Serial Player
Chapter 502 - 178: Boarding the Ship (Part 1)

Chapter 502: Chapter 178: Boarding the Ship (Part 1)

Li Changhe recognized the abnormality causing all of this.

In fairy tales, he was a rat catcher who led the children away.

Others believe that he symbolizes the human nature in a time filled with the danger of the Black Death.

In a small town plagued by rats, the mayor not only offered high rewards for those who could eliminate the rat plague but even promised to marry his daughter to him.

So, the young man blew his flute, and soon the town’s rats came out in succession.

They followed behind the young man, forming a long line.

With the young man’s piping, the rats jumped into the river one by one and drowned.

The young man successfully solved the town’s rat problem, but the mayor went back on his word and did not fulfill the reward.

This angered the piper, who blew his flute once more. This time it wasn’t rats that appeared but the children of the entire town.

They came out of their homes with a blank look in their eyes, following the young man.

Despite their parents’ desperate attempts to hold them back, they couldn’t be stopped.

They followed the young man to the outskirts of the town and eventually disappeared completely.

The moral of the story is the fate of those who don’t keep their promises.

At this moment, these extraordinary rats and the bewitching flute sound all indicate that the abnormality that killed Liu Tao and the others was the Hamelin Piper!

He was not wandering the north shore to capture the public but was blowing his flute near the border area.

He attracted those evacuating civilians and special squad members.

Those who heard the whistle sound were placed in corners, while those obviously capable special squad members were killed by the Hamelin Piper with swarms of rats.

Li Changhe wouldn’t consider himself a saint. In special situations, he would help with his capabilities and at the most, help report to the police.

However, he really hated regrets. Liu Tao and the others still couldn’t escape this calamity under his intervention as a [Player].

They were just a few hundred meters away...

Giving hope and then shattering it at the end, this Piper really had a terrible interest.

According to the original plan, Li Changhe wouldn’t get involved in this matter and would evacuate normally with Liu Tao and the others.

No [Player] would choose to be forcibly sent into an instance without knowing anything.

But after encountering Tin Man and Hamelin Piper, the evacuation time was delayed after all.

The sound of a steam whistle drifted from afar, and the surrounding walls turned blurry, transforming into patches of mist.

Li Changhe’s eyes flashed. Since he couldn’t leave, he may as well go with the flow.

As the whistle sounded, the Piper’s clear flute sound disappeared.

Those ordinary people squatting in corners looked dazed, about to awaken from the Piper’s mental interference.

Li Changhe took the opportunity to blend in. Yun Ting lifted his Assassin Rank heroic spirit state and returned inside Li Changhe’s body.

At the same time, the [Spirit Mark]’s forced energy draining effect was triggered, instantly draining about 30% of his energy value.

The rapid consumption of his energy value made his face pale. And this was what he needed.

His idea was simple – he planned to disguise himself as an ordinary student who was scared out of his wits by the terrifying scene.

Since all those who heard the whistle sounds together would enter the Dream Cruise, there wouldn’t be too few of them.

There might even be other [Players] and abnormalities among them, so the safest method was to hide among the people.

After all, not knowing the specific situation of the Dream Cruise, caution would do no harm.

[Task Clue Triggered]

[It’s an ark that wanders in the river of time, also the safest haven. This is a paradise, as well as a hell]

[This is...the Dream Cruise]

[You have already obtained the qualification to board the cruise, whether you are willing or not. You will board this Dream Cruise.]

[Task Name: Dream Cruise]

[Task Type: Cycle Task/Instant Task]

[Task Goal: Escape from the Dream Cruise]

[Task Reward 1: Various achievements]

[Task Reward 2: Player experience 200]

[Task Reward 3: Game currency 200]

[Task Reward 4: Choice of equipment/title/skill reward]

[Failure Penalty: You will be forever trapped in the Dream Cruise, which might not be a bad thing. After successfully using the Escape Coin, all attributes will be reduced by one point for 72 hours.]

"As expected, it’s a cycle task? My energy value is still 60%, and my physical strength value is over 95%. If I encounter danger, I should still be able to put up a fight." After glancing at the task, Li Changhe quickly assessed his condition and thought, "With the Insect God Vest’s mental interference, as long as I do not use those supernatural powers, I won’t expose myself."

In this way, the only difference between Li Changhe and the public was the pistol in his hand.

In a situation like tonight, a student finding a weapon for self-defense from a fallen special squad member is not particularly noteworthy.

However, a pistol in the hands of an Archer like Li Changhe could bring out unexpected combat power. This would serve as insurance.

It’s a pity that there isn’t enough time to use [Mimicry Clay] to help disguise himself more thoroughly.

At this moment, people around him began to wake up one after another.

As if awakened by the sharp sound of a whistle, they opened their eyes to see a blurry scene around them and the rats surrounding them, causing screams of panic among the people.

"Where are we?"

"What’s going on with these rats?"

"Run!"

"Where can we run to?"

Li Changhe, who was mixed among them, showed a frightened expression.

The next second, the mist dissipated, and the surrounding scenery changed suddenly, revealing a bright and spacious hall with magnificent decorations.

A few groups of people with horrified looks appeared nearby, who presumably were evacuation teams that were also stopped by other abnormalities.

Surprisingly, the screaming crowd became silent at this moment.

And no wonder; various bizarre creatures were all around them.

A female special squad member who clearly had numerous fatal wounds and a broken neck, emotionlessly stood by the edge of the crowd, with her blood-red high heels as bright as blood.

A woman in a red hooded cloak with a terrifying sharp-toothed mask on her face, holding a scythe dripping with blood.

A gigantic wolf, the size of an elephant, coughing and spitting out unconscious people from its enormous maw.

A three-meter-high scarecrow with blood and flesh on its straw hands.

A young man in medieval attire, playing a flute, and surrounded by rats at his feet.

...

Grotesque monsters made the crowd too afraid to make a sound, lest they disturb them.

People could only tremble and silently watch these dreadful abnormalities.

Li Changhe, hiding in the crowd, lowered his head and glanced at the weird creatures and the masses using his peripheral vision.

It was hard to know how many players or other things were mixed in among them.

"Is this the Dream Cruise?" Li Changhe thought.

Just as he was thinking, a prompt appeared in his [Friends] list.

Li Changhe’s heart stirred, realizing that his [Friends] had also been involved in this incident.

And they recognized him?