The night was like a vast black curtain, pressing down heavily on the sea's surface.
The battles of the past few days had been too intense.
From exploring the Mist Ruins and labyrinths, to luring and killing the Magic Whale, to refitting the warship—every step had pushed everyone's nerves to the limit.
At this moment, the sea was eerily silent.
Only the low, idling hum of the President's engines occasionally broke the quiet.
On the distant horizon.
That terrifying "Black Tide" had also come to a halt.
It wasn't ordinary darkness.
It was a deathly curtain composed of billions of Bone-Devouring Insects, too minuscule for the naked eye to discern clearly. During the day, they devoured every living thing in their path like rabid dogs. At night, as temperatures dropped, these creatures would enter a dormant state, hovering in mid-air like a wall separating life from death.
No one dared approach that wall at this time.
Qin Yu stood before the large floor-to-ceiling window in the captain's quarters, a post-coital cigarette held between his fingers.
The view outside was pitch black, but he stared at it intently.
Inside the room, the air was thick with a lingering, warm, and intimate scent.
The distinct hormonal aroma that follows vigorous exertion.
"Close the curtains."
A lazy, slightly hoarse voice came from behind him.
Qin Yu turned around.
On the large, custom-made bed, the blanket was messily piled in one corner.
Yao Xue was lying on her side against the headboard.
Her usually meticulously styled bun was now disheveled, cascading over her shoulders, with a few strands of hair stuck by sweat to her fair neck.
Her face, normally as cold and aloof as an iceberg, now bore a breathtaking flush.
Those phoenix eyes, usually filled with scrutiny, were half-lidded, still hazy with lingering moisture.
She reached out, pulling a corner of the blanket to cover the ample, snowy expanse of her chest, leaving only her long legs, clad in Black Silk Stockings, casually draped over the edge of the bed.
The stockings already had several holes in them.
A result of Qin Yu's earlier roughness.
"What are you afraid of?"
Qin Yu blew out a smoke ring, a roguish smile playing on his lips.
"Out on this vast ocean, besides seabirds, who could possibly see us?"
"Besides,"
Qin Yu walked back to the bed, reaching out to give Yao Xue's smooth thigh a pinch.
"When you were screaming so loudly earlier, why didn't you think about closing the curtains?"
"You're still talking about that!"
Yao Xue shot him an annoyed, embarrassed glare, lifting her foot as if to kick him.
But this feeble attempt was caught by Qin Yu, who grabbed her ankle.
With a gentle pull.
Yao Xue let out a surprised gasp as she slid right back into Qin Yu's arms.
"Don't... not again..."
Yao Xue was genuinely afraid now.
As a surgeon, her stamina wasn't poor.
But after that hour of being tossed about, she felt her very bones were about to fall apart.
"I really have no strength left..."
Yao Xue buried her head against Qin Yu's chest, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on his firm abdominal muscles.
"That girl Xiaoqian has endless energy, go find her..."
"Just teasing you."
Qin Yu kissed her smooth forehead and held her a little tighter.
"Rest if you're tired."
The two of them held each other quietly for a while.
Savoring this rare moment of tenderness in the midst of the apocalypse.
Qin Yu's fingers ran through Yao Xue's long hair, gently combing it.
In this world where death could come at any moment.
Only the warmth of the woman in his arms made him feel alive, made him feel human.
"Qin Yu."
Yao Xue suddenly spoke, her voice regaining some of its usual calmness.
"Hmm?"
"That 'Shadow of Deep Blue' system you installed earlier..."
Yao Xue lifted her head, her eyes flickering with thought.
"I just looked at the manual on the console."
"The technological sophistication of this thing is probably higher than any equipment we've seen before."
Qin Yu smiled.
"Naturally."
"If an SS-grade item didn't have some cutting-edge tech, wouldn't that ruin its reputation?"
"Not only is the technology advanced."
Yao Xue sat up straight, letting the blanket slide down to her waist.
She reached for the glass of water on the bedside table and took a sip.
"The most crucial thing is its airtightness."
"Did you notice?"
"The manual states that once Submersible Mode is activated, the entire ship enters a state of 'Absolute Airtightness.'"
"To withstand the terrifying water pressure at 3,000 meters deep."
"Every seam, every vent, even the drainage outlets on the hull will be sealed with special liquid metal and Force Field Shields."
"This level of airtightness..."
Yao Xue paused, her gaze sharpening.
"Not even water could get in."
"Not even viruses, or even nanoscale dust particles, could penetrate it."
As Qin Yu listened, his hand stilled.
He looked at Yao Xue's serious face.
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.
"Absolute Airtightness..."
Qin Yu murmured.
"Not even nanoscale dust particles can get in..."
He abruptly turned his head, looking out the window into the pitch-black distance.
There.
The Black Tide still hovered silently.
"Wait."
Qin Yu's voice suddenly rose a few notches.
He grabbed Yao Xue's shoulders, his grip so tight it made her frown.
"Xue, what did you just say?"
"Say it again!"
Yao Xue was startled by his sudden reaction.
"I said... this level of airtightness, not even dust particles can get in."
"What's wrong? You're hurting me."
Qin Yu released his grip and jumped off the bed.
He didn't even bother putting on clothes.
Barefoot, he paced back and forth on the carpet.
His eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Like two ghostly flames burning.
"Dust... insects... Black Tide..."
Qin Yu slapped his thigh hard.
"Damn!"
"Why didn't I think of it sooner!"
"Think of what?"
Yao Xue looked at Qin Yu, who seemed electrified, completely bewildered.
"This Submersible Mode isn't just for evading enemies on the surface."
"And it's not just for scavenging treasures from the seabed."
Qin Yu rushed back to the bedside, planting his hands on either side of Yao Xue and staring intently into her eyes.
"Xue, you're a doctor."
"You understand the structure of these things best."
"Think about it, what exactly is this so-called 'Black Tide'?"
Yao Xue was taken aback for a moment before answering:
"Based on previous observations and system prompts."
"The Black Tide is essentially a swarm of migrating mutated Bone-Devouring Insects."
"The individuals are extremely small, like dust particles."
"They feed on organic matter and energy."
"They fear cold and fire, but their numbers are endless."
"Wherever they pass, nothing remains."
Qin Yu snapped his fingers.
"Right!"
"They're bugs!"
"They're alive! They're living creatures!"
"And if they're bugs, no matter how mutated they are, they still have to follow the basic laws of biology, right?"
Qin Yu pointed at the sea outside the window.
"They're land-based or airborne mutants."
"On the surface, they can fly over, seep into the gaps of the raft like mist, and gnaw people down to bones."
"But!"
"What if we're underwater?"
This question.
Stumped Yao Xue.
She opened her mouth, her pupils instantly dilating.
"Underwater..."
"You mean..."
"These bugs can't dive?"
"Not just can't dive."
Qin Yu sneered, the fervor in his eyes growing stronger.
"Think about it."
"If the Black Tide could go underwater, could the fish in this sea survive?"
"Those sea beasts would have been devoured long ago!"
"But in reality, although the marine ecosystem has mutated, it's still thriving."
"That tells us one thing."
"These bastards can't go underwater!"
The more Qin Yu spoke, the smoother his thoughts became, never clearer than now.
"Either they're too light to break the water's surface tension."
"Or the high salinity or pressure of seawater can kill them."
"In short."
"That sea surface is a boundary they can't cross!"
Yao Xue fully understood now.
Her professional expertise as a doctor allowed her to quickly construct a model in her mind.
"If your speculation is correct..."
Yao Xue's voice trembled slightly.
"Then as long as we activate 'Submersible Mode'."
"And hide underwater."
"Even just ten meters deep."
"That overwhelming Black Tide would be as good as nonexistent to us?"
"Bingo!"
Qin Yu excitedly snapped his fingers.
He planted a firm kiss on Yao Xue's cheek.
"Wife, you're really my lucky star!"
"If you hadn't mentioned airtightness, I might not have thought of this."
Qin Yu straightened up and strode to the control console.
The previous fear.
The previous worries.
Vanished at this moment.
What is the Black Tide?
It's the nightmare of all survivors.
The Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's head.
Once the Black Tide arrives, everyone can only desperately upgrade their rafts, reinforce defenses, burn them with fire, spray them with poison, or even just pray for luck to survive.
In the face of the Black Tide.
Survivors are lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
But now.
Qin Yu found a bug.
A bug that would let him strut through this apocalyptic disaster!
Qin Yu laughed maniacally as he pulled on his pants.
"I'll just dive straight down!"
"I'll eat hotpot and sing songs underwater."
"Watching those stupid bugs above staring helplessly at the water's surface."
"This scene..."
"Tsk tsk tsk."
Qin Yu put on his black tactical vest, covering his lean, muscular physique.
"No."
"Just thinking about it isn't enough."
"We have to test it."
Yao Xue shook her head helplessly, looking at his impatient expression.
"It's nighttime now, the Black Tide is dormant. How are you going to test it?"
"And weren't you exhausted just now?"
"That was just now."
Qin Yu turned back, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
"A man never gets tired when facing a new toy."
"Although the Black Tide is dormant."
"That wall is still there."
"They're just sitting there motionless, perfect targets, aren't they?"
Qin Yu walked to the bedside, picked up Yao Xue's torn white coat, and tossed it aside.
Then he took a brand-new combat uniform from the wardrobe and handed it to her.
"Put it on."
"Come with me to the cockpit."
"I want to personally verify whether this 'Shadow of Deep Blue' can withstand those bugs."
Yao Xue took the clothes.
Watching Qin Yu's tall, straight back.
A sense of inexplicable security welled up in her heart.
This was the man she had chosen.
Sometimes he acted like a rogue, shameless as a scoundrel.
Sometimes he was ruthless, like a devil.
But at such critical moments.
His mind worked faster than anyone else's.
His courage was greater than anyone else's.
"Coming."
Yao Xue quickly put on the clothes and casually tied her long hair into a ponytail.
That cold and elegant chief surgeon had returned.