Gu Wuji found himself on a small boat amidst a lake, the surrounding view obscured by dense fog. The sky, barely visible, appeared gloomy, and the water's surface was a uniform grey, concealing whatever lay beneath.
This scene had no apparent connection to a snowy mountain village, unless the plot required them to take a boat to the mountain's base before ascending, which seemed highly improbable given the lack of mountains in sight.
More disconcertingly, this scene mirrored exactly one Gu Wuji encountered previously in a game, as a punishment for an incomplete side mission, when he met Austin. The only difference now seemed to be the light, making the surroundings less eerie but no less foreboding.
Fortunately, this game did not share the haunting atmosphere of the ghost ship game, where one felt constantly watched. This allowed Gu Wuji a moment of relief.
So, had he indeed entered this game? He wondered if it was the one Rong Qingman had suggested. He regretted not agreeing to it earlier and inquiring more about the game.
Despite his initial shock, Gu Wuji quickly accepted his situation; rejecting it wouldn't change anything, as the game system was unlikely to return him. Rather than futilely contesting with the system, he decided to observe his surroundings. Given the potential dangers, especially considering the lethality of a certain evil deity, he judged this game to be even more perilous than the last.
Gu Wuji noticed four other individuals on the boat with him, all cloaked in hoods that hid their faces, sitting in silence.
Other boats could vaguely be seen on the lake. If these occupants were players, without any NPCs, the game seemed to have attracted a significant number of participants.
Strangely, despite no one rowing, all boats moved uniformly towards a destination, as if something beneath the water was pulling them.
[You are guests attending a secret banquet.]
[The venue is the residence of a noble's descendant, rumored to have discovered the secret to eternal life centuries ago, only to then become deranged, slaughtering everyone before ***.]
[The tragedy spared only his child, who was away studying and later rebuilt the lakeside estate. It's in this building that a banquet is to be held.]
[All of you hold enviable positions in the outside world, shrouded in secrets and inner darkness. The building holds the key to realizing your dreams.]
[Main mission triggered: Arrive on the island and enter the building.]
Hearing the system's briefing, Gu Wuji pieced together the background of this game, relating to the noble from a century ago. Connecting this to the game's boss, presumably an evil deity, he began to envision various sacrificial rituals associated with such deities.
Although Gu Wuji had once escaped from the clutches of the Evil God thanks to Austin during that ghostly cruise game, Gu believed that times had changed and that he could definitely escape from the Evil God's grasp with his upgraded abilities.
Moreover, even if the Evil God was a high-level boss, he would definitely be restricted in a mid-level game. If Gu could use this to his advantage and complete the main quest, then not even the Evil God could hold him back.
At this moment, the other people on the ship also started to move. A figure approached Gu, not far from him, revealing the face of Rong Qingman.
"Indeed, I thought this figure looked familiar." Rong Qingman expressed surprise. "How did you end up here?"
"I'd love to know that myself," Gu responded sincerely.
Rong Qingman quickly understood the situation. Given the Evil God's special treatment of Gu, it was likely that he was forcibly pulled into this game... Of course, this wasn't a bug in the rules of the game.
"If a player had previously entered a certain game and had deep contact with a ghostly boss to a certain extent, there have been cases of players being forcibly pulled into games," Rong Qingman explained. "However, this is extremely rare, and usually, such players would perform abnormally for various reasons and end up dying in the game."
In fact, Rong Qingman had never seen it happen before and had only heard about it from others. Unexpectedly, he actually witnessed it this time. Was this worthy of Gu Wuji?
"So, that's how it is."
Gu suddenly recalled all the events he had experienced in the various games up until now.
It seemed that making it to the tenth game before being pulled in was already quite lucky.
"This game is very dangerous," Rong Qingman said, sharing all he knew with Gu. He trusted Gu completely.
The game was related to a god and naturally involved a ritual. Those who successfully completed the ritual could obtain power beyond their wildest dreams.
Such talk seemed deceptive, but the players were tired of living in fear and desired power. After all, hadn't the high-level players obtained their current strength through such adventures?
Each person in the game had secrets and tasks related to their identities, which they couldn't share with others.
Rong Qingman couldn't share his secrets with Gu, but he warned Gu not to trust the other players in the game.
"After all, they might become tasks under the ghostly minions. Such incidents have happened before," Rong Qingman said seriously. "We just need to take care of ourselves."
Gu nodded, but he was a bit puzzled, as the system hadn't yet informed him of his own task.
Rong Qingman added, "All of us were able to enter this game because we had contact with that god in other games. Logically, players who have had contact with a god should bear some marks."
Gu immediately felt the mark of the Evil God on the back of his hand becoming somewhat hot.
"I have one too."
"Make sure you hide it well. Don't let others see it," Rong Qingman said gravely. "Although I don't know why, the system hints that this mark is related to something very important and could be exploited by others."
Gu was already feeling that something was amiss. His mark was usually invisible. Could it be that the marks on others were different from his?
"I've heard that some people's marks are also invisible at times. It's said that such marks are of the highest level... Of course, such individuals are given special attention by the god and are even said to be the god's followers, influenced to the extent of fanaticism that normal people can't understand, causing the destruction of many games. If you see one, be very careful," Rong Qingman warned.
Gu thought to himself, "...No, that's not me, I'm not like that at all!"
Under such circumstances, Gu Wuji naturally couldn't disclose the mark on his body. He believed that his actions within the game would undoubtedly prove his innocence.
After some time, the boat finally reached the shore.
What appeared before everyone's eyes was a small island in the middle of the lake, atop which sat a villa that looked ancient, more like a small castle, really.
But at the same time, this villa also radiated a creepy and eerie vibe, as if it had been uninhabited for many years and, no matter how one looked at it, seemed haunted.
A servant dressed in black stood at the edge of the island, his head bowed so low that his face was difficult to see clearly.
"Welcome, guests. The master has been waiting for a long time," he said.
With the boat tied to the shore, the guests were led by the servant towards the building.
Their feelings were not good... After all, this small island in the middle of the lake looked like a sealed room from which, if something truly happened, they wouldn't be able to escape.
Although, based on their past experiences, they knew they never really had a chance to escape, this psychological feeling was nonetheless oppressive.
None of these people were inclined to communicate with other players, unless they had arranged to come together. Given the critical and complex nature of this game, who could know what secrets other players held?
As the group approached the building, they discovered that the surrounding weeds had been neatly trimmed and there was a meticulously cared for garden. The villa looked to have been recently repaired. Despite its gloominess, it was not disorderly.
It felt as though it might indeed be inhabited by humans, which slightly relieved everyone.
The servant pushed open the main door, revealing a classic and luxurious hall. A handsome young man in a black suit, with a pale complexion, was sitting at a long table. Upon seeing the guests enter, he immediately stood up, his gaze icy cold.
To everyone, this young man seemed almost like a dead person, not just because of his bloodless, pale skin. His amber eyes, silver-gray hair, and even his supernatural beauty gave off an aura not of the living.
[Main quest completed: Arrive on the island and enter the building.]
[Main quest triggered: Successfully conduct the ceremony.]
The guests were not shocked upon hearing the quest, as they had anticipated this all along.
Only Gu Wuji was startled, because the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Your secret is: You are actually an underling of the villa's master, a spy mingled among the guests.]
Gu Wuji: "…?"
Was it necessary to assign him such a thrilling role?
Gu Wuji suspected this was specifically aimed at him by the game's boss.
[Moreover, you are a very cold person, extremely unwilling to help others. Your only desire is to obtain eternal life, thus you are a diehard fan of the game's boss and extremely, extremely loyal to the villa's master.]
Gu Wuji: "???" Was it his illusion, or did this setup feel increasingly deliberate? What was with being a diehard fan? And was it necessary to emphasize his loyalty with two 'extremely's?
It was definitely not Gu Wuji's illusion, no, not at all.
The villa's master, who had been utterly cold towards everyone else, when his gaze fell upon him, there was a faint hint of amusement in his eyes.
Gu Wuji: "..."