Bai Liu stood unsteadily on the small boat, watching the chaos unfold with a quiet, detached gaze. After a moment, as if awakening from a dream, he murmured softly to himself, "Ah, so that's it. To prevent myself from succumbing to corruption and losing my mind after boarding, I made certain arrangements in advance."
On the small television screen, Bai Liu, having spoken, seemed to feel a chill. He wrapped himself in his blanket, drowsily watching the spectacle as if it were nothing more than a passing show.
The audience before the screen was left speechless.
What did you do before boarding? Why did Andre die so suddenly?
Wang Shun, nearly driven mad with curiosity by Andre's demise, had never witnessed the fishermen turn on Andre before. He longed to pry open Bai Liu's mind and uncover whatever ingenious trick he had employed.
"What did he do before getting on the boat?!"
The player beside him was equally perplexed, closing his eyes in deep thought. "Wait! Let me think! It was all standard procedure—he took the driver's car here, paid the fare, boarded the ship, and the driver said he'd prepare the venue and props for the night's wager…"
The players who had been about to leave now crowded back, someone calling out:
"Does anyone here have a premium account to watch the replay? I can't view the game videos without one."
"I do! I'll play it—let's project it for everyone to see!"
"Emmm, it all looks like a normal playthrough. Why? Bai Liu's luck stat is zero, so it can't be some fortuitous event where the fishermen just decide to attack Andre."
"So how did he pull this off?"
"Damn, let's post on the game forum for help. I've watched it three times and still can't figure out what he set up. It's uncanny."
————————
[Game Forum—Help! Does anyone know how to trigger the mermaids eating Andre?]
1st post: Saw an incredible play today. Many have played 'Siren Town,' but has anyone ever triggered the mermaids devouring Andre during the 'True Love's Ship' quest? First time I've seen it. (Video attached)
2nd post: Kid, I have so many questions.
How did this happen?? I've never seen monsters help a player by killing Andre. Did he trigger some bizarre relationship route?
3rd post: This player must have a high luck stat. Sometimes, with high luck, you get these unbelievable outcomes.
OP replies: No, his luck is zero. He's terribly unlucky—first draw as a newbie and he gets Siren Town, plus he drew a wandering NPC from the Monster Book. It's visible bad luck, and then suddenly this happens… I'm baffled.
4th post: This newbie… is kind of a beast. But how did he do it?
5th post (Mu Sicheng): You can trigger it by completing a side quest.
If you get over 80% completion on the 'Jelf's Bloody Conspiracy' side quest, the driver will dive into the sea to ambush Andre. The bloodshed will attract the fishermen, who will then devour Andre.
But to trigger this, you have to discover Jelf's plot on the first night while controlling the mermaid statue, and you must not let Jelf realize you've uncovered his secret, or you'll be assassinated.
Is this player really a newbie? To pull this off on a first run is impressive. I never managed it myself—had to brute-force my way through. Only later did I realize there was another possible route.
6th post: Damn!!!! Mu God!! Front row selfie!!
7th post: The legend appears! Bless me to clear my next hard mode in one go!
8th post: Mu God praises a newbie! I have to watch! OP, which server is the newbie on? I want to spectate!
9th post: Me too!
——————
"I'm still curious how he pushed the 'Jelf's Bloody Conspiracy' side quest to eighty percent. On the car, it was only at fifty—how did it suddenly jump?"
Wang Shun asked, perplexed. As a theory-crafter, these details were crucial to him.
He pulled out his game manager and messaged Mu God on the forum.
Mu Sicheng replied: [He tipped the driver extra.]
[Jelf had already paid the driver in full for the ride and tour, so the player shouldn't have needed to pay again. But this newbie gave another, and a generous tip at that.]
Wang Shun suddenly recalled—yes, Bai Liu shouldn't have paid, but he did.
[And if you watch the video, you'll see he let the driver glimpse the large sum of money in his bag.]
[The townsfolk of Siren Town are coded as bandits; excessive wealth will inevitably tempt the driver to rob and kill. But with the side quest active, the driver will target Andre first.]
[To push the side quest to eighty percent, you must let the driver know you're carrying valuables. He'll then stalk you, and on the sea, kill Andre—the one who poses the greatest threat to you.]
Wang Shun read Mu God's reply aloud, enlightenment dawning. "So that's how it is."
But after a moment's thought, he frowned again.
He typed: [Mu God, but if the driver kills Andre, won't he just come back to rob the player?]
Mu Sicheng: [Yes, so the player must quickly hide in a Water Bubble to repel the fish.]
[The driver can only kill Andre by ambush; in a straight fight, Andre is stronger—he's the true boss of this stage, and the only one who can break through the Water Bubble.]
[But with Andre dead, the Water Bubble is enough to fend off the driver and the other merfolk. Once the side quest is triggered, the 'True Love's Ship' quest becomes much easier.]
Wang Shun scrolled through the forum, frowning at the small screen. "Did you all see Mu God's reply? He says the merfolk will turn on the player as soon as they finish with Andre."
"We saw." The spectator who had been glued to Bai Liu's screen sighed deeply, watching Bai Liu's dazed eyes as he huddled in his blanket. "Even Mu God praised this newbie. What a pity—if he hadn't wasted his points on so much alcohol, he could have bought a Water Bubble and cleared the stage."
Wang Shun could only shake his head. "The difficulty's dropped so much, and he's still stuck here!"
He was not alone in his frustration; many players drawn by Mu God's post felt the same.
They watched as Bai Liu, wrapped in his blanket, dozed off while the merfolk devoured Andre and then turned their attention to Bai Liu's little boat.
Yet Bai Liu seemed utterly oblivious, nodding off as the merfolk silently closed in, the sound of water lapping at the hull.
The scene left the players speechless, a collective silence settling over them as they watched, unable to utter a word.