【Players are about to enter a C-level game arena: Love Island.】
【Game mission: Uncover the secrets of Love Island.】
【Item: Love Stone, a defensive item, priced at 2000 points each. Each player is allowed to purchase one.】
Gu Jiu stared at the game store’s interface, reflecting on the name of the game arena and the mission provided by the system. Her sharp instincts told her that this upcoming game world likely hid numerous traps.
It reminded her of the previous mission, “The Search for Lingyuan.” The goal had been to locate Ling Yuan, but the players couldn’t even figure out what Lingyuan was. If the female attendant hadn’t admitted she was Lingyuan, there would have been no way to complete the mission. A single careless misstep could lead players to make drastically different choices.
Glancing at the item provided for this round, it became clear that the danger level of this game world was unusually high—hence the rare offer of a defensive item.
“Purchase.” Gu Jiu said.
Once the system steward deposited the purchased “Love Stone” into her inventory, Gu Jiu entered the game world.
—
Gu Jiu opened her eyes to the sensation of salty, damp sea air on her face.
There was a faint, unpleasant odor mixed into the wind—like the smell of rotting meat blended with the stench of fish. It lingered faintly in the air, testing her olfactory endurance.
Looking around, she realized she was sitting on a boat.
The cabin was old and decrepit, with a pungent odor, as though it had been storing countless dead fish that had fermented over time, releasing a sour and stifling stench.
The window was open, allowing the sea breeze to disperse the cabin’s smell somewhat. However, when the odor occasionally wafted back in, it still made her feel like she was suffocating.
Unable to bear it, Gu Jiu covered her nose with her hand. Whether it was the cabin’s stench or the odor carried on the wind, both were an assault on her senses.
Thankfully, Lu Ji was sitting beside her, close enough that her familiar scent surrounded her, giving her a momentary reprieve.
It struck her then just how pleasant Lu Ji’s scent was—clean and crisp.
Gu Jiu turned her attention to the others in the cabin.
The space was cramped, and including herself, there were twenty people onboard. Each person sat in pairs, making it clear they had entered as teams.
Lu Haidi and Ruan Yuan sat diagonally across from them. Their gaze met hers, and after a brief exchange of glances, Ruan Yuan nodded slightly as a greeting.
Suddenly, Gu Jiu’s eyes narrowed.
In the back row of the cabin sat two individuals. One of them held a pristine white handkerchief over his nose and mouth, his refined and elegant features revealing a clear disdain for the cabin’s environment. Beside him, a middle-aged man looked helpless.
When Gu Jiu turned her gaze toward them, they noticed her as well.
The middle-aged man—Ge Guang—waved at her excitedly, mouthing a silent greeting.
Gu Jiu responded with a smile.
She hadn’t expected to encounter them again in the game world, which lifted her spirits a bit.
Lu Ji also noticed the pair. He cast them a brief, polite glance and nodded in acknowledgment, but showed no further reaction.
The man holding the handkerchief, Qi Yuheng, weakly raised his hand in greeting before returning to his battle of willpower against the filthy cabin environment.
For someone with an extreme cleanliness obsession, the ship’s filthy cabin and the stench of the air were unbearable enough to make Qi Yuheng feel like giving up on life. If this weren’t a game world, he might have chosen to jump into the sea at the first opportunity.
In the end, Qi Yuheng put on a gas mask, finally sparing his nose from the torment.
However, his eyes still took in the filthy environment of the cabin, leaving him feeling suffocated nonetheless.
After greeting familiar faces, Gu Jiu turned her gaze outside the window. The ship was sailing across an endless sea. In the distance, the ocean stretched vast and wide under a sky heavy with dark clouds, threatening an impending, terrifying storm.
The players seated together began whispering, discussing the circumstances of this game world.
It was clear they were on a ship headed in a specific direction. Given the game’s name, their destination was undoubtedly Love Island.
“Hey, look, there’s an island up ahead,” one player remarked to their companion, loud enough for everyone in the cabin to hear. Heads turned toward the window.
A faint silhouette of an island emerged on the dark sea.
From the players’ perspective, the water outside appeared black. Something seemed to lurk beneath the surface, as darker shadows occasionally flickered by. The sky was grim and overcast, and the island sitting between sea and sky exuded a sinister aura, more like a ghostly isle than something named “Love Island.”
Without needing an explanation, the players instinctively knew this was the game location—Love Island.
The boat sped forward and, within minutes, approached the island, docking at a makeshift pier.
Calling it a pier was generous. It was little more than a crude stopping point. As the boat neared, it collided with rocks near the island, causing the entire vessel to jolt violently. Players, caught off guard, were thrown about the cabin in all directions.
Lu Ji reacted quickly, steadying Gu Jiu and pulling her into his arms.
Another hug for Ah Jiu!
So happy~~ ≧◇≦
Lu Ji’s secret joy went unnoticed by others. When Gu Jiu simply leaned into his embrace, waiting for the rocking to subside, he couldn’t help but feel that this game world wasn’t so bad after all.
Before the ship had fully stabilized, a pale, gaunt man stepped into the cabin.
His sunken eyes swept over the players with a gloomy gaze before he spoke: “Welcome to Love Island. Please disembark.”
The players observed him silently, recognizing him as an NPC designed to guide them in this game world. One bold player asked, “Brother, this is our first time on Love Island, and we don’t know much about it. Could you give us an introduction?”
The man responded impatiently:
“I know why you’re here. You’ve come seeking the Sea God’s Blessing. But the Sea God’s Blessing isn’t something ordinary people can obtain so easily. Are you sure that, during the Sea God’s trials, your love for your partner will remain unwavering? If not, you’ll face the Sea God’s punishment.”
At the word “punishment,” the players could clearly see the malice in the man’s expression.
Here was yet another NPC who harbored deep ill-will toward the players, seemingly eager to see them meet their end.
The players, accustomed to such treatment, didn’t take his hostility to heart. Instead, they pressed on:
“What is the Sea God’s punishment?”
The man didn’t answer directly. Instead, he smirked malevolently and said, “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Before they could ask further, he forcefully ushered them off the boat.
Seeing this, the players realized there was no point in questioning further and sensibly disembarked.
Standing on the pier, they could see a villa not far off, perched on the edge of the sea.
The villa was built atop black rocks, with waves crashing furiously against the jagged surface. Dark clouds loomed overhead, giving the ominous sense that a storm could break out at any moment.
This villa was likely their designated residence within the game world.
Without much chatter, the players began walking toward the villa.
The island’s temperature was noticeably high. The air was humid and stifling, and after a short walk, their clothes were damp from the moisture, clinging uncomfortably to their bodies and making them sweat profusely.
Gu Jiu had no choice but to remove her autumn jacket.
Other players wearing thick layers followed suit, shedding their outerwear or changing into lighter, summer-appropriate clothing to feel more comfortable.
When they arrived at the villa, everyone took a moment to observe the structure.
The villa had three stories, with gray walls overgrown by some kind of black, withered plant. Whether it was seaweed or vines was unclear, but it clung to the walls like steel cables, wrapping tightly around the structure. From a distance, the tangled growth resembled sinister veins, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
The villa’s front door stood ajar, as if inviting them in.
After glancing briefly at the building, Gu Jiu took the lead and stepped inside.
Lu Ji, Ruan Yuan, and Lu Haidi naturally followed behind her, making it seem—at least to the other players—like a young lady leading her entourage of three loyal attendants.
Qi Yuheng, frowning deeply, entered with Ge Guang in tow.
—
Inside the villa, the players found two individuals waiting in the grand hall.
One was an elderly man in a meticulously tailored black suit, while the other was the same gaunt NPC who had ferried them to the island earlier.
The players were momentarily stunned, wondering how the NPC had managed to arrive before them despite having been behind them just moments ago. Then they dismissed the thought, accustomed to the inexplicable, ghost-like movements of game-world NPCs.
The elderly man in the black suit spoke:
“Welcome to the Sea God’s testing grounds. I am the butler of this villa, a servant of the Sea God, and a devout follower of his teachings. You are about to undergo the Sea God’s trials. Those fortunate enough to pass will receive the Sea God’s blessing.”
Gu Jiu asked calmly, “What is the Sea God’s blessing? What does it do?”
The gaunt man glared at Gu Jiu, his venomous gaze like a snake ready to strike.
Completely unperturbed, Gu Jiu replied evenly, “As loyal followers of the Sea God, isn’t it your duty to spread his great deeds to us?”
Her remark left the gaunt man momentarily speechless, choking on his own words.
The butler, however, did not lose his composure. His gaze, devoid of warmth, lingered on Gu Jiu as he explained:
“The couples who receive the Sea God’s blessing will be granted true, sincere love.”
In the real world, hearing someone deliver such melodramatic lines with a straight face would likely provoke laughter and derision. Here, however, no one dared to treat it as a joke. Instead, a vague sense of foreboding settled over the players.
One player asked, “So, you’re saying we’re here to compete for this so-called blessing?”
The tone of the question was slightly irreverent, earning sharp glares from the two NPCs.
The player in question was a burly man with a menacing aura, his face exuding an air of violence.
His companion was a man of similar build—muscular and imposing. Given the warm climate of the island, both were dressed in short-sleeved t-shirts, exposing their powerful arms. Tattoos of ferocious beasts adorned their skin, instantly marking them as people not to be trifled with.
The butler spoke:
“Indeed. You have all come here as couples. To earn the Sea God’s blessing, you must participate in his trial and prove the steadfastness of your love to him.”
The players’ expressions shifted subtly at his words.
That lingering sense of unease had finally materialized into reality.
No wonder this time’s group of players consisted of twenty individuals, all in pairs. It turned out that the game’s boss had arbitrarily designated them as couples.
Unhappy, Qi Yuheng asked, “Why does it have to be couples? Can’t we just bring friends?”
He glanced at Ge Guang with visible disdain.
Ge Guang looked innocent and aggrieved, clearly unaware of the game world’s peculiar setup. If he had known, he might have had one of the twin sisters accompany Qi Yuheng instead.
Meanwhile, Lu Ji’s mind stirred. He couldn’t help but glance at Gu Jiu.