Chapter 171: New Dungeon: Cursed Island

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: New Dungeon: Cursed Island

Shi Zhile glanced at the time, then immediately turned to Jiang Yu. "What exactly did the book say?"

Jiang Yu pressed her temples. "Vital points. The vital points of various monsters! I didn’t get to read much... or rather, I can’t remember much. I can only recall what I read in the book when I see the actual monster.

Also, my panel is different from all of yours."

The base leader asked, "How is it different?"

"The sections, the colors... they’re all different. I can clearly see every region of the island and know roughly when each disaster will arrive, but..." Jiang Yu suddenly clutched her head. Veins bulged on her forehead, and she looked like she was in agony.

"Don’t say any more, and don’t even think about it!"

Jiang Jing immediately grabbed her arm and began pressing acupuncture points on her head. It was a long time before Jiang Yu finally relaxed.

Cold sweat trickled down her temples, and Jiang Yu’s lips had turned pale. Shi Zhile handed her a tissue, carefully observing her condition.

’The pain is real. She isn’t faking it.’

"The instance is about to start, and the space will be sealed off. What do we do about Jiang Yu?"

The deputy base leader mused for a moment before looking at Shi Zhile. "Let’s take a gamble. We’ll send a team to escort the island’s researchers and Jiang Yu to the Primitive Forest."

Shi Zhiyi said, "The Primitive Forest isn’t safe. Don’t forget, that giant python is still in there."

The base leader replied, "Compared to the next instance, the Primitive Forest is safer. Of course, whether or not they enter the next instance is their own decision."

...

Upon returning to Stone Island, Shi Zhile was surprised to see Jiang Yuxing.

He was wearing a black down jacket, that familiar smile on his face. But ever since meeting Xi Nan, Shi Zhile couldn’t help but feel there was something sinister about his smile.

The two exchanged a few disingenuous pleasantries before Jiang Yuxing left a courtyard full of lab equipment and departed once more.

Once she was sure he wasn’t coming back, Shi Zhile finally sized up the equipment in the courtyard. The instruments were neither new nor old, showing signs of prior use, but overall, she didn’t recognize a single piece.

She intended to store the equipment in her backpack to send to the base, but no matter what she did, the instruments wouldn’t go in.

She then tried to move one into her Planting Space. This time it worked, but then she couldn’t get it back out.

In the end, she just took photos and sent them directly to the base, telling them to send their own people for transport.

Another day passed in the blink of an eye, and all the equipment from the courtyard had been moved to the base.

The researchers from the base, along with Jiang Yu, entered the Primitive Forest.

Taking advantage of the lull between instances, she planted various crops in designated zones within her Planting Space. This time, she didn’t use any growth accelerants, as these crops were intended for seed stock.

She picked all the ripe fruit. Perhaps it was because there was too much fruit, or perhaps because her stats had risen too quickly, but either way, eating fruit no longer increased her attributes.

However, her agility, Strength, and Constitution had all increased to 27.

Outwardly, she looked no different, but only she knew that she could now sprint a full kilometer without even getting winded.

During the day, Shi Zhile used a piece of the giant python’s scales to forge a set of form-fitting soft armor, which she successfully fitted onto Shi Zhiyi.

That night, the system, which had been silent for a month, posted a pinned message.

[Survival Tip: The Cursed Island instance is about to begin.]

[Start Time: Tomorrow, 7:00 AM.]

[Instance Duration: 7 days]

[Instance Mission 1: Survive for 7 days.]

[Mission 2: Find the source of the curse and prevent its spread.]

[Mission 3: Sacrifice!]

[Complete any single mission to clear the instance.]

As usual, the instance provided no further hints.

Shi Zhile secured the hairpin in her hair, recalling the message Jiang Yuxing had sent her.

"Ten people sacrificed, zero survivors."

"Choosing Mission Three requires finding ten people to sacrifice. The sacrifice results in death. It’s a vicious cycle."

Pushing the thoughts aside, Shi Zhile went to sleep.

She slept dreamlessly. The next day, just after she finished breakfast, the instance began.

As the system made another announcement, a wave of dizziness washed over them. When it passed, everyone found themselves on a desolate island.

Before anyone could get their bearings, the mechanical voice sounded again.

[Cursed Island Instance Tips: 1. A curse pervades the island. Every day at midnight, a new wave of the curse will sweep across the entire island. Any player who touches it will die instantly.]

[2. Do not pick up, bury, or destroy any human bones or sacrificial artifacts. Violators will be devoured by the curse.]

[3. At dusk, the seawater will turn black and emit a black fog. During this time, all players are forbidden from going to sea. You must immediately proceed to the village and find shelter. Anyone who comes into contact with the black fog will be cursed.]

[High-Risk Warning: The seal on the altar at the island’s center is damaged. The power of the curse grows stronger daily. If the sacrifice is not completed by the seventh day, you will face the Curse Tide.]

As the voice faded, the players all around instantly fell into a panic.

One person looked down and saw a skull by their feet. Though their face paled, they remembered the warning and didn’t touch it.

Shi Zhile stood at the edge of the crowd, facing the sea as she quickly scanned the other players.

Whether it was because she was too tall or everyone else was too short, at five-foot-seven, she felt strangely isolated from the rest of the group.

It wasn’t until she heard a babble of gibberish that she realized she’d landed in a nest of devils.

Out of the thirty-odd people, she didn’t see a single familiar face, which made her frown.

A nearby man approached to make conversation. Shi Zhile shot him a cold glance, then immediately looked away. It was for no other reason than he looked utterly sleazy, with the stereotypical features she associated with the Japanese.

Seeing that Shi Zhile was ignoring him, he muttered something unintelligible and went to find other players.

Shi Zhile carefully observed her surroundings. When her gaze fell on the sun, already descending in the west, her brow furrowed even deeper.

’The instance was supposed to start at seven in the morning. Following the sun’s natural course, it should still be in the east right now.’

The players near the shore were chattering away in their foreign tongue. They all launched their rafts at once and headed out to sea. Shi Zhile scratched her head, not understanding a single word.

Just then, a man walked over with a smile on his face. "Can’t understand what they’re saying? Are you from Huaxia?"

Shi Zhile sized up his height. Thinking he was probably one of the Japanese, she ignored him completely, turning to walk toward the center of the island while avoiding the human bones scattered nearby.

’Tip three said that at dusk, not only are we forbidden from going to sea, but we also have to find shelter in the village.’

’I need to get familiar with the island’s layout and find the village and a place to stay as soon as possible.’

When he saw Shi Zhile turn and walk away, the man immediately followed. "Are you mute from birth, or did it happen later? Let me introduce myself. I’m from Huaxia. The name’s Wen Yuchu, president of the Association for the Disabled."

Seeing no reaction from Shi Zhile, he slapped his forehead, a look of utter despair on his face. "Oh, great. She’s a deaf-mute. Isn’t this just fucking great..."

The sky was turning yellow, a classic sign of dusk.

If Shi Zhile had been unsure about the time before, she was absolutely certain now that it was afternoon.

The man at her side was still chattering endlessly, giving her a headache. Without breaking her stride, she cut him off. "Shut up. Use your brain if you want to live."

’Those Japanese guys behind us aren’t far away. If they confirm our identities, they’ll probably surround and kill us.’

Wen Yuchu fell silent instantly.