Infinite Game Ch.37

Chapter 37 – Tower on the Sea (2)

Boarding the boat generously provided by the owner of the rental shop, Jiang Yujin and the barbershop owner sailed towards the direction of the sea’s grey mist.

Tonight was not very calm; the wind blew constantly, causing the waves to rise and fall. Jiang Yujin remained motionless on the boat, while the barbershop owner wielded the oar, navigating through the fog.

Within the mist, a song emerged, slowly spreading and growing louder.

This sound was hallucinatory. Long before this instance, the barbershop owner had put on earplugs, prepared for the journey, faintly hearing some sound but unaffected. Jiang Yujin wore them too, yet it didn’t stop his eyebrows from furrowing incessantly. Eventually, he made the barbershop owner change course, heading toward the direction of the sound.

The sound of the oars cutting through the sea was gradually drowned out by the increasingly loud singing.

Something appeared on the sea not far away, a small pile resembling floating seaweed. In the darkness, thin, black-green threads silently climbed onto the boat, following the oars upward.

Then, the black-green threads were grasped by Jiang Yujin. He wound them around a few times before giving a strong tug.

“Splash—”

The small pile of seaweed nearby was drawn closer, revealing a white spherical object wrapped within the seaweed. The ball was porous, emitting sounds when the wind passed through, merging into an inexplicable, chorus-like song.

The sound emanated from here.

Approaching closer, Jiang Yujin could see the densely packed seaweed-like threads on the figure. Even at such a close distance, he didn’t release the object he held; in fact, he tightened his grip, hastening the other figure’s approach.

The seemingly harmless seaweed on the sea’s surface was drawn nearer, growing taller and more menacing. The submerged part of it began to reveal itself gradually, causing the boat to be pushed aside by the water surging from its emergence.

It could only be said that what was now in front of them was entirely different from the small pile of seaweed they had seen before. The original white spherical object had vanished entirely, replaced by the towering, strange species form that had risen.

The black-green seaweed-like strands on the strange species were as tangled as the hair clogging the dormitory’s sink pipes for decades. At a glance, it appeared dark and murky, like a massive wall obstructing their path. Numerous ends of the seaweed wrapped around white skulls now covered in moss. Some were already fragmented, while others were freshly entwined; some still had complete heads ensnared within them. The black-green threads snaked into the eyes and ears, firmly entwining around the skulls within the flesh.

Not far away were various boats with fishing nets; these newly entangled figures were likely the fishermen who had disappeared before.

More and more strands of seaweed crawled up, but Jiang Yujin paid no attention, nor did he care. He kicked the boat, pulled himself up to the highest point of the strange species entangled with seaweed, squatted down, and directly smashed the still-sounding white spherical object with his hand.

The singing vanished, the world quieted, and Jiang Yujin felt relieved.

The boat rocked violently, almost shaking his mind loose. That sound still persisted, somewhat impolite in its persistence.

Having lost what sustained it, the inherently impolite strange species lost its grace entirely. The black-green seaweed spread in all directions, crushing everything it touched into oblivion. None of the nearby fishing boats escaped; they were cut into pieces and sank slowly into the sea.

The only thing left intact was the skiff. Yuan Sanshui, perched on it, held an unlit cigarette, burning anything that approached into ashes.

Jiang Yujin leaped off the strange species’ body, returning to the boat. The barbershop owner asked him, “Is it taken care of?”

Jiang Yujin nodded. “This one looked oddly ugly.”

The strange species ultimately perished due to its ugliness. Flames illuminated the scene, scorching hot enough to dissipate even the lingering mist instantly, clearing the vision of the two nearby individuals significantly.

The boat slowly approached the shore.

*

Chen Jing and the other two entered through the towering grey gates. Matching the gloomy stone walls outside, the interior walls were constructed with dark grey bricks.

Inside stood a simple yet vast palace.

The grand hall was empty except for two spiral staircases leading upstairs in the center. The wooden handrails of the stairs were decayed and damaged, some parts fallen to the ground, mostly eaten away by insects.

Chen Jing quickly surveyed the interior. Besides the dilapidated stairs, the only remaining elements were the statues lining both sides of the hall—numerous statues.

The statues appeared stone-made, some damaged with missing edges and corners, yet maintaining their overall structure. They all depicted mermaids with fish tails, their tail structures almost identical, differing only slightly in direction. However, the upper halves of these statues were completely unique. The details of the upper parts, the body posture, facial features, and expressions were meticulously crafted to a terrifying degree, resembling real people.

While Chen Jing observed, Xiao Pang circled the hall but found no signs of anyone or any mermaids, only discovering a narrow staircase leading underground in a corner.

After completing the circle, he pointed in a direction and whispered, “There’s a staircase over there, going down.”

“Mermaids should be in the water, right?” he cautiously asked, “Should we go down and take a look?”

A rough yet somewhat plausible conjecture.

First, they glanced at the spiraling staircase; Chen Jing and Zhang Xin nodded, following Xiao Pang to the staircase leading below.

The staircase leading underground was also lit, the oil seemingly mixed with something peculiar, emitting a strange fragrance. The three covered their noses and mouths without saying much.

“Do not listen to strange sounds; do not smell strange scents.” It had become a reflex they developed within the Game, deeply ingrained in their instincts.

As the staircase spiraled downward, the visibility increased. After another turn, they saw the constantly shifting pale blue water reflections on the wall.

The staircase ended here, leading to a surface of pale blue water. Chen Jing bent down and touched the water. It was ordinary water, but the building material used for the underwater walls was different—pale blue and faintly glowing, emitting a soft light.

Underwater seemed to be the true palace. Enormous stone columns traversed the entire space, adorned with intricate carvings. In the center of the underwater hall, a serene aquamarine throne existed silently. Around it lay scattered shimmering jewels, bright-colored corals, and a deep blue scepter lying off to the side.

Chen Jing dove straight into the water, searching. His gaze encompassed the entirety of the hall, revealing no traces of any living beings, with an exit visible at the other end.

Zhang Xin and Xiao Pang followed suit without hesitation, stepping into the chilly water. As they swam, nearing their limit, they finally traversed the entire hall and surfaced, gasping for air.

Chen Jing, already on the shore, stood silently, observing the ground.

A series of wet footprints marked the ground, left by more than one person. Judging by the varying shades, the individuals who left the prints had departed not too long ago.

Zhang Xin lowered her head. “Zero’s people have been here.”

Ascending the stairs in silence, they remained as quiet as possible, their footsteps nearly inaudible, their ears attentive to the slightest sound.

Emerging from this exit, stepping onto the dark grey bricks they had previously walked on, they lowered their gaze, noticing they were back in the ground floor hall they had visited before.

Exiting from this point led to the second floor. Glancing downwards, they finally noticed the varying shades of bricks arranged intricately on the ground in the shape of a refined fish-tail pattern.

The second floor didn’t differ much from the first—equally empty, filled with numerous statues of mermaid-like figures, overwhelming in number and causing an eerie feeling.

Having explored below, their only choice was to move upward. Finding nothing useful on the second floor amid the statues, the three ascended the staircase.

The third floor was predictably packed with statues. As they navigated through them, Zhang Xin suddenly turned her head, glancing toward a corner behind them. Not far away, the other two noticed her movement and looked in that direction. She withdrew her gaze and whispered, “Someone just passed by.”

Someone had passed, but all she had seen was a fleeting shadow.

Deciding not to separate anymore, the three continued silently, walking together.

Since the unknown figure appeared, things seemed to have changed. As they ascended to the next floor, they noticed that some of the statues, once perfectly aligned, had collapsed and lay shattered on the ground. Among the fallen statues was a person buried in the rubble, wearing the standardized dark red attire. Their hand struggled to reach out from beneath the stone debris, with the back of the hand branded with a “0,” clearly indicating an attempt to escape, a desire to survive.

However, the person still perished. Having witnessed too many deaths in the simulation, the three glanced briefly and then averted their gaze, continuing up the stairs.

As they stepped onto the staircase, Chen Jing, who had been at the front, swiftly turned, bracing against the wall and swiftly descending. His coat billowed, emitting a sharp sound as he moved.

He pressed his knee onto the chest of a person, forcefully pinning them down. This individual wore the dark red clothing and, in a split second, their body dissipated, leaving only the clothing behind on the ground.

Opening the zipper of the clothing, Chen Jing retrieved something from inside.

A scale.

This “person” was likely what Zhang Xin had noticed before.

Putting away the scale, Chen Jing stood up and said, “Something’s not right here. Let’s check the top of the tower.”

No one was at the top of the tower.

—This was the first thing the three observed upon reaching the tower’s top floor.

The top floor differed from the others; it contained only one room.

Perhaps describing it as a cell would be more appropriate.

Simple, dilapidated, with sturdy metal bars, but the door was open. The cell was empty, save for long strands of grey-white hair.

Bending down to inspect the fresh bloodstains at the cell’s doorway, Chen Jing remarked, “Something escaped from here.”

“Click.”

A faint sound came from below. The three turned their heads and saw the person in dark red clothing, aiming a gun with precision in their hands.

*

Jiang Yujin and the barber shop owner disembarked. As they looked at the tower looming in the nearby mist, the barbershop owner squinted and asked, “How do you plan to find your cheap son?”

“Find him?” Jiang Yujin waved a hand, his voice slightly muffled through the mask. “Finding the big fish monster is enough.”

In this place, only the big fish monster could undoubtedly kill the high schooler; the rest, with some effort, he could handle on his own.

“That’s called a mermaid,” the barbershop owner corrected.

Jiang Yujin glanced around. “Where’s the big fish monster?”

The last time they were here, he had locked the big fish monster in a specially made cell. But now that outsiders had entered, he doubted the big fish monster would still be obediently waiting inside. Someone must have deceived others into opening the door and letting it out.

“…”

The barbershop owner remained silent for a moment, then chose not to correct him further. He said, “After spending so long in the tower, it should have gone into the water.”

The sea was the most suitable place for a mermaid.

The sea was the source of a mermaid’s power and their most advantageous battleground.

Jiang Yujin removed his mask, casually tucking it into his jacket pocket. He twirled the red string hanging from his hand and looked at the barbershop owner. “I’ll handle this. Just make sure no one escapes from the tower.”

Killing required physical exertion, but containing someone was relatively easy. The barbershop owner lit the cigarette in his mouth, turned, and walked toward the tower.

As the sound of footsteps faded away, Jiang Yujin was left alone. He lifted his gaze to the thick fog and asked, “Where are you?”

His voice was low, almost a murmur, but not long after, a figure emerged from the mist.

With long dark blue hair interspersed with grey-white strands, the ends frayed, cracked skin, dull light blue eyes devoid of any luster, the being’s upper body bare. It spoke gently, “Here.”

The other person’s voice was mild, answering any question politely. Jiang Yujin liked it. He approached, smiling slightly, and with one hand, pierced the being’s chest.

There was no splatter of blood, no warmth of flesh and blood. The being standing there disappeared the moment it was touched, leaving behind a scale on the ground.

The big fish monster’s scales had the ability to mimic people, including their own abilities, something he had witnessed before. Jiang Yujin wasn’t surprised. After retracting his hand, he turned on his heel, slowly walking toward the shore and crouching down. He poked at the water’s surface with his fingers and said, “It’s not nice to deceive people.”

He advised gently, “If you don’t come out, I’ll tip this island over.”

Perhaps moved by his sincerity, ripples formed in the sea, and a figure emerged from the water.

The figure before him looked much like before, only now with deep blue hair and the once dull eyes had regained their luster, no longer resembling the eyes of a long-deceased person. The cracked skin on the body was slowly healing.

Jiang Yujin waved, “Long time no see.”

The figure didn’t seem eager to catch up. Their light blue eyes carried a melancholic air as they just stared at him.

Jiang Yujin attempted to negotiate, “Here’s the thing, regardless of what you’ve done or plan to do, there are three kids inside your tower. Can you ensure they leave safely, without any trouble?”

The person from the sea, their blue hair floating on the surface, replied, “You kept me locked up for a long time.”

“You promised to come back and let me out quickly.”

“Did I?” Jiang Yujin scratched his head. “I might’ve forgotten.”

The figure gazed at him but remained silent.

Clearly failing to deceive, Jiang Yujin stood up and asked, “So, is that a ‘no’?”

The figure nodded, their voice gentle, “I’m going to lock you up.”

Locked in this tower, forced to witness the scenes he had been observing for all this time, until he no longer harbored resentment toward this liar.

“In that case, you don’t agree?” Jiang Yujin rolled up his sleeves. “If you have better conditions, I might consider moving in myself voluntarily.”

The big fish monster asked, “Really?”

Jiang Yujin chuckled, “Not really.”

There was no signal here, and he didn’t want to leave his bloody soap operas and morning and evening news.

As the words fell, the sea instantly churned up waves, huge swells rushing toward him.

Unexpectedly soaked by the seawater, Jiang Yujin stepped back.

The sea fog thickened further, the waves surged again and again, overwhelming, instantly seizing the entire field of view.

Jiang Yujin bent down, picked up a sturdy tree branch, and skillfully split the waves. Sprays of water splashed against his hair and flew backward, eroding the coastline.

The sea creature’s light blue pupils met his gaze as a deep blue scepter appeared in their hand.

Yuxi—

The big fish monster had intended to play hardball right from the start. The clouds in the sky churned and gathered rapidly, then lowered, unsettling the entire sea.

Mermaids were undisputed rulers of the sea, holding dominion over the entire ocean.

The rain that fell with the inundating seawater condensed instantly into crystalline form within the fog, protected by the scepter, transforming into sharp, water-blue crystal shards, ruthlessly piercing every part of the fog.

The fish and shrimp in the sea couldn’t evade the water-blue crystals; they pierced into the water, turning the sea surface gradually crimson. Even the foam of the waves hitting the shore turned pink.

The ruler of the sea didn’t care about its subjects.

Jiang Yujin loosened the red string on his hand.

In an instant, the sharply falling water-blue crystals turned into dust in mid-air, appearing suddenly and dissipating just as quickly. The fog retreated by half in an instant, clearing the view.

The person standing there slowly raised their eyes, and the surrounding air seemed to carry a hint of a bloody scent.

This person had changed too much that it was only now that the one holding the scepter remembered being thrown into a dark cell.

A long time ago, the person who threw him there glanced at him.

Calm, indifferent, eyes beneath white hair devoid of any emotion.

Exactly the same as now.

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