When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 167: Received The Task

Chapter 167: Received The Task

After the morning mishap, the atmosphere on the cruise ship seemed to have regained its usual warmth and liveliness. However, only players could tell that a strong undercurrent was quietly brewing beneath the surface, just like the calm before the storm.

To spy on the crew, the trio chose to linger on the second floor where Jin Jiuchi could eavesdrop on the firsthand information easily. Noir, on the other hand, had separated from them and wandered off to God-knows-where.

It turned out they had taken the right decision, because a short while later, Jin Jiuchi overheard a heated argument among the crew members about the malfunctioning propeller. One of them insisted that this was a sign they should turn back the ship to avoid the catastrophe, while the other believed that this was just a simple error which could be fixed by the maintenance team.

After hearing Jin Jiuchi’s dramatic recount complete with the overexaggerated gestures and expressions, Shen Nianzu’s expression became numb. "The propeller?" If he recalled correctly, this silly husky had discarded his diving equipment underwater. A faint suspicion arose in his heart. Could it be...?

Jin Jiuchi shifted his gaze away, feeling a twinge of guilt. "How was I supposed to know it would be so fragile..." he murmured in a quiet voice.

So he was really the culprit behind this malfunction!

Gu Luoxin shot Jin Jiuchi with an incredulous look, "Da Shen, are you the reason our ship is about to sink?!"

Jin Jiuchi bristled, slightly affronted. "Didn’t you hear what Nian’er had said earlier? The ship will not sink!"

The matter regarding the propeller was brought to the attention of Captain Rick, who promptly ordered the maintenance crew to investigate. Surprisingly, it was not Jin Jiuchi’s vest, as the trio had suspected, but a thick cluster of seaweed that got entangled in the propeller. The issue was swiftly resolved, and the ship continued to sail smoothly across the open waters. Some crew members, however, continued to question the source of such an abundance of seaweed.

Approaching 3 pm, the time when the entertainment areas were bustling with guests, the once clear and cloudless sky abruptly turned dark, casting a gloomy parlor over the ship.

Jin Jiuchi, Shen Nianzu and Gu Luoxin stood on the upper deck, gazing at the churning dark clouds and restless sea, when the ship’s speakers crackled to life and Captain Rick’s resolute voice resonated through the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, attention please. This is your Captain speaking. We are now entering a foggy area, and the weather is expected to worsen until 5 pm this evening. For those on the upper deck, I urge you to seek shelter indoors and avoid venturing outside during this period. I repeat..."

NPCs began to murmur and whisper among themselves. While most of them appeared unconcerned, a sense of unease started to permeate the air, especially after the incident with the dolphins this morning. Some anxiously sought the staff, who reassured them that unstable weather was very common during a voyage and advised them to rest and have fun until the storm subsided.

"This doesn’t bode well, does it?" Gu Luoxin asked nervously. "Why does it remind me so much of the Flying Dutchman?"

"Flying Dutchman?!" Jin Jiuchi immediately perked up when he heard that, his eyes sparkling like stars. "The mighty and formidable Flying Dutchman, who can grant us three wishes?!"

Gu Luoxin was dumbfounded. Just as he thought that Jin Jiuchi’s understanding of the legend differed from his own, he saw Shen Nianzu hit the man’s arm, chiding him with a reproachful glare, "We are not talking about SpongeBob Squarepants here."

Oh, so he was talking about the ghostly pirate in that cartoon. Caught between laughter and tears, Gu Luoxin took it upon himself to clear Jin Jiuchi’s confusion, "The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship from the 17th century. They say it’s condemned to sail the seven seas forever, never able to reach the port. I have read a play script about it. The ship often encounters mysterious fog and becomes stranded in uncharted territory..." His gaze shifted to the tumultuous clouds looming on the distant skyline, and he added restlessly. "...just like what we are about to experience soon."

As they prepared to descend to the lower deck, a terrified cry from an NPC in the distance caught their attention. "H–Help, someone is... someone is floating in the sea!"

Upon hearing that, they halted on their tracks and exchanged incredulous glances with each other. How could there be someone adrift on the open sea?

A thought flashed across Jin Jiuchi’s mind and he whispered, "Are you guys thinking what I’m thinking?"

Shen Nianzu and Gu Luoxin nodded in unison. With a swift turn, they hastened toward the source of the commotion. When they reached the scene, they discovered that a crowd had already gathered, and crew members were urgently yelling for the Captain’s presence.

Jin Jiuchi leaned against the railing and squinted his eyes to peer into the far distance. Amidst the churning waters, someone was indeed floating under the mercy of the relentless waves.

"Huh?" A surprised sound escaped Jin Jiuchi’s throat.

"What is it? Who is it?" Gu Luoxin asked in haste, as his eyesight was not as superb as Jin Jiuchi’s.

Jin Jiuchi had an intrigued look on his face as he rubbed his chin, "This person... is quite interesting."

Before Gu Luoxin could ask what he meant by that, Captain Rick showed up to take control of the chaotic scene. He instructed the guests to seek shelter inside the ship, as it was starting to drizzle, but how could the crowd miss out on such a sensational incident? Instead of thinning out, more people gathered, rendering the crew unable to escort them away.

Under countless curious gazes, a motorboat was dispatched for a rescue mission.

"C–Captain, she is—!"

Another uproar erupted when the crowd finally got a good look at the unconscious woman. She had extremely enchanting and delicate features. Even with a ghastly complexion, her unique beauty could not be hidden. Wet strands of bright red hair clung to her face, while the rest cascaded over her bare upper body. Two hard shells covered her ample chest from sight. Lying motionlessly on the cold deck, she looked like a helpless and pitiful maiden. However, that was not what shocked everyone the most.

It was the woman’s lower body.

Instead of legs, she possessed a long azure-scaled fishtail, stretching over one meter in length, with delicate and almost translucent fins at the end. A deep tear marred her tail, causing her to bleed profusely.

"A mermaid! Oh my God, it’s really a mermaid!!"

As the NPCs whispered in fervent excitement, Shen Nianzu, Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin— ah, that’s not right. Every player in the vicinity who laid their eyes upon the mermaid, also received a similar prompt in their mind.

[You have received the task from the core NPC Ariel. As the royal princess of the merfolk clan, she has always been protected and guarded strictly. However, her insatiable curiosity compels her to explore the world beyond the sea’s surface. On one such attempt, she became injured and lost. Your primary task is to protect Ariel and escort her safely back to her home. Duration: four days. Please strive to achieve the best results to obtain the return ticket!]

Jin Jiuchi blinked, unable to regain his senses even after a while.

Not because of the task announcement, but because at the same time, the Nightmare also issued a personal task to him. The task was so simple, consisting only of one brief command.

[Devour her.]

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A/N: Finally after 20 Chapters, I finished laying down the groundwork and now we will be getting to the exciting part ><