The sky gradually darkened.
The wind grew stronger.
The sound of waves hitting the raft changed from crisp splashes to dull roars.
"Whirr—"
The fully automatic fishing net continued working tirelessly.
Each time the winch tightened, it would bring up a large pile of miscellaneous floating debris.
"Hurry! Sort them out!"
Qin Yu stood bare-chested, holding the surgical knife borrowed from Yao Xue.
He wasn't wearing his white shirt.
It would have hindered his work.
Sweat streamed down his well-defined muscles, sliding over his abdominal muscles before finally disappearing into his waistband.
"Coming, coming!"
Yao Qian, wearing her energetic JK uniform, dashed across the deck on her white silk stockings-clad feet.
She dragged two large woven baskets behind her.
Though panting heavily with a flushed face from exhaustion, she didn't dare stop.
The blood-red countdown hanging overhead was like a death warrant.
[04:12:35]
Four hours remained.
"Wood planks +20."
"Plastic +15."
"Rotten apple +1 (discarded)."
Yao Xue knelt on the deck, her black bodycon skirt tightly wrapping her curves, her black silk-stockinged legs elegantly positioned to one side in a seductive pose.
But her movements were anything but elegant.
One might even call them wild.
She wielded a hammer, "Bang! Bang! Bang!" smashing useless rotten wooden crates to retrieve only the nails and hinges inside.
Her glasses fogged up with moisture, which she wiped away with the back of her hand before continuing to smash.
She was a doctor.
In this world, dissecting crates and dissecting human bodies were essentially no different.
As long as it helped them survive.
Qin Yu stood nearby, taking inventory of their supplies.
They had already accumulated over eight hundred wood planks.
They had enough plastic and palm leaves to reinforce their tent three more times.
Food was even less of a concern - that S-class fishing net was practically cheating. Just the sea fish caught this afternoon alone, if dried, would be enough to feed them for a month.
But.
Qin Yu's brow remained furrowed.
Not enough.
Still not enough.
He looked at the surgical knife in his hand.
This was currently the ship's only "heavy weapon."
Besides this, they only had a few sharpened wooden sticks.
If a shark came, they might still stand a chance.
But what if a whole group came?
What if one of those mutated deep-sea behemoths appeared?
Rely on this knife to stab it?
They probably couldn't even scratch its skin.
"We have defense, we have logistics."
"The only thing missing is teeth."
Qin Yu took a deep breath and sheathed the knife at his waist.
He glanced at the two sisters still busy working.
These two women were obedient and quite capable.
But he couldn't expect them to fight sea monsters with wooden sticks in close combat.
He still had to rely on himself.
"Let's eat first."
Qin Yu looked at the sky and said in a deep voice.
"Only when we're full will we have the strength to face midnight."
At the word "eat," Yao Qian's eyes instantly lit up.
Her stomach cooperatively rumbled.
...
Night fell.
In the center of the raft, the fire in the barbecue grill burned fiercely.
The orange-red flames dispelled the surrounding chill.
The strong wind made the flames sway from side to side.
On the rack, three plump sea fish sizzled as they roasted, their skins golden and crispy. A sprinkle of sea salt released an aggressive aroma that pierced straight into the nostrils.
The three of them sat around the campfire.
Qin Yu occupied the central position, tearing large bites from a skewer of grilled fish.
The fish flesh was tender and juicy.
With each mouthful, warmth exploded in his stomach, making his entire body feel considerably warmer.
Yao Qian sat opposite him, cradling a bowl of hot fish soup.
She took small, careful sips, her legs clad in white stockings curled up as she edged closer to the fire for warmth.
The firelight cast a particularly docile glow on her face.
"Brother Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian looked up, a trace of white fish soup still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
"That countdown has ended... Is it really that terrifying?"
Her voice was soft, trembling with unconcealed fear.
Qin Yu swallowed the fish in his mouth and glanced at her.
"Terrifying."
He neither lied nor offered comfort.
"If we aren't prepared, this will be our last meal."
Yao Qian's hand trembled, nearly spilling the soup.
Instinctively, she shrank closer to her sister.
Yao Xue sat to Qin Yu's left.
She ate elegantly but with surprising speed.
After swallowing the last piece of fish, she set down the skewer and adjusted her glasses.
The firelight cast a mesmerizing sheen on her long legs encased in Black Silk Stockings.
"Qin Yu."
Yao Xue's voice was calm but carried a hint of reliance.
"I've organized the basic bandages. If there are external injuries, I can handle them."
"I've also stored all the freshwater."
"If... if there really is danger."
She paused, lifting her head to meet Qin Yu's gaze directly.
"You don't need to worry about us."
"If someone has to be bait, or... hold the rear."
"Let it be me."
"Qianqian is still young."
Yao Xue's tone was as casual as if she were discussing tomorrow's weather.
But Qin Yu could tell.
She was dead serious.
This seemingly aloof woman was ready to die at any moment, all to buy her younger sister a chance at survival.
Upon hearing this, Yao Qian burst into tears instantly.
"Sis! What are you saying!"
"I don't want you to die! We have to survive together!"
She threw herself into Yao Xue's arms, weeping as if her heart would break.
Witnessing this scene of life-and-death parting, Qin Yu felt a surge of irritation.
He tossed the fish bones into the fire with a flick of his wrist.
"Enough."
Qin Yu's cold command cut through the air.
The crying ceased abruptly.
Both sisters turned to look at him.
Qin Yu stood up, looming over the two women.
The fire behind him cast a long shadow, making him resemble an unshakable statue.
"Once you're on my ship, your lives belong to me."
"No one dies without my permission."
"Bait?"
Qin Yu let out a cold laugh, his eyes blazing with arrogance.
"My hundred-square-meter territory hasn't fallen to the point where I need to throw women to the fish."
"Wipe your tears."
"The fire's dying out."
"Go back to the tent and sleep."
"Leave the rest to me."
His words were domineering, unreasonable.
Yet to the sisters, they sounded more moving than any tender love confession.
This was the essence of security.
In this world of collapsed order, such brute protectiveness was utterly addictive.
Yao Xue watched Qin Yu's broad back.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She bit her lip, her gaze softening further, even tinged with a hint of fervor.
"Yes, Captain."
She replied softly.
He pulled the still-sobbing Yao Qian to her feet and obediently crawled into the tent.
...
Silence fell inside the tent.
Only the howling wind outside and the sound of crashing waves remained.
Qin Yu wasn't sleeping.
He sat at his exclusive fishing spot, tightening his clothes around him.
The countdown before him had turned blood red.
[00:05:00]
Five minutes left.
The wind and waves on the sea surface had clearly changed.
If it was just somewhat bumpy before,
now every wave that crashed carried a viciousness that seemed determined to tear the raft apart.
"Creek..."
Even the reinforced hundred-square-meter raft was now emitting an unnerving grinding sound.
Strange black shadows began to appear on the distant sea surface.
They darted through the waves, flickering in and out of sight.
Some resembled fish but with terrifyingly large dorsal fins.
Others were snake-like, with bodies thicker than buckets.
Those predators originally kept out by the "newbie protection shield" were gathering.
They had caught the scent of humans.
They were waiting.
Waiting for that damned shield to disappear so they could enjoy this fresh feast.
Qin Yu tightened his grip on the fishing rod in his hand.
This was his only reliance.
The SSS-grade fishing rod could not only fish for treasure chests—its toughness far surpassed that of steel.
If he were truly cornered, it would also serve as a divine weapon.
"Hah..."
Qin Yu exhaled a white breath.
His palms were drenched in sweat.
But he didn't move.
He was waiting.
Waiting for that moment to arrive.
[00:00:10]
[00:00:09]
...
[00:00:03]
[00:00:02]
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
Time zeroed out.
The world changed.
There was no sound.
But in Qin Yu's perception, it was as if an invisible glass shield had shattered with a "crack."
A piercing chill instantly swept through his entire body.
It was malice from the deep sea.
"Roar—!!!"
A bizarre roar came from the waves not far away.
Immediately after.
Water exploded.
A three-meter-long black shadow, like a torpedo, slammed directly into the left railing of the raft!
It was a shark.
But not an ordinary shark.
Its eyes were red, and its teeth jutted outward like a saw.
Sawtooth shark!
"Boom!"
A loud impact.
The raft shook violently.
The reinforced solid wood railing actually cracked from the collision!
"Ah!"
Terrified screams came from the sisters inside the tent.
"It's here!"
Qin Yu's eyes sharpened, boiling with killing intent.
So soon?
Without even a transition?
The sawtooth shark, having struck successfully, didn't retreat.
It opened its gaping maw and bit down on the wooden railing.
"Crunch!"
The sturdy log shattered in its mouth like a brittle ice cream bar, a large chunk bitten clean off.
Wood splinters flew everywhere.
At this rate, in less than three minutes, it would chew a hole in the raft and crawl into the tent for an all-you-can-eat buffet!
"Looking to die!"
Just as Qin Yu was about to charge forward and fight for his life,
the familiar mechanical voice finally rang in his mind.
It was heavenly music.
It was salvation.
"Ding!"
"A new day has arrived."
"The Daily Lottery System has refreshed."
"Detecting that the host is in an extremely dangerous environment. Adjusting prize pool bias..."
"Draw immediately?"
Qin Yu's eyes turned bloodshot.
What the hell are you still asking at a time like this!
"Spin!"
"Spin for me, damn it!"
"It has to be a weapon! It has to be a weapon!"
Qin Yu roared frantically in his heart.
The virtual wheel before him spun rapidly.
This time.
It spun faster than ever before.
So fast it even left afterimages.
Outside, the sawtooth shark was violently shaking its head, tearing at the second wooden plank.
The raft rocked violently.
Qin Yu gripped the railing tightly, his eyes fixed intently on the wheel.
Stop!
Stop now!
The pointer gradually slowed down.
It passed over a white [Bread].
It passed over a blue [Speedboat].
Finally.
Trembling.
It stopped on a deep, destructive purple-gold slot!
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, Host! The God of Luck is with you!"
"Obtained SS-grade Defensive Heavy Weapon: [Deep Sea Specter · Fully Automatic High-Pressure Water Cannon] (Base Version) x1!"
SS-grade!
Heavy weapon!
And fully automatic!
Qin Yu felt all the blood in his body rush to his head.
We're safe!
We're definitely safe this time!
In a flash of light.
A ferocious-looking metal construct appeared out of nowhere in Qin Yu's backpack.
There was no need to read the manual.
The system's infusion of knowledge instantly made Qin Yu understand how to use this thing.
"Install it!"
"Install it at the bottom of the raft, damn it!"
Qin Yu roared.
"Deploying..."
"Deployment Location: Center Keel of Raft Bottom."
"Energy Connection: Seawater Kinetic Energy Conversion."
"Ammunition Loaded: Unlimited (Direct High-Pressure Seawater Extraction)."
"Deployment Complete!"
A dull mechanical clamping sound came from the bottom of the raft.
It was as if a steel behemoth was awakening beneath the raft.
"Hum—"
A faint vibration spread across every plank.
At that moment.
The sawtooth shark had already bitten through the railing.
Half of its body was now on the deck.
Its blood-red eyes fixed intently on Qin Yu, the stench of its rotten flesh and foul breath already spraying onto Qin Yu's face.
It was smiling.
It thought this meal was guaranteed.
The tentacle zipper was pulled open a crack.
Yao Xue's pale face appeared, clutching a small scalpel tightly in her hand, her eyes filled with despair.
"Qin Yu..."
"Don't be afraid."
Qin Yu stood less than two meters away from the shark.
He did not retreat.
Instead, a cruel smile spread across his face.
He snapped his fingers.
"Beast."
"Didn't your mother teach you not to chew on other people's boats?"
"Activate Automatic Defense Mode!"
"Target Locked!"
Before the words finished.
Beneath the water under the raft.
A pitch-black cannon barrel abruptly swiveled, firmly locking onto the shark's abdomen, which was still arrogantly perched on the deck.
"Lock Complete."
"Charging Complete."
"Fire!"
"Boom!!!"
An incredibly deep, thunderous roar, like an underwater volcanic eruption.
A high-pressure water jet, almost invisible to the naked eye, instantly tore through the seawater.
Tore through the wooden planks.
And tore through the shark.
"Thud!"
There was no flashy struggle.
No heart-pounding contest.
This was pure, overwhelming force.
The three-meter-long sawtooth shark didn't even have time to let out a scream.
A bloodied hole the size of a washbasin instantly exploded in its abdomen.
Entrails, shredded flesh, and bone fragments sprayed everywhere like a fountain.
The tremendous impact sent it flying off the deck like a ragdoll.
It soared over ten meters away.
Then crashed heavily into the sea.
Staining a large patch of water crimson.
"..."
The world fell silent.
Only the blood dripping from the gaping wound continued to patter on the deck.
Qin Yu wiped the shark blood splattered on his face.
It was warm.
And reeked of iron.
Yet he felt incredibly exhilarated.
He turned to look at Yao Xue and Yao Qian, who were frozen in shock at the tent entrance.
Both women stood with mouths agape.
Staring at him as if he were a monster.
What had just happened?
How did that man-eating monster suddenly... explode?
"Qin... Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian stammered, her legs trembling slightly.
"Was... was that you?"
Qin Yu shrugged.
He walked to the railing and examined the damaged section.
It pained him to see it.
It needed repairs.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
He turned back to the two shaken women, a roguish smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"What?"
"Scared out of your wits?"
"Weren't you just offering to be bait?"
Yao Xue finally snapped out of her daze.
Her gaze toward Qin Yu shifted completely from previous dependence to outright admiration.
Even reverence.
This man...
Just how many hidden cards did he hold?
When everyone else had been waiting for death in despair.
He could instantly slay a sea monster?
"You..."
Yao Xue took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart.
She hurried forward, ignoring the blood on the deck, and grabbed Qin Yu's arm.
She inspected him thoroughly.
After confirming he was unharmed.
She seemed to lose all strength, leaning weakly against Qin Yu.
Her professional-attired Black Silk Stockings-clad legs pressed softly against his thighs.
"Thank goodness you're alright..."
"Thank goodness..."
Qin Yu felt the warm, trembling body in his arms.
And the faint scent of shower gel mixed with the metallic smell of blood in the air.
It was a peculiar experience.
Both savage.
And alluring.
"Enough."
Qin Yu patted her back.
It felt nice.
"We're safe tonight."
"Something's guarding these waters. They'll die as soon as they come."
"Go back to sleep."
"We'll have plenty to do tomorrow morning."
"With this much shark meat, it'll take days to smoke it all."
Qin Yu spoke casually.
As if he'd just squashed a cockroach rather than slain a monster.
Yao Qian ran over at this point.
Though frightened by the scattered flesh, her eyes shone more with excitement than fear.
"Brother Qin Yu! You're amazing!"
"Was that a cannon? An underwater cannon?"
"I want to learn! Teach me how to fire it!"
Qin Yu shot her a dismissive look.
"What's a girl doing playing with cannons."
"Go fetch buckets and wash the deck."
"The blood smell is too strong. I don't like it."
"Aye aye, Captain!"
Yao Qian gave an awkward salute and scampered off to get water.
After witnessing Qin Yu's feat, her sense of security had skyrocketed.