The heavy haze of sleep gradually lifted, carried away by the warm evening breeze.
Li Xiang woke to the gentle sound of waves outside the window.
She slowly opened her heavy eyelids to the familiar wooden ceiling of the cabin.
A safe, peaceful place, without the damp, earthy smell of the rainforest...
Everything around her was quiet and settled, the ship rocking gently.
She blinked in a daze as the jumble of memories slowly came back to her.
Finally, we were safe...
The tension that had gripped her for days finally drained away.
The cabin door opened softly, and Gen stepped inside with some warm water. The moment he saw that Li Xiang was awake, joy lit up his face, and he hurried to her bedside.
"You're finally awake. You had everyone so worried."
He carefully helped Li Xiang sit up and brought the warm cup to her lips.
Li Xiang tilted her head back slightly and took small sips of water.
The warm water soothed her dry, hoarse throat, easing much of her discomfort and even relieving some of the tightness in her chest.
But as she raised her hand, a faint pain shot through her wrist. Along with the lingering heat in her body, it made her realize what had happened.
The wound must have gotten infected earlier, which brought on the fever.
Li Xiang lowered her eyes to her bandaged wrist, lightly brushing the fabric with her fingertips. Once she felt a little calmer, she asked about their current progress.
"What... is everyone doing now?"
Gen sat beside the bed and patiently explained.
"Senku already knows Why Man's exact location. Since the rainforest terrain is so difficult, we need to build a batch of motorcycles to get in there."
At the mention of Why Man, Li Xiang's