Five days after leaving Bibo Island, Fa and her companions continued sailing northeast toward Lairis Grand Island on the wooden water stream ship, aiming to find the Wing Clan's "Light Feather Dome" and the star shards. However, on this morning, a thin layer of mist suddenly enveloped the sea surface. Unlike ordinary natural fog, this mist faintly shimmered with strange magical fluctuations, and the air was filled with a unique scent, seemingly carrying some unknown interfering force, as if intending to hinder their journey. As the mist gradually thickened, everyone began to heighten their vigilance.
At that moment, the ship jolted violently, colliding with some enormous object. Fa steadied herself, gazing ahead, her right eye's star pupil flickering with silver light, attempting to pierce through the mist. Everyone focused their eyes and saw a super massive ship suddenly appear before them, its hull dilapidated yet emanating an eerie aura, like a ghost ship sailing out from legends.
Tisk, Salsa, Rex, Yuyuer, and Kayla all widened their eyes almost simultaneously, their excitement overflowing.
Tisk waved his Earth Shaker war hammer, grinning broadly and laughing: "Haha, this couldn't be the legendary ghost ship, could it! I love this kind of mysterious stuff; there must be good treasures!"
Salsa's soul body floated in the air, her amber eyes sparkling with curiosity: "Maybe there are ancient magic books or treasures inside; I have to explore properly!"
Rex's mechanical eye scanned the giant ship, calmly analyzing: "According to data, this type of vessel is recorded in ancient literature, usually associated with powerful magic or curses."
Yuyuer's fish tail slapped the deck, excitedly saying: "I've heard legends; ghost ships hide countless treasures and secrets—we can't miss this!"
Kayla waved her thunder claws, her fighting spirit high as she shouted: "Whatever it is, I want to check it out!"
Fa, Arya, and Zhamisi frowned simultaneously at the sight, feeling helpless about the five's enthusiasm.
Fa said in a deep voice: "You five, calm down. This place might be dangerous; don't make a fuss over there. What if you attract trouble?"
Arya said gently but firmly: "That's right, we have to proceed carefully and not act rashly. You five, quiet down and listen to Fa's arrangements first."
Zhamisi's snake tail swayed lightly, her tone carrying a warning: "This mist and magical fluctuation are very unusual; don't start causing chaos. Figure out the situation first!"
The five were scolded by the three and immediately quieted down. Though their eyes still sparkled with excitement, they obediently stood aside, awaiting Fa's instructions.
Exploration Choice
After a brief discussion, Fa and her group decided they couldn't ignore this ghost ship and must uncover the truth. Considering the ship's safety, they unanimously agreed to leave Arya and Zhamisi to guard the ship to handle any possible emergencies, while the other six boarded the ghost ship to investigate.
Fa said to Arya and Zhamisi: "You two guard the ship well. If there's any abnormality, immediately notify us with a magic signal."
Arya nodded, lightly gripping the Storm Bow, the five-element crystal faintly glowing: "Don't worry, be careful yourselves; I'll protect the ship."
Zhamisi released a pale green poisonous mist that encircled the ship, vigilantly saying: "With me here, no one can approach this ship. Go with peace of mind."
Thus, Fa led Tisk, Salsa, Rex, Yuyuer, and Kayla—the six of them—onto the ghost ship's deck. The deck was empty, scattered with damaged ropes and rusted iron tools, the air filled with an ancient and chilling scent. In the distance, a tightly closed cabin door came into view, engraved with complex magical runes, emitting a faint glow that sent shivers down one's spine.
Fa stared at the cabin door, her right eye's star pupil flickering, attempting to sense the situation behind it. She said in a low voice: "There's a strong magical fluctuation behind the door; there might be guardians or traps."
Tisk rubbed his war hammer, excitedly saying: "Then let me open the door!" He raised the war hammer, preparing to smash the cabin door.
Rex quickly stopped him, calmly saying: "Don't rush; let me analyze first." He released several nano drones that flew toward the cabin door for scanning. Moments later, the drones transmitted data: "There's a protective barrier on the door; direct destruction might trigger a counterattack."
Salsa's soul body floated to the door, her amber eyes staring at the runes: "This is an ancient sealing technique; it requires a specific unsealing spell to open."
Yuyuer walked to the door, the blue gem at the top of his staff flickering. He said: "Perhaps I can try using water-based magic to unlock it." He concentrated, waving the staff, and water condensed into a complex magic array in front of the door, resonating with the runes on it. Moments later, the glow on the door gradually dimmed, the seal was lifted, and the cabin door slowly opened with a low "creak" sound.
Mysterious Figure in the Cabin
Everyone cautiously entered the dim interior of the cabin. The inside was eerily silent, with ancient oil paintings hanging on the walls depicting sea storms and mysterious creatures. Though the colors had faded, they exuded a weird vitality. In the depths, a blurry figure loomed vaguely, surrounded by powerful magic, emanating an oppressive presence.
Suddenly, a deep voice came from the figure, carrying a hint of mockery and authority: "Who are you, and why have you come to my ship? You're not here to seize the treasure, are you?"
Fa stepped forward, calmly and politely responding: "Senior, we are just passing through and mean no offense. But this ship is blocking our path; we want to know what's going on." Her right eye's star pupil faintly glowed, attempting to see through the other's true identity.
The figure slowly turned around, an even stronger oppressive force assaulting them. His eyes fixed on Fa, sharp as knives, as if able to pierce through everything. He raised his hand, pointing at the group, slowly counting: "One, two, three, four... oh, eight people have come."
Everyone was startled, and Tisk couldn't help asking: "How do you know we have eight people?" After all, Arya and Zhamisi were still on the ship, yet this person seemed to know already.
The mysterious person smiled, his voice carrying a touch of mystery: "This ship has my magic; it can sense the life auras around. There are two more on your ship, right?" He paused, his gaze sweeping over each person, continuing: "Since you're all here, how about we play a game? If you win, I'll give you the treasure; if you lose, you'll all stay behind."
With that, he shouted loudly: "Come out, all of you!"
Instantly, tens of thousands of ghosts surged onto the originally empty deck, semi-transparent figures floating in the air, emitting low roars. At the same time, Arya and Zhamisi were also brought over from the wooden water stream ship by a group of ghosts, rejoining the team.
Tisk widened his eyes: "It's really a ghost ship!"
Salsa excitedly said: "This is getting interesting!"
Rex calmly analyzed: "Over ten thousand ghosts, with extremely strong energy fluctuations."
Yuyuer gripped his staff: "This game sounds thrilling!"
Kayla grinned: "Come on, watch how I handle them!"
Fa helplessly rubbed her temples, puzzled in her heart: "Why are they so excited?"
The Game Begins
The mysterious person raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet: "I want you to select five people to participate in the game, best of five wins."
Tisk jumped out first: "I want to participate!"
Rex nodded: "I'll join too."
Salsa floated forward: "Count me in!"
Yuyuer slapped his fish tail: "How can I miss this opportunity?"
Kayla waved her thunder claws: "Of course, include me!"
Fa looked at the five's expectant eyes; though puzzled, she still nodded in agreement: "Alright, you five go."
Upon hearing the game start, the tens of thousands of ghosts immediately became restless, shouting eagerly: "I want to play!" "Let me go!" The mysterious person's face darkened, sternly shouting: "Shut up!" The ghosts immediately quieted down, floating around, waiting for the game to unfold.
The mysterious person turned to Fa and her group, slowly speaking in a deep and authoritative voice: "There are five rounds: luck, speed, shooting, wisdom, and strength. Since you've already selected the participants, the game officially begins."
Fa stood at the front of the team, her right eye's star pupil faintly flickering, attempting to see through the truth behind this game. Her teammates each prepared themselves, their eyes burning with fighting spirit and curiosity. Tisk gripped the Earth Shaker war hammer tightly, Salsa's soul body floated in the air, Rex's nano drones buzzed, Yuyuer's staff emitted blue light, and Kayla waved her thunder claws, ready to fight at any moment.
First Round: Fate's Joke
The scent of decaying wood and sea salt, mixed with the cold dampness accumulated over endless years, permeated the vast and dilapidated main cabin of the ghost ship. Tens of thousands of semi-transparent ghost passengers, their hollow eye sockets seemingly burning with eerie blue phosphorescence, now all held their invisible breaths, focusing their intangible gazes on the center of the cabin. The air was stagnant like lead, with only the creaking groans of the ship hull with the waves and the dull echoes of sea waves slapping the sides forming the background sound of this stage of death.
The mysterious person—that mass of will shrouded in thick fog—silently floated before the ghosts. With just a light wave of his hand, accompanied by a subtle spatial distortion and low hum, a heavy wooden table emanating an ancient aura appeared out of thin air in the center of the rusted deck. The tabletop was covered in deep knife marks and unrecognizable stains, upon which lay a deck of playing cards. The cards were yellowed with worn edges, but the intricate patterns carved on the faces were unusually clear, each line faintly flowing with obscure magical glow, as if sealing countless wild sea legends. Tisk, as the team's selected first-round representative, stepped forward without hesitation. His sturdy fingers habitually rubbed the cold metal handle of the war hammer named "Earth Shaker" at his waist, his eyes showing no fear but instead sparkling with excitement for a new challenge, the corners of his mouth under his beard curling into a battle-ready smile.
"First round, battle of luck." The mysterious person's voice did not transmit through the air but echoed directly in the depths of every living being and spirit's consciousness, cold and unwavering. "Tisk, your opponent is the first mate of the 'Nether Ship,' who in life was the most feared gambler on the continent, never tasting defeat. The game is called—'Fate's Roulette,' five hundred years ago, it decided the ownership of countless pirate kings' treasures and the survival of lives."
With the words, twelve glowing slots emerged on the table surface, surrounding the central area. Distorted ancient characters appeared beside the slots, clearly discernible in meaning: "Double," "Halve," "Swap," "Reset," "Stack," "Zero," "Steal," and so on.
At this moment, a more solidified ghost shadow floated down from above. He wore a faded and tattered uniform that still showed traces of past glory as a pirate first mate, his face blurred, with only a pair of chillingly bright eyes. He silently picked up the yellowed deck of cards, his movements elegant and proficient, as if it were an extension of his body.
"Rules reveal fate." The figure's voice was like cold wind sweeping the deck, "Both sides start with three cards each. Take turns drawing a new card from the deck, and after each draw, must immediately place one card from hand—whether newly drawn or existing—into one of the slots. The fate power contained in the slot will take effect immediately, rewriting the game. Ultimately, the one with the higher total hand point sum wins. Remember—fate's wheel turns unpredictably, never favoring the living or the dead."
Tisk laughed heartily, his voice like a tolling bell, shaking the forms of nearby ghosts slightly. He slapped his hard chest forcefully, the Earth Shaker war hammer emitting a dull resonance: "Haha! Fate? I've forged countless precision devices; luck always stands with me!"
The ghost first mate acted first. His skeletal fingers glided over the card backs, drawing one and elegantly flipping it— the face depicted a brilliant starry sky pattern, marked with the number "10" below. Without hesitation, he placed this "Starry Sky 10" into the "Double" slot. In an instant, the slot shone brightly, an invisible force injecting into the card, its represented points instantly leaping to "20." A semi-transparent "20" appeared before the ghost first mate.
It was Tisk's turn. He roughly grabbed a card, flipping it— a ferocious skull pattern below, the number "7." He curled his lip, seemingly dissatisfied with the points, and casually shoved this "Skull 7" into an unmarked slot that seemed to have no special effect. His points remained at the basic "7."
The second round began. The ghost first mate drew again, flipping "Storm 5." His ghostly light flashed in his eyes, his finger precisely pointing to the "Swap" slot. The moment the card fell into the slot, the point markers between the two were instantly switched by an invisible hand! Tisk's number suddenly jumped from "7" to "20," while the ghost first mate became "7"! This sudden reversal made the dwarf's thick eyebrows rise high in surprise; far from annoyed, he burst into even louder laughter, his fighting spirit intensifying: "Ha! Interesting little trick! Again!"
In the third round, Tisk's luck seemed to arrive. He drew a card depicting an enchanting siren, marked "Q" below—representing 12 points. Looking at his high "20" points, Tisk grinned and without hesitation slapped this powerful "Siren Q" into the "Stack" slot! Light flowed, and his total points soared to "32"! Tisk smugly shook his head.
However, the ghost first mate's calm was chilling. He drew the "Death K," points as high as 13. Facing Tisk's substantial lead of "32," he made a move that made all onlookers (living or dead) gasp—he slowly, firmly placed this game-changing "Death K" into the slot flickering with ominous red light: "Reset"!
"Hum—!" A low vibration. The point markers for both disintegrated like sand scattered by wild wind, instantly collapsing and resetting to zero! All efforts turned to nothing, the game returning to the starting point.
"You fucking crazy?!" Tisk's bell-like eyes bulged round, roaring in disbelief, the Earth Shaker war hammer nearly flying out. This was practically self-destruction! The ghost first mate's blurred mouth seemed to curve into a faint, extremely cold arc, his voice coming as if from a deep-sea ice cave, with a twisted pleasure: "Reset fate, this... is the true fun of 'Fate's Roulette,' no one has absolute advantage, only... endless variables."
The final round, the air tensed to the extreme. Tisk took a deep breath of the air mixed with decay and magic, drew a card— the face was a shimmering four-leaf clover "Lucky A," points only "1." Looking at his zeroed points, Tisk gritted his teeth and staked this last hope on the "Double" slot. Light flashed, "Lucky A" points became "2."
It was the ghost first mate's turn. His movements remained unhurried, his fingertip touching the deck with a spark of black arc. He slowly flipped the final card— the face was not any number or pattern, but a twisted, colorfully dazzling clown face in mad laughter—"Destruction Joker"!
"Rules manifest:" The mysterious person's voice proclaimed like a judgment, "Joker descends, can ignore everything, directly steal ten times the opponent's current points, turning it for own use!"
The clown pattern on the card face suddenly erupted with thick black mist like ink, instantly entangling Tisk's pitiful "2" point marker. The black mist greedily devoured and expanded, finally condensing before the ghost first mate into a glaring "20"!
"Dust settles." The ghost first mate's voice was flat and emotionless, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. His final points were "20," while Tisk had only "2."
Tisk was stunned; he looked down at his empty hands, then up at the ghost first mate's glaring "20" and that card emanating ominous aura, "Destruction Joker." After a few seconds of silence, Tisk suddenly burst into deafening laughter, filled with wildness and admiration for this mad gamble, even with a hint of appreciation for a worthy opponent: "Hahaha! Good! Good kid! Ruthless enough! Absolute! This is what a gambler should be! Satisfying! I admit defeat!" He forcefully, with a certain respect, hammered his Earth Shaker war hammer; though defeated, he showed no dejection, Tisk's sense of honor making him hold his head high.
The mysterious figure nodded slightly, the thick fog rolling: "First round, ghost ship wins."