The "President" cut through the waves.
The engine's roar was deep and powerful.
Qin Yu sat on the leather sofa, playing with the purple Flower King Core he had just acquired.
The thing pulsed like a heartbeat in his hand.
"Brother Yu, it's done."
Yao Xue took off her gloves as she emerged from the laboratory.
Her cool demeanor, combined with the green stains on her lab coat that she hadn't had time to clean, created an eerie beauty.
"This flower's toxicity is even stronger than I imagined."
"Just three milligrams could knock out an adult blue whale."
"I've named it 'Dream Reaper'."
Qin Yu's lips curled into a smile.
"Good name."
"If that old schemer Zhang Nanhai got a whiff of it, he'd probably laugh himself to death dreaming of being an emperor on that tiger-skin chair of his."
Li Ruobing, who was cleaning her gun nearby, chuckled at this.
"That would be perfect, save me the bullets."
Just as they were chatting casually.
A sudden change occurred.
The originally clear sky darkened without warning.
It wasn't clouds blocking the sun.
But a heart-palpitating blood-red color.
The entire sky resembled a massive display screen being forcibly refreshed.
Immediately after.
That mechanical voice, etched in the memory of every survivor, exploded in everyone's minds.
Devoid of any emotion.
Cold.
Grand.
[Region-wide Announcement]
[Regional merger complete.]
[Loading new expansion... Load successful.]
[New mode: "Black Tide Hunt" officially activated.]
Qin Yu abruptly stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the sea surface had developed a thin layer of mist at some point.
"Black Tide Hunt?"
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
The name alone suggested this wasn't some pleasant seaside vacation.
The system's voice continued.
[Rules Explanation:]
[1. From this moment, the world will be eroded by "Black Mist".]
[2. The source of Black Mist is located in the extreme west and will advance eastward at 10 nautical miles per hour.]
[3. The Black Mist is extremely dangerous, containing indescribable horrors. Once swallowed by the Black Mist, survival rate is 0%.]
[4. From 6:00 to 18:00 daily, the Black Mist will continue moving. From 18:00 to 6:00 the next day, the Black Mist will pause its expansion.]
[5. Sea creature activity is normal.]
As the rules were announced.
A massive countdown projection appeared in the sky.
[Time until Black Mist activation: 00 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]
Deathly silence.
The only sound in the "President's" command room was the faint hum of operating instruments.
"Ten nautical miles per hour..."
Yao Xue adjusted her glasses, her brow furrowed tightly.
She quickly performed calculations in her mind.
"That's 18.5 kilometers per hour."
"Twelve hours a day means the Black Mist advances 222 kilometers."
"If we stay in place or sail slower than 10 knots, we'll be consumed."
Li Ruobing slammed her gun onto the table.
"Isn't this forcing us to run from the poison?"
"It's the same principle as the shrinking circle in battle royale games."
Qin Yu nodded.
His gaze was cold.
"Exactly, we're running from the poison."
"Except this circle is shrinking a bit too fast."
An ordinary raft, relying on human paddling, could at most cover two to three nautical miles per hour.
Even with a sail installed, with favorable winds and currents, it would only manage five or six nautical miles.
Ten nautical miles?
That was the speed of a motorized vessel.
The system was determined to eliminate those "slackers" still relying on primitive survival methods.
"Ding!"
[To give all players a chance at survival, the system is distributing a universal welfare benefit.]
[Item: Class B Marine Diesel Engine (Standard Edition) has been sent to your backpack.]
[Bonus: Inferior Diesel x200 liters.]
[Hint: Fuel is the lifeblood of survival in this world. If you want to live, go find more fuel.]
As the system's voice faded,
The crimson hue in the sky gradually receded.
But the oppressive atmosphere grew even heavier than before.
"Welfare?"
Qin Yu sneered.
With a wave of his hand,
A clattering sound echoed on the deck as a dark, bulky machine appeared.
The engine looked large, with exposed pipes, crude workmanship, and patches of rust.
It was clearly the kind of industrial junk known for loud noise, high fuel consumption, and low efficiency.
"You call this welfare?"
Li Ruobing walked over and kicked the iron lump with her foot.
"This piece of junk isn't even fit to be an outboard motor for our 'President.'"
"If we rely on this thing to escape, we'll go deaf from the noise before we even reach the east."
Qin Yu remained silent.
He opened the engine's attribute panel and examined it.
[Class B Marine Diesel Engine]
[Power: Medium]
[Fuel Consumption: Extremely High (consumes 5 liters of diesel per hour)]
[Maximum Speed: 12 knots (depending on hull weight)]
Qin Yu shook his head at the fuel consumption data.
"The system is playing dirty."
"How so?"
Yao Qian leaned in, her face full of curiosity.
"It gave us an engine and fuel. Isn't that a good thing?"
Qin Yu pointed at the mere 200 liters of complimentary diesel.
"Look carefully."
"This piece of junk burns 5 liters of fuel per hour."
"The fuel the system provided is only enough for 40 hours of operation."
"The Black Mist chases us for twelve hours a day."
"We'll be caught in a few days?"
Yao Qian froze.
Though she was a homebody, she wasn't stupid.
She could still do the math.
"So... without additional fuel, everyone will be waiting to die in a few days?"
"Exactly."
Qin Yu's eyes were icy.
"That's what the system wants to see."
"It gave everyone hope for life, then despair for death."
"For that bit of fuel."
"Starting today, this ocean will become a bloodbath where people tear each other apart."
Before, people fought over water, food, and building materials.
Now,
Fuel is life.
Those who have fuel will live.
Those who don't will die.
"Yu-ge, what should we do?"
Li Ruobing asked the crucial question.
"We don't need this piece of junk. Our nuclear reactor is more than enough."
"But we don't need this scrap iron either."
Qin Yu stroked his chin, staring at the engine.
Suddenly, he smiled.
A cunning, merchant-like smile.
"We may not need it."
"But others might need it."
"Put this away and let it gather dust in storage."
"This thing will become hard currency in the future."
"Maybe someday we can trade it for a good price."
Qin Yu turned back to the command platform.
"Yao Qian."
"Here!"
"Activate the radar, full power scan."
"I want to know the movements of all ships in the surrounding waters."
"Also, monitor the west."
"I want to see with my own eyes what this so-called 'Black Mist' really is."
"Understood!"
Yao Qian's fingers flew across the controls.
The massive holographic screen instantly lit up with dense points of light.
On the far left side of the screen.
A black line was slowly but steadily forming.
...
On the deck of the President.
The sea breeze had turned damp and cold.
Qin Yu stood at the stern, holding a glass of freshly opened red wine.
His gaze pierced through several nautical miles, fixed on the west.
Visible to the naked eye.
The horizon there was disappearing.
As if being devoured bite by bite by an invisible giant beast.
The originally azure sea surface turned into a dead ink-black color the moment it touched that black line.
"That's not mist."
Yao Xue had appeared beside Qin Yu at some point.
She held a tablet showing footage just transmitted by a drone.
Though the drone had lost contact after just a few seconds.
That brief moment of footage was enough to make one's scalp crawl.
"Those are insects."
Yao Xue's voice trembled slightly.
"Countless black flying insects smaller than dust particles."
"They gather together, creating the illusion of mist."
"Wherever they pass, forget about people."
"Even wood gets chewed to dust."
Qin Yu looked at the massively enlarged blurry screenshot on the screen.
Indeed.
It wasn't water vapor at all.
Those were densely packed mouthparts.
"Tch."
Qin Yu took a sip of wine, feeling his throat go dry.
"This system really doesn't leave any room for survival."
This wasn't a chase.
This was a great cleansing with no retreat.
Just one step too slow.
And not even ashes would remain.
"Beep beep beep beep!"
Right at that moment.
The world channel exploded.
Qin Yu casually opened the communicator on his wrist.
The messages were scrolling so fast it was dizzying.
"Help! I only have a raft! After installing that engine, the bow is sticking up!"
"Who has fuel? I'll trade one hundred units of wood for one liter of fuel! Please!"
"Don't dream, upstairs! One liter of fuel can buy your life now!"
"The Black Mist is coming! I see it! It's moving!"
"Ahhhhh! My hand! I put my hand in for just a second, it's gone! All blood!"
"Run! Don't look back!"
Panic.
Despair.
You could almost smell the urine through the screen.
Qin Yu closed the chat channel.
Without any sympathy.
This was the apocalypse.
Survival of the fittest.
"Report, Brother Yu!"
Yao Qian's voice came through the broadcast.
"Three rafts detected five nautical miles to the west."
"They're approaching us at full speed!"
"It seems... they want to hitch a ride with our ship?"
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.
Drained the wine in his glass.
"Want a free ride?"
"Nothing in this world comes that cheap."
He turned.
"Ruo Bing."
"Here!"
Li Ruobing, who had been holding back her energy, was more than ready.
She mounted the polished heavy machine gun on the railing.
"Give them a warning."
"Show them what a safe distance means."
"Got it!"
Li Ruobing grinned, revealing two adorable little fangs.
But to the people on those three rafts, this was the smile of death.
"Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!"
A string of bullets struck the water surface ahead of the three rafts, splashing up a row of high sprays.
It was a warning. A boundary.
The three rafts that had been desperately trying to approach instantly swerved in panic. One of them turned too sharply, causing its newly installed B-grade engine to fall straight off the stern.
With a "plop," it sank to the bottom.
"No!!!"
The desperate wail of the unlucky soul could be heard even from several nautical miles away.
Without an engine, in this Black Tide Hunt, he was already a dead man.
Qin Yu watched expressionlessly.
"Full speed ahead. Course set east. Maintain 20 knots. We must stay in the first echelon."
"Yes!"
Following Qin Yu's command, the massive steel beast instantly accelerated, cutting through the sea like a sharp sword, leaving the black mist and desperate cries far behind.
...
After three hours of sailing, the midday sun beat down mercilessly on the deck. The President had completely broken away from the refugee fleet behind. The surrounding sea became empty. Those who managed to reach this position were either lucky enough to start in the east or had some real capability.
"Alert. Medium-sized fleet detected at three o'clock. Quantity: five vessels. Configuration: all modified with enhanced propulsion systems."
Yao Qian's voice sounded again.
"They're signaling with lights... asking us to stop for inspection?"
"Huh?"
Qin Yu laughed in disbelief. He glanced at Li Ruobing beside him.
"Hear that? Someone wants to inspect us."
Li Ruobing rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Are blind people sailing ships these days? Can't they see how big our ship is? Do their broken rafts combined even equal half our deck?"
Qin Yu walked to the bow and looked through binoculars. They were five messily modified sailboats, covered with tires, sheet metal, and even bones. A black flag with a skull painted on it flew from a pole at the bow.
"Pirates?"
Qin Yu was surprised. How could professional specialization happen so quickly after the game started? Were pirate operations already underway?
"Brother Yu, should we sink them?"
Yao Xue played with a test tube containing green liquid, her tone as calm as if asking what to have for dinner.
"Not yet." Qin Yu waved his hand. "Since they're pirates, they must have stolen plenty of fuel. Though we're not short, no one complains about having more. Approach them. Let's see how much they're worth."
The President adjusted its course slightly, not stopping but accelerating toward the five pirate ships.
...
On the flagship of the pirate fleet, a bearded man with a brutish face proudly held a megaphone.
"Ship ahead! Listen up! I'm from the Skull Gang! Men will be killed, women kept! Hand over all supplies! Or we'll feed you to the fish—"
Before he could finish, the bearded man suddenly sensed something wrong.
Because of the ship before their eyes.
Growing larger.
And larger.
From a distance earlier, it had just looked like a somewhat large yacht.
But now that they were closer, they realized.
This was no damn yacht!
It was practically a moving steel fortress!
Just the height of its bow was taller than their mast!
Those pitch-black cannon muzzles.
The metallic armor gleaming with a cold light.
And the man standing at the bow, his gaze as if looking at the dead.
The bearded man's loudspeaker clattered to the deck.
"Boss… this… this looks like a tough one!"
The subordinate beside him was trembling, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
"You think I don't know that?!"
The bearded man smacked the back of his subordinate's head.
"Run!"
"Run now!"
"This is our damn ancestor!"
But it was too late.
"Since you're here, don't bother leaving."
From the loudspeaker.
Qin Yu's lazy voice echoed.
"Li Ruobing."
"Right here, Yu-ge!"
"Teach them a lesson."
"Show them who's the boss of these seas."
"You got it!"
The next second.
The plasma cannons on the President activated.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The pirate ship at the front of the line.
Didn't even have a chance to react.
Was directly split in half.
Wood splinters flew everywhere.
Flames shot into the sky.
The pirates who had been shouting threats moments ago instantly became floating corpses in the sea.
"Don't kill them all!"
Qin Yu reminded.
"Leave one alive."
"Ask where the fuel is."
The President was like a tiger charging into a flock of sheep.
It didn't need any complicated tactics.
Just pure overwhelming force.
In just three minutes.
Four of the five pirate ships had sunk.
The remaining flagship now drifted alone on the sea.
The bearded man knelt on the deck.
Trembling all over.
His pants were already soaked.
He stared at the man who had descended from above, clad in black armor and holding a glowing long blade.
As if looking at a demon god crawled out of hell.
"B-big brother…"
"Grandpa…"
"Spare me…"
Qin Yu stomped on the bearded man's shoulder.
Pressing half his body into the shattered deck.
"Where's the fuel?"
Qin Yu didn't waste words.
Getting straight to the point.
"In… in the hold…"
"There… there's five hundred liters…"
"All stolen just now…"
Five hundred liters.
Qin Yu's eyes lit up.
That was no small amount.
Based on the fuel consumption of a B-class engine, five hundred liters would be enough for an average player to run for a hundred hours.
Enough to survive even under the Black Tide Hunt for eight or nine days.
This bearded man, it seemed, was quite the ruthless character.
Too bad.
He'd met someone even more ruthless.
"T-X."
Qin Yu snapped his fingers.
"Move it."
The robot immediately jumped into the ship's hold.
Soon after.
Over a dozen large fuel barrels were moved onto the President.
"B-big brother…"
"I've given you all the fuel…"
"Could you… spare my life…"
The bearded man kowtowed like pounding garlic.
Qin Yu sheathed his long blade.
And smiled.
"Of course."
"I'm a reasonable man."
"Since I've taken your ransom, I won't kill you."
Qin Yu turned.
And leaped back onto his own ship.
The Presi
dent slowly started up.
The massive wake tossed the battered pirate ship back and forth.
The bearded man was ecstatic.
He had survived!
As long as the ship was still here, as long as he was alive, he could steal more fuel!
However.
Just as he prepared to get up and repair his ship.
He suddenly realized.
The most crucial B-class engine at the stern of his ship was gone.
That robot hadn't just taken the oil—it had dismantled his engine along the way!
"No!!!"
The bearded man let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Without the engine, facing the Black Mist that moved at 10 knots per hour, he was nothing but a dish served on a table.
He wouldn't even have to wait until nightfall. In just two more hours, he would be swallowed by that terrifying black line.
Qin Yu stood at the stern of the President, listening to the desperate cries from behind, his face completely expressionless.
"I won't kill you."
"But whether you survive or not..."
"Depends on fate."