[Cruise Ship Carnival] Connections and Analysis

Before Chen Guang had finished speaking, Si Yehan had already opened the envelope and begun reading its contents.

[Cruise Ship Carnival: Extravagant revelry rises with the music. The night is alluring, but danger lurks within! The sea at night chooses its victims and devours them. Please indulge yourself and survive for four days.]

After reading it, Si Yehan casually tossed the burning letter into the sea. The red glow along its edges lit up the drifting ash.

He looked up at the others. Some had already finished reading, like him, while others had not.

Chen Guang smiled. Only after everyone had finished did he speak gently. "My letter said: resentful spirits who died unjustly wander the cabins. Those who harbor lustful thoughts will be torn to pieces. Dazzling lights reflect the human heart. Now, please share the information each of you received."

Chen Zhongshou's brows knitted into a deep frown as he spoke each word deliberately. "Killing is but drinking poison to quench one's thirst, yet some find it sweet as honey! Investigate the truth of the past and survive for four days. That's all. It feels like the letters have very little information this time."

Si Yehan made a slight change, speaking coolly. "My letter only mentioned being careful of the sea at night and surviving for four days."

Jin Zhiguang played with the letter slowly burning in his hand. The fire caused no real harm and only affected the letter itself, which was why he could be so relaxed. "Apart from surviving for four days, my letter only said not to look in a mirror at night."

Xia Ruifei shook her head, a note of disappointment entering her voice. "The information in my letter was extremely limited. Most of it overlapped with yours. The only thing that didn't was that we need to sleep at night."

Xu Yuanjin raised her chin, much of the sharpness gone from her voice. "The main content of my letter was different from yours. I'll repeat it: the pampered and privileged have grown tired of ordinary pleasures, so they have turned their attention to cruise ships and the sea. The ship is a place of ultimate bliss, where countless people linger, unable to tear themselves away. Please indulge to your heart's content, but do not lose yourself in it. Survive for four days."

At that, Xu Yuanjin spread her hands. "That's all. Little sister, you're next."

Wang Yuxiu raised her eyes and adjusted her round-framed glasses. "There were only eight characters in my letter: see no evil, survive four days. I did work something out from it, though. The parties on the ship might be rather risqué. Based on the first four characters and what Chen Guang just mentioned about those who harbor lustful thoughts being torn to pieces—the latter is already clear enough. Combined with my line, it's practically certain that having lustful thoughts and looking at someone indecently is a killing rule."

As Cheng Zhuiyu spoke, the excess flesh on her body trembled slightly. "My letter said to indulge in food and fill your heart, only to lose sight of danger and die! That was the only sentence. The rest was just about surviving for four days."

"This instance really is merciful. It's even easier than the first one. It told us a killing rule right off the bat. I wonder what the people who died in the first instance would think if they saw this." Xu Yuanjin chuckled, her laughter tinged with mockery. It was hard to tell whether it was directed at people or the instance.

Chen Zhongshou sounded somewhat reflective. "Make the most of it. Starting with the sixth instance, there are no more letters. Unless you choose to enter a beginner instance and guide newcomers as a veteran, which can briefly slow the awakening of the Vengeful Ghost inside you."

Jin Zhiguang looked thoughtful and raised a question. "I've never heard that before. Brother Chen, how do you know?"

A note of happiness entered Chen Zhongshou's voice. "In my last instance, I ran into an old comrade I hadn't seen in over ten years. He was already preparing for his seventh instance. He told me a lot and promised to bring me into Han Shu after this instance."

Si Yehan's expression remained impassive. Hearing the name Han Shu again, he felt the organization seemed to be everywhere. It really did look like a behemoth, but Chen Zhongshou wouldn't be fortunate enough to join it.

Xu Yuanjin glanced at Chen Zhongshou and opened her mouth as if to say something, but said nothing.

Curiosity appeared in Wang Yuxiu's eyes. "Is Han Shu a civilian organization of participants? In my last instance, I met a man who said he was from the official organization Worldwatch. He was very powerful. He led seven of us through, and the rest of us barely had to lift a finger to win. Not one person died. Is Han Shu that powerful too?"

At the mention of Worldwatch, Chen Guang's smile stiffened for a moment, but his tone remained friendly. "What was his name?"

The look in Wang Yuxiu's eyes faded as she answered softly, "Shen Wangshu."

Surprise flashed in Chen Guang's eyes. "It was him? He's one of Worldwatch's five captains! Why would he enter a beginner instance?"

Wang Yuxiu shook her head. "I don't know."

Chen Zhongshou's tone remained unchanged. Even though he had yet to join Han Shu, he already felt a strong sense of belonging. "Worldwatch is the strongest participant organization in the country, being an official one. But Han Shu is also an extremely powerful civilian organization, second only to Worldwatch in the country. Our boss, Jiang Shanghan, is one of the country's top powerhouses. The last time he fought in the real world, he fought two of Worldwatch's captains to a draw."

Si Yehan listened in silence, learning more about the organizations from what they said. There was inevitably some boasting, but it was enough to show how powerful the two organizations were. He still had a long way to go before he became stronger.

Chen Zhongshou's sense of collective identity was surprisingly strong. He hadn't even joined the so-called organization, yet he had already made himself part of it. It was truly laughable.

As the conversation grew increasingly animated, Xu Yuanjin interrupted. "Everyone, this isn't the time to talk about that. No matter how powerful those organizations are, they can't affect us inside the instance."

Her words brought everyone back to their senses. Xu Yuanjin was right, so naturally no one resented her for it.

The sun had set in the distance, and the colors it had cast over the sea slowly faded.

Looking at the rippling water, Si Yehan involuntarily pictured the waves rising and falling, the icy sea sweeping up corpses and swallowing them into its depths, where fish and shrimp would feed on them.

Xia Ruifei suddenly asked, "What are our identities on this ship supposed to be?"

Before the other seven could answer, four security guards approached from a distance. "Honored guests, the bosses would like to see the eight of you."

It was as though a button had been pressed to start the instance. None of the people nearby had been able to overhear the eight of them talking earlier, but that was no longer the case. The Weird Game distorted the perceptions of the instance's natives no less severely.

The four security guards led them toward the cruise ship's fourth floor.

One of the guards began explaining, "Honored guests, our cruise ship, the Tianxia No. 4, is divided into seven levels. The first and second levels are the cargo hold and engine room below. The remaining five levels are the first through fifth floors, including the top deck. The first floor is the entertainment hall, where people sing, drink, and dance. The second floor is the dining hall, and the third floor contains the cabins, all furnished as luxury cabins. The fourth floor is where the bosses live and hold meetings. The fifth floor is the observation deck at the top."

Everyone listened, taking in the information.

Si Yehan put his hands in the outer pockets of his windbreaker and looked at the scenery around him.