Nightmare Shuttle

The sea breeze rushed into the window violently, and the wind direction changed. Chu Yi looked up at the sky. The night sky, which was still clear just now, was now covered with a thick layer of dark clouds that completely obscured. In the violent sea breeze, a fishy smell rolled in from outside.

The atmosphere was filled with cold tension.

His eyes only blinked for a second when he found that Granny Li stretched her neck and began approaching the window. From afar, she opened her mouth, and he could smell a thick scent of pungent chemical fertilizer on her body: "Ya." Her cloudy eyes were scattered, she didn't know what she was looking at, "Ma, Ya."

Her neck seemed to be stretching farther and farther in his direction as if she was just a hollow piece of skin that could stretch forever!

Behind her with a strange sense of ritual, the villagers who had their eyes still locked onto him, lips widened into creepy smiles; suddenly stood in a straight line under the night and slowly started to walk towards the sea, their feet were dragging and for each step, their abdomens would grow larger and larger until it resembled a six-month-old belly!

It bulged grotesquely in different places as if whatever was underneath it was trying to pierce through the skin as they slowly walked to the pier, and disappeared into the darkness.

The pungent and fishy smell became stronger.

Chu Yi blinked twice uncontrollably and Granny Li disappeared from before his eyes, in its place a cold chill was felt on the back of his neck. Chu Yi's eyes shrunk and his elbow was forcefully brought back and twisting his waist to bring the hand with a knife back!

Ruan Quixi just barely avoided being stabbed and grabbed the murderous hands, A low and provocative voice, with obvious playfulness sounded in his ears, like teasing a cat with fried fur, "Calm down dear, the conditions to attack have not been reached yet. Nothing will happen tonight." 

Before his words could finish echoing, a strange knocking sound came at the door...

Tuk tuk-tuk.

"...."

A panicked voice yelled from outside the door, "Chu Yi, Open up! "

"..."

He looked at Ruan Quixi with a raised eyebrow, is the legendary planting a flag and tripping over it?

"Chu Yi open up! I have something to show you!"

***

Chen Zi and Liang Yuanhao live in the same room. As players who met in the previous copy, naturally, they became teammates and after coming off the ship managed to get a room together with an old married couple.

They felt that it was not wise to venture into the woods at the edge of the clearing, and it was not wise to wander the village even if the mission task was to explore the forbidden areas. The best way to avoid death was to hide in the house and sleep till morning, so apart from eating they have stayed cooped up in the house since arrival.

Chen Zi stood by the window and looked out into the night, saying worriedly, "Do you think something wrong with the food..."

"How many copies have you experienced? Why are you still so indecisive." Liang Yuanhao stood by an iron bucket and splashed some water onto his face, "This copy does not include cannibalism, nor famine. In the clue we got, it said that villagers just worshiped an evil god. As long as you find the clues about the god, is there a reason to rush? If the others can find clues and answers, that's great, but I think that little white face is just making a fuss to seek attention. Hasn't he already attracted the resentment of the villagers?."

Chen Zi: "But what if? What if something goes wrong?"

Liang Yuanhao took a somewhat clean cloth, rubbed his face, and said vaguely, "Nothing will go wrong. Do you know much I paid for that clue? Even if something did happen, it won't be our turn to die, it'll be that reckless man."

Chen Zi was still listless, and Liang Yuanhao tried to comfort him: "To tell you the truth, I have taken five copies, and I have experienced this world the most, this is my last copy then I can become an official player."

"The villagers are weird, and you must understand, here the human heart is far scarier than the monsters. Therefore what we must do is not offend the villagers at any cost, I've already seen through the tricks of the system, the greater the hostility the closer our chances to death."

He was distracted for a moment, and then added: "Conforming is our best chance of winning."

Chen Zi looked at him and said, "Brother Liang, you see things."

Liang Yuanhao scratched his head and said a little proudly, "Don't mention this, I'm going to sleep, you'd better go to sleep as soon as possible."

They didn't dare to delay and hurried to the bed, forcing themselves to sleep. Chen Zi thought it would take a long time of tossing and turning before he could sleep, but who knew why soon enough, light snoring sounded.

The night passed quickly, Chen Zi woke up from a feeling of extreme hunger. He groaned and held his distended belly slightly, sat up and rummaged through the table beside him, and pulled out a small compressed biscuit.

His eyes glowed green and he hurriedly ripped the plastic open, bringing it to his lips, however the moment the instant the biscuit touched his tongue, an overwhelming feeling of nausea hit him like a train track. The food that had seemed so delicious before, now felt as if he was holding a pile of shit in his hands. There was even a faint taste of sour bile in the back of his throat.

Suppressing the urge to hurl, he the down the uneaten biscuit and unconsciously thought of the fish he had eaten on the ship. It was the most delicious food he had ever eaten and he wanted to if he could bring the recipe out.

Saliva almost pooled out of his mouth and his stack grumbled in protest.

His restless movements and a feeling of unease washed over his body, he closed his eyes instinctively.

There was a sudden knocking sound on the outside, very light, but it was extremely clear at night. But who would knock on doors at this time of night?

Chen Zi broke out into a cold sweat, Liang Yuanhao was still snoring and didn't realize anything.

The knocking sound rang in several doors one after another, opening before closing, getting closer and closer... until after a few minutes, the knocking sound finally sounded on this room!

Tuk Tuk Tuk.

Chen Zi feigned turning over, his eyelids trembling in fear.

Tuk Tuk Tuk.

The knock sounded again.

The door handle juggled restlessly.

Chen Zi didn't dare to open his eyes, and stayed motionless on the bed, listening to the sound of the knocking.

Tuk Tuk Tuk.

The thing outside seemed unsure if he was awake. After three more knocks, a fluttering voice suddenly sounded: "Are you hungry?"

Chen Zi almost urinated on the spot. 

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to pretend to be asleep.

The voice was unrelenting: "As long as you speak up, I can get you something to eat."

Liang Yuanhao, who was beside him, seemed to wake up and his calf twitched uncontrollably and kicked the floor of the bed. The loud noise was jarring in the silent night.

The voice had reached the ears of the two of them:

"One last time, are you hungry?" The room was dead silent.

The voice sighed softly: "Alas..."

After a few seconds of silence, the door lock was opened with a click.

Chen Zi's hand under the quilt clenched into a fist. In his ear, he could hear a wet trail being dragged from the door to the side of his bed.

He tried to maintain steady breathing, but he was sure his rapidly beating heart had already betrayed him. 

His forehead was swept by something soft and wet, and the voice whispered: "No fever."

Immediately afterward, the thing took a look at Cheng Zi's eyelids, a firelight was shone into his eyeballs, before it said, "The eyeballs have not changed."

In the gap when his eyelids were briefly opened, Chen Zi recognized this person as the villager that had rented this room to them. 

He let him go and walked away, "Not ready yet."

A similar inspection was done to the other occupant in the room and when he was given a similar judgment, Liang Yuanhao breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes quietly opening a slit.

As a result, a cold light flashed.

The last picture he saw was a pale hand holding a bone-chopping knife high, before swinging it down at his head. His eyes shrunk in despair–

No didn't he say that he wasn't ready yet! He didn't even have time to scream, with a cold glint the knife slammed into his fragile throat.

The morning sun was bright and welcoming.

The director who threw up several times yesterday came out of the room with a pale face. His stomach was empty but besides what the villagers served there was hardly any other food here. He picked up three milk tablets and put them in his mouth, and waved his hand at them listlessly.

"Chu Yi prepare, today your first scene will be filmed."

He looked around, "Where's my lead actor."

The crew looked at him strangely, "They're outside.....digging...."