Wooo-wooo-

The cruise ship’s horn still echoed through Aiguyi Town.

Its appearance stirred the entire community. Both the townsfolk and the players rushed to the seaside to observe the behemoth.

They stared up at the cruise ship, its architectural style and sheer size far exceeding anything they could have imagined. A flurry of discussion erupted among the crowd.

Yun Ze frowned.

“We’re boarding the ship?”

The Poet of the Myriad Springs Division sighed.

“Is there any other way? There are no 【Relics】 or clues on how to leave this town. Everything we need is probably on that ship.”

The other players voiced their agreement. In their eyes, this was the natural progression of the Instance. The entire contest for the 【Relics】 would have to take place on the cruise ship.

Aiguyi Town was merely the starting point.

An old man with white hair stepped out from among the townsfolk, seeing the players’ eager expressions.

“Honorable Outlanders, if you intend to board the ship, this old man has a warning for you.”

He was the mayor of Aiguyi Town.

After coughing twice, he spoke.

“Back then, the High Priest of Suffering left behind a message, passed down orally from one mayor to the next.”

He continued, his voice grave.

“【When the horn echoes through the town, when the Outlanders embark on their journey of adventure, remember that everything on the ship, both real and illusory, coexists. How many of the remaining treasures you can obtain will depend solely on your sincerity. Sincerity begets miracles】.”

The mayor finished with a nod.

“I wish you all the best of luck.”

Hearing the mayor’s words, the players’ expressions changed. It seemed the High Priest of Suffering had long known they would board the ship.

Yun Ze immediately grasped the key issue. He stepped forward.

“What about you?” he asked. “The town’s treasures are on that ship, and maybe even traces of the High Priest of Suffering and the Saint Son of Desire. Aren’t you interested?”

The mayor’s words implied that the townsfolk would not be boarding.

But that made no sense. They were so reverent toward the two bronze statues in 【Dedication Square】. Now that the High Priest of Suffering herself was very likely on the ship, the townsfolk were completely indifferent?

Was this some kind of conspiracy?

Facing the players’ confusion, the mayor seemed to see through their worries and simply smiled faintly.

“Please rest assured, everyone. We are not boarding the ship because of our ancestors’ teachings.”

He elaborated, “The ancestors of everyone in town warned us on their deathbeds. Everything on the ship does not belong to the town. A reckless struggle will only repeat the tragedies of the past. That is the opportunity of the Outlanders; the town only seeks to endure.”

“Barely a hundred years have passed since the Day of Extinction. We have not yet forgotten that devastating catastrophe.”

This was not a place like the outside world, where information flowed freely. In a completely sealed-off town, something that happened a hundred years ago was an event experienced by their grandparents’ generation.

Growing up, many had even seen the lingering effects on their own grandparents—mutated, twisted limbs that had never fully healed. This memory, reinforced by the High Priest’s own command, was deeply ingrained.

And this was a town that placed immense importance on faith.

They would absolutely not board the ship.

Hearing the mayor’s explanation, the players were only half-convinced.

But driven by their desire to leave and their anticipation for the 【Relics】, they began to board anyway.

The moment they stepped onto the deck, they felt as if they had entered another world.

After spending so many days in a remote, unadorned town that still used kerosene lamps, the modern facilities of the cruise ship felt strangely unreal.

What was especially shocking was that there were service attendants on board.

The players’ vigilance shot up as they saw the female attendants, each dressed in a modern uniform with a professional smile.

They had expected a ghost ship to be a sailing vessel, something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. They never imagined a modern cruise liner.

They had thought they might encounter ghosts, skeletons, or specters.

They never expected uniformed attendants. It was all too bizarre.

One of the attendants stepped forward, her smile perfect.

“Good morning, everyone. I am attendant Number One, Zhou Zhiruo. By order of the High Priest of Suffering, I have been waiting here for you for a hundred years.”

Her voice was pleasant and calm.

“The great High Priest of Suffering knows why you have all come. To open the crystal coffin, you will need a pass to get to the Top Floor.”

She continued, “On the Mary, there are ways to obtain a pass in various areas. Please explore on your own. If you need to go to a certain area, we can lead the way.”

With that, Number One extended her hand and bowed, making an inviting gesture.

Although the players had to resist the urge to comment on the dark-skinned attendant being named Zhou Zhiruo, they were more concerned with what she had said.

Before arriving here, every one of them had been brought into the Instance by the nun. After seeing the bronze statue in the square, they knew she was the High Priest of Suffering.

No one doubted that such a transcendent being was still alive. Though the townsfolk claimed she had died for love, the players knew that was absolutely impossible.

Anyone with eyes could see that the nun was the final boss of this Instance. She couldn’t have been taken out ahead of time.

This meant the nun was very likely on this cruise ship, perhaps waiting for them at the crystal coffin itself.

The Poet of the Myriad Springs Division stepped forward.

“Then first, give us a tour of the cruise ship.”

Since these “ghost attendants” had been so direct, there was no need to tiptoe around. Even if there was danger on the ship, it would likely only appear while they were trying to get a pass. Having the attendants lead an initial tour shouldn’t be dangerous.

This was the logic of veteran players. After all, this Instance had already locked them in upon entry. If every single step was fraught with supernatural danger, the game would have no balance. They were, at the very least, high-level players who had cleared numerous Instances.

Under the guidance of the attendants, they spent a few hours learning about all the areas on the ship where a pass could be obtained.

The players tallied up the methods. There were twenty in total.

There was the casino, where you had to turn twenty bucks into thirty-seven million to get a pass.

There was the restaurant, where you had to cook nine-turn large intestines that could satisfy a ghost chef.

On the basketball court, you had to don overalls and beat the ghost crew.

Although each method felt strangely familiar, as if they had seen them somewhere before, they still had to seriously consider how to get a pass efficiently.

The atmosphere among the players grew tense.

The person who obtained a pass the fastest would have a higher chance of getting more rewards, perhaps even taking all the 【Relics】 for themselves.

Everyone knew that opening the crystal coffin alone would be extremely dangerous. But no one forgot why they were here in the first place.

They were here for the 【Relics】.

Fortune is found in peril.

The players looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

Then, they each went their separate ways, heading toward the areas where they felt they had the best chance.

A race against time for the passes had begun.

The curtains had risen…