The King of Black Fog

The library was so vast that Yang Qinglan almost didn't make it out; it made her wonder if it was as big as Earth itself.

A cinema where one could watch any movie, historical clips, and brilliant maneuvers by Players — after selling their memories, Players could receive a share of the earnings based on attendance and could even alter their appearance without revealing their privacy.

A mall layered upon layer and circle upon circle, stocked with items worth buying from various places and times around the world — and it only accepted Game Coins.

As for food, it was nothing special, much like the subway where you could eat anything — now with the addition of hustling servers from whom you could enjoy drinks for free.

The zoo was such that upon entering, one would find more unfamiliar animals than familiar ones; in fact, nobody saw any they recognized!

There were all sorts of casinos, where no one cared about horse racing; things like dinosaur duels and dinosaur races were not even worth mentioning here.

After exploring just a tiny part for three hours, four people sat at a bar overlooking the sea, sipping cocktails.

"This isn't a ship, it's heaven. I don't want to leave," Li Qianxia said, utterly enchanted.

Even Yang Qinglan nodded in agreement, "Compared to the ship, the subway's appeal really weakens."

She clutched a blue cocktail in her hand.

"What's the use of it being fun?" Turquoise Pool lightly sipped a light blue Margarita, "Players aren't real Players if they don't have 'Visualization' of at least S grade, which they can't get in the subway at all. I wouldn't have gambled aboard this ship otherwise."

"Fuck!" Someone beside the bar slammed a slot machine angrily.

It seemed he had lost.

"See?" Turquoise Pool said scornfully, "That's what gambling gets you."

"Say that again, motherfucker!" The man was already irritable, and hearing Turquoise Pool's words, he stood up and approached.

With a light laugh, Turquoise Pool pulled out her ship card — really just a card — and handed it to the bartender.

"I want to duel him," she said.

"Hello, a duel requires mutual consent. Please allow me to ask if the other party agrees," the bartender responded.

Turquoise Pool hummed lazily while sipping her cocktail and disdainfully watching the gambling man.

"Sir, this passenger wants to duel with you. Do you agree?" the bartender asked the gambling man, "The duel's rules are—"

The gambling man glared at Turquoise Pool, ignored the still-explaining bartender, and walked away.

"For people like him, I can't even be bothered to use 'Favored Concubine'," Turquoise Pool muttered, sipping her cocktail and catching the ship card the bartender returned to her with both hands.

"Sister Turquoise Pool, you're so cool, totally my ideal type!" Li Qianxia was greatly impressed, but then added cautiously, "Aren't you afraid of exposing your 'Instinct' by saying it directly?"

The bar was located on a walkway outside the cabin; although there were few Players, a few still passed by occasionally.

"A beautiful woman claiming high birth and talent only makes a man spoil her more and desire her more. Knowing my Instinct is 'Favored Concubine' is similar; you could ask your brother if it's true."

"Brother?" Li Qianxia actually asked!

"It seems so," Li Changzhou pondered and nodded, holding a cocktail known as the Godfather, "Ever since I knew Miss Yang was Gu She Fairy, my desire for her seemed to increase a bit."

"Are you pursuing me because of my status?" Yang Qinglan asked.

"No, because you're pretty, slim and have a decent personality, but mainly because it feels right," he replied.

Yang Qinglan raised her glass and Li Changzhou joined her in a toast.

"Interesting," Turquoise Pool chuckled, "My competitive spirit is almost being drawn out."

Just as Li Qianxia was about to speak, an announcement suddenly echoed throughout the ship.

"Congratulations to the Player 'Screwdriver', who dazzled in the casino and claimed the S+ grade Visualization 'Great Sun Tathagata'!"

Turquoise Pool's smile tightened, and she immediately stood up: "Let's check it out!"

Li Changzhou and the others hastily followed; Li Qianxia, who came from a poor family, wanted to chug her cocktail in one go.

"You can take the glass with you and hand it over to any server once you're done," the bartender reminded with a smile.

"Thank you!" Li Qianxia not only took her own but also carried her brother's.

The four made their way directly to the casino, which was almost bursting at the seams with people, a stark contrast to earlier when they saw hardly anyone due to the ship's vastness and the sparse Player population.

"We're late!" Li Qianxia arrived just in time to hear Turquoise Pool say sternly.

"Late for what?" she asked, passing Li Changzhou's cocktail to him.

"You can team up with up to six people. This 'Screwdriver' sold out all the teammate slots," Turquoise Pool explained, then took Li Qianxia's cocktail and downed it in an attempt to drown her sorrows.

Li Qianxia: "..."

She thought for a moment, then took back the cocktail from her brother's hand.

"Sold out, all sold out, really all sold out!" the Player named 'Screwdriver,' surprisingly a woman, exclaimed.

"Screwdriver, share some of your gambling tips!" a Player shouted.

"Yeah, tell us!" the crowd egged on.

When it came to gambling, 'Screwdriver's' face instantly flushed with excitement.

"If you want to be rich, bet big! Guys, let me tell you—" Screwdriver got so worked up that her dialect slipped out.

Such a gambling-enthusiastic woman was rare, which reminded Li Changzhou of the casino in Prague.

After finishing a talk on gambling that urged people not to give up even if it led to bankruptcy, someone cried out: "Screwdriver, show us the world information!"

"World information?" Li Changzhou was curious.

"The world anchor obtained from the casino can provide early access to certain information," Turquoise Pool explained as she placed her finished cocktail on a passing server's tray.

"Alright, I'll show everyone today!" Encouraged and flattered by the crowd, 'Screwdriver' agreed.