No one knew where Dorona Henry had gone.
At present, it seemed that only the six of them survived this maritime disaster.
The story is set in an alternate background, roughly around the time of the Prohibition era. Dorona was the son of a local duke, well-off, excelling at the aristocratic academy, but he was reclusive and eccentric, not fond of socializing. For this birthday celebration, aside from the six of them, only three to five other relatives or classmates were invited.
When they first arrived on this cruise ship, everyone thought it was too spacious, but soon they were captivated by the various entertainment activities on board and didn't dwell on it too much.
"Do you think Dorona is still alive?" Mia bounced down from the rocks by the sea. "I haven't figured out the exact conditions for us to clear the level. Does clearing it mean we can go home?"
"Exploring the mysteries behind," Floy shrugged. "The conditions seem too vague."
"I don't think we should dwell on that," Ethan said, shielding his eyes from the scorching sun. It was the hottest month of the year, nearing noon, with the relentless sun beating down, making his skin itch.
He had been in the midst of winter before coming here, but after the game started, thick down jackets and boots were replaced by thin summer outfits. Now, he was dressed casually, even his appearance transformed into the golden-haired, blue-eyed description on his character card.
All these changes occurred silently, revealing the omnipotence ruling this place.
Glancing at everyone transformed in appearance, Ethan's gaze finally settled on Anthony, sitting on a nearby rock. Anthony, in a suit shirt, was unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves, his long and slender legs propped casually on the rocks.
His messy dark brown short hair fluttered in the sea breeze, his clean-cut profile enhanced by the setting.
—His appearance hadn't changed much; his face, like ice chips, remained the same. It's just that his once slightly brownish irises, though shallow, now turned coldly indifferent gray, making him even more unapproachable.
Ethan averted his gaze, continuing, "The rule card mentions free exploration, and 98KP emphasized the freedom of the game. So, I believe the key to this game lies in exploration. As long as we explore, we will gradually uncover the truth."
"What is there to explore? There's nothing here!" Taylor remarked coldly.
"Let's explore this maritime disaster first," Ethan disregarded him, "see if anyone besides us survived, especially Dorona. If he's alive, where would he go? He's crucial to this event; we must find him."
The group decided to split up for investigation—the shoreline task to the slender Lily and Mia, a slightly more wooded area to Floy and Taylor, while Ethan and Anthony were assigned the area closer to the dense forest, equipped with the only small knife.
As Ethan prepared for protection before entering the forest, he glanced at Anthony not far away. Anthony was fashioning a small slingshot with a hair tie, his slender fingers pulling and releasing, a small stone shooting out in a smooth parabolic curve, hitting the target precisely. A few makeshift weapons lay scattered at his feet.
Sensing Ethan's gaze, Anthony looked up, his gaze cold and nonchalant. Ethan, a bit awkwardly, turned away, determined, walking purposefully over, and jumping onto the rock where Anthony was seated.
Anthony picked up a sturdy branch, sharpening its tip with the small knife.
"Lauren."
"Yes."
"You don't remember me at all?" Ethan asked, lowering his voice.
"I don't. The doctor said there's an issue with my brain structure, I often forget things, had to be discharged. Why did I take that train? How did we meet?" Anthony's gaze dropped as he spoke to Ethan.
Ethan recounted their encounter on the train, observing Anthony's reaction. Still aloof, Anthony's response left Ethan feeling uneasy, his feet dangling off the edge of the rock.
"Do you believe what I've said?" Ethan inquired.
"Yes," Anthony's voice was deep. "You make me feel familiar; we must have met."
Ethan smiled. "If we can go back, I'll have my aunt look into curing your amnesia. She's a renowned neurology expert."
"We're good!" Floy waved from a distance. "Let's go, we'll be back before descending the mountain."
Anthony distributed the prepared weapons to them, finally handing the only small knife to Ethan. "You take this."
Although Ethan wanted to refuse, Anthony coldly insisted, "Obey."
The familiar tone of command made Ethan raise an eyebrow. He folded the knife into his pocket, joining the others as they walked into the woods.
Halfway, Ethan and the group suddenly heard a voice in their minds: "You seem to have found something; perform a perception check."
Ethan: "..."
It was the voice of 98KP.
Ethan halted, glancing at Anthony, both seemingly acknowledging KP's communication.
"How do we proceed? Roll dice?" Ethan asked.
Just then, the figure of 98KP appeared before them, looking more refined than the pale, paper-like figure they first encountered. Clad in a sleek black tailcoat with a crisp white shirt tucked under a flat collar, a black top hat perched atop his head, a curved black cane in hand, he resembled a mysterious magician controlling enigmas.
...Seems like the quick-change feature applies not only to them.
KP timely addressed Ethan's confusion, "I'll appear in the way you all like best. It appears you fancy the mysterious, such as a magician. So far, I prefer this imagery you've imagined; it suits me well."
Brandishing his cane, two ten-sided dice appeared before Ethan—one with a black background and white numbers labeled [00, 10, 20...90], the other with a white background and black numbers labeled [1, 2, 3...10].
"With these two dice, you can roll for a number between 1 and 100. Rolling 1-5 gives a critical success, offering more clues than usual," KP explained.
"Is there a critical failure as well?"
"Yes," KP smirked slightly. "A critical failure falls between 96-100. Let's hope you don't hit that dark note. So, who goes first?"
With each person given a turn, Ethan asked Anthony, "What's your perception?"
Anthony confirmed, "75."
Surprised, Ethan said, "That high? You go first then."
Anthony hesitated.
"What's the matter?" Ethan inquired.
After a moment, Anthony replied, "Nothing. How should I roll?"
"Simple, just tap the dice," KP explained.
Assuming Anthony's hesitation stemmed from unfamiliarity with the game, Ethan comforted him. "It's fine. With 75 points, statistically, it's hard to fail."
"Very well," Anthony agreed, tapping the dice in front of him.
The dice spun quickly before coming to a stop—96.
Anthony: "..."
Ethan: "..."
Regretfully, KP announced, "Perception check, 75 (your attribute)/96 (the result), critical failure. Let me think of the penalty."
Touching his forehead, Anthony apologized, "I always have bad luck. I should have let you go first."
Ethan's emotions were complicated. "No, it was logical for you to roll first. My perception is only 35; I just didn't expect you to..."
"I've decided. Carry on with your exploration," interjected KP.
"...But haven't I made a check?" Ethan probed.
"Yes, this is your punishment."
"Punishment? Good," Ethan sneered, "my competitive spirit is up."
Seeing Ethan's enthusiasm, Anthony quietly asked, "What's your plan?"
"Since we need to perform perception checks, there must be something here. While the game requires attribute checks, I believe they only help us discover clues faster. Even without them, we can rely on our eyes and feet to find answers. It'll just be a bit more challenging."
His tone was resolute and serious as he surveyed their surroundings.
At that moment, a dense fog emerged from the depths of the forest, almost obscuring their vision, with KP's voice echoing, "This is the penalty for a critical failure."
"No problem," Ethan said, "the tougher the extra credit on a math test, the better."
He casually snapped off a branch from a nearby tree trunk to use as a guide, preventing tripping on protruding roots or stones and aiding in spotting any clues along the path.
As Ethan proceeded, a large, dry hand gently grasped his free hand. Pausing, he looked at Anthony.
Anthony remained indifferent. "The fog is too thick; this is safer."
"Mm," Ethan didn't disagree, and they forged ahead together in exploration.
They walked for what seemed like an eternity, the fog's density unchanged.
Ethan marked the tree trunks he passed, maintaining a consistent and methodical pace to track their progress. Luckily, they made a new discovery.
"There are footprints here," Ethan observed, "the increased fog dampness has softened the ground, making the previously left footprints evident. Someone walked here, heading in that direction indicated by the prints."
"You're quite observant. Now, make a 'hunch' check," KP's voice chimed in again.
"What attribute is 'hunch'?" Ethan asked.
"It's the same as your intelligence," KP replied.
After a brief pause, Ethan asked Anthony, "What's your hunch?"
At that moment, Ethan distinctly sensed Anthony's stiffness from their clasped hands. It seemed Anthony had an innate resistance to rolling dice, maybe due to his mentioned "bad luck." But luck is a fickle thing; he thought a boost in confidence might be in order for Anthony.
"No," KP dispelled his thoughts, "this is your find, only you can roll for 'hunch.'"
Shrugging, Ethan said, "Alright, my 'hunch' score is high, at 80."