Chapter 45: Pure Sea

"Can I get a replacement ticket? I have a boat ticket, but I didn't bring it with me."

Lin Ye did indeed possess a boat ticket, but he wasn't sure if that ticket was related to this cruise ship.

The attendant's smile faded, but he took no other action, simply staring at Lin Ye expressionlessly as if assessing the situation.

"You do possess a ticket, but you didn't bring it aboard. This situation is quite unusual, so I'm at a loss."

The attendant remained outside the door without forcing his way in, giving Lin Ye a glimmer of hope.

"Could you tell me about the cruise ship? I nearly got lost when boarding earlier."

Lin Ye probed cautiously.

"Had you brought your ticket when boarding, someone would have welcomed you. Fortunately you didn't venture deeper into the corridors - no one could have saved you then."

The attendant seemed to receive some message, his face twisting into that eerie smile again.

"Will you return me to shore? Or just drop me at the next stop?"

Lin Ye asked without much hope.

"Apologies. The captain said... immediately."

The attendant didn't enter the room, merely making a polite gesture. Lin Ye found himself walking out voluntarily, moving down the corridor.

Lin Ye tried to resist but discovered he'd completely lost control of his body, forced to watch himself walk away.

Though the hallway remained red, the rooms at both ends had vanished. From his peripheral vision, Lin Ye noticed the room numbers along this stretch hadn't changed.

After traversing the long crimson hallway and passing through an interior door, the corridor returned to its original ordinary appearance, the lighting now dim and yellowish.

Lin Ye saw Room 1904.

An utterly ordinary door in an ordinary hallway, completely unremarkable.

He wanted to act, but could only memorize surrounding room numbers as he was helplessly drawn away from his target, proceeding toward the deck.

Emerging from the cabin, the external scene captured Lin Ye's attention.

The cruise ship sailed across a pure white sea - the snow-white water perfectly flat without a single ripple.

Not even the ship's passage could disturb its surface.

In the distance stood towering white pillars reaching into the sky, their tops invisible even when craning one's neck.

Only then did Lin Ye realize he'd regained control of his movements.

"You should disembark now."

The attendant stood nearby, speaking respectfully.

Lin Ye stood at the deck's edge - a single step over the railing would plunge him into that white sea.

He considered resisting, but found himself more willing to jump than fight.

"So beautiful... does it have a name?"

Lin Ye asked dreamily.

"The Pure Sea."

The attendant also gazed at the water, eyes filled with reverence.

"I see. A fitting name."

Lin Ye leaned forward, falling into the sea without creating a single ripple, merging seamlessly with the Pure Sea.

Lin Ye woke disoriented in bed, only remembering following the attendant out of the cabin. He couldn't recall anything afterward, as if that memory had been erased.

'Damn it, what happened? This feeling of not remembering is unbearable!'

He roughly grabbed his hair in frustration.

'At least memories before leaving the cabin remain intact. Got some clues at least.'

'...But are they really intact?'

Lin Ye meticulously reviewed the entire previous simulation, only stopping after confirming no other anomalies.

'Can't wait until after departure next time. This memory loss might affect the whole simulation, and that attendant's no solution either.'

Dressed, Lin Ye descended with the overseers, continuously planning his next approach.

Soon, the trio boarded again.

This time Lin Ye chose a different entrance. The previous corridor offered little information - just one room leading to the red hallway, eliminating only one of 32 possibilities. Switching corridors changed little.

Six entrances, six hallways. Lin Ye debated whether to simulate each or focus on one.

Before entering, he tied their clothes together. Probably useless, but worth trying.

Like before, Lin Ye entered a dim, enclosed corridor alone.

After circling, still 32 rooms, still no 1904.

This time he tried Room 987 near the entrance.

Another standard room - no dangers, no oddities.

Closing then reopening the door revealed the same ordinary hallway, now with Room 1441 opposite.

Circling showed no 1904, and no familiar rooms except 987.

Next he tried Room 1603 near the entrance.

Standard room, no threats.

Upon closing and immediately reopening the door, a crimson hallway pulsed with red light.

'Dammit, no pattern at all? Or some hidden logic I'm missing?'

Tugging his hair, Lin Ye explored the red hallway but found no familiar numbers.

'Random door selection then?'

Trapped in this corridor, Lin Ye knew only new doors offered escape. Time dwindled - once departure came, that attendant would find and escort him to another amnesiac deck experience.

'What now?'

No matter how he analyzed, Lin Ye found no numerical patterns. He lacked a mathematician's formula-crunching mind or numerical intuition. Without enhanced mental faculties, he couldn't even recall all those numbers.

'Maybe insufficient data. Maybe truly random.'

Abandoning analysis, Lin Ye stopped wrestling with the chaotic numbers and randomly opened a door.

Since boarding, Lin Ye had been absorbing spiritual energy. With last simulation's experience and reckless absorption, he'd quickly completed one cycle.

But his prepared spiritual energy shield proved unnecessary - another standard room greeted him.

'Luck's with me.'

Entering, closing then reopening the door revealed another ordinary hallway.

A quick survey showed no familiar numbers.

Lin Ye randomly selected another door, repeated the close-open routine.

A red hallway awaited.