Welcome to Rule City

After the chief left, it didn’t take long for someone to come looking for Mu Ai. It was other players who had entered the movie.

“If I ever get out of Guize City, I’ll never step foot in a cinema again.”

The one who said this was Old Wang, a guy who wasn’t exactly a veteran but had an uncanny streak of luck. He had only been around for four months, yet he had received three free movie tickets, and each time he got involved in the movie.

His luck was peculiar. On one hand, he had narrowly survived all three screenings, while others around him died in droves. On the other hand, he always seemed to scrape by, just barely making it out alive.

This time, Old Wang was among the first batch to enter, landing directly on the island without experiencing the shipwreck. He became one of the Indigenous People. Among the others, some were like him, while others defected from the Civilized People. Everyone had the right to switch factions, so no one was permanently stuck in one place.

“The cinema randomly pulls people in. If the first batch dies out or falls below a certain number, it absorbs a second batch. The first ones face more dangers, but the later ones don’t have it easy either. Imagine just arriving and knowing nothing, only to face the final boss right away. How do you fight that? You might not even have time to run.”

Mu Ai realized that even though her storyline had progressed to the third day, there were still people stuck on the second or even the first day. The principle was simple: it was a semi-open movie. Those who succeeded moved to the next scene, while those who failed stayed behind.

For example, if A and B entered the first scene on the ship, and A successfully escaped while B died in the shipwreck, A would move on to the second scene with others who survived. Meanwhile, the cinema would pull in new viewers to fill the necessary roles.

Since B died and didn’t clear the first scene, the movie wouldn’t allow that to happen. It would continue to absorb new viewers to replay the first scene until everyone moved to the second scene.

That’s why Mu Ai encountered Chu Tiankuo on the island and now Old Wang and others. They might not have been in the same group initially, but as the story progressed, they were all brought together.

Old Wang’s words resonated with everyone. Some people survived in this eerie place by clinging to the belief that they were lucky.

However, a few others had a numb expression, as if they had given up on the will to live. They had many tentacles on their bodies, almost reaching the critical point. Even though praying could reduce some, it often increased suddenly due to certain events.

Since it was an information exchange, Mu Ai didn’t hold back. She shared the clues she had discovered but didn’t mention the Black Stone as a usable item-that was her prize, and she wasn’t about to share it.

“That’s the general situation. If you don’t believe me, you can verify it yourself.”

Some believed her, some didn’t. Mu Ai didn’t care either way. Old Wang and the others filled in the background story she wanted to know. Now, everything was ready, and she just needed to wait.

…

The next day, after exchanging a glance with the Indigenous People chief, Mu Ai left the camp alone under the pretense of gathering supplies. She was supposed to spy on the Civilized People but actually went to meet Chu Tiankuo. After borrowing a lighter from him, she found a place to hide, preparing for the next day’s action.

According to the clues she had gathered, the ritual would take place by the sea, overlapping with the spot where the Civilized People were waiting for the boat. Neither side was trustworthy, and Mu Ai guessed they were different factions of the same cult.

For example, the Civilized People produced thoroughly corrupted believers.

The Indigenous People, on the other hand, provided slightly corrupted but still pure sacrifices.

When the ritual began, it would be a time of slaughter. The players needed to either escape or fight back. They just had to hold out for 15 minutes until the rescue boat arrived at Sunburn Island, at which point they could board and clear the Instance, returning to Guize City.

Mu Ai could have waited until the next day to leave the group, but for the Lone Wolf Achievement, she decided to spend the night alone outside. Otherwise, sticking with the NPCs wouldn’t count as being a lone wolf.

Night fell quickly. After a simple meal, Mu Ai climbed a tree to stay high up. She tied herself to the tree with a rope she had taken from the Indigenous camp and had a comfortable sleep.

Today was a day to rest and recharge. Tomorrow, she would start causing trouble!

The next morning, Mu Ai woke up sore from the tree. From the marks on her body, it was clear she hadn’t moved during the night; otherwise, there would have been more than just red marks.

The ritual was scheduled for 10 AM. Mu Ai climbed down stiffly, stretched her body, and then sneaked back near the Indigenous camp to wait for them to leave.

She arrived just in time. Since the camp was some distance from the beach, the Indigenous People needed to leave early. They were dressed up, carrying fruits and prey, singing and dancing as they headed to the beach.

Once everyone had left, Mu Ai quietly entered the camp. According to her intel, the ritual required everyone to be present, so no one would stay behind to guard. Still, she was very cautious, always on the lookout for unexpected events.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Mu Ai successfully entered the house where the Black Stone was kept. It was still in its original place, as if no one else had thought of taking it.

First come, first served. Mu Ai didn’t hesitate. She transformed it into a card and stored it in the Rulebook, then moved on to the next step of her plan.

Since the boat’s arrival time was fixed and unrelated to the ritual, Mu Ai decided to play a little prank. She wanted to see if these people valued their home base or the ceremony more.

She placed flammable materials around the houses and connected them with a path of kindling. She was fair; if one house burned, they all should.

It took 30 minutes to walk from here to the beach, but only 15 minutes to run. According to the intel she gathered, the Indigenous People would leave two hours early to set up the ritual, so her timing had to be perfect.

Too early, and they could put out the fire and still make it back to the ritual.

Too late, and Mu Ai wouldn’t make it to the beach in time. Staying here would be a game over.

The margin for error was low, the risk high, but the reward was great, and it was thrilling.

Mu Ai didn’t know exactly what would happen during the ritual, but based on her observations, there were two possibilities.

One was physical attacks from the Indigenous and Civilized People.

The other was spiritual attacks, with the Indigenous People offering sacrifices and the Civilized People presenting corrupted believers.

Mu Ai’s plan covered both scenarios. If it was a physical attack, setting the camp on fire would likely draw the Indigenous People back, reducing the enemy’s strength. The players had enough numbers to handle the Civilized People-after all, they only needed to hold out for 15 minutes.

If it was a spiritual attack, Mu Ai had the Black Stone. The Instance provided this crucial item, clearly offering a way to reduce the difficulty.

…

At the beach, the ritual platform was set up. The Indigenous People pushed the bewildered players into the center circle, no longer pretending to be friendly. They finally showed their true colors.

Similarly, the Civilized People who had come early to wait for the boat did the same. They didn’t bring sacrifices but had a few players who were no longer recognizable as human.

Chu Tiankuo wasn’t among them, nor were Old Wang and a few others. They were the cautious ones who had quietly left when they sensed something was wrong. Though they didn’t go far, at least they weren’t captured.

While waiting for the ritual to start, the Indigenous chief and Song Yu continued their argument. This time, the content wasn’t the superficial stuff the players had heard before but involved deeper, more terrifying truths.

Mu Ai had guessed wrong in one aspect. They were indeed fanatics of the Evil God, but it wasn’t a factional struggle. It was simply a division of labor-Song Yu, who moved between the modern world and the island, provided new believers. The Indigenous People, who stayed on Sunburn Island, purified the sacrifices.

Their work was complementary and indispensable, playing the people from the civilized world like fools, making them believe they had found salvation.

Originally, Song Yu only brought guests from his yacht. The cruise ship incident had nothing to do with him; it was orchestrated by another group of fanatics from a different faction.

Those fanatics believed that untainted sacrifices were the purest and that offering them would please the god, granting them the greatest power and immortality.

So they sank the cruise ship and lifeboats, dragging countless innocent people to the bottom of the sea in their frenzy.

Song Yu and the Indigenous chief scoffed at this. How could untainted sacrifices be considered the purest, touched by the god’s essence? Those were brainless fools, and the god would surely punish them severely for their reckless disregard of the divine will.

The players trapped on the altar were filled with despair. Some of them were the type who only entered Fixed Instances when absolutely necessary, paying fines every month. They weren’t the brightest, unable to sense danger or recognize traps, embodying the “useless teammate” stereotype. That’s why the more perceptive players had abandoned them, fearing they would jeopardize their own survival.

-Some of them were still protesting their innocence, insisting they had perfectly played the role of company employees.

“Let’s start the ritual. We have 15 minutes,” Song Yu said, checking his watch. “I can’t wait to hear the god’s teachings-”

Before he could finish, thick smoke billowed up, accompanied by flames. Birds scattered in fright, and everyone turned to look. The Indigenous chief was horrified.

“Delay the ritual! Go put out the fire! The Black Stone is still in the camp!”

…

Outside the camp, Mu Ai raised an eyebrow at the roaring flames in the distance. The lighter made a graceful arc in the air before landing back in her hand. Oh, it burned beautifully.

With the plan complete, it was time to head to the beach. Mu Ai turned and ran without hesitation. She had enhanced her physical abilities and wore those speedy shoes. Following the path she had tested yesterday, she could reach the beach in 18 minutes.

Plan successful, get√