Jiang Siyan also had barnacles on him, but he didn't seem to care.
The barnacles were a penalty from the mission that could not be removed, but for him, stabilizing his mental stability didn't even require conscious effort.
His ability automatically regulated itself within a certain range.
As for Nan Yue...
Everyone noticed several barnacles on Nan Yue's neck as well. She wasn't as calm as Zhu Xi Ning, nor as thick-skinned as Gu Xiang Kai.
Her expression was undoubtedly one of discomfort and endurance.
But what drew more attention were her eyes.
Her clear, black-and-white eyes remained unruffled, fixed steadily on the crew members before her.
She felt the same pain they did, yet she remained completely unmoved.
Often, people are more easily encouraged by those who suffer the same hardships yet continue to persevere.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Wen Xiang Yuan didn't have a single barnacle on her body.
Standing among the crowd, she looked exceptionally distinct.
The people around her noticed as well, and they found it hard to believe.
If the water was truly the key, Wen Xiang Yuan should have been the first one submerged in barnacles.
It was impossible for her to be completely unscathed.
"Her necklace!" someone whispered.
All eyes converged on Wen Xiang Yuan's chest.
The copper necklace she wore emitted a faint, pulsing light.
The glow wasn't particularly bright, but it was noticeable in the rainy night.
"It's a tool! It's a tool an NPC in the mission gave her!" someone muttered, and others took note.
Xie Rui's photo had been second only to Wen Xiang Yuan's in terms of ink stains, but he now had the most barnacles of any scavenger.
His body was almost entirely covered, and he was only barely maintaining his sanity.
He had already been in despair, thinking that as long as someone else was worse off, it would be fine.
But when he discovered Wen Xiang Yuan had a tool from Joseph that made her completely immune to the barnacles, he went mad.
"A tool... Why... Why her!"
He knew Wen Xiang Yuan had no special abilities; during the first adventure, Nan Yue's team had practically kept her shielded in the middle.
If he could just snatch that tool, he could survive!
Xie Rui lunged toward Wen Xiang Yuan, a desperate surge of strength born from an extreme survival instinct.
Before anyone could react, Xie Rui had already tackled Wen Xiang Yuan to the deck. Gu Xiang Kai's expression turned cold, and he stepped forward, grabbing Xie Rui to haul him off her.
The moment he lifted the man, Gu Xiang Kai realized something was wrong.
He turned his head to look. Xie Rui's eyes were wide with disbelief.
A dining knife was buried in his chest, the blade sunk deep into his heart with only the handle remaining.
It was a knife from the restaurant.
Nan Yue had bought tools for Wen Xiang Yuan before, but because of Wen Xiang Yuan's unique constitution, those items couldn't be brought in.
No one knew when she had hidden a dining knife on her person, but it had saved her from Xie Rui.
Since Xie Rui wasn't yet fully covered by barnacles and had the momentum of his lunge, the dull dining knife had managed to pierce his body.
Xie Rui's pupils dilated, and he stopped breathing almost instantly, his blood slowly dripping down the handle of the knife.
Wen Xiang Yuan remained lying on the deck, her expression calm—frighteningly calm, as if she hadn't just killed a man but had merely watched a farce.
Yes, a farce.
There was a cold, almost mocking disdain in Wen Xiang Yuan's eyes, hidden deep within her beautiful amber pupils, but Gu Xiang Kai saw it.
Splashes of brilliant blood blossomed across Wen Xiang Yuan's face, slowly trickling down her neck and chest.
The blood stained half her face, giving her a look of seductive, eerie mystery.
In the next moment, Wen Xiang Yuan's expression shifted. She looked toward the side with a pitiful gaze. Nan Yue had already rushed over, tearing the corpse away and tossing it aside.
"Are you all right?"
Wen Xiang Yuan shook her head, looking at Xie Rui's body with a panicked expression.
"He... I just happened to have the knife in my hand, I didn't mean to..."
Nan Yue's expression was cold. "He wanted your life. You did what you had to do."
She reached out to wipe the blood from Wen Xiang Yuan's face. "Don't let it weigh on your conscience."
Wen Xiang Yuan nodded silently, then looked hesitantly at Gu Xiang Kai, who stood by in silence.
She knew Gu Xiang Kai must have seen her cold indifference. For some reason, she didn't want them to see the real her.
The version of herself that felt nothing toward death or blood.
The version that was... like a monster.
But Gu Xiang Kai had arrived too quickly for her to hide it, even though Nan Yue was the only one she truly cared about.
Still... she didn't want Gu Xiang Kai to hate her.
"Brother Gu, just now..."
She spoke timidly. Wen Xiang Yuan knew herself very well; she knew this angle was perfect and pathetic, enough to evoke sympathy from anyone.
But Gu Xiang Kai didn't look at her. He reached out, took her hand, examined it, and then let go.
"Next time you run into someone like this, it's better to go for the throat. Otherwise, the handle might hurt you."
Wen Xiang Yuan froze, like an exquisite doll that had suddenly had its batteries removed.
Gu Xiang Kai didn't notice her reaction. He simply pulled her behind him, his gaze sweeping over the others.
He didn't say a word, but his message was clear.
Yes, Wen Xiang Yuan was the weakest among them, but if anyone wanted to touch her, they were welcome to try.
Whether they were frightened by Xie Rui's death or by Gu Xiang Kai, everyone looked away, not daring to meet Wen Xiang Yuan's eyes.
The other passengers emerged from the cabins like eerie creatures covered in barnacles, standing silently in the rain to watch the outsiders.
"Let's go."
Bi Danyuan wiped her face. The remaining survivors weren't too heavily infested with barnacles and should be able to walk.
Nan Yue nodded. She took one last look at Penny. Though Penny was as lifeless as the others, Nan Yue wondered if it was just her imagination.
She felt as if Penny's gaze held a certain tenderness, envy, and a blessing.
The group boarded the lifeboats one by one. The people of the Devil's Bay remained motionless. The scavengers who had died long ago stood on the deck just like them.
Only Su Qian remained, collapsing on the deck with desperate, sobbing cries.
Something invisible blocked her from the lifeboat; she couldn't board.
Zhu Xi Ning looked at her apologetically. From the moment Su Qian had cut off that NPC's head to exchange for a pass, her fate had been sealed.
In truth, she had died the very moment she agreed to Jessica's terms.
Nan Yue's gaze fixed on a certain spot. She flicked her fingers, and a strand of black mist darted out. With a thud, an arm covered in barnacles fell onto the deck.
The others were baffled, but Wen Xiang Yuan's eyes reddened when she saw it clearly.
That person was the man who had taken advantage of her when she had gone to gather information earlier.
Rate on N.U.
