Chapter 27: The Water Ghoul

The wasteland is overflowing with treasures, yet the people living here are oblivious to them. Their knowledge has suffered such a severe rupture that they can no longer even recognize the most standard latitude and longitude coordinate formats. To them, these might just be garbled characters formed by some mysterious power, much like the markings they find on tattered books and scraps of paper. They might hold value, or perhaps represent some sort of hidden treasure, but because they cannot be deciphered, they inevitably end up as nothing more than children's toys.

Chen Jian stepped out onto the deck under the guise of needing some fresh air, and a few minutes later, Shen Yue followed him out. The two leaned against the simple guardrail, gazing at the river view. Like the crew members of the Mechanical Cult who had nothing left to do after finishing their hymns, they spoke in low voices with expressions of utter boredom.

"Where are the coordinates?" Shen Yue asked.

"Two sets."

"30.528427N, 114.349564E."

"31.970967N, 118.816572E."

"Do you know where these are?"

After Chen Jian finished, Shen Yue pondered for a moment before replying, "Hanshui and Jinling. Both are within the city limits; I'd need a map for the exact locations."

"No need to check." Chen Jian tapped the railing lightly. "The first is near the Hanshui Ordnance NCO Academy, and the second is near the Army Engineering University in Jinling. Behind every coordinate is a 32-bit password. The refresh interval is unknown, but they definitely refresh."

As the words left his lips, Shen Yue’s expression shifted immediately. He wasn't familiar with these two schools, but he knew well that if one were to see these coordinates on a mysterious, centuries-old encryption device that still functioned perfectly, it could only mean that something extraordinary was hidden at those locations.

What could it be? Equipment? Fortifications? Shelters? Or some kind of weapon?

After a moment of silence, Shen Yue spoke again, "I don't recall any major fortifications there, but the Ordnance NCO Academy did keep a small amount of training equipment."

"Is it possible that after our era, new fortifications were built there, housing important equipment or strategic resources?"

"Both are possible." Chen Jian let out a long sigh, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Now, we have one more reason to head to Jinling. I had originally thought that if the situation in Hanshui was decent, we could stay there for a while to develop. But it seems that while we must keep Hanshui, we are ultimately destined for Jinling."

"True." Shen Yue exhaled as well, then added, "Going there is for the best. After all, the more people there are, the safer it is. Our combat effectiveness is still too weak. If we want to establish a foothold in this wasteland, we will eventually have to follow the same path as the Mechanical Cult and the Hall of Holy Blood. A mass base is the most important thing... otherwise, if we keep fighting alone, when exactly are we going to finish off all the monsters on this surface?"

"Even if we emptied the nuclear arsenal and dropped the warheads one by one, we wouldn't be able to wipe them all out..."

Hearing this, Chen Jian chuckled. "Forget about nuclear bombs. Honestly, I doubt the nuclear arsenal even exists anymore. That tactical warhead at 1102 was clearly prepped for launch. What kind of situation would require even tactical nukes to be fired in such a desperate rush? I suspect the Dongfeng-5B missiles have already been exhausted. That great catastrophe must have pushed all of humanity into a fight to the death..."

"Not necessarily." Shen Yue shook his head, countering, "Preparing for war doesn't mean war was fought. If the so-called Great Cataclysm was caused by some kind of virus, it’s possible that humanity lost its basic organizational capacity before it could even react effectively. Otherwise, how do you explain those large cities that clearly didn't suffer devastating strikes? If there had been a real nuclear war, Chuansha would have been leveled long ago."

"That’s true..." Chen Jian nodded thoughtfully, his mind drifting. He couldn't imagine what the world looked like when the apocalypse arrived, just as these Mechanical Cult crew members couldn't fathom the true power of ancient technology. But those were questions for the future.

The most important thing now was to collect supplies at all costs, gather more powerful equipment and provisions, and find a way to survive. First, go to Hanshui, head to the location marked by the coordinates, and see what is hidden there.

With his mind set, Chen Jian’s composure returned. He looked toward the direction the steamship was traveling. He had meant only to rest his eyes, but as his gaze swept across the water, he spotted an unusual black speck. It was expanding rapidly, gradually taking the shape of a boat.

Chen Jian tapped Shen Yue on the shoulder, signaling him to follow to the bow. Before they could even take a step, a crew member on lookout duty cried out, "Water ghosts! The water ghosts are coming!"

Chen Jian’s heart tightened. Water ghosts? What kind of monster was that?!

The steam whistle blared urgently. Civilians on deck quickly retreated into the cabins, while the crew emerged from every corner, brandishing weapons to stand their ground. Right behind them, the four members of the Holy Blood squad, along with Lei Jie and He Shuo, emerged from the cabin.

Everyone stared intently at the approaching boat—a battered, dilapidated craft moving at an incredible speed—their expressions tense.

"How is that thing moving so fast? Are they going against the current?" Chen Jian asked, stunned.

"There's something underwater; water ghosts are towing the boat!" Xu Lie answered briefly, drawing his pistol and short sword. "You’d best not expose your equipment. Water ghosts aren't hard to deal with, but there are too many of them, which makes it troublesome. Leave it to us, stay behind us!"

Hearing this, Chen Jian stepped back obediently. He wasn't the type to play the hero when the situation didn't call for it; why do the work yourself if someone else can handle it?

Just watch!

Within two minutes, the boat, cobbled together from wood and scrap metal, was right before them. The Mechanical Cult crew members on the bow raised their assorted weapons and fired the first volley.

"Bang!"

Small-caliber single-shot rifles, smoothbore guns loaded with lead pellets, and even a front-loading smoothbore cannon, a relic from the age of sail! However, this lacking firepower caused no damage to the high-speed boat. The 12-pound cannonball likely did nothing more than kick up a spray of water a dozen meters away from the target.

In an instant, the boat closed the distance to the steamship. Then, with a loud thud and the teeth-grinding sound of friction, it collided with the ship.

"They've boarded!"

"They're jumping ship!"

In a flash, all the combatants on the ship went into action, swarming toward the enemies clambering onto the deck from the side. Chen Jian finally understood: the purpose of that boat wasn't "navigation"—it was simply a boarding ramp.

A swarm of water ghosts surged forward. Even with the crew’s firearms, their slow rate of fire could not hold them back. It was only because the four Holy Blood members were formidable in close combat that they were able to hold the line, but their defense was already near collapse.

Chen Jian remained at the rear, observing quietly. After a moment, he spoke, "These water ghosts aren't strong—weaker than the Converts we fought. And they have almost no weapons; it's purely a numbers game. We can't let them into the cabins; if even one gets in, it will cause a lot of trouble. Let’s go, we should lend a hand."

As he finished speaking, the other three members of his team moved in response. Chen Jian grabbed Shen Yue’s arm as he reached for his gun.

"Don't use the guns," Chen Jian said.

"No guns?" Shen Yue blinked, confused. "Daggers?"

Chen Jian chuckled. "Are you crazy? Why would I use a dagger? What kind of idiot do you take me for? Didn't we just scavenge a few thermobaric grenades? Toss a couple down there!"