163: Chapter 163 Solo Voyage in the Deep Sea, Landing Ship!

[05-05: Brother Lin, Brother Lin, the situation isn't great. Those worms are all outside the windows. We don't have any way to dive, so we're struggling to fight them.]

[05-05: Also, melee weapons can't reach them, and ranged skills get pushed off course by the currents...]

[05-05: Over on Old Fan's side, someone took a risk and climbed out a window, only to get bitten. The injury is quite severe.]

"I understand."

Lin Xiao replied, not appearing too surprised.

Most passengers were using melee weapons, which had limited range.

Even for passengers skilled in ranged techniques, attacks like Fireball couldn't pass through the rapid, powerful currents to accurately hit the Iron-Devouring Worms in the sea.

Not to mention hitting the distant Ghost Ships that were still continuously firing projectiles.

They could only wait for the Calamity Creaturess to throw themselves against the train windows before killing them with melee weapons.

This passive situation of taking hits was simply too inefficient.

Lin Xiao's gaze moved past the dense swarms of Iron-Devouring Worms outside the window and settled on the Ghost Fleet lined up and in hot pursuit.

Those ships were rusted and covered in damaged holes, yet they were extremely fast, maintaining a fixed distance from the train.

The turrets rotated constantly; with every roar, a batch of Iron-Devouring Worms was launched.

If the root problem wasn't solved, these Calamity Creaturess would only increase in number.

"I'm going out for a bit. Wanwan, take them and hold this position. Don't run off!"

Lin Xiao withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly.

"You're going out?"

Jiang Wanwan's voice came from beside him.

"Yeah, the situation is worse than expected. I need to make a trip personally." Lin Xiao turned to meet those eyes full of worry. "Don't worry, the suit I'm wearing has an underwater breathing function."

Jiang Wanwan was silent for a few seconds.

Then she walked over and gripped Lin Xiao's hand tightly. "Take care of yourself."

There was no unnecessary dissuasion, no crying or shouting.

Just four words.

But from her slightly trembling fingertips, Lin Xiao read all her emotions.

This was Jiang Wanwan.

She trusted him, so she let him go.

She swallowed all her fear and unease, leaving him only a gentle smile.

"Don't worry." Lin Xiao held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I never do anything I'm not sure of."

Jiang Wanwan nodded and stepped back, making way for Wen Yiran, who rushed forward.

"Brother Lin!" Wen Yiran grabbed his arm. "There are so many worms out there, and those strange ships... how can you go out alone..."

As she spoke, her eyes grew red.

Lin Xiao reached out and flicked her forehead. "What are you crying for? I'm not dead yet."

"Pah, pah, pah!" Wen Yiran quickly spat several times. "Don't say such unlucky things!"

She wiped her eyes and looked up. "Then, then come back quickly. I'll watch over things on the train for you. If anyone dares to try anything while you're gone, I'll blow their head off with an arrow!"

Lin Xiao chuckled.

This girl, even her threats carried a sense of naive charm.

"You actually reminded me." Lin Xiao stopped smiling and said seriously, "After I go out, you'll be responsible for long-range fire support. Use your bolts to kill the Iron-Devouring Worms that crawl onto the train windows. Your compound crossbow is easier to operate, and with skill enhancements, you can hit targets more accurately."

Wen Yiran nodded vigorously, flipped her hand to take out the [cloud piercer], and checked the string and arrows.

"Also." Lin Xiao looked at Tian Xiwei, who was standing quietly by. "Xiao Tian, you support the two of them. Don't be impulsive if anything happens; just guard our home!"

Tian Xiwei nodded obediently, but a trace of unease was hidden deep in her eyes.

After finishing his instructions, Lin Xiao turned and picked up the jug of Corn Liquor sent by Xiao He, throwing his head back to take a large gulp.

The spicy liquid slid down his throat, and a wave of warmth rose from his stomach.

The [Emotional Stability] buff has taken effect.

He then cracked open a Frost-Patterned Coconut and finished it in a few gulps.

Obtained [Cold Resistance +5%], duration sixty minutes.

Level 4 equipment naturally came with 30% heat and Cold Resistance.

Now, [deep sea aria] provided an additional 25% Cold Resistance, on top of the coconut juice buff.

Being in an environment of negative fifty or sixty degrees should be no problem.

However, the temperature at the bottom of the sea right now was much lower than on the surface.

On the sediment-covered plains of the seabed, many thick icicles could be seen rising from the ground.

This phenomenon alone was already far beyond the scope of scientific explanation.

Of course, the world they were in now was not normal to begin with.

Lin Xiao hesitated no longer. He put on his full-coverage Spar Visor and walked to the window.

Then, with agile movements, he stepped onto the windowsill, leaned forward, and slipped through that transparent membrane.

A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped his entire body.

Even with layers of buffs, Lin Xiao still felt a coldness seeping out from the gaps in his bones.

Furthermore, the current of the seawater was much faster than he had anticipated.

The train sped through the deep sea, and the surrounding water flow was like a violent river, carrying countless fine ice crystals and constantly battering his body.

As soon as Lin Xiao left the window, he was caught by the strong current and flew backward uncontrollably.

He reacted extremely quickly.

He made a grasping motion with his left hand, and a bolt of shadow energy shot from his palm; [Death Grip] accurately coiled around the window frame.

The chain formed from shadow energy immediately tightened, barely stabilizing his figure.

Lin Xiao hung outside the window, pushed by the current until he was almost parallel with the train car, like a flag being torn by a gale.

Countless ice crystals slammed into his armor, making a tooth-aching scraping sound.

Fortunately, his Constitution was high enough.

The 60 points of Constitution brought not only strength but also control over his body's limits.

For an ordinary person, the impact of this current alone would have been enough to shatter their bones.

Just as Lin Xiao stabilized himself, a dull roar came from the distance.

He turned his head.

He saw that in the Ghost Fleet, the turret of the nearest Battleship was slowly rotating, its pitch-black muzzle aimed in his direction.

Three clusters of black shadows shot out from the barrel, trailing white wakes as they flew toward him in a triangular formation.

It was the Iron-Devouring Worms.

Lin Xiao did not let go.

He gripped [calamity bane] tightly with his right hand and swung it fiercely the moment the shadows lunged before him.

The battle axe cut through the seawater; the resistance was several times greater than on land, but his strength was enough to offset it all.

The axe blade sliced through the first monster's body, triggering the [Rend] trait, and its hard metal shell split open.

The second and third followed closely; he dodged to the side and swung his axe back, cutting them in two.

Light orbs and stardust flew into his body.

Black foul blood spread in the seawater, only to be quickly dispersed by the rapid current.

Lin Xiao did not linger in the fight.

He released his left hand, and the shadow energy dissipated.

His body was immediately swept away by the current, sliding rapidly toward the rear of the train.

In the distance, several more clusters of black shadows shot out from the barrels of different ships, chasing after him.

Lin Xiao flipped his body in the rapid current, his gaze scanning the surrounding terrain.

Then, his left hand reached out again.

This time, [Death Grip] did not aim for the train but flew toward the nearest icicle.

The moment the chain wrapped around the icicle, his body was yanked from its original path and catapulted to the side.

The Iron-Devouring Worms behind him missed their mark and were scattered by the rapid current.

Using this powerful inertia, Lin Xiao moved swiftly across the seabed plain.

The shadow energy struck out repeatedly, accurately grasping the icicles or reefs ahead each time.

The lined-up Ghost Ships quickly changed direction.

The turrets began to slowly turn, attempting to lock onto the figure that had voluntarily jumped off the train once more.

Lin Xiao gave these monsters no chance.

Using [Death Grip], he began to displace himself continuously, and with the boost from his high movement speed, he quickly arrived directly beneath the ships.

Then, with one final exertion, the shadow chain grabbed the railing of a Battleship's gunwale.

The Battleship looked dilapidated, but it was extremely fast.

The moment Lin Xiao grabbed the railing, he was immediately pulled forward.

He made a grasping motion with his left hand, straining to retract the shadow energy.

Simultaneously, his body was yanked upward, and against the strong current in the seawater, he landed heavily on the stern of the ship.

The moment he landed, he slammed his left hand onto the deck, and three steel blades plunged directly into the steel plating on the side of the gunwale.

Holding [calamity bane] across his front, his gaze swept over the entire ship.

Strangely, he was not besieged.

But this surprise didn't last long; while observing the deck, Lin Xiao saw the true face of those turrets.

They were not mechanical.

Nor were they constructs.

They were individual, eerie Calamity Creaturess.

Their lower bodies seemed cast into the deck, remaining motionless.

Their bloated upper bodies, however, were continuously repeating a motion of expanding and contracting.

With every contraction, a cluster of black living projectiles was ejected from their barrel-like mouthparts.

Lin Xiao slowly stood up.

Beneath his visor, the corners of his mouth curled slightly.

Interesting!