No Points.(Chapter 23)
The coral cave collapsed too suddenly, leaving no one prepared.
Fortunately, the five people who went down to explore weren't completely wiped out, only two, too hasty, became trapped inside. The other three surfaced quickly with disenchanted expressions, scrambling upward as if a single second's delay meant certain death.
As for their companions just crushed within the coral cave...
Clearly, the three had neither time nor concern for others; they were too preoccupied ensuring their own safety.
And as the strongest member of the group, Gu Luoyu stood like a stabilizing pillar. Even merely standing beside her brought immense reassurance, this was exactly why, after the incident, the others frantically swam upward.
However, the three's desperate attempt to cling to the strongest for survival didn't go smoothly. Before they could swim far, a ghost-like figure suddenly darted out from the shadows, stirring up a mass of swirling bubbles.
It's over!
At that instant, all three realized their fate was sealed. They no longer harbored any hope that Gu Luoyu, the mighty figure, would come to save them. A profound dread gripped their hearts, stripping away even the desire to resist, leaving them to face death in helpless surrender.
They knew their own limits. Although teaming up allowed them to kill fish, shrimp, and polluted creatures, they were finished with the moment they encountered a formidable opponent.
Damn it! They thought they could survive long enough to return to base, but instead died so quickly!
If they'd known escape was impossible, they'd rather have died inside the coral cave, at least that way it would've been quick and clean.
Not like now, drowning in fear, disenchanted beyond measure...
Yet just as the three closed their eyes in despair, waiting for death, the blade hanging over their heads failed to descend. One of them finally couldn't bear it and reopened their eyes, only to witness a starting scene.
As the surrounding bubbles dissolved and the visual obstruction disappeared, the beam from a flashlight revealed a mermaid with a massive fish tail joyfully circling around Ye Sheng above them.
She showed absolutely no intention of attacking.
Instead, she resembled a dog reuniting with its long-lost owner.
Huh? So they'd just frightened themselves... This mermaid's target wasn't them at all. She'd just passed by them earlier.
The danger instantly lifted. The three immediately exhaled in relief, realizing only then their clothes were soaked with cold sweat. Fortunately, it was a close call, they hadn't lost their lives in the ocean after all.
But since when did mermaids appear as polluted creatures in the wasteland world???
Even though wasteland polluted creatures kept evolving, humanoid forms had never emerged before. Yet this mermaid before them now, her upper body was indistinguishable from a human's.
It was nothing short of a miracle in the wasteland!
Although they realized this mermaid clearly didn't intend to kill them, the three didn't dare approach rashly. Neither did they dare dive back into the collapsed coral cave. They could only awkwardly float in place.
Meanwhile, Ye Sheng observed Fu Ruo's excellent condition, noting that after being transformed into a mermaid, she seemed to have fully adapted to aquatic life. Her behaviors increasingly resemble those of fish.
Her human habits were gradually fading.
Realizing this, Ye Sheng couldn't help but sighed inwardly. Although saddened that someone she knew was becoming less human, if this allowed her to live better in water, it couldn't be helped.
After all, strictly speaking, Fu Ruo's life right now was borrowed.
Just being alive was already fortunate.
But whether Fu Ruo had decided to stay in the ocean remained uncertain. This wasn't like the rivers in the wastelands, it teemed with various dangers. Even giant marine polluted creatures were extremely difficult to handle.
Unable to speak underwater, Ye Sheng didn't dwell on it further. Instead, she gestured to Fu Ruo in a friendly manner, welcoming her.
Then she pointed at the coral cave below, asking what exactly had just happened?
However, Fu Ruo seemed to have misunderstood Ye Sheng's meaning. Her face first frowned, then as if suddenly comprehending, she immediately nodded at Ye Sheng. The next second, she turned and darted downward.
The sudden movement startled the other three, but before they could flee, Fu Ruo had already passed them and reached the coral cave.
Ignored once again...
Gu Luoyu, who had remained beside Ye Sheng, raised an eyebrow. Nothing could escape her psychic surveillance. She suddenly knew what Fu Ruo intended to do, and since it wasn't anything bad, she didn't interfere.
As long as Fu Ruo didn't have ulterior motives towards Ye Sheng, she could do whatever she wanted.
Meanwhile, Fu Ruo descended quickly and returned even faster. In no time, she dragged something out from the collapsed coral cave. As she swam back toward Ye Sheng's position, the object she carried emitted a strong, heavy scent of blood.
Upon closer inspection, it was half a person.
One of the unlucky ones crushed inside the coral cave earlier.
The gruesome sight made the three bystanders turn pale instantly, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as if they might vomit at any moment.
Ye Sheng, whose vision had become exceptionally sharp, naturally saw it too. She felt her entire body go numb, immediately retracting her water-avoiding pearl and quickly rushing toward Gu Luoyu.
Ahhhh, don't come closer, ahhhhhh!
Only after wrapping her arms tightly around Gu Luoyu did Ye Sheng finally calm down. Like a koala clinging to a tree, she clings to Gu Luoyu's body, determined to let go. Her voice trembled with panic: "Ah Yu, make Fu Ruo stay far away from me! Don't let her come closer!"
“...?”
Gu Luoyu, tightly embraced, couldn't help but smile wryly. Never did she expect a mere corpse would make Ye Sheng avoid Fu Ruo so desperately... She truly couldn't fathom why, in the premonition seen by Ye Heiya, 'herself' considered Fu Ruo a threat and attacked, only to cause Ye Sheng to leave heartbroken.
With zero awareness of her own possessiveness, Gu Luoyu thought lightly, her voice soothed, “Don't worry, I won't let her near you!”
Hardly had the words left her mouth when her black psychic energy, unimpeded underwater, formed a shield that successfully blocked Fu Ruo.
'Sss... Yes... sssss...'
Blocked, Fu Ruo couldn't help but growl in frustration. She angrily raised her other hand, trying to tear through the shield. But psychic energy whose strength had increased countless times was clearly not something she could easily break.
She could only frantically pace in place.
Fortunately, she soon figured it out, realizing Ye Sheng refused her approach because of the corpse in her hands. So, Fu Ruo turned her head, fiddled with the body briefly, and quickly plucked a blue worm clinging to its arm.
Then, she casually tossed the remains aside. The three, frozen in place with terror, watched helplessly as their former companion's corpse plummeted past them. Finally, they couldn't hold back and retched violently.
Meanwhile, Fu Ruo curled her lips into a smile at Ye Sheng, raising the fat, arm-length worm in her hand, a picture of eager devotion, as if offering a precious tribute.