unfair.”

Kuang Jinxin, not one for grand statements, simply said, “Qian Ge, just keep it. Consider it stationery for your [Stationery Box].”

Qian Ai pondered for a while, then suddenly divided the money in half, pocketed one part, and looked up with determined eyes, holding the other half. “Fine, the money is mine, but I will donate 50%.”

If someone had told him before that he would give away money he had just received, he would have taken it as a vile curse. But now, he really wanted to do so and would be happy doing it. Anyone who stopped him might face his wrath.

“Xu Wang, if you don’t take it now, you’re not considering me as a teammate.” Qian Ai grabbed Xu Wang’s hand and forcibly stuffed the remaining half of the money into it. “An alumnus is making it big. He should donate to his alma mater…”

“Fine.”

“And I didn’t donate it all… Wait?” Qian Ai paused, suddenly realizing what was happening and staring at Xu Wang.

“Principal Xu” smoothly pocketed the money and then patted Qian Ai’s shoulder. “Classmate, your alma mater is proud of you.”

Qian Ai swallowed his prepared grand speech, managing to say with difficulty. “Principal, don’t you think you took the money a bit too quickly…”

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the Endless Sea. Let’s set the paddles and brave the waves! Dear, see you tomorrow~]

As if sensing their settled dust, a teasing congratulation played in their ears. Their Endless Sea journey for the night thus came to a close.

Mao Qiping had said, you enter the Endless Sea from where you came in and leave from the same place, so returning to the waiting hall didn’t surprise the four. What was unexpected was that instead of being ejected from the dome as they entered, they blinked and found themselves sitting in the chairs near the boarding gate.

This was exactly where they had been sitting earlier. Even their bags were placed as they were at midnight. If not for the smell of seawater on their clothes, not to mention the aches in their waists and arms, they would have believed the past few hours were just a dream.

Across from them, on the row of chairs, sat a hipster youth who was on the same flight as them. He had reacted most dramatically when they were sucked into the dome earlier, whistling and taking out his phone to record the event, making him quite memorable.

But now, the youth merely glanced over nonchalantly, then continued listening to his headphones, as if the four of them had been sitting there all along, never having left.

It was still raining.

The terminal at 2:30 a.m. was quiet and drowsy.

Kuang Jinxin had somehow gone out and brewed a thermos of tea, but none of his teammates took the offer, so he savored it alone.

“Be careful or you won’t be able to sleep,” Xu Wang warned, as their most important task now was to catch up on sleep and recover.

Kuang Jinxin had just poured a lid-full of tea and looked up at the mention. “It’s lotus seed and licorice tea. It soothes the mind and aids sleep.”

“Oh.” Captain Xu naturally extended his hand. “Then give me a cup too.”

A minute later, all four teammates each had a cup of tea, listening to the rain hit the glass. They sipped the tea while smelling the clear fragrance of lotus, breathed out a sigh of relief, and watched the rain, all enjoying the comfort akin to an early retirement. Nothing could be more beautiful than the warm and composed setting sun.

The stormy waves of the Endless Sea seemed like a distant affair, so far away it made them wish if it all could just end here, and they never had to enter that hellish “Owl” again.

All four of them thought more or less the same, yet all remained silently in agreement.

Because there were no ifs, and because the voice that had sent them out said, “See you tomorrow.”

The pleasure of listening to the rain turned into a gaze into the oppressive night amidst a hundred thoughts.

Qian Ai couldn’t take the silence and decided to break it. “I don’t get it. Why are your stationery so straightforward and effective, like using [Wind That Sweeps Away the Clouds] to blow away your opponents, or [Hit Me If You Dare] to repel attacks?”

Kuang Jinxin tilted his head in thought. “Your [A Single Leaf Blocks the Eyes] is also immediate in effect.”

“But that’s defensive! Think about [Words Like Pearls and Jade] or [Invincible Hot Wheels].” Qian Ai could almost write a complaint. “I mean, it’s exhausting. You can’t keep up without good stamina!”

“The duration of a stationery’s effectiveness should relate to its attribute and effect.” Wu Sheng noted. “Like your [Invincible Hot Wheels] and Xiao Kuang’s [Tears Like Rain]; they aren’t one-and-done stationery. They require continuous commands from the user to really bring out their destructive power, so these stationeries must be given a certain effective duration. Conversely, there are one-time use stationery.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jin Xin: “……”

Both, in all honesty, found that Advisor Wu’s explanation wasn’t entirely gibberish and could grasp some of it, but it required time.

Xu Wang put down his teacup and put his hands on the shoulders of his two teammates.

All six eyes met.

“Stationery that can kill someone in one go, like [One Fell Swoop], is one-time use; it becomes invalid after use. Whether you can kill someone depends on how well you operate it, like [Tears Like Rain] or [Words Like Pearls and Jade], which are given a certain amount of time to use.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Captain…”

Qian Ai: “No wonder you were always praised for reading comprehension in our language class.”

Wu Sheng frowned, having tried hard to simplify his way of speaking and believing he had made some progress. Why couldn’t his teammates feel it?

Feeling oppressed and unwilling to accept defeat, Advisor Wu struck again. Of course, to avoid seeming too abrupt, he had to use some fashionable vocabulary that resonated seamlessly into the conversation. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. A weapon capable of delivering a fatal blow must be disposable. Otherwise, if one could capture everything in one fell swoop here and there, no one else would stand a chance. Everyone in the world would have to call them ‘Dad’.”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Ah, Wu Sheng carefully observed his teammates’ faces, feeling a disconnect from what he expected.

Xu Wang sighed tiredly, looking sincerely into his advisor’s eyes. “When you’re with your laptop, just focus on your work, okay? Don’t surf the internet for random things…”

By 6 a.m., the rain had stopped.

By 8 a.m., the sun dispersed the last traces of haze, revealing a clear blue sky.

By 10 a.m., their delayed flight finally took off.

The four drank their tea and then lay on the chairs to sleep, from 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. They hastily ate breakfast and continued sleeping on the plane, undisturbed by meal and drink services, deeply asleep until they reached Dongying. In this way, they disembarked somewhat refreshed.

They agreed with Mao Qiping’s advice not to enter a new level too hastily, impulsively, or carelessly. However, as they had already bought their tickets and spent the money, they couldn’t just not use them and buy train tickets instead. So, this advice would have to wait for the next level.

The precise location of the new coordinates was at the Yellow River Estuary Scenic Area in Huanghekou Town, Dongying City.

Xu Wang always wonders why the “Owl” likes to set coordinates in scenic spots. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely think that the “Owl” has a ticket-sharing arrangement with these scenic spots, hence the effort to attract customers to the area. But the problem was that the “Owl” shouldn’t be short of money. The 20,000 yuan Qian Ai obtained, after ATM verification, was confirmed to be genuine.

It was only a forty-minute drive from the airport to Huanghekou Town. The three of them took a taxi directly to the town and found a hotel to settle down.

Four people, two standard rooms. It seemed there was already a default arrangement of who would stay with whom. When Xu Wang took out his ID card, Wu Sheng naturally took it and handed it to the reception desk along with his own.

After settling their luggage, it was time for lunch. Lao Qian, not wanting to be outdone, re-entered the world of live streaming.

Arriving in Shandong, naturally, they had to eat Shandong cuisine, and being near the river, freshwater delicacies were a must. Thus, today, Lao Qian Eats All Over China broadcast was particularly popular, with many new fans joining and old fans suspecting Streamer Qian had won a lottery. The recent live broadcast foods spanned from east to west; yesterday was Shaanxi’s Saozi noodles and basin mutton, and today it was sweet and sour carp and braised intestines. It was unpredictable and full of regional and novelty appeal.

They ate lunch until after three in the afternoon. Like in Shaanxi, while Lao Qian was live streaming, Wu Sheng was busy working on his laptop during meal breaks. Kuang Jinxin browsed his phone and occasionally chatted with classmates to inquire about the school situation. Bored, Xu Wang opened the memo app on his phone to study.

The memo, transferred from Wu Sheng’s phone, was packed with text about the third challenge they had acquired from Mao Qiping and were about to face.

3/23 Content:

Break through the zombie siege and escort the vaccine to the central city hospital.

3/23 Strategy:

1. Find a car, or you won’t survive more than thirty minutes;
2. The randomly distributed weapons are trash. Look for better ones in the city, or use stationery;
3. Headshots or destroying the brain are the only ways to render zombies powerless;
4. Once bitten and bleeding, you’re infected with the virus and will become an indiscriminate attacking zombie;
5. Don’t trust experience; no route is absolutely safe as zombie distribution changes daily;
6. Entering the hospital doesn’t mean all is well. The last obstacle is often the hardest, including but not limited to, zombies falling from the sky, collapsing grounds, flooded corridors, etc. Please be prepared both physically and mentally;
7. The mission is only considered a success when all members reach the hospital and deliver the vaccine.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 35: Climbing the Lighthouse

Just when the four thought that the obstacles were cleared and the path ahead was open, suddenly four figures rushed out from behind a small pile of broken reefs behind the lighthouse, swiftly skimming the base of the lighthouse like mudfish and slipping into the main entrance!

Xu Wang and his team, positioned diagonally in front of the lighthouse, could only watch helplessly as the opportunists emerged from behind the rocks and stole their victory in an instant!

The lighthouse was only about ten to twenty meters high, so reaching the top was a matter of minutes. Mao Qiping had said that it doesn’t matter who knocks down the lighthouse keeper; what is essential is entering the treasure vault—that is the ultimate goal. Those people choosing to hide behind the rocks at the back of the lighthouse clearly indicated their strategy of giving up a frontal assault for a more opportunistic approach.

“Shit—”

“Fuck—”

The curses from Wu Sheng and Qian Ai burst out simultaneously, creating a peculiar effect of Chinese-English comparison*. Taken aback, the two glanced at each other, and in the next moment, both leaped up and dashed toward the main entrance of the lighthouse at their top speed!

*Clarity: Shit was said in English.

Kuang Jinxin came to his senses after his two teammates had already chased off and hurriedly got up to follow.

But soon, he sensed something was off. Wu Sheng and Qian Ai had already reached the door of the lighthouse, and he himself was halfway there, but where was their captain?

Just as the question arose in his mind, he heard Xu Wang’s shout from behind. “You guys chase. I’ll block from above. We’ll encircle them front and back—”

Kuang Jin Xin paused. “Above?”

“Got it—” Running at the front, the advisor of the team didn’t slow down or turn his head but responded with confidence before sprinting into the lighthouse.

Upon hearing Xu Wang’s tactic, Qian Ai hesitated for a moment, obviously not as clear as Wu Sheng, but eventually, without asking further, he quickened his steps and followed in.

Kuang Jinxin finally reacted.

With the height of this lighthouse, one doesn’t need to run many stairs to reach the top. In such a short time, even if they chased inside the tower, the probability of catching or even stopping the opponents was minimal. The only way was if they could somehow reach the top first, all four storming the treasure vault together, or at least one of them arriving first to block the opponents at the door of the vault, buying time for the others.

The captain intended to be this blocker, as he had [Chang’e Flying to the Moon], which, as the name suggests, must include flying as one of its effects. The captain could then ignore the stairs and fly in from the outside, landing directly in front of the treasure vault!

Realizing this, Kuang Jin Xin, who had already reached the lighthouse’s door, still swiftly turned back for a glance, seeing only the seriousness on Xu Wang’s face and the determination in his eyes.

This wasn’t the Xu Wang he knew.

This was their captain.

In the next second, Xu Wang closed his eyes, seemingly in deep meditation.

Kuang Jinxin understood immediately that the captain was using [Chang’e Flying to the Moon], establishing a connection with the stationery.

The stationery in the “Owl” was generally of two types: one was like [Fishnado], [Jingle Bells], or [Wind That Sweeps Away the Clouds], which had immediate effects upon clicking; the other required the user to control. For the latter, after clicking, no clear textual instructions like “How to Use” would appear, but some “sense fragments” were released. The user had to focus, capture these fragments, and integrate them to figure out how to manipulate the stationery and to get a general direction of its effects.

This meant that the effectiveness of such stationery was directly linked to the depth of connection established between the user and the stationery. A deep connection allowed for thorough exploration and ease of use, doubling the effectiveness; a shallow connection significantly reduced the stationery’s power, like missing the “wind” effect of the [Invincible Hot Wheels].

[Chang’e Flying to the Moon] should be both beautiful and sharp.

“Captain, you can do it,” Kuang Jinxin whispered encouragingly, no longer distracted, and charged up the stairs!

As Kuang Jinxin burst through the lighthouse’s door, Xu Wang opened his eyes in astonishment.

Waiting to ascend through the clouds, he finally sensed the key information from the “fragments” released by the stationery… Was stationery meant for the opponent’s use?!

Shouldn’t he, the user of [Chang’e Flying to the Moon], be rising with the wind with his clothes fluttering like a stunning swan?!

He had so handsomely laid out the tactics for his teammates—a pincer movement from both ends. Soon his teammates would reach the top of the lighthouse, only to find that their captain was still desperately chasing behind!

Losing the dignity of a captain wasn’t important, but how would he face his teammates, who trust him so much, if they lost the treasure?

“Shit!”

Xu Wang cursed in English, driven by some inexplicable force, only to realize that it couldn’t fully express his frustration and anger.

“Fuck—”

With a curse, Captain Xu charged into the lighthouse.

From the outside, the lighthouse appeared bright and pristine, but inside it was dimly lit with walls and floors made of dark cyan stones, weathered and mottled, resembling an abandoned church or castle from the Middle Ages.

The spiral staircase was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Xu Wang dashed up, taking two steps at a time. But after just a few twists, the endless circling made him feel dizzy and his vision blurry, to the point where he thought he saw someone floating ahead…

Someone?!

Xu Wang suddenly snapped to attention and stopped abruptly, but the staircase was so narrow and his speed so fast that he, driven by momentum, still collided with the arm of the person ahead.

What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

Upon collision, that person slowly floated upwards about ten centimeters and then, without any intention to turn, lightly touched his back against the wall.

Despite this, the person maintained a graceful pose, one hand stretched forward, the other back, knees slightly bent, as if a fairy was running futilely to the moon in a weightless universe.

Of course, this “fairy” was male, and his face bore a fierce expression completely at odds with his classical pose.

Their eyes met, and the man’s anger was unmistakable. However, contrary to his raging fury, his lips moved slowly and silently, with no sound reaching Xu Wang’s ears.

Xu Wang had to rely on lip-reading.

“I… Fuck… You… Forget it. You’re talking too slowly. See you!” Giving up on communication, Xu Wang stepped over this fellow classmate and continued climbing.

Just half a circle later, he encountered a group of three “fairies” huddled together. The entire members of the “Steal the Fruits of Victory Squad” were now assembled.

Unlike the previous one, these three, though also moving gracefully, weren’t purely floating but bouncing up and down. Each time their feet touched the ground, and they exerted a little force, they would spring up high until their heads touched the underside of the steps above, then slowly descend. The whole process was like a slow-motion scene, with every detail clearly visible.

The first fellow male classmate’s condition made Xu Wang think that [Chang’e Flying to the Moon] was a “fixed pose + weightless state”, but now he realized it wasn’t weightlessness but extremely low gravity, so low that it was hard to balance the body during motion, and a slight force could cause significant displacement, occasionally resulting in a floating state, with sound unable to propagate.

[(Offense) Chang’e Flying to the Moon], Chang’e referred to the opponent’s posture, and Flying to the Moon referred to the state of the opponent—that was, running gracefully on the moon.

Xu Wang quickly pushed past these three and continued upward, feeling the joy of being “The Flash” against the backdrop of his opponents.

So cool!

As Xu Wang disappeared into the depths of the stairs, the three, filled with anger and helplessness, could do nothing but watch.

They had no idea how to handle the lighthouse keeper, so they chose a dark spot to ambush, waiting for an easy victory. This kind of opportunism, even if it failed at the doorstep of the treasure vault, was acceptable.

But suddenly slowing down thirty-two times to pose and float? Had the user of this stationery ever considered the victim’s shame endurance?! Don’t they have any conscience?!

Xu Wang, completely untroubled by any conscience, continued with the joy of The Flash and the sense of victory over his enemies, reaching the top of the lighthouse in one go.

A lighthouse keeper with a bundle of long nails embedded in his chest lay at the corner under the square hole, with sunlight streaming in from outside right onto the door of the treasure vault and the faces of his three teammates who had been waiting for a long time.

“Captain!” Kuang Jinxin could hardly contain his excitement and admiration, giving a big thumbs-up. “[Chang’e Flying to the Moon] is so cool! A million times cooler than I imagined!”

Qian Ai nodded vigorously. “When Wu Sheng and I caught up with them, we were dumbfounded, thinking they were slowing down intentionally to pose for us. It took a while to realize they were actually ‘Flying to the Moon’ haha!” After a hearty laugh, he felt a twinge of sympathy. “It was a complete psychological crush, much more damaging than a front and rear pincer. They probably won’t dare to cut in line again. This shadow is like ink spilling over.”

Compared to the excitement of his two teammates, Wu Sheng was quite calm, simply stepping aside to reveal the door to the treasure vault, then smiling slightly at Xu Wang. “We’ve been waiting for you, my captain.”

Xu Wang took a deep breath, filled with unprecedented satisfaction.

He decided not to say any modest words, as it would ruin the composure he was trying to maintain. For the first time, feeling a true sense of mission to “uphold the dignity and image of a captain”, Xu Wang strode confidently to the door of the treasure vault.

He placed his hands on the left and right doors, looked back at his teammates deeply, then turned his gaze forward and pushed with all his might!

Nothing happened.

Except for a sudden stillness in the air.

Xu Wang maintained his pushing posture, seemingly motionless but secretly exerting force in every way he knew how.

The door remained firmly closed; not even a crack appeared.

“Cough, maybe we should try ramming it together…” Qian Ai, unable to bear the sight, offered a way out for the captain.

Turning back to face his teammates, Xu Wang went through a brief but intense internal struggle, finally deciding to accept his teammate’s kindness.

“I…” Just as he turned and said a word, Xu Wang suddenly felt a tightness around his legs. Looking down, he was met with the dark face of the lighthouse keeper.

“To enter the door, step over my corpse!” The keeper, strong as an ox and with a voice as deep as a bell, clung to Xu Wang’s leg.

Xu Wang was baffled and even began to doubt life itself. “Dude, you’re already a corpse!”

The keeper snorted coldly. “You think a few little steel nails can eliminate me? Haha.”

Xu Wang: “……”

He was being humiliated by an NPC?!

“Bang—”

A loud banging noise echoed in his ears.

It was Qian Ai.

“It’s no use. We really can’t break through.” Even as he said this, Qian Ai continued to ram the door stubbornly.

Seeing this, Kuang Jinxin hurriedly joined in to help.

Xu Wang looked at Wu Sheng somewhat confusedly. “We’re not really going to have to kill someone, are we?”

“Don’t worry, leave it to me,” Wu Sheng reassured with a confident look, then bowed his head to open his [Stationery Box].

Xu Wang watched his decisive actions, feeling that their advisor seemed to have a mysterious yearning for using the [Deep Gaze of Death].

Sensing the murderous intent, the lighthouse keeper clinging to his leg suddenly screamed, “If you kill me, the treasure will disappear—”

Xu Wang froze, unsure whether this was a bluff or true. If true, they really couldn’t kill…

“It’s false.” Wu Sheng remained unmoved. “He just said that to enter, you have to step over his body. If stepping over the body is the true condition, then his current statement must be false. Otherwise, it’s logically contradictory.”

With that, he immediately tapped the icon in the toolbox with a pair of deep, affectionate eyes drawn on it.

Xu Wang watched his actions, holding his breath unconsciously. The thought of seeing a “deeply affectionate gaze from Wu Sheng” made him nervous and, cough, a bit excited.

“How many nails have I shot at you—”

Just as Wu Sheng’s fingertip was about to touch the icon, the lighthouse keeper, with all his might, threw out a question.

Wu Sheng paused.

Xu Wang was completely baffled. Was this the time for a quiz in this life-and-death situation? Was he crazy?!

Qian Ai, who was still persistently ramming the door, couldn’t stand it anymore. “What bullshit is this? We’ve run all the way up here, and now we’re supposed to go back outside and count the nails for you?!”

The lighthouse keeper ignored him and repeated, “How many nails have I shot at you?”

The tone of the second question was more severe, silent yet sharp, with a hint of provocation.

Xu Wang’s heart skipped a beat, and his first reaction was to look at Wu Sheng!

Sure enough, their advisor slowly lowered his arm, his gaze falling as he stared back at the lighthouse keeper for the first time.

Xu Wang felt a sense of despair.

Who is Wu Sheng? The more unusual the question type, the more electrifying it feels for him.

Now, even if you forced him to use the stationery, he probably wouldn’t.

But—

How many nails were shot?

Is that something a normal person could answer? Forget the rapid speed of a nail gun; even at a slower pace, who could count the rain of nails accurately?!

“The Brain…” Kuang Jinxin muttered softly by the door.

Xu Wang turned to look at him. “Huh?”

Kuang Jinxin pointed at Wu Sheng, his voice getting even softer as if afraid to disturb him, cautiously whispering to Xu Wang, “I meant that Sheng Ge’s current state and aura are just like those geniuses in the ‘The Brain’ show on TV…”

Hearing this, Xu Wang turned his attention back to his advisor.

Wu Sheng had closed his eyes at some point, his brow slightly furrowed and his eyelashes trembling slightly, indicating that his brain was working at high speed, possibly calculating, recalling the scene, or something else.

As an ordinary person, Xu Wang didn’t delve deeper. But watching Wu Sheng like this, the doubts in his heart gradually diminished, and his anticipation slowly grew. From “maybe he can”, to “he should be able to”, to “he definitely can”—that trust bloomed vigorously.

“288.” Wu Sheng slowly opened his eyes and looked down at the lighthouse keeper. “If you count the few nails you shot earlier with the stones, then it’s exactly 300.”

The lighthouse keeper looked at him incredulously, his grip on Xu Wang’s arm gradually weakening.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin looked at each other and once again joined forces to ram the door of the treasure vault!

“Bang—”

The door swung open in response, and dazzling golden light instantly poured out!

Propelled by inertia, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin plunged straight into the treasure vault. Xu Wang rushed over eagerly, but as he stepped into the vault, he paused and looked back to see Wu Sheng still standing in place.

Xu Wang sighed. After all, he was the greatest contributor this time, so he shouldn’t rush him and wait instead.

In the golden glow, Wu Sheng squatted down close to the resentful face of the lighthouse keeper and gently tapped his own head with a finger. “My arrows may miss, but this,” he pointed to his brain, “never does.”

The lighthouse keeper looked at him, confusion mixing with his resentment, as if asking, “What are you talking about?”

Wu Sheng never cared about these details. He stood up and brushed off the dust from his body, feeling satisfied and content.

Turning to enter the treasure vault, he found the captain leaning casually at the door, watching him leisurely.

Wu Sheng tilted his head, eyebrows slightly raised in inquiry.

Xu Wang, for once, didn’t make a sarcastic remark but instead gave him a brilliant smile. “So handsome.”

Wu Sheng also smiled. His eyes and brows relaxed, giving off a gentlemanly demeanor. “Yeah, I know.”

“…Come in, let’s open the chest.”

Captain Xu decisively turned around, offering the greatest tenderness he could to the hero of the day.

The door to the treasure vault slowly closed after Wu Sheng entered.

Before the four men, there were three treasure chests. Two were already open and empty, and only one remained untouched. The golden light was emanating from this last intact chest, casting a magnificent glow over the entire vault.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 34: Coming Ashore

Qian Ai stood on the mast, some ten meters above the deck. His feet were braced on a horizontal bar, and his back was leaning against the main mast. His arms swung in wide circles, creating a fiery spectacle that seemed to open a circular portal of time and space at the mast’s tip!

In the roaring flames, the wind began to stir.

The sails were blown taut with the wind, and the ship’s pace instantly shifted from “leisurely” to “cutting through waves” in this new era of sailing!

Qian Ai thought they might have left the sea monsters behind, but he didn’t have time to check.

Others might throw punches in a fight; he was doing the same, but it felt like he needed a vernier caliper for precision. He had to generate wind, maintain balance, swing his arms with all his might, keep the wind on course, and, most importantly, ensure the flames didn’t catch the sails.

Is this a fight or scientific research?!

“Lao Qian, Lao Qian, great job! You’re the best—”

The cheering from teammate surnamed Kuang below gave Qian Ai a subtle feeling like he was back in kindergarten, where if he swung his arms well, the auntie would give him a cookie as a reward.

Kuang Jinxin, closely observing the “flaming teammate” above, confirmed the lack of encouragement. “Captain, Qian Ge doesn’t seem to like my support.”

Xu Wang clapped his shoulder. “You’re young, so you don’t understand people’s heart.”

Releasing Kuang Jinxin, Captain Xu looked up and shouted, “Lao Qian, Lao Qian, make easy money—”

There was no response from the mast.

In the bright flames, that good wish dispersed into the sea mist.

“Whoosh—”

The flames at the top of the mast surged several meters high. The arms with strong biceps rotated so fast they were nearly invisible. The fierce wind howled in the fire, carrying the momentum of thousands of horses!

As the great wind picked up, the sails soared, and the wooden ship turned into a speedboat, cutting through wave after wave.

Kuang Jinxin clung to his spyglass, facing the oncoming gale as if riding a dark motorcycle.

Xu Wang watched the entangled sea monsters shrink into a small wave on the horizon, finally able to relax.

In the cockpit, Wu Sheng, not fully understanding the situation, gripped the helm, contentedly enjoying the thrill of “sailing”, occasionally closing his eyes to imagine beautiful lines of code refreshing before him. He took a deep breath and felt refreshed—one breath bringing clarity, two making him invincible.

About eleven minutes later, a sailboat with the soul of a speedboat rushed onto the shore of West Treasure Beach. The speed was so great that it continued another dozen meters on the sand before finally stopping, completely beached.

Two minutes later, four people disembarked from the ship, three buoyant and spirited, one with dangling arms and a vacant gaze.

“Lao Qian, cheer up!”

“You can’t ask that of a man who’s lost both arms.”

“I guarantee, with my 20/20 vision, your arms are still there.”

“But they’ve lost their soul.”

When a teammate turned into a poet, it was best to let them have some quiet time. — [Captain Xu’s Team Building Handbook]

The dark clouds hadn’t reached this small island. Under the bright blue sky, the beach shimmered with silvery light on the white sand.

Standing on this soft sand, facing the sea, one could easily feel a sense of peaceful, easy years.

However, for the four companions who had fought through wind and waves, their eyes were only fixed on the lighthouse atop a distant rock.

“We need to move quickly,” Xu Wang said, scanning the surroundings. “This island might not be just ours. Standing here on the beach is too conspicuous and unsafe.”

Wu Sheng looked back at the beached sailboat, aptly reminding him, “Considering our flashy landing, thinking about being low-key now might be a bit late.”

Xu Wang glared at him. “Can’t you say something positive?”

Wu Sheng wasn’t intentionally trying to disturb the morale of the team. He believed in realism. “Up until now, only one treasure chest has been opened, and we’ve already landed on the island. Unless something unexpected happens, we’ll definitely get a chance at the chest.”

Before he could finish what he was saying, another “ding” echoed across the Endless Sea.

[Cheat Sheet: West Treasure Beach (2/3). The second treasure vault has been opened.]

Another team or individual had reached the top of the tower.

Right as they hadn’t yet left the beach.

One spot remained.

Looking at the message scrolling on their arms, Wu Sheng pondered for two seconds, then looked up apologetically. “The unexpected came a bit too quickly.”

Xu Wang looked earnestly at him. “From now on, please just be a quiet, handsome man.”

The reef piled a few dozen meters away was the highest point on the island, and the lighthouse of Treasure Beach West was situated on top of the reef pile. The lighthouse was completely white but glinted golden in the sunlight. On closer inspection, it turned out that there were gold stripes painted at intervals, but the lines were so fine that they could only be seen clearly up close.

Much like the lighthouse on the Flying Island topped with a winged sailboat sculpture, the Treasure Beach lighthouse was crowned with a chest symbolizing its identity—antique in design and mysterious in aura—even the keyhole gleamed golden.

The group, except for Qian Ai, who relied solely on his feet, used hands and feet to climb to the top of the rocks, surprisingly encountering no competitors. From a distance, the area appeared flat, but it was actually littered with rocks of various sizes, as if someone had tossed a basket of irregular stones onto a basketball court-sized clearing and then built a tower amidst the rubble.

The lighthouse, with its white and gold motif, had only one door at the base and a square hole near the top. Other than that, it was entirely sealed.

The four didn’t dare to approach the lighthouse rashly, instead hiding behind a large rock about seven or eight meters away, stealthily spying on the square hole at the top that suspiciously resembled a machine gun’s muzzle.

“Mao Qiping said,” Kuang Jinxin whispered, “the lighthouse guard might engage in close combat inside the door or attack from a distance from the top of the lighthouse.”

“The door and that hole above are in a straight line,” Xu Wang confirmed. “It’s for long-range attacks.”

“Is it going to be a barrage of machine guns or a volley of arrows?” Qian Ai asked.

“Let’s find out,” Wu Sheng said, picking up a pebble and hurling it with all his might toward the lighthouse door.

The pebble hit the ground with a crisp sound and then rolled forward. There was a flash of cold light from the hole at the top of the tower, and the group saw something emerge but couldn’t make it out as it was too fast, followed by the sound of rapid, piercing gunfire!

The momentary chaos soon returned to calm. In the salty sea breeze, they focused their gaze on where the pebble had rolled to find a row of long nails deeply embedded in the rock, leaving seven or eight inches sticking out. The pebble that had rolled was now pulverized under one of the nails, virtually untraceable.

“Nail gun.” Wu Sheng accurately named the “weapon” they were facing and added, “But the size of the nails is quite fierce.”

The three companions looked at the nine-inch nails and simultaneously felt a pang in their chests.

It wasn’t just fierce; these were the size of stakes used for vampires!

“Let’s give up,” Qian Ai, seeing no hope of victory and foreseeing a bloodbath, suggested. “We won’t make it far before we’re turned into sieves.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Kuang Jinxin, physically smaller than his teammates but with an optimistic fighting spirit that dwarfed them all, encouraged. “If bare hands won’t do, we can use stationery.”

“There’s no need to force our way in.” Wu Sheng suddenly stood up and reached out to Qian Ai. “Bow and arrows.”

Ever since he had successfully shot a sea monster with an arrow, Qian Ai had kept the bow and quiver strapped to his back and waist, never leaving them even when climbing up the mast to make wind. It wasn’t like he had any grand plans, but having an extra weapon made him feel more secure.

Surprised and delighted when Wu Sheng asked for them, he quickly handed over the bow. “You know how to use this? Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

“Just played with it.” Wu Sheng took the bow, pulled an arrow from Qian Ai’s quiver, and nocked it. “Let’s give it a try.”

With an arrow aimed at the tower’s top, Wu Sheng gracefully and composedly drew the bow, staring intently at the dark, square opening with a calm and sharp gaze. Xu Wang’s face remained unchanged, but his eyes saw nothing other than Wu Sheng. It was as if he had returned to those high school days when he would steal glances at this person during class. Back then, Wu Sheng would sit by the window, and whenever Xu Wang stole a look, it felt like the world consisted only of Wu Sheng and the bright, cheerful sunshine.

Finally, Wu Sheng released the arrow, and it zoomed towards the hole with a powerful twang!

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin held their breaths, and Qian Ai, who had just regained some feeling in his arms, clenched his fists involuntarily.

“Splat—”

The arrow struck the tower wall a considerable distance from the hole and then skewed and fell, landing haphazardly on the ground.

“It’s okay. It’s been a while since you played, so you’re a bit rusty. A few tries and you’ll get better,” Xu Wang encouraged, both for his teammates and his beloved. “Lao Qian, another arrow!”

“No need.” Wu Sheng, without waiting for Qian Ai to retrieve another arrow, handed back the bow. “Apparently, I’m still no good.”

Xu Wang frowned. “Giving up so easily isn’t like you.”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “I’ve always missed when I played before. This is normal for me.”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Xu Wang: “…Then why were you trying to act so cool just now?!”

Ignoring their grumbling advisor, who insisted on trying, “just in case it works this time”, Captain Xu made a decisive call. “Use stationery.”

They hadn’t even reached the next challenge yet and had already used the [Invincible Hot Wheel]. Xu Wang didn’t want to deplete their stationery further, but they had come so far. If they were overtaken at the last moment and lost the final spot, he could vomit blood.

“Defense or offense?” Kuang Jinxin quickly responded to the captain’s call.

“Offense.” Xu Wang looked up at the top of the tower, his brows furrowing. “Defense might get us into the tower, but we still have to face the tower guard head-on. Better to use offense and finish him off once and for all.”

“That leaves me out then. I only have defense left.” Qian Ai closed his eyes, attempting to summon a flame, then shook his head after opening them. “The [Invincible Hot Wheels] has also expired.”

Xu Wang stared at his stationery box and pursed his lips. [Cao Chong Weighing the Elephant] was untested and might not even activate, and while [Chang’e Flying to the Moon] seemed like it might offer flight, before they could even reach the sky, they would probably be nailed back down to the ground.

Their hopes rested on Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin.

Xu Wang looked up at his teammates. Wu Sheng stepped forward. “Just get me up there, and I can use [Deep Gaze of Death] on him.”

Kuang Jinxin followed suit. “[Hit Me If You Dare] sounds pretty arrogant. Maybe it’ll work against the nail gun!”

Xu Wang grasped Kuang Jinxin’s hand without a second of hesitation. “I’m relying on you.”

Kuang Jinxin nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, captain, I’ll definitely take him down!”

Exiting his own [Stationery Box], Advisor Wu felt a tinge of melancholy.

Hiding behind a large rock, Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai slightly retreated, giving their teammate enough space to maneuver.

Kuang Jinxin took a deep breath and solemnly pressed the little grimacing icon in his [Stationery Box] — [(Offense) Hit Me If You Dare].

The moment his fingertip touched his skin, a layer of crystal-clear membrane rose from the ground at Kuang Jinxin’s feet, gradually enveloping his entire body along his contours and finally closed at the top of his head. The membrane, like jelly, slightly swayed with the sea breeze and occasionally refracted a bit of rainbow light under the sun.

Before the three companions had time to speak, the membrane suddenly disappeared.

Like a soap bubble bursting in sunlight, it vanished without a trace.

The onlooking friends were a bit baffled, but Kuang Jinxin’s gaze was resolute. “Captain, I’m ready.”

Who knows what effects these stationaries will give? Since Kuang Jinxin said so, Xu Wang chose to believe.

“Be careful.”

“Got it.”

Kuang Jinxin slowly stepped out from behind the rock, advancing toward the lighthouse door. His steps weren’t fast, but each one was firm.

The three companions stood still. Although they trusted their teammate, they couldn’t help but feel a tug at their hearts thinking of those long nails resembling wooden stakes.

A flash of cold light!

Far more nails than before shot out from the muzzle, whistling through the air, heading straight for Kuang Jinxin’s face!

The three companions instinctively held their breath!

Halfway there, Kuang Jinxin suddenly stopped, abruptly looking up as if to face the incoming nails!

In a flash, the torrential rain of nails reached him. From the perspective of the three friends behind the rock, the tip of the nail almost touched Kuang Jinxin’s forehead!

But the unexpected happened.

The nails didn’t continue forward but inexplicably stopped right in front of Kuang Jinxin’s forehead, the tip almost touching his skin but not moving a millimeter further, as if it had flown over ten or twenty meters just to give Kuang Jinxin a “mosquito bite”.

The subsequent dense nails, just like their “predecessor”, halted at the last moment, as if they were under a “freeze spell”.

The nails were halted, but not Kuang Jinxin.

He patiently waited until the last nail stopped, then took a deep breath and charged towards the “nail rain”, or rather, towards the dark mouth of the lighthouse tower aligned in a diagonal line with them and roared. “Ahhhhhh—”

Although the roar sounded more like a scream, the nails, as if bewitched, turned around in the roar and rushed back towards the lighthouse muzzle with even faster and sharper speed than before!

“Bam, bam, bam—”

Numerous nails densely embedded into the walls around the muzzle, and the central part of the curtain-like nail rain, without missing a single one, shot right into the muzzle!

“Urgh…”

A painful moan came from the muzzle, and then, silence.

The three companions behind the big rock finally realized that [Hit Me If You Dare] was a rebound of damage!

“Captain!” Kuang Jinxin ran back, beaming with joy, nowhere near as imposing as before. “It’s done!”

Xu Wang was stunned. Rebounding damage was indeed powerful, but it wouldn’t instantly kill, right?

“Are you sure?” Qian Ai asked, half-doubtful.

Clearly, it wasn’t just Captain Xu who was unsure.

Without asking, Wu Sheng picked up another stone and threw it with force. The stone landed next to the initial row of nails, rolling out again, but this time it rolled far, and there was no movement from the lighthouse’s muzzle.

“Actions speak louder than words.” Advisor Wu certified the teammate’s achievement.

The dust had settled.

Even the sea breeze became calm and serene.

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The author has something to say:

Invincible Hot Wheels: The whole process is scalding hot and swinging your arms until broken.

Hit Me If You Dare: Shout out loud, accurate kill.

Qian Ai laments: The user experience varies so much with all these reward stationaries. It’s simply a distortion of human nature and a loss of morality! TAT

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 33: Sea Monsters

The ship had long set sail, and no one spoke on the deck. The gray-white fog blanketed the vast sea, shrouding the hearts of those aboard as well.

Everything in the world is multi-dimensional.

They see one side, while others see another.

They thought they were hard-pressed, but it turns out they should be grateful—grateful to be free from worries, still young and vigorous, able to let go and set off whenever they wish.

“What’s with the long faces?” Wu Sheng, having steadied the helm in the right direction, came out of the cockpit and saw his three teammates enveloped in gloom. “What did Mao Qiping say? Is there a surprise in this route?”

Immediately guessing it had something to do with Mao Qiping was a testament to Classmate Wu’s exceptional wisdom. As for the completely off-target conclusion, it was typical for Advisor Wu, who rarely followed conventional thought patterns.

Xu Wang couldn’t help but look at his classmate, who didn’t understand the atmosphere of the duck at all.

Wu Sheng looked back at him, his head tilted in a confused frown, which suddenly made him seem adorably clueless.

The gray fog in Xu Wang’s heart suddenly lifted.

He realized for the first time that having Wu Sheng, who always stayed in his own channel, was actually quite nice. He was rational and pragmatic, focused on the matter at hand without wandering into pointless ponderings. His gaze was always on the peak ahead, making you unconsciously focus along with him, ready and eager to proceed.

“Is the course alright now?” Xu Wang skipped the topic of Mao Qiping and threw a new question.

This question hit right at Wu Sheng’s interests. He immediately smiled slightly, his eyes beaming with an “I have the world in my grasp” reflected in them. “Of course, leave the steering to me, and…”

“Xiao Kuang—” Xu Wang suddenly turned and called out to Kuang Jinxin. “This spyglass is yours. Report anything unusual at any time.”

Kuang Jinxin stood at attention. “Roger!”

As Kuang Jinxin dashed to the stern, Wu Sheng felt mixed emotions. “It’s polite to let people finish talking.”

Xu Wang turned back to him. “Proceed. Just omit the self-praise.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

After a wordless two seconds, Advisor Wu, deprived of his only pleasure, turned and went back to the cockpit dispiritedly.

Qian Ai, who had been watching the whole process, finally found the opportunity to express his feelings. “How the tables have turned. Back in high school, he had you under his thumb, and now it’s the other way around.”

Xu Wang doubted they experienced the same three years. “Back then, I was at least a bit taller than him, wasn’t I? Not to mention, I can beat two of him. At least we were evenly matched.”

Qian Ai shook his head in disagreement. “You can’t just count physical strength. You have to include intelligence.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Qian Ai, completely unaware of undermining his captain’s self-esteem, suddenly looked around, puzzled. “Is it getting darker?”

Xu Wang paused, then looked up. Indeed.

The dense fog already made visibility and light poor, but when they met Mao Qiping, it was still a “not very bright day”. Now, however, dark clouds covered the sky. In the moments they looked up, the dark clouds turned to black, barely letting through any light. The surrounding fog was absorbed into this darkness, leaving the sea a vast expanse of blackness.

“Xiao Kuang, can you still see the lighthouse?” Wu Sheng’s inquiry came from the cockpit.

“I can,” Kuang Jinxin replied, peering through the telescope. “The lighthouse is lit. It’s actually more visible now.”

“Good, keep an eye on it—”

“No problem. It can’t escape!”

With one at the helm and the other on lookout, the two had become a team in sync.

Xu Wang and Qian Ai glanced at each other, and without a word, each took a position on one side of the deck railing.

As the four companions settled into their roles, the sea became even quieter, with only the sound of the ship cutting through the water as the backdrop.

Suddenly, a light, warm and conspicuous, rose on the deck, brightening in the increasingly dark sky.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin, keeping watch, all turned simultaneously from their respective positions to see Qian Ai raising one arm like the Statue of Liberty. Instead of a torch, he clenched his fist, and a small fireball appeared.

“Can you control the size of the flame too?” Xu Wang had thought the [Invincible Hot Wheels] meant being engulfed in flames.

“More than size, I can control the intensity!” Qian Ai actually just discovered this himself and enthusiastically demonstrated it for his teammates. “Look, the fire’s big now, and now it’s small. What do you prefer—a bonfire party atmosphere or the ambiance of a candlelight dinner? Just ask—”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Watching their teammate play with the flame, growing and shrinking it joyfully, the three felt neither the warmth of a bonfire nor the romance of candlelight. The only thing that came to mind was a gas stove, particularly one with an unstable gas supply.

Suddenly, a song floated over the night sea, low and melodic.

It was as if a woman was humming and singing in a foreign language. The notes pierced through the thick, dark fog to reach the ship and the ears of the voyagers, carrying the smell of seawater and the mistiness of the fog.

Qian Ai quickly extinguished the fire.

The ship then blended into the protective color of the darkness.

The four companions, steadfast at their posts, gathered their spirits and became alert.

[First head due north, and when encountering the first sea monster, sail straight towards the lighthouse.]

This was the strategy given by Mao Qiping, and now, having sailed due north for a considerable time, they were due to encounter the first sea monster.

The boat moved slowly forward, and the gentle lapping of the waves grew clearer and more enchanting with a low hum and singing.

The tension in each of the four companions stretched to its limit.

Being suddenly attacked isn’t terrifying; what’s terrifying is knowing a ghost will appear but not knowing when it will spring forth—that anxious and unbearable waiting.

Qian Ai was getting antsy. He grabbed the railing with one hand and clutched the spear inherited from Wu Sheng with the other. His palms were soaked with sweat.

When scared, he tended to talk, like walking alone in a dark stairwell and wanting to play some divine music on his phone for courage. “Have you guys seen Pirates of the Caribbean? There’s one with mermaids that use this kind of singing to lure and kill sailors.”

The suffocating silence was broken. Xu Wang, who was facing away from him, also briefly exhaled, relaxing the hand that had become somewhat numb from gripping the ax. “Are you suggesting this sea monster is a mermaid?”

“Or a water nymph.” Qian Ai considered all possibilities. “Like those exceptionally beautiful female sirens—tender, mysterious, dangerous, slowly kissing you while killing you in the midst of caresses and entanglements…”

Xu Wang: “……”

Despite the brutal nature of the act, why did it sound like a kink activity when his teammate described it? =_=

“There’s light ahead!” Kuang Jinxin, responsible for the lookout, mostly kept his eyes on the lighthouse but occasionally scanned the surroundings. This time, he spotted a faint light amidst the fog.

Xu Wang and Qian Ai rushed to the bow and looked ahead.

In the direction of the boat’s advance, about a dozen meters away, a dim, warm light illuminated a palm-sized area.

“A lantern-carrying siren.” Qian Ai, gazing ahead, was very certain. “Japanese ghost stories always have such specters—a beauty in a kimono on a snowy night, carrying a lantern, knocking on doors in the countryside to ask for shelter.”

“……” Captain Xu didn’t know how to respond to his teammate’s broad knowledge.

“If it’s really a beauty, tell me, should I burn her or not?” Qian Ai was genuinely distressed.

Xu Wang, in the darkness, rolled his eyes skyward. “If you don’t burn her, she’ll kill you.”

Qian Ai knew the logic but lamented, “I can’t bring myself to do it—”

As they spoke, the boat drew closer to the light, close enough to make out the glowing object.

It was indeed a delicate little lantern.

The top of the lantern extended into a thin, curved line, as if someone was carrying the lantern on this single hard thread. The other end of the thread, along with whoever was holding it, was hidden in the darkness.

The boat was now less than ten meters from the lantern.

“Qian Ai,” Xu Wang suddenly said. “Light up.”

Whoosh—the flames leaped up.

The “Statue of Liberty” reappeared.

The fire, many times more powerful than the faint glow, illuminated the whole boat and the surrounding area of ten meters.

The other end of the lantern, finally under the scrutiny of the four, revealed its true form.

A five-meter-long fish monster, half above water, half below, with a large head and bulging eyes. A line sprouted from its forehead, holding up the lantern. The delicate lantern contrasted sharply with the creature’s roughness.

“Lao Qian.” Xu Wang swallowed nervously, facing the imminent threat while comforting his teammate. “It is indeed carrying a lantern—pretty much as you imagined.”

Qian Ai was on the verge of tears. “Who the hell cares about the lantern! My focus was on the beauty, the beauty!”

Amidst the shattering of romantic fantasies, the lantern fish monster suddenly accelerated, charging straight at the bow!

Its mouth rapidly opened as it approached, like a snake, widening to a degree larger than its head, revealing rows of serrated, sharp teeth!

Qian Ai’s one arm blazed with flames, and the other gripped the spear tightly while Xu Wang swung his ax, ready to clash with the lantern fish monster at close quarters!

“Ding—”

The notification rang inappropriately.

Xu Wang gritted his teeth. To look or not to look—that was the question!

“Ignore the sea monster. Everyone, hold on tight—” Wu Sheng’s shout suddenly came from the cockpit.

As Xu Wang and Qian Ai prepared for battle, bewildered, and Kuang Jinxin, guarding the spyglass, also puzzled, the boat suddenly made a full-speed sharp turn!

Xu Wang and Qian Ai were almost thrown into the sea. Fortunately, they grabbed the railing at the last moment!

Kuang Jinxin clung to the fixed tripod of the spyglass, steady as a mountain.

Wu Sheng’s maneuvering turned the ship in a graceful 135° turn just as it was less than five meters from the lantern fish monster, avoiding a collision and completely changing their course!

The lantern fish monster bit into empty water, then strained to swim and shifted from an oncoming force to a trailing pursuit.

“Where are we heading—” Xu Wang, unable to see the path ahead, could only ask the helmsman.

Wu Sheng struggled to adjust the direction. “To the lighthouse!”

Just as Xu Wang was about to ask further, Qian Ai, still holding his fiery arm aloft, spoke up first. “Are we not fighting the sea monster?”

“The condition for turning was ‘encountering the first sea monster’, not ‘defeating the first sea monster’,” came Wu Sheng’s resounding answer from the cockpit. As a programmer, he understood the importance of clear and precise conditionals.

Qian Ai was at a loss for words.

Damn, that actually makes sense. TAT

Xu Wang rubbed his face, relieved he hadn’t been the one to ask.

“Ding—”

“Ding—”

Two four-in-one new information notifications rang out back to back. Along with the previous one, in just the short time it took for the ship to turn, three new messages had arrived.

Both Xu Wang and Qian Ai, on their way to the stern, didn’t stop but simultaneously raised their arms to check.

[Cheat Sheet: East Treasure Beach (1/3). The first treasure vault has been opened.]

[Cheat Sheet: West Treasure Beach (1/3). The first treasure vault has been opened.]

[Cheat Sheet: North Flying Island (2/3). The second ship has sailed into the clouds.]

Though mentally prepared, the late-starting team hoped at best for the last spot to ascend the lighthouse. But seeing the second message, Xu Wang’s heart still skipped a beat.

People always think about “what if”. What if all the ships heading to West Treasure Beach encountered the toughest sea monsters? What if all their competing teams were as mediocre as the earlier group they encountered?

But the world doesn’t cater to so many “what ifs”.

Two spots remained at West Treasure Beach.

“The ones who chose South Flying Island made a good choice,” Qian Ai said with a hint of envy. “No one’s going that way at all.”

“According to probability, it’s more likely that those who chose that route are buried at sea halfway there.” In the cockpit of the ship’s bow, which was almost a whole deck away, Advisor Wu enthusiastically corrected his teammate’s misconception.

Qian Ai was speechless. “Are you clairvoyant or something?!”

The sea breeze picked up slightly, giving the sails more force and unknowingly increasing the ship’s speed.

In the midst of their conversation, Xu Wang and Qian Ai had reached the stern. Before they could observe, Kuang Jinxin, responsible for the lookout near and far, reported first. “It seems to be losing steam…”

Kuang Jinxin was stating facts.

In the flickering firelight, the lantern fish monster had fallen significantly behind the stern, far more than could be accounted for by the increased speed of the ship due to the stronger winds. Looking closely at its movement, it indeed appeared slower than before.

However…

Xu Wang leaned close to the stern railing, observing the fish monster more intently. He noticed it wasn’t swimming consistently but rather would swim quickly a couple of times, then pause, and then chase the ship again before stopping. Rather than its speed decreasing, its movements became intermittent, as if it was hesitant or wary, not daring to boldly pursue.

The question was: Qian Ai’s fire hadn’t even touched it, so what was it afraid of?

“Captain…” Normally, Qian Ai would only use this term to refer to his old classmate when he’s nervous. “Doesn’t the ship feel less stable than before?”

Prompted by Qian Ai, Xu Wang realized it was indeed rocking more violently.

This wasn’t Wu Sheng’s fault, as he had steadied the ship after the sharp turn earlier. The increased rocking was due to the waves.

Under the ship, the waves had intensified.

Just as Xu Wang thought this, a huge impact force from below suddenly lifted their entire ship with a “bang” into the air!

After soaring two or three meters, the ship heavily fell back into the water. The three at the stern clung desperately to anything they could grab, while Wu Sheng in the cockpit hugged the helm tight, preventing himself from being flung into the sea!

In the suddenly raging waves, continuous “bangs” hit the bottom of the boat. Though not as intense as the first, they still jolted everyone aboard.

Something was hitting their ship from below!

Realizing this, Wu Sheng made another quick turn!

The ship beautifully glided in the water, shifting from vertical to horizontal!

The next second, the “something” that failed to change direction in time and missed its target, emerged from the water with massive inertia, leaping into the air!

In the firelight, its immense size, several times larger than a whale, nearly eclipsed the sky. Its body was covered in armor-like scales, gleaming a cold green hue.

The three at the stern widened their eyes in horror!

They had seen this fish-crocodile-like monster before. It was the same one that had attacked the magic carpet earlier!

Xu Wang suddenly realized the erratic chase of the lantern fish monster wasn’t due to fear of them, but rather of it!

As the monster reached its peak and swiftly fell, it crashed heavily into the water, raising enormous waves!

The water surged over them. The three at the stern held their breath, enduring the wave without choking. But they were completely soaked from head to toe.

Under Wu Sheng’s control, the ship righted itself and continued to cut through the waves.

However, there was no further movement from the sea monster that had crashed into the water at the stern.

One second.

Two seconds.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

The ship had already sailed some distance when suddenly something floated up where the sea monster had fallen.

Qian Ai, instinctively, intensified the blazing fire.

The floating white mass finally became clear—it was the lantern fish monster, belly-up, motionless.

“No way.” Qian Ai swallowed hard. “It kills its own kind too?”

Before he could finish speaking, a row of dorsal fins emerged from the water and pushed aside the corpse of the lantern fish monster.

They recognized the fins of the fish-crocodile monster anywhere, even if turned to ash.

Without giving them a moment to breathe, the fins headed straight for the stern of their ship, coming at a speed that had been enough to kill the lantern fish monster!

“Wu Sheng!” Xu Wang shouted. “Speed up—”

“Shouting at me won’t help. You need to call the wind—” Wu Sheng was always attentive to the situation, knowing they needed to accelerate, but the only control the helmsman had on this ship was direction! Such high-level tricks as summoning wind and rain were left to the heavens.

Unfortunately, the heavens didn’t intervene.

The wind remained the same, but the sea monster was getting closer.

“Whoosh—”

The sea monster broke the surface again, its mouth wide enough to swallow half their ship, charging straight at them. Its dense, sharp teeth were chilling to the bone!

Qian Ai had turned himself into a fireball. Xu Wang swung his ax and thrust the spear to Kuang Jinxin.

Three men stood ready, resigned to their fate.

Just as they steeled themselves for a desperate struggle, Wu Sheng made another sharp turn!

The sea monster, caught off guard, barely managed to reach the stern’s edge, biting off a few railings before falling back into the water!

“Don’t clash head-on with it. Too risky,” Wu Sheng shouted. “Our goal is the lighthouse. The best solution is to try to delay and maneuver as much as possible—”

Xu Wang was torn.

He also wanted to maneuver and delay, but the sea monster was keen on a confrontation!

Wait?

Xu Wang suddenly felt his body lurch and stagger to the left!

It wasn’t just him. Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin also lost their balance!

All three slammed into the left railing, barely stabilizing themselves when they realized it wasn’t a sudden loss of balance but rather the ship tilting severely to the left!

“Grilled Squid—” Kuang Jinxin suddenly screamed.

Xu Wang and Qian Ai, following his gaze, saw a row of charred tentacles clinging to the left railing of the deck, pulling the ship to the left!

It was a case of misfortune upon misfortune. One problem hadn’t been resolved when another arrived!

Thanks to the octopus monster, the ship was pulled to a halt, halving its speed.

The next instant, it emerged from the water, revealing its huge, smooth octopus head for the first time!

Compared to size, the lantern fish monster was dwarfed by just the octopus’ head, which meant it wasn’t much smaller than the fish-crocodile monster.

But Xu Wang and Qian Ai had no time to admire it. They dashed to the left railing of the deck—one mercilessly chopping with an ax, the other burning fiercely with fire!

This time, though, the octopus monster seemed determined. It dodged and resisted, not retreating but moving along the railing, engaging in a battle of attrition. As they moved to try to deal with the tentacles, it would retreat away from them. Round after round, its tentacles remained, but more of its body emerged from the water.

Is this creature versed in the Art of War and came back seeking revenge?!

“Xu Wang—” Wu Sheng suddenly shouted.

Xu Wang, already frantic, became even more distressed. “Lao Qian and I were fighting, but it changed tactics. It’s not trying to drag us down but to board the ship—”

Wu Sheng had initially planned on executing Tactic A for his teammates, but upon hearing Xu Wang say the octopus monster was trying to board the ship, he immediately switched to Tactic B. “Use barbarians against barbarians*—”

*(以夷制夷) Idiom referring to leveraging foreign or external forces to subdue or control another foreign threat (AKA Fight poison with poison). 

“Barbecued” Qian Ai was baffled by these sophisticated words. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Lao Qian.” Xu Wang stopped his ax, making a swift decision. “Stop burning.”

Qian Ai incredulously looked at his captain. “You understood that?!”

“Yes, stop burning, and come over here!” Without time for explanations, Xu Wang pulled Qian Ai to the other side of the deck, away from the tentacles, and told him to hold tight.

“Xiao Kuang, hold on tight—” Xu Wang shouted to Kuang Jinxin.

Finally, Qian Ai realized that the captain and the advisor had indeed communicated effectively and clearly.

This must be some fucking high-tech stuff!

“Captain.” Kuang Jinxin’s voice came from the stern, not in response but in urgency. “That monster is charging again—”

He was referring to the fish-crocodile monster.

“Don’t bother with it,” Xu Wang shouted back. “Just hold on tight—”

The moment the word “tight” was uttered, the ship suddenly turned!

Due to the octopus monster clinging on, the turn was slower, but the ship still sliced through the water and slowly drifted sideways.

The fish-crocodile monster had already leapt up, and the octopus monster had half of its body out of the water. However, under Wu Sheng’s direction, the left railing, which was initially at the stern, rotated to the original position of the stern. The fish-crocodile monster’s bite, accurate and forceful, latched onto the octopus monster’s head!

Both sea monsters plunged into the water together. Under the massive force of their struggle, the tentacle suction cups tore off the entire left railing!

Fortunately, the ship itself was unharmed, continuing to bob strongly amidst the turbulent waves!

Qian Ai finally grasped the meaning of “use barbarians against barbarians”. The historical phrase “use barbarians against barbarians” he learned in history class suddenly came back to him.

But… couldn’t they have just said, “Pit the sea monsters against each other”?

In the giant waves, the two entangled sea monsters rose and fell, but it was clear to anyone watching that the octopus monster was about to join the lantern fish monster for a tea party in just a matter of time.

With little time left, Xu Wang could only urge Wu Sheng again, “Can we go any faster?”

Wu Sheng, out of energy even to shout, turned back, imploring, “I said we need the wind—the wind…”

The wind.

In Wu Sheng’s repeated emphasis, Xu Wang had an epiphany.

“Lao Qian.” Captain Xu suddenly looked up, his eyes shining. “Isn’t your thing called ‘Invincible Hot Wheels’? I’ve seen the fire, but where’s the wind*?”

*Clarity: The original text is (无敌风火轮) which transliterated means Invincible Wind and Fire Wheel equating it to “(Invincible) Hot Wheels”. This is referencing hot wheels given that his other item (Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring) is a reference to drag racing. This is why Xu Wang is asking about the “wind” component.

“This…” Qian Ai, looking at his desperately hopeful captain, was at a loss for words. “Calling it Hot Wheels is just to make this weapon sound more impressive…”

“No,” Captain Xu firmly shook his head. “From my observations, I can responsibly say that every word in these magical tools is meaningful.”

“But…”

“No ‘buts’. Just try swinging your arms.”

With no other choice, Qian Ai reluctantly swung his right arm, still ablaze with fire.

Captain Xu didn’t feel any wind, but he nearly had his hair singed off.

Qian Ai sighed. “I told you…”

“What about swinging both arms together?”

“……”

With a captain so tenaciously hopeful, what else could he do?

Swing it is.

Qian Ai closed his eyes and focused. His other arm was instantly engulfed in flames.

Taking two deep breaths, he swung both arms together!

A warm breeze, carrying the heat, brushed against their faces, lifting the hair on Captain Xu’s forehead and fluttering Kuang Jinxin’s collar further away.

Qian Ai stopped swinging his arms, his face full of astonishment.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder in satisfaction. “Lao Qian, get up the mast and start swinging.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 32: Sadness

From content to strategy, from key points to additional reminders, Wu Sheng condensed all the information given by Mao Qiping about the 3/23 level, streamlined it, and entered it into his phone’s memo, which was still densely packed, taking up the entire screen.

Xu Wang listened attentively throughout and then took Wu Sheng’s phone to consolidate the memory from beginning to end, truly feeling that the 400 yuan price was a conscience in the industry.

After finishing the third level, they were about to come to the most important current part—the Endless Sea.

“The four lighthouses represent four shipping destinations. The lighthouse on the Treasure Beach of the east and west contains a treasure chest that can reveal money or stationery. The lighthouses on the North and South Flying Islands contain airships, which can be used to fly to any coordinates…”

Mao Qiping had just started when a five-in-one “ding” sounded simultaneously from above and below the ship—

[Cheat Sheet: North Flying Island (1/3). The first ship has sailed into the clouds.]

The four people looking at the scrolling information on their arms were all startled. Has someone already reached the destination and even successfully entered the lighthouse? And what does the (1/3) in the brackets mean?

Seemingly accustomed to such questions, Mao Qiping didn’t wait for anyone on the ship to speak and directly clarified, “A team or an individual has already reached the North Flying Island and breached the lighthouse. There are two more spots available there.”

“There?” Xu Wang caught the nuance.

“Each of the four destinations has three spots for ascending the lighthouse—first come, first served,” Mao Qiping said. “Once the spots are filled, the lighthouse will close directly, and landing on the island will be useless.”

“That is too fast…” Qian Ai glanced at his phone. It had been just an hour since they entered, and it felt like an exam. You are still working on the multiple-choice questions, and someone else has already submitted their paper.

Mao Qiping was no longer surprised. “The teams that choose Flying Island are basically well-prepared and aimed at the next level, so of course, they are fast. However, the good thing about the Endless Sea is that there is no punishment for failing the competition; just a night of busywork for nothing.”

“Can individuals also ascend the lighthouse?” Wu Sheng was concerned about what Mao Qiping had just said about “a team or an individual”.

“Yes, the Endless Sea is different from other levels. Whether you form a team or not, it treats everyone equally. Individuals also count as a team, and after ascending the lighthouse, they occupy one spot.” Mao Qiping affirmed, then changed the topic. “But it is difficult for an individual to compete with a team. Firstly, the speed of a floating ball is far less than that of a ship, and secondly, if you encounter other teams on the island, the odds of winning the competition to ascend the lighthouse are slim.”

“Understood.” Wu Sheng nodded and closed his eyes to meditate.

The other three partners looked at each other. Ah, he’s updating his notes again.

“Back to the lighthouse,” Mao Qiping continued. “The functions of the two Flying Islands are the same, as are those of Treasure Beach. The difference lies in the direction of the routes. So, do you want to open the treasure chest now or go to the next coordinate point?”

Xu Wang understood. Mao Qiping was going to provide them with strategies for the routes and lighthouses based on their choice. After all, they had only paid for one route and couldn’t expect him to cover all four.

Regarding the choice of route, the four people had already discussed it earlier. Xu Wang quickly reconfirmed with his partners and looked down to give Mao Qiping the answer. “Treasure Beach. We’ll open the treasure chest!”

Previously, they had only guessed from the name “Treasure Beach” that they might get treasures. Now it was confirmed that there was a 100% chance of winning a prize; the only question was what the specific prize would be. Therefore, Captain Xu’s voice couldn’t help but reveal excitement about “Money, oh money, here we come!” and the determination to “make back the money spent on the strategy guide!”

“East or west?” Mao Qiping asked again.

“Which side has fewer people?”

“Go west, because many teams feel that ‘fortune comes from the east*’ and is luckier than the west.”

*Purple Air comes from the east (紫气东来) Idiom referring an auspicious omen or the arrival of a noble person. In olden days, it usually signifies the arrival of a sage or emperor. Nowadays, it’s used to suggest good luck or the arrival of good news.

“Then we’ll go west!”

“……” Mao Qiping scratched his chin, thought for a while, and finally caught on. He had, perhaps, been tricked into giving out a free piece of information!

This business they were doing was truly filled with blood and tears.

“West Treasure Beach” route strategy: ① After choosing the route, the ship will automatically sail, but the direction must be steered by the people on board; ② First head due north, and when encountering the first sea monster, sail straight towards the lighthouse, which means the optimal route is a zigzag, not a straight line. Otherwise, the probability of encountering sea monsters increases greatly; ③ Avoid being too close to other ships to prevent attacks, as there are only three spots available.

“West Treasure Beach” lighthouse strategy: ① There will be a keeper inside the lighthouse who must be defeated to reach the treasure chamber at the top of the lighthouse; ② The keeper’s weapons and position change daily, so it’s still unknown what the keeper’s defense will be like today, but known forms include guarding the entrance with brute force, hiding inside for sneak attacks, hiding at a vantage point for throwing explosive projectiles, indiscriminate machine-gun firing, and other forms with varying ranges and lethality; ③ There’s no absolute necessity between defeating the keeper and opening the treasure chest. Other competing teams can completely benefit from others’ efforts, so don’t let your guard down before reaching the treasure chamber.

Regarding the route and the attack on the tower, Mao Qiping explained a lot in detail, but in summary, those were the key points.

The fog began to spread around, and while the vast expanse remained, visibility improved nearby.

“The guide is only for not going into battle unprepared. Whether you can actually attack the lighthouse and snatch one of the three spots is up to you.” Having said too much in one go, Mao Qiping’s throat was smoking. After summarizing his speech, he unscrewed his thermos and began to gulp down a drink.

Xu Wang also wanted the other party to rest, but time waits for no one, so he quickly said, “About the daily level grinding tips and experience sharing…”

“I know, I know.” Mao Qiping didn’t mind. He quickly put down his thermos and looked up. “The things to pay attention to are the same old stories. First, companionship. At any time, do not underestimate the teams you encounter. No matter how kind they appear, in this day and age, you might not intend harm, but others may harbor ill intentions towards you; second, do not assume anything. Even if you have passed a level twenty times, the twenty-first could be different; third, don’t misuse stationery. Save one, and it might save your life at a critical moment…”

“As for experience, well, it’s not really experience. It’s just that I’ve seen too many people on this Endless Sea. Consider it a bit of personal insight.” Mao Qiping smiled, losing the shrewdness of a businessman and gaining a bit of sincere friendliness. “No matter which level you’re at, if you’re not ready, it’s better to stay a while longer at the previous level or in the Endless Sea rather than rushing forward. It will be a very long journey to the endpoint, and you must be steady and methodical at every step.”

“Understood.” Xu Wang lowered his head and looked at him earnestly. “As long as we encounter other teams, losing the competition means returning to the starting point. It’s better to prepare for a few more days than to act impulsively and suffer more than you gain.”

“The starting point?” Mao Qiping was puzzled. “Who sold you such a deceitful piece of fake news?”

“Not the starting point?” Not only Xu Wang, but the other three were also surprised. Although they hadn’t paid, in the current situation inside the cabin at the time, Log Legs, Handsome, Stick Figure, and Fair Face didn’t need to lie about something that would be disproved upon one experience, right?

“Not the starting point,” Mao Qiping clarified. “You will only go back three levels. For example, if you fail in 7/23, next time you will have to start over from 4/23.”

Wu Sheng asked, “What if we don’t go back and just stay at the original coordinates of 7/23?”

“You’ll still be sucked in at midnight, but the level 7/23 won’t appear,” Mao Qiping explained. “Instead, it will be the Endless Sea of that province.”

Wu Sheng: “The Endless Sea is divided by provinces. What about the levels? How much area around a coordinate is considered within the level?”

Mao Qiping: “Levels are by city. As long as you enter the city where the current level’s coordinates are, you are no longer in the Endless Sea.”

Wu Sheng: “Are the levels uniquely opened?”

Mao Qiping: “No, there are three. The most recent level where a paper was successfully submitted and the current new level you can challenge—both are open. Besides the first level, which is always open, even if you reach the coordinates of other levels, it will still be the Endless Sea of that province.”

Wu Sheng: “What if I happen to stand on the border of two provinces…”

“Wait a minute.” Mao Qiping raised his hand, indicating that Wu Sheng should stop talking. He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, finally realizing he was about to disclose all the basic rules.

The problem was these people didn’t buy any rules except for injury and death!

Although the captain with a smiling demeanor was harsh in bargaining, at least it was a deal made willingly by both sides. This handsome young man, however, seemed to be getting everything for nothing! Even more fatal was that at the moment of being asked, he was completely drawn into the other’s rhythm, never considering the matter of money. All his energy was focused on understanding the “extremely academic description of the questions” and was proud to penetrate it.

This person, no, this team is toxic! TAT

“Choose your route quickly.” Mao Qiping just wanted to see the customers off now. “Otherwise, the spots will all be filled soon.”

Wu Sheng sighed inaudibly, regretting the sudden end of such a smooth conversation.

“Xiao Mao…” Xu Wang suddenly leaned out halfway, maximally closing the distance between them.

Mao Qiping swallowed nervously and looked at him warily. “Huh?”

Xu Wang smiled brightly. “After eating at a restaurant, they usually give a fruit plate or something…”

Mao Qiping narrowed his eyes, wondering whether to pick these people up with his extendable pole and throw them into the sea.

“We’ll take an orange. We’re not picky!”

“……”

Mao Qiping had seen all sorts of teams after drifting on the sea for a year: serene, irritable, sloppy, elite, despondent, relentlessly forward-moving, but never one like this before.

When you think about it, one moment you want to sink their ship, and the next, you can’t bring yourself to be angry at them. You might even find yourself unconsciously envying them, thinking, “If only I could be like that too.”

Mao Qiping wanted to find a particularly high-level word to describe these guys, but after searching, he could only come up with one.

Equanimity.

In this hellish place, despair and excitement are easy, but the hardest thing is to remain yourself—to maintain equanimity.

“I’ve already lost so much; what’s one more orange.” Mao Qiping sighed heavily, indicating his “hardship in business”, but what he said was all practical advice, “If you can take a green train, don’t take a bullet train or an airplane. First, it saves money—a little bit goes a long way—and second, objectively, it already extends the period between two levels. Normally, you might finish the old level one day and start the new one the next, but if you take a sleeper, you might get an extra night’s rest. Sleep on the train, sleep in the Endless Sea, and ensure you’re energized for the next level, saving a night’s hotel stay.”

Xu Wang smirked. “So the key point is still to save money.”

Mao Qiping also laughed, half-jokingly, half-mockingly. “If you’re not short of money, forget what I said, but don’t tell me. Otherwise, I’ll throw your 800 into the sea in bitterness.”

“We are short of money—very short!” Xu Wang hurriedly assured.

Mao Qiping nodded in satisfaction. “Mm, that’s comforting.”

With money and goods exchanged, it was time to set off.

The four selected “West Treasure Beach” on their arms, and soon, the unmanned rudder freely turned.

The three companions looked at Wu Sheng together.

Without any other option, Advisor Wu comforted himself with “With great power comes great responsibility” and headed to the cockpit to take hold of the helm, precisely adjusting the bow to face due north.

The ship and the floating ball slowly drifted apart.

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin waved goodbye to Mao Qiping from the railing.

Although it was a transaction, this person was the first real friendly figure they encountered in the “Owl,” and now that they were parting, a slight sense of reluctant farewell rose in their hearts.

Qian Ai wasn’t accustomed to such delicate atmospheres, so he simply waved and joked as a farewell. “The business you do feels like we’re entering different places. We’re on Thorn Island, while you’re living the Chinese dream.”

“It’s all driven by necessity,” Mao Qiping replied with a wave, somewhat annoyed. “What else can I do—can’t get through, can’t leave.”

Qian Ai said, “But earning money this way isn’t so bad. Consider it a second job.”

Mao Qiping lowered his hand and quietly watched him.

The boat and the floating ball had already drifted a meter apart, but the salty sea breeze still carried every word Mao Qiping said to the ears of the three of them.

“Every night my wife wakes up, not knowing where her husband has gone, while my child wakes up every night, unable to find his father.”

His eyes held genuine, suppressed sorrow.

Qian Ai’s smile gradually faded, falling silent. He could joke and tease, but facing Mao Qiping like this, he didn’t know what to say.

Xu Wang suppressed the unpleasant feeling in his heart and tried to comfort him. “When you go out at five, they’ll forget what happened during the night.”

“But the torment of those five hours is real.” Mao Qiping lightly shook his head with a smile. “Every night my son cries heartbreakingly—several times he’s even gotten convulsions from it.”

His voice was very soft, but the softer it was, the more it made one’s heart tremble.

Children getting convulsions from crying can be serious or minor, with severe cases even leading to lingering effects.

As the distance between the boat and the floating ball grew, Mao Qiping’s voice became more and more faint.

“They may forget, but I remember it all… Night after night, never-ending…”

That was the last thing they heard from Mao Qiping.

After that, the floating ball, the man, and that almost imperceptible sigh, all faded into the vast sea fog.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 31: Bargaining

Beneath the boat, Mao Qiping patiently waited in the floating ball for the customers to place orders, while the four people above deck gathered a little further away, considering their purchasing power.

These days, a mobile phone is all one needs to travel the world. Few people carry much cash anymore. Xu Wang had a total of 600 yuan on him, a fortunate outcome of re-visiting the airport yesterday. Discovering that cash could circulate within the “Owl”, he specifically withdrew it from the newly established communal account to have on hand for emergencies.

Little did he expect to “spend” so quickly.

“I have another 150 yuan.” Qian Ai handed over all his belongings—a 100 yuan and a 50 yuan note—into the captain’s hand. The 50 yuan was the change he got from yesterday’s airport visit.

“I only brought a hundred.” Kuang Jinxin also handed over his personal assets to the organization.

“Alright.” Xu Wang collected the money. “Let’s record this as the communal account owing you.”

Holding 850 yuan, Captain Xu naturally turned to the only silent Advisor Wu.

Wu Sheng shook his head succinctly. “I didn’t bring a single penny.”

Xu Wang was speechless. “After yesterday, you still didn’t bring money?!”

Wu Sheng looked utterly perplexed. “I brought you.”

A gentle breeze emerged from the dense fog, pleasantly caressing the face.

Qian Ai looked at the captain, who suddenly focused on counting the money with his head lowered, then at the still innocent-looking advisor, feeling something was off. He understood Wu Sheng’s implication—with you, the captain, holding the communal wallet, what need was there for me to bring money? But somehow, when translated to “inner speech”, it became words of a… tender sentiment?

Choosing Xu Wang as captain seemed right. Qian Ai suddenly felt a sense of relief, thinking if Wu Sheng had been chosen, communication would either be completely incomprehensible “logic” and “architecture” or unexpectedly a piece of “rustic love phrase”—too much pressure for a team member.

Xu Wang put the carefully recounted money into his pocket and spread out three lists. “We have 850 yuan. Let’s decide what information to buy.”

“A third-level content costs four hundred.” Qian Ai doubted their team’s purchasing power. “What about this daily level grinding and experience sharing—why is it market pricing? Is this selling seafood?!”

“We must inquire about the third level.” Xu Wang patted Qian Ai, trying to calm his excited companion, then turned to the others. “What about the rest?”

“The Endless Sea,” Kuang Jinxin suggested. “We need to clear up the immediate matters.”

Xu Wang considered, lightly tapping a few questions on the Endless Sea list. “How about…2, 4, 7?”

“Also this one.” Wu Sheng pushed the rules list forward, tapping his finger on the second item.

The team’s collective opinions culminated in—

[Rules]

2. Related to injuries and death. (100 yuan)

[Levels]

3. The third level’s content and clearance strategy. (400 yuan)

[Endless Sea]

2. What are the four lighthouses? (100 yuan)
3. Optimal strategies for the four sailing routes. (200 yuan/route, bundle price 700 yuan)
4. Optimal strategy for the four lighthouses. (200 yuan/route, bundle price 700 yuan)

Just as Xu Wang began to mentally calculate, Wu Sheng accurately provided the bundle price. “One thousand, and that’s only if we choose one strategy for each of the sailing routes and lighthouses.”

“Not enough money…” Kuang Jinxin muttered in distress.

“Yes.” Wu Sheng nodded. “We’ll have to cut something at least.”

“Then we’ll just have to cut this.” Qian Ai pointed to the item “What are the four lighthouses?” in the Endless Sea. “After all, we’re going to ask for strategies anyway; maybe we can deduce the final rewards from them?”

“Why cut anything!” Xu Wang rolled his eyes at his “unambitious” teammates, gathered the three sheets of paper, and walked over to the railing, shouting down, “Mao Qiping—”

The fog had completely obscured the sea beneath the ship, but soon enough, an enthusiastic response came through. “Here, here—”

As the response came, the telescopic pole slowly extended from the fog beyond the railing.

Xu Wang cooperatively rehung the three sheets. “We’ve made our choice. We want Rules 2 and 5, Levels 3 and 4, and Endless Sea 2, 4, and 7.”

His three companions were stunned; they hadn’t chosen that many, had they?

“Alright—” Mao Qiping’s voice immediately rose, revealing the joy of “about to count money”.

In the midst of their confusion, the telescopic pole was retracted by its owner.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

In the mist, Mao Qiping confirmed that he had only received the papers—the very ones he had printed himself.

“We want Rules 2 and 5, Levels 3 and 4, and Endless Sea 2, 4, and 7—” Xu Wang repeated loudly after a brief silence.

Eventually, Mao Qiping’s voice came through, desperately trying to keep his cool. “I know, but you need to pay!”

“We don’t have enough money,” Xu Wang said.

Mao Qiping despaired. “Then why ask for so much—”

“Fate has brought us together. How about a friend price?” Xu Wang remained calm.

Silence lingered in the fog, probably as the amount was being calculated. After a while, Mao Qiping spoke again. “A total of 1,600*, I’ll give you a 10% discount, 1,440, and I’ll even round down the forty for you—1,400. Fair enough?”

*It should actually be 1,700 based on my calculations… I think the author added it wrong. However, I kept it as the author wrote it, as the portion that follows depends on this number.

Xu Wang: “How about half price—800. No need to round off.”

Mao Qiping: “…Goodbye!!!”

“Hey, hey, bargain, bargain. It’s just cutting and adding. Don’t get agitated.”

“You just made a slashing cut at me. What’s there to talk about!”

“It’s not that I want to slash you; we only have 800 on us. If you don’t believe me, come and search. If you find even 801, I’ll pay you ten times!”

“That won’t do either. Whatever money you have, that’s how much information you’ll get. I’ve been through winds and waves to earn this hard money; it’s not possible to half sell and half give away.”

He didn’t relent at all, but his tone was softer than before, meaning he was open to a heartfelt chat.

Xu Wang was silent for a while, then made up his mind. “How about this, I don’t need the [Report Card] and the contents of Level 4—deduct 100 from 1,400—then deduct 600, leaving 700. With 700 yuan, I’ll buy 2, 3, 2, 4, 7. Our poverty is our problem. We can’t let you suffer!”

Mao Qiping always felt something was off, and after calculating, he understood. “You’re deducting the original price from the discounted price I gave you?!”

The three teammates “auditing” didn’t speak but did the math. 1,600 yuan discounted to 1,400 yuan actually meant every item was discounted. Removing [Report Card] and Level 4 from 1,400 should be a discounted price of 700 yuan, but Xu Wang directly deducted 700 yuan from the discounted price, effectively wiping off a few more hundred yuan.

Captain, well played.

Captain Xu, affirmed by his team, was now staring wide-eyed, clutching his chest. Regardless of whether it was visible or not, his actions and voice were full of heartfelt pain. “I directly let go of two items with such sincerity, and you quibble over a couple of cents?!”

In bargaining, one must be soft when it’s time to be soft and hard when it’s time to be hard; this is the true path to mastery.

“Alright, alright.” Mao Qiping finally gave in. “Why is it only you guys and no one else today…”

Xu Wang showed a content smile. “That’s right, a thousand miles held by a thin thread*. We should all cherish this bond.”

*Idiom referring to a faint connection or relationship between people or things that are far apart. Often, it’s used to describe a predestined meeting or bond.

The telescoping rod came up again. “Give the money. One question, one settlement. That way, everyone’s reassured.”

“Oh right, we were just discussing,” Xu Wang steadied the telescoping rod. “What does this ‘market rate’ mean for your daily level grinding tips and experience sharing?”

“It means it depends on my mood.” Mao Qiping was obviously in a not-so-good mood. “You guys only have 700. What’s the use of asking so much?”

“I just found another hundred in the cockpit. Let’s exchange it for this question.”

“Didn’t you say that if I find even a cent more, you’ll pay me ten times?!”

“But you didn’t come up to search.”

“……”

“I assure you, this is all we have,” Xu Wang said as he folded the money into long strips and tied them to the telescoping rod. “No need for one question, one settlement. Since you give us a friend’s discount, we trust you as a friend. The full 800 is here. Take good care of it!”

After tying the last 50 yuan note, Xu Wang gently shook the telescoping rod.

The telescoping rod slowly retracted, quiet for a long time—so long that one might wonder if he took the money and ran away. Mao Qiping’s voice slowly came through the mist—

“Here, the injury is real. Death…”

The deal was made.

800 yuan bought 1,000 yuan worth of information, plus an extra piece of “market rate” info, leaving a budget of 50 yuan unspent.

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai looked at each other, filled with emotion.

Coming up and demanding more to earn a discount, then making a bold cut, collapsing the other party’s psychological price point, then retracting two questions as a concession, showing a business-like flexibility, and finally attaching a hundred more with an additional question, not giving the other party time to think or breathe, capturing the other party’s heart with the sincerity and generosity of full payment.

Their captain was truly a dragon among men.

“Is death real too?” Xu Wang hadn’t had time to savor the joy of bargaining when Mao Qiping’s information weighed on his heart.

“It should be said that the sensation of death at that moment is real, so real that you wouldn’t want to experience it a second time.”

“But death itself is nonexistent. If there’s any danger of death, the ‘Owl’ will bounce people back to reality, right?”

“Right,” Mao Qiping acknowledged the term the “Owl”. Obviously, it was a mainstream term. “Not just death, but serious injuries too. As long as it’s determined that there’s a risk of serious injury or even death, the ‘Owl’ will send people back to reality. I call this the ‘activation of the protective mechanism’.”

Wu Sheng interrupted, “What kind of injuries are retained, and what kind trigger the protective mechanism? Is there a clear boundary?”

Mao Qiping replied, “There isn’t, but based on the information I’ve collected, superficial injuries and normal fractures seem to be retained. I haven’t seen anything more serious, so my understanding is that injuries that don’t significantly affect mobility are recognized.”

“Even fractures don’t affect mobility?” Qian Ai doubted the Owl’s perception of injury severity compared to human society.

“It’s not bad,” Mao Qiping said. “Fractures just mean wearing a plaster cast or using crutches. I’ve even seen teams pushing wheelchairs; they whizz around, as swift as the wind!”

“……” Qian Ai wasn’t concerned about the injured. He just wanted to interview the mood of the teammates pushing the wheelchair.

“What about suicide?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked. “Will it also bounce you back to reality?”

Mao Qiping was silent for a moment before answering, “Yes.”

Wu Sheng frowned, his expression like he’d found a bug in a program. “If that’s the case, then people who don’t want to stay here could just jump into the sea every day and be back home in the blink of an eye.”

“Anything you can think of someone has already thought of.” The mist covered Mao Qiping’s expression, but they could hear the bitterness in his voice. “Death also requires courage. Here, you won’t immediately bounce back to reality if you fall into the sea. Instead, you’ll gradually lose warmth in the water, sink, suffocate, and only after you’ve experienced the brink of death from start to finish will you be sent back to reality. This kind of experience, once is enough—not many are willing to try it a second time.”

Mao Qiping’s description, laced with the despair of someone who has experienced such a death, made it clear he didn’t wish to revisit it.

Xu Wang remembered his own bear encounter.

It was his first day entering the “Owl”, unclear about even the basic directions and treating the whole experience as a dream. So when the bear pounced, he wasn’t too scared, perhaps because it happened so quickly that even now he hardly trembles at the memory. But he remembered the pain from that moment—one that he would never forget. Just thinking about the wound would make his shoulder slightly ache.

“There will always be those whose ‘desire to return home’ surpasses their ‘fear of death’.” Wu Sheng understood Mao Qiping’s emotional statement, but he preferred to start from a rational perspective. “The pain effect is marginally diminishing. A person might be afraid after dying once, but it’s different after ten times. Even if the inflicted damage is objectively the same, the subjective pain diminishes each time.”

“Commonly known as, becoming numb.” Xu Wang hurriedly explained to the person below, so they wouldn’t get confused by their teammate’s words.

“Of course, such people exist. I met one when I was tackling the second level; he came up and detonated a bomb, throwing us all out. He said he just wanted to try if suicide worked. If it did, he could say goodbye to this hellish place for good…”

“What happened then?” Xu Wang felt there was more to the story.

“Later, I met his team again in this Endless Sea, but he wasn’t with them. I thought they had disbanded and reformed, but the other three said that after the tenth suicide, only they were bounced back to reality.”

“Did that person stay in the ‘Owl’?”

“No, he disappeared, nowhere to be found—neither here nor in reality.”

“……”

“Why didn’t the other three disappear?” Wu Sheng asked. “Strictly speaking, they also committed suicide ten times.”

“No,” Mao Qiping said. “The first time that person committed suicide, he was in a team with others and got kicked out before partnering with these three, so technically, the other three only committed suicide nine times.”

Kuang Jinxin was sweating for those three. “They definitely wouldn’t dare try for the tenth time…”

“I couldn’t understand at first. Death is death. How could this place distinguish between accident and suicide? But the longer I stayed, the more I understood.” Mao Qiping’s sigh carried a hint of mockery. “The ‘Owl’, it’s watching us in our heads.”

A gust of sea breeze unexpectedly dispersed a small patch of fog between the ships, as if the wind came specifically for this fog, to allow a momentary gaze between the people above and below.

Xu Wang and Mao Qiping’s eyes met, both startled. The latter’s eyes still held unhidden sorrow and bitterness.

The “swindler” below wasn’t as indifferent as he appeared. His so-called go-with-the-flow attitude was more of a resigned acceptance.

“What about the third level?” Xu Wang pretended not to notice the other’s unusual demeanor, asking naturally. “We understand about injuries and deaths now, but what exactly is the third level about? I can’t wait any longer!”

Mao Qiping paused, then smoothly transitioned. “Zombies¹. The third level is fighting zombies.”

That took Xu Wang aback.

Beside him, Qian Ai, taking advantage of the brief visibility, stretched out his arm and hopped in place twice. “Are these the zombies¹ wearing Qing Dynasty clothes?”

¹They are using the term Jiangshi, which is known as a Chinese hopping vampire.

Mao Qiping was speechless. He raised his hand and gestured up and down, mimicking “two claws digging out his heart”. At the same time, he clicked his upper and lower teeth twice. “This kind of zombie, from Plants vs Zombies!”

“Oh.” Qian Ai was disappointed, feeling all the Hong Kong zombie films from the 80s he’d watched were useless. “You could’ve just said undead*.”

*Clarity: The term they were previously using was Jiangshi (僵尸) which specifically refers to a Chinese zombie (vampire). The term [sangshi] (丧尸) is what is used for what we commonly refer to as “zombies”. To avoid confusion, I’m using undead here, but note it specifically refers to zombies (not the undead as a whole).

“Fine, undead then.” As always, the customer is always right. “Once inside, you’ll receive a vaccine and random weapons. Successfully delivering the vaccine to the city center hospital will mean you’ve cleared the level.”

“The environment after entering the city?” Qian Ai asked.

Mao Qiping replied, “Half city, half ruins.”

Kuang Jinxin was amazed by Qian Ai’s calm and clear questioning. This wasn’t the insecure Qian Ai he knew.

Zombies—just the thought of it made his scalp tingle. “Qian Ge, aren’t you scared?”

“What’s there to be scared of?” Qian Ai said. “This stuff isn’t like ghosts, which vary in appearance and skills, coming at you in all sorts of terrifying ways. Against zombies, just make sure not to get bitten; the rest is just like fighting.”

“Plus, their movements are very slow.” Wu Sheng was even calmer than Qian Ai. “As long as we start running and break out a bloody path, if we have the stamina, they’ll never catch up to us.”

“Right, right!” Qian Ai nodded vigorously. “I was just about to say that.”

The fog rose again, and Mao Qiping’s face gradually blurred.

But his voice was clear. “Uh, you might have some misconceptions about the zombies in the third level. Their speed isn’t slow…”

Wu Sheng frowned. “They can run?”

“Every one of them is the Usain Bolt* of the zombie world,” Mao Qiping said.

*A Jamaican retired sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 30: Floating Ball

The scolder on the deck didn’t have much time for “internal strife”. After his cursing, he immediately threw himself back into the battle with the tentacles, not giving another glance to the troublesome one above.

However, the one atop the mast suddenly stood up, grabbing a bow with one hand and slowly drawing an arrow from the quiver at their waist.

Qian Ai widened his eyes in disbelief. “Damn, you can’t be serious…”

Drawing the bow and shooting the arrow was done in one fluid motion, like flowing clouds and water.

An arrow carrying the wind, with the momentum of breaking bamboo, rushed towards the side of the railing that their three teammates had their backs to, firmly embedding itself into the tentacle that had latched on at some unknown time. The arrowhead sunk deeply, and the pale flesh-colored tentacle trembled with it.

Xu Wang and the others were facing this side, watching clearly.

Qian Ai was dumbfounded. The same arrow, in his hands, was no better than a child’s slingshot. At least a child wouldn’t be hurt by the rubber band. But in the hands of another, it became a real weapon, and what’s more, it was so fucking cool. The drawing and releasing of the arrow had an explosive style, elegant as an immortal!

The person on the mast didn’t even look their way, continuing to draw the bow with movements neither rushed nor tense, stretching as leisurely as if practicing in an archery range.

The second arrow sliced through the wind, entering the tentacle. Then the third and the fourth.

The tentacle was like a living target turning into a porcupine by the continuous arrows. When the sixth arrow hit, the tentacle finally retreated, embarrassingly pulling back into the sea with its “spikes”.

All this happened behind the three teammates, who were completely unaware.

Xu Wang was anxious for them, wishing he could turn their heads back himself. For disagreeable teammates, it’s not enough to just listen; one must observe their actions. If he only just listened to Wu Sheng’s words, he might have disbanded the team ten times over!

However, those three teammates couldn’t hear Xu Wang’s inner screams. They continued to battle another tentacle on the other side, and under their “persistent efforts”, that side’s tentacle count had risen to five.

The term “utterly useless” was indeed unkind, but now it seemed like a fact.

Though these three were not good at fighting, their tongues were sharp. What to do when three against one still can’t overcome a tentacle? Curse, of course.

Amidst the noisy waves, their curses were heard.

“What the hell is this thing—”

“I’m so damn done with this hellhole—”

“Fuck, I told you not to use up all the stationery. Now we have nothing left—”

Xu Wang sighed. After cursing the sea monster, they cursed the Owl, and after the Owl, they turned their anger on their teammates. This operation was quite something.

Comparison brings out the contrast. He now felt that teammates like Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin were like angels.

There should still be arrows in the quiver, but the person on the mast suddenly sat down again.

Xu Wang didn’t know whether that person decided that only this side of the railing was their responsibility, or if they saw the increasing tentacles on the other side and felt that a few more arrows wouldn’t make a difference—it was simply a drop in the bucket.

Anyway, that person sat back down, bending one leg in a relaxed and leisurely posture.

Xu Wang really wanted to see his expression now. He turned to look for the spyglass but found he wasn’t the only one curious—Kuang Jinxin was already peering through the lens upward.

“What’s going on?” Xu Wang saw his eyes widening and couldn’t help asking curiously.

“So beautiful…” Kuang Jinxin sighed sincerely.

Xu Wang was confused by this completely off-topic answer, doubting whether he and Kuang Jinxin were on the same wavelength. “What are you looking at?”

“That archer above.” Kuang Jinxin casually gave the other “professional” a name he thought was cool, then urged Xu Wang impatiently. “Captain, take a look. Really, he’s as beautiful as a painting!”

Xu Wang reluctantly attached his eye to the telescope. He had thought the man might have used some remarkable stationery, but a man’s beauty? Even if he were handsome, he could only be as good-looking as Wu Sheng…

He regretted. This was the second time today he felt ashamed of his ignorance.

Xu Wang didn’t know how to describe someone’s facial features and eyebrows. He only knew that the appearance of that person atop the mast transcended worldly beauty. Words like “handsome” and “beautiful” seemed pale in comparison to that face. Kuang Jinxin said “like a painting”, and he was right. His facial features were as exquisite as a painting—otherworldly.

It stands to reason that men who are too beautiful often seem effeminate, but that man didn’t. His beauty was precisely measured—a perfect balance between rugged and delicate. His skin was very fair, and a mole near his eye added a classical charm, making him seem like a nobleman enjoying the unfolding clouds, even as he indifferently watched his three teammates busy below. You would still think he was a scholarly gentleman, admiring the unfolding scenery.

Chi Yingxue. Xu Wang repeated the name in his mind, feeling envious. A well-chosen name meant one needn’t worry about their appearance. Like a clear pond reflecting spring snow, a branch of pear blossoms askew*.

*Clarity: His name broken down means pond/pool [Chi] (池), reflecting [Ying] (映), snow [Xue] (雪).

With his curiosity satisfied, Xu Wang released the spyglass. Kuang Jinxin, as if not yet done looking, pressed back to it. But just as he started, he suddenly jolted. “Captain, he smiled at me!”

Xu Wang looked up again, unable to see the expression on the mast clearly, but he could see the gesture. The man had somehow turned to look their way, clearly noticing their spying. Whether he smiled or not, Xu Wang couldn’t tell, but he clearly saw the man lift his arm, giving a faint wave in greeting to him and Kuang Jinxin.

With his teammates on the brink of annihilation, did he really have the leisure to say hi to the onlookers?

Xu Wang was speechless as the ship, already heavily tilted from the sea monster’s tugging, capsized completely in a sudden, large wave. It all happened in the blink of an eye; the people on the ship didn’t even have time to call for help before the ship overturned on the sea surface. The mast, cabin, and deck were all gone, leaving only the bottom of the boat, lonely, floating on the sea.

Soon, even the bottom of the boat disappeared—the monster dragged the entire ship into the depths of the sea.

The sea suddenly calmed down, the wind stopped, the waves stilled, and a thick fog gradually rose.

In the terrifying silence, Xu Wang shivered. If it weren’t for Qian Ai’s desperate gamble with the Hot Wheels, they themselves might now be engulfed by the cold seawater.

“He wasn’t greeting us,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said out of the blue. “He was saying goodbye.”

Xu Wang was still in shock, not catching on. “Who?”

“The archer,” Kuang Jinxin said.

Xu Wang: “……”

Sometimes, breaking the mood is also a way to combat fear.

Taking Kuang Jinxin back to the deck to regroup with his teammates, Wu Sheng looked towards where the ship sank with a grave expression, while Qian Ai was utterly disheartened. “Why even choose a course? I might as well just let the dog lead…”

Xu Wang, startled, quickly checked his arm.

In the struggle with the sea monster, he had completely forgotten about choosing the sailing course.

Fortunately, the options were still scrolling and hadn’t resulted in a “timeout and loss of choice” or “default selection due to timeout” kind of tragedy.

The fog was getting thicker, blanketing the surrounding sea. Now, if another ship were just a dozen meters away, they wouldn’t be able to see it even with a spyglass.

“We need to choose quickly,” Xu Wang said. “This fog isn’t a good sign.”

“Let’s go to Treasure Beach.” Wu Sheng retracted his gaze. “Flying Island, I suspect, is a place with moving coordinates.”

“Isn’t that better?” Kuang Jinxin didn’t understand.

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “Brother, our luggage is still at the departure hall.”

Kuang Jinxin frowned mournfully. “With the Owl so powerful, having a flying island and all, can’t it help us with our luggage?”

“The ability is probably there, but I doubt it would be so considerate.” Qian Ai had lost hope in this malicious world.

Kuang Jinxin, sincerely seeking advice, asked, “But even if we go to Treasure Beach, we’re still moving, right?”

“With the speed of this ship, we won’t go far in four or five hours.” Xu Wang understood why Wu Sheng chose Treasure Beach. “We’ll go to Treasure Beach, get the treasure, then rush back to the airport after returning to reality. The plane might fly off, but we still need to retrieve our luggage.”

Qian Ai frowned. “Is there definitely treasure at Treasure Beach?”

Xu Wang said, “Of course, why else would it be called Treasure Beach?”

Qian Ai’s frown deepened. “Are you sure our luggage will still be at the airport when we return?”

Kuang Jinxin said, “Of course, it has our identification in it. Whoever finds it will hand it over to the airport’s lost and found.”

Qian Ai: “……”

With such a simple and brutal captain and blindly optimistic teammates, he was grateful to still be alive. Thankful for his fate.

Knock.

A knocking sound came from beneath the deck.

Knock.

Knock, knock.

It started without warning but couldn’t stop once it began.

In the dead silence of the foggy sea, it was like a ghost knocking in the middle of the night.

“I’ll go.” Qian Ai tried to huddle closer to the Advisor. “It’s not that the octopus monster left, and now it’s a siren, right?”

“It can’t be. A siren would just start singing.” Wu Sheng’s reasoning was sound, and his voice seemed brave, but he refused to move an inch and instead raised a brow and shouted towards the vast ocean. “Who’s there?”

Xu Wang was speechless. “Are you seriously thinking they would answer…”

“Me, Mao Qiping—”

And indeed, there was a response.

All four looked over the railing at the sea and saw a floating sphere come up next to their boat. The top half of the sphere had opened up, revealing a man in his thirties sitting inside, looking up at them and waving enthusiastically.

As their eyes met, the man immediately stood up, reaching out from the skylight, and knocked a couple more times on their wooden boat, finally flashing a bright smile with white teeth as if to say, “See, that’s how I was knocking just now. I’m so clever, right?”

“Your friend?” Xu Wang asked Wu Sheng.

It was a normal guess; given the back-and-forth just now and Mao Qiping’s familiar tone, it didn’t seem like they were strangers.

But Wu Sheng shook his head blankly.

Xu Wang stared at him for a long while, finally accepting that the man below was indeed a stranger they happened upon. He turned back to Mao Qiping speechlessly. “Friend, as a stranger, shouldn’t you introduce yourself after stating your name?”

Mao Qiping slapped his forehead in annoyance. “I was negligent!” Then, while rummaging through his bag, he began to introduce himself without lifting his head. “I’m a resident here; that is, I come in every night but don’t team up or go through levels. I saw you guys were new and clueless. I have all sorts of intelligence and information, guaranteed to be real and reliable. I’ll compensate you tenfold for any falsehood. My pricing is clear and fair to all…”

Finally, he pulled something he was looking for from his bag, poking it with a stick-like object, then pressed his thumb. The stick extended segment by segment until the paper at the tip of the stick was presented right in front of the four people.

“Here are my ID, driver’s license, and the first page of my household registration. I guarantee my character and integrity in doing business!” Mao Qiping held the telescopic rod in one hand and patted his chest with the other.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Xu Wang: “You’ve mosaiced all the critical information. How can anyone see the sincerity!”

“It’s not that. What I want is a sense of ceremony. It makes me look professional.” Mao Qi retracted the telescopic rod section by section, took off the photocopies, and put them away. “But I can’t really give away information for you to track me down. After all, I also have a family to care for outside. It’s not good to involve them in things here.”

Every night they come in, but not to break through the levels… Xu Wang suddenly thought of Sun Jiang for some reason. That former teammate also didn’t want to go to Shaanxi because he couldn’t leave his family behind. If this mentality doesn’t change, then Sun Jiang can only enter the snowfield every day, spending nights there alone.

In comparison, the person under the boat was much more at ease, spirited, and with a healthy glow.

“This is the Endless Sea. You all must have received the message in the [Cheat Sheet].” Without waiting for Xu Wang and the others to speak, Mao Qiping started on his own. “This place doesn’t belong to any specific level but is a transitional zone between levels. When leaving the old level’s coordinates and not yet reaching the new level’s coordinates, you’ll be teleported here. Teams have ships, and lone wolves like me get a sphere…”

“Teleported?” Wu Sheng caught the keyword.

“Yes.” Mao Qiping looked up, searching for a moment before finding his conversation partner. “The Endless Sea is divided by provinces. The province you’re sucked in from, you’ll enter that corresponding Endless Sea. But the landing point has nothing to do with where you enter—it’s all in a fixed area. Take Shaanxi for example; whether you’re in Xianyang, Xi’an, Hanzhong, or Yan’an, the moment you’re sucked in, you’ll converge in this current sea area…”

“To ensure fairness in competition?” Wu Sheng followed this thought.

“Smart!” Mao Qiping generously praised, though they weren’t sure if it was sincere or polite. “The positions of the four lighthouses are fixed. If every team’s entering coordinates are far apart, the teams closer would have an unfair advantage.”

“What happens at five?” Wu Sheng asked.

“Back to the starting point. No matter how far you’ve sailed here from where you entered, you’ll return to the same place.” Mao Qiping didn’t leave them hanging. “That’s the essential difference between the Endless Sea and the levels.”

Wu Sheng further inquired, “What’s in the Flying Island and Treasure Beach?”

Mao Qiping didn’t answer this time but bent down to rummage through his bag again. This time, it was quicker than the last. In the blink of an eye, he took out three sheets of paper, poked them onto the telescopic rod, and handed them back to the four.

The four companions took down the papers, looked through them one by one, and found they were three lists of questions—

[Rules]

1. Related to coordinates. (50 yuan)
2. Related to injuries and death. (100 yuan)
3. Related to stationery. (100 yuan)
4. Related to [Roster] and [Cheat Sheet]. (100 yuan)
5. Related to [Report Card]. (100 yuan)
6. .…

[Levels]

1. The first level’s content and clearance strategy. (20 yuan)
2. The second level’s content and clearance strategy. (200 yuan)
3. The third level’s content and clearance strategy. (400 yuan)
4. The fourth level’s content and clearance strategy. (600 yuan)
5. The fifth level’s content and clearance strategy. (1000 yuan)
6. Daily level grinding tips and experience sharing. (market price)

Note: As level content may adjust randomly, strategies are not guaranteed universally applicable.

[Endless Sea]

1. What is the Endless Sea? (50 yuan)
2. What are the four lighthouses? (100 yuan)
3. What dangers are there in the four sailing routes? (150 yuan)
4. Optimal strategies for the four sailing routes. (200 yuan/route, bundle price 700 yuan)
5. .…

Sure enough, fair and clear pricing, deceiving neither the old nor the young.

However, in comparison to the dense content of the other two categories, the level category only has six items and one note, filling just half the page and leaving a large blank space, making it look somewhat uncoordinated.

“Why is there only half a page for the levels category?” Xu Wang looked down and asked Mao Qiping.

“I’ve only passed two levels,” Mao Qiping replied with an expression that read “life is tough”. “The rest of the information for the three levels is from buying and selling.”

Xu Wang was puzzled. “Can’t you trade information for levels after the fifth?”

Mao Qiping shook his head.

“You don’t look like someone who deals in big business.” Xu Wang sighed. “If you’re in this line, you have to be willing to spend money.”

Mao Qi also sighed. “It’s not about the money.”

Xu Wang was stunned.

Mao Qi looked up at him. “Those who can make it to the fifth level are determined to fight it out to the end. No one wants to sell the information and strategies for the levels they’ve painfully gathered day and night for a bit of money. Because if they sell the information to me, I will definitely resell it to other challengers. Then everyone will pass the levels smoothly, catch up to them, and make their further challenges even harder, right?”

Xu Wang hadn’t considered this aspect, or rather, his experiences hadn’t made him feel such acute and suffocating heaviness about the “road ahead”.

“Can you be free after passing twenty-three levels, never to return here again?” Xu Wang asked a question not listed in the guidelines.

“I don’t know—no, I should say no one knows.” Mao Qiping gave a bitter smile. “I’ve been here for a year, and the best team I’ve seen on the leaderboard only made it to the thirteenth level.”

“Only thirteen levels?” Xu Wang felt a sinking feeling.

“Yes, you’ll see it too when the leaderboard opens,” Mao Qiping said.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker, so thick that Mao Qiping’s face could barely be seen from the boat.

Mao Qiping hurriedly used the telescopic rod to try and disperse the fog a bit, as if that would help. “Actually, uncertainty isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Uncertainty means there’s possibility, and that’s the most important belief for those warriors who keep pushing forward.”

Xu Wang raised his eyebrows. “Don’t think you can coax us into spending money by sneakily putting a ‘warrior’ hat on us.”

“I just shared so much information about the Endless Sea, isn’t that sincere enough?” Mao Qiping raised his voice so it wouldn’t be blocked by the thick fog and not reach the customers’ ears. “If you find it to your liking, then buy some.”

“……” The slight heaviness that had started to settle on Xu Wang was dispersed by this remark.

Exchanging information sounds like such a sophisticated and classy affair, like something out of an undercover spy thriller, or at the very least, there should be some mysterious code or suspense involved. Yet, with this casual exchange, it sounded more like marketplace banter!

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