There Must Be Something Wrong With This Game!

The phonograph started spinning again, playing a classic local tune that filled the bar with an air of nostalgia.

The criminals sat silently at their respective tables. The hard liquor in front of them had been replaced with sweet milk, lest they get drunk, stir up trouble, and get cut down by the man in the black cloak.

Hancock was still passed out on the counter, snoring loudly. Even after half a bottle of emergency sobering spray had been emptied on him, he couldn’t be woken up.

"Why isn’t he waking up?" Duan Fei asked in confusion.

"Different Constitutions, different effects," the Bartender explained nervously. "Some people wake up with just a little bit, while others never wake up at all."

"This stuff sounds a little dangerous."

"But it works."

Letting Hancock sleep, Duan Fei stared at the back of the man’s head and began to think about how to convince him to risk his life for their cause.

There were only seven days left until the instance ended, and they were still a thousand light-years from their destination, Azure Star, which made Hancock essential.

The man was just a regular person. Although he had some skill as a Navigator, he was, in the end, just an ordinary NPC.

*Abyss* did an excellent job on this front; its NPCs weren’t just cookie-cutter templates, but characters who seemed to be made of flesh and blood.

He could feel fear, get scared, and flee in a panic. Besides, Duan Fei didn’t think the man had done anything wrong.

To draw a real-world analogy, it was like some poor driver getting hijacked by five vicious criminals and forced to drive them home in a truck.

Along the way, he was branded a wanted man and treated as an accomplice, liable to be blown sky-high by a missile at any moment.

Thinking of it that way, anyone would have a breakdown.

After thinking for a good while, Duan Fei came up with a few rather sinister ideas, but he dismissed them all.

After all, Hancock’s situation was already tragic enough. Using such methods on him would just be too cruel.

Just as he was lost in thought, Hancock’s wristband, Alpha, lit up.

The signal had traversed several relay stations, making the call incredibly expensive. It was clear the person on the other end was desperate.

Duan Fei answered the call for him. On the screen, he saw the inside of a run-down rental house. A plain-looking, middle-aged woman and a little girl were tied up in the room, their tear-streaked faces staring at the camera.

A few burly men sat drinking beer amidst the mess. One of the thugs scraped a dagger against the middle-aged woman’s cheek and stared into the screen. "Mr. Hancock, it’s time you paid us back what you owe. If you don’t, I wouldn’t mind showing you what the Little Knife Gang is made of."

Hearing this voice, Hancock, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to tremble violently.

But before he could look up, Duan Fei spoke first. "I’m his captain. What’s this all about?"

"So you’re the captain. Hancock owes us a pile of money, so I was hoping... hold on, who’s that behind you?"

Duan Fei turned his head and saw a burly man who had just come into view behind him.

Duan Fei shot the man a meaningful look. The burly man immediately stepped in front of the camera, bared his teeth, and asked, "You recognize me?"

The thug’s attitude instantly became one of utmost respect.

He snapped to attention. He and the other burly men behind him all jumped to their feet, lining up like soldiers and shouting in unison, "Greetings, Boss!"

Duan Fei narrowed his eyes at the burly man beside him, who nodded awkwardly and whispered, "I’m the head of the Little Knife Gang."

"So... care to do me a favor?"

"Of course."

Clearing his throat, the big man pointed at Duan Fei. "My friend."

Then, he pointed at Hancock. "My friend’s friend."

Finally, he pointed to the middle-aged woman and girl on the screen and said with a grin, "So, you get it?"

"We get it."

The thug respectfully untied the two. He even stuck around to help clean the place up, paid for the damaged furniture in full, and then burned Hancock’s IOU to a crisp.

On their way out, they even bid the two a friendly farewell and, following their boss’s orders, left behind a large sum of money before taking their leave.

Having survived the ordeal, the mother and daughter wept with joy. They cried for several minutes before realizing someone was still on the call.

The woman stepped closer, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Captain," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"Don’t mention it."

Glancing over at Hancock, who was still feigning sleep, Duan Fei said, "Hancock is an excellent Navigator, so I don’t mind helping him with a few problems. You must be his wife?"

"Ex-wife."

"That can’t be right," Duan Fei said, surprised. "To be honest with you, I found his diary. In it, this is what he wrote..."

He began to recite the unspoken apologies and words of love from Hancock’s diary. Halfway through, his ex-wife was sobbing uncontrollably.

Looking at the girl, Duan Fei continued, "And you must be his daughter, right? Your father is a great hero."

"Really?" A light began to shine in the girl’s eyes. After all, who wouldn’t want their father to be a hero?

"That’s right, he is a hero," the Shadow God cut in. "He once battled unseen Evil Spirits and released five heroes from ancient times. He fearlessly served one of those heroes, leading them across the Void to arrive here. One who walks with heroes is a hero himself. This is common sense."

His theatrical way of speaking made the girl giggle, but the light in her eyes remained.

"Thank you! I knew he was a hero!"

"Mhm. Next time he comes home, make him tell you all about his heroic exploits!"

"Okay, Mr. Mystery Hero."

After an air fist bump, the Shadow God ended the call. "So, how did I do?" he asked Duan Fei.

"Barely a passing grade. Your delivery was way too over the top, and you failed to stick the emotional landing. And what the hell was that ’This is common sense’ line? Can you not sound pretentious for one second?"

"Couldn’t you just say I did a good job!"

"So cringe."

"Screw you!"

While the two were bickering, Hancock stretched, let out a yawn, and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Looking at them, Hancock asked, confused, "Captain? First Mate? What are you guys doing here?"

"The more dangerous the place, the better the liquor and the sweeter the milk. We heard this place was especially dangerous, so we came to check it out."

"Well, you certainly came to the right place. This is the best bar at the Ares Star Gate. The odds of leaving alive just aren’t very high. But since you’re here, let me buy you two a drink."

"Thanks."

"No, I’m the one who should be thanking you. Thank you."

Downing his drink in one gulp, Hancock’s eyes turned red again. He covered his face, crying and laughing at the same time. "This liquor... it’s got quite a kick."

Duan Fei, however, simply stared into the distance, lost in thought.

Just a moment ago, he had heard a system notification.

He had obtained the Navigator Hancock card.

A purple one, at that.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!