Ten minutes later, a pale grey shoreline appeared directly in front of the small boat.
"There seems to be a village by the beach," Zhou Zhi gazed into the distance for a while, "We're not really going to... kill people, are we?"
"What nonsense are you talking about, we're pirates!" the Russian rowed excitedly, "My God... a completely realistic game where I can do what I want, and it's not even illegal! There's one thing you're not wrong about, buddy, this is definitely the most thrilling game in the world."
"I'm glad you're pleased," the host nodded slightly.
"Of course, of course I'm satisfied!" Chekhov grinned, "This million-dollar ticket is totally worth it!"
Zhou Zhi swallowed hard, his rowing motions stiffening somewhat.
The host patted his shoulder, "Relax a bit, it's just a game."
"I know... but..."
"But when something becomes real to a certain extent, the line between illusion and reality becomes blurred. Is that what you mean?" the host nodded, "I understand, this is the new thought that technological advancement brings to us. However, I also remember that the Paradise project's brochure clearly mentioned that the game is about unparalleled sensory experience, meant for those who seek the thrill of the unknown. By pressing the payment button, you've acknowledged that you've accepted the terms and are like the other participants, someone who is after the thrill. So why hesitate now?"
"I..." Zhou Zhi's face changed, "that's none of your business!"
"Indeed. You have qualified to participate; what you do next is your freedom."
"I told you, this game should have an age limit," James' condition had improved a lot at this moment. He smoked and shouted, "If you're scared, just watch from the sidelines! After all, pirates need someone to manage the logistics!"
Zhou Zhi gripped the oar handle tightly, not responding further.
As they got closer to the coast, they could see more clearly. Indeed, there was a village ahead, not large, with dozens of thatched cottages haphazardly situated on the beach. Beside the houses stood various fish drying racks and fishing nets, with rows of dried fish hanging on the racks, plainly the residents' source of livelihood.
Not only did they see the village, the villagers seemed to have noticed the swiftly approaching small boat. Panic visibly spread among them, and women who had been killing fish and washing nets on the beach fled toward the village, their cries and shouts unintelligible.
"Hah, they even thought about the language barrier?"
"It's better this way, saves us from hearing their pleas."
"I have one last question to ask," James looked at the host.
"Please, go ahead."
"In case... I mean just in case we sustain serious injuries, will it affect reality in any way?" he chose his words carefully, "Like in some movies..."
"Psychological trauma translating to physical? No, no... that won't happen at all," the host shook his head repeatedly, "Rest assured, this game is absolutely safe. Whatever happens here, it has nothing to do with you. The thrill will only remain temporarily in your shallow memory for you to reminisce about later. Even to avoid unnecessary risks, the threshold for nerve pain has been substantially reduced, so you can fully enjoy this journey."
"Now that you say that, I'm relieved," James dropped the oar and picked up a sheathed longsword, being the first to leap into the water as the boat hit the shallows.
"Let's follow!" Chekhov followed closely behind.
Even Qianyuan Mingzi jumped off the wooden boat without hesitation, wielding a spear and striding towards the shore through the water.
Zhou Zhi hesitated as he looked toward the host but received only a light chuckle in response, "Enjoy your game."
"Damn it, it's just a game!" he stomped his foot and plunged into the beach.
The group quickly stormed into the village, where chaos had already ensued, with many people wildly fleeing, most of them old men and women, with hardly any adult men in sight.
"Damn, this is too realistic," Chekhov licked his lips.
"What should we do?" Zhou Zhi couldn't help but ask.
"Didn't you hear what the host said? Do whatever you want." Joe James's eyes were red as he stared at a thatched hut, where just seconds before, he had seen a well-proportioned woman carrying a child crawl inside. "I'll see you later."
"Americans are so dull. To have such a rare opportunity and still only think about playing with women," Chekhov sneered.
"You don't know shit. This is different from usual," the other snapped back without turning.
"Suit yourself." Chekhov picked up a machete and aimed it at a fleeing villager, "I bet this game would eventually score points to decide the winner. Let's see what I can do."
However, before he could act, a burst of urgent hoofbeats suddenly came from the side of the dirt road!
"What's going on?" The Russian paused, puzzled.
Before the words had died away, two spirited horses burst out from behind the hut, heading straight for Joe James, who was looking for that woman!
"Damn it—"
James didn't even have time to curse before he was struck squarely by the horses.
Under the huge impact, he was sent rolling through the air, landing with a mouthful of blood clots. Although he wasn't immediately dead, the clearly sunken chest wound suggested he wouldn't last long.
—The arrivals were cavalry.
Different from the ragged villagers, these men wore uniforms and badges on their chests, and both their presence and strength were clearly on a different level from the riffraff.
Zhou Zhi screamed!
"Don't just stand there gawking, grab your weapons!" Mingzi shouted at him.
"Is this the real challenge? Not bad!" Chekhov spat, "It's indeed boring to only kill peasants who can only run. These opponents are worth the fight."
"Ha!"
On the other side, Qianyuan Mingzi had already charged forward.
She was as fast as a cheetah!
Her new body was only about one meter forty-five, but the power she unleashed was like that of a wild beast! The long spear compensated for her stature, and as she thrust it, the distance of over ten meters between them was instantly closed.
The opponent apparently hadn't expected their counterattack to be so decisive, and in the blink of an eye, one was downed!
"What beautiful moves," Chekhov praised, "Leave the other one to me!"
"Wait, something's wrong!" Mingzi's expression suddenly changed.
The man she had knocked off the horse quickly got back up, seemingly unhurt. He drew his sword and threw it at Mingzi, forcing her to retract her spear from offense to defense and knock the sword aside.
"They have armor under their clothes!" Mingzi yelled a warning.
"What did you say!?" By now, Chekhov was embroiled with another cavalryman, and compared to the lightning-fast Mingzi, his fighting was a lot messier, purely flailing his weapon on instinct. After just four or five exchanges, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Kid, come over here and give me a hand!"
However, before Zhou Zhi could act, two more cavalrymen emerged from the flank, and the situation on the field suddenly became overwhelmingly unfavorable for the "pirates."
What made Zhou Zhi even more desperate was that the cavalcade closing in had raised guns in their hands.
Indeed... they carried muskets!