> [59,814 new people are watching player Lucas's live broadcast.]
[50,321 new people are following the player's broadcast.]
[34,960 people have rewarded player Lucas. Total reward points: 34,960.]
> : "??"
: "What just happened?"
: "Mine? It's already broken!"
Gugu: "…Awesome."
Fang Shaobei: "Damn. That's really awesome!"
> [Player Fang Shaobei has sent a "Rocket"!]
Cat's Eye Toy: "Avoiding the door completely bypassed the ghost's trigger. The method is perfectly viable!"
> : "Didn't they already leave the upper floor?"
: "Wait, they're still there?"
: "Didn't people say Lucas was just a lucky rookie?"
> [Player Cat's Eye Toy (Rank #208) has exited the live broadcast.]
The crowd watching Lucas's stream couldn't hold back their excitement anymore.
The live broadcast system, reacting to the rising viewer interest, zoomed in on the ghost's expression behind the door.
And in that single, eerie close-up—
Everyone could see it clearly:
Compared to the tens of thousands of stunned viewers watching from across the country...
The ghost's face showed even more shock.
---
The ghost's appearance was grotesque—bloody, mutilated. Skin flayed, muscle exposed, red fluids oozing down its face.
But one thing stood out among the carnage:
The uniform.
It was clean.
Worn with honor.
That's what confirmed its identity.
Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Captain?"
The figure twitched as if the word had shocked it back to life.
"…It's me…" came the hoarse, broken voice.
> [Royal Blue State Captain's Lounge Door: Advanced Danger]
[Captain of Royal Blue State: No Danger]
Lucas exhaled. His body relaxed just slightly.
"Avoiding your trigger mechanism worked…" he said quietly. "You really can't touch me unless I go through the door."
The captain gave a weak, embarrassed cough.
What little flesh remained on his face pulled awkwardly—he seemed to want to show shame, but no longer had the muscle structure to form the expression properly.
Behind him, the wall Lucas had hacked open was wide enough for a person to pass through.
The captain turned to glance at the waiter, who stood like a schoolchild caught cheating during an exam.
Hands folded. Head bowed.
Not listening. Not looking. Not thinking.
The captain's expression soured.
Traitor...
CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.
Lucas struck the iron wall with his axe again.
The captain's body went rigid, reflexively snapping to attention.
"Room personnel list," Lucas said, his tone polite—but carrying weight.
The waiter, flinching slightly, pulled a neatly folded paper from his pocket and handed it over.
Lucas took it, glanced at it briefly, then turned to the captain. "Please change it."
The captain hesitated.
Three seconds passed. Tension built.
Then he sighed, defeated.
"…I…"
CLANG!
Lucas's kitchen knife, which had been strapped to his belt, suddenly dropped to the floor.
He crouched to pick it up, casually examining its blade.
"Huh… Is this thing actually excited to see a ghost?"
"Maybe the more ghost blood it soaks in…" he muttered, turning the blade in the light, "…the more it evolves?"
He spoke as if he were talking to himself, but to the captain—
It sounded like a quiet, unspoken threat.
The implications were chilling.
"What do you mean by 'ghost blood'?" the captain thought nervously.
"What do you mean it gets 'excited'?"
"And why is the waiter… winking at me like that?!"
The captain's expression changed instantly.
Like a seasoned performer switching masks in a Sichuan opera, his hideous face melted into a bright, flattering smile.
"How do you want to change it?" he asked, rubbing his hands eagerly.
"I'm listening! I'll change it into a flower if you want!"
---
> [Player Lucas successfully persuaded the captain to change the room list.]
[Hidden Task Completed: Room Redistribution (Captain Level)]
[Reward: Captain's Door]
[Plotline Unlocked: Hidden Story of 'Terror Cruise']
[Exploration Progress: 20%]
---
Item Acquired: Captain's Door
Type: Armor
Quality: Legendary
Defense: Unknown
Attribute: Water
Effect: Resists all physical attacks
Note: What can you see through this door?
Dong dong dong…
The captain died behind this door.
A pair of ghostly eyes stared through the peephole, watching everything.
Now, the resentful spirit waits behind the same door for the next person to walk past without helping…
Dong dong dong…
---
The system broadcast didn't just appear for Lucas.
It flashed across the interfaces of every player still alive on the cruise.
The change was permanent.
For some, it was enlightening. For others… terrifying.
Trevor frowned as the notification appeared in front of him.
"Lucas… he's a newcomer, isn't he?"
In the corner of the room, Caleb nodded. "I saw his name on the newcomer board. But beyond that, I don't know much."
Trevor narrowed his eyes. "A new player triggering a hidden mission? His luck stat must be maxed…"
Caleb nodded. "Most likely."
Across the hall, curled in a corner of her room, Jasmine muttered coldly to herself.
"So what if he's lucky?" she sneered. "Luck won't keep you alive forever… You'll die here like the rest of us."
Suddenly, another broadcast appeared:
> [The updated room list is as follows:]
201: Lucas
202: One in a Hundred
203: Tension
204: Ivy
205: ...
Every player had a room now.
Even those previously unassigned. Even those who had vanished.
The curse that required three people to become ghosts in each room… had been broken.
> [Task Reminder: The first night has passed... I have successfully hidden among you...]
Outside, light began to bleed into the world.
The sun was beginning to rise.
The blood-soaked cruise ship groaned as wood and metal settled.
In the second-floor corridor—
Two men stumbled forward, barely able to walk. Wounded. Broken. Covered in blood.
They clung to each other.
One whispered, "Help… help…"
The other fell beside him. "Please…"
But there was no response.
Just the quiet hum of the ocean.
And somewhere distant—
Dong… Dong… Dong…
The captain's door. Still listening. Still watching.