No one knew.

As far as they could tell, the only survivors of the shipwreck were the six of them.

The story was set in a fictional background, roughly during the era of the “Prohibition Law.¹” 

Dylan was the son of a local duke, coming from a wealthy family and excelling in the noble academy. However, he was eccentric and reclusive, rarely interacting with others. For his birthday party, aside from the six of them, he had only invited a handful of relatives and classmates.

When they first boarded the cruise ship, everyone thought it felt too empty, but they were quickly distracted by the various entertainments on board and didn’t think much of it.

“Do you think Dylan is still alive?” Brian hopped down from the rocks by the sea. “I still haven’t figured out what our win condition is. If we win, can we go home?”

“Uncovering the secrets behind this,” Freud shrugged, “that condition is too vague.”

“I don’t think we need to dwell on that,” Shen Lin raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. 

It was the hottest month of the year, nearing noon, and the relentless sunlight beat down on them, making his skin itch.

Before coming here, he had been in the middle of winter, but after the game started, his thick down jacket and boots were replaced by light summer clothes. Now, he was dressed in casual summer attire, and even his appearance had changed to match the description on his character card—blonde hair and blue eyes.

Everything had changed silently, a testament to the omnipotence of the one in control here.
He glanced around at the others, noting that their appearances had also changed. His gaze finally landed on Yan Xiuyi, who was sitting on a nearby rock.

He was wearing a dress shirt, rolling up his sleeves after undoing the cufflinks. His long legs, accentuated by his tailored trousers, were casually stretched out on the rock.

His messy, deep brown hair was tousled by the sea breeze, and his profile was sharp and clean.
—His appearance hadn’t changed much; he still had that icy demeanor. However, his originally light brown eyes had turned a cold, pale gray, making him seem even more unapproachable.

Shen Lin looked away and continued, “The rule card said we’re free to explore, and KP No. 98 emphasized the game’s freedom. So, I think the key to this game lies in exploration. As we explore, we’ll gradually get closer to the truth.”

“Explore what? There’s nothing here!” Shawn said coldly.

“First, let’s explore the shipwreck,” Shen Lin ignored him and said, “See if there are any other survivors besides us, especially Dylan. If he’s alive, where would he go? He’s the key to this incident. We have to find him.”

The group decided to split up to investigate. The coastline was assigned to Nana and Brian, the weakest members. A small area of shrubs further inland was assigned to Freud and Shawn, while Shen Lin and Yan Xiuyi were responsible for the area closer to the dense forest. Since they weren’t sure what was in the forest, the only small knife was given to them.

As Shen Lin prepared to enter the forest, he glanced at Yan Xiuyi, who was nearby. He was using a hair tie to make a small slingshot. His slender fingers pulled back and released, sending a small stone flying in a smooth, parabolic arc, hitting the target with precision. At his feet were several makeshift weapons.

Noticing Shen Lin’s gaze, Yan Xiuyi looked up, his eyes cold and indifferent.

Shen Lin awkwardly looked away. He gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and strode over, jumping onto the rock where Yan Xiuyi was sitting.

Yan Xiuyi picked up a sturdy branch and began sharpening one end with the knife.

“Felton.”

“Hmm.”

“Do you really not remember me?” Shen Lin asked in a low voice.

“I don’t,” Yan Xiuyi lowered his gaze and said to Shen Lin, “The doctor said there’s something wrong with my brain structure. I often forget things, so I had to retire from the military. Why did I take that train? How did we meet?”

Shen Lin told Yan Xiuyi about their meeting on the train. He observed Yan Xiuyi’s reaction, but the man remained cold, which left Shen Lin feeling uneasy. His legs, dangling off the rock, swung back and forth unconsciously.

“Do you believe what I’m saying?” Shen Lin asked.

“Hmm,” Yan Xiuyi’s voice was low, “You feel familiar to me. We must know each other.”

Shen Lin smiled, “If we can go back, I’ll help you contact my aunt. She’s a famous neurologist and might be able to cure your amnesia.”

“We’re ready!” Freud waved at them from a distance, “Let’s go. We’ll be back before sunset.”

Yan Xiuyi handed out the makeshift weapons he had made and finally gave the only knife to Shen Lin, “You take it.”

Shen Lin wanted to refuse, but Yan Xiuyi said firmly, “Listen to me.”

The familiar commanding tone made Shen Lin raise an eyebrow. He folded the knife and put it in his pocket, then followed the group into the forest.

The two teams split up halfway. Shen Lin and Yan Xiuyi headed deeper into the forest. As they walked, a voice suddenly echoed in their minds: You seem to have discovered something. Make a Perception check.

Shen Lin: “…”

It was the voice of KP No. 98.

Shen Lin stopped and looked at Yan Xiuyi, who had the same expression. They had both heard the KP’s voice.

“How do we do it? Where are the dice?” Shen Lin asked.

As soon as he finished speaking, KP N. 98 appeared before them. However, unlike the pale paper figure from their first meeting, this version of KP N. 98 was quite refined.

His thin frame was clad in a black tailcoat, with a neatly pressed white shirt tucked under a notched lapel. He wore a black top hat and held a curved black cane, looking like a magician manipulating mysteries.

…It seemed that instant outfit changes weren’t just for them.

KP answered his question in a timely manner, “I’ll appear in the form you like most. It seems you enjoy eerie things, like magicians. So far, I like this image you’ve imagined for me. It suits me well.”

He waved his cane, and two ten-sided dice appeared in front of Shen Lin. One was black with white numbers, marked [00, 10, 20…90], and the other was white with black numbers, marked [1, 2, 3…10].

KP: “With these two dice, you can roll a number between 1 and 100. If you roll 1-5, you’ll achieve a critical success and gain more clues than usual.”

“Then there must be a critical failure, right?”

“Yes,” KP smiled, “The corresponding numbers for a critical failure are 96-100. I hope you don’t have such a dark moment. So, who’s going first?”

Since he asked, everyone would have a chance.

Shen Lin asked Yan Xiuyi, “What’s your Perception?”

Yan Xiuyi checked, “75.”

Shen Lin was surprised, “That high? Then you go first.”

Yan Xiuyi hesitated.

Shen Lin: “What’s wrong?”

Yan Xiuyi pursed his lips, “Nothing. How do I roll?”

KP: “It’s simple. Just tap the dice.”

Shen Lin automatically interpreted Yan Xiuyi’s hesitation as unfamiliarity with the game. This man had a strong ability to adapt in some areas, but in others…he seemed a bit slow.

He reassured him, “It’s fine. With 75 points, the probability of failure is low.”

“Okay.”

Yan Xiuyi tapped the dice in front of him.

The dice spun rapidly and finally stopped—

96.

Yan Xiuyi: “…”

Shen Lin: “………………”

KP said with a regretful smile, “Perception check: 75 (base attribute)/96 (roll result). Critical failure. Let me think about what punishment to give you.”

Yan Xiuyi pressed his temples, “Sorry, my luck has always been bad. You should’ve gone first.”

Shen Lin’s mood was even more complicated, “No, letting you go first was the logical choice. 

My Perception is only 35. I just didn’t expect you to…”

KP: “I’ve decided. Please continue your exploration.”

Shen Lin: “…Aren’t I making the check?”

“Yes, this is your punishment.”

“Punishment? Great,” Shen Lin clicked his tongue, “Now my competitive spirit is fired up.”

Yan Xiuyi looked at the boy’s enthusiastic expression and asked softly, “What’s your plan?”

“Since we need to make a Perception check, there must be something here. Although this game requires attribute checks, I think they’re just tools to help us find clues faster. Even without them, we can rely on our eyes and feet to discover things. It’ll just be…a bit harder.”

His voice was steady and firm as he carefully surveyed the surroundings.

At that moment, a thick fog began to spread from deep within the forest, almost obscuring their vision. KP’s voice echoed in their ears, “This is the punishment for your critical failure.”

“It’s fine,” Shen Lin said, “The harder the bonus question on a math test, the better.”

He broke off a branch from a nearby tree to use as a walking stick, avoiding tripping over protruding roots or rocks, and to help spot any clues along the way.

As Shen Lin continued forward, his free hand was gently grasped by a large, dry hand. He stopped and looked at Yan Xiuyi.

Yan Xiuyi’s expression was still cold, “The fog is too thick. This is safer.”

“Mm,” Shen Lin didn’t object. Holding hands, they continued exploring.

They walked for what felt like a long time, but the fog showed no signs of thinning.

Shen Lin marked the trees they passed, keeping his steps consistent to measure the distance. 

This way, if they found nothing, they could ensure they returned to their makeshift camp by the sea before dark.

Fortunately, they made a new discovery.

“Someone left footprints here,” Shen Lin said, “The fog has made the air more humid, and the ground has become soft and muddy. The footprints are clearly visible. Someone walked this way, heading in that direction.”

“You’re very observant. Now, make an Inspiration check,” KP’s voice sounded again.

“Which attribute is Inspiration?” Shen Lin asked.

“It’s the same as your Intelligence,” KP replied.

Shen Lin hesitated and asked Yan Xiuyi, “What’s your Inspiration?”

At that moment, Shen Lin clearly felt Yan Xiuyi’s hand stiffen. It seemed he instinctively resisted rolling dice, perhaps due to his “bad luck.” But luck was unpredictable. Shen Lin thought he should give Yan Xiuyi some confidence.

“No,” KP dashed his thoughts, “This is your discovery. Only you can make the Inspiration check.”

Shen Lin shrugged, “Alright, my Inspiration is high enough, 80 points.”

1. 1920 until 1933 ↩︎