Chapter 95

Chapter 094: Hunter's Island (Part Ten)

[The world view has been cracked. Player: FENG Buju, rewarded with 200 skill points. The team can now view the world rules of this script in the extended options of the mission menu.]

[The current mission has been updated. The main mission has been updated.]

[Escape the island, or kill Rainsford.]

"F*ck!" FENG Buju cursed, slapping himself twice. "Why did I have to look at it!"

He stood up with the paper in hand and checked his status in the game menu. After resting for about twenty minutes, his survival value had only risen to 34, while his stamina value had recovered more, now at 452/1400. The question was... could he complete the main mission in this state?

"Huh? My proficiency has increased." FENG Buju noticed that his general proficiency in the menu had risen to D-level.

General proficiency is proportional to the acquisition of skill points, though there is no absolute exchange rate between the two. However, it can be used as a reference. Whether a player is a combat type who can take on ten at once or someone like FENG Buju who often cracks the world view, any actions that advance the script's progress will be counted towards the accumulation of general proficiency experience, which is very similar to skill points in this regard.

Generally, the more scripts a player completes, the higher their general proficiency level will be. Therefore, this is a proficiency that anyone can level up to S-level, though the difference between experts and average players is merely the speed at which they reach the top. Of course, above S-level is not a regular proficiency level, and not everyone can unlock it. This concept will be explained later.

Currently, FENG Buju had cracked the world view for the second time, and his general proficiency level had also increased. He felt no sense of achievement, as this time the cracking was unrelated to deduction, relying instead on luck, attention to detail, and courage.

To break it down... it was luck that led him to discover the skeleton in the mountain hollow, attention to detail that helped him find the small iron box, and the courage to read the paper...

In any case, he had to think of a plan now. The five-hour survival limit had been removed, and FORD would definitely come after him, and it was only a matter of time before he was killed.

Moreover, FENG Buju estimated that time was running out for two reasons:

First, this was a non-sleep mode script. From the forum discussions, it was clear that in this mode, a team script could be completed in no more than four hours in real time, with most taking between twenty minutes to an hour. FENG Buju had already spent about ninety minutes in real time on this script. If he hadn't read the paper, it might have been fine, but now it could accelerate the script's pace.

Second, ZAROFF had clearly stated in writing that FORD was likely not human. It wouldn't be surprising if he grew wings and flew over.

In a sense, the note on the paper was quite accurate—once you read it, everything would change.

Indeed, after reading it, the script's setting had shifted from a realistic horror to a magical horror...

"This main mission is a choice between two options... kill the boss or escape the island." FENG Buju sneered. "Hmph... if I could take on FORD alone in my current state, I would have already joined YiDaoQingCheng in the attack." He licked his lips, habitually tapping his forehead with his finger and then running it down his nose. "The problem is... even General ZAROFF couldn't escape the island. Can I, a new player, succeed?"

He picked up the note again, holding it in front of him, deep in thought. Although he had memorized most of the content, it was easier to read it directly.

"Ha... this is challenging." He laughed sincerely.

In this world, some are addicted to fine food, some to women, and others to white powder...

FENG Buju was addicted to thinking. Investigating, deducing, cracking crises, and surviving in dire situations gave this narcissistic guy immense satisfaction, so he never tired of it.

"Back on the island, FORD has astonishing physical abilities, nearly infinite stamina, no need for sleep or food, can kill fierce hunting dogs with his bare hands, has a sensory ability to detect the movements of distant creatures, is murderous and cunning... but his desire to kill is clearly prioritized. Otherwise, with his intelligence, he wouldn't risk increasing the frequency of hunting boats to draw attention." FENG Buju simplified the information from the note, reciting it to himself to reinforce his memory, while discarding the less important details. "He is so eager to kill, but why doesn't he just kill directly and instead use the game invented by the General... FORD doesn't need to do these extra 'hunting' tricks, he doesn't need to control Ivan as his servant, he doesn't need to keep the hunting dogs, and he doesn't need to impersonate the General. Why did he do all of this? Just for the thrill?"

FENG Buju's thoughts hit a dead end, but he quickly found a way out: "Wait..." He looked at the paper again. "The sailor ZAROFF met before his death was killed by a tiger, and ZAROFF himself died in the wild. Neither was killed by FORD's own hands." FENG Buju thought, "The animals were introduced by FORD. When he mentioned feeding the Spanish sailors to the animals, he seemed natural... but when talking about hunting humans, he just repeated ZAROFF's lines from the original novel."

"Also... if he wanted the thrill of hunting, why did he release the hunting dogs to chase the prey from the start... if I were killed by the dogs, what kind of hunting would that be?" FENG Buju mused. "Could it be... that he is some kind of evil deity on the side of the animals? With the eyes of an eagle, the speed of a leopard, the ears of a wolf, and the strength of a bear?

He does all this to maintain and cultivate the wild nature of the island's beasts, so that 'animals' can hunt 'humans' here..." FENG Buju then thought, "But FORD's ability to communicate with animals seems no different from an ordinary human. Apart from the hunting dogs he trained, the other animals on the island are not under his control. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to kill the three dogs released by ZAROFF in their second confrontation."

FENG Buju analyzed many characteristics of this boss but still didn't understand what FORD truly was.

"It seems I need to return to the castle to find more clues." FENG Buju sighed. "No matter how I choose to complete the mission, going back is the only option. The reason General ZAROFF couldn't escape the island is that the method to leave is hidden in the castle, the only place he couldn't reach. This explains why the former island owner died in the jungle."

"Ah... I shouldn't have looked. What should I do now... return to the castle? My stamina is less than a third, and I'll need to rest at least once or twice on the way back. Even if I can avoid FORD and return to the castle safely, I'll be exhausted. And by then, it will be daylight..." FENG Buju scratched his head in frustration, messing up his hair.

"I thought you would die before the other two. I didn't expect you to survive alone, and... it seems you've discovered something interesting." FORD's voice suddenly echoed in the darkness.

FENG Buju reacted quickly, crouching and retreating while shining his flashlight in the direction of the voice.

FORD stood on a high rock with his hands behind his back, the moonlight illuminating his face, which was twisted into a grin. "You must be wondering why I appeared here so quickly."

"To be honest, there's not much that can surprise me now." FENG Buju replied, not rushing to run but maintaining a cautious distance. He knew that if the boss wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need to speak, just attack. So this conversation was part of the plot, an important opportunity to gather information.

"Ha... traveler from another world, I believe you have already learned of the deaths of your two companions through some means." FORD said. "You must have thought I killed them."

"Right... so they were killed by something else. And you, from the start, were after me." FENG Buju understood what he was about to say and continued.

"Ha ha ha ha..." FORD laughed. "FENG Buju." He called the player by his ID, something only X-23, a derivative, had done before. "Lord SAMODIL sends his regards."

"Ah?" FENG Buju was taken aback, his eyes widening. He repeated, louder, "Ah?"

...

[One day... you... will... pay... the... price... not... long... now...]

...

SAMODIL's final line flashed in FENG Buju's mind. He asked, "You actually know SAMODIL? I mean... FORD, what year is it now? And... is this Earth?"

"What year? Hmph... what does it matter? A human era is just a small ripple in the river of time. What does the location matter? Do you really know where you are?" FORD patted his clothes. "This bulletproof vest comes from a future era. And you, FENG Buju, come from a place unknown to me. But does it really matter?"

"Ha... ha..." FENG Buju laughed dryly. "That makes sense. Can I ask how you are connected to SAMODIL, and what exactly are you, Mr. FORD?"

"I am still human, but I have gained some unique abilities from Lord SAMODIL." FORD shrugged. "Years ago, I survived ZAROFF's hunting game and left the island on the small boat he gave me. But the boat didn't return to the world I knew; it took me to an unknown place.

There, I encountered things I had never seen before. Those experiences made my former religious and scientific knowledge seem worthless. Do you know why humans always seek 'answers' but always end up with wrong and foolish conclusions? Because the 'truth' is something we cannot accept.

Seeing the future is like taking it away. Understanding the truth can lead to self-denial, even destruction.

If the apes knew the use of fire, they wouldn't eat raw meat; if people thousands of years ago knew about medicine, they wouldn't kill the sick and bury them; if people hundreds of years ago knew the truth about religion, they wouldn't burn innocent women as witches...

And I, after learning some things, became what I am now."

"Hmph..." FENG Buju scoffed at his words and asked a pointed question, "What was the deal you made with SAMODIL?"

FORD replied calmly, "I provide him with weary and desperate souls, and he gives me eternal life and extraordinary power." He paused. "After ZAROFF's death, I tried to imprison and torture all the castaways before killing them. But I soon realized there weren't enough cells in the castle, and Ivan and I were too busy."

"It seems SAMODIL's order is quite large..." FENG Buju said with a cold laugh.

"I must thank ZAROFF for inventing the human hunting game. The results proved that this method was the most efficient." FORD said. "I don't have to do the killing myself. I just announce the rules and watch them struggle between fear, despair, and the instinct to survive."

"I see... now I understand." FENG Buju said. "So, the real port to enter and leave the island must be under your castle, right?"

"Hmph... you are as clever as Lord SAMODIL said." FORD sneered. "You're right. Beneath the island's surface is a hidden river that runs from the castle to the westernmost point, where there is an exit under a cliff that only appears at low tide. But even if you find it, it won't help. The only boats on this island are in my castle."

"Alright, looks like I can't escape." FENG Buju thought for a moment. "So... the reason you haven't killed me yet and are telling me all this is because of SAMODIL, right?"

"Ha... of course." FORD laughed. "Your soul is the one Lord SAMODIL most wants to harvest. I wonder, are you tired and desperate enough now? If not, I can wait. Ha... how long do you think you can survive on this island? Longer than ZAROFF?"

"You underestimate me, Mr. FORD." At this point, FENG Buju's attitude became surprisingly relaxed, and he started to joke with the boss. "I happen to be one of the most resilient beings in the world."

"Hmm? Do you mean you're not human?" FORD asked.

"If you can be considered human, then I am too." FENG Buju replied. "But, as everyone knows, beings like the Xenomorph, 82, and Chinese people who don't get special supplies... are incredibly resilient. Your approach of letting me fend for myself won't work."

FORD was silent for about five seconds. "Although I don't understand what you mean... I think I get your point. Since that's the case, I'll take care of it myself..."

Before he could finish, FENG Buju shot out like a cannonball, covering several dozen meters in an instant. The ground where he stood left a deep footprint, and the air seemed to carry a trace of heat and blood.

FORD grinned and pursued. His movements were not much slower than FENG Buju's when using the Spirit Focus Technique. With each step, he could leap several yards, moving with incredible speed. He followed FENG Buju's path, gradually closing the distance.

FENG Buju couldn't match FORD in strength. YiDaoQingCheng was left with only a breath after a single elbow strike, and with FENG Buju's current survival value, he couldn't take a single hit. So he didn't worry about the cost of the Spirit Focus Technique, knowing that a single hit would end him anyway.

In terms of speed, FENG Buju could still compete. Although his absolute speed and burst were slightly better, FORD was gradually closing the gap.

Their familiarity with the terrain was different. The pursuer could observe the escapee's movements and judge the path ahead in real-time. FENG Buju had to constantly confirm the path ahead while running for his life, to avoid falling or entering a dead end. If not for his improved dynamic vision, he would have crashed into a tree long ago with just a flashlight in the jungle.

The two figures, one in front and one behind, raced through the dense forest in the darkest part of the night. The one in front moved like a bullet, using the surroundings to repeatedly accelerate, while the one behind moved like a water strider, swift and agile, keeping up without falling behind.

The chase didn't last long. After a minute, FENG Buju's survival value had dropped below 10. If he stopped the Spirit Focus Technique now, he couldn't restart it. He had to keep burning his survival value, which would last about twenty more seconds.

FORD was getting closer, now about ten meters away. At this moment, the forest opened up, and they emerged at the southeastern corner of the island, at the edge of the Death Swamp.

FENG Buju, without hesitation, charged into the swamp with all his might. He ran over the surface of the mud with lightning speed, successfully crossing it and finally standing on a rock several meters from the edge, one of the few places to stand in the vast swamp.

When he stopped, his survival value was almost depleted, down to 1. A single bee sting would kill him now.

FORD, however, stopped at the edge of the swamp, not moving forward.