Chapter 283 - 283 One hundred forty

Words : 1382 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

283: One hundred forty. Growth 283: One hundred forty. Growth “Just like this?” “Just like this.” Lu Li remained silent, quietly observing the shadows beneath the woman’s cloak. The method sounded unreliable, but Lu Li couldn’t find a reason why she would lie to him for now. Lu Li asked, “What exactly do you mean?” The woman also asked, “Why do you have so many questions?” “Because you seem to know a lot.” “Sounds reasonable, I’ll tell you then: you’ll understand when the ship flips over to the surface.” “What does flipping over to the surface mean?” The hooded black-robed woman slightly lifted her hood, and the gaze from under the shadow seemed to be looking at Lu Li, “Haven’t you noticed? We are not sailing on the sea surface.” Lu Li was slightly taken aback, turning his gaze to the exterior through the porthole. Waves rose on the pitch-black sea outside the sailing ship, unlike the deep sea, nor the seafloor. “It’s sailing on the other side of the sea surface.” The woman’s voice came from behind him. Looking at the sea’s surface, his eyes that were dark as night narrowed, “So we are upside down, and the ship’s bottom is the sea’s surface?” “Mhm.” The black-robed woman in the chair behind him raised her head. This was too fantastical, even more so than what had happened on this ship to Lu Li. But if this ship really was the “vessel ferrying lost souls,” it wasn’t that hard to accept after all. It also explained why those shadows were weak in power; they might just be ordinary souls, just appearing peculiar and capable of resurrection. Lu Li waved his hand and blew a breath. Without resistance or bubbles, he couldn’t verify whether the woman’s words were true or not. A light laugh filled with interest came from behind, and Lu Li turned around and said, “What would happen if we don’t jump off the ship at dawn?” “You would become a visitor on this ship headed for the Netherworld, and then you’ll never be able to return.” Lu Li turned back to look at her, “Then why are you on this ship?” Lu Li’s reason for being on the ship was falling into the water and nearly drowning. What about the black-robed woman? She said casually, “As I mentioned before, your mission is to explore, and my mission is to protect you. So I came to take you back. No need to thank me.” “Thank you.” “What a dull personality,” the black-robed woman commented with a slight lift in her tone, but after a few seconds, it gradually turned cold. “However, I’ve changed my mind now, because... only one person can leave alive.” Lu Li watched her quietly. Dead silence prevailed in the Captain’s Cabin for a dozen seconds before a relaxed voice came from beneath the cloak, “Just kidding.” Lu Li nodded, saying nothing. Suddenly, some noise came from the deck outside the porthole. The deck, covered in black matter, saw the previously dispersed shadows rising and crawling up from the floor. Among them was the captain’s shadow. It raised its head, looking toward Lu Li in front of the porthole, its hand lifting— The shadows began to slowly encircle the Captain’s Cabin. Creak— The empty chair behind him swayed slightly, and the black-robed woman walked beside Lu Li. “They may not let us have our way,” she said. Listening to the woman’s voice, Lu Li took out ten bullets from his pocket and handed them to her, “Use them sparingly.” The bandage-wrapped hand scooped up the bullets from Lu Li’s palm, “How else to save, shoot two with one bullet?” “I meant the Spirit-Calling Gun.” The woman’s use of the Spirit-Calling Gun as expendable was far too extravagant. “Understood.” She pushed the door open, leaving the Captain’s Cabin, stood in front of the corridor railing, raised the Spirit-Calling Gun, and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! The captain’s shadow and another shadow burst apart at the sound. The woman in the black robe put away two Spirit-Calling Guns, then drew another two. Bang! Bang! Two more gunshots rang out. Next to the woman, Lu Li wielded the gun handle and slammed it down on his feet. Those seemingly incorporeal shadows emerged from the floor, dispersed by the strikes of the Spirit-Calling Gun. “How can we make them stop attacking?” Lu Li asked, though these shadows hardly caused any trouble, they were inevitably a bother. Even without correctly using the Spirit-Calling Gun, Lu Li could hardly bear the cost of declining Sanity Value. “Half the shadows will return to normal once the captain is dispersed and the other shadows are blasted apart,” responded the woman. It appeared as though countless Spirit-Calling Guns were hidden beneath the woman’s cloak; she took out another two, firing them in succession at two shadows coming up the stairs. The gunshots on the deck did not cease, and a minute later, the second wave of attacks was scattered. 4:23. An hour left until dawn. Lu Li returned to the Captain’s Cabin; he had only dispersed two shadows that had come too close, as the woman in the black robe was the main firepower. “Are you going to start asking questions again?” the woman at the door asked. Lu Li nodded; he disliked acting without an understanding of the situation: “How can we precisely grasp the moment of dawn’s arrival?” “Walk and talk,” the woman in the black robe tilted her head, signaling him to accompany her to the deck. She was going to retrieve the Spirit-Calling Guns scattered on the deck. As Lu Li followed the woman in the black robe downstairs, she mentioned casually, “You can’t. That’s why there’s only one chance. If we can’t escape at the moment the dawn’s light spreads, we’ll find ourselves back on the ship.” “What if the clouds are heavy?” The woman’s hood turned toward Lu Li, “Then a tour of the Netherworld wouldn’t be too bad.” The shadows on the deck paid no attention to the two figures walking by. “What do you know about the ship that transports the spirits of the dead?” “Quite a bit.” As the woman in the black robe explained, the spirit-transport ship was originally just a legend amongst the sailors—most knew two things upon becoming seamen: never to speak of sinking on board or slander the Storm Goddess, and the tale of the spirit-transport ship. It was a vessel that conveyed souls to the Netherworld; encountering it meant that one should immediately steer clear, and most importantly, avoid looking directly at it. Prolonged or close staring at it could result in finding oneself aboard the ship of departed souls. According to rumors, the vessel’s form wasn’t fixed. Some saw it as a small wooden boat, others as a sailing ship, some as a metal ship, and there were those who saw it as a paper vessel. Most witnesses were certain of what they saw, affirming the reality of those spirits standing on the deck. However, as the world deteriorated, growing increasingly dangerous and bizarre, some beings that existed only in legends began to manifest in reality, such as the spirit-transport ship. Lu Li continued to ask questions, and the woman in the black robe provided answers, not overly detailed, but they all seemed correct. The woman knew far too much on various matters; her extensive knowledge was... disconcerting. The woman in the black robe was aware that Lu Li was probing her, and Lu Li knew that she knew he was testing her, yet both tacitly chose not to expose this fact. Together with the woman, Lu Li retrieved the guns scattered across the deck, simultaneously warding off the third wave of reborn shadows—they revived every ten minutes. This meant that before dawn, they had to endure at least six more waves of assault, and the ammunition was running low. In such circumstances, the woman in the black robe still refused to return to the cabin. This puzzled Lu Li. “What’s in the cabin?”

Chapter 283 - 283 One hundred forty

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