Chapter 16: Bloodstained Island and Departures

CherryWhatFlavor’s stream has gone viral on Breath of Life’s forums.
The first to unlock and clear Twin Islands’ hidden dungeon, it’s topped the charts, drawing a flood of curious players.
The viewer count soars to a staggering number.

Cherry, face flushed with excitement, knows what the audience wants.
He switches to a cinematic third-person view, letting everyone see Bloodstained Twin Islands’ eerie transformation.

A cold moon hangs high, indifferent to the scene below.
Scattered torchlights dot the forest, zooming in to reveal survivors with twisted expressions, encircling the four fresh from the dungeon.

Blood-red mist seeps from the cave behind them, stirring restless beast roars.
Flocks of birds take flight, only to wail and plummet.
Soon, the mist engulfs both islands, large and small, cloaking them in a crimson haze.

Fish flee the shores; crabs burrow frantically into the sand.

They sense it—a bloodbath looms.

Stream reactions:

“Holy sh*t, that’s intense!”
“New Twin Islands map is real?”
“Caught a glimpse—mutant wolves in the forest evolved again. Terrifying!”
“What an atmosphere!”
“Late to the party, missed the dungeon clear.
But four people, one shot? Isn’t it easy?”
“Easy? Watch the replay, buddy. It’s rough.”
“This map’s only for plot-clearers, right? Just these four on the island.”
“Must be a grinding paradise!”
“Not quite. They’re surrounded, mobs are tougher, no healer, no potion shops.
If they die, it’s messy.”

As viewers noted, with the plot exposed and the survivors’ true faces revealed, returning to the original Twin Islands is impossible.

Their only option, as Yan Ziyun urged, is to leave Bloodstained Twin Islands fast.

First, they must deal with the red-named NPCs surrounding them.

Before combat, the NPCs bicker:

“ Told you we shouldn’t have let them stay!”
“Did they release that monster?”
“No way! That lord said she’d never reach our island.”
“The red-haired ability user must’ve found something and sent them.”
“Found something? Like the fish-luring powder we put on him?”
“Idiot! Shut up! Attack!”

Powder?

The four exchange glances, recalling Yan Ziyu’s death—dragged off by fish.
So, the survivors not only lied to send him to sea but drugged him to ensure his death, preventing him from finding his sister and retaliating.

“Damn, you’re pure evil!” Jiang Shu’s fully invested, yelling, “You ruined his sister and killed him!”

Cherry thinks of another NPC: “Holy sh*t! Wen Fengqi’s amnesia—poison too?”

“Correct.” A flickering figure steps from the torchlit forest—Wen Fengqi.

Still green-named, his “Amnesia” status is gone.

A water ability user, he’s shed his initial “clueless” charm.
Now cold as ice, he raises a hand, forming a water orb that splits into ten, striking each red-named NPC’s face.
They struggle silently, then collapse, dead.

Wen Fengqi glares at the corpses with disgust: “Captain, I warned you—your soft heart would get you killed.
Look at the ‘surprise’ these ‘protected’ normals gave you.
Hmph.”

Stream:

“Holy sh*t! More plot?!”
“Good lord, Wen Fengqi’s got game!”
“Clueless cutie turned badass! My heart!”
“That ‘hmph’ ended me!”
“Water kills—terrifying!”

Wen Fengqi looks at Yun Shi.
“You. These your teammates?”

Thanks to the hidden plot, he remembers Yun Shi.
Yun Shi nods. “Yeah, my teammates.”

Wen Fengqi chuckles lightly. “Nice to have teammates.”

The [Missing Teammate] quest flashes in their minds.
Seeing him alone now, the four don’t know what to say.

Thankfully, he doesn’t wait for a reply, glancing at the sky.
“This island’s not safe.
Prepare—tomorrow at dawn, we leave.”

That means heading to the main city.

The plot’s fully resolved.

Cherry tells his stream, shuts it down, and settles accounts with the team.

Yun Shi gets a payment notification—2000 Star Coins from Cherry, more than expected.
This wasn’t a solo carry like [Bear Island], yet Cherry paid a top-tier rate.

Cherry grins, keeping it vague.

He knows the score.
This dungeon wasn’t a team effort—it was Yun Shi and Bo He’s show.
Without them, his stream would’ve ended early, no hype.

They’re the only team server-wide to clear [Snake Woman] and unlock [Bloodstained! Twin Islands].
Other servers will watch his replay for reference, driving more traffic—thanks to his teammates.

The dungeon guide can’t be sold, but the extra payment is compensation.

Still, the plot trigger can be sold.

Cherry’s about to discuss when world chat lights up—Samsara’s team.

They’re leaking the hidden dungeon’s trigger conditions for free.

Tricked by Bo He into Fog Sea, they died to the octopus, twice, realizing the ruse too late.
Seeing the clear announcement, they’re livid, spilling everything they saw tailing Yun Shi’s group.
It’s not complete, but enough for guesses.
Free info—who doesn’t love it?

World chat floods with “Samsara’s saints” praise.

Jiang Shu and Cherry are disgusted.

“Lowlifes! I’ll kill them every time I see them!”

Bo He reminds, “Won’t see them for a day or two.”

Dropping to level 10 to return takes time, but Yun Shi’s team, post-plot and first-clear, nears level 20.
Even the server’s grinders lag behind.
Catching up in a day or two? Unlikely.

Yun Shi, flush with cash, isn’t too mad.
Like his teammates said—unhappy? Kill them later.

With five hours until Wen Fengqi’s departure, they grind mobs to hit level 20 before heading to the main city.

After tiring, they set a time to regroup and log off.

Offline, Yun Shi pays next month’s rent, buys essentials, and fills his bare apartment with life.
After a shower, fresh clothes, and a nutrient drink, he logs back in.

His teammates trickle online, and they hit level 20 just in time.

At dawn, on a large wooden ship found by Wen Fengqi, Yun Shi and his team set sail for the main city.