The rust-covered iron ladder emitted an ear-grating creak.
With each step, flakes of rust fell off, dropping into the bottomless seawater below.
Qin Yu followed three steps behind the bald man.
His machete remained unsheathed, its tip hanging at his side, swaying gently with his movements.
The bald man climbed slowly.
His entire body trembled.
Not from cold, but from the stench wafting through the ventilation shaft—a foul mixture of dead rats, rotten seafood, and long-fermented organs.
"Hurry up."
Qin Yu's cold voice urged him forward.
He nudged the bald man's backside with his foot.
The bald man shuddered violently, nearly losing his grip on the handrail.
"B-boss, we're here. This is the deck level."
The bald man scrambled over the final railing and collapsed onto the barnacle-covered deck, gasping for air.
Qin Yu swiftly followed him up.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
They stood at the stern of a container ship.
The bridge stood tilted like a steel tombstone against the gloomy sky.
The once-level deck was now piled with twisted steel beams and scattered containers.
Some containers had ruptured, revealing their rotting contents.
"Stop lying there."
Qin Yu kicked the bald man.
"Where's the entrance?"
The bald man swallowed hard and pointed toward a dark hole beneath the bridge.
It should have been a sealed door.
Now only a gaping black maw remained.
"G-go through there. Descend three levels, pass through the crew quarters, and you'll reach the engine room passage."
The bald man shakily got to his feet.
His eyes flickered briefly.
He lowered his head to conceal the murderous glint in his eyes.
This ship was hell.
But for someone familiar with its layout, it also represented his only chance to turn the tables.
Though the man in black was terrifyingly strong...
The things aboard this ship didn't care who you were.
"Lead the way."
Qin Yu seemed completely oblivious to the bald man's scheming.
He tilted his chin, signaling for the bald man to enter first.
Taking a deep breath, the bald man picked up a rusty iron rod and ventured into the darkness.
Upon entering the passage, the light instantly dimmed.
Only the faint glow from Qin Yu's battle suit illuminated their path.
Ankle-deep water covered the floor.
The murky water floated with unidentifiable debris.
And several tattered life jackets.
"Groan..."
From the depths.
Came an extremely low growl.
Like a broken bellows being pulled, or phlegm caught in a throat.
The bald man froze, pressing his back against the wall, not daring to breathe.
He pointed ahead, mouthing the words: "Something's there."
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
His S-Rank battle suit's helmet automatically deployed, covering his face.
[Thermal Imaging Mode Activated]
The darkness before him instantly transformed into interwoven red and blue patterns.
Around the corner ahead.
A dark red heat source clung to the ceiling, slowly writhing.
Its body temperature was low.
Approximately twenty degrees Celsius.
But that precisely proved it wasn't a living person.
It was a monster.
"Go around it."
Qin Yu's voice came through the helmet, carrying a metallic quality.
He didn't want to waste time here.
Killing monsters brought no rewards and would only attract more.
The bald man nodded and pointed to a side door nearby.
It was a maintenance passage.
Very narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through sideways.
The bald man squeezed in first.
Qin Yu followed behind.
The passage was covered in slippery moss, with dried, blackened bloodstains clinging to the walls.
"Big brother... watch your step..."
The bald man whispered.
"Many people died here before..."
Qin Yu ignored him.
His gaze remained fixed on the bald man's back.
This guy's heartbeat was accelerating.
Although the system interface showed no signs of malice, emotions named "greed" and "wishful thinking" were practically oozing from the bald man's pores.
Planning something?
A cold smile tugged at Qin Yu's lips.
Let's see who outplays whom.
After passing through the maintenance passage, they reached a slightly more spacious hall.
It looked like a crew cafeteria.
Tables and chairs were overturned everywhere, the floor littered with broken plates and rotting food scraps.
"The engine room entrance is over there."
The bald man pointed to an iron door at the other end of the cafeteria.
"But... it's locked. We need to find tools to pry it open."
"No need."
Qin Yu strode over.
As he passed a table, something that had been crouching beneath it suddenly lunged out.
It was a humanoid monster wearing tattered uniform.
Its skin showed a deathly gray puffiness, eyeballs long gone, leaving only two dark sockets.
Its mouth split open to the ears, revealing shark-like sharp teeth.
"Ah!"
The bald man screamed in terror, covering his head and scrambling away.
The monster moved extremely fast, crawling on all fours like an oversized gecko, charging straight at Qin Yu's face.
"Seeking death."
Qin Yu didn't even draw his blade.
Just as the monster reached him.
He raised his right hand.
Fingers curled into claws, the black nano battle suit instantly hardening.
"Crunch!"
Qin Yu grabbed the monster by the throat.
The tremendous impact left the monster's body suspended mid-air, limbs flailing wildly.
Its sharp claws scraped against the battle suit, producing sizzling sparks.
Not even leaving a scratch.
"Just a C-class mutant."
Qin Yu felt somewhat disappointed.
His fingers suddenly tightened.
"Squelch."
The monster's neck was crushed like tofu.
Black, filthy blood sprayed out but slid right off the nano battle suit without staining it at all.
Qin Yu casually tossed the corpse aside like trash.
He turned to look at the bald man trembling in the corner.
"What are you screaming for?"
"Keep screaming and I'll throw you to them as a snack."
The bald man's face turned pale, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Qin Yu.
Was this even human?
That kind of monster that even bullets couldn't hurt was killed with one hand?
"I... I was wrong..."
The bald man trembled as he got up.
The plan in his heart wavered slightly.
But immediately, it was overwhelmed by even greater greed.
If I could kill him...
This suit would be mine!
With this suit, who would I fear in this apocalyptic world?!
And those two exquisite women...
The bald man swallowed hard, the vicious light in his eyes growing stronger.
"The door's over there."
The bald man pointed at the iron door, keeping his head down.
Qin Yu walked up to the door.
It was a heavy fire door, its lock completely rusted shut.
"Step aside."
Qin Yu commanded sharply.
The bald man quickly moved away.
Qin Yu stepped back half a pace, muscles in his right leg tensing.
The flowing light from his battle suit converged on his leg.
"BOOM!!!"
With a tremendous crash, the entire iron door flew off its frame as if struck by artillery, slamming heavily into the corridor beyond and stirring up clouds of dust.
"Let's go."
Qin Yu withdrew his foot without even glancing at the result.
The bald man swallowed hard, scalp tingling as he stared at the twisted, deformed iron door.
If that kick had landed on a person...
He didn't dare imagine.
The two proceeded down the staircase one after another.
The further down they went, the damper the air became.
Amid the rotting stench, a strong diesel odor emerged.
This was a good sign.
It meant there might still be fuel in the tanks.
They reached the bottom level.
Water here already reached their knees.
A rainbow slick of oil floated on the dark water's surface.
"Just ahead..."
The bald man's voice trembled slightly.
Whether from excitement or fear was unclear.
"That... that largest room is the main engine room."
Qin Yu looked forward.
It was indeed a massive space.
Even in the darkness, the outlines of enormous machinery were vaguely visible.
This was the heart of the giant ship.
Several massive marine diesel engines sat silently in the water.
Though mostly submerged, their cylinder heads and intake systems remained above water.
"Jackpot."
Qin Yu's eyes lit up.
What he needed wasn't these giant main engines—they were too large for his raft to carry.
He was looking for auxiliary engines.
The generator sets.
"Over there!"
Qin Yu pointed toward a raised platform to the side.
Three medium-small diesel generator sets were fixed there in a row.
Judging by their models, they were about 500KW units.
Perfect for the current President.
If he could take back just one set, combine it with that C-class propulsion component, and make some modifications...
He'd have his power system!
"Let's check it out."
Qin Yu waded through the water, striding toward the platform.
The water resistance was substantial, but with his S-Rank Battle Suit enhancing him, he moved as effortlessly as walking on flat ground.
The bald man followed behind.
His hand quietly slipped to his lower back.
Hidden there was a screwdriver he'd picked up along the way.
Sharpened to a fine point.
Though not as good as a knife, if thrust into an eye...
No, that wouldn't be enough.
The bald man's gaze fell on a red valve beside the platform.
A secret he'd discovered during his previous exploration.
The pressure relief valve for the high-pressure steam line.
Though the boilers had long been shut down.
Trapped within that pipeline was dead air.
And another kind of...
Explosive gas.
Marsh gas.
This lower level had been sealed for too long. Methane from decaying bodies had accumulated in the pipes.
Just open the valve, add a spark...
The bald man touched the lighter in his pocket.
His final card.
The two climbed onto the platform.
Qin Yu approached one generator, examining it carefully.
"Preserved fairly well."
Qin Yu patted the machine's body.
Though the casing showed some rust, the core components were oil-sealed and free of severe corrosion.
"System, can this be stored?"
[Large mechanical equipment detected.]
[Weight: 3.5 tons.]
[Sufficient system storage space available. Item can be stored.]
Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
If it couldn't be stored and had to be disassembled, that would be troublesome.
Just as Qin Yu placed his hand on the generator, preparing to store it away...
"Big brother! Look at that over there!"
Behind him, the bald man suddenly shouted, pointing at the shadows in the corner.
Qin Yu instinctively turned his head.
In that instant, the bald man moved.
He didn't lunge at Qin Yu.
Instead, he threw himself at the red valve like a rabid dog.
"Die!!!"
The bald man's face twisted grotesquely as he gripped the valve with both hands, twisting it with all his might.
"Pssss—!!!"
A pungent gas erupted under high pressure, instantly filling the entire platform.
Immediately after, the bald man pulled out a lighter, his face contorted in a mad, savage grin.
"Your suit might stop bullets!"
"Let's see if it can stop fire!!"
Click!
A flame sparked to life.
"BOOM!!!"
A burst of orange-red flames instantly exploded across the platform.
The accumulated methane ignited, creating a violent flash fire.
Shockwaves rolled through the air.
The bald man had prepared for this—the moment he lit the flame, he rolled into the nearby water.
He submerged into the black water, covering his ears tightly.
Though he'd be concussed and burned, it would all be worth it if he could kill that monster!
The flames raged in the confined space for several seconds before gradually dying down.
The air filled with the smell of scorched material.
The bald man emerged from the water, his face blackened with soot, his eyebrows and hair completely burned off, blisters covering his skin.
Yet he was laughing.
Laughing with wild abandon.
"Cough... Hahahaha!"
"You're dead! Burned to death, you bastard!"
He climbed back onto the platform, staring at the dissipating black smoke.
"Think you can mess with me?"
"I was already in the underworld when you were still wearing open-crotch pants!"
The bald man spat a bloody glob of saliva, his eyes filled with greed.
"That ship is mine now..."
"Those two women are mine too..."
"That ice-cold bitch... I'll break her legs first, make her crawl on the bed..."
"And that little one... those White Silk Stockings..."
Muttering his fantasies, he rubbed his hands together and walked toward the smoke.
He needed to find the corpse.
To strip off that battle suit.
Even if it was slightly damaged, it could be repaired and worn again.
However.
When a gust of wind blew the smoke away, the bald man's laughter cut off like a strangled duck.
His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
He froze in place, petrified.
Beside the generator, Qin Yu remained in the exact same position, not having moved an inch.
His black battle suit shimmered with a faint red glow—the temperature control system operating at full capacity.
The surrounding flames hadn't even singed a single strand of his hair.
"This... this is impossible..."
The bald man collapsed onto the ground, his face a mask of despair.
What kind of technology was this?
Was this fucking alien tech?!
That was an explosion! Flames reaching hundreds of degrees!
Qin Yu slowly turned around.
His helmet visor retracted, revealing his utterly impassive face.
He brushed off nonexistent dust from his shoulder, his gaze as calm as if he were watching a monkey perform tricks.
"Is this your trump card?" Qin Yu asked mildly.
His voice wasn't loud, but it struck the bald man's heart like a sledgehammer.
"No... no..."
The bald man scrambled backward on his hands and feet, a dark wet patch instantly spreading across his pants.
The stench of urine mingled with the acrid smell of scorching, creating an unbearable odor.
"Big brother... it's a misunderstanding... truly a misunderstanding..."
"I was trying... trying to burn the mosquitoes over there..."
"Mosquitoes?"
A mocking curve lifted the corner of Qin Yu's lips.
He advanced toward the bald man step by step.
His black combat boots struck the metal floor with dull, heavy thuds.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Each step seemed to trample directly on the bald man's nerves.
"Just now you said..."
Qin Yu stopped before the bald man, looking down at him from his superior height.
"...you were going to break whose legs?"
"Make who crawl on a hospital bed?"
The bald man trembled violently, his teeth chattering audibly.
He knew.
It was over.
Completely over.
Since pleading hadn't worked, he had to go all out!
"I'll fucking kill you!!!"
The bald man suddenly erupted into motion.
Clutching the sharpened screwdriver tightly, he howled and charged at Qin Yu's abdomen.
Aiming for the gap between the battle suit segments.
What he believed to be the only weak point.
Thump.
A soft sound.
The bald man's movement froze.
The screwdriver pressed against Qin Yu's abdomen but failed to even leave a scratch.
In fact, from the excessive force, the screwdriver's tip bent completely.
And Qin Yu's hand.
Had somehow already closed around the bald man's throat.
Lifting him completely off the ground.
His feet dangling in the air.
The bald man's face turned purple, his hands desperately clawing at Qin Yu's fingers.
They didn't budge an inch.
They were like iron vices.
"I already guessed your intentions."
Qin Yu looked into the bald man's bloodshot, bulging eyes.
His tone devoid of any emotion.
"From that glance you stole on the ship."
"You were already a dead man."
"The only reason I kept you alive until now."
"Was because the route here is confusing, and I couldn't be bothered to find it myself."
Qin Yu's fingers slowly tightened.
The sound of crushing bones was unmistakably clear.
The bald man's mouth gaped wide, trying to scream, but only producing wheezing, raspy sounds.
His eyes filled with deep regret.
If he hadn't been greedy...
If he hadn't entertained wicked thoughts...
Could he have truly gotten a piece of bread?
Could he have actually survived?
Unfortunately.
The apocalypse offered no second chances.
"She's my woman."
Qin Yu leaned close to the bald man's ear, whispering softly.
Like the murmur of death itself.
"Even thinking about her is a capital offense."
Crack!
With a sharp twist of his wrist, Qin Yu snapped the bald man's neck at an unnatural angle.
His head lolled limply to one side.
The eyes, once filled with terror and resentment, gradually lost their light.
Like a dead fish.
Qin Yu released his grip.
The corpse fell into the water with a heavy splash.
Sending up dark, murky ripples.
Soon covered by a thick layer of oil slick, disappearing from view entirely.
Qin Yu pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.
The one Yao Xue had tucked into his hand before he left.
He meticulously wiped the fingers of his gloves.
Then tossed the handkerchief into the water.
"Trash cleared."
Qin Yu turned away without another glance at the corpse.
He walked over to the generator.
Placed his palm on it.
"Store."
[Storing in progress
...]
[Acquired: Medium Marine Diesel Generator Set (Intact) x1]
The massive generator vanished into thin air.
Immediately after.
Qin Yu proceeded to sweep clean the two other generators nearby, several sealed barrels of diesel, and various maintenance tools scattered in the corner.
Leaving nothing behind in his path.
With all this done.
Qin Yu glanced at the empty platform.
His mission here was complete.
But he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
Because on the system radar,
dense clusters of red dots were converging toward this location from all directions.
The earlier explosion
had clearly awakened the ship's true "masters."
"Perfect timing."
Qin Yu drew his machete, gripping it firmly.
The flowing light of his S-Rank Battle Suit shifted to a dark red combat mode.
"Since I've taken the goods, might as well grind some experience along the way."
He raised his head, staring at the pairs of crimson eyes glowing in the darkness.
A bloodthirsty smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
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