38: Ghost ships, a blend of fear and allure.

The starry sky was swallowed by a massive shadow.

It was a long-dead behemoth.

The hull was fractured, as if torn apart by some immense force. Jagged metal skeletons at the breach stabbed into the void, several shriveled corpses hanging from them, slowly rotating in the zero-gravity environment.

Dead silence.

Only the monotonous alarm from the spaceship's radar echoed within the bridge.

"Prepare to board."

Gu Pingsheng snapped shut the visor of his tactical helmet, his voice coming through the comms channel with a hint of metallic hardness.

"Ye Hongyu, An An, follow me."

The airlock opened.

The chill of the vacuum rushed in instantly; even through the combat suits, a bone-deep cold could be felt.

Using their thrusters, the three of them glided toward the Ghost Ship's breach like three swimming fish.

They entered the interior of the cabin.

The gravity system had long since failed.

Flashlight beams cut a path of light through the darkness.

Where the beams reached, there were floating tables and chairs, shattered instruments, and... corpses.

The bodies of crew members in ancient uniforms remained in terrified poses from the moment of their deaths, suspended in mid-air like frozen sculptures.

Some were missing arms, others half a head.

No blood flowed from the wounds; only red crystals, condensed into icy beads, shimmered with an eerie light under the lamps.

"What... what kind of hellish place is this..."

Over the comms channel, Ye Hongyu's voice trembled slightly.

The usually overbearing queen who brandished a long whip was now shrinking behind Gu Pingsheng.

Her hand tightly gripped Gu Pingsheng's belt, her knuckles white from the force.

"Don't just look around."

Gu Pingsheng reached back and patted the back of her hand.

Through the thick gloves, the sensation wasn't clear, but the gesture clearly provided Ye Hongyu with some comfort.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her ragged breathing.

But the surrounding environment was simply too oppressive.

That deathly silence made it feel as if she could hear the sound of her own blood flowing.

"There's... something ahead."

An An's voice suddenly rang out.

Lacking a physical form, she had transformed into a mass of shadow, gliding along the cabin walls.

In this dark environment, she was the absolute master.

"What is it?"

Gu Pingsheng stopped his movement, one hand resting on the grip of the gun at his waist.

"I don't know... I can't see clearly..."

An An's voice was somewhat hesitant.

"It has no physical form... it's like... a cloud of mist..."

Before she could finish her sentence.

The surrounding temperature plummeted.

The already cold cabin now felt like falling into an ice cellar.

A layer of white frost instantly formed on the helmet visors.

"Hee hee..."

A burst of shrill laughter abruptly exploded in everyone's minds.

It wasn't through the ears, but acted directly on the spirit.

"Ah—!"

Ye Hongyu shrieked, her whip instinctively lashing out.

"Crack!"

The tip of the whip struck the air, producing a crisp sound.

It hit nothing.

But at the end of the flashlight beam, several translucent blue phantoms were slowly emerging.

They had twisted human faces, with eerie green ghostly fires burning in their hollow eye sockets.

Their lower bodies were a blur of mist, flickering unsteadily in the air.

[Interstellar Wraith (Rank 3 · Spiritual Body)]

[Traits: Physical Immunity, Mental Shock, Life Drain.]

"Get away! Get away!"

Ye Hongyu swung her whip like she was possessed.

It was a whip empowered by her A-rank talent [Pain Domination], capable of snapping even steel.

But now, the whip passed through the wraiths' bodies as if passing through smoke.

It was completely useless.

The wraiths let out piercing shrieks and lunged at the three of them.

That chill, piercing straight to the soul, caused Ye Hongyu to completely break down.

She wasn't afraid of zombies, monsters, or even death.

But she feared these things that couldn't be seen or touched, yet could devour one's soul bit by bit.

"Help... Gu Pingsheng... save me..."

She dropped her whip and threw herself into Gu Pingsheng's embrace.

In the weightless environment, their bodies pressed tightly together.

Gu Pingsheng could feel her violent trembling and her heartbeat, which was almost out of control, transmitted through the combat suit.

Like a frightened quail.

Where was any trace of her queenly demeanor?

"Hmph."

Gu Pingsheng gave a cold snort.

He wrapped one arm around Ye Hongyu's waist, shielding her against his chest.

He raised his other hand, lightning surging in his palm.

"Playing with mental attacks?"

"You're courting death."

[Thunder Qilin (Purple · Ability)]

"Boom—!"

Blue-violet lightning exploded in the darkness.

In that instant, the entire cabin was lit as bright as day.

Lightning was the most masculine and sun-like power in heaven and earth, the bane of all spiritual entities.

A roaring lightning Kirin charged from Gu Pingsheng's palm, baring its fangs and claws with an aura of total destruction as it slammed into the group of wraiths.

"Screech—!"

A shrill, miserable scream rang out.

The wraiths, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, were like snowflakes meeting a branding iron the moment the lightning touched them.

They dissolved instantly.

Turning into wisps of blue smoke, they dissipated into the void.

The lightning faded.

The cabin returned to darkness.

Only the residual electric arcs in Gu Pingsheng's palm were still crackling.

"It's over."

Gu Pingsheng looked down at the woman in his arms.

Ye Hongyu was still deathly gripping his waist, her face buried in his chest, not daring to look up at all.

"Is... is it over?"

Her voice carried a sob and sounded incredibly soft and sweet.

"Yeah."

Gu Pingsheng reached out and wiped the white frost from her visor for her.

Through the transparent visor, he saw Ye Hongyu's pale yet still beautiful face.

Now, in those eyes that always carried defiance and ambition, there was only full reliance and admiration.

And a hint of... an indescribable emotion.

It was an inevitable product of the suspension bridge effect.

In extreme fear, being protected by a powerful man provided a sense of security enough to make any woman fall.

"Can you still walk?"

Gu Pingsheng asked.

Ye Hongyu nodded, then shook her head.

Her legs were still weak.

"Hold... hold me tight..."

She said softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Gu Pingsheng smiled.

He didn't refuse; instead, he tightened his arm, pressing her deeper into his embrace.

"Okay."

The two of them floated toward the depths of the ship, embracing in the weightless state.

An An, in her shadow form, followed behind.

She watched the two entangled figures ahead, spinning a dagger in her hand.

Although she was a bit unhappy.

But considering how terrified that woman was just now... she'd let it slide this time... They passed through a long corridor.

Finally, they arrived at the core area of the warship—the captain's quarters.

The heavy metal door was already deformed, leaving a gap wide enough for one person to pass through.

Gu Pingsheng led Ye Hongyu inside.

The captain's quarters were a mess.

Various documents and books floated in the air.

At the end of the room was a large desk.

Behind the desk sat a skeleton in a magnificent uniform.

In its hands, it tightly held a black metal box.

Gu Pingsheng floated over and gently pried open the skeleton's fingers.

The box wasn't locked.

He opened it.

Inside lay two items quietly.

An incomplete blueprint with charred edges.

And a yellowed diary, its cover stamped with a strange emblem—an open eye with an Ouroboros in the pupil.

Gu Pingsheng picked up the diary and turned to the first page.

The handwriting was scrawled, revealing a sense of madness.

"Star Calendar Year 3024, Experiment Code: God Creation."

"We discovered that thing... it's alive... it's calling to us..."

"The crew members are starting to go mad... I'm almost unable to control myself either..."

"It must be sealed... we cannot let it out..."

Gu Pingsheng closed the diary.

His gaze narrowed slightly.

God Creation Experiment?

It seemed the secrets of this Ghost Ship were even deeper than imagined.

Just then.

The incomplete blueprint in his hand suddenly glowed with a faint light.

[High-energy reaction detected.]

[Activating blueprint...]

[Obtained: Interstellar Jump Engine Blueprint (Fragment 1/4)]

Jump engine!

Gu Pingsheng's heart jolted.

This was core technology that could allow a spaceship to perform intergalactic voyages!

As long as he collected all four fragments, his spaceship could truly break out of this abandoned star sector and head toward the broader universe.

"It seems this trip wasn't in vain."

He tucked the blueprint and diary into his chest.

He turned to look at Ye Hongyu.

She had regained some strength but still clung tightly to his side, never leaving him for a moment.

"Let's go."

Gu Pingsheng put his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go home."

Ye Hongyu nodded obediently.

In this eerie and terrifying Ghost Ship, this man's embrace was her only safe harbor.

Even if he were a demon.

She would accept it.