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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 224: A New Beginning?
The sleep was so deep that it felt like the world had turned upside down.
When Jiang He opened his eyes, it was already late at night the next day. The view outside the porthole was shrouded in darkness, and the entire ship seemed enveloped in a blanket of tranquility, showing no signs of movement, as if it were anchored on the surface of the sea. The light in the room was dim, the IV bag hanging above him was empty, and the needle on his hand had been removed, leaving behind a small adhesive patch that tingled slightly.
There was no one in the room; the door was ajar, and on the bedside table were two half-drunk cups of water. Jiang He felt a wave of thirst wash over him. Struggling to sit up, he grabbed a cup and gulped down a few sips of cool water, which quenched some of his dryness and gradually cleared his muddled mind.
"Hello! Is anyone there?" After sitting there for a moment, he called out hoarsely. There seemed to be no staff on duty outside the door; after waiting for a while with no response, he turned his head and noticed a red button on the bedside. Remembering what the nurse had told him earlier, he quickly reached out and pressed it.
Ten minutes passed in silence...
Still, no one came to check on him...
Jiang He felt a bit dazed and, not wanting to give up, pressed the button repeatedly, but still received no reply.
"Hey?" Panic began to set in. He stretched his limbs and threw off the covers before getting out of bed. He was only wearing a pair of large shorts that weren't his own; he wondered if that nurse had changed him. The gauze on his chest was damp with sweat, sticking uncomfortably to his skin. He knew he didn't need to be bandaged up; it would only raise suspicions if he removed it. After searching around the room for clothes and finding none, he reluctantly tore off a sheet to wrap around his waist and slipped into some slippers before pushing open the door.
Outside, it was eerily silent. The dark red wooden floor creaked softly underfoot as he walked down the corridor lined with single rooms that had round windows on their doors. Except for his room, all others were empty and dark inside; there were no lights on.
The scene felt somewhat strange, as if he were the only person left on this ship. Imagining such a scenario sent chills down his spine. After walking about ten meters down the corridor, he came across a slightly larger cabin door marked with a Red Cross symbol; it appeared to be the medical staff's workspace. Light could be seen through the window, but white curtains obscured any view inside.
He knocked on the door but received no answer.
A wave of inexplicable panic surged within him. He had experienced dreams where everything changed overnight before, but dreams were just dreams—this couldn't be real, could it?
Jiang He took a sharp breath and glanced around before quickly running to where the fire hydrant was located at the end of the corridor. Wrapping his hand in a sheet, he smashed the glass cover with his fist and cleared away the shards to retrieve a brand new fire axe from inside. The last time he had used such a weapon was on an expressway near an ancient city; afterward, he had lost it along with an ambulance. Now that he held this tool in hand, he felt somewhat reassured.
With an inexplicable sense of dread lingering in his heart, Jiang He continued to feel his way forward.
The only boat he had ever been on before was a pedal boat in a park; let alone this massive super tanker—he had been surprised by even a small fishing boat that sank. According to other sources of information he'd gathered, large super tankers had their rooms and dining areas located below deck; cabins were categorized by levels—the lowest being boiler rooms and working quarters while upper levels housed passenger accommodations. The structures on deck were relatively few compared to open spaces designed for walking and leisure activities.
Jiang He recalled that the medical area should also be located on an upper level, not too far from the deck at least. Most places he passed through were pitch black; there were no luxurious dining halls or bustling entertainment venues as he had imagined. After passing through one corridor, he saw another hallway ahead with simple partitions separating them. There was a small booth resembling an intercom station in between, directly facing a spiral staircase that didn’t seem too high.
The upper level also contained passenger cabins but appeared much more luxurious than those below. Bathed in moonlight streaming through portholes, he could see several sofas arranged in front of an expensive-looking coffee table in the lobby area at the top of the stairs. Potted plants lined up against the walls while a large aquarium stood between portholes, shimmering with flickering lights inside. The cabins on both sides extended deeper into the ship but offered significantly more space than those below; even just walking down this corridor could accommodate three or four people side by side, and cabin doors were designed more lavishly as well.
Jiang He couldn't help but marvel as he approached the giant aquarium with his axe in hand. He squinted for a long time before noticing something strange. The creatures swimming inside were not ornamental fish; judging by his limited kitchen experience, they were either carp or grass fish. There were even a few large turtles resting at the bottom, and numerous small catfish darting around. Dazed, Jiang He turned his head, looking around. This didn't resemble a kitchen at all, and who would use such an aquarium to raise edible fish?
With no other choice, Jiang He mustered his courage and called out, his voice echoing down the empty corridor of the ship until it faded into silence. The quiet resting area was only disturbed by the sound of fish tails splashing in the water.
Reluctantly, Jiang He continued to ascend with his axe.
Although the entire ship was eerily silent, thankfully there were no sudden appearances of zombies to create a terrifying scene. The spiral staircase wasn't long; upon reaching the top, he found no further passage. This level was similar to the one with the aquarium, but there were noticeably fewer cabins. At the stairway entrance hung a fire safety map indicating the stairs leading to the deck. Orienting himself, Jiang He hurried through the dark cabin until he finally reached the last staircase.
This staircase was wide, part of a standard safety route, and standing there he could feel the chill of the night air. Jiang He tightened his grip on the Fire Axe and slowed his pace as he ascended. Perhaps it was an illusion, but he faintly heard a cacophony of sounds that seemed oddly peculiar—not like zombie growls but more like living people shouting something in unison. It sounded somewhat familiar to him, as if he had stepped into a bustling market instead of onto a deck.
His mind raced with questions, palms sweaty; Jiang He wasn't sure why he felt so tense—just an instinctual sense that something was off. As he took the final few steps, he steadied himself and resolved that if a zombie lunged at him, he would swing his axe and immediately turn to run.
Just as he took a deep breath and prepared to leap out, a sharp voice thundered in his ear!
" Jiang He!!"
Startled, Jiang He stumbled halfway up the stairs, nearly losing his balance and falling back down. Before he could regain his composure, chaotic footsteps echoed from behind him, and turning around, he saw Song Yao rushing out wrapped in a bath towel, looking utterly disoriented.
"Yao... Yao Yao?!" Jiang He's eyes widened as he craned his neck for a better look; another person hurried out behind her.
"What... what happened? Are you okay?" Song Yao's eyes were still filled with fear as she cautiously stepped forward, her anxious expression evident.
Jiang He was momentarily speechless, stammering as he struggled to find words. Then he noticed that the person following her was none other than Little Nurse Liao, who had been taking care of him earlier. Like Song Yao, her long hair was still draped over her shoulders; however, she wore only a white coat—clearly having rushed out without putting on proper shoes—and her bare feet left wet footprints on the floor.
"…"
"Are you alright?" Song Yao climbed up the stairs step by step; her steps seemed unsteady as she approached Jiang He and waved her hand in front of him with exaggerated seriousness.
"I'm fine... when did you two get on board? Why is the whole ship empty?" Jiang He grasped her hand tightly; it felt cold to the touch.
"We boarded last night. You didn't wake up at all; the doctor said not to disturb your rest," Song Yao explained while glancing at him and then at Little Nurse Liao, who looked equally alarmed.
"Oh? Have I really been asleep for so long?" Jiang He scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled. "So... where is everyone? Why is no one around?"
Song Yao furrowed her brow in confusion. "Let's not worry about that right now; what happened to you?" She pointed at the axe in his hand and added, "You smashed open a fire hydrant—are you in danger?"
"No, no, I just thought there was no one around... I'm a bit nervous..."
"So?"
"So I need someone for protection..."
Standing below, Little Nurse Liao chuckled softly, patting her chest as she let out a sigh of relief. "What a false alarm! All this cold sweat for nothing. You all continue your chat; I'll go clean up the mess..." With a wry smile and a shake of her head, she turned and dashed back into the darkness.
"What? What false alarm—hey, hey, hey, that hurts! Let's talk this out!"
Jiang He's words were cut short as his ear was suddenly yanked. Song Yao didn’t give him any chance to explain, lifting him off the ground on his tiptoes and not forgetting to punch him twice for good measure.
"What is this? Why are you turning on me like this? What’s going on?" Jiang He winced in pain, unable to retaliate against her with an axe. He could only plead for mercy repeatedly. He was puzzled, thinking he hadn’t done anything particularly wrong. They had survived a crisis together; a sweet embrace would have sufficed—why resort to family discipline?
"You're crazy! You scared me to death! I thought something happened to you!" The more Song Yao thought about it, the angrier she became. She kicked him again, her grip unyielding as she dragged him back from where he came. Passing by the third-floor staircase, Little Nurse Liao was busy sweeping up shards of glass. Seeing the two of them, she couldn’t help but chuckle again.
"I'm really sorry for the trouble," Song Yao shot him a glare and apologized to Little Nurse Liao.
"As long as nothing happened, it's fine. You two head back; I'll come by later to change his dressings." The little nurse smiled warmly, clearing the way for the two feuding friends as she took her dustpan to the recycling area.
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