6: Gogogo~ Let’s go

Full and satisfied, the lazy comfort was scattered by the midday sea breeze.

Lin Mo stood up and walked to the navigation control room on the second floor.

"Gogogo~ Let's go!"

Gu Nianqiu followed behind, letting out a cheerful shout.

As soon as they stepped into the cockpit, a cold system notification sound echoed in the minds of the three without warning.

"Warning: 22 hours and 30 minutes remain until the black fog begins to move. All players, please prepare."

The relaxed atmosphere that had just risen in the cockpit instantly solidified.

Lin Mo's expression was calm, and he quickly brought up the Natural Selection's energy interface.

It was still powered by basic fuel.

The remaining fuel reserves were only enough to support 100 kilometers of navigation.

And unlocking the fusion reactor module required 10 Ship Exchange Points.

Lin Mo quickly calculated in his mind. He decided to sail 10 kilometers first, level up to LV2, and use the acquired exchange points to unlock the fusion reactor.

As he willed it, the Natural Selection's massive hull trembled slightly and began to steadily cut through the water, heading towards the depths of the boundless, ink-blue ocean.

It was the first time for the sisters Gu Zhixia and Gu Nianqiu to experience such a colossal vessel setting sail. Both sat in the spacious co-pilot's seat, looking out at the rapidly receding scenery through the huge porthole, feeling inevitably excited.

"Wow, it's so fast!" Gu Nianqiu's small face was almost pressed against the porthole. She watched the rapidly retreating waves, excitedly waving her hands and feet.

"This ship... is indeed formidable."

Gu Zhixia adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose. Although her tone remained calm, her tightly clenched fists still betrayed her inner turmoil.

The sense of security brought by this SSS-class battleship was something her A-class small sailboat could not compare to.

"What is that?"

Gu Nianqiu's eyes were sharp. She suddenly pointed to the distant sea.

An inconspicuous black dot bobbed amidst the waves.

Lin Mo said nothing more and directly activated the grappling hook module on the deck.

An alloy grappling hook shot through the air with a whistling sound, accurately grabbing the floating object and quickly dragging it back.

"Obtained Supply Crate * 1"

"Wow, Brother Mo is amazing! He caught a supply crate!"

Gu Nianqiu shouted excitedly, pulling her sister and rushing to the deck, eager to see what good things were inside.

The grappling hook placed a wet metal box on the deck.

The box opened, revealing five gray-black block-like objects neatly arranged inside.

"Compressed Biscuits * 5"

"It's compressed biscuits."

Gu Nianqiu's small face fell. She poked the hard object with her finger in distaste.

"We have so much delicious food; this thing doesn't seem very useful."

The two sisters carried the hard biscuits back to the cockpit.

Gu Zhixia looked at the biscuits and remembered her previous embarrassing attempts to secretly nibble on biscuits in her room. Her pretty face couldn't help but flush slightly, and she let out a soft hmph before turning her head away.

Lin Mo glanced at them and said, "You can sell these."

He looked at Gu Nianqiu, "Check the chat channel. If anyone is short on food but has good things, trade with them."

"Alright!"

Gu Nianqiu immediately opened the regional chat channel and, mimicking others, edited and sent out a message.

"Nian Nian Doesn't Want to Get Up: Selling Compressed Biscuits * 5. Large quantity, very filling. Only trading for rare materials or interesting trinkets. No ordinary supplies!"

Someone immediately replied in the channel.

"Desert Island Survival: Big shot still has food? I'm starving. Can I trade wood?"

"Riding the Wind and Waves: Beauty, I have scrap metal here. Want to trade?"

Gu Nianqiu ignored these completely.

Soon, a user with the ID "Fisherman Never Returns Empty-Handed" contacted her via private message.

"Fisherman Never Returns Empty-Handed: Sis, I have a bead here. I fished it up, don't know what it's for. Want to see?"

Lin Mo had Gu Nianqiu share the item information.

"seven-colored glazed bead: Appears to be a core component of some device. Specific use unknown."

Lin Mo looked at the bead, which shimmered with a seven-colored glow. His intuition told him this item was not simple.

"Trade."

He said only one word, concise and to the point.

Gu Nianqiu immediately completed the transaction.

Five hard compressed biscuits disappeared, and a bead the size of a longan, emitting a soft, colorful glow, appeared in her palm.

The Natural Selection's cruising speed was very fast, maintaining 15 km/h.

Not long after, to the sisters' expectant gaze, a clear notification sound rang out.

"System Notification: Natural Selection has leveled up to LV2, gaining Ship Exchange Points * 10."

"That's great!"

Gu Nianqiu cheered.

Lin Mo immediately opened the ship upgrade interface and found the gray module.

"Fusion Reactor (unlocked): Unlocking requires 10 Ship Exchange Points. Confirm?"

Lin Mo chose "Yes" without hesitation.

A colorful light curtain swept across the control panel.

"Fusion Reactor Unlocked"

"Activate?"

Lin Mo clicked "Yes."

The moment it activated, the entire "Natural Selection" seemed like an ancient beast awakening from slumber, emitting a low, prolonged hum.

The next second, all hidden light strips inside the ship lit up!

It was no longer the monotonous white light of before.

Countless colorful neon lights, like surging energy currents, flowed along the alloy veins within the hull, instantly illuminating every passage and every cabin!

The entire cockpit was completely enveloped in a dazzling, futuristic, technological ambiance.

Even in broad daylight, this splendid light effect still astonished and shocked everyone!

"Wow, ah, ah! Brother Mo! What is this! It's so cool!"

Gu Nianqiu was the first to shriek. Her small mouth formed an "O" shape, her peach blossom eyes wide and round, reflecting the rapidly swirling seven-colored brilliance.

Like a child who had received a beloved toy, she excitedly bounced around the cockpit, pointing at the flowing light strips and shouting incoherently, "It's cyberpunk! It's definitely cyberpunk! Our ship is too awesome!"

Gu Zhixia, however, was completely different.

She suddenly stood up straight, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her jk uniform skirt.

The gold-rimmed glasses on her nose could not conceal the violent tremor in her pupils.

She stared fixedly at the dazzling light strips tracing across the walls and ceiling, feeling the stable and surging power emanating from the hull. For the first time, an expression named "distraction" appeared on her usually aloof pretty face.

Too strong... This ship far exceeded her imagination!

"System Notification: Fusion Reactor activated, power supply sufficient."

Lin Mo paid no attention to the sisters' reactions; his focus was entirely on the control panel.

He glanced at the unlock conditions for the "super capacitor," which still required 10 Ship Exchange Points.

At this moment, the experience points required for the Natural Selection to level up to LV3 had already risen to 20,000.

"Does the experience point requirement increase by 10,000 for every level up...?"

Lin Mo stroked his chin, quickly calculating in his mind.

This leveling difficulty curve was even steeper than he had imagined.

"Sister! Come on! Let's go look on the deck!"

Gu Nianqiu's excitement hadn't faded. She pulled up the still dazed Gu Zhixia and rushed out of the cockpit like a happy little bird.

The two ran onto the wide deck, stunned once again by the sight before them.

On the battleship's exterior, countless blue energy patterns also lit up, gleaming in the sunlight, imbuing this steel behemoth with the breath of Life.

They looked back.

In the direction they had come from, the black fog that had once given them endless oppression and fear was now, under the high-speed navigation of the "Natural Selection," almost completely disappearing from the horizon where the sea met the sky.

That ominous darkness was being left far behind them.