Chapter 64-Hostile vessel detected

Chapter 64: 64-Hostile vessel detected

Sunlight streamed into the room through the window, casting light into the dining room.

Aymara was just about to take her first bite when she was interrupted but an alarm.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

A harsh alarm exploded through the dining area, shattering the peaceful moment.

The sound reverberated off the walls, sharp and urgent, while the dishes on the table trembled faintly beneath the vibration.

"What the hell?"

Aymara’s hand stopped halfway to her mouth as the warmth disappeared from her face.

A translucent crimson screen materialized in front of her, its red glow washing over the table and the startled faces around it.

[Warning!]

[Hostile vessel detected.]

[Type: Military-grade submarine.]

[Distance: 18 kilometers.]

[The vessel is approaching the host ship.]

Aymara’s expression went completely cold. Of course someone had to ruin her perfect moment.

It wasn’t the end of the world unless people were suffering and the survivors outsiders were determined to drag her into the mess, whether she liked it or not.

She had finally gotten one peaceful meal with Nathaniel, and trouble had already come knocking. It had not even waited for them to finish their first bite.

’I will not spare you. Whoever you are,’ being interrupted before even having a bite was cruel. She was so hungry.

Across the table, Nathaniel’s expression changed. His fingers tightened around the edge of the table until his knuckles paled, and the color drained from his face.

"Aymara?"

She immediately stood, the legs of her chair scraping against the floor. "Stay calm, Nate."

"Is something wrong?"

Nathaniel glanced around as another alarm echoed through the ship. The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once, vibrating through the walls and beneath their feet. His eyes kept returning to her, as though checking that she was still there.

"What is happening?"

"A hostile submarine is approaching us."

His face paled further. "A submarine?"

He pushed himself to his feet, his chair scraping sharply against the floor in rushed motion "Do we have weapons to defend ourselves?"

Aymara looked at him. Nathaniel’s breathing had quickened, and his hands had curled into tense fists. Despite his attempt to remain composed, fear flickered plainly across his face.

"If we don’t, we can use one of the smaller boats. We can get away before they reach us," he thought of a backup plan. "As long as we are alive, that’s all that matters. We can start over somewhere else," he added.

’My apocalypse vessel is ready and it has more than enough defenses to wade off anything. We can escape there and we’ll be safe," he thought, carefully planning their next living environment in his head.

The concern in his voice made the inside of Aymara’s heart tighten. He was worried because of her and for her because someone had decided to bring trouble to her ship and had placed her in danger simply by approaching them.

Her gaze softened for only a moment. The sight of his frightened face made her chest ache, but it also stirred something steadier beneath the fear: the quiet certainty that he trusted her enough to show her his worry.

Aymara walked around the table towards him. "Nathaniel."

He turned toward her. His calculations stopped for a moment as he waited to hear what her plan was.

Aymara reached him and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. With her other hand, she gave his arm a reassuring pat, feeling the tension locked beneath his sleeve.

"Don’t worry," her voice was calm, steady, and certain. "I’ve got this."

Nathaniel stared at her. His eyes searched her face, as if trying to decide whether he could truly believe her.

"But..."

He held his tongue. He didn’t want to worry her by putting too much weight on what the submarine could mean for their survival.

"Eat," Aymara urged, her voice was extremely calm and she gave him a small smile. "You haven’t even finished your first meal today and you also need to take your medication."

His brows drew together. "Aymara, there’s a hostile submarine..."

"And there will still be one in the future... they’ll always be danger in this lawless world. It doesn’t mean that you get to neglect yourself," her smile disappeared but he didn’t notice because they were standing face to face. "I’ll handle the invaders."

She gave his arm another reassuring pat before stepping away.

"Eat your food. Take your medicine afterward."

Nathaniel watched her. His jaw tightened, and for a moment he looked ready to argue again. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, still resting near his arm, and some of the panic in his expression eased. "You’re really going alone?"

Aymara paused, she looked back at him.

For a second, her eyes held the same softness they always did when she looked at him. "Trust me, I am more than capable of protecting our survival," she let out.

When she turned away from him, the softness on her face vanished, replaced by a colder and far more dangerous expression.

Someone had interrupted her meal with Nathaniel, made him panic before he had even taken his first bite and that alone was enough to make Aymara’s patience disappear.

"I’ll be back soon."

Nathaniel swallowed. His fingers loosened from the table, though worry still shadowed his face. "I’ll wait for you," the words were quiet, but they reached her. "Let me know if you need my help. I’ll have your back."

Aymara’s chest tightened again. She had expected fear from him, questions, perhaps even an attempt to follow her. Instead, he was choosing to trust her, placing his safety in her hands without knowing exactly what she intended to do.

It was just like him to give her exactly what she needs from him without conditions. She gave him a small, reassuring nod.

"Good. Then I’ll hurry up and return to your side."

She turned and walked toward the door. With every step she took away from him, the gentle woman who had been arranging food for Nathaniel moments earlier seemed to disappear.

Her shoulders straightened, her gaze hardened, and the warmth left her face entirely. The soft white dress and pearl jewelry remained, but the woman wearing them had changed.

By the time she reached the corridor, there was not a trace of the woman who had been blushing over Nathaniel less than an hour ago.

Only the owner of the strongest survival ship in the ocean remained and whoever was approaching her ship was about to learn exactly what it meant to get on her bad side.

"System, show me what I am up against."

The system’s blue screen expanded before Aymara’s eyes. The previous warning disappeared, replaced by a detailed satellite image of the ocean surrounding their ship.

Aymara’s gaze sharpened as the image zoomed in. A large submarine appeared beneath the dark surface, its metallic body moving steadily through the water toward them. The system highlighted the vessel in red, marking it as a hostile target.

[Hostile Vessel Analysis in Progress...]

[Target: Submarine]

[Distance: 18.2 kilometers]

[Estimated Crew: 30–35 men and women]

Aymara’s eyes narrowed. That was at least thirty people that are coming for her.

The system switched views. The satellite image transformed into a detailed internal scan, revealing the submarine’s compartments and the people moving inside them.

Aymara could see men stationed throughout the vessel: some monitoring screens, others moving between compartments, while several appeared to be checking equipment and weapons.

She counted them carefully and they were exactly thirty three. Before long another figure appeared on the screen and her brows furrowed.

There were more people than she had initially expected. Aymara’s gaze moved over the submarine again, taking in every detail the system revealed and then she shifted her attention to the weapons.

"Show me everything they’ve got in terms of weapons."

The blue screen responded instantly.

[Scanning weapon systems...]

A series of highlighted markers appeared across the submarine.

[Weapons detected.]

[Torpedo systems: Active.]

[Heavy machine guns: Detected.]

[Explosive ordnance: Detected.]

[Close-range firearms: Detected.]

Aymara’s expression grew colder. They weren’t ordinary survivors desperately searching for food. They were armed, heavily armed and judging by their approach, they weren’t coming to exchange friendly greetings.

Her eyes narrowed further as another section of the scan appeared. The system went on with the report.

[Defensive armor: Reinforced.]

[Submarine propulsion: Fully operational.]

[Communication systems: Active.]

[Crew condition: Combat-ready.]

Aymara stared at the screen. "So that’s what we’re dealing with," her fingers slowly curled into fists. "No matter who you are or what you want... I’ll show no mercy!"