Chapter 52

At that time, she had compared the waterway map with the electronic map and finished planning her landing route. After washing up and getting ready for bed, she climbed into the upstairs bedroom. She had barely laid down when a dazzling purple-blue lightning bolt split the night sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

A few seconds later, a deafening clap of thunder exploded. In this vast and quiet water area, the sound was especially startling.

The rain came quickly and violently, without any transition. The entire water surface instantly seemed to boil, and the calm tranquility of the evening was completely gone.

Shu Fu sighed, went downstairs to check the functional screen, and confirmed that the raft’s protective shield had automatically activated. She also released the raft from its anchored state before returning upstairs, drawing the curtains, turning off the lights, and going to sleep.

She thought that with the automatic protective shield, she would sleep soundly until morning. But in reality, it wasn’t long before the sensation of rocking and spinning woke her up.

She rolled out of bed and crawled to the floor-to-ceiling window, pulling back the curtains. Outside had once again become a world of hurricanes and giant waves. Everywhere she looked, the night sky had vanished, replaced by towering waves. Not far away, the water swelled to heights resembling small mountains, easily over a hundred meters tall.

The raft’s protective shield had long since activated automatically, but even with the drifting island house protected, it couldn’t stay completely still under such monstrous waves.

Lying there, Shu Fu felt like the entire raft had turned into a roller coaster again—spinning, jolting… an endless “roller coaster” ride—or rather, since she was lying down, it felt more like a “roller bed.”

Soon, she found she couldn’t lie down anymore. The current state of the drifting island house made lying down even more nauseating.

The last time, she hadn’t felt seasick because the sheer impact of facing a hundred-meter-high apocalyptic tsunami head-on had her too tense to notice. But this time, with her mind at ease, the symptoms had crept up on her.

She had no choice but to get up. She descended the small split-level floor and sat leaning against the cushions by the downstairs floor-to-ceiling windows to ease the discomfort from the raft’s spinning.

She was actually quite tired. After all, she’d spent the whole afternoon on the small inflatable boat. Outside of the raft, she couldn’t fully relax, but the space on the inflatable boat was too cramped to move around much. So even though she had spent the afternoon just sitting there, she still felt drained.

After sitting for a while, she realized the dizziness wasn’t improving. So, she moved closer to the window, intending to ease the nausea by focusing on the distant view outside.

Looking far outside can help alleviate motion sickness when feeling carsick.

But a raft isn’t a car, and in these conditions, it didn’t have a fixed direction. After watching the rising and falling waves for a bit, she felt even dizzier. Just as she was about to pull her gaze back, she suddenly saw a massive black shadow leap out of the churning waves not far away before instantly disappearing back into the water.

Shu Fu was startled and pressed against the glass to take another look. But outside, there was nothing but the raging rain and waves again. Judging by the brief glimpse, that shadow had to be over six meters long.

What kind of freshwater fish could be that large?

A sturgeon? A catfish? An arapaima?

But except for the sturgeon, the other two species didn’t even inhabit Huagou. Plus, thinking back to the silhouette of that black shadow as it breached the surface, none of them seemed to match.

Of course, it was also possible that after several tsunamis, marine creatures had finally made their way into inland waters.

Shu Fu suddenly recalled the disaster she’d recorded in her notebook: Aquatic Creature Mutation.

She had written the disaster outline, but she truly knew nothing about the disaster’s specifics. If it weren’t for the wristband and the tasks pushing her along and assisting her, she probably would’ve died countless times by now.

So, she really had no clue about this Aquatic Creature Mutation disaster, which made her suspicious every time she noticed unusual movement in the water.

But she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. If the mutation had indeed begun, then her plan to spend four hours on the inflatable boat on the water would become far less safe. She needed to accelerate her landing plans.

The hurricane and giant waves continued until daybreak. But in the hours leading up to dawn, the waves subsided significantly, and she finally didn’t feel as dizzy. Around 3 a.m., she crawled back into bed and this time managed to fall asleep.

The next day, it was still pouring.

Shu Fu adjusted the raft’s drifting speed, guiding it back to the area where she had previously seen the broken wall of the underwater dam. But because the weather was terrible and the waters had turned murky again, no matter how she adjusted her flashlight and binoculars, she couldn’t see any trace of the dam’s ruins beneath the water.

Of course, it was also possible that the extreme weather overnight had raised the water level further, submerging the broken dam wall even deeper, making it impossible for her to see.

Currently, the possible landing spots she had marked with dark green icons were two to the south of Lou Yuncheng’s waters, and two more to the north, at the front end of the waterway from Lou Yuncheng to Suicheng, about 400 kilometers from her current location.

That was the area she had passed through a few months ago when coming from Suicheng. The waterway wound in curves, and judging by the electronic map, this spot was at the northernmost edge of her activity range.

The electronic map showed several high-altitude hills nearby, and the waterway map displayed numerous prominent dark green dotted and blocky icons in that direction.

Of the two directions, the former was higher-elevation small landmasses connected to mountainous areas toward the southwest. There might be buildings there, offering a higher chance of finding shelter once she landed.

The latter, however, was likely a hilly scenic area that had long been isolated. After the tsunami, the chances of intact buildings remaining there were slim.

But she wasn’t entirely relying on the presence of buildings for the latter option. After cross-referencing various maps yesterday, she had made an interesting discovery, which she needed to verify in person to see if it would work.

Having finalized her plan, Shu Fu didn’t hesitate any longer. After getting up, she set the first destination and adjusted the raft’s speed to its maximum of 60 km/h. The navigation panel quickly displayed the route and speed information: [61/00:59:57].

A distance of 61 kilometers would take about an hour.

Next, she checked the remaining time on the raft’s protective shield. After the automatic activation yesterday, there were still over thirty hours left. The previous few days had allowed her to save four hours each day, giving her plenty of buffer now.

She manually activated the shield right away. Since the place she was heading might have survivors, she couldn’t afford to save on protection.

As the raft sped across the choppy waters, Shu Fu grabbed her tablet, opened a variety show, and headed to the bathroom to start another leisurely day.

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Over an hour later, the raft stopped in waters not far from land.

Standing under the eaves, Shu Fu used a high-powered telescope to observe the situation on the shore. This was directly south of Lou Yuncheng, at the furthest point she could reach according to the waterway map. Beyond this point, an invisible barrier would block the raft.

On the waterway map, this small patch of land appeared as a block, connected to another deep green block to the west by a line-shaped icon.

But comparing it with the electronic map revealed why these areas seemed small and narrow—they marked the map’s edge. Going further west or south, even if land existed, the waterway map wouldn’t display it. This was the limit of where she could travel by water.

This was the southern suburb of Lou Yuncheng, part of a mountain slope extending from the southwestern mountain range. During a previous extreme mission, one of the three locations, Sun Garden, was nearby.

The land closest to the water was the lowest, and the elevation rose steadily to the southwest. High up, there were indeed intact buildings untouched by the tsunami, but it seemed like people were inside.

It had been over a week since the massive tsunami. She had assumed that any survivors near the water would have been evacuated with the help of rescue teams. But not only were there people in those buildings, there appeared to be quite a few.

She adjusted the telescope’s zoom and scanned other directions, eventually confirming that the people taking refuge here were ordinary civilians, with no sign of any rescue teams.

She figured the disaster zone from this super tsunami was too vast, and the severity of the situation meant rescue efforts hadn’t been able to reach every area yet. It was also possible there was no cell signal in this area, preventing them from calling for help, leaving these survivors stranded.

Her current position was very close to the land. When she arrived, she had tried using her phone. If there were signal coverage on the land, she should have had access too, but her phone still showed no network.

However, the land where these people were staying rose in elevation both westward and southwestward. The further inland they went, the farther from the water they’d be, and the safer it would get. She wasn’t sure why they hadn’t left to seek shelter inland and instead chose to stay so close to the water.

Were they holding onto the last bit of hope, waiting for missing family members? Hoping for a miracle?

Or perhaps it was simply because their homes were here, and they couldn’t bear to leave behind everything they had built their whole lives, now submerged underwater?

Shu Fu sighed. Since there were people here, she couldn’t go ashore. She only needed to leave the raft for four hours a day, which meant she’d be appearing and disappearing daily. In places with only survivors and no rescue organizations, safety wasn’t guaranteed. It could even be more dangerous than floating on the water.

Without hesitation, Shu Fu traveled another one or two kilometers west to confirm that other buildings were also occupied, then reset the raft’s destination.

The next stop was the northernmost point at the head of the waterway between Lou Yuncheng and Suicheng.

The raft automatically turned around and sped northeast, retracing the path she had taken to get here.

The navigation panel displayed the journey: [479/7:58:54].

Because she was backtracking, even at 60 km/h, it would still take eight hours.

She checked the time—it was a little past 11 a.m. She’d arrive at her destination after dark, but that wasn’t a problem. Her time delay cards could last her a while, so she wouldn’t need to go ashore tonight. Shu Fu quickly realized that today would be another completely idle day.

Standing under the eaves, she gazed at the vast expanse of water and the stormy skies, then returned to the cabin. Hugging a cushion, she sprawled out on the wide, soft sofa and drifted back to sleep.

When Shu Fu woke up again, it was 1 p.m., and she was woken by hunger. She hadn’t slept enough that morning and only had a slice of pork floss toast due to her mediocre appetite. Now that she was well-rested, she could clearly feel her empty stomach growling.

Stretching lazily on the sofa, Shu Fu first used the remote to turn on the Bluetooth speakers on the bookshelf, then connected her phone to the Bluetooth and selected a playlist of instrumental music.

Afterward, she activated her wristband, pulled up the map panel, and checked the raft’s current location. In two hours, the raft had left Lou Yuncheng’s waters and re-entered the Lou-Sui waterway, heading east. The surrounding area had low elevation and flat terrain, with a vast expanse of light green ahead on the waterway map.

She put away the map panel and slowly got up to the sound of music. First, she poured herself a glass of water, then went to the kitchen to grab a pack of cilantro spicy beef instant noodles. She also pulled out the portable stove from the lower cabinet and began cooking.

This cilantro-flavored instant noodle was a new variety she had bought in Lou Yuncheng, and she hadn’t tried it yet. For some reason, she just really craved instant noodles today.

The portable stove had a strong flame, and the purified water in the small long-handled pot quickly came to a boil. She pulled out some pre-washed greens from her storage space and tossed them in, followed by the noodle block, two eggs, and finally all the seasoning packets. Once the eggs were cooked, she added slices of luncheon meat, covering the surface completely.

Since she had added plenty of extra ingredients, she’d also put in more water. To prevent the flavor from becoming too diluted, she added a bit of salt, then sprinkled green onions and black pepper before tasting the broth.

It was fragrant, spicy, and savory—absolutely delicious!

Carrying her ultra-luxurious bowl of instant noodles, she stepped out the front door and placed it on the camping table, sitting under the eaves with the best view to enjoy her meal.

Then, she pulled out a cup of brown sugar bubble tea from her storage and resumed the variety show on her tablet.

Though the weather outside wasn’t as clear and pleasant as it had been the previous evening, the heavy rain and vast expanse of water offered a different kind of natural beauty.

Shu Fu had overestimated her appetite. With all the added ingredients, the portion was too large, and she could only eat half before feeling full. Not bothering to fuss over it, she stored the leftovers in her space to prevent the broth from drying out, which would ruin the taste.

By storing it right away, she could have it for dinner later, and it would taste just as fresh—nothing wasted.

She swapped her camping chair for a single lazy sofa, sipped her milk tea, and continued watching her show, fully embracing the laid-back vibe.

Two hours later, faint outlines of hills began to emerge on either side of the waterway in the distance.

She pulled out her map panel to check and found that the surrounding waterways were still marked in light green, with no deep green indicators. It seemed the hills were outside the mapped waterways. With the water level having risen dramatically, the terrain on both sides felt noticeably different from when she had first passed through.

For instance, where the waterway used to wind through valleys, those valleys had now vanished, submerged under the floodwaters. The entire Lousui waterway looked emptier than before.

The hills she planned to head for weren’t particularly tall. Even if she could make landfall there, she wasn’t sure how long it would be safe. The water level continued to rise, and sometimes the rate of increase was alarmingly fast.

She wondered how long she’d be in this solo mode before new waterways or the Level 4 progress bar tasks would appear.

Though lazing around was comfortable, Shu Fu didn’t want to get too complacent. Feeling she’d relaxed enough, she headed into the cabin to work up a sweat on the rowing machine.

She had moved the rowing machine to the underwater bedroom, which had less furniture and more space for exercise.

She was probably the first person in history to use a rowing machine in an underwater glass room. Despite the poor lighting today, as the raft drifted along, she occasionally saw fish swimming past the glass walls.

But they were just common freshwater fish—carp, crucian, bass—similar to what she’d caught before with the automatic fishing rod.

Since the mega tsunami, she hadn’t used that rod at all.

Not because she forgot, but because she didn’t want to.

The reason for not wanting to use it was the same as why she avoided sleeping in the underwater bedroom for now. Maybe once she was farther from Lou Yuncheng, or after more time had passed, she’d start using it again.

But not now.

After all, Lou Yuncheng’s situation was entirely different from Suicheng’s. Plus, her storage space was packed to the brim with supplies, so she didn’t have to worry about resources for quite some time.

After exercising for more than half an hour, Shu Fu plugged in the power card and took a hot shower. Since she wasn’t leaving the raft, she figured showering now meant she wouldn’t need to do it again in the evening.

While blow-drying her hair, she heard a series of notification sounds from the phone she had left outside. Recognizing what they were, Shu Fu immediately turned off the hairdryer and rushed out of the bathroom.

Sure enough, she hadn’t misheard—the phone had signal!

She glanced out the window and saw nearby hilly terrain. The raft couldn’t approach it, blocked by an invisible barrier, but the hills were large enough that there might be an intact signal tower on them.

Shu Fu immediately paused the raft’s drift, anchoring it nearby to keep the signal steady.

This wasn’t the phone she used to keep in touch with her friends; she hadn’t even logged into WeChat on it. Most of the notifications were disaster alerts from before the network went down, and the rest were platform push messages.

Last time, she’d had the courage to check her friends’ WeChat messages. This time, she felt hesitant.

How was she going to explain?

Before the network outage, everyone knew she was in Lou Yuncheng, and Lou Yuncheng had been hit by an apocalyptic-level tsunami. If she claimed she had relocated before the tsunami, where did she go? Where was she now?

If she admitted to being in Lou Yuncheng when the tsunami struck, there’d be no way to explain her survival.

Though she suspected the Level 4 progress bar task would eventually involve her friends, and she’d have to come up with an explanation someday, today wasn’t that day.

She first checked the delayed disaster notifications and, as expected, saw news about the super tsunami. It turned out that the tsunami in Lou Yuncheng that day had reached a height even greater than she had estimated—375 meters. At the same time, super tsunamis of similar scale had occurred in coastal regions across the entire planet.

Among them, the highest tsunami peak reached 511 meters and was recorded in the Eagle Nation, across the ocean. In nearly two thousand years of history on this planet, such a terrifying super tsunami had never occurred before.

The last catastrophic tsunami of this magnitude happened seventy years ago when Xiaogui experienced a city-destroying tsunami caused by a volcanic eruption. That tsunami peaked at just over a hundred meters and was already considered an unprecedented, terrifying super tsunami in history.

Reportedly, tens of thousands of people died in that event, and it took a long time to rebuild the city.

But that was, after all, a disaster confined to a single region.

This time, it was a global catastrophe. The exact cause of the tsunami was still undetermined, though preliminary analysis suggested it was related to large-scale earthquakes in aquatic regions. It was rumored that volcanic eruptions had also been triggered in other countries, and the combination of various disasters led to a catastrophic number of casualties worldwide.

The internet was more chaotic than ever. Every kind of news imaginable was circulating. It seemed that the so-called reborn prophets from doomsday videos existed abroad as well, and people had posted videos, though their content differed.

Some showed off their stockpiles of canned goods and water in safe rooms, claiming they had hidden deep in the mountains at high altitudes. Unfortunately, after the water levels surged, they were found, their supplies and shelters seized, and they themselves were murdered.

Others regularly posted warnings and prophecies online, while also providing a pilgrimage address—a steep mountaintop at high altitude. They even built a pilgrimage website filled with mystical content. For those unable to visit in person, online pilgrimages were offered, but joining the website and accessing the “holy words” required significant financial contributions…

In short, the phenomenon of reborn prophets wasn’t limited to just one country.

Before the apocalyptic tsunami, regardless of how these prophets presented themselves—whether they were accused of deception or called delusional—they had garnered a certain following because their prophecies were often quite accurate.

Even when there were occasional discrepancies, they were within acceptable margins.

But after this apocalyptic tsunami, public opinion completely reversed, as none of these prophets had mentioned such a super disaster in their predictions.

The same was true in Huagou.

Whether it was the western migration faction inspired by the doomsday video or the defense faction that believed the dam would protect them, both groups were equally furious.

Everyone condemned the video because it hadn’t mentioned this tsunami disaster at all. The public was completely unprepared, facing the disaster head-on, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

From Shu Fu’s perspective, the public’s reaction was purely emotional venting. Without that doomsday video, even more people would have likely died. But the disaster had been so horrifying that frightened citizens needed an outlet, and the suicidal man from the doomsday video had become that target.

Regardless of whether people had previously believed his words, they were now angrily denouncing him. On the surface, the western migration faction and the defense faction appeared united in their outrage, but in reality, many from the western migration faction mocked the defense faction, saying they were still wasting time arguing when the government had provided such favorable relocation options—if they refused to move, they had no one to blame but themselves.

The defense faction cursed the western migration faction in return, saying they shouldn’t assume they were safe just because they were in high-altitude cities. Since a super tsunami not mentioned in the doomsday video had occurred, other unforeseen disasters could follow, and the next ones to die might be them…

The internet was in complete chaos, with disaster posts, rescue requests, and videos all mixed in, making the world feel even more like an actual apocalypse.

Those who remained calm and rational didn’t engage in these online battles. They focused all their energy on their own lives, gathering information from various sources, and planning survival strategies and relocation routes.

As a result, the internet had become a haven for emotional outbursts, and it was impossible to control.

However, while everyone was furiously venting online, they didn’t expect that the protagonist of that video would actually reappear. Not only did he show up, but he also responded to the nationwide criticism directed at him.

The response was, once again, a video—but this time, it wasn’t a livestream. The camera shook violently, and the lighting was dim, indicating very poor filming conditions.

In the frame appeared the familiar face of the suicidal man, once considered by many to be a lunatic, a reborn prophet, and even a savior.