Chapter 119: Digital Cruise (End)

Chapter 119: Digital Cruise (End)

Fifth floor.

In the dark and damp corner of the room, Yan Xiaotong wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, cautiously poking her head out.

That Octopus Captain was indeed the boss of the level five, possessing a significantly cunning level of intellect.

Back on the fourth floor, risking the possibility of being pierced by it, Yan Xiaotong had managed to rescue Ning Suisui who was on its back, then used every available item in a desperate attempt to rush to the third floor for help.

But that idea had virtually no chance of becoming a reality.

The octopus monster's tentacles functioned like a shepherd's whip, leisurely driving her towards the fifth floor despite having numerous opportunities to kill Yan Xiaotong instantly; it was toying with its prey, not in a hurry to devour her.

But there was no choice, with her limited power, Yan Xiaotong could only comply, carrying Ning Suisui step by step into the fifth floor.

The fifth floor seemed even more desolate, devoid of any signs of other NPCs residing there; it was the boss's den.

Stepping into the fifth floor, Yan Xiaotong couldn't suppress the urge to vomit.

A thick stench of decomposed bodies pervaded the air, as revolting as a mass grave.

Just by the smell alone, Yan Xiaotong knew hiding in this room was perilous... yet she had no other option. Like a cat playing with a mouse, the octopus seemed to enjoy the torment, leaving Yan Xiaotong with no choice but to play along, feigning ignorance, as it was her only hope for survival.

Ning Suisui, behind her, remained unconscious, her eyes shut. The silver lining was that Yan Xiaotong arrived just in time; Ning Suisui was holding onto her last breath.

The system-provided potions were extraordinary, capable of rapidly healing physical wounds as long as one was still alive.

However, physical recovery didn't imply an instant mental recuperation. Ning Suisui's injuries were too severe, requiring time to recover from the induced coma.

After laying her down, Yan Xiaotong made a resolution.

With both of them together, they would both meet their end.

Leaving her behind, considering the recovery abilities that Ning Suisui has demonstrated throughout numerous levels, as long as Yan Xiaotong can lure the octopus away for a while, Ning might have a chance to escape once she wakes up.

Yan Xiaotong quickly took out the more valuable items from her backpack, placed them in a spatial tool, and handed them to Ning Suisui.

Then, she pulled out a piece of transparent veil from the backpack, draping it over Ning Suisui.

【Item: Mermaid Veil】; once draped over, it has a camouflaging effect, merging with the surrounding environment as long as the wearer remains still. It is highly effective at concealing Ning Suisui's form at this moment.

Having completed this, Yan Xiaotong took out a small wooden figure. Upon hitting the ground, it transformed into a replica of Ning Suisui. Yan Xiaotong promptly hoisted it onto her back.

Just then, the sound of tentacles slithering on the floor was heard once again.

Yan Xiaotong cast a deep glance at Ning Suisui lying in the corner, quickly blinked her eyes, inhaled a deep breath, and rushed out once more.

Almost simultaneously, a tentacle extended speedily from behind, attempting to impale her.

“Thud!” Ignoring the piercing through her chest, Yan Xiaotong even utilized the force from the impact to roll forward faster, landing and promptly biting off the cap of a system potion bottle, drinking it while continuing her frantic escape.

“Tsk.” The octopus captain behind her grew somewhat tired of this cat and mouse game, its tentacles dancing rapidly, eager to capture this fleetingly quick mouse and end this charade.

After all... it had many more games to play, especially with the “guests” who had stealthily ascended to the fourth floor.

With new wounds adding to the yet unrecovered old ones, Yan Xiaotong moved forward tirelessly, almost crawling and rolling, pressing on and on.

She must lure this monster away! To buy Suisui time to recover!

From a bird's eye view, one would witness a bizarre chase unfolding on the fifth floor.

Yan Xiaotong resembled a desperately fleeing mouse, pursued closely by numerous tentacles thicker than her waist. Every less than ten seconds, she would be caught up by a pursuing tentacle, resorting to severing a leg if ensnared around her foot, or an arm if caught by her hand.

The corridors of the fifth floor were strewn with fresh red blood, Yan Xiaotong lost count of the number of system potions she had consumed; she knew only to keep moving forward, even if she had to crawl.

Finally, the tentacles from behind stretched furiously, seizing the opportunity, and smashed her forcefully into the ground.

The hard floor emitted a teeth-gritting crash sound, Yan Xiaotong's chest caved in, a "wah" escaping her as she spat out blood mixed with fragments of her internal organs.

She really couldn't go on anymore...

A bitter smile crossed Yan Xiaotong's face.

Dying in this dungeon was really suffocating.

They had meticulously prepared, just waiting to acquire the position skill from this dungeon and then enter the 【Reincarnation Trials】 during the national dungeon event.

How did they suffer such a massive blow in this dungeon?

The only silver lining was... before her death, she had handed all the items to Suisui, at least it wasn't a total waste.

The slimy tentacles not only smashed onto Yan Xiaotong, but the "Ning Suisui" she had been carrying on her back also finally revealed its wooden true nature during this attack.

The Octopus Captain hadn't anticipated that the vermin before him would dare to switch things right under its nose. It roared in rage, furiously extending its tentacles to lash at Yan Xiaotong once again.

Yan Xiaotong raised the whip in her hand to block it, but the immense force still hurled her from the floor onto the wall.

It’s over.

Damn it... this rotten game, I can finally be free, huh.

At this moment, perhaps due to the severity of her injuries, Yan Xiaotong faintly seemed to hear the subtle sound of wood breaking emanating from the floor.

There, the Octopus Captain swung its tentacles in a furious frenzy, assaulting Yan Xiaotong like a violent storm.

At the brink of life and death, Yan Xiaotong mustered the last ounce of her strength to roll to the side.

But that roll consumed the last of her energy.

Seeing that the prey before it dared to evade, the enraged octopus retracted its tentacles in unison, forming countless sharp spikes at its back resembling a durian's outer shell, before violently thrusting towards Yan Xiaotong, intending to pulverize her into flesh and bone.

Really... can't go on anymore.

Yan Xiaotong sighed, too weak to struggle, she could only close her eyes.

I hope everything goes well for Suisu and the others... I really am useless, dying first in this instance.

At the very moment her eyes closed, Yan Xiaotong faintly felt the floor beneath her sink abruptly, and a strange green light seemed to flash before her eyes.

What is this? A fleeting resurgence?

As Yan Xiaotong pondered this, she realized that she wasn't pierced through by the octopus not far away. Instead, the wooden floor below her lifted abruptly, catapulting her into the air before crashing down again.

"Thud!" Severely injured, the drastic ups and downs caused Yan Xiaotong to see stars as she vomited another mouthful of fresh blood.

In her ears, the creature's screams mingled with a familiar yet surprising, "They really are here!"

It was strange, the sound of "They really are here" seemed to travel from near to far, interspersed with some bewildering noises.

Hearing this sound, Yan Xiaotong's heart settled. Without raising her head to look, she first shakily exchanged a vial of system potion and gulped it down. Feeling the injuries caused by the octopus and the recent fall healing due to the potion, Yan Xiaotong managed to lift her head, then couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy shit!"

Jie Fangcheng had scoured almost the entire fourth floor without finding anyone. It didn't take much to guess that Ning Suisui and the others might have been taken to the fifth floor.

It seemed Jie Fangcheng was quite lucky, finding a solution just as he was pondering the problem. He was wondering how to get to the fifth floor, how to find Ning Suisui and the others when soon, noises of battle resonated from above.

Jie Fangcheng was overjoyed at once.

The first sound of wood breaking that Yan Xiaotong heard was him leaping upward, one hand piercing through the ceiling of the fourth floor.

Jie Fangcheng was well-acquainted with this task, having performed a similar jump at the Fulai Inn.

However, an awkward situation occurred.

Back in the Fulai Inn instance, his jump was on the ground, comprised of earth, stones, a surface he could easily smash into pieces with a punch.

Aboard the ship, Manager Xie demonstrated his profound understanding of physics, bearing in mind the principles of action and reaction. Fearing an overenthusiastic exertion might potentially pierce through the ship, he restrained some of his strength as he soared upwards.

However, his punch didn't manage to break through, and his hand got stuck in the ceiling.

The players accompanying him to find someone were flabbergasted, not expecting him to abruptly launch himself aloft in a superman-like flight stance without a word... only to get caught in the ceiling.

Beside him, the chandelier swung synchronously, the intertwining beams of its dull yellow light and the mysterious green illuminating the tear-streaked faces of the players looking up at him from the floor.

What sort of magnate was this, voluntarily dangling from a chandelier?

Xie Fangcheng hadn't anticipated this turn of events, feeling a rare flush of embarrassment on his face as he awkwardly extracted his fist and descended gracefully.

"Ahem... I misjudged that."

"Oh, oh, oh." The players could only nod fervently, not daring to utter a word.

Learning from his previous mistake, Xie Fangcheng abandoned the superman pose. Sword in hand, he jumped once more.

This time, to avoid a repeat of the previous embarrassing scenario, he exerted a considerable amount of force on his foot. Though he successfully cleaved a hole in the fourth floor's ceiling, resembling a bombardment scene, the corresponding floor also collapsed, sending debris and unknown construction materials cascading down to the third floor along with the ceiling fragments.

Xie Fangcheng's upward leap was notable, propelling him vertically from the fourth to the fifth floor, and even hanging half a meter in the air due to the excessive force applied.

As gravity would dictate... Xie Fangcheng was bound to plummet back down, potentially falling straight from the fifth to the third floor.

In the nick of time, with swift reflexes, Xie Fangcheng extended his arms, grabbing hold of the fifth floor's floor, his feet kicking the air twice before he hauled himself up with a powerful thrust of his elbows, finally stabilizing on the fifth floor.

Despite the somewhat embarrassing hiccup, the outcome was still favorable, right?

Without any further ado, Xie Fangcheng steadied himself and brandished his massive sword, charging at the Octopus Captain in front of him.

The Octopus Captain had only heard of his reputation; this was their first direct confrontation.

The person before him exuded an uncanny pressure, as if originating from a higher realm.

Before the Octopus Captain could fully grasp the situation, the giant sword in Xie Fangcheng's hand was already hurtling down towards him.

With a resounding "clang."

The octopus let out a scream akin to that of a human.

It was no match!

Instantaneously, the octopus monster, which not long ago had been taunting the players arrogantly, realized that the player before it was way beyond its league!

It retreated rapidly, wailing in despair.

Xie Fangcheng had honed his skills in pursuing these NPCs. Without hesitation, his giant sword morphed into a vast net, swooping down to envelop the retreating octopus monster.

"Trying to escape?" It has to be said that this "Material Package" indeed justified its top-ranking position amongst the available tools - truly handy!

Emboldened, Xie Fangcheng reached back into his bag and retrieved his low-quality toy golden cudgel, charging forward. He raised the cudgel and struck down, causing the mountainous octopus monster to let out a scream that echoed throughout the cruise ship, yet it stubbornly refused to die.

"Stop, stop! If you kill me, you'll never find the ocean's treasure!"

Xie Fangcheng scoffed, swinging his cudgel in a dazzling arc.

"Spare my life and I will gift you all my treasures... Ahh!"

The once domineering Octopus Captain, who had effortlessly gained entry to the cruise ship initially with two boxes of jewels and a dubious treasure map, finally met his end.

Xie Fangcheng retracted his cudgel, simultaneously retracting the net, which transformed back into a golden greatsword in his grasp.

Having accomplished this, he turned around.

Behind him, Yan Xiaotong stared at him in a daze.

From her current state, it was clear she had been through an ordeal, her body was as if it had been dragged from a pool of blood, covered entirely in red, barely recognizable as human.

"Do you have any medicine?" asked Xie Fangcheng.

Yan Xiaotong nodded absently.

"That's good. Are there any other players on the fifth floor?" he inquired further, slinging the greatsword over his shoulder.

Yan Xiaotong shook her head, then hesitated and nodded.

"What does that mean?"

Yan Xiaotong opened her mouth, struggling for a moment before managing to ask, "Where did you get that sword?"

"Fished it out of the sea."

“……”

"What about Ning Suisu?"

Before the words fully escaped, a shrill cry from Ning Suisu echoed from afar.

"Xiaotong!!!"

Upon regaining consciousness, Ning Suisu found herself holding onto what seemed to be Yan Xiaotong's belongings, her body draped with her rare items.

Although logic dictated that this was the moment to silently retreat and summon help from the third floor,

Unfortunately, humans are not machines.

Waking up to such a scene, Ning Suisu almost wished that she had been the one to die.

Trembling, she utilized her communication skill, despairingly expecting a cold system notification indicating "The person has died, connection cannot be established", but to her surprise, the call was quickly connected.

"Xiaotong?!" Overwhelmed with joy, Ning Suisu wept tears of happiness, feeling as though a miracle had occurred.

On the other side, Yan Xiaotong's voice held an illusory, ethereal quality.

"Suirui..."

"As long as you're alive, as long as you're alive!" Ning Suirui cried, "Where are you?"

Yan Xiaotong bizarrely fell silent for a moment.

"You...go out and turn right. You'll see us soon."

—Us.

Who is it?

Members of the Golden Leopard Squad?

If it's just the seven of them, it would be tough to defeat the boss. Could there be outside help? Could it be Jie Fangcheng?

The mere thought of that person filled Ning Suisui with complex emotions.

A mix of resentment and relief—though relief predominated!

Xiaotong is still alive—a piece of good news that no amount of items could replace!

With that thought, Ning Suisui stepped out the door, quickly heading in the direction Yan Xiaotong had indicated. Simultaneously, she conscientiously rummaged through her system backpack, quickly finding an item suitable for donation.

The cruise ship could accommodate thousands, offering plenty of room. After running for a bit and turning a corner, Ning Suisui's eyes brightened.

Literally brightened.

A beam of green light caught her eye.

Though not as radiant as before...what had Jie Fangcheng been up to? Laboring on a construction site? Why did he look so disheveled?

As she thought this, Jie Fangcheng heard footsteps behind him and turned around.

With his turn, the familiar golden object he was holding also came into Ning Suisui's view.

Ning Suisui halted in her tracks.

Others might need a moment to identify what the golden giant sword was, but she had known this item for years, as it had stood by her side through thick and thin. No matter how it had transformed, she'd recognize it in an instant.

"You...you..." Ning Suisui was still holding the item she had intended to donate.

A meticulously chosen item, at that.

Although Zhang Dao'an hadn't explicitly stated it, Ning Suisui, being intelligent, knew well that Ronghua's path ahead was fraught with obstacles.

Both the Chaoyang Union and other players who didn't want to see the game disappear were adversaries that Ronghua needed to overcome.

Known by the nickname "Golden Hamster," Ning Suisui was notoriously thrifty and parsimonious, but when it came to exacting revenge on Chaoyang, she was more than willing to make contributions.

On several occasions, the price she offered was significantly higher than the protection fee Xie Fangcheng was asking for.

This time was no exception.

【Item: Fluttering Butterflies】, although a one-time use item, its rarity clearly signifies its exceptionality.

It is a tracking device with an additional feature of "instant teleportation," setting it apart from standard tracking devices.

You can instantly teleport to any location where the butterflies have fluttered to.

Compared to Ning Suisui, a seasoned player who has cleared many levels, the butterflies' speed might seem slow, but they are much faster than Xie Fangcheng, making this item a perfect match for him.

And at this moment, what did she see?!

Why is her 【Material Pack】 in Xie Fangcheng's hands?!

Seeing her expression, Xie Fangcheng immediately knew what she was about to say and handed back her words.

"Found it in the sea."

He sounded like an ambassador promoting a hot pot restaurant.

Ning Suisui stared at him blankly, while Xie Fangcheng noticed the item in her hands.

Emitting a faint white glow, it looked quite valuable at a glance!

Xie Fangcheng, quite adept at this now, reached out his hand.

Ning Suisui: “……”

Ning Suisui: "You're holding my 【Material Pack】, and you still dare to ask me for items?!"

Xie Fangcheng, disgruntled: "What do you mean 'your Material Pack'? This is a gift from nature."

Ning Suisui: “……”

Soon, players gathered at the fourth floor's breach could hear a commotion coming from the fifth floor.

"I'm going to kill you!!!"

"Suisui, calm down! Don't be rash! You can't beat him!!"

"Stop messing around, give me the item first, or I'll hack you down!"

"Ahhhh, don't stop me, I'll fight you to the end!!"

.

Just like that, the Captain Boss was slain by Xie Fangcheng with two swift strikes.

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Min seemed visibly bewildered.

She initially refused to believe it, yet the corpse of the Octopus Captain lay on the fifth floor.

“Defeating the octopus creature on the cruise ship” had turned into her personal demon. She had conceived countless ways to die alongside this monster, yet she never expected that there could be such a straightforward solution.

"Since the Octopus Captain is dead, doesn't that mean we can roam freely on this ship? Will the next one and a half days just be a pure vacation?" A player exclaimed in disbelief.

A level-five dungeon, known for its highest difficulty and danger level, and now they could just coast through it? Was this really possible?

If someone were to ask the people from Ronghua, they would nod without hesitation.

They had basically been cruising since they entered, and by now, it had become second nature.

However, Zhang Daoan, standing on the deck, shook his head.

"It won't be that easy."

"Huh? Even with the BOSS dead, it's still not easy?"

Zhang Daoan gestured for the speaker to look downwards.

"The BOSS being dead doesn't mean all the monsters are gone."

In the ocean, the moment the Octopus Captain died, countless indistinguishable creatures began to surface from the deep sea.

The Octopus Captain had commandeered this cruise ship, acting like a rather incompetent commander, selecting what it deemed appropriate minions and permitting them to board the ship.

Besides, the ocean harbored countless other monsters, also eyeing the plentiful "fresh meat" on the ship, restrained only by their fear of the Octopus Captain on board, preventing them from swarming at once.

Now with the Octopus Captain dead, these monsters finally emerged.

Although they were not as powerful as the Octopus Captain, their numbers were seemingly inexhaustible.

"So, what do we do?"

Zhang Daoan's expression remained calm.

"Many years ago, a similar incident occurred on this cruise ship."

At that time, the maritime monsters, under the leadership of a brainy and powerful octopus, exploited human greed to open the gates to the ship.

And this time—

The gun turret was erected once again. Zhang Min took the helm at the same place her father had many years ago, operating the ship's turrets.

Ning Suisui and their group had a working relationship with Zhang Min, and since they were also on the ship, they couldn't just stand by and watch a horde of monsters seize control.

Without anyone rallying or giving orders, sixty-nine players, who had faced life and death together before, naturally united as one, wielding their guns and weapons to engage in a fierce battle with the encroaching monsters.

Without the major BOSS, the attacking minor creatures seemed somewhat underwhelming in strength.

However, their numbers were just too overwhelming.

—— But they weren't the only ones with numbers on their side.

No one could precisely remember when those plain human NPCs on the first floor, those previously overlooked background characters, began to join the battle.

It might have been the glimpse of a dawning victory, or perhaps earlier someone finally took the first step.

As the entire cruise ship "came to life" once again, the original twenty members of the Ronghua Guild swiftly joined the fight, and this time, without anyone prompting, the eight who joined later began battling the monsters in unison.

War, artillery fire, comrades.

Blending in with the NPCs, the players occasionally found it surreal that they were collaborating so harmoniously, not only with other players but also with these background NPCs... it felt as though they had returned to human society once more.

...But this sensation was rather pleasant.

It was not until the sunset of the third day that the ship unexpectedly sailed into a tranquil rainbow.

Ding—Congratulations on reaching the Ocean Treasure Location.

The moment the system notification rang, the players, who were shoulder to shoulder with the surrounding NPCs, suddenly came to their senses.

Within the rainbow, the sea that was once teeming with monsters vanished, leaving a serene surface with no sign of where the treasure might be.

What follows next... is a scramble for the treasure, isn't it?

A tranquil mood settled over the ship, everyone exchanging unsure glances.

Just as everyone was hesitating, unsure of who should make the first move, a golden flash pierced through.

Ning Suisui, swift as an arrow released from its bow, dove directly into the sea from the ship.

Damn it!

Is this the reaction speed of a top-ranked player?

Such a reaction time is truly... shameless!

Many regained their senses and started jumping into the sea one after another.

There was a slight commotion among the members of the Ronghua Guild.

The condition for clearing the level was obtaining the ocean treasure. Even though everyone was harmonious and affectionate just a few minutes ago, the game is still a game!

"What do we do? Should we dive in to retrieve the treasures as well?"

They had already noticed that there were indeed items in the sea. Every now and then, players would scoop something glowing white into their arms, faces alight with happiness, evidently very satisfied with the treasures they had acquired.

But there seemed to be some limitations to the retrieval of the treasures, as each person could only obtain three items before being unable to gather any more.

Zhang Dao'an merely cast a glance.

"Those who wish to go, feel free to do so."

As soon as he spoke these words, the members of Ronghua were no fools; they knew this youngster must have discovered something again.

But the treasures below were too tempting to ignore!

Instantly, people from the Ronghua side began diving in like dumplings thrown into boiling water.

Xie Fangcheng, who knew him better, nudged him with his elbow, “Aren't those below treasures?”

Zhang Dao'an shook his head, then nodded.

"Yes, but they are not the main attraction."

Ning Suisui obviously knew it too, as after jumping down, she only swam around for a bit before quickly returning.

Looking at Zhang Dao'an, who stood there as calm as ever, Ning Suisui felt a tinge of regret in her heart.

Of course, she wasn't so impulsive. She deliberately jumped down to lure other players into the sea to grab these "treasures".

But this Zhang Dao'an...

Zhang Dao'an cast a glance at her.

"I would advise you to choose from those in the sea," he said, "the real treasure is not destined for you."

Damn it!

Ning Suisui cursed inwardly.

Xie Fangcheng was very curious, "Hey, where exactly is the treasure?"

Zhang Dao'an did not answer, he just looked towards Zhang Min.

"The greatest treasure of the entire cruise ship... has always been on this ship."