CHAPTER 64: DID WE SURVIVE?

A few others laughed nervously, trying to diffuse the tension, but Feifei’s eyes burned with fire, daring anyone else to speak against her friend.

"Besides, Yu’er was always a hardcore fan of gym exercises. Didn’t you guys see how hard she worked on her body day in and day out?"

"She was definitely becoming stronger than flimsy boys like you anyway, who like to sit in the library and eat all day long to get obsessed!"

Ling Yu, meanwhile, only watched the exchange with quiet detachment.

Everything she said somehow made sense, enough to give a firm standing for an excuse that she needed. Her lips curved in the faintest of smiles as she reached out to gently tug on Feifei’s sleeve.

"That’s enough, Feifei," she said softly, her voice like cool water against the heated atmosphere. "They have a right to be afraid. People fear what they don’t understand."

"But Yu’er—!" Feifei’s protest caught in her throat when she saw the calm expression on her friend’s face. Ling Yu wasn’t angry. She wasn’t even hurt. Instead, there was only a quiet acceptance, as though she had long since expected such suspicion to follow her.

Ling Yu’s gaze drifted over the crowd, lingering on the shifting feet, the lowered eyes, the clenched fists of those still shaken.

Yes... This is how it always is.

People would never understand that she carried memories of another life, knowledge of patterns and conditions buried within the apocalypse system. To them, she was simply an ordinary girl who suddenly wielded monstrous strength.

And in their eyes, that was frightening.

But Feifei’s trust in her looked like blind, unwavering, and absolute, that was like a light in the choking fog of fear.

Ling Yu reached out and ruffled her friend’s hair gently, ignoring the stunned stares from others who couldn’t fathom how this ruthless warrior could suddenly act so gentle. "Don’t waste your breath on them. When the second wave comes, they’ll understand soon enough."

Feifei puffed out her cheeks but didn’t argue further, burying her face into Ling Yu’s shoulder for a brief moment as if to shield her from the world’s doubts.

Still, murmurs persisted.

There was three hours until the next wave. But this three hours meant nothing. If they continued to stay on the open sea, it was practically the same as suicide.

Sheathing her blade, she looked around the deck. The ship was a mess. Planks were splintered where Reef Gnashers had leapt aboard. Crates were overturned along with the weapons scattered through the base, and the injured students were groaning in makeshift corners as the other gave first aid. The weak students, the ones who had been herded to the center, were shivering, hugging themselves, with eyes wide as saucers.

Ling Yu’s gaze hardened as she remembered this sight. In her previous life, in the land, the destruction was indescribable, and the people who were desperate, clinging to false hope, had turned into corpses floating among the waves. Back then, she hadn’t been able to save them.

But this time... things were already different.

He Xun and his friends stood near the starboard rail, weapons still in hand. They were covered in shallow cuts but grinning at each other as they conversed among themselves, as though the adrenaline hadn’t quite worn off. Unlike most, they had fought without needing her orders. Their resilience was noticeable, and more importantly, their presence drew eyes away from her own actions.

While at the same time, Ling Yu noticed He Xun’s stare that followed her every movement as she was cleaning up.

The admiration that came along with saving lives was mixed with fear. The other students looked at Ling Yu with a strange wariness. The way she had massacred hundreds alone, literary roasting them like skewers, turning the sea into a bloody red stream, was not something an ordinary girl should be able to do.

Due to the students now paying attention towards her, Ling Yu felt unease about the screen hanging before her eyes.

It seems the Apocalypse system was being generous for some reason, that made Ling Yu roll her eyes.

[Special Achievement Unlocked!]

[Player: Ling Yu

Feat: Ended the First Wave 10 minutes earlier than expected!Hidden Condition Met: First to surpass a milestone in the new era.

Title Acquired: "First Dawn of Survival"Effect: Presence boosts morale of allies within 50 meters by 15%. Allies fighting alongside you gain +5% to all stats. Enemies within 20 meters suffer -5% Willpower.

Special Reward: Unique Grade Weapon Chest (Unopened)Additional Reward: Contribution Ranking #1 — Exclusive Skill Scroll x1 (Random).]

It would be a problem if these guys were to see her window, or this time, it would be humans attacking her instead of monsters!

A soft groan pulled attention toward the center of the deck. Jiang Meng stirred, eyelashes fluttering before she sat up slowly. Her skin was pale, her delicate features arranged into a confused, dazed innocence. She blinked around, as if waking from a pleasant nap rather than a battlefield drenched in gore.

"Oh... what happened? Did... did we survive?" she asked, her voice soft, trembling just enough to tug at sympathetic hearts.

Some of the weaker students immediately flocked toward her.

"Meng Meng, you’re awake!"

"You fainted after seeing the first monster, but it’s fine now— the wave’s over."

"Don’t worry, you’re safe."

Ling Yu’s lips curled ever so slightly, not in kindness, but in disdain. Jiang Meng’s act was flawless, the kind of practiced performance that would melt the hearts of those who didn’t know better. But Ling Yu knew. She had seen this same girl hide behind innocence, avoiding every ounce of responsibility, while others bled and died for her survival.

In her last life, Jiang Meng had wormed her way into the role of a fragile flower everyone instinctively protected. But beneath the surface, she was a parasite, draining resources, loyalty, and goodwill until there was nothing left.

Now, though, Ling Yu had no intention of letting her repeat that trick.