Chapter 101: Hunter's Island (Ten)
Chapter 101: Hunter’s Island (Ten)
[World View Cracked. Player: Mad Bu Jue. Earned a reward of 200 Skill Points. Your team may now view this scenario’s world rules under Expansion Options in the Task Menu.]
[Current Task Updated. Main Quest Updated.]
[Escape the island or kill Rainsford Ford.]
“Damn it!” Feng Bu Jue cursed, slapping his own cheeks twice. “Why did I have to look at it?!”
Standing up, he clutched the paper and opened the game menu to check his status. After resting for about twenty minutes, his Vitality Value had only recovered to 34%. Stamina Value fared slightly better at 452/1400. But the real question was… was this enough to complete the main quest?
“Huh? My Proficiency increased?” Feng Bu Jue noticed the change in his Universal Proficiency section—now upgraded to D-Level.
Universal Proficiency correlated with Skill Points, though not at a fixed exchange rate. Both tracked progress from actions that advanced the scenario. Whether you were a combat-type player who could take on ten enemies at once or a worldbreaker like Feng Bu Jue, pushing the scenario forward earned Universal Proficiency experience. In that sense, it was nearly identical to Skill Points.
Generally, the more scenarios played, the higher your Universal Proficiency level. Anyone could reach A-Level with enough time—the difference between an expert and an average player was simply how quickly they climbed there. Above A-Level existed S-Level, but that was no ordinary proficiency tier. It wasn’t accessible to everyone, and its secrets would have to wait for another time.
Now, Feng Bu Jue had cracked the world view for the second time, boosting his Universal Level. Yet he felt no sense of achievement—he owed this breakthrough to luck, caution, and sheer recklessness.
Breaking it down: luck had led him to the human skeleton in this valley, sharp observation let him find the small iron box, and sheer guts made him read the paper…
With no turning back now, he needed a plan. The five-hour survival timer had been canceled. Fu De would come for him eventually—it was just a matter of time.
And Feng Bu Jue suspected time was already running thin. Two reasons:
First, this was a Non-Sleep Mode scenario. From forum discussions, Feng Bu Jue knew that completing a team scenario in this mode rarely took more than four real-world hours, with most resolved in twenty minutes to an hour. Ninety minutes had already passed in real time. If he hadn’t read the paper, things might’ve dragged on—but now, the scenario’s pace might accelerate.
Second, Zaroff had explicitly stated Fu De was likely not human. Even if Fu De sprouted wings and flew here, it wouldn’t be surprising.
Truly, the note’s background description had been spot-on—once you read it, everything changed.
Indeed, after reading it, the scenario’s tone shifted from realistic horror to fantasy horror…
“This main quest gives two choices… kill the boss or escape the island.” Feng Bu Jue sneered. “Hmph. If I could take down Fu De alone in this state, I’d have charged in with Yidao Qingcheng already.” He licked his lips, habitually tapping his forehead before sliding his fingers down his nose. “The problem is… even the real General Zaroff couldn’t escape this island. What chance does a player like me stand?”
He picked up the message again, holding it up to study. Though he’d memorized 90% of it, reading it directly was easier.
“Heh… this is tricky.” He chuckled genuinely.
In this world, some people were addicted to gourmet food, others to women or white powder…
Feng Bu Jue, though, was addicted to thinking. Investigation, puzzle-solving, and surviving impossible situations—these three things gave this narcissist unparalleled satisfaction. He thrived on them.
“Fu De, back on the island, has astonishing physical condition—near-infinite stamina, no need for sleep or food. He can kill ferocious hounds with bare hands. Some heightened sense lets him track prey from vast distances. Bloodthirsty and cunning… yet his urge to kill takes priority. Otherwise, with his intelligence, he wouldn’t risk drawing outside attention by increasing hunting vessel frequency.” Feng Bu Jue distilled the note’s content into simple facts, muttering them aloud to reinforce his memory while discarding irrelevant details. “If he craves slaughter so much, why stick to the game the general invented? Fu De didn’t need these extra ‘hunting’ theatrics. He didn’t need to control Yifan as a servant, breed hounds, or impersonate the general. Yet he did all of it. Why? For thrills alone?”
Feng Bu Jue hit a dead end in his logic but quickly pivoted.
“Wait…” He glanced at the paper again. “The sailor Zaroff met died from a tiger attack, and Zaroff himself perished in the wild. Neither was killed by Fu De’s hand.”
“Fu De imported the animals. When he mentioned feeding Spanish sailors torn apart by Yifan to the beasts, he seemed natural. But when talking about hunting humans himself, he simply quoted Zaroff’s lines from the original novel.”
“And another thing… if Fu De truly sought the thrill of the hunt, why release the hounds immediately at the start? If I’d been killed by dogs right away, what would he have hunted?” Feng Bu Jue mused. “Could he be some fictional evil deity aligned with animals? Hawk’s eyes, panther’s speed, wolf’s ears, bear’s strength?”
“Why go through all this effort? Keeping the beasts wild… is it to let the animals hunt humans here?” He quickly countered his own idea. “But Fu De’s ability to communicate with animals seems no different from an ordinary human’s. Except for the hounds he raised himself, other island creatures don’t obey him. Otherwise, he’d have instantly killed Zaroff’s three hounds during their second confrontation.”
Feng Bu Jue had deduced many of the boss’s traits but still couldn’t grasp Fu De’s true nature.
“I’ll have to return to the castle for more clues.” Feng Bu Jue sighed. “No matter which path I choose, returning is the only option. General Zaroff couldn’t escape because… the way off the island is hidden in the castle—the one place on the island he couldn’t reach. That explains why the former island lord eventually died in the jungle.”
“Ugh… I shouldn’t have read it. Now what? Head back to the castle? My Stamina Value isn’t even a third full. I’ll need rest stops along the way. Even if I avoid Fu De and make it back, I’ll be exhausted. Then I’ll have to sneak in… and by then, it’ll be dawn…” Feng Bu Jue grumbled, tangling his hair into a mess.
“I admit, I expected you to die before the other two. Never thought you’d survive this long alone—and even uncover something interesting.” Fu De’s voice echoed abruptly from the darkness.
Feng Bu Jue reacted instantly, ducking low and backpedaling while shining his flashlight toward the sound.
Fu De stood atop a distant rock, hands clasped behind his back. Moonlight spilled over his form, illuminating a face twisted in a menacing grin. “You must be wondering… why I found you so quickly.”
“Honestly, there’s not much that surprises me anymore,” Feng Bu Jue replied. He didn’t flee immediately but kept a wary distance, calculating. He knew if this boss wanted him dead, he wouldn’t bother speaking—he’d strike first. This conversation must be part of the storyline, a chance to gather intel.
“Hehe… Traveler from another world, I assume you’ve already learned how your two companions died through some means,” Fu De said. “You probably thought it was me who killed them.”
Feng Bu Jue anticipated the next line. “So… they were killed by something else. You’ve been after me all along.”
“Hahahaha… Mad Bu Jue.” Fu De chuckled, shocking Feng Bu Jue by calling him by his player ID. Only X-23, a derivative being, had ever used that nickname before. “Samo di er sends his regards.”
“Huh?” Feng Bu Jue blinked, then widened his eyes, shouting in disbelief, “Huh?”
…………
One day… you’ll… pay… the price… Not… too far… ahead…
…………
Samo di er’s final words echoed in Feng Bu Jue’s mind. “You’re connected to Samo di er? Listen… Fu De, old buddy, mind telling me what year it is? And… is this Earth?”
“What year? Hmph… What does it matter?” Fu De scoffed. “A human era is just a ripple in the river of time. Does a location matter either? Do you even know where you are?” He patted his bulletproof vest. “This vest came from what you’d call the distant future. And you, Mad Bu Jue, come from a place I’ve never heard of. Does any of this truly matter?”
“Ha… haha…” Feng Bu Jue chuckled dryly. “Fair point. But can I ask how you got mixed up with Samo di er? And what exactly are you, Mr. Fu De?”
“I’m still human, just gifted with unique abilities by Samo di er.” Fu De shrugged. “Years ago, I survived Zaroff’s hunting games and left the island on a boat he provided. But that boat didn’t return to the world I knew—it drifted to an unknown place.
There, I encountered things beyond imagination. My beliefs, my science—all became meaningless. Do you know why humans seek ‘answers’ yet always draw wrong, foolish conclusions? Because the truth isn’t something we can accept.
Seeing the future strips you of it. Understanding truth leads to self-destruction.
If early humans learned fire’s secrets, they wouldn’t eat raw meat. If ancient civilizations understood medicine, they wouldn’t kill the sick. If medieval minds grasped religion’s truths, they wouldn’t burn innocent women as witches…
Learning those truths changed me into this.”
“Hmph…” Feng Bu Jue scoffed. “So what’s your deal with Samo di er?”
“Simple. I supply him with weary, desperate souls. He grants me eternal life and transcendent power.” Fu De paused. “After Zaroff died, I tried imprisoning and torturing survivors, but soon realized the castle lacked enough cells. Even with Yifan’s help, it was too much.”
“Sounds like Mr. Sa’s orders are high-volume…” Feng Bu Jue smirked.
“Thank Zaroff for inventing the ‘human’ hunting game. Turns out, it’s the most efficient.” Fu De grinned. “I don’t need to act myself. Just announce the rules and watch them wither between fear and survival instincts.”
“I see… So the real escape port must be under your castle?”
“Hmph… You’re as sharp as Samo di er said.” Fu De sneered. “Correct. Beneath the island lies a hidden river from the castle’s basement levels to the western cliffs. A secret exit emerges only at low tide. But even if you find it, my castle holds the only boats.”
“Guess I’m trapped.” Feng Bu Jue mused. “But you’re telling me all this instead of killing me—it’s Samo di er’s plan, right?”
“Naturally.” Fu De grinned. “Your soul is his most coveted harvest. Tell me—how desperate are you now? If not, I can wait. Hehe… How long do you think you’ll survive here? Longer than Zaroff?”
“You underestimate me, Mr. Fu De.” Feng Bu Jue relaxed, teasing. “I happen to be one of the toughest survivors on Earth.”
“Hmm? Are you saying you’re not human?”
“If you count as human, I’m human too.” Feng Bu Jue countered. “But as everyone knows, creatures like xenomorphs, Godzilla 682, or Chinese people without special rations are absurdly resilient. Letting me rot here won’t work.”
Silence stretched five seconds. “No idea what you’re babbling… but I get your point.” Fu De’s tone hardened. “Then I’ll end this myself…”
Before the word “you” fully escaped, Feng Bu Jue launched like a cannonball, streaking thirty meters in a blink. Where he stood remained a deep footprint,(End of Chapter)
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