Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead

Until the cold seawater crashed over them, they awoke from the dream, frantically twisting their bodies, trying to steady themselves in the waves and surface for help.

But in the cold seawater, their limbs soon cramped, their bodies became heavy, and with bubbles gurgling from their mouths, they sank toward the call from the sea’s depths.

Just as the high school student was about to lose consciousness completely, he felt a beam of light piercing through the water from the surface, spinning around him, and a rope was fastened around his waist.

”Lift!”

With the shout from the man on the deck, the high schooler, weighing over 140 pounds, was pulled straight out of the water and flown back onto the deck.

Sword Star retracted the flying sword wrapped around the rope, tossed the high school student to the ship’s doctor, and turned to ask the Negotiation Master:

”This is already the seventh one tonight. How did the boss know something would happen tonight and arranged for us to be here in advance?”

The Negotiation Master pursed his lips and said, ”Perhaps that’s the value of a hidden character. Though I’ve never seen the boss take action, I’m sure he wouldn’t be any worse than the Secret Ceremony Master. At least the Secret Ceremony Master wouldn’t be immune to the judgment I initiate with my Title.”

Sword Star looked around and whispered, ”Do you think the boss might be the final BOSS himself? That’s how it is written in novels.”

The Negotiation Master said nonchalantly, ”As long as they’re not in league with those Evil God cultists, what does it matter if the boss is the BOSS? It has nothing to do with us. I’ve cleared so many instances but never played the villain.”

Sword Star wanted to say something more but suddenly saw an athlete capable of running while sleepwalking rush out from the cabin towards the railing.

”Talk later, it’s the eighth one!”

That night, Sword Star and the Negotiation Master were not having an easy time.

By dawn, when the two reported, there were over forty or fifty passengers sleepwalking with the intent to jump into the sea that they had rescued.

And this was only the second night after the Star Jump entered the Shipwreck Belt.

Among them, seven people were rescued after falling into the sea. According to Sword Star, passengers driven to jump into the sea by an unknown call would have a very faint presence when sleepwalking, easily overlooked if the attention was slightly diverted.

Most of the time, they only discovered someone attempting to jump into the sea by hearing the sound of climbing the railing or objects entering the water.

The ship’s doctor’s room could no longer accommodate the rescued passengers, so the ship doctor temporarily commandeered part of the cargo hold, converting it into a temporary medical room to house the patients.

Wu Chang went to the cargo hold to look at the rescued, finding that they were not followers of the New Cosmos Sect, bearing no ritual marks on their bodies.

No wonder Park Changmin and others made no move, unconcerned that too many would jump and that they couldn’t gather enough sacrificial offerings in thirty days.

They probably wish for more to jump, using it as a showcase that believing in the New Cosmos Sect could immunize one from such terrifying sleepwalking, thereby attracting more followers.

When Wu Chang left the cargo hold, he encountered Li Yubin in the corridor heading toward the cargo hold.

Behind Li Yubin, the players had increased from two to three.

Wu Chang never overestimated the ethical standards of Abyssal Game players. The fact that Li Yubin could gather so many followers surely wasn’t due to charisma or a desire to reveal societal darkness that resonated with the players.

Clearly, Li Yubin had established her own faction as well.

Wu Chang glanced at the three people behind her, subconsciously revealing a smile.

The quality of these three wasn’t great; even the strongest was only at Sword Star’s level, a bunch of rookies huddling together for warmth.

Li Yubin’s faction should rank below his.

As they passed by each other, Li Yubin called out to Wu Chang, saying, ”Li Zaisi.”

Wu Chang replied, ”What is it?”

Li Yubin said, ”I heard those passengers were saved by arrangements you made.”

Wu Chang said emotionlessly, ”And then?”

Li Yubin narrowed her eyes, looking at Wu Chang quizzically, and asked, ”How did you know something would happen last night?”

Wu Chang shrugged and said, ”Intuition.”

Li Yubin was silent for a moment, then said, ”I’ll find you later, stay in your room and wait for me.”

Wu Chang: ”Should I take a bath first?”

”If you think that way, you might want to focus on cleaning your neck,” Li Yubin shook her head and walked into the temporary medical room with her people.

Wu Chang left the cargo hold and went over to visit the New Cosmos Sect.

Even though he carried two eyeballs from their leader and ruined their plans last night, as long as he pretended not to know, Park Changmin had to endure it, greeting him with a smile to experience the prayers of the followers.

Wu Chang openly investigated the enemy’s situation, confirmed the maturity of the Mysticism seed, and left satisfied.

This is the advantage of being an NPC. If he were an unknown player, could he so openly spy on secrets like this?

Probably not, as soon as he stepped onto the fourth level of the Star Jump, he wouldn’t even be near the half-level where the New Cosmos Sect resided without being stopped by the followers and noted down in their little book.

After having breakfast on the fifth level of the Star Jump, he was about to return to his room to await Li Yubin’s visit when he saw two people standing at his door.

In front of him were two players who had sought him out yesterday, one of them being Shadow.

In just one night, they’d completed the tasks he’d assigned? What quick efficiency.