But all these people around him were counting on him... Grace Johnson's hand, gripping the leg of the chair, was trembling uncontrollably, yet the look in her eyes as she gazed at him was always full of trust.

William Scott glanced over at her, and only then did he notice the many bruises on her arms and knees.

Usually, the “young lady” who would make a fuss over even a paper cut, now didn’t utter a single complaint about the pain...

Noticing William Scott looking at her, Grace Johnson curved her eyes and gave him a slight smile.

“A sound? What sound?” a boy who had been following William Scott asked in confusion.

Although he no longer dared to doubt William Scott's words, rationally he was still like most people, unable to imagine what might happen.

The others were actually much the same; after all, the cruise ship was filled with a post-disaster, everyone-celebrating atmosphere...

And fundamentally, they really hoped that William Scott was just overthinking things.

They were all ordinary college students—no one wanted to face anything even weirder than what they’d already been through!

William Scott didn’t answer, just made a gesture for silence...

After several “people” were pulled up onto the deck by ropes, some enthusiastic tourists immediately gathered around, expressing concern and asking:

“Excuse me, did you see my friend? She’s about this tall, wearing a floral bikini...”

“By the way, why did you all go to the island?”

“I saw a few crew members—were they the ones who took you there? So you went to the island to seek help?”

“What’s on the island?”

“Everyone, quiet down! Can’t you see they’re all injured? Let them sit down!”

“Yeah, those wounds look really serious...”

Yet amid all the chatter, these “people” just stared at them in silence.

The way they looked at people, their expressions, were almost identical.

As their eyes moved, it was as if they were observing every move these people made.

A middle-aged woman reached out to grab the arm of the man in the couple: “Young man, don’t just stand there, look at your injuries...”

Crack.

Everyone instantly fell silent.

The middle-aged woman froze, her face ashen.

The man looked curiously at everyone’s reaction, then followed their gaze to his own arm.

His hand... had been pulled off...

But instead of blood spurting from the severed part, a thick, viscous substance, like a mixture of fat and blood, oozed out...

A full two seconds passed before the middle-aged woman suddenly let out a piercing scream, dropped the arm she had “pulled” off, and tried to back away: “Ah!!!”

“We jump!” William Scott said immediately.

The man seemed to realize something from the woman’s reaction. He suddenly lunged forward, and with his severed hand, stabbed it into the woman’s abdomen.

His body began to “collapse” at a speed visible to the naked eye, while the gelatinous substance seemed to come alive, burrowing into the woman’s body.

In her wide, terrified eyes, her abdomen immediately swelled, the skin on her belly writhing as if worms were crawling beneath it.

Soon, these “worms” spread throughout her body. The man, unlike what William Scott had “seen” before, did not die, but with half his body nearly completely rotted, he pulled out his severed arm.

The woman convulsed all over, and when she calmed down again, her expression was exactly the same as the other “injured.”

“Don’t just stand there.” She moved her mouth a few times, then squeezed out the same words she’d just said, in a dry, lifeless tone.

This all happened so quickly that it wasn’t until the woman turned to look at them that the people around finally snapped out of their shock.

“Look at your injuries.”

“M-monster!”

With screams, everyone began to scatter and flee.

But on a stationary cruise ship, where could they possibly run...

At this moment, more “injured” were climbing up the ropes, and chaos erupted on the deck.

Once a group of tourists was turned into one of “them,” the rate of spread immediately multiplied exponentially...

The man who seemed to have “melted” didn’t attack again, but instead turned his head, looking around.

These people all reacted similarly, but earlier he had seen one whose reaction was a bit different.

Suddenly, he sniffed the air, then looked past the deck to the other side of the cruise ship...

After shouting “Jump,” William Scott immediately pulled Grace Johnson over the railing, took a deep breath, and jumped down.

Emily Carter, after showing a hint of nervousness, also closed her eyes and leapt.

The boy who had asked the question hesitated briefly, confused, and looked back.

But that single glance made his blood run cold.

A figure suddenly leapt down from above the cabin, knocking him to the ground with precision.

The figure raised its head, and the face, just inches away, was still peeling off piece by piece.