His gaze swept over the three of them in an instant.
[Target: Shen Manyun]
[Current State: Anxious, worried. Only wants to quickly join forces to repel the Sea Monster and protect the students.]
[Target: Tang Ling]
[Current State: Reluctant, tsundere. Though stubborn, already prepared for battle.]
[Target: Bai Taotao]
[Current State: Extremely self-blaming, afraid. Wants to make up for her mistake.]
No killing intent.
Nor greed.
It seemed they were genuinely here to help.
Lin Ji’s vigilance eased slightly.
The current situation indeed required more hands.
Moreover, since they had come to him of their own accord, why turn them away?
These were three seedlings with SSS-grade potential!
"Alright."
Lin Ji made a swift decision, dropping his aloof, distant demeanor.
"Since Teacher Shen is so reasonable, I won’t stand on ceremony."
"But fighting separately on two ships is too dangerous—we could be picked off one by one."
"Let’s merge the vessels."
"On my ship, under unified command."
Upon hearing this, Shen Manyun’s face lit up with relief.
Without overthinking it, she immediately initiated a request through the system panel.
[Ding!]
[Player "Shen Manyun" requests to merge her vehicle with yours!]
[Do you agree?]
"Agree."
As Lin Ji’s confirming thought settled, the two sailboats that had merely been side by side suddenly glowed with a soft white light.
Then, something miraculous happened.
The planks of Shen Manyun’s ship began to automatically disassemble and reassemble, perfectly joining the edges of Lin Ji’s sailboat.
The deck, originally about ten square meters, instantly doubled in size!
Becoming a spacious twenty-square-meter platform!
Even the rain canopy expanded, and though there was still only one mast, the overall structure became much more stable.
All six of them finally stood on the same ship.
The feeling of solid ground beneath their feet made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
"Teacher Manyun!"
Seeing Shen Manyun, Su Qingyue could no longer hold back her grievances and fear.
She rushed over and hugged Shen Manyun tightly.
"Wuwuwu... I was so scared..."
Shen Manyun also looked heartbroken, gently patting Su Qingyue’s back.
"It’s alright, it’s alright."
"Teacher is here now."
The two had always been teacher and student, with a good relationship.
Reuniting in this unfamiliar world, that sense of familiarity was beyond words.
Though Gu Yihan didn’t rush over, she nodded at Shen Manyun and called out, "Teacher Shen."
After all, Shen Manyun had an excellent reputation at school, widely regarded as a caring elder sister.
After the brief moment of warmth,
Shen Manyun released Su Qingyue and composed herself.
She turned to look at Lin Ji, who stood at the bow with his back to the group.
Her eyes held a trace of awe and a flicker of expectation.
Now that the vessels had merged, Lin Ji was the sole captain of this ship.
And the backbone of all six of them.
"Captain Lin Ji."
Shen Manyun stepped forward, her tone solemn.
"Now we’re all on the same ship."
"Please give the orders for what we should do next."
"The three of us may not be strong in combat, but if we can help in any way, we won’t hesitate."
Even Tang Ling, who had been defiant just moments before, now fell silent, silently tightening her grip on the mechanical crossbow in her hand.
She waited for Lin Ji’s instructions.
Lin Ji turned around, his gaze sweeping over the five stunning beauties before him.
The aloof campus belle, the tsundere heiress, the intellectual older sister, the hot-tempered loli, and the tech-savvy otaku girl.
This was no Survival Squad.
This was practically the lineup of a harem anime!
But at this moment, he had no mood to appreciate their beauty.
Because that countdown had already reached zero.
[00:00]
Boom!
The seawater beneath the ship suddenly began to boil.
Just as the water churned and the terrifying sensation of impact was about to strike, that cold, grand system notification abruptly exploded in the minds of all survivors without warning.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to all survivors for successfully surviving the first day of the "Drift with the Tide" Novice Protection Period.]
[Survival of the fittest is the law of nature and the cornerstone of civilization’s evolution.]
[Now, the game officially enters its first phase—Battle Royale: Desperate Sea Fog!]
[Rules Explanation:]
[1. From this moment on, the "Dead Silence Fog" will emerge from the world’s shadow. It will begin at the horizon and drift eastward at a constant speed.]
[2. Those swallowed by the fog will vanish without a trace, their souls imprisoned forever.]
[3. Only by upgrading your vessel and increasing your sailing speed can you escape before the fog catches up!]
[4. The duration is three days! After three days, any player whose vessel has not reached LV3 and who has not obtained shelter will be completely consumed by the sea fog!]
[5. Only the strong deserve to survive! Hunt your fellow humans, slay Sea Monsters, plunder resources! Use every means to stay alive!]
[Additional Reward: After three days, a "Sea Area Rankings" will be generated based on vessel level and evolution progress. The top ten will receive unique divine system rewards!]
[Wishing you all a pleasant hunt.]
The moment the voice faded, Lin Ji clearly felt the temperature in the surrounding air drop even further.
It was a bone-chilling cold.
And on the distant horizon behind them, under the faint moonlight, a towering gray wall connecting heaven and earth could vaguely be seen slowly advancing.
That was the fog.
The man-eating fog.
"Three days... LV3..."
Shen Manyun’s face turned deathly pale, her body swaying unsteadily.
This was practically a death countdown!
If they hadn’t encountered Lin Ji, with their barely LV2 sailboat and three non-combat support members, how could they possibly reach LV3 within three days?
It required not only vast resources but also countless Evolution Points!
It was forcing people to kill!
However, Lin Ji had no time to lament the system’s cruelty.
Because the real crisis was already upon them.
Boom!!
A deafening roar.
A violent tremor came from beneath the ship, and the entire sailboat lurched upward as if struck hard by a raging bull.
"Ah!"
Su Qingyue and Shen Manyun, standing by the ship’s edge, screamed as they lost their balance, nearly falling over.
The hull emitted a grating, teeth-chilling creak, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
[Warning! Vessel under attack! Durability decreased by 5 points!]
Red warning text flashed frantically before Lin Ji’s eyes.
The Sea Monster had struck!
"Don’t panic!"
Lin Ji roared like a stabilizing pillar, instantly steadying everyone’s spirits.
His hands gripped the railing tightly, his gaze frighteningly calm.
At this moment, any panic would be fatal.
The only option was to fight back!
"Listen to my command!"
"Su Qingyue!"
Lin Ji looked toward the icy campus belle who was barely standing steady while holding onto the railing.
"Stop posing over there! Use your Frostglove and freeze the bottom of the ship for me!"
"I want you to create a layer of floating ice armor at least half a meter thick beneath the hull!"
"It will not only increase buoyancy but also block that beast’s ramming!"
Su Qingyue was stunned for a moment, then her eyes sharpened.
Right!
Why hadn’t she thought of that!
Since it was ramming from underwater, she could just give the ship a layer of ice armor!
"Understood!"
Without further hesitation, Su Qingyue lay flat on the deck and began releasing her freezing ability through the planks.
Hum!
The Red Frostglove erupted with a dazzling blue light.
A terrifying chill instantly penetrated the water.
Crack, crack, crack...
Centered around the sailboat, the surrounding seawater rapidly solidified.
Especially beneath the hull, a thick layer of ice spread swiftly like growing crystals, firmly encasing the fragile wooden planks.
The sailboat, which had been violently rocking, miraculously stabilized!
Thud!
Another muffled impact echoed from beneath the water.