Chapter 86

This script is adapted from Richard Connell's short story "The Most Dangerous Game." Any similarities are not coincidental.

"Welcome to Oak Horror Park," a deep male voice said.

【Entry complete. You are currently in Team Survival Mode (Normal).】

【This mode provides a script summary and has a chance to feature side quests, hidden tasks, and special worldviews.】

【Script completion reward: A 5% base experience bonus will be added to your final rewards.】

【The script summary will now play. The game will begin immediately after the summary ends.】

The opening sequence has started. The lighting in the scene is dim, and the camera is slightly shaky, suggesting that this is likely on a boat. The sounds of water and an engine can be heard.

As expected, the system voice began its narration: 【The tropical, humid night envelops the yacht you are on in a warm, thick darkness.】

【You are a top hunter. Through the velvet-like night, your keen senses detect the presence of an island to the starboard side.】

【The captain tells you that on old nautical charts, this place is called 'Ship Trap.' The sailors gave it this suggestive name out of fear, a fear that has reached the point of superstition.】

【A superstitious sailor can infect the entire ship, and a ship full of nervous sailors means accidents.】

【Your ship has sunk. You swim with all your might toward the island in the darkness. In the vast sea, you are as helpless as a lone boat, but you still climb onto the rocky shore with all your strength. You emerge from the water, and jagged cliffs appear in the night. You climb step by step, scraping your hands and using the last bit of your strength, until you finally reach a flat area at the top of the cliff, panting heavily. Dense jungle stretches to the edge of the cliff. Exhausted, you collapse and fall into a deep sleep.】

【When you open your eyes, the position of the sun indicates that it is already afternoon. You see human footprints in the mud at the edge of the jungle. You follow the only trail through the jungle and arrive at a castle built on a cliff in the center of the island.】

【By this time, night has fallen over the sea and the jungle once again.】

After listening to this description, the players officially enter the script.

Five players stand at the bottom of a row of stone steps leading to the castle. The stars and moon are bright, and in this relatively open area, no lighting equipment is needed to see clearly.

Xiuyu stands next to Feng Bujue. She has changed her outfit; she wears a black tight-fitting cotton tank top and black climbing pants with several pockets on the sides, which look very practical. The tank top is sleeveless and form-fitting, allowing her to move her arms freely. She wears a fingerless black leather glove on her right hand, but not on her left, as her right hand is her sword-hand, which seems to be intentional.

Although the pants do not show the shape of her legs, Feng Bujue, observing her closely, can see that Xiuyu's figure is definitely well-proportioned, with a slender waist and a prominent bust, creating a striking contrast that invites imagination. However, in virtual games, female players' appearances are often like this. Xiuyu has even deliberately made her appearance less eye-catching.

Among the other three teammates, there is a female player with the nickname 【NotAfraidAtAll】, who is level 10 and has the title 【HideAndSeekMaster】. She wears a light blue medieval-style wizard's robe that reaches her knees, with long boots and white stockings. Since the game does not allow skirts, she has chosen a woolen short skirt under her robe, revealing her thighs.

In appearance, NotAfraidAtAll looks to be around 18 or 19 years old, with willowy eyebrows, large eyes, a delicate nose, and small lips, with skin as white as snow. Her figure is also impeccable. In reality, as long as a girl is relatively slim and not too bizarre-looking, she can become a goddess in virtual reality.

However, her cute nickname, cute title, and cute appearance make Feng Bujue feel a bit wary...

The other two male players seem to have joined the queue together. Both are level 15, one is called 【OneSwordDazzlesTheCity】 with the title 【RookieSwordsman】, and the other is called 【OneSlashDazzlesTheCity】 with the title 【NewToKnives】. Both appear to be in their twenties, with similar nicknames and matching outfits—both wearing dark blue robes and loose, long hair hanging down their necks, giving them the appearance of ancient warriors.

This reminds Feng Bujue of Pan Feng and Hua Xiong, whom he encountered before. Their styles are similar to these two, suggesting they had their ultimate goals in mind when choosing their names...

The most common tragedy for such players is that if their development deviates from their original goals, such as discovering they are better suited to other areas after some time, they might end up as shooting or medical specialists, making their nicknames seem out of place.

Among the five, Feng Bujue and Xiuyu have the lowest levels, but their titles, 【ColdBloodedHeadshotMaster】 and 【HeartlessBeheader】, are very eye-catching.

Xiuyu is understandable; with her killer-like gaze and distant aura, strangers would immediately conclude that she must be an ugly woman in real life, hence her brutal combat skills in the game.

However, Feng Bujue does not look particularly strong. The other three, upon seeing him, think: This guy thinks he's handsome enough not to change his appearance, but to play a game without even changing his hairstyle, and at level 15, he hasn't bought any cheap clothes to boost his stats. His appearance is ordinary, and his build is rather slim. His nickname is meaningless... A guy who looks so "casual" has a seemingly strong title... Is he hiding his true strength? Or is he a pervert in real life?

The five players exchange pleasantries while observing and speculating about each other's strength.

After a few words, NotAfraidAtAll widened her eyes and pointed at the emblems on OneSlash and OneSword's arms, saying, "Wow! You're members of the famous 'Jianghu' guild! Haha... Yeah, it's not that impressive."

OneSword replied, but his face was full of pride.

Feng Bujue glanced at their emblems, which featured a cloud with the word "Jianghu" written on it. This is likely a guild of a studio nature. Feng Bujue remembers clearly that in the guild rankings for overall strength and combat power, Jianghu holds a place, ranking 17th in overall strength and 11th in combat power.

However, Feng Bujue deduces that these two are likely not professional players from the studio, but ordinary players recruited to expand the guild's size.

If they were internal studio members, they wouldn't be at such a low level of 15. If they were new players recruited during the beta test, with prior knowledge and equipment support, their titles wouldn't be so useless.

It's the female player with the title 【HideAndSeekMaster】 that makes Feng Bujue suspicious. Jianghu ranks outside the top ten in both guild rankings. Most players can only remember the top five or six, and most only have a clear impression of the top three.

So her behavior has three possible explanations...

First, she is a professional player. Second, she is a high-level player with a good memory. Third, she has never heard of Jianghu before and is just pretending to be impressed after seeing their guild emblems, saying vague and ambiguous things like "very famous."

These thoughts flashed through Feng Bujue's mind. Considering her title, he quickly came to a conclusion. He leaned close to Xiuyu's ear and whispered, "Once we have a chance, we'll separate from them, especially from that 'NotAfraidAtAll.'"

Xiuyu glanced at Feng Bujue but did not ask why. She chose to trust him unconditionally. "Okay," she whispered back. Their expressions were very natural, and their lips barely moved, so the other three did not notice.

In the next few minutes, NotAfraidAtAll looked at the two guild members with admiration and said many flattering things. OneSlash and OneSword soon felt a bit arrogant. They had just joined the guild that morning and were not internal members of the Jianghu studio. They were just two of the many low-level members at the bottom of the guild. But with the praise from a beautiful girl, their confidence grew. They both thought: Comparing myself to the big shots in the guild is pointless; they are professionals. But compared to the other male player, Feng Bujue, I am still very strong. He can't even afford a piece of clothing, so he must be struggling. No wonder no guild wants him.

Human psychology is so subtle. In small to medium-sized groups, especially in the presence of attractive members of the opposite sex, people instinctively seek out someone who is weaker than them in some or all aspects, comparing themselves to find a sense of superiority, which is actually a form of self-comfort. It's like saying, "At least I'm not the worst."

A few minutes later, an NPC appeared, signaling that the players' preparation time was over, and the plot was about to unfold.

A creaking sound was heard as the castle gates opened, revealing a line of light that was very bright. A tall man holding a revolver slowly walked out.

The man was muscular, with a black beard reaching his waist, making a strong and memorable impression.

Holding a weapon in his hand, he undoubtedly made everyone on guard.

The page turns, and the ad begins.

The page turns, and the ad ends.