Players, Please Board the Train

The procurement clerk quickly delivered the items. After inspecting them, Xu Huo paid and then asked the woman in the black swimsuit where one could buy firearms.

The woman in the black swimsuit smiled slightly. ”How could anyone buy or sell guns on the Sayir Coast? Besides, under normal circumstances, firearms aren’t allowed to be brought into dungeons. Buying them would be useless anyway.”

”Just asking casually,” Xu Huo said offhandedly, then stored the items in his luggage compartment and left the shop.

”Why didn’t you buy any ore detection tools?” Chu Yuan said on the way to the Iris Hotel. ”If a dungeon’s completion rating isn’t high, you won’t get much money either. Since we’re already here, might as well get some ore to sell.”

”Don’t you have some?” Xu Huo replied. ”We’re stuck together for four more days anyway. Helping each other out should be expected.”

Leaving aside whether there’s even any ore for players to pick up in the dungeon, even if there is, after going through multiple dungeon runs, there wouldn’t be much good stuff left in the area. This is just like items naturally generated within dungeons—first come, first served.

”I’m not a stingy person. I can share the ore with you, but don’t hold me back at critical moments.” Chu Yuan looked him up and down. ”You look pretty average, but you spend money quite lavishly. Must be from a wealthy family, right?”

”It’s not like I wanted to trap you in this item either. I’m taking on risks too. So let’s agree before entering the dungeon: no infighting. If either of us dies, it’s no good for the other.”

Xu Huo nodded in agreement. ”Since we’re already bound together, why don’t we cooperate? Do you have any other companions?”

”Just a lone wolf!” Chu Yuan declared with great pride. ”Ever since I entered the game, I’ve relied solely on my own abilities. Every time has been thrilling but safe. You’ll only benefit, not suffer, by following me!”Xu Huo glanced at the restaurant behind him. Players inside had started fighting. One player silently smashed through the glass door and flew out!

”Watch out!” He quickly dodged to the side, grabbing the rope and yanking Chu Yuan.

Chu Yuan had been standing right in front of the shop door. This pull made him just brush past the flying player, whose short knife instantly sliced through his sleeve.

”My item jacket!” Chu Yuan yelled, charging over, lifting the person up, and throwing a punch at their face. However, the other end of the rope, which lacked elasticity, was tied to Xu Huo. Since Xu Huo didn’t move, Chu Yuan’s range of motion was limited, so the punch barely grazed the other person’s face.

Seeing his mobility was hampered, the player who had been thrown out backhanded slapped him. But when the slap landed, Chu Yuan showed no reaction, while the slapper himself screamed and retreated in pain.

Chu Yuan touched the mask covered in sharp spikes on his face. ”You’re not the first to try hitting my face. Come at me again if you dare!”

The short knife player, his hand covered in blood, shot him a hateful look before quickly turning and disappearing into the crowd.

”Coward!” The tall female player who had thrown out the short knife player walked outside. With a dashing air, she tilted her chin towards Chu Yuan. ”Your item is quite interesting. Let’s get acquainted. I’m Miao Yu.”

”Chu Yuan,” he gave his name and then asked, ”Did that kid offend you earlier?”

”Total idiot, tried to take advantage of a waitress,” Miao Yu said. ”I taught him a lesson.”

The two chatted very well. Soon, they learned the other was also staying at the Iris Hotel and decided to head back to the hotel together.

”What’s with you two?” Miao Yu pointed at Xu Huo.

”This is my underling.” Chu Yuan patted Xu Huo’s shoulder, directly demoting his status from collaborator to lackey. ”We accidentally got tied together by an item.”

”Do you know any methods to nullify an item’s effect?” Xu Huo seized the opportunity to interject.

Miao Yu stroked her chin thoughtfully. ”Probably not. I’ve only heard that space-time type items can conflict with each other, causing them to fail. I haven’t really heard of that with ordinary items. But you could try destroying the item itself. With a high-grade item, shouldn’t it be easy to break one or two others?”

Xu Huo had already tried using the Crimson Sword and the miniature cutter he carried from District 011 back on the train.

”Can it be burned through with fire?”

Chu Yuan sighed. ”It can’t be burned.”

”Let me try mine.” Miao Yu took out a curved, crescent-moon-like arc blade and tried cutting the rope. A moment later, she said, ”Not a single mark left. Your item is impressive. Even a B-grade item is helpless against it.”

Chu Yuan’s face twitched. ”A shame it’s not a very practical item.”

”Don’t say that,” Miao Yu said. ”It’s pretty good for setting traps. But since you’re entering a dungeon tomorrow, you definitely won’t be able to use it this time.”

”That’s fine.” Xu Huo pressed down on Chu Yuan’s shoulder. ”We’re entering the same dungeon anyway.”

”Right, right.” Chu Yuan nodded repeatedly.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the three separated. After resting for the night, they took a speedboat to the Deep Blue Laboratory early the next morning.

Dozens of other people were on the same boat. These people disembarked at different locations, with the Deep Blue Laboratory being a more distant destination.

”The Deep Blue Laboratory is an abandoned experimental site located at the heart of Deep Blue Island. The island’s terrain is complex, with many poisonous animals. Therefore, after the laboratory was abandoned, the place fell into ruin. Usually, no tourists come here; only players land on the island.”

A crew member explained information related to the Deep Blue Laboratory and even took out a map. ”This is a map of the island brought out by staff before it was abandoned. However, after so many years, it may not be accurate.”

The players heading to the Deep Blue Laboratory all took photos. A man bumped past Chu Yuan and Xu Huo, walking to the front and speaking loudly, ”I heard Deep Blue Island is also called Devil Island, isn’t that right?”

This man was the one who had clashed with Chu Yuan yesterday. His name was He Chunsheng. What a coincidence—he, along with Miao Yu, were also going to the Deep Blue Laboratory.

”That’s correct. This island was originally called Deep Blue Island because the plants on the island secrete a unique pigment that dyes the seawater a highly saturated blue, encircling the island’s periphery, hence the name Deep Blue Island.”

”However, after the Deep Blue Laboratory was abandoned, some ships passing by during thunderstorms would see a skull image appear in the thunderclouds and hear strange roars coming from the island.” A middle-aged man on the same boat, addressed as ”Dr. Deng,” explained on behalf of the crew. ”Later, specialized researchers studied it. The reason the skull cloud appears is because the fissures on the island happen to form a shape close to a skull. Strong winds shoot straight up from the ground fissures, blowing the clouds into a skull shape.”

He knew quite a bit about Deep Blue Island. ”As for those roars, some are wind sounds, and some are made by animals on the island. They just sound a bit terrifying. Compared to that, what you should really worry about are the wild animals on the island. The bacteria and toxins they carry are dangerous even for Evolvers.”

”Aside from the clouds and sounds, there are no factual records of anything else. The rest are all rumors.”

”What rumors?” Chu Yuan glanced around at the people nearby and lowered his voice to ask Xu Huo.

”You didn’t look up information online yesterday?” Xu Huo looked at him. ”There are rumors that Deep Blue Island is haunted.”