Chapter 146 Broken

Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Broken

"Quick, block it! The big wave is crashing down!" the Awakened exclaimed in panic.

Their ships weren’t afraid of a six-meter-high wave, but if they allowed the water to crash over them, the Black Snake Swarm would undoubtedly seize the momentum to ruthlessly attack the hulls. A ship could withstand one or two impacts, or even five, six, seven, eight, or dozens of them. But once entangled by the swarm, they would suffer hundreds, if not thousands, of collisions and bites in a single instant. No one could guarantee whether the hulls would be pierced by the Black Snakes’ razor-sharp teeth, corroded by their venom, or if the fleet would simply be dragged down to its doom right here.

The Water Awakened used their respective abilities, manipulating the currents to block the incoming wave. Seeing this, Long leapt from his ship. A surge of water materialized beneath his feet, lifting him high into the air.

"Water Tornado!" he roared, his eyes flashing with an aquatic blue light.

Under his Water Control, the surrounding floodwaters formed roaring Water Dragons that simultaneously crashed into the waves converging from three other directions.

SPLASH!

The Water Dragons collided with the towering wall of water, sending massive sprays into the air. The wave’s forward momentum was forcefully shattered. Long used the shifting currents to land safely back on the deck, gasping heavily for breath.

"Great job, Brother Long!"

"Not bad at all. Long’s Water Control has become even more proficient in this environment."

The Awakened were visibly invigorated by the sight. Working together, they killed the besieging Elite Black Snakes one by one and extracted their Energy Crystal Stones.

The fleet painstakingly plowed through the waters littered with snake corpses, continuing their voyage to the northeast. However, their speed was severely hindered. The surface had been dyed dark red with Snake Blood, and the floating debris—coupled with the relentless influx of new swarms—slowed their progress to a crawl. The Black Snake Monsters seemed endless. Furthermore, instead of launching massive charges, they acted like maggots feeding on a corpse, darting out in clusters of three to five hundred from beneath the water and the shadows of floating wreckage.

They spat venom, covered each other, and threw themselves at the fleet like moths to a flame, desperately trying to get close enough to scale the sides and destroy the hulls. Everyone could see that the Black Snake Swarm’s objective was clear: to drag down the fleet’s speed and drain the crew’s Energy.

"Left side! A few hundred more are coming!"

"Damn it, the squirt gourds are still recovering!"

"Watch out underwater!"

Across the ships, shouts, the shrill whistle of Superpower discharges, and the hissing of the snake swarm echoed endlessly. Relying on the gunwales and the squirt gourds mounted at the bow and stern, the Awakened continuously fended off the attackers.

In this intense, high-stakes slaughter, the ordinary Awakened had their Spirit highly concentrated, squeezing their potential to its absolute limits. Yet, this situation wasn’t entirely detrimental for them. Even when a regular Black Snake was killed and shared among the group, a faint trickle of Energy still flowed into their bodies. Through continuous combat, many felt the surging power within them becoming clearer, their movements growing sharper and more precise.

"Haha, Brother Yu, I feel my strength growing again!" Cai shouted excitedly, swatting an approaching Black Snake away with his crowbar.

"Don’t get distracted! Behind you!" Brother Yu called out from nearby. At the same time, his insectoid wings flapped rapidly, scattering a large cloud of crystalline powder. Any Black Snake covered by his powder instantly slowed down, growing drowsy and lethargic.

Han Ning stood at the bow of the Wind Chaser Sailing Ship, clearing the obstacles ahead to maintain the vessel’s forward momentum. The swarm’s harassment was barely worth a mention in his eyes; a few casual swipes with his vines could clear a massive swathe. However, their suicidal, moth-to-a-flame entanglement made him deeply uneasy.

The Four-armed Black Snake Leader had yet to appear. Moreover, he constantly felt a lingering sense of being watched. He abruptly turned his head to the right front of the fleet, peering into a stretch of water shrouded in the shadow of a half-submerged skyscraper. The water was pitch-black and littered with construction debris. Aside from the churning waves and an occasionally surfacing snake head, it appeared entirely empty.

But just a moment ago, that sickening feeling of being spied upon had returned.

Han Ning’s expression hardened, though he said nothing. Instead, he heightened his perception to the absolute limit, carefully observing his surroundings. Snow Cake also transformed into an underwater radar, synchronizing its senses with his.

Five kilometers, six kilometers... ten kilometers...

The fleet trudged through five kilometers of relentless harassment from the swarm. During this time, the Black Snake Swarm proved tireless, constantly assailing their ships. Even the relatively stronger vice chairmen couldn’t help but show signs of exhaustion.

Gradually, the fleet entered an area that resembled an aquatic forest. Of the once-bustling residential district, only towering high-rises remained, standing like tombstones amidst the floodwaters. Some buildings were slanted, half-sunken beneath the water to expose shattered ruins. Others stubbornly maintained their original forms, their lower floors submerged while their high-altitude windows gaped wide open—pitch-black, like countless hollow eyes.

"Bailu Garden. It’s the densest high-rise residential area in the North District of Bailu City. We’ve reached the northeast region of the city ruins." Upon seeing these towering, densely packed buildings, many used the faded logos on the exterior walls to determine their current location. Through the natural images relayed to him, Han Ning knew that Bailu City’s cardinal directions perfectly aligned with the north, south, east, and west of this world, so there was no need for extra directional references.

After passing through a dozen or so buildings and sailing another hundred meters, someone pointed northeast, their voice trembling with excitement. "Look ahead!"

Further in the distance, the undulating silhouette of a mountain range emerged through the curtain of rain. Like a slumbering behemoth, its spine rose nearly a hundred meters above the water, appearing exceptionally majestic beneath the gloomy sky. The exposed rocks were dark brown, and relatively dense vegetation seemed to survive on the gentler slopes.

"There’s a mountain! We have a place to dock!"

"Push harder! We can rest once we get there."

Although it was only a journey of a dozen kilometers, the swarm’s endless harassment and the continuous combat had left everyone physically and mentally exhausted. But just as the fleet was about to sail out of the residential waters and close the distance to the mountain...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Two to three hundred meters ahead, the water’s surface exploded without warning. Even Han Ning, who possessed the strongest Mental Power, couldn’t sense anything that far away, let alone the others. However, the booming noise, the violent churning of the currents, and the blurry shadows caught in their sights clearly told everyone one thing: there was something ahead!

In the blink of an eye, three massive black shadows—far larger than any Elite Black Snake—burst out of the water. Han Ning narrowed his eyes to discern the approaching enemies.

Each of their bodies exceeded eight meters in length, and they all sported four thick, bulging, muscular arms. At the end of every arm, they gripped various types of weapons. They were exactly the same terrifying Four-armed Black Snake Leaders they had encountered before. And this time, three had appeared at once.

Han Ning wasn’t sure if the one they had fought previously was among them, but it didn’t matter anymore. They fanned out in a horizontal line, entirely blocking the fleet’s path.

With the emergence of the three Four-armed Black Snake Leaders, the surrounding currents began to act unnaturally.

SPLASH!

Countless Black Snake Monster heads broke the surface. Densely packed and overlapping, they formed a boundless, writhing black tide. Interspersed among them was a massive number of fierce-looking Elite Black Snake Monsters, acting as non-commissioned officers guarding the three Leaders.

The sheer number of the Black Snake Swarm far exceeded any of their previous encounters. They filled the waters ahead, on both sides, and behind the fleet, completely sealing off all avenues of escape.

"This is bad..." Even Chairman Wu, the most composed and level-headed survivor of the Biyun Resort, couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath at the sight.