Chapter 43.

Chapter 43.

As the captain, He'er always resided on the top floor of the Dream of He'er.

The view from here was unparalleled. Leaning over the railing, one could take in almost the entirety of the ship and the vast sea.

If there was any downside, it was that snow would fall during inclement weather.

And he despised snow.

Fortunately, the night was clear. After sweeping away the snow from the terrace, He'er relaxed on the couch, looking up at the night sky, thinking there'd likely be no snowfall tonight.

At night, no participant can leave their floor. More importantly, even if they did, they couldn't reach the ninth floor after dark. This meant no one would disturb him, allowing for a peaceful barbecue meal.

While the snow didn't fall, a young man with the character "雪" in his name arrived.

The moment He'er noticed a familiar pear blossom silver bracelet suddenly appearing by the railing, he sensed something was amiss. The next second, he indeed saw a youth dressed in snow-white, gracefully vaulting onto the balcony with a red ribbon in tow.

It was as if a flake of snow had silently touched the ground.

It landed coldly on He'er's heart.

Just like the meat he'd grilled to perfection, ready for a sprinkle of coarse salt before indulging, but was knocked over and left cold on the ground.

Yet, the man seemed entirely unapologetic, even pretending as if nothing had happened, smiling softly at him: "Captain He'er, there's no snow tonight, is there?"

He'er put down his barbecue tongs, his chiseled face emotionless, his gaze icy: "Mr. Xie, you knocked over my grilled meat and ruined my grill. Do you think you seem any different from the snow I despise, in my eyes?"

"I truly apologize."

Surprisingly, Xie Yin Xue lowered his head, genuinely apologizing with a tone of regret.

This response left He'er momentarily stunned. After a moment, the young man turned, hands gripping the railing, leaning over to look down: "Captain He'er, Enuo said that strange things happen on this cruise ship at night. Are you aware of this?"

Without getting up, He'er continued sitting on the couch, his eyes lingering on Xie Yin Xue, slowly replying, "I am."

The young man's physique was lean, even the broad robe couldn't hide his thinness. He seemed fragile, as if on the brink of death. Yet, his face was merely pale without signs of emaciation. His jet-black hair, like ink satin, fluttered gently in the night breeze, reflecting his demeanor – gentle, frail, and serene.

"Are you aware," Xie Yin Xue didn't move but turned to glance over his left shoulder at He'er, "that the so-called 'strange things' are monstrous beings that devour people, and these monsters are the nocturnal transformations of the ship's esteemed guests?"

He'er remained silent, lips pursed, meeting Xie Yin Xue's gaze.

He saw the determination deep within those clear, black eyes, unchanged and fearless, just as he had observed in the previous game scenario.

He replied, "I am aware."

He'er then began to smile. Standing up from the couch, he took step after step toward the youth. Leaning in close to Xie Yin Xue, he proactively inquired, "Mr. Xie, do you know what ship this is? What's its name? Tell me."

Xie Yin Xue lifted his head, looking into He'er's grey eyes, articulating each word: "The Dream of He'er."

Unexpectedly, the man further questioned: "What is 'He'er'?"

Xie Yin Xue slightly furrowed his brows, "He'er is you."

However, the man shook his head in denial, "No, I am not He'er."

After speaking, he reached out, removing the pear blossom bracelet and red ribbon that bound Xie Yin Xue to the railing. He then picked up a piece of charcoal from the ground and, seemingly in retribution for the knocked-over grill, scribbled a short string of characters on the ribbon, before returning both the bracelet and ribbon to Xie Yin Xue.

Upon receiving the bracelet, Xie Yin Xue immediately wore it. Holding the ribbon, he stared at the charcoal inscription, his brows furrowed and never relaxing, perhaps disliking the smudged appearance.

He'er stood beside him with hands clasped behind his back.

Several minutes passed with no reaction from Xie Yin Xue.

He'er was puzzled. During the gluttonous feast, even his subtlest hints were deciphered by Xie Yin Xue. But in this scenario, despite his even clearer clues, almost blatantly revealing the solution, Xie Yin Xue's response was just this?

Recalling Xie Yin Xue's attire, choice of words, and that intolerably archaic demeanor, a far-fetched but plausible theory crossed He'er's mind. He asked Xie Yin Xue, "You can't... understand it, can you?"

Xie Yin Xue pursed his lips, then lifted his gaze and openly admitted, "No, I can't."

He'er: "..."

Suspecting that Xie Yin Xue might be deceiving him, He'er pressed on with disbelief, "You don't understand English?"

"I've never studied it." To He'er's surprise, Xie Yin Xue nodded, speaking in a calm voice that left one unsure whether to envy or react differently, "My family said I wouldn't travel abroad often. And if I did, I could always hire a translator. I was advised to only learn what I liked. Conveniently, I didn't like English."

Throughout this confession, Xie Yin Xue's demeanor remained unperturbed, as if the reality was exactly as he described—his dislike was the sole reason he didn't learn, excluding any other possible reasons.

"You..."

After hearing this explanation, He'er found himself at a loss for words.

"Thank you, Captain He'er, for clarifying. It's getting late; I won't disturb your late-night snack any further." Having obtained what he wanted from Captain He'er, Xie Yin Xue intended to seek someone fluent in English to translate the phrase the next day. He bid He'er farewell, planning to leave the ninth floor.

However, after roaming the ninth floor, Xie Yin Xue couldn't find an exit other than the balcony. Where an elevator should have been, there was only a blank grey wall.

"Did you think this was a place where you could come and go as you please?"

Standing by the spilled charcoal and now cold, hard meat from the toppled grill, He'er smirked ambiguously, hinting at something deeper.

After some thought, Xie Yin Xue humbly asked, "Captain He'er, is it because I broke something and need to compensate?"

In reality, during the night, the elevators to the eighth and ninth floors disappeared since guests from the seventh floor couldn't access these floors. The solution was simple—wait until dawn.

However, now that Xie Yin Xue had acknowledged his misdeed, He'er decided to play along, asking, "What do you think?"

"Then, I have no choice but to retrace my steps."

With a sigh, Xie Yin Xue took a seat on the railing. Releasing his grip, he allowed himself to free-fall from the ninth floor.

He'er, unphased, calmly approached the railing to look below. The deck was still covered in the despised snow, untouched without any footprints. There was no sign of Xie Yin Xue's passage.

If not for the overturned grill and meat, even He'er might've doubted the young man's existence.

On the morning of the fourth day, after sunrise, all the survivors instinctively gathered on the first floor.

They knew that Wen Ren Yan, He Yao, and Xie Yin Xue had stayed on this floor the previous night, together. If they were still alive, did it suggest another way to survive?

Yet, upon reaching the first floor, they were horrified by the hellish, bloody scene—

Walls of every guest room were on the verge of collapse from the monstrous onslaught the previous night. Broken wood lay scattered, mixed with the monsters' green residue and fresh human blood.

Han Si searched room after room until she finally found two blood-covered figures in room 109—one on the bed and one on the sofa. She cried out, "Wen Ren Yan! He Yao!"

Surprisingly, her shout roused them both.

Wen Ren Yan sprang up from the sofa, "Hmm? What happened?"

Though He Yao was injured and thus limited in his movements, he too stirred beneath his blanket, opening his eyes to ask, "Is it morning? What time is it? I stayed up late last night and only just managed to fall asleep."

Yang Manqing and Meng Bei expressed their astonishment, "You're alive?"

Wen Ren Yan replied, "Yes, we are."

Han Si tugged at his clothes, asking, "...Then whose blood is that on you?"

He Yao responded, "It's not ours."

Without missing a beat, Su Xun Lan inquired, "Is it Xie Yin Xue's?"

They were the only three on the first floor. If the blood wasn't from the two of them, it could only belong to Xie Yin Xue, especially since he wasn't seen in room 209.

Wen Ren Yan was about to rebut that the blood wasn't Xie Yin Xue's either, but upon scanning the room and realizing Xie Yin Xue's absence, he became anxious, "Where is Mr. Xie?"

"I'm here."

Xie Yin Xue's voice emanated from another room.

Everyone turned to see Xie Yin Xue, now dressed in a bamboo-green robe, emerging from room 215. Today, his hair was left unbound, cascading freely behind him, accentuating his delicate appearance.

Wen Ren Yan hurried over, "Mr. Xie, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Xie Yin Xue gestured dismissively, then beckoned Zhu Yi Kun, "Mr. Zhu, come here for a moment."

Zhu Yi Kun scurried to Xie Yin Xue, chirping, "Here I am!"

Xie Yin Xue presented a red hairband directly in front of him.

Without a word, Zhu Yi Kun instinctively read the English inscribed upon it, "…hell's dream cruise?"

"Do you understand its meaning?"

Xie Yin Xue raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a playful smirk, his demeanor resembling a confident teacher assessing a student's understanding of a given problem.

"Hell means the underworld, dream means a dream, and cruise means a ship…" After breaking down each word, Zhu Yi Kun had an epiphany, "The Dream of He'er—hell is a transliteration for He'er!"

The word "hell" connotes the underworld, torment, and a place of sin. "He'er" is just a phonetic translation. Thus, "The Dream of He'er" actually signifies a "Hellish Dream." They were aboard a cruise ship headed for torment!

As Zhu Yi Kun's voice was soft in the beginning, the crowd could only catch his subsequent exclamations about "He'er." Fang Long approached, inquiring, "What are you discussing?"

Holding the hairband, Xie Yin Xue flicked his wrist, causing the charcoal inscriptions to vanish, leaving the hairband pristine once more.

As he tied back his hair, his voice, though soft, resonated like thunder to all present, "I've discerned how to clear this scenario."

Nai Nai queried, "What did you say?"

With his hair neatly tied, Xie Yin Xue lifted his gaze, sweeping it over each individual. Deliberately, he reiterated, "I said, I know how to clear the 'Dream of He'er' scenario."

Yang Manqing bit her nail in impatience, blurting out, "Then spill it already!"

Xie Yin Xue smiled softly, countering Yang Manqing with a gentle query, "This clue was discovered at great risk to my life. Do you really think I'd share it for free?"

The newcomers might be unfamiliar with this, but the veterans caught on immediately.

Though Fang Long was a newcomer, he caught on quickly, immediately asking, "How much do you want?"

"I don't need money," Xie Yin Xue clarified, revealing his conditions, "Yesterday, Ma Xintong and Wan Muo struck a deal with me. That's why Ma Xintong was safe in the first-class cabin last night, and Wan Muo on the sixth floor remained unharmed."

Ma Xintong, showing her bandaged wounds, vouched for Xie Yin Xue, "Yes, Mr. Xie saved me yesterday. He even provided these bandages for my wounds."

Everyone had witnessed Xie Yin Xue's actions since entering this scenario, especially Zhu Yi Kun, who spent every night safely in the first-class cabin.

While many envied Zhu Yi Kun and admired Xie Yin Xue, they also wondered about the source of Xie Yin Xue's confidence and capabilities.

Recognizing the hint, veteran player Nai Nai asked Xie Yin Xue, "Are you the Ferryman?"

Xie Yin Xue looked down and gently shook his head, stating honestly, "I am not the Ferryman."

"Sorry, but if you're not the Ferryman, we can't trust you," Yun Qian frowned, taking Nai Nai's hand, warning, "If you're an NPC from this scenario and we mistakenly make a deal with the wrong Ferryman, the consequences could be dire."

However, this was information the veterans hadn't mentioned when introducing the Ferryman's existence.

Wan Muo and Ma Xintong, realizing the implications, both anxiously touched their chests, reassuringly saying, "But we were fine."

"No," Nai Nai closed her eyes and shook her head, "Only when you successfully exit the game can you truly say you're safe."

Fang Long, sensing Xie Yin Xue's indifference to money, approached He Yao and Wen Ren Yan, "Tell us your experience, and once we're out, I can offer you a significant amount."

Honestly, after last night, veterans like Wen Ren Yan and He Yao had some inklings about the clues, but they couldn't confirm their speculations, especially considering Xie Yin Xue had saved them.

They couldn't betray their savior by jeopardizing his plan.

Thus, He Yao simply said, "We're not certain. Sharing might cause misunderstandings, so I apologize."

No matter how Fang Long, Yang Manqing, and Meng Bei pleaded afterward, Wen Ren Yan and He Yao remained tight-lipped.

"Aren't they your friends?" Su Xun Lan whispered to Han Si, clutching her arm, "Why won't they even tell you how they survived?"

Han Si yanked her arm away, taking a step back, eyeing Su Xun Lan suspiciously, "They're my brothers; they wouldn't harm me. If you've got something to say, out with it. Don't play games with me."

Seeing Han Si's short haircut, Su Xun Lan mistakenly thought she was a lesbian. However, that angle wouldn't work with Han Si. Casting a covert glance at Xie Yin Xue, Su Xun Lan adopted a pitiable tone, suggesting, "Why not seek help from the real Ferryman NPC then?"

At her words, even Xie Yin Xue turned to look at her.

Yun Qian questioned, "Do you know the identity of the Ferryman NPC in this scenario?"

"Yes, it's quite obvious," Su Xun Lan was about to reveal the name, "It's…"

Xie Yin Xue took over the conversation and stated directly, "Captain He'er."

As Su Xunlan's eyes met his, Xie Yin Xue raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "On our first day here, Yino mentioned that if we needed anything, we should go to the basement level and look for him or Captain He'er. Isn't it obvious that he was hinting at Captain He'er being the Ferryman NPC?"

Yi Zhongjie reminisced about that day: "...But seeking his help comes at a high cost."

To get Captain He'er to carry her aboard, Xie Yin Xue had to pay a whopping thirty gold coins. None of the seniors in this instance spoke much about the "Ferryman", so most almost forgot his existence later on.

Yun Qian took a deep breath and advised, "I wouldn't recommend this route to everyone. Although I haven't personally dealt with the Ferryman, I know the cost won't be low. I've witnessed many tragedies of people choosing the wrong Ferryman, so I've always advised against relying on him." She sighed resignedly, "But if we're truly out of options, this might be our only choice."

Fang Long, desperate to survive, immediately responded, "Regardless of the cost, the Ferryman seems like the best choice."

Yang Manqing, however, was somewhat tempted by the price Xie Yin Xue proposed, "But we don't know what Captain He'er's demands are. With Mr. Xie, it's just being ill for half a month."

Meng Bei hesitated, "But Yun Qian mentioned the severe consequences if we choose the wrong person."

"It seems you all don't really understand the Ferryman NPC." After listening to everyone's discussions, Xie Yin Xue calmly remarked, "Do you truly believe he's your last resort?"

Nana retorted, "Isn't he?"

"No," Xie Yin Xue responded, "He isn't."

At this moment, Xie Yin Xue believed what Zhu Yikun had told him about the unknown consequences of dealing with the Ferryman NPC. Yun Qian, Nana, and Wen Renyan were similarly clueless. They had only witnessed the brutal aftermath of making deals with the wrong Ferryman NPC and thus, kept their distance.

But there was one exception: Su Xunlan.

Thus, Xie Yin Xue fixed his gaze on Su Xunlan. Although his lips held a gentle smile, his voice was icy cold, "Miss Su, I believe you understand this better than I do. Because the difficulty of this instance lies solely on you."

When named by Xie Yin Xue, Su Xunlan immediately looked startled and defensively replied, "I'm just a newbie! It's my first time in this instance. How is this related to me?"

"We both know the truth, there's no need for pretense," Xie Yin Xue's gaze remained on her, his eyes cool and detached, "But I can say for certain, you are not a newbie but someone who has previously dealt with the Ferryman NPC."

Only by making a deal with the Ferryman NPC does the difficulty of the next instance suddenly escalate. Xie Yin Xue believed that Su Xunlan couldn't have completed more than three instances; otherwise, there wouldn't be any new players.

The difficulty of the "He'er's Dream" instance was so high precisely because of Su Xunlan's presence. It rendered all the seniors helpless. Even if they patiently waited until the last day of the cruise as Yino advised, the instance wouldn't end.

That would only mark the beginning of another nightmare, the true onset of hell.

"So, choose me or choose him."

Xie Yin Xue stood in the center of the corridor, surrounded by the chaotic wreckage of guest rooms. Yet he appeared immaculate, standing tall like an unyielding bamboo. He softly said, "The decision is yours."

After hearing Xie Yin Xue's words, Nana trembled, whispering, "So, that's how it is."

Yun Qian steadied her and addressed Xie Yin Xue, "We've cleared several instances before, but we weren't aware of what you just shared. Thank you for informing us."

Yi Zhongjie was the first to decide to make a deal with Xie Yin Xue, "Mr. Xie, I trust you. After all, you saved both me and Xiaoli on the first night."

"Me too." Han Si raised his right hand in gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Xie, for saving A Yan and A Yao."

Their words also reminded Yun Qian and Nana that if Xie Yin Xue was really an NPC in the instance, he wouldn't necessarily have saved Yi Zhongjie and his daughter, or Wen Renyan and the others in the middle of the night.

In the end, all of them were willing to endure a severe illness for half a month in exchange for Xie Yin Xue's hints to clear the level—except for Su Xunlan, Fang Long, Yang Manqing, and Meng Bei.

It wasn't that Xie Yin Xue refused to trade with them. He simply stated, "I can't save you now, only Captain He'er can help you."

Fang Long, puzzled, asked, "What do you mean?"

Xie Yin Xue took out the few remaining gold coins from his sleeve pocket and dropped them onto the ground, saying, "Because once our pockets have held the gold coins given by the esteemed guests, those who hold these coins turn into monsters that hunt us down at night, until we are dead."

Zhu Yikun initially wanted to pick up the coins, but he quickly retracted his hand after hearing Xie Yin Xue's explanation.

Xie Yin Xue continued, "Being a temporary crew member is the only way to survive. Although we can't earn enough, we can rent a room on the first floor for just ten gold coins, regardless of the number of occupants. The souls that perished on this ship will protect their comrades."

Wan Yu began, "But Yino mentioned that if too many people stay in one room, it might attract..." But she stopped midway, realizing that the truly benevolent entities aboard the 'He'er's Dream' ship were these very souls that Yino described as terrifying.

Yino only described them as frightening but never mentioned that they kill.

As a guiding NPC, Yino had never lied. His denial of monsters on board was because, in his eyes, these so-called monsters were revered "guests", his cash cows. How could they possibly be monsters?

"Those of us who don't work hard, but only know how to blindly fulfill the guests' unreasonable demands, hoping for hefty rewards for minimal effort, naturally aren't their comrades," Xie Yin Xue stated. "So, if we share a room, we'd face a dual threat from the spirits and the monsters."

Upon hearing this, both Yi Zhongjie and Ma Xintong felt relieved they hadn't earned any gold coins from the guests. Especially Ma Xintong, who would probably be reliant solely on the Ferryman if she had taken those thousand gold coins the day before.

Zhu Yikun felt like he was on an emotional roller coaster. Even though he had been staying in first-class cabins, the money was earned by Xie Yin Xue, not him. The only money he had earned was the three gold coins from helping Yino retrieve the body of Qiang Zhiyuan.

Xie Yin Xue openly shared this information with everyone. After hearing, Yang Manqing muttered in disbelief, "So, even if we earned all those gold coins yesterday, we still couldn't clear the level?"

Yun Qian told her, "You could have, as long as you stayed in the first-class cabins daily."

"We're broke now! But this level still has two more days before it ends," Meng Bei exclaimed, "Even an idiot can see that trying to earn money from the guests now will lead to death, and there's no way we can earn enough as temporary crew members!"

Su Xunlan stepped forward, looking at them both, her voice soft and alluring, "Then join Mr. Fang and me in seeking Captain He'er's assistance."

They should seek the true Ferryman NPC, who would surely have a solution.

Author's Note:

NPC: Finally, some business is coming.

Xie Lao: Oh, they're just the leftovers I didn't choose.

npc：……