Crises arose one after another, the rules were riddled with traps, and experience wasn't always enough to see you through.
In the face of death, everyone was equal. It didn't matter if you were a newcomer or a veteran.
Qi Si and Lu Li's conversation had dragged the hidden horrors into the open. A simple leap of logic was all it took to reach a chilling conclusion: if players of their caliber could die so inexplicably, what chance did anyone else have?
The minimum death count mechanic was, without a doubt, the simplest and most brutal option.
There was no longer a need to fight against a nearly impossible supernatural threat; they only had to deal with other players, fellow humans...
The players became guarded, each lost in their own calculations. They instinctively spread out, putting distance between themselves and the others.
With the players scattered, the room suddenly felt much more spacious, no longer crowded.
Qi Si paid them no mind, walking over to the low table by the nightstand and pulling open a drawer.
Just as expected, a few yellowed, old-fashioned sheets of paper lay quietly inside the dark brown wooden compartment. It was so obvious it might as well have had the word "CLUE" stamped across it.
Hansen had killed the player who approached the altar because he knew about more clues. And now that he was dead, those very clues were sitting right here in his room's drawer...
It all seemed so logical, so perfectly reasonable.
Qi Si lowered his gaze, hiding the flicker of amusement in his eyes. He casually pulled out the sheets of paper and began to read their contents aloud:
"[Crouch actually wants to stay and live on this island. Has his brain been eaten by Yuna?]"
"[That woman always reminds me of the sirens from sailors' tales. She's terrifying. It's a feeling I can't quite describe, but she is definitely not a living person...]"
"[No, Crouch has become terrifying too. He's a stranger now. He's starting to adapt to this island... Habit. What a terrifying word!]"
...
"[I had that dream again. The Sea God's eyes were watching me. I walked step by step to the center of the altar and was bestowed with some so-called holy object.]"
"[He is luring me. I can't go, even though the ultimate answer I seek is likely there... So many people have died already. Everyone's dead. They died at the altar, victims of the Sea God's temptation...]"
"[Why would anyone believe that an island without night is some grand discovery for an explorer? Why would anyone think that the center of a deserted island holds a legendary treasure?]"
...
"[Crouch is watching me. I can hear him swallowing. He wants to eat me, just like he devoured that fish a few days ago!]"
"[But he's restraining himself, not using force against me directly... It's definitely not out of any sense of morality. Something seems to be holding him back. Could it be the words on that stone tablet we saw when we first came ashore?]"
"[Today, he suggested again that I go to the beach. He even spoke with a tone of longing and nostalgia, saying how happy we were back then, swimming in the sea... I have a strong feeling that he is no longer himself. He's become... something else!]"
...
"[I heard the Sea God's call. Knowledge, mysticism, rituals... In an instant, I learned so many things I couldn't have known before. It was a terrifying sensation, yet also wonderful. I can't describe it.]"
"[My memories are clearer than ever. Scenes from my childhood are materializing before my eyes. I even remember the warning an old sailor gave me before I set sail.]"
"[Yes, I remember now! Someone traveled through these strange waters before. He wrote in his ship's log: start timing from the moment you set foot on the island. Every three days, there is a chance to leave. On that day, the wind will be calm and the sea still, and even a small wooden boat can cross the great ocean...]"
"[This is absurd. Why would I happen to have seen this exact passage and remember it now? Are my memories even real? Are my thoughts still my own?]"
"[No, I have no other choice. I have to leave... I must...]"
...
Like the previous clue, this one was also a diary, but it belonged to someone else—an unnamed person.
The initial assessment was that the diary's author was a sailor who knew Crouch well, likely one of some standing.
The handwriting on the later pages grew increasingly frantic, eventually devolving into little more than a series of indecipherable scratches and symbols.
Without the Weird Game's automatic translation, Qi Si figured he couldn't decipher anything more from it, so he simply passed the papers to Chang Xu beside him.
Chang Xu scanned the pages from top to bottom before passing them to Lu Li.
Soon, the pages had made a full circle among the players.
The diary chronicled the writer's ordeal while trapped on the island. Horrors the players had both faced and not yet faced leaped off the pages, serving as a grim warning and hinting at the dangers that still lay hidden.
Lu Li mused for a moment, then announced, "Tomorrow is the third day."
The diary stated it plainly: [start timing from the moment you set foot on the island. Every three days, there is a chance to leave].
But who knew if that information was true or false? This dungeon didn't come with an "NPCs can't lie" prerequisite.
Qi Si considered his words carefully. "If we miss tomorrow, we'll have to wait another three days. The longer we delay, the more dangerous it gets. Besides, I doubt many people have enough money to last that long."
He left it at that, and Zhang Hongfeng immediately chimed in, "I can get that boat fixed today. Leaving tomorrow won't be a problem."
This time, no one objected to the plan of leaving by boat. Time was short, and there were no better options.
Qi Si and Chang Xu followed the others downstairs. The moment they reached the main hall, the sharp, pungent stench of fish assaulted them—dinner was ready.
All pretense of courtesy was gone. Everyone snatched up their chopsticks and scrambled for the small dish of seaweed in the center of the table, each doing their best to claim a share of the only non-fish dish.
Qi Si put down his chopsticks and left the table.
He never had much of an appetite, and going a day or two without food would, at worst, only make him a little dizzy.
The other players, after some hesitation, reluctantly started on the remaining plates of fish.
Perhaps because they had starved through the previous meals, a few of them, after taking a few bites of fish, found themselves unconsciously eating quite a lot, far more than they had before.
The fishy odor was still overpowering. It was the kind of smell that no amount of exposure could force a person to get used to.
Qi Si walked out of the inn on his own and took a deep breath.
Chang Xu followed him out. "What did you mean before," he asked, "when you said you 'only sleep that little each day'?" "Exactly what it sounds like." Qi Si glanced at him, his expression sincere. "I'm a freelancer. I'm used to sleeping in until I wake up naturally, not like you with your regular schedule."
Chang Xu's intuition told him Qi Si was hiding some crucial piece of information.
A few fragmented scenes flashed through his mind. "There's something wrong with the time, isn't there?" he asked. "After we drink the Sleep Aid Soup and fall asleep, we can't hear the clock tower bell, which makes it easy to misjudge the time. Is that it?"
"Take a guess." Qi Si placed a finger to his lips, his eyes crinkling into a smile, but his gaze drifted past Chang Xu's shoulder, fixing on a point somewhere behind him.
Sensing something, Chang Xu immediately turned around to see the green-haired Angela sauntering toward them.
The girl smiled familiarly. "Hey there, handsome. Either of you interested in checking out the altar with me?"
"One of the Sila Guild members just died, which means there are still two left. Aren't you afraid of getting knocked out from behind like Lu Li?" Qi Si paused, his tone rising slightly at the end. "Or... do you already know who they are?"
"I just don't think they'd dare to make a move right now, since they can't be sure we aren't bait to draw them out." Angela's eyes narrowed, her expression flawless. "Besides, if we don't go today, we won't get another chance, right? And I'm sure you don't want to give up on decoding the world view when it's so close, do you?"
"Why us?" Qi Si watched her with a half-smile. "We know there are still two 'puppets' among the players. The probability that neither of us is a 'puppet' is only seven out of twelve—just over half. Are you willing to take that bet?"
Angela gave a sly grin. "I can be sure you're not. I've watched Chang Xu's livestreams. Sila members don't usually stream."
That livestream? The one that's like a circus act?
Qi Si shot a glance at Chang Xu, his mind flashing through all the things he himself had done in this dungeon.
The livestream camera covered a five-meter radius around the streamer, only turning off when the player was using the bathroom, running naked, or sleeping.
Many of his actions and words must have already been broadcast. Anyone paying attention could have gathered a great deal of information from them...
A chill settled in Qi Si's heart, but he kept a teasing smile on his face. "Looks like this young lady is a fan of yours, Brother Chang."
Chang Xu had no idea that his temporary teammate was already contemplating murder.
He sized up Angela for a couple of seconds, then turned to Qi Si with an inquisitive look.
He rarely refused requests for help or cooperation from other players, but the current situation was different.
He wasn't great with social nuances, but he knew enough to understand that making a decision without consulting his teammate was rude.
If something went wrong, it wouldn't just be him who suffered the consequences, but his innocent teammate as well.
Qi Si looked at Angela, his gaze clear and bright. "The existence of the Puppet Master, the dangers mentioned in the diary, the drain on our time and money... The risk factors keep piling up. The probability of dying is now far greater than the probability of decoding the world view and clearing the dungeon through normal means."
"You're worried that some players will get desperate and start killing others to trigger the minimum death count mechanic. So, you want to form a larger alliance first to decode the world view, is that it?"
Angela nodded, her expression complicated.
Qi Si countered, "But have you considered that the first to form an alliance will become everyone else's target?"
Seeing the two of them looking thoughtful, he continued, "There are ten players in total, not five or six. And among those ten are two members of the Sila Guild, who will definitely operate on a zero-sum mentality and eliminate the strongest first. Once a three-person alliance is formed, the most likely outcome is that all three of us die together."
"After all, we're not like Lu Li's group. To outsiders, it looks like we already know each other. They might even suspect we used some special item to deliberately get into the same dungeon together and are plotting something."
He paused for a moment, then sighed. "Besides, I don't think exploring the altar is a wise choice. The diary made it perfectly clear: getting close to the altar will get you killed."
Angela gave a regretful smile. After a few more words of meaningless pleasantries, she stopped trying to engage Qi Si and turned back toward the inn.
Chang Xu had been silent the whole time, but he understood Qi Si's meaning. "Why wouldn't a two-person alliance be targeted?" he asked. "In a standoff like this, game theory suggests any group that allies first will be attacked by the rest."
"Who said a two-person alliance wouldn't be targeted?" Qi Si scoffed, his eyes full of self-mockery. "As far as I know, I'm already a target. It's a toss-up whether I'll even survive this dungeon."
Chang Xu heard the misery in his voice, and his expression tensed. "Then why did you ask me to room with you?"
"Heh, heh." Qi Si gave a cold, three-part laugh. "Did I have any other choice? The moment we entered this dungeon, you started following me to confirm your baseless suspicions. Anyone with half a brain would know we're acquainted. If we didn't stick together after that, wouldn't it just look like we were trying to hide something?"
Chang Xu fell silent. For a moment, he couldn't find a reason to argue, because what Qi Si said was, infuriatingly, the truth.
In his single-minded pursuit of the truth, driven by a mix of suspicion and a desire to recruit him, he had stuck close to Qi Si, completely ignoring the dangers his actions created.
Thanks to his own formidable combat skills, he'd had a relatively smooth journey so far and never bothered with what others thought. But few players possessed his level of raw power...
Now, Qi Si's attitude made him feel an unexplainable sense of panic.
In his memory, the young man had always been calm and composed, always greeting everything with a smile. For him to lose his composure like this could only mean the situation had spiraled out of his control, perhaps even to a fatal degree...
Qi Si took a deep breath and exhaled, taking a weary step back. "Telling you all this is useless now. Things aren't at the point of no return yet."
"We're splitting up, starting now. I need you to go to the clock tower again. I don't care how you do it, but bring down that skeleton from the top floor and place it in the center of the triangle formed by the inn, the clock tower, and the altar."
"You might see a lot of things you don't understand next. I don't expect you to trust me without reservation. If I really die here, then I'll just have to blame myself for misjudging you."
He offered a faint smile, his pale face looking fragile and weak, his composure clearly forced. "That's all I have to say. Goodbye for now, Brother Chang."
Chang Xu hesitated, but seeing the urgency in Qi Si's eyes, he had a gut feeling that the task he'd been given was crucial—perhaps the last chance they had to break the deadlock. It couldn't be allowed to fail.
"Be careful. If things really get irreversible, I'll do everything I can to get you out of here."
He threw out the words and turned, hurrying off in the direction of the clock tower.
After Chang Xu's figure disappeared among the coconut trees, Qi Si raised a hand to his face and wiped away the expression of panic and helplessness.
The dark-haired young man turned back to the inn. He walked up to Angela, who was just about to leave, and asked with a smile, "Care to check out the altar together?"