Chapter 46: Schemes and Betrayal

An irrepressible joy shone on Laishun’s face, though he was still reeling from the earlier upheaval. If not for two unfortunate souls who had taken the fatal blow from the skeletal warrior in his stead, he would already be a corpse now. Laishun had originally intended to hide in his cabin and wait out this dreadful hour, but when he unexpectedly discovered that the hull had ruptured and seawater was flooding in, he was forced to grit his teeth and make a run for survival.

What excited Laishun most was that, upon stepping out the door, he immediately spotted Lin Wei. He remembered clearly that Mentor Lorna had said Lin Wei possessed the strength of a Grand Knight. In that case, as long as he followed Lin Wei, his chances of survival would be much greater!

“What on earth is happening?” Laishun, following behind Lin Wei, had hair plastered to his head, his already shifty demeanor rendered all the more unsightly.

“I don’t know.” Lin Wei moved swiftly, his mind nonetheless alert to the skeletal warriors that might appear at any moment.

Seeing that Lin Wei paid him no mind, Laishun was not particularly bothered. As long as he could keep up with Lin Wei, he felt reassured.

“If danger arises, Lin Wei surely will help me…” Laishun thought to himself. “Though he is a man of few words, I can sense his kindness…”

With Lin Wei scouting ahead, Laishun didn’t need to concern himself with his surroundings. He simply lowered his head and used all his strength to keep up.

“If we can just make it through this corridor, we’ll reach the deck…”

Lin Wei eyed the blood-smeared corridor before him, his vigilance growing ever sharper. Though he could not be certain whether something even more terrifying awaited on deck, he had no other choice. Staying below would mean certain death.

Before him lay several mangled, unrecognizable bodies, clearly shattered by skeletal warriors.

“Lin Wei…” Laishun, seeing Lin Wei slow his steps, felt his heart leap into his throat.

“Wait!”

Lin Wei’s keen eyes immediately caught sight of a skeletal warrior prowling near the junction of deck and hold.

The skeletal warrior had likewise spotted them. It stepped forward with heavy strides, closing in on the pair.

“Lin… Lin Wei, what should we do…” Laishun’s body quivered and his speech became slurred with fear. “Should… should we turn back?”

Lin Wei glanced at the oncoming skeletal warrior and then at Laishun at his side, a faint smile curving his lips.

“We can’t go back,” Lin Wei said bluntly. “First, we can’t be sure we won’t run into more skeletal warriors on the way. Second, the hold will soon be completely flooded. By then, we’ll be done for. Our only way out now is to run onto the deck.”

“But…” Laishun’s mind was already losing its capacity to think.

Lin Wei offered him an encouraging look. “Don’t worry, Laishun. I’ll keep you safe.”

“When we meet the skeletal warrior head-on, just squeeze through the gap between it and the wall,” Lin Wei explained calmly. “Its movements are clumsy, but its instincts will drive it to attack you. That’s when I’ll block its motions. My strength can match it for a time—enough for you to escape.”

Laishun’s expression was one of incredulity, his eyes reddened with emotion. “But… but what about you, Lin Wei?”

The skeletal warrior drew ever nearer, its roar echoing in their ears.

Lin Wei forced a relaxed smile and patted Laishun on the shoulder. “Relax. With the power of a Grand Knight, escaping is no problem for me. Enough talk, we don’t have time.”

Laishun’s voice caught in his throat, his eyes shining with newfound respect. “Lin Wei, in the name of the Saipan family, I promise you—from this day forward, you shall be our family’s dearest friend.”

Lin Wei nodded solemnly, as if moved in turn.

“It’s here!”

Steeling himself, Laishun charged toward the skeletal warrior. Despite its enormous size, there was just enough space between it and the corridor wall for Laishun to slip through.

As he watched Laishun dash ahead, Lin Wei’s eyes flashed coldly, and a mocking smile touched his lips. “What a performance—worthy of a core noble… If the intelligence core hadn’t detected your physiological changes, I might never have known you were acting…”

“Lin Wei, you must save me! If you don’t distract this monster, I’ll be minced meat!” Laishun could feel the force of the skeletal warrior’s strides, and his earlier surge of courage vanished instantly.

He stole a glance at Lin Wei out of the corner of his eye, terrified that Lin Wei might abandon him and flee.

Just as Laishun’s heart pounded with anxiety, Lin Wei moved—faster than Laishun himself—charging straight at the skeletal warrior.

The skeletal warrior raised its massive hand, hesitating for a moment as if weighing whether to strike at Laishun or the oncoming Lin Wei.

Seeing Lin Wei charge at the creature, Laishun felt the weight lift from his heart. Out of Lin Wei’s sight, a sneer curled his lips. “Lucky he’s true to his word… But in the world of sorcerers, a man this good-hearted won’t live long, will he? Who knows?”

“Die!” Lin Wei shouted, feinting an all-out assault on the skeletal warrior.

Seeing Lin Wei’s apparent self-sacrifice, Laishun could already picture his own escape.

“Go ahead! Clash with the monster so I can get away safely!” His eyes gleamed with cunning.

But in the next instant, his relief turned to shock.

Just as Lin Wei seemed to leap at the skeletal warrior in attack, he suddenly tucked in his body, somersaulted right over the creature, and dashed headlong for the exit to the deck—without looking back.

Laishun understood immediately, his face contorted with rage, his voice shrill with despair. “Lin Wei! You betrayed me!”

In the very next second, his fury turned to terror, his voice hoarse, trembling. “No… no! Don’t kill me! My path as a sorcerer hasn’t even begun, it can’t end like this—”

His scream was abruptly cut short.

A massive fist crashed down on Laishun’s head.

A deluge of red and white splattered the walls.