CHAPTER 58: BOARDING THE SHIP

And the money she received for selling the mine, of course, she entrusted the card to Song that day, to buy gold with all that money and keep it.

Because once the disaster starts, these pieces of paper will lose their value very soon.

Ling Yu felt refreshed after screwing them royally. It was about time she made them pay for all the things they did to her back, little by little.

In the midst of her thoughts, she could feel the heated gaze coming from the opposite direction to where they were standing.

As expected, He Xun, a figure she could never quite ignore, was also boarded on the deck. Surrounded by his usual group of loyal friends, he looked at ease, as though this trip were nothing more than an enjoyable excursion.

But Ling Yu knew better. Behind that careless smile and those relaxed gestures was a man far too calculating to take anything lightly.

She would normally ignore all of them, but she couldn’t ignore the gossipmongers’ whisperings that could be heard clearly from where she stood.

She never thought He Xun’s stupid friends would actually remember her and gossip like that!

For a fleeting moment, He Xun’s eyes met hers across the docks. Something unreadable passed between them, a kind of recognition, but then it was gone, replaced by his usual easy grin.

When the boarding bell rang, the students filed in with a mixture of awe and anticipation. Ling Yu and Ru Feifei ascended the gangplank together, the wooden boards creaking underfoot as the salty tang of the ocean grew stronger.

The deck bustled with activity as servants arranged refreshments and guides directed groups toward their quarters. Ru Feifei practically ran from one railing to the next, marveling at the vastness of the sea and the beauty of the ship. "Ling Yu, look! Look at the waves! And the sails—! Oh, this is amazing!"

Ling Yu stayed close to her, her gaze methodical, scanning every inch of the ship. She noted the lifeboats, the emergency equipment, the locations of ropes and pulleys, even the thickness of the railings. These were not the details most people would pay attention to, but Ling Yu was not most people. She was already preparing for the inevitable.

As she was inspecting, Jiang Meng’s voice cut through the air, laced with mockery. "What’s the matter, Ling Yu? Afraid the ship might sink? Don’t worry, this isn’t some old fishing boat from your countryside."

Feifei bristled immediately. "Jiang Meng, can’t you just keep your mouth shut for once?"

Ling Yu, however, didn’t rise to the bait. She turned her gaze to Jiang Meng, her expression flat but her eyes sharp, replying evenly. "Ships sink when arrogance blinds their captains."

For a moment, silence hung between them before Jiang Meng’s smirk returned, though tighter than before. She turned away, clicking her tongue, but not before Ling Yu caught the glimmer of irritation in her eyes.

As the ship slowly pulled away from the harbor, cheers erupted from the students. The water churned beneath them, foamy waves glistening in the sunlight. Musicians struck up lively tunes, and servants carried trays of delicacies across the deck.

But Ling Yu remained vigilant. She leaned against the railing, the wind tugging at her hair as her eyes scanned the distant horizon.

[Remaining Time: 1 day 06 hours]

The countdown continued.

Somewhere out there, beneath the deceptively calm surface of the sea, the first wave of disaster was waiting.

The sea stretched endlessly before them, a vast mirror of shifting blues and grays that swallowed the horizon whole. The ship creaked and groaned as it cut its way through the gentle swell, its sails billowing like the wings of a slumbering giant. Laughter drifted over the deck, bright, careless laughter that belonged to the young heirs and proud scions of the Jiang Imperial University. They leaned over the rails, tossed dice across barrels, and called out to one another with brash energy, their eyes alight with the intoxication of youth and privilege.

Ling Yu, however, stood apart.

Her hands rested lightly against the polished railing, her gaze fixed on the waters below. The surface glimmered innocently, sunlight painting streaks of gold across the gentle ripples, but beneath it lay darkness, an unknowable, endless darkness.

Ling Yu wondered whether the Gates of the Ocean would open beneath the water or over the water.

Since an underwater Gate can cause a large amount of unnecessary trouble.

In her past life, the first calamity had erupted upon land. The sky itself had screamed open with rifts, spilling beasts of nightmare into the soil and air. She remembered the choking dust, the scent of burning flesh, and the unending roar of wings blotting out the sun. Land-dwellers, ocean monsters, and air-fiends. three fronts of slaughter, devastating enough to break armies and shatter kingdoms.

That time, they had at least been on familiar ground. They could rally behind stone walls, retreat into forests, and take advantage of terrain that belonged to humanity.

Now that they were adrift on a fragile vessel of wood and iron, surrounded by an element mankind could never truly claim.

The sea was not home. During times like these, it was more like an enemy territory, and she could already sense the subtle shift in the air. If the apocalypse truly struck here like this, as her instincts screamed it would, the waves themselves would become their executioner.

Besides, the Water dweller monsters were far difficult and trickier to deal with. Ling Yu couldn’t help but feel worried; even if the monsters were of Tier-1 type, they would be hard to take care of.

"Yu-jie," Ru Feifei’s cheerful voice broke through her storm of thought. The girl skipped over, skirts fluttering with the salt-laden breeze, her eyes alight with joy. "Look at the horizon! Isn’t it beautiful? I feel as if the world goes on forever."

Ling Yu turned, her gaze softening at the sight of her best friend.