Chapter 72: Hopeless Sea |
Qi Si's eyes scanned every word on the stone tablet. On his system interface, the rules materialized, line by line, as he read.
"This Sea God is basically a local mob boss shaking people down for protection money..."
He grumbled to himself, then took a subtle step back, positioning himself beside Chang Xu in the crowd as if they were old acquaintances.
The situation was already clear: this was a faction-based instance. There was no point delving into the logic behind the animosity between groups; the Weird Game simply wanted players to fight each other.
In a competitive game like this, victory depended on understanding each opponent's mindset and predicting their actions.
Qi Si already had a good grasp of Chang Xu's way of thinking, giving him a natural information advantage in this game of wits. It would be a shame not to leverage it.
Seeing Qi Si draw nearer instead of keeping his distance, Chang Xu's gaze slowly formed a question mark. "You do realize I still suspect you," he said.
"And? Everyone says you're a good person, and I happen to agree. Even if you're suspicious of me, I doubt you'd just let me die if trouble found me." Qi Si offered a small, sighing smile. "Besides, I just joined the official player pool. I don't know a soul here. You're the only one I can trust."
"You haven't joined a guild?" Chang Xu asked.
“...”
Chang Xu studied Qi Si's guileless, seemingly oblivious expression, and his own gaze darkened slightly.
First, the man had no connection to the Sila Guild. Second, his combat prowess was questionable at best. Logically, it would be nearly impossible for him to single-handedly wipe out an entire instance.
Emotionally... he hoped it wasn't him either.
He was an intelligent player, a skilled strategist, and he currently seemed open to cooperation. Making an enemy of him would be a serious problem.
"Everyone, if I could have your attention!" A young man with gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward, turning to face the group with a smile. "My name is Lu Li, and this is my nineteenth new instance—since becoming an official player, that is."
"After reading the rules, I have a few theories. Does anyone have any cash on them? Or any items related to money? The rules concern all of us, so I hope you'll put aside your identities and side quests for a moment and answer honestly."
He was, without a doubt, an experienced veteran. If he was telling the truth about this being his nineteenth instance as an official player, he was likely loaded with life-saving items. Making an enemy of him would be unwise.
The players all began to search their pockets in unison. Even those who had already checked made a show of turning them inside out again to prove they had nothing to hide.
"Who even carries cash these days? And you can't bring it into an instance anyway."
"If I'd known, I would've bought some cash from the system store before coming in..."
"So, does this mean we've all already broken the first rule?"
Instances based on "rules creepypasta" were often simpler than pure survival scenarios because the conditions for death were laid out. However, they were also more likely to incite paranoia, especially when players began to suspect they had already broken a rule.
Chang Xu, who had followed Qi Si, now stood in the middle of the crowd. Seeing everyone around him making a show of searching their pockets, he slipped his own hand into his jacket.
—And found nothing, of course.
Just then, Qi Si leaned closer, speaking in a low voice only the two of them could hear. "The setting for this instance obviously isn't modern. Even if someone did bring cash, it would probably be useless. A veteran player wouldn't overlook something that basic, would he?"
Chang Xu's eyebrow twitched, a flicker in his eyes.
Despite just being an object of suspicion, he was now actively sharing his insights. Was it a genuine gesture of goodwill, or... a deception?
Qi Si continued, "Lu Li stepping forward like that was a move to seize control of the narrative. With a little maneuvering, he'll be able to manipulate everyone and steer the situation... Of course, maybe I'm just overthinking it."
By the stone tablet, Lu Li was completely oblivious that his casual question had just earned him a load of unwarranted suspicion out of thin air.
He raised a hand in a placating gesture, signaling for the murmuring players to quiet down. "If none of us have cash, it just means the main storyline of this instance hasn't begun yet. We're all safe for now. There will likely be an event that allows us to get money later, so let's all keep an eye out..."
As he was speaking, a rustling sound arose from behind him. The dense grove of coconut palms suddenly parted, revealing a narrow path just wide enough for one person. Standing on the path was a young woman in a long blue dress.
Her wavy golden hair cascaded down her back, and her fair face held the luster of a pearl. Her azure eyes seemed to reflect the sky itself.
She was so beautiful she hardly seemed real. From every angle, there was something unsettling, almost ghostly about her, yet it was impossible to feel any malice from her. Instead, she brought to mind the beautiful legends of elves.
While the players stared, momentarily stunned, the woman approached, the hem of her long dress trailing behind her. Sequins adorning the fabric scattered shimmering flecks of light as she moved. She curved her lips into a gentle smile and raised her hands, beginning to make gestures.
"Welcome to the Sea God's Isle. My name is Yuna."
Thanks to the mechanics of the Weird Game, the players could effortlessly understand the woman's sign language.
Qi Si watched her with keen interest, his eyes drawn to a large patch of fish scales embedded in her slender, snow-white neck, positioned directly over her vocal cords. He wondered if that was the reason she couldn't speak.
The woman seemed unbothered by Qi Si's overt scrutiny and continued signing. "The storm that brought you here was either guidance or a revelation from my master. I will provide you with shelter and food, should you require it."
Lu Li smiled. "Thank you for your kindness. If we weren't pressed for time, I'd be more than happy to spend a holiday on this beautiful island. As it is, we'd like to continue our journey as soon as possible. Unfortunately, our ship was damaged in the storm. Are there any boats on the island we might use?"
The woman, Yuna, adopted a regretful expression and signed again. "We have no boats on our island. Previous travelers like yourselves built a wooden craft, but after they sailed away on it, they never returned."
So, the players were expected to build their own boat?
Lu Li considered this for a moment. "Aside from a boat," he asked, "is there any other way to leave the island?"
"I do not know." Yuna shook her head. "Perhaps you could go to the altar at the center of the island and ask the great Sea God."
The players let out a collective sigh of relief at the mention of another option. After all, shipbuilding wasn't a common skill in this day and age.
Even if someone among them did have the knowledge, building a seaworthy vessel would take a considerable amount of time. And in a Weird Game instance, the longer you linger, the more dangers you face.
"It looks like we'll be staying for a while, then. We're in your care." Lu Li adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, offering another polite smile. "Yuna, are there any inns or hotels on the island? Will we need to exchange for some local currency?"
Yuna seemed to remember something then, shaking her head in mild frustration. "I almost forgot. The great Sea God said that every traveler to the island should be given a certain amount of money, so that all may experience our local customs."
This was a completely unexpected development. Not only were they not being charged, they were being paid? Was this Sea God really that generous?
One of the players voiced this question aloud. A formulaic smile appeared on Yuna's face. "Rest assured, the money you receive corresponds to your individual worth."
The words sounded deeply unsettling, as if they were being sold.
The players exchanged uneasy glances but allowed Yuna to press stacks of peculiar-looking banknotes into their hands. Regardless of the implications, the rules required them to have usable money, and these bills would certainly solve that immediate problem.
Qi Si slipped his stack of bills into his pocket, quickly counting them by feel. Ten in total. He drew one out and held it up to the sunlight to examine it.
The banknote was made of some unknown material, slick and greasy to the touch, like the skin of a dead fish. Its design was similar to familiar currencies, with the denomination "100" on the left and a massive, hideous fish head printed on the right.
Once she had distributed the money, Yuna signed, "Let me take you to my inn. The shore is dangerous."
The bell of a distant clock tower began to toll, its thunderous peals so turbulent they seemed to warp the very air, sounding as chaotic as rock music played in reverse.
The beautiful woman in blue drew her arms to her sides, then turned with stately grace, her back to the crowd. She began walking, slow but deliberate, into the depths of the coconut grove.
As she moved, whether from her gait or some other cause, the hem of her dress slithered and twisted across the sand, creating the illusion of a mermaid's tail.
Qi Si glanced back over his shoulder. White waves lapped gently at the shore, looking no different from any ordinary beach. He couldn't imagine what danger she was talking about.
But since an NPC had issued a warning, no one dared to linger. The players obediently fell into line behind Yuna, one by one stepping onto the forest path.
The emerald coconut grove stretched out on either side, layer upon layer, seemingly endless. Broad, fan-like fronds interlaced as they reached for the sky, filling every gap until they nearly blotted out the sun.
Qi Si mingled with the crowd, projecting an image as innocent and harmless as a grazing animal.
After walking for what felt like a long time, the view ahead suddenly opened. The trees thinned, and nestled within the grove was a two-story wooden cottage.
They had arrived at the inn.