Players, Please Board the Train

Chapter 493: The Ship in Changing State

Xu Huo read the message and immediately replied, asking if she had found her target.

It was a while before Bai Kou responded, simply saying, "Come to the tenth floor when you're done."

Xu Huo wasn't clear on her situation, but since there was no commotion from upstairs at the moment, there shouldn't be a problem for now.

He turned the gas valve to its minimum setting and then left the restaurant, heading for the elevator.

The white wristband player at the pool was no match for that noble player, so the time they could buy was limited. By now, the black wristband player and the other two red wristband players might have already met up.

Avoiding the eyes of others, he found a more distant elevator. Before he even got close, a strong smell of blood hit him. At first, he thought a red wristband player had gone on a killing spree here, but he didn't expect to see Serin, whom he had met before, holding a red wristband player in the air with one hand, a smile on his blood-spattered face. "I ask you, will you sincerely repent? If you sincerely repent, I will spare your life."

The red wristband player had a bit of backbone, but it quickly evaporated under the tightening grip on his throat. Struggling, he said, "I... know... I was... wrong..."

However, Serin shook his head and snapped his neck. "A pity, you are not sincere in your repentance."

The red wristband player fell at his feet, neck twisted. Two other players had met the same fate. Clearly, being interrogated like this and then cleanly dispatched wasn't exclusive to red wristband players.

Switching his wristband to black, Xu Huo walked out. "We meet again."Serin took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face, smiling broadly. "What a coincidence. I'm going upstairs. Are you coming?"

Xu Huo nodded, glancing briefly at the few white wristband players hiding behind Serin.

Among them was the female player who had been dragged into the pool earlier.

The female player glanced at him and then averted her gaze, her expression carrying a hint of fear and wariness.

Three of the five white wristband players were soaking wet, probably also having come from the pool.

After entering the elevator, Xu Huo asked Serin, "Who are these people?"

"Believers seeking help," Serin said with a smile. "They voluntarily joined my religion. As a senior, of course I must protect my juniors."

Xu Huo smiled without saying anything.

The elevator stopped on the fifth floor. It wasn't because someone outside had pressed the button, but because the elevator was shaken by a sudden jolt and then got stuck.

Serin stepped forward and pried the doors open. The elevator floor was slightly higher than the fifth floor's level. He was the first to step out.

Xu Huo repeatedly pressed the buttons to no effect and had no choice but to exit as well. He noticed some fresh seaweed growing on the metal surface outside the elevator.

In fact, it wasn't just near the elevator. The floor, the walls—all were covered with seaweed that reeked of the sea!

Under the dim light, glistening seaweed crawled all over the entire vessel. The ship's body began to look mottled and aged, like a sunken ship that had been submerged in the sea for many years, completely devoid of its daytime opulence.

"This... this isn't a dungeon, is it?" the female player asked, trembling as she stepped out.

"It should be an item," Serin said, surveying the corridor with admiration. "This is the first time I've seen such a large item."

"If we're inside an item, doesn't that mean we can't possibly escape?" the female player said, her voice choked with sobs. "Did those nobles bring us onto this ship just to kill us all?"

"Isn't that obvious?" another player said impatiently. "Whether it's an item or a dungeon, we're trapped. Who knows how long this ship will drift at sea?"

"This sea area isn't within a game partition. We can't use train tickets. If this ship is a dungeon, maybe we can leave by clearing it," another male player said, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

Compared to a dungeon, the absolute impossibility of using train tickets was even more despair-inducing.

"Whether it's a dungeon or an item, we'll know by looking," Xu Huo said, gesturing with his chin toward the outside.

The glass on the outer side of the corridor was now completely covered with seaweed. He used his sword to cut an opening in it and leaned out to look. "The outside is completely entangled with seaweed too. The ship has stopped operating."

There was no dungeon notification, so they were inside an item. The ship's current state was completely different from during the day. The elevator couldn't be used. To move between floors, the only options were to dismantle the ship or go outside. Dismantling the ship was highly unlikely. If the outside route was impassable, everyone would be trapped on their respective floors.

"I'll go outside and take a look..." the male player walked to the window. But before he could even stick his head out, the severed seaweed at the opening suddenly writhed like snakes, wrapped around his neck, and dragged him out!

Serin, being the closest, immediately reached out to save him, but unexpectedly, the thing was incredibly strong and pulled Serin out along with him.

Xu Huo raised his sword and swiftly cut a larger square opening in the glass window. As pieces of seaweed fell away, a moment later, Serin jumped back in, carrying the player's corpse, and shook his head. "Trying to go outside is a bit difficult."

The corpse was placed on the floor, revealing the bloody, mangled back of its skull—in that short time, the seaweed had smashed a player's head!

A rustling sound approached. The severed seaweed rapidly grew back, covering the window again, and even crawled into the corridor like tentacles!

"Go! Get out of here!" the female player and the others hurriedly retreated.

Xu Huo hacked at the seaweed while backing away. The corridor was no longer safe; they could only take refuge in the guest rooms.

But the situation in the guest rooms wasn't much better. Seaweed was slowly creeping everywhere, looking like it would soon swallow the entire ship.

"Hahaha!" At that moment, a strange laugh came from the distance.

"It's those Player-Eaters again!" the female player gritted her teeth. "None of them are human!"

"Someone save me!" Accompanied by frantic knocking, a little girl's pleas for help reached the room where Xu Huo and the others were hiding.

The urgent knocking and the sound of the door handle being turned made everyone in the room tense. Just as everyone remained silent, Serin stepped forward, opened the door, and pulled the little girl inside.

"What are you doing! You'll expose us!" One of the players traveling with them angrily assumed a combat stance.

Serin ignored him completely and asked the little girl, "Are you willing to become a believer of my religion?"

"If I become a believer, will I be saved?" the little girl asked, her head lowered.

"God will not abandon any believer, and neither will I," Serin said with a gentle smile.

The little girl looked up, full of gratitude. "You are such good people!"

"He said he'd save you. I didn't," Xu Huo said, standing a few meters away. "Playing this game at such a young age. If a child doesn't learn to behave properly, they'll get a good beating sooner or later."

The little girl looked at him. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"You'll understand this," Xu Huo said, turning his sword so the tip pointed directly at her.

The little girl didn't hold back either. She leaped forward to pounce, but halfway there, Serin grabbed her ankle. She twisted in mid-air, broke free, and landed, smiling at him. "As expected, you can't trust the words of a bad uncle."