Li Ruobing's finger hovered in mid-air as she stared in disbelief at the holographic instrument panel before her.
The numbers on the altimeter steadily flickered at "0.5 meters."
Not the draft depth.
But the height above the sea surface.
There was no slapping sound of waves against the hull, no sluggish feeling of seawater resistance.
This hundreds-of-tons steel behemoth hung quietly above the sea.
Like a ghost.
Or like some kind of technological marvel from the future.
"Levitation… it really is levitation."
Meanwhile, Qin Yu stood barefoot on the newly laid black metal deck.
Cold.
Bone-chilling cold.
The sensation under his feet was no longer the warmth of wood, nor the rigidity of ordinary steel.
Instead, it was a texture akin to biological skin, even faintly pulsing with the rhythm of veins beneath.
It was the product of the Abyssal Lord's carapace fused with the Anti-Gravity Keel.
Living metal.
"Good stuff."
Qin Yu stomped his feet forcefully.
The sound was muffled and heavy.
"With this shell, even that sonic shockwave from earlier could be withstood."
He walked to the helm and reached out to grasp the brand-new steering wheel.
The wheel was also black, adorned with dark red patterns.
It felt weighty in his hand.
"This black outer shell has a memory repair function. As long as it isn't instantly pulverized, it can regenerate on its own."
"And…"
Li Ruobing pointed to the two rows of blue-glowing exhaust ports on either side of the ship.
"These aren't just thrusters."
"In emergencies, these things can blast out high-pressure pulses, shredding any enemies that get too close."
Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction.
This was more like it.
This was the foundation of his survival in the apocalypse.
Just then.
The system panel, which had just quieted down, suddenly began flashing frantically again.
This time.
It wasn't a red alarm.
But an announcement box as dark as ink.
With an oppressive, suffocating force, it projected directly onto the retinas of every survivor.
[Server-Wide Announcement! Server-Wide Announcement!]
[Detection of SSS-Grade World Boss "Abyssal Lord" severely wounded!]
[Detection of "Abyssal Lord" in a state of extreme fury!]
[Warning! This creature is releasing "Calamity" aura!]
[Maritime environment undergoing immediate changes!]
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
Still causing trouble?
That big eyeball had already fled—what else could it stir up?
[Changes as follows:]
[1. Due to the "Abyssal Lord's" rage disrupting atmospheric circulation, storm levels across all seas have increased!]
[2. Probability of waterspout generation increased by 1000%!]
[3. Random generation of "Annihilation-Grade" waterspouts. Wherever they pass, nothing shall remain!]
[4. This state will persist until the "Abyssal Lord" recovers from its injuries or is completely eliminated!]
The moment the system's mechanical voice faded.
The previously calm sea surface instantly changed its demeanor.
"Whoosh—"
Wind.
Gale-force winds.
Without any warning, the wind speed skyrocketed from level three to level ten!
"Crack!"
The newly repaired glass in the wheelhouse emitted another crisp sound.
"Qin Yu! The radar!"
Li Ruobing suddenly screamed, pointing at the densely packed red dots appearing on the screen.
"There are too many of them!"
"Did we just poke a hornet's nest?!"
Qin Yu looked down.
Within the radar scanning range, the once empty sea area was now instantly filled with over a dozen massive vortex-like red patches.
Each red patch represented a forming tornado.
And less than two nautical miles directly ahead.
Three enormous water columns connecting heaven and earth, like three frenzied black dragons, twisted and roared as they swept toward them!
Waterspouts.
And three of them closing in at once!
The tremendous suction lifted tens of thousands of tons of seawater, forming white walls of water in the air.
The sheer force was even more visceral than the sonic shockwave from the "Abyssal Lord" earlier.
"Is this its revenge?"
Qin Yu crushed his cigarette butt on the console, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Can't beat me, so you take it out on the weather?"
"You call yourself a lord?"
The ship began to rock violently.
Even in its suspended state, the gale-force winds made the hull unstable.
"What do we do?!"
Li Ruobing clung tightly to the handrail, her face pale.
"They're too dense! There's nowhere to hide!"
"Both sides are blocked!"
"There are two more forming behind us!"
"We're surrounded!"
With this density of tornado formations, any ordinary raft, or even Qi Chun's half-baked Floating Fortress, would meet only one fate.
Being swept into the sky and torn to shreds.
But Qin Yu wasn't panicked.
He didn't even furrow his brow.
His hand rested steadily on the black helm.
Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into a crazed arc.
"Hide?"
"Why should we hide?"
Qin Yu slammed the throttle forward.
"If it wants to play with wind."
"Then I'll race it!"
"Hold on tight!"
"Gravity Engine, full power output!"
"Boom—!!!"
The two rows of blue exhaust ports at the ship's bottom instantly shot out blue flames several meters long!
The immense thrust sent the hundreds-of-tons-heavy hull lurching forward!
The intense G-force pinned Li Ruobing firmly to her seat.
"Are you insane?! Ahead is the eye of the tornado!"
Li Ruobing screamed.
"Go through it!"
Qin Yu roared, gripping the helm with both hands.
"Anti-Gravity Keel, activate!"
The dark red patterns on the black hull instantly lit up.
An invisible force field centered on the ship abruptly expanded outward.
The gravity, wind force, and even the seawater's pull acting on the hull were forcibly neutralized in that instant.
The "President" shot forward like a black bullet.
Ignoring the gale's resistance.
It charged straight into the gap between the three waterspouts!
Closer!
Even closer!
It was a hellish sight.
To the left, a towering wall of water; to the right, roaring black winds.
The immense suction made the hull creak and groan.
Seawater was swept high into the air, forming an upside-down downpour that crashed down upon them.
"Ah—!!!"
Li Ruobing shut her eyes, letting out a desperate scream.
Yet.
The expected shattering did not happen.
"Hum!"
The hull jolted violently.
Then became surprisingly steady.
Li Ruobing trembled as she opened her eyes.
The next second.
Her pupils contracted sharply.
What did she see?
The "President" was actually flying along the outer wall of the waterspout!
The centrifugal force strong enough to tear steel apart had now become the driving force propelling the ship forward!
Qin Yu was like a madman dancing on the edge of a blade.
He precisely utilized the repelling characteristic of the "Anti-Gravity Field."
Each time the ship was about to be sucked in, he would sharply turn the wheel, using the repulsive force to bounce the ship away.
Using the enemy's strength against them!
The "President" traced a bizarre "S" trajectory between the three tornadoes.
Its speed was so fast it left afterimages!
"This is anti-gravity!"
Qin Yu roared excitedly, his eyes filled with fervor.
"The stronger the wind, the faster I fly!"
"Break through!"
With one final fierce acceleration.
The black warship, like a sharp blade, forcefully cut through the storm's blockade.
Directly charging out of the encirclement!
Sunlight.
Long-awaited sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds.
Behind.
Those terrifying tornadoes still roared, but could only watch helplessly as the black dot faded into the distance.
"We... we made it out?"
Li Ruobing slumped in her chair, drenched in cold sweat.
She stared at the back of the man in front of her.
For the first time, she felt.
This madman might really be able to pierce a hole through the heavens.
"Don't relax."
Qin Yu released the helm, shaking his slightly sore wrist.
"This is just the beginning."
"That beast's retaliation won't be so simple."
He opened the world Chat Channel.
At this very moment.
The channel was in an uproar.
But to Qin Yu's surprise.
It wasn't the scene of widespread despair he had imagined.
These survivors, who had endured numerous life-and-death trials and reaped ample rewards during the "Grace Period,"
didn't seem so fragile after all.
"Is this the so-called Calamity Mode? That's it?"
"Scared the hell out of me. I thought some giant monster was going to emerge from the sea again, but it's just wind?"
"Don't talk big, you upstairs. That tornado just now was only two hundred meters away from me! If I hadn't just upgraded to a 'Streamlined Hull,' I'd be fish food by now!"
"Hahaha! Brothers! A chance to get rich is here!"
"These tornadoes are dangerous, but they churn up fish from the deep sea!"
"I just picked up two tuna near the eye of the storm! And a purple treasure chest!"
"Damn! Really?"
"Really! As long as you don't get sucked in, the edges are full of good stuff!"
"Is this what they call risk and opportunity coexisting?"
"Damn it, I'm going for it! I have a 'Wind-Stabilizing Ruler' (C-Grade Item). Who wants to team up to scavenge near the tornado edges? Fifty-fifty split!"
"Count me in! My raft is fifty square meters, reinforced three layers! It's tough!"
"I have some High-Strength Adhesive I've saved up these days. If anyone's ship cracks, come to me. Just trade for food!"
Watching these rapidly scrolling messages.
Qin Yu smiled.
His smile held a touch of relief.
The adaptability of humans as a species was truly terrifyingly strong.
Give them even a sliver of a chance to catch their breath, and even in the apocalypse, they'd find a way to thrive.
The previous "Grace Period" wasn't wasted.
The abundance of supplies, Blueprints, and items had caused a qualitative leap in the strength of these survivors.
Those who remained alive now.
None were pushovers.
Everyone held a few trump cards in their hands.
Faced with such a natural disaster, they were no longer just weeping lambs.
They had become a pack of hungry wolves, ready to pounce at the slightest scent of prey.
"It seems there's no need for me to worry."
Qin Yu closed the Chat Channel.
"Everyone is making progress."
"If I slow down even a step, I'll probably be left behind."
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