After the ship hit the bottom, the rate at which the water level rose actually slowed — perhaps due to the internal air pressure, compounded by the entrance being blocked by silt from the lake bed.

But the threat of death remained.

Bai Youwei held Shen Mo’s head up with her hands, pushing with all her might, keeping him in a seated position so his head could stay above the surface.

It was exhausting to keep him up. She cursed him up and down in her mind, feeling utterly exasperated.

She never should have said those things before entering the game.

Something about who she’d save if they fell in the water — ridiculous! Right now, she and Shen Mo couldn’t even wait for Shen Mo to rescue them; she had to figure out a way to save Shen Mo herself!

The water had risen to her neck. Not a sound from outside.

She was starting to worry — would that numbskull Tan Xiao mix up left and right?

When she had urged him earlier, she’d been too rushed and hadn’t had time to specify exactly which left she meant. If she had just used compass directions to indicate orientation back then, it would have been much better.

…But would Tan Xiao even know his east from his west?

Thinking about that made Bai Youwei’s head throb even more.

Unconscious, Shen Mo’s head kept drooping. Water seeped into his mouth and nose. Bai Youwei strained even harder to hold him up. She had no choice but to force herself to stand, one hand braced against the window frame, the other gripping his hair and pulling upward with all her might.

At a time like this, there was no point complaining about being rough. She was a person with a lame leg — she couldn’t even stand steadily on her own, yet here she was propping up someone else. Heaven was truly being unreasonable!

Bai Youwei was filled with indignant frustration.

Thud!

A dull sound traveled through the cabin. Her heart jolted. She immediately spun her head to look —

The water below was dim and murky. Outside the windows she could only see turbid mud-laden water, with the occasional strand of dark-toned water plants drifting past.

The thudding didn’t stop, but there was no sign of Tan Xiao.

He had, without question, smashed the wrong window.

Bai Youwei felt a wave of despair crash over her!

That meant she had to drag Shen Mo to the window by her own effort alone!

Of course, she could wait for Tan Xiao to crawl inside the cabin himself and pull Shen Mo out — that wasn’t impossible — but the moment a window was broken open, the cabin would instantly flood with water. And if too much time passed underwater, Shen Mo would drown!

After all, not every player was like them — having eaten the fish brought by the spring visitor, able to remain perfectly safe underwater.

She had to get Shen Mo out as quickly as possible!

Chaotic thoughts crowded her mind. Bai Youwei bit down on her teeth, suppressed her furious temper, grabbed the collar of Shen Mo’s clothing, and dragged him toward the cabin on the other side.

Moving forward underwater was not easy.

But thankfully, being underwater meant there was buoyancy to help — just barely enough for her to drag a grown man along.

After enormous effort she reached the corridor. She heard a tremendous “Boom!” — the window of the cabin across from her shattered!

Water surged in violently!

Under the rushing current, Bai Youwei grabbed frantically at the doorframe — but Shen Mo was swept away by the current!

Bai Youwei couldn’t hold back and cursed out loud: “Damn it!!!”

…

Shen Mo was swept to the far end of the corridor by the current, colliding with all manner of chaotic objects. His consciousness was hazy and he couldn’t tell what they were.

He only vaguely knew he was in water. All around him was cold — and dark…

Someone took hold of his hand.

He struggled to open his eyes, wanting to see who it was, but could only make out black water plants — wisp after wisp, coiling around him, drifting and swaying…

The sensation was gentle and cold, vivid yet dreamlike.

Completely extraordinary.

And suffocation deepened the sense of dizziness…

He reached out and brushed away the black water plants. He saw a pure white long skirt, light and airy as a translucent cicada wing, swaying in the water as though it were glowing. His vision grew more and more blurred.

In the midst of chaos, someone yanked him out of the water.

Sunlight stabbed into his eyes.

His lungs burned.

He faintly heard Shen Mo’s voice, Yan Qingwen’s voice, all kinds of voices…

And then, he lost consciousness.

…

—