When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 166: Sign Of Catastrophe

Chapter 166: Sign Of Catastrophe

As Jin Jiuchi was getting treatment on his shoulder, Captain Rick finally arrived on the scene.

He appeared in his fifties, with a few gray hairs adorning his temple, thick beard, and a stern expression befitting of a leader. He swept his gaze over the injured guests, and his expression turned gloomy, "What is going on here?"

The female NPC grew even more furious at his question. "You still dare to ask what is going on? Shouldn’t you, of all people, know about the dangers of the sea?" People began to gather around them, players and NPCs mingling until they could not be distinguished from each other.

"Psst, Da Shen!" Gu Luoxin scooted closer to whisper. "How is it? Can you detect anything from that person?"

Jin Jiuchi was currently sitting on a bench on the upper deck with the NPC doctor attending to his wound, while Shen Nianzu and Gu Luoxin stood by his side. Jin Jiuchi furrowed his brows when he felt the fleeting touches of the NPC’s fingers on him. He had always been short-tempered, though only in front of Shen Nianzu would he display a well+behaved appearance. Irritated by the NPC’s touch, he tilted his body to the side and wrapped his arms around Shen Nianzu’s waist, whining, "Nian’er, I feel dizzy..."

Shen Nianzu had actually noticed that the young doctor was sneaking glances at Jin Jiuchi rather than focusing on the man’s wounds. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he took over the medicine kit, dismissed the doctor and proceeded to bandage Jin Jiuchi’s shoulder himself. Only then did Jin Jiuchi seem satisfied enough to spare some thoughts to Gu Luoxin’s question.

"What was your question again? Oh, him? I don’t know, there are too many people..." he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Do you get it? It’s like being surrounded by a dozen rotten fishes. Can you find which one is the most rotten?"

Gu Luoxin was struck speechless by that metaphor. "...Indeed, that sounds horrible."

"I checked."

"AH!" Gu Luoxin was startled by the sudden voice behind him and jumped like a spooked hamster. He spun around to find Noir standing behind him since God-knows when. "G–Great God, can you not startle me like that next time?!" He was so frightened that he unintentionally blurted out the nickname he had only used secretly in his heart.

Noir gave him a flat look, presumably perplexed by how scaredy-cat Gu Luoxin was. But he took his gaze off shortly after and informed the others, "That man also shows signs of alienation. However, I can’t confirm if he is the fish we are searching for."

Gu Luoxin was dumbfounded. "I–I thought the alienation only happens to players, but it can also affect NPCs as well?!"

Noir hummed in response, "So far, thirty percent of the NPCs we have met along the way are also showing the similar symptoms."

Shen Nianzu’s expression sank when he heard that. This Cycle was more dangerous than he’d thought. It was only the second day, yet the alienation had already affected a large portion of people, players and NPCs alike. It was like a deadly virus that slowly spread through the air.

What would happen on the third, fourth or fifth day? He feared that they would no longer have rest time during the day, as they had to fight off dozens of nightmare creatures all the time! And that was if the ship continued to sail!

Not only did they have to guard against the attack on the ship, they also had to remain vigilant of the treacherous sea as well. Not to mention, they had not even managed to find the core NPC until now!

In the distance, Captain Rick listened to the crew’s explanation and nodded somberly, "I see. This can be considered negligence on our part. Dolphins are usually harmless and gentle. It’s unprecedented for them to show such aggression. But please rest assured, we will surely take full responsibility. For the injured guests, the doctors will tend to you at all times, and the purchases you make on the cruise ship will also be waived. We will also give you a free ticket for your next trip. What do you think?"

As expected of the Captain, he easily subdued the rising chaos and appeased the restless crowd. Upon hearing the generous compensation, the female NPC no longer made any ruckus.

Jin Jiuchi’s eyes lit up when he heard that. He raised his head and rested his chin on Shen Nianzu’s tummy, grinning happily, "Nian’er, does it mean I can eat as much as I want on the ship, regardless of the price?" The prop ’Basic Necessity’ had indeed provided each player with sufficient funds, but it was only enough for basic meals! How could Jin Jiuchi, who could eat up to six meals a day, be satisfied this way?!

"What eat?!" Shen Nianzu tore the sticky husky’s arms from around his waist and harrumphed coldly. "You’re an injured patient now. You can’t eat whatever you please!"

"Awww..." Jin Jiuchi put on the most miserable face he could muster. He was ready to feign misery and wheedle a few delicious meals for himself, when a distant conversation drifted to his ears. He couldn’t help but pause and strain his ears to listen.

"Captain, what should we do?" The crew member sounded anxious. "The fishes are showing extremely unusual reactions. Is this not the sign of catastrophe? Moreover, our navigation system is..."

"Quiet!" Captain Rick rebuked him harshly. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? There is no catastrophe. The dolphins were simply restless when approached by a group of strangers, so of course they would defend themselves. Speak no more. As a member of the crew, you must not spread unnecessary panic among the guests!"

"But..."

"Da Shen?" Shen Nianzu’s voice brought him back to the present, and he raised his head to see a sliver of concern and anxiety in the jade doll’s eyes. "What’s wrong? Are you still feeling dizzy? Nauseous?"

Jin Jiuchi indeed felt like his internal organs had twisted into knots when he took off the vest earlier, but now he was already feeling much better. Alas, how could he miss this chance to let Shen Nianzu dote on him? Thus, he shamelessly continued to act weak and leaned his head on Shen Nianzu’s waist, murmuring, "Let me rest here for a while..."

When Shen Nianzu did not push him away, a satisfied smile formed on his lips and finally deigned to share the snippets of conversation he had heard earlier.

"I remembered reading something like this before..." Gu Luoxin murmured, deep in thought. "When a disaster is imminent, animals are often the first to sense it. That’s why it’s crucial to take note of their behavior as a way to prepare ourselves. Oh no," colors drained from his face as he showed an ugly smile. "Our ship is going to sink, isn’t it?"

Shen Nianzu, on the other hand, was more focused on the issue with the navigation system. He recalled that the patrolling NPCs had also mentioned something about it the previous night. "Rather than sinking, it looks more like... we will be stranded elsewhere." A humorless smile appeared on his lips. "It seems like we will arrive at our destination sooner than expected."

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A/N: everyone, the HD reward art for WBNC is available in my discord server for free! If you haven’t joined my server yet, go to bit(dot)ly(slash)delanadiscord. It’s a form of my thanks for your immense support for this book! ^^ and also *cough* there will be an nsfw one in the future as well