Chapter 26: Maritime Peril 1

Based on the experience from the previous two rounds of the game, the system always gives players some time to stock up upon entering the game. However, upon entering the third instance, despite carrying gold and jewelry, there was nowhere to purchase daily necessities.

Su Han had plenty of supplies in her Portable Storage, so she stayed composed. Some players without Portable Storage or with limited inventory were probably overwhelmed with anxiety at this moment.

Therefore, those who looked anxious were undoubtedly players.

At exactly 9:00 AM, the system announced, "The surrounding magnetic field is abnormal, the compass has failed, and the cruise ship is off course."

Su Han quickly grasped the situation. Large cruise ships typically dock periodically to resupply. If the ship is off course, it means it can never dock and will not receive any supplies.

As the food on the cruise ship gradually ran out and fresh water was depleted, the creeping despair of impending death would push everyone to the edge of collapse.

To make matters worse, there were 800 players and 200 NPCs in this instance. The players, knowing this was a game, wouldn't just sit around. Once food and water became scarce, they would immediately take action. Soon, the situation would descend into chaos.

Thinking of this, Su Han felt a bit helpless. She just wanted to play solo, but there were always people trying to pull her into multiplayer mode.

At this moment, an announcement came over the ship's speakers, "We are now issuing an emergency notice. The surrounding magnetic field is abnormal, and the cruise ship is having trouble navigating. We are contacting the command center. Please stay calm. Additionally, the buffet's hours have been adjusted to 10:30 AM—12:30 PM and 5:30 PM—7:30 PM. Please spread the word."

"Repeating, we are now issuing an emergency notice..."

"How long can the ship's supplies last for 1,000 people?" Su Han shook her head and sighed, realizing the instance was getting harder. The third round of the game seemed to be heading toward chaos right from the start.

A water dispenser was in the buffet area, and several people were queuing up to get water.

Su Han, with ample supplies, didn't bother fighting for water. After finishing her barbecue, she returned to her room to rest.

**

In Room 106, with the doors and windows tightly shut, three grown men huddled to discuss their plans.

One of them asked first, "Wei Zhong, how's the plan coming along?"

"I've poisoned all the bottled water on the ship. Within three to ten hours, anyone who has consumed the mineral water will be poisoned," said the man named Wei Zhong indifferently.

"Are you sure the poison will still be effective after being diluted?" the questioner expressed doubt.

Wei Zhong turned his head away, ignoring the silly question.

The third man, Gu Siyuan, chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Ding Yikai, I've already confirmed it with him."

"After dilution: highly toxic. Consuming 50ml of the water will cause a burning sensation in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, nausea, and vomiting. Consuming 100ml will cause abdominal cramps, coma, circulatory failure, and retinal hemorrhage. Consuming more than 200ml will result in immediate coma and death within three hours."

"Even better, only the poisoner can see this information. If someone else, like me, checks the bottled water, they will only see 'Bottled Mineral Water: 20L.'"

Ding Yikai finally felt reassured. He couldn't help but marvel, "Precious-grade poison is incredibly potent! A single bottle can take down an entire ship!"

"It's not that easy," Wei Zhong coldly poured water on his enthusiasm. "There are 1,000 people on the ship. Not everyone will have consumed the bottled water."

Ding Yikai's smile remained unchanged, "But most people will."

Gu Siyuan chimed in with a grin, "So, we need to do some cleanup work."

Wei Zhong's expression was icy as he said softly, "NPCs are always so foolish. They naively believe that as long as they endure these two days, someone will come to rescue them. Unfortunately, rescuers will never come."

"The ship's supplies are limited and absolutely cannot sustain everyone. But if only a few people remain, the problem will become much simpler."

"Even if we can't eliminate all 997 people, reducing the number of competitors as much as possible will benefit us in clearing the instance. The first few days will be tough, but the remaining ten or so days will be like a vacation."

Gu Siyuan laughed, "As long as the plan is successfully executed, clearing the instance will be easy."

**

At 5:30 PM sharp, Su Han walked into the buffet restaurant. But as soon as she stepped inside, she froze—only about twenty to thirty people were eating dinner.

"What's going on?" Su Han had a gut feeling something was off. With free meals on offer, players should've been lining up to eat, whether they had supplies or not.

She expected a long line, with people showing up early to grab a spot.

"This is weird," Su Han muttered under her breath. She grabbed some fries and camped out in a corner, keeping an eye on things while nibbling here and there.

"Bang—" A wine glass fell to the ground, making a crisp sound. Immediately after, a lady fainted and seemed to lose consciousness.

A waiter rushed over, helped her to the infirmary, and reassured everyone with a smile, "Probably just the heat. She fainted from heatstroke but will be fine after resting."

Su Han lowered her gaze, masking her shock. If she saw it right, the person's stats flashed: "Satiety: 86%, Cleanliness: 81%, Stamina: 63%. Status: Normal, Food Poisoning."

But food poisoning? Seriously?

Su Han glanced at her empty plates and felt a sudden twist in her gut. For a second, she lost all appetite for the buffet food.

But once she calmed down, she wondered: was food poisoning part of the game, or were players behind it?

Su Han stood up and headed for the infirmary to check things out.

As she reached the infirmary door, she peeked through the crack and saw someone plunge a dagger into a patient's heart. In the next instant, the patient's body faded and dissolved into white light.

The scene was terrifying, and Su Han nearly let out a scream. But she quickly pulled herself together.

Inside the infirmary, Gu Siyuan whistled, a smug grin on his face. "Another one bites the dust."

After a quick scan, Su Han confirmed the room held only one person. She pursed her lips, pulled a wooden stick from her Portable Storage, and crept closer before swinging it hard at the back of his head.

"Ouch—" Gu Siyuan, still riding high from his last kill, never saw the ambush coming. The blow made his vision blur, but he rolled away instinctively, dodging the next strike.

The second swing missed, but Su Han stayed cool. She calmly shut the infirmary door and locked it.

"A woman?" Gu Siyuan blinked in surprise as he turned to face his attacker.

Su Han tightened her grip on the stick, her expression unreadable. She had questions, and knocking him down first would make him more cooperative.

"Hey, what's your deal?" Gu Siyuan shot back, "You robbing me?"

Su Han didn't bother answering. She just raised the stick and swung.

Gu Siyuan pushed hard with his right foot, shooting out like an arrow, intending to stab the target's heart with his dagger.

Su Han was not flustered, using the wooden stick to fiercely hit the wrist holding the dagger, and without hesitation, she kicked hard at the opponent's abdomen.

After being kicked, Gu Siyuan didn't stand steady, grunting, somewhat unable to recover. He was actually beaten by a woman? Was he dreaming?

Su Han, however, gave no chance for the enemy to react.

The stick fell like rain, reducing Gu Siyuan's stamina to 12% in one go. Only then did Su Han have the leisure to speak, "I ask, you answer. If I find you lying, or deliberately delaying when answering questions, I will immediately send you out of the game."

Gu Siyuan cursed inwardly, damn, this person is really ruthless! But he couldn't beat her, so he had to admit defeat. Gu Siyuan raised his hands in surrender, helplessly saying, "Ask."

"Name."

"Gu Siyuan."

"What have you done since entering the instance?" Su Han's eyes showed a fierce light. This guy clearly had no bottom line as a player, so she didn't bother to ask whether he was a player or an NPC.

Gu Siyuan gave an innocent smile. “Me? I haven’t done anything.”

Su Han shifted her question. “What did your crew do?”

Gu Siyuan hesitated, caught off guard. Seeing her raise the stick again, he winced in pain and hurriedly shouted, “Wait, I’ll talk!”

“Hurry up,” Su Han snapped, her voice icy.

Gu Siyuan confessed reluctantly. “My crew poisoned the water supply. Anyone who drank it got poisoned.”

Su Han felt deceived. “What poison could harm a thousand people?”

“A rare poison from an intermediate skill,” Gu Siyuan replied.

Su Han fell silent. A 1% chance, rare-grade poison? That tracks. After a moment, she pressed on. “How many have died so far?”

Gu Siyuan’s face lit up with pride, though his tone remained casual. “Not many. A couple hundred—some died outright, others needed... finishing off.”

Su Han felt a cold dread. In less than a day, they’d wiped out a quarter of the players. Brutal efficiency.

“How many are in your crew? What are their names?” Su Han demanded.

Gu Siyuan chuckled. “You’re skilled and smart. Join us.” His grin widened. “Once we clear out the rest, and only a few of us remain on the ship, we can definitely pass the third round of the game.”

“Kill one, you’re a criminal. Kill ten thousand, a hero. Kill a million, a legend. It’s just a game. Winning is all that matters.”

“If you’ve thought it through, can you let me go now?” he added smugly.

Su Han silently lowered the stick.

Gu Siyuan beamed. “That’s right!”

But as he climbed to his feet, Su Han’s right hand materialized a dagger, which she plunged straight into his heart.

“You…” Gu Siyuan gasped, caught off guard.

Su Han spoke without emotion. “Even in a game, I play with honor. Different paths, different choices.”

Gu Siyuan cursed furiously. “Are you out of your mind?!”

Su Han retorted coldly. “I like to play my way. Mind your own business.”

A flash of white light erupted, and Gu Siyuan vanished. His expression said it all—he died furious.