Chapter 88: Digital Cruise (Part One)

Chapter 88: Digital Cruise (Part One)

The new neighbor was a man in his thirties, single, named Liu Xi. At a glance, he seemed rather unremarkable. He said he was on a business trip, staying with relatives in D city for a while.

If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn't have noticed anything amiss.

But it was Zhang Dao An who noticed.

"This neighbor of mine, I investigated all his background, but couldn't find anything inappropriate. His records were impeccable, clearly indicating a regular white-collar worker, but his demeanor was too odd, resembling a high-ranking individual pretending to be amiable. Moreover, he seemed to be paying an unusually high amount of attention to our family."

"He was scrutinizing us with a certain purpose, seemingly waiting for something."

Zhang Dao An smiled faintly, yet his eyes lacked any trace of mirth.

"I soon figured out what he was waiting for."

The return of Zhang Dao An's long-lost mother was big news.

During that period, many relatives who had lost touch for a long time came to inquire about what exactly had happened. This "mother" patiently repeated her story over and over: she had accidentally fallen into the river, was swept away by the currents, and eventually drifted to a remote mountain village where she lost her memory and led a secluded life. Only recently had she recalled her past and thus returned.

This legendary tale spread rapidly, with many people commenting that she had been blessed after surviving a great calamity, a blessing that soon materialized.

Twenty days after her return, she bought a lottery ticket and won a jackpot of five million.

This "mother" told Zhang Dao An and Zhang Dao Wu that, given her newfound wealth and the constant meddling from relatives, she found it irritating and suggested moving to a new place, as they were now financially equipped to do so.

Coincidentally, their neighbor Liu Xi was wrapping up his business trip and returning to the south. He warmly invited them to settle in the south, even enthusiastically helping them find a suitable house.

Their "mother" swiftly agreed.

"By then, I had already felt that something was off about her, so I installed surveillance cameras at home. Every day, when Zhang Dao Wu and I were at home, she behaved like a normal person. But the moment we were not around, she would sit silently on the couch reading a book, sometimes for the entire day. Additionally, upon reviewing the surveillance footage, I noticed that although her wording varied each time when narrating her experiences to visiting relatives, the level of detail was exceedingly high on each occasion. This contradicted human nature. People would get tired of repeating a story, yet I arranged for forty-five relatives to test her, and she detailed her story extremely meticulously to each one, albeit with different words, the overall narrative style and progression of events remained identical every time."

Xie Fangcheng understood, "Like an intelligent program?"

"Yes," Zhang Dao An nodded, "just like an intelligent program, having predetermined responses set up and mechanically repeating them. But I am not sure how this was achieved; she appears no different from an ordinary human being, and our technological advancements haven't progressed to such a speed."

Xie Fangcheng could explain, "Similar to the instance in the [Fortune Inn] we encountered before, if it involves extracting some soul power from a deceased's soul, it indeed can be transmitted. This can't be helped; living people also possess soul power which can overflow during extreme fear. It's impossible to regulate and won't trigger our alarms. But soul power can at most allow movement; to act like a normal person, it seems a program has been written."

Zhang Dao An nodded, "At that time, I also speculated she might be a pre-programmed entity, which made Liu Xi even more suspicious. It seemed like he knew this was just a programmed entity, despite acting very friendly and close to us, I never saw him having casual chats with the 'mother', even though he frequently conversed with me and Zhang Dao Wu."

"At that moment, I was sure that both of them were problematic, but I had never encountered such a situation before, and the 'move' happened too abruptly. I sensed Liu Xi had a time-sensitive mission. If it dragged on, something I didn't want to witness might occur before I could fully grasp the situation. Hence, I decided to take a chance."

"After moving to the south, I suddenly attacked Liu Xi when only the four of us were in the room."

Jie Fangcheng was dumbfounded: "You... are quite brave, aren't you?"

Zhang Daoan smiled: "Well, I did have some confidence."

He had tested it before; the programming of this "mother" character was quite simple and very consistent with her persona.

A mother who disappeared for many years and harbors guilt towards her child, she would strive to protect her child at all costs.

Everything went as he had anticipated. After being attacked, Liu Xi was stunned for a moment before attempting to retaliate angrily, but was firmly held back by the "mother".

Zhang Dawu had no idea what had transpired, and followed with a bewildered expression, trying to protect his brother, but was pushed away by Zhang Daoan.

"Call the police! Don't let him escape!"

Zhang Dawu staggered out of the room, while the previously amiable Liu Xi muttered, "Just a background character, what's going on—"

Then... he brought out a strange object resembling a seal, first enveloping the "mother" with it.

Zhang Daoan seemed to hear a "ding" sound, and the "mother," who was previously standing in human form, melted away like ice and snow in an instant.

"Liu Xi" frowned, seemingly murmuring, "Killing a background character shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

He raised the seal in his hand and stamped it down towards Zhang Daoan.

Zhang Daoan had anticipated this scenario; he confronted the stamp with a concealed short dagger in hand, stabbing directly towards it.

At the same time, the live stream program he had set up activated.

Zhang Daoan didn't know what these things were, but he was certain that if they were some kind of absurd, supernatural entities, he had no chance of resisting them.

But he had no evidence at hand, nor channels to validate his suspicions. Back then, Professor Zhang, a recent university graduate, was just an ordinary postgraduate student, albeit a bit younger and more distinguished than most.

The only solution Zhang Daoan could think of was this: at least after starting the live stream, if there were experts in the field watching, they might be able to handle Liu Xi, right?

"What happened next?" Jie Fangcheng asked curiously, "So it seems Liu Xi was a player in this game. Each player has a variety of tools and abilities at their disposal, making them akin to super-saiyans, with ordinary people standing no chance against them. How did you defeat him? And what happened to Liu Xi in the real world?"

Zhang Daoan adjusted his glasses, his voice steady: "I forgot."

"Huh?" Jie Fangcheng was stunned.

"Actually, all of these are just my speculations, because in my memory," Zhang Daoan pointed to his head, "in my memory, during those two months, the recollection is that Zhang Dawu won a five million jackpot and then we went on a vacation in the south."

"..." Jie Fangcheng wore a peculiar expression, "Then what you mentioned is..."

"But something felt off, so I did a little investigation." Zhang Daoan looked at Jie Fangcheng, "How should I put it... during those two months, the actions in my memory felt like they were infiltrated by an AI program, repeating the mundane tasks of the previous day, every day. Everything seemed logical, yet illogical at the same time."

"For instance, in my memory, there was a day when I whimsically bought several surveillance cameras, and another day when I, on a whim, called many relatives to invite them over to my place. Also, the 'trip to the south' — it was supposed to be a vacation, yet Zhang Dawu and I brought along a multitude of belongings as if we were moving. Also, I started a live stream not long ago... the content of which was," Zhang Daoan smiled, "the content was 'A Day in the Life Vlog of an 18-Year-Old Postgraduate Student'."

Xie Fangcheng suddenly realized: "I get it now, Liu Xi attacked you, but you encountered a life-and-death crisis before the end of your predetermined lifespan, which triggered an alarm in the underworld. Most likely, one of our people helped you fend off Liu Xi, then erased your memory..."

After saying this, Xie Fangcheng paused: "Memory erasure isn't straightforward, it involves creating reasonable substitutes for the memories, one of the functions of the Book of Life and Death. After the introduction of the 'Elimination Joy' app, it became much more convenient than carrying the book around during field assignments. Everyone prefers to carry just the app. This app was also developed by a few engineers, and it shares some similarities with this game... so that's why you harbored homicidal thoughts towards me at that time."

"Yes," Zhang Dao'an admitted.

Xie Fangcheng grinned, "Then how did you suddenly come to trust me so much?"

Zhang Dao'an didn't reply, he just continued: "Of course, all of these were just my speculations, until three days before I entered this game... Zhang Dawu came back, but he had been dead for twelve years."

Xie Fangcheng was stunned.

At that moment, the door to the private room swung open.

Nie Shuangshuang poked her head in: "Brother Xie, Mr. President's brother, we've acquired eight 'Digital Cruise' instance fragments. Including the three of us who haven't entered the instance yet, we have twenty people in total. Is that enough?"

Zhang Dao'an nodded, "It's enough."

He began walking towards the private room.

Xie Fangcheng grabbed his wrist hurriedly: "Hey, hey, hey, finish your story!"

"What does it mean that Zhang Dawu has returned? How did he enter this instance? And how did he gradually figure out what happened back then?"

Xie Fangcheng wasn't fond of pondering over things that required a lot of thought, but that didn't mean he could resist not hearing the end of a story nearing its climax.

So many unanswered questions and this guy stops midway, that's too much!

However, Zhang Dao'an just smiled: "Let's talk about it after we leave the instance."

Damn it!

Frustrated, Xie Fangcheng nonetheless let go of his hand.

Nie Shuangshuang observed the two: "You two really have a lot of little secrets, don't you?"

"Yeah, take the time to listen to him sometime. He stops halfway through, leaving you hanging. It'll drive you nuts." Xie Fangcheng propped up his stick: "Let's go!"

.

Ever since the news of Zhang Dao'an joining the Ronghua Guild was released, the discussions in the chat channel hadn't ceased.

Now that the president has summoned everyone to the system hall, no matter what everyone was doing, they all arrived within ten minutes, engaging in whispers and discussions.

"Did you hear? Zhang Dao'an is our president's brother!"

"Heard about it, heard about it. Hey, I wonder if they look alike. I really admire our president."

"But why did the president's brother call us here? To admire him? Let me be clear, I respect our president, but it doesn't mean I'll listen to everything his brother says. However... looking at the situation, are we being called to help him through an instance? Do we really need this many people?"

"Hush, stop talking, Brother Wei and the others are coming!"

"Which one is he, which one is he? Is Sister Shuang also here? I heard she's quite the powerhouse lately, defeating the Chaoyang Vice President with her fists and giving the Grim Reaper Guild Leader a beating with her kicks! Is she also here to assist the Guild Leader's brother?"

"It must be the one wearing glasses, he looks a bit older. I know that one, Qi Chanyang, had been on a dungeon run with him before. And the other one... what kind of outfit is that? A magical robe with a stick as a weapon? And wearing a headband with a white rabbit carrot motif?"

In the midst of their conversation, the group of five approached everyone.

When they arrived, the previously noisy crowd fell silent.

A girl who appeared somewhat frail greeted Nie Shuangshuang first.

"Shuangshuang."

Nie Shuangshuang exhibited her usual bold demeanor, flicking her wrist and throwing over a fragment first.

Qiao Mai hurriedly caught it, then paused in astonishment: "Digital Cruise? Wasn't this what you were asking for earlier? What happened?"

"We're going on a dungeon run!"

Qiao Mai looked at Wei Yuan in confusion.

Wei Yuan explained, "Everyone is well aware of our current situation, with severe degradation in skills and equipment. Hence, we plan to clear a Level 5 dungeon before the mass dungeon event to enhance everyone's abilities."

Faces exchanged puzzled glances.

Someone raised a hand, "Brother Wei, do you realize what you are saying?"

"I do," Wei Yuan nodded, "There's nothing to fear. This dungeon run will be straightforward. We have the fragments, and we have enlisted very powerful reinforcements!"

Silence.

Someone couldn't help but say, "Boss Wei, it's not that we don't trust you, but considering our current capabilities, even a Level 3 dungeon would be a challenge. You're taking us to a Level 5? I heard Sister Shuangshuang is quite powerful, but she alone... no offense Sister Shuangshuang, it's not that I underestimate you, I underestimate myself. I've never cleared a Level 5 dungeon before, and with our current status, going to a Level 5 is just asking for death, isn't it? I know you want to help the Guild Leader's brother level up, but if it were a Level 3 dungeon, I would go without a second thought. But Level 5..."

The crowd quickly chimed in, "Exactly, don't go mad over the mass dungeon event! Consider the actual situation, brother!"

"Honestly, if we die, we die. I've long grown tired of this darn game, and I certainly won't survive the mass dungeon event. But if we die, let it be on our own terms, don't drag others down with your madness!"

"Exactly, Sister Shuangshuang has regained her strength now, she'll have no problem clearing the mass dungeon. The Guild Leader's brother shouldn't have to face death with us, right?"

"Is this literary madness permeating reality, a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?"

Wei Yuan raised both hands to quiet everyone, "Alright, alright, I wouldn't suggest this if I weren't confident. Enough with the chatter, line up to receive your fragments, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish."

The crowd collectively sighed.

"I always said the position of Guild Leader can't be held for long, Wei, you were once a 'giant rock', but even you can't maintain mental stability! A mere mass dungeon event has driven you insane? You're weak!"

"See, what did I say before? Either you triumph in adversity or perish in it. Old Wei has gone crazy, let's disband, let's disband."

"Ahem... Guild Leader's brother, would you like to try a Level 1 dungeon? I'm a Level 1 specialist, I can definitely guide you!"

Someone was musing, "Wearing a white rabbit and carrot headband... why does this description sound so familiar? I feel like I've heard it before somewhere?"

"Wasn't it mentioned by someone before, about finding a person, someone with a high dungeon-clearance rate? Ah, it's been a while since I paid attention to this..."

Wei Yuan wore an exasperated face, still considering how to explain, when Jie Fangcheng very decisively pulled out a stick and surveyed the surroundings: "Are these pillars sturdy?"

Wei Yuan was startled, quickly realizing what he was about to do, and immediately tried to intervene.

These pillars are obviously quite robust, being products of the system after all.

But the issue is that this hall is maintained by the three major guilds together, including the surrounding lights, sofas for attendees, all supplied by the Professional Players Union.

Simply put, damaging a pillar is considered vandalism of public property, and it would incur a fine.

Before he could say anything, a quick-witted player from the Ronghua Guild spoke up: "They are sturdy indeed."

Jie Fangcheng stepped forward with a push and, before anyone could react, he dashed to a pillar and slammed his stick onto it with a loud "thump".

A series of resounding booms echoed...

In the midst of the crowd's stunned silence, the pillar began to crack from where it was hit.

It seemed as if the entire hall's ceiling tilted at the impact.

Nie Shuangshuang, currently a representative player in the Professional Players Union, was first startled, and then reacted with a reflexive outburst: "What are you doing?? Does fixing this place cost nothing??"

"Huh?" Jie Fangcheng looked confused, "Doesn't this place have an auto-repair feature? I saw that the floor has already regenerated!"

Damn it!

Nie Shuangshuang began to educate him: "That's because I paid for it!! The Professional Players Union covered the repairs! The floor tiles are cheap! But these damned pillars are extremely expensive!!"

Not long after they left, the president of the Professional Players Union contacted Nie Shuangshuang via text.

Without any preamble, a fine was immediately issued.

Nie Shuangshuang was straightforward, paying the fine swiftly, and also gossiped with the president about what exactly had transpired.

The person on the other end seemed thrilled: "When I get some time, you must introduce me. Can I possibly book a dungeon session with him? Consider it a vacation."

The Professional Players Union is indispensable to the entire gaming community, involved in real estate brokerage, room repairs, news distribution, merchandise booths... they cover every aspect of the players' lives.

Since the establishment of this guild, the president has led a busy life in the office, managing various tasks all day, a role jokingly referred to by some players as the Base City Lord.

But being a City Lord is not easy; while others explore dungeons as a part of their daily life, for the City Lord, it's more like a vacation. Sitting in a room all day, dealing with a plethora of complaints about brokerage fees and reports of unauthorized stall setups can be quite vexing.

The Professional Players Union has a unique standing, and although the president is not known for strong combat abilities, the amassed points allow for hiring many experts for assistance.

Meanwhile, as Jie Fangcheng was smashing a pillar, Nie Shuangshuang was standing there with glazed eyes, soon exploding with rage: "Two million three hundred and ten thousand points!! How can this pillar be so expensive?!"

Jie Fangcheng was also astonished: "Why is this pillar so pricey?!"

Nie Shuangshuang directly pulled up the system's marketplace: "See for yourself! System marketplace, page one, second line!"

After opening it and taking a closer look, Xie Fangcheng realized that this column was the same as the uniform from the Monthly Reading Guild that tried to extort him earlier, both were system products.

"However, this column only costs two million two hundred thousand points in the marketplace. How come there's a middleman making a profit?" Xie Fangcheng muttered.

Nie Shuangshuang was speechless: "Brother! Do you think installing the column is free? Do you think it can automatically replace itself once bought?"

"So it requires manual replacement? That doesn't sound smart," remarked Xie Fangcheng.

Nie Shuangshuang urged the surrounding players from the Ronghua Guild impatiently: "Hurry up! Grab the fragments and enter the dungeon! Pay after clearing it!!"

Even Xie Fangcheng couldn't withstand her fury, and the other players from the Ronghua Guild who had known her for a longer time understood her even better, hastily picking up fragments and lining up at the teleportation point.

There's a knack to entering a dungeon as a group; everyone gathered closely, forming a cluster of about twenty people, placing the fragments on the panel simultaneously.

A flash of white light, and the teleportation point was empty, leaving behind a nostalgic remark from someone unknown.

"I never thought I, Hu Hansan, would return to a level five dungeon again..."

Just after their teleportation finished, a flash of white light emitted from another nearby dungeon exit point.

A group of ten people emerged from the exit point.

Ten people, seemingly a team that had just cleared a dungeon together.

However, compared to other groups who would be crying tears of joy or harboring grudges due to conflicts during the dungeon run, this team seemed quite strange.

Initially, a man dressed in an odd red robe, embroidered with a pattern of flowers from the other shore, stood in the middle of the ten. As soon as he stepped out, the nine surrounding him retreated as if avoiding a plague, quickly creating a large empty circle around him.

He seemed unbothered, first surveying his surroundings with a furrowed brow.

"Why are there so many wandering spirits here?"

Following that, he stepped out of the teleportation point.

After walking a few steps, he seemed to recall something, turning around to ask, "Where should I go if I want to find someone?"

Someone hesitantly extended a hand, pointing towards a screen hanging in the center of the base.

"There... You can post a missing person notice."

"Thank you," he replied courteously, nodding before finally leaving.

The crowd huddled together.

Someone's teeth were chattering, "Who... who on earth is this? I've never heard of such a person in the game, have you?"

"Damn... neither have I... The game is halfway through, and suddenly a player like this appears..."

"Never mind! First, we need to report this to the guild leader! Without saying a word upon his arrival, he killed the guild leader's own son... This, this is a murderous madman!"

Over there, despite having walked more than ten meters away, the long-haired man seemed to have heard what they were saying.

He turned his head, his voice wasn't loud, but the person who had spoken earlier could hear him clearly.

"It wasn't murder," he corrected with precision, "It was judgment, his actions warranted it."

Having said this, the man turned away and continued on his path.

"Damn... who exactly is he?!"

Someone browsed the recent dungeon-clearance list: "This person is named... Wolf, Wolf Gu?"

.

【Ding—You have entered a new dungeon: Digital Cruise.】

【Dungeon: Digital Cruise (Level 5)】

【Description: It is said that there's a treasure in the middle of the ocean, and a massive ship is sailing towards the heart of the sea. Go! Find the ocean's treasure!】

【Content: On the ship, everyone has a score. Those with higher scores can exercise a privilege once a day, commanding those with lower scores to do anything; resistance from the latter results in instant death.】

【Clearance Condition: Retrieve the ocean's treasure.】

【Special: Please refer to the detailed rules for scoring.】

【No one has cleared this dungeon in history; new hints will be provided by the system.】

【Hint: Beware! A high score doesn't guarantee safety!】