CHAPTER 65: SETTING SAIL

The smarter students were already catching on. They exchanged glances, scoffing quietly, and turned back to their weapons. He Xun didn’t spare Jiang Meng so much as a glance, his focus fixed on wiping blood from his axe. The contrast was obvious: some rushed to coddle her, while others dismissed her completely.

Ling Yu raised her voice, slicing through the chatter.

This wasn’t the time to be lounging around, if they wants to live, they need to start preaparing for the worst.

"The wave may have ended, but the system already gave us the countdown. The second wave starts in less than four hours."

"As you guys saw, the events are unfolding like those stories everyone reads online. And now that fiction has turned into reality, if we want to survive against the worst, than we need to prepare properly."

Her tone was calm but carried authority. The murmurs died down as dozens of pairs of eyes turned toward her, as if waiting for her next words.

"We’re on the sea," she continued, "Which means we’re at a disadvantage. You’ve all seen how much energy it takes just to fight on deck, how the waves pull at you, how hard it is to stand steady. If the next rift opens here, in the next wave, stronger monsters than the ones just now will come from below or above, we won’t stand a chance in this condition."

Her gaze swept across them, sharp and unyielding.

"That’s why we need to return to land. Rest properly and start sailing towards the shore. Even if there are monsters in the land too, we can take care of them little by little even if it’s hard. The second wave will be worse, and if you collapse now, no one will be around to save you."

There was silence for a moment before one by one, the students nodded. Ling Yu’s logic was undeniable. They were battered, exhausted, and some were barely standing. The idea of another battle on the water was enough to send shivers down their spines.

"But... the land is still far," someone hesitated.

"Then start sailing right away, it’s not very far. We have more than enough time to sail back." Ling Yu shot back. "Just move."

Her voice brooked no argument, to even those who doubted her power felt a strange reassurance. If anyone could carve a path through this madness, it would be this girl who had ended the first wave single-handedly.

Movement began again. The stronger students, especially He Xun’s group organized the rest into teams: some to man the oars, some to patch the battered deck and some to tend the wounded. The ship creaked and groaned as it slowly pivoted toward the faint outline of land on the horizon.

Ling Yu retreated to the stern, finally allowing herself a moment to breathe. Her body ached. Every swing, every lunge, every kill of hers were efficient, thought it seems like they had taken a toll on her body. She leaned against the railing, eyes fixed on the dark water below.

It seems her being an experienced hunter in her previous life didn’t come in handy when fighting with the pain of her body.

Due to the enhanched effects of her system, Ling Yu could naturally hear the student’s whispering among themselves.

"Did you see how she fought?"

"More like a reaper than a girl..."

"Hey, whatever she did, we’re alive, aren’t we?"

Their voices blended into a dull hum. Some looked at her with admiration, others with fear. It didn’t matter. Ling Yu wasn’t here to win their trust. She was here to survive, to prepare, and to ensure she never repeated the mistakes of her past life.

The countdown was hanging over them like a sword. Every tick of the invisible clock made their hearts feel heavier. Some tried to sleep, curling up with their weapons like children clutching toys. Others sharpened their blades, their movements shaky but determined.

Jiang Meng, of course, nestled herself among her protectors, her voice sweet, her laughter light, as though they weren’t adrift in a sea filled with corpses. She knew how to manipulate atmosphere, and how to draw sympathy even in chaos. Ling Yu watched from afar, expression cool, as the girl weaved her performance.

In the past, Ling Yu had been one of the fools who shielded Jiang Meng from being hurt by those monsters to the best of her ability. She had believed the girl’s fragility was real, and wasted her time and strength protecting her. And in the end, it had cost her everything.

But this time, she would make sure that woman realizes the meaning of the word ’pain’ in every bit.

The second wave would come soon. And when it comes, no amount of false innocence would be able to shield Jiang Meng. Even if she left her be, no one can ensure Jiang Meng’s survival from monsters until she is left alone.

Ling Yu focused on sailing the ship as it moved steadily toward land, the blood-soaked sea behind them and the unknown darkness ahead.

Ling Yu’s gaze swept across the bloody river surface, where corpses of monsters floated alongside lifeless human bodies. The acrid stench of blood and fishy rot clung heavily to the air, suffocating them.

’The second wave won’t give us any time to rest.’

Her instincts that were sharpened by her past life experience whispered of the cruel patterns the apocalypse always followed. The System was merciless, it would never allow survivors to have an easy reprieve.

The dead would not stay dead.

She clenched her fists, the faint green glow of her curse mark pulsing beneath her sleeve as though reacting to her thoughts.

Ling Yu sat cross-legged on the boat for a brief moment, her expression composed as she willed the system interface to appear again.

The translucent blue window flickered before her eyes.

[System Log – Updated]

[Title Acquired: Wave Ender (Unique)]

[Effect: All monster-type enemies within the first three waves have their hostility slightly suppressed toward you.]