Chapter 35 Let's set sail, ███! Let's begin...
The moment the words "betting successful" appeared, the comment section exploded again, faster than ever before. The screen was filled with wild exclamations, a large number of viewers flooded in, the number of online players soared, and the popularity value once again unlocked the "Hotline Rocket" achievement. The completion of a betting task propelled the game room from over 50th place to the top 10 on the recommended homepage.
The real-time rankings are prominently displayed at the top of the game lobby, with two large screens for top 1 and top 2, eight smaller screens next to them, and the rest under "more" to access the full rankings. Xue Chao, with a room name identical to the dungeon and the host "Zhang San," surged to 9th place, directly pushing the 10th-ranked player in the game's rankings off the leaderboard.
Viewers were initially confused: Why was the name blocked? Was this a new way for the host to attract viewers? Or was it a different kind of clickbait?
After all, the room names these days are either sensationalist, laugh-out-loud, or just clickbait titles. For example, there was a host whose room name was "18+ All Yin Party." Viewers clicked in excitedly, only to find that 18 players were having a roundtable meeting in a completely silver (yin) future lobby, and they were immediately bombarded with criticism and ranked in the top 100 in real time.
Alternatively, they might directly use the names of top players as gimmicks. For example, if a player is ranked third, the host would change their name to "Brother Shan will accompany you xxx". If they are matched with the top player, it would be "Come see the number one xxx".
The room name and the instance name are the same. What kind of host would come up with such a terrible name? I looked at the host's name and it was "Zhang San"... He's a newbie. No wonder he's been shouting all the time and hasn't had time to change his name yet.
Upon entering the room, the audience immediately understood why the rankings had suddenly risen so high – the top ten players had put in a lot of effort.
Upon investigation, it turned out that force was indeed exerted, but in the opposite direction.
Just like how adding the "call me brother" comment previously attracted a bunch of busybodies, now that Zhu Wen's unexpected failure has confirmed that he will be punished, busybodies are springing up like mushrooms after rain. In no time, the comment section is filled with people who are in awe, gloating, eagerly watching the drama without understanding, and giving vivid explanations like storytellers. It's a chaotic scene, and the popularity value has directly broken through the 80 mark.
Popularity: 80
"When will you call me 'brother'? When will you call me 'brother'?!"
"Whether Zhu Wen calls me that or not, I'm truly impressed. I'll call him 'Brother'!!!"
"elder brother!!!"
"elder brother!!!"
...
"I'm so anxious! I'm King Hasty! Brother, when are you going to acknowledge my new brother?!"
"I guess we'll have to wait until after the settlement, right? After all, they can't see each other right now, unless the host takes a boat and La Ge chases after them, haha, looking forward to it."
"The person upstairs came later, right? The host of this room is long gone (doge emoji) hahaha."
"That's why I'm in such a hurry!! The main quest is to set sail, wake up! If we don't get on the Giant, we're doomed! What's the difference between that and committing suicide after losing a bet?! I want to hear brats bowing and calling me 'brother' obediently, ahhhhh! Bro, stand up straight, and catch up with me while you're building your own aircraft carrier, ahhhhh!!"
Congratulations! You've reached the top spot and are now number one in the room!
[The winner can choose when to increase their bet and cash out.]
[In-game] [Time after settlement]
Judging from the comments, this black square time, although it happens after the settlement, the live stream will not be turned off; it should be the last part of the entire dungeon.
That's definitely the one to choose. The hook has to stay hanging for a long time, how can we meet the audience's expectations so quickly?
Although there were censored words in the comments about players who turned off camera sharing, Xue Chao still guessed what the audience was roughly talking about. However, the audience was worried for nothing. He didn't care much about whether he stayed in Yougang or not, and even used this to confuse Zhu Wen.
He had buried ropes in the cargo hold of the Giant beforehand. Using the existence of another divine eye, he ordered Lamiai, who was returning to port, to betray him again and help him tie all the coffins together. The lead coffin was stuck in the flesh and blood passage, and the long fishing line that extended out was tied to the right port boundary by Lamiai. Once the ship set sail, the lead coffin would fall down, and the passage would sense the coffin's "will to move" and push it, stirring up the monster's flesh and blood, spitting it out forcefully. So one coffin after another fell out, and finally the whole thing fell out.
He himself then became the target of Zhu Wen's attention, pretending to reclaim the divine eye and regain the right to use Lamiai.
He deliberately chose the forecastle deck as his aiming position, which was suitable for aiming but also had the disadvantage of being open and easy to expose his position. He created the illusion of "taking a gamble when all hope is lost" so that when it was time to retreat, he would have "nowhere to hide".
He was also worried that if Zhu Wen entered the ship and played hide-and-seek with him, he might discover the unusual situation in the cargo hold, and then it would be his turn to chase after Zhu Wen.
Fortunately, he figured out Zhu Wen's 100% spoiled brat style—once he felt he had an absolute advantage, he was prone to being overly arrogant to satisfy his temper. Since Xue Chao had spoken so arrogantly, Zhu Wen was sure to publicly teach him a lesson, and the more exaggerated the better, to vent his anger.
So Zhu Wen used invisibility to trick him, then made a dazzling appearance. He didn't give the brat time to talk nonsense and directly attacked him, confirming his "urgency." The fight could also buy time. In the end, Zhu Wen even timed it perfectly to send him back to Right Port, just to leave him no room to turn the tables.
But time binds them both equally; it's a double-edged sword. Once it reverses, those who have no chance of recovery become like Zhu Wen.
As for starting the main quest... isn't that the player's task?
He's a TV host.
With his popularity score exceeding 80, even if Pu Songying's position was at the bottom, he still had over 70 points and was ready to start.
Once the debuff wore off, Xue Chao poked his head out of his coffin and yelled, "Aren't you coming over to help?!"
Teams of well-trained guards rushed out from Right Harbour, dived underwater, and retrieved the coffin.
The opposition members, though cowardly, secretly left the ship as the rain was about to stop and hid in Zuogang via the air tunnel. After all, they didn't want to set sail; they just wanted to fleece the ship again before the voyage departed and deduct more money from its crew.
Even if you don't dare face the monster, you can still retrieve the coffin; after all, you're a hero.
The two guards quickly "invited" Xue Chao to the surface of the sea and untied him. While moving his limbs, Xue Chao checked the situation of the Giant through his watch. Pu Fengchun returned the body to Undine.
Given their past relationship over returning the body, Undine should take care of Pu Fengchun to avoid being angered by the little devil.
The transaction of the memorial tablet was completed, and Xue Chao felt relieved. He planned to return to the venue for some champagne and desserts, then relax until the dungeon ended, just in time to receive the mission reward.
Side Quest 2 Completed
[Rewards are being distributed...]
Please go to the dressing room on the third floor and find the silver box. It's a precious gift Undine received when she got married. To express her gratitude, Undine gave it to you, hoping you will also receive this blessing.
Thank you, Undine, but does "this blessing" refer to marriage? The gift won't be a veil or a wedding ring, will it?
When Xue Chao returned to the terminal, the guards were cleaning up the mess. After all, their actions were comparable to a demolition team, but there wasn't much work to be done. The building would be restored on its own, and the guards would only help out. By the time he found the dressing room on the third floor, the first floor was already completely restored.
The dressing room leads down to the second-floor meeting room, which is where Undine came downstairs. Xue Chao spotted the silver box at a glance. It was exquisitely and delicately carved with dolphins. When he opened the box, it wasn't jewelry, but a beautiful purple-white conch shell. The shell was delicate, with light patterns, and it shone with a luster like light falling on the water's surface.
It looks familiar. Is there one like it in the store?
【Item Name: Magical Conch】
[Prop Description: A young woman from the seaside is getting married. A grand wedding is held at the harbor. She wears a white wedding dress, holds a bouquet of flowers, and walks along the harbor shore towards her groom. A group of dolphins passing by find it amusing and stay on the shore, circling around. These little guests not only watch the fun but also pat and cheer when the bride and groom exchange rings. Finally, the bride throws her bouquet, and a small dolphin leaps out of the water and catches it amidst the cheers of the crowd. As a beautiful blessing, it gives the bride a beautiful purple and white conch shell, a gift from the ocean.]
[Rank: B]
[Instructions for use: Place it to your ear and you will hear the songs of the ocean. When you blow the conch shell, the dolphins will hear your call and come to your aid.]
Xue Chao put the conch shell to his ear and indeed heard the gentle lapping of the waves, slow and peaceful, like white noise that cures insomnia.
He boldly speculated that dolphins probably served a similar purpose to bamboo rafts, acting as a "vehicle" for navigating the rapids of the sea.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't need it anymore. Xue Chao put the conch shell away. He had been so busy finding clues and running for his life inside that he hadn't enjoyed all the good stuff at the event yet. He had to treat himself properly.
He took a step, then suddenly pulled his foot back.
He frowned and looked at the ceiling. The terminal building only had three floors, but the distance between the floors was very wide. The second floor was almost the height of a normal building of three or four stories. But the ceiling on the third floor, which had just been renovated... why was it suddenly so low?
He then had the slight urge to check on the players' situation and subconsciously went to look at the treasure tablet of Pu Fengchun, but upon looking, he discovered that Lin Feng's machine was still running.
Lin Feng also wanted to close it.
But as I said before, he didn't dare.
Ever since the evil god exposed the fake eyeball, he hasn't said a word, but at least he's been keeping his presence hidden. As long as he doesn't touch it, he can walk right behind someone without being detected, so Lin Feng knows he's there.
But after the Giant set sail and he inexplicably won, Lin Feng found himself "exposed" in front of others again, and NPCs spotted him at a glance from a few steps away.
The evil god has disappeared.
But this didn't put his mind at ease, because he didn't know if they had really left or if it was a conspiracy, or if they would come back. Wasn't he supposed to be looking for something? Or was it just a loyalty test? Was this the real test?
That person... doesn't seem to be in a good mental state either. Although there aren't many mentally sound people in the game, based on his limited experience, that person's mental condition is probably "not optimistic."
He dared not offend them, so while feeling uneasy, he stubbornly kept the camera on.
The voyagers were having another banquet; it seemed they were celebrating this great voyage all the time—celebrating before departure, during the journey, and probably even after they passed through the fog.
This time, they didn't wear any pretentious masks. Instead, they revealed the ferocity around their eyes, showing their true selves. Their skirts swayed, and with the clatter of their leather shoes, they danced a waltz to beautiful music. From a distance, it looked like a grand musical.
But upon closer inspection, their peeled flesh even twitches, resembling a group of ancient phantoms luring prey into a trap.
Lin Feng cautiously looked around and confirmed that Zhu Wen and Yan Bocheng were not there—great, it was still not appropriate for his former teammate, who had snatched the victory, to show up and provoke Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen couldn't return to Yougang, nor could he kill that man, but he was on the ship and didn't want to be drowned to vent his anger.
He heard it all: a crashing noise upstairs, a string of things sinking into the sea, the little tyrant was furious, but Yan Bocheng was still trying to appease him, saying things like, "He hurt the enemy a thousand but also lost eight hundred of his own. He hasn't even boarded the ship yet, why are you arguing with someone who's about to become an NPC?" and "The cruise ship is the main battleground. There's at least one more main quest after we set sail. Focus on clearing the game, that's the important thing."
He felt a sense of shared fate; clinging to someone's coattails is a skill, and mental exhaustion is the most important factor.
Lin Feng didn't want to be cannon fodder, so he hid behind the bar in the corner, and then a system notification popped up:
Main quests 1-3 (final quest) are being released...
Apart from Zhu Wen, who was still angry, all the players breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the dungeon had progressed this far, they had finally boarded the real ship. If they could complete the last task, they would be able to leave alive!
Xue Chao wasn't as optimistic as they were. With a grim face, he flung open the door and rushed downstairs. Sure enough, the building had become shorter, and it had been divided into two, then four, turning what was originally a three-story building into nearly ten stories in the blink of an eye!
As the number of floors increased and the rooms were constantly being rearranged, the air ducts suddenly malfunctioned, and a large number of robots in Zuogang that had been "crashed" started running again, pouring into Terminal 2 like an assembly line. These "fish" swam to various places and helped "assist," doubling their speed.
He felt as if he were in a construction game, watching seemingly non-existent hands move through the space, forcing him to stop in his tracks to avoid getting stuck in the newly grown "ceiling".
Only after the dilapidated building was repaired did Xue Chao tentatively take a few steps. He was now in a small room.
He walked up to the table and froze.
The table was cluttered with a pile of things: a computer, a nautical map, pencils, an eraser, a compass, a parallel ruler, a compass rose, a circle plotter, a locator...
He was all too familiar with everything; he had just been to such a place.
Isn't this the chart room on the cruise ship?
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