"Uncle Weird, do you think we can survive?"
I was resting with my eyes closed when a soft voice suddenly reached my ears.
At some point, Qi Xinxin had appeared beside me. Tear tracks streaked her face; she had clearly been crying.
Looking at her delicate little face, I felt a pang in my heart.
A young girl in her prime, she should have been in a classroom learning, but now she was with me on the sea, carried by a ghost ship to an unknown destination.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. As long as I'm alive, I'll ensure your safety."
I feigned nonchalance and ruffled Qi Xinxin's hair. They had no one else to rely on but me. If I showed any sign of anxiety, we would be completely finished!
Hearing my words, Qi Xinxin leaned against me like a kitten and soon fell asleep.
I leaned against the side of the boat, straightening my body. I scanned my surroundings. Apart from the thick fog and the ghost ship ahead, there was nothing else.
Damn it, this feeling of powerlessness over my own destiny was truly unbearable!
As I grumbled inwardly, a strange emotion suddenly surged into my heart, and a familiar voice echoed in my ears.
"Hehehe, hurry up and come closer, or I'll shoot!"
It was that hoarse, gruff voice!
But this time, we were on a small boat. I immediately looked around but saw no one else.
Could it be that the appearance of figures wasn't an issue with the small boat, but a trick of the thick fog?!
I observed for a while but found nothing. I decided to let the voice babble on without responding.
After a while, the voice vanished without a trace. Perhaps the sound had disturbed the madwoman I had tied up.
She shook her head and woke up.
She looked perfectly normal now, except her wounds hadn't healed and were still dripping blood, making her look quite pathetic.
"Where are we?!"
The woman was initially confused, but then she saw me staring at her. She instantly sobered up and shot me a hateful glare.
She continued to stare at me with a ravenous gaze, subtly moving her body.
"What, you have amnesia now? Don't you know where we are?"
If this woman weren't somewhat useful, I would have thrown her overboard long ago.
Perhaps my words provoked the woman, and she seemed to recall something, her face contorting in pain.
Damn it, is she going to go mad again?!
I quickly drew my dagger, just in case the woman went crazy and attacked us.
After a good while, seeing the pain on the woman's face gradually subside and her appear to regain her composure, I cautiously kicked her.
"Hey, since you're awake, answer me one question, or don't blame me for throwing you overboard!"
Although I had a guess in my mind before, since she had finally woken up, I still had to ask her.
"How did you survive in the sea before?"
At this moment, the low, hoarse voice spoke again. However, I was already immune to it. As long as we ignored it, it posed no threat.
"Why should I tell you? If you have the guts, kill me!"
The woman looked at me with disdain, like a virtuous maiden.
Putting on airs of purity with me now!
"Fine, you don't have to tell me! You want to die, right? Alright, I'll hang you from the stern and drag you along the boat! Let's see what strange things your blood attracts then!"
I looked at the woman expressionlessly and then stood up as if to act.
When I was in college, I took a psychology elective. My professor once taught me a very useful technique: when negotiating with someone, devalue their worth to firmly maintain the initiative.
This situation was perfect for applying it to this woman.
Seeing that I seemed serious and recalling my earlier words, the woman couldn't hold back. Her previously resolute expression of willingness to die turned into terror.
"Alright, I'll tell you..."
The woman began to recall the scene with a hazy expression. I watched her face closely to gauge if she was lying to me.
"I was engulfed by the swarm of insects. I thought I'd be directly dissolved by digestive enzymes, but to my surprise, there was air within the swarm. So, I didn't suffocate, and they didn't eat me directly. Instead, they wriggled and transported me to the depths of the insect sea!"
Thinking of this, despair appeared on the woman's face.
"In the depths of the insect sea, I saw an incredibly large, colossal insect. Its body was covered with strange patterns, and all the insects seemed to obey its command. I was completely despairing then, waiting for the giant insect to devour me."
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. According to this woman, these insects were similar to ants, with a queen-like existence.
"And then?"
"And then..."