Welcome to Rule City

Mu Ai withdrew her gaze and continued to swim vigorously towards the island, keeping an eye on the surface of the sea. If any floating debris came her way, she could grab it to increase her chances of survival.

Human stamina is limited, and Mu Ai was well aware that she wasn’t particularly skilled at swimming. The ability to withstand the impact of diving and swim relatively fast in the sea was purely due to her enhanced physical condition.

“I can’t stay in the sea for too long.”

Mu Ai swam at a steady pace. The ship had already sunk, and the whirlpool had disappeared. The area she was in was temporarily safe, as long as no carnivorous fish caught her scent, she could hold on for a while.

But only for a while. The cold of the deep sea would quickly lower her body temperature. It was fortunate that there was still sunlight; if the sun set and she hadn’t reached the shore, her chances of surviving the shipwreck would be slim.

Mu Ai’s target was clear: the island she had once only seen the outline of, now getting closer and closer. The Side Quest had pointed her in the right direction, and it seemed to be her only path to survival.

But what kind of Evil God would require an entire ship of people as sacrifices? Mu Ai mechanically swam forward, her mind racing to deduce the plot based on the known information, trying to keep herself from becoming numb.

“My time on the ship was too short, I couldn’t find other players, but it seems I really didn’t see any. Unless they were all hiding too well-which is possible. They entered earlier than I did, maybe they had Identity Cards or some other advantage… So what’s my advantage? Jumping into the sea first?”

Mu Ai couldn’t help but scoff, her emotions relatively stable. The island ahead was getting closer, and she had a good chance of reaching it before dusk.

Fortunately, she had invested in physical enhancement earlier. If it were her original body, Mu Ai estimated she might already be inside some creature’s stomach.

…

Two hours later, a drenched Mu Ai crawled onto the shore, resembling a water ghost, and lay directly on the sand, gasping for air. If anyone were to attack her now, she would accept her fate. She was too exhausted to flee or resist, even moving a finger was a struggle.

Swimming for three hours in the deep sea, even with a life jacket, was no easy task. Even a swimming champion would be tired, let alone someone like Mu Ai who wasn’t very good at swimming.

Lying on the beach, staring at the sky, Mu Ai made a vow to the shapeless white clouds that once she returned to Guize City, she would learn to swim properly. At least master the correct posture, and never let the situation of “dog paddle being faster than breaststroke” happen to her again.

Thank heavens, this was a single-player Instance so far. Mu Ai felt her dignity was intact, although it wasn’t very important, having it was better than not.

After resting for about five minutes, Mu Ai, famished, got up to eat and drink. After consuming two pieces of bread and half a bottle of water, she felt her strength gradually returning. Knowing she couldn’t stay in such a conspicuous place, she forced herself to get up and staggered deeper into the island.

[Side Quest: Reach Sunburn Island (Completed)]

[Achievement Unlocked: Survivor]

[Side Quest: Island Gourmet (0/5)]

[Side Quest: Look what I found in the sea (0/8)]

[Side Quest: Find Shelter (Incomplete)]

Sunburn Island, like all tropical islands, had clear green water near the coast, getting deeper further out. A distinct boundary marked the shallow and deep sea areas.

Most of the trees on the island were coconut trees and some plants Mu Ai didn’t recognize. She knew they were tropical, but wasn’t sure what they were, so she didn’t know if the fruits they bore were edible.

Leaving the beach, Mu Ai entered a thicket. The path wasn’t too difficult, and combined with the name of the Achievement, it wasn’t hard to deduce that the island was inhabited, with both Indigenous People and modern folks. She might have to choose one side to join.

Or choose to survive on her own, achieving the “Lone Wolf” Achievement.

In any case, these were matters for later consideration. Mu Ai’s current priority was to find a “Shelter” before nightfall, whether it was building a hut or finding a cave, she better not sleep out in the open.

“Do I need to learn wilderness survival skills when I get back?”

The only handy tool Mu Ai had was a kitchen knife she had swiped from the employee lounge’s kitchen. It might suffice for gutting fish, but chopping branches was pure fantasy-she might as well rely on her robust physique and kick the trees directly.

Besides, Mu Ai didn’t know how to build a hut. She had watched a survival show by Bear Grylls, but knowing with her eyes and knowing with her hands were two different things. She decided not to embarrass herself; it was better to find a suitable cave or someone else’s hut.

Mu Ai crouched in the bushes, peering through the leaves at the person bending over to build a hut. The back looked familiar, but she couldn’t recall who it was.

Soon, the person turned to gather materials, and Mu Ai recognized him as Chu Tiankuo, her neighbor who had entered the Instance at the same time.

“What a coincidence, you’re here too.” Mu Ai stood up and greeted the startled Chu Tiankuo openly. “Want to team up?”

Mu Ai didn’t know much about Chu Tiankuo, only that they had resisted Jin-Ge together and chatted occasionally afterward. She had been busy with Instances lately, so her contact with others was naturally limited.

Chu Tiankuo’s tense body relaxed instantly upon seeing Mu Ai, a happy smile spreading across his face, clearly pleased to encounter a familiar face in such a place.

“Great, I thought it was someone I didn’t know.” Chu Tiankuo wiped his muddy hands on his pants and invited Mu Ai to sit. “I’ve just finished building a hut here, I’ll help you make one too, it won’t take long.”

Mu Ai didn’t stand on ceremony, she walked over and circled the hut, gently pushing it with her hand. It felt sturdy, and even with a bit more force, it didn’t budge. She knew it might look ugly, but it was suitable for habitation.

“Thanks for the help.” Mu Ai didn’t let him work for free, she waved the bread and water in her hand at Chu Tiankuo. “You provide the lodging, I’ll provide the food.”

They were acquaintances without animosity, and Mu Ai felt their alliance should be stable until any conflicts of interest arose.

Chu Tiankuo evidently thought the same. Since arriving on the island, he had been busy building a place to stay for the night. After all, skipping a meal was bearable, but encountering rain or lacking rest would affect the next day’s condition.

Now that Mu Ai had brought food and drink, his motivation to work increased. Even though she didn’t know how to build a hut, she could lend a hand, and two people were faster than one. They managed to finish everything before nightfall.

“Do you have any clues?” Neither Mu Ai nor Chu Tiankuo dared to light a fire, fearing it might attract unwanted attention. Fortunately, the food and water were taken from the ship and didn’t require cooking. “When I entered, the movie scene was still the ship on the sea.”

“I appeared in the cabin, most of the luggage was clothes and souvenirs. My identity was a high school student, sponsored by someone for a final celebration before senior year.” Chu Tiankuo swallowed his bread, knowing that exchanging information was beneficial for both, and didn’t hide anything. “I lived in a four-person room, only one person was like us, the other two were either NPCs or disguised too well for me to notice.”

Mu Ai nodded. “Do you know who sponsored your trip?”

Chu Tiankuo thought for a moment and said, “I heard other classmates mention the Black Umbrella Corporation. A high-ranking official was related to someone in the class and wanted their child to have company, so they sponsored the whole class. But the child got sick and couldn’t come.”

Mu Ai sneered, “Of course they got sick, who would let their own child become a sacrifice?”

After saying this, before Chu Tiankuo could ask further, Mu Ai shared the information she had heard, causing her drinking companion to cough, evidently startled.

Neither spoke afterward. In the real world, getting involved in such matters was troublesome, let alone in an Instance. So far, besides Mu Ai’s Talent Skill hinting at some story background, the Instance hadn’t officially released any tasks.

They had no idea what to do here, whether to wait for rescue or search for something. For now, they could only safely get through the night and seek answers when daylight came.

The sun soon sank below the horizon. Mu Ai and Chu Tiankuo’s location wasn’t high, and besides the dark sea, there was nothing to see. The only illumination came from the moon and stars, much brighter than in the city, but that was all.

“Get some sleep, rest well, we’ll deal with things tomorrow.”

Mu Ai said this and crawled into the hut. She and Chu Tiankuo had discussed it; he would take the first half of the night, and she the second. They couldn’t both sleep at the same time.

Having spent the day soaking in the sea and swimming for over two hours, Mu Ai was utterly exhausted. Even though she intended to stay alert, her head hit the clothes serving as a pillow, and she fell asleep.

Initially, Mu Ai’s expression was peaceful, but within minutes, her brows furrowed as if something was disturbing her sleep.

Chu Tiankuo sat outside the hut, hugging his knees, gazing idly at the distant, dark sea. In this place without phones or internet, he enjoyed the tranquility away from the hustle and bustle.

But as he watched, his gaze gradually became fixed, his body like a stone sculpture, maintaining his previous posture without moving. It was as if the sea held a great attraction for him, making it impossible to look away.

“Great God-”

At the same time, Mu Ai, lying in the hut, suddenly opened her eyes, her lips moving to utter the same prayer as Chu Tiankuo.

“You are the beginning of all things, the oldest existence. We twist, we writhe, we crawl apart, all in anticipation of your arrival.”

“The day of God’s descent is four days away.”

With those words, the prayer ended. Mu Ai closed her eyes and turned over, falling back into sleep, while Chu Tiankuo’s gaze regained clarity.

Outside the hut, the handsome young man touched his chest, feeling his heart pounding, sensing he had missed something, yet unable to recall what it was.

“I’ll ask Mu Ai tomorrow.”

Chu Tiankuo looked up at the sky, temporarily setting aside that doubt, quietly appreciating the cosmic stars.

The night was beautiful.

Much more beautiful than the chaotic shadow of tentacles on the sea earlier.