Chapter Seventy-Five: Evolution Island (Part One)

Luo Hanya, Level 16
Please select the game mode you wish to join.
You have chosen the Deathmatch: Five-Player Free-for-All mode. Please confirm.
Confirmed. Generating script...
Loading, please wait.

Next, Luo Hanya's vision turned pitch black as subtitles, accompanied by a voiceover, slowly appeared before his eyes.
The Deathmatch mode centers on player-versus-player combat. In this mode, the storyline elements are minimized; special and hidden missions may appear, and the script will be randomly generated based on the players' abilities.
You can view your opponents' nicknames, levels, and survival status from the game menu.
The above instructions are provided for first-time entrants into Deathmatch mode. Enjoy the game.

After reading the instructions, Luo Hanya did not hear the familiar phrase, "Welcome to the House of Horrors." Instead, after waiting several seconds, a middle-aged man's voice with a strong Shandong accent suddenly rang out, "Fight! Kill! Die!"
So the opening lines for the Deathmatch script are different. After these words, the next prompt appeared.
Loading complete. You are now participating in a Deathmatch.
This mode provides a brief introduction to the script, with a chance for side and hidden missions to appear.
Victory in this script will earn you a random piece of excellent equipment as a reward.
The script introduction will now play. Once finished, the game will begin immediately.

Before Luo Hanya's eyes appeared a vast island. At its center, a volcano spewed gray smoke. The island was covered in lush tropical jungles, glacial zones blanketed in ice, sprawling arid grasslands, the scorching and merciless Death Desert, and cold, tranquil subarctic coniferous forests—every ecosystem on Earth seemed contained here. All around the island, deep black trenches completely isolated it from the outside world.

The script introduction began to play:
A mysterious figure has established a secret base on a remote and enigmatic island. Since then, numerous sailors have vanished in these waters. Unfortunately, today, the ship you are aboard is about to pass by this island.

In the next instant, Luo Hanya found himself aboard a sea vessel, still in observer mode.
"Turn right to leave here; there's a place—a large island," came a voice beside him. "It's a truly mysterious island."
"What island is that?" another voice asked.
"The old sea charts called it... Evolution Island?" Luo Hanya followed the voice and saw a burly sailor. "A strange name, isn't it? Doesn't it make you feel a peculiar fear?"
"Is it visible?" The previous voice, belonging to a short sailor, spoke again. Clearly, he had been the one talking before. He was now trying to peer into the humid tropical night, but it was obvious he saw nothing; the night pressed a heavy darkness upon the ship.
"You have good eyes," the burly sailor said with a laugh. "I've seen you spot a moose moving in the autumn-brown thickets four hundred yards away, and even in a moonless Caribbean night, you can see for about four miles."
"But here, I can't see a thing," the short sailor sighed regretfully. "It's like damp, black velvet, completely covering my eagle-sharp eyes."
"Why are you so eager to see that island?" the burly sailor asked.
"Haven't you heard about all the ships and sailors who've gone missing here lately?" The short sailor sounded a bit anxious. "Do you think we've sailed far enough away from the island?"
"I don't know. It's so dark, I hope we've passed it already."
"Are you scared too?" the short sailor asked.
"It's just its bad reputation," the burly sailor shrugged, hinting at something.
"Bad reputation?" the short sailor asked in confusion. "Wasn't it only recently that ships and sailors started disappearing there?"
"Hey, who knows what’s happened on that godforsaken place," the burly sailor spat into the sea. "Did you notice? Our old captain looked unwell today, didn’t he?"
"They say our old captain once borrowed fire from the Devil of the North Sea—he’s seen it all. How could he be afraid?" the short sailor said in disbelief, clearly admiring the captain.
"Maybe it's just that the evil here is too intense," the burly sailor paused. "Don't you feel an almost tangible chill in the air?"

"It is a bit cold. Is it just because it’s late at night?"
"I hope so. Right now, I'm just glad we're sailing away from the island."
"Let's hope for good luck!"
"Indeed, we need it."
"I think we can get some sleep now. What do you think?"
"Yeah, I'll smoke my pipe first. You go on to bed."
"Alright, good night. See you at breakfast."
"Good night, my friend."

The short sailor turned to rest, while the burly sailor silently took out his pipe, puffing on it and savoring its light fragrance.
The night was deathly quiet. The burly sailor sat enjoying the stillness. Only the ship's engine rumbled dully, driving the vessel quickly through the darkness, the propeller churning the water with a soft whoosh.

A sudden sound startled him. It came from his right, and his ears, finely attuned to such things, could not be mistaken. Soon after, he heard it again—a sound from somewhere in the darkness, at least three times as loud as a gunshot.

At this moment, Luo Hanya suddenly realized he had become the burly sailor. He immediately sprang up, running quickly to the railing, peering around in confusion. He strained his eyes toward the direction of the sound, but just as the short sailor had said, it was like staring into a carpet—he could see nothing at all.

He climbed onto the railing, maintaining his balance to gain a better vantage point. His pipe struck a rope and fell from his mouth. Instinctively, he reached to grab it, but realized too late that he had overreached and lost his balance. A short, hoarse cry escaped his lips.

Immediately, Luo Hanya felt a warm sensation all around him as the tepid seawater engulfed his head. His cry was abruptly cut off by the water, and no further sound escaped. He struggled to the surface, trying to call out again, but the water churned by the propeller slapped his face like a whip, and the salty, slightly bitter sea flooded his open mouth, making him feel as if he were about to suffocate.

He fought desperately for a long while, determined not to let himself be dashed to pieces against some nameless reef.