Chapter 280 - 280 One hundred thirty-seven

Words : 1454 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

280: One hundred thirty-seven. Naive 280: One hundred thirty-seven. Naive All the clues were converging on Lu Li’s conjecture, for instance, there indeed seemed to be one fewer of those black shadows on the deck. So, if this ship was one of the fishing boats lost in the hurricane... why had it become like this? The seafood in the lower deck... those strange shadows with the characteristics of fish, where had they come from? As Lu Li pulled back a corner of the veil, he found a larger veil beneath it. However, one thing was certain. These definitely had a necessary connection with the black substance. Even if it wasn’t the direct perpetrator, it was the indirect cause— Dong—Dong—Dong— The sudden, urgent ringing of the bell interrupted Lu Li’s train of thought. He looked up towards the window, remembered the glass had been covered by the black substance, returned to the door, moved the chair away, and opened the door to the corridor. Lu Li couldn’t distinguish where the bell was coming from; it definitely wasn’t sounding from this sailboat. It seemed to originate from somewhere in the vast, deep sea around them, as if it was also coming from the void. The last time the bell rang, it was feeding time. Lu Li looked towards the deck; those shadows stood there, indifferent to the urgent bell that echoed through the air above the sailboat. Lu Li planned to return to the cabin temporarily, but when he got back to the entrance of the upper deck, he suddenly found it blocked by countless layers of vines, with a faint, cluttered muttering coming from the other side of the vines. The cabin and the deck were divided by the vines. This change made the situation suddenly feel threatening, as if something was about to happen on the deck— As Lu Li stepped forward, ready to touch the vines and make them give way, he suddenly felt a wet, sticky sensation beneath his feet. Lu Li looked down and saw a layer of black substance had appeared on the wooden boards beneath his feet, seeping through from above. It wasn’t just underfoot; the entire deck was starting to exude this substance. And it continued to rise, threatening to drown the deck. This was the culprit of the entire ship being enveloped in a layer of black substance. Without a second thought, Lu Li took the stairs, wanting to get back to the uppermost cabin, when a scene suddenly flashed through his mind. In the highest Captain’s Cabin of the sailboat, even the ceiling was stained with the black substance. Although he couldn’t confirm if it was related to what he was currently witnessing, this indicated one thing—seeking high ground was useless against the black substance. Where then, should he seek refuge? The black substance had already submerged his ankles, and even though this depth was enough to spill out of the ship, the substance was still rising. Lu Li turned his head to look at the shadows on the deck. They stood there... All of a sudden, Lu Li ran towards the eerily standing group of shadows. From thinking to deciding, everything happened in just a few seconds. Yet even so, the surging black substance had already reached ankle height. As Lu Li’s strength rapidly drained away, it took him nearly ten seconds to run the twenty or so meters from the front of the cabin to the deck where the shadows stood, his energy nearly depleted by the time he reached the gap amidst them. As he stepped into the line, Lu Li’s body abruptly relaxed as if all the negative conditions had been drawn out in an instant. Looking down, Lu Li saw the black substance continue to rise, his legs below the thighs completely submerged, yet unaffected. It was as if an invisible membrane had surfaced outside his skin, shielding him from the encroachment of the black substance. Lu Li caught his breath and stood in line among the crowd, keeping an eye on the humanoid shadows around him with his peripheral vision. Their legs seemed rooted in the deck, only their upper bodies swaying with the rise and fall of the sailboat. They were alive... They stood here, just to avoid the assault of the black substance... The black substance on the deck had spread up to the chest, and if Lu Li had stayed outside, he would have been unable to move, fallen on the deck by now. As for whether he would drown in the black substance or be transformed by it into something grotesque... Lu Li did not know. Neck, jaw, mouth and nose, until the eyes. In an instant, Lu Li’s surroundings plunged into complete darkness. His dark eyes narrowed with concern that this darkness might bring about a “Night Calamity,” but as time passed, nothing happened around him. To some extent, the black substance was still “protecting” him. Waiting in the pitch darkness became agonizing, and time seemed to stretch on indefinitely. As Lu Li silently counted the time, nearing the count of 1000, the black substance began to recede, like a tide ebbing away. His eyes were revealed first, then his neck, followed by his chest. The duration from their appearance to disappearance was consistent with the cafeteria incident. The last trace of black substance seeped into the gaps of the deck; as the tide receded, it left behind a sticky residue that was identical to before, yet somehow different. It seemed the reason why the ship was covered in black substance was found. The last black tide had appeared two hours ago, would the next one follow in another two hours? Leaning slightly forward, Lu Li decided to leave the lineup and go back to the entrance of the cabin to observe the situation. Among the twenty-four shadowy figures around him, he wasn’t the only one doing the same. Lu Li’s movements halted abruptly, but theirs did not. The eerie shadows dispersed, heading to various parts of the deck. It appeared that the solitary shadow of the captain’s identity moved towards the upper cabins, while other dispersed shadows separated across the deck, engaging in strange activities. They either gathered in twos or threes, sat down on the deck, or performed deck-cleaning actions, despite the absence of mops or buckets. They maintained all the actions of their past lives, but none of those actions made the slightest sound. An uncanny, silent pantomime. The missing one was Haben, Haben was a sailor... Lu Li was the last to leave his position, walking towards the cabin, contemplating how he should play the role of a sailor. This wasn’t very difficult for him, as he had just recently played the part of a repairman; he just needed to do what a sailor must do. Lu Li pretended to hold a mop in his hand, bending over and dragging it as he approached the cabin. As he slowly approached the cabin, he observed everything on the deck in secret. No shadow approached the cabin voluntarily, and the ghostly shadows did not come near the deck, as if the ship were divided into two parts. Back at the edge of the cabin, Lu Li peered inside. The barrier made of vines had vanished, and clear color differences could be observed in the black traces inside and outside the barrier. The vines were protecting the eerie shadows in the lower cabins, just like when the bell rang previously. What awaited Lu Li were two choices: pretend to be a sailor and stay on deck, or pretend to be a repairman and return to the cabin below. Returning to the lower cabins might allow Lu Li to avoid the next black tide, but the mysteriously opened coffin made him realize that the lower cabins were not as simple as what he had experienced. Besides, if something unexpected happened, it would be difficult for him to escape. Staying in the upper cabins, he could also avoid the black tide through special means, but his judgment of the shadows was just a conjecture. Lu Li was not sure if there would be new changes. However, in case of an emergency, he would not have to die trapped but could attempt to jump into the sea to survive. He had already found the lifebuoy hanging on the ship’s rail. On one side was the deck with layers of mystery but an established pattern of behavior. On the other was the cabin where one could move freely but with hidden risks. Lu Li chose to stay on the deck. On this ship, danger might not necessarily lead to Lu Li’s death, but carelessness would.

Chapter 280 - 280 One hundred thirty-seven

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