Chapter 126: The Survivors【Please Subscribe!】

Sophia glanced at Zhou Yi and whispered, “I’ll keep watch from above. I wonder how many more of these giant waves we’ll have to face, and whether these ring-shaped mountains can withstand such relentless pounding.”

Zhou Yi nodded. “Alright. I believe this volcanic island can hold against these massive waves, as long as it doesn’t erupt due to the recent earthquake. After all, this island has stood firm for thousands of years; its resilience is quite remarkable.”

As if to respond to Zhou Yi’s words, a sudden burst of steam shot up from the center of the ring-shaped mountain, soaring over a hundred meters into the air. The four of them turned to look, and Sophia climbed up a tree to get a better view.

The fat man’s face fell. “Boss, can we not jinx it?”

Zhou Yi fell silent. Sophia jumped down, her expression darkening. “Rest quickly. We need to leave as soon as possible!”

She tossed some food and drink to Zhou Yi, who wasted no time sitting down to eat. The fat man and Cheng Zhi held the spirit stones, trying their best to absorb the energy—they had quite a deficit to make up.

Time passed slowly. At first, the center of the ring-shaped mountain would spray water or steam every half hour or so, but now it emitted white smoke continuously. Zhou Yi stood, and Cheng Zhi and the fat man opened their eyes.

Both looked noticeably more alert—this was clearly more effective than any drug. After eating, Sophia brought out the wooden planks and various materials she had prepared earlier, and the four began assembling.

None of them had ever built a boat before, but they managed to follow the general idea. Two hours later, a simple wooden boat had taken shape.

However, being on the mountaintop, there was quite a distance to the water below, and Cheng Zhi hesitated. “Sir, we have a boat now, but do we have to wait for another giant wave to get down?”

The fat man slapped Cheng Zhi on the shoulder loudly, glaring and shouting, “Are you crazy? You want to add to our misery? If another giant wave hits, do you think we’d survive?”

Cheng Zhi immediately covered his mouth, deflated.

Zhou Yi jumped down from the tree, trying not to laugh at the two of them.

“Alright, don’t scare Cheng Zhi. It looks like the volcano is about to erupt, but it will hold for a while longer. Sophia and I will carry the boat down. Cheng Zhi, get two vines. You and the fat man pull it together.”

Sophia stepped forward, and Zhou Yi took one side. The boat was heavy—they pushed and pulled, finally sliding it down towards the slope.

With Zhou Yi and Sophia holding the two corners, chanting incantations quietly, and Cheng Zhi and the fat man pulling on the vines with all their might, the boat thudded heavily into the water. The fat man leaned over the edge and peered down, finally exhaling in relief.

“Not bad, the boat didn’t capsize!”

Cheng Zhi moved up to the fat man, who quickly slapped his own mouth and grinned toothily. “Phew, forget what I said earlier. Let’s just pretend I farted. Boss, we need to keep moving!”

Cheng Zhi wasn’t foolish; he simply disliked scheming with the others. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have thrived in the second millennium world while remaining under the radar. The fat man’s bluntness and Zhou Yi’s trust gave him a rare sense of acceptance, so no matter how deep or shallow the fat man’s words were, Cheng Zhi just smiled them off.

If someone has to be careful with their thoughts when talking to you, they’re still somewhat distant. Only when they speak without reservation can they be considered truly “one of us.”

Without waiting for Cheng Zhi’s cue, Zhou Yi and Sophia climbed up again, each carrying one corner of the boat as they leapt downwards.

But Sophia paused briefly on the tallest tree, hurling a few fireballs at the fortress they had built. The vines and stone walls exploded instantly.

Rocks tumbled down, erasing all their previous traces. Once on the boat, Sophia breathed out calmly.

“This is how we must do it—to erase our tracks at least. We don’t know if we’re the only chosen ones in this world, or if the Hunter tribe has sent others. Better safe than sorry.”

Zhou Yi nodded and took the boat’s prow. The boat was fairly spacious.

“Paddles, one each. We head southwest. This time, no stopping. If you have to pee, go in the water.”

Sophia glanced at the compass without a word and grabbed a paddle. The four of them began rowing with all their strength.

From noon, through starry nights, to sunset, after more than a day and night, land finally appeared in the distance.

Like a parched wanderer in the desert suddenly spotting an oasis, the four surged forward wildly, their spirits lifted from the depths of despair.

Approaching the beach, Zhou Yi stopped, standing upright. Sophia halted beside him.

What lay before them stunned them into silence.

The beach, buildings, trees—everything was in ruins. Debris floated in the water, constantly crashing against the shore. Near the shore, faint cries could be heard—someone searching for survivors. Despite their experience, this scene was overwhelming.

Zhou Yi felt a chill run through his body—a bone-deep cold in this weather.

After an earthquake, collapsed buildings might still allow for survivors; after all, some had been rescued within seventy-two hours. But an earthquake followed by a tsunami was utter devastation.

Houses torn to splinters, wooden piers reduced to just a few posts, skyscrapers on the hillside half-shaved off, with the remainder only broken steel and concrete pillars swaying precariously.

“Looks like this was a resort area,” Sophia murmured, drawing close to Zhou Yi.

He nodded. “Seems so. There are rescue workers over there. We have no identity now; it’s best to go over and accept assistance. Fatty, if you find a computer later, make IDs for the four of us.”

The fat man nodded in agreement.

“Do we abandon the boat?” Zhou Yi asked Cheng Zhi. They were close enough to the shore that they could see from the wooden planks.

“Cheng Zhi will destroy the boat. We cling to the planks and paddle forward, then call for help—that will seem more authentic. If they see a brand-new boat, it might raise suspicion.”

Cheng Zhi quickly ran his hands along the sides of the boat; the hull broke apart swiftly, leaving only several planks. The four clung to them and paddled towards the rescue workers, shouting loudly.

“Help! Help! Somebody’s here!”

The fat man’s voice was loud and clear, quickly drawing the attention of the rescuers.

“Hurry, survivors over there!”

The rescue team gathered swiftly, directing them where to come ashore. The shoreline was littered with debris, and waves kept crashing.

Someone threw down a rope. The four grabbed it and were pulled ashore one by one.

The rescuers were amazed, questioning them in English. “Where did you come from?”

Sophia, the fat man, and Cheng Zhi feigned weakness, letting Zhou Yi speak as their spokesperson. He kept thanking them and pointed to his head.

“Our boat sank. Only the four of us escaped, drifting on debris for over a day. What happened here?”

The man’s face fell as realization dawned. He gave them a thumbs-up.

“You’re incredible. The undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami—the biggest recorded in the Solomon Islands. Casualties have yet to be tallied but exceed two hundred thousand.

Which country are you from? There’s a relief center nearby. We’ll take you there for medical checks and help contact your embassy.”

“Thank you. We’re from China, here on vacation. My name is Zhou Yi, a doctor. This is…” He introduced the others briefly. The man hurriedly took notes and called over a few people, apparently with stretchers. Zhou Yi waved them off.

“No need for stretchers; we can still walk!”

Sophia and the others nodded. They followed the rescue team to the roadside, where heavy machinery was clearing a recently opened path.

They boarded a vehicle that took them to the relief center—a cluster of temporary tents adorned with signs from many nations. Embassy staff were clearly present, offering urgent aid and assistance.

Passing several tents, Sophia suddenly pulled out a laptop from somewhere, wrapped it in a protective gown, and handed it to the fat man.

Outside the medical tent, the fat man clutched his stomach, groaning softly. “Where’s the bathroom? I feel sick, I need to go!”