Join the management group, I've stockpiled millions of supplies for survival at sea.

Yin Leyao looked at the sea. The calm sea was as still as a mirror, and she thought of something else.

50th grid, Tide Observation Station.

If she lands there, she can predict whether the next tide will be high or low. The 57th square, the "Illusion Zone," is a "?" event square, which requires rational judgment.

Knowing the tidal phase allows you to predict the effect of the illusion zone in the next round (the effect may be more dangerous during a high tide reversal), and prepare in advance.

Although she had already bypassed the 49th square, the edge of the thunderstorm ahead (the 58th square) was still marked as a danger square—although the edge of the thunderstorm was not as deadly as the remnants of the thunderstorm, she was unsure of its specific effects.

The closer you get to your destination, the more dangerous it becomes.

Yin Leyao closed her eyes and counted to three.

Then leave the decision to the dice.

My energy has recovered to 2/3.

She kept it unused; those two energies might be a lifesaver when settling accounts.

Move the die: 1.

Desperate Spirit Bonus: +1.

Actual movement: 2 steps.

48th grid + 2 steps = 50th grid "Tide Observation Station"

Yin Leyao opened her eyes; it seemed the game was going smoothly.

The dice were on her side.

Settlement grid.

The 50th square, "Tide Observation Station," shows the effect of calm tides:

Peek at the next Tide phase and gain 1 Clever Mark.

She climbed the abandoned observation station buoy tower, its body rusted, but an old copper tide gauge was still running, its pointer trembling slightly on the dial, clouds piling up in the distance, and the saltiness of the sea intensifying.

This is a sign before the storm.

She read the answer: the next round is high tide.

Furthermore, the Wit Mark is increased by 1, bringing the current Wit Mark count to 2.

Yin Leyao memorized the information: the rising tide meant the chessboard would flip again, and the effects of squares 52-58 would surface. What effect would the illusion zone have during high tide? She needed to recall the chessboard settings beforehand.

But she now has two Wit Marks that allow her to re-throw the event decision twice, or reverse cause and effect at the most critical moment.

This was the richest moment for her since the beginning, not in terms of material wealth, but in terms of informational wealth.

Backpack is a judgment from the underworld.

The backpack still contains 2 items; the "Fighting Spirit in Desperate Situations" effect remains in effect, ensuring safety.

Event determination.

The 50th slot has no "?", so it will not trigger.

Yin Leyao stood at the top of the tower and looked back.

Chen Haisheng was in square 29, and Zhao Tiesha was in square 35. Both of them were far behind.

She turned back and looked ahead.

The lighthouse is 10 squares away. I wish the game would be this easy tomorrow.

-

Chen Haisheng (29th frame)

Move dice: 3. Reach the 32nd square "Coral Reef" (Tidal effect: Gain 1 material).

He found a "fragment of coral," stuffed it into his backpack, and didn't check it.

Distance from Yin Leyao: 18 squares, a desperate distance.

He stopped shouting and drifted silently.

-

Zhao Tiesha (35th slot, 1/6 HP)

Move dice: 6, reach the 41st space "Vortex Relic" (Tranquil Tide effect: can consume 1 stamina to search for special items).

Zhao Tiesha had only one life left, and he was starving. He used his energy to search—and drew a special brand: "Rum".

The front shows a wine bottle, and he grins; at sea, wine can warm you up.

Without checking, he bit open the bottle cap with his teeth and took a big gulp.

On the back, the writing is blurred by water, but still legible:

"Spoiled rum with methanol"

It causes a brief period of euphoria after drinking, but the toxicity lingers for 2 rounds, and at the end of the lingering period, 2 lives are lost.

Zhao Tiesha felt much better after drinking the wine. His life points remained unchanged for the time being, and the toxins entered his body.

Remaining stealth time: 2 rounds.

But he only has 1 life left. After 2 rounds, the poison will take effect, and he will die.

He doesn't know, and he never learns.

-

Yin Leyao stood atop the tide observation tower, the sea breeze ruffling her hair. The other NPC players weren't there to make up the numbers for her, but to show her what kind of situation she would face if she remained naive.

The lighthouse is 10 blocks ahead.

The next round is the rising tide, the chessboard reverses, safety turns into danger, and supplies become deprivation.

Tier 52 "Pirate Watchtower": A reversal of the tide may trigger a forced plundering event.

The 53rd slot, "Drifting Treasure Chest," may turn into a trap if the tide reverses.

The 57th square, "Illusion Zone," requires rational judgment. The effect of the tide reversal is unknown, but it can be speculated that it may be an enhanced version of mental attacks.

58th square "Thunderstorm Edge": Dangerous square label, metallic resonance, unknown tide effect.

60th square "Eternal Lighthouse": The endpoint, requires activating a verified signal device.

Yin Leyao stood atop the tide observation tower, the sea breeze making her hair flutter in the wind.

Her gaze pierced through the twilight and landed on the lighthouse ten squares away, its light just beginning to flicker against the deep blue horizon where the sea and sky met.

The backpack contained only two items: a signal gun and a waterproof flashlight. Both had been verified and were genuine. Together, they were the key to victory.

She doesn't need any more.

She already knew that the undercurrents beneath the surface of the sea were quietly shifting towards the next high tide; this information was like a hidden nautical chart folded in her mind.

The final round.

As the tides shifted, Chen Haisheng threw the tide dice. The pointer slid into the high tide position, and the waves rose visibly, swallowing the reefs. The markings on the chessboard silently flipped in the eyes of onlookers.

Supply turns into deprivation, and security turns into a trap.

It was Yin Leyao's turn.

She used up the 1 point of energy she had just recovered, and now her energy was completely full, so she probably wouldn't need to use it again.

Movement phase.

Rolling a 5 on the movement die grants a +1 Desperate Spirit bonus, allowing you to move 6 steps in the end.

Starting from the 50th square, Yin Leyao landed steadily on the 56th square after 6 steps. She glanced at the vortex ruins under her feet. The tide was reversed, and the effect was that she was entangled in the vortex, so she had to retreat and drop her supplies.

The Desperate Shield on her panel glowed with golden light, the Curse Reversal was negated, the vortex shattered silently at her feet, and she stood still, completely unharmed.

The backpack still contains two items, with no additional items added. The "Desperate Fighting Spirit" effect remains active. There is no event marker in the 56th slot, and the turn ends quietly.

In this round, Chen Haisheng moved from the 32nd square to the 36th square, stepped on a floating object, and obtained an unverified item. He stuffed it into his bag without checking it, increasing his item count to 2.

Zhao Tiesha struggled from the 41st to the 43rd square, drew a pack of cookies, and accepted it without hesitation. His stomach was still churning with low-quality alcohol, and the methanol incubation period was only one round away from completion.

But he was completely unaware, and just rubbed his stomach and cursed that the sea breeze was too cold.

Yin Leyao didn't look at them. Her eyes were fixed on the last four squares in front of her.

Another transformation.

The tide shifts from high tide to low tide, the sea surface is briefly at equilibrium, and all effects return to normal.

Yin Leyao rolls the moving dice.

The die spins and lands a 4.

Desperate Spirit +1, Total Steps 5.

Starting from square 56, after 5 steps, land on square 61.

The chessboard has only 60 squares. If you go beyond the first square, it will not trigger any additional events and will stop at the 60th square, the end point, the Eternal Lighthouse.

As she stepped onto the rocks at the base of the lighthouse, the lighthouse's light swept across her face.

But the game isn't over yet; the rules are clearly written.

Upon reaching the destination, the verified signal device must be activated and the "Lighthouse Truth" sign must be turned upside down.

She activated the device, the hammer of the signal gun snapped, and the beam of the waterproof flashlight pierced the twilight.

A gunshot rang out, and a cluster of crimson signal flares shot into the sky. Light tore through the clouds, burning a rift between the sea and sky that led to the stars.

The light has not faded; this is not an illusion, not pirate bait, not a mirage.

She verified it. Combining two genuine items guarantees a 100% success rate in securing a rescue.

Then she turned over the card that would determine her fate, "The Truth of the Lighthouse".

The moment the cards were turned over, the sea breeze suddenly stopped.

The back of the card has only one line of text:

"You thought it was the end, but the tide never promised anyone a chance to leave."

The front has two columns.

The first column corresponds to a slain lair with a forged or unverified signal device; failure.

The second column corresponds to the verified signal device indicating that rescue has arrived successfully.

Yin Leyao's conditions are met in the second column. The card indicates that she should wait two rounds for the rescue ship to arrive across the storm zone. No negative events will be triggered during this time.

The player automatically wins when the number of rounds is reached.

Victory is assured.

All that's needed is time; don't move, don't participate in events, don't trigger the backpack check, just wait.

But the sea did not calm down. Just as she turned over the cards, a deep whistle sounded from afar.

Chen Haisheng and Zhao Tiesha looked up at the same time. They didn't know what it was, but Yin Leyao knew it was her boat.

The tide is receding.

Chen Haisheng began to move, not looking at the grid, but staring intently at the direction of the lighthouse.

Roll a 3 on the move die and move from the 36th to the 39th position.

A reef cut through the side of his ice block, but he didn't notice; his attention was entirely on the lighthouse.

He felt immense envy and jealousy towards that figure standing on the reef.

He started to accelerate.

But the ice beneath his feet began to slowly crack.

Zhao Tiesha also moved, rolling a 4 on the movement die, moving from the 43rd to the 47th square.

The seagulls were attracted by the food scraps left by the receding tide and circled around him.

A seagull swooped down and snatched the bag of cookies he had just picked up. He cursed and waved his arms to scare away the birds. Just then, his abdomen suddenly cramped.

The methanol incubation period has ended.

A metallic taste rose in my throat.

He curled up on the ice, his hands pressed tightly against his stomach, the toxins racing through his veins.

Health points 1 → 0.

Zhao Tiesha's hand loosened and dangled into the seawater.

The ice block continued to drift, carrying a motionless person, slowly sliding off the chessboard's edge.

The seagulls dispersed.

The sea returned to calm.

Chen Haisheng heard a splash behind him. He turned around and saw empty ice sloshing around in the waves. His lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.

He turned back and continued walking towards the light.

Yin Leyao stood on the reef and also saw that scene. She was silent for a moment, then shifted her gaze from the direction where Zhao Tiesha disappeared back to the horizon.

There, a black dot is growing larger; the ship is approaching.

The tide is rising.

The seawater surged again; this was the last round Yin Leyao had been waiting for.

Chen Haisheng is in the 39th position.

He rolled a 4 on the move die and was sent to the 43rd drift supply box.

The tide rises and then reverses, supply turns into deprivation.

When the effect is triggered, one item is randomly discarded.

He had two items in his backpack, but it was determined that the coral fragment was lost, leaving only one item.

His fingers trembled slightly, not because of the loss of supplies, but because he had finally seen the situation on the lighthouse reef clearly: a crimson flare trail still hung in the air.

The equipment is real and there are people inside; rescue is approaching.

He began to crawl forward desperately, and at that moment the cracks in the ice completely broke open.

Seawater rushed in, washing over his ankles, knees, and waist.

He started to sink, but he didn't care.

He used his hands as oars and rowed vigorously toward the lighthouse.

There were still 17 blocks to go, and each block was taking in water. The ice block was sinking rapidly, and he was getting closer and closer to the surface.

Yin Leyao looked at him, separated by 17 squares of surging seawater and two rounds of already secured victory.

She saw the last glimmer of light in his eyes slowly dimming, like a lamp wick that had burned out.

The ice block eventually sank to the 45th square, the only absolutely neutral area on the safe island chessboard. He climbed onto the reef, soaking wet, and knelt on the rock, panting heavily.

His backpack was empty; all his supplies had sunk to the bottom of the sea. He was safe, but he had nothing left.

The lighthouse beam swept across his face, and he looked up to see Yin Leyao standing on a distant reef, with a white rescue ship approaching behind her.

The ship has arrived.

When the gangway was lowered, Yin Leyao did not board the ship immediately.

She turned her head once, the sea breeze blew, she closed her eyes, and the hot water handed to her by her rescuer warmed her palms through the enamel cup.

The ship sailed eastward, leaving the cursed seas of the Lord of the Tides.

Congratulations on completing the game! All rewards will be sent via in-game mail.