Thriller Paradise

"Scenario's world-building unlocked. Player Feng Bujue obtain two hundred Skill Points as a reward. Other team members are able to review the scenario's world-building rules from the drop-down tab in the quest menu.

"Current quest changed. Main quest updated. Escape from the island or kill Sanger Rainsford."

"What the f*ck!" Feng Bujue cursed wildly and gave himself two resounding slaps on his face. "Why did I read this thing‽"

He stood up while holding the letter. He inspected his current status in the game menu. Earlier, he had rested for about twenty minutes, but his Life Points had only recovered to 34, meanwhile his Stamina Points had a more encouraging recovery—they were now at 452/1,400. However, the problem was… how did he expect to complete the main quest with his current status?

"Oh, wait. My mastery has levelled up." Feng Bujue only noticed then that, in the tab for masteries in the game menu, his general ability mastery had changed. It had risen to level D. General ability was proportional to the accrual of Skill Points; of course, there was not a fixed exchange ratio between the two, but players could use this as a frame of reference. Be it a combat-type player who could take down ten enemies alone or a type of player like Feng Bujue who often could unlock the world-building, as long as they had done something that would contribute to the progress of the scenario, it would be counted as the accumulation for the mastery of General Ability. In a way, this was similar to the collection of Skill Points.

Generally speaking, the greater the number of scenarios one played, the higher one's General Ability level would be. So, this was a mastery that anyone could raise up to A rank, and the difference between a professional player and a normal player was the speed at which they achieved this rank. Of course, there was still an S rank above the A rank, but that was not a normal mastery level and not a level that could be unlocked by any player. The story would provide more elaboration on this concept later.

Back to the story, Feng Bujue had unlocked a scenario's world-building for the second time, and thus, his General Mastery level increased accordingly. However, he did not feel any sense of achievement because the unlocking of this scenario's world-building had nothing to do with analysis but more to do with luck, courage, and attention to detail.

To put it more clearly… those with luck would discover this indentation with the human remains inside the mountain, those with enough attention to detail would discover the small iron box inside the pocket, and those who were 'courageous' enough would dare to read that piece of paper.

In any case, such was the situation. He had to come up with a solution. Now that the survival limit of five hours had been changed, it meant that Rainsford would eventually catch up, and it was only a matter of time until he was killed. Based on Feng Bujue's prediction, he… did not have much time, and he based that on two reasons.

Firstly, this was a scenario that was accepted via non-sleeping mode. His interaction with other players on the forums yielded the simple understanding that the team scenario in such a mode would require a time that was less than four hours in real life. Most of them, though, were scenarios that could be cleared in twenty minutes to an hour. The scenario that Feng Bujue was experiencing had already exhausted ninety minutes in real life. If he did not pick up and read that piece of letter, things might not have been that bad, but now, the rhythm of the scenario would only pick up, to end things faster.

Secondly, Zaroff had written it down in black and white. Rainsford could no longer be treated as a human, so it would not be too surprising if the boss suddenly gained the ability to grow wings and fly. Feng Bujue had to admit that the remark on the piece of paper was indeed to the point. 'Once you read this, everything will be different.' As the system had warned, after reading the letter, the setting of the scenario had changed from a realistic thriller to a fantasy horror.

"The main quest provides me with a choice… kill the boss or escape from the island." Feng Bujue scoffed. "Humph… if I was able to take down Rainsford alone in my current condition, I would have lunged forward with One Blade at the castle."

He licked the corner of his lips and used his finger to tap on his forehead out of force of habit. His fingers then slid down to touch the bridge of his nose.

"But the real problem is… since the real General Zaroff was unable to escape from this island, how is a player who just arrived here supposed to accomplish that?"

He picked up the piece of paper again and placed it before his eyes, entering a contemplative mode. Even though he had memorized the content of the letter, there was something about reading it from the source.

"Ha ha… This sure is difficult." He issued a laugh that came from his heart. In this world, some might be addicted to good food, some might be addicted to sex, and others might be addicted to that white powder.

If there was an addiction that Feng Bujue was at fault for, it would definitely be thinking. Conducting analysis, coming up with predictions, solving the problems, finding the opening… these things would bring immense pleasure to this conceited fellow, and for those things, he would stop at nothing.

"Rainsford returned to the island with a superhuman physique and almost bottomless stamina. He did not sleep nor rest and did not even appear to have a need for food, he could kill the savage hunting hound with his bare hands, and his senses had been so heightened that he could tell the movement of other creatures from yards away.

"He is murderous and incredibly cunning… However, the desire to kill should be placed higher than his cunning instinct, or else with the man's caution and deviousness, he would not have edited the ship trap to draw in more 'prey' and risk the detection of the official party."

Feng Bujue parsed the content of the letter into simple to understand pockets of information. He voiced them out to himself to help improve the impression that they would leave. The unnecessary writing and embellishment were thrown to the back of his mind.

"He has such a desperate desire for murder, but in that case, why didn't he just kill but had to take over the general's game? Rainsford did not need to continue this hunting game madness, he did not need to take control of Ivan to be his slave, he did not need to keep those hunting hounds, and he did not need to assume the identity of the General whom he had already defeated. Yet, he had done all that, why? Is it really for the sake of excitement?"

Feng Bujue drove his train of thought into a dead-end, but he did not allow himself to fall into a rabbit hole.

"Wait a minute…" He turned to the letter again. "The sailor that Zaroff ran into when he was alive was killed by a tiger's ambush. Zaroff himself died in the wild, and neither of them were personally killed by Rainsford.

"It was Rainsford who introduced these beasts into this enclosed ecosystem on the island. When he spoke about the Spanish sailors who were torn into pieces by Ivan to be fed to the animals, his words were natural and spontaneous… but when he talked about the incidents related to him hunting the 'prey', he was merely copying what General Zaroff would have said in the short story.

"Other than that, if he is merely going for excitement and is one enjoying the hunt, why would his first action be releasing the hunting hounds to chase after his prey? What if I was directly killed by the hounds? What kind of hunt would remain? The game would end there and then, right?

"Unless… he is some kind of evil spirit that was formed from the animals? The eagle's gaze, the leopard's speed, the wolf's hearing, and the bear's strength?

"He did so many things to ensure the wildness of the beasts on the island, and the apparent purpose was for the 'animals' here to hunt the 'humans'."

Feng Bujue was then reminded of another detail. "But Rainsford did not appear to have a special connection to the beasts here. He is no different from a normal human being when interacting with the beasts. Other than the hounds in the castle, none of the animals on the island seem to be trained by the man; the beasts do not seem programed to follow his orders either. Otherwise, he would not have needed to kill the three hounds released by Zaroff during their second game."

Feng Bujue analyzed many properties represented by this boss, but he was no closer to understanding Rainsford.

"Looks like I'll need to return to the castle to find more clues." Feng Bujue sighed. "No matter how I choose to clear this scenario, returning to the castle is my only choice. The reason General Zaroff was unable to escape from this island must be because the way to leave the island is hidden inside the castle, and that is the only location on the island that he was not allowed to go to. This is the only explanation for why the once owner of the island died in the middle of the wilds.

"Sigh… I really should not have read that letter. Now what should I do? Return to the castle? But my current Stamina Points is not even one third of its maximum. I need to rest at least once or twice on the way back, and even if I manage to avoid Rainsford and successfully reach the castle, I will be exhausted and drained by then. In that condition, I have to sneak into the castle? By then, the sun will already be up…" Feng Bujue scratched his head out of annoyance, tussling his hair into a bird's nest.

"I initially thought that you would die prior to the other two, but I'm pleasantly surprised that you have survived until now. In fact, I believe you have discovered something very interesting." Rainsford's voice suddenly rang out from the darkness.

With his lightning reflexes, Feng Bujue lowered his body as he retreated while he aimed his flashlight in the direction that the voice had come from. Rainsford had his hands behind him, standing on a boulder that was on a higher slope. Rays of moonlight fell on the man, lighting up that face with a wicked smile. "You must be wondering why I showed up before you so soon."

"Honestly, nothing is able to surprise me now," Feng Bujue replied. He did not hurry to turn and run, merely maintaining a secure distance between them. He knew full well that if the boss wanted to kill him, there was no need for him to announce his presence—he could have ambushed Feng Bujue and dealt with him that way. Therefore, this conversation should be part of the plot, and it was the chance to obtain valuable information.

"Ha ha… Traveler from another world, I believe you must have found out through some means about the death of your two partners," Rainsford said. "You must have thought that it was me who dealt the killing blow."

Feng Bujue understood what the man was going to say, so he continued. "In other words… they died due to some other reason, and you have been tailing me from the very beginning."

"Ha ha ha ha…" Rainsford chuckled madly. "Feng Bujue."

The character addressed him by his player ID directly. Before that, only the Anomaly X-23 had referred to him that way. "Master Sam Montier wanted me to pass on his regards."

"Huh?" Feng Bujue was startled when he heard that. Then, his eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he repeated in a louder voice, "Huh?"

…

"One day… you… will pay… the price… Time… is on… my side…"

…

Sam Montier's last word echoed in Feng Bujue's mind. He asked, "You have connection with Sam Montier? What the… Brother Rainsford, I need to ask, what year is it now? And… are we still on Earth?"

"What year is it? Ha… What does that have to do with anything? The glorious era of human history is nothing but a small ripple in the river of time. What does it matter where we are? In fact, do you really understand where you are?" Rainsford patted the shirt that he was wearing. "This anti-bullet vest came from a time in the so-called future, and you, Feng Bujue, came from a place that I do not comprehend, but are these details really that important?"

"Ha… ha ha…" Feng Bujue let out a few dry laughs. "I suppose you have a point. Then, may I ask, how did you get to know Sam Montier? And Mr. Rainsford, what exactly are you?"

"Naturally, I am a human being, but I've obtained some powers that set me apart from others from Master Sam Montier." Rainsford shrugged. "Several years back, I survived Zaroff's hunting game, and I took the boat that he gave me to leave this island. However, that boat did not take me back to the world that I was familiar with but brought me to an unknown location.

"There, I ran into many things that I had not seen before. This knowledge shattered my previous understanding of religion and science. Do you know why, even though humans have been always searching for the 'truth', they keep on coming up with stupid, incorrect conclusions? It is because the truth is not something that we humans are able to accept.

"Seeing the future means taking away the future. Understanding truth will lead to self-negation and even destruction.

"If the chimps knew how to make fire, they would stop consuming uncooked meat. If the people from several thousand years ago knew about the existence of medicine, they would not have buried their ill and sick in the ground. If the people from hundreds of years ago knew about the truth behind religion, they would not have burned innocent women as witches at the stake.

"And I, after knowing some truths, became who I am now."

"Humph…" Feng Bujue scoffed condescendingly at the pompous words that were laid a bit thick on him. He tossed out another cutting question. "What is the deal that has been reached between you and Sam Montier?"

"I provide him with tired and despairing souls in exchange for eternal life and superhuman power," Rainsford answered calmly. "After Zaroff passed away, I tried to trap all the shipwreck survivors and put them through extreme torture before killing them. But I soon realize a logistic problem. The castle doesn't have that many dungeons, and even with Ivan's help, there are only so many people we can torture in a day."

"Looks like the order that Sam Montier has is quite big…" Feng Bujue laughed coolly.

"I am deeply appreciative of the hunting game that Zaroff invented as the final result proves that this is the still the most effective method," Rainsford said. "I did not need to do anything personally; I only need to announce some rules to these people and see them wilt away, caught between the need for survival and fear and despair."

"I think I finally understand the situation now," Feng Bujue said. "In that case, the real harbor that leads in and out of this island must be underneath your castle."

"Hmm… You are indeed as intelligent as Master Sam Montier warned." Rainsford chuckled. "Your guess is correct. Under the island, there is a hidden rivulet. It connects the castle to the most western corner of the island. On the cliff face, there is a cove that will only appear when the tide retreats. However, it would have been pointless even if you discovered that location because the only few functional boats on the island are all moored in my castle."

"Fine, you've made it very clear that I am unable to escape." Feng Bujue hummed contemplatively. "Then… since you did not snap my neck, but instead stopped to tell me all of this, I understand that this must be the order from Sam Montier, yes?"

"Naturally." Rainsford smiled. "Your soul is the one that Master wishes to harvest the most. I would like to ask, are you in deep enough despair and tiredness now? If you think it's not enough, I can wait. Ha ha… How long do you think you can survive on this island? Will it be longer than Zaroff?"

"Mr. Rainsford, you have underestimated me." At this moment, Feng Bujue felt more relaxed than he had ever felt since the scenario started. He started cracking jokes with the boss. "In fact, I happen to be the most resilient organism in the world."

"Hmm? Are you trying to say that you're not actually human?" Rainsford replied.

"Since you see yourself as human, why shouldn't I be human?" Feng Bujue countered. "But as everyone knows, creatures like aliens, P682, and so on… are extremely tough survivors. I'm not going to spiral into despair if you do not do anything to nudge me in the right direction."

Rainsford was silent for about five seconds. "Even though I don't quite understand what you just said… I think I can see what you mean. If that is your wish, then I shall deal with you my…"

Before the word 'self' could be uttered, Feng Bujue flew away like a shot bullet. With a single leap, he appeared about ten meters away. The place where he had stood earlier only had a footprint remaining on the ground, and there was a warm scent of blood lingering in the air.

With an unhuman-like smile, Rainsford started his assault. His speed was about as fast as Feng Bujue, who had activated the Body Enhancement Spell. With a small leap, he could travel several yards easily. He floated through the air, chasing after his prey, and his speed was picking up. Every time his feet left the ground, his body shot forward like a loosed arrow. This thing was impossibly strong.

In terms of strength, Feng Bujue knew that he was no match for Rainsford. Conquering the Castle with One Blade had been killed in one shot, his Life Points plummeting from full to zero. With Feng Bujue's remaining Life Points, a nudge from Rainsford would probably kill the man. He chose to activate the Body Enhancement Spell because, since he was going to die from one hit anyway, it did not matter even if his Life Points dropped to one.

In this battle of speed, Feng Bujue believed that he might be able to challenge the boss, but even with his heightened speed and a head start, the distance between the two was still steadily closing.

The two's understanding and familiarity with the terrain was different. Furthermore, the chasing party could follow the running party's direction and confirm the adversity of the terrain. Feng Bujue had to escape at top speed while confirming the trail that he was on, to prevent himself from tripping or from running into a dead end. If not for the fact that his sense of dynamic vision had improved, armed with just a flashlight, he would have rammed into a tree like the boar as he ran through the jungle.

The two human-shaped shadows bounced through the forest at the darkest moment of twilight. The former was like an unstoppable bullet, using the surrounding objects as support to increase his speed; the latter was like a dragonfly dancing on the water, agile and light, keeping a constant distance from his target.

This battle did not last long. One minute later, Feng Bujue's Life Points had burned to under ten. If he ended the Body Enhancement Spell, he would not be able to activate it again, so he could only power on and allow his Life Points to continue to drop. With that, he could press on for another twenty seconds.

Rainsford came closer and closer, until he was just ten meters behind Feng Bujue. At that moment, the world opened up before the two. They had exited the forest and arrived at the Death Swamp at the southeastern side of the island.

Since he was presented with no other option, Feng Bujue rushed into the swamp. If he stayed, he would die, so he would rather take a chance with the swamp. With lightning-like speed, he skidded across the surface of the swamp. His body was light enough that he was able to float through the surface. He ended up standing on top of a boulder that was about ten meters away from the edge of the swamp. It was one of the few locations where one could stand inside the swamp.

When he stood firm, Feng Bujue's Life Points reached the bottom, with one remaining. If a bee came to sting him then, he would die.

Rainsford, though, stopped at the edge of the swamp and did not give chase.