Chapter 77 - Zhou Dai – part 1
Before departure, Zhou Dai organised a 14-person squad to conquer the island.
They prepared extensively, purchasing plenty of equipment.
Zhou Dai spared no expense to buy a revolver capable of suppressing regeneration — the "White Rose" — specifically to counter the wolves' self-healing abilities.
Other team members purchased weapons and armour as needed.
Shield-bearers in plate and chain armour were responsible for drawing and blocking the wolves' attacks. Others used crossbows and bows for long-range ones.
If wolves managed to get close, warriors were designated for melee combat.
In short, they were well-prepared.
The reason they were willing to unite for the expedition was that they had accepted a shared mission enticing enough to attract adventurers: "Oath Precursor Mission!"
It was first received by Zhou Dai from a peculiar undead being who claimed to have crawled out of the hull of the Radiant Goddess.
Like a pilgrim, it ignored Zhou Dai, rushed into the ship's prayer room, knelt, and began to pray.
Shortly after, the undead ignited in the radiant light of the Radiant Goddess, leaving behind only ashes and a sealed letter in a bottle.
Zhou Dai retrieved the letter and opened it to find:
【Oath Precursor Mission triggered: Retrieve the lost Holy Casket for the Radiant Church.】
【The casket is located at coordinates…】【This is a precursor mission. Upon completion, you will have the opportunity to join the Radiant Church, forge an oath on the vast ocean, and gain extraordinary power…】【This mission supports up to 15 participants.】Zhou Dai was stunned and ecstatic.
As a devout individual, she had been drawn to the sacred image of the Radiant Goddess since arriving in the new world. (1)
After several prayers, she had become a believer in the Radiant Goddess.
Seeing this opportunity to join the Radiant Church, she was determined not to miss it!
Thus, Zhou Dai rushed to the coordinates and discovered the island, where a damaged large ship lay.
According to the letter, the Holy Casket was stored there. However, as she approached, she spotted a wolf scavenging along the shoreline.
She initially considered using the ship's cannon against the wolf, but it seemed aware of the danger and retreated into the forest before the cannon could target it.
Zhou Dai dared not rush onto the island, so she observed from afar for two days, spotting only that one wolf.
She began recruiting teammates, organising a squad to conquer the island.
After careful selection, she recruited 14 companions.
Together, they accepted the Oath Precursor Mission, resolved to complete it, join the Radiant Church, and gain extraordinary power.
As for Zhou Dai, being the initiator, the special ship's captain, and a gifted individual, she naturally became the team's leader.
At the cost of several lives, they successfully killed the wolf. What followed was roughly as Yang Yi speculated.
…
Time rewinds to the present.
Yang Yi and Zhou Dai didn’t rush to meet but exchanged details about the island.
Yang Yi claimed he stumbled upon the island while gathering supplies, encountered half-wolf creatures and zombified wolves, and dispatched them effortlessly. He then entered the wrecked ship, fought the Brain Eater, and defeated it after some effort.
Zhou Dai was stunned.
Her team of 14 had barely managed to kill a single wolf at the cost of several lives and was wiped out by the Brain Eater in the Holy Casket. Yet Yang Yi, alone, had surpassed their entire efforts.
Though skeptical, Zhou Dai couldn’t deny the detailed account Yang Yi provided — naming the deceased, describing the wolf missing a finger, and the Brain Eater’s parasitic abilities. It all checked out.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Unbeknownst to Zhou Dai, Yang Yi omitted his interaction with Ronette, fabricating an image of overwhelming strength to justify his victory over the Brain Eater.
The tense atmosphere eased after their conversation. Zhou Dai recognised Yang Yi as an absurdly powerful player devoted to hunting abominations, with little apparent hostility towards her.
In desperation, Zhou Dai sought his help, as she was trapped.
The collapsing ship had left her unconscious, pinned at the ankle by a fallen wooden plank. Ironically, this same plank created a narrow safe space, sparing her life. Unable to free herself, she called out:
"Yang Yi, a plank has me trapped. Help me out."
Yang Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised she was stuck. But was she truly? He couldn’t verify — his vision was temporarily gone.
After hesitation, he replied, "I used an ability earlier. I can’t see right now..."
“You’re blind?”
“Only temporarily.”
After a pause, Zhou Dai guided Yang Yi towards the plank.
As he approached, she aimed her White Rose revolver at his head, testing his blindness. If Yang Yi was lying, he was up to no good.
However Yang Yi couldn’t see — he was genuinely blind. Not only that, he was bloodied, dusty, and exhausted, resembling someone fresh out of a trench.
Even as Zhou Dai pressed the barrel to his nose, Yang Yi remained unresponsive.
… Or at least it seemed. He had already sensed her presence through sound and was ready to strike if she acted suspiciously. With his current defensive state, he was confident he could kill her even blind.
A few tense minutes passed tense and Zhou Dai lowered her weapon, asking for help again.
“Kneel down a bit. I’m right in front of you, stuck in the plank's gap, left foot pinned.”
“Wait a second,” Yang Yi said calmly. “Shouldn’t we first settle something — like loot distribution?
“After all, I’m the one who killed the zombified wolves and the Brain Eater.”
(1) Not the New World, just a new one -Simply
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