Chapter 96

Chamuxian is located in the border region of Xizhou Province, adjacent to the northwest corner of the southwestern plateau. Since it is not a city, its supply conditions are average, so the queues are not as crowded as in other cities. However, the area is at a high altitude, over 4,000 meters, and is surrounded by mountains, making it a suitable place for them to lay low until she can make her way to Xizhou Province and reunite with them.

For the next few hours, Shu Fu closely monitored the weather conditions outside, maneuvering her raft around areas with many boats and listening to conversations from civilians and rescue team members to gauge the weather situation in Pengcheng.

Fortunately, she didn’t hear of any sudden extreme disasters occurring in Xiangzhou Province.

Later that evening, after receiving messages from Chen Fa and Lu Zheng confirming their safety, she finally felt at ease.

Over the next few days, she occasionally received updates from them about settling into their new environment. The most common complaint was about the extreme cold in Chamuxian. At an altitude of 4,000 meters, it was already much colder than lower-altitude areas. Moreover, the entire planet was gradually cooling, making the cold in Chamuxian even more pronounced.

The temperature in the water region between Xiangzhou and Muzhou, where Shu Fu was, was also dropping. When she was near populated areas, she mostly stayed inside the floating island house, so she couldn’t directly feel the outside temperature. However, by observing the clothing of the people on the boats and their postures, she could roughly estimate the conditions.

At night, when she docked the raft in an uninhabited water area against a mountain wall and turned off the protective shield, she tested stepping outside with an umbrella. The temperature felt around ten degrees Celsius, but due to the water environment, the dampness made it feel even colder.

Ten degrees wasn’t extremely low, but considering it was October and not a high-altitude plateau, this temperature was already quite unusual.

A couple of days later, another sudden violent storm swept through the water region, this time bringing large hailstones.

The engine of a small speedboat was struck by hail, causing it to smoke and break down, leaving it stranded in the middle of the water. Other nearby boats were quickly heading for the closest shore. Another speedboat, which carried only a few rescue team members, turned back, intending to transfer the stranded people and escape to a sheltered building on land.

However, just as the two speedboats got close, the hailstorm intensified, puncturing holes in both vessels. A towering wave surged, capsizing both boats and throwing everyone into the water.

Nearby, Shu Fu sighed and decided to test whether she could deactivate the protective shield. The raft’s protective shield automatically activated during extreme disasters, but if she could manually turn it off, it meant the current disaster wouldn’t cause any harm to the raft or the floating island house.

The shield was successfully turned off, and once again, the suddenly appearing raft became a lifeline for the stranded victims. They quickly climbed onto the deck, going through the same cycle of shock, disbelief, and confusion as the previous group she had rescued.

Eventually, they noticed the rooftop balcony and scrambled up the wooden ladder, howling as they fled inside, finally escaping the risk of being pelted on the head.

Both capsized speedboats were small, and one had been empty. The total number of survivors was only eight or nine. Among them, one person was the last to climb aboard, dragging an unconscious, severely injured man with a bloody head wound. The injured man was wearing a waterproof rescue uniform, likely having fallen behind while trying to save someone.

On the balcony, someone used a life jacket to shield their head and rushed down. This person was also in a combat uniform and shouted, “Captain!” before helping lift the unconscious man onto the ladder. Others above quickly assisted, and within moments, they managed to haul him into the glass-enclosed balcony.

Standing inside, Shu Fu observed through the glass door. The last person to climb onto the deck had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and something about his height and build seemed familiar.

Just as he stepped onto the ladder, he turned his head toward the door, revealing a face that left Shu Fu both surprised and familiar.

What a coincidence—it was Cheng Yu.

However, as his head turned fully and she got a complete look at his face, she couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp of astonishment.

It had been about eight months since she last saw Cheng Yu. In that time, Liu Shuang and Han Lan had changed slightly, and so had he. He looked thinner now, making his features appear even more defined.

His best features were always his sharp eyebrows and deep, striking eyes. But now, a harsh scar ran from his forehead down to the corner of his eye, completely disrupting that refined look.

The scar was deep—even though it had fully healed, she could clearly see its jagged form from this distance. She could easily imagine how severe and dangerous the wound must have been when he first got injured.

Cheng Yu had always had an intense aura when silent, but with his once-exquisite features marred, he now carried an even colder, more ruthless presence, thick with the scent of battle and smoke.

He didn’t linger at the ladder for long—hail was still falling outside, and someone in the glass balcony called out to him, “Captain!” He responded and quickly climbed up with long strides.

Shu Fu hadn’t expected to end up saving Cheng Yu by pure coincidence. The sheer chance of it made her wonder if this was somehow related to her mission. However, since the Level 5 raft mission hadn’t been triggered yet, this was probably just a random occurrence.

That’s what she told herself.

Still, when she lay back on the couch to read, she couldn’t help but replay every detail of Cheng Yu climbing onto the raft, wondering if she had seen any flickering white light above his head.

She couldn’t be entirely sure whether it was there or not. Outside, there was not only a storm but also hail falling, and the wind and waves on the deck were fierce. She hadn’t been watching very clearly at the time.

Lying on the sofa for a while, Shu Fu got up and took an empty cup to the kitchen to make herself a coffee. As she passed by the back door, she froze for a moment—she saw Cheng Yu again. Those calm, deep-colored eyes were looking in the direction of the back door. Because of the angle, it almost seemed as if he was staring directly at her through the door of the floating island house.

Shu Fu’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly stepped to the left, then moved two steps to the right, finally confirming that it was just a trick of perspective.

Or perhaps it was just a soldier’s natural instinct—a sharp intuition that there must be someone inside this raft house, someone who was likely watching the outside world through the one-way glass.

Holding her cup, Shu Fu walked to the door. Outside, the hail had yet to stop, and she could hear the chunks of ice smashing onto the deck. Cheng Yu was standing under the wooden ladder, the only safe spot on the first deck in this kind of weather.

However, the floating island house’s first level was only about two meters high from the outside, and the wooden ladder was of the same height. He was likely around 1.9 meters tall, and with the thickness of his military boots, he was almost touching the wooden ladder’s steps with his head. His tall figure looked entirely out of place in such a cramped space, like an adult mistakenly wandering into a children’s playground. The contrast made Shu Fu want to laugh.

She did let out a chuckle, but as soon as her gaze landed on the scar on his forehead, her smile faded.

That injury was most likely from his time at the border.

According to Han Lan’s account, they had gone to the border together. Han Lan had nearly died, and after returning, Cheng Yu had originally withdrawn from frontline duty, staying in the safety of Shacheng. Yet now, he had come all the way here, rejoining the frontline rescue teams…

Was it because of guilt? Because he was the one who let her stay in the family housing, so he felt compelled to find her?

If she hadn’t heard it from Han Lan, she would have never known that Cheng Yu had been burdened with guilt over this for so long. But in the end, what did this have to do with him? Natural disasters were beyond human control.

Back in Lucheng, when the network was still up and she received messages from Cheng Yu, she hadn’t detected anything unusual in his voice messages. She would have never guessed that her “disappearance” had become his obsession.

Shu Fu sighed, thinking about Yao Ruoyun and Zheng Feifei, who were still missing. It seemed like she had made too many people worry about her.

But regardless of her thoughts, even though she knew she could resolve Cheng Yu’s anxiety simply by opening the door and speaking with him for a few moments, she had no intention of revealing herself.

She saw it clearly this time—there was no white glow above his head.

As expected, at her core, she was still the rational Shu Fu, where reason always triumphed over emotion.

She sighed once more and made a quiet resolution: if she ever had another chance to meet him at the right moment, she would treat him better. At most… she would stop antagonizing him in the future.

The hailstorm mixed with violent winds lasted a full three hours. The glass balcony, while empty and cramped, was extremely safe, providing shelter from the wind and rain without any turbulence.

As usual, Shu Fu waited until the hail stopped, the storm weakened, and other boats appeared in the waters before activating the protective shield, ejecting all the people from the raft.

However, considering that a couple of the survivors might be injured or unconscious, she ran to the eaves before the raft began submerging and tossed out a few lifebuoys beyond the shield.

She had salvaged those lifebuoys from the waters of Yuncheng’s ruins. When she found them, they were deflated, but after inflating them, they turned out to be in perfect condition, so she had kept them.

The lifebuoys floated up immediately upon leaving the shield, landing right near the bewildered survivors. They quickly pulled their unconscious companions over and secured them onto the lifebuoys.

Cheng Yu saw the lifebuoys too. He hesitated for a brief moment before suddenly diving headfirst into the water.

Before Shu Fu could go back inside, she saw his figure swiftly plunging beneath the surface. He moved skillfully underwater, searching around.

She watched as he swam past the exterior of her shield over and over. Several times, he nearly crashed into it—his hand reaching out, almost touching the barrier that separated them. But “almost” was the closest he could get.

She knew it was impossible. The protective shield blocked and disrupted everything.

Yet she had a feeling—he was searching because of a sudden, irrational suspicion, one that he might not even fully believe himself.

He was too focused. She suddenly felt a little sorry for him.

Without further hesitation, Shu Fu pulled up her map panel, set a destination, increased the raft’s drifting speed to the maximum, and quickly left the area.

**

After that unexpected encounter with Cheng Yu, she changed locations again for her daytime stopovers.

The weather was getting worse and worse. Every few days, either hail or violent storms would roll in. Both the official rescue teams and private boats had grown more cautious after the previous incidents, speeding up their evacuation efforts.

The long rainy season lasted for over two months, covering an immense area. Even the safest cities hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time. By mid-October, the temperature felt as if it were already December.

The rescue efforts in the border region of Muzhou Province were fully completed by the end of October. However, at the same time, the rising water levels began encroaching upon Guancheng County and several nearby towns in Xiangzhou Province, forcing the rescue teams to continue evacuating residents without pause.

The nearest landmass in Xiangzhou Province, located close to her water zone, was gradually retreating without leaving any visible traces. The water continued to expand, yet the barrier that confined her remained unchanged—it did not expand along with the water’s growth.

Shu Fu finally gave up hope, realizing that until a Level 5 raft mission appeared, the area she could move within would not increase.

At the beginning of November, she directed the raft along the westernmost boundary, heading north. Along the way, she passed through the entirety of Muzhou Province and eventually arrived in Xiren Province. The elevation here was similar to that of Muzhou, and just like the easternmost landmass, it had suffered the devastation of the apocalyptic tsunami, leaving the entire province submerged in water.

Further north of Xiren Province lay the southern edge of the Northern Plateau. Over the course of less than two months, she traveled intermittently, exploring every navigable area within her reach. In the end, she settled at the border between Xiren Province and Xiangzhou Province.

She had passed through this area before and had seen a familiar raft. It resembled the one owned by Chen Fa and Lu Zheng—it was slightly larger than hers and had a wooden cabin built on it. However, due to its different owner, the raft’s setup and layout were noticeably distinct.

The rear deck of this raft was equipped with two outboard boat engines, while the front deck was fitted with a sail. Given the strong winds that persisted daily, the raft could move forward without consuming fuel as long as it was positioned correctly to take advantage of the wind.

She immediately pulled up the map panel, adjusted her course, and followed the raft for a long time. Finally, just before it crossed the boundary line, she saw its owner.

It was an unfamiliar man—an ordinary-looking individual whom she had never seen before in this world or the previous one. But she wasn’t really interested in his appearance; what she truly wanted to see was the top of his head.

Sure enough, there was a white light strip hovering there. It was completely stable, indicating that it had reached 100% completion. However, the numerical value displayed was only “6”—shockingly low compared to Chen Fa and Lu Zheng.

Although she still didn’t fully understand the significance of this number, this confirmed one thing: Chen Fa and Lu Zheng, as Awakeners, were indeed different from other Awakeners.

The missions truly had a purpose.

In this area, she occasionally spotted other rescue boats and survivors, but their numbers were scarce.

There was still no network signal available here, but she could receive radio transmissions. These broadcasts originated from an official radio station on the mainland in Xiangzhou Province, which delivered daily updates. When there was no new information, it would replay previous announcements on a loop.

Through the radio and the satellite messages from Chen Fa, she was, for once, not completely disconnected from the world.

By mid-November, as more of Huaguo’s land submerged underwater, ocean currents once again became unstable, leading to frequent tsunamis. One such event involved a massive tsunami over 400 meters high, which struck the Northern Plateau where Lankou Province was located, as well as Xiangzhou Province and two low-altitude provinces in the Southwestern Plateau—all at the same time.

This time, Shu Fu immediately activated “Stealth Mode,” submerging her raft 100 meters underwater in an attempt to escape beneath the waves. However, the colossal tsunami still affected the depths of the ocean, reaching even 100 meters below the surface.

Her raft was quickly caught in the chaotic currents, making it impossible to escape. She had no choice but to surrender to the situation, staying inside her floating island house and bracing herself for another underwater “roller coaster ride.” This time, however, she was prepared—she had taken anti-motion sickness pills, so the dizziness wasn’t as severe as before.

Meanwhile, on land, the scene was one of pure apocalypse, as towering waves swallowed everything in their path.

Xiangzhou Province suffered the most devastation, losing nearly half of its territory. The northeastern, eastern, southeastern, and southern regions—all lower-altitude areas—were completely annihilated, with dozens of towns large and small buried beneath the monstrous waves.

Fortunately, evacuations had been ongoing for some time. By the time the tsunami struck, most of the population had already been relocated to the western mountains of Xiangzhou Province.

This mountain range was vast, occupying nearly a quarter of Xiangzhou Province. The elevation varied between 1,000 and 2,000 meters, with several taller peaks exceeding 3,500 meters. However, due to its rugged terrain, the region had remained underdeveloped. There were no cities, and even villages were scarce, mostly clustered along the outer edges of the eastern, southern, and western parts of the mountains.

To the east, near the urban districts of Xiangzhou Province, infrastructure was relatively well-developed. In the south, which bordered the Southwestern Plateau, tourism had boosted local development. The western part, separated from Xizhou Province by one of Huaguo’s major rivers, had thrived thanks to convenient water and land transportation.

In contrast, the central portion of the mountain range was a vast, uninhabited wilderness. Even if Xiangzhou’s residents were forced to evacuate, they would avoid this area at all costs.

The mountains were too vast, and the roads too treacherous. If someone got lost there, they might be safe from the floods due to the high altitude, but they would also face extreme scarcity of resources. Given the current state of Huaguo, no rescue efforts would be dispatched to such an isolated area—it would be a death sentence.

As a result, the remaining locals of Xiangzhou Province, as well as refugees from other regions, had mostly gathered in the small towns along the mountain’s outer edges. Though the elevation was still safe for now, they couldn’t truly feel at ease.

Their only goal was to flee to the Fengshang Plateau as soon as possible—for permanent safety.

Yes, by this point, even the most oblivious individuals could see the truth—throughout all of Huaguo, only the Fengshang Plateau, where Xizhou Province was located, remained completely safe.

In just half a month, the majority of the people who had been stranded in the mountains had once again evacuated. Only a few areas remained inhabited—specifically, the northwestern and western regions bordering the Fengshang Plateau, as well as a few small towns in the southwestern regions near the high-altitude zones of the Southwestern Plateau.

Meanwhile, the radio signal Shu Fu had been receiving was completely cut off.

One early morning in December, as Shu Fu drifted in and out of sleep, she suddenly felt a vibration on her wrist.

She rolled over at first, but then sat up abruptly, quickly tapping on her wristband.

On the black mini notebook, new words had appeared.

It was really a mission!

The Level 5 Raft Mission—had finally arrived!