Chapter 90: Digital Cruise (Part Three)

Chapter 90: Digital Cruise (Part Three)

Ning Suisui truly lived up to her nickname. Just now she seemed to want to kill Jie Fangcheng on the spot, but now she was smiling ever so sweetly, even offering after-sales service.

"Bro, although this kind of skill has a fixed value and seems less impressive compared to those that directly increase speed by a certain percentage, it has its advantages! It is most suitable for newbies with low base speed... uh, newbies?"

Ning Suisui paused in realization.

After knowing that Ji Ge was beaten up, she excitedly asked about who Jie Fangcheng was and why she hadn't seen him on the scoreboard. How powerful must this player be to not be on the scoreboard yet could defeat Ji Ge to such an extent.

But speaking to this point, Ning Suisui suddenly came back to her senses.

She scanned Jie Fangcheng who stood before her.

Jie Fangcheng wore a Serpent Academy magic robe and carried a strange stick on his shoulder that clearly wasn't any significant equipment, emanating an overall newbie vibe.

Especially regarding his speed.

A player's speed depends partly on the skills they acquire. Like Nie Shuangshuang, she hasn't completed as many quests as Wei Yuan, but she has acquired more speed skills. Even if not activated, these skills subtly increase her base speed, which is why her base speed decreased after her skills were downgraded.

On the other hand, it's closely related to the number of quests completed.

With each completion, the player's physical capabilities would be automatically enhanced by the system. Like Ning Suisui, who has completed over 300 quests, even without using any skills, just a simple axe strike would be too much for an average player to withstand.

But the speed Jie Fangcheng demonstrated couldn't possibly be that of someone who has completed more than ten quests.

With such a low number of completions, even if he could unleash a powerful ranked skill, it wouldn't be enough to maximize the skill level.

How did this person manage to beat Ji Ge to such a state?

Moreover, when he dashed out earlier, Nie Shuangshuang and her group let him pursue Gu Zailai as if they couldn't see, as though they were very certain that Gu Zailai was no match for him.

Just as Ning Suisui was about to speak, the person who had been silently standing by Jie Fangcheng's side stepped forward, blocking her view.

"If you're full, let's go back and look for clues," Zhong Daoan said.

Ning Suisui glanced at him meaningfully, still wearing a cheerful demeanor, "Of course."

One by one, everyone began forming groups and, following the guidance of nearby NPCs, started heading to their respective rooms.

After parting ways with Nie Shuangshuang and the others, the once beaming Ning Suisui's expression turned remarkably serene, seemingly lost in thought.

Beside her, Yan Xiaotong asked, "Is there something off about that Jie Fangcheng?"

"Mm," Ning Suisui nodded affirmatively.

The rest exchanged puzzled glances.

"So, what do we do? Eliminate him at the earliest?" someone queried.

"Idiot!" Ning Suisui snapped, "He managed to beat Ji Ge to that extent. Although Ji Ge's ranking is influenced by his brother, if I were to fight him, could I make him flee in desperation? At most, it would be a sixty-forty split. Besides..."

Ning Suisui turned her head slightly, tiptoeing to take a peek behind her.

"Since he is affiliated with Ronghua, as long as he doesn't obstruct our money-making, we can overlook other matters. The primary objective now is to obtain the ocean treasure. If I'm not mistaken, the treasure is a ranked skill. It seems this instance has quite the loot up for grabs."

The Yan sisters exchanged a knowing look.

Meanwhile, Nie Shuangshuang was introducing the "Money Panther" team to Zhong Daoan.

"Suisui is the team leader, ranked seventh on the leaderboard. Yan Xiaotong and Yan Xiaoqian are twins, probably ranked nineteenth and twenty-eighth on the leaderboard. The other four are within the top hundred as well. Their team is quite famous."

Jie Fangcheng interjected, "Because they know how to make money?"

Nie Shuangshuang glared at him, "Because they are powerful!"

After glaring, she agreed, "But they indeed have a knack for earning money, known as renowned bounty hunters. Every year, the professional players' union hires them to clear instances. The seven of them share a deep bond, rumored to have teamed up since entering the game, never having a fallout no matter the instance."

It's something unimaginable and quite enviable in the gaming world.

As Nie Shuangshuang narrated, even Wei Yuan chimed in, "Don't be deceived by Ning Suisui's money-centric persona. Initially, when Ji Ge killed their eighth team member, Ji Chaoyang offered rare skills and items as an apology. She superficially accepted but erupted in fury during the negotiation, nearly hacking his brother on the spot. Ji Chaoyang wanted to kill her then, but the guild leader intervened. Since then, she has been quite courteous towards members of our guild."

After speaking, Wei Yuan paused momentarily, rephrasing, "She's been quite courteous to members of our guild, as long as they don't snatch her money."

Jie Fangcheng touched his nose.

Nie Shuangshuang looked at Zhong Daoan with curiosity, "What's the matter? Why have you suddenly taken an interest in their team?"

Always appearing nonchalant and quick-witted, this was the first time Nie Shuangshuang saw him actively inquiring about someone else's affairs.

Without answering, Zhong Daoan simply nodded, "It's nothing."

Jie Fangcheng gave him a glance.

Others might not know, but just a moment ago, Jie Fangcheng distinctly felt that the person beside him harbored murderous intent towards Ning Suisui.

After listening to Nie Shuangshuang and Wei Yuan finish speaking, Zhang Dao'an finally reverted to his usual demeanor.

During the conversation, everyone followed the NPC's guidance, and from the staircase near the grand hall they had been in, they ascended to the second floor, where they each found their designated rooms.

This was indeed a considerably luxurious cruise ship, featuring five decks and capable of accommodating over a thousand residents.

At this moment, everyone was assigned a luxurious single room, all of which were prearranged.

When Jie Fangcheng arrived at his room, he pushed the door open and entered without hesitation.

The interior of the room resembled a standard room in a five-star hotel on land, equipped with all necessary amenities including a bed, a single-seater sofa, and a coffee table.

The dim yellow light filled the entire room, where the maroon curtain was half-drawn, revealing the pitch-black sea outside the window.

The boundless and surging ocean appeared terrifying in the lightless night, resembling a devouring behemoth.

At this point, a wave struck, causing the massive cruise ship to sway gently, setting the maroon curtain fluttering in front of the window. The densely embroidered golden patterns on the curtain resembled human veins, and as it swayed, it seemed like a skinned corpse peering into the room against the backdrop of the dark sea.

Jie Fangcheng walked to the window, looked up at the curtain, muttered, "What kind of aesthetic is this?" before forcefully pulling it down.

The fabric of the curtain felt slick and slimy, wrapping around his hand like a living entity, feeling even more like a fresh corpse on the damp cruise ship.

Jie Fangcheng bunched up the curtain, opened the window, and threw it out.

Following a dark red parabola, Jie Fangcheng looked at the pitch-black sea before him with satisfaction.

In the darkness of the ocean, countless pairs of eyes seemed to be staring at him.

Jie Fangcheng's gaze darted around, murmuring to himself.

"I wonder if there's any seafood that can be eaten in the sea."

The food today was quite good, leaving him rather pleased!

Hopefully, the ship's chef will continue to excel; given the vast sea surrounding them, it would be a shame not to have any seafood, right?

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Jie Fangcheng walked to the door and swung it open, finding Zhang Dao'an standing at the doorway.

"What's up?" Jie Fangcheng asked.

"Mhm."

"Come in and talk."

Zhang Dao'an stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Holding a watch in his hand, he glanced over the now bare window but said nothing, instead, he just illuminated the watch in his hand for Jie to see.

"My number is 71."

"Huh?" Jie Fangcheng paused momentarily, then swept his gaze around, noticing indeed there was a watch on the coffee table.

He picked up the watch, lit up the screen, and froze for a second.

"12?" Jie Fangcheng exclaimed discontentedly, "This is outrageous, drawing a 12 out of 1-999? Even gacha games aren't this ruthless, right?"

Before his words could fully settle, there was another knock at Jie Fangcheng's door.

Taking two strides, Jie Fangcheng opened the door to find Nie Shuangshuang holding a watch, her face depicting clear dissatisfaction as she stood at the doorway.

"What's the matter?" Jie Fangcheng inquired.

Nie Shuangshuang first glanced around cautiously before whispering, "What's your number?"

"12."

Unable to contain herself, Nie Shuangshuang cursed under her breath before stepping inside and shutting the door.

"I'm 3!"

3……

Such a number was undeniably too low.

Nie Shuangshuang's expression turned gravely serious, "Before I came here, I asked Wei Yuan. He's 127. He initially thought his number was quite low, as in these 1-999 scenarios, player's initial values are generally above two hundred. Now I'm 3, you're 12, how about Brother Zhang?"

“71。”

"Way too low!" Nie Shuangshuang frowned deeply, "With such low numbers, I suspect, the majority of the players won't even have enough to cover the daily basic fee of 30. Are they planning to instigate a massacre amongst us on the very first night?"

Zhang Dao'an's gaze sequentially drifted over the four watches before he finally took Nie Shuangshuang's watch from her.

Nie Shuangshuang looked at him, "What's going on?"

"Alternatively, it might just be that we are incredibly unlucky."

Nie Shuangshuang was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Dao'an placed the three watches together, "It might be the case that most of the players present have received low scores, but there could be individuals on this ship with extremely high scores."

"Huh?" Nie Shuangshuang appeared somewhat confused for a moment. She turned to Jie Fangcheng, "How did you deduce that?"

"The fragments of this instance were swiftly available for purchase when you guys were buying, which suggests that the 'no player has completed this instance in history' is not due to its novelty or fewer entrants, but rather because all players who entered perished without a single one successfully completing it. However, according to rule number seven of the cruise, the top three individuals with the highest numbers will undoubtedly acquire the ocean's treasure. If it was simply a matter of the top three scores among the players being able to clear the game, then there should have been successful completions by now."

Nie Shuangshuang had an epiphany, "Oh! So, there's something fishy about this rule!"

Jie Fangcheng applauded, "Shuangshuang, your progress is astonishingly fast!"

Zhang Dao'an's gaze shifted from his clapping hands to Nie Shuangshuang's face, his expression genial, "So, what's the trick here?"

Nie Shuangshuang: "…"

"Ahem." Nie Shuangshuang ventured a guess, "Uh… on the last day, everyone realizes they've been deceived? That the rules are fake?"

Zhang Dao'an nodded nonchalantly, "Good theory."

Tears streamed down Nie Shuangshuang's face, "Can't you just tell it straight, Brother?"

Just then, another knock resounded at Jie Fangcheng's door.

Jie Fangcheng walked to the door and opened it, with Qi Chanyang immediately asking, "Brother Jie, what's your score? Is it enough to cover tomorrow's basic points?"

After speaking, he noticed Nie Shuangshuang and Zhang Dao'an standing inside the room.

Jie Fangcheng patted his shoulder, "Come on in, come on in."

Qi Chanyang entered with a somewhat amused and resigned expression.

The four gathered in a circle by the window, Qi Chanyang being the first to notice something amiss.

"Brother Jie, where are your curtains?"

"Threw them away."

"..." Qi Chanyang felt that he was gradually getting accustomed to this. In the past, he would have thought, how could this be, what if the curtains turned out to be useful?

Hearing Jie Fangcheng say this now, Qi Chanyang could only force himself to nod, responding tersely, "Very well."

Only then did Nie Shuangshuang realize the curtains were gone, expressing her surprise, "Why did you remove them?"

"They didn't match the vibe, you see." Jie Fangcheng gestured, "Look here, a minimalist European style, paired with these Chinese-style dark curtains, it doesn't look good, does it?"

"I think it's quite alright, actually, quite extravagant!" Nie Shuangshuang remarked.

"Oh, you like them? There are vacant rooms next door, should I dismantle a couple for you?"

"What would I need them for?"

"Didn't you find them luxurious?"

Qi Chanyang couldn't help but interject: "Ahem."

Both turned their heads to look at him.

"..." Qi Chanyang inquired, "Weren't we supposed to discuss the details of this instance?"

"Oh, oh, oh!" Jie Fangcheng snapped back to reality, turning his gaze towards Zhang Dao'an.

Just as Zhang Dao'an was about to speak, there was another knock at the door.

Jie Fangcheng walked to the door and swung it open with a swift movement.

Wei Yuan and Ning Suisui stood at the entrance, both bearing the same solemn expression.

Jie Fangcheng greeted them with ease, "Here for the meeting, I presume? Please, come in."

Wei Yuan and Ning Suisui glanced at the bustling crowd in the room, hesitated for a moment, and then entered with heavy steps, as if carrying the weight of the impending meeting.

Ning Suisui noticed the barren windows almost immediately, "Why don't you have curtains in your room?"

Nie Shuangshuang was quick to reply, "He despised the Chinese style of those curtains, claimed they clashed with the European décor in the room, and tore them down."

Ning Suisui looked at him, contesting his point but from a different angle than Nie Shuangshuang, "What's wrong with the Chinese style? What is of our nation is indeed a part of the world, isn't the Chinese aesthetic pleasing?"

Qi Chanyang: "…"

To be honest, when initially invited to clear a level-five instance, Qi Chanyang hadn't included himself in the consideration.

He was well-aware of his capabilities, understanding that his struggles with even level-three instances would make him a liability in a level-five one. Even if Jie Fangcheng was willing to include him, what would the other players think?

However, nobody showed any objections. Furthermore, while conversing with other players from the Ronghua Guild who had arrived, he learned that some could now only clear level-one instances.

This eased Qi Chanyang’s nerves slightly.

Upon reaching the instance, he approached with an eagerness to learn, ready to study how the top players on the leaderboard managed to clear instances.

But what was happening here?

Ning Suisui was also a well-known elite player!

Unwillingly, Qi Chanyang's gaze shifted towards Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan was nicknamed "The Boulder", but unlike Nie Shuangshuang's "Mad Rabbit", which was more of a nod to her speed, "The Boulder" described not only his focus on defense skills but also his consistently steady and meticulous nature, providing a sense of security akin to a massive rock.

At this moment, Wei Yuan had a deep frown settled on his forehead.

Just as Qi Chanyang started appreciating this exemplary demeanor of a veteran player, Wei Yuan asked, "But tearing down the curtains, doesn't it feel strange when you sleep at night? As if someone might be peeping?"

He truly was meticulous, shifting the conversation from décor styles to user experience.

Qi Chanyang felt a tad disoriented amidst the conversation.

"Let's not get sidetracked!" Ning Suisui was the first to regain her focus, "Let me start by saying that the scores in our team are quite low."

Wei Yuan nodded in agreement, "I just inquired with other members of our guild; practically everyone is falling short of our initial expectations."

The two spoke ambiguously, but the implications were clear.

A low score from one person could be chalked up to bad luck, two might be a coincidence, and three could perhaps be justified by saying, “strange things do happen”. However, now with twenty-two people from the Ronghua Guild and an additional seven from Ning Suisui's team, making a total of twenty-nine individuals, the pattern was unmistakable.

With nearly thirty people, the odds couldn't be so bad for a third of them. That reasoning didn't hold up.

Despite Ning Suirui's earlier behavior, she was clearly very clear-headed and analyzed the situation swiftly now.

"I estimated that if none of our players exceeded 200 points, averaging it out, our total combined points possibly don't surpass 10,000. On this ship, everyone needs to deduct 30 base points per day. That's just the base cost, and I asked an NPC following me - our meals and lodging will require payment too. Meal costs differ by tier, and room fees vary by floor.

Ning Suirui's brows furrowed: "Players won't die from not eating for three days, but I noticed earlier the waves aren't small and can toss things onto the ship. Just now, I saw something land on the first floor deck. Combined with rule #6: Passengers on the first floor deck, please protect your lives - the first floor is likely very dangerous. But first floor rooms still require a 10+ digit room fee daily, incrementally increasing floor by floor. In other words...our total existing points likely won't be enough for all players to last three days on this ship."

"That's not the main issue," Ning Suirui didn't look too happy. "Someone like Gu Zailai must have realized this already, that's why he acted so swiftly."

Having said that, Ning Suirui looked to Wei Yuan, but her gaze soon shifted to Xie Fangcheng.

The fact that Nie Shuangshuang and this An Dao'an would come discuss things in Xie Fangcheng's room, and even Wei Yuan had come over, clearly marked the seemingly newbie player as their core.

Ning Suirui swiftly saw through this and was now extending an invitation to cooperate to Xie Fangcheng: "I think we should start snatching points from day one, before the other players can react."

Xie Fangcheng repeated: "Snatch points?"

"Yes," Ning Suisui paused after speaking, her thoughts drifting back to the moment when he had dashed out chasing after Gu Zailai. A moment of realization followed by a burst of resigned laughter ensued. "You cannot be serious. Normally, I'd be more than willing to assist others in times of injustice, but brother, you have to read the room! We are in a level five instance. It's clearly delineated now: it's either us or them who survives. What's there to hesitate? Even stepping back a bit, you might not fear Gu Zailai due to your strength, but what about the other guild members? Do they have the capability to stand against Gu Zailai? By seizing the lead now, we are also providing them with a layer of protection. Otherwise, if that kid employs the same tactic as before, how many in your guild can actually stand toe-to-toe with him?"

The statement holds true.

From Wei Yuan's perspective, if it really comes down to a matter of life and death, even the members of Ronghua wouldn't be foolish enough to allow themselves to be slaughtered without resistance.

Everyone in the group is candid, refusing to engage in deceitful tactics like other players. They wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice themselves to save others when possible, but they certainly don't have a habit of willingly offering their necks for slaughter when faced with an opponent brandishing a weapon.

But as Ning Suisui finished speaking, Wei Yuan's first reaction was to reflexively turn his gaze towards Zhang Dao'an.

Following suit, Ning Suisui's gaze also fell on Zhang Dao'an, internally wondering what was really going on with Ronghua. Were they operating with dual cores?

Zhang Dao'an simply looked at her calmly, "Is there really no one in your team with a high score?"

Ning Suisui was taken aback before glaring at him, "What do you mean? Would I lie at a time like this? What benefit would that bring me??"

Zhang Dao'an smiled, "Nothing much, just curious as to why such a clever team leader failed to notice the 'no one has ever cleared it in history' detail."

Ning Suisui stared at him intently, her face still displaying a look of grievance mixed with a hint of anger, resembling a distressed player who had invested everything yet was being slandered.

"No one has cleared it in history, but according to rule number seven, the cruise promises that the three individuals with the highest scores on board will definitely obtain the ocean treasure. Even if it comes to a brawl for the treasure in the end, it's unlikely that all three players would die, right? At least one or two fortunate individuals should be able to leave this game."

The expression of grievance mixed with anger disappeared from Ning Suisui's face.

Her face remained composed as she nodded, "Continue."

Zhang Dao'an directed his gaze at her, "The earlier rules used the term 'guests' to specify us players. However, the last rule refers to the 'three individuals' in a general sense, implying— it includes NPCs as well."

"There are too many rooms on this ship, it's not just prepared for us."

"I suspect that the NPCs also have scores assigned to them—am I right, Captain Ning?"

Ning Suisui finally conceded with a nod, "Indeed, Wei Yuan told me just now that you are very intelligent, and would certainly know how to clear this instance."

Jiang Dao'an just shook his head, asking, "Are there any more clues?"

"What?" Ning Suisui was taken aback.

"You entered through fragments, didn't you? You had information about this instance beforehand?" asked Jiang Dao'an. "Although no one has cleared it, it's possible someone transmitted details about this instance with a summoning item before they died, right?"

Ning Suisui couldn't help herself: "How did you know??"

"The veteran player who ranks seventh has entered an instance that has a history of no one clearing it. Although not nervous, isn't it a bit too relaxed? Your relaxation is one thing, but your entire team seems very at ease, clearly having some sort of reliance. This isn't a purely brute force instance, even if you are powerful, can you guarantee their safety a hundred percent? Moreover, when you were in the hall, you rarely looked for clues nearby like other players, isn't this quite a blatant giveaway?"

"Damn..." Ning Suisui turned to Wei Yuan, "Just who is this person, actually?"

After speaking, she seemed a bit unconvinced: "But it seems that you guys are also quite relaxed and confident. Why? Did you also enter this instance after getting hold of some information?"

Ning Suisui daring to lead her teammates into this unrated level five instance two weeks before the national instance indeed indicated she knew some information.

But it wasn't just because they had information about the instance; they also had found a certain item.

【Item: Digital Cruise Ship (Fragment)】

【Description: ??】

【Hint: A fragment, might be able to repair and complete it once inside the instance.】

【Function: After use, you will receive the maximum privilege in this instance.】

Instance Fragment.

This thing is also referred to by players as an instance cheat device. Regardless of what kind of instance it is, if it's a zombie siege kind of instance, using this might change your spawn point from the thirteenth base to the first base.

But this thing is significantly rarer than summoning items, the fragment for a level five instance could only be seen at auctions, and the last one was sold for two hundred million.

This is no longer just about the points, it's purely for the instance items.

Ning Suisui was also taking a gamble, the information she got had details about the ocean treasure.

If it really was a skill-ranking treasure, then it's not something that could be exchanged for points.

Now that her secret was uncovered by Jiang Dao'an, Ning Suisui couldn't help but ask again: "Why don't you guess what information I got?"

Jiang Dao'an pondered for a moment: "'The treasure can be taken anywhere', the ocean treasure can be taken out... you know the information about the ocean treasure?"

"... Damn!" Ning Suisui was stunned.

At this moment, Jiang Dao'an adjusted his glasses, answering her previous question: "But you were right, we do indeed have a certain reliance."

"Ah, what reliance?"

Jiang Dao'an looked towards Xie Fangcheng.

Xie Fangcheng cooperated fully, stepping forward and nodding, "Yes, exactly, it's me."

Ning Suisui: "..."

Ning Suisui asked, "What kind of reliance?"

Jiang Dao'an looked at her, "I think I grasp your plan. There is likely a player with a high score in your squad, right? You collaborate with us, persuading us to snatch points, then your team feeds the points to this highest-scoring player. When the time is right, you reveal to all players that NPCs also have points, encouraging those with insufficient base points to try. You then find out which NPC holds high points and find a way to eliminate them, correct? In this manner, you don't have to confront the highest scoring boss, being in the top three is sufficient. As the instance provides each player with an equal opportunity to survive, you've decided to take a gamble, betting that the treasures obtained by this top-three teammate will be enough to share among the seven of you."

With their plan laid bare, Ning Suisui admitted candidly, "Exactly!"

"Well, our plan aligns then."

"What kind of outcome?"

Xie Fangcheng had grasped it, pointing to himself, "Why bother with all this complexity? Why not just directly kill the NPCs?"