Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The cold wind sweeping across the nightmare island carried a mournful wail, as if delivering ominous news from afar.

But behind the rocky mountain, the small world of the two, sitting by the little campfire, was remarkably peaceful.

Xi Yu and Luo Xi leaned on each other, lightly dozing, with no sense of how much time had passed since the instance.

Suddenly, a small spark flew out from the wood.

Xi Yu, half-asleep and half-awake, immediately opened his eyes and moved his head away from Luo Xi's shoulder.

He thought he was dreaming, but alongside the wailing wind, there was another faint sound of crying.

Luo Xi was equally alert, propping himself up and asking, "What's wrong?"

Xi Yu frowned. "Someone is crying."

Luo Xi listened carefully. "It really sounds like it. Wait, I'll go check."

This instance world was strangely quiet to the point of being unsettling. Fearing that Luo Xi might encounter danger, Xi Yu immediately got up, kicking out the fire. "Together."

Luo Xi didn’t hesitate and grabbed his shiny hunting knife, leading the way.

Objectively speaking, from the location behind the Frozen Stone Mountain, they could see the exit to the Frostwood Forest in the distance, and the surrounding terrain offered ample cover, making it a difficult place to be seen.

But in the bleak snowstorm, a stumbling figure still approached them directly, with no hesitation at all.

Xi Yu couldn’t help but rush a few steps forward, surprised, "It looks like Xu Tu, what happened to her?!"

At this moment, Luo Xi also recognized the incoming figure and immediately bypassed the traps, running ahead to meet her.

Xu Tu's appearance was very odd, her posture strange and slow, each step appearing difficult.

Xi Yu also quickened his pace, wanting to figure out what was going on and offer help.

The three of them, like three tiny black dots in the endless snowfield, finally came together, only to be unexpectedly struck by a shocking and painful loss.

Xu Tu didn’t know how long she had been on the road. Her white cotton clothes were covered in blood, and her once-beautiful face was smeared with frozen tears. As she knelt weakly on the ground, trembling and confused, she said, "Boss... Aqi is dead... Aqi is out..."

Actually, there was no need for her to say it. Luo Xi had already seen the body tied to her back—the lifeless, pale form of Bai Qi....In just a few short hours of separation, how could life and death be so cruelly divided?

It turns out that the reason accidents are called accidents is because they provide no sense of ceremony, leaving people unprepared and unable to accept the shock.

The wind still howled fiercely, but Xi Yu, in his stunned state, couldn’t feel the slightest bit of cold.

He stared at Xu Tu's broken demeanor, not knowing how to help, while also fearing Luo Xi’s dazed and shocked expression. His heart felt empty, and he quietly asked, "What... happened?"

Xu Tu trembled even more, wiping her tears and speaking in disjointed sentences, "We... the spawn point scattered... I went to find him... he was surrounded by Mu Yuan and Luo Er... they... they fought and then ran away... I couldn't catch up... by the time I went back... Aqi... Aqi already..."

It was clear that the events were still vivid in her mind. As she reached this point, she could no longer hold back her emotions and collapsed onto Luo Xi, crying uncontrollably.

Xi Yu saw that this girl had tied Bai Qi to herself with a rope, and had struggled so much to walk this far. He couldn’t bear to imagine the kind of pain she had endured.

Luo Xi stood frozen for nearly half a minute before he firmly held Xu Tu's shoulders, his eyes unknowingly bloodshot, and whispered, "I’ll go find them!"

Although they had only spent a few days together, Xi Yu had already accepted the existence of these companions, and of course, he wasn’t willing to accept this tragedy. Moreover, he feared that Luo Xi might fall into pain, anger, and despair, so he stopped him, saying, "Wait! We can’t rush into revenge blindly, that will play right into Mu Yuan's hands!"

"I know they have a trick, but I can't let Aqi die for nothing—" Luo Xi couldn't help but raise his voice.

Xi Yu had a sudden realization and quickly interrupted, "Do you remember? I have this—this blood token is a very valuable item!"

Xu Tu, still crying uncontrollably, looked at him with confusion.

Xi Yu was mostly trying to calm them down, and he made an effort to convince them, "The rules mentioned something about undead or something, right? From the setup, Nightmare Island is a surreal world, right? Hundreds of streamers trying to survive together—could there be an item that can resurrect someone?"

The more he spoke, the more he felt it was possible, and his expression grew more sincere. "If there is, the streamers would definitely fight over it. The game planners wouldn’t overlook that."

Xu Tu, still unsure what the blood token was, finally asked in a broken voice, "I... I've never seen anything that could revive someone in the game..."

The Artificial Player on Yun Tai only played one game: a team-based competitive instance with more than ten players. Xi Yu, still inexperienced, didn’t understand why Xu Tu doubted his words. He just instinctively felt that resurrection elements were common in large-scale games, and furrowed his brows in confusion.

Luo Xi fell into deep thought because of Xi Yu’s words, still unsure.

"But isn’t this round of the selection tied to an online game? Maybe it’s different from Yun Tai’s game. How can we know if we don’t try?" He reasoned seriously. "The blood token was a reward for defeating Xingtian, it can’t be worthless. With it, we can ask NPCs where to find the specific item. Even if it can’t revive someone, we could use it to get a powerful weapon and defeat Mu Yuan and Luo Er!"

In the next two minutes, Luo Xi finally managed to collect himself from the brink of collapse and quietly decided, "Xi Yu is right. Even if there’s only a small hope, for Aqi’s sake, we should try."

Xi Yu quickly wiped Xu Tu’s tears and found a different angle to comfort her, "That’s right, and we haven’t finished voting on whether the eliminated streamers will be reset. We can still ask the audience to change their minds! That way, once the selection is over, you’ll be able to see Bai Qi again on Yun Tai!"When a person is in despair, hope feels the most touching.

Originally, Xu Tu had already considered quitting, but after hearing Xi Yu’s idea, she gradually regained some strength: "Then, let’s set off now!"

Luo Xi supported Xu Tu’s body: "You need to rest for a bit. We also need some time to make a plan."

Xu Tu, looking disheveled in the wind, wiped her eyes with her bloodstained hands and nodded.

"The more urgent you are, the more mistakes you make. This is something Aqi always said." Luo Xi frowned. "Have you calmed down?"

Xu Tu nodded, but unfortunately, another tear, crystal clear, slid from her eye, exposing her panic-stricken heart.

In the freezing cold, apart from the importance of warmth, the next most important thing was having enough food to provide strength.

The conditions for survival in the wilderness were limited, and there was no container to cook the rice Xi Yu had won from the lottery.

Fortunately, Luo Xi was resourceful and managed to dig up some stone slabs, placing them over a small campfire. He then ground the rice, mixed it with some snow, and roasted it. Though the food came out half-cooked with a slightly burnt taste, it could at least fill their stomachs.

On the other side, Xu Tu tried to clean her face and hands with snowmelt. She wrapped Bai Qi's body in a small blanket and then rested nearby while eating.

Luo Xi asked, "Have you opened the ice chest?"

Xu Tu, exhausted, replied, "Yeah, I got a supply box, and there was a monster like a polar bear in it. It vanished after I killed it, almost killing me... Oh, and there was a compass."

She pulled out the useful item she had gotten.

Luo Xi, feeling even more frustrated, nodded and gave up on further conversation: "This blood token suggests we go to the hidden temple to the south. Although I don’t know how far it is, we should just keep heading south."

Xu Tu blinked her sore eyes and agreed, "Mm, the distance shouldn’t be too far, since the game time is only five days."

"This situation started because of me, and I will take full responsibility. Whether it’s helping Aqi find hope, or dealing with Mu Yuan and that woman," Luo Xi stirred the fire with a stick and checked the divination mirror. "Twelve people have already died. Whatever happens, all plans must be completed before the game ends."

Xu Tu grabbed two hard rice cakes and stuffed them into her mouth: "Then let’s hurry."

Xi Yu volunteered, "I’ll carry Bai Qi."

"You two are responsible for scouting the path." Xu Tu firmly refused, saying stubbornly, "And I won’t separate from Aqi, even if he already..."

It seemed that although Xu Tu often bullied Bai Qi, in crucial moments, she still cared about him deeply.In response, Xi Yu felt both helpless and heartbroken.

Xu Tu lowered her head and said softly, "Although I had already expected this kind of situation to happen, it turns out I haven't learned how to bear it yet. Don't worry, I'll get my emotions together as soon as possible."

"Feeling sad is normal. As long as there's a little bit of hope, we'll stick it out till the end," Xi Yu solemnly promised. "As for Mu Yuan, there’s no right or wrong between us anymore. Anyway, as long as I get to him, he's as good as dead!"

Unlike natural humans, the existence and disappearance of artificial humans are an eternal test hanging over their lives.

So, after having her companions by her side, Xu Tu no longer cried out like an ordinary girl for the person she liked. Instead, she gradually regained her calm.

She walked steadily through the snowstorm, bearing Bai Qi's frozen body, keeping up with the pace of the two big men.

Xi Yu could only stay by her side, occasionally offering help.

Luo Xi remained at the front, holding the only machete, and naturally, was responsible for protecting the group.

The strong wind hit their faces, and the atmosphere among the three was heavy.

Xi Yu helped Xu Tu up a slope. Seeing her looking listless, he softly said, "This is such an important competition. The company wouldn't just leave us on this deserted island to kill each other off so easily. You all have more experience than I do, so there must be a way out."

"Normally, in supernatural instances, the strength of ghosts and monsters is insurmountable, and players must be careful not to provoke them," Xu Tu sighed. "The snow prince the system mentioned should be the strongest in the instance, but he's been sealed the whole time, and I can't figure out the direction of the instance."

Xi Yu nodded. "Why don't we think about why this instance is called 'Nightmare Island'?"

Xu Tu shook her head, confused.

"Maybe it's just a simple hint that the difficulty of survival is like a nightmare," Xi Yu looked into the distance. "But more likely, every place we've passed through belongs to the nightmare of some NPC. That NPC is probably the snow prince, and this island represents his spiritual world."

This made some sense, and Xu Tu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Xi Yu smiled bitterly. "Since the snow prince can be resurrected, I hope the players who died in his dream will have a chance to come back too."

Xu Tu realized he was subtly giving her false hope, and her nose twitched sadly. She continued walking with her head lowered, not responding with more words.

As they trudged along, two torches with orange light flickered in the distance, accompanied by loud shouting and cursing.

Xi Yu discreetly looked up and observed. "It seems like the streamers are fighting amongst themselves. Should we hide?"

Luo Xi grunted, grabbing his machete. "I'll go take a look. You keep an eye on Tu."Without hesitation, Luo Xi walked toward the location where the incident had occurred.

Xi Yu's exceptional vision allowed him to see clearly that the three people fighting were male streamers. Among them, two had just surrounded and attacked another, causing his internal organs to spill out, staining the snow with dark red.

Luo Xi initially intended to gather information and perhaps take advantage of the situation. As he approached, he noticed someone holding a dagger and became more cautious. "Huh, looks like I stumbled upon a murder scene."

The male streamer who had killed shouted, "Stay out of it, get lost!"

Luo Xi, unfazed, smiled. "I don’t want to interfere. I just want to ask if anyone’s seen a temple?"

The two male streamers clearly hadn’t seen Luo Xi before. After whispering among themselves in the dark, their greedy eyes fell on the hunting knife Luo Xi was holding.

This wasn’t surprising; strength determined status, and weapons were key.

Luo Xi narrowed his eyes with malicious intent.

The man holding the dagger finally spoke up, "We just passed it, it's ahead. Want me to show you the way?"

Luo Xi nodded and stepped forward.

In an instant, the male streamer suddenly showed a fierce look in his eyes and rushed at him with his companion.

Anticipating this, Luo Xi kicked him flying, then, like a swift leopard, leapt into the air and landed in front of him, swinging the knife horizontally. The male streamer’s artery sprayed warm blood, which instantly blossomed on the snow and even released faint white steam.

It seemed the other hadn’t expected Luo Xi to be so strong, and he was completely caught off guard.

The surviving male streamer was naturally terrified, his spirit shattered. No longer the fierce hunter he had been, he fearfully took two steps back and hurriedly fled.

"A rabble... how did they make it to the second round?" Luo Xi sneered, spitting, then bent down to pick up the dropped dagger and called for Xi Yu. "Hide this, just in case."

Xu Tu felt uneasy about the situation. "With resources being limited, more and more people will try to act first. If it ends quickly, Ah Qi will be completely..."

Luo Xi’s expression turned serious. "It’s not about resources."

Xi Yu understood his meaning. "The rules say that once the snow prince is revived, he will start indiscriminate attacks. This will disadvantage the stronger players, so they will definitely eliminate their competitors to avoid any risks."

Luo Xi nodded. "On the other hand, the weaker players will try to rely on the snow prince to decide who dies, hoping to get lucky and survive, so they’ll try to hide."

After saying this, he raised his gossip mirror. "Watch closely. Soon, the number of survivors will stabilize, and then things will settle for a while."Xu Tu had always trusted Luo Xi's judgment. After careful thought, she nodded obediently. "That's best."

Luo Xi extinguished the two torches and coldly commanded, "Move."

The game "Extreme Cold Territory" had become incredibly popular in human society, to the point of having commercial cooperation with the Sea City Entertainment, but the streamers had no concept of it at all. This was their first time experiencing it personally, and they found this world dull, painful, and full of danger, truly worthy of the name "nightmare."

After being forced to trek for hours due to Bai Qi's death, the three of them had walked for four hours, avoiding several waves of beast attacks, finally seeing a change in the landscape.

Xi Yu had been helping Xu Tu carry Bai Qi's frozen body, and with each breath, white mist swirled in the air. "We're not moving slow; we've covered at least 17 to 18 kilometers. Mu Yuan and Luo Er should not be near. Is that sign of habitation up ahead?"

Xu Tu tiredly forced a smile. "It seems so, but don’t worry, there’s no one inside, only a bunch of ghosts."

Luo Xi slowly stopped and looked into the distance at the low, shadowy buildings. "Not sure if the so-called Divine Hidden Temple is there. I'll go check it out."

Xi Yu stopped him. "No, if there’s a building, we might trigger a mission event. Let’s go together."

Xu Tu also chimed in, "Boss, we don’t know what’s going on with this island. Splitting up will cause problems."

Luo Xi sighed. "Then make sure to stick close to me."

"Huh?" Xu Tu raised an eyebrow. "Why are you being so cautious now? You used to trust me a lot."

Luo Xi sighed again. "… I just feel like Xi Yu might accidentally attract an NPC to cause trouble."

"..."

The rebellious youth who had been called out reluctantly agreed and then was allowed to move toward the new map.

Black Water Village.

The three deep words were carved onto a large stone outside the buildings, simple but ominous, accompanied by some lingering, inexplicable bloodstains. It looked increasingly foreboding.

Xu Tu gently sniffed the cold air. "It smells like corpses."

Luo Xi frowned. "The rules say there’s no life on this island, and that includes the beasts. They’re all just illusions. Stay alert."

Xi Yu, however, crouched down to examine the ground closely. "… It’s fine. Perhaps a streamer has already gone ahead to scout."

Sure enough, faint footprints were visible in the snow-covered gravel path, all left by boots.

Xi Yu stood up. "Two men, two women. There’s no sound now. They’re probably all dead.""Go take a look. The most dangerous places are often the most valuable." Luo Xi waved his hand. "Our goal is the Divine Hidden Temple. If anything happens, protect Rabbit and escape first."

This village, frozen on the isolated island, had become a group of icy ruins, sculpted by the extreme cold winds and snow. The wood and stone cracks were filled with frost, making it incredibly desolate.

Upon closer inspection, the buildings along the stone road were quite simple, reflecting the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty in China. Though not luxurious, the fine details were realistically and vividly depicted, showing that the game's artists had put significant effort into their research.

Luo Xi, however, was solely focused on following the footprints, with no time to appreciate the surroundings. Eventually, he stopped at a T-junction and said, "They split up here, but it’s not chaotic, so they probably didn’t encounter any danger."

Throughout the journey, Xu Tu had been looking around, the spark of hope in his eyes gradually fading. "There’s no temple here, just some ordinary houses."

At that moment, they unexpectedly heard a system notification.

[Brave traveler, the Ice Box count has been reset.]

[The current number of survivors is 469.]

[Snow Prince has obtained 37 bones, please be careful.]

After all the trouble, the three of them were both exhausted and hungry. Xi Yu saw this as good news and immediately suggested, "Let’s find some boxes to open. We should get some food to regain our strength before continuing. You can just watch, Luo Xi."

Luo Xi, who was unfairly called out, shrugged. "I guess I can help you find boxes, right?"

... The boxes you find might not be very lucky, though.

Xi Yu almost said this out loud but stopped, thinking he shouldn’t pick on him. He quietly held back.

At this point, Xu Tu was showing signs of dehydration. Holding back discomfort, he coughed lightly and said, "Forget it, let the boss handle it. Whoever has bad luck this time, it’s not going to be worse than Bai Qi’s."

Bai Qi, whom Xu Tu had been carrying, had lost his glasses. His body had frozen stiff, and his complexion had turned pale, making him look particularly pitiful.

Luo Xi frowned, turned his head, and pointed to a small building at the exit of Black Water Village. "Let’s go there first. It looks intact, and we can shelter from the wind."

Xu Tu nodded. The group continued forward.

Although Black Water Village was filled with traces of blood and the stench of decay, there wasn’t a single corpse in sight, and the place they took refuge in was the same.

Xi Yu quickly checked the house, then reported after inspecting the living room. "Nothing here. This seems to have been a tailor’s home. It’s all torn cloth and old clothes, but unfortunately, scissors and such are rusted."

"At least we could find some clean clothes to keep warm. This instance has so few supplies." Xu Tu crouched down, starting a small fire. He placed the blanket wrapped around Bai Qi in the corner, sat down cross-legged beside it to rest.Currently, she no longer cries, only not laughing and chattering like before. It seems she has indeed become strong enough.

Xi Yu moved closer to the fire, easing his stiff body and slightly damp boots, trying to find a topic to talk about. "It’s probably been less than ten hours, don’t worry."

"I know you’re trying to give me some vague hope, so I don’t lose it," Xu Tu said softly, then tiredly buried her face in her legs. "I’ll hang in there. After all, Bai Qi helped me so many times before. I can’t waste his kindness... Even if he’s been reset, I’ll still find him. I can’t be out of this. If I am, all the memories with him will be gone forever."

Her words slightly pained Xi Yu’s heart, and he absentmindedly looked up.

Fortunately, Luo Xi, who always handled things efficiently, had already returned, tossing several ice boxes to the ground with a clatter. "Open them."

With that, he stood with a knife in hand, ready to deal with any monsters that might emerge.

Xi Yu was very decisive, grabbing a dagger and stabbing three times. Three beautiful specks of dust dispersed, revealing three items.

Even a non-lucky person would be envious.

Xu Tu finally perked up a bit, leaning over to see what was inside. "What are they?"

"Oil bottles, flour... Is this for making pancakes?" Xi Yu picked up the last item, an apple, and looked at Luo Xi. "…Fruit."

Xu Tu rubbed her stomach. "Wow, I want to eat!"

Who would have guessed, Luo Xi snatched the apple away, sternly saying, "If you want to eat, open your own!"

Xu Tu widened her eyes, not understanding why he was being so petty.

Xi Yu shook his head and smiled lightly. Actually, when he got the items, he had heard the system notification.

[Sweet Apple from Black Water Village: Give it to a favored person to increase the affection between both players in the instance by ten.]

What affection was for, probably no one knew right now.

But hearing the word made Xi Yu feel strangely happy. He looked at Xu Tu and said, "You open it, I’ll watch."

Xu Tu took the dagger, raised her arm to stab at the glittering ice boxes, when suddenly, the previously warm little house plunged into complete darkness!

In an instant, a strange, sickeningly sweet smell flooded the small space, mixing with the original stench of death and blood, making it almost unbearable.

Xu Tu panicked, "There’s a ghost!!! Xi Yu, hold my hand!! I’m scared!!!""You only said you were afraid of insects, right?" Xi Yu, who had lost his sight, struggled to feel his way towards Xu Tu but couldn't find anything.

Xu Tu, who could be fierce to others, was now trembling like a scared puppy, her voice cracking with a cry, "Little Xi Yu, don't let go of me!"

"I didn’t touch you!" Xi Yu responded.

Xu Tu became more distressed. Amid her screams, she accidentally pushed something, causing a chaotic sound as she fell awkwardly.

At the same time, Xi Yu unexpectedly felt a pair of delicate arms wrap around him from behind, and he yelled, "Who?! Let go!"

Finally, a soft, trembling voice whispered in his ear, "My lord, you’ve finally come back to find me... I’ve been waiting so long..."

Xu Tu’s scream came from near the floor, "Xi Yu! Xi Yu! Did a ghost attach to you? Don’t let her touch you! She’ll kill you!"

Xi Yu struggled to pry the arms off him. Just as he managed to break free, the arms seemed to have no bones, wrapping around him again, even more irritating than an octopus.

He was caught off guard, urgently questioning, "Stop screaming! Xu Tu, where’s my knife?!"

As soon as his words fell, another force grabbed him from behind, tightly locking around his neck, and a cold light flashed beside him!

A woman's piercing, shrill scream immediately pierced their eardrums!

Fortunately, this attack worked, and the lost firelight returned, illuminating the absurd scene in the room: Xu Tu was lying on the ground, hugging a chair leg in a daze, while Luo Xi had loosened his grip and instead grabbed Xi Yu's hand, vigilantly glaring at the approaching NPC.

The NPC wore bright red clothes and had no legs, floating around the room with a pale, powdered face. Her voice was soft and smooth, with an undertone of coldness and even some anger: "My lord... you dare betray me... and bring that vile woman into my home... I won’t forgive you... I won’t forgive you... None of you will leave..."

Xi Yu, inexplicably involved in a ghostly affair: "…"

Vile Luo Xi: "…"

Xu Tu, regretting not crawling out of the door: "…"

In the two seconds of their stunned silence, the narrow house suddenly expanded and rose up, with pathways and stairs being built like a deep tower, fabric and new clothes appeared out of nowhere, moving without wind, instantly forming a very complex maze.

They were powerless to fight back, and were then directly pulled by the system’s immense strength to the topmost point, simultaneously hearing the cruel prompt.

[Host Xi Yu, with a face like a crown of jade, is mistaken for the female ghost Xiao Yan’s fiancé, triggering the nightmare quest.]

[Please escape from Xiao Yan’s corridor within an hour, or you will immediately be eliminated.]The moment the words fell, the light dimmed slightly.

Xi Yu leaned on the railing and looked down, unable to count how many corridors stretched before him. The dark space below felt eerily similar to the image of the eighteenth layer of hell.

The NPC causing trouble, Xiao Yan, flew ghost-like to the eaves, tears streaming down her face, and she had even cried away some of the powder on her face: "My lord... you heartless man... you will never escape me..."

Luo Xi, hearing this, felt it was unbearably noisy. Without hesitation, he jumped over the railing, grabbing the red silk, and immediately stabbed toward her!

Xiao Yan screamed and disappeared into the black mist, only to reappear from another direction, furiously shouting, "Vile woman, how dare you lay your hands on me!"

Luo Xi swung back to the center of the corridor: "Come here."

"Go to hell!" Xiao Yan rushed toward him, forcefully tearing the red silk from his hands.

Fortunately, Luo Xi had prepared for this. He quickly jumped to the next layer of the corridor.

Unexpectedly, this corridor responded to the pressure, creaking and shifting direction, transforming into a one-way path leading to the top level.

Xu Tu, hiding behind Xi Yu, sighed in frustration: "We're in trouble. There's spatial displacement. We'll need time."

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and smirked: "Stick close to me. It's not too late to recognize me as your sister now."