The makeshift camp was crude—they had roughly stacked wooden planks to create a small safe area. The space was cramped, forcing everyone to squeeze in side by side. Bed sheets that had washed ashore hung outside the planks, their salty, fishy smell from the sun-dried seawater particularly pungent.

By now, Brian and Freud were fast asleep, their snores echoing loudly.

Shen Lin walked over to the bonfire and sat down beside Yan Xiuyi. It was supposed to be Yan Xiuyi’s turn to keep watch, but Shen Lin couldn’t sleep.

He hugged his knees, resting his chin on them, and stared at the crackling fire. There was plenty of dry firewood in the forest, enough to keep the fire burning all night—unless a sudden wave extinguished it. But their camp was set up closer to the woods, so the tide shouldn’t reach them.

Warmed by the fire, drowsiness crept over Shen Lin, and his head began to nod.

A deep voice sounded beside him: “Not going to sleep? It’s cold out here.”

Shen Lin mumbled a vague response, refusing outright in his half-asleep state.

Seeing his tired expression, Yan Xiuyi asked softly, “Too cramped?”

“Yeah,” Shen Lin swayed slightly as he spoke frankly, “It’s cramped and smelly. I don’t want to sleep there.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll go to the cabin,” Yan Xiuyi said, “If possible, we’ll commandeer it temporarily.”

Shen Lin chuckled and opened his eyes to look at Yan Xiuyi: “Such official language.”

Yan Xiuyi smiled. Watching Shen Lin curl up into a ball, shivering in the cold sea breeze—even in the hottest summer, nights by the sea could still give you goosebumps—he handed Shen Lin a small piece of curtain fabric reserved for the night watch: “Use this to keep warm.”

“You’re good at taking care of people,” Shen Lin said, recalling their experience on the train. He added in his mind—you just look a bit intimidating and cold.

Yan Xiuyi said, “When I was younger, I was always looked after by my seniors in the military. Back then, I was stubborn and caused a lot of trouble—fighting, sneaking out, even peeing in someone’s thermos.”

Shen Lin: “………………” I wouldn’t have guessed.

Yan Xiuyi: “I did all sorts of stupid things and paid the price. Once, I broke my leg and had to get up and train within a week. We had to run ten kilometers, and the last one had to wash everyone’s dishes.”

Shen Lin imagined the scene: “That’s brutal.”

Yan Xiuyi glanced at Shen Lin. The boy was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open, his golden hair glowing softly in the firelight.

“Are you scared?” Yan Xiuyi asked.

Shen Lin looked at him as if to say, Are you kidding? He closed his eyes again, drowsy: “Isn’t being scared normal?”

Yan Xiuyi said, “But you don’t seem scared. You look like you’re familiar with all this.”

“You don’t seem scared either.”

“I’m used to it,” Yan Xiuyi replied cryptically.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” KP’s voice suddenly chimed in, “But I must emphasize that I designed your characters so you could respect their roles in the game. Please don’t say things that go beyond the game’s context. This is a verbal warning. If it happens again, there will be concrete penalties. Now, let’s talk about this world—your classmates and the events you’re facing.”

“Oh,” Yan Xiuyi suddenly said, “I think I like you.”

Shen Lin was so startled that all his drowsiness vanished: “？？？？？”

Yan Xiuyi: “Felton’s memories say so. I watched a play you starred in and fell in love at first sight.”

Shen Lin: “…”

KP corrected: “Felton has a crush on Orion! This is outright confession! Can you please respect the character’s personality? This is why I hate dealing with new players!”

Shen Lin muttered, Aren’t you a newbie too?

“Forget it,” KP grumbled for a moment, then chuckled mysteriously. “Enough bonding time. Now, you two on watch, make a Listen check.”

The black-and-white dice appeared before them again. Familiar with how they worked, the two tapped them lightly. The dice spun and landed—Shen Lin passed, but Yan Xiuyi failed.

“Looks like you two could write a story about a lucky one and an unlucky one,” KP said.

Shen Lin: “…”

Yan Xiuyi remained silent.

KP: “Now, Orion, please listen carefully.”

The sound of the tide grew louder. Shen Lin vaguely heard something eerie from beneath the waves—a sound he couldn’t describe but felt heavy with danger. His chest trembled as if a giant were stomping across the earth.

The next moment, Shen Lin jumped to his feet, rushed to the tent, and yanked open the fabric, shouting, “Run! The waves are coming!”

A massive wave, far stronger than anything they had ever seen, crashed onto the shore. The group, still groggy from sleep, were drenched head to toe in icy seawater, their eyes wide with terror. The coastline was swallowed by the tide, and the entire island shook violently. Yan Xiuyi grabbed Nana, who was nearly swept away, and pulled her up, shouting to the others, “Run! Into the woods!”

Nana stumbled, supported by Freud, as they fled toward the forest.

Yan Xiuyi brought up the rear. Shen Lin glanced toward the western shore, where the waves were even fiercer. Shawn had gone in that direction earlier.

The raging tide swept away the bright red flag Shawn had set up. Under the cold moonlight, the flash of red was stark before it disappeared.

Shen Lin squinted. KP’s voice echoed in his ears: “Make a Spot check.”

Shen Lin rolled the dice and succeeded.

He quickly spotted Shawn in the moonlight, standing helplessly on a rock, too scared to move. Remembering that Shawn couldn’t swim, Shen Lin didn’t hesitate. He swam against the tide toward Shawn.

Seeing this, Yan Xiuyi told Freud and the others to find higher ground and followed Shen Lin.

Shen Lin, with his lithe, performer’s physique, moved through the water like a mermaid. His golden hair was a clear marker, making it easy for Yan Xiuyi to catch up.

When they reached Shawn, he was pale and trembling, clinging to the rock for dear life. His lips were purple, and he muttered incoherently.

Shen Lin exchanged a glance with Yan Xiuyi, who nodded. They moved to either side of Shawn, trying to lift him to safety.

KP’s voice sounded again: “Due to his extreme fear of water, his mental state is unstable. Please make a Luck check.”

Everything seemed to freeze. Shen Lin rolled a critical success.

KP: “!!!”

KP conceded: “Alright, you’re really, really lucky!”

The two hauled Shawn, who was flailing in the water, toward higher ground. Before long, the tide began to recede, leaving behind a beach littered with fish carcasses.

The crisis was over. The night was quiet again, the stars shining brightly.

Shen Lin and Yan Xiuyi sat on the ground, panting. Shen Lin lay on his back like a fish out of water, completely disregarding his image. Before him, KP in his tailcoat tipped his hat and bowed politely: “Well done.”

Brian, soaked from head to toe, wrung out his clothes and wailed, “What happened to the beginner mode!?”

KP: “Compared to other modules, this isn’t too difficult. Just a bit of adventure.”

“A bit?”

“Yes, a bit.”

Everyone rolled their eyes.

Shawn hadn’t recovered yet. His face was pale, and he trembled as if still in the water. After a while, he suddenly screamed, “Why!? I can swim! Why am I so afraid of water!? What kind of psychological manipulation did you do to me!? Who are you people!? Speak! I didn’t take out any loans!!! I’m just an ordinary office worker!!!”

KP chuckled: “Make a Sanity check.”

“What’s that?”

“A mental stability check to see if he’ll actually go insane.”

Everyone: “…”

Shen Lin waved him off: “Give us a breather. Respect the beginner mode.”

KP fell silent, then said, “Fine.”

Brian crouched beside Shawn and patted his shoulder seriously: “You have to learn to face reality. I understood that when I was ten.”

Shen Lin: “?”

Freud: “Orion said that. It didn’t work.”

Brian: “But it sounds cool. I’m using it to show off.”

“Don’t touch me!” Shawn snapped, swatting his hand away.

“See?” Freud gave a knowing look. “The effect of showing off depends on your looks. You’re not cut out for it.”

Brian: “…”

The group bantered and teased each other, lightening the mood after the sudden disaster.

After resting for a while, Shen Lin got up and pointed at the fish lying belly-up on the beach: “Luckily, we’ve got food now.”

They gathered the fish, skewered them on sharpened sticks, and roasted them over the fire. In this isolated wilderness, without oil, salt, or any seasoning, simply cooking the fish from raw to done filled them with a profound sense of satisfaction.

Whether it was the natural deliciousness of the sea fish or Yan Xiuyi’s exceptional cooking skills, everyone ate three or four fish before finally stopping, full and content.

The night was still young.

Reflecting on what had just happened, if both watchers had failed their Listen checks, the situation could have been much worse.

Shen Lin thought for a moment and said, “Let’s go to the cabin. All of us. We’ll find a way to commandeer it.”

The cabin in the forest, though old, was clearly the best option for their temporary base.

---

Author’s Note:
If the names are hard to remember, focus on their personalities and roles to help you understand:

• Freud: The bookworm
• Nana: The lady
• Shawn: The arrogant elite
• Brian: The internet-addicted jokester
• Orion: Shen Lin
• Felton: Yan Xiuyi

I’ll use the protagonists’ real names when writing, but others will be referred to by their in-game names~