Chapter 138: The Ark of Creation 12

Chapter 138: The Ark of Creation 12

Lin Ye felt as if his heart was about to stop.

In front of him was the incessantly rumbling meat grinder, and behind him was the monitor bristling with blades. Lin Ye couldn’t move forward or back.

In the ceiling, inside the ventilation ducts, the six players were silent for a moment.

But this wasn’t the time to hesitate.

Badger stared intently at the slowly advancing group below, her voice taut as she said to Mi Yang,

"Okay, I’ll count down from three, then destroy the monitor. You get him out of there as fast as you can."

As for the rest, they could only leave it up to fate.

The ideal scenario would be everything going smoothly and avoiding the blue-clad NPC’s line of sight, but if something went wrong…

She could try to subdue the NPC.

But she had already investigated in the game area. The blue-clad staff on the ship were the lowest-ranking NPCs, mere tools with little autonomy.

The success rate of using a skill on such an NPC was at most fifty percent.

When that happened, things would likely turn ugly.

Badger’s mood was heavy, and so was Mi Yang’s.

But at this point, they couldn’t think of a better plan.

"…Alright." Mi Yang took a deep breath.

Getting Lin Ye off the ground wouldn’t be difficult for him.

He hadn’t used his innate ability in this instance yet, so he still had a choice.

All he needed to do was use the spider form he’d employed in the snow mountain instance.

Mi Yang placed one hand on the edge of the vent, ready to crawl out.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind him, blocking his way.

"No, wait."

It was Xiao Xiao, his face pale.

Xiao Xiao’s innate ability cooldown wasn’t over yet, but he spent sanity points to force another opportunity.

Because his innate ability wasn’t high enough in level, Xiao Xiao couldn’t directly predict the best method of escape, but Badger’s proposed process was already set. Xiao Xiao foresaw the consequences of following through with it.

Total annihilation.

There would be twists and turns, but their struggles would be futile. Death was the only path awaiting the players.

Within the established framework, no matter what methods they used, they couldn’t escape the blue-clad staff member’s notice.

Then, once the NPC discovered their presence, everyone would be doomed!

This wouldn’t do. The NPC was the most threatening factor in the entire space.

Though he had been huddled in a corner, seemingly oblivious to everything happening around him, it was all an illusion.

That was the instance’s deception for the players!

They couldn’t fall for it!!

Xiao Xiao’s blood was boiling. He moved past Mi Yang and stuck half his body out into the narrow corridor below, where the camera of the monitor couldn’t see him. He surveyed the area.

His innate ability was practically useless now, but where was the solution?

Xiao Xiao didn’t believe they would truly be trapped to die on the ceiling.

There had to be something they hadn’t discovered yet.

There had to be…there had to be!

Xiao Xiao’s gaze rapidly scanned the ground. The excessively dark lighting greatly impeded his vision, and his teeth nearly bit through his lip.

In these brief minutes, Lin Ye had been forced to advance two more steps. Now, there were only three players left in front of him.

The meat grinder’s black entrance looked like a beast’s gaping maw.

The meat grinder—!!!

It was a sudden epiphany, like a bolt of lightning striking his mind. This time, Xiao Xiao chose to trust his fleeting premonition.

He cupped his hand around his mouth and called down to Lin Ye, "Quickly, find a way to destroy that meat grinder!"

Destroy it—or do anything, as long as it caused some malfunction and stopped its operation.

Lin Ye would have to do this himself. The players in the ventilation ducts were too far away from the meat grinder to do anything about it.

The monitor was slowly rotating in this direction.

Lin Ye didn’t dare look up. His fingers, hanging at his side, lightly twitched, signaling that he was listening. His other hand was clenched into a fist, his nails digging deeply into his flesh.

But this wasn’t the first time.

Encountering life-and-death crises within the instances was no longer a first for him.

Although each time, he still couldn't help but feel nervous.

But compared to that pathetic youth who had been so frightened that his limbs went limp in the chaotic graveyard of the desolate Hunan village, relying on others for rescue, Lin Ye had undoubtedly grown into another version of himself.

All this was thanks to that person.

Lin Ye struggled to suppress his wildly pounding heart.

Whenever his life hung in the balance, a scene would always flash before Lin Ye's eyes.

He seemed to see once again that white, clean, slender, and powerful hand piercing through the bloody, silent night, extending before him.

"It's now or never, make your move!"

The surveillance camera completed its rotation, its lens pointing in the opposite direction as Xiao Xiao's soft shout came from the roof.

Lin Ye, with his head bowed and eyes lowered, held a cold, gleaming dagger in his right hand, which was reversed in his grip.

Although the mall dagger was of ordinary quality, it was already the only weapon Lin Ye could utilize.

Under the golden-brown horse-head mask, Lin Ye's gaze burned fiercely, carrying an aura of determination as he looked ahead.

Precisely because the dagger was ordinary, the timing of his strike had to be even more precise.

The meat grinder was a massive machine half-embedded in the wall, with all exposed parts covered by thick metal plates. Attempting to destroy it with this thin dagger posed a high level of difficulty.

The player at the front stepped into the gaping entrance of the machine expressionlessly. The silver partition rose, completely blocking his figure inside the machine.

Squelch!

For some reason, the sound of the blade embedding itself into flesh came through unusually clearly.

Lin Ye tightly shut his eyes.

"Hurry up! Come on!" Urgency echoed from the ventilation ducts.

Now!

As the meat grinder's entrance panel slowly descended, a control lever beside the machine, not particularly noticeable, was rising in the opposite direction.

Lin Ye's dagger flew out, spinning in mid-air several times before accurately lodging itself into the empty slot above the control lever.

"Click—click—"

Staring at the dagger mostly embedded in the slot, Lin Ye felt his heart leap in fear, terrified that the meat grinder's quality was too good and would snap the dagger in two.

But fortunately,

It didn't.

With the slot on the control lever blocked, the meat grinder's partition stalled halfway, and the entire machine emitted a dull sound, the grinding of oil and chains becoming increasingly heavier.

Lin Ye was now less than a meter away from the machine, standing before the last animal, which stared hesitantly at the machine ahead, unsure of what to do next.

The advancing group came to a halt. Ten seconds later, a puff of white smoke emerged from the machine, signaling its complete breakdown.

The sound of the machines operating in the narrow corridor instantly diminished significantly.

Finally, the blue-clad NPC at the back noticed something amiss.

He stood up, cursing as he walked over, stopping when he reached the fallen ventilation duct opening.

The players on the ceiling instantly held their breath, six heads hastily retreating backward, bumping into each other in their haste, causing their faces to twitch in pain, yet they dared not make a single sound.

Viewers in the live stream, together with the players, were so tense that their legs turned weak.

"F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, will they be seen??"

"Don't look back, that player coming down from the deck. It'll be interesting if he finds all his teammates dead."

"Screw you and your jinx, don't curse my little sheep like that, okay??"

...

Fortunately, the players didn't seem to be that unlucky.

The blue-clad staff member kicked the iron mesh on the ground and continued forward.

He passed through the line of people on the ground, moved past Lin Ye, removed a steel plate on the side of the machine, and began checking the circuits inside.

"Hurry!" Xiao Xiao quickly pushed Mi Yang.

In the ventilation duct, the cheetah player chose the same method of destruction as Lin Ye, simultaneously throwing three mall daggers, shattering the surveillance camera's lens into pieces.

The circle of flying knives instantly shot off in all directions, while the blue-clad staff member had his entire head stuffed inside the meat grinder, examining the electronic components, narrowly missing this scene.

Spider Mi Yang used all eight of his legs to move swiftly along the walls, landing in the blink of an eye.

Lin Ye jumped onto Mi Yang's back, wrapping his arms around the spider-man's shoulders. Their figures quickly pressed against the wall, silently entering the ventilation duct.

"Hurry, go!" Mi Yang put Lin Ye down, transforming back into the animal form of a sheep.

The trio on Badger's side was clearly stunned by his astonishing transformation skill, but time was pressing. Without exchanging any unnecessary words, the six of them continued crawling forward without pause.

This time, the leading cheetah didn't dare to turn on the flashlight. No one knew when the blue-clad NPC would crawl up to check the ventilation ducts.

As long as he wasn't blind and could see the daggers on the meat grinder and the surveillance camera, it was only a matter of time.

In the narrow duct, the six of them were pressed tightly together, none daring to fall behind. This was truly a torment. The duct's structure was complex, twisting left and right, but as they proceeded, they didn't encounter even a single fork in the path. They had no choice but to forge ahead with their heads down. No one knew how long it had been. So long that Xiao Xiao felt the oxygen levels in the air becoming increasingly thin, so thin that he could barely breathe. Finally, Cheetah exclaimed in delight. "Up ahead! There's another exit!" But just as if the heavens were determined to make their lives miserable, the moment those words left Cheetah's mouth, the duct they were in suddenly shook violently! The walls of the duct were already smooth, lacking any points for grip. With the sudden jolt, the six of them instantly collided back and forth within the duct, leaving them dizzy and disoriented. "Damn... damn!" Mi Yang felt like his teeth were about to be knocked out. What was happening? Had the NPCs finally discovered their intrusion and come to hunt them down?? ... On the spacious deck, under the cover of night, exquisite lamps illuminated the area. A buffet table laden with delicacies and champagne was placed at the center of the deck, surrounded by elegant high-backed chairs and round tables where several "humans" sat scattered. The light music drifted through the night breeze, permeating every corner of the deck. Beyond the buffet table and round tables, more humans filled the remaining space. Dressed in exquisite and splendid evening gowns, they danced in pairs or gathered together, holding glasses of wine as they engaged in lively discussions. It turned out that a banquet was being held on the deck. The players who had earlier ascended to the deck had vanished without a trace. Qin Fei followed the steps upward, concealing his tall figure entirely in the shadows beside the staircase. The soft, salty sea breeze brushed against the animal mask and caressed Qin Fei's exposed skin. The young man stood at the junction between the lower deck and the deck, emitting a contented sigh. Look at these humans on the ship; they certainly knew how to indulge themselves. Compared to the meticulously arranged deck, the enclosure where the players resided was indeed akin to a pigsty. Qin Fei had originally come to the deck to see if there was an opportunity to sneak up to the second or third floors for reconnaissance. However, upon seeing the deck filled with NPCs, he changed his mind. Just like the Pigmen, these people dancing or chatting on the deck were also NPCs that could be approached. Qin Fei's gaze scanned the crowd, much like a discerning buyer selecting goods from above, carefully searching for his target for the night. Until his eyes settled on a particular spot. "Deer Family Leader: Affection Level 0% (Miss Jasmine doesn't know who you are, but she is willing to get acquainted with any polite gentleman, after all, she is a simple and kind girl.)" Leader. Those three words precisely piqued Qin Fei's interest. So the humans on this ship were divided into families? And simple and kind. That was indeed a commendable and rather rare quality. After all, simplicity and kindness meant they were easy to deceive and extract more information from. Compared to most of the rather peculiar-looking "humans," the appearance of Miss Deer was already quite pleasing to the eye. Her figure was slender, her limbs graceful. If one ignored the unusual protrusion at her mouth and nose, judging solely from her back view, anyone would assume she was undoubtedly a woman of exquisite grace. Qin Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, fixated on the graceful silhouette dancing in the ballroom. Of course, simply going over there wouldn't do. An animal escaping at night would cause a tremendous commotion if discovered. Qin Fei gently stroked his chin. He refrained from acting rashly and remained in a safe position, watching vigilantly. Finally, Qin Fei found something interesting at the edge of the dance floor. "Ghost Baby." Mr. Cat plucked Ghost Baby, who was comfortably lounging, off his shoulder and patted the latter's bottom. "Go, steal something for me." These words were spoken so naturally that the audience in the live stream burst into laughter. "What? What is my wife stealing now?" "Hilarious. When the streamer said that, he really didn't sound like a good person." "Every day, it's either picking locks or stealing chickens and dogs! Streamer, I hereby declare your arrest. You will now be immediately confined to my home!" "Tsk tsk, to the person above, I can hear your abacus clicking from two live streams away." ... Stealing was nothing to Ghost Baby. For the little fellow, it was a task easily accomplished.

The ghost infant had its own domain, and after stealing the target, it could transfer the loot without anyone noticing.

The ghost infant went quickly and returned swiftly, crawling past the shiny leather shoes of the NPCs, arriving at a round table by the dance floor, then retracing its steps.

Thus, Qin Fei effortlessly obtained what he wanted.

The cat bent down and took the dark mask, adorned with elegant metallic patterns, from the ghost infant's hands.

This was a mask specially prepared by the pig people for the esteemed passengers on board, for use in the masquerade ball.

Although there weren't many masked NPCs on the deck tonight, there were still some.

Wearing a mask to blend into the crowd wasn't conspicuous.

Just right, Qin Fei's headgear was a deep gray cat.

Its smooth fur, under the cover of night, bore a striking resemblance to human hair.

Qin Fei put on the mask, making fine adjustments, then straightened his shirt collar, buttoning it all the way up to the top.

Okay, perfect.

But...

Qin Fei pressed down on the cat ears atop his head, somewhat vexed.

They would droop when pressed, but would perk up again, being quite disobedient.

The fans, upon seeing this scene, began to scream.

"Ahhhh! Wife is so cute!!"

"I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this, but this cat image really suits the streamer! The instance has an eye for aesthetics."

"Yes yes yes, I feel the same... But if it were a ragdoll cat, it would be even more fitting! Princess kitty for our princess wife!"

"Wah wah, wife is still pressing the ears, does it hurt, darling? Come here for a kiss—"

"Wait, is the person above me lost in lust? That's a headgear; it doesn't hurt at all!"

Pain—it certainly didn't hurt.

However, Qin Fei needed to find a way to conceal the ears.

Princess Feifei, wavering between "would sticking tape work?" and "would cutting off the ears make it look like a neutered cat," ultimately chose to continue her thieving ways.

He moved briskly along the edge of the dark deck, passing behind a passenger who appeared to have had too much to drink and was leaning against the ship's railing, enjoying the sea breeze. With a light hand, he reached out.

An exceptionally exquisite top hat fell into his grasp.

"Very good." Qin Fei adjusted the angle of the hat and muttered to himself:

"Mr. Griffith of the Cat Clan will now make his grand debut."

The live chat instantly erupted in screams once more.

"Ahhhh! Kisses for Wife Griffith!!!"

Wife Griffith didn't have time to kiss the viewers.

In that brief moment, he had already casually weaved through the crowd, successfully reaching the NPC lady he had carefully chosen.

"Hello, beautiful Miss Jasmine." Qin Fei stood before Jasmine, the deer person, who had just left the dance floor.

"Would you like to dance with me?"

With impeccable manners, he lightly placed one hand on his abdomen, extended the other, slightly bent his knees, and made the gesture of invitation.

Jasmine was taken aback, seemingly pondering who this mysterious man in the mask was?

"Ah..." Miss Jasmine wasn't particularly outgoing. Although the tall stature and courteous demeanor of the person before her gave her a favorable first impression, she didn't want to dance with someone she had just met.

"I've just come down from the dance floor and am a bit tired. How about next time? Sorry, sir."

Qin Fei was rejected.

But he didn't let this discourage him. He retracted his inviting hand and offered a glass of wine with a smile.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Since you're tired, Miss Jasmine, do you mind if I invite you to take a walk by the deck, enjoy the sea breeze, and have a chat?"

"Huh!" In the live studio, the audience clenched their fists as they stared at the screen, "Good job, retreating to advance? What a well-timed move by the streamer."

If he had directly approached the NPC at the beginning, she might not have paid him any attention.

But he started by inviting the deer person to dance. Since the deer person had already refused once, it wouldn't be appropriate to refuse him a second time.

Moreover, Qin Fei seized this opportunity to speak a few more words, showcasing his gentlemanly demeanor, significantly increasing the deer person's favor towards him.

—This favor was probably around 5%.

Though not much, it was enough for the deer person to nod in agreement to Qin Fei's invitation.

After all, those who came to this banquet did so with the intention of socializing.

Thus, Qin Fei successfully swayed the first wave of favor, leading his cherished NPC towards the edge of the deck.

Being able to have an equal conversation with an NPC was undoubtedly a unique opportunity for Qin Fei, yet he couldn't rashly open his mouth.

Contents that Qin Fei was most concerned about, such as the relationship between humans and animals akin to that of the bedridden and their pets, why they wore masks, or whether there were secrets hidden behind the will of the gods—these were all questions he could never ask.

In order to avoid alarming the snake in the grass, Qin Fei carefully selected a topic that would never go wrong: "This cruise ship is quite impressive, isn't it, Miss Jasmine? How do you feel about your journey so far?"

Miss Jasmine nodded with restraint. "I think everything is wonderful. Mr. Hadsay's cruise team has decorated the entire ship, and the rooms on the third floor are very comfortable."

"And how about during the day?" Qin Fei smiled, casually bringing up the topic as if in idle conversation. "How did you find the daytime performances?"

It seemed this struck a chord with Jasmine.

"Oh, I thought they were good," Jasmine pursed her lips.

The slight frown that instantly appeared on her face and her evasive gaze were enough to indicate she was lying.

"The performances arranged by Mr. Hadsay were splendid," Jasmine seemed to be distracted by something. "But…"

She hesitated, leaving her sentence unfinished.

Qin Fei lowered his eyes, suppressing his urge to press further.

He raised his head to look at the night sky, extending his arm over the ship's railing to feel the temperature. "Is the wind picking up? Miss Jasmine, should we head back?"

He politely asked for Jasmine's opinion and refrained from any rash actions like taking off his coat, which caused Jasmine's favorability meter to rise slightly.

In reality, within the circle Jasmine usually moved in, those creatures wearing human skins still found it difficult to completely rid themselves of their animalistic instincts in their daily behavior.

A gentleman like Qin Fei, who exuded impeccable manners, caught Jasmine's attention.

Just as she was about to say something, suddenly, the sound of waves beneath the ship became violently intense.

Then, with a bang, the ship seemed to be hit by something, causing a strong jolt that nearly overturned the tables and chairs on the deck. The NPCs dancing around fell to the ground one after another.

Jasmine was even more unfortunate. She had been leaning halfway over the ship's railing when the ship shook, almost throwing her into the water.

Fortunately, Qin Fei quickly grabbed the collar of Jasmine's shirt at the back of her neck.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Jasmine started coughing violently.

This somewhat rough action, due to saving Jasmine's life, became unexpectedly endearing.

Jasmine's eyes filled with gratitude.

Under the dual effects of the suspension bridge effect and the debt of gratitude, the progress bar above the NPC's head soared, shooting up to 30%!

Qin Fei's eyes sparkled brightly.

At the same time, the thing that had just attacked the cruise ship revealed its shape from the water.

They were blue-gray fish, large in size, with extremely bizarre appearances.

Two lantern-like eyes hung in front of their bodies, and what appeared smooth at first glance was actually covered in scales upon closer inspection.

They opened their mouths, revealing incredibly sharp teeth.

…They were gnawing on the ship itself!!!

"What are those?!?"

The elegantly dressed, noble humans covered their mouths and screamed.

Unlike those people, Jasmine seemed to know something.

Her eyes stared straight at the water; although her gaze was filled with fear, it didn't seem surprised.

"They're here…" she muttered to herself.

At the same time, two groups of blue-clad NPCs rushed out from the stairs below the deck.

Each NPC carried a large metal bucket in their hands, filled with a red, mud-like substance.

It was unclear what it was, but it emitted a bloody smell of meat.

If Lin Ye were here, he would probably recognize it at a glance.

It was precisely the minced meat produced by the grinder in the lower deck's cabin, where he had almost become one of them!