Chapter 563

Your name is Fang Qi.

You are sitting on a battered wooden raft, facing the sea and staring blankly into the distance.

The sunlight is scorching, and the sea wind tastes of salt.

You look ahead. There is nothing but an endless expanse of ocean. You turn around, and there is still nothing but an endless expanse of ocean.

Then you lower your head and look at your perfectly intact hands and legs…

You remain silent for a very, very long time.

Because you once thought you would never see the ocean again for the rest of your life.

Before you crossed over, you barely had the strength to lift your neck and look out the window.

Your yandere girlfriend had broken all four of your limbs and imprisoned you on a bed.

The reason was absurd. It was simply because…

At work, you had spoken a few extra words to a round-faced female coworker and laughed a little too happily.

And so, your yandere girlfriend smiled kindly as she broke your arms and legs, imprisoning you for a full eighty-two days.

On the eighty-third day, while she was out, you used the last of your strength to bite through your own tongue.

Amid excruciating pain and a pool of blood, you lost consciousness.

You thought you had died.

But then you woke up.

You woke up in the middle of this ocean.

[Welcome to the Global Ocean Survival World.]

[Sea levels have risen, and the world has been submerged.]

[You must struggle to survive in this endless ocean.]

[You possess a simple wooden raft and an iron hook for retrieving objects floating on the surface.]

[Now, begin your survival journey.]

You sat on the raft, unable to regain your senses for a long while.

It was only when a somewhat larger wave struck and sent the raft rocking that you suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

Tentatively, you moved your fingers. Then you moved your arms. Then you kicked your legs.

You suddenly leaped to your feet!

The raft rocked violently, but you still managed to stay upright!

You lowered your head and stared at your hands and legs. Then you jumped twice on the spot!

…You could move! You could move again!

All four of your limbs were perfectly intact, attached to your body!

You were free!

You would never again be trapped in that “little world” containing only you and that Crazy Girl!

There would never again be that Crazy Girl bringing you a bowl of porridge with a smile, watching you with eyes curved like crescent moons!

You had crossed over!

In that instant, your heart pounded wildly. The corners of your mouth stretched into a grin, and you almost felt like shouting at the sea.

But soon, you forced your smile away.

The dryness in your throat and the blazing sunlight overhead reminded you that your current situation was hardly optimistic.

You licked your cracked lips and scanned your surroundings.

There was only a battered wooden raft, an iron hook, and an ocean stretching beyond the limits of sight.

You fell silent for a moment, then began seriously considering what to do next.

You decided—

[1. Most of the floating objects on the surface are wooden planks and large leaves. They do not appear to include fresh water or food, so you decide to conserve your strength and continue observing, waiting for the right opportunity.]

[2. Although the floating objects consist only of wooden planks and leaves, you decide to take action first. You will retrieve these supplies and try to build a small shelter to protect yourself from the direct sunlight.]

[3. You believe all of this is an illusion, so you choose to jump into the sea and kill yourself. Perhaps you can return and see your yandere girlfriend.]

You chose 2.

You grabbed the shabby iron hook and began flinging it toward the wooden planks and leaves floating on the surface.

On your first attempt, the hook went wide and crashed into the water, splashing you in the face.

On your second attempt, you managed to throw it out, but you did not use enough force. It sank halfway there.

Third attempt, fourth, fifth…

You sprawled over the edge of the raft like a stranded fish, your arm growing numb from all the throwing.

But you did not give up. You stubbornly continued.

The sixth attempt… the tenth… the twentieth…

Finally, after all your tireless efforts, you grasped the trick on your twenty-seventh cast!

You had to twist your wrist and draw on the strength of your arm. The hook could not plunge straight into the water; it had to cut across at an angle, like skimming a stone across the surface!

The iron hook flew out with surprising precision and elegance, catching a drifting wooden plank.

It worked!

Your eyes lit up, and you yanked hard.

You hugged the damp wooden plank, grinning like an idiot.

After succeeding once, things became much easier. You grew more adept with every throw and soon retrieved several more wooden planks, a large, thick leaf, and some vines.

Then you began building a small shelter.

To be honest, you had no idea how to build one.

Before crossing over, you had been an office drone and an invalid imprisoned on a bed. You had never learned any wilderness survival skills.

But you still did your best. You used the wooden planks as supports, covered the top with leaves, and tied everything together with vines.

It was crooked, drafty, and full of holes. It looked like a tiny coffin, or perhaps a beggar’s hovel.

But it was a shelter you had built with your own hands!

You sat inside it with your arms folded, staring at your handiwork, unable to stop yourself from laughing aloud.

By then, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon, its orange-red light spreading across the surface of the sea. It was beautiful.

Feeling the dryness in your mouth and the exhaustion in your body, you leaned against one of the shelter’s wooden supports and smiled happily.

…Wait.

Then it suddenly occurred to you that you probably would not need your shelter today after all.

The evening sunlight was gentle, so there was no need to block it. In fact, the shelter above your head was only obstructing your view of the sunset.

Speechless, you eventually lay down on the raft.

Although you were exhausted and thirsty, your entire body feeling as though it had fallen apart, you were still happy.

You had once thought you would never be able to move about freely like this again. You had never expected that crossing over would give you such an opportunity.

Even though you could only move around on a small wooden raft, this was already heaven to you.

You lay on your back, gazing up at the sky. Your eyes closed, and a smile rested on your lips.

But amid your contentment, a scene suddenly flashed through your mind.

That world—the world you had crossed over from.

Your yandere girlfriend returning home with a basket of groceries, opening the door, and seeing the blood covering the bed and your already-cold corpse…

What would she do?

Would she collapse on the spot? Would she wail and sob? Or would she…

Go completely insane?

You suddenly felt a tightness in your chest. You even felt a pang of sorrow for her!

But it lasted only two seconds.

You abruptly opened your eyes and slapped yourself across the face!

The sound was crisp and loud!

You grimaced from the pain, but your mind had also cleared.

Were you sick in the head? Had you developed Stockholm syndrome?

How could you possibly be worrying about that Crazy Girl—the woman who had broken all four of your limbs?

She had tortured you for eighty-two days! A full eighty-two days!

Now that you were dead, whether she collapsed or went insane…

She deserved it!

You should be happy! You should be laughing! You should be setting off fireworks to celebrate!

You forced out two dry chuckles, then stopped smiling.

Irritation. You were incredibly irritated.

You shook your head fiercely, deciding not to think about it anymore. You needed to do something else.

So you decided—

[1. You realize that it is getting late and that your vision is no longer as clear as it was during the day. You are also exhausted, so you decide to turn in early and rest inside your little shelter, enjoying your first night of sleeping alone in a long time.]

[2. You notice that the number of floating objects on the surface has increased. While it is not yet completely dark, you decide to cast your hook a few more times and try to retrieve those floating barrels and crates. There may be useful survival supplies inside.]

3. You still believe all of this is nothing but an illusion. You decide to kick down the little shelter you built and jump into the sea to end it all, maybe then you can go back and meet your yandere girlfriend.

You pick option 2.

You grab the iron hook and start scanning the sea while the sky hasn't turned completely dark yet.

Sure enough, there are far more floating objects on the sea at dusk than during the day.

Planks, leaves, plastic bottles, torn nets... and then something else catches your eye.

Your gaze locks on. About seven or eight meters away from you, there is a half-submerged wooden crate!

It's not big, but it looks fairly intact!

Your heart starts beating a little faster.

A wooden crate! What could be inside it?!

You take a deep breath, aim in the direction, and hurl the iron hook with all your strength!

The iron hook arcs through the air and latches firmly onto the edge of the wooden crate!

You got it! All that practice you did during the day wasn't for nothing.

Holding back your excitement, you drag the wooden crate back toward you little by little.

The crate is lighter than you expected.

You pull it onto the raft and lift the lid --

Inside sit two bottles of water and a pack of bread.

Perfect! Classic survival supplies for a raft survival scenario!

You're so thrilled you almost cry out. You twist open a water bottle, tilt your head back, and chug down big gulps.

You finish more than half the bottle in one go, and only then do your burning, parched throat feel alive again.

You sigh in satisfaction, then carefully screw the cap back onto the remaining water and put it back inside the crate.

Then your stomach growls.

You've been busy all day, and you really are hungry, so you decide to eat half the bread first.

You pick up the bread, break it in half, and are just about to take a bite...

Your hand suddenly freezes.

Because you spot a note tucked under the bread. It's the size of your palm, folded neatly into a small square.

You blink in confusion. Why would there be a note inside this supply crate?

You set the bread down, reach out, and pick up the note.

The paper is dry, and you unfold it slowly.

The handwriting on it is neat and delicate, a script you know all too well.

Little Qiqi, you did great today~ These survival supplies are your reward. Make sure you stay alive, okay? Otherwise... heh heh!

Your pupils shrink sharply, and your mind goes completely blank.

You stare fixed at the note, and your fingers start trembling out of your control.

Little Qiqi.

There's only one person who calls you that.

Only that Crazy Girl who grins like a total maniac would ever call you that!

Liguang.

Your yandere girlfriend.

Only she would call you that.

Your fingers shake harder and harder, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up!

Did she get transported here with you too?!

You whip your head around and scan every direction around you!

Under the setting sun, the sea glistens with ripples, and there's nothing but bits of debris bobbing on the waves.

There's no other raft in sight, no boats, no sign of any other person at all.

But then why on earth would a note written by her be in this supply crate?!

You're frozen in place, overcome with dread, and you don't dare move a muscle for the longest time.

The sky goes completely dark.

It's a moonless night, most of the starry sky is blocked by clouds, not a sliver of extra light breaks through.

The sea is pitch black, and all you can hear is the rustling crash of the waves by your ears.

Shivering, you crawl back into your tiny shelter, pull the leaf curtain down, and wrap yourself up as tight as you can.

You aren't cold, but you still can't stop shaking.

You can feel her watching you.

Those eyes that curve into little crescents when she smiles...

They are *still* watching you!

Somewhere out there, she's staring at you, no sound to be heard.

Just like how she used to sit by your bedside back then, when all four of your limbs were broken, resting her chin in her hands and smiling at you the whole time.

You're so scared, you're really, really terrified!

Your hand clutches the note so tight your knuckles turn white, your breathing comes in quick gasps, and cold sweat beads all over your forehead.

You tell yourself this is just a coincidence. Maybe it's a silly prank the system pulled, maybe it's just a hidden easter egg in this survival world...

Maybe... is that really possible?

You don't dare think about it any further.

So you decide --

1. You're completely worn out. You don't want to overthink this anymore. As long as that Crazy Girl isn't right by your side, things are fine. You can deal with the note tomorrow, sleep is what you need right now.

2. That's enough overthinking. Let's eat first. Your stomach is still growling, so you decide to forget all the weird stuff for now and fill your belly with the bread first.

3. You can't take this anymore! You storm out of the little shelter and yell every curse word you can think of at the sky, screaming insults at that Crazy Girl as loud as you can! Since she's not right next to you anyway, you might as well let it all out and feel good.

4. You're more convinced than ever that this whole situation is nothing but an illusion. You decide to slam your head against the raft to knock yourself out, maybe that will let you go back and see your yandere girlfriend.

The sound of the waves feels far away and close all at once, and your shadow gets swallowed up by the darkness.

Which choice will you make?