Survival: Ocean (Playwright) Chapter 117: The Final Voyage

The sacrifice was complete, and the volcano fell silent. Wu Hui returned to the raft. "Let's go."

"Done?" Wang Xiaodie asked.

"Yes."

"Why do you seem so disheartened?"

On the altar below, the ritual had ended, but a pair of black hands suddenly reached out. As the raft picked up speed, both Wu Hui and Wang Xiaodie looked back simultaneously. A humanoid figure crawled out from beneath the water. Its face was like that of a blue-skinned demon, ferocious and menacing, wreathed in black mist.

Even just looking at it, Wu Hui and Wang Xiaodie felt an almost lethal aura wash over them, forcing them to cough uncontrollably.

"The Black Death?"

No, it couldn't be a true Demon God. If it were, they would likely have died the moment they laid eyes on it. But Wu Hui couldn't be sure what it was; the only thing he knew was that it was incredibly powerful. Run. Fighting back was out of the question.

*Heh, is this the Playwright giving me a reminder?*

The raft sped forward. There was nothing Wu Hui could do; faced with the vast ocean and an unknown, powerful enemy, he could only leave his fate to the heavens for now.

However, it would not stay this way forever.

When humans first face the boundless ocean, they might only have a raft, but they will eventually build massive steel warships. In the context of Earth's history, this time frame is actually very short.

As he was pursued by the monster that seemed to be the embodiment of the Black Death, Wu Hui felt no overwhelming fear. Resistance was impossible; he could only accelerate. He threw all unnecessary weight overboard and pushed for more speed.

Various supplies they had painstakingly collected, the books Wu Hui had found, and even the boat they slept on were discarded. Even the grizzly bear was abandoned.

Yet, the distance between them and the Black Death did not shrink, nor did it grow; it was as if the creature was about to catch up at any second, yet never quite did.

There was nothing left to throw from the raft. Gritting his teeth, Wu Hui began tearing off the wooden planks. If they could escape and stay close to land, he could survive by floating on a piece of timber for three to five days. Wang Xiaodie followed suit, helping him dismantle the raft. The hull lightened significantly, and their speed climbed once more.

Only the two of them remained on the raft, along with the engine and the Sail of the Ocean. It felt as though it might capsize at any moment.

In this game, the Playwright had asked Wu Hui three questions. The first was what he wanted (the Demon God's bottle). The second was how he would go about it (the volcanic altar). The third was how much resolve he had and what he was willing to sacrifice (now).

Wu Hui's answers had seemed decisive throughout, much to the Playwright's satisfaction.

"Land!" Wang Xiaodie shouted, pointing toward a stretch of jungle ahead.

"I see it." Wu Hui couldn't tell if it was an island or a continent, but there were no other options. In the face of such powerful existential threats as the ocean, every choice was a gamble. No one knew what lay ahead, nor whether they would face a storm or a new continent in the next moment.

The battered raft slammed onto the shore, and Wu Hui and Wang Xiaodie tumbled onto the ground.

But none of that mattered anymore. Amidst the chirping of insects, the game ended.

Wu Hui returned to his sofa at home, his sister's legs still resting on him. He exhaled a long breath and silently adjusted his glasses. The intense yet orchestrated chase left him feeling utterly helpless.

He was still too weak, both in combat prowess and intelligence. Only when he reached seventeen or eighteen points in intelligence would he truly have a chance at success... For now, he had no choice but to continue playing the Demon God's game.

After calculating his rewards, Wu Hui had reached Level 4. The next game would be "Card Chess Player," with a difficulty of Level 5. He had gained a significant amount of points, a card for the Grizzly Bear Beast, a Water Spider card, and a crossbow infused with lightning power. It suited him better than a pistol because he could craft arrows out of ice. The crossbow already possessed the "Precision" trait, and combined with his own ice powers, it had become his strongest ranged weapon. Its range might not match a pistol's, but his own marksmanship was only effective within ten meters anyway; long-range accuracy was meaningless to him.

He had plenty of points to spend at the trading market, and he could sell the useless items and potions he had collected. *I should call Wang Xiaodie over.*

Beyond this free labor, his greatest gain was the game's completion reward: the Ship of the Ocean. It was a summonable vessel that could generate a seawater environment around itself to travel. Its speed and defense were both excellent.

He had a few more potions, but they weren't particularly suitable for him. He would keep them to sell or give to teammates.

Wu Tong watched Wu Hui fussing over his various items and pulled her legs back. "Looks like a good haul? Who was that you were calling earlier?"

"..." Wu Hui pondered how to classify Wang Xiaodie. "A maid."

"Impressive, little brother." Wu Tong was excited. "I was worried you'd end up alone, that if something happened to me, you'd never find a woman. I didn't expect you to be so capable."

Wu Hui had never worried about that, but he was touched to realize that was why his sister had been helping him find women.

Wang Xiaodie arrived shortly after. Upon entering, she acted demurely and greeted his sister politely. She had heard Wu Hui mention this non-blood-related sister while they were on the raft. It was unclear what she meant by the greeting.

Wu Hui felt Wang Xiaodie was overacting. She used to curse at him constantly, even though he held the power of life and death over her. Why was she acting like this now? And why had her Charisma increased to nine? Was it an item, or had she gained points just now?

"I heard you're my brother's maid? Call him 'Master' a few times so I can hear." Wu Tong looked at her with interest, her expression one of playful teasing rather than humiliation. It successfully made Wang Xiaodie blush.

"You're overdoing it," Wu Hui whispered to Wang Xiaodie while Wu Tong went to her room to fetch something.

Wang Xiaodie retorted, "Go to hell! I'm not acting!"

"?" Wu Hui adjusted his glasses, feeling that he truly did not understand women.

Wu Tong returned with a maid's outfit. "Here, put this on. It's a gift for you."

It was a transcendent-grade item. High-level players were truly wealthy. Wang Xiaodie thanked her sweetly, earning a roll of the eyes from Wu Hui.

After changing into the maid's outfit, she blushed even deeper. Facing the scrutinizing gazes of Wu Tong and Wu Hui, Wang Xiaodie spoke softly, "Um, Master, is there anything you need me to do?"

"Go wash the dishes in the kitchen," Wu Hui said.

It was supposed to be his turn to wash the dishes today, but now he had a replacement. Wang Xiaodie's temple throbbed, but she obediently agreed and headed to the kitchen.

Wu Tong remarked, "You're really using her as a maid? Though, come to think of it, she looks a bit familiar."

"It's just housework. I'm not actually going to force her to do anything grueling," Wu Hui replied. "At the very least, as long as the slave contract remains in effect, I can't let her get too comfortable, can I?" Otherwise, Wang Xiaodie would stop caring about the contract entirely.