Chapter 15 – Storm, Shipwreck & A Distant Shadow
Ding! "+1 [Love] emotion collected."
The cold system voice jolted Ding Li awake in the dead of night. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and grumbled mentally: "System, can you stop reporting single-digit emotions? It's annoying."
"Setting updated: Emotions valued 1–2 points will no longer be announced."
Ding Li sighed in relief. "Wait—make it anything under 10 points."
"Setting updated."
Finally. He pulled Koya closer, found a comfortable position, and drifted back to sleep.
Next morning, the sun blazed high over an endless blue sea. The pirate ship drifted aimlessly, no destination, no direction.
Ding Li lounged in a wooden chair on deck, legs propped on a barrel, looking utterly relaxed. Koya sat beside him hugging her knees, staring at the horizon with worry etched on her face.
"Ding Li… how's my brother doing right now? When will we see Windmill Village… or any island?"
Ding Li tried to lighten the mood. "Stop thinking about it. It won't be long. Let's do something fun instead."
Koya blinked. "Like what?"
"Like…" Without finishing, Ding Li scooped her up in a princess carry.
Koya immediately understood. Her face exploded red. "Ahh—! It's broad daylight, you pervert!!"
She pounded his chest while squealing, but her protests were half-hearted at best.
… (Fade to black – a great deal of passionate activity ensued. From the bow to the stern, helm to hold, galley to every corner of the ship… their love left traces everywhere.)
… Late that night, Koya finally passed out from exhaustion. Ding Li carried her gently to the bedroom, laid her down, and gazed at her breathtaking form in the lamplight.
Her skin glowed like fresh snow, curves flowing like poetry. Every inch of her was perfection—delicate waist, soft peaks crowned with cherry blossoms, a living masterpiece sculpted by nature itself.
Ding Li felt no lust—only pure awe. He whispered an impromptu poem:
"Supreme Grace" — Ding Li
A body unmatched in all the world, Snow-white skin, beauty beyond compare. Slender waist flows soft as water, Full breasts shine like jade in light. Curves rise and fall in perfect grace, A dance of silk beneath the moon. Lamplight bathes her gentle form, An immortal descended into dream.
He smiled softly, tucked the blanket around her, slipped in beside her, and held her close as they slept.
Days blurred into weeks of blissful drifting. No destination. No worries. Just sun, sea, love, and endless nights wrapped in each other.
One and a half months later…
They slept soundly, unaware of the monster waking outside.
Thunder cracked like the sky splitting open. Black clouds swallowed the stars. Lightning slashed the horizon like silver blades. Waves rose into mountains, roaring, crashing against the hull.
Rain hammered the deck like gunfire. The wind screamed.
The first massive wave struck. The ship—already weakened from earlier damage—groaned like a dying beast.
Another wave. A sickening CRUNCH.
Water exploded inward through a shattered bow.
Ding Li and Koya were thrown from bed into freezing chaos.
"Ding Li! What do we do?!"
"I've got you! Hold on!"
He wrapped himself around her, shielding her as the cabin flooded. The ship screamed one final time—then broke apart.
They were swallowed by the sea.
Ice-cold darkness. Crushing pressure. Ding Li kicked upward with all his strength, one arm locked around Koya, the other clawing for anything to hold.
A jagged piece of decking broke free. He shoved Koya onto it, then gripped the edge, keeping the makeshift raft balanced while waves tried to flip them.
Dawn eventually came. The storm passed. The sky cleared to pale blue.
Ding Li dragged himself onto the wood, utterly spent. Even with his stats, the night had drained him to the bone.
Koya lay beside him, pale, lips cracked, breathing shallow. She'd held on through the night, but she was fading fast.
Two days passed. No land. No rain. Only merciless sun and endless salt water.
Koya's lips bled when she tried to speak. Her eyes were dull.
Ding Li's own throat felt like sandpaper. He could last maybe another week. Koya… maybe two days.
Despair clawed at him. He'd come to this world with a system—reincarnated, powerful—and he was going to watch the woman he loved die of thirst?
No. Not happening.
He kept paddling with numb hands, scanning every horizon.
On the third morning, as the sun sank low…
A dark silhouette appeared against the glare.
An island.
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