Players, Please Board the Train

”Better to fight than wait for death either way!” A short-haired female player strode forward and pressed the expansion mode button in place of Xu Huo and the other man.

Though the ship was rocking, at least the main axis remained unbreakable. The fourth floor, fifth floor, and the third floor above began slowly rotating and unfolding.

Lu Yun had been right. The frenzied giant octopus had been rampaging aimlessly across the sea surface. Whether it targeted the expanding floors or not, collisions were unavoidable. The fifth floor was instantly sheared off by one-third, and something it struck triggered an explosion that blasted the tentacle apart!

This was like setting off firecrackers in a hornet’s nest. After the explosion, a mutated giant octopus rose from beneath the sea.

Its size wasn’t just different from the normal concept of an octopus. Its mutated body resembled a polluted floating island, covered in pustules of varying colors. Some were continuously bursting, oozing pungent liquid that nourished various mutated creatures clinging to it.

This mutated giant octopus reared up, spewing adhesive mucus at the vessel while using its tentacles to coil around the ship’s hull.

For a vessel hundreds of meters long, a single octopus couldn’t shake it. But what if there were more?

As if summoned, one mutated giant octopus after another surfaced, swimming toward the vessel. Like countless crowded floating islands, with innumerable tentacles waving in the gloomy sky and murky seawater, it was an utterly fantastical scene!

”Mr. Matt, your ship is in danger,” a long-haired noble remarked casually, holding a wine glass.

”A minor issue,” Captain Matt replied. He didn’t snipe at the surrounding giant octopuses or interfere with the rotating floors. He simply snapped his fingers, and clusters of white objects floated up around the vessel. Upon closer inspection, these things could still wriggle, but they soon perished under the giant octopuses’ attacks. However, as they died, streams of colorful liquid spread across the sea surface like a layer of grease.Shortly after, the giant octopus nearest the vessel gradually lost strength and soon capsized on the sea.

”Lightning jellyfish. The venom released by just one is enough to poison all aquatic life in an entire lake,” Matt said with satisfaction, watching the giant octopuses die one after another. ”When traveling at sea, using them to deal with mutated species is most convenient. Plus, their venom has an anesthetic effect with no side effects.”

Several high-level players chuckled with varying degrees of amusement, showing no concern for the upheaval inside or outside the ship. Instead, the long-haired noble asked, ”Where did this Madame Butterfly come from? She’s relentlessly pursuing the Phantom Sound Knights. Do they have a grudge?”

Duke Tal, still hiding on the eighth floor, hurried forward and explained Madame Butterfly’s background.

”A New Wheel Church follower who wants to buy firearms?” The long-haired noble paused. ”I’ve been in the dungeon too long. Has the New Wheel Church developed in District 011?”

”Only on a small scale,” Vicen Meni interjected. ”But the New Wheel Church is indeed suitable for District 011.”

The long-haired noble set his glass down and tapped it on the table. ”District 011 doesn’t need religion. The nobility are the faith of the entire district’s people.”

Vicen Meni, Ran Ying standing beside him, and another noblewoman simultaneously turned their gazes toward him.

At this moment, a freckled noble sitting beside the long-haired noble said, ”Though I look down on evolved people, they have some use. These people are foolish and disobedient. Introducing religion is one solution.”

The long-haired noble glanced at him, then swept his eyes over the others present, finally settling on Captain Matt. ”What do you think?”

”My work focus isn’t on District 011, so I won’t participate in these matters,” Matt replied with the charming smile of a mature man, deftly avoiding the hot potato.

The long-haired noble tapped the table with his index finger. ”Who led the introduction of the New Wheel Church? Vicen Meni, I’m asking about the mastermind behind it. The Rongxin Group doesn’t have that much audacity. There must be noble support behind this.”

”Ahsis, why be so serious? It’s just a religion,” the freckled noble said with a grin. ”If you don’t like it, just notify the Regulatory Bureau later.”

”Well said,” a curly-haired noble leaning against a chairback behind them boisterously unbuttoned his collar, not putting Vicen Meni and the others in his eyes at all. He added, ”I’m still more interested in this Madame Butterfly.”

Ahsis Vilner, the long-haired noble, seemed distracted. He interlaced his fingers on his knees, watching the battle below. ”This woman is an A-rank player. Judging by the energy firearms she carries, she’s not here for this batch of arms the Phantom Sound Knights are delivering.”

”The arms we purchased are last year’s updated version from Platinum Eye. Her equipment, though temporarily assembled, likely uses energy plates of the latest version. Previous versions couldn’t achieve this firepower.”

”Also, she’s not a Player-Eater. The identity of Madame Butterfly is questionable.”

”I think she seems to have a grudge against the Phantom Sound Knights,” the curly-haired noble said with a laugh. ”Coming specifically to District 011... could she be from Platinum Eye?”

Everyone present glanced at Bai Kou simultaneously. Ahsis Vilner stated, ”If she’s from Platinum Eye, then she cannot be allowed to leave alive.”

”Don’t worry, the ship carries a spacetime rift interference device. Without a train ticket, even if she has a wormhole teleporter, she can’t leave,” Matt said with a smile. But as soon as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and he instinctively looked up toward the sky.

*

Third floor of the vessel.

The players who had successfully activated the expansion mode without capsizing the ship were resting. The course had been adjusted, but the vessel was moving fast. They didn’t dare go outside, so they could only hide here and last as long as possible.

Currently, about thirty-plus players were gathered inside and outside the main control room. Most wore White Wristbands, with only a few Black Wristbands, all isolated to one side.

Xu Huo and his companions were among them.

Faced with the fact that Captain Matt hadn’t even used a control item on the ship, merely releasing some mutated species to kill all the giant octopuses, everyone found it hard to accept and felt utterly hopeless.

Reality was clear: noble players could kill them as easily as turning over a hand.

After sitting idly for a while, Xu Huo lit a cigarette and walked out of the main control room. He entered an empty corridor, stared out the window for a moment, crushed the half-smoked cigarette underfoot, and took out the Dungeon Authorization Document obtained in Flower City. He wrote on it:

”Seventeenth Hospital.”

”One: Receive psychological treatment at least once.”

”Two: Kill one doctor.”

”Three: Find the hospital’s main gate.”

”Extra; D556688.”

After writing the last number, the authorization document emitted a faint glow. A few seconds later, the words refreshed:

”Congratulations, player Extra, on becoming the holder of the ’Seventeenth Hospital’ Random Dungeon. Your dungeon name and tasks have passed game review.”