The facts proved that the refinement brought about by the birth of his world was extraordinary.
Even while carrying Aikefei—and in the cramped, dim interior of the ship—Lin En moved at a speed far beyond his previous limits.
And he was steady.
Which meant he still had plenty of room to push further.
Unfortunately, before he could truly test that new potential, he saw light at the end of the corridor—
The hatch leading to the deck.
In the next instant, he burst out with Aikefei in his arms into the open night air.
And—
"Hurry! Move! Faster!"
The captain's frantic roar rang out as he urged his men to crank the ballistae.
Following the direction of the siege weapons, Lin En saw the target—
A colossal sea beast.
"Impressive… truly."
While everyone's attention was fixed on the monster, Lin En quietly carried Aikefei toward a more rearward position and began watching the spectacle.
"About the same size as the 'Haishan' Captain Beidou slew, I'd guess? I really wonder what that strike looked like…"
He set Aikefei down and murmured thoughtfully.
It wasn't that he lacked experience.
Even discounting what he'd seen in-game before transmigrating, this past year under a constant debuff of bad luck had broadened his horizons considerably.
Especially in Natlan.
The Abyssal gates that randomly manifested there released far more monsters than any game depiction—and they weren't limited in type or as conveniently weak as portrayed.
But his mood was different now.
Since arriving in this world—
He had never felt as light and at ease as he did in this moment.
"You mean Captain Beidou of the Crux Fleet?"
"I heard of her slaying the Haishan during my culinary travels. From descriptions, that creature was even larger than this one."
Aikefei, in equally good spirits, joined the discussion casually.
"Oh? Perfect then. Maybe our dear captain will replicate such a feat and become famous."
Lin En said solemnly, as though offering sincere encouragement.
Aikefei heard the sarcasm immediately and burst into laughter, lightly tapping his shoulder.
"Behave."
Lin En laughed as well.
Could this ship's captain compare to Beidou?
Could this vessel compare to the Alcor?
Not remotely.
It was hardly worth serious comparison.
Still—
"Lin En… will this ship sink?"
Aikefei recalled the earlier details.
She had noticed his change.
It was clearly a good thing.
And precisely because it was good—
She knew him well enough to understand he wouldn't rush like this without reason. Waking and immediately dragging her out—
That suggested a larger issue.
What larger issue could there be?
After a brief thought, she arrived at the only plausible answer—
The ship beneath their feet.
Especially considering he had casually left behind a bomb.
Not an ordinary explosive.
A solidified Phlogiston charge, specially processed. If detonated, at minimum it would blast a hole in the hull too large to patch.
Under the right conditions, it could split the ship in two.
And they were still at sea.
As a native of Fontaine, Aikefei understood ships. Even if all the smugglers were eliminated, she was confident she and Lin En could pilot the vessel where they wished.
Yet Lin En showed zero intention of preserving it.
That wasn't recklessness.
It meant—
He was certain it would sink.
"Yes."
As expected, Lin En confirmed it.
Then added:
"And don't bother with the lifeboats. They've got issues too."
He recalled what he'd sensed the moment he awakened and released his perception. A trace of helplessness flickered through his eyes.
On the surface, things looked manageable.
The captain and his crew were fighting hard. Though disheveled, they had stabilized the situation with ballistae and escort equipment.
But what only Lin En could perceive—
Every impact from the sea beast sent vibrations through the hull.
Each tremor was neither too strong nor too weak, neither too frequent nor too sparse—
Yet always struck specific structural points.
Individually insignificant.
Collectively catastrophic.
By the time Lin En awakened, the keel had already suffered irreversible damage.
Even if the sea beast stopped attacking immediately, deterioration would accelerate within the hour.
The two lifeboats followed similar logic.
They might not sink instantly upon launching—
But they wouldn't last long.
After hearing his explanation, Aikefei frowned.
"That's… absurdly coincidental. Could the ship have had prior structural damage they failed to detect before sailing?"
Lin En merely shrugged.
"Probably just that coincidental."
But was it truly a coincidence?
Yes.
He answered inwardly.
And also inevitable.
What was inevitable?
Remember the origin of the sea beast—
It had been drawn by his "bad luck."
A manifestation of the universe's instinctive rejection.
Normally, the World Seed would counteract it, allowing Lin En to steer outcomes away from catastrophe.
But this time—
The Seed had been occupied.
I was busy being born.
Without its interference, the universe's malice unfolded unrestrained.
Thus came this chain of "inevitable coincidences."
If Death itself were to arrive—
This would be how.
And if left unchecked?
The sinking would merely be the beginning.
Whatever lurked in the depths would only count as appetizers.
But that was fine.
Everything was about to change.
The world had been born.
Though its existence might attract greater rejection—
Just as a person, once awakened from ignorance, gains the ability to communicate—
"Keep watch for me, Aikefei. I'm going to have a chat… with someone."
"…Someone?"
With who?
There was no one here.
Even if he meant to speak with the smugglers, shouldn't he go to them?
Instead, he leaned back against the corner—
And closed his eyes.
Aikefei was puzzled.
But she trusted him.
Silently, she drew her spear once more.
Cryo gathered within her Vision.
Ready.