When they first met, Ye Ming had still been a little reserved. This time, though, he had improved quickly and nodded in agreement right away.
After all, it was a relationship between a Commander and a Ship-Girl. Laffey was still just a little girl, and Ye Ming had no strange thoughts, so there was nothing to avoid.
Ye Ming watched Laffey climb onto the bed, then pulled out a chair himself, sat at the desk, and turned on the computer.
"Mm~ Commander, aren't you sleepy?"
Laffey rubbed her eyes as she looked at Ye Ming's back.
"I've been busy all day, of course I'm sleepy." Ye Ming answered as he moved the mouse.
"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Laffey asked in confusion.
"Because the Commander hasn't updated today."
Ye Ming's tone was solemn. "Yesterday, lots of people bookmarked the Commander's novel, and lots of people voted for it. The Commander doesn't want to let everyone's trust and expectations down, so no matter how tired or sleepy I am, I have to keep updating!"
"I believe everyone will definitely feel this passion and respond with even more votes, encouraging me to keep updating!"
With that, Ye Ming turned off the light and began typing away.
Time passed bit by bit. Late at night, in the pitch-black room, before the flickering glow of the screen, Ye Ming kept his head down and wrote. He continued until one in the morning before finally finishing the day's update.
After uploading the finished chapter to the website and clicking publish, Ye Ming was so sleepy that he did not even have the strength to get into bed. He simply collapsed onto the keyboard and fell into a deep sleep.
Half an hour later, the faint sound of a door opening rang out. Then, a crack appeared in the bedroom door, and a shadow silently slipped inside.
Dream of Canghai
Almost the instant the bedroom door opened, Laffey, asleep in the bed within the dark room, silently opened her eyes. A moment later, seemingly recognizing the visitor, she closed them again and returned to deep sleep.
The shadow that had entered the bedroom walked to the bedside and waved a hand before the sleeping Laffey's eyes. Seeing no reaction from her, the figure relaxed slightly, then waved a hand again. Two more figures slipped in.
The three stood together behind Ye Ming. The shadow that had entered first gently placed a hand on Ye Ming's head. Amid invisible ripples, something wondrous appeared.
It seemed that in the blink of an eye, the quiet, peaceful daily life had been completely overturned by something.
Vehicles on the roads lost control, crashing into one another one after another. The roar of explosions echoed throughout the entire city. Planes above the airport swayed as they fell to the ground, while flames and thick smoke engulfed the airport.
Inside the waiting hall, a girl named Hua stared dumbfoundedly at everything outside, overcome by extreme shock. Only when hoarse roars rose and fell behind her, accompanied by a pungent stench of blood and decay, did she snap out of it and turn around.
The many passengers waiting to board had somehow turned into hideous zombies with rotting bodies. At that moment, countless hollow, decayed eyes stared fixedly at her.
The girl's pupils suddenly widened.
The next second, she turned and ran, fleeing desperately toward the exit of the waiting hall.
Countless zombies surged toward her like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.
The girl ran for her life.
Dry, scorching air poured through her nose and mouth into her lungs, causing burning pain. Every breath felt as though it consumed her life. Her legs were growing sore, her waist could barely remain straight, and her heartbeat thundered like a drum. Her strength gradually drained away as she ran, and her speed inevitably began to slow.
Yet the monsters chased her tirelessly, as though they had no limit to their stamina, their hollow and rotten eye sockets fixed directly on her.
The distance between them began to close uncontrollably. The girl could even feel the monsters' foul breath on her back. The fear of being devoured spurred her onward, and she desperately tried to move faster, but a sudden sharp pain shot through her ankle. She tumbled onto the road.
The mass of zombies rushed over her.
The girl closed her eyes in despair.
A terrifying beam of light wrapped in blood-red lightning rose from the end of the road and slashed down toward her. Wherever it passed, enormous numbers of zombies instantly melted away and vanished without a trace.
"Having answered your summons, may I ask if you are my Master?"
A clear male voice sounded above her. The girl looked up blankly. In the distance were columns of smoke and flames rising into the sky. Nearby, a young swordsman stood beneath the sunlight, smiling at her.
The girl's heartbeat seemed to stop for a moment.
"That was a joke, so don't take it seriously." The swordsman smiled brightly and asked gently, "If it's convenient, could you tell me where this is?"
"What was that sword strike called?" For some reason, the first thing the girl asked after recovering her senses was such an inappropriate question.
"Hm? You mean that light beam just now? Its original name is Against My Magnificent Father's Rebellion. I learned it from my Little Mo."
The swordsman's smile remained unchanged. "So, miss, can you tell me where this is?"
"This... this is Canghai City. I-I'm Hua."
"Hua? Canghai City? I've never heard those names." The swordsman thought for a moment, then asked, "What's going on with the monsters in this city?"
"I don't know either. It seemed to turn into this in the blink of an eye."
The girl shook her head, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up sharply. "C-can you save my classmates? I-I..."
Halfway through, her voice gradually fell. "I'm sorry, I lost my composure. I have no right to ask you to do anything. Thank you for saving me."
Hearing that, the swordsman sighed. "This may be a little cruel, but Hua, I came from the other side of the city. Other than you, there probably aren't any living people left in this city."
The girl froze.
She looked at her ankle, swollen like a bun, then at the columns of black smoke rising on the distant horizon, at a complete loss.
"I've just arrived and know nothing about this city. If you don't mind, would you like to try being my guide? The unpaid kind."
The swordsman extended his hand to her.
The girl hesitantly looked at him.
His eyes were clear as a cold mountain spring, yet they carried the maturity and ease of someone who had seen all the vicissitudes of the world. Within his gentle smile was a peculiar charm that made people instinctively want to draw close.
The girl tentatively took his hand.
"Who are you? What's your name? Where did you come from?"
The girl asked him.
The swordsman pulled her to her feet. Hearing her questions, he gave a dashing smile.
"As for me, I once fought the Bakumatsu demon sword Okita Souji atop Kyoto. I once lit the flames of Honnō-ji with my own hands. I once carried the holy banner for France's saintly maiden, and I personally orchestrated Britain's rebellion at Camlann. I know where I came from, but not where I am going. I am merely a homeless wanderer."
"As for my name, call me Ye Ming."
Perhaps it was only an illusion, but in that moment, the girl felt that beneath the swordsman's seemingly carefree smile was a faint, indescribable melancholy.
"Come on. With your foot injured like this, you can't walk. I'll carry you."
And just like that, the girl stayed by Ye Ming's side.
Because of the girl's injured foot, the two temporarily remained in this city where no living people were left.
Ye Ming was very strong, so strong that he could effortlessly destroy the zombie-like monsters with every gesture. For a time, the girl believed that as long as she was with Ye Ming, there was nothing to fear, even in a city of monsters without another living soul.
But that sense of security did not last long. A few days later, the girl discovered that Ye Ming no longer freely swung his light beam around to sweep away monsters. New creatures had gradually begun appearing among the formerly monotonous zombie monsters: beast-like types, types that retained the appearance of human girls. The monsters grew stronger and stronger, while Ye Ming became increasingly cautious. Sometimes, he even deliberately avoided monsters that he could once have dealt with easily in a single strike.
What made the girl even more uneasy was that strange purple patterns had appeared on Ye Ming's hand at some point, and they were slowly spreading.
The girl began to feel uneasy, then afraid. She had already grown accustomed to life with Ye Ming. She feared that something would happen to him, feared that he would disappear. At some point, her concern for Ye Ming had surpassed her fear of death.
Ye Ming seemed to notice her unease and explained with a smile, "Don't worry. This is merely a special phenomenon caused by using my power too often. It has no harmful effects. I've just been a little tired lately. I'll be fine after resting for a day."
"Still, the monsters appearing recently have indeed become a little stronger. Hua, I think we should leave early. Your foot injury..."
"It's already better. I can leave anytime." The girl hurriedly answered, even standing up and taking two steps to show that she was completely fine.
Ye Ming smiled and nodded, pretending not to notice the girl's tightly furrowed brows from the pain.
Where the Sun Rises
Ye Ming's body did not improve as he had claimed.
Although Ye Ming did his best to hide it, the observant girl still noticed the weakness concealed beneath his calm exterior. She also discovered that the purple patterns, which had originally only covered the back of his hand, seemed to have spread to his neck.
The girl was deeply uneasy, but she could only try her best to suppress her emotions so she would not affect Ye Ming.
On the night before they set out, the girl was busy packing after they had finished eating when Ye Ming, sitting beside her, suddenly asked, "Hua, after leaving this city, do you have any goals or wishes you want to fulfill?"
"Wishes?"
The girl hesitated, then shook her head. Right now, she only wanted Ye Ming to remain safe. She only wanted to leave this place with him. She had not thought about anything else.
Ye Ming smiled. "It won't do to have no goals. If you want to live in this world, everyone should have a goal. Only with a goal can people burst forth with powerful courage and motivation. Even when facing a cruel, desperate situation, they can gather their courage and live on tenaciously."
"After all, humanity's hymn is a hymn to courage."
"Hua, right now, set a goal for yourself."
I want to keep following you.
The wish nearly slipped out, but the innocent girl ultimately lacked just a little courage.
"I-I don't know."
The girl's voice was very quiet.
"I see."
Ye Ming looked at the girl with her head lowered, fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Then I'll give you a goal."
Before you continue