You've Startled Mary!

【The attendant will not lie, but she can choose not to answer your questions. Please respect the attendant's personal feelings.】

Wu Wang took the slip of paper from her hand and read the words written on it.

He looked through Decade's green visor at the still-smiling attendant. Even after being exposed, she didn't show the slightest waver.

Seriously, does this thing really have personal feelings?

The most crucial part was figuring out why she had taken his note.

Wu Wang stuffed the note into his pocket.

"Interesting. You'll satisfy our needs as much as possible, but you can refuse to answer questions," he teased. "Oh? A stubborn mouth but an honest body, huh? A classic tsundere-type attendant?"

The attendant still didn't speak.

He'd guessed she took the note for a simple reason. His own delay in entering the game had only been a few minutes.

Logically, the layout of every room should be identical, so there should have been a note waiting for him. Since the other players still had their notes, his must have been taken just moments ago.

Otherwise, why not take all of them?

And who could enter guest rooms at will without attracting attention?

Obviously, the room service staff.

So, he had pressed the call button at the first opportunity. The only uncertainty was whether the attendant who took the note had gone far. If she had, another might have responded to the call.

His luck was good. The one who came was her.

Now, there were still some things he needed to test.

Wu Wang waved his hand, signaling for her to continue leading the way.

She immediately turned and walked forward.

"Straight ahead is the Restaurant. To the right are the entertainment room and the theater. To the left is the passage to other floors and direct access to the deck. Where would you like to go?"

"The deck," Wu Wang said.

It was an unexpected choice right from the start.

This time, even the attendant's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise. She had never encountered such a strange guest.

Who boards a ship and wants to see the deck first?

But professionalism won out, and she immediately led the way without another word.

Before long, Wu Wang saw natural light.

Whoosh.

A gentle sea breeze brushed across his cheek as he stepped out of the guest room area and onto the deck.

He looked up to see bright sunshine, white clouds, and a boundless blue sea. The vista was breathtaking, and a feeling of relaxed comfort washed over him. It was a classic scene, water and sky merging into one at the horizon.

A dedicated viewing area was set up on the deck, and a few scattered guests were on the viewing platform, enjoying the trip.

Wu Wang asked.

"How long will I be on this ship?"

The attendant remained silent.

A trace of surprise flashed in Wu Wang's eyes.

She won't answer this question? Does that mean she doesn't know how long I'll be here, or is she not sure how long I'll live?

So, he rephrased the question.

"How many days is the normal voyage?"

The attendant replied immediately.

"Five days. Sir, you just boarded this morning. It is now 11 AM sharp."

But at that moment, Wu Wang's tone turned cold.

His entire demeanor became unapproachable. He extended a hand and pointed at the few guests on the viewing platform opposite them.

"Go," he said indifferently. "Throw them all into the sea to feed the fish."

The attendant didn't speak, nor did she act.

But she could clearly sense that this person in strange attire was erupting with a killing intent so dense it was almost tangible.

He really wants me to throw those guests overboard!

The atmosphere grew suffocating. They stood in a stalemate for nearly a minute, but it felt like a year.

Wu Wang suddenly burst out laughing, a sharp pfft breaking the tension. He patted the attendant's shoulder cheerfully.

"Just kidding, don't be so tense. In that case, I'll make another request. Protect me from harm."

That was definitely not a joke!

The attendant was roaring internally, but her professional smile remained plastered on her face.

"No problem, sir," she said gently. "But I must inform you beforehand, the scope of protection does not include violations of private area rules or proactive provocation of others..."

Before the attendant could finish explaining, she saw Wu Wang break into a run toward the edge of the deck.

He leaped into the air and vaulted right over the railing.

This was the viewing platform on the central deck. Jumping down wouldn't land him directly in the sea; there was another deck below. But from this height, a normal person would likely be severely injured, if not killed.

Without the slightest hesitation, the attendant stomped her foot forcefully. The speed she erupted with was almost impossible for the naked eye to follow. In an instant, she vanished from her spot and appeared beside Wu Wang in mid-air.

She looped her arms under his armpits and the back of his knees, catching him securely in a princess carry. Then, defying the laws of physics, she moved through the air, pushing off the nearby walls to break their fall.

With a soft thump, the two of them landed safely in the center of the lower deck.

Her control was exceptional. It was less like a fall from a great height and more like she had simply hopped down, landing lightly on the ground.

She looked down, trying to see if the masked guest was injured, but failed due to his strange, fully-enclosed outfit.

Wu Wang's voice was filled with mockery.

"Thanks. I was too lazy to take the stairs."

The attendant set Wu Wang down on his feet.

She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Sir, please refrain from such behavior again. Next time, I will no longer provide protection from self-harm. Please understand."

Wu Wang just shrugged, looking as roguish as ever.

The next second, he bent down, grasped the attendant's soft, boneless hands, and lifted them as if with deep affection.

He slowly pressed the attendant's fingertips to his own heart. He grinned, enunciating each word.

"Then I command you. Kill me."

This wasn't self-harm. It was a demand made of the attendant.

Judging from the strength she had just displayed, Wu Wang had no doubt she could easily pierce his body. He reckoned reinforced concrete would be as fragile as tofu in her hands.

If she wanted to, a bloody hole would appear in his chest in an instant.

The attendant didn't speak or act.

Just like when he had told her to throw the other guests into the sea, she simply looked at Wu Wang, smiling.

But this time, Wu Wang noticed her smile seemed a bit forced. The curve of her lips was slightly stiff, not as natural as before.

She's annoyed.

Just then, two tall men in security guard uniforms walked over. The bulging muscles of their chests looked like they could crush Wu Wang's head between them. As they approached, their broad frames blocked out the sunlight.

The pressure was immense.

One of the burly men spoke, his voice a deep boom.

"Sir, is there anything you need help with? If not, may I ask where your partner is? We can help you contact her."

Wu Wang glanced up.

Yup, can't beat them.

They were probably even stronger than the ghost security guard from 【Fight Back to School】. They were the kind of enemy that players couldn't hope to beat with brute force.

But the man's question reminded Wu Wang of a rule.

【It is best to go out with your partner.】

This, coupled with what the other players had revealed, made things clear. Their main quest was to find a partner for the ball on the final day.

It seems that without a partner, this trip won't be very pleasant.

So, Wu Wang laughed.

"Thank you for your concern. My companion is this beautiful lady, at least for now. I'm very much in need of her assistance. Is that a problem?"

The burly man turned his head to look at the attendant. The smile on her face was now visibly forced. Even a fool could see it.

But in the end, she lowered her head.

"Yes, I am this guest's current companion. You may leave."

She had caught Wu Wang's clever use of words.

First, he had said "companion," not "partner." The two words sounded similar, but there was a crucial difference. The scope of "companion" was far broader.

Second, he had clearly stated it as a need. She couldn't refuse a request that didn't violate the rules.

So, she had acknowledged it. It was just that her final tone wasn't one of discussion. It was more like a command issued out of frustration.

The burly men turned and left without a hint of hesitation. On this cruise ship, it seemed attendants held a higher status than security personnel, perhaps because they interacted directly with the guests.

After they left, Wu Wang cheerfully started walking back inside, as if he planned to continue his tour.

But this time, the attendant didn't follow.

"Pardon my asking," she said, her voice filled with puzzlement, "but what exactly are you trying to do?"

This guest was truly too strange. Too insane! The things he had just done were not things a normal person would dare to try. What on earth was he trying to do?

Wu Wang turned. Though she couldn't see his face through the Decade mask, he looked at the exquisitely featured attendant with a meaningful expression.

Heh, so you finally cracked.

But that wasn't important. He had already gotten the information he needed.

He had learned that【Attendants cannot harm guests in any way, provided no rules are being violated.】 He'd tested that by ordering her to kill the other guests, and then himself.

He had learned that【Attendants can help deal with partner checks.】 The security guards had proven that.

And he had confirmed that【The attendant's personal feelings are important.】 Her current frustration was proof enough.

But these points only confirmed that the attendants were crucial to this scenario and required close attention.

More importantly, since she could consciously ask him a question, she wasn't a pre-programmed robot. Humans aren't perfect. They're creatures full of flaws. Emotion has a way of turning reason into a joke.

And if she was a person capable of independent thought, then the rules governing her had loopholes he could exploit.

The attendant is a conquerable NPC!

Of course, this was only one of the more important points. The most important thing was that the Abyss God's Mark was burning hot.

Wu Wang could see two lines of text floating above the attendant's head.

【She is Mary's fifth clone and is observing all the guests who have boarded the ship.】

【Mary is very interested in you.】

The attendant and Mary are directly connected!

Young man! You've disturbed the witch… no, that's not right.

It should be, young man, you've startled Mary!

"What do I want to do?"

He paused, letting the question hang in the air.

"I want to get to know the real you."