While browsing the chat channel, Yang Yi came across many strange and bizarre fish photos.

These bloated fish had flesh-colored tumours growing all over them, some large, some small, and the number and location of these growths varied. No matter the species, none could escape the fate of mutation.

Some even evolved further, developing orifices that could inhale and exhale fluid, or wriggling tendrils that helped the fish consume the white seawater and move around.

No one complained about how disgusting the photos were, nor about losing their sanity.

Everyone was experiencing similar things and gradually adapting.

Yang Yi frowned slightly.

He could confirm that the fish slamming against the hull of the Nightmare Star were likely these very creatures.

They hadn’t transformed gradually in phases. Instead, they had been rapidly corrupted by delicious cells, leaping straight into the fourth stage of mutation.

Splat!

A strange sound echoed from within the ship’s cabin, like something soft and wet had hit the floor.

Without hesitation, Yang Yi raised his hand and let fly a dart, nailing the intruding fish, its body half-transformed into writhing tentacles, firmly to the ground.

The fish had leapt in, bypassed the wooden basin, and landed on the cabin floor.

Even after being struck, it didn’t die. Moments later, a skeletal arm rushed in and pinned it down, immobilising it.

Yang Yi walked over with a large sack of sea salt slung over his shoulder. He tore open the sack and poured it directly onto the fish.

The mutated fish thrashed wildly but soon withered and died under the thick coating of salt, which proved incredibly effective against these monsters!

Yang Yi sprinkled it evenly around the wooden basin, then stashed the rest of the sack into his scorched worm ring, closing the eyepatch over his left eye.

If any other fish jumped in later, they’d land directly on the salt and die in no time.

Time ticked by.

Over four more hours passed. Dawn broke, and sunlight filtered through the ventilation window into the cabin.

By then, most players had finished their preparations for the tsunami and retreated into the ship’s interior.

Only a few were still reinforcing the structure and patching up leaks.

“Let us pray to the Radiant Goddess together, surely, she will protect us!

“So sleepy… but I made it just in time!”

“All my dried fish hanging on the deck’s ruined! Damn rain!”

“You’re lucky! I lost an eyeball! If my bro wasn’t a vet, I’d be mutating by now, Gaiaaaaa!”

“Did you get the ‘Cyclops’ title at least?”

“Hell no!”

“Honestly, missing an eye’s not that bad. Isn’t there a rare relic that’s literally just an eyeball? You could just buy that and…”

“………”

Yang Yi stood up and tried opening his right eye. It had mostly healed. His vision was unaffected, though blinking still caused a slight sting.

The minimally invasive surgery and the salt hadn’t left any lasting burden on Yang Yi’s body. His qi and blood were full, and his energy sat at 89.

Only about thirty minutes remained before the tsunami would make direct contact with the Nightmare Star.

He wasn’t sure if he was the first player to encounter the tsunami. At least in the chat channel, no one had mentioned any information about it.

He used his spying skill to confirm that the Gale ship wasn’t ahead of him either.

It seemed the last mission in the Extreme Winter Sea had badly damaged the guild. They had since become much more cautious and were now gathering resources to recover.

Yang Yi checked the sea chart again to confirm the tsunami’s position, then pulled out a recently acquired crystal diamond, intending to embed it into the ventilation window.

This thing was transparent and tough, perfect for observing external conditions.

Finally, Yang Yi manipulated the Penitent Armour, tossing the seven mutated fish that had died in the cabin into a salt-filled wooden bucket, hoping to use them to make cursed potions.

These fish had all died in the salt trap he had set, easy kills. The only issue was that there were far too many outside. Even on the deck, and just outside the cabin door, he could still hear their movements.

The skeletal arms might have been fighting off the invaders, but relying on them to kill these mutated fish wasn’t realistic. Not unless they were given salt.

Yang Yi had no intention of engaging the mutated fish himself. There was no need to waste a large amount of sea salt here, besides, the tsunami was almost upon them.

These mutant fish didn’t drop any items either.

【Name: Delicious Aberrant Fish】

【Description: Fish mutated under the corruption of Delicious Cells. Afraid of sea salt. Fond of drinking sweet seawater. Upon contact with other lifeforms, it attempts to assimilate and fuse. Edible, extremely delicious, and highly nutritious.】

Yang Yi switched to his third eye and climbed atop the wooden barrel to look out the window.

Rain was still falling outside. It was heavier than before, but still not a full-on downpour.

The sugar layer on the ship’s exterior had thickened. It was probably this sugary coating that was attracting the mutant fish, luring them to leap onto the deck and lick at the surface.

Out at sea, he could see massive, irregular biological entities moving about. These were clumps of fish fused together into fishballs, their heads and tails still visible, some even fused with lobsters, crabs, and octopuses.

They had all melded together into a larger creature, gradually evolving into something meat-like.

Yang Yi didn’t attack them.

He simply observed to ensure there was no immediate danger, then fitted a crystal diamond, shaped like a piece of glass, into the window frame.

He had previously measured it; the fit was perfect.

But it couldn’t withstand water pressure on its own.

So, Yang Yi reinforced it from the inside with wooden strips and iron brackets, securing it firmly in place.

In under ten minutes, he completed the task. The result was a sturdy new viewing window to observe the outside world.

He then slowed his breathing and gently shook Suna, waking her from sleep.

Yang Yi had already checked her condition, she’d slept well, energy restored to 82, and showed no abnormalities.

“Did I oversleep?”

Suna’s last memory was helping Yang Yi with the eye operation.

“Is your eye okay?” she asked.

“It’s fine now.”

Yang Yi explained the current situation.

In less than ten minutes, the tsunami would hit. They had to prepare for impact.

Although all heavy objects in the cabin were already secured with rope, it was still safest for them to hide in an open area, preferably a corner.

That way, they’d be less likely to be struck.

Yang Yi stood at the front, controlling the Penitent Armour, as it would absorb the first wave of impact.

He would bear the next, and finally Suna, who was physically more fragile.

“It’s coming,” Yang Yi whispered, holding his breath.

“If the hull breaks, the water pressure will be immense. Don’t touch it recklessly, you could get hurt,” Suna added.

Yang Yi kept his eyes on the sea chart, watching as the Nightmare Star touched the boundary of the Bountiful Sea Region, and then… crossed over.

“Where’s the tsunami?”

The expected impact didn’t come, but Yang Yi didn’t move. Instead, he directed the Penitent Armour to peer out the window.

And then he saw it.

A white wall appeared in the distance, too massive to judge its height or width. Then, the light through the window dimmed, the sun had been blocked by the colossal wave.

The “boundary” was, in fact, the massive tsunami looming overhead.

It was so enormous that it took time just to descend.

Yang Yi instantly transformed into his wolf form, growing to over three metres tall.

A moment later, a massive surge of water engulfed the Nightmare Star and dragged it into the sea.

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