The Game Heroine's Cannon Fodder Leopard Cub - Chapter 42

The second level was roughly at deck level. Though the light remained dim, the suffocating sense of confinement was significantly reduced compared to the lower levels, and the seawater was no longer bone-chilling.

Nora patted Yi’an’s shoulder, signaling her to stop. Yi’an immediately reverted to her human form, her feet firmly planted on the floor.

This level’s layout was far more complex than the one below. The violent impact of the shipwreck had scattered debris everywhere. Broken furniture, splintered planks, and corroded metal fragments floated haphazardly in the water, obstructing their view and preventing them from surveying the entire space at a glance.

Nora tugged Yi’an’s sleeve, pulling her back to follow behind. Her body had already begun to adapt to the ship’s temperature and environment.

Yi’an obediently trailed behind Nora, but her hands remained in their leopard claw form, her ears perked high, alertly scanning for any signs of danger.

Relying on her memory of the ship’s blueprints, Nora carefully navigated around the obstacles on the floor, searching for suspicious items as they moved toward the outdoor deck.

However, the obstacles were too numerous, forcing them to stop and clear a path every few steps. Just as they were hunched over, trying to pry open a rusty iron box hidden in a corner, a faint, unnatural sound suddenly came from behind them.

“Who’s there?” Yi’an immediately straightened up, her leopard claws flashing into view.

“What’s wrong?” Nora stood up as well, but she didn’t seem to have heard anything unusual.

Yi’an glanced around but saw no suspicious figures. Still, she remained vigilant. She nodded at Nora and whispered, “You keep going. I’ll check around again.”

The murky seawater swirled around them, almost completely obscuring their vision. Even Yi’an couldn’t keep an eye on every corner. In the instant she turned her back, a dark shadow suddenly lunged from behind her, hurtling toward Nora. Yi’an managed to pull Nora aside, but the shadow grazed her arm, drawing bl00d that instantly stained the surrounding water crimson.

Nora’s pupils dilated sharply, but she quickly regained her composure. She drew her Black Blade Sword and stepped in front of Yi’an, shielding her.

As they braced themselves for another attack, the dark shadow suddenly vanished. If not for the throbbing pain in Yi’an’s arm, she might have dismissed it as a hallucination.

Yi’an and Nora found themselves in a precarious situation. Advancing risked exposing vulnerabilities to further ambushes, while retreating offered no clear path through the complex terrain and poor visibility.

Yi’an pressed her hand against the wound, but bl00d continued to seep through. Fortunately, her robust constitution meant she suffered only pain, with no other adverse effects. Had she been weaker, Nora would have been left to fend for herself.

Just then, Nora subtly reached behind her and gently poked Yi’an’s abdomen. Yi’an quickly lowered her head to see Nora’s hand gesturing toward their right, then miming a walking motion. Understanding immediately, Yi’an squeezed Nora’s fingers in acknowledgment.

“Three, two, one, run!”

With perfect synchronicity, they sprinted in the direction Nora had indicated. As they darted toward a hidden hatch, Yi’an spotted the dark shadow surging toward them from the side.

It was moving with terrifying speed. Yi’an realized they wouldn’t make it to the cabin in time. She bared her claws, preparing to slow the creature down so Nora could close the door and take cover.

Just as she was about to swim forward and attack, a dagger grazed the viperfish’s ear and struck the shadow directly. The creature recoiled in pain, retreating slightly.

Yi’an froze for a moment, then Nora grabbed her uninjured arm and dragged her into the cabin. The instant Nora slammed the door shut, the viperfish slammed into it with tremendous force.

Now, Yi’an finally got a clear look at the creature.

It was a viperfish as thick as a human waist!

Viperfish typically dwell in the deep sea, their bodies jet-black and slender, but their teeth are enormous, so large they can’t even close their mouths, giving them a horrifying appearance. Yet these creatures are usually docile and relatively small. This massive, ferocious specimen was clearly no ordinary viperfish.

Recalling its fangs, each as long as her arm, Yi’an broke into a cold sweat. If Nora hadn’t reacted so quickly, her neck would have been snapped in an instant.

Realizing it couldn’t breach the cabin door directly, the viperfish lost patience and began slamming against the rusty metal panel with relentless fury.

Yi’an pressed herself against the hatch, blocking the doorway, and turned to Nora, who was panting heavily. “Is there another exit we can use to bypass it?”

Nora shook her head. “This is a temporary storage area the crew set up. There’s no other door, not even a window.”

Hearing this, Yi’an was at a loss.

Unlike the lower deck, which at least had a large hole, this storage area became a completely sealed space once the hatch was closed. Even with the barrier protecting them from oxygen depletion, the confined space felt inexplicably oppressive.

Just as Yi’an was racking her brain for a solution, Nora held up a small iron box with a lock.

“Is that… the one we tried to open earlier?” Yi’an asked in surprise, not expecting Nora to still have it.

Nora nodded, retrieving a delicate brass key from the box. “This was the only thing inside.”

Perhaps because it had been sealed in the iron box all this time, the brass key remained as bright and new as the day it was made. Yi’an took the key, intending to examine it closely, when a piercing scream suddenly tore through her mind. The shock made her hand tremble, and the key slipped back into Nora’s palm.

The moment the key left Yi’an’s hand, the screaming stopped abruptly.

Yi’an immediately realized this key was no ordinary object; it seemed to repel her with intense force.

She immediately shared her suspicions with Nora, whose expression turned grave upon hearing them. “The more they hide it, the more suspicious it becomes. That viperfish was probably after this key too.”

Yi’an nodded. “You keep the key safe for now. We need to find a way to break out of here.”

Nora frowned in thought for a moment before suddenly remembering something. She turned and pulled a compact pistol from the side pocket of her armored jacket.

“My mother insisted I take this before we left. I just don’t know if the gunpowder is still usable.”

Yi’an’s eyes lit up. Though small, the pistol’s caliber suggested considerable firepower. A single shot could likely cripple the viperfish.

However, the pistol used friction-ignited gunpowder to fire bullets. After all the rough handling, the gunpowder was undoubtedly soaked.

“I have an idea,” Yi’an said, taking the bullets and gunpowder barrel from Nora. “I can try to separate the water from the gunpowder.”

Nora shook her head. “Even if you dry the gunpowder after soaking it in water, its potency will be greatly reduced, and the pistol’s misfire rate will increase.”

“You said it yourself—it’s just a probability,” Yi’an countered with a smile. “Besides, traditional cold weapons are useless against that Viperfish. Why not take a gamble?”

She continued, “Lend me your Black Blade Sword. When the door opens, I’ll use the water shield and the sword to hold it back while you stay behind me and shoot.”

Nora paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face, but she ultimately nodded solemnly.

With Nora’s agreement secured, Yi’an immediately summoned a water sphere to extract the moisture from the gunpowder. She then conjured three water shields to protect herself. Once everything was prepared, she flung the door open.

At that moment, the Viperfish was about to ram the door again. Caught off guard by the sudden opening, it crashed straight into the water shields. Its razor-sharp fangs shattered the shields instantly, but Yi’an paid no heed. Seizing the Viperfish’s moment of disorientation, she raised the Black Blade Sword high and brought it down with a thunderous strike on the creature’s head.

The viperfish’s body was thick and robust, its skull as hard as iron. When Yi’an struck with her sword, the blade lodged in the fish’s head but failed to inflict any fatal damage.

This was exactly the effect Yi’an had intended. Gripping the Black Blade Sword’s hilt tightly, she channeled all her strength to restrain the viperfish’s frantic struggles. Then, creating a small opening, she shouted, “Nora, now!”

Nora had already aimed her pistol at the viperfish. The moment Yi’an cleared the way, she pulled the trigger.

Click—

As expected, the pistol misfired.

Yi’an didn’t miss the sound. Though the wound on her arm reopened, spilling bl00d, she gritted her teeth and shouted encouragement, “Keep firing! I can hold on!”

Nora, her expression unwavering, calmly retrieved a fresh bullet and powder flask, swiftly reloading the pistol.

Click—

Another misfire.

By now, Yi’an could barely speak, her only recourse to clench her jaw and desperately endure.

Nora continued reloading, her face grim and seemingly composed. But only she knew how violently her hands trembled as she poured the gunpowder.

Bang!

A spark flashed, and the bullet fired successfully! Nora staggered back two steps from the recoil, but she didn’t miss the moment the bullet struck.

It pierced straight through the Viperfish’s fangs, then shot out from its tail with incredible speed.

In that instant, the fish’s abdomen exploded, bl00d and shredded flesh mixing into the seawater, clouding a large area.

Yi’an gasped for breath, the Black Blade Sword slipping from her hand and clattering to the floor. Too weak to retrieve it, she watched as bl00d from her wound seeped from her trembling fingertips, spreading into the water.

Nora snapped out of her daze and rushed forward, pulling Yi’an into a tight embrace.

“Hahaha…” A faint chuckle came from above Nora’s head.

Nora looked up at Yi’an’s wide, toothy grin, panting slightly. “What’s so funny?”

Yi’an didn’t answer, her laughter growing louder until she slumped weakly against Nora again, still murmuring, “That was so thrilling… so much fun.”

Before she could finish, Nora pinched her cheek hard.

“Mmmph! Mmmph!”