《Grand Voyage : Surviving on a Ghost Ship》 Ch. 1 - Grand Voyage A peculiar voice echoed in Yang Yi''s mind."Welcome to the National Maritime Survival Game, where you will spend the rest of your life at sea¡­ To give everyone a relatively fair starting point, the system will rid you of any physical illness or disability. Whether you become a nameless lowlife or a renowned hero¡­ Whether you sail freely or cower in fear under someone else¡¯s boot¡­ It¡¯s all up to you¡­ The sea offers you unlimited possibilities! Be cautious about only one thing¡­ Never let yourself be engulfed by the haunting black fog¡­ It currently has a speed of 10 knots. Keep moving onwards!¡± Yang Yi woke up and found himself lying on an old, dusty bed. He tried to sit up, but coughed violently due to the dust. Looking around, he realised he was in a narrow, dimly lit, dilapidated house. Not far away, there was a table with a dried-up skeleton lying on it. Its left hand still gripped a rusty flintlock gun, and since most of the skull was missing, he had probably died by suicide. "What¡­is this?" Instead of showing fear, Yang Yi looked at his thin hands. He actually stood up; this was nothing short of a miracle! Just a few minutes ago, he was still a terminally ill patient, but now he had somehow recovered his health! Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of twelve, his condition deteriorated over the years, and by his twenties, he was completely bedridden. This didn¡¯t make him give up on his life. He played games using only his mouth and supported himself through streaming until the age of twenty-five. As he often played horror games, he wasn¡¯t fazed by the sight of a motionless skeleton. "What the voice said is true!" Yang Yi said to himself, looking out the window. There lay an endless ocean, with waves occasionally lapping against the shore. At that moment, the peculiar voice sounded again. ¡°Everyone should know where they¡¯ve ended up! You are all at sea, each separated by over 500 nautical miles, and will not meet for a long time. There''s no land! Near you, there should be a small booklet named the Sailing Log. It has many good functions and allows you all to communicate. It¡¯s up to you to find out what else it can do. Further announcements will be made to everyone. Please stay tuned..." The voice disappeared. Yang Yi looked down and noticed the palm sized booklet the voice had just mentioned. It constantly emitted a faint glow, seemingly breathing. Yang Yi picked it up and opened it. The first page listed the rules: ¡¾1. No one is allowed to board your ship without permission.¡¿ ¡¾2. Your belongings will never be stolen unless you are dead.¡¿ ¡¾3. Every ship is equipped with grappling hooks, which can last indefinitely. Use them to catch floating items!¡¿ ¡¾4. You need to continuously upgrade your ship and make it safe enough to sail.¡¿ ¡¾5. Beware of the black fog at night; once you fall into it, you¡¯re dead.¡¿ ¡¾6. The booklet is bound to your soul and can be read in your mind.¡¿ ¡¾7. At sea, you will never feel lonely.¡¿ The booklet was quite similar to a game system, and Yang Yi quickly flipped through it. The second page showed the weather forecast for the next three days, which he temporarily skipped. The third page contained information about him: Name: Yang Yi Status: Healthy (A human body diagram is shown, all green) (The average adult attribute value is 5, which can be improved to 10 through training.) (Attribute 10 is the limit for ordinary humans.) Strength: 3 (0/50) Spirit: 7+1 (0/8000) (The higher the spirit, the higher the resistance to madness, and the faster sanity recovers.) Agility: 4 (0/100) Constitution: 3 (0/50) Perception: 5 (0/200) Sanity: 100/100 (Sanity below 50 leads to madness, below 30 leads to suicidal thoughts, below 10¡­) Energy: 100/100 (Energy below 50 leads to fatigue, below 30 may cause fainting.) Vitality: 100/100 Talent: Steel Will: You never give up. Spirit cap +1, sanity will never drop below 1 point, and you will not commit suicide. When sanity drops significantly (below 50), you enter a frenzied state. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi looked at the attribute interface, feeling somewhat relieved. With such attributes, it would not be too difficult for him to improve them. ¡­ He continued to read the Sailing Log, reaching the chat channels. They were divided into world chat, regional chat, and private chat. The world channel was the liveliest, with people speaking nonstop. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± ¡°What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°I was just taking a dump, didn¡¯t even wipe yet, and suddenly I¡¯m on a ship!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my own here, does anyone have a phone? Help me call the police!¡± ¡°To whoever kidnapped me, do you know who my dad is?!¡± ¡°Maybe your dad came along too!¡± ¡°Son, is that you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blindly claim relatives!¡± ¡°My broken hand is actually healed!!¡± ¡°I can feel pain¡­this isn¡¯t a dream!¡± The number of people online was astronomical, it was likely everyone had been pulled in. Yang Yi didn¡¯t rush to speak, instead, he observed and gathered information from the messages. Each person could only send 10 messages in the world chat a day. After that, they¡¯d have to fork out a hundred shell coins per message. Yang Yi didn¡¯t know what this currency was, only that he certainly didn¡¯t have any. Ten minutes passed, and the chaotic messages gradually decreased. The conversation became more purposeful. ¡°Do your manuals have 7 rules as well?¡± ¡°Looking for a group; anyone wants to team up?¡± ¡°The distance is too far; grouping up is impossible without exact coordinates!¡± ¡°We should share information and help each other! ¡°Have you checked your ships yet? I found a piece of equipment.¡± Below was the equipment information. ¡¾Name: Blood-stained Harpoon¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ (Item levels: Common, Good, Excellent, Rare, Epic, Heroic, Master.....) ¡¾Description: Very sharp, can cause slight damage to abyssal monsters and enrage them.¡¿ Note: Using relics carries the risk of reducing sanity. The world channel exploded. ¡°What are abyssal monsters? Are there monsters in this world?¡± ¡°I found nothing but some freshwater, bread, and vegetables in the cabin. ¡°Vegetables? I only have sausages.¡± Vegetables were much more precious than meat at sea. ¡°How about your ships. Are they big? Mine is over a hundred metres. Too big¡­¡± ¡°What?! My ship is barely ten!¡± That person quickly sent their ship information. ¡¾Iron Heart: Level 1, Durability 5000/5000, Capacity 8000 units, Speed 5 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skills: Full Fire: Cannon fire rate increases to 200% for 15 minutes. ¡¾Triple Whale Spear: Can penetrate and latch onto an object.¡¿ ¡¾Description: Its speed may not be fast, but yours better be!¡¿ ¡°Damn! This game is totally unfair, his ship has cannons at level 1!¡± ¡°Special ships have skills; my ship is a useless piece of crap.¡± ¡°I want to reroll, is there a cash shop? I have plenty of money!¡± ¡°Are you all fools? His ship¡¯s speed is only 5 knots, slower than the black mist!¡± ¡°Right, the black mist is 10 knots! He¡¯s done for, hahaha!¡± At this moment, an announcement popped up. ¡¾Maritime Announcement: Your starting conditions are all different but absolutely fair. The ships and starting positions are pre-set, no objections!¡¿ ¡°Who believes that? That can¡¯t be right! Someone starts with weapons; I only have food!¡± ¡°While others hoard food, I hoard guns. Others are just my food supply!¡± ¡°So monsters spawn near those with cannons, but not near you?¡± Yang Yi closed the log and started searching the room. He found a flintlock in the skeleton¡¯s hand. ¡¾Name: Water-Soaked Rusty Flintlock¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: This was once a masterpiece, but after soaking in water for too long, it has rusted severely. It has a 10% chance of firing, dealing moderate damage to abyssal monsters. This gun doesn¡¯t require bullets and has an auto-reload time of one minute, with a capacity of one round.¡¿ ¡°Excellent equipment?¡± Yang Yi¡¯s expression became frosty. As the announcement said, the starting conditions were fair. So, getting this gun, wouldn¡¯t it mean a hellish start? He pushed aside the skeleton on the table, finding a rotten piece of paper with a couple legible words. ¡°...no supplies left on the ship, I can only try fishing¡­ ¡­luckily, caught a tiger grouper today, enough for two days... ...hehe, caught an antique handgun. The sound is strange, but looks valuable!¡± There was a large bloodstain at the end, only the last line remained visible. ¡°How could there be such a thing in the sea?¡± Yang Yi frowned slightly, then stood up and walked out of the captain¡¯s cabin. He carefully looked at his ship. Ch. 2 - Ghost Ship Nightmare ¡¾Nightmare: Level 1, Durability 300/300, Capacity 400 units, Speed 40 knots¡¿¡¾Skills: Nightmare: Sleeping on this ship will cause nightmares, reducing energy recovery efficiency by 75%. Angler''s Curse: This ship is cursed, and normal fish cannot be caught.¡¿ ¡¾Description: After drifting at sea for centuries, the Nightmare has finally welcomed its new master...¡¿ After Yang Yi finished reading the ship''s information, his face turned grim. This is a ghost ship. The hull was covered in barnacles and seaweed, indicating it hadn''t been cleaned in years. The deck was also wet, creaking with every step. He had played many horror games. In scenes like this, there was a high chance of encountering monsters! Fortunately, after a thorough search, he found no living being. Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t want to start the game with an intense battle against some mysterious creature. He had also figured out the ship''s layout. It was about twelve metres long, composed of the helm, captain''s cabin, deck, and cargo hold. The helm was on a platform at the bow, providing a good view. Behind it was the captain''s cabin, containing a bed and simple furniture. Further back was the midship, with a tall mast. The stern housed the cargo hold, which led to the ship''s interior, used for storing goods. Yang Yi inspected the cargo hold, finding it empty except for a musty, unpleasant smell. He started off with no supplies... After all, this ghost ship had been drifting for who knows how many years. If it had food and drink, that would be strange! Yang Yi opened his logbook and continued checking the world chat, curious about others'' discoveries. Most people were showing off their ships. The majority had ordinary vessels, but some stood out. ¡¾Swift Wind: Level 1, Durability 800/800, Capacity 500 units, Speed 70 knots¡¿ ¡¾Skill: Breaking Waves: Increases ship speed by 100% for 5 minutes.¡¿ ¡¾Description: You won''t even be able to breathe, trust me!¡¿ This seemed to be the fastest ship so far. Other ordinary ships, depending on their size, had speeds ranging from 30 to 40 knots. Larger ships generally had higher durability but slower speeds. Yang Yi''s Nightmare had a mid-to-high speed. ¡¾Cherry: Level 1, Durability 1000/1000, Capacity 1000 units, Speed 35 knots¡¿ ¡¾Skill: Blessed Light: The cherry blossom tree on the ship emits an evolving light, occasionally changing the attributes of the crew, potentially causing evolution!¡¿ ¡¾Description: Let''s hope the crew remains human.¡¿ The world chat fell silent for a few seconds after this information appeared. "Haha, my ship is awesome. I feel like I''m evolving!" S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Are you sure it''s not a mutation?" "Cherry, right? You better sail fast and avoid me, or I''ll shove my cannon up your XX!" The speaker was from the Iron Heart, who had revealed his ship''s name. He also posted a photo, taken from the logbook''s screenshot feature. It was a steel warship, armed to the teeth, with twenty cannons on each side, boasting immense firepower. But considering its speed was only five knots, everyone burst into laughter. "Idiot! Try surviving until tomorrow first." "Damn it! Just wait and see!" The chat was filled with meaningless insults, many of which were censored. "It seems that no matter the language, the system translates it into the user''s native tongue..." Yang Yi silently typed: "Count me in!" Then he continued scrolling and finally found something interesting. "Have any of you tried fishing?" "Quiet, I''m fishing right now!" "Finding out we can fish makes me not want to die anymore." "I fish once a week, and each time I fish for a week!" "I just set up my fishing spot." "Your ship is moving, how can you set up a fishing spot, idiot?" "Damn! Why didn''t you say so earlier? I wasted my black bread!" "Guess what I caught? A bottle of Nongfu Spring water!" Yang Yi''s eyes lit up. If he could catch freshwater, that would be great. His ship also had a fishing rod, lying on the deck. ¡¾Name: Barnacle-Covered Moldy Fishing Rod¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Trust me, you won''t like what it catches. Reduces the chance of catching normal fish, slightly increases the chance of catching unknown items.¡¿ "This unknown item might include freshwater!" Yang Yi guessed. But before fishing, he needed to adjust the ship''s course and speed. Currently, without a specific goal, he planned to sail forwards at full speed in the default direction. There was a black line on the horizon, likely the boundary of the black fog. So, heading forwards shouldn''t be wrong. Controlling the ship was simple, as it required no special skills and was controlled by magic. He just needed to hold the helm to change the ship''s direction and operate it if needed. It felt similar to playing a sailing game. Players could use grappling hooks to grab passing items. As for power... Yang Yi looked at the mast, which had some tattered cloth hanging from it. He decided not to think about it and focused on grabbing floating objects. ¡¾Rotten Wood +1¡¿ ¡¾Rotten Wood +1¡¿ ¡¾Tattered Cloth +1¡¿ ¡¾Rotten Wood +1¡¿ The log kept popping up with new activity messages. The gameplay was like a dynamic version of "Gold Miner". Items grabbed would be converted into resources and stored in the cargo hold, viewable in the log. Each piece of rotten wood had a chance to be converted into one unit of lumber, and each piece of tattered cloth into one unit of fabric. Yang Yi estimated the conversion rate to be less than 10%. Grabbing ten pieces of rotten wood would yield about one unit of lumber. If he intentionally grabbed better-looking driftwood, the probability would be higher. Yang Yi caught over a hundred floating objects, gathering a total of five units of lumber and three units of fabric in three hours. Not very efficient. But this was a skill-based activity, and proficiency would improve efficiency. These lumber and fabric could be used to upgrade the ship. To upgrade his ship to level 2, Yang Yi needed the following materials: ¡¾Lumber 200, Fabric 100, Captain''s Remains¡¿ He knew what these remains were ¡ª likely the skeleton in the captain''s cabin. So, the skeleton couldn''t be discarded. Collecting so much lumber and fabric would take at least a week, conservatively. And this was just a level 1 ship. As levels increased, it would probably get harder. But upgrading a ship required¡­ Yang Yi realised that special ships might have unusual upgrade materials. He quickly checked the chat and found this to be true. Ordinary ships required fewer materials to upgrade. They only needed Lumber 100 and Fabric 50, no remains. As for the Iron Heart...it needed steel to upgrade. "Damn! Where can I find steel in the ocean? How am I supposed to upgrade?" "As everyone knows, iron sinks faster than water, lying at the bottom of the sea." "Fishermen can catch anything! I just caught a unit of steel!" "Huh?" "High-priced purchase of steel! Whoever gives me steel, I''ll take them as my little brother." "Idiot! You''re still thinking about steel? Try surviving until tomorrow! The black fog is catching up to you!" "Cherry, right? Don''t hide! Just wait, don''t let me catch you!" Yang Yi closed the logbook. It seemed special ships weren''t all advantageous, as their upgrade difficulty was higher, likely causing them to lag in levels. He picked up the fishing rod, ready to start fishing. Ch. 3 - You call this a fish? Today''s Weather: The sky is clear. Not a cloud in sight ¡ª perfect weather for fishing!Location: Sea of Origins Remaining Daylight: 5 hours Temperature: 12~20¡ãC Wind Strength: Level 1 Yang Yi took a deep breath and checked his status. Sanity: 100/100 Energy: 90/100 He used the simple crafting function in the logbook to create a basic spear with 5 pieces of wood, just in case. He secured the flintlock pistol at his waist. That way, if he caught something big later, he could subdue it by force. As the logbook said, bait would improve efficiency but wasn¡¯t a strictly necessary requirement for fishing. All preparations were complete. Now...let''s fish! Yang Yi cast the line. The hook traced an arc as it landed in the sea. He wasn''t very skilled at fishing; however...he had plenty of time to learn! After fifteen minutes, the float remained motionless. Yang Yi opened the global chat channel to see what other fishermen had caught, to set his expectations. "Did you guys know I had a bite? 100cm!" A photo of a large bass accompanied the message. "Who asked you?!" "I caught a big one too!" "How big?" "Huge. Couldn¡¯t even reel it in!" "Then why say anything at all?" ¡­ Yang Yi scrolled up and finally found an interesting message. "Be careful when fishing. If something seems off, cut the line immediately. There''s no penalty as long as you don''t lose the rod. The line regenerates infinitely." "What did you catch?" "It looked like a person. I cut it right away." "A mermaid, perhaps? You released your wife!" "That thing was definitely strange. You can tell by looking at my rod." ¡¾**Name: **Refined Carbon Fiber Fishing Rod¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Grade: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: An excellent fishing rod that can be passed down to your grandchildren. Increases fishing efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and slightly raises the chance of catching something unusual.¡¿ "Nice rod! Mine¡¯s just a standard one." "Be grateful! I¡¯m a seasoned fisherman, and I don¡¯t even have a rod yet. I¡¯m still using a grappling hook. A basic fishing rod needs ten pieces of wood to craft!" S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Quit being jealous! Check out my boat." ¡¾**Name: **Fisherman''s Boat, Level 1, Durability 345/400, Capacity 500 Units, Speed 25 knots¡¿ ¡¾Skill: None¡¿ ¡¾Description: It¡¯s not sturdy and lacks skills, but it makes you look like a real fisherman.¡¿ Seeing the small boat with a speed of 25 knots, half the people stopped being envious. "Why is your boat¡¯s durability down?" "I just pulled up a three-metre great white shark; it nearly swallowed me¡­ Now, I cut the line on anything big. You never know who¡¯s going to eat whom!" ... Yang Yi kept scrolling and discovered that fishing here could yield not just fish but also other strange items, including treasure chests, freshwater, and more. "I caught a treasure chest!" "A treasure chest? What¡¯s inside?" "Secret!" "You guys are catching fish, and I haven¡¯t seen a single one yet! All I¡¯ve caught are socks, a farmer¡¯s punch, and even a balloon." "A farmer¡¯s punch¡­?" "Is this balloon legit? It better not be used!" ... Yang Yi was prepared ¡ª if something unusual surfaced, he would cut the line. A few minutes later, the float finally started to move as if something was biting. Yang Yi held his breath, focusing intently. He had a spear and a pistol on hand, so as long as it was a fish, it would be fine... The float sank. Now! Yang Yi yanked the rod, his eyes fixed on the deep blue sea. He didn¡¯t see any large shadows, and with a quick pull, the catch was hauled out of the water effortlessly, offering little resistance. What he pulled up was a small fish, about the width of his thumb. It was about three centimetres long, streamlined like an ordinary sardine. However, it was odd. It sported four long legs, about five centimetres each, on its sides. ¡°Is this...a fish?¡± Yang Yi was shocked, locking eyes with the strange creature that was standing upright in front of him. ¡¾You discovered a strange fish. Sanity decreased by 2 points.¡¿ A beat after, the fish used its long legs to try and escape back into the sea, but Yang Yi quickly struck it dead with his spear. ¡¾Name: Long-Legged Sardine¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A species from the abyss. It¡¯s said that eating it regularly can give you long legs. Edible, non-toxic, and delicious, but consuming it requires courage as it might lower sanity.¡¿ Yang Yi picked up the fish, which weighed less than 100 grams. Its four pale, long legs were already broken. With a structure identical to human legs, they felt springy to the touch. ¡°Can this be eaten?¡± Yang Yi recalled the ship¡¯s skill ¡ª Curse of the Angler: You will not catch normal fish. He used the logbook to take a picture of the fish and shared it on the global channel. ¡°Has anyone else caught a fish like this?¡± A single stone stirred up a thousand waves. ¡°Whoa, what is that thing? Mental pollution! Sanity -8.¡± ¡°You call that a fish?¡± ¡°Why did you hurt my eyes? Sanity -10!¡± ¡°Blocked!¡± ¡°Blocked!¡± ¡°Never want to see it again!¡± Yang Yi was instantly blocked by over a billion people, all of whom lost some sanity. However, someone sent him a private message. ¡°Is the sea around you black? Leave quickly, or you might get attacked by some unspeakable creatures!¡± Yang Yi glanced at the bright blue sea beneath his boat, feeling somewhat speechless. ¡°No, my ship is a ghost ship...¡± ¡°Wow, impressive! Let¡¯s be friends!¡± Captain Xu Da of the Swift Wind sent a friend request. Yang Yi accepted; making friends didn¡¯t cost anything. ¡°You shouldn''t post pictures like that again. My sanity is down to 54. Any lower, and I¡¯ll go mad.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Yang Yi also realised the seriousness of the situation, but for the sake of food and water, he had to keep fishing! ¡¾You caught a Long-Legged Sardine.¡¿ ¡¾You caught a Long-Legged Sardine.¡¿ ¡¾You caught a Long-Legged Sardine with a missing leg.¡¿ ¡°SHIT!¡± ¡¾Your sanity decreased by 1.¡¿ Yang Yi felt like the system gave him an abnormal ship on purpose. Fishing these god-forsaken creatures would have already driven other people mad. After three hours, he had only caught a total of eight Long-Legged Sardines, and hadn¡¯t seen a drop of freshwater! Where¡¯s that farmer¡¯s punch everyone mentioned? Without food, a person can survive for over a week. Without water, a person will die in three to five days, unless...they drink their own urine! Yang Yi simply didn¡¯t want to reach that point! And so, with a new-found resolve, he grabbed a Long-Legged Sardine to use as bait and began his next round of fishing. Ch. 4 - Waterlogged Treasure Chest After over an hour of fishing, the sky began to darken. The first night was approaching.Yang Yi¡¯s stomach growled, and the long-legged sardines scattered nearby started to look appetising. However, eating them would likely cost him some sanity. Unless it were absolutely necessary, he wouldn¡¯t eat them. Besides, there was no stove on the ship, so he¡¯d have to eat them raw. Nuh-uh. Just then, the bobber started to twitch, and Yang Yi¡¯s spirits lifted. With a strong pull, he reeled in a black fish. This time, the fish didn¡¯t have long legs; instead, it was covered in spikes, and its slimy, swollen body oozed black, foul-smelling pus as it hit the deck. ¡¾This fish is disgusting, your sanity decreases by 2.¡¿ Before Yang Yi could even stab it with his spear, the fish died on its own. ¡¾Name: Cystic Spiny Pufferfish¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A deep-sea fish whose bodily fluids are highly toxic. No one would eat this unless they have a death wish.¡¿ "Poisonous?" Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare touch it directly, so he skewered it with his spear and tossed it into the ship¡¯s hold. He also made sure to stab it a few more times until the tip of the spear was coated in black, turning it into a poisonous wooden spear. The sky was getting darker, with less than an hour left before nightfall. The system had emphasised that night would be dangerous, so Yang Yi didn¡¯t plan on fishing after dark. But just as he was putting away his fishing rod and preparing to head to the captain¡¯s quarters, a peculiar object floated by on the sea. It was a chest ¡ª to be precise, a treasure chest about the size of a briefcase ¡ª drifting past the side of the Nightmare ship. Yang Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately went to the helm, turning the ship around to chase after the chest. This was an opportunity that couldn¡¯t be missed! He manoeuvred the ship¡¯s grappling hook to snatch the chest. It almost seemed alive, as it was slippery and constantly dodged his attempts. After much effort, he finally managed to grab it and rushed into the hold to inspect it. ¡¾Name: Waterlogged Rotten Wood Chest¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure Chest¡¿ ¡¾Description: This may not be the kind of treasure chest you were hoping for.¡¿ Yang Yi was cautious, holding his flintlock pistol in one hand and using his spear to pry open the chest. Inside was...a severed head. It was bald and sported greyish-blue skin, seemingly covered in a layer of slime. As soon as the chest opened, the head reacted, its murky eyes opening as it spoke. ¡°Good evening. Could I trouble you for a few minutes to introduce you to the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord?¡± ¡¾You cannot comprehend its words, your sanity decreases by 5.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s scalp tingled, his body trembling slightly. ¡°Good evening. Could I...¡± In the next moment, the head leaped out, revealing its true form ¡ª a squid with a human head. It lunged at Yang Yi, extending his mass of writhing tentacles, and revealed a beak-like mouth filled with sharp teeth, ready to bite him. But before it could, it was met with a... Bang! The gun didn¡¯t misfire this time. The gunshot rang out, muffled and heavy, like the growl of a monster. The squid exploded into pieces, reduced to a heap of flesh. ¡¾Hearing the strange gunshot, your sanity decreases by 3.¡¿ Yang Yi felt a surge of frustration and nausea but quickly checked his status. Sanity: 88/100 Energy: 62/100 Health: 100/100 It seemed that losing sanity could mess with one¡¯s mind. Fortunately, Yang Yi¡¯s mental strength was incredibly high, his willpower as tough as steel. He quickly regained his composure and examined the remains of the creature. ¡¾Name: Human-Headed Octopus¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food/Material¡¿ ¡¾Description: A deep-sea species. Do not attempt to understand its words; they are merely a distraction to catch you off guard. But if you do understand it¡­well, good luck. Edible, can be used as material, mildly toxic. Eating it temporarily increases Strength by +1, Constitution by +1, Spirit -1, Sanity -20.¡¿ ¡¾Note: Cannot exceed the mortal limit for attributes, which is 10.¡¿ This thing still had some value. Yang Yi gathered the pieces of flesh and continued to inspect the inside of the chest. There were some corroded coins, one of which he took out. It had a shell engraved on one side and a cartoonish octopus head on the other. ¡°You¡¯ve obtained 100 shell coins.¡± Aside from these, the chest was empty. What about the freshwater? Shell coins couldn¡¯t be drunk! Night was falling fast. Yang Yi tossed the captain¡¯s remains into the hold and returned to the captain¡¯s quarters. He had no intention of fishing or catching anything during the night. The system had warned that the night would be dangerous, and he didn¡¯t want to take unnecessary risks right at the start. As for water, he would try again tomorrow. Foodwise, he didn¡¯t mind eating the long-legged sardines if it came down to it! To survive, Yang Yi was willing to eat some strange things, as long as they provided protein and energy. He had never been one to give up easily. Not before, and certainly not now! He lied on the old, musty bed, tossing and turning. It was damp and smelt of mildew, making it uncomfortable. He had no other choice. Night had fully fallen. Only the faint light of the moon shone through. Apart from the sound of the waves and the wind, there was nothing else. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t sleepy, so he opened the world channel. "Grappling hooks can catch treasure chests," he posted. This information wasn¡¯t really that valuable, as anyone who saw a treasure chest would surely try to catch it. But sharing it could earn him goodwill and more information. ¡°It¡¯s true. I also caught a wooden resource chest and got 1 unit of steel, 20 units of wood, and 20 units of cloth.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re close to upgrading your ship; lucky you!¡± ¡°Heh heh... I caught a bronze equipment chest and got a treasure!¡± ¡¾Name: A bloodstained pearl necklace¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: It was once a bride¡¯s dowry...her soul is still searching for it. Wearing it increases Agility +1, Spirit -1, and lowers Sanity cap by 5.¡¿ ¡°Uh...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s really a treasure...¡± ¡°You¡¯re just jealous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so dark, my ship doesn¡¯t have lights ¡ª I probably need to upgrade it.¡± ¡°No blankets either; I¡¯m freezing!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep!¡± ¡°Have you noticed the waves getting bigger on the surface?¡± ¡°The rougher the waves, the more expensive the fish. Let¡¯s go fishing, brothers!¡± ¡°Night fishing +1.¡± ¡°+2.¡± ¡­ ¡°+10086.¡± ¡°Has anyone else heard singing? It¡¯s really beautiful.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t scare me. Where would the singing be coming from in the middle of the ocean?¡± ¡°I see her, it¡¯s a beautiful woman singing¡­ So sexy. She¡¯s waving at me!¡± ¡°Dude, check your sanity! That¡¯s a siren, oh crap!¡± ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful, she¡¯s swimming towards me!¡± ¡°Bro, get into the captain¡¯s quarters and lock the door!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over; he¡¯s already been charmed.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Dude, are you still there? It¡¯s late, don¡¯t scare us like this!¡± ¡°Hello?¡± No more messages came from that user... Yang Yi frowned. The system¡¯s warnings were not baseless. He listened closely, but heard no singing. He got up and cautiously opened the door to the captain¡¯s quarters. The door of this ghost ship was old and decayed, with a broken lock that was just for show. He cracked the door open and carefully observed the outside, bathed by the moonlight. After a few minutes, as there were no signs of movement, he dashed out, heading to the bow of the ship, and adjusted the speed to ten knots. Slowing down the speed could reduce the chance of encountering monsters. If something were to happen while he was asleep, he would be defenceless! But staying in place wasn¡¯t a good option either. Yang Yi believed that a speed of ten knots was just right. It kept a safe distance from the black fog behind him. After setting everything up, he returned to the captain¡¯s quarters, placing the flintlock pistol on the bedside table and leaning the spear against the wall. He watched the chat channel for a while longer before finally drifting off to sleep with faint whispers echoing in his ears. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. His brow furrowed, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Was he trapped in a nightmare? Ch. 5 - The First Nightmare The first night at sea was destined to be sleepless.Yang Yi didn''t know how long he had been lying there before finally drifting off to sleep. He tossed, turned, and had cold sweat constantly breaking out on his forehead. He was having a nightmare. At the same time, in the hold of the Nightmare ship, the captain¡¯s skeletal remains suddenly stirred. The bones began to tremble, and a ghostly fire ignited within the shattered skull. Creak! Creak! The bones scraped and rattled against each other as the skeleton stood up. It walked out of the hold, slowly making its way towards the captain''s quarters at the bow of the ship, gently pushing the door open. Inside, Yang Yi was still deep in sleep, occasionally turning over. The skeleton stared at Yang Yi for a long time before its gaze was drawn to a barnacle-encrusted fishing rod nearby. It walked over and picked up said fishing rod. Without lingering, it exited the room and headed to the relatively spacious middle deck, where it began to fish. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Several minutes later, something bit the hook. A pale, swollen hand reached out from the sea and grabbed the fishing line¡­ Yang Yi was still having a nightmare. "Ah!" He suddenly woke up, clutching his abdomen. After confirming there was no injury, he let out a long sigh of relief. Just moments ago, he had dreamt of a bloated corpse silently pushing open the door and walking in. The dream was overly vivid, as if he had actually seen it with his own eyes. He remembered the sound of the corpse moving. Squish, squish! It was like a wet mop slapping against the floor. By the time Yang Yi woke up, the corpse was right in front of him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the flintlock pistol by his bedside and fired at the corpse. Click! The gun misfired. In the next moment, the corpse pinned him down on the bed, leaving him utterly helpless as it disembowelled him, spilling his hot, red organs onto the floor. ¡¾You experienced death, slaughtered and devoured, losing 15 points of sanity.¡¿ Phew! It was just a dream! Yang Yi let out a sigh of relief. But suddenly, he noticed the door to the captain¡¯s quarters was actually open. He quickly grabbed the flintlock pistol. "Was it the wind? No, it couldn''t be. There hasn''t been much wind at sea today!" Squish, squish! The familiar footsteps approached. A bloated corpse appeared at the doorway. It looked like it had been soaking in the sea for a long time, swollen and rotten, still wearing tattered sailor clothes covered in seaweed. At that moment, it fixed its pale, lifeless eyes on Yang Yi... "FxxK!" ¡¾Seeing an abomination, you lose 5 points of sanity.¡¿ Yang Yi cursed, immediately firing his gun. Click. The gun jammed. It seemed the corpse still retained some intelligence, for it grinned. A crab crawled out of its almost toothless mouth. This scene was eerily similar to the nightmare, so Yang Yi was somewhat prepared. As the gun misfired, he immediately hurled the flintlock pistol like a rock, striking the corpse''s head. Taking advantage of the moment the corpse was hit, Yang Yi grabbed a nearby spear and charged at it, driving it into the corpse''s neck. He wasn¡¯t trying to kill it; he was just desperate to escape the captain''s quarters. Only by getting out of this narrow space and onto the deck would he have a chance to fight the corpse! With considerable force and weight, Yang Yi barely squeezed past the bloated corpse. The stench of decay almost made him vomit. ¡¾The nauseating stench causes you to lose 5 points of sanity.¡¿ Yang Yi wasn¡¯t strong enough to knock the corpse down, so overpowering it in a direct fight was impossible. He bolted to the deck at the bow. Here, he had enough space to manoeuvre and evade the corpse! Yang Yi looked back. Sure enough, the bloated corpse was slow and clumsy, not at all a match for Yang Yi in terms of speed. "I can win!" Yang Yi grew excited. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, his breathing quickening. There was a raised platform at the bow with a ship''s wheel on it. All he had to do was imitate the ancient sages, using the large wheel as cover and running circles round it to dodge the corpse''s pursuit. In the meantime, he started counting down in his mind. "48." "47." The wooden spear had pierced through the corpse¡¯s neck, but it chased after Yang Yi as if nothing had happened. ¡­ "3." "2." Yang Yi stopped circling, broke away from the corpse, and dashed back to the captain''s quarters. He picked up the flintlock pistol at the door, aimed it at the corpse, and held his breath to steady his aim. The target was big and close; there was no way he could miss unless the gun misfired again! Bang! The gunshot was deafening, akin to a sharp wail that made one nauseous. ¡¾The eerie gunshot causes you to lose 2 points of sanity.¡¿ The shot was slightly off, but it still hit. The corpse''s head partially shattered, black pus splattering on the floor, and it toppled forwards, struggling to stay upright. "I won¡­" Yang Yi¡¯s tense nerves slightly relaxed. He walked towards the corpse, intending to retrieve the spear. However, at that moment, the corpse, which he thought to be dead, suddenly moved again! Even with most of its head shattered, it could move! A pale hand clamped onto Yang Yi¡¯s ankle, the grip so strong it dug into his flesh. It left deep marks. ¡°Damn! It¡¯s not dead yet?¡± Yang Yi immediately reacted, his eyes flashing with ferocity. He picked up the spear and stabbed it into the corpse again. This time, the spear went straight through the gaping wound in the corpse''s skull. After the strike, the corpse''s grip gradually weakened ¡ª it seemed effective. Yet for some reason, just before the corpse died, it turned its head to look at Yang Yi, its eyes filled with malice. Then, its abdomen began to swell rapidly. Self-destruction?! Yang Yi realised it immediately and instinctively threw himself backwards. With a dull thud, putrid flesh and shattered bones sprayed everywhere, like a rain of blood. The corpse had exploded, making quite a mess. Fortunately, the corpse was lying face down, so most of the explosion¡¯s force was directed at the deck. Yang Yi had dodged in time, mostly avoiding the flying bones and flesh. His foot was still unlucky enough to get injured. It throbbed in pain as two teeth had pierced through his shoe and stabbed right into it. His forearm was also grazed by a stray bone shard, although the wound was shallow. As for the falling chunks of flesh, they had lost their lethal force, merely splattering Yang Yi and making him nauseous. ¡¾The disgusting body parts make you nauseous, causing you to lose 2 points of sanity.¡¿ Yang Yi struggled to his feet, prying the corpse''s hand off his ankle and checking his status. Status: Injured (The human diagram shows yellow marks on the left foot and forearm.) Sanity: 55/100 Energy: 40/100 Health: 91/100 He removed his left shoe, grimacing as he pulled out the teeth embedded in his foot. Thankfully, the force hadn¡¯t been as strong as a bullet. After piercing his shoe, it only barely broke the skin. Otherwise, it could have been deadly! Yang Yi painfully stood up and looked at the corpse, then gasped. On the deck, only a broken skeleton remained. The entire spine was missing, likely blasted into the sea. As for the ribs, they were lodged into the deck like arrows, buried deep in the wood. The explosion was powerful, but Yang Yi had been in the direction with the least force. If he had been hit by one of those rib-like arrows, he wouldn''t be alive! At the same time, new information about the corpse appeared in the log. ¡¾Name: Drowned Revenant¡¿ ¡¾Description: A person who drowned at sea, driven by resentment towards the living, rises again as a monster. Can be used in the Monster Vending Machine.¡¿ "Monster Vending Machine? What is that?" Yang Yi was confused. But as he calmed down, he realised another troubling detail. He had noticed the Drowned Revenant just before it entered the captain''s quarters. But what had opened the door to the captain¡¯s quarters? Before the Drowned Revenant appeared, the door to the captain''s quarters was already open! The thought sent chills down his spine as he heard footsteps approaching from behind. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Something had stabbed him¡­ Ch. 6 - Madness ¡°There¡¯s still something on the ship!¡± Although Yang Yi realised this, it was too late.A fishing rod stabbed his left shoulder, piercing deep into the flesh. He immediately started running forwards while glancing back, his right hand clutching the fresh wound. In front of him was a skeleton with half of its skull missing, and within it burned a ghastly green soul fire.1 It was the captain¡¯s skeleton. He was alive and was holding a fishing rod, its tip stained red with Yang Yi¡¯s blood. The skeleton looked at Yang Yi, its jaw moving up and down as if mocking him. ¡°You damned backstabber!¡± Yang Yi cursed, his eyes blazing with fury. ¡¾Ambushed by the dead, your sanity decreases by 10.¡¿ ¡¾With sanity below 50, you enter a madness state, becoming immune to most mental debuffs. Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Spirit -2. You feel no pain, do not tire, and are fearless until your sanity recovers. Mental debuffs include charm, mind control, fear, despair, etc.¡¿ ¡¾Note: When energy is depleted, vitality will be consumed instead. The maximum attributes in a berserk state are capped at 10, not exceeding the mortal limit.¡¿ Yang Yi raised his gun and fired at the skeleton. Click! The gun misfired. The skeleton, holding the fishing rod like a spear, charged forwards. Even if Yang Yi felt no pain, his injured foot still affected his movement to some extent. Fighting the skeleton whilst hurt and circling around it was too risky. One careless move, and he could be impaled by the two-metre-long weapon! After a brief consideration, Yang Yi changed his tactics. Instead of retreating, he advanced directly towards the skeleton. He threw the spear in his hand, and as it hit the skeleton squarely and lodged in its bones, it momentarily stiffened its movements. Seizing the opportunity, he approached the skeleton and engaged in close combat. He still had a weapon in hand, a blunt one at that! As long as he gripped the flintlock¡¯s barrel, the gun would turn into a short hammer. Exceptionally effective against skeletons. He raised the flintlock high, aiming to smash the skeleton¡¯s cracked skull, targeting its soul fire. The skeleton reacted swiftly, immediately reaching out to block him. It seemed to fear the gun, abandoning the fishing rod to try and grab it. Naturally, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t let that happen. The two began to grapple over the gun. The skeleton¡¯s strength was slightly lower than Yang Yi¡¯s in his madness state, probably around 4. But amidst the struggle, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t find the opportunity to launch an effective attack. If the gun accidentally fired and hit himself, he¡¯d die of shame instead! He needed a plan. Even in the current state, Yang Yi remained clear-headed and quickly came up with an idea. The skeleton wanted the flintlock? Then let it have it! After wrestling for a while longer, he suddenly pulled the trigger. Click! The gun misfired again. He decisively abandoned it. Sure enough, most of the skeleton¡¯s attention was focused on the flintlock. Yang Yi successfully broke free from the struggle and ran towards the cabin. By the time the skeleton caught up, it only saw a dim figure. It was Yang Yi, in the darkness, holding an unidentified mass of flesh and frantically devouring it. The skeleton pulled the trigger, but the gun didn¡¯t react; from the bow to the stern, it was just over ten metres. Both had run there, so the flintlock was still cooling. A gun that can¡¯t fire is no different from a hammer! Yang Yi charged forwards, his mouth covered in black, sticky liquid, his eyes bloodshot. ¡¾You consumed a human-headed octopus. Strength +1, Constitution +1, Spirit -1, Sanity -20, lasting 1 minute.¡¿ Thus, Yang Yi¡¯s strength increased from three to six points, doubling entirely! (Madness +2) He discovered that the strength in the stats wasn¡¯t linear but exponential. This meant that being two points stronger allowed him to crush his opponent with ease. Yang Yi closed in. The skeleton hadn¡¯t yet reacted, seemingly still puzzled as to why the gun wouldn¡¯t fire. In the next second, Yang Yi tackled the skeleton to the ground, violently ripping off two of its arm bones, flinging them aside. Yang Yi didn¡¯t relent, thrusting his right hand into the crack in the skeleton¡¯s skull, reaching for the soul fire within. At this point, the skeleton finally showed some fear, its jaw clattering as if begging for mercy. It was too late; it had no means to resist. Yang Yi grasped the soul fire. It wasn¡¯t hot, but rather warm. The skeleton¡¯s reaction was intense. Its whole body trembled and scattered, becoming a pile of ordinary bones as the soul fire extinguished. Was the skeleton dead for sure? Not necessarily! After being tricked by the Drowned Revenant, Yang Yi became much more cautious! He grabbed the skeleton¡¯s skull and placed it on the ship¡¯s railing. He strongly suspected the skeleton wasn¡¯t dead, even though he could now view its information. ¡¾Name: The Captain¡¯s Remains¡¿ ¡¾Description: He was once a captain who loved fishing until he caught¡­ Can be used in the Monster Vending Machine.¡¿ Two minutes later, as expected, the eerie green light reappeared inside the skull. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Without hesitation, Yang Yi fired the gun. Bang! Flames erupted, the gunshot shrill. The skull was blasted into fragments by the flintlock. ¡¾The gunshot is strange, your sanity decreases by 1¡¿ ¡°Looks like subduing or killing monsters allows you to obtain their information.¡± But what exactly was this Monster Vending Machine? Yang Yi had never seen it, and there wasn¡¯t one on the ship! To be safe, it was best if he kept the monsters'' corpses. Yang Yi threw them into the cabin and took the skeleton¡¯s arm and thigh bones. After all, there might still be headless skeleton soldiers! Yang Yi had seen them in games before. It was better to separate some parts of the body! Having learnt his lesson, Yang Yi seemed to have grown a hundred times more vigilant. After simply treating his wounds with some cloth, he returned to the captain¡¯s cabin. At the same time, he checked his own status: Name: Yang Yi Status: Injured. (On the humanoid diagram, both legs and the left shoulder are yellow.) Sanity: 24/100 Energy: 21/100 Vitality: 82/100 No wonder he was exhausted; his energy was so low... Yang Yi opened the world chat channel and typed a line casually. ¡°Remember to lock your doors when you sleep tonight!¡± Someone quickly responded. ¡°Boss, what happened? Did you encounter a siren?¡± ¡°Whoa, did you kill it?¡± ¡°Is it hard to fight? Does it drop loot?¡± Yang Yi replied in a bad mood. ¡°No, just pure torment!¡± He ignored the rest of the replies, closed the world channel, lied down on the bed, and placed the skeleton¡¯s thigh bone under the mattress as a pillow. At the same time, he kept the gun within arm''s reach. Last night was too dangerous! Any mistake could have led to his doom. Tomorrow, he planned to set up some sound traps to serve as an early warning. If he could detect things beforehand, many dangers could be avoided. As he pondered, he tried to fall asleep. But until dawn came, he didn¡¯t manage to rest. Notes Brook?-Simply? Ch. 7 - Monster Vending Machine Yang Yi barely slept in the latter half of the night.When daylight broke, he decided to get up, tossing the rotten bones he''d been using as a makeshift pillow under the bed. After all this time, the captain¡¯s skeleton should be truly dead. Yang Yi seemed like a different person. His face was pale, with deep, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. As soon as he stepped out of the captain''s cabin, he noticed something new on the deck ¡ª a statue? It was a cartoonish octopus monster with wings on its back, crouching on a stone. "What is this...?" he wondered aloud, and then a notification popped up in his log. ¡¾Last night, 13,000 people successfully defeated monsters, with one person even achieving an impressive double kill!¡¿ ¡¾Based on your achievements, the system will reward you with a special talent.¡¿ ¡¾Additionally, the Monster Vending Machine is now available. You can insert monster corpses or body parts into the machine to receive rewards. The bodies will be automatically collected. Be careful, don¡¯t throw in garbage or live creatures, or you¡¯ll anger the machine!¡¿ The world chat immediately exploded with excitement. ¡°There are monsters in this world? What do they look like? Has anyone seen one?¡± ¡°Free me, I¡¯ll give you anything you want!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a talent reward? I missed out! A skeleton monster knocked on my door last night, but I didn¡¯t open it. If I had known, I would¡¯ve taken the risk.¡± ¡°If you had opened it, you might¡¯ve been dead.¡± ¡°Monster Vending Machine? Did anyone find this thing?¡± ¡°I found mine on the deck. It¡¯s a giant cat face, pretty cute, actually.¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s in the cabin, looks like a cartoon robot!¡± ¡°Mine¡¯s a clown...freaked me out. It¡¯s in the captain¡¯s room!¡± ¡°Are they all different for everyone?¡± Yang Yi turned to look at his own Vending Machine ¡ª a cartoonish octopus monster with a wide-open mouth and tentacles around its lips, seemingly begging to be fed... ¡¾Reward issued: You have obtained the talent: ???¡¿ ¡¾Unlock conditions: ???, Attempts: 0/3.¡¿ What is this? It needed to be unlocked? Yang Yi checked the world chat again. Others were also asking about the talents that required unlocking. Each person''s unlocking condition was different, with some requiring thousands and others a few dozen. He only needed 3 attempts, which was one of the lowest. Soon, someone figured out the unlocking conditions, which were usually simple tasks. ¡°My unlock condition is walking, I need to walk 100,000 steps. So frustrating!¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing! Mine is to breathe 3 million times ¡ª totally random¡­¡± ¡°At least you have a goal. Mine is 0/100 with no clue what to do.¡± ¡°Maybe you just need to survive 100 days¡­¡± ¡°This system¡­ If you don¡¯t want to give us talents, just don¡¯t give them!¡± Yang Yi glanced at his 0/3, shook his head, and decided to leave it to fate. He walked into the cabin, intending to trade the monster corpses for vending prizes. The captain¡¯s skeleton couldn¡¯t be used since it was unique, so he only took the severed hand of the Drowned Revenant and tossed it into the Octopus Vending Machine. 1 As soon as he did, the machine''s eyes lit up with a red glow, and the tentacles around its mouth started to change colours. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi turned the dial on its chest, hearing the sound of vending balls clashing inside. The atmosphere was intense... ¡°Such dark humor!¡± Yang Yi commented. Soon, a glowing orb rolled out. When Yang Yi picked it up, it transformed into a bottle of eerie blue liquid. ¡¾Name: Resentment of the Drowned¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Upon consumption, Sanity -20. For one minute, you will be perceived as a Drowned Revenant and will not be attacked by lower-level monsters.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. This could be a useful tool for survival. In similar games, such items would be quite valuable. The world chat was also buzzing, with people showing off their vending rewards. ¡°I got a token!¡± ¡¾Name: Pale Bone Token¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: Summons a skeleton to fight for you for 15 minutes. After that, it will lose control and turn on the summoner. Upon death, its body will disappear. Cooldown: 24 hours. Make sure you can defeat the skeleton before using it.¡¿ ¡°That¡¯s strong! Sell it to me, I¡¯ll pay a billion!¡± ¡°A billion is useless here, we need Shell Coins, and there¡¯s no trading system unless we meet up in person.¡± ¡°How about my dagger?¡± ¡¾Name: Serrated Dagger¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: A short, sharp dagger with a comfortable grip, capable of causing minor damage regardless of its length. Its only downside is that it¡¯s short!¡¿ ¡°Alright, we get it, your knife is short.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t buy that weapon, too embarrassing!¡± ¡°...¡± Many people showed off their vending prizes, most being good quality and not excellent. Overall, relics were more effective than treasures, but they often came with sanity loss risks and potential side effects. Yang Yi¡¯s rusty flintlock could deal moderate harm, whereas most excellent weapons could only cause minor damage. His weapon was far superior, despite its limitations ¡ª a single shot per minute, potential misfires, and sanity reduction. It seemed like a balancing mechanism. Yang Yi shifted his focus and gulped down half a long-legged sardine. He was starving, and after last night¡¯s ordeal, his concerns had significantly diminished. To survive, these things didn¡¯t matter. ¡¾Eating the long-legged sardine has reduced your sanity by 2 points.¡¿ The fish had started to go bad but hadn¡¯t yet rotted. It provided some energy and a small amount of water. After finishing the sardine, Yang Yi felt somewhat satiated and checked his status. After resting overnight, his energy and sanity had gone up, but due to nightmares and insomnia, the recovery was minimal. The wounds hadn¡¯t healed well, and he wasn¡¯t sure if they were infected either... Name: Yang Yi Status: Injured (The human figure diagram shows the wounded areas in yellow) Sanity: 74/100 Energy: 52/100 Vitality: 83/100 He headed to the cabin. Today¡¯s top priority was to make noise traps. These monsters weren¡¯t very intelligent, so the traps didn¡¯t need to be too hidden. He just needed to use basic crafting skills to create some long ropes, drill big holes in thin wooden pieces, and string them together. The wooden pieces were easy to obtain and could be shaped into any cubic form, with one unit roughly equal to a cubic decimetre of wood. After stringing the wooden pieces together and tying knots to separate them, he hung them in the passageway in front of the captain¡¯s cabin and on the door. Yang Yi tested it; the sound difference between wind movement and a person bumping into it was quite noticeable, providing some level of early warning. By the time he finished, the morning had passed, and the wood and fabric he had previously salvaged were all used up. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t in a hurry to gather more resources. The immediate concern was freshwater. He needed to fish more and keep an eye out for floating supplies, hoping to find a treasure chest. As he was thinking this, Yang Yi suddenly felt something was wrong. His body felt hot, his face was burning, and his stomach ached. He immediately became alert and checked his status again. Name: Yang Yi Status: Injured/Infected with Corpse Poison (Mild)/Food Poisoning) (Mild, Diarrhea) (The entire body has turned yellow, with the wounded areas in a darker shade) ¡°Damn it!¡± The worst-case scenario had happened ¡ª he was infected with corpse poison from the Drowned Revenant! Out here on the open sea, he had no medicine¡­ Notes The name has changed as per the raw text (only for Yang Yi) -Simply? Ch. 8 - Did I just catch some fruit? Today''s Weather: Sunny day, perfect for fishing and casting nets.Location: Sea of Origin Daylight remaining: 8 hours Temperature: 15~25¡ãC Wind strength: Level 1 Yang Yi was desperately fishing. He urgently needed not only freshwater but also medical supplies, both of which could be obtained through fishing. Yang Yi checked the world channel and found that someone had previously caught a bandage of common quality, which had rapid healing and anti-inflammatory effects. Although the bandage wouldn''t significantly help his current injuries, other medical supplies had to exist as well! He had to make the most of his time fishing. ¡¾You fished up a piece of rotten wood.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up a Long-Legged Sardine.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up a Long-Legged Sardine.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up a piece of rotten cloth.¡¿ ¡¾...¡¿ ¡°FxxK!¡± Yang Yi cursed as he grabbed a long-legged sardine, bit off its head, and swallowed it whole. He recalled that a survival expert once mentioned that everything except the head was edible. Yang Yi was starving, so he ate the fish as soon as he caught it. As for the fact that eating raw long-legged sardines would reduce his sanity, that was the least of his concerns at the moment. He was on the brink of starvation; how could he be fussy? When you''re desperate from hunger, anything goes! After eating a few, Yang Yi made a new discovery: sanity reduction from eating the same type of fish repeatedly seemed to decrease over time. Initially, eating a long-legged sardine would lower his sanity by 2 points, but now it mostly dropped by 1. It seemed that after eating enough of these fish, he''d eventually get used to it and stop losing any sanity. Moreover, his mental experience points were rapidly increasing. The growth of his mental state seemed to be related to the stimuli that reduced his sanity. After two more hours of fishing, Yang Yi''s condition worsened. His wounds became unbearably itchy, but he resisted scratching to avoid further infection. Meanwhile, due to diarrhoea, he had lost a significant amount of water and electrolytes. Adding to that, his fever had caused his vision to blur, leaving him feeling increasingly dizzy and lightheaded. ¡¾Status: Injured/Infected with Corpse Poison (Moderate, Fever)/Food Poisoning (Mild, Diarrhoea)¡¿ "Just a little longer, I have to catch some life-saving medicine!" Yang Yi forced himself to continue fishing, finally pulling up something he hadn''t seen before. ¡¾You fished up an Eyeball Fish.¡¿ It was a fish with a single eye, about the size of a fist, which blinked occasionally. ¡¾Name: Eyeball Fish¡¿ ¡¾Description: it is a type of fish that comes from the Abyss. Despite its eerie appearance, it tastes sweet. It replenishes vitamins, electrolytes, and water.¡¿ Without hesitation, Yang Yi bit into it, causing black fluid to squirt out. The Eyeball Fish trembled slightly in his hand. ¡¾Your sanity decreased by 2.¡¿ Creepiness aside, the fish tasted far better than the sardines. The flesh inside was slightly sweet, and Yang Yi devoured it completely. After the delicious 1 meal, Yang Yi felt refreshed. His diarrhoea nearly stopped, but the corpse poison infection persisted. Could it be that fishing wouldn¡¯t yield any antidotes for the poison? Impossible! A fisherman can catch anything! But even after fishing all night, Yang Yi hadn¡¯t caught medical supplies. He did, however, catch a bottle of freshwater. His total haul was: ¡¾Eyeball Fish x2, Long-Legged Sardine x8, Wood x10, Cloth x9, Cystic Pufferfish x1, Freshwater 1.5 litre¡¿ Everything else Yang Yi caught had already been consumed. The 1.5L of freshwater, equivalent to one unit, could be stored in the cabin, but required a container when taken out. The cabin wasn¡¯t a physical concept; it stored resources like wood, cloth, freshwater, and steel as invisible data that could be retrieved when needed. Yang Yi, parched, had already downed one-third of a bottle of water. He had to conserve what remained, as it was a rare resource. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. During nightfall, Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare linger on the deck. He ended his fishing session and returned to the captain''s cabin. As usual, he simply placed the flintlock gun by his side and lay down on the bed to sleep. The fever and infected wounds tormented him relentlessly. It was destined to be another sleepless night, especially with the gnarly nightmares... Unable to sleep, Yang Yi opened the chat channel, still bustling despite the time. However, those who paid close attention would notice the channel no longer displayed the same number of online users as before. The dead don¡¯t speak; they vanish without a trace... "I just made two spears. If a skeleton dares to come tonight, I''ll make it explode into coins!" "Bro, have you ever played games before? Don''t you know skeletons have natural resistance to piercing? You''d be better off punching it!" "Taking orders for steel, I still need 982 units. DM me for details!" "Iron Heart, you¡¯re still alive?" "Hell yeah! Even if you all die, I won''t!" "How do you outrun the black mist with a speed of only five knots?" "Give me steel, and I''ll tell you!" "Screw you! I don¡¯t want to know!" [...] At the rear of all the vessels, an ironclad warship was desperately fleeing. Not far behind it, the black mist advanced at ten knots. The sea beneath was teeming with fish, all fleeing from the black mist in terror. A chubby Chinese man stood on the bridge, unshaven, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth and his hand on the ship''s wheel. 2 Despite his arrogant and carefree attitude in chat, he truthfully was scared to death. Any slight misstep could cost him his life. Chattering nonsense was one of the few ways he could relieve his stress. His ship was well-supplied, with unlimited ammo and incredible durability. The only drawback was its slow speed, making it likely to be overtaken by the black mist. Unfortunately, he had started the game close to it. He luckily had a giant whaling harpoon on board, a weapon designed to pierce and lodge into massive marine creatures, making it difficult to remove. He was now on the lookout for his next target ¡ª a fast-swimming, large creature to hitch a ride with and boost his ship''s speed. "Damn it, can''t these stupid fish last a bit longer? They have such poor stamina!" He grumbled as he retracted the harpoon and aimed at his next target, trying to pick a fast and big one. This method had allowed him to survive this far, but left him with only three hours of sleep. The rest of the time was spent searching for targets. After all, these giant fish also bled, tired out, and eventually died... As for any creature foolish enough to attack his ship, he would teach them what "firepower suppression" and "civilised cannons" meant! The following day, Yang Yi woke up with difficulty, his head throbbing. He wasn¡¯t sure when he had fallen asleep, but he knew he had dreamt of ominous things that left him nauseous. This ship was in worse shape than he had anticipated. Without other means to restore his energy, his efficiency in the game would drop significantly with every passing second. Even if he had rested the entire night, his energy had only recovered by 30 points. Meanwhile, the corpse poison infection had worsened. His wounds were no longer itchy but had a faint stabbing pain, which was not a good sign... Moreover, they emitted a nauseating stench, like the odour of a long-dead fish, or the smell of the Drowned Revenant. Human immunity was no match for this type of poison! His attributes, including strength, agility, and constitution, had all decreased by 2, placing him in a weakened state. But Yang Yi did not despair. He had experienced worse ¡ª being bedridden for five years. He stepped out of the captain''s cabin, entered the ship''s hold, and ate two Eyeball Fish and several Long-Legged Sardines for breakfast before resuming his fishing. Luck was on his side that day 3, as his first catch was an Eyeball Fish. ¡¾You fished up an Eyeball Fish.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up a Long-legged Sardine.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up a piece of rotten wood.¡¿ ¡¾You fished up¡­¡¿ Suddenly, Yang Yi''s vision went black, and he collapsed onto the deck, falling unconscious. Notes You. Will. Never. Catch me eating one of those cyclops typa creatures. -Simply?Ooh l¨¤ l¨¤~ -Simply???? Luck? -Simply? Ch. 9 - Unlocking Trade and a Sneak Attack ¡¾System Notification¡¿¡°Congratulations to all players for surviving the fifth day. The trading system is now officially open. Please refer to the log for details¡­¡± A strange voice echoed in Yang Yi''s mind as he slowly regained consciousness. "Fifth?... Have I been unconscious for more than two days?" Yang Yi felt as if his limbs were filled with lead. His entire body was cold, his lips were cracked, and his throat was on fire. He immediately checked his status. Status: Severe Injury/Corpse Poison Infection (Severe) (His entire body has turned red) Sanity: 100/100 Energy: 23/100 Health: 14/100 (Below 100: Injured, Below 50: Moderately Injured, Below 30: Severely Injured, Below 10: Critical Condition, In Critical Condition, further attacks may lead to instant death) Yang Yi was already on the brink of death. Struggling to get up, he felt a dire need for water. He decided to eat something to replenish his fluids and then check the trading channel to see if he could buy any life-saving medicine. But just as he rose, he noticed a ship docked alongside him. It was a pirate ship, flying a skull flag, over twenty metres long, with two grappling hooks securing it to his ship, the Nightmare. A narrow wooden plank had been placed between the two ships, forming a makeshift bridge. "Not good!" Yang Yi was instantly alert, but it was too late. An arrow flew towards him, striking his left arm with such force that it pierced straight through. That one hit reduced Yang Yi''s health by 9 points, pushing him into a critical state. He immediately collapsed, hiding below the ship''s railing. Moments later, he heard movement on the wooden plank between the two ships. Someone was crossing it. They were likely coming to confirm whether Yang Yi was dead or alive. The arrow hadn''t been fatal, as it missed all vital organs. But Yang Yi had fallen quickly, so the assailant might not have seen clearly. Due to certain rules, the intruder couldn''t directly board the Nightmare. So, they had been waiting for Yang Yi, the ship''s owner, to show up so they could kill him and claim the ship... Yang Yi quickly pieced together what had happened, his eyes gleaming with resolve. "If you want to kill me, then you must be prepared to be killed...without any complaints!" He made up his mind. Although his left arm was injured, it wasn''t too painful. His right arm was still functional, allowing him to aim and pull the trigger. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. So, he gripped the flintlock pistol, secretly disabling the landing restrictions. He was quite certain the assailant didn''t have powerful cannons; otherwise, they would have already blown the ship to pieces. As the man boarded the ship, the first thing he noticed was a body lying on the deck. The body looked ghastly, with bloodshot eyes and pale skin, exuding a nauseating stench of decay (caused by the corpse poison). What was even more terrifying was that this "corpse" was holding a large-calibre flintlock pistol, its black barrel aimed directly at him... "Don''t move! If you try to draw your bow or make any aggressive moves, I''ll blow your head off right now!" Yang Yi threatened, slowly sitting up from the ground. The intruder, now staring down the barrel of the gun, dared not make a move. In reality, Yang Yi was also hesitant to fire. After all, the gun was most threatening when it wasn''t fired. If he pulled the trigger, two things could happen: a misfire or a gunshot. If it misfired, Yang Yi would be as good as dead. If the gun fired, the intruder would likely be blasted to pieces by the powerful flintlock. "Drop your weapons on the ground, and don''t make any sudden movements!" Yang Yi''s voice was low and hoarse, yet full of authority. The intruder hesitated, unsure whether to comply. Yang Yi, seemingly unbothered, stood up, a strong stench of decay wafting from his body, making anyone around him nauseous. His left arm still had an arrow lodged in it, but he acted as if nothing were wrong. Without blinking, he reached into his clothes with his left hand and pulled out a large eyeball, taking a bite. The eyeball quivered, as if pleading for mercy. But Yang Yi was too thirsty to care, devouring it in three bites. Black, sticky liquid dripped from his mouth. The intruder was paralysed with fear. ¡¾Due to the shock, your Sanity has decreased by 10 points¡¿ Looking down, he noticed some rotten, long-legged sardines on the deck, along with a bloated, rotting pufferfish, and several decapitated sardine heads. ¡¾You have encountered some unidentified creatures with signs of consumption; your Sanity has decreased by 7 points¡¿ Realising this was a ghost ship, the intruder nearly lost his mind. With a scream, he threw down his weapon and fled. Yang Yi aimed carefully, waiting until the man had taken a few steps before pulling the trigger. Click! The gun misfired, making only a small sound. The intruder, with his back to Yang Yi, didn''t even notice. Yang Yi quickly picked up the bow and arrows the intruder had dropped. ¡¾Name: Pirate Longbow¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Slightly increases archery accuracy and reduces the strength needed to draw the string. A pirate''s good companion!¡¿ Without hesitation, Yang Yi dipped an arrowhead into the bloated pufferfish and then drew the bow. Whoosh! The arrow flew. Yang Yi was too weak to fully draw the bowstring, and his aim was poor. But the ships were only three or four metres apart, so he still managed to hit the target, striking the intruder in the thigh, though the wound was shallow. In truth, Yang Yi had aimed for his chest¡­ But hitting something was good enough! The intruder pulled out the arrow and continued to flee towards the ship''s bow, trying to escape. Yang Yi had no intention of giving chase; instead, he lay back down. He was in terrible shape. If the intruder had counterattacked, things could have gone very badly. Fortunately, the intruder was too terrified, and he quickly boarded his ship and sailed away. Only when the sound of the departing ship faded did Yang Yi force himself to get up. He now looked like a zombie, and in fact, he was indeed at risk of turning into one. He didn''t feel any pain, his wounds weren''t bleeding, but he was dizzy, and his body felt sluggish. He entered the cabin, drank some water, and simply consumed all the eyeball fruit he had, regaining a bit of strength before looking out at the sea. The other ship was already a black dot on the horizon. Yang Yi steered the Nightmare to follow from a distance. He was waiting for the poison to take effect. After all, the bloated puffer fish was highly toxic, likely contaminated by the Abyss. Pufferfish toxin was notoriously lethal. After about fifteen minutes, he caught up with the ship. Then, he used grappling hooks to secure the other ship, and after approaching, he laid down the wooden plank again. It must be said that Yang Yi was in such poor condition that just moving the plank required several rests. Once aboard the pirate ship, Yang Yi, holding his flintlock pistol, cautiously approached the deck. The intruder appeared dead, lying motionless on the ground. However, it could¡¯ve been a trick, meant to lower Yang Yi''s guard! He might have had an antidote! Yang Yi remained vigilant, keeping a safe distance of four or five metres before aiming at the man''s head and pulling the trigger. Click! Another misfire, the weapon was truly unreliable! But Yang Yi was patient. A minute later, Bang! The intruder''s head exploded into a mess. Only then did Yang Yi cautiously approach. Once bitten, twice shy. After being deceived by the Drowned, Yang Yi had become much more cautious. He searched the intruder''s body and found a glowing orb. ¡¾You have obtained Sea Shell Coins 400¡¿ This was probably the intruder''s money. The pirate outfit he wore was also a valuable item. ¡¾Name: Bloodstained Luxurious Pirate Outfit¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: This outfit belonged to a self-important fool. Agility +1, wearing it will cause a gradual decrease in Sanity, though those with a Spirit of 8 or higher can resist this effect.¡¿ The intruder likely had low Sanity, and may have even gone mad. Yang Yi kept the outfit, intending to loot the pirate ship. But then he noticed...the conditions to unlock his mysterious skill had changed from 0/3 to 1/3. "Could it be that killing people is the key to unlocking it?" He wasn''t sure, as he didn''t know exactly when the progress had changed. Ch. 10 - First Trade It was the first time he killed someone, yet he didn¡¯t feel much psychological burden. It might have been due to his high spirit and high tolerance.He changed into the pirate outfit and headed towards the pirate ship¡¯s cabin. ¡¾Your outfit feels chilly, your Sanity decreases by 5¡¿ As for the debuff of continuously losing Sanity, Yang Yi, with his high Spirit, could almost ignore it. He entered the cabin and immediately received information about the ship. It was special. ¡¾Pirate Ship, Level 1, Durability 1000/1000, Capacity 800 units, Speed 45 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Abilities: Extra Claws: This ship has two claws on each side, which can grab objects or even other ships.Pirate Assault: Increases speed by 25% for 15 minutes.¡¿ ¡¾Description: The skull flag is the soul of this ship. Strive to become the Pirate King!¡¿1 Wanting to take advantage of this opportunity, Yang Yi tried to switch ships, but after searching the logs for a long time, he couldn¡¯t find the relevant function. It seemed that ships couldn¡¯t be switched. In truth, Yang Yi had no intention of switching. The ship was good, with four additional claws that, if used skilfully, could greatly improve the efficiency of resource acquisition, but it simply couldn¡¯t compare to the Nightmare. The premonition effect the Nightmare had was much rarer than claws! Yang Yi searched all the rooms in the cabin and unexpectedly found a female corpse. She was completely naked and had likely suffered considerable abuse before her death. One of her plump thighs was missing, and clear strangulation bruises marked her neck. The bloodstains were also fresh, indicating she had died not long before. So, Yang Yi was probably intended to be the second victim. The first one was already dead! ¡¾You are thinking about the missing thigh; your Sanity decreases by 2¡¿ Yang Yi frowned. The Sanity level of the ship¡¯s previous owner was probably even lower than Yang Yi had imagined, and their mental state was quite worrying! He started to examine the supplies he found. This included two hard loaves of black bread, enough to provide two days of calories, 5 litres of freshwater, 125 units of wood, and 98 units of cloth. ¡¾System Notice: You have successfully occupied an ownerless ship. You can choose to dismantle the ship, and the materials will be transferred to your cabin. Ensure your ship has enough capacity. Otherwise, the excess materials will sink into the sea. By dismantling, you will receive 100 units of wood, 50 units of cloth, and a blueprint for the Pirate Ship. Blueprints are only obtained by dismantling special ships. Each ship can only be modified once using a blueprint, so choose wisely! This prompt only appears when you first occupy a ship.¡¿ No wonder this ship had so much wood; the previous owner must have dismantled an ordinary ship. He checked the Nightmare and saw its capacity was small, only 400 units. Capacity: 25/400 Wood 14, Cloth 10, Freshwater*1L (less than 1L is counted as 1L) Only materials took up ship capacity. Other items, like weapons, could be placed wherever, even on the deck. As for whether the ship would be overloaded with too many items, that was something to test further ahead. Yang Yi quickly calculated. After dismantling the ship, he would have just enough space for all the materials, which in turn would be enough to upgrade his ship to level 2. It was quite a find. He searched again and, after confirming nothing valuable remained, returned to the Nightmare, now holding a dozen simple arrows. Then, using the log, Yang Yi confirmed the dismantling of the Pirate Ship. Immediately, the ship broke down into pieces right before his eyes and was absorbed into the Nightmare¡¯s cabin. He now had enough resources to upgrade his ship to level 2. But before that, he had something more urgent to do ¡ª purchase medical supplies through the trading system. If he upgraded the ship and ended up without the right amount of resources to buy medicine, he¡¯d be in trouble. Yang Yi immediately opened the chat channel and started looking. ¡°Selling first aid bandages, 10 Shell Coins, 5 left!¡± ¡¾Name: First Aid Bandage¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Common¡¿ ¡¾Description: Clean bandages that are good for stopping bleeding and preventing wound infection.¡¿ ¡°Rum can also be used as a disinfectant; 30 Shell Coins a bottle, only one left!¡± ¡°Selling balloons, you know what they¡¯re for...¡± S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi quickly browsed. The trading system was just starting, and most people had limited Shell Coins, so prices were unstandardised, with everyone setting prices based on their own judgement. Bartering was common, and some people didn¡¯t even accept Shell Coins, preferring to trade goods directly for security. Few people were selling resources; currently, wood and cloth were considered the hard currency in trading, more popular than Shell Coins. ¡°Selling salt, 100 Shell Coins per pack!¡± ¡¾Name: Sacred Salt¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can remove minor curses and, when sprinkled, ward off evil. Of course, you can also eat it.¡¿ This wasn¡¯t what he needed either. He continued to scroll and finally found what he had been looking for, a high-quality item. ¡°Limited-time sale of Holy Water; DM for details.¡± ¡¾Name: Holy Water¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: High¡¿ ¡¾Description: Blessed pure water, can be taken internally, used externally, or thrown as a weapon. When facing demonic entities, you can never have too much Holy Water! It can heal various poisons and curses, speed up wound healing, and slightly restore energy.¡¿ That was it! Yang Yi checked the items he could use for trade. These included the Wraith¡¯s Resentment, a Pirate Longbow, a Rusted Flintlock Pistol, a blood-stained Pirate Outfit, a barnacle-covered Fishing Rod, the Pirate Ship Blueprint, various resources, and 500 Shell Coins. If possible, he wanted to keep the weapons, pirate outfit, fishing rod, and enough resources to upgrade his ship to level 2. The Pirate Ship Blueprint could be traded, but it was likely very valuable and not suitable for sale right now. After some thought, Yang Yi sent a private message to the seller (before adding a friend, everyone was anonymous by default; players could choose to display their real name or ship name). Yang Yi: ¡°How much?¡± A minute later, the other party replied, seemingly busy with many people contacting them. Anonymous: ¡°I need a lot of cloth, as well as survival items, equipment, freshwater, and food. Any of these will do.¡± Yang Yi frowned. Having the power to set the price actually put him in a passive position. If he offered too little, the seller might think he was messing around. If he offered too much, he would take a big loss. But with his life on the line, Yang Yi didn¡¯t have time to haggle and immediately offered the highest price he was willing to accept. Yang Yi: ¡°Wraith¡¯s Resentment, check the attributes yourself; it¡¯s a high-quality survival item. Plus 400 Shell Coins, 30 units of wood, 58 units of cloth, one loaf of black bread, and 4 litres of freshwater.¡± He attached the attributes of Wraith¡¯s Resentment. After sending it, he waited for a response. This time, the reply came quickly, just ten seconds later. ¡°Are you seriously injured?¡± Yang Yi frowned after reading the message. It seemed that the high price he offered had alerted the seller that he was in urgent need of medical supplies. If the seller tried to raise the price, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t hesitate to find another one. After all, Holy Water wasn¡¯t unique! Fortunately, the situation didn¡¯t turn out that way; instead, a friend request arrived. ¡¾Captain of the Radiant Goddess, Zhou Dai, requests to add you as a friend.¡¿ Yang Yi immediately accepted, and several messages followed. ¡°You¡¯ve offered a fair price; others were just messing around! I¡¯ll sell it to you! You seem quite injured, so one bottle might not be enough, so I¡¯ll give you two bottles as a welcome gift! My ship can produce Holy Water, so we can work together long-term, hehe! May the Radiance bless you!¡± Yang Yi was stunned after reading the message. He hadn¡¯t expected the trade to go so smoothly! It seemed the seller also greatly needed survival items like Wraith¡¯s Resentment, which could save lives when facing demonic entities. Moreover, she wasn¡¯t a profiteering merchant; on the contrary, she seemed a bit kind-hearted? On the other side, aboard the Radiant Goddess. It was a pure white, three-masted ship made of sturdy white oak, looking incredibly sacred. Captain Zhou Dai had golden hair, blue eyes, and a tall, voluptuous figure. She had a delicate Asian face, so was probably of mixed race. She was in a special room on the ship called the Prayer Chamber, where a statue of the Radiant Goddess was located. Currently, the ship was only level 1, and the Prayer Chamber could only produce Holy Water. However, Zhou Dai had a significant problem: sea spirits frequently visited the Radiant Goddess, especially at night! As a result, she could only hide in the chamber... So, life-saving items like Wraith¡¯s Resentment were something she could never have too many of! As long as it gave her time, not much was needed, just enough to hide in the Prayer Chamber... Notes Can¡¯t be more of a One Piece reference than this -Simply? Ch. 11 - Astrologer The trade was almost complete. All that was left was to confirm the details in the log and throw the traded items into the Monster Vending Machine. Next, they would get transported to the other party''s ship.There was no need to worry about the other party breaching the contract ¡ª the Vending Machine guaranteed the trade''s completion! Yang Yi threw in the agreed-upon trade items. As for the materials, the system directly deducted them from the ship''s hold. Before long, the Octopus Vending Machine spat out two bottles of holy water. These were pure, colourless liquids contained in reagent bottles. Yang Yi opened one bottle, sniffed it, and found no smell. He then drank it in one gulp. Immediately, he felt as if his body was on fire, a scorching pain searing through him, even emitting a burnt smell. At the same time, his mental state improved significantly, and he felt refreshed. ¡°It¡¯s effective!¡± Yang Yi was overflowing with joy and checked his status. The corpse poison infection had downgraded to moderate, and his health began to slowly recover. He drank the second bottle to consolidate the treatment. Afterwards, he spent 50 Shell Coins to buy five emergency bandages. These seemed to be made of cloth, and since Yang Yi didn¡¯t have the recipe, he had to buy them. He pulled out the arrow from his left arm, the intense pain making him grit his teeth. But the pain was a good sign, it indicated the corpse poison had lessened! After cleaning the wound with a small amount of freshwater, Yang Yi bandaged himself and then checked his status panel again. Name: Yang Yi Status: Injured/Corpse Poison Infection (Mild, Improving) (A human figure appears, coloured light yellow, with the wounded areas slightly darker) Sanity: 93/100 Energy: 35/100 Health: 19/100 (Slowly Recovering) He exhaled deeply. Finally, he was alive again. The remaining materials could be used to upgrade the Nightmare. ¡¾Materials are sufficient. Do you want to upgrade?¡¿ He decisively chose to upgrade and clicked to confirm. The Nightmare emitted a queer green light, as if ghosts were floating around the ship, and the hull began to expand. ¡¾Upgrade complete. The Nightmare has been upgraded to a Tier 3 ship. You can check the specific changes in the ship interface.¡¿ ¡¾Sailing Announcement: The number of Tier 3 ships has exceeded ten thousand. A new change will occur. In three days, an unprecedented storm will hit this sea area. Please prepare accordingly!¡¿ As soon as the announcement was made, the chat channel exploded. "Ten thousand Tier 3 ships... Damn! I''m still short of 8 pieces of wood. Anyone selling wood?" "Guys, can anyone explain? I''m in the game world now, but it''s still so competitive!" "Buying wood and cloth at high prices; message me if you''re selling!" A wave of upgrading swept through the channel, and the prices of wood and cloth skyrocketed. However, those who suffered the most were those with special ships that required additional materials to upgrade... Iron Heart: "Trading fish meat for steel. Message me if you''re interested. Fresh fish is available in large quantities!" "Don''t buy from him; his fish has a gunpowder taste, it''s disgusting!" S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I only guarantee it''s freshly killed and sold!" "Anyone got a low-tier wind essence? Price is negotiable!" The speaker was from the Swift Wind, and Yang Yi had him as a friend, so the channel was no longer anonymous. "Organic cucumbers, organic cabbage, organic apples, and organic bananas ¡ª rich in vitamins and water. You know the deal. Also buying seeds at high prices." 1 "Where did you get vegetables and fruits? Can your ship grow crops?" "Smart guess, you got it!" He then attached his ship¡¯s information. ¡¾Farmer, Tier 1, Durability: 600/600, Capacity: 1000 units, Speed: 25 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skill: Efficient Planting: The ship has farmland. The harvest time varies depending on the seeds.¡¿ ¡¾Description: Farmer? No, now you''re called Dad!¡¿ Yang Yi was a bit surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected a ship that could grow crops. This really was.. incredible wealth! Every special ship had its own unique advantages! Yang Yi glanced at the blueprint in his hand. This thing must be a treasure! ¡¾Name: Pirate Ship Blueprint¡¿ ¡¾Type: Blueprint¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Special¡¿ ¡¾Description: It can transform your ship into a Pirate Ship, giving it greater speed, more grappling hooks, and even...cannons!¡¿ Yang Yi hadn¡¯t seen any cannons on the Pirate Ship yet, so they were probably something that could only be added after upgrading. And as he suspected, using the blueprint didn¡¯t consume materials. This meant using the blueprint on a high-tier plank ship would result in significant savings. For example, a Tier 3 plank ship using the blueprint would turn into a Tier 3 special ship, saving a lot of upgrade materials. The higher the tier, the more you''d save! So this blueprint wouldn''t lose its value even in the later stages! He then checked his ship interface. ¡¾Nightmare, Tier 3, Durability: 600/600, Capacity: 1000 units, Speed: 50 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skills: Nightmare: Sleep quality on the ship is extremely poor, causing nightmares, with energy recovery efficiency reduced by 75%. The Angler''s Curse: Normal fish are rare on this ship, but the chances of encountering abnormal things are increased.¡¿ ¡¾Description: The ship has grown bigger, but it can''t change its dilapidated state!¡¿ The ship¡¯s durability had doubled, but it was still low and couldn''t withstand much damage! The ship¡¯s length had increased to around 30 metres, with a skull chained to the bow ¡ª likely the remains of the previous captain... There was also a new expandable room in the cabin with three upgrade options: Extra Cargo Hold: Increases ship capacity by 100%, requires 300 units of wood.Ancient War Room: Provides two waterlogged cannons for attack, requires 200 units of wood, 10 units of steel, and 10 units of sulphur.Great Statue: Can intimidate passing ships, causing panic, requires 300 units of wood, 300 units of cloth, and the corpse of an otherworldly creature. After some thought, Yang Yi decided to aim for the Ancient War Room. Nothing made him feel safer than cannons! Naval combat was impossible without cannons! His current supplies were as follows: Capacity: 102/1000 Wood x39, Cloth x58, Fresh Water x5L Steel and sulphur were likely advanced resources that he hadn¡¯t encountered yet. The upgrade interface for Tier 3 ships wasn''t available yet, probably because it required completing the expansion first. After sorting everything out, Yang Yi started fishing. He still needed to prepare more food... Behind the Nightmare, several nautical miles away. There was a unique ship, about 20 metres long, with a massive crystal ball over three metres in diameter on it. ¡¾Astrologer, Tier 1, Durability: 500/500, Capacity: 800 units, Speed: 50 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skills: Astrology: Displays the sea chart for one nautical mile around, showing ship names. Scrying: Displays an image of a selected ship on the sea chart, but cannot view islands. Limited to one target per day.¡¿ ¡¾Description: Just because you can see the map doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re cheating!¡¿ The captain was a beautiful woman with black hair and brown skin, her eyes a rare red colour. She had noticed the Nightmare earlier. After all, it was unusual for two ships to be neck and neck. Later, there was a change ¡ª the Pirate Ship¡¯s icon suddenly disappeared from the sea chart... ¡°Was it taken down...?¡± The woman stared at the crystal ball, now the size of a palm, which displayed a sea chart of the surrounding area, including ship names. She manipulated it and used the scrying skill to view the Nightmare¡¯s image. She saw Yang Yi on the ship, fishing. A long-legged sardine was caught, and before it could hit the deck, it went straight into Yang Yi¡¯s mouth. The woman¡¯s red eyes widened in shock, filled with disbelief. Not long after, he caught an eyeball, which was also eaten... Finally, a bloated puffer fish was caught, which Yang Yi discarded in disgust. But when the woman saw this highly toxic fish, her eyes lit up. ¡°How did he catch these treasures?¡± she wondered with envy. She didn¡¯t lose any sanity but became even more curious because she had a special talent. ¡¾Talent: Witch''s Bloodline: You crave knowledge. Your red eyes are your mark and your curse. Spirit +2. You have a much higher resistance to strange creatures and phenomena. But remember, those who touch the forbidden will be hunted by the Holy Light and burned by sacred fire...¡¿ Notes Literally what a market day sounds like -Simply? Ch. 12 - The Island and Tree Harvesting Bang!Bang Bang. The gunshots continued, each sounding slightly different. Yang Yi was practising his shooting skills. Since the flintlock rifle was unreliable, he needed to improve his accuracy to make up for its shortcomings. A piece of wood was hanging from the stern of the ship, and Yang Yi stood at the bow, taking shots at it. There was a minute between each shot, and even if the gun misfired, it didn¡¯t matter ¡ª it was just practice. Beside him, a fishing rod was set up, and he occasionally glanced at the sea to check if he¡¯d caught anything. By the end of the morning, he had only hit the target a dozen times. He was still far from being a sharpshooter! Yang Yi ate a long-legged sardine. By now, he had gotten used to it and found the sardine¡¯s taste to be quite good, especially its four long legs, which were crispy and tasted like chicken! One more day, and the storm the system warned about would arrive. Yang Yi had stored ten eyeball fish, one loaf of black bread, 6 litres of fresh water, and a dozen long-legged sardines. During this time, he had even caught a big fish, half a metre long! ¡¾Name: Red-lipped Eel¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A top-quality fiery red lip, but unfortunately, it''s on a fish! Want to have a passionate kiss with it? Abyssal species, edible, non-toxic, with tender fish lips.¡¿ When this fish first appeared, it gave him quite a scare. Eating this fish raw would mean biting into those fiery red lips ¡ª something Yang Yi found a bit hard to stomach, unless he was really starving. Looking at the fish¡¯s stark cherry-coloured lips, Yang Yi remembered the nightmare he had the previous night. The memory was still freshly ingrained in his mind. In the dream, a red-eyed woman pointed a gun at his head. Those vibrant eyes filled him with dread... ¡¾You feel a chill in your heart. Sanity decreases by 8.¡¿ The gun in the woman¡¯s hand was one Yang Yi recognised ¡ª it was his own flintlock rifle, though how it ended up in her hands, he didn¡¯t know... Just thinking about it gave him chills. Because of this, Yang Yi hadn¡¯t slept well again, and now he was sporting thick, dark circles under his eyes. Fortunately, the corpse poison in his body had been cured, his wounds were nearly healed, and his health was at 76. However, his energy recovery was too slow. After a night¡¯s sleep, he only recovered about 30 energy points, which severely limited his daytime activities. This couldn''t go on. He needed to find a way to quickly recover his energy to offset this drawback. Holy water, for example, could restore energy, but it was too expensive and not that effective... As he pondered, he suddenly received an anonymous message. ¡°Look to the upper right; there¡¯s an island there!¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Yang Yi replied, but there was no further response. In this world, to contact someone privately, you at least need to know their ship¡¯s name. If it wasn¡¯t a special ship, you¡¯d also need to know the person¡¯s name. But Yang Yi had never revealed his information. How did this person know? Could it be a cheat? After thinking for a while, he came to two conclusions: The other person might have a special skill that allowed them to see him, learn his ship¡¯s name, and they were not far away!This was a special mission given by the system. He didn¡¯t see any suspicious ships. To the upper right, there was indeed an island. It wasn¡¯t large, with some green patches that likely indicated trees. These trees could probably be cut down for wood, and the island might have other resources. If he had discovered the island on his own, he would probably have landed to check it out. But now that someone had tipped him off, he was more uncertain. In the end, Yang Yi decided to sail around it to observe. If there were no signs of other ships or players, he would find a suitable spot to land. The weapon in his hand gave him confidence. At this stage, almost no players had guns, at least none had mentioned it in the chat. As the ship approached, Yang Yi got a clear view. It was a tropical island, about three kilometres in diametre, not very large. The edge was a golden beach, with some crabs and shells scattered around ¡ª good old protein sources in Yang Yi¡¯s eyes! But what attracted him the most were the coconut trees. The tallest tree had a bronze chest hanging from it. Moreover, there were no signs that any players had landed. The coconuts were untouched! After some hesitation, Yang Yi decided to go ashore. He chose a suitable spot to anchor the ship and then disembarked. The moment his feet touched the ground, Yang Yi felt as if he had been away from the land for ages, even though he had only been a few days at sea. He gathered some food from the beach, such as green crabs, clams, and scallops. ¡¾Name: Green Crab¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A common crab, pure and natural, with tender meat.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Clam¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ingredient¡¿ ¡¾Description: A common shellfish, edible, and can be made into delicious clam soup.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Scallop¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: If you had garlic and vermicelli, roasting a few would be unforgettable!¡¿ S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi collected a bunch and tossed them into the ship''s hold, planning to eat them later. Then, for the main event ¡ª a bunch of lush, green coconut trees. These trees were generally seven or eight metres tall, with the tallest one being over ten metres, bearing heavy coconuts. They were a vital source of freshwater, easy to store, and the coconut meat provided dietary fibre. They tasted good, and were treasures he couldn''t pass up! But Yang Yi wasn¡¯t skilled at climbing trees. There was the danger of slipping and breaking a leg or even his spine. Without a way to heal, it was too risky. Using a gun to shoot down the coconuts was convenient but too noisy. If there were any monsters on the island, that would be bad. As he walked around the trees, some stones of varying sizes caught his attention. ¡¾Name: Stone¡¿ ¡¾Type: Resource¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can be collected as stone material for crafting. If it''s a large stone, you¡¯d better prepare a pickaxe.¡¿ Yang Yi picked up a bunch of medium-sized stones and placed them on the shore. Then, he returned to the Nightmare, adjusted its position, and used the grappling hook to pull the stones onto the ship. After two trips, he had collected 25 units of stone. Crafting a simple stone axe required 5 units of stone and 5 units of wood. It was one of the basic crafting functions in the log, which could be used to make basic tools like fishing rods, spears, shovels, arrows, etc. The quality was probably poor, as the items didn¡¯t even display attributes, making them inferior to ordinary equipment. He took a stone axe ashore and headed towards the tallest coconut tree. It had more than ten large coconuts and a bronze chest hanging from it. It was the first tree he planned to tackle. Ch. 13 - Vitality Coconut Juice The ship''s log offered many convenient features. But outside of it, the world was practically indistinguishable from reality.For example, chopping down trees required both strength and skill, especially when using a stone axe that wasn''t very sharp and caused a jarring impact. After cutting down the largest coconut tree, Yang Yi''s energy dropped by 13 points, leaving him with just 30 points. With full energy, he could at most chop down about five trees. Any more, and it would be too much; when energy fell below 30, there would be the risk of fainting. Once the tree fell, Yang Yi immediately began collecting coconuts. As he picked one up, a smile spread across his face. ¡¾Name: Vitality Coconut¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A rare and special coconut rich in vitamins and minerals. The coconut water inside can speed up energy recovery.¡¿ Without hesitation, Yang Yi split one open and drank it, gaining an energy recovery buff. It was exactly what Yang Yi desperately needed, making the trip a great success. He then opened the bronze chest, and several glowing orbs immediately fell out, transforming into three items upon contact. ¡¾Name: Vitality Coconut Juice Recipe¡¿ ¡¾Type: Recipe¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: After use, you¡¯ll obtain the recipe for Vitality Coconut Juice. Requires a reagent bottle, salt, and Vitality Coconut.¡¿ ..... ¡¾Name: Edible Sea Salt, 500g¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A seasoning that enhances flavour and replenishes salt.¡¿ .... ¡¾Name: Reagent Stand¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: An essential tool for making various reagents. Can be fused with crystals. It provides reagent bottles, which disappear after the reagent is consumed.¡¿ The chest not only contained the recipe but also the other two materials needed to create it. Overjoyed, Yang Yi immediately learnt the recipe and began preparing Vitality Coconut Juice. Required materials: Vitality Coconut x1, Salt 10g. Essential tool: Reagent Stand Yang Yi made a bottle. ¡¾Name: Vitality Coconut Juice¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: A drink that invigorates. Restores 10 energy and increases energy recovery speed by 50% for 8 hours. Effects can only occur once every 24 hours.¡¿ Yang Yi smiled and turned his gaze towards the coastline, eyeing the plentiful coconuts, while twirling the axe in his hand. Whenever his energy neared 30, he would lie on the beach to rest and continue chopping once he recovered. By dusk, he had chopped down four trees, collecting 38 Vitality Coconuts and 43 units of wood, all of which he transported back to the Nightmare. He didn''t plan to leave yet, deciding instead to spend the night on the ship and continue chopping the next day. But before boarding, he made a new discovery. A luminous trail on the beach, about a hundred metres from Yang Yi, caught his attention. As the sky darkened, it emitted a faint glow, which was how he had noticed it. The trail led inland, the glowing substance appearing to be some kind of biological mucus, reeking of a foul stench. He took a few steps along the trail towards the island¡¯s interior. Without the interference of waves, it was more distinct and easier to follow. From its shape, it resembled the trail left by a snake-like being slithering across the ground. Yang Yi estimated its size by measuring with his hand ¡ª it was at least half a metre thick, indicating a sizable creature! ¡°Not spending the night ashore was definitely the right decision!¡± Yang Yi changed his mind, deciding not to stay by the shore and instead moving further away, suspecting there was some large creature on the island. He gripped his flintlock gun tightly, scanning his surroundings with caution as he backed away.1 Only after boarding the Nightmare did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting in the captain''s cabin, Yang Yi contemplated his next move and ultimately decided he needed to gather more Vitality Coconuts, despite the risks. These were rare items that could mitigate the Nightmare''s drawbacks, so he simply couldn''t let them slip away! Future islands might not have such coconuts! He steered the Nightmare away from the island, anchoring about twenty nautical miles offshore. At this distance, the island was no longer visible. Any land-dwelling creature, even if it could swim, wouldn¡¯t bother coming this far to eat his meagre flesh. Wouldn¡¯t the fish in the sea be more appealing? He drank a bottle of Vitality Coconut Juice, ate a few scallops and half a Red-lipped Eel. Before falling asleep, he lay down holding his flintlock gun, resting it under the bed with his finger off the trigger. This was Yang Yi''s latest tactic for the quickest possible reaction to shoot any monster entering through the door. He soon drifted into sleep, descending into a nightmare... In the middle of the night, the melodious singing of a woman echoed outside the ship, ethereal and haunting, like a heavenly voice. But this was the sea ¡ª where would a woman¡¯s singing come from? Groggily, Yang Yi sat up, his eyes unfocused, drawn in by the enchanting song, losing control. A dazed expression spread across his face as he looked towards the cabin door. Standing there was a humanoid creature, half-human, half-fish, eerily similar to the legendary mermaids, with golden hair and a seductive figure. She was soaking wet, as if she had just bathed, with her chest modestly covered by two large shells. Her waist was slender, and from her navel downward, scales began to appear, with a fish tail in place of legs. Such creatures were often called mermaids. But at sea, they went by another name ¡ª Siren, the nightmare and dream of sailors... The Siren sang, smiling seductively at Yang Yi, flaunting her charm. The sound trap at the door was also triggered, producing a jingling noise. But Yang Yi was already under her control, rendering the trap useless. With a look of infatuation, he walked towards the Siren, holding the flintlock gun in his hand... ¡¾The enchanting song has charmed you, causing you to lose control of your body. Sanity decreased by 10.¡¿ ¡¾You saw an incredibly beautiful woman, and your mind was captivated. Sanity decreased by 7.¡¿ S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. About fifty nautical miles away, a ship was quietly following ¡ª the Astrologer. Captain Suna sat in the captain''s cabin, writing something in a small notebook. ¡°He can eat strange foods without showing any reaction, and even kiss a Red-lipped Eel without hesitation. More importantly, he doesn''t seem to be going mad at all! It''s unbelievable!¡± The notebook was titled Observational Diary of XX, as she didn''t know Yang Yi''s real name yet. It contained personal information about Yang Yi, including how long he slept, when he woke up, what he caught, and what he ate... Her actions were like those of a stalker; in a normal society, she would undoubtedly be classified as a dangerous person and would be detained for reeducation. ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid at all...?¡± Suna pondered, biting her pen cap. The information about the island was something she provided, just to see how Yang Yi would react. But at that moment, the Nightmare suddenly started moving on the chart, heading full speed towards the island. Something strange was definitely happening! Suna had been spying on Yang Yi for days, using the Astrologer¡¯s surveillance skill, knowing him to be a cautious person who wouldn¡¯t take risks at night, let alone land on the island at night. She immediately activated the surveillance skill to track the ship. ¡°Is that...a Siren?¡± Suna gasped, her eyes filled with a mix of excitement and amazement. Notes He really said ¡°Nuh uh.¡± -Simply? Ch. 14 - I have a gun in my hand Yang Yi had a nightmare.In his dream, he was enjoying an intimate moment with three alluring, seductive women, feeling utterly blissful. But suddenly, the scene changed dramatically. One of the women turned violent and bit down on his right arm, tearing off a piece of flesh and chewing it slowly, her mouth covered in blood. Yang Yi was stunned, looking at her in disbelief, only to realise she wasn¡¯t human but a mermaid...or perhaps a siren. She smiled sweetly, as if praising the taste of his flesh, her eyes filled with affection.1 Yang Yi woke up in excruciating pain, finding himself completely naked, lying on a slippery floor. The place was dimly lit, like a cave, with glowing, foul-smelling mucus covering the walls and floor. His body was also coated in a thick layer of the substance. One whiff was enough to clear his head and make him forget about food for three days! He immediately looked at his right arm. Thankfully, it was intact. The pain came from a woman who was biting down on his arm with her sharp teeth, causing him to grimace in agony. "Let go! Are you a dog?! Why are you biting me??" Yang Yi shouted angrily. Hearing his voice, the woman finally let go, leaving two deep rows of teeth marks on his shoulder. "Awake now? I thought you¡¯d never wake up!" The woman complained, her crimson eyes dripping with seductive allure. "I¡¯m sitting up, aren¡¯t I? What do you think?" Yang Yi retorted, rubbing his arm, clearly still in pain. He studied the woman. She had a typical Asian face, quite pretty, with a slender frame that seemed slightly malnourished, her skin a healthy tan. She was tied up in some weird seaweed, with marks on the floor showing the effort it took for her to crawl over. "Who are you?" Yang Yi asked, his head throbbing. "You were under a siren¡¯s spell. I saved your life!" She reminded him. Upon hearing this, Yang Yi quickly checked his activity log. It was filled with warnings of enchantment. His sanity was also at a precarious level (51/100). "Those sirens kept you alive for three days without eating you, even fattening you up! It¡¯s a miracle!" The woman continued, looking at Yang Yi. Yang Yi started to understand. "I was captured by sirens...and three days have passed?" "Exactly!" "More than one siren?" "Yes, there were three of them. They seem to be communal creatures, using their songs to enchant men, who then become both their mates and their food!" Yang Yi glanced down at his body, realising he was stark naked, and suddenly felt a chill! Not far away were his pirate clothes and a rusty flintlock pistol. "They are mythical creatures for us, but in this world, they exist, with behaviours similar to the legends..." the woman continued, apparently very interested in the creatures. Yang Yi, however, felt a surge of fear and quickly put on his pirate clothes, grabbing the flintlock pistol from the ground. ¡¾Wearing the bloodstained pirate clothes, a strange chill runs through your body, sanity decreases by 1.¡¿ His sanity was now exactly at 50, any lower, and he¡¯d enter a state of madness. "This mucus is disgusting! Any idea why sirens secrete it?" "In the sea, many soft-bodied or scaleless creatures secrete mucus to protect themselves, so it¡¯s normal for sirens to have mucus too! Also, this one glows in the dark, attracting prey, similar to the lantern of an anglerfish, and helps them display their alluring bodies to complete the hunting process..." The woman began explaining the logic behind it, mixing in her personal views as she noticed Yang Yi¡¯s confusion. "You¡¯re a player, right? Why are you here?" Yang Yi suddenly asked. There was something off about this woman; everything about her felt strange, especially those bright red eyes that sent chills down his spine, identical to the ones he saw in his nightmare. This made Yang Yi extremely cautious. Although she seemed to have no ill intentions and appeared to be trying to help him. "My name is Suna; I¡¯m a passing player who was unfortunately captured by the sirens and kept as emergency food." "But didn¡¯t you say that sirens target men? How did you get caught?" Yang Yi asked. Suna had her explanation ready. She wasn¡¯t planning to tell the truth, instead pointing to a corner. "I wasn¡¯t alone. My companion was already eaten by the sirens. But for some reason, they didn¡¯t eat you," Suna explained. Yang Yi looked in the direction she indicated. There lay a half-eaten male corpse, already decaying, with an open abdomen and missing internal organs. The face was twisted in agony, the limbs incomplete, clearly tortured before death... Near the corpse were scattered human bones, gnawed clean, a testament to the sirens¡¯ brutality. But did Suna really know that man? Not at all! She was just using the corpse to fabricate a lie, making her capture seem more reasonable. In reality, Suna had come alone, tailing Yang Yi and the sirens. She was so fascinated by them that she didn¡¯t notice two sneaking up behind her... She originally thought there was only one siren. As for the corpse, it was already there when Yang Yi arrived. After Yang Yi showed up, the man seemed to lose his value and was eaten by the sirens...so Suna had no idea who the poor guy was or where he had come from. After hearing Suna¡¯s story, Yang Yi partially believed her but remained on guard. "You said three days had passed, but why don¡¯t I feel hungry?" Yang Yi asked. He checked his status and found that, aside from low sanity, everything else was nearly full. Suna then pointed to another corner. There was a large sailfish, a fierce marine creature with an upper jaw as sharp as a spear. It was dead, with bite marks on its body. It seemed that during his unconsciousness, Yang Yi had survived by being fed the sailfish. But what about water? "Don¡¯t I need to drink water?" Yang Yi had no memory of the past three days, feeling dazed and unreal. Meanwhile, Suna was getting anxious. "Can you untie me first? In half an hour, the sirens will be back! I don¡¯t want to miss this chance!" Suna urged. So far, she was still bound, only able to move like a caterpillar. She had observed the sirens for three days, figured out their habits, and then crawled over to try and wake Yang Yi. However, Yang Yi¡¯s gaze was complicated. The woman was smart and seemed to have no ill intentions. But the more she appeared harmless, the more wary Yang Yi became, sensing something unusual about her! She was too calm! If someone else were tied up, with their life hanging by a thread, could they really speak so smoothly? And she had appeared in his nightmare! The nightmare foretold this woman would point a gun at his head, intending to kill him! For this reason, Yang Yi was conflicted, unsure whether to save her. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill a woman who seemed to have some goodwill towards him... After thinking for a while, Yang Yi finally made a decision. He felt the woman was hiding something from him, so he decided to test her, regardless of the outcome! Yang Yi¡¯s gaze turned cold as he pointed the dark muzzle of the gun at her, threatening her. "Woman, give me three reasons not to kill you!" Suna¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, as if she couldn¡¯t understand Yang Yi¡¯s thought process. "What are you talking about? Did the sirens eat your brain?" "I have a gun in my hand!" Yang Yi replied with a smile, waving the gun like a rogue. He raised a finger on his other hand, reminding her. "That¡¯s your first sentence. You have two more, so make them count!" s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The black muzzle of the gun was silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. After a dozen seconds, Suna¡¯s face showed some panic ¡ª a mix of regret and frustration. She spoke quickly, "I can give you all the resources and equipment I have, including the food on my ship!" Yang Yi shook his head, "Not enough. If I kill you, all of that will naturally be mine." Suna¡¯s breathing quickened, her eyes darting around. After a dozen more seconds, she revealed her secret. "I... I can give you my navigational chart, so you can sail more safely!" "Navigational chart?" "My ship is called the Astrologer; it can chart the nearby seas." "So that¡¯s it..." Yang Yi¡¯s smile was chilling. "You lured me here, didn¡¯t you?" He calmly reached into the inner pocket of his pirate shirt and pulled out a blueprint. "You probably haven¡¯t seen this before, right? This is a ship blueprint. You can get it by killing the owner of a special ship and dismantling it. So, tell me, why shouldn¡¯t I just kill you and take your ship¡¯s abilities for myself?" Suna¡¯s face turned pale. This was the first time she had heard of a ship blueprint. And she knew Yang Yi wasn¡¯t lying. That pirate ship...had indeed been taken down by him! Finally, she showed a look of resentment; her face was no longer calm, and she spat venomously at Yang Yi. "You¡¯re greedy, despicable, and shameless! Go ahead, shoot me! I¡¯ll curse you from the depths of hell!" With that, she closed her eyes, waiting for Yang Yi to pull the trigger. "You¡¯ve got some guts. Fine, I¡¯ll grant your wish," Yang Yi replied coldly. Suna trembled slightly. But after waiting for a long time, she neither felt pain nor heard a gunshot. She opened her eyes to see Yang Yi approaching with a sharp, broken bone he had found in the pile of skeletons. "Hand over half of your ship¡¯s supplies and provide a month¡¯s worth of sea charts, and I¡¯ll save you," Yang Yi said seriously. Suna¡¯s expression first showed surprise, then turned to anger. She realised Yang Yi was deliberately trying to deceive her! Furious and humiliated, she snapped, "What if I refuse?" "I have a gun; you don¡¯t have a choice!" Yang Yi shook the gun again, taking on the stance of a victor. Suna, powerless in the situation, had no choice but to comply. Notes Aww ? -Simply? Ch. 15 - These two people are a bit crazy Suna had no choice but to agree to Yang Yi''s conditions, but she didn''t mind at all.She only had 8 units of wood, 5 units of cloth, and 4 litres of fresh water on her ship. Giving half to Yang Yi was insignificant to her. Her ship, the Astrologer, was unique and didn''t require wood or cloth for upgrades. Instead, it needed 100 crystals and 50 units of steel. Since wood and cloth were of little use to her, she had already traded them for food and water. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell Yang Yi she was actually quite poor. In fact, she was curious to see what kind of expression he would have when he found out. Unaware of this, Yang Yi thought he had extorted a good deal from her and even felt a twinge of guilt. He used a broken bone to cut the seaweed binding Suna, setting her free. However, Suna had been tied up for too long and hadn¡¯t eaten for days, making her extremely weak. She couldn¡¯t stand up right away, but what she did next left Yang Yi speechless. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yang Yi asked, bewildered. Suna was using her hands to gather the sticky slime on the ground into a small mound, then opened her mouth and swallowed it. The slime smelt foul, but Suna explained indifferently, "I¡¯m thirsty. This slime secreted by the sirens can provide me with water and salt, along with some nutrients..." Her face wrinkled in disgust, clearly not enjoying the taste, but she forced herself to keep it down. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid it might be poisonous?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°Nope! You''ve been eating it for three days and haven¡¯t been poisoned!¡± ¡°Uh...¡± Yang Yi had nothing to say, only thinking the woman before him might not be entirely normal. After replenishing her fluids, Suna looked much better. She took out a small knife from inside her clothing, crouched down next to the giant sailfish¡¯s corpse, and cut off a few slices of fresh fish meat, chewing and swallowing them. The knife she used was a piece of equipment: ¡¾Name: Witch¡¯s Dagger¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artefact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: A dagger favoured by witches, with many functions, including gutting your enemies. It can deal slight damage to demonic creatures.¡¿ As Suna gradually recovered, Yang Yi began to survey the cave. It wasn¡¯t large, with only one passage leading outside. The sounds of rain and wind could be heard from that direction. Inside the cave was a water pool that seemed bottomless, likely connected to the sea. Yang Yi checked the male corpse lying nearby. It seemed to have been dead for some time, and a quick search revealed nothing valuable on it. ¡°Do the sirens usually come back through the pool or the cave entrance?¡± Yang Yi asked Suna. ¡°Either is possible,¡± she replied. ¡°Do they act together?¡± ¡°No,¡± Suna said, having observed these sirens for three days. ¡°They usually move in two groups. The larger one acts alone, while the two smaller ones, about 1.4 metres long, usually stay together.¡± ¡°Is that so? And does the bigger one or the smaller ones usually return first?¡± ¡°It varies, but the time between their returns isn¡¯t long, around 15 minutes or so.¡± Yang Yi nodded, getting a good sense of the situation. If all three sirens acted together, the best plan would be to run, as fighting all three head-on was too risky. But if there were only two, there might be a chance. ¡°Can you handle one?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°If it¡¯s one of the smaller ones, I should be able to. I¡¯ve fought them before,¡± Suna¡¯s voice came from behind him. Having replenished her salt and water and eaten some fish, she was gradually regaining her strength. It was clear her physical condition was quite good, perhaps even better than Yang Yi¡¯s. ¡°The main weapon of the sirens is their singing, but their songs don¡¯t affect women. Also, their upper body strength isn¡¯t very strong, about the same as the average woman¡¯s, probably around a strength level of 4, similar to mine. In a land battle, you only need to avoid their claws and teeth.¡± Suna explained further. She had a few shallow cuts on her body, likely from the sirens. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were three of them, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been captured! You have a gun, so it should be easy for you to deal with them. Just block your ears and shoot quickly!¡± Suna didn¡¯t know Yang Yi¡¯s gun could misfire, so she thought it would be simple. Yang Yi didn¡¯t plan to explain this weakness, as exposing it would go against his nature. He began to check his attribute panel. Name : Yang Yi Status: Healthy (A human figure in a large shape, all green) Strength: 3 (49/50) Spirit: 7+1 (892/8000) [Talent Bonus] Agility: 4+1 (69/100) [Pirate Outfit Bonus] S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Constitution : 4 (4/100) Perception: 5 (32/200) Sanity: 50/100 Energy: 92/100 Vitality: 99/100 (Lost 1 point after being bitten by Suna) He had figured out how to increase each attribute. Physical exercise could improve strength, constitution, and agility. Healing from injuries could give an additional boost to constitution. Large fluctuations in sanity, especially if recovered, could significantly increase spirit experience. Activities like fishing, shooting, and grappling could raise the perception of experience. The growth methods were very realistic. Considering what Suna had said about sirens not being very strong on land and not always moving together, Yang Yi figured that if he could quickly raise his strength to 4, combined with his Frenzy talent (+2), he could overpower them. The main thing to watch out for were their tails, which probably packed a powerful punch. He¡¯d have to be careful not to get hit in a vital spot. After figuring this out, Yang Yi immediately got to work. He thought it would be easy to gain that last point of experience. Glancing around, he searched the cave for something heavy to use for training. But at first glance, he didn¡¯t see anything suitable. The cave was mostly empty, with just stone walls and light bones scattered around. However, Yang Yi was resourceful and quickly came up with other options. For instance, he could use Suna for strength training by lifting her. Or the giant sailfish carcass, which looked like it had the right weight. Or even the male corpse on the ground. Considering all options, Yang Yi decided the male corpse was the best choice. The sailfish didn¡¯t offer good leverage, and lifting Suna might lead to a bite in retaliation. But the corpse wouldn¡¯t resist or take a chomp! Even though the corpse¡¯s arms were mostly gone, its weight was just right, and its head and neck were still intact, making it easy to grip. So, Yang Yi grabbed the male corpse by the neck and started doing overhead presses with it. ¡°Are you insane?¡± Suna asked, shocked by his bizarre behaviour. ¡°Tell me, how much sanity do you have left?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my sanity is a solid 50!¡± ¡°50?¡± Suna stared at Yang Yi in disbelief. Sanity drops usually affected mental state, even if it wasn¡¯t below 50. But Yang Yi seemed utterly unconcerned about his sanity, or perhaps...he was always in a slightly deranged state. Suna¡¯s gaze on Yang Yi became increasingly intense, as if she were observing a rare specimen. Unaware of this, Yang Yi continued his corpse lifts. Unfortunately, just as he was completing his ninth rep, he heard the sound of something slithering from the passage outside the cave. It seemed like only one creature was approaching. ¡°It¡¯s back! Quickly, stuff these in your ears!¡± Suna handed Yang Yi two chunks of fish meat she had just cut from the tuna. But Yang Yi shook his head. ¡°No need; I have my own method.¡± He turned to face the incoming sea monster. Ch. 16 - The storm is coming The siren was about two metres long, with most of her fish tail dragging on the ground, supporting her body. When the siren returned and saw the two people in front of her, she froze, particularly when she noticed Yang Yi holding a corpse by the neck.However, she reacted quickly, and a melodious song soon rang out. ¡¾You hear a beautiful and captivating melody. Enchanted by it, you fall into a state of charm, losing 5 points of sanity.¡¿ Yang Yi suddenly stopped moving, dropped the corpse, and let his hands hang limply by his sides. "It''s over, this fool got charmed again!" Suna gripped her dagger tightly, ready for a fight to the death. She figured this time, the siren wouldn''t spare her and would probably keep her as emergency rations. A drop of cold sweat rolled down her forehead. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi, seemingly deeply enchanted by the siren, began walking towards her in a daze, swaying as he went. The siren was incredibly beautiful, with golden wavy hair, delicate and captivating features, and a heavenly voice. Her skin glowed like white porcelain, and she had a voluptuous and tall, sexy figure. In contrast, she also had a set of sharp teeth capable of crushing skulls, claws sharp enough to tear open a belly, and a fish tail strong enough to break human bones. Yang Yi was utterly mesmerised, approaching the siren as if seeking a hug, nestling into her arms... The siren, apparently fond of her prey, momentarily abandoned her attack. Her gaze softened, and though she opened her mouth several times, she couldn''t bring herself to bite Yang Yi. "Sorry, but...we''re not the same species," Yang Yi said softly while in her embrace. ¡¾Sanity below 50. You enter a state of madness: Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Spirit -2, immune to most mental abnormalities...¡¿ Before the siren could realise something was wrong, Boom! The gunshot was deafening, reverberating through the entire cave. This time, the flintlock gun didn''t disappoint, firing successfully on the first try. The sharp half of a broken bone that was tucked into his back waistband didn''t seem necessary anymore. "You can resist the charm? Then what was that earlier, when you followed her willingly?" Suna''s crimson eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment. "Your gun has a strange sound to it. How did it reduce my sanity by one point?" Only one point... Yang Yi immediately caught the key detail. The woman definitely wasn¡¯t normal! Even with a Spirit stat as high as 8, Yang Yi lost 3 sanity points the first time he heard the gunshot! Yang Yi didn''t bother explaining. He stepped back, watching as the headless body of the siren slowly slumped to the ground, twitching continuously. Thick, dark red fluid and bits of flesh splattered all over Yang Yi. Suna immediately ran over and, after examining the siren''s body, showed a hint of regret in her eyes. "Your gun is too powerful. Could you avoid shooting the head next time? I''d like to have a complete siren''s head." She pulled out a bottle from somewhere and began collecting the siren''s blood, brain tissue, and surface mucus. "What are you doing? I killed this siren, so the spoils belong to me!" Yang Yi frowned and quickly picked up a piece of flesh, stuffing it into his pocket to remind Suna. After all, the vending machine only needed a small amount of tissue, and the system would recover the monster''s corpse afterwards, preventing the possibility of using the same corpse multiple times. Hearing this, Suna paused and looked up at Yang Yi, thinking for a moment. "How about this: you leave me one complete body, and I''ll give you all the resources on my ship, plus an additional month of navigation guidance. Deal?" Yang Yi thought about it briefly and agreed. The siren wasn''t as strong as the Drowned Revenants. Without her song, most adult men with spears could kill her on land. Her spoils were unlikely to be that valuable, so the navigation charts would be more useful. "You mentioned earlier that the time interval between the two groups of sirens returning to their lair was around 15 minutes, right?" Yang Yi asked. "Yes, the intervals were 20 minutes, 17 minutes, and 18 minutes," Suna replied, recalling clearly. "Then you''ll need to add a new piece of data ¡ª not more than two minutes!" Yang Yi grabbed Suna and pulled her in front of him. The next second, two sirens burst out of the pool behind Suna, lunging at where she had just been standing, but they missed. Just moments before, Yang Yi noticed ripples on the surface of the pool and became alert. When he saw a head emerging from the water, he immediately pulled Suna to help her avoid the attack. The two smaller sirens, seeing the body of their fallen kin, flew into a rage, emitting threatening hisses. Their pale skin began to flush red, and they bared their sharp teeth. The haunting melody resumed, this time a duet, the sound sharp and echoing in the cave. Even Suna was overwhelmed, her head spinning from the sound. ¡¾The song is both piercing and enchanting. Your sanity decreases by 5 points.¡¿ Although Yang Yi was immune to the charm, the sound still made his chest feel tight, his eardrums ache, and even caused him to start losing health. He immediately raised his gun and aimed. Click! The gun misfired! "Run! Let''s get outside. The space here is too small, and their song echoes in the cave, putting us at a disadvantage!" Yang Yi said decisively. Suna was in bad shape too, with blood trickling from one ear, seeming a bit disoriented. Yang Yi immediately grabbed her and began running out of the cave. Fortunately, the sirens weren''t fast. After all, they had no legs, and their fish tails weren''t well-suited for moving on land, so their speed was relatively slow. The two of them managed to escape the cave. By this time, Suna had recovered enough that Yang Yi no longer needed to pull her along. "Your pistol may not need reloading, but it misfires from time to time, doesn''t it?" she asked. Yang Yi frowned, slightly annoyed. This woman had a knack for focusing on things she shouldn''t, which wasn''t doing her any good! They kept running. Yang Yi wanted to buy time until the flintlock gun''s cooldown ended, which would make the fight easier. But they hadn''t run far when they came to a stop, faced with a murky sea. The island was mostly submerged by the sea, with no path in front. There was no sunlight overhead, just thick clouds and heavy rain pouring down. Only the occasional flash of lightning illuminated the world, followed by deafening thunder. A storm at sea! Yang Yi immediately remembered that the system announcement had warned him of an impending storm. "I didn''t mention it before, but the storm has already been going on for two days. Now, all the players are desperately trying to escape this sea area," Suna explained. "Why didn''t you say so earlier?" "Would it have helped? We still had to deal with the sirens," Suna replied calmly. She wasn''t wrong. If they didn''t take care of the sirens, they''d inevitably be chased down by them during the storm, which wouldn''t end well... Yang Yi looked back, timing it perfectly. The two sirens were still about 50 metres away. By the time they closed the distance to 5 metres, the flintlock gun''s cooldown would just about be over. Five metres was a distance Yang Yi felt confident in; there was a high chance he could hit his target. He raised his gun, aimed carefully, and held his breath. The moment they were within range, he fired. Bang! The shot rang out, and a severed arm flew into the air. The siren''s head remained intact ¡ª Yang Yi had missed. "Your aim is terrible!" Suna mocked. "As if you''re any better!" Yang Yi retorted nonchalantly. "You keep the siren with the severed arm busy. I''ll take care of the other one and then come back to help you!" "Got it!" The two of them ran towards their respective targets. Ch. 17 - Turbid Sea Yang Yi charged at the siren on his left. He had no weapons in hand, and the broken bone he once had was long lost somewhere.But he was on land, and while other options might¡¯ve been scarce, there was no shortage of stones! He grabbed one and rushed forwards. Midway, his strength suddenly upgraded; his base strength now reached 4 points, and with the bonus, it surged to 6! S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Hsss!" The siren hissed in a threatening manner, her scales bristling. She was quite clever, seemingly realising the man before her wasn''t susceptible to enchantment. Instead of wasting energy on singing, she prepared to tear him apart with her sharp claws and fangs. But what she didn''t know was...when it came to physical combat, humans were unrivalled rulers on land. Even without firearms, this fact didn¡¯t change! Yang Yi was a prime example of this; he had no intention of fighting fairly. Seeing how close they were, he simply hurled the stone at her, striking her squarely in the face.1 With his strength at 6 points, exceeding the average of 5, the hit was brutal. The siren staggered, bleeding profusely from her head. Seizing the moment, he mounted her, grabbed another large stone, and began pounding her face without a trace of mercy. It was clear this simply wasn¡¯t a beautiful woman, but a flesh-eating beast in disguise. No normal person would show sympathy, never mind Yang Yi in his frenzied state. One hit. Two hits. Three hits... It wasn''t until Yang Yi felt something break, and the siren beneath him stopped struggling, that he finally paused. He wasn''t unscathed. The siren''s tail had left several deep, dark bruises on his back, and her claws had torn through his skin, leaving gaping wounds. The power of that tail was terrifying, but as Suna had said, her upper body strength was comparable to that of a human. As long as the fight was settled on hard soil, humans had the upper hand. In the water, it was a different story. After finishing off the siren, Yang Yi casually picked up a piece of her flesh and put it in his pocket, then ran towards the last remaining siren. The fight happening there was stuck in a deadlock. Suna and the siren were entangled, rolling on the ground, covered in mud and water. The siren was injured, missing an arm, while Suna was weakened. The two were locked in a struggle, neither able to overpower the other. That was until Yang Yi intervened, tipping the scales. With two against one, Yang Yi quickly pinned the siren down with his foot, pulled out his flintlock, and prepared to blow her head off. "Don''t shoot! I need her intact, especially the head!" Remembering Suna''s earlier request, Yang Yi paused and asked, "Then what do you want me to do?" "I''ve noticed movements in her chest ¡ª she likely breathes through lungs. Try strangling her!" Suna pressed down on the siren with her full weight, signalling for Yang Yi to act. Nodding, he didn''t hesitate. He gripped the siren''s throat tightly with both hands. Before long, the siren''s resistance weakened. A few minutes later, she stopped moving altogether, her eyes rolling back, seemingly dead. To ensure she wasn''t faking it, Yang Yi kept his grip for a full five minutes, only releasing when Suna tapped him on the shoulder. With that, the three sirens were finally dead. "Didn''t expect sirens to breathe through their mouths. I thought they had gills!" Yang Yi joked, eyeing the siren. At a glance, she looked like a crude fusion of a human and a fish. Suna, meanwhile, was roughly feeling behind the siren''s ear. "She does have gills, right behind her ears. How they function together is something we''d have to dissect to understand." Suna continued to probe the siren''s body like a child playing with a new toy, exploring every inch. Yang Yi, however, wasn''t as interested. He only needed to know the siren''s weak points and how to kill them. The specifics of their anatomy didn''t concern him. He opened his log to check the siren''s detailed information. ¡¾Name: Lesser Siren¡¿ ¡¾Description: Sirens are demonic creatures of the sea that use their voices and beauty to ensnare men. They are half-human, half-fish, and typically live in groups. They enjoy toying with their prey before gradually devouring them. This one is a lesser individual, with limited intelligence and strength.¡¿ "There''s a higher-level siren..." Yang Yi thought, feeling a deep sense of caution. If it had been a higher-level siren, he might have died in her embrace before even triggering his frenzy... And even if he had triggered the frenzy, he probably wouldn''t have won. What a terrifying creature! He could only hope that by the next time they met, he would have some resistance against enchantment. On the other side, Suna had already begun cutting up the siren''s corpse ¡ª a rather gruesome sight, causing Yang Yi to avert his eyes and check the weather forecast. He needed to quickly gather information and figure out what had happened in the past three days. Today''s Weather The storm is closing in on you. Escape the dark clouds overhead as soon as possible! Location : Sea of Origins (Storm Zone) Remaining Sunlight : Unknown Temperature : 12~20¡ãC. Wind Force: Level 8 Yang Yi then reviewed the previous day''s announcements. ¡¾An unprecedented storm is sweeping across the Origin Sea. You must hurry to escape the storm zone before it becomes uncontrollable. Friendly Reminder: The speed of the black fog will increase to 15 knots. If you''re too slow, you might not make it!¡¿ After reading this, Yang Yi frowned. "We''ve wasted two days. We need to leave as soon as possible." He began searching for the Nightmare, his ship. By now, the island was mostly submerged, with the landmass reduced to less than a kilometre in diametre. Only the tops of trees were still visible above the water, and the sea''s depth was likely around 10 metres. He spotted the shadow of the Nightmare to his left, thankfully not blown away by the wind ¡ª perhaps because its sails were in tatters. As for the distance, it was several hundred metres away, though probably less than a kilometre. On the sea, it was a significant distance, especially for someone more suited to land. Yang Yi wasn''t a strong swimmer, just someone who had learnt as a child. He could manage a few dozen metres, but several hundred was asking too much! Moreover, the water was turbulent, with potential undercurrents below. As he racked his brain for a solution, he noticed Suna stuffing a piece of the siren''s flesh into her stomach. "Huh?" Yang Yi took a closer look. He then realised Suna had a black pouch attached to her belly under her clothes. "Is that...a space bag?" Yang Yi was surprised that she had such a rare item. ¡¾Name: Witch''s Personal Treasure Bag¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description : It can be attached to any part of your body, making it impossible to steal. It offers one cubic metre of space for storage but cannot hold living things. Every proper witch must first have her own treasure bag!¡¿ Yang Yi immediately had an idea and started walking towards Suna. Notes Such grace! -Simply? Ch. 18 - The fighting style of a madman How should a low-level sea monster be folded to occupy the least space in a one-cubic-metre area? Suna didn''t bother to think about this problem and chose a more straightforward method: chop it into more pieces!One piece for the tail, another for the torso, and the arms and head could also be detached. Once neatly arranged, it wouldn''t take up much space! That''s exactly what she was doing right then. Yang Yi walked over and asked, ¡°Do you have any rope on you?¡± ¡°I have 15 units,¡± Suna replied.1 ¡°Great!¡± Yang Yi exclaimed with delight. ¡°Give me all the rope, and I''ll make a raft so we can cross this sea area. It''s too far and dangerous to swim across!¡± Hearing this, Suna paused and looked at the sea surface. Her ship, the Astrologer, was anchored next to the Nightmare, about a kilometre from the shore. Indeed, it wouldn''t be an easy swim. ¡°Okay!¡± After a brief consideration, Suna agreed to Yang Yi''s proposal and handed him all the rope. At that point, cooperation was the best option. Moreover, the recent battle had established a basic level of trust between them. Yang Yi took the rope, first ran back to the cave, and turned the clothes on the male corpse into cloth. He also rummaged through the pile of bones, gathering a total of five units of cloth, which he used to make five units of simple rope. He now had 20 units of rope. What he needed next was some wood. Yang Yi had a flintlock gun in hand, powerful enough to break a small tree with a single shot. After spending some time and firing a few shots, they had enough logs. Using the witch¡¯s dagger, he carefully trimmed the logs and then bound them tightly with rope. A small raft, one metre wide, was completed! It cost 13 units of rope and 8 logs. The extra rope could be tied around Suna and Yang Yi''s waists. If one of them accidentally fell into the water, the other could rescue them in time. With preparations complete, it all depended on their execution. After all, they hadn''t known each other for long, and various uncertainties remained. ¡°Okay, get on. The raft is ready!¡± Yang Yi said to Suna. He checked the raft and found the buoyancy to be sufficient; it could carry two people without any problem. Suna had just finished dismembering the sea monster. She walked over and climbed onto the raft. Each of them held a makeshift paddle and worked their way towards the ship. Due to the presence of trees and the island, the stretch of water was much calmer than the open sea. The process went smoothly, and they quickly approached the ship. Yang Yi even started thinking about the coconut trees. Although they were submerged, they still bore coconuts that could be pulled down with a claw hook. Amidst his fantasising, a great force struck the bottom of the raft, nearly throwing them into the sea. ¡°There¡¯s something in the water, and it¡¯s big!¡± Yang Yi immediately became alert, pointing his flintlock at the water¡¯s surface. Suna, who had almost fallen, was now lying on the raft. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shadow swimming by. ¡°There¡¯s a giant snake in the water, right here!¡± She pointed to a spot, warning him. Yang Yi was about to look when they were lifted again, snapping one of the ropes and loosening the structure of the raft. If this continued, the raft would definitely fall apart! S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Then, they would fall into the water and be directly attacked by the giant sea serpent. The consequences would be unimaginable! They were still two hundred metres from the ship, too far of a distance to swim. Realising this, Yang Yi''s eyes gleamed with fierce light. He was in a state of madness ¡ª brave, fearless, and eager for battle. If the sea serpent wanted to eat him, then it should have no complaints about being eaten! He grinned and tested firing the flintlock underwater. Boom! Water splashed everywhere. As expected, the flintlock was waterproof and could still fire even when wet or submerged! Suna heard the commotion, turned her head, and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Testing the gun.¡± Suna frowned, not understanding, and suggested her own idea. ¡°We could try luring it away with the sea monster¡¯s blood and flesh. I could throw it far...¡± ¡°No need, that won¡¯t work!¡± Yang Yi shook his head, staring at the shadow in the water. ¡°I can feel it ¡ª it¡¯s challenging me to a duel!¡± ¡°A feeling? Are you losing your mind? How much sanity do you have left?¡± Yang Yi didn''t answer her. Like a madman, he jumped into the water, leaving only one sentence behind in the air. ¡°When things get chaotic down there, just pull me up!''¡± ¡°You''re... You¡¯re planning to fight it in the water? That¡¯s suicide!¡± But in reality, Yang Yi had a good chance of winning ¡ª a very high one! He was extremely calm, counting the seconds. After 15 seconds, he could fire again. With the power of the flintlock, he only needed one hit to take out the serpent. And it would take the serpent at least a few minutes to kill him. Because the serpent didn¡¯t have tearing teeth, it typically killed its prey by constriction and suffocation. During that time, Yang Yi could fire at least three or four shots. As long as one shot hit, the serpent would be cut open in half on the spot! The sea serpent eagerly swam over as its prey offered itself. The serpent was as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh, agile as a fish, and extremely good in water. Were they to fight on land, Yang Yi would stand a chance. However, in the water, without a suitable weapon, Yang Yi¡¯s odds were almost zero. The serpent tightly coiled around him, and he could only barely free his right hand, giving himself a chance to shoot. The rest of his body didn¡¯t matter. Quickly, Yang Yi pulled the trigger. Click! The gun misfired. But it wasn¡¯t an issue; he still had another chance! The serpent tightened its grip, and Yang Yi felt his ribs grinding against each other, unable to fight back. He counted the time and fired the second shot. Click! Another misfire. The air in Yang Yi¡¯s lungs was squeezed out, and his ribs were at risk of breaking. His body went numb. Yet he remained calm, waiting for his next chance to shoot. The sea serpent sensed something was wrong. Yang Yi was different from any prey it had ever encountered! And so, it prepared for the final strike, biting hard into Yang Yi¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Daring to bite me?... Then don¡¯t be sorry if I bite back!¡± Yang Yi bit down on the serpent¡¯s body with all his might, piercing its scales. At that moment, his third shot came, aimed at the serpent¡¯s head on his left shoulder. Boom! Thunder exploded underwater. The shot blew off half of the sea serpent¡¯s head. But it didn¡¯t die instantly, letting out a horrific screech and quickly releasing the troublesome prey. Why did it bother struggling? Its death was certain; it was doomed. ¡°I won!¡± Yang Yi felt relieved and relaxed after his final victory. Although it had been tough, he had won! His body began to sink slowly... ¡°Damn, I have to swim up!¡± Yang Yi tried to control his body, but to his surprise, he found that he couldn''t muster any strength. On the surface of the water, there was a loud explosion, and water splashed up into the air. Immediately after, a large amount of black blood floated up. Suna had been closely watching the underwater commotion, and as soon as she heard the gunshot, she quickly pulled the rope tied around her waist. But the other end of the rope was severed. At some point during the struggle between Yang Yi and the sea serpent, the rope had snapped. Suna looked at the water, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally, jumped in. A few minutes later, Yang Yi spat out a mouthful of water, along with a piece of snake skin that had been bitten off. After regaining his breath, his vitality quickly returned, and his consciousness cleared. Suna had saved him and performed CPR on him. "Thank you, I owe you my life," Yang Yi said, expressing his gratitude. Before he lost consciousness, he had noticed the broken rope and thought he was done for. But to his surprise, this woman had actually jumped in to save him. At that moment, he also noticed that the conditions for unlocking his mysterious skill had changed to 2/3. By now, Yang Yi had roughly guessed what the condition was ¡ª surviving three near-death experiences. On the other side, Suna was feeling quite conflicted. She looked at Yang Yi with a strange expression...almost as if she were observing some rare creature. "To risk one''s life in battle without hesitation goes against the very instincts of survival! How peculiar! I''ll have to record this in my observation diary later..." After thinking it over, she noticed the wound on Yang Yi''s shoulder. "You''ve been bitten. That serpent might be venomous!" Suna leaned in, trying to suck out the venom from Yang Yi''s wound. She continued until the blood she spit out turned bright red, then she stopped. Yang Yi looked at her, feeling a bit moved. After all, what she did was risky. Though snake venom is mostly protein and would be digested by stomach acid, if there were any cuts or sores in her mouth or digestive tract, it could be dangerous and lead to poisoning. Once the treatment was done, Yang Yi caught his breath. The two of them steadily approached the ship and climbed aboard their respective vessels. ... Yang Yi''s Observation Diary: His madness is so captivating! He never backs down, has clear awareness, and formulates battle plans. He might not even realise just how strong his desire to fight is, how much he craves to kill his opponent. But what if the opponent is too strong... What choice would he make then? This warrants further observation. ¡ªWitch Suna Notes One unit equals one metre ?? Ch. 19 - Re-trading On the boat:Earlier, the fish and shellfish that were caught had already rotted and were no longer edible. Yang Yi left only a single pufferfish with a cyst and returned everything else to the sea. His remaining food consisted of 1 piece of black bread, 3 eyeball fish, and 38 vitality coconuts. There was still 1 litre of fresh water. Yang Yi ate three eyeballs, then prepared a bottle of vitality coconut juice to regain his energy. ¡¾Player Suna Requests to Board the Ship¡¿ Yang Yi agreed without hesitation. She boarded the ship from the stern and soon arrived at the cabin of the Nightmare. At that moment, Yang Yi was mixing the drink. ¡°You can make potions?¡± Suna asked in surprise. ¡°Yes, I got a recipe on the island. You can mix salt and vitality coconuts to make vitality coconut juice. Want to try some?¡± Yang Yi handed the freshly prepared vitality coconut juice to Suna. Since she had saved his life, giving her something in return was no problem. Suna took it, examined it carefully, but did not drink it. Instead, she put it into her treasure bag. ¡°I saved your life, so I won¡¯t take any supplies from your ship.¡± Yang Yi suggested, ¡°Drink the freshly made juice.¡± Suna seemed a bit regretful. She couldn¡¯t see Yang Yi¡¯s disappointed expression. The Astrologer¡¯s ship had very few supplies. ¡°Do you want to collaborate again?¡± Yang Yi proposed. The storm at sea was severe. With their cooperation, they would have a much better chance of managing it. Additionally, the Astrologer¡¯s ship could provide navigation charts, so they wouldn¡¯t get lost in the storm. ¡°Sure!¡± Suna agreed, as she had the same idea. Yang Yi left the cabin, and outside, the sky was covered in dark clouds. The howling wind mixed with seawater, causing the ship to sway continuously. He didn¡¯t plan to set off immediately as there were other urgent matters to attend to. He had been poisoned by a snake and urgently needed antidotes. Additionally, the spoils from the sea monster battle still needed to be collected! He approached the Octopus Vending Machine and threw in the two sea monster corpses and a piece of snake skin. ¡¾Name: Large Sea Serpent**¡¿** ¡¾Description: A cunning giant sea serpent, larger than ordinary pythons, enjoys torturing its prey. Can be put into the monster capsule machine.¡¿ ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to exchange that corpse for a capsule?¡± Yang Yi suddenly asked. Suna still had a sea monster corpse in her treasure bag! ¡°No exchange!¡± Suna shook her head repeatedly, as if it were a rattle drum. In her eyes, the corpse was very valuable ¨C more than the capsule! Studying its physiological structure could provide the knowledge she wanted! Knowledge was much more precious than mere items! Yang Yi shrugged and started spinning the machine¡¯s wheel, causing the capsules to collide against each other. Soon, three were ejected. Suna stood behind Yang Yi, observing his actions and taking out a small notebook to record details: ¡°Yang Yi lives on a ghost ship with questionable mental health! His Vending Machine is a fearsome octopus head, and Yang Yi seems to like it¡­¡± Yang Yi, unaware of being psychoanalysed, happily picked up the glowing items on the ground. The first item was a can with a mermaid image on it. ¡¾Name: Siren¡¯s Voice¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Contains a special gas that, when inhaled, emits a piercing shriek, causing surrounding creatures to enter a temporary state of paralysis and loss of reason. Inhaling it reduces sanity by 20. You¡¯ve obtained the siren¡¯s voice, but it seems you can¡¯t sing¡­¡¿ The second item was a blue crystal pendant. ¡¾Name: Siren¡¯s Tear¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Immunity to charm when worn. However, you will occasionally hear hallucinations, as if a siren is singing in your ear, causing a decrease in sanity.¡¿ The third item was a short sword. ¡¾Name: Sea Serpent¡¯s Tooth¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ **¡¾Description: **A short sword made from the tooth of a giant sea serpent. It has a mild paralysing effect and deals minor damage to demonic creatures. ¡¿ Yang Yi had good luck getting two pieces of equipment and one weapon from the three capsules, which helped alleviate the awkward situation of having low output while the flintlock was cooling down. As for the other two items¡­ Yang Yi considered selling or trading them. The Siren¡¯s Tear was a powerful weapon against sirens, but since Yang Yi had a mad state that granted immunity, it was somewhat redundant. The charm effect would be quickly adapted to by someone with high sanity. The first time being charmed reduced sanity by 10, but later encounters would reduce it by only 5, making it less effective. The Siren¡¯s Voice was a good item, but Yang Yi urgently needed to recover from his injuries, so he reluctantly decided to trade it. He immediately messaged the captain of the Radiant Goddess, Zhou Dai. Yang Yi: ¡°I need two bottles of holy water. Do you have any?¡± There was a delay of several minutes before a reply came. Zhou Dai: ¡°To keep it short, I¡¯m busy sailing right now and don¡¯t have time to produce holy water. My current stock is limited!¡± Yang Yi understood her meaning. It implied that there was stock, but the price would be high. Yang Yi was prepared with enough bargaining chips, so he replied: ¡°Two bottles of vitality coconut juice, the Siren¡¯s Tear, and the Siren¡¯s Voice in exchange for two bottles of holy water.¡± The response from Zhou Dai came much faster this time. ¡°You¡¯re a male player, right? Did you manage to kill a siren?¡± She sounded incredulous. After all, many male players had fallen to sirens, as seen in chat. ¡°I won¡¯t shortchange you. At this price, I can give you three bottles of holy water. We can collaborate again in the future!¡± The trade was quickly completed. Yang Yi threw the items into the Octopus Vending Machine, and soon, three bottles of holy water appeared in his hands. Yang Yi immediately drank one bottle and then handed another to Suna. ¡°You were right; that sea serpent was poisonous. Just in case, you should drink one bottle too. It can detoxify and heal.¡± Suna took the holy water but did not drink it. Instead, she examined it carefully and then put it into her treasure bag. ¡°I told you to drink it, not to store it!¡± Yang Yi was annoyed. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to drink it, give it back to me!¡± He was puzzled. Whether it was vitality coconut juice or holy water, this woman seemed to like putting everything into her treasure bag. Suna was taken aback. Seeing Yang Yi¡¯s serious expression, she finally relented, opened the bottle, and drank the holy water. ¡°Spit it out if you¡¯re just holding it in your mouth!¡± Yang Yi noticed that Suna had not swallowed it and was only holding it in her mouth. Suna frowned, looking somewhat displeased. After Yang Yi¡¯s insistence, she reluctantly swallowed it. ¡°Open your mouth and let me see!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Suna complied and opened her mouth, seeming to have genuinely drunk it. Yang Yi nodded. In fact, Suna also had injuries, so this would help her recover faster. Secretly, Suna took out a small notebook and began recording: Yang Yi was very fierce and liked to force others! ¡°What are you writing?¡± Yang Yi asked, coming over. ¡°Nothing!¡± S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Suna kept her notebook hidden. Seeing this, Yang Yi didn¡¯t press further, respecting her privacy. ¡°Have you read the chat and announcements? Everyone is desperately fleeing this sea area. We need to escape too!¡± Yang Yi judged the situation and inquired about the Astrologer¡¯s ship details. Her ship was only level 1, 10 knots slower than the level 2 Nightmare. They simply decided to use grappling hooks to bind the two ships together. This way, neither ship would fall behind. ¡°Help me with one more thing first.¡± Yang Yi pointed to the coconut trees, which were barely visible, with coconuts floating almost on the water. ¡°Let¡¯s make a trip around the island and collect as many coconuts as we can. No lingering!¡± Suna nodded in agreement. Yang Yi wanted to collect as many as possible, however, doing it this way would save time. The two ships circled the island, gathering 92 coconuts in total. The number was quite substantial, and Yang Yi was satisfied. He generously gave Suna half, so they each got 46 coconuts. Including the 34 coconuts from his ship, the total was 126. With this, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t have to worry about energy recovery for a while. Ch. 20 - Journey Through the Storm Today''s Weather: The storm has intensified; please be cautious of floating debris at sea.Location: Sea of Origin (Storm Zone) Remaining Sunlight: Unknown Temperature: 13-18¡ãC Wind Force: Level 9 Yang Yi and Suna had been travelling together at sea for two days. In those two days, they hadn¡¯t seen the sun at all; the sea was pitch dark, with limited visibility. The wind force had increased by one level, the sea turbulent. Maintaining even half of the original ship speed of several tens of knots was already commendable. At the start of the storm, the wind force was only level 4, which was the ideal time to speed up. During this period, Yang Yi was charmed by a siren and missed the golden window for speeding up, resulting in significant delays, and ending up at the rear of everyone else. From the chat channel, Yang Yi learnt that his friend, Captain Xu Da of the Swift Wind, had broken out of the stormy sea the night before. His ship''s speed reached 70 knots, making it the fastest in the game. If it were to be upgraded to level 2, it would likely be even faster. He told him that beyond the choppy sea, the weather was calm and sunny! It was expected that in the next two days, more fast ships would break out of the rough sea, except for the two unfortunate ones ¨C Yang Yi and Suna. ¡°Damn it!¡± Yang Yi hadn''t slept for days, with bloodshot eyes and a bad temper. He drank a bottle of coconut juice to replenish his energy and privately messaged Suna. ¡°Suna, are there any islands or reefs ahead?¡± He didn''t want to accidentally run aground on an island or crash into a reef. ¡°No, don¡¯t disturb me; this is a critical moment!¡± Since taking over the Astrologer, Suna hadn''t shown her face again. ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± Yang Yi asked. Suna did not reply. She was in the cabin of the Astrologer, which had a wooden long table. Nearby was a basketball-sized crystal ball displaying the sea chart within a hundred nautical miles. However, her attention was not on the sea chart but on the siren''s corpse on the table. Suna used the witch¡¯s dagger as a surgical tool, cutting open the skin to observe the complex nerve and vascular structure inside, hypothesising about its organ composition, and making detailed records. Several organs had been completely removed, including the brain and eyes, and were placed in glass jars. She spent some materials to exchange for several glass jars, just for this observation. ¡°This siren... Its body structure has many defects. It¡¯s more accurate to call it a mermaid. Its body still has an immune rejection response, as if human and fish organs were brutally forced together. It needs to eat humans to alleviate this...¡± She muttered her findings while recording. ¡°There seems to be a trend of weakening in this rejection response. If it completely disappears, the siren¡¯s body might undergo new changes...¡± Meanwhile, Yang Yi continued to steer the ship, circumventing floating debris caused by the sea current. If it weren¡¯t for the storm, many people would be eager to use grappling hooks to catch these floating objects. But now, everyone avoided them like the plague. The debris was large, fast-moving, and some were even fragments of ship hulls. It wasn¡¯t known which unfortunate player they came from. So, Yang Yi kept vigilant, avoiding the floating objects. His Nightmare had poor durability, with only 600 points, and the hull was made of rotten wood. It was far from sturdy. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After just three collisions, durability dropped by over a hundred! A few more hits, and his ship would fall apart! In this urgent situation, Yang Yi considered using the pirate ship blueprints. However, the system stated that the environment was unsafe and did not allow the use of blueprints for modifications. With no other option, he could only continue pressing on. At the same time, Yang Yi kept an eye on the chat channel to stay updated on the sea¡¯s changes and movements. The messages were mostly bad news and player complaints. ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ The wind was too strong just now; I seem to have gone off course. Can anyone tell me the direction!¡± ¡°How far is it still? I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± ¡°Looking to buy wood, paying a high price. I have millions on my bank card, just need 10 units of wood; I¡¯ll buy it all!¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± ¡°Damn it, my ship is taking on water! Who¡¯s selling wood? 30 Shell Coins per unit, buying indefinitely!¡± Wood could repair ships, making its value skyrocket and hard to obtain. Sometimes, a single unit of wood would be sold for the sky-high price of 50 Shell Coins... ¡°What¡¯s at the bottom of the sea attacking my ship?!¡± Suddenly, a message caught Yang Yi''s attention. It could¡¯ve been a new development in the sea zone ¨C a monster attack! His encounter drew attention from many other players, who started asking questions. ¡°Bro, are you sure you heard clearly? Did you hit an obstacle?¡± ¡°Yes, and no, I¡¯m already in the cabin. The hull keeps making noise. Something must be hitting my ship!¡± ¡°My god!¡± ¡°Haha, starting to grind monsters! You guys enjoy yourselves; I can see the exit now! Goodbye!¡± ¡°Help me, it¡¯s a merman...¡± The message was cut off, and the person likely died, with the system issuing his last unfinished message. Yang Yi became nervous. A splash of seawater hit Yang Yi¡¯s face, chilling him to the bone. He immediately contacted Suna. ¡°Suna, there might be monsters in the sea. We need to prepare! What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Yang Yi asked. Suna had finished the dissection, her face flushed with excessive excitement. Her eyes were bloodshot as she looked at the message popping up on her journal. ¡¾Condition Met, Dissection of Demon Count 2/2, Your Talent Unlocked ¨C Forbidden Scholar. Forbidden Scholar: Permanent reduction of 20 to sanity limit, mysterious learning system unlocked. You can now build special rooms, develop your own unique formulas, and create unique items. You couldn¡¯t resist your curiosity! Little did you know...this might be a one-way path.¡¿ ¡°Suna, I¡¯m asking you! What are you doing? Speak!¡± Yang Yi was a bit irritated. Only then did Suna take a deep breath, calm her mood, and respond. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the ship¡¯s durability?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°Almost no damage.¡± ¡°Then come to the Nightmare! I¡¯ll grant you permission. Help me repair the ship and restore its durability!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Suna agreed. She stored the valuable organ specimens in her bag, grabbed the crystal ball, and headed towards the Nightmare. The two ships were connected by ropes and hooks, and they were close enough that usually, a plank would be enough to cross over. But now, with both ships swaying, it was safer to crawl across the plank. Suna did just that, and as soon as she boarded the Nightmare, Yang Yi called her into the cabin. ¡°I¡¯ve given you permission. Use the stone materials to make a stone hammer and then repair the Nightmare¡¯s durability. Stay on the Nightmare for now. We might encounter monsters ahead, and staying on the ship will be safer!¡± Ch. 21 - The bigger the storm, the bigger the fish... As the chat room buzzed with activity, reports of players being attacked kept popping up. The monsters they encountered were all different.¡°There are so many red lanterns in the water, and they¡¯re all converging on me. Has anyone else seen this? What the heck are they?¡± ¡°Just fireflies, nothing to worry about!¡± ¡°Damn it! A dozen little fishmen have me trapped in the captain¡¯s cabin! Come at me one-on-one if you dare!¡± ¡°Why is there someone standing on the sea¡­right in my path?¡± ¡°One of the monsters got caught in my trap. It¡¯s called a Drowned Revenant, I think. I turned it into a pincushion¡­ Wait, what¡­?¡± Yang Yi offered a silent prayer for that player. They were probably blown up by the monster. Every passing minute, someone got attacked and killed. However, there were also many who managed to escape the stormy sea unscathed. As for Yang Yi, perhaps because his ship, the Nightmare, set out late and was somewhat distant from the main fleet, he hadn¡¯t encountered any monsters. But there was something else that was troubling him. He had run out of food! Water wasn¡¯t an issue thanks to the vitality coconuts, but he desperately needed protein and energy! ¡°Suna, do you have any food on your ship?¡± Yang Yi sent a private message. ¡°Only 1L of water,¡± Suna¡¯s voice responded in his ear. She had just finished repairing her ship and was holding a crystal ball as she walked to the front deck. The crystal ball was actually a dynamic nautical map, capable of displaying the sea conditions within a hundred nautical miles around them! At that moment, it only showed two ships, the Astrologer and the Nightmare, with the small ship markers positioned very close to each other. ¡°Can the map on your ship be dismantled?¡± Yang Yi asked in surprise. ¡°This crystal ball is just a receiver. As long as it¡¯s not too far away, it¡¯s fine,¡± Suna explained. The nautical map was actually quite simple. Apart from the ships, it only showed large obstacles on the sea, like giant floating objects, which appeared as small black dots. Islands, on the other hand, were represented as large shadows. By avoiding these black dots, they could effectively prevent the ship from getting caught in the whirlpools created by giant floating debris. At the same time, the existence of the nautical map ensured they wouldn¡¯t lose their way. Another day passed. Even a tough guy like Yang Yi needed to sleep and rest. They took turns steering the ship, sleeping in the captain¡¯s cabin when they were tired. It seemed the Nightmare¡¯s curse only targeted the captain, as Suna hadn¡¯t mentioned having any nightmares. Throughout this time, Yang Yi kept an eye on the chat room, hoping to buy some food. But it was a lost cause! Due to the storm, most players were running out of food and had no intention of selling any. The few who did have food were simply the lucky ones who had escaped the stormy sea. The prices were astronomical, and even then, it was impossible to snatch anything! When Yang Yi sent private messages, it took the other party ten minutes to reply, and the response always remained the same: ¡°Sold out!¡± Some didn¡¯t even bother to reply. This was the ultimate form of scarcity marketing, where those who couldn¡¯t buy food would starve! ¡°This can¡¯t go on!¡± Yang Yi sat up in the captain¡¯s cabin, his stomach growling incessantly. Suna was steering the ship now, with the wind force at level 11. Standing on the deck required a slight crouch to maintain balance. Yang Yi¡¯s clothes had never dried, constantly damp with the salty, fishy smell of the sea. ¡°I need to get some food, or we¡¯re done for once we lose our strength!¡± he thought to himself, eating a vitality coconut, draining the water, and even scraping the flesh clean. With no food left, coconuts were the only option. But they alone weren¡¯t filling; he needed something more substantial with higher energy! After thinking it over, the only way Yang Yi could think of to get food was fishing. And it just so happened he had a fishing rod. ¡°Suna, if this keeps up, we¡¯re going to starve! I¡¯m going to try fishing while you steer the ship for a bit longer!¡± Yang Yi sent a private message. ¡°Got it!¡± Suna replied crisply. Yang Yi grabbed the fishing rod and went to the ship¡¯s courtyard, finding a suitable spot to cast his line. As the saying went, the bigger the storm, the pricier the fish. But in this case, it probably meant the bigger the storm, the stranger the fish¡­or maybe the bigger the fish after all? He quickly realised he had underestimated the difficulty of fishing in a storm. The ship rocked wildly, waves crashing all around, making it impossible to see the float, let alone any sign of a catch. An hour passed, and Yang Yi was close to achieving nothing, other than nearly falling overboard himself. Two hours went by, still no catch, and he was starting to get frustrated. He opened the chat room and sent a message. ¡°Has anyone tried fishing?¡± He attached a photo of himself fishing in the storm. ¡°Are you crazy? You still have time to fish? Aren¡¯t you avoiding the floating debris?¡± Indeed, only Yang Yi had the time to fish; everyone else was busy avoiding the floating debris. ¡°Just wait until you catch a mermaid that eats you alive!¡± In reality, if he did catch a siren, it was unclear who would eat whom! After a series of banter, a helpful message finally came through, likely from an experienced fisherman. ¡°With the waves so big, the fish are deep down. Your float is useless! If you insist on fishing, remove the float, let the line out longer, and attach a weight to sink the bait deeper!¡± Yang Yi thanked the fisherman in his mind and immediately adjusted the line, removing the float and attaching a small piece of stone to the hook. In this world, fishing didn¡¯t require bait... After half an hour, there was finally some movement, and the reel on the rod spun wildly. Yang Yi pulled hard, nearly being yanked into the sea himself, but managed to keep his footing by bracing against the ship¡¯s edge. He kept pulling, but the other end of the line went slack. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did the line break?¡± Yang Yi leaned over to check. Suddenly, a red glow appeared from the depths, growing closer, like a red lantern, about the size of a fist. ¡°What is this?¡± He immediately became alert and pulled out his flintlock pistol. The next second, a shark burst out of the water, lunging straight at Yang Yi. It was a double-hammerhead shark, over a metre long, with a smooth, streamlined, entirely red body. Its head was unusual, flat like a shovel, with two eyes dangling on either side, glowing with a sinister red light in the darkness. What was even stranger were its two strong hind legs, knobby like a frog¡¯s. ¡¾Something¡¯s not right with this fish; your sanity decreases by 5.¡¿ The shark broke the surface, its massive jaws wide open, aiming to bite Yang Yi. Luckily, Yang Yi was prepared. He immediately ducked and fired his flintlock. ¡°Boom!¡± The shot was powerful, blasting the shark, which was as thick as an adult¡¯s waist, into two pieces. But it wasn¡¯t dead yet. The upper half kept thrashing, trying to bite Yang Yi. Yang Yi grabbed his Sea Serpent¡¯s Tooth dagger and, with two swift stabs, finally subdued the shark. ¡¾Name: Double-Hammerhead Demon Shark¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A double-hammerhead shark tainted by abyssal corruption, savage and bloodthirsty. Its meat is edible, and it can also be used for the vending machine (if eaten, it can no longer be used for vending; choose wisely). Note: This is a gregarious creature. If you¡¯ve found one¡­it means a whole group is nearby.¡¿ After reading the description, Yang Yi¡¯s pupils contracted, and he quickly scanned the sea. One by one, red lanterns appeared, growing in number, all converging on the Nightmare. They didn¡¯t mourn their fallen comrade even for a second, surfacing and exposing their fins as if they were ready to jump onto the Nightmare. There must have been nearly a hundred of them. ¡°Suna, we¡¯ve got trouble!¡± Yang Yi immediately ran to the front deck. Suna had also noticed something was wrong and abandoned the helm to join him. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Another double-hammerhead demon shark jumped onto the deck. These sharks had some mobility on land, hopping awkwardly on their hind legs like frogs, though only managing a metre or two with each jump. But with so many of them, they were impossible to fight off! As Yang Yi watched the sharks, an idea suddenly came to him. Ch. 22 - Refuse to Die "Suna, we need to climb up the mast if we want any chance of survival!" Yang Yi decided resolutely.He had observed the movements of the demon sharks and noticed they could only jump onto the deck and had only hind limbs. This meant they lacked the ability to climb. As long as they could get to the mast, they would have a fighting chance! Without hesitation, Yang Yi held a flintlock pistol in his left hand and a sea serpent dagger in his right, ready for both long-range and close combat. However, Suna didn''t have a suitable weapon. Using a small dagger against a shark was too dangerous. "I''ve got a sabre in my room. Grab it when we pass by; it''ll be perfect for you," Yang Yi suggested. Suna nodded, her hair wildly tossed by the fierce wind. There was no fear on her face; instead, there was a hint of excitement as she occasionally glanced at the demon sharks. "I want a complete shark, especially the eyes ¨C they must be intact!" Suna suddenly declared. "Let''s survive first!" Yang Yi responded. The two immediately set off, running towards the starboard side of the ship. The sharks were all gathered on the port side, making the starboard side relatively safer. They kept low, advancing quickly against the strong wind. The captain''s cabin on the starboard side had no door, but Yang Yi could create an entrance with his flintlock pistol, which should be ready to fire after cooling down. Yang Yi fired a shot, blasting a large hole just big enough to reach inside and grab what they needed. He found a pirate cutlass and over twenty simple wooden arrows, all coated with poison. He handed the cutlass and arrows to Suna, and they quickly made their way to the courtyard. Located between the captain''s cabin and the ship''s hold, it was sheltered from the wind, providing a calmer environment that was less likely to disrupt their aim. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, a demon shark lunged at them from the shadows. Had Yang Yi not noticed it in time, he would have been knocked to the ground. He pulled out the sea serpent dagger, ready to attack, but an arrow suddenly flew past him, striking the shark right in its eye. The shark, clearly vulnerable at this point, thrashed around in agony, losing its combat effectiveness. Yang Yi glanced back at Suna. "Your archery is that good?" They continued running toward the mast. By now, seven or eight demon sharks had gathered on the deck. They were all on the port side, and as soon as they spotted the two, they leaped toward them like frogs. Suna showcased her skills, pulling back the bowstring and releasing arrows with precision, hitting each shark in the eye. Even if the large, glowing eyes of the sharks made them easy targets, her accuracy was nonetheless impressive. "What did you do before this?" Yang Yi asked, swallowing nervously. "I studied medicine. But in high school, I was a provincial archery champion, good enough for the national team." "You should''ve mentioned that earlier!" Yang Yi said, exasperated. "Why didn''t you use the bow when we were fighting the sea monsters before?" "I was ambushed, and the bow fell into the sea." "Uh..." Had he known Suna was that skilled, he would have prepared more arrows, and they wouldn''t have to worry about these jumping sharks. But now, with limited arrows, they couldn''t afford to stay and fight. Some of the demon sharks even moved to the starboard side, preparing to attack from both sides. More and more sharks jumped onto the deck. Luckily, they had already reached the mast. With the sharks still at a distance, they needed to climb up quickly! "You go first! Once you''re up, cover me with your bow!" Yang Yi pressed his back against the mast, keeping a close eye on the approaching sharks. This was the most logical plan: if Yang Yi climbed first, he''d only have the flintlock, which, while powerful, was no match for the bow in this situation. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Understanding Yang Yi''s plan, Suna didn''t waste time. She stuffed the bow and arrows into her bag and began climbing. Yang Yi stood ready, holding his dagger and pistol in a fighting stance. The sharks on the port side arrived first, leaping toward Yang Yi. He had observed their behaviour for some time and noticed they only jumped forwards. Before leaping, they would lock onto their target, aiming their heads in that direction. Using this knowledge, Yang Yi dodged the sharks'' attacks by sidestepping at the last moment. As a shark flew past him, he thrust his dagger into its gills, slicing it open. The shark''s momentum caused it to crash to the ground, spilling its guts, clearly dying. "Not bad!" Yang Yi thought as he dodged another shark''s attack and repeated the manoeuvre, stabbing it in the gills. He managed to kill three sharks that way. However, Yang Yi was not an experienced warrior. Not long before, he had been bedridden, unable even to stand. His makeshift swordsmanship was a result of his keen observation and calm demeanour, but it wasn''t foolproof. As such, on his fourth attempt, he made a mistake. He wasn''t quick enough to dodge and was bitten on the right shoulder by a shark. The searing pain nearly made him faint. Fortunately, Yang Yi''s will was as strong as steel, and he immediately pressed the flintlock against the shark''s flat head. "This shot better not misfire!" he thought as he pulled the trigger. Click! The pistol misfired at the critical moment. "Damn it!" Yang Yi cursed but quickly adapted. He released the dagger from his right hand, switching it to his left, and aimed for the shark. Just then, an arrow whizzed past his head, piercing the shark''s eye. The shark let out a pained roar, loosening its grip, allowing Yang Yi to escape, though his right arm was now a bloody mess. "Hurry up!" Suna urged from above. She was perched on a crossbeam about five metres off the ground, safe from the sharks'' reach. She continued to unleash a barrage of arrows, covering Yang Yi as he climbed the mast. "I don''t have many arrows left, so you''d better hurry!" Suna warned. Yang Yi holstered the flintlock, gritting his teeth against the pain, and began to climb. The sharks were held at bay by Suna''s arrows, giving him some respite, yet he was climbing slowly. His legs strained, his left arm and face pressed against the mast, as he fought to ascend. "Hurry up! I only have three arrows left!" Suna''s warning came as grim news. The last three arrows were soon spent. Suna clung tightly to the mast, trying to reach down to help Yang Yi, but the distance was too great. Just then, a shark lunged at Yang Yi, sinking its teeth into his calf. The sound of teeth grinding against bone was chilling. "Yang Yi!" Suna cried out. Yang Yi''s body convulsed, his muscles trembling violently from the excruciating pain. He felt nauseous, but he couldn''t let go; he knew that if he did, he would fall to his death. The shark clung to his leg, tearing at his flesh with its sharp teeth. Yang Yi''s vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes. He glanced down at the shark, seeing its two enormous, blood-red eyes. It seemed to be smiling...mocking Yang Yi''s desperate struggle as if to say that no matter how hard he fought, he couldn''t escape death. "Not a chance..." An inexplicable rage erupted within Yang Yi, burning hotly in his chest. At that moment, a message flashed across his vision. ¡¾Condition met, Near-death 3/3, you have unlocked the talent¡ªRefuse to Die!¡¿ ¡¾Refuse to Die: Triggers when health falls below 10 or when a lethal blow is received. Health will not drop below 1, refusing death for 5 minutes. During this time, all attributes except Spirit are +2, Spirit is -2, and Sanity -50. Afterwards, enter a 24-hour weakened state where all attributes except Spirit are -2 (Refuse to Die does not activate during this period). PS: Refuse to Die can break the limits of mortal attributes.¡¿ ¡¾Your Sanity has dropped below 50, entering a state of madness. You are immune to most negative mental statuses, Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Spirit -2, ignoring pain, fatigue, and fearlessness until Sanity recovers.¡¿ With these dual enhancements, Yang Yi''s strength surged to an astonishing 8 points, while his spirit dropped to 4 points. His eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging, and despite his previous injuries, his right arm somehow regained its strength, gripping the mast tightly. Simultaneously, he reached down with his left hand, grabbing the shark''s eye, and with a simple squeeze, crushed it, sending fluids splattering everywhere. Ch. 23 - Great harvest and the Golden Legend Yang Yi crushed the eye of the shark beneath him with brute force.The shark, writhing in immense pain, loosened its grip, but Yang Yi didn''t let it go. He grabbed the ruptured eye and lifted the shark, smashing it into another one. With his strength now at 8, Yang Yi could easily turn a shark''s head into mush simply with his fists. However, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t reckless; he knew better than to engage in close combat if there were the possibility to avoid it! Yang Yi powered his arms, leapt up lightly with more agility than a monkey, and landed directly on the crossbeam. "And now¡­!!" Yang Yi declared with a cold expression, aiming the dark muzzle of his gun at the demon sharks below. Bang! One of the creatures was instantly blown into two pieces. "What just happened?" Suna looked at Yang Yi in disbelief. One moment, Yang Yi was on the brink of death, and the next, he had turned the tables, reversing the situation in an instant. Extraordinary... Suna''s gaze towards Yang Yi became intense, almost predatory, as if she wanted to devour him whole, to see through him completely. Her look was so brazen it made Yang Yi a bit uncomfortable. He casually brushed it off, saying, "It''s nothing. I just unlocked a new talent." "Is that so?" Suna didn''t press further. Even if she had, Yang Yi wasn''t planning to explain. This was his trump card. It was incredibly powerful, and it could turn the tide in a critical moment! However, it had a nearly lethal drawback ¨C a 24-hour period of weakness after activation! So, the fewer people who knew about it, the better. On the other hand, Suna was also somewhat relieved. Her sanity had dropped by more than 20 points earlier, and she had barely resisted the urge to dissect Yang Yi with a knife. But in the end, Suna held back, keeping her sanity just above 50. "Suna, don''t rush; be patient. Yang Yi is special. You need to observe him slowly..." she reminded herself. Yang Yi had no idea what the crazy woman was thinking. He pulled out some holy water, drank two-thirds of it, and poured the remaining third on his wound. The effect was good; the bleeding quickly stopped. He continued aiming and shooting with his flintlock, occasionally misfiring, but killing one shark each time it fired successfully. The sharks, unable to reach them, became frenzied. Some began gnawing at the mast, while others started eating the already dead sharks. But the mast was the sturdiest wood on this ghost ship, very thick, and the sharks'' jaws weren¡¯t that large, so they couldn''t destroy it in a short time. However, the risk remained. It was a race to see whether it would be the mast that broke or the sharks to be killed first! There were only about thirty unharmed sharks left, and Yang Yi felt his chances of winning were high! "Wait, no need to shoot!" Suna suddenly called out to Yang Yi. "Why?" Yang Yi turned his head to look at her. "Look, the poison from the pufferfish is starting to take effect," she pointed to a shark that had been shot in the eye. It was likely the first one to be hit by an arrow, lying askew on the deck, no longer moving. Soon, its corpse was devoured by its kind. Yang Yi immediately understood. "Cannibalism is a phenomenon quite common among insects. That''s why some insecticides delay death, allowing insects to return to their nests before dying. Otherwise, these cannibalistic urges would wipe out an entire colony." Suna explained. "I see," Yang Yi nodded, pulling the trigger, and killing another shark. "But wouldn''t shooting them speed up their deaths? The bullets are free anyway!" "Do as you please, just leave me one intact," Suna replied. After about ten minutes, all the sharks were finally dead, not a single one left. The deck was covered in shark corpses, the air thick with the smell of blood. Yang Yi, now in a weakened state, took forever to climb the mast. With only 15 health left, he had to be cautious, as a single fall could put him on the brink of death, and then it¡¯d be game over. Suna had already come down. She chose the largest, least mangled shark corpse and started cutting it into pieces, preparing to store it in the treasure chest. "We''ve struck gold! This should be worth about 70 vending pulls!" Yang Yi''s eyes gleamed. In the past, when he played mobile games, his favourite part was the vending pulls. He often deleted games after experiencing the rush. "Shall we split it half and half?" Yang Yi looked at Suna. "You can do the pulls. I only need one shark," Suna replied indifferently, seemingly uninterested. "That''s a shame. I''ll¡­reluctantly do the pulls for you!" Yang Yi eagerly started harvesting the demon shark corpses on the ground. The corpses gradually disappeared. In total, he did 72 pulls. There were 74 demon sharks in total; one was dissected by Suna, and one was kept as emergency rations. To avoid accidental poisoning, Yang Yi specifically chose the one that had been split in two early on. As that shark hadn¡¯t been eaten by its kind, it was reserved as food. After finishing the pulls, Yang Yi checked the course and map, ensuring there were no major issues before looking at the 72 light orbs under the vending machine. He hadn¡¯t opened any yet, planning to hoard them all together. What would be inside? Yang Yi was excited as he started opening the capsules¡­ ¡¾You have obtained 1 unit of steel.¡¿ ¡°What?¡± ¡¾You have obtained 200 shell coins.¡¿ ¡°.......¡± ¡¾You have obtained 5 units of wood.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained 5 units of stone.¡¿ ¡°This is killing me!¡± Yang Yi slammed the piece of wood onto the deck in frustration. It soon disappeared, transferred to the warehouse. Did Yang Yi really lack these basic resources? Where were the relics? Where were the treasures? At the very least, couldn¡¯t he get some accessories? Eventually, Yang Yi became numb, no longer holding any expectations. The orbs mostly contained basic resources like freshwater, steel, wood, cloth, and even some crystals. There were also 12 loaves of black bread, 5 sausages, and 3 watermelons... Maybe the demon sharks were too weak compared to sea monsters and drowned revenants. Or perhaps...it was just bad luck. After opening them all, Yang Yi only got three decent items. One excellent, one good, and one ordinary. ¡¾Name: Low-Grade Fire Element¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Material¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can imbue equipment with a special attribute, granting it the power of fire. PS: Equipment can be repeatedly imbued, with the last attribute applied being the one that sticks.¡¿ ....... ¡¾Name: Glowing Red Fishing Net¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can be placed on the side of the ship to catch unfortunate fish that pass by. However, this fishing net emits an unsettling red glow, causing normal fish to avoid it. This red glow...you¡¯ve seen it somewhere before.¡¿ ...... ¡¾Name: Sharkskin Swimsuit¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Ordinary¡¿ ¡¾Description: Increases swimming speed by 25% and reduces swimming stamina consumption while in the water. It¡¯ll easily help you win swimming competitions!¡¿ Yang Yi stored these three items away. The abysmally low drop rate reminded him of some unpleasant memories. But then, he thought of something else. Could it be that repeatedly submitting the same type of monster lowered the drop rate? The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. The system might be encouraging players to hunt a variety of new monsters. It would be easy to test this theory ¨C have someone else do a vending pull. Without hesitation, Yang Yi pulled Suna over from the courtyard, handed her a fish fin, and asked her to try a pull. The demon shark fin was initially intended to be an emergency ration, but with plenty of black bread, there was no need to risk eating raw fish anymore. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Give it a try,¡± Yang Yi urged. If Suna got a good item, it would confirm Yang Yi¡¯s theory. If Suna didn¡¯t get a good item, then his pulling shitty items would be just luck, or rather, bad luck. Suna tossed the fish fin into the vending machine and turned the lever. The octopus head¡¯s eyes suddenly emitted a golden light, and even its tentacles turned golden. ¡°Wow! A golden legend!¡± Yang Yi seemed to hear it as if in a hallucination. A golden orb was spat out from the octopus head, which Suna picked up... ¡°This...could it be the difference between the luckiest and unluckiest person?¡± Yang Yi felt bitter for the first time, categorising this game as unfairly unfair and full of malice! Editor¡¯s note: I understand the frustration Ch. 24 - The shadow trembling in the storm Suna picked up the light orb, her eyes lighting up with excitement, and promptly placed it in her treasure bag."What did you get?" Yang Yi curiously leaned in to ask. "Want to know? Beg me, and I''ll tell you!" Suna teased with a sly smile, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons. "Forget it!" Yang Yi wasn''t interested in indulging her or feeling envious. He had three treasures of his own! They might not be golden, but he had the advantage in quantity!1 Meanwhile, his mind started racing with various skewed thoughts... Could it be that since the shark was the first to die, it dropped something rare? He couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility! However, to be sure of the exact conditions, he''d have to test it out in the future. One thing was certain: repeatedly looting the same type of monster¡¯s corpse would drastically reduce the drop rate. Yang Yi let Suna continue steering the ship while he cleaned up the battlefield. He had to admit, the octopus vending machine was quite convenient; it automatically recycled the shark¡¯s corpse and blood. However, the damaged deck and mast, as well as the large hole in the captain¡¯s cabin, would need materials to repair. Additionally, they had collided with some floating debris during the battle, causing further damage to the ship. Just the repairs alone had consumed 40 units of wood. Fortunately, the vending machine provided plenty resources. At that point, they had: Food: Black Bread: 12Sausages: 5Fresh Water: 8LVitality Coconuts: 67Watermelons: 3 (plus over 40 more coconuts stored in Suna¡¯s cabin) Resources: Wood: 55Cloth: 45Stone: 32Steel: 10Crystals: 8Sulphur: 6 Shell Coins: 2050 Items like steel, crystals, and sulphur seemed to be advanced resources, with a vending conversion rate of 5:1. They weren¡¯t lacking food. Unless absolutely necessary, Yang Yi had no intention of fishing in the stormy seas again. He opened the world chat channel and began leaving a message. "Don¡¯t fish in the stormy seas, you¡¯ll catch monsters!" "Wow, you¡¯re brave and still alive!" "Incredible, and you can still talk about it!" "Do you have any pics? I don¡¯t believe you." Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother to argue. The reason he didn¡¯t share any pictures was to protect their sanity! Time quickly passed. It was the fourth day since the storm had hit. The chat channel was lively, with many players leaving messages, indicating they had successfully gotten through the stormy seas. It seemed most players were close to the exit and would soon leave the treacherous area. Only Yang Yi and Suna were far behind ¨C two days behind schedule. When the storm first started, the wind wasn¡¯t too strong, and everyone¡¯s ships moved quickly. But as the storm intensified and floating debris and monsters appeared, they slowed down. Yang Yi checked the weather forecast. **Today¡¯s Weather: **? Location: Sea of Origins (Storm Zone) Remaining Sunlight: Unknown Temperature: 8-12¡ãC Wind Force: Level 10 The wind had picked up a bit, and the temperature had dropped. Although it made Yang Yi feel a bit cold, it was still bearable. In contrast, Suna continued wearing her initial outfit, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Yang Yi stepped out of the captain¡¯s cabin and headed to the front deck. "Suna, let¡¯s switch shifts!" Yang Yi called out. Suna nodded, handed over the crystal ball, then headed back to the captain¡¯s cabin of the Nightmare. "By the way, don¡¯t you feel cold wearing such light clothing?" Yang Yi curiously asked. "Not at all; this outfit keeps me warm," Suna replied with a private message. ¡¾**Name: **Witch''s Casual Wear¡¿ ¡¾**Type: **Treasure¡¿ ¡¾**Quality: **Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: Keeps you warm and waterproof, and accelerates sanity recovery. As a witch, the first thing you need is a casual outfit that doesn¡¯t reveal you¡¯re a witch!¡¿ It was a premium item that could boost sanity recovery! "Starting the game with a full witch set?" Yang Yi questioned the game¡¯s fairness once again but could only sigh in resignation. He, however, had a powerful flintlock pistol in his possession. Not long ago, he had used a low-grade fire essence to imbue the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang with special properties. Originally, he wanted to enhance the flintlock pistol, but since it often misfired, it wasn¡¯t reliable. Enhancement only added attributes and increased power; it didn¡¯t fix the weapon¡¯s flaws. Moreover, the flintlock pistol¡¯s grade was high, so the low-grade fire essence likely wouldn¡¯t bring any significant changes. Thus, he decided to enhance the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang instead. The result was impressive, as the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang advanced into a premium item. ¡¾Name: Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang (Enhanced)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ Sea?ch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾**Quality: **Premium¡¿ ¡¾**Description: **A short sword made from the fang of a great sea serpent. After enhancement, it gained fire power, causing burns and fire poison.¡¿ The blade of the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang had turned red, and holding it for too long would make it hot to the touch. It was much sharper than before. Yang Yi continued steering the ship, alternating shifts with Suna. Another day passed. Yang Yi woke up in the captain¡¯s cabin, glanced at the log, and realised he had only slept for about three hours. He had another nightmare, and this time, it was a recurring one. In the first dream, he saw Suna pointing a gun at his head, her eyes cold and sinister. But how could that be possible? If she wanted to kill him, she could have done it during the sea serpent battle when he fell into the water. Why wait until now? Yang Yi dismissed the dream as insignificant and shook his head, feeling a bit of a headache due to the lack of sleep. In the second dream, he saw himself being swallowed by a massive, centipede-like creature! Where would such giant insects come from out at sea? Yang Yi began to doubt the accuracy of the nightmares. Could the so-called premonitions just be his imagination? Was the nightmare just a debuff with no real significance? He drank a bottle of vitality coconut juice, got out of bed, and noticed his wounds were almost healed. The holy water¡¯s effect was impressive, and with at most two more days of rest, he would be fully recovered. "Why is it so dark?" Yang Yi pushed open the door and was startled by the scene before him. It was pitch black outside. A few days ago, it wasn¡¯t this dark! Yang Yi immediately checked the weather forecast. Location: Sea of Origins Remaining Sunlight: None Temperature: 12-18¡ãC Wind Force: Level 10 Compared to the day before, the temperature had risen, but the sunlight duration had changed from "unknown" to "none". Suddenly, he felt a surge of unease, gripped the ship¡¯s railing, and walked towards the bow. "Suna, are you there?" Yang Yi shouted loudly, but there was no response. He took out the navigation log, which emitted a faint light, allowing him to see in the darkness. It was then that he realised the Nightmare had stopped moving. It wasn¡¯t sailing, and he hadn¡¯t noticed due to the turbulent waves. Yang Yi¡¯s heart tightened, and he immediately ran to the bow, only to find no one at the helm. "Where¡¯s Suna?" His pupils contracted sharply, his heart raced, and he quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of her. There was a faint light ahead, seemingly obscured by shadows. Yang Yi hurried over and found Suna standing there, holding the crystal ball, completely still, her expression blank as she stared intently at the turbulent sea ahead, as if mesmerised by something. Seeing this, Yang Yi angrily asked, "I¡¯ve been calling you, why didn¡¯t you respond?" Suna barely reacted, only raising a finger to point forwards, and said in a low voice, "It seems like we¡¯re surrounded..." Yang Yi immediately followed Suna¡¯s gaze. It was pitch black, just as expected. But perhaps because of Suna¡¯s words...Yang Yi began to feel like something was moving on the sea¡¯s surface. "What is that?" Yang Yi squinted, trying to see more clearly. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed, and Yang Yi finally saw the true appearance of the thing. They were enormous, worm-like creatures, resembling centipedes with segmented bodies. Their heads had four blade-like mandibles that could open wide like scissors to slice through their prey. The creatures looked similar to bobbit worms2, but were much larger. It was hard to judge their diametre from a distance. Their length was also difficult to estimate, as most of their bodies were submerged in the sea. There were many of them, visible even at the farthest edges of his vision, and the closest ones were about a kilometre away from the Nightmare. They swayed in the storm, shaking their heads as if performing some kind of ritual, or perhaps revelling in a celebration. ¡¾You have observed an unknown giant creature. Your sanity has decreased by 20.¡¿ Yang Yi was shaken to his core and quickly glanced at the crystal ball. The sea chart showed they were surrounded by these giant worms, numbering no less than a hundred. On the sea chart, they were represented by tiny black dots scattered around the Nightmare. Colossal creatures lay all around them... Notes Mmm¡­ isn¡¯t it usually ¡°quality, not quantity¡±? -Simply?Do not look it up, trust me, they are a nightmare fuel ;-; ~ Ashka Tbh, I was expecting worse. They look like bulls -Simply? Ch. 25 - Desperation! Surrounded by Giant Worms! Yang Yi pulled Suna into the captain''s cabin of the Nightmare.¡°What exactly happened?¡± He asked seriously, ¡°Where did these bugs come from?¡± ¡°About fifteen minutes ago, the sky suddenly turned dark. I was still steering the ship when I noticed a lot of black dots appearing in the crystal ball image. I stopped the ship and walked to the bow to get a clearer look,¡± Suna recalled. ¡°After that, you know what happened.¡± Yang Yi immediately took the crystal ball and examined it closely. Meanwhile, Suna began sharing her theories about the giant worms. ¡°These giant worms probably don''t have eyes or visual organs. Otherwise, they would have noticed the Nightmare a long time ago. They likely live in darkness, relying on hearing, smell, or other sensory organs to hunt. Because of the storm''s interference, their perception range has significantly decreased, making them unable to see the Nightmare.¡± Yang Yi frowned as he studied the map. At the same time, he opened the world chat channel to check on other players'' situations. As soon as he entered, he found the channel in an uproar. ¡°Why is it so dark? I¡¯m completely lost! Can someone tell me where the exit is?¡± ¡°There are so many giant worms in the sea! One of them is less than twenty meters from me, oh my god!¡± ¡°GOD, have you abandoned me?¡± Players who escaped the stormy seas mocked those still trapped inside, with a mixture of schadenfreude and sarcasm. ¡°More monsters? Great, serves you right for being slow!¡± ¡°Ever played a battle royale? You¡¯re slow, so now the danger zone is closing in. Who¡¯s to blame?¡± ¡°Idiot, just stay in there and wait for death!¡± ¡°Don''t you dare die on me! If you die, who will I sell my newly caught fish to, huh? Hahaha!¡± ¡°High prices for second-hand gear and items!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°I''d rather feed the bugs than leave you a single cent!¡± ¡°Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.1 Don¡¯t get cocky too soon!¡± ¡­ Yang Yi shut off the chat, his expression grim. Most people had already escaped the stormy seas. With so many people fleeing, the game seemed to be trying to expel and eliminate the remaining players. Yang Yi and Suna, having set out two days later than others, were now trapped inside. As he paced around, Yang Yi suddenly recalled a key piece of information ¨C twenty metres! He reopened the chat and found the message from that player, then sent him a private message. ¡°Are you still alive? Are you sure the giant worm was twenty metres away from you?¡± The other player, extremely tense, replied quickly. ¡°Yes, it scared the life out of me. The bug seemed to be dozens of metres long and about three metres thick!¡± ¡°Calm down. Look again carefully ¨C are you certain it was twenty metres?¡± ¡°No need to look again. I work in surveying. I can gauge that distance at a glance!¡± Yang Yi relaxed slightly and immediately had an idea. He examined the map and used the scaling function to set the scale at 1cm to 200m, so one centimetre on the map would represent a distance of twenty metres. After measuring twice on the map, he exclaimed, ¡°Got it!¡± Yang Yi regained his composure and, with renewed determination, told Suna, ¡°You were right. These bugs can¡¯t see, and their senses are heavily impacted by the storm. We can try to navigate through the gaps between them. Although the route is tricky, there¡¯s enough space between the giant worms to make it possible!¡± Suna¡¯s eyes lit up at his words. She was so fascinated by these strange creatures she hadn¡¯t even considered fleeing. But Yang Yi was different ¨C he wanted to survive, no matter the cost. ¡°But do you know what the safe distance is? And there might be individual differences among them.¡± ¡°A player gave me a hint,¡± Yang Yi explained. He set the lower distance limit at twenty metres, with no upper limit ¨C the further, the better ¨C and prepared to head towards the exit according to this standard. ¡°I¡¯ll take the helm next. Just in case, don¡¯t stay inside the cabin. It¡¯s better if you stand on the deck. If the bugs attack, you¡¯ll be able to notice it immediately. If you jump into the sea, you might still have a chance to survive¡­¡± Yang Yi, decisive as always, acted immediately upon making up his mind. Holding the crystal ball map in one hand and steering with the other, he adjusted the ship¡¯s speed as needed, slowing down when passing between two of the closer giant worms. As he approached them, he realised under the occasional lightning strikes exactly how massive the creatures were. They ranged in diametre from two to five metres, and the parts of their bodies above the water were tens of metres long, some even up to a hundred. One bite could potentially tear the Nightmare apart. Yang Yi navigated carefully, having changed into a sharkskin swimsuit. If the ship were to break apart and he fell into the water, it could be a lifesaver. After slowly manoeuvring for two hours, Yang Yi felt somewhat relieved. He had finally found a way out. Despite the nerve-wracking experience, it was better than certain death! Yang Yi shared his discovery in the world chat. Doing so wouldn¡¯t cost him anything, and in fact, he might gain goodwill or even unexpected rewards. So, he sent out the following message: ¡°I¡¯ve discovered these bugs have a very limited sensory range. As long as you keep a distance of at least twenty metres, they won¡¯t notice or attack you! We can pass through the gaps between them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re brave to have figured that out!¡± ¡°But how do you gauge the distance? It¡¯s too dark!¡± ¡°Wait for the lightning. You can see briefly when it strikes!¡± Yes, it was more difficult for those without a map. But staying put was certain death. In the face of hope, humans were never short on courage! ¡°Thank you! I made it through safely. This method works!¡± ¡°You¡¯re my lifesaver!¡± Yang Yi instantly received a flood of friend requests, with some even offering gifts. Although the gifts weren¡¯t much, mostly materials he didn¡¯t need immediately, he selectively accepted some. The materials he received included: 3 units of wood, 227 units of cloth, 12 units of stone, 7 units of steel, 13 crystals, and 4 units of sulphur. The captain of the Fisherman, He Qi, even sent him a rare item. Yang Yi accepted his friend request. His ship was slow, blocked by the giant worms, and he hesitated to move forwards. In reality, he was not far from the exit. ¡°Thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to move. This item is my gift to you. You can always catch more treasures, but you only have one life. Good luck.¡± When the item was spat out by the octopus head, Yang Yi''s eyes widened in shock. The Fisherman really lived up to its name as a ship for veteran anglers ¨C the things it caught were different! ¡¾Name: Low-Grade Abyssal Soul Stone¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can upgrade the quality of relics, enhancing any relic of excellent or lower quality by one level. Hold this stone close to your ear, and you will hear the voice from the deep sea...¡¿ Sea?ch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was a magical stone, encased in a semi-transparent black crystal with glowing liquid flowing inside. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought my first rare item would be a gift...¡± Yang Yi laughed. He immediately used the soul stone to enhance his Rusted Flintlock. The soul stone shattered, and the glowing liquid flowed into the flintlock, altering its properties. ¡¾Name: Faintly Glowing Rusted Flintlock¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: This was once a masterpiece, now gradually regaining its edge! Unlocks Dual Mode. Cannon Mode: Fires a powerful shot, dealing massive damage. The recoil is significant, so aim carefully. After firing, enters a 12-hour cooldown during which the gun is 100% likely to misfire. Standard Mode: No reloading needed, with a firing rate of one shot every ten seconds. Deals minimal damage, but be warned...due to sea rust, there is a 5% chance of a misfire.¡¿ Looking at the revived flintlock, Yang Yi was thrilled. One shot every ten seconds, though weak, was still a solid improvement. And there was the cannon mode. His eyes gleamed as he looked at the swaying worms. ¡°Maybe...¡± Yang Yi stared at the giant bugs, his sanity dropping to 48 as he slipped into madness, eager to try out his gun. But he restrained himself, remaining rational and resisting the urge to fire. ¡°Not yet¡­ Not unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary!¡± Notes ¡°ÈýÊ®ÄêºÓ¶«£¬ÈýÊ®ÄêºÓÎ÷ ¡± : idiom that says situations can change dramatically, and what was once dominant or prosperous can become weak or decline, while the opposite can also occur. It serves as a reminder that nothing remains constant and that one should be prepared for unexpected changes. -Simply? Ch. 26 - The storm has stopped... Navigating between two giant worms was no easy task.Especially when the two were only five or six hundred metres apart, it was like dancing on the edge of a blade ¨C one slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation! Constant vigilance was required, keeping an eye on both one''s position and the impact of the storm on the vessel. Yang Yi was on high alert, skillfully weaving and manoeuvring for a full eight hours. A pile of Vitality Coconuts was scattered at his feet. The refreshing effect of coconut juice only activated once every 24 hours, but there was no such limit on Vitality Coconuts ¨C though drinking too many would reduce the effect and leave you feeling bloated. Thanks to this, Yang Yi looked like an iron man, still maintaining over 70% of his energy. Only he knew how uncomfortable he really felt. ¡°How much farther to the exit?¡± Yang Yi''s resolve began to waver. But his will was as tough as steel. He quickly shook his head, pushing the thought aside and pressed on, gritting his teeth. His private messages kept pinging, with messages popping up nonstop, mostly other players expressing their thanks. During this time, many had escaped the stormy seas. Their ships, generally slower, were blocked by giant worms near the exit. It was only after Yang Yi¡¯s warning that they mustered the courage to dash through when the gap was just right. So, they were grateful to Yang Yi and sent him private messages of thanks. Of course, there were also those who failed and got eaten by the worms. But dead men send no messages, and Yang Yi would never know about them. At the same time, Yang Yi gleaned some information. The area near the exit was a buffer zone, about fifty nautical miles long, where there were no giant worms, and the waves were much calmer. So, as soon as you saw a large, open sea without giant worms, it meant the exit was near! Yang Yi stared intently at the crystal ball. There was no such open sea within a hundred nautical miles. Instead, there were always more or fewer giant worms... The Nightmare was relatively fast, and with the help of the map, it should have been close to getting out... Three more hours passed. Finally, he saw a stretch of sea on the crystal ball without any black dots. ¡°Suna, we''re almost out!¡± Yang Yi exclaimed excitedly. But Suna didn¡¯t show any sign of relief or joy. Instead, she reached out her hand, feeling something, then suddenly turned back. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like the storm has gotten weaker?¡± Yang Yi immediately became alert. By now, the storm had been a protective umbrella for the stranded ships. If the storm weakened...it meant the giant worms¡¯ sensory range would gradually increase until it fully recovered! Yang Yi quickly checked the weather forecast. Today¡¯s Weather: The storm is calming down¡­ Surprised? Location: Sea of Origin (Storm Zone) Remaining Sunlight: Unknown Temperature: 12-18¡æ Wind Speed: Level 9 The storm had indeed weakened; Yang Yi recalled it was level 10 when he woke up! And the sky wasn¡¯t as dark as before, with some faint light beginning to show. Yang Yi, focused on steering the ship, had ignored these subtle changes, but now it felt like a sudden awakening. Cold sweat began breaking out all over him! If this continued, the wind speed would soon drop to level 8, or even to level 4 or level 1. By that time...the giant worms would reveal their sharp fangs and tear apart every ship in their path! ¡°Full speed ahead!¡± Yang Yi almost shouted, immediately abandoning his original cautious route. He was now only about 80 nautical miles from the buffer zone. Rather than prudently manoeuvring around, it was better to choose the shortest possible route, even if it meant taking on some risks! Because no one knew when the storm would stop! But Yang Yi felt...it would come much faster than expected, making it inevitable to face attacks from giant worms! In short, he had to hurry! After another hour of sailing, the Nightmare finally reached the edge of the buffer zone, less than 40 nautical miles away. There were far fewer giant worms here. But the wind had already dropped to level 4, barely hindering the worms'' senses. Cursing filled the world channel. Though it was just a small number of players, their foul language was relentless, cursing the system wildly. ¡°Damn system!¡± ¡°I''m screwed!¡± ¡°The bug found me; I¡¯m done for¡­¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!!!!¡± The same was true for Yang Yi. Two giant worms were following closely behind, closing the distance steadily. It was unbelievable how these long-bodied worms could swim so fast in the sea! Suna noticed the danger too and immediately ran to the stern of the ship. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yang Yi shouted at her. ¡°I¡¯m going to detach the claw hook from the Astrologer. It could buy us some time!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Yang Yi was surprised but didn¡¯t try to stop her. Because it was indeed a good idea. The giant worms had no visual organs and would most likely attack the unmanned Astrologer, delaying them. But this meant Suna would be left without a ship... There was no time to worry about that now. Surviving was the top priority! Suna made a decisive move, detaching the claw hook from the Astrologer. The Astrologer was already slower than the Nightmare, and without the hook, it fell behind, becoming the prey of the two giant worms as expected. The two weren¡¯t allies; they even started fighting over the prey. Taking advantage of this, the Nightmare quickly put some distance between them. But Yang Yi didn¡¯t relax. With the Astrologer gone, the crystal ball wouldn¡¯t display the map anymore. Yang Yi could only rely on his memory to navigate. He remembered there was another giant worm ahead that he had to face head-on! This route was the best one Yang Yi had chosen! If he had taken another route, there would have been not two, but a dozen giant worms chasing him! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Rather than facing a dozen, it was better to desperately fight against one! ¡°Suna, you¡¯re steering next. Just keep the course steady!¡± Yang Yi said seriously. ¡°When I tell you to jump into the sea, don¡¯t hesitate ¨C jump immediately. Don¡¯t stand there frozen at the bow!¡± Suna nodded and took over the helm. Yang Yi took a few steps forward, standing at the bow. The Nightmare had no weapons, powerless against the giant worm, like fish on a chopping block. And Yang Yi wasn¡¯t counting on any miracles to evade the giant worm¡¯s attack. So, he had to take a gamble, testing whether the giant worm¡¯s head was harder or if the calibre of his prized flintlock was bigger! He switched into his sharkskin swimming suit, ready for action. Soon, a black shadow appeared. Once past that shadow, the relatively safe buffer zone wouldn¡¯t be far. Yang Yi switched his flintlock to cannon mode, smirking coldly. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s make a bet!¡± With the storm no longer interfering, the giant worm''s sensory range was astonishingly large. It quickly locked onto the Nightmare and swam towards it. Yang Yi was highly tense, his grip on the gun so tight that his fingertips turned white. He was far from being a sharpshooter. So, the distance had to be close enough to guarantee a hit. There would be only one shot! Failure would mean death! As it approached within 300 metres, Yang Yi could judge the size of the giant worm. It was about three metres in diameter, not the largest among the giant worms, and about forty metres long above the surface. It lowered its body, charging straight ahead, opening its razor-sharp jaws that gleamed like a guillotine, ready to slice the Nightmare in half with a single blow. ¡°Suna, jump into the sea!¡± Yang Yi shouted in a commanding tone while aiming the gun at the giant worm¡¯s head. He could see its mouthparts clearly ¨C two rows of hairy, jointed limbs, like the appendages of an arthropod, curled up like a spider. These limbs could grab prey and deliver it to the mouth, where rows upon rows of sharp teeth would crush it. And its prey was the Nightmare. Faced with this life-and-death situation, Yang Yi became calm and focused, taking deep breaths. He looked at the giant worm so intently that he could almost smell the salty, fishy odour emanating from its body... It also meant that Yang Yi and the giant worm were now close enough! Less than ten metres! Now! Yang Yi pulled the trigger. Boom! The powerful recoil sent Yang Yi flying backward, his right arm, holding the gun, numb with pain as he crashed into the captain¡¯s cabin behind him. The gunshot was deafening, like the roar of thunder, challenging the power of nature. Its power was astonishing, no less than that of a cannon. The shot hit the giant worm''s head directly, blowing it apart. The mouthparts and skull fragments flew off, scattering over the sea. But the giant worm¡¯s momentum didn¡¯t stop ¨C it crashed into the Nightmare. ¡¾The Nightmare was hit directly, Durability -600, Hull Breached...¡¿ The flimsy Nightmare was split in two by the worm¡¯s impact¡­ Ch. 27 - I want to merge with you! The wind force in the stormy seas had dropped by one level.The number of survivors had sharply decreased. It was just like the shrinking safe zone in a battle royale game, where players trapped in the toxic zone would eventually be killed as time passed. Unlike the danger zones, the buffer area here was different. There were no giant worms, the sea was calm, and there was a deserted island with a diametre of several hundred metres. A man wearing a sharkskin swimsuit struggled to make it ashore. It was Yang Yi. He had managed to swim there using a piece of broken driftwood for nearly two nautical miles! A woman clung to the driftwood. "Suna... You''re heavier than I thought!" Yang Yi gasped, jokingly complaining. Yang Yi underestimated the two-nautical-mile distance. Halfway through the swim, his energy was completely drained. If it weren''t for the frenzied state, which allowed him to substitute blood energy for stamina, he might have drowned like many others. He was utterly exhausted, and collapsed on the beach, lying spread-eagle like a dead fish. Next to him, another "dead fish" lay unconscious ¨C Suna, who had passed out from exhaustion. Although she was a good swimmer, her stamina was limited, and Yang Yi had to drag her for the latter half of the journey. Thanks to that, Yang Yi''s blood energy was nearly depleted, with only 17 points left. He checked his status: Sanity: 42/100 Stamina: 0/100 Energy: 17/100 He was truly hanging by a thread! Although the Nightmare had sunk, Yang Yi wasn''t entirely hopeless. Back when the Astrologer sank, Suna had shared information about shipwrecks with him. A ship could be rebuilt after it was destroyed. Yang Yi opened the ship interface, and the top message displayed: ¡¾Materials required for ship reconstruction: Wood 500, Fabric 250. Materials from the ship''s hold can be used. Each reconstruction requires a one-month interval, during which items on the ship will be frozen.¡¿ He checked his resources. He had almost enough fabric, thanks to the large quantity gifted to him earlier. However, there was still a significant shortage of wood, and he''d need to chop down more trees... Thinking about it, he drifted off to sleep, this time without nightmares. It was the most restful sleep he''d had in a long time. Who knew how long he slept, but Yang Yi was eventually awakened by the system notification. "Only 3 players remain in the stormy seas. Please leave the area quickly, or you will be consumed by the black mist..." Yang Yi opened his eyes and found himself lying not at the shore. Suna was beside him, staring at him with a pair of blood-red eyes. The scene seemed familiar, but Yang Yi, still groggy from sleep, didn''t immediately realise what was happening. "Do you know how long you slept?" Suna asked. "No idea." "Over 12 hours. I woke up, dragged you here, and it''s already been 12 hours!" Suna said. "I see, no wonder I''m a bit hungry." Yang Yi didn''t think much of it, rubbing his empty stomach. The much-needed sleep had left him feeling refreshed, with his status restored by 70%, though he was famished. "When you were asleep, you were dead weight. I could barely drag you!" Suna complained. "The feeling''s mutual! You were as heavy as a dead pig when you passed out," Yang Yi quickly retorted. "Really?" Suna wasn''t angry; a mysterious smile appeared on her face. "But I''m glad you''re awake. Now you can answer my questions!" Suddenly, her gaze turned cold as she raised a flintlock gun and pointed it at Yang Yi''s forehead. Yang Yi recognised this gun well. It was his prized possession. But how did it end up in Suna''s hands? Before Yang Yi could think it through, Suna began her questioning, her words eerily familiar. "Man, three sentences. Give me a reason not to kill you!" Her blood-red eyes looked dangerously intense, and her half-smile sent a chill down his spine. At that moment, Yang Yi remembered a past nightmare. In that dream, a red-eyed woman pointed a gun at his head ¨C just like this. He instantly became alert and serious. "Suna, this joke has gone too far!" "Do I look like I''m joking?" Suna retorted, keeping the gun firmly aimed at Yang Yi. "By the way, that was your first sentence. You have two left, so choose your words wisely!"1 Yang Yi fell silent. The dark gun barrel weighed heavily on him. He glanced around and noticed the sea level had risen again. The island''s diametre had shrunk to just over fifty metres. The surrounding trees had all been chopped down, apparently blasted by the flintlock, and turned into wood, piled together. Judging by the amount, it was around 300, far from enough to build two ships. So, Suna planned to hoard the wood and only rebuild the Astrologer? Yang Yi pieced together the situation, narrowing his eyes. In times of crisis, it was natural for people to act in their own self-interest. Yang Yi''s voice grew cold as he said, "I can give you all my equipment, and the wood on the island will be yours. Just let me go!" "NO, NO, NO, that''s not enough!" Suna shook her head, "Have you considered that if I shoot you, all of this will be mine anyway?!" "You..." Yang Yi immediately held his tongue, careful not to use up his third sentence. He hadn''t expected Suna to be so ruthless! After trusting her so much, Yang Yi felt a surge of anger, but he couldn''t think of any leverage he had left. In the end, he could only say angrily, "Then go ahead and shoot!" Yang Yi stood up, ready to counterattack. His talent, "Refusal to Die," would prevent him from being killed instantly. It was his last card to play. "Hahaha... See? Even you get nervous when a gun''s pointed at you!" Suna suddenly burst out laughing, shaking with mirth, tears streaming down her face. "You..." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi''s expression grew stern, showing his displeasure. Then Suna added, "How about this: I''ll take half of everything you own, and in return, I''ll spare your life!" "What?" Yang Yi frowned. "Don''t you get it? I mean, I want to merge with you!" "What? Merge?!" Yang Yi looked surprised. "Yes, that''s right, merge!" Suna confirmed. Yang Yi was speechless. But he also breathed a sigh of relief. Suna didn''t actually want to kill him. She was just getting back at him... After all, he had done something similar not too long ago! He sat back down, torn between laughing and crying, and said, "What if I refuse?" "The gun''s in my hand; you don''t have a choice!" Suna waved the gun triumphantly, then began rummaging through her bag. Yang Yi finally relaxed, thinking, "This woman must be crazy! Out here in the wilderness, suddenly asking to merge with me. I''m not some kind of transforming mech that can combine to form a head. How are we supposed to merge? And judging by how seriously she''s digging through her bag, could it be...she''s looking for a balloon?" As Yang Yi''s thoughts wandered, he glanced at Suna. When he saw what she pulled out, all hopes were dashed. The items were the tongue, eyeballs, brain, glands, vocal cords, and heart of a sea monster, all stored in jars. ¡¾A bunch of bizarre internal organs. Your sanity decreases by 5¡¿ "Sorry, there''s too much stuff; it''s hard to find things..." Finally, Suna found what she was looking for. It wasn''t a balloon, but a golden card. Yang Yi took it and looked at it, feeling faint. ¡¾Name: Ship Fusion Card¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Special¡¿ ¡¾Description: With mutual consent, two ships can be fused together. The fused ship will be larger, have more rooms, and inherit the skills of both ships. A ship can only have the skills of two ships. After that, the materials required for upgrading will increase accordingly.¡¿ "So, this is the fusion you were talking about..." Yang Yi turned and asked awkwardly. "Of course. What did you think I meant?" Suna laughed so hard she nearly fell over. "Uh..." Yang Yi was at a loss for words. The girl must have said it that way on purpose! And this tool was probably the legendary golden item she had drawn earlier¡­ Notes Reminds you of something? Ig she¡¯s that petty -Simply? Ch. 28 - Fusion! Nightmare Star! ¡¾Captain Suna of the Astrologer used a rare item ¨C Ship Fusion Card, applying to merge her ship with yours. The resources in both ships'' cabins will be combined.¡¿¡¾Accept/Reject¡¿ ¡¾Accept!¡¿ ¡¾Please vote for the new captain. If the votes are tied, the fusion will fail, and the Fusion Card will be returned. Note: The captain has absolute authority, and a new election will only occur if the captain dies.¡¿ Yang Yi immediately voted for himself, knowing that Suna would also vote for him, as they had agreed upon this beforehand. Yang Yi had to be the captain! He didn''t feel safe with Suna in command ¨C she might steer the ship into some abyss just to see if a sea monster''s appetite was big enough¡­ After the fusion, Both of their ship interfaces became identical, but the primary permissions were in Yang Yi¡¯s hands. He could allocate certain permissions to Suna, including resource distribution, ship expansion, steering, and restricting access to specific rooms. The ship was also given the option to rename itself. Its default name was a combination of the two ships'' previous names, "Nightmare Astrology." Finding the name untasteful, Yang Yi shortened it to "Nightmare Star." If all went as expected, "Nightmare Star" would be the first merged ship among the players. Typically, merging required paying a certain amount of resources to modify the ship''s structure, but in this case, those resources were already accounted for in the reconstruction. Reconstructing "Nightmare Star" would require: Wood: 700 unitsCloth: 300 unitsStone: 100 unitsCrystal: 20 unitsSteel: 10 units Seeing steel and stone among the requirements, Yang Yi was pleased. The new ship would be sturdier. The shortage was mainly in wood, with some missing stone and cloth. Yang Yi had hoped that after the fusion, Suna could contribute some resources, but her cabin was nearly empty! Wood: 1 unitCloth: 2 units It was worse than a beggar''s stash. Was she even trying to survive? The current stock in the ship''s cabin was: Wood: 59 units (a shortage of 641 units)Stone: 44 units (a shortage of 56 units)Cloth: 274 units (a shortage of 26 units) On the island, stone was easy to find. The island itself and the nearby shorelines had plenty of rocks. Cloth could only be obtained by fishing and hoping for luck, though they didn¡¯t need much. As for wood...it was uncertain if the trees on the island would be enough. "How much wood have you gathered, Suna?" Yang Yi asked. Before he woke up, Suna had used her flintlock gun to blast down a lot of trees, likely causing quite a commotion, yet he had slept through it all. No wonder Suna had compared him to a dead pig... "I''ve gathered 292 units of wood so far. If we dig up the roots of those trees, we could get a bit more," she replied. "With the cabin stock, we have 351 units of wood. The shortage isn¡¯t low..." Yang Yi frowned. They couldn''t trade, so gathering was the only option. He looked around and saw that even the trees submerged in the sea and the ones closest to them had been chopped down by Suna. The only ones left were those farther out, their crowns still poking above the water, about a hundred metres away. To gather more wood, they would have to swim out there, shoot the trees down, and then haul them back. Fortunately, the storm had subsided, and the sea was calm, so the water level shouldn''t rise any further. "Give me back the gun!" Yang Yi reclaimed his precious flintlock. "You gather some stones near the island and the shore. We need 56 units. Don''t bother digging up the tree roots ¨C you''re better off making a fishing rod and catching some fish! I''ll swim further out and bring back some wood." Yang Yi instructed. "Sure!" Suna agreed readily. With his sharkskin swimsuit reducing his stamina consumption, Yang Yi was the best choice for the task. But before setting out, they both needed to eat. Catching fish was the quickest and most convenient option, and with Yang Yi¡¯s gun capable of firing underwater, it was easy for him to catch some. Within ten minutes, he had caught two plump groupers. Though the fish were torn apart by the gunshots, they managed to eat their fill. Then, Yang Yi swam out into the sea, while Suna stayed behind to collect stones and fish. Thanks to the buffer zone, there were no monsters in the sea, making the process smooth and uneventful. After swimming a hundred metres, Yang Yi reached the first tree. Bang! The sound of gunfire and an explosion echoed underwater, scattering the nearby fish. After another shot, a log about thirty centimetres in diametre floated to the surface. It was the thickest tree in the area. Yang Yi could haul two logs back at most, so he chose the thicker ones for more wood. Half an hour later, he returned with two thick logs, which the system identified as 18 units of wood. Swimming, diving, and pushing logs ashore was like a triathlon, exhausting Yang Yi by over 30 stamina points. He could only manage two trips before needing to lie down on the island to recover. Without any vitality coconut juice, his stamina recovery was slow. By the end of the day, he had only made five trips, collecting 93 units of wood. Suna, meanwhile, had more than enough stones, gathering 74 units. Gathering stone on an island was the simplest and easiest task ¨C as long as you found the island. As for fishing, Suna had exceptional luck, possibly due to some hidden blessing. She even caught two 2-litre bottles of Farmer''s Three Punch. All the fish she caught went into their bellies. She also gathered 5 units of wood and 8 units of cloth. At this rate, they would be able to rebuild the ship within four to five days. At night, for safety, they avoided risky activities like fishing or logging and instead stayed in the centre of the island, waiting for daylight. They also took turns keeping watch, with Suna covering the first half of the night and Yang Yi the second half. Though there was no bed, Yang Yi slept soundly. It was far more comfortable than sleeping on the Nightmare, with no nightmares! In the chat channel, people were speculating about the three remaining players in the storm zone and why they hadn¡¯t emerged yet. "I bet they''re inside some giant bug''s stomach, not fully digested yet!" "Good that they haven''t come out; it gives us more time to upgrade our ships and gather resources!" "Maybe they found a hidden dungeon at sea and are on some secret mission?" Everyone had their theories. They had no idea Yang Yi and Suna''s ship had sunk, and they were gathering resources to build a new one. As for the third person, Yang Yi had no idea what they were up to ¨C they might also be repairing their ship. A few friends Yang Yi had added earlier were asking if he was safe and if he had made it out. (These were people who had gifted items during the storm zone.) Before going to sleep, Yang Yi sent out a unified response of just seven words: "The ship blew up. I''m building a new one!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Wow, even after your ship blew up, you survived! Impressive!" "Awesome, man. Need a leg attachment?" Ch. 29 - The black fog is approaching On a deserted island, there were only a man and a woman.The man was responsible for swimming and collecting wood. The woman was responsible for fishing, gathering cloth, fresh water, and food. Although a bit tiring, compared to the nerve-wracking sea journey they had faced before, it was pure bliss! If possible, finding an island to settle down and farming a bit wouldn¡¯t be a bad choice. But Yang Yi knew it was impossible! He looked back at the direction from which he sailed. In the distance, at the edge of his vision, he could see a thick, dark patch ¡ª the black fog. That day, it had grown even darker in colour. What it indicated was that the black fog was getting closer, and they needed to escape the sea area as soon as possible! They still needed 72 units of wood, but they had gathered enough cloth and stone. Yang Yi even had Suna collect some extra stone to take on the ship, just in case. While rocks were easy to gather on the island, they were hard to come by at sea and could only be acquired by fishing, which was extremely inefficient. After all, stones, like iron, didn¡¯t float on water unless you happened to come across a resource crate. If nothing went wrong, they would be able to gather all the materials needed to rebuild the Nightmare Star by the end of the day. After breakfast, Yang Yi set out early to start the day¡¯s logging work. Over the past few days of training, he wouldn¡¯t call himself a swimming champion, however, being an expert swimmer wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. With the added benefit of his sharkskin swimsuit, he even felt confident enough to challenge an Olympic swimmer! On the first three trips, Yang Yi managed to collect 57 units of wood without any trouble. Two trips tops, and they¡¯d have enough wood! But on the fourth trip, something abruptly changed ¡ª the sea became turbulent. Yang Yi was about to use his gun to shoot down a tree. Suddenly, a massive school of fish rushed past him. These fish, big and small, many of which Yang Yi had never seen before, swam desperately forwards as if they were being chased by a demon or fleeing for their lives. Even the usually ferocious carnivorous sharks had not thought of hunting and sped past Yang Yi like a gust of wind. The current they created was like a shockwave, tossing Yang Yi around underwater. With great effort, he finally surfaced. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t hurt, but he did swallow a few mouthfuls of seawater. The fish only brushed past him, as if deliberately avoiding him, unwilling to pause even for a second. Yang Yi had never seen anything like this before. Thanks to this, the logs he had prepared were nowhere to be seen, swept away by the current. Even Yang Yi himself was pushed forwards by the water caused by the fish. ¡°Yang Yi, are you okay? Something seems wrong with the sea!¡± Suna sent a private message. She was fishing on the shore and had also noticed the anomaly. However, Yang Yi had discovered it earlier and had already experienced it firsthand. ¡°I¡¯m okay, just swallowed some water! The fish in the sea have gone crazy, all swimming like their lives depend on it. I think the black fog is coming! I¡¯m swimming back to shore, could you help me out?¡± Yang Yi replied. He wasn¡¯t too confident about his stamina, so he asked Suna for assistance. Thankfully, Suna helped him just in time. After coming ashore, Yang Yi had only 23 stamina left, and they still needed 15 units of wood ¡ª a little more. He struggled to stand and looked back. A swarm of giant bugs had also swum over. Strangely, these giant bugs disappeared as soon as they entered the buffer zone, which was a safe area. It was as if they had passed through a thin film into another world. ¡°Thank goodness the bugs can¡¯t get through!¡± Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If those things had gotten in, he might have really given up! ¡°Suna, we¡¯re still short of 15 units of wood. It¡¯s impossible to go back into the water to get them! Fishing isn¡¯t reliable either, so let¡¯s try digging up some tree roots!¡± Yang Yi suggested. The 15 units of wood they were missing didn¡¯t seem like much, but fishing for them wouldn¡¯t always yield results even after a whole day¡¯s effort. And the black fog didn¡¯t seem so friendly to give them that time. After regaining some energy, Yang Yi joined Suna in digging up tree roots. But digging for wood was an incredibly slow process! By evening, they had only managed to gather 7 units, still short of the 15 they needed. Yang Yi was growing anxious. They could already see the shadow of the black fog behind them. Three massive bugs had also swum over. Each one, seemingly carefully selected, had a diametre of seven or eight metres. They moved forward side by side, collided with the buffer zone, and then disappeared. Where the three giant bugs disappeared, three huge harpoons fell. Following this were cries and howls of despair. ¡°Ah God! Ah Boy! Dog Balls!1 Where did you three disappear to?¡± Behind the three giant bugs was a massive steel battleship. The voice came from the captain of the vessel, Yu Dawei. Yang Yi immediately recognised the ship. Even though several parts were smoking and charred, the iron hull and the colossal 200-metre length made it unmistakably the Iron Heart. He didn¡¯t know how Yu Dawei managed it, but somehow, he had gathered 1,000 units of iron, upgraded his ship by two levels, and fought his way out of a swarm of giant bugs! The ship was covered with the scars and bloodstains of a fierce battle, and even a huge, sharp jawbone from an unfortunate giant bug was embedded in the deck. After upgrading, the ship¡¯s firepower became even more impressive. Besides the enormous cannon at the front with a diameter of nearly five metre, there were over forty gun barrels extending from the sides, though many were bent or broken. Captain Yu Dawei, standing alone on the bridge with a cigarette in his mouth, cursed and occasionally glanced nervously at the black fog not far behind. Not long ago, he was just an overweight middle-aged man. But now... After a period of intense, high-stress sailing, he had slimmed down to an enviable figure, with dark circles under his eyes, looking like a completely different person. As for the speed of the Iron Heart... It wasn¡¯t slow, just very slow. To Yang Yi, who was used to travelling at tens of knots, this ship was pitifully slow. Suna stood beside him, watching the enormous ship with Yang Yi. Further behind them was the black fog, moving at 15 knots but still quite a distance away from the Iron Heart. Without the giant bugs towing it, the Iron Heart couldn¡¯t outrun the black fog, and the captain was now frantic, like an ant on a hot pan, running around in a panic. Finally, he spotted the man and woman on the island ahead; his eyes lit up, and he waved, calling out for help. ¡°Hey, you two! I¡¯m in urgent need of help! Can you lend me a hand?¡± However, they were too far away, and his voice couldn¡¯t reach them. With no other options, Yu Dawei steered the ship toward the island. After the upgrade, the Iron Heart¡¯s speed had doubled! ¡¾Iron Heart, Level 2, Durability 5829/10000, Capacity 20000 units, Speed 10 knots¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skill: Full Firepower: Increases cannon firing speed by 200% for 15 minutes. Triple Whale Harpoon: Can pierce and latch onto an object, cooldown time 1 hour. Sea Monster Slayer: A super cannon with tremendous power that can send sea monsters packing. Cooldown time 4 hours per shot.¡¿ ¡¾Description: It¡¯s bigger, stronger, and tougher! Speed increased by 200%!¡¿ Yu Dawei was initially surprised when he saw Yang Yi and Suna, but he quickly realised they must¡¯ve been the other two survivors in the stormy sea. If they were willing to help, perhaps he could hope to survive. In the buffer zone...he couldn¡¯t find any giant creatures to help tow his ship. Seeing that shouting wasn¡¯t working, Yu Dawei had a bright idea and tried using the regional chat in his log. Notes In the raws it literally translates to ¡°dog egg¡± but after a quick google search, I was made aware that it can be used as a phrase describing dog testicles or dog kidneys :3 ~ Ashka? Ch. 30 - Nightmare Star, set sail! ¡°I am Yu Dawei, the captain of the Iron Heart. Can you two see my message?¡± Yu Dawei sent a message through the regional channel.Given the current situation, with only three players left in the buffer zone, he wasn''t worried about contacting the wrong people. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Yang Yi, the captain of The Nightmare Star,¡± Yang Yi replied. ¡°Captain Yang, where is your ship? I don''t see it.¡± ¡°It sank.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yu Dawei was dumbfounded on the spot. He didn¡¯t know that a sunken ship could be rebuilt, so he thought he was doomed. It wasn¡¯t until Yang Yi explained the situation that he understood. ¡°You¡¯re short of 7 units of wood? No problem, I¡¯ll send you 100 units right away,¡± Yu Dawei immediately replied, ¡°But once your ship is repaired, could you help tow mine?¡± After a brief moment of consideration, Yang Yi agreed. Time was of the essence, with the black fog closing in. The two of them had to work together if they wanted to escape alive. Seeing Yang Yi agree, Yu Dawei finally relaxed and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll move closer now. Don¡¯t attack me ¡ª you¡¯ve got a pistol at your waist, right?¡± Yang Yi was a bit surprised. The Iron Heart was at least several kilometres away from him, so how could Yu Dawei see such details? Did he have binoculars? In reality, this was due to one of Yu Dawei¡¯s talents. He had two talents: ¡¾Eagle Eye: Perception +2, excellent vision, proficient in tracking and aiming¡¿ The second talent was unlocked after he killed a large number of giant sea beasts. ¡¾Firepower Supremacy: As long as you have sufficient firepower, you dare to face any enemy. Sanity won¡¯t drop below 50. Truth lies only within the range of a cannon!¡¿ As the Iron Heart gradually approached the island, the black fog had already covered half the sky, remaining only 15 nautical miles away from it. At that distance, they didn¡¯t need to chat through the log anymore; they could hear each other by shouting just fine. Yu Dawei shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll use the whaling gun to send the wood over. Don¡¯t be scared!¡± With that, the Iron Heart fired the whaling gun, sending a large bundle of wood that landed just over ten metres away from Yang Yi. The bundle contained exactly 100 units of wood ¡ª no more, no less. With enough materials, Yang Yi didn¡¯t hesitate. He immediately selected an appropriate location and operated through the log to start rebuilding the ship. After confirming, the materials floated into the air, scattered into tiny fragments, and then assembled like building blocks into a ship. The ship was about 30 metres long, still retaining the ghost ship appearance, but much larger than before. The hull was still worn, covered with barnacles, and the bow was adorned with the skeleton of a captain, with some seaweed hanging from it, as if it had just emerged from the ocean. Compared to the previous Nightmare, the biggest difference was in the midsection, where a huge crystal ball had appeared in front of the mast. Some parts of the hull were now covered with rusty iron plates, making it look sturdier than before. ¡¾Nightmare Star, Level 2, Durability 1000/1000, Capacity 3000 units, Speed 60 knots] ¡¾Ship Skills: Nightmare Star: The quality of sleep on board is extremely poor, causing nightmares. Stamina recovery efficiency -75%, effective only for the captain. Fisherman¡¯s Curse: Significantly reduces the chance of catching normal fish, greatly increases the probability of catching unusual items. Astrology: Reveals the surrounding sea map within a radius of 150 nautical miles, viewable through the crystal ball. Warnings can be set to alert of other players'' presence via vibrations. Scrying: Can scan for ship names and player names, providing the coordinates of the target ship and viewing its image. Limited to one target per day.¡¿ ¡¾Description: You chose to merge with the ghost ship... Hope you won¡¯t regret it!¡¿ After reviewing the ship''s information, Yang Yi was generally satisfied. The merged ship was sturdier, and its speed had increased. Additionally, the Astrology skill had evolved, expanding the map range and the Scrying skill to cover the entire map. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re boarding the ship!¡± Yang Yi called Suna. Once aboard The Nightmare Star, Yang Yi noticed some interior changes as well. Next to the captain¡¯s quarters was an additional bedroom, which belonged to Suna. The ship¡¯s hold was also larger, with two expansion spaces available for building additional structures. It was almost as if the potential of two ships had been combined. All the previous items were still on board, including pirate clothes, fishing nets, fishing rods, coconuts, and some food and fresh water. Even part of the giant insect¡¯s corpse that Yang Yi had previously blown up was still there, which was a pleasant surprise! On the other side, Yu Dawei was feeling a bit anxious. He was worried that Yang Yi would leave him behind and sail away. Even though Yu Dawei was confident he could stop The Nightmare Star, if it really did come to that, he would be doomed. Fortunately, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t foolish. ¡¾Nightmare Star¡¯s Captain Yang Yi requests to add you as a friend¡¿ Yu Dawei immediately accepted. Yang Yi then sent a private message: ¡°I¡¯m heading to the stern now; throw the grapple over.¡± Seeing the message, Yu Dawei breathed a sigh of relief, walked out of the bridge, and headed to the deck, where he saw Yang Yi face-to-face. But since the Iron Heart was larger than The Nightmare Star, Yang Yi could only see half of Yu Dawei¡¯s body. Though Yu Dawei was a bit cautious, he still approached. ¡°Captain Yu, your ship is too big! So let me be clear: if my ship¡¯s speed drops below 15 knots while towing your Iron Heart, don¡¯t blame me for cutting you loose. And you mustn¡¯t attack me either, agreed?¡± Yu Dawei pondered for a moment, his expression shifting several times. After a while, he replied, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how about I come aboard your ship to take shelter?¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Yang Yi agreed decisively. After all, a ship can be rebuilt, but lives are irreplaceable. If you lose your life, it¡¯s all over! Yu Dawei threw the Iron Heart¡¯s grappling hook over. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi caught it and secured it in multiple places to distribute the load and prevent any single spot from failing. As for the durability of the grappling rope, there was no need to worry ¡ª the log stated it had it could tow anything! Once secured, Yang Yi sent a message to Suna, instructing her to move at full speed. The Iron Heart also powered up to its maximum. Both captains held their breath as they watched the speed gradually increase. 11 knots! 12 knots! When the speed finally exceeded 15 knots, reaching 16 knots, both of them started to relax. If it had dropped below 15 knots, it would have been troublesome. Luckily, The Nightmare Star''s power wasn¡¯t just for show. Ultimately, the ship¡¯s speed reached 17 knots, just 2 knots faster than the black fog behind them. Ch. 31 - The Grand Sea Map and the Approaching Extreme Cold The Nightmare Star towed Iron Heart out of the buffer zone.As soon as they broke through the boundary of the stormy seas, the sky suddenly brightened, and the three of them were greeted by the long-lost sunlight. Then, the system broadcast an announcement: ¡¾Congratulations on escaping the Stormy Sea¡¿ ¡¾Navigation Announcement: All players have now exited the Stormy Sea. The speed of the black mist has slowed to 10 knots. The Grand Sea Map is now available, and you can check your coordinates on it. ¡¿ ¡¾The number of Level 3 ships has exceeded 10,000. The Extreme Winter Sea is starting to spread. Everyone, please take note and keep warm!¡¿ Yang Yi immediately checked the log and found a new page. It was a rudimentary sea map, only recording the routes players had travelled and the surrounding sea areas they had encountered. Unexplored regions were shrouded in a yellow-brown fog of war. Thanks to The Nightmare Star''s built-in small map, the recorded area was broader, covering 150 nautical miles around them. The Grand Sea Map had three main features: Players could now know their exact coordinates. This made it easier for players to arrange meetings by agreeing on a specific coordinate. However, what would happen during these meetings was up to them. Yang Yi figured...it was best to avoid them when possible! Without laws to bind them at sea, one could never be sure of another player''s intentions.Players could see the names of sea regions and their boundaries. Although the map was shrouded in fog of war, the names of major sea regions were visible. For example, the region they had just left was the Stormy Sea, while the area ahead was the Extreme Winter Sea. These boundaries weren¡¯t straight lines but jagged, resembling the irregular edges of landmasses.The boundary of the black mist was also visible on the Grand Sea Map, allowing players to keep track of its distance from them, preventing sudden, unexpected engulfment by the mist. Yang Yi quickly opened the chat channel to see other players'' reactions and gather first-hand information. ¡°I knew it! I was wondering why it¡¯s so cold, it turns out I¡¯m near the Extreme Winter Sea!¡± The speaker was from Swift Wind, and since Yang Yi had them as a friend, he could see their name. ¡°Whoa, what''s your ship¡¯s speed?¡± ¡°How cold is it? Give me a heads-up, so I¡¯m mentally prepared!¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing 100 knots, currently on the outskirts of the Extreme Winter Sea. Temperature¡¯s around 0-2 degrees, definitely below freezing further in!¡± ¡°100 knots? That¡¯s twice my speed! Must be a special ship, huh?¡± ¡°Better stock up on enough cold-weather gear.¡± ¡°Stock up on food, too. Long-lasting stuff, message me if you¡¯re selling!¡± ¡°Anyone need winter coats? 100 units of cloth each, you can even pick the colour! Just making a bit of extra effort here!¡± ¡¾Name: Warm Winter Coat¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Common¡¿ S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Description: Provides excellent warmth, but be careful not to get it wet!¡¿ ¡°100 cloth? You might as well rob us!¡± ¡°80 cloth, that¡¯s as low as I¡¯ll go!¡± ¡°Get lost! You¡¯re not the only one selling!¡± ¡°Selling down jackets, better than winter coats. Superior quality, 120 units of cloth!¡± ¡¾Name: Insulated Down Jacket¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Superior¡¿ ¡¾Description: In winter, who could resist the warmth of a down jacket?¡¿ After browsing, Yang Yi realised cold-weather gear was essential. Once temperatures dropped to the tens or even dozens of degrees below freezing, his pirate outfit might as well be nonexistent! Only by layering a winter coat or down jacket over it could he avoid freezing to death. Suna¡¯s witch outfit had some warmth, but it still looked a bit thin, likely similar in effect to thermal underwear. So, Yang Yi made up his mind. Once the market prices stabilised, he had to get a few winter coats or down jackets ¡ª at least four, with a spare set just in case. He headed to the stern of the ship. Iron Heart was right behind them. But now that they were safe and out of reach of the black mist, there was no need to keep towing it. Captain Yu Dawei had the same idea, and the two met at the same time. "Yang, my friend, I¡¯ve got a proposition for you. How about joining my Iron Brotherhood?" "Iron Brotherhood?" Yang Yi repeated, not entirely understanding. "Heh, I¡¯ve already got a few underlings, and now I¡¯m planning to meet up with them." Yang Yi suddenly understood. The Iron Brotherhood was the organisation Yu Dawei intended to create. Although the system didn¡¯t have a guild feature, players could still gather and form their own organisations. They could now meet up using coordinates! However, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t interested in joining any factions and politely declined. "Sorry, I¡¯m used to my freedom and prefer to stay solo for now," Yang Yi replied. "No problem! If you ever need help, just reach out ¡ª I¡¯ve got your back!" Yu Dawei said heartily. After escaping certain death, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief. And when Yu Dawei said he¡¯d back Yang Yi up, it wasn¡¯t just empty words. His Iron Heart had the power to do so! No wonder so many players sought his protection. But Iron Heart¡¯s speed was a bit...lacking. Yang Yi could already picture a bunch of small ships towing the steel behemoth across the seas. It wouldn¡¯t be strange, just very peculiar.1 "Catch!" Yu Dawei tossed over a small piece of flesh. "What¡¯s this?" Yang Yi caught it, and after reading the information, he was overjoyed. ¡¾Name: Giant Bobbit Worm¡¿ ¡¾Description: A Bobbit worm mutated by the Abyss, growing to enormous sizes. The largest specimens exceed 100 metres in length, capable of swift movement in the sea, with highly developed hearing ¡¿ "Pleasure working with you. Consider this a gift from me! This stuff doesn¡¯t mean much to me anymore ¡ª the more I draw, the crappier the rewards!" Yu Dawei chuckled. If his guess was right, those 1,000 units of steel were collected by hunting monsters and using a vending machine. If he had relied on fishing alone, even with help from his underlings, there¡¯s no way he could have amassed that amount! "Thanks!" Yang Yi didn¡¯t hesitate, thanked him, and accepted the gift. The two shared a smile and parted ways. The Nightmare Star was much faster than Iron Heart, reaching 60 knots, and it quickly left Iron Heart far behind. Yu Dawei stood on the deck, watching The Nightmare Star disappear into the horizon. "Nightmare¡­ Nightmare Star. Did those two ships merge?" Yu Dawei murmured. He had figured out Yang Yi¡¯s identity ¡ª it was him who found a way out the moment the giant worm appeared. One of Yu Dawei¡¯s underlings had successfully escaped death thanks to Yang Yi¡¯s tip, and the two had added each other as friends. So, Yu Dawei had recognised Yang Yi¡¯s identity and decided to change his approach. He gave Yang Yi a piece of the worm¡¯s flesh, intending to build a stronger bond with him. On the other side, Yang Yi stood in front of the octopus vending machine, feeling a little excited. He now had two pieces of giant Bobbit worm flesh, one from Iron Heart and one from The Nightmare Star¡¯s deck. That meant he could spin the machine twice!2 He washed his face with freshwater to ensure his face was clean, then tossed in the flesh and started the vending. The octopus tentacles flashed but didn¡¯t emit a golden light. After a while, two seemingly ordinary capsules were spit out from the octopus¡¯s head. Yang Yi was a bit disappointed at first ¡ª not having drawn a golden legend. But when he picked up one of the capsules, his mood changed instantly. ¡°Yes! Nailed it on the first try!¡± In his hand rested a rare item, ship equipment! ¡¾Name: Giant Bobbit Worm Head¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment (Relic)¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can be installed on the bow, increasing the ship¡¯s durability and ramming power. Its sharp jaws can slice through attacking enemies. It also has a strong deterrent effect, reducing the likelihood of sea creatures attacking the ship¡­ But beware, it might also provoke more terrifying monsters¡­¡¿ After reading the description, Yang Yi was a bit conflicted. The ship equipment was powerful; however, it came with a drawback ¡ª it could attract dangerous monsters. Despite this, Yang Yi didn¡¯t hesitate for long and decided to install it. If he was too scared to use this, then any other equipment he acquired later would just gather dust. After all, the benefits outweighed the risks. Otherwise, what would the point of having a relic be? He then reached for the other capsule. Notes Sooooo strange -Simply?A true slot slut -Simply? Ch. 32 - Witchs Laboratory and Potions ¡¾Name: Black Iron Supply Chest¡¿¡¾Type: Chest¡¿ ¡¾Description: Open to receive a moderate amount of supplies.¡¿ Yang Yi felt a bit disappointed when the second pull wasn''t equipment. But supplies were also something he urgently needed. Refurbishing the ship had almost drained all their resources. Yang Yi opened the chest. ¡¾You received: Wood x200, Cloth x200, Stone x200, Steel x50, Crystal x50, Sulphur x50¡¿ "So much?" Yang Yi was in disbelief. The wood and cloth were expected, but he didn''t anticipate getting that many high-grade materials. The Black Iron Supply Chest was indeed terrifyingly generous! No wonder the Iron Heart handed over 100 wood without batting an eye ¡ª they really didn''t lack any. Suddenly, a private message arrived from Xu Da, captain of the Swift Wind. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Brother Yang, I''m planning to form a fleet. Are you interested in joining?" Yang Yi was surprised by how popular he was but still declined. "Sorry, I don''t have any plans to form a group for now." "Alright, if you change your mind, feel free to message me. My Swift Wind Brigade will always have a spot for you!" "Thanks!" After politely refusing, Yang Yi couldn''t help but marvel at how quickly these people were moving. The Grand Sea Map had just opened, and these guys were already eager to start forming their fleets. "Should I start a fleet too?" Yang Yi suddenly thought. He didn''t want to rely on others, but forming a fleet was also bothersome to manage ¡ª it could easily spiral out of control. Just as he was pondering this, Suna ran over excitedly, her face flushed with excitement. "Did you just get a lot of supplies?" "That''s right, I just opened a Black Iron Supply Chest." "Is this...?" Suna''s attention was immediately drawn to the giant Bobbit worm head on the ground. Before it was installed, the worm head was only the size of a palm and could be easily picked up. Its craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike. Suna picked it up, examining it closely, touching here and there, and even took out a knife to record details. Seeing her pull out the dagger, Yang Yi couldn''t help but speak up and snatched the worm head back. "Stop! This is a rare piece of equipment; what if you break it?" Suna was speechless. After Yang Yi stopped her, she gave up on the idea of cutting it and stated her purpose. "I want to make an expansion building." "Which one?" Suna operated on her log for a while, and soon Yang Yi received a request. ¡¾Crew member Suna has requested to build a Witch''s Laboratory. Construction requirements: Expansion Space x2, Wood x200, Cloth x200, Stone x100, Steel x50, Crystal x50, Sulphur x20. Once built, this structure cannot be dismantled, so please consider carefully.¡¿ "Witch''s Laboratory?" Yang Yi was puzzled. He remembered that there was no such option in the list of expansion buildings. And it required so many materials, plus it took up two expansion spaces... Yang Yi immediately checked the list of expansion buildings. Besides the extra cargo hold, ancient war room, and great statue already on the Nightmare, there were two expansions from the Astrologer. ¡¾Lookout Tower: Can scan up to 1,000 nautical miles around. If there is an island, it will be displayed on the sea map, once every three days. Construction requirements: Expansion Space x1, Wood x200, Cloth x100, Stone x100, Crystal x30¡¿ ¡¾Glass Cannon: A powerful yet fragile cannon prone to breaking. Construction requirements: Expansion Space x1, Crystal x100, Sulphur x20¡¿ "Where did you see the Witch''s Laboratory? It''s not on my list," Yang Yi asked with a puzzled look. "It''s an extra expansion from my talent! It won''t be a loss to build it," Suna said confidently. "Well..." Yang Yi was hesitant. He originally planned to build the cannon. That way, if they encountered a giant bobbit worm or another large creature at sea, they would have the strength to fight back. Next, he planned to build the lookout tower. Island resources were richer than those at sea, and there was the possibility of unearthing chests. If they could frequently obtain resources from islands, it would give them a significant advantage. But the Witch''s Laboratory... Its function was unknown, and it required two expansion spaces. This meant that until the Nightmare reached level 3, there would be no extra space for building the cannon. If they ran into a ship with a cannon, they would be at a stark disadvantage. "Not possible!" Yang Yi firmly refused. "The cannon takes priority. Everything else can wait!" "Please build it!" Suna wouldn''t give up, tugging on his sleeve. "This is my only request. I won''t question anything you build after this, okay?" "Uh...okay but stop tugging on my sleeve!" Yang Yi said sternly, interrupting her. The woman was no simpleton ¡ª her sweet talk was just a disguise! At the same time, Yang Yi realised another issue. He needed to manage the relationships between his crew well. If conflicts arose, it could lead to serious problems...like being stabbed in the back! So, he began to inquire about the building''s function. "What exactly does this Witch''s Laboratory do?" Yang Yi asked. Suna''s eyes lit up, sensing a chance! She had been ready to give up earlier. Now, she explained in detail. "This laboratory can provide various research tools. It will allow me to study the structure of demonic creatures and develop new formulas!" "You can develop formulas?" Yang Yi''s interest was piqued. Seizing the opportunity, Suna took out a bottle of liquid. "For example, do you think the formula for this Vitality Coconut drink is the best possible ratio? What if we add something else?" She handed Yang Yi a vial. The system didn''t show specific information, but rather... ¡¾Name: Unknown Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: ?? ¡¿ ¡¾Description: You''ll only know what it is after you drink it...¡¿ "Try it! If I had the lab, I could make even better ones," Suna urged. "Are you sure there''s no poison in this?" "I swear this one is safe!" "So, the others might be poisonous?" "All medicine has some toxicity ¡ª simply drink it!" Suna got annoyed, snatching the potion back and drinking half of it on the spot. Seeing this, Yang Yi didn''t want to appear overly cautious. With a bit of apprehension, he downed the potion in one gulp. It was silky and thick, with a familiar fishy smell that shot straight to his head. Just as Yang Yi was about to curse, he paused. The potion''s name appeared. ¡¾Stamina recovered by 10, stamina recovery speed increased by 50%¡¿(Only half consumed) ¡¾Name: Vitality Siren Juice¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion crafted by Witch Suna using the mucus secreted from a siren¡¯s skin, mixed with salt and vitality coconut. Restores 15 stamina, increases stamina recovery speed by 75% for 8 hours. Overconsumption may cause poisoning.¡¿ "This...you made this?" Yang Yi asked in surprise. "Yes, and if I had the lab, I could make even better potions!" Yang Yi was astonished! Being able to develop her own formulas ¡ª he didn''t need to think twice to realise how valuable that was. Suna was a walking goldmine! With her, he wouldn''t need to worry about running out of vitality coconut or how to restore stamina afterwards. Why not just ask her to develop a new potion? As the captain, it was only natural to make requests. Crew members had to obey! "Let''s build that laboratory, then!" Yang Yi agreed, approving Suna''s request in the log. Little did he know, in the future¡­ ¡­he would regret drinking the witch¡¯s potion. Ch. 33 - The New World Fleet is established The Nightmare Star welcomed its first expansion structure: the Witch''s Laboratory.Once construction was confirmed, a blue light radiated from the ship''s hull, followed by a system notification announcing the completion of the build: ¡¾Witch''s Laboratory construction complete. Please proceed to the ship''s interior to inspect.¡¿ The two of them entered the ship''s cabin from the stern, where they discovered a new room. The room was quite large, occupying nearly half of the cabin. The floor was pristine ¨C not the usual rotting, mouldy wood, but rather a dark, smooth stone that felt solid underfoot. It was, however, mostly empty, furnished only with two large metal tables, seemingly equipped with their own lighting, though Yang Yi couldn¡¯t see any lamps. Along the walls were rows of metal racks, cold to the touch, holding many empty glass containers. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in here¡­¡± Yang Yi felt the materials used in construction weren¡¯t worth the cost. However, Suna was thrilled, fully aware of the room¡¯s functions and how to use them. Her log had an extra page compared to regular players ¡ª a Mysticism Interface. Through this interface, she could use Shell Coins to purchase lab equipment and conduct occult research. The information about the Witch''s Laboratory was as follows: ¡¾Witch''s Laboratory: A special structure that can only be built by witches who covet forbidden knowledge. Within the lab, research consumes 50% less energy, sanity loss is reduced by 25%, and aberrant samples won¡¯t decay. Displayed aberrant samples will enhance the witch''s inspiration. Current sample count: 0, inspiration rate increase: 0%. Note: Mysticism research involves risks, including but not limited to sanity loss¡¿ After reading the information, Suna immediately took out aberrant body parts from her magic bag and placed them in the glass containers on the shelves. They were on the verge of decaying, but after being placed in the containers, they gradually regained their vitality, as if freshly harvested. The scene was somewhat sanity-draining. ¡¾Sanity decreased by 2¡¿ Yang Yi frowned. He felt it was better to avoid the lab as much as possible! At that moment, the bisected corpse of the twin-horned demon shark, which should have been discarded, was also brought out, cut into three large pieces, awaiting dissection. Additionally, a dried, thirty-centimetre-long merman specimen was taken out. It was Yang Yi¡¯s first time seeing such a creature, but it wasn¡¯t unfamiliar. Before Suna met him, she had probably killed a merman. With these three items combined, the number of samples in the lab reached 3, increasing the inspiration rate by 3%. ¡°I still need a large amount of Shell Coins. I don¡¯t have any money on me!¡± Suna reached out to Yang Yi, resembling a researcher asking for funding. Yang Yi, on the other hand, was the unfortunate soul providing the money. ¡°Why do you need so many Shell Coins?¡± ¡°The lab equipment needs to be bought with Shell Coins,¡± Suna explained. ¡°What? The lab¡¯s equipment has to be bought separately?¡± Yang Yi suddenly realised this lab might be a massive money pit, one that could never be filled. But since the materials had already been used, he couldn¡¯t back out ¡ª the sunk cost was too great. He reluctantly transferred 1,000 Shell Coins to Suna. This was already a ¡°huge sum¡±! After giving it to her, Yang Yi only had 1,050 Shell Coins left! Suna seemed slightly dissatisfied with the amount, however, she didn¡¯t say anything and began dissecting the demon shark, wielding a new handy scalpel. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi quickly slipped away to the deck, to avoid being asked for more money. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to stay in the lab; he always felt he might end up as another sample. ¡°Prioritise researching stamina recovery potions and healing potions and try to avoid using Vitality Coconuts as an ingredient ¡ª they¡¯re hard to find,¡± he messaged Suna, then started planning his next steps. To enter the Extreme Winter Sea, he needed to prepare enough winter supplies. Besides winter clothing, Yang Yi felt that fire was essential. It not only meant hot water and cooked food, but also warmth and light in the freezing cold; it could be potentially life-saving. Additionally, he needed to stockpile enough supplies, particularly long-lasting food, and freshwater. In the icy wilderness, food and supplies would undoubtedly be scarce. Finally¡­he needed to upgrade his ship to Level 3 and install the cannon. The upgrade required a massive amount of materials, so Yang Yi placed this task at the bottom of his priority list. Through the world channel, he learnt that a regular ship upgrade to Level 3 needed x500 wood, x300 cloth, x100 stone, and x20 steel. However, the Nightmare Star required x1,200 wood, x500 cloth, x300 stone, x50 steel, x100 crystals, and ten aberrant corpses. Setting aside the vast amount of materials, the ten aberrant corpses alone left Yang Yi clueless ¡ª he could only rely on luck. Sticking to the plan, Yang Yi opened the chat channel and started searching to see if anyone was selling fire-starting tools. To his surprise, there was indeed something available. ¡°Selling a lighter; message me if interested.¡± ¡¾Name: Longevity Brand Lighter¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: An ultra-durable lighter, the best choice for arson. You¡¯ll never have to worry about it running out of fuel in your lifetime!¡¿ Yang Yi immediately messaged the seller. ¡°How much for the lighter?¡± ¡°You¡¯re too late ¡ª it¡¯s already sold. The one I have left, I¡¯m keeping for myself.¡± Yang Yi felt a bit disappointed. At the same time, he realised something: if he was thinking about these things, other players likely were as well¡­ Everyone was scrambling for fire-starting tools, leading to a market shortage! As he was fretting, Yang Yi noticed the world channel suddenly becoming lively, with new messages popping up constantly. He quickly scrolled to the latest messages and saw that someone was recruiting players. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Shen Guanquan of the Hope and also the leader of the New World Fleet. We already have over a dozen like-minded captains, including those from the Farmer and Ironhead, among other special ships.¡± ¡°Our New World Fleet has no entry barriers; anyone can join. However, players who join must open their ship¡¯s boarding permissions, disarm, comply with orders, and turn in all equipment and supplies. These will be redistributed by the fleet!¡± ¡°In return, your safety will be guaranteed! We have guards responsible for combat, fishermen for fishing, farmers for farming¡­ As time goes on, the roles will diversify, and together we¡¯ll rebuild human civilisation!¡± ¡°I, Shen Guanquan, promise that as long as I have something to eat, you won¡¯t starve or freeze to death!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing to join, please come to the following coordinates: X: 38201, Y: 53182.¡± ¡°Make sure to disarm and open boarding permissions; otherwise, you will face lethal consequences!¡± ¡°Our New World Fleet will be stationed here for half a month.¡± These statements were likely prepared in advance, then posted all at once. The response was significant, with the majority of people thinking it was a trap. ¡°Disarm and give you all our supplies? Won¡¯t we just become fish on the chopping block?¡± ¡°Why should we trust you?¡± ¡°Only a fool would go!¡± The scepticism was relentless, but Shen Guanquan didn¡¯t respond. There would always be some who would come; those were his targets. With such a large player base, even if only 100 people showed up, his New World Fleet would grow stronger than ever. The name Hope was rather impressive, though it was unclear whether it was a special ship. But Yang Yi had a way to find out. He ran to the Nightmare Star¡¯s atrium and picked up a small crystal ball placed nearby. After the ship''s fusion, the number of small crystal balls had increased to two, placed beside the large crystal ball, allowing both Yang Yi and Suna to check the sea map at any time. ¡¾Activate Scrying, searching¡­ Hope, Shen Guanquan.¡¿ Soon, the small crystal ball displayed the image of the Hope. Shen Guanquan would never have guessed that a player could use a skill to spy on him. Ch. 34 - A Big Deal The captain of the Hope didn''t lie; he did stop at said coordinates.However, his ship wasn''t anything special ¡ª it was simply an ordinary large sailing vessel with no distinguishing features. The word Hope on the sails was likely something he painted himself. The name of the ship was also probably something he changed on his own, as ordinary ships were typically allowed one name change. Special ships, however, couldn¡¯t have their names changed unless they underwent a fusion... Around the Hope, several other ships were connected by ropes. The crystal ball''s image couldn''t fully display the appearance of these ships, but Yang Yi could still guess a few of them. One had a large hull with fields on it where people were farming; it was likely the Farmer. Another had a massive, sharp ram at its bow. Its hull was dark and covered in iron armour ¡ª probably the Ironhead. There was also a ship that had just surfaced from the sea, with a sealed hull that seemed capable of submerging... Yang Yi didn¡¯t know what this ship was, so he temporarily named it the Submarine. Yang Yi also saw the captain of the Hope ¡ª a stern man dressed in a blue captain''s uniform, looking impeccably authoritative. He had no idea how this man had managed to unite these people... Yang Yi couldn¡¯t see Shen Guanquan¡¯s talents, but if he could, he wouldn¡¯t have been so puzzled. Shen Guanquan had two talents: ¡¾Psychological Suggestion: Through verbal stimulation, you can increase or decrease your or others'' attributes and sanity. The range of attribute change is ¡À1, and the range of sanity change is ¡À20, except for the mental attribute, which can be exempt from suggestion if the person has a high enough mental attribute. This can be used once every 24 hours, and each use lasts for 24 hours. (Cannot exceed the limits of ordinary beings) Great Leadership: You are a natural leader, easily earning others'' goodwill and trust, making them lower their guard. Your followers'' growth rate, except for mental attributes, increases by 25%. Those with high mental attributes may resist this effect.¡¿ How long had the Grand Sea Map been open? Less than a day! It was impossible for Shen Guanquan to have gathered so many players in such a short time. The only possibility was that these people had already united before the Grand Sea Map was even unveiled. Maybe they ran into each other, or perhaps they were dragged into some event; Yang Yi had no way of knowing. At present, he wasn¡¯t interested in forming alliances. Without cannons, he didn¡¯t want to interact with other players ¡ª it was too passive! Not to mention the need to hand over equipment and supplies. That would literally be placing your life in someone else''s hands. Yang Yi had a detailed sea map that allowed him to effectively avoid other players, which was one of the reasons he agreed to build the Witch''s Laboratory first. But as time passed, various organisations began emerging from the time channel, all trying to recruit people. This put a lot of pressure on Yang Yi''s survival. It wasn¡¯t too bad, but as the organisations grew, lone wolves would find their survival space and resources increasingly threatened. ¡°I need to become strong enough¡­or join a fleet, but I must have absolute freedom.¡± Yang Yi was used to keeping his fate in his own hands. He found the message Shen Guanquan had left and sent him a private message. He likely had a lot of resources, making him a good trading partner. Yang Yi had a blueprint that he could sell to him. ¡°Your ship is an ordinary one, right? I have a blueprint for a special ship. Do you want to buy it?¡± Yang Yi included the information about the Pirate Ship blueprint. ¡°Who are you, and how do you know this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your concern. I just want to make a trade,¡± Yang Yi replied anonymously. After a few minutes of silence, there was finally a response. ¡°If you have a blueprint, you should already know: ordinary ships upgrade faster than special ships. I¡¯m not in a hurry to use a blueprint, and besides, the Pirate Ship blueprint isn¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for.¡± This simple statement held multiple layers of meaning. Firstly, it wasn¡¯t his first time seeing a ship blueprint... This meant he had killed someone, and that person had a special ship. Yang Yi suddenly felt a chill. The special ships around the Hope...might not belong to their original owners anymore. Secondly, the Pirate Ship blueprint wasn¡¯t what he wanted, so he wouldn''t offer a high price for it. Blueprints like this hadn¡¯t been publicly sold in the world channel yet, so the price wasn¡¯t easy to determine. Yang Yi thought for a moment and tentatively offered an exorbitant price. The other party had the Farmer, so he likely had plenty of resources. ¡°I need two months'' worth of food that can be preserved long-term, 200 litres of fresh water, 1,200 units of wood, 800 units of cloth, 400 units of stone, 100 units of crystal, 100 units of steel, 5,000 Shell Coins, and some fire-making tools for my ship, like a lighter.¡± After a minute, Shen Guanquan replied. ¡°You¡¯re really asking for a lot! I don¡¯t want it; the blueprint isn¡¯t worth as much as you think!¡± ¡°Alright, farewell then!¡± Yang Yi cut off the conversation. The blueprint wasn¡¯t worth it. Who was he trying to fool? Special ships were limited, and the higher the level, the greater the difference between them and ordinary ships. Later on, the value of the blueprint would only increase! He wouldn¡¯t have trouble finding a buyer! Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before Shen Guanquan sent a friend request. ¡¾Captain Shen Guanquan of the Hope requests to add you as a friend¡¿ Yang Yi immediately declined; he didn¡¯t want to expose his identity. Once they became friends, the other party would know his name and the name of his ship. ¡°You¡¯re really overly cautious! Are you interested in joining my New World Fleet? I can give you a very high starting point.¡± ¡°You want to rip me off for my blueprint? No way!¡± ¡°Haha...¡± Shen Guanquan sent a laughing emoji. ¡°You¡¯re asking for too much, and I can¡¯t offer that high a price right now. How about this...¡± ¡°I¡¯m also stockpiling non-perishable dry food, so I can only give you one month¡¯s worth; the other month¡¯s supply will be fresh food like vegetables, fruit, and fish. As for materials, I can only give you half of what you asked for; I have a lot of ships that need upgrading. 5,000 Shell Coins are no problem, but as for fire-making tools, I can¡¯t produce them, and I have a limited supply, so I have to prioritise my crew''s safety. I can''t sell them to you! But I can give you a rare space item that''s definitely worth it!¡± He attached the item¡¯s information. ¡¾Name: Greedy Stomach¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: The stomach of an unknown beast that remains active even after being separated. It contains 10 cubic metres of space for storing items, but each time it is opened, it must be fed, or it will bite. PS: It cannot store food, and demon corpses will be completely consumed, leaving only bones and shells. This does not affect the vending machine.¡¿ After reading the item''s information, Yang Yi took a deep breath. Shen Guanquan really was a rich guy! Especially this stomach ¡ª it was a pleasant surprise! Yang Yi really wanted it. But this thing definitely had some serious side effects; it wasn¡¯t just about being bitten. Using it would likely reduce sanity, which was why Shen Guanquan was willing to sell it. So, Yang Yi hesitated and said, ¡°This stomach is a relic. Does using it decrease sanity?¡± ¡°Uh...I won¡¯t hide it from you; it does decrease sanity by 20. If you don''t want it, I have other things, but they aren¡¯t of this high quality.¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± Yang Yi quickly shouted, ¡°I want high-quality stuff; I¡¯ll just control how often I use it!¡± The deal was smoothly negotiated. ¡°Pleasure doing business. If you have other things to sell in the future, contact me first. I¡¯ll offer a good price!¡± ¡°If I have anything, I¡¯ll reach out.¡± Yang Yi exited the chat channel. The blueprint was finally sold. Considering its potential value, Yang Yi might have taken a small loss. But given the current situation, getting this price for the blueprint was already quite good! He threw the blueprint into the octopus-head vending machine, and before long, a large number of resources were credited to his account. The octopus head kept spitting out food: 20 loaves of black bread, 10 sausages, and a pile of dried fish. There were also some fresh vegetables and fish, including five cabbages, five cucumbers, one apple, one pear, and a large fresh tuna. These food items were enough to feed one person for sixty days. Finally, it spat out a black, palm-sized bag that felt smooth, almost like a century egg ¡ª it was the Greedy Stomach. As Yang Yi tried to open the bag, using all his strength to pry open a small gap, it let out a howl, startling him. ¡¾Strange noise, your sanity decreases by 5¡¿ ¡°How do you even use this thing?¡± He tried offering it a piece of dried fish, which the bag quickly absorbed before obediently opening its mouth. Yang Yi tentatively put his hand inside. It was like a hole without a bottom, and his hand seemed to enter another dimension. ¡°Wow! It really can store items!¡± Yang Yi was both amazed and a bit scared of this strange thing. ¡°But I must control its usage!¡± After finishing the transaction, he finally had enough resources. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi focused on the Witch¡¯s Laboratory. Finally, it was time to build it! Ch. 35 - Waterlogged Bronze Chest New World FleetAboard the Hope, Captain Shen Guanquan had spent a large amount of supplies, food, and even a precious relic just to acquire the blueprints for the Pirate Ship. "Boss, why didn¡¯t you just arrange a meeting with that guy and then rob him directly?" asked a burly bald man with a scar on his face. "Rob! Rob! Rob! All you ever think about is robbing!" Shen Guanquan irritably knocked on the bald man¡¯s head and continued, "If I hear you say ''rob'' again, I¡¯ll throw you into the sea to feed the fish!" "Boss is right, I won¡¯t say rob again!" "But you just said it! Someone, throw him into the sea to feed the fish!" Without being forced, the bald man jumped into the sea on his own. He was Captain Zhao Tie, also known as Zhao the Iron Head ¡ª a man as stubborn as his name suggests, and also Shen Guanquan¡¯s trusted subordinate. "Alright, once you¡¯ve sobered up, get back to your ship!" Shen Guanquan scolded helplessly. Actually, Shen Guanquan had considered meeting with Yang Yi, but Yang Yi was very cautious. He didn¡¯t even add friends, let alone agree to a face-to-face meeting. Shen Guanquan looked at the Pirate Ship blueprints in his hand. "How should I use this?" he pondered. He didn¡¯t plan to use it himself, as the image of a pirate captain didn¡¯t fit the leader persona he wanted to establish. A more ordinary ship would make him appear more approachable. He intended to create a maritime empire, and the first step was to establish a noble and righteous image to facilitate recruitment¡­ A day later, the Nightmare Star was sailing on the sea. Yang Yi was fishing. ¡¾You caught a long-legged sardine¡¿ ¡¾You caught a long-legged sardine¡¿ ¡¾You caught a rotten piece of wood¡¿ ¡¾You caught an eyeball fruit¡¿ ¡¾You caught...¡¿ ¡¾¡­¡¿ Yang Yi tossed the fishing rod aside and lay down on the deck in frustration, surrounded by a pile of long-legged sardines and a few eyeball fruits. Why was he only catching junk fish? He began to doubt his life choices but quickly pulled himself together. After fishing for so long, Yang Yi had figured out that in this sea, you were most likely to catch long-legged sardines, with a smaller chance of catching eyeball fruits and bloated pufferfish, and an even smaller chance of catching red-lipped eels. "Maybe I should try deep-sea fishing?" Yang Yi thought. He quickly acted on the idea, baiting his hook with a long-legged sardine, removing the float, and starting to fish in deeper waters. He had caught a twin-finned devil shark before, and if he could catch another one, it would be a guaranteed profit. It was like a gacha game! Now, with an upgraded ship and Suna''s archery skills, dealing with such a fish would be no problem. While waiting for a bite, he browsed the world channel to see if he could buy some tools for starting a fire. They were in high demand. He had seen them twice but failed to buy them. During this time, many organisations were recruiting new members. For example, the Cherry Blossom Ship had formed a group called "New People," recruiting only people from Japan. Then there were groups like New Rome and Eden, which clearly were mostly for foreigners... Yang Yi noticed that the coordinates given by Eden were far from his location. It seemed that people from different regions were also far apart in this world, so it would probably be a long time before they could meet. Failing to secure any fire-starting tools, Yang Yi posted a purchase request: "Looking to buy fire-starting tools at a high price. Also buying down jackets or other warm clothing." Soon, he received private messages, but they were all from people selling clothes. "Down jackets, 150 fabric per piece, 5% off for 4 pieces!" Yang Yi ignored the message. More private messages trickled in. After reading through them, he found that the lowest price for a down jacket was 120 fabric, meaning 4 pieces would cost him 480 fabric. Cotton coats were cheaper, but Yang Yi wanted the best quality. Since it was still early, Yang Yi decided to wait a few days to see if prices would drop. Suddenly, the reel on his fishing rod started spinning rapidly ¡ª something had taken the bait! Yang Yi immediately tightened the line and pulled hard on the rod. It wasn¡¯t a large creature, as it didn¡¯t seem to have much strength. In less than eight minutes, Yang Yi had pulled the catch onto the boat. It was a human head; more accurately, an octopus with a human-like head, with tentacles below and a head that was actually a form of mimicry. "Excuse me, could I trouble you for a few minutes..." The creature began to speak, but Yang Yi stomped it to death immediately. "Disgusting!" Yang Yi cursed, rebaiting his hook with a long-legged sardine, and resuming his fishing. Fishing in the deep sea was much slower. By the end of the day, Yang Yi had caught only three things: a human-head octopus, a red-lipped eel, and a bronze treasure chest. Normally, catching a bronze treasure chest would be cause for celebration ¡ª a major haul. But Yang Yi was on high alert. He had caught dead things before, like the farmer woman¡¯s three punches. When dead things were reeled in, they wouldn¡¯t struggle against the line. But the bronze chest was different; it struggled and pulled with considerable force. Yang Yi thought he was reeling in a big fish and had spent nearly half an hour pulling it up. The chest was about half a metre wide, covered in thick verdigris, and marked by signs of seawater erosion. One corner was even encrusted with red coral. Yang Yi examined the chest''s information: S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Name: Waterlogged Bronze Chest¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure Chest¡¿ ¡¾Description: There could be treasure inside...but it might also be...¡¿ This reminded him of the waterlogged, rotten wood chest he had opened before. At that time, a human-head octopus had jumped out, scaring Yang Yi half to death. So, this waterlogged bronze chest might also contain a monster. Yang Yi remained cautious and didn¡¯t rush to open it. He noticed that the fishing line was still attached to something inside the chest ¡ª it seemed the chest had swallowed the bait! He stepped back, holding a flintlock pistol in his left hand, and used a wooden spear in his right to try and pry open the chest. "It¡¯s really tight!" The chest didn¡¯t open, and the spearhead broke off. Yang Yi then tied a sea serpent tooth to the spear and used a short sword to pry it open, inserting the blade into a crevice. Suddenly, it felt like he had struck something, and the chest let out a strange cry, popping open. A jet of black water shot out from the chest, but Yang Yi, prepared, dodged it. "What the hell is this, a mimic?" ¡¾You¡¯ve been startled, Sanity -5¡¿ Inside the chest was soft, white flesh. Yang Yi had apparently cut something vital, causing the chest to thrash violently. After shooting the water jet, the chest no longer closed, as if it had died. To be safe, Yang Yi stabbed it a few more times, and clear liquid seeped out of the wounds. Finally, the thing, probably a mimic, stopped moving. The water jet seemed to be its only form of attack, with some corrosive properties, as it left a whiff of smoke where it struck the ground. ¡¾Name: Treasure Chest Clam¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A type of mollusc that likes to use treasure chests as its shell in adulthood, capable of spitting corrosive acid to catch small fish. It enjoys collecting shiny objects from the sea floor, and you can find Shell Coins and some sparkling treasures inside it. Non-toxic, edible after removing the internal organs.¡¿ "So, it¡¯s a sea clam..." Yang Yi cut open the clam''s flesh with the sea serpent tooth and began to search inside. The clam meat was actually just a thin layer, beneath which were all the shiny objects the Treasure Chest Clam had collected, including a fist-sized pearl. ¡¾You¡¯ve obtained 600 Shell Coins¡¿ ¡¾You¡¯ve obtained a Healing Pearl¡¿ ¡¾You¡¯ve obtained 50 Crystals¡¿ ¡¾You¡¯ve obtained 20 Stones¡¿ Ch. 36 - Three Bottles of Magic Potion ¡¾Name: Healing Pearl¡¿¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: Soak the pearl in 1L of water for 12 hours to grant the water healing properties, accelerating wound recovery.¡¿ Yang Yi''s eyes lit up! It was a great treasure! The chest clam was probably a rare creature capable of producing rare items! As the day was drawing to a close, Yang Yi collected the fishing nets and decided to end his day. The fishing nets yielded two items. ¡¾Name: One-Armed Crab¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: It has always favoured its right claw since it was young, with the right claw making up half its body weight! Edible and non-toxic, with plenty of meat in the claw.¡¿ The other ugly item lowered sanity. ¡¾Name: Strange Starfish¡¿ ¡¾Description: This starfish resembles a human hand with fingers of varying lengths and crawls on the ground like a spider...¡¿ "Quite unique, looking like something from another world!" Yang Yi stomped it to death, picked it up, and after checking the details, suddenly found it less unattractive. ¡¾Name: Palm Star¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A starfish twisted by abyssal corruption. Mildly toxic, increases agility by +1 for a short time, reduces sanity by 20, lasts for one minute. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This item, similar to the head octopus, can enhance attributes when consumed and might be used to create magic potions.¡¿ With this thought, Yang Yi carried the strange fish back to the cabin. "Suna, take a look at these." In the lab, Suna was still dissecting a two-horned demon shark. Two bright, fist-sized eyeballs were removed and floating in a glass tank, emitting a faint red glow. She noticed Yang Yi, the strange fish, and the large pearl in his hand. "Look at these fish and the pearl." Suna took the items and examined them closely. "Did you catch all these?" "Yes!" Suddenly, Suna had an inspiration. She looked at the fish, then at the demon shark¡¯s eyeballs, and had an idea. "Two...no, three! In three days, I''ll give you some prototypes!" Suna said excitedly. "Don¡¯t rush it. It¡¯s already night. Go back to your room and rest. We can discuss it tomorrow." Suna hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed and returned to her room. Her room was next to the captain''s quarters, so if there were any disturbances at night, they could easily notify each other. Yang Yi took the crystal ball and headed to the captain¡¯s room. The crystal ball had a vibration alert function, warning them in case another player¡¯s ship appeared nearby. Placing it by the pillow allowed him to anticipate danger in advance. Otherwise, he could be sleeping whilst surrounded by other players at night! After preparing everything, Yang Yi took off his coat, drank a bottle of coconut juice, and lay on the ship. He usually checked the chat channel before sleeping, mainly to monitor the price trends of warm clothing and to see if anyone was selling fire tools. As he was doing this, he fell asleep, frowning and having nightmares. In the dead of night, there was movement next door to the captain¡¯s quarters. Suna''s door opened. A sneaky figure quietly emerged and headed towards the stern¡¯s cabin, targeting the lab. Suna planned to work late into the night researching magic potions... Three days passed without any major events. Yang Yi continued fishing as usual, collected the fishing nets in the evening, and occasionally practised shooting. He didn¡¯t like using claw hooks, even though they provided stable catches; they were not as interesting as fishing. He gave all the fish he caught to Suna for her to evaluate their usefulness. Since food was plentiful, it was better to consume items with shorter shelf lives first, and there was no need to eat the strange fish. During this period, the haul was average, aside from the strange fish, with the resources collected being: Wood x28, Cloth x25, Shell Coins 650, Freshwater 9L. He noticed there was a difference between the fishing net and fishing rod yields. Fishing nets provided more shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. He also caught two resource chests. The wooden resource chest gave Wood x20, Cloth x20, which was better than nothing. The bronze resource chest provided Wood x100, Cloth x100, Iron x20, still a significant gain. He caught two new fish species. ¡¾Name: Eyeball Octopus¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: An abyssal-corrupted octopus with eyeballs at the tips of its tentacles. Mildly toxic, increases perception by +1 for a short time, lasts for 1 minute.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Big, Muscly Lobster¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: An abyssal-corrupted lobster with six abdominal muscles. Mildly toxic, increases constitution by +1 for a short time, lasts for 1 minute.¡¿ Along with the head octopus and palm star, he had just the right mix of attributes besides sanity. He gave all the special fish to Suna. In the evening, seeing no fish for a long time, Yang Yi began checking the chat information. As expected, the price of down jackets had been steadily declining over time, as more people were able to craft them. The current market price was only 105 cloth per piece. It seemed the cost to produce a down jacket was around 100 cloth, so the price had likely bottomed out. He checked his current resource totals. Wood x841, Cloth x560, Stone x408, Shell Coins x5700, Freshwater x208, Iron x77, Crystal x51, Sulphur x40. It looked like a lot, but buying winter clothing would cost over 400 cloth. Moreover, upgrading to a level 3 ship required a large amount of resources... The road ahead was long! If using Shell Coins to buy down jackets, the price would be around 600 Shell Coins, but players preferred trading with cloth because shell coin exchange rates were too unstable. Currently, the exchange rate for basic resources to Shell Coins was about 5:1, meaning 5 Shell Coins equalled 1 unit of basic resources, though actual trades could be slightly higher. High-level resources were more expensive, around 25 Shell Coins per unit. In summary, Yang Yi seemed rich, but he was actually struggling financially and couldn¡¯t afford to spend resources recklessly. He still didn¡¯t know how much he would need to buy fire tools! He routinely posted in the chat channel: ¡°High price for fire tools, private message if you¡¯re selling cheap winter clothing!¡± Just after sending the message, Yang Yi noticed a private message from Suna, sent a few minutes ago. Suna: ¡°The magic potions are ready as you requested, placed on the lab table. Come and get them yourself. There are three types in total. The red one is for attribute enhancement, with possible minor side effects. The clear one is for restoring energy, try it yourself. The pink one is for healing injuries...¡± After reading the message, Yang Yi immediately ran to the witch''s lab. With such a high investment, it was finally yielding results! In the lab, Suna was lying on the table, seemingly resting. On the table were various instruments, including a microscope, a test tube rack and test tubes, a flask, and even an alcohol lamp. ¡°Can this thing even light up?¡± Yang Yi picked up the alcohol lamp and found it surprisingly light. Upon closer inspection, it was empty... ¡¾Lab Equipment, removing it from the lab will result in damage. Requires self-supplied fuel.¡¿ Yang Yi: ¡°¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t understand why Suna bought that instrument! Did she not know it was empty until after she bought it? Yang Yi put down the alcohol lamp and was drawn to the three vials of different-coloured magic potions on the table. Although they were labelled as unknown, Yang Yi, with his experience, knew that drinking them would reveal their specific effects and information¡­ Ch. 37 - Yang Yis Observation Diary The red and pink potions were fine; they were simply pure liquids. However, the colourless potion was a different story. It contained several long, slimy legs that needed to be chewed along with the drinking. It was extremely thick and sticky."Suna, what did you make these potions with?" Yang Yi asked. She did not respond. "Suna?" Yang Yi called out again. Still, there was no response. Noticing something amiss, Yang Yi reached out and touched her. He found that her body was slightly warm. "This woman!" He immediately opened the navigation log to check Suna''s information on the crew page. It only included health status, not attributes nor talents. Name: Suna Status: Injured/Fever/Collapsed (A large ''X'' symbol the human diagram, with a slight yellow tint over the body) Sanity: 35/80 (Madness¡ªObsessive) Health: 82/100 Energy: 12/100 "Her Sanity caps only at 80?" Yang Yi frowned. It was his first time actively checking Suna''s status. After reading it, Yang Yi understood the situation. Suna must have been working non-stop in the lab for days, neglecting rest and food, which eventually caused her body to break down! With energy below 30, she could have fainted at any moment! "Obsessive¡­¡± This was Yang Yi''s first encounter with a madness state, and it seemed there were many types. His special talent prevented him from going mad, so he had no such prompts even if his sanity dropped to 1. "Such a troublesome woman, can''t even take care of herself!" Yang Yi frowned. As the captain, he had the highest authority, including control over room access. So, Yang Yi immediately restricted Suna''s access to the laboratory, revoking her entry rights. Then he took some salt, a vitality coconut, and prepared a bottle of coconut juice. He lifted Suna''s chin and fed it to her, though he spilled quite a bit. He had originally planned to give her the colourless potion, but its thick consistency and unknown effects made it too risky for a sick person, so he abandoned the idea. "This woman is really heavy!" Yang Yi complained. His strength usually danced around 4, below the average for an adult, making it very hard to carry Suna. After a lot of effort and gaining 1 point in strength experience, he managed to carry her back to her room, panting heavily. "She must be made of cement. She doesn''t have a big chest or look overweight; why is she so heavy?" Fortunately, the Nightmare Star was not a large ship; otherwise, if it were something like the Iron Heart, Yang Yi would have needed a crane. Suna''s room was next to the captain''s quarters, and it was Yang Yi''s first time entering. It was completely different from his own captain''s quarters. There was no musty smell, and the floor was solid wood. There were even a few glowing crystal balls embedded in the ceiling, providing illumination. The room seemed to have been adapted from the original Astrologer¡¯s captain''s quarters, making it quite different from the Ghost Ship. Yang Yi placed Suna on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and left a note in the log. "I have restricted your access to the laboratory! Check the activity log after you wake up! You didn¡¯t even realise you were going mad!" But would someone who was mad actually check the activity log and be aware of their sanity level? Yang Yi had never been genuinely mad, so he wasn''t sure. After sending the message, he prepared to leave. Suddenly, he noticed a small booklet on the table with the words "Yang Yi Observation Diary" written on it. "What¡¯s this?" Yang Yi wondered, opening it. After reading a few pages, he felt a chill. It recorded various details about him, including what he ate, what time he went to bed, how long he slept, when he relieved himself, and how long it took, etc., with meticulous detail![^1] Suna: "He doesn¡¯t go mad with sanity below 50, does he have some unique talent? I want to see his brain structure!" Reading this, Yang Yi felt a surge of cold anger and cast a stern look at the unconscious Suna. This woman...had been treating him like a lab animal? Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but feel a murderous intent. The diary took a bizarre turn. ¡°He actually looks flustered too! His expression when I pointed a gun at him was so funny, I captured it in my diary!¡± ¡°He thought ¡®merging¡¯ meant that, and clearly misunderstood! Haha! He¡¯s also a lecher!¡± ... ¡°He promised to build me a witch¡¯s laboratory! I need to produce results as soon as possible...¡± After reading this, Yang Yi''s anger subsided. He placed the diary back as if it had never been touched and carefully exited the room. Suna wasn¡¯t injured; her fever was due to lack of rest. She would recover after a day of sleep. With a few hours left before dark, Yang Yi resumed fishing. ¡°Looking to buy fire-starting tools at a high price! Also buying cold-resistant clothing!¡± As usual, he sent out a message seeking the tools and prepared to buy four pieces of down jackets, waiting for sellers to contact him. Before long, he received numerous private messages. However, just as he was about to purchase the four down jackets at 105 fabric each, he received a unique private message. ¡°Want a Fire Velvet Sweater? Lighter and warmer than down jackets, just 100 Shell Coins as handling fee!¡± ¡¾Name: Fire Velvet Sweater¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Exceptional warmth, made from fire velvet. Wearing it feels like having a warm pack stuck to you. Lightweight and easy to move in. However, be cautious of water, as the warmth effect decreases significantly. Avoid snow and rain!¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. The clothing was clearly better than the down jackets! It was thin enough to be worn inside and then covered with pirate clothing outside, which would prevent the down clothing from getting wet by the snow. But it was still important to avoid freezing rain! Yang Yi immediately messaged the seller to buy the Fire Velvet Sweater. ¡°What do you mean by handling fee?¡± The seller quickly responded. ¡°Just the literal meaning! This clothing requires special materials called fire velvet. I¡¯ve run out of materials, so you need to provide them yourself. 10 units of fire velvet will make one piece of clothing. I can also make fire velvet pants if you want. I¡¯m only charging 100 Shell Coins for the handling fee; you provide the materials!¡± The price was not high, but where would Yang Yi get the fire velvet? While he was wondering, the seller sent another message. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a coordinate. There¡¯s an island with a plant called fire velvet grass. Collect ten of them, and you¡¯ll have enough to make one piece of clothing.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you collect them yourself and sell the finished product?¡± ¡°Sold out! I only have two pieces left and need to keep them as backups! Plus, I¡¯m not in that sea area anymore. If you want them, get the materials, and contact me. Otherwise, forget it!¡± Yang Yi was deep in thought. He wanted the Fire Velvet Sweater. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, the seller asking him to gather the materials seemed suspicious. Perhaps sensing Yang Yi¡¯s scepticism, the seller sent another message. ¡°Believe it or not! You¡¯re the third person to know this coordinate. The previous ones had smooth transactions, and I don¡¯t know how much fire velvet grass is left on the island. If you want it, act quickly!¡± Yang Yi didn¡¯t believe the seller¡¯s words, so he asked, ¡°How much for the two pieces you have?¡± ¡°Sorry, those two are not for sale. I¡¯m keeping them for myself!¡± Yang Yi frowned, glanced at the coordinates the seller provided, and saw that it was not far away. At full speed, it would only take two days to reach. ¡°Well, add me as a friend then!¡± Yang Yi proposed. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡¾Captain Hu Wei of the Galleon[^2] has sent you a friend request¡¿ Yang Yi accepted immediately. Names like XX Ship are common for basic whiteboard ships, but ship owners can change them. ¡°Nightmare Star, is it a special ship?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then when you get the materials, message me.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m quite far away, so it might take a while. I¡¯ll contact you when I¡¯m closer!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Yang Yi ended the conversation. He was sure there was something fishy about this person, but the Fire Velvet Sweater was the best cold-resistant gear he had seen so far, and he really wanted it. If he was going to get it, he should get the best! Yang Yi took out the crystal ball and activated the Nightmare Star¡¯s skill, Gaze. ¡¾Searching¡­ Galleon¡­ Hu Wei...¡¿ Three results appeared. Yang Yi was stunned. It made sense for common ship names to overlap, but Yang Yi didn¡¯t expect players to have the same name, and there were three of them. It seemed there were still quite a few players around. To differentiate, each result was numbered from #1 to #3. Yang Yi picked one at random, and an image appeared on the crystal ball. It showed a level 2 ship, far from the island, and it didn¡¯t look like the person Yang Yi was looking for. After watching for a few minutes, he turned off the image. ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll check another person!¡± Yang Yi set a course for the island. He planned to head that way first. With the sea charts in hand, he had the initiative. Even if there was an ambush, he could avoid it in advance. Notes [^1]:This is worse than I imagined -Simply [^2]:A sailing ship in use (especially by Spain) from the 15th through 17th centuries, originally as a warship, later for trade. Galleons were mainly square-rigged and most commonly had three or more decks and masts. Ch. 38 - Excitement Potion In the evening, Yang Yi lay in bed. As usual, he would drink a bottle of Vitality Coconut before going to sleep. But that day, he had an extra choice: a colourless potion. It was supposed to restore energy, and Suna probably wasn¡¯t lying to him... Yang Yi carefully examined the bottle. The potion seemed to be transparent, and thick, with a few long legs floating inside. When placed in a dark environment, it emitted a faint glow. After thinking for a few minutes, Yang Yi decided to try a little. With so much effort invested, it was worth a try! He could drink half first! Pinching his nose, trying not to think about what the thick liquid was actually made of, he opened the cap and tried to suck out a bit of the potion. Who would have guessed the liquid was so viscous even biting through it was impossible! And it stank, like something that lived in a sewer ¡ª it was a Slime. Suppressing his nausea, Yang Yi chewed the long legs inside and swallowed them in one gulp. ¡¾You drank an unknown potion.¡¿ As soon as the potion slid down Yang Yi''s oesophagus, a wave of warmth spread from his stomach to his entire body, instantly sweeping away his fatigue! S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Is the effect this good?¡± Immediately after, a notification popped up. ¡¾Energy restored: +30. Energy recovery speed increased by 125% for 8 hours¡¿ ¡°Amazing!¡± But suddenly, he felt something was wrong. Various parts of his body started to feel engorged, like his eyes, and¡­ ¡¾You have entered an Excited State, lasting for 1 hour.¡¿ ¡°Damn! I knew there was something wrong with this stuff!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes turned red as he sat up, and the potion¡¯s information was displayed. ¡¾Name: Excitement Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion brewed by Witch Suna, containing secretions from a siren¡¯s pituitary gland, siren saliva, siren gland mucus, and the legs of long-legged sardines. Upon consumption, +30 energy, -20 sanity, energy recovery speed +125% for 8 hours, with a 24-hour cooldown. Induces an Excited State for 1 hour. Multiple uses extend the Excited State, with the risk of poisoning!¡¿ The side effect¡­Yang Yi didn¡¯t know how to describe it. If he sold this potion, it would surely be popular! However, he wasn¡¯t planning to any time soon because the potion¡¯s description included the creator¡¯s name! He felt it wasn¡¯t a good thing and could bring unnecessary trouble. An hour later, Yang Yi lay back down. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask Suna to improve it, remove these damn side effects first!¡± He left her a message. ¡°Your potion¡¯s side effects are too severe. It needs improvement! Next time, drink it yourself to see the effects before giving it to me!¡± After sending the message, he fell asleep. The nightmares persisted, and Yang Yi''s sleep quality was poor, but with the potion¡¯s boost, he wasn¡¯t worried about recovering his energy, though he would still wake up with dark circles around his eyes. The following morning, Yang Yi was awakened by a knock on the door right in the middle of a nightmare. Jolting awake in shock, he immediately grabbed his gun, and aimed at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Suna¡¯s voice came through. Yang Yi relaxed. He had just dreamt of spiders crawling out of his body, devouring his flesh. His back was drenched in sweat. After composing himself, Yang Yi snapped, ¡°Why are you knocking so early in the morning?¡± Suna was also upset, replying, ¡°Why did you lock me out of the lab?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read the message I sent you?¡± Only then did Suna check the message in her log. Meanwhile, Yang Yi took the opportunity to glance at Suna¡¯s sanity level. Thankfully, it had mostly recovered. Sanity: 76/80 Since her recovery speed was quite fast, her mental attributes must have been high, and her clothes probably had bonuses as well. ¡°You went insane yesterday. Did you know that?¡± It was only now that Suna realised, like waking from a dream. It seemed that people who went mad wouldn¡¯t understand they were behaving crazily, nor did they monitor their sanity. ¡°How was the potion¡¯s effect?¡± Suna quickly shifted her focus back to the potion, no longer angry. ¡°The recovery aspect of it was good, the side effects however¡­ Well, you can see for yourself!¡± Yang Yi sent the potion¡¯s properties to Suna. ¡°I see. But all potions have some side effects!¡± Suna explained. ¡°These ones in particular are unacceptable. You need to fix them!¡± ¡°If I do that, I can¡¯t guarantee the same potency!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± ¡°What about the other two potions? Did you drink them?¡± At this point, Yang Yi felt a bit annoyed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try drinking them yourself? Why do I have to be the one? I¡¯m not a guinea pig!¡± ¡°Potions might reduce sanity, so it¡¯s not safe for me to drink! Plus, they taste awful!¡± Suna replied confidently. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± So, Suna knew they tasted bad! ¡°Your sanity won¡¯t drop enough to make you go insane, so it¡¯s fine for you to drink!¡± Suna added. Yang Yi was speechless. He knew there was no escaping his fate as a potion tester. One Excitement Potion deducted 20 sanity points. If Suna accidentally drank a stronger one, she would immediately go mad. ¡°How many more can you make?¡± Yang Yi suddenly asked. After all, potions required materials, mostly from magical creatures or undefinable beings. ¡°I can make three more Excitement Potions. If you don¡¯t like it, I can try a different formula¡­ For the red potion, I need a devil shark¡¯s eye, so I can only make two bottles. As for the pink potion, its main ingredient is the water from Healing Pearlweed, so I can make more of those.¡± Suna explained. ¡°For the energy-boosting potion, try a different formula. It can be less potent, but the materials need to be more accessible. Creatures like sirens aren¡¯t easy to come by.¡± Suna nodded in agreement. ¡°Also, you need to limit your time in the lab. Eight hours a day, max. Once the time is up, I¡¯ll shut off your access!¡± Although Suna wasn¡¯t entirely happy, she didn¡¯t argue because Yang Yi was right. After regaining access, she quickly ran to the lab. ¡°That woman really loves messing with weird things.¡± Yang Yi left the captain¡¯s cabin, grabbed his fishing rod, and was about to cast a line when he suddenly remembered something. The Fire Velvet Sweater! He had forgotten to mention it to Suna. He planned to get close to the island and take a look. Yang Yi immediately activated the Nightmare Star¡¯s clairvoyance skill, searching for Hu Wei¡¯s true form. ¡¾Scanning¡­ Galleon¡­ Hu Wei¡­¡¿ This time, he chose another person. Soon, the crystal ball displayed an image. It was a large sailboat, seemingly upgraded to level three, with two cannons on each side. A dark-skinned youth appeared to be looking through a telescope. His position was very close to the island coordinates, less than ten nautical miles away. In short, the person¡¯s identity was clear ¡ª he was the right captain Hu Wei! ¡°What is he looking at?¡± Casting a glance at the map, Yang Yi realised Hu Wei seemed to be looking towards the island. To be safe, he sent a private message. ¡°How many fire velvet grass do I need for a full set of armour?¡± The person in the image reacted immediately. It looked like it was him! ¡°The trousers require 10 stalks, just like the shirt. For a full set, prepare 20 stalks and 200 Shell Coins for labour!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Yang Yi smiled and continued watching him. The person was odd. After observing for a while, he sailed away. However, he didn¡¯t go far, maintaining a distance of 100 nautical miles from the island. Then, every 3 to 4 hours, he would sail back to take another look. ¡°What is he up to?¡± Yang Yi narrowed his eyes. Ch. 39 - Ambush Yang Yi told Suna about the whole Fire Velvet Sweater and island affair. She also agreed to check it out, as island resources were typically more abundant. If they encountered something worthwhile, they couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity unless it were too risky. The dangers included unknown creatures on the island, as well as other ill-intentioned players. "Any unique life forms there are, I want a few samples!" Suna requested. That was likely her true motivation for wanting to go to the island. Two days later, Yang Yi arrived near the island. He could go ashore whenever he so willed, however, before he set foot on the island, he needed to handle any potential dangers! Through observing Hu Wei for two days, he understood what the captain had been up to. He was fishing, using bait to lure other players onto the island, where there seemed to be some terribly dangerous creatures or traps. It caused players who landed to quickly meet their demise. After they died, Hu Wei would go and take over their abandoned ships, gaining considerable supplies in the process. It was a devious yet profitable tactic, though not without risks. No one could predict what kind of player might come. If he ran into someone tough, like Yang Yi, who had clairvoyant skills, Hu Wei could easily misjudge the situation, losing more than he gained. The captain had no idea someone was watching his every move, unaffected by distance or the fog of war. Through observation, Yang Yi gathered plenty of intel. Before approaching a player''s ship, Hu Wei would use binoculars to observe it. Once he confirmed no one was on board, he would slowly approach, fire a symbolic shot, and, after further confirming there was no one aboard, attempt to board the ship. He wouldn¡¯t fire directly at the ship¡¯s hull, possibly to avoid damaging it and affecting the loot. Over three days, Hu Wei dismantled two ships using that method. Yang Yi watched the entire process and shared his plan with Suna. "I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some dangerous creature on the island!" Suna asserted confidently. "Is that what I was talking about? Were you even listening?" Yang Yi scratched his head. "I meant we should turn the tables and ambush him instead!" "He wouldn¡¯t expect someone to be lying in wait for him! We¡¯ll remove the boarding restrictions, and when he sees he can board, he¡¯ll assume we¡¯re dead. We¡¯ll hide in the cabin, and the moment he steps in, we¡¯ll take him out!" "But what if he doesn¡¯t enter?" "That¡¯s not going to happen! If it were me, I¡¯d definitely go in. And even if he¡¯s on the ship, do you think he could outrun a bullet?" Yang Yi was confident. He had dismantled ships before and knew how to occupy one. It required not only the owner''s death but also staying on the ship for about 10 minutes before the system would notify him, saying he could dismantle it. However, dismantling a ship wouldn¡¯t automatically recover all the items on board. Equipment and tools would need to be manually collected. Yang Yi believed Hu Wei wouldn¡¯t leave any corner of the ship unchecked, especially the cabin. If it were Yang Yi in his place, he would have scavenged everything quickly. Suna agreed, without complaints. Thus, the plan was set. In case things went awry, Yang Yi had Suna make three more bottles of the pink recovery potion, giving them each two bottles. The following morning, Yang Yi steered the ship towards the island. The journey was smooth, with no danger in sight. It was his first time observing the island up close. It looked ordinary on the surface ¡ª solid dark brown rocks along the coast, smoothed by the ocean waves. Barnacles clung to the rock surfaces, and many crabs lived in the crevices of the rocks. The island itself was covered in a dense forest; its interior shrouded in mystery. There were no signs of struggle on the shore, not even bloodstains, indicating the danger likely wasn¡¯t there. Whatever had killed the players must have been deeper inland. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In either case, Yang Yi had no intention of going ashore. He checked the crystal ball, which showed that Hu Wei was approaching, still several dozen nautical miles away. Though there was still time, Yang Yi called Suna, and they both hid in the cabin, leaving the boarding permissions open. The Nightmare Star¡¯s cabin was a long, narrow hallway that turned left as you entered. At the end of the hallway started a staircase leading to the lower deck. The lighting was dim, with only a few small windows providing some natural light. The air was damp and musty. The witch¡¯s laboratory was also there as a separate room. The two of them took their positions according to the plan. Suna hid in the shadows of the lower deck, armed with a pirate¡¯s longbow, eyes fixed on the door. She had a simple quiver on her back with more than 30 arrows, all with iron tips ¨C far sharper than her earlier wooden ones. After she had demonstrated her impressive archery skills, Yang Yi had upgraded her weapon. Each arrowhead was coated with fluid from a venomous blowfish, ensuring that lethal hits. Yang Yi stood at the end of the hallway, just four metres from the door. He would strike first, and if his flintlock didn¡¯t fire, Suna would follow up with her arrows. They would ensure the target had no time to react. Meanwhile, Hu Wei was finally nearing the island. He pulled out his binoculars to observe and, sure enough, he spotted the Nightmare Star! "A special ship!" Hu Wei was so excited he nearly jumped for joy. Little did he know someone was creepily analysing his every move. Hu Wei waited an entire hour, ensuring no one was on board, before cautiously edging neat and firing a symbolic shot. His aim was poor, and the cannonball splashed harmlessly into the water in front of the Nightmare Star. He wasn¡¯t aiming to hit; it was just part of his routine, something Yang Yi had already witnessed in the crystal ball. After waiting another 15 minutes, Hu Wei, seeing no movement on the ship, finally sped up his approach. "He¡¯ll be on board in less than 10 minutes!" Yang Yi alerted Suna, putting the crystal ball back into his bottomless bag and holding his breath, eyes fixed on the cabin door, ready for the prey to step into the trap. Suna, who had never ambushed anyone before, was slightly nervous. However, her strong mental fortitude kept her calm and fearless. Soon, they heard the sound of a grappling hook hitting the side of the ship, followed by the clatter of a wooden plank being set in place. The prey had taken the bait. Yang Yi raised his flintlock and aimed at the door. The lighting in the cabin was dim. By the time Hu Wei saw him, he¡¯d already be shot. Time ticked by slowly. To sell the ruse, Yang Yi had left his fishing rod and net discarded on the deck. The target was probably picking through them right now, completely unaware someone had voluntarily granted him permission to loot the ship... The giant insect head had been stowed in the cabin to prevent Hu Wei from lingering on the deck for too long. Yang Yi¡¯s ultimate goal was to lure him into the cabin ¡ª the safest strategy. If Hu Wei didn¡¯t enter after 9 minutes, they would have to attack him directly. Fortunately, less than 5 minutes later, the cabin door creaked open. Hu Wei, beaming with pride, strode in, fishing rod and red net slung over his shoulder, completely unaware. He was still gloating over his massive haul when, in the next moment, a gunshot rang out from his left. Bang! Hu Wei was shot in the abdomen and collapsed, clutching the wound. It was only then that he noticed the figure standing to his left, holding a smoking flintlock. "You... How...?" Hu Wei couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. "I¡¯ve been waiting for you," Yang Yi said with a smile. He hadn¡¯t aimed for the head ¡ª not because he feared missing, but because he had some questions to ask. Ch. 40 - A Spiders Kiss "What¡¯s on this island?" Yang Yi asked coldly. The reason he shot Hu Wei on the spot was because he wanted to ask him this question. "If I tell you...will you let me go?" Hu Wei, slumped on the ground, raised his head with difficulty and looked at Yang Yi. "You can trust me!" Yang Yi lowered his gun. "You''re lying! That''s a killer''s look in your eyes!" Hu Wei coughed, speaking with great effort. Yang Yi frowned. He indeed never intended to let Hu Wei live. "You''re tough, I admit defeat. No need for you to bother with me! As for what¡¯s on the island...you''ll have to see for yourself!" Hu Wei sneered darkly, his mouth full of blood, a crimson mess. "What do you mean?" Hu Wei didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he pulled out a kitchen knife from behind his waist. Yang Yi immediately raised his gun, ready to fire, but held back. Hu Wei had already killed himself. With swift decisiveness, he plunged the knife into his own throat. Turns out¡­the guy was ruthless too! Though Yang Yi couldn''t see it, Hu Wei''s journal had updated with new information. ¡¾You have died. Oath Precondition Mission failed, completion 6/10¡­¡¿ Two light orbs fell beside Hu Wei¡¯s body, likely the drops left behind by his death. Just as Yang Yi was about to pick them up, he sensed something wrong. He heard a soft, rustling noise, like many things crawling. And the source of the sound was Hu Wei¡¯s corpse! In the next second, Hu Wei¡¯s body twitched and convulsed, as if shaking uncontrollably. At the same time, countless spiders, each about the size of a fingernail, crawled out of his wounds and orifices. What the hell?! ¡¾You are frightened. Sanity -5¡¿ Yang Yi pulled the trigger, just in case, using the powerful cannon mode. Boom! The shot was devastating! Hu Wei¡¯s body, along with the cabin door, was blasted apart, leaving a huge hole in the ship¡¯s hull that let sunlight pour in. The recoil knocked Yang Yi back, slamming him into the wall. "What are you doing? He¡¯s already dead!" Suna rushed over, her face showing slight displeasure. If that shot had been a bit lower, it would have blown a hole in her beloved witch laboratory. "He had spiders inside him, lots of spiders!" Yang Yi explained, still shaken by what he had just witnessed. In his nightmare, he met the same fate as Hu Wei! But how could there be spiders inside a person? Suna glanced at the wreckage. "Spiders? I don¡¯t see any spiders. Where are they?" She scanned the area. "Aren¡¯t they right there?" Yang Yi pointed to the debris, but then froze. He could swear there were spiders on the ground just moments ago, small but clearly visible. Now, there was nothing but chunks of flesh, broken wood, and splattered blood! "I definitely saw spiders just now..." Yang Yi insisted. "Alright, your arm''s dislocated, you know that?" Yang Yi¡¯s left arm was hanging limp at his side. Luckily, Suna was a medical student. Though she hadn¡¯t specialised in orthopaedics, she was talented and quickly popped Yang Yi¡¯s dislocated shoulder back into place. But Yang Yi was still looking for the spiders. "It¡¯s impossible. I saw spiders, I¡¯m sure of it!" Suddenly, he felt an itch in his nose and noticed a small nosebleed, likely from the recoil of the flintlock rifle. The itch persisted, as if something was crawling inside. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but pick at it, and out came a tiny black spider, about the size of a grain of rice. ¡¾A spider crawled out of your body. Sanity -10¡¿ Yang Yi was startled and immediately crushed the spider. He checked his nose again, but luckily, no more spiders came out. "There really was a spider. When did you inhale it?" Suna bent down and picked up the spider¡¯s corpse. "Inhale?" Yang Yi felt uneasy. The spider had definitely crawled out of him! He quickly checked his status. Status: Injured (The human diagram shows faint yellow on the back and left arm) Sanity: 85/100 Stamina: 94/100 Health: 93/100 Everything seemed normal, but there was a new status under his talents. ¡¾Kiss of the Spider: A gift from the Spider Mother. Spiders will occasionally crawl out of your wounds, but you¡¯ll soon get used to it! Precondition mission for an Oath can be unlocked. Enemy hostility from spider-type demons -100%¡¿ "When did this status appear?" He quickly checked his activity log. ¡¾You have gained the Kiss of the Spider¡¿ Judging by the time, it must have been right when Hu Wei died! "When he died, the status transferred to me?" Yang Yi narrowed his eyes. Suna, not afraid of spiders, moved into the sunlight to inspect the corpse closely. As soon as the spider touched the sunlight, it evaporated and vanished. Yang Yi noticed this too and walked over to grab Suna¡¯s hand. "It actually disappeared?" He couldn¡¯t believe it. "Let go! You¡¯re hurting me!" Suna complained, pulling her hand free. But Yang Yi ignored her, deep in thought. The status must have been tied to Hu Wei¡¯s death. After he died, a new successor was chosen... "Suna, check your status. Is there any negative effect called ¡®Kiss of the Spider¡¯?" Yang Yi warned. Suna immediately checked and then shook her head, "I don¡¯t have anything like that." It seemed the curse only targeted one person! And when you considered Hu Wei¡¯s recent behaviour¡­the answer became obvious! The Kiss of the Spider had an unmistakable connection to the island. "Let¡¯s get out of here! My flintlock is in cannon mode, and it has a 12-hour cooldown! Plus, the Nightmare Star has a hole in it that needs repair!" Yang Yi instructed. Suna nodded, and together they began gathering the spoils of war. The spider situation would have to wait. The battlefield needed to be dealt with first. Hu Wei had dropped two light orbs, one of which fell into the sea. The other contained 1250 shell coins and a recipe for Fire Velvet Armour. ¡¾Fire Velvet Armour: Requires Fire Silk Spider threads x100. (One medium-sized Fire Silk Spider can produce 8-12 units of thread.)¡¿ That fire velvet grass was clearly a lie Hu Wei made up. Fire Silk Spiders definitely proliferated on the island! What was even more surprising was a player¡¯s death could result in a recipe drop! Yang Yi turned to look at Suna. She had a unique talent that allowed her to create special recipes. If she died, would those recipes drop too? That could be dangerous. It would make her a target! Yang Yi immediately warned her, "Suna, don¡¯t sell or give away any of the potions you make!" "So, you¡¯re saying I should give them all to you, huh?" Suna teased. "Uh¡­we¡¯ll discuss that later!" Yang Yi suddenly remembered the unbreakable Excitement Potion and felt a bit nauseous. After cleaning up the battlefield, they found three equipment items! ¡¾Name: Webbed Gloves¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Enhances grip and allows you to climb walls. You won¡¯t get stuck on webs. Yes, with these, you can scale walls like a superhero!¡¿ ¡­¡­¡­. ¡¾Name: Delicious Chef¡¯s Knife¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: A sharp kitchen knife. Anything cut by this knife will become extraordinarily delicious, and highly addictive! Perfect for people with appetite disorders! The delicious effect lasts for 5 days. It only works on objects smaller than 3 cubic metres.¡¿ ¡­¡­¡­. ¡¾Name: Healing Spray¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: Speeds up wound healing when sprayed. Usable 3/10 times¡¿ S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi picked up the chef¡¯s knife, which was no more than thirty centimetres long. "If you get cut by this knife, will you taste delicious?" He made a strange face, detecting a faint sweetness in the air. Ch. 41 - Tiny spider Hu Wei''s ship was a third-tier vessel. Both expansion spaces on the ship had been used to build cannons. ¡¾Name: Standard Cannon**¡¿** ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment**¡¿** ¡¾Quality: Ordinary**¡¿** ¡¾Description: A standard cannon with a range of 200 meters.****Cannon is fixed in the combat room, cannot be removed.¡¿ Yang Yi had thought about whether he could move the cannon to his own ship, but after reading the information, he gave up on the idea. Hu Wei really was wealthy. He carried a large amount of supplies, all of which were now conveniently Yang Yi''s! The supplies on the ship included: Wood x832, Cloth x742, Stone x935, Steel x83, Crystal x63, Sulphur x35, Freshwater x50L, Sausages, bread, and other food items ¡ª enough for Yang Yi and Suna to eat for half a month. Equipment included an ordinary-quality telescope, a simple fishing rod, and two pieces of flintlock clothing. Yang Yi calculated these supplies were enough to upgrade his ship, the Nightmare Star, to third tier. Though as for the exotic monster corpse needed for the upgrade, he still had no clue where to find it. By dismantling the third-tier sailing ship, he could gain an additional 600 units of wood, 300 units of cloth, 300 units of stone, and 20 units of steel. However, the total supplies would exceed the capacity limit of the Nightmare Star. For now, the most cost-effective plan was to hold off the dismantlement. Once he obtained an exotic monster corpse and upgraded the Nightmare Star to third tier, then he could go ahead. For the time being, he could use the ship as a floating warehouse, dragging it behind. After moving the food, freshwater, and high-value resources to the Nightmare Star, Yang Yi and Suna set sail and left the island. When the ship had sailed 200 nautical miles, Yang Yi¡¯s expression suddenly changed. His entire body began to itch, as if countless bugs were crawling and biting him. He immediately stopped the ship and turned it around. As soon as he did, the itching disappeared. Yang Yi now understood why Hu Wei had stayed on this island ¡ª he couldn¡¯t leave. ¡°What happened?¡± Suna noticed the movement and emerged from the cabin. ¡°The spiders inside me won¡¯t allow me to leave this island,¡± Yang Yi said with a grim face. Suna frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, ¡°Stop the ship and come with me!¡± She pulled Yang Yi along and led him to the laboratory. There were two large metal tables inside. One of the tables was filled with various instruments, as well as pieces of meat ¡ª remnants of Hu Wei¡¯s corpse, which Suna had collected. ¡°I just finished checking, and I can confirm: this body is hollow!¡± Suna''s expression was more serious than ever. ¡°Hollow?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! There are no organs, no bones, just a thin layer of skin!¡± Suna picked up a piece of meat with tweezers and explained, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice how little flesh there was on his body, and how little blood came out? At first, I thought maybe it was lost in the ocean, but after carefully inspecting each piece, I found there were no bones or internal organs! It¡¯s all just skin and superficial muscle.¡± Yang Yi suddenly understood. ¡°This corpse is completely hollow ¡ª no brain, no intestines, no heart! This must have happened the moment Hu Wei died. All of his internal organs and bones were eaten by the spiders!¡± Suna concluded. After hearing her explanation, cold sweat dripped from Yang Yi¡¯s forehead. He realised these spiders likely existed within him as well. His life was no longer in his control; at any moment, they could devour him and leave him to be but a hollow shell! Suddenly, Yang Yi noticed a fragrance. Once aware of it, he couldn¡¯t ignore it. It made his mouth water, and he swallowed involuntarily. It was the power of the gourmet chef, making Hu Wei¡¯s corpse smell delicious. ¡°Suna, you didn¡¯t sneak a bite, did you?¡± Yang Yi asked in horror. Knowing her personality, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she had tasted a piece just to see what it was like. ¡°What are you talking about! This is a precious specimen. How could I possibly waste it?¡± Suna said, slightly annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s a relief!¡± Yang Yi sighed in relief. He had a feeling that eating something prepared by the gourmet chef would have terrible consequences. It could even lead to addiction! ¡°Alright, now it''s your turn!¡± Suna packed Hu Wei¡¯s remains into a glass container, cleared the table, and gestured for Yang Yi to lie down. ¡°What¡¯s this...?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to examine your body and see how those spiders got inside you,¡± Suna explained. Yang Yi felt a bit anxious but eventually lay down on the metal table. He wanted to know what was happening to him, too. Suna began examining his body, checking him all over. ¡°Your body surface looks normal. Open your mouth.¡± Yang Yi complied. Suna peered inside with a magnifying glass, scraped some tissue from his mucous membrane, and prepared a simple slide to examine under a microscope. Watching her furrowed brow made Yang Yi increasingly uneasy. He felt like a patient waiting for the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, growing more anxious the longer the doctor hesitated. A few minutes later, Suna approached, holding a sharp knife. ¡°What are you doing!¡± Yang Yi immediately sat up, retreating to maintain distance. ¡°Why are you so tense! If you¡¯re afraid of pain, then give me some money ¡ª I¡¯m out of shell coins!¡± Suna¡¯s sharp gaze and steady grip on the knife made her seem formidable. Yang Yi, feeling numb, transferred 2,000 shell coins to her. Suna then operated her journal, and soon, a modern blood collection kit appeared in her hand. ¡°You''re just going to take blood?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°Of course! I was planning to cut you, but since you seem afraid of pain, I¡¯ll use this instead!¡± Suna approached with the blood collection kit. Damn it! Yang Yi suspected she had played this trick just to get more shell coins out of him! Though he had no evidence, he felt it was highly likely. While Suna drew 300 units of blood from him, Yang Yi asked her about the laboratory¡¯s capabilities. ¡°Can the lab provide any kind of equipment?¡± ¡°There are many limitations. It mainly provides experimental and medical tools. The more complex and larger the equipment, the more expensive it is.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What about a lighter?¡± ¡°You can get a lighter, but it won¡¯t have any fuel. Currently, the lab can produce items like glass, metal, ceramics, and plastic, but not fuels like alcohol. Also, any equipment purchased here can¡¯t be taken outside the lab,¡± Suna replied. ¡°I see,¡± Yang Yi nodded. No wonder the alcohol lamps he saw earlier were empty. ¡°Can you make flint or some other fire-starting tools?¡± Yang Yi asked again. ¡°No, but you can try starting a fire by rubbing sticks together.¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± Yang Yi didn¡¯t believe he could start a fire on the damp ocean by rubbing sticks together. Even if he could, it wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. In the freezing regions, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at starting a fire this way! After drawing 300cc of blood, Suna made a blood smear and continued her observations. ¡°As expected. Come take a look for yourself,¡± she called Yang Yi over. Though Yang Yi didn¡¯t know much about biology, he could still look through the microscope. In the field of view, aside from red blood cells, there were numerous tiny particles. ¡°Do you see those black particles? Brace yourself!¡± Suna adjusted the microscope to a higher magnification, and Yang Yi immediately broke out in cold sweat. What he saw were tiny, clustered spiders curled up together. They were so small that only under significant magnification could their outlines be seen clearly. By normal standards, spiders shouldn¡¯t be smaller than cells. Yet Yang Yi was seeing them right there under the microscope. His body was likely filled with these tiny spiders, lying dormant. Once awakened, Yang Yi would face unimaginable torment and be eaten alive, leaving nothing but an empty shell. It seemed there was no choice but to return to the island. There had to be a way to resolve his impending doom there! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, give me some time,¡± Suna said, comforting him as she approached. ¡°I¡¯ll try to kill the spiders inside your body.¡± Ch. 42 - Maritime Weekly The Nightmare Star had a big hole, and the repairs were quite expensive. It cost 332 wood, 125 cloth, 108 stone, and 20 steel, taking half a day to fix. The system really understood resource management! Dismantling ships yielded significantly fewer materials, while ship repairs required double the resources... However, Yang Yi had no regrets about firing the shot. If he had the chance to, he would still pull the trigger without hesitation again. Who knew what could happen if those spiders burst out? Maybe they''d bite, or perhaps they''d merge into a big, scary monster. It was best to be cautious ¡ª couldn¡¯t go wrong with that. The rewards were so great, a little lost material was no big deal! Three days later, the Nightmare Star was still roaming around the island. Yang Yi had a nautical map, giving him an advantage. He could monitor the island''s surroundings through it. But for three days straight, no ship had appeared nearby. Perhaps because Hu Wei was dead, the other deceived players, after privately messaging each other, found no trace of him and became wary of the location. Of course, it was also possible that Hu Wei didn''t deceive many people, and Yang Yi was the last one. During the three days, Suna had locked herself in the lab. Aside from drawing a few more tubes of Yang Yi''s blood, she rarely showed herself, focused on her research. As evening approached and darkness began to fall, Yang Yi walked into the cabin and loudly reminded her. "Suna, it''s time to rest!" The eight-hour work rule was a strict policy Yang Yi had set for Suna. That way, she could avoid losing too much sanity and falling into madness. "Suna!" Yang Yi called again, a bit impatient. "Five more minutes!" "Are you bargaining with me? Five more minutes? Come out now, or I''ll kick you out!" Yang Yi said viciously. He had the captain''s authority, meaning he could literally kick Suna out of the lab using the system. "Please don¡¯t! I¡¯ll come out myself!" After some noise, Suna finally rushed out. "Any progress?" Yang Yi asked. "Still a bit more..." Suna looked dazed, seemingly absent-minded. Yang Yi, used to her being lost in her own world, just urged her, "Fine, rest now. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow!" Suna, unresponsive, walked to her room like a zombie. Yang Yi returned to the deck and controlled the ship to stop, keeping a distance of over 100 nautical miles from the island. The fish he was catching were still the same as before, except for a strange one he had reeled in from the deep sea. It was about half a metre long, covered in coral, and looked like a bamboo basket. In reality, the fish itself was palm-sized, located in the centre of the "basket", while the rest was all coral. ¡¾Name: Coral Cage Fish¡¿ ¡¾Type: Food¡¿ ¡¾Description: A species from the abyss, its body is covered in poisonous coral that forms a cage to protect itself. The fish meat is also highly poisonous and not recommended for consumption.¡¿ Seeing the word "poisonous", Yang Yi didn¡¯t want to touch it at all. He used a wooden spear to kill the fish and sent it to the lab. His luck was pretty bad ¡ª he hadn''t seen a single treasure chest. Aside from fish, he only managed to catch 12 wood and 15 cloth. The weakness of fishing was evident: the rewards were very unstable, depending on luck and skill. But even the best anglers would sometimes catch nothing, which would lead to them making up superstitions after failing one too many times. Like casting the line exactly at the right time for a better chance of treasure... Or just repeatedly pulling the line whether there''s a fish or not... Or marking where they caught a big fish or treasure and trying the same spot again next time. Some even bowed to their fishing rods, hoping for a stroke of luck. Yang Yi dismissed all of this as fake ¡ª just superstition. After all, he had tried it himself, and it didn¡¯t work at all! Now, lying on his bed like a salted fish, he browsed the world channel. "Looking for a lighter!" Yang Yi routinely left a message, hoping someone would contact him. He scrolled a few pages, and an organisation called the Great Press Special Fleet caught his attention. The group had appeared a few days ago and was recruiting members at the time. The leader seemed to be the owner of a special ship, possibly capable of printing newspapers. They were planning to start a news agency, gathering the latest sea information, and selling it in weekly newspapers. After preparing for so long, their first weekly edition was finally ready for release. ¡°The first issue is complete! Trading sections, maritime events, monster reports¡­you name it!! With more content in the works, be sure not to miss this hard-to-come-by bargain: 100 Shell Coins per issue, or a four-issue monthly subscription for only 300 Shell Coins. Everyone is encouraged to submit news tips ¡ª we¡¯ll reward valuable information with Shell Coins! If you provide fake news, you¡¯ll be blacklisted permanently. Also, ad space is available for rent...¡± The newspaper¡¯s leader was a business genius. The paper wasn¡¯t expensive, but it could sell in high volumes. If they got thousands of customers, the money would roll in fast! That was, as long as they established a good reputation. Yang Yi was interested in the paper and sent a private message, expressing his desire to buy an issue. He soon got a reply. "Pay first, then leave a note with the language you want. The newspaper will be delivered via the trading system for free. You can also add me as a friend and subscribe for 300 Shell Coins a month, which includes at least four issues. There¡¯s currently a promotion ¡ª subscribe for three months and get one extra month free!¡± ¡°No need for a subscription, just send me one issue!¡± Yang Yi quickly transferred 100 Shell Coins. He wasn¡¯t keen on adding a friend just for a subscription, no matter the cost. He anonymously bought an issue, planning to see what it was like first. If it had valuable content, he would consider buying more in the future. The newspaper''s efficiency was high. Even at night, they delivered quickly, and within minutes, the paper arrived via the trading system. It was a crude, ink-printed paper ¡ª you rubbed it too hard, and it would smudge. But right now, no one cared about that. What mattered was whether the content was valuable! The Nightmare Star had no lights or fire, except for the witch''s lab and Suna''s room, which were illuminated. Yang Yi didn¡¯t intend to barge into Suna¡¯s room just to read the newspaper, so he slipped into the witch''s lab. It was eerily quiet inside, like he had stepped into another world. The air was filled with an indescribable smell ¡ª a complex mix of stench and the distinctive scent of otherworldly organs. The walls were lined with jars filled with various organs. Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother to look closely, as seeing too much would lower his sanity, and that wasn¡¯t necessary, was it? He opened the paper and began reading. It had two sides. The front was the trading section, with both wanted and clearly priced for-sale items, along with player names, ship names, and IDs for direct contact. Most items were self-produced and self-sold. Yang Yi quickly spotted an old acquaintance, Zhou Dai, captain of the Radiant Goddess. She was selling holy water for the hefty price of 2,000 Shell Coins per bottle, or bartering for equipment. The price she gave him was indeed a friendly, internal one. It also reflected the chaotic early-game market, with basic materials still scarce. Yang Yi skimmed through and noticed a troublesome relic. ¡¾Name: Cannibal Cult Introductory Guide¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: This book records eighteen ways to consume corpses, allowing you to "eat what you need" with real results! Except it can¡¯t help your brain.¡¿ Yang Yi felt dizzy after reading that. The newspaper would definitely need to be destroyed, Suna couldn¡¯t find out about this. Otherwise, the crazy woman would go to any lengths to buy it and try out its contents. Just the thought of Suna eating corpses gave him goosebumps, so he immediately disabled her trading permissions, cutting off this possibility. Other things weren¡¯t as disturbing. Yang Yi browsed through, noting that many items were either overpriced or ineffective. If something was a good deal, it would¡¯ve already been sold in the chat channel. However, Yang Yi still found an interesting piece of ship equipment. ¡¾Name: Barbarian Catapult¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: Can launch objects for long-range attacks. Effective range: 0-500 metres (If the object is too heavy, the range will be 0). Requires one square metre of space on the deck for installation.¡¿ What the Nightmare Star was lacking most were long-range attack capabilities. The catapult could be bought as a temporary fix, provided it wasn¡¯t too expensive. When Yang Yi saw the price ¡ª 2,000 Shell Coins ¡ª he thought it was daylight robbery! Once the ship was upgraded, it could install cannons, which would be far more useful than hard-to-aim catapults. Cannons would also have greater firepower! The only advantage the catapult had was its slightly longer than the average cannon range, but the stone¡¯s speed was much slower and easily dodged. So, Yang Yi concluded it simply wasn¡¯t worth 2,000 Shell Coins at all! If it were 500, that would be acceptable. He sent a private message to the seller. "500 for one catapult. Interested? Message me!" The other party didn¡¯t reply, probably asleep. He¡¯d check again in the morning. Yang Yi then looked at the ¡°Wanted¡± section, where familiar organisations like New World, New Humans, and the Iron Brotherhood were buying up materials, equipment, and fire-making tools. The prices were generally slightly below market value, aiming for quick sales and fast cash. "These groups are all buying fire-making tools. No wonder I couldn¡¯t get any..." Yang Yi clicked his tongue. Personally, he couldn¡¯t financially compete with ship fleets; his warehouse was only so big... After reading, Yang Yi flipped the newspaper to the other side. The page was divided into two sections: Maritime Events and Monster Reports. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ch. 43 - The sudden onset The two sections didn¡¯t have much content. Even though the editor had enlarged the font, it didn¡¯t hide the fact that there was little substance. The newspaper provided some information and insights, including introductions to a few fleets, coordinates of several isolated islands, and speculation on the internal environment of the Extreme Winter Sea. As for the accuracy of the information, it was up to each person to judge. What was certain was that the islands with discovered coordinates weren¡¯t valuable ¡ª either the trees had already been cut down or venturing there would cost one''s life. Yang Yi noticed an old acquaintance, Zhou Dai. She was recruiting teammates to raid a dangerous island. It had been confirmed that a powerful werewolf resided on the island. She was recruiting people to join her, and those who passed the test would get the island''s exact coordinates. "Werewolves¡­" Yang Yi stroked his chin. In his memory, werewolves were terrifying creatures ¡ª fast, sharp senses, claws and fangs capable of easily tearing through human flesh. When facing such a creature, the more teammates, the better. That way, during the escape, you only needed to outrun the others. Yang Yi chuckled and quickly moved on. He didn¡¯t believe ordinary people could contend with werewolves unless they had a large-calibre machine gun and could shoot accurately. As he scrolled further, he saw another valuable tip from the captain of the Fisherman, who went by Anonymous. But Yang Yi knew him as his old friend, He Qi, an experienced fishing enthusiast. ¡¾On Night Fishing¡¿ ¡¾First off, I don¡¯t recommend any player try night fishing. I¡¯m writing this report to warn everyone! You will very likely catch strange creatures. I¡¯ve caught a Drowned Revenant which almost killed me! There¡¯s a 30% chance the fish you catch will be an abyssal species, like a sardine with four legs, an eel with human lips, or even an octopus with a human-like head. To spare your sanity, I won¡¯t include pictures; they¡¯re incredibly disgusting! Catching these strange fish reduces your sanity, and eating them does too. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re worth much! If, after reading this, you still want to try night fishing, I recommend you prepare well beforehand. Danger and opportunity coexist ¡ª I once caught a rare fishing rod, but when I sobered up, I felt a deep sense of dread! At that moment¡­I might have gone mad from fishing. In short, night fishing is dangerous. Don¡¯t attempt it lightly. I probably won¡¯t try it again for a long time. ¡°Classic He Qi, living up to his reputation as a fishing enthusiast and easily doing things I wouldn¡¯t dare to!¡± Yang Yi mused. But the abyssal fish He Qi mentioned were all familiar to Yang Yi. When Yang Yi ate them, exceptions aside, he didn¡¯t lose sanity anymore. ¡°Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I won¡¯t attempt night fishing again,¡± Yang Yi decided. The Nightmare Star was cursed by the Angler¡¯s Curse, and if he tried night fishing again, he might get drowned without warning! Yang Yi continued to scroll through the monster intel. It focused on common sea creatures, including their weaknesses, many of which Yang Yi had encountered before. The Drowned Revenant was fat, clumsy, yet self-destructive with a powerful explosion. Sirens were highly dangerous to men. Once you heard their song, you had to block your ears within two seconds, or you¡¯d be charmed. They usually hunted at night, so wearing earplugs while sleeping was advised. "But if you wear earplugs and the Drowned Revenant shows up, you¡¯re doomed¡­" Yang Yi shook his head in disagreement. Skeleton monsters were fairly average across the board. Destroying the skull would kill them. Blunt weapons were recommended. Bobbit worms were massive, blind, and had sharp jaws. Cannons were the way to go about killing them. ... There were undoubtedly more monsters out there, especially the really dangerous ones. However, because few had survived, there was little information available. After finishing his reading, Yang Yi noticed there was nothing on the two-headed demon shark, so he contacted the Press Fleet. ¡°I have monster intel to offer. How much do you usually pay?¡± Press Fleet: "At least 200 Shell Coins. The more detailed, the higher the reward ¡ª no upper limit! You¡¯ll need to provide related spoils or proof of the corpse.¡± That was no problem; the lab still had the skull of the two-headed demon shark. ¡°The two-headed demon shark can be caught. It¡¯s a social creature, and its two large eyes look like red lanterns underwater. They have two hind legs and are strong jumpers, but they can''t climb. Their weak spot is their eyes...¡± Yang Yi sent the information to the Press Fleet, and about half an hour later, he received 800 Shell Coins. Others had likely encountered these sharks, but not many survived to tell the tale. The next day, before dawn... S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi suddenly woke up, feeling as if his body was being gnawed on by thousands of ants, the pain and itch unbearable. He knew what was happening and immediately ran to the helm, steering the Nightmare Star at full speed towards an island. After sailing more than ten nautical miles, the excruciating pain began to subside. The urgency of the situation had woken up Suna as well. She stepped out of her cabin to see Yang Yi gripping the helm, barely able to stand, veins bulging, and his eyes bloodshot. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Suna asked. ¡°I¡­¡± Yang Yi started to speak but immediately coughed up a large mouthful of blood, with small spiders crawling in it. He then collapsed into the pool of blood and passed out. ... Yang Yi had a nightmare, dreaming he was lying on a metal table. Suna, wearing a plague doctor¡¯s mask from the Middle Ages, approached with a surgical scalpel. "What...what are you doing?!" Yang Yi shouted in terror, trying to resist, but he was paralysed, unable to move. "You¡¯re sick. I¡¯m treating you," Suna replied calmly. She used the scalpel to cut through Yang Yi¡¯s skin, slicing into veins and muscles, searching for spiders inside, and then pulling them out. The scene was drenched in blood. ¡°You still have many left inside. I¡¯ll remove them one by one!¡± Suna continued her work... "No! No! You¡¯ll kill me!" Yang Yi screamed in terror. Suna''s red eyes were becoming more dangerous. Yang Yi suddenly woke up from the nightmare, opening his eyes to a scalpel hovering above him. He quickly pushed it away. "Awake?" Suna asked. "What are you doing?!" Yang Yi, still shaken from the nightmare, was emotionally unstable, his body curled up and on the verge of attacking. "Calm down. I¡¯m saving you." Suna replied calmly, pointing to a graduated cylinder on the metal table. It was filled with dead spiders, nearly full, with bloodstains still clinging to them. ¡°If these parasites aren¡¯t removed, there will be serious trouble!¡± Suna continued. Recognising the situation, Yang Yi gradually calmed down. He checked his condition ¡ª his vitality had dropped below 50, and his sanity was only at 37. His left eyelid seemed to be cut, with blood seeping into his eye that turned his vision crimson. As he touched it, two small spiders fell from his eyelid... "Sorry, I had a nightmare," Yang Yi apologised once fully awake. ¡°Good, then don¡¯t sleep!¡± Suna smiled indifferently, not minding. But her left hand, hidden behind her back, tightly gripped a witch''s dagger, her fingers slightly trembling with excitement. Ch. 44 - Spiderbane Potion Yang Yi checked his body and found it covered in stitched-up scars, so numerous he didn¡¯t even want to count them. Night had already fallen, and the lab remained brightly lit. "How long was I unconscious for?" Yang Yi asked. "Thirty-six hours and seventeen minutes. It¡¯s already the third day," Suna replied. Yang Yi nodded solemnly and began reviewing the activity logs. While he was out, the captain¡¯s authority had been temporarily handed over to the first officer. With only two people aboard the Nightmare Star, the first officer was naturally Suna, which gave her full authority to perform surgery on him. Yang Yi jumped off the metal table, put on the pirate suit that had been set aside, and retrieved a healing spray from the clothes. Hu Wei''s legacy now finally came in handy. He sprayed the larger wounds with it, feeling a cool and refreshing sensation. The healing effect was good, but since there wasn¡¯t much of it, it was all used up after three sprays. After some thought, he pulled out a pink magic potion, gritted his teeth, and swallowed it. The taste was unbearably spicy, as if he had drunk a bottle of chilli oil. ¡¾You have consumed an unknown magic potion.¡¿ ¡¾Health restored by 20. Wounds are healing rapidly. Health will continue to regenerate.¡¿ ¡¾Your wounds itch intensely. Sanity -20.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s sanity plummeted to 17, and he began wiggling on the ground like a worm as his wounds quickly healed with each movement. Suna watched him intently, taking detailed notes before asking, "How do you feel? Your wounds are already scabbing. The effect seems impressive, doesn¡¯t it? On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate this potion?" Sweating profusely, Yang Yi glared at her angrily. He wanted to curse, yet he couldn¡¯t open his mouth. If he did, he''d likely scream uncontrollably, which would be anything but dignified. He also didn''t dare to scratch himself for fear of worsening his wounds. After about ten minutes, Yang Yi finally stopped writhing and stood up as if nothing had happened. His health had recovered from just over 40 to nearly 70. In terms of effectiveness, the potion was even stronger than holy water! ¡¾Name: Regeneration Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Magic Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion created by Witch Suna, spicy in taste, made with pearls soaked in healing water, powdered merman scales, and the secret essence of the eel. Upon consumption, health is restored by 20, sanity decreases by 20, health continues to regenerate, and wounds heal quickly. The wounds will itch intensely, but if you resist scratching, the healing effect will be even stronger.¡¿ After reading the information, Yang Yi¡¯s face turned grim, and he emotionlessly responded, "I give it 0 points!" "0 points? That¡¯s impossible! The effect was clearly great. Your wounds have already scabbed over!" Suna protested, clearly displeased. "You can¡¯t just ignore the effectiveness because of the taste!" "Uh¡­" Yang Yi had no retort. To be fair, the potion¡¯s effect was outstanding. Still, the side effects were truly unbearable. "I¡¯ll send you the details; you can see for yourself," Yang Yi said, forwarding the information on the Regeneration Potion to Suna. "By the way, I¡¯m planning to go ashore soon. Time is running out, and I can¡¯t afford to delay any longer!" Yang Yi added. The latest flare-up served as a warning. The Spider''s Kiss was urging Yang Yi to land on the island, shrinking the original 200-mile safety radius down to 100 miles. If he had another flare-up, it could mean immediate death... Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Actually, I¡¯ve already developed a potion that can kill the spider inside you," Suna said, pulling out a black vial. "What¡¯s this?" "My specially made poison! The ingredients come from the cyst-spiked pufferfish and the coral-caged fish you recently caught. The toxins are very mild for humans but highly toxic to spiders!" Suna explained. Hearing this, Yang Yi immediately took the vial and examined it. ¡¾Name: Spiderbane Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Magic Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion created by Witch Suna, designed specifically to be lethal to spiders. It is mildly toxic to humans and should not be consumed in large quantities.¡¿ "Will this potion cure me?" Yang Yi asked excitedly. "Unfortunately, no," Suna shook her head. "It will only kill the spiders inside you temporarily. Once the toxins are metabolised, new spiders will reappear. To completely solve the problem, you need to find the source of the spiders and eliminate it. That¡¯s the only way to cure your condition." "Condition?" "Yes! Doesn¡¯t it feel like a disease?" Suna asked. Yang Yi thought about it and realised it did indeed resemble some kind of strange illness, albeit with a fantastical twist. He left the lab, grabbed some food, and ate while sipping from a vitality coconut to rehydrate. He hadn¡¯t eaten in nearly two days. After having his fill, he suddenly remembered something and rushed back to the lab. "Suna, you said the poison works well on spiders, right?" Yang Yi asked urgently. "Yes, that¡¯s correct." "How much of it can you make? Would it be effective against a giant spider¡­like the ones in urban legends?" "It would! As long as the creature¡¯s biological structure is recognised as a spider, this potion will work. The main ingredients are the cyst-spiked pufferfish and the coral-caged fish. While the former is abundant, we only have one of the latter, so I can make at most 10 bottles, which would be about 1 litre in total." "So, as long as we have more coral-caged fish, you can make more of this potion, right?" Yang Yi had an idea. He planned to poison the spiders on the island before landing. Based on the information from the fire-spun wool garment, it was clear there were creatures on the island known as fire-silk spiders! The following day, thanks to a good night¡¯s sleep, Yang Yi woke up fully refreshed, with his health back to 90. He checked the weather forecast. Today¡¯s weather: sunny with a gentle sea breeze; perfect for fishing. Location: Sea of Origins Remaining sunlight: 9 hours Temperature: 15¨C25¡ãC Wind speed: Level 3. Without a second thought, he grabbed his fishing rod and headed out. He set up his fishing net and retrieved several eyeball fruits from the ship''s hold ¡ª leftovers from a previous catch that he hadn¡¯t eaten. They tasted terrible and were only being used as bait for coral-caged fish. Using the deep-sea method, with eyeball fruit as bait, Yang Yi began fishing. ¡¾You caught a red-lipped eel¡¿ ¡¾You caught a human-headed octopus¡¿ ¡¾You caught a long-legged sardine¡¿ "Holy Shit!" "How did I catch a long-legged sardine in the deep waters?" Finally, on the fourth attempt, he hit the jackpot. ¡¾You caught a coral-caged fish¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately skewered the fresh coral-caged fish with a wooden spear and sent it to the lab. It wouldn¡¯t take long for him to catch enough coral-caged fish to make 100 bottles of Spiderbane Potion. As he continued fishing, he suddenly received a private message from the catapult guy. The first line of the message read: "Are you still interested in buying?" "Of course!" Yang Yi responded quickly. "I won¡¯t lie to you; I have the formula to make these catapults. Selling them at 500 Shell Coins each gives me no profit at all!" "600 Shell Coins per catapult, and I¡¯ll buy four in one go! If you¡¯re up for it, let¡¯s deal; if not, there¡¯s no point in continuing this conversation!" Yang Yi replied immediately. He had previously offered 500 Shell Coins per unit, and now the seller was responding. It meant 500 wasn¡¯t too far off the mark, likely just around the cost price. So, Yang Yi added another hundred, which would leave enough of a profit margin. Besides, there likely weren¡¯t many players willing to buy catapults, as they weren¡¯t as effective as cannons. Soon, the seller messaged back. "700 Shell Coins per catapult. That¡¯s the lowest price I can offer, considering the time it takes to make them." "650 Shell Coins, not a penny more! You know very well that in two weeks, no one will want these things, even for 200!" Yang Yi shot back. The seller hesitated for a few minutes before finally agreeing to the deal. Ch. 45 - Delicious Offensive The morning passed, and Yang Yi had already caught four coral cage fish. If he worked hard in the afternoon, he could get another 10 ¡ª his goal for the day, as it would be enough to make 100 bottles of Spiderbane Potion.Not long after, he received a private message. The fifth catapult had been completed and was ready for trade. The seller made and sold them one by one, messaging Yang Yi when each was ready. One cost 650 Shell Coins, and since there were four, he had to fork out 2,600 Shell Coins in total. Yang Yi¡¯s previous large savings had dwindled to just 1,600, but luckily, he had plenty of food and water, so he had no worries about sustenance. In the afternoon, he successfully caught five more coral cage fish, and just as he thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish his task, he packed up his fishing net to find a surprise ¡ª a bonus coral cage fish! Yang Yi handed all the fish to Suna, then headed to the courtyard of the Nightmare Star, planning to find a spot to install the catapults. When not installed, they were like miniature figurines, only a few centimetres in size, making them easy to move around. After circling the area, Yang Yi installed the catapults symmetrically on both sides of the courtyard of the Nightmare Star, giving the ship long-range attack capabilities. However, Yang Yi had another clever use for the weapons! He opened the chat channel and sent out his usual message: "Buying fire-starting tools at a high price!" Then he quickly followed up with, "Buying rotten fish, bad shrimp, decayed meat, rotten vegetables, spoiled water, and mouldy bread! I don''t want anything that¡¯s not rotten. Message me if interested!" "Whoa; do you want fish that''s gone mouldy?" sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Of course, I need it!" "Dude, your taste is pretty extreme, huh?" "Are you composting? Planning to farm on your ship?" Yang Yi couldn¡¯t be bothered to explain. He simply bought at shockingly low prices. People selling rotten food didn¡¯t care about the price anyway, as they were just going to throw it into the ocean. Even for a single Shell Coin, they¡¯d make the trade. In the end, Yang Yi spent 100 Shell Coins to buy a few hundred pounds of rotten fish and shrimp, an uneaten, rotten sheep, and a pile of decayed vegetable leaves. Suddenly, a private message came in from Captain Yu Dawei. "Do you want some stinky whale meat? I¡¯ll deliver it directly to you!" "Sure, but not too much ¡ª my ship is small!" "These three chunks were about to be thrown out. I¡¯ll send them your way!" In no time, three pieces of whale meat, each about a metre in size, were ejected from the vending machine. It was hard to imagine how its fist-sized tentacle mouth managed to spit out huge objects. It had its own strange logic, so there was no point in thinking about such details. Yang Yi looked at the deck, now piled high with stinky fish and shrimp, and laughed. "That should be enough!" He wanted to turn the spoiled food into delicious meals, then coat them with Spiderbane Potion and launch them into the island using the catapults. He called the trick Delicious Poison. "Ew, what¡¯s that awful smell? What are you doing?" Yang Yi dragged the stinky fish and rotten meat into the cabin, much to Suna¡¯s displeasure as she pinched her nose and walked out. After all, her witch lab was connected to the cabin. "Don¡¯t worry, soon you¡¯ll think it smells amazing! Don¡¯t sneak a bite, and don¡¯t blame me for not warning you!" Yang Yi grinned mischievously. Suna seemed to catch on to what Yang Yi was up to, wrinkling her nose and putting on the plague doctor mask she had bought from her lab. The two of them worked as a team. Suna was in charge of making the poison, and Yang Yi was responsible for "re-cooking" the spoiled food, turning it into something tasty. He divided the food into one-pound portions and wrapped them in cloth, turning them into ammunition. Altogether, the spoiled food weighed over a thousand pounds, and once wrapped up, it made 1,100 portions. It was already late at night. The cabin was packed full, but there wasn¡¯t even a hint of the original stench. Instead, the air was filled with a tantalising aroma that made one¡¯s mouth water. It was the effect of the Chef¡¯s Cauldron. The cauldron wasn¡¯t powerful on the surface; it seemed ordinary but was actually incredibly dangerous. Yang Yi even felt...the cauldron was more dangerous than all of his other relics combined! Even he, wielding the cauldron, had to stay highly alert, fearing that if he wasn¡¯t careful, he might end up eating the "delicacy" himself. "The poison is ready!" Suna handed over 104 bottles of Spiderbane Potion. "Great, you can go rest now. I¡¯ll work a bit longer," Yang Yi replied. "Need me to help?" Suna offered. "No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m worried you might overeat!" Yang Yi joked, declining her offer. He hadn¡¯t told Suna the full truth, though. The strange, fragrant smell from the rotten food would lower one''s sanity if inhaled for too long. Yang Yi was fine, as he had high mental resilience and sanity resistance. Even if his sanity dropped, he wouldn¡¯t go mad. But Suna, with less than 50 sanity...if she went mad, she might really grab the pile and gorge herself on it. After Suna left, Yang Yi spent 10 pieces of wood to make a simple wooden barrel and poured the Spiderbane Potion into it. The poison, totaling just over 10 litres, filled only half the barrel. Yang Yi then dunked the cloth-wrapped rotten meat and vegetable bundles into the poison and let them soak. After leaving them overnight, they would be well marinated. In total, he managed to make 462 rotten meat bombs using the 10 litres of Spiderbane Potion. The barrel was completely dry by the end, with even the last drop of poison soaked up. The remaining rotten meat could be saved for the next day. After all, he could still fish for more coral cage fish, and the poison could always be brewed again. Checking the weather forecast, he saw that there were only two hours left before dawn. Time had flown by. "I¡¯ll have to remind Suna to hurry up with making the stamina-recovery potion. The side effects of the Excitement Potion are just too awful!" He fell asleep and woke up at dawn. Despite only sleeping for two hours, Yang Yi had a vivid nightmare, yet while the dream left a deep impression, he couldn¡¯t quite remember what it was about, only that it had a strong presence. It seemed to involve a giant spider, so large it was impossible to measure¡­ Every time he tried to recall the details, his head ached, and he felt nauseous. "Is there really something that powerful on the island?" A wave of fear washed over Yang Yi, reinforcing his resolve to poison these spiders. His energy was still below 70, but since he wasn¡¯t planning to go ashore that day, it would be enough. He was less than 50 nautical miles from the island. The Nightmare Star, towing the still-intact large sailboat, sailed for less than two hours before nearing the island. Along the way, Yang Yi continued fishing. He took the three coral cage fish he had caught in the morning to the lab, and then, using a large cloth, began transporting the 462 rotten meat bombs to the courtyard in batches. "Time to give you a little treat," Yang Yi chuckled mischievously as he catapulted a package of "delicacies" onto the forest. The catapult worked well, launching the one-pound bundle of rotten meat about 40 metres. Though this was still the outer edge of the island, given the forest spanned five miles, Yang Yi was confident the spiders would follow the scent and go looking for it. The cloth wrapping the food wasn¡¯t very strong, so it would undoubtedly break open upon landing, spreading the rotten meat and vegetables for the spiders to feast on. After launching a dozen packages, Yang Yi noticed movement in the forest ¡ª some large creatures were on the move. "It¡¯s working!" Yang Yi adjusted the Nightmare Star''s position and continued firing from different angles. Before long, the 400-plus bundles were almost gone, with not many left. By then, Yang Yi had reached the other side of the island. For some reason, the spiders had discovered the Nightmare Star and began pouring out of the forest. They varied in size, with the smallest being only the size of a palm, and the largest reaching a metre, with long, slender legs that made Yang Yi¡¯s skin crawl. Among them was a particularly large spider, around three metres in size, with a dried human torso, devoid of limbs and a head, resting on its back. [Seeing an anomalous creature, your sanity decreases by 5.] "What¡¯s the deal with this spider?" Ch. 46 - Uninvited guests Before the spiders could get closer, Yang Yi had already rushed to the bow of the ship, preparing to control the Nightmare Star and make a quick escape.If all the spiders jumped onto the ship, the consequences would be unimaginable! Fortunately, they were afraid of water and stopped at the shoreline, making no further movements. What was even more astonishing was that the spiders could talk! Spider A: "It smells so good!" Spider B (special entity): "There''s something delicious here!" Spider C: "It smells amazing!" Yang Yi froze for a few seconds, hardly able to believe his ears. "Am I going crazy? Am I hearing things?" He immediately notified Suna. "Suna, come to the deck quickly. These spiders seem to be able to talk!" Receiving the private message, Suna rushed out in an instant. Her eyes were quickly drawn to the special entity with part of a human body on its head. "Did you hear that? These spiders are speaking human language, and it''s in perfect Mandarin!" Yang Yi asked Suna. Suna frowned, looked at Yang Yi strangely, and said she didn''t hear anything. Yang Yi was startled and quickly realised the problem was with him. His sanity level was still over 80, which meant he wasn''t going insane. That could only mean the "Spider¡¯s Kiss¡± must have a hidden effect, allowing the player to understand the spiders'' speech, and possibly¡­even communicate with them! Yang Yi immediately tried, putting on a warm, friendly smile, and called out to the spiders. "Come! Come! I have plenty of food here! When you eat, don''t forget to take some back to share with everyone!" As he spoke, he tossed the last bit of spoilt food to the spiders. Spider A: "Great!" Spider B: "I''ll bring some back for Mom to try!" Spider C: "Thank you!" Yang Yi grinned and tossed several more packs of "delicacies" to Spider B. Even though he could communicate with the spiders, he didn¡¯t sympathise with them. After all, they were monsters who killed without blinking, especially the one with part of a human body attached to it. Before Yang Yi arrived, they had already killed several players. He threw all the remaining "delicacies" to the spiders, receiving many words of gratitude in return. Waving kindly, he watched the giant spider with a human body part on its head leave. As it departed, its tail dragged a large bundle of food wrapped in spider silk. "Eat as much as you like; I''ll be back tomorrow!" Yang Yi shouted, not caring if the spiders understood him. After tossing this batch of rotten food, Yang Yi sailed the Nightmare Star away from the island. With some time to spare, he caught three coral cage fish and asked Suna to make over 60 bottles of Spiderbane Potion. One dose of poison wouldn''t be enough to kill all the spiders. Yang Yi planned to poison them a few more times before returning to the island, ensuring it would be much safer. For the next three days, Yang Yi repeated his actions. Due to his large purchases of spoilt food, he earned the nickname "Garbage Collector" in the chat channels. Fortunately, Yang Yi preferred to do business anonymously, and only a few friends knew his real identity. "What exactly are you doing?" The captain of the Radiant Goddess, Zhou Dai, sent him a private message. Since they were old friends, Yang Yi had no intention of hiding anything. "I''m trying to poison the monsters and see if I can kill them with it," Yang Yi replied. "So, you''re pretty good at dealing with monsters?" On the fourth day, Yang Yi continued with his plan, and no more spiders came asking for food. What it meant was most of the spiders on the island were likely dead, and he could go ashore the day after. That evening, Yang Yi was in the cabin packing his gear to make sure he had everything he needed in his stomach pouch. Suna went over too. "What? You want to come as well?" Yang Yi frowned, looking at Suna. "Yes, I want to go too!" "But if you come, there''ll be no one left to guard the Nightmare Star! What if we run into other players?" Yang Yi was reluctant to bring Suna along. "Just take the crystal ball with you! The island is only so big, it won''t be out of range!" Suna replied. Yang Yi thought it over and eventually agreed. Even if he refused, knowing Suna, she would probably follow secretly anyway. It was better to let her come along. The two of them made all the preparations, including weapons, potions, rations, and freshwater. Yang Yi''s weapons included a flintlock pistol, a spoilt sea serpent''s fang, a spare chef''s knife, one bottle of red unknown potion, two bottles of regeneration potion, two bottles of coconut juice refreshment, and two bottles of Spiderbane Potion. (Yang Yi had also asked Suna to make a few more regeneration potions.) Suna''s weapons were a pirate longbow, over forty poison-coated iron arrows, two bottles of regeneration potion, two bottles of coconut juice refreshment, two bottles of Spiderbane Potion, a witch''s dagger, and a treasure bag containing two loaves of black bread and some sausages. As for water, they each carried 2 litres. Once everything was ready, they returned to their rooms to rest and recover their energy, ensuring they would be in good condition. Yang Yi was a light sleeper, troubled by nightmares, so he relied on coconut juice refreshment to restore his energy. However, he had only just fallen asleep when he was awakened by a sudden vibration and sat up. The crystal ball by the bed was shaking violently, indicating that a player had appeared nearby! Alert, Yang Yi immediately checked the sea chart. The name of the ship was also displayed on the sea chart: "Good Fortune." He quickly searched for the name and activated the "Scrying" skill. [Searching... Good Fortune...] There were more than a dozen results. The Good Fortune was an ordinary ship, and the name had been chosen by the player. (Ordinary ships can be renamed once, as long as they don''t share the same name as a special ship.) Yang Yi randomly picked one, but it turned out to be the wrong target. He had no choice but to close the image and check the sea chart, speculating on the purpose of the Good Fortune. "Speed: about 40 knots, though it might not be at full speed... This route...looks like they''re heading straight for the island!" The Good Fortune was 100 nautical miles from the island, but its course was dead on, heading directly toward the island. It was likely no coincidence. The player probably had the coordinates of the island! After some thought, Yang Yi decided to follow and observe. He had prepared extensively for this island, and with the "Spider¡¯s Kiss" status to deal with, he couldn''t let someone beat him to it! "Five hours until dawn. I doubt they''d dare land on the island at night." Yang Yi controlled the Nightmare Star, approaching the Good Fortune from the side, keeping a safe distance. He decided to wait until dawn to assess the situation before taking further action. If the ship had cannons, Yang Yi could find a place to sneak ashore and have a little "conversation" with the player on land. If it didn''t have cannons, it would be easy ¡ª he''d just charge in. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And don''t forget, Yang Yi¡¯s ship had a catapult! Plus, the Nightmare Star had a rare ship attachment: the head of a giant bobbit worm! It could tear a huge hole in their ship with one bite! "Other players?" Suna had woken up, noticing Yang Yi at the helm, his eyes fixed on the crystal ball. "Yes, we''ll follow them at dawn. I doubt they''d dare land on the island at night, so no rush!" A few hours later, the sky quickly brightened. Yang Yi leaned against the ship''s wheel, keeping an eye on the crystal ball all night. As the Good Fortune approached the island, it stopped moving, leaving Yang Yi waiting for nothing. He woke Suna, telling her to take the helm and move closer to the Good Fortune. Meanwhile, he pulled out his telescope and climbed up the mast. [Name: Ordinary Telescope] [Type: Treasure] [Quality: Common] [Description: A simple, ordinary telescope. In good lighting conditions, it can clearly see ships up to 10 nautical miles away.] As the distance closed, Yang Yi finally got a good look at the other ship. "They don''t even have cannons?" "And it''s just a second-level ordinary ship?" Yang Yi was stunned, realising he had been overly cautious. The ship was similar to Hu Wei''s large sailboat design but slightly smaller, clearly only a second-level ship. He told Suna to go full speed ahead as they approached, preparing to see who was on board. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on . It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 47 - Foodie The Nightmare Star dragged the large sailboat closer and stopped about 300 metres away. At such distance, ordinary arrows wouldn''t reach. Yang Yi jumped down from the mast, frowning. "Strange, why is it so quiet? Did that person land on the island? Or...is he hiding, trying to ambush me?" Yang Yi observed. It was a sailboat less than twenty metres long. At first glance, it looked ordinary, and upon closer inspection, it was even more so. "Suna, take the helm. Let me try a few shots at him!" Yang Yi took some units of stone from the cabin, each unit about a cubic decimetre in volume and weighing around six kilograms, just right for use in the stone launcher. He was ready to fire a few shots at the sailboat to see if anyone was on board. After aiming, Yang Yi fired directly. He had been using the launcher for a few days now and had plenty of experience. The first shot landed accurately on the Good Fortune¡¯s deck, causing a loud noise, but it didn¡¯t break the deck. "Pretty sturdy." Yang Yi fired six or seven more shots. One shot directly made a hole in the deck, yet there was no response from the other side. "Suna, move closer and open a hole in the hull for me. I want to see if anyone is hiding in the cabin!" Yang Yi ordered. He had ambushed others like this before, so he was being especially cautious, determined not to fall for a similar trick. However, he was overthinking it. The bobbit worm, with its four sharp mandibles, easily sliced off a section of the Good Fortune¡¯s stern, revealing the cabin inside. There was nothing in there! Yang Yi stood frozen in place, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. After all the fuss, it turned out he had been outwitting thin air. Without further hesitation, he instructed Suna to move the ship closer, set up a plank bridge, and, holding his flintlock, prepared to board the Good Fortune. And then...he boarded the ship without any resistance. Ten minutes later, Yang Yi received a log notification allowing him to dismantle the Good Fortune. The ship''s owner was completely done for. "How did he manage it? How could he die so quickly? I came over just as dawn broke, and it''s been less than an hour! Even if you left a pig on the island, it wouldn''t die so fast![^1] I¡¯ve already poisoned most of the spiders on the island!" Yang Yi complained to Suna. "How should I know? Do you want to throw in some more poison?" "No, I don¡¯t think the spiders are the issue. Let¡¯s just stay cautious." In the end, Yang Yi dismantled the Good Fortune and decided to head to the island to avenge him![^2] He found the following supplies: Black bread x2, Freshwater x2L, Wood x23, Cloth x15, and a Fishing Rod. ¡¾You dismantled the Good Fortune and received: Wood x143, Cloth x95¡¿ It turned out damage to the ship reduced the loot from dismantling it. Rewind a few hours. It was still dark when Good Fortune had landed. Captain Li Rong tossed aside his fishing rod and waded ashore. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t have imagined that Li Rong would be so bold, daring to land on the island in the dead of night. ¡°Hehe, sneaking ashore in the dark ¡ª totally unexpected! There won¡¯t be any ambush!¡± Li Rong thought smugly, his eyes bloodshot. Had he checked his own status, he would have noticed... Li Rong Spirit: 67/100 Sanity: 42/100 (Madness ¨C Arrogance) Health: 100/100 After coming ashore, Li Rong pulled out his machete and confidently walked into the island. He planned to search for some fire grass in the dark. Maybe he¡¯d even find a treasure chest. If he found the blueprint for a tinder coat, he¡¯d be rich! But Li Rong had barely taken two steps when he suddenly stopped. He smelt something very fragrant, utterly irresistible. ¡°This smell¡­ It¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡¾You smell a sweet aroma, Sanity -10¡¿ Following the scent, Li Rong found a sticky puddle of ¡°chocolate¡± on the ground. It was crawling with maggots, but Li Rong didn¡¯t care. Maybe it was because of the poor visibility at night, or for some other reason. Li Rong scooped up the ¡°chocolate¡± with both hands and took a deep sniff. ¡°So fragrant!¡± ¡¾The fragrance overwhelms you, Sanity -10¡¿ ¡¾Sanity falls below 30, you are consumed by extreme hunger¡¿ Li Rong stuffed the ¡°chocolate¡± into his mouth, showing a look of unprecedented satisfaction.[^3] ¡°So delicious!¡± In his ravenous state, he devoured all the ¡°chocolate¡± on the ground, even scraping away a layer of dirt. His belly swelled, and his nails began to peel back. As for his machete, it had long since been thrown away. "Thank you, Mother Nature, for your gift!" Li Rong''s face contorted with delight from the deliciousness. His nostrils flared... ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± Li Rong quickly ran to the next spot, picking up some rotten leaves and eating them with a look of bliss. ¡¾You have eaten an unprecedented delicacy. You feel deeply satisfied. Sanity -20¡¿ ¡¾Sanity falls below 10...¡¿ Before going ashore, Yang Yi checked his own status. Status: Healthy (A human-shaped diagram, entirely green) Energy: 4 (97/100) Spirit: 7+1 (2388/8000) ¡¾Talent Bonus¡¿ Agility: 5+1 (23/200) ¡¾Pirate Outfit Bonus¡¿ Constitution: 4 (99/100) Perception: 5 (172/200) Sanity: 72/100 Vitality: 100/100 Health: 100/100 Talent: Iron Will, Defies Death Special Condition: Kiss of a Spider His agility had increased a bit, reaching the human average of 5 points. He was now faster and more nimble than before. Energy and constitution were also about to improve, with perception not far behind. Only his spirit was proving difficult to raise. High-level attributes were much harder to grow than lower ones. After getting ready, Yang Yi and Suna exchanged glances and nodded at each other, signalling that they were prepared. They headed ashore and started walking into the woods. Yang Yi was constantly looking for signs of the Good Fortune''s captain¡¯s tracks. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot. People coming ashore always waded through the water, leaving clear footprints in the mud. ¡°He landed on the island and died shortly after. Stay alert!¡± Yang Yi said seriously to Suna as he took the lead. He still didn¡¯t know that the other guy had lost his mind and chose to adventure into the island at night. Yang Yi followed the tracks closely and soon found a discarded machete nearby. ¡¾Name: Ordinary Machete¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Common¡¿ ¡¾Description: An ordinary machete.¡¿ The quality of the weapon was very low. Bringing such a basic weapon onto the island ¡ª either this person was extremely stupid, or he really had some skills! Soon, the two of them noticed unusual signs. A layer of dirt had been scraped off by someone, but it wasn¡¯t deep, and nothing seemed to be buried. Yang Yi was momentarily puzzled. Standing behind him, Suna sniffed the air, her sense of smell sharper than his, and looked up. ¡°Is that¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She noticed a piece of torn cloth hanging from a tree branch above the disturbed area and immediately understood. ¡°Yang Yi, I think that guy ate the rotting meat you launched over here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No way! That meat was crawling with maggots. No matter how good it smelt, no one would actually eat it, right?¡± Following Suna''s pointing finger, Yang Yi saw the piece of cloth. ¡°He really ate it?¡± Yang Yi felt a bit horrified. ¡°He didn¡¯t even check what it was before eating it.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not on me!¡± Notes [^1]:Now that¡¯s a harsh insult -simply [^2]:Hahahahahah avenge him -simply [^3]:I was having breakfast. -simply Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on . It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 48 - Giant The two followed the tracks and gradually found more signs of the "delicacies" being eaten. However, there were no spiders or other large creatures in sight, only some spider shells that had been completely cleaned out. It was as if someone had eaten the spiders like crabs, with their bodies and innards hollowed out, leaving behind the light, empty shells, which still carried a foul, decaying smell. It suggested that the spiders had been dead for some time, and their bodies had been consumed by something. Yang Yi picked up a larger shell and received some information. ¡¾Name: Tinder Spider Beast (fully grown)¡¿ **¡¾Description:**A large carnivorous spider species that displays considerable social behaviour, often hunting large prey in groups. Its fur has excellent thermal insulation properties. ¡¾Can be inserted into the Octopus Vending Machine. Note: monster corpses used as food or material by players cannot be used for pulls.¡¿ On one piece of the abdomen¡¯s carapace, clusters of fur were still attached. ¡¾Name: Tinder Spider Fur¡¿ ¡¾Type: Material¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: A material with better insulation properties than wool or down, useful for making fur coats**.¡¿** Yang Yi gathered the carapace and fur, placing them into his storage pouch. Whether he would exchange it or make a fur coat depended on the pull rate. Suna didn¡¯t pay attention to the carapace but instead focused on a footprint, gesturing with her hand. ¡°What is it?¡± Yang Yi walked over and asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this footprint looks bigger and deeper than the one before? And it seems like he wasn¡¯t wearing shoes,¡± Suna said as she placed her hand into it, carefully feeling it. Yang Yi observed it for a moment, furrowing his brows. ¡°It does seem like that¡­¡± He looked back at the way they had come from. They had been following the same tracks the whole time, so it had to be the captain of the Good Fortune. But it seemed like something beyond the ordinary had happened to his body. Under normal circumstances, a human being wouldn¡¯t undergo such drastic changes in such a short period. Rapid transformations were usually reserved for insects with abnormal growth patterns, like caterpillars turning into butterflies. And even then, it wouldn¡¯t happen so fast! Could the owner of these footprints still be considered human? Yang Yi stared at the footprint in deep thought before finally speaking, ¡°Let¡¯s go; we need to see this for ourselves!¡± He also wanted to figure out what had happened to the player. It would help him be prepared for the future. Besides, there was no turning back. The two of them pressed on, with Yang Yi leading the way and Suna close behind. Her eyes remained fixed on the chef¡¯s knife hanging from Yang Yi¡¯s waist, as if lost in thought. As they ventured deeper, they approached the heart of the island. There, the density of spiders was much higher, with carapaces scattered everywhere, all picked clean. And the player¡¯s footprints had become utterly bizarre ¡ª swollen, misshapen, and almost circular, nearly as thick as an elephant''s leg. His weight had clearly reached a staggering level, given how much he had eaten. Yet, there wasn¡¯t a single sign of excrement along the way! ¡°He¡¯s eating but not passing anything, and he¡¯s consumed so much. Is his digestive system some kind of superpower?¡± Yang Yi marvelled. After walking another few hundred metres, Yang Yi suddenly stopped in his tracks and raised a hand to stop Suna from advancing. ¡°Shh!¡± He motioned for silence. Soon, Suna also heard the heavy panting and gulping sounds. Yang Yi made a hand gesture ¡ª a signal he and Suna had previously agreed upon, indicating that he would go ahead and take a look. After advancing a few metres, Yang Yi climbed over a bush and finally saw the source of the noise. ¡¾You have discovered a disgusting monster, your sanity has decreased by 5¡¿ It was a grotesque, bloated giant, over three meters tall. Its body had swelled so much from rapid growth that its skin had burst open, making it look as if it had been flayed, with fresh blood dripping everywhere. The creature''s belly was only covered by a thin, translucent membrane, filled with a yellowish fluid, which might have been fat or some other liquid. From five metres away, Yang Yi could smell the rancid odour coming off it, like spoilt grease. What was worse, the monster could speak. ¡°Meat... Where did you hide the delicious meat?!¡± As it spoke, the giant tore into a nearby Tinder Spider¡¯s body, gnawing at it. After some effort, the giant found the spider¡¯s intestines, squeezed out the food residue that hadn¡¯t been expelled yet, and then stuffed it into its mouth. The residue contained ¡°delicacies¡± that were highly poisonous to spiders, yet the giant didn''t care at all, devouring everything without hesitation. After finishing the leftovers, it seemed unsatisfied and quickly consumed the rest of the spider¡¯s body. "This person has mutated!" Suna messaged privately. Seeing no movement from Yang Yi, she carefully crept up to him, crouching behind, half a body length away. "How did he turn into this kind of monster?" Yang Yi replied in the log. They both communicated silently through the log, making no noise. "I''m not sure... We¡¯ll need to dissect him to find out, but it probably has to do with eating the rotten flesh you tossed in earlier." "So, it''s my fault then," Yang Yi smirked. At the same time, he realised something important. In that world, player deaths could occur in two ways: One was physical death, like being directly killed. The other was mental death. A player could mutate into a monster for some reason, and when they reached that point, the system would also recognise them as dead. "This giant is huge. It¡¯s going to be tough to kill! Let me hit him with something big; that should blow him apart!" Yang Yi was ready to act. "Wait, try to keep him intact if you can! I want to understand why he mutated." Yang Yi thought for a moment and agreed to Suna¡¯s request. He also wanted to know the cause of the mutation. Understanding would help him overcome the fear of the unknown. After finishing the spider, the giant suddenly lifted its head and began sniffing the air. "Damn! He might have detected us!" Suna sent a private message. Without replying, Yang Yi acted swiftly, taking the initiative. At a distance of just over five metres, Yang Yi was confident he wouldn¡¯t miss such a large, pig-like head. Bang! The gunshot rang out, and flames burst forth. The bullet struck the giant in the cheek, blowing off half its face. However, the giant¡¯s pig-sized head had a thick skull. The shot didn¡¯t reach its brain, only disfiguring it. Its two eyeballs flew out, and its cheek ripped apart, exposing the gums. In standard mode, a single bullet wasn¡¯t enough to kill the monster. Moreover, Yang Yi and Suna¡¯s position had been revealed! "Fresh meat~~~!" The giant let out a howl through its torn mouth and began lumbering towards them. Losing its eyes didn¡¯t seem to hinder it much. Both of them immediately retreated, using the trees for cover and keeping their distance from the giant. Two iron arrows coated in poison struck the giant¡¯s belly, but they had little effect. The giant, crazed and furious, crashed through the trees, breaking them as it charged forwards. If it hit a person, the result would be catastrophic! Bang! Another gunshot rang out, and Yang Yi hit the giant¡¯s knee, causing it to collapse on the spot. The giant seemed enraged, spitting out a large glob of pus at Yang Yi, who quickly dodged it. The tree behind him wasn¡¯t so lucky ¡ª it sizzled as though it had been hit with acid, white smoke rising as the bark melted away. "Watch out for the yellow liquid in his body!" Suna warned. "It might be his digestive fluid. Even the arrows were dissolved!" Yang Yi raised an eyebrow and noticed that the arrows previously lodged in the giant¡¯s belly were gone, the broken ends on the ground emitting smoke. The arrowheads had completely disappeared. "Fresh meat!" the giant bellowed, charging again. It seemed to have a healing ability, as the wounds on its face were slowly recovering. Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare waste any time, quickly running as he contemplated a strategy. But as he ran, the sounds behind him suddenly ceased. Looking back, Yang Yi saw the giant had bent down and started eating the dirt. It was the "delicious poison" Yang Yi had planted on the island earlier. The giant, driven mad by its craving for ¡°delicacies,¡± was eating whatever it could ¡ª even dirt! S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up with an idea. He quickly pulled out the Chef¡¯s Knife and slashed at a tree beside him. The tree immediately began to emit a sweet aroma. As soon as the giant caught a whiff of the scent, it went berserk and rushed to the tree, gnawing at it frantically. Editor¡¯s note: no need to watch AoT, read this novel instead Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on . It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 49 - Gluttonous Guest The giant seemed to accelerate its regeneration by devouring things. After consuming a tree, new flesh began to sprout on its face, seemingly restructuring its features, but the shape was already completely different from before. Yang Yi scratched the ground with a chef''s knife. The giant immediately ran over to eat the dirt, digging a large hole. ¡°Can it eat anything?¡± Unconvinced, Yang Yi scratched a large boulder protruding from the ground, applying some force, and leaving a white mark. The giant instantly lunged at the stone, hugging it and gnawing on it, not caring if he broke a few teeth in the process. Strangely enough, the hard rock began to soften under the influence of its saliva, and eventually, it could be chewed. Yang Yi frowned. Its digestive abilities were strong beyond belief. However, it didn¡¯t seem to have much discernment. As long as something emitted a sweet aroma, it would desperately try to eat and gnaw at it! So...if the giant discovered that it was the most delicious thing around, what would it do? Yang Yi¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, cold light flashing from them. The chef''s knife in his hand flew out and plunged into the giant''s flesh. Immediately, the giant stopped gnawing on the stone and began sniffing around like a dog, finally locking onto itself. It bit down on its left hand with such force that it severed it. Then it devoured its left arm, followed by its right hand. ¡¾Scene is horrifying; your sanity drops by 10.¡¿ The giant consumed its own arms, then gnawed off its feet and half of its lower legs. Its neck began to stretch, and it attempted to bite into its own torso. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t bear to watch any longer. Standing several metres away, he fired a shot. After a misfire, his flintlock gun sparked again, hitting the giant right in the forehead. Every ten seconds, he fired another shot. Eight shots later, with three or four misfires, the giant¡¯s brain was finally reduced to a pulp by Yang Yi, and it ceased all movement. Suna, on the other hand, was recording the entire process. As soon as Yang Yi began using the chef''s knife against the giant, she knew it was no longer a threat. She had initially wanted to stop Yang Yi from destroying the giant''s brain. After all, an intact brain would be more beneficial for dissection and research. However, after the brain was shattered, she was curious about how Yang Yi had managed to kill the giant, so she remained silent, simply observing. Following the giant''s death, a large amount of corrosive liquid flowed out of its body, causing the ground to smoke. ¡°Probably its stomach acid,¡± Suna speculated, collecting some of the liquid in a glass vial. But the stomach acid appeared to be digesting the glass. After wandering around nearby for a while, once most of the liquid had drained away, Yang Yi used a stick he found on the side of the road to pull out the chef''s knife. After cleaning it with some fresh water, the attributes of the knife had changed; it seemed to be heavily corroded. ¡¾Name: Corroded Delicious Chef''s Knife¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Common¡¿ ¡¾Description: Soaked in acid for too long, this knife has been severely corroded and is no longer sharp. It has a certain probability of making anything it cuts taste delicious.¡¿ ¡°The weapon is practically ruined...¡± Yang Yi felt a little heartbroken. Although the knife was dangerous, it could be a very powerful piece of equipment if used correctly. It had withstood the blast from Yang Yi''s flintlock gun, but it couldn¡¯t stand up to the acid. Of course, it could also be because in battles between players, weapons and equipment wouldn¡¯t get damaged. To transport the body, Yang Yi and Suna began to shovel dirt and spread it over the giant''s body to reduce the corrosive effects. They then tied it up with simple ropes, preparing to drag it back to the boat together. During the process, Yang Yi also gathered information about the giant. ¡¾Name: Gluttonous Guest (Li Rong)¡¿ ¡¾Description: A human who has been profoundly corrupted by the Abyss and has obtained unparalleled digestive abilities, but is also trapped in an insatiable hunger. Can be inserted into the Octopus Vending Machine.¡¿ Yang Yi noticed the key phrase ¡ª ¡°sanity too low.¡± It meant that when sanity dropped too much, the human body underwent distortion, turning into a non-human creature! How terrifying! Yang Yi often overlooked his sanity value, feeling that a low score didn''t matter since he could still increase his attributes. But if it could lead to distortion, the situation would be vastly different! He certainly didn''t want to give up being human! Fortunately, up to this point, Yang Yi¡¯s sanity had not fallen below 10. A sanity level of 10 seemed to be a boundary ¡ª a dividing line between humans and non-humans. A sanity level below 50 indicated madness, below 30 could lead to suicidal tendencies, and below 10 resulted in distortion! Those who had a sanity level below 30 and chose to commit suicide...perhaps weren¡¯t wrong! At least they would retain their humanity in death, rather than transforming into monsters. Yang Yi shared his thoughts with Suna, and she acknowledged his concerns. They should never let their sanity drop below 10! After spending some time and losing three simple ropes, the two finally dragged the Gluttonous Guest¡¯s corpse to the shore. Once aboard the ship, a claw hook could grab it, allowing the corpse to be stowed in the cabin. Yang Yi glanced at the time; only 5 hours of daylight remained. He decided to pause his exploration and not delve deeper into the island, turning instead to collect the corpses of the dead silk spiders on the island. Suna went to the laboratory, eager to dissect the corpse; she would likely follow Yang Yi if he called her. Yang Yi could only return to the island alone, focusing on collecting the spider corpses. They could be classified into three categories: juvenile, adult, and giant. Juvenile spiders couldn¡¯t be used for vending, while adults could. ¡¾Name: Giant Silk Spider Monster (In Evolution)¡¿ ¡¾Description: A rare special individual of the silk spider monster with the potential for evolution. It can achieve a leap in life levels through human body transplantation.¡¿ Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi found one giant silk spider monster and 20 adult silk spider monsters. The rest were a large number of juvenile spider monsters, particularly abundant, and fortunately, they all had some silk on them, making them valuable for collecting to create sweaters. In total, he obtained 327 units of silk spider hair (including the adult spider monsters). Yang Yi returned to the Nightmare Star. He first tried to use the adult spider monster corpses to upgrade the Nightmare Star, but it indicated failure. ¡¾This is a beast and cannot be used for upgrades.¡¿ It seemed monsters had classification distinctions; only the more sinister ones were referred to as "otherworldly demons." Monsters like the large spider were only classified as beasts. The giant silk spider monster, however, was classified as an otherworldly demon because it could graft onto human bodies. Yang Yi rubbed his hands together, preparing to use the 20 adult silk spider monster corpses for vending. At the same time, he sent a private message to Suna. ¡°Suna, are you sure you want to do it? Your luck seems better than mine!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother me!¡± Suna was busy dissecting the Gluttonous Guest and didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. Yang Yi shrugged. Her loss! He wouldn¡¯t stockpile; he would open one as soon as it was drawn. ¡¾You have obtained a Spider Shell Heart Mirror¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained a Silk Sac¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Wood 3¡¿ The subsequent items were mostly basic resources and a small amount of Shell Coins, only yielding one bronze resource chest. In total, he gathered Wood x138, Fabric x112, Stone x10, Steel x1, Sulphur x21, Crystal x1, and Shell Coins x100. If a treasure chest was drawn, then the following ten draws would be quite a loss. Or he could turn the adult silk spiders into velvet sweaters instead! He thoroughly understood the rules of the vending machine. For a specific type of monster, the first two pulls were almost guaranteed to yield an item, but it became much harder afterwards. As for golden legends, it seemed that only the European king could obtain them, and it should have nothing to do with how many times one drew. ¡¾Name: Spider Shell Heart Mirror¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Exclusive¡¿ ¡¾Description: A heart mirror made from the hardest head armour of the silk spider, which can provide excellent protective uses. ¡¿ ¡¾Name: Silk Sac¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: A silk sac that can squeeze and spray spider silk. Its strength exceeds that of ordinary ropes, with a weight capacity of 500 KG. It''s lightweight, has strong adhesion, and can bind enemies. Capacity: 100/100, but afraid of being wet. ¡¿ Ch. 50 - Return to the island, again During the day, Yang Yi only explored about one-third of the island, harvesting 20 adult spider corpses and 327 units of spider silk. If he explored the whole thing, the numbers could have easily multiplied several times since there had to be a spider nest somewhere. If all the spider silk could be collected and made into sweaters to sell, he could make a fortune! When night began to fall, Yang Yi steered the ship away from the island because he planned to return the following day. It wasn''t safe to stay too close at night, as there probably were some creatures lurking. He planned to wake up early and arrive before dawn to ensure there would be enough daylight. "Suna, go rest in your room!" Yang Yi said as he walked into the cabin. The woman had no sense of moderation and would easily lose track of time when researching. He glanced at her, noting her sanity level had dropped to 53. After urging her several times, Suna finally emerged from the lab, looking somewhat incredulous and muttering to herself. "He only has a single organ in his abdomen, an enormous stomach. The other organs seem to have degenerated, and all his body fluids are stomach acid. Even the brain is directly connected to the stomach. If this continues, he might not even need a brain..." "Alright, enough. Check your sanity!" Yang Yi pushed her out onto the deck. "There are two more vending attempts left. Try it out!" Suna had no enthusiasm for the vending machine and half heartedly gave it a few spins, not even bothering to pick up the capsules that dropped. Yang Yi reluctantly collected them himself. ¡¾You have obtained Woodx5¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained Crystalx1¡¿ All basic materials. It suggested that the vending attempts on the same ship were shared among the crew. Two spins and then the quality of the items continuously declined. There was one more task to complete: turning the 300+ units of spider silk into clothing. Even if Yang Yi didn¡¯t really know how to knit sweaters, the system would force him to understand. In only 15 minutes, he managed to hand-spin a pair of wool trousers. The entire process felt magical, and Yang Yi had no idea how he did it ¡ª he just somehow managed to make them! In 45 minutes, with a 9-point reduction in energy, he spun two pairs of trousers and one sweater. Yang Yi laid aside the three pieces of clothing with two sweaters left behind by Hu Wei to keep them for personal use. Afterwards, he returned to the captain''s cabin and, routinely, opened the world chat channel. People asking for tools were still as numerous as ever. At that moment, no one had yet discovered a way to mass-produce them. Yang Yi left a message: "Willing to pay a high price for tools." It took less than a second for someone to behave like a parrot and repeat exactly what Yang Yi said. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It looked like it would be hard to get his hands on any. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t in a rush, though. After all, there was still some time before the frozen sea zone would spread to them. He drank a bottle of Coconut Juice, locked the door, and lay down to sleep. Yang Yi woke up before dawn. He checked his status. Aside from his energy, which was only at 93, all other stats were full. A long breakfast after, he gathered the supplies he needed: 2 litres of fresh water, several long-legged sardines (used to activate the stomach pouch), two sausages, a crystal ball, a magic potion, a bottle of Coconut Juice, weapons, equipment, and a newly acquired Shell Heart Mirror. A few backup supplies, such as silk sacs and spare regenerative potions, were stored in his stomach pouch. Once ready, Yang Yi checked his attributes again and found that both his strength and constitution had increased to 5, reaching the average level for an adult human. He steered the Nightmare Star towards the island. Suna wasn''t coming along ¡ª she was fully engrossed in her research on the corpse. Ten minutes before sunrise, Yang Yi arrived at the destination. His goal was to locate the spider nest, eliminate any potential threats on the island, and create a safer environment for future endeavours. Moreover, the answer to his ¡°Spider¡¯s Kiss¡± status was likely hidden within it. As soon as the sun rose, Yang Yi set foot on the island and began heading to its centre since he remembered there was a higher density of spider corpses near there, making it a likely location for the nest. Yang Yi picked up some silk spider corpses along the way. His greedy stomach pouch accepted them without hesitation, automatically opening up and swallowing the bodies, consuming all the flesh and leaving only the shells and silk. It would even eat rotting corpses! As he continued walking, Yang Yi started to feel puzzled. "What exactly are these spiders eating to survive? I haven''t seen a single small animal on the island, only spiders..." "And they can''t exactly go fishing." Yang Yi found it rather strange. After circling around the island''s centre, Yang Yi finally found a cave entrance. It was a vertical opening in the ground, about two metres deep, with a passage slanting downwards into darkness. The entrance was wide, suggesting that whatever creatures came in and out were quite large, and the lack of any vegetation nearby indicated frequent activity. Yang Yi approached the entrance, noticing a few small dead spiders lying at his feet, about the size of a palm, their bodies already dry and hardened. He was at the right place. He sniffed the air from the cave, detecting a rotting stench. Many spiders had likely perished ¡ª perhaps all of them. Good news! Yang Yi picked up one of the spider corpses at his feet and fed it to his stomach pouch, then took out the crystal ball stored inside it. Apart from displaying sea charts, the crystal ball also emitted a faint glow. Though it was no brighter than a candle, it was better than nothing. Holding his gun in one hand and the crystal ball in the other, he jumped into the cave. There was no immediate danger; the ground was littered with spider corpses. As Yang Yi ventured deeper, the passage widened to about six metres across and over three metres high, allowing the large spiders to move freely without needing to squeeze against each other. He proceeded cautiously, staying alert, until he made a discovery. Clusters of mushrooms grew on the cave ceiling, glowing red and packed closely together, all about the same size. ¡¾Name: Luminous Mushroom¡¿ ¡¾Description: A special type of mushroom that emits red light in the dark and grows rapidly. Its juice is mildly toxic and not recommended for consumption. Some ants and spiders use this mushroom as a primary food source. After reading the information, Yang Yi immediately understood. The mushrooms were likely cultivated by the silk spiders ¡ª they knew how to farm! With the red glow illuminating the cave, the light from the crystal ball became unnecessary. He stored the crystal ball back in his stomach pouch and switched to holding the Sea Serpent''s Fang, then continued forwards. The more he walked, the wider the cave became. Additionally, he noticed a faint breeze blowing through, its source a mystery. He didn¡¯t rush to collect the corpses, prioritising safety for the moment. As he ventured deeper, the density of corpses increased. He came across two large silk spiders, each with human body parts grafted onto them ¡ª one even had a human arm attached, no longer just a bare, spider-like form. They were all dead, their bodies decomposing and posing no threat. Yang Yi collected samples from their bodies. Unlike regular adult silk spiders, they could be used to upgrade the Nightmare Star, so it was worth taking them along. Passing by another cave entrance, Yang Yi witnessed a horrific sight. Dissected human body parts were suspended from the cave ceiling, hanging like cured meats, drying in the air. Some of the bodies were relatively fresh, likely hung up only recently. ¡°Drying human bodies and then grafting them onto themselves?¡± Yang Yi couldn¡¯t understand these spiders'' behaviour, nor how they managed to do it. If Suna were here, she would probably be excited to investigate further, but Yang Yi...all he wanted was to kill these disgusting spiders. Editor¡¯s note: I couldn¡¯t even fathom witnessing what he just came across. Sort of reminds me of Rudy Cooper¡¯s whole affair in Dexte Ch. 51 - Mysterious Stone Statue The cave had a big main road and many side paths that stemmed from it ¡ª one of which Yang Yi was prepared to venture into. The paths were usually narrower, only one or two metres wide, and some went high up. If danger arose inside, it was best to retreat. He proceeded along the main road, walking about a kilometre, when the terrain began to change. The ground was covered with a layer of cobwebs, dry and not sticky, like a carpet. The space around him was surprisingly large, with a width of several metres, and he understood why the spiders had dug such big holes. It was very dark, so he had to rely on the faint glow emitted by the mushrooms up above him, which made it difficult to see far. Yang Yi continued to move onwards. What he was in the dark about was that right when his right foot stepped on the ground covered with spider silk, the movements travelled along the silk deep into the cave. There lay a great big spider, twice the size of a giant one, with its head connected to its body. But unlike other giant spiders, its shrivelled head was tilted to a side and filled with blood and flesh, its skin a sheen reddish-grey. Its limbs connected to the sides of the torso, not quite symmetrical to each other; the hands and feet were of varying lengths and didn''t match the body, adding to the eerieness. After sensing the movements transmitted through the web, the eyelids of its head trembled ever so slightly... With no living spiders in sight, the more Yang Yi walked, the more his vigilance lessened. While he hadn''t found a single living creature within the cave, he did manage to collect eight samples of giant spider tissue, bringing the total to 9. The Nightmare Star could reach level 3. Suddenly, Yang Yi became tense, reaching for his gun and aiming it ahead. A great spider appeared before him, larger than any other spider he had seen. Its body was covered in a mass of red fur, with thorns like barbs on its exoskeleton and legs! It started exerting great pressure on Yang Yi. ¡¾Seeing this living creature, your sanity decreases by 10¡¿ If his intuition served him right, the spider was the "mother" of all other spiders. It wasn''t rotting, and perhaps it hadn''t been dead for long, but the possibility of it merely pretending to be so rang clearly in Yang Yi¡¯s mind. He decided to shoot her. He initially wanted to shoot its head; however, he changed his mind. The research value of the carcass was high; if he were to damage it too much, Suna wouldn''t let him hear the end of it. He reckoned it would be enough to verify its state by breaking its legs. Even if it were alive, so what! With its legs broken, it wouldn''t pose much of a threat to him anyway. One powerful shot and it would be dead for real. Yang Yi aimed at the spider¡¯s leg. Bang! The gunshot echoed in the cave. The leg of the great spider snapped clean off at the root, oozing thick, dark red fluid. ¡°Is it really dead?¡± Yang Yi stood still for a moment before firing another shot, breaking two of its legs. The spider still didn''t move. At that point, Yang Yi cautiously approached, bringing the gun close to the spider and kicking away its severed limbs before daring to inspect its attributes. ¡¾Name: Silk Spider Queen (Evolved)¡¿ ¡¾Description: The queen of the silk spiders, responsible for laying eggs and continuing the lineage, possesses considerable intelligence, and is the leader of the group.¡¿ ¡°Evolved...¡± Yang Yi looked at the body of the spider queen. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. He took a photo for his journal and sent it to Suna. ¡°Do you want this creepy spider? If you do, I¡¯ll take it to the vending machine!¡± Yang Yi asked. Moments later, he received a reply from Suna. ¡°I want it! I¡¯ve already dissected the Gluttonous Giant; the only valuable part was its stomach. I¡¯ll be using its stomach fluid to make a potion for you to try; I guarantee it will whet your appetite!¡± ¡°Uh...no need to worry. Do you want to try making something else?¡± Yang Yi swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ll come over now; send me your coordinates!¡± Yang Yi glanced at the crystal ball, confirming there were no other players nearby before replying, ¡°I¡¯m in the nest right now. I¡¯ll send you the entrance coordinates, and you can come in along the main road. All the spiders are dead, but you still need to be careful. If you find a living one, notify me immediately!¡± After giving his instructions, Yang Yi sent the coordinates. Out of the blue, he felt an unusual sensation by his feet: something was crawling towards him. Yang Yi immediately became alert and looked down. There was a fist-sized silk spider, its body still glistening with slime, as if it had just hatched from its shell. Yang Yi flicked it away and stepped on it without mercy. He hated having spiders crawl on him, with all those eyes and legs...he just couldn¡¯t stand it. More little spiders crawled to him from the front, each of the same size, and met with the same fate of being crushed. The eyelids of the spider queen moved again; the light was dim, and the movement was subtle so Yang Yi didn¡¯t notice. Yang Yi continued walking forwards until he came out from a hole, and most of his vision was suddenly taken over by a row of glowing red eggs, illuminating the entire space. The little spiders had probably hatched and crawled out of there. However, Yang Yi¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on the spider eggs; instead, it was attracted by a pile of stones in front of him. Each stone was enormous, with the largest boulder being over a hundred metres long. They were all seemingly piled up naturally, but upon closer inspection, new discoveries were made. Eight long stones propped against an oval boulder, resembling a spider¡¯s body and its eight legs, were all covered with dry vines and weeds, like the hairs on a spider¡¯s body. Once the idea took hold, the resemblance became uncanny. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but be drawn in by the sight, observing closely and making new discoveries. At the front of the oval boulder stood a stone formation. It bore no signs of being carved; it seemed to have been shaped by natural erosion, and the more he looked at it, the more it resembled a female figure, complete with arms and legs, sitting on the stone. Yang Yi immediately lowered his head, his cheeks tingling and cold sweat forming; he didn¡¯t dare to look again. ¡¾You have discovered a mysterious statue, sanity -20¡¿ At the same time, whispering began to fill his ears, like a soft murmur, vague yet understandable. That... sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Offer... your...¡± Yang Yi¡¯s brain felt as if it had been pierced by silver needles, the pain penetrating deep into his marrow. Tears started swelling up uncontrollably. At that moment, an activity log notification popped up, projecting onto Yang Yi¡¯s retina. ¡¾Oath Pre-Mission Triggered: Please offer your loyalty to the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders¡¿ ¡¾1. Offer one-third of your flesh; the Spider¡¯s Kiss will stitch your wounds and reconstruct your body...¡¿ ¡¾2. Offer the flesh of your kindred; lure them to the island, and the Spider¡¯s Kiss will grant you power...¡¿ ¡¾3. ...¡¿ ¡¾This is a pre-mission. Upon completion, you will become a follower of the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders. You may formally establish an oath at a specific sea and undergo metamorphosis, gaining extraordinary power...¡¿ ¡°Extraordinary power...metamorphosis...Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders.¡± Yang Yi repeated this information to himself, realising everything. The silk spiders were followers or kin of the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders, and they were also the guardians of this temple. The Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders was a great being, a goddess! She bestowed her favour at times, implanting her offspring within the bodies of the fortunate, guiding their destinies... More whispers flooded into Yang Yi¡¯s mind, persuading him. ¡°Offer...your...,¡± ¡°Offer...your...,¡± ¡°Offer...your...¡± Editor¡¯s note: see, if had conqueror¡¯s haki this wouldn¡¯t happen Ch. 52 - I have never believed in gods Oath Prerequisite Quest, Metamorphosis, Transcendence! Any one of those terms alone would be enough to make players flock in droves, and such an opportunity was right in front of Yang Yi. All he had to do was offer up his own flesh, or the lives of ten of his kindred, to complete the Oath Prerequisite Quest and become a follower of the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders! What was there to hesitate about? All it took was cutting off two legs! The Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders might even reward you with four legs in return, doubling the prize! So why hesitate? Thoughts like this were spinning wildly in Yang Yi''s mind. At the same time, his sanity was slipping away. ¡¾Strange whispers, your sanity drops by 10¡¿ ¡¾Strange whispers, your sanity drops by 10¡¿ ... Yang Yi lifted his head and realised the statue had come to life. It had transformed into a gigantic, indescribably large black spider with eight legs. Its body and limbs were covered in hair, but upon closer inspection, the hairs were actually the limbs of various creatures. From reptiles to mammals, from fish to birds, from insects to plants, and even grotesque limbs made of fungi. Yang Yi saw human hands and feet, eagle wings, lobster claws, octopus tentacles, tiger paws, elephant trunks, fish fins¡­ In short, any limb Yang Yi could think of was present in the apparition, and as long as he looked for it, he could immediately locate its position. It seemed like a living biological encyclopaedia, bearing the limbs of all creatures... Yang Yi felt dizzy and nauseous, but his gaze was drawn to the human figure atop the spider¡¯s head. It was a dignified young girl with four arms and four legs. The first pair of arms was slightly longer, while the other two pairs were located at her waist and the sides of her abdomen. Her hands were crossed, her posture holy. Her face had no mouth or nose, replaced instead by a chaotic cluster of eyeballs that roamed restlessly over her gelatinous face... ¡¾Looking directly at the apparition of the Great Being, your sanity drops by 100¡¿ ¡¾Warning, your sanity is below 10... ¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes stung, as if he were staring directly at the sun ¡ª no, something even more dazzling. His tears gradually turned light red, yet he didn¡¯t look away. Instead, he slowly raised the gun in his hand, trying to aim. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Among the three choices of the quest, he chose the third. ¡¾Option Three: Destroy the statue. The Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders will withdraw her favour. The ¡°Kiss of the Spider¡± status will be lifted. All spiders and spider-like creatures will become 100% hostile towards you.¡¿ ¡°Sorry...but I, Yang Yi, have never believed in gods since I was a kid! And besides...you¡¯re just too ugly!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened as he stared directly at the apparition. His trembling hand holding the gun gradually steadied. ¡¾Looking directly at the apparition of the Great Being, your sanity drops by 100¡¿ ¡¾Looking directly at the apparition of the Great Being, your sanity drops by 100¡¿ He ignored these warnings, focusing solely on his aim, and then pulled the trigger! Bang! Yang Yi had aimed at the spider¡¯s head. He wasn¡¯t confident about hitting the figure, but hitting that massive head was well within his ability! The apparition vanished, and the shot had actually struck the front end of the oval-shaped statue, shattering a small part of it. The humanoid figure on top of the giant statue fell, breaking into several pieces, no longer resembling the woman with four arms and four legs. As the dust settled, Yang Yi struggled to get up. ¡°Pah!¡± He spat out a mouthful of blood-stained saliva. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Just now, he had been blasted back by the recoil, rolling several times on the ground before coming to a stop. Fortunately, he had experience, and by rolling, he was able to disperse the force. His arm didn¡¯t dislocate again, though he did scrape some skin. Suddenly, Yang Yi realised he had lost vision on his left side ¡ª it was pitch black. At that same time, the entire cave began to shake, as if an earthquake had occurred. The statue collapsed as well, crumbling into pieces, like it had lost some kind of power, no longer able to maintain its previous form. Yang Yi sensed something was wrong. He hadn¡¯t injured his eye, so how could he be blind? He reached towards it. The feeling was strange, like soft jelly ¡ª three balls stuck together, sticky, and they seemed to be moving... ¡°What is this? Why is it on my face?¡± Yang Yi felt a chill run down his spine, an overwhelming terror rising from deep inside, paralysing his limbs. That thing...there was no way it was his left eye! He immediately checked his activity log and saw the message. ¡¾Warning: Sanity below 10. You may be contaminated by the Abyss.¡¿ ¡¾You have unlocked the Transcendence Pathway - Contamination. The Contamination interface is now unlocked, allowing you to view your status.¡¿ Yang Yi quickly opened the Contamination interface. Yang Yi: Contamination Level: 4% (A large human figure diagram, with the left eye marked in black) Contaminated Area: Left eye Mutated Organ: Three-Eyed: Grants three perspectives, allowing you to see most invisible entities. +2 Perception. ¡°Three-Eyed...?¡± Yang Yi didn¡¯t have a mirror, and even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t dare look at himself. At that moment, Suna sent him a private message. ¡°Yang Yi, are you dead yet? There was an earthquake on the island ¡ª did you get buried alive?¡± After reading the message, Yang Yi nearly choked. The woman really didn¡¯t know how to talk! If she were sent to rescue someone, they¡¯d probably die of anger before being saved. Who asks someone if they¡¯re dead? If he were dead, would he have to reply: ¡°Oh, sorry, I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dead!¡± Yang Yi replied irritably. ¡°Good. I saw your sanity dropped to 1 point, thought you might¡¯ve turned into a monster! If you¡¯re okay, I¡¯m heading over now!¡± With Suna interrupting, Yang Yi¡¯s tense nerves relaxed a little. Suddenly, his left eye began to itch, like tiny needles pricking it, and then his left-side vision returned, as if his eyeball and optic nerves had reconnected. But what he saw wasn¡¯t right...there was no colour. The entire world had become dull and monochromatic, yet with incredible clarity. His left eye had three perspectives, like three eyeballs working together and sharing information. The first perspective seemed like thermal imaging, giving Yang Yi night vision and allowing him to see clearly even in the dim cave. The second perspective could zoom in and out, as if his eye had a built-in magnifying glass and telescope. He could zoom in to see the hairs on a spider a hundred metres away and accurately judge the distance. The third perspective provided exceptional dynamic vision... Yang Yi tilted his head, dodging a web shot diagonally from behind. His left eye¡¯s field of view had become extremely wide. The three eyeballs protruded from the socket, rotating independently, allowing him to see attacks even from behind. But having such different visions between his two eyes made Yang Yi uncomfortable. It was like placing a colourless large world inside a small colourful world, with the two constantly interfering with each other, messing with his perception and making him dizzy. He could try to close his right eye and only use his left! That made Yang Yi feel a bit more comfortable. His left eye seemed unable to close, probably because it had no eyelid. However, there was no time to worry about that! Yang Yi turned to face the Spider Queen behind him. She had lost two of her front legs and was limping out of the passage. Ch. 53 - Blindness - part 1 Yang Yi cleared his mind of distractions and focused on the enemy in front of him. It was the Spider Queen, who had just recovered. Although she had lost two of her front legs, it didn''t seem to affect her mobility; she could still crawl with the rest. ¡°I should have just ripped all her legs off. Let¡¯s see how she¡¯d crawl over now¡­¡± Yang Yi regretted not doing so. He made his mind to cripple or kill completely whichever creature he encountered that might be playing dead. They stood about 20 metres apart, staring each other down. The situation was very unfavourable for Yang Yi. His flintlock gun was in cooldown, leaving him with only the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang as a weapon! Suddenly, the Spider Queen let out a screech from her crooked, withered head and charged at him like a tank. Perhaps due to the missing legs, her balance seemed a bit off. Yang Yi turned and fled, downing the red potion that enhanced his attributes while he ran. As soon as he drank it, his mouth felt like it was filled with molten lava. ¡¾You have consumed an unknown potion¡¿ ¡¾Your body feels hot, sweating heavily. Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Perception +1, Sanity -20, effect lasts for 15 minutes.¡¿ The potion¡¯s details became visible. ¡¾Name: Crimson Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion created by the witch Suna. Tastes fiery, and drinking water during its effect is not advised. Increases all attributes except Spirit by +1, causes excessive sweating and reddening of the skin, lasting 15 minutes. PS: Attributes cannot exceed biological limits. ¡¿ The potion was effective, though unpleasant to drink. Yang Yi¡¯s sanity dropped to 1, putting him in a state of madness, and combined with the potion''s effects, his attributes (except Spirit) were all boosted by +1, making his overall stats as follows: Strength: 5 + 2 + 1 Spirit: 8 + 1 - 2 (Steel Will +1)Agility: 5 + 1 + 1 + 1Constitution: 5 + 1 + 1Perception: 5 + 1 + 2 (Madness: Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1. ) With his Perception, Strength, and Agility all reaching 8, Yang Yi felt as light as air, almost like he could fly. His Spirit had also levelled up to 8, thanks to the vast amount of experience gained from his recent sanity losses. Yang Yi sprinted towards the shattered statue and hid among the debris. Rubble of various sizes was scattered everywhere, with some pieces towering over ten metres high. While he managed to weave through the mess, the Spider Queen, due to her large size, found it difficult to get to him immediately. ¡°I need to kill the Spider Queen before the potion¡¯s effects wear off!¡± Yang Yi''s gaze was cold as he picked up a perfectly intact spider egg, fed it to his stomach pouch, and retrieved the silk gland and the dead spider¡¯s venom. It enraged the Spider Queen. Spider eggs were already in short supply in the egg chamber, with most of them having been crushed by the falling rubble. Seeing Yang Yi deliberately run towards areas with more eggs, crushing them one by one, drove the Queen into a frenzy. She let out a piercing shriek and charged recklessly at him, no longer avoiding the smaller rubble in her path, smashing through it with brute force. Yang Yi remained calm. He had intentionally provoked her. He now stood beneath a massive chunk of debris, waiting for the Spider Queen¡¯s inevitable collision. Boom! A violent crash sent dust flying and gravel scattering everywhere. The Spider Queen didn¡¯t hit Yang Yi directly. Instead, a nimble shadow descended from the sky, catching hold of a web and landing on the Queen¡¯s back. At the last second, Yang Yi had used the silk gland to shoot webs to the top of the giant debris, pulling himself up. As the Queen reeled from the impact, her head momentarily dazed, Yang Yi leapt onto her back. The sequence of moves was smooth, like a perfectly choreographed performance. Even professional gymnasts would be left speechless. But it wasn¡¯t purely skill ¡ª it was thanks to the "Third Eye." The unique perspective granted by the Third Eye gave Yang Yi an extraordinary sense of distance and balance, allowing him to perform difficult manoeuvres. It was almost like...he had become Spider-Man! The combination of web-spinning and the silk gland gave Yang Yi the ability to move in three dimensions! He climbed onto the Spider Queen¡¯s back, quickly making his way to her head. With the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang in hand, he firmly grasped the humanoid torso¡¯s head and sliced it off in one swift motion. The cut was clean, severing the spine with ease. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Dark red blood gushed out from the wound. Bubbles formed on the exposed skin, resembling burns ¡ª a side effect of the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang¡¯s fire poison, further intensified by the venom coating the blade. The shrivelled head fell into Yang Yi¡¯s hand. The Spider Queen, now grievously wounded, let out a sharp, high-pitched scream from below. She still had a spider head! Losing only one wouldn¡¯t kill her outright. Yang Yi crouched low, but the enraged Spider Queen violently threw him off, preventing him from maintaining his balance. He was flung through the air, slamming into a pile of rubble, coughing up blood as the impact sent a sharp pain through his chest. Despite the pain, he kept his eyes on the Spider Queen, pushing off the ground just in time to dodge a mass of sticky webbing. If he had been caught, it would have been over for him. ¡°This monster is tough to kill...¡± Yang Yi muttered, his frustration mounting. He had tried attacking her, but the Queen¡¯s head was covered in an extremely hard exoskeleton, impenetrable even to the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang. He needed to strike at her weak spot! Yang Yi shifted his focus to the Spider Queen¡¯s eyes. She had six of them, arranged in two rows on her head, and Yang Yi could see them clearly. The first row had two large eyes, and the second row had four smaller compound eyes. Even though they were compound eyes, each one was the size of a fist, and Yang Yi was confident he could hit them! As he ran, he checked the silk gland¡¯s capacity and found he still had 86 units left ¡ª enough to use! He picked up some small stones at his feet, using the spider silk to bind them together with the Sea Serpent''s Fang, crafting a makeshift flail. Once finished, Yang Yi revealed himself and hurled the flail toward the Spider Queen¡¯s eyes. Thanks to the Third Eye, Yang Yi had become a sharpshooter, whether using guns, bows, or even this metre-long silk flail ¡ª it would hit its mark! The first strike landed squarely on one of the Spider Queen¡¯s large eyes, causing her to pause. Seeing his success, Yang Yi quickly retrieved the flail and continued to move, not staying in one spot. ¡°Arrgghh!!!¡± The Spider Queen was on the verge of being driven mad by Yang Yi. The battle between man and spider continued. Yang Yi, using his small size and elusive movements, struck multiple times, eventually blinding three of the Spider Queen¡¯s compound eyes. With her eyes repeatedly damaged, the Spider Queen grew sluggish, frequently crashing into the massive pieces of rubble in her path. Despite her tough exoskeleton, she began to suffer injuries, especially on her abdomen, where the shell was thinner, leaving a deep gash. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t in great shape either. The intense running had drained his stamina, leaving him with only 12 points left. If this continued, he would have to start using his vitality to compensate for his energy. Then, with another sudden strike from the flail, he shattered the Spider Queen¡¯s last compound eye. Now, she had only one large eye left. Although she was protecting it well, her blindness was inevitable! Just at that moment, it seemed like the Queen was pushed to her limit and had a breakthrough. Her tail curled upward, shooting a thick strand of web towards the ceiling of the cavern, and she quickly climbed up, using the web to ascend. Not only that, but she began crawling upside down along the ceiling...seemingly defying gravity! Yang Yi couldn¡¯t understand how such a heavy spider could move like that. And the ceiling was almost metres high, far out of his reach. He only had about ten units of silk left in his gland, barely enough for one final attack. Editor¡¯s note: Spider-Man, Spider-Man~ Ch. 54 - Blindness – Part 2 The Spider Queen moved across the rocky peak as if walking on flat ground. Yang Yi could only stare helplessly, unable to come up with a feasible plan ¡ª his attack range wasn''t wide enough. The Queen¡¯s abdomen lifted towards the ground, aimed at Yang Yi, and sprayed a mist of webbing in his direction, akin to rain. The web strands were sticky and clingy ¡ª if they touched him, escaping would be nearly impossible. The Spider Queen intended to limit Yang Yi¡¯s movements. Yet Yang Yi...accepted it gladly! He acted ferally, stomping heavily on the web with both feet. Even though it was hard to lift his legs, he raised his head to look at the Spider Queen and pointed a finger at her. "You...come over here!" Yang Yi taunted. In reality, he had no other choice. The effects of the Crimson Potion would last only two more minutes. If things continued the way they were headed, once time ran out, Yang Yi would fall into a state of extreme dehydration. At that point, even without the Spider Queen¡¯s webbing, he would lose the ability to move! Rather than let that happen, he decided to fight with all the strength he had left. "You''re not coming down? I''m clearly stuck on your web!" Yang Yi taunted again. His behaviour baffled the Spider Queen, temporarily throwing her into confusion. But she quickly regained her senses and, with a roar, pushed off with great force, diving straight at him! ¡°Graaaah!!!!!¡± ¡°Good timing!¡± Yang Yi rejoiced. The Spider Queen¡¯s massive body loomed larger and larger in his view. Yang Yi could even see her mandibles, dripping with saliva, as she opened her maw to bite him. In Yang Yi''s eyes, however, her descent seemed to slow down. Seizing the moment, Yang Yi threw his meteor hammer directly at her remaining eye. His prediction of her upcoming trajectory was so accurate it looked like the Spider Queen was charging right into the path of the meteor hammer! Due to the power of his enhanced dynamic vision from the "Three-Eyed" ability, he could predict the enemy''s attacks and movements to a certain extent! Yang Yi even felt his thoughts being forcibly sped up by the Three-Eyed power, just to keep up with this heightened vision! Thud! The combined forces resulted in the meteor hammer completely destroying the Spider Queen''s eye. Her body convulsed violently in midair, her actions distorted. What was initially a bite aimed at Yang Yi turned into a collision. Boom! The Spider Queen crashed into Yang Yi, sending him flying like a broken kite, smashing into a boulder and leaving a trail of blood in his wake. The impact was severe ¡ª it depleted over 50 points of his health. His ribs were likely broken in four or five places, and his left arm fractured in three. If not for the heart-guarding mirror protecting his chest, the one blow might have emptied Yang Yi''s health bar completely. But luckily, it didn¡¯t! He still had 16 health remaining, not even enough to warrant the triggering of his death-prevention skill! ¡°You should be blind by now. ¡± Yang Yi struggled as he reached for his waist, only to find that his regeneration potion had shattered, spilling all over the ground. Fortunately, he hadn''t come unprepared. Yang Yi pulled a long-legged sardine out of his coat pocket, fed it to his stomach pouch, and retrieved a backup regeneration potion from inside, gulping it down in one go. Gulp, gulp... ¡¾You drink the regeneration potion. Health restored by 20. Wounds begin to heal. The itching is unbearable. Sanity -20.¡¿ A maddening itch spread across his body as his injuries rapidly healed. Enduring the grating feeling, Yang Yi¡¯s health recovered to 40 points. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. He stood up with difficulty, looking towards the Spider Queen. She was flailing about like a headless fly, blindly attacking the rubble around her. Yang Yi, with bad intentions, wanted to walk in her direction, but before he could take a single step, his nose suddenly itched, and two streams of blood flowed out. His vision immediately went dark. It seemed Yang Yi...had gone blind. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He quickly opened his right eye, only to find that he couldn¡¯t see at all ¡ª both eyes were affected. A notification then appeared, informing him that the Crimson Potion¡¯s effects had worn off. Yang Yi felt his throat burning, as if it had been scraped by knives, and he desperately needed water. He immediately crouched low to reduce his movements, then fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out a rotting long-legged sardine, feeding it to his stomach pouch. From inside, he retrieved a water bottle and started drinking small sips. Two minutes later, after finishing the two litres of water, Yang Yi slowly began to recover from his dehydration, though he still couldn¡¯t perform any strenuous activity. He listened closely and realised that the egg chamber was eerily quiet ¡ª he could hear a pin drop! ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Unable to see anything, Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare move recklessly. After an unknown amount of time passed, Yang Yi finally remembered to contact Suna. ¡°Suna, come in quickly; I think I¡¯ve gone blind!¡± ¡°Blind?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t see!¡± Yang Yi typed fast.. Without sight, all he could do was check logs and chat. The system log was soul-bound, so he could still operate it without vision. ¡°How did you go blind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure¡­¡± Yang Yi recounted what had happened to Suna, but he didn¡¯t go into detail about the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders. He simply mentioned the strange things along the way, like how he drank the elixir, lost all his sanity, and then his left eye mutated, making his vision go strange... ¡°That huge spider was pretending to be dead. Be careful even if I''ve rendered her just as blind as myself.¡± ¡°Oh, that? She¡¯s already dead. I was just looking for a place to cut into her, but her exoskeleton is too tough ¡ª my dagger can¡¯t slice through. Where are you? Lend me your short sword to try.¡± Suna had already arrived a while ago, meaning Yang Yi had been hiding for no reason. He stood up and shouted a few words. Not long after, he heard footsteps approaching, and Suna ran over. The first thing she said when she opened her mouth was, ¡°Your left eye...is beautiful!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Though Yang Yi couldn¡¯t see, he had felt it ¡ª it was a bulging mass of three balls squeezed together, sticking out of his eye socket. No matter how he thought about it, ¡°beautiful¡± was the last word that came to mind! He couldn¡¯t help but think that Suna¡¯s sense of beauty was a bit unique, to say the least! ¡°Your eye is still moving. It should be functioning normally. Can you really not see?¡± Suna waved her hand in front of Yang Yi¡¯s face and then tried to touch his left eye. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Yang Yi backed away, feeling goosebumps rise. But Suna followed closely, sticking so near that Yang Yi could even feel her breath. ¡°Your left eye has no eyelid, so it can¡¯t close by itself. If it¡¯s really like you said, transmitting three different fields of vision simultaneously, your brain probably can¡¯t handle the load,¡± Suna explained as she observed. Yang Yi started to understand. ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re not blind! Your brain triggered a defence mechanism, cutting off your vision so you wouldn¡¯t overload your brain and end up brain-damaged or turned into an idiot.¡± S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So when will I recover?¡± Yang Yi asked excitedly. ¡°No idea. Could be the next second, could be a year, could be never.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°The brain is a very complicated organ.¡± Suna didn¡¯t dwell on the topic but handed Yang Yi something. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A piece of insect shell. Cover your left eye with it ¡ª it should block the visual information transmission from your left eye and help with your vision recovery.¡± Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! :D Ch. 55 - Extraordinary Path Yang Yi was blind and didn¡¯t know when he would recover. Under Suna¡¯s guidance, he approached the side of the Spider Queen. ¡°Lend me your dagger and gloves for a bit; these spider webs are too sticky!¡± ¡°You can take the gloves yourself. As for the dagger, it¡¯s probably still inside the Spider Queen¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Suna took the gloves and did something he couldn¡¯t see. If Yang Yi hadn¡¯t been blind, he would have noticed Suna prying at the Spider Queen¡¯s eye socket, lowering her head to look inside, then pulling out a spiked mace entangled in spider silk. ¡°It¡¯s not entirely clear, but your strike seems to have shattered her brain tissue, ultimately causing her death.¡± Using the gloves, Suna retrieved the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang from the webbing, then used it like a pick, pounding it with a stone into the Spider Queen¡¯s head joint to pry it loose. About half an hour later, the Spider Queen¡¯s head was dislodged. It had dark red fluid oozing from the severed end. Suna then picked up another head, shaped like a sphere. With two heads in total, she planned to bring them both back. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the ship; we can come back for the rest next time,¡± Suna suggested. Yang Yi didn¡¯t object. Now that he was blind, everything was inconvenient, and resting to recover his sight was his top priority. The two of them rolled the spider heads along, exiting the cave and heading towards the shore. ¡°You stay here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll get on the ship first and use the grappling hook to pull you up.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yang Yi had no response to that. Blind as he was, getting into the water and boarding the ship wasn¡¯t easy; he couldn¡¯t even see the ship, let alone grab onto the ladder on its side. So, using the grappling hook was the quickest and simplest method. About ten minutes later, a clamp fastened around Yang Yi¡¯s waist, pulling him up. The next moment, he found himself in the hold of the Nightmare Star. Although the boarding method was unusual, it didn¡¯t harm his body in any way. ¡°Wait here for a bit,¡± Suna¡¯s voice came from beside his ear. She had just come down from the deck, picked up something from the hold, and headed to the lab. She returned with a crude eye mask in hand; it was simply a large piece of insect shell with holes punched into it and cloth threaded through. ¡°Put this on. It probably won¡¯t help much, but¡­¡± She helped Yang Yi put it on, then ran back into the lab to get to work. Based on his memory and sense of touch, Yang Yi climbed up to the deck, felt his way along the ship''s edge, and returned to the captain¡¯s cabin. He took off his captain¡¯s coat, lay down on the bed, and checked his status. After facing the illusion of the Spider Queen, he had unlocked an extraordinary pathway ¡ª Corruption. His journal now had an additional interface. Corruption Interface Yang Yi: Corruption Level: 6% (within the human diagram, the left eye is black) Corrupted Area: Left Eye Distorted Organ: Third Eye Warning: If sanity falls below 10, the player will become corrupted. Players with high mental attributes can resist and slow down the deepening of corruption. When sanity reaches zero, the player will completely lose control and become a twisted monster. Unlike the other pale blue interfaces, the Corruption Interface was dark red, symbolising danger. By harnessing corruption, players could break through the limits of ordinary beings and ascend to the extraordinary. However, the extraordinary path was like walking a tightrope ¡ª one careless step, and you would fall into an abyss, facing a mental death and transforming into a mindless monster! The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Even if they managed to survive and retain some sanity, their bodies would undergo distortions. Yang Yi reached towards his left eye beneath the eye mask, which was slowly rotating. For a moment, he felt the urge to gouge it out, but suppressed the feeling. The left eye could make him stronger, and only by becoming stronger could he keep corruption at bay. The weak had no choice and could only accept their fate! Yang Yi continued to examine his attribute panel, discovering that the "Spider¡¯s Kiss" status had disappeared. His personal panel had also undergone some new changes. Yang Yi Extraordinary Path: Corruption [Level: 6%] (The extraordinary path is unique. Players can discover it on their own, but a player can only have one path at a time.) Status: Injured (in the human diagram, dark yellow near left side of waist) Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Strength: 5+2 (12/200) [Madness boost: Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Spirit -2] Spirit: 8+1-2 (119/16000) [Iron Will boost] Agility: 5+1 (23/200) Constitution: 5+1 (21/200) Perception: 5+2 (192/200) [Third Eye boost] Sanity: 3/100 Energy: 17/100 Vitality: 51/100 Mana: 9/7 (When Spirit is below 10, each point provides one point of mana. Mana depletion results in intense headaches and loss of mobility. Full mana recovery takes 24 hours; spirit reduction lowers the mana cap but doesn¡¯t affect the current mana level.) Talent: Iron Will, Refusal to Die Spells: None (Spells require mana, and may involve chanting, runes, rituals, or sacrifices.) Abilities: Third Eye (Abilities are physical capacities, some of which consume mana.) Facing the illusion of the Spider Queen had rapidly increased his mental experience, pushing it up to 8 points. Extraordinary Path, Mana, Spells, and Abilities ¡ª all these entries had appeared since unlocking the extraordinary path. But Yang Yi didn¡¯t know any spells and couldn¡¯t use mana. His only ability was a distorted left eye. After deliberating for more than ten minutes, Yang Yi decided not to tell Suna about these details. Who knows what crazy things the woman would do if she learnt that lowering sanity below 10 unlocked such abilities? ¡°Suna, keep an eye on the sea chart to prevent other players from getting close!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Suna replied quickly. Yang Yi had wanted to ask Suna to go ashore to find the corpse of a spider. Because with just one more corpse, the Nightmare Star could be upgraded. But as soon as she returned to the Nightmare Star, she locked herself in the lab, dissecting the Spider Queen¡¯s head. Yang Yi didn¡¯t disturb her, because after all, the corpse wasn¡¯t going to resurrect or run away. ¡°High price offered for fire velvet tools; serious inquiries only!¡± Yang Yi left his usual message on the world channel. He quickly received a response. ¡°Do you need flint?¡± ¡¾Name: Flint That Sparks with a Strike¡¿ ¡¾Type: Tool¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Flint that, when struck with a metal blade, releases abundant sparks capable of igniting cloth or wood fragments. Be sure to keep it dry; otherwise, it¡¯s just an ordinary rock with a faint smell of gunpowder. ¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°300 units of stone.¡± Yang Yi immediately checked the chat logs. He noticed two or three players selling the same kind of flint, meaning it wasn¡¯t limited in quantity. It suggested they had obtained the formula to make it. But currently, the price was inflated, with each piece selling for around 200 units of stone or over a thousand Shell Coins. The seller was offering quite a high price at 300. Yang Yi ignored him and wasn¡¯t too worried. Fire velvet tools would drop in price just like winter clothing, so there was no rush. Plus, better tools existed, like lighters. Flint required dry conditions; an infinite-gas lighter would be much more convenient! Yang Yi checked the large sea chart. The extreme winter sea was expanding southward at a slow pace, and it would still take ten days or half a month for it to meet the black fog. Thinking about all this, Yang Yi drifted off to sleep. He¡¯d been tense for so long and needed some time to relax. Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! :D Ch. 56 - Cannon After some time, Yang Yi slowly woke up. As he opened his eyes, he saw a faint light. "My vision is back!" Yang Yi''s spirit lifted. Because he now had only one eye, his field of vision was narrower, but it didn''t hinder his daily life. He tried closing his eye, removed the eyepatch, and switched to his left eye. Suddenly, the entire world became devoid of colour, yet incredibly sharp. With just a thought, he could count all the hairs in his eyebrows without a mirror! He walked to the captain''s cabin. It was still daytime, and there were only two hours of sunlight remaining. However, whether or not it was dark didn¡¯t affect the vision of his left eye. The three eyes didn''t seem to see by receiving light in the usual way. When using his left eye, sunlight wasn¡¯t blinding but appeared simply as a ball hanging in the air. Yang Yi took out a crystal ball from his pouch and used the reflection to inspect his odd eye. It was made of three gel-like eyeballs clustered together, each with an almond-sized yellow spot in the centre ¡ª probably some sort of pupils. They would slowly rotate and adjust their position as needed. Yang Yi only tested it briefly before switching back to his right one and putting on the eyepatch. The colourful world was far more pleasing. Using his left eye always made him feel reality was bleak and lifeless. "Are these monstrous eyes really beautiful...?" Yang Yi recalled Suna¡¯s reaction upon seeing them. Her sense of aesthetics was twisted. Under normal circumstances, no creature would have eyes like these! Only Suna would find them beautiful.[^1] He, instead, thought they were inexplicably grotesque and repulsive. "The maximum time limit should be around 10 minutes. To be safe, I should limit each use of the third eye to under 10 minutes..." Yang Yi sent a message to Suna. "Suna, I''m awake, and my vision has recovered. I''m heading to the island to look for the corpse of the giant silk spider. I need to hurry and upgrade the Nightmare Star; dragging this large sailboat around is severely slowing it down." He didn''t hear back from her ¡ª she was probably still busy dissecting. He checked Suna¡¯s sanity level, which was still within a safe range. Whenever she had free time, she would read his message. With two hours until nightfall, Yang Yi wanted to use the time to search and try to upgrade the Nightmare Star to level 3. He wasn¡¯t planning on going to the spider nest; he had already taken parts from the giant silk spider corpses there. Even if there were some he missed, they were likely in side paths, making them hard to find. The nest was also far away, so it wasn¡¯t practical to go at that time of the day. He decided to search for the corpse of a giant silk spider in the nearby woods to gather some fur as material for making a sweater later on. After searching for over an hour, he still hadn¡¯t found any. But just as he was about to give up and head back, he spotted a giant silk spider. "Haha! Taking a different route back was the right choice!" Yang Yi grinned, immediately running back to the Nightmare Star. By the time he boarded, it still wasn¡¯t dark. Yang Yi began moving supplies from the large sailboat (Hu Wei''s boat, which hadn¡¯t yet been dismantled). Once he had enough materials to reach level three, he immediately made the upgrades in his notebook, pressing the confirm button. Then, a ghastly green spirit emerged from the Nightmare Star, countless skeletal arms interlacing to form a skeleton that climbed onto the ship¡¯s body, covering the deck like a layer of armour. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. The evolution didn''t change the size of the ship, but its appearance had undergone a complete transformation. The captain''s skull at the bow ignited with a soul flame, clasped tightly by numerous skeletal arms, fixed in place, unable to move. ¡¾Upgrade complete. The Nightmare Star is now a level-three vessel. You can view specific changes in the ship interface.¡¿ Yang Yi immediately opened the ship interface. ¡¾Nightmare Star, Level 3, Durability: 4500/4500, Capacity: 12,000 units, Speed: 65 knots Note: 500 durability comes from the Bobbit worm¡¯s head ¡¿ ¡¾Ship Skills: ¡¾Description: This ship is starting to grow bones ¡ª are you sure you want to keep upgrading it?¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s face broke into a wide grin as he read the attributes. The ship¡¯s most criticised weakness had finally been resolved! A durability of 4500! Though it looked a bit strange, it was a ghost ship after all. Having some moving skeletons on board was perfectly normal and nothing to be surprised by! After seeing it for some time, you would naturally get used to it. Yang Yi dismantled Hu Wei¡¯s large sailboat, gaining a substantial amount of resources. Then, feeling exhilarated, he headed down into the ship¡¯s cabin. With two additional expansion slots, he could install the cannons he¡¯d been longing for. It was time to fully embrace the way of the warrior![^2] He immediately chose to build an offensive structure ¡ª an ancient combat room. Resources used: Wood x200, Iron x10, Sulphur x10 The glow faded, leaving a new room in its wake, with two cannons equipped. Such combat rooms could be built in pairs, one for the left and one for the right broadside. Yang Yi thought it over and built another to avoid having to adjust the ship''s direction if an enemy appeared on the left side. He entered the ancient combat room to check the cannons'' attributes. ¡¾Name: Soaked Cannon¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment (Relic)¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: This cannon is waterlogged; its shells won¡¯t explode but have a longer range and a low probability of firing out mysterious objects. Range: 300 metres.¡¿ ¡¾The cannon is fixed in the combat room and cannot be removed¡¿ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After reading it, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but laugh, "Figures that nothing soaked in water would be normal!" But these ¡°mysterious objects¡±¡ªwhat could they be? Yang Yi tried firing a dozen or so shots, but nothing unusual happened ¡ª only the coastal rocks shattered. "So, this thing is basically a ballista with better ballistics!"[^3] Yang Yi realised. After all, a cannonball that didn''t explode was pretty much just a large stone. He discovered that the expansion buildings could be upgraded as well. To upgrade the ship to level four, all expansion buildings needed to reach level two, except for special ones like the Witch¡¯s Laboratory. It was unknown whether the Witch¡¯s Laboratory could be levelled up, as there was no upgrade option in the interface. Without hesitation, Yang Yi upgraded the ancient combat room to level two, consuming Wood x100, Cloth x400, Stone x100, Iron x40, Sulphur x20 ¡ª just enough resources. A glow flashed, and the ancient combat room became covered with a mouldy carpet, which squished and released bubbles when stepped on, as if it had been pulled from the water. The cannon¡¯s surface was adorned with rusted metal ornaments, upgraded to a level two Soaked Cannon. ¡¾Name: Level Two Soaked Cannon¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment (Relic)¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: This cannon is waterlogged; its shells won¡¯t explode but have a longer range and a certain probability of firing mysterious objects. Range: 350 metres.¡¿ ¡¾The cannon is fixed to the combat room and cannot be removed¡¿ With a range like that, it was significantly longer than a standard cannon ¡ª a major advantage. Yang Yi had also considered building a glass cannon, but it required 100 crystals and was prone to breaking. He¡¯d save that for a later upgrade. After construction, his remaining resources were: Wood x535, Cloth x285, Stone x945, Iron x47, Crystal x14, Sulphur x25, Shell Coins x1400 Hu Wei¡¯s legacy was nearly exhausted. The resources needed for a level-four ship were also displayed: Required: Wood x4000, Cloth x2000, Stone x1000, Iron x500, Crystal x1000, Sulphur x500, Ever-growing Flesh x1 Seeing the skyrocketing resource demand, Yang Yi decided to pretend he hadn¡¯t seen it! ## Notes [^1]: He''s blatantly calling her crazy, and I have to agree - Simply [^2]: Some days, some nights, some live, some die in the way of the samurai~ -Simply [^3]: Sounds like a sick bar -Simply Shoutout to our new Patreon Bonnie Swihart! Thank you so much for joining the team! :D Ch. 57 - A sudden realization Yang Yi fired a dozen more shots, devastating a large part of the coast. Then he finally spotted something strange: a long-legged sardine. When it had just left the cannon¡¯s barrel, it might still have been alive, but after smashing into the reef, it was now impossible to pry it out. The shot didn¡¯t do much damage, yet it made one feel insulted, leaving Yang Yi speechless. ¡°What the heck is this good for!? Trying to make the enemy die of laughter?¡± Of course, it was probably due to Yang Yi¡¯s poor fortune. If it were someone lucky, what came hurling out of the cannon might have been a two-headed devil shark, a creature several levels more destructive ¡ª scarier. ¡°But why isn¡¯t Suna reacting at all?¡± Yang Yi suddenly noticed something was wrong. The noise made after he upgraded the ship was very loud, but Suna didn¡¯t even pop her head out to take a look. His heart tightened, and he checked on Suna¡¯s condition, only to find her sanity was down to 49. Yang Yi immediately entered the witch¡¯s laboratory. At that moment, Suna had just finished dissecting the queen spider¡¯s head, her cheeks flushed from excitement. On the table were two glass jars, each containing a brain, one large and one small. The larger brain was incomplete; however, both looked distinctly human. Seeing Yang Yi, Suna eagerly said, ¡°You¡¯re finally here! I was just about to call you!¡± Yang Yi frowned, watching Suna in her maddened state. ¡°I have made a groundbreaking discovery, akin to finding a whole new continent!¡± Suna spoke quickly, sharing her astonishing findings with Yang Yi. ¡°I found a completely new, controllable, selective evolution form in the spider queen! It¡¯s different from the slow genetic mutations that accumulate over time! These spiders can consciously modify their bodies, almost as if they were editing their own lives!¡± She continued, ¡°I¡¯d call this evolutionary model Evolution 2.0...¡± Yang Yi held up his hand, cutting off her monologue, and asked about the final outcome. ¡°Suna, what exactly do you want to do?¡± ¡°Yang Yi! Do you want to evolve?¡± Suna pulled out a syringe. ¡°This is brain marrow extract I obtained from the spider queen. With further purification, it should work on humans!¡± ¡°Inject this into the spine, and we could attach extra limbs, just like spiders! Any limb would do. We would be achieving life evolution step by step!¡± Yang Yi suddenly thought of the Mother of Ten-Limbed Spiders. Although his memory was hazy, he vaguely remembered her having six legs, four arms, and a massive spider body covered with various limbs. She might have evolved to her peak that way, becoming an awe-inspiring entity, perhaps even a god. **¡¾Recalling the image of a divine entity, your sanity drops by 30.¡¿** Yang Yi¡¯s eyes grew cold as he sternly warned, ¡°Suna, stop your insane thoughts. Don¡¯t pursue this path any further!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Suna looked puzzled. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to evolve, I can try it myself!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s voice thundered like a bell, startling Suna, who shrank back. ¡°If you dare attach any weird things to yourself, I promise I¡¯ll tear each one of them off you, one by one!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s gaze was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. A few seconds later. Suna pouted and replied, ¡°Why so fierce?¡± However, after Yang Yi¡¯s scolding, Suna seemed to abandon her plan to evolve and, right in front of him, destroyed the unfinished mysterious potion. It took Yang Yi by surprise. He checked her sanity value and found it had risen to 51, which pulled her out of her madness. ¡°So, scolding actually works?¡±[^1] Yang Yi was astonished, but he kept his expression neutral and asked, ¡°Have you completed the restorative potion?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting close. I only need a few more days!¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s late; go rest!¡± Suna nodded and left the lab, finally noticing that the Nightmare Star had been completely revamped. ¡°Levelled up to tier three?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Suna began inspecting the ship¡¯s interface, adapting to its new upgrades. Night fell. The Nightmare Star, previously bathed by a pitch black curtain, finally had some lighting. However¡­ Clusters of ghastly green ghost lights appeared across the ship¡¯s deck. They would only emerge at night, drifting back and forth on the deck. They were harmless to people and animals, devoid of warmth, and even touchable, like clusters of special gas. Their sole purpose seemed to be illuminating the Nightmare Star, while adding a sinister, ghostly aura to it. Yang Yi took control of the ship, testing the enhanced acceleration performance of the Nightmare Star. The top speed only increased by 5 knots, but the acceleration was significantly quicker. The powerful thrust was enough to make an unprepared person lose their balance. He hadn¡¯t sailed far before a disturbance arose behind him. Another earthquake ¡ª it was strong enough to churn the seawater, with the whole event lasting over ten seconds. Yang Yi looked back, switching to his left eye. After the tremor subsided, he noticed that the island¡¯s area had shrunk by several hundred square metres. ¡°This is¡­¡± Back when Yang Yi destroyed the statue, the island had experienced an earthquake. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. At the time, Yang Yi didn¡¯t pay much attention, as he was blind. By seeing it from a distance, he noticed the island seemed to be sinking. He had a feeling the earthquakes would become more frequent, and eventually, the island would submerge.[^2] But it didn¡¯t really matter, as he wouldn¡¯t stay there long anyway. Once he gathered the corpses and some supplies, he would leave. You couldn''t forget, the black mist was restless¡­ When in a suitable spot, Yang Yi dropped anchor, stabilising the ship. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then he returned to the captain¡¯s cabin. It had undergone some changes: a red velvet carpet, although old, now covered the floor, providing a comfortable surface. There was also a new light source in the room ¡ª a skull with a ghastly green flame inside. It would glow when opened and go dark when closed. Although the brightness was low, it was better than nothing. He lay down on the bed and noticed that it had become softer. The upgrade was definitely worth it! He began checking the chat logs, noticing that more players were selling hitting stones, causing prices to keep dropping. The Maritime Daily had also published the latest weekly report. Yang Yi spent 100 Shell Coins to buy a copy and sold some information on the silk spiders. However, he didn¡¯t disclose any details on the Gluttonous Guest or the Spider Queen. They were critical pieces of intelligence related to advanced knowledge, and honestly, the Maritime Daily¡¯s fees for information...were a bit low! Soon enough, Yang Yi received a deposit of 400 Shell Coins, enough to cover the cost of the newspaper and even earn him 300 coins. He skimmed through the paper; there wasn¡¯t much of interest in the trading section. But it did seem that the *Beginners'' Guide to Corpse-Eating* had been sold. Good luck to whoever bought it! The *Sea Chronicle* recorded a few events Yang Yi had missed. A few days before, someone on the chat channel sold a gun for an astronomical 120,000 Shell Coins. **[Name: **White Rose**]** **[Type: **Treasure**]** **[Quality: **Rare] [**Description**: A finely crafted, white-gilded revolver capable of firing silver bullets. It causes minor damage to demons and can suppress regeneration. It can harm intangible entities, like ghosts. Ammo capacity: 5. Automatic reloading takes 3 minutes.] ¡°Rich folks¡­¡± Yang Yi muttered. He certainly couldn¡¯t afford such a fortune. At the same time, he was also curious as to why the seller was letting go of the gun. If it were up to Yang Yi, he¡¯d never sell it ¡ª unless he had spares! What this news indicated was that guns were becoming more common, so he¡¯d have to stay cautious. He couldn¡¯t normally dodge bullets, but with the help of his third eye, he might stand a chance¡­ Meanwhile, the *Sea Chronicle* also revealed the coordinates of a new island. The volcanic island was home to a unique creature called the lava slug, capable of crawling through magma. While they didn¡¯t attack humans, their secretions were scorching hot and fatal upon contact ¡ª a highly dangerous species. They weren¡¯t very intelligent creatures, however, and players quickly figured out how to kill them. They only needed to cool them down with large amounts of seawater. Once cooled, the slugs would die, turning into hardened stones. Their corpses could be used in vending machines, with a high chance of yielding a hitting stone. ¡°That explains why more players are suddenly selling hitting stones!¡± Yang Yi checked the sea map and found that this island was quite far, to the left and rear, requiring seven or eight days of sailing. By the time he arrived, the black mist would likely have swallowed the island. So, he abandoned the idea of joining the excitement; if necessary, he could simply buy a hitting stone. ------ Notes [^1]: Parents, take notes! - Simply [^2]: Basically a Water 7 in the making - Simply We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 27/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 58 - The Book of the Spider Body The following day, Yang Yi got up early and knocked on Suna''s door.After a while, there was finally some movement inside. Suna opened the door, looking a bit displeased. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked. ¡°The island is sinking. Let¡¯s hurry and retrieve the bodies on the island; we only need the red velvet fur from the spider¡¯s abdomen. If we have time, we can also gather some wood,¡± Yang Yi instructed. Suna nodded. Yang Yi took the helm, steering the Nightmare Star towards the island. By the time they reached the shore, the sky was lightening. Suna quickly freshened up, slung her pirate longbow over her shoulder, and got ready to go ashore with Yang Yi. However, while wading to the shore, Yang Yi suddenly realised something. If they discovered an island in the extreme winter sea, wouldn¡¯t they have to wade through icy water? That freezing seawater would be deadly! ¡°It seems we¡¯ll need to make a raft. I can put one together later,¡± Yang Yi decided. After retrieving the bodies, they planned to use raw wood and spider silk to make a simple raft. The remaining spider silk in their sack ¡ª about a dozen units¡ª was sufficient. Once ashore, the two followed their plan and headed to the nest first. The area had the highest concentration of spider corpses, and they needed to bring back the body of the Spider Queen from the innermost part as well. If one person did it alone, it would likely be too much to handle. Suna would be responsible for collecting the Silk Spider fur in areas closer to the ship, while Yang Yi would cover the farther areas, including the other end of the island. They decided to complete the collection of Silk Spider fur within the day. Being their second time on the island, they navigated with ease and quickly arrived at the entrance of the nest. The smell had grown even worse. Moreover, a new kind of insect had appeared in the cave ¡ª tiny ants the size of rice grains. The source of these ants was unclear, but they were numerous, feeding on the glow mushrooms overhead and the Silk Spider corpses. Suna caught a few ants, examined them, and found them rather ordinary with nothing special. She made a guess. ¡°These ants might be enemies of the spiders. Now that the spiders are dead, this cave has become a paradise for them,¡± Suna explained. The two didn¡¯t linger, each gathering Silk Spider fur along the way with great efficiency. Collecting the fur was straightforward, as it could be scraped off with a dagger or short sword. They also attempted to explore side passages but avoided the narrow ones, which were filled with spider silk, making movement difficult. Soon, they made an unexpected discovery. In a side passage about two metres wide, Yang Yi found a curled-up, deceased giant Silk Spider. He decided to take it back to use it on the vending machine. The two ventured deeper and soon arrived at a cave. Yang Yi had been there before, its walls were covered with dried human limbs. Suna had paused briefly the last time they were there but hadn¡¯t explored further, as a massive Spider Queen awaited her ahead. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Yang Yi entered the cave to collect spider fur from the dead spiders. They noticed a platform inside, covered with black stains. Suna leaned in, sniffed it, and frowned. ¡°Blood stains. These spiders probably dismembered people here. Some blood spurted several metres away, suggesting that the people were likely still alive when dismembered,¡± Suna speculated. Yang Yi remained silent, discovering a broken bow and a dozen simple arrows on the ground. They didn¡¯t find any other equipment or items; it seemed Hu Wei might have already retrieved them. There were no light orbs left behind by players who had died there. Without stopping, the two collected all the Silk Spider fur in the area and continued deeper. They soon reached the egg chamber, the end of the spider¡¯s nest. Originally standing tall, the majestic stone statue had now turned into a pile of rubble. Even if a god were to arrive, they would probably be unable to guess what it once looked like. Yang Yi noticed that there were still many newly hatched Silk Spiders here. However, they had just emerged and were immediately attacked by ants, quickly getting killed. At that moment, large numbers of spider eggs were being destroyed by the ants. Even the Spider Queen''s corpse was covered with ants, crawling densely over it. Suna didn¡¯t rush to recover the Spider Queen''s corpse but hurriedly collected some intact Silk Spider eggs. They were the size of goose eggs and were considered living creatures, so they couldn¡¯t be stored in a magic bag. Suna could only carry a limited number, placing them in a simple backpack. Meanwhile, Yang Yi kept his gaze fixed on the Spider Queen''s body, contemplating how to move it. After all, the ten-metre-large spider, even after removing its long legs, was still larger than an ordinary cow. It was impossible to stuff it into a stomach bag ¡ª it would be devoured, leaving only the shell behind. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet started to tremble, signalling another earthquake on the island. Yang Yi quickly grabbed Suna and took cover under a large boulder. The earthquake lasted for a full minute, even more violently than the previous ones. A large number of glow mushrooms fell from above. But strangely, no stones. It had happened during the first earthquake as well, but Yang Yi hadn¡¯t paid much attention at the time. However, with his mind clear, he sensed something was wrong. Wasn¡¯t the rock ceiling a bit too solid? He looked up and saw strange patterns on the vast stone wall at the top of the egg chamber, however the light was dim. In addition, many glow mushrooms had withered and fallen to the ground, making it even harder to see the ceiling clearly. Suna also looked up. ¡°That looks like some kind of writing...?¡± she squinted her eyes, trying to make out more details. Without the use of the third eye, her vision was better than Yang Yi¡¯s. Yang Yi removed the eye patch from his left eye and used his third eye to examine the ceiling. Then¡­he saw it. ¡°This... This is...¡± Yang Yi froze, his body tensing, unable to tear his gaze away. At that moment, a flood of knowledge rushed into his mind ¡ª wild and brutal, nearly bursting his brain. Suna was right; the patterns were indeed writing. The fact that she could recognise them as writing meant her perception attribute was very high, but limited by her normal vision, she could only see vague outlines. That had protected her sanity. She wouldn¡¯t be forced to read and understand the text like Yang Yi! It was an ancient language, one that was far older than any known writing in human history. It had no connection to any recorded human script. It didn¡¯t require learning ¡ª it was enough to simply see its form to instantly understand its meaning! Pictographs could only be considered a crude imitation of it. The difference in the information capacity of the two was as vast as pure sand versus complex crystals ¡ª there was no comparison! The characters didn¡¯t follow a fixed structure; each one was unique. The amount of information was so great that it caused Yang Yi¡¯s brain to swell, with veins bulging on his forehead, almost about to burst. His head seemed to be enlarging. ¡¾Confronting the ancient text, your sanity decreases by 50¡¿ ¡¾You have read the Book of the Spider Body, your sanity decreases by 100¡¿ ¡¾You have learned the Spider Body Magic, you can view it on the panel¡¿ ¡°Hoo¡­ Hoo¡­¡± Yang Yi gasped for air, sweating profusely, as though he had just walked through the gates of hell and barely escaped. At that moment, it felt like a hundred worms had drilled into his brain, causing a mental overload that severed his perception of the outside world. A few minutes later, he regained his senses and regained control of his body. At the same time, his nose felt hot, and a spray of fresh blood erupted, with some tissue fragments even mixed in. "Yang Yi, what''s wrong with you?" Suna also looked at the top of the cave, but found nothing. She only snapped back to reality after hearing the noise beside her. Yang Yi, still shaken, quickly grabbed Suna, warning, "Don''t look up!" "What did you see?" Suna asked. Yang Yi couldn''t answer. He was unable to describe to Suna what he had seen with words. The meaning contained in those symbols was far too heavy, far beyond what human language could carry. So Yang Yi couldn¡¯t find the right words to explain what he had witnessed. He only replied, "You should open the crew interface and check my sanity level." Suna understood immediately and quickly opened it, only to find that Yang Yi''s sanity level was only 1 point! She became excited and hurriedly asked, "What exactly did you see?!" "A hideous, evil, disgusting, and nauseating spider!" Yang Yi replied. If the text above was viewed with a wide-angle lens, one would see that the symbols were interconnected, forming the shape of a spider. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. "Don¡¯t look up, just dismember the Spider Queen¡¯s body and let¡¯s leave!" Yang Yi said, sounding tired and not wanting to continue the conversation. Suna''s expression was complicated, and she paused, seemingly still wanting to figure out what was at the top of the cave. Yang Yi didn¡¯t give her the chance. He took out the Sea Serpent''s Fang, and with the precision of a butcher, easily sliced through the joints of the Spider Queen''s body, quickly dismembering it into its abdomen, chest, and legs, dividing the body into several sections. His method was precise, indicating that Yang Yi was very familiar with the Spider Queen¡¯s anatomy. "Let¡¯s go, if we don¡¯t leave now, the ants will eat the whole body!" Yang Yi urged. Suna reluctantly gave up her thoughts, focusing instead on carrying the Spider Queen¡¯s body. The two of them discussed and decided to roll the abdomen back to the coast. Most of the vital organs were in the abdomen. The chest and legs, being smaller, could barely fit into the storage bag. They rolled the Spider Queen¡¯s abdomen all the way to the cave entrance. It was difficult, as even with their combined effort, they couldn¡¯t get the abdomen out of the cave. The vertical tunnel was inconvenient, after all, it wasn¡¯t designed for humans. The spider''s head was fine; after all, the Queen¡¯s head was mostly empty, and without the body fluids, it weighed only a few dozen kilograms. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But the abdomen was a whole different matter. Yang Yi then took out his flintlock rifle and fired a shot at the cave entrance at an angle, creating a slope. The two of them finally managed to push the enormous spider abdomen out of the nest. They made their way back to the coast. As expected, the island was sinking again, with the area shrinking by over a thousand square metres. Fortunately, both of them could swim, especially Yang Yi, who, with his frenzy enhancement, moved through the water like a fish, quickly making his way to the Nightmare Star and then boarded the ship. Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star closer and used the claw to pull Suna and the Spider Queen''s abdomen into the ship''s hold. After a brief rest, the two unloaded the silk they had collected and immediately set out again to the island. There were still plenty of corpses in the forest waiting to be collected. Following their plan, Suna handled the areas closer to the ship, while Yang Yi was responsible for the farthest zones. When alone, Yang Yi began checking his panel and noticed that it had changed again. Yang Yi (Mortal) Extraordinary Pathways: Corruption [Level 7%] / Book of Limb Spiders ¡¾Book of Limb Spiders: After reading the Book of Limb Spiders completely, you have learned Limb Spider Magic. When casting Limb Spider Magic, no incantation is needed. If in Spider''s Kiss state, mana consumption will be reduced by 2 points. ¡¿ Attributes: 5+2 (22/200) [Frenzy bonus, Strength +2, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Mental -2] Spirit: 8+1-2 (1320/16000) (Iron Will bonus) Agility: 5+1 (29/200) Constitution: 5+1 (42/200) Perception: 6+2 (22/4000) [Wide-eye bonus] Sanity: 5/100 Energy: 87/100 Vitality: 91/100 Mana: 9/7 Talents: Iron Will, Refuse to Die Spells: Body Enhancement: Stimulates and enhances a specific limb, increasing its power by 0-3 points. The stronger the limb, the lesser the effect. Consumes 5 mana, lasts 15 minutes, after which the limb will be paralysed. Body Restoration: Restores a limb. Can repair damaged or severed limbs, requires sufficient blood and flesh, consumes 3 mana, and can also enhance your own limbs. Body Explosion: Explodes a limb. Requires a severed limb, or can be applied to your own. The fresher and stronger the limb, the greater the explosion. Consumes 8 mana. Ten-Limbed Spider Summoning: Sacrifices your limbs to summon the Spider Queen. The more limbs sacrificed, the higher the success rate. If successful, it will summon the phantom of the Spider Queen. Status: Wide-eye "Reading something also leads to becoming extraordinary..." Yang Yi reviewed the four new spells he had learned. If in Spider''s Kiss state, the mana consumption for these spells would decrease by 2 points, which would greatly enhance their effectiveness. However, these spells didn¡¯t feel quite right. "Shouldn¡¯t I have started with the Silk Ball spell?" Yang Yi scratched his head. Though the effects weren¡¯t explicitly mentioned, he felt using these spells would certainly consume Sanity. And there could be other unspecified side effects as well. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn¡¯t want to rely on using these spells. Especially the last summoning spell, which required sacrificing one¡¯s own limbs to summon the Spider Queen. Putting aside the success rate, even if he summoned it, it didn¡¯t seem to offer any benefit. Did he want to bring mutual destruction with the enemy? Unless completely insane, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t think of anyone who would use such a spell. Shaking off the thought, he focused his attention back on the task of collecting the spider corpses. With the Wide-eye enhancement, his collection efficiency greatly increased. However, switching between two types of vision still put a considerable strain on Yang Yi¡¯s brain. So, every now and then, he would sit down to rest for a while. Even so, his speed was still much faster than Suna¡¯s. Four hours later, Yang Yi had completed his collection first, and he also found a giant silk spider, which could be used for vending. Suna was probably still an hour away from finishing. There was still plenty of time, with about two more hours before nightfall. After returning, Yang Yi didn¡¯t take a break. Instead, he chopped up some logs and used the remaining spider silk from his pouch to make a simple raft. He then hauled the raft onto the Nightmare Star. In a few days, after the silk dried, it could be used in the water. In the future, they could use the raft to travel to the island, preparing for the extreme winter seas. Suna happened to return as well. The time had already reached dusk when the island experienced another earthquake. Under their watchful eyes, the island sank by a quarter. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 27/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 59 - Selling Sweaters The speed at which the island was sinking was faster than Yang Yi expected. By the following day, the island would have completely disappeared. Fortunately, the collection of spider corpses has already been completed.The two of them gathered the spider silk into a pile, forming a small mountain. Suna collected 517 units. Yang Yi collected much more, as all the spider silk in the lair was stored in his stomach pouch, and when emptied, it amounted to more than seven times Suna''s, totaling 3,695 units. Combined, the silk could make 42 sweaters or trousers. If he made one more sweater and two more pairs of trousers, they would have four complete sets ¡ª two for each of them. The remaining 39 could be sold for a profit. However, before knitting, they could first try their luck with the vending machine, using the bodies of the two giant spiders. Yang Yi was about to go to the deck for a spin when he noticed a pair of eyes staring intently at him. "What¡¯s up?" he asked Suna. She hesitated, organising her thoughts, and after a few seconds, finally said, ¡°In the cave, you saw something, right? Could you possibly draw it? It doesn''t have to be the whole thing ¡ª just a part or a rough outline¡­.¡± She handed Yang Yi a pen and paper, her eyes filled with hope. She was bound to be disappointed. Yang Yi¡¯s drawing skills were still at an elementary school level, and he had little artistic ability. Asking him to draw those ancient symbols was akin to asking a newborn baby to recreate a QR code from memory. It was simply impossible! ¡°I can¡¯t draw it.¡± Yang Yi firmly refused and turned to leave, but Suna grabbed his arm. ¡°Tell me! I¡¯ll reward you!¡± Suna tried to tempt him, tugging at her collar. ¡°Hah!¡± Yang Yi sneered, his gaze filled with disdain. What did this woman take him for? Livestock? Utterly laughable! He, Yang Yi, had a will as strong as steel; he wouldn¡¯t be swayed by beauty! He glanced over, feeling indifferent. With a resigned sigh, Yang Yi took the pen and scribbled randomly on the paper, creating a mess of lines, very abstract. At a glance, it could resemble a spider. He handed the drawing to Suna and quickly slipped out of the cabin to avoid further entanglement. Suna held the crude drawing and looked at it. Yang Yi wasted no time, heading straight for the vending machine. He used a smelly, dried-up sardine as a payment, opened his stomach pouch, and took out a bottle of freshwater and the body parts of the giant spiders. The water wasn¡¯t for drinking, it was for washing his face. He hadn¡¯t washed in days, and his face was a bit grimy, which he reckoned would bring bad luck to the vending machine. After cleaning his face, Yang Yi officially started his turns, inserting the body parts one by one and spinning the dial on the octopus-shaped vending machine¡¯s chest. Two unremarkable capsules popped out. Yang Yi picked one up and checked it, overjoyed. He had won something good! ¡¾Name: Low-Level Craftsman Engraved Stone¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Description: Can enhance the quality of treasures, upgrading any items of fine quality or below by one level. Your treasures will be renewed.¡¿ The other reward wasn¡¯t as impressive; it was an Armour Heart Protector, identical to the one Yang Yi had obtained before, so he could give it to Suna. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. After finishing with the capsules, he returned to the cabin, and Suna had already gone back to the witch¡¯s lab. Since her sanity level was 72, he didn¡¯t feel the need to rush her out. He mixed himself a bottle of Vitality Coconut Smoothie and downed it in one go. ¡°Running low on salt?¡± He noticed there was only 30g of salt and two bottles of the coconut smoothie left in stock. Fortunately, he still had 54 vitality coconuts. ¡°Might as well buy some salt and make the rest of the vitality coconuts into smoothies.¡± He left the cabin, moved the Nightmare Star to a relatively safe spot, and docked. If the island didn¡¯t sink, he planned to cut some wood before leaving. If it sank, then so be it. He browsed the chat channel, trading his machete for two bags of salt, totaling 1000g. He actually liked the weapon, but its quality was too low ¡ª it was fine for chopping branches or people but wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a spider''s carapace without breaking. Yang Yi checked his stamina; it was down to 55, worn out from the day¡¯s activities. Each sweater or pair of trousers required 3 stamina points, so he could make a maximum of eight items. If he pushed himself further, his stamina would drop below 30, risking unconsciousness ¡ª not worth it. Two hours laters, he crafted more sets of clothes. He put the price at 4,000 per set, which was roughly seven times the price of a down jacket (a down jacket costs about 600 Shell Coins, so two would be 1,200). He started advertising in the chat. ¡°Fire Velvet sweaters and trousers sets! Check them out for yourself; two pieces per set, selling for 4,000 Shell Coins each, only four sets available!¡± He attached the stats of the outfits. Just after he posted, a flood of private messages poured in. ¡°4,000 ¡ª did you add an extra zero? I¡¯ll take it for 400 Shell Coins!¡± ¡°How about 2,000? A down jacket is only 600 each right now.¡± ¡°Just cold-resistant clothing, not a weapon. Sell it cheaper¡­¡± Yang Yi skimmed a few messages, mostly lowballers, so he ignored them. These people weren¡¯t his target customers anyway. He wanted to sell to players doing well in the game. These players needed higher-grade equipment and would be willing to pay more. Soon, his first customer appeared: Shen Guanquan, leader of the New World Fleet. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Message me privately for good stuff. I¡¯ll take all four sets!¡± Yang Yi took a deep breath. The guy had to be doing well ¡ª buying with the air of a wealthy spender. Money was money, and Yang Yi wasn¡¯t about to turn it down. The transaction was quickly completed, with 16,000 Shell Coins credited to his account. Just after he sold out, more private messages from friends started coming in, including Captain Yu Zhiwei of the Iron Will and Captain Xu Da of the Swift Wind. ¡°Sold out. I¡¯ll message you when I make more.¡± After replying to each, Yang Yi called Suna back to the cabin and prepared to sleep, resting up for tomorrow¡¯s plans. Meanwhile, at the New World Fleet. Shen Guanquan received the four sets of sweaters and trousers, keeping one for himself and planning to distribute the rest to his top crew. ¡°Old Shen, didn¡¯t you overpay for these sweaters?¡± asked Captain Zhao Tietou of the Ironhead, a little distressed. ¡°You don¡¯t understand! When the temperature drops and only these sweaters can keep you warm, then you¡¯ll see their worth!¡± ¡°But if I just wear two padded coats, won¡¯t it be the same? If it¡¯s still cold, I¡¯ll wear three.¡± Shen Guanquan went silent, turning to Zhao Tietou with difficulty. ¡°Tietou, sometimes I think you¡¯re actually pretty smart!¡± ¡°Of course! All thanks to your guidance!¡± Zhao Tietou scratched his head shyly. ¡°Fine, then we¡¯ll do it your way! You won¡¯t get the sweater and trousers ¡ª just wear two padded coats!¡± With that, Shen Guanquan took the sweater to give to someone else, leaving Zhao Tietou chasing after him. ¡°No, Old Shen! I was wrong! I¡¯d rather wear the sweater!¡± We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 28/50 Shoutout to our new Patreon Bonnie Swihart! Thank you so much for joining the team! :D Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 60 - Yellow Potion The following day, just as dawn broke, Yang Yi set off for the island, driving the Nightmare Star.The scheduled tasks were heavy ¡ª not only did he have to cut down trees, but he also needed to rush to finish making the sweater, which would be quite energy-draining. He glanced at his energy level and saw it was only at 92. ¡°Should I ask Suna to come help with the logging?¡± As he thought this, he caught sight of the island ahead and dismissed the idea. It was now barely over 200 square metres, and it looked like several large earthquakes had struck it yet again. There were only about 70 trees left on the island for easy gathering, and many were half-submerged in the sea, showing just the upper parts of their trunks. Yang Yi observed this and felt it was a good thing. It meant that the grappling hook could easily latch onto these trees, making resource collection extremely convenient. All he needed to do was shoot to break the trunks, then pull the logs onto the ship, where they¡¯d be automatically converted into lumber, sparing him the trouble of manual collection. Yang Yi checked the weather forecast. The wind today was only at level 1, and the sea was calm, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about driftwood floating too far away. He put on his sharkskin swimsuit, prepared a bite to eat, and warmed up before starting work. Meanwhile, Suna had just woken up, finding herself slumped over her desk. She hadn''t slept well, having been studying the drawings Yang Yi had left behind. She had tried to replicate them several times, but none felt quite right ¡ª something always seemed missing. So, she decided to change things, adding some of her own unique interpretations. As she kept drawing, she lost consciousness. When she woke up, she noticed a special drawing on the desk, surrounded by discarded sketches all over the desk and floor ¡ª a huge waste. Luckily, her room had no shortage of paper. As long as she was willing to pay, she could access an endless supply from the shelves and drawers in her room. She looked at her drawing, and then glanced at her sanity level, noticing it was only at 51. It suggested she¡¯d entered a state of madness, probably because she had drawn a particular piece. The drawing was composed of nine lines, converging in the centre, twisting around one another into a complex spiral pattern that made her dizzy if she stared too long. Suna gazed at the drawing for several seconds, then watched as it curled up right before her eyes, transforming into a tightly compacted paper ball. ¡¾You have created a spell, unlocking the path to Transcendence ¡ª Truth¡¿ (Truth: By attempting to understand and master the true nature of this world, you can create unique spells that don¡¯t consume sanity.) ¡¾You have learned Curling Touch¡¿ (Curling Touch: Curl an object within your field of vision. Power is based on your mental strength and requires 7 mana essence.) After casting the spell, Suna felt an intense headache, so severe that she could do nothing else and collapsed directly to the floor... "Suna, how much longer until the energy-restoring potion is ready?" Yang Yi sent her a message. Several minutes later, he received a reply. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea; I can get you a sample tonight!¡± "OK!" Yang Yi didn¡¯t mind; her replies were always slow unless some peculiar artifact happened to catch her attention. After sending the message, he dove into the sea and began his logging operation for the day. The Nightmare Star was actually quite close to the island, with the risk of its hull touching the seabed trees. But Yang Yi didn¡¯t mind; as long as the ship didn¡¯t get stranded, it was fine ¡ª its durability would automatically recover anyway. The arm-bone armor covering the hull was no joke; even if the trees were sharpened to a point and used for ramming, it was unlikely to damage the Nightmare Star. About three hours later, Suna finally recovered from her headache, with her mana essence restored by 1 point. With her current mental attributes, she wasn¡¯t yet able to sustain the spell; any use would render her incapable of action. Fortunately, once the mana essence recovered, her body returned to normal. She walked out of her room and hurried towards the witch''s laboratory, eager to finish the new energy-restoring potion, since only the dilution step remained. Another hour passed, and Yang Yi had cut down all the trees on the island. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. He swam back to the ship and found his energy was at 52. It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish making all the sweaters in time. But it didn¡¯t matter ¡ª he¡¯d collect the logs first. He piloted the Nightmare Star and started using the grappling hook to collect the logs. A total of 73 logs were retrieved, though some might have drifted away. He managed to get 635 units of wood, which was far more efficient than fishing for floating debris at sea (except for the ultimate fishing expert, of course). After finishing, he went back to his room to rest his eyes for a while. When he woke up, his energy had recovered to 82. It was evening, and Suna had left him a message asking him to come to the laboratory. If all went well, the energy-restoring potion was ready! Yang Yi quickly headed to the witch''s laboratory and was handed two bottles of yellow potion by Suna. One was light yellow, the other more orangey. ¡°Why are there two bottles¡­?¡± Yang Yi was confused. ¡°This potion is made from the stomach acid of a Gluttonous Guest,¡± Suna explained. ¡°The darker one is more concentrated, the lighter one is less so. But both will restore energy.¡± ¡°Stomach acid¡­?¡± ¡°Exactly! After drinking it, you might feel like eating, so it¡¯s best to have plenty of food ready,¡± Suna added. Yang Yi was speechless. He hadn¡¯t expected Suna to actually use stomach acid to make the potion, and now his face showed a bit of hesitation. Would this burn through his esophagus¡­? Seeing his troubled expression, Suna thought he was worried about the yield and explained again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The stomach acid can be mass-produced. Just put food into the stomach, and it¡¯ll keep producing stomach acid!¡± She pointed to a glass jar on the shelf. Yang Yi looked over. The jar was about four centimeters in diametre and contained a light yellow solution. It had half a stomach submerged in it, likely cut from a Gluttonous Guest. It still had some vitality, twitching occasionally. ¡¾You see the strange stomach and your sanity decreases by 3.¡¿ ¡°This¡­¡± Yang Yi looked away, not wanting to keep looking at it. Suna, however, was staring at him intently, as if saying, "Go on, drink it. Why aren¡¯t you drinking it?" With a determined heart, Yang Yi thought, "Well, there¡¯s more potion, it won¡¯t kill me from corrosion!" He went to the cabin, glanced at the black bread on the table, and then downed the potion. It felt like drinking sulfuric acid ¡ª burning hot. ¡¾You drank the Energy Potion.¡¿ ¡¾You feel hungry, your stomach growls, sanity -10.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened as he felt an intense hunger, his stomach growling nonstop. He felt like he could eat a whole cow, if one were to appear. After eating a few dried fish, three pieces of black bread, and a sausage, the hunger subsided. Normally, this amount of food could last a person three days (the black bread was quite long). ¡¾You are full, gaining the ''Full and Satisfied'' state. Energy recovery speed +100%, sanity recovery speed +25%, health recovery speed +25%.¡¿ Seeing the system message, Yang Yi was overjoyed! It was exactly the state he wanted! ¡°Suna, you¡¯re a genius!¡± Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but praise her, giving her a thumbs up. ¡¾Name: Appetiser Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Excellent¡¿ ¡¾Description: A potion created by the witch Suna, made from the stomach acid of a Gluttonous Guest, diluted and processed through a special technique. After consumption, it greatly increases appetite and digestive absorption. Once enough food is eaten, the ''Full and Satisfied'' state will be activated, lasting for 8 hours, accelerating recovery. If sufficient food isn¡¯t consumed within a short time, it will cause massive stomach and digestive tract bleeding. Effect lasts for 24 hours and only works once. Drinking more than once will lead to stomach bleeding.¡¿ Suna, receiving her first compliment, was also very excited. Normally, Yang Yi would only complain about the side effects, but this time he didn¡¯t. After all, the side effects seemed manageable as long as enough food was prepared. But what wasn¡¯t noticed was¡­Yang Yi discreetly hid the other bottle of yellow potion and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The light yellow version already made him ravenous ¡ª if he drank the orange one, the ship might end up being eaten too! The yellow potion could be extremely dangerous. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 29/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 61 - Trading Yang Yi had just returned to the deck when another earthquake struck.The Nightmare Star was also rocked by the waves, swaying relentlessly. Two minutes later, the island completely disappeared, submerged in the sea. Along with it, the nest ¡ª or what could be called a temple, which was inscribed with the "Book of Spider Body" ¡ª vanished as well. Yang Yi didn¡¯t feel any regret. He believed that such divine relics, beyond the comprehension of humans, should not exist in the mortal world! Only the dark, deep sea could be their rightful home! Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star, turned the ship around, and headed straight towards the Extreme Winter Sea. He had stayed there too long, and the black fog behind him had never stopped. Back in his room, Yang Yi planned to make the remaining sweaters. There were 31 left, and he needed 93 energy points to finish them. Yang Yi had the energy to weave sweaters but lacked the energy to rest or sleep. He even drank another Appetiser Potion during this time. By noon the following day, he finally finished. He immediately contacted a few of his friends who had purchased items from him. First, he sold a set to Yu Dawei for 2000 Shell Coins. Yu Dawei was the captain of the Iron Will and had been very generous, even giving Yang Yi some giant Bobbit worm meat, making him someone worth building a close relationship with. However, Yu Dawei didn¡¯t buy just for himself. He bought 4 more sets for 4000 Shell Coins, planning to distribute them among his subordinates. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Next was Xu Da, captain of the Swift Wind. Although they hadn¡¯t met in person, they were friends online, and Yang Yi offered him a friendly price of 3000 Shell Coins. Xu Da quickly paid and provided high-value information about the Extreme Winter Sea. At the time, most players hadn¡¯t entered the Extreme Winter Sea yet, and most were still preparing in the surrounding areas. However, Xu Da and a few others had explored the area. According to him, the Extreme Winter Sea was full of large floating icebergs, and if encountered, it was best to avoid them, as what appeared above the water was only the tip! Also, the temperature in the Extreme Winter Sea could reach minus ten degrees Celsius, making resupply very difficult, and fishing there was often a waste of time. Lastly, after traveling a certain distance in the Extreme Winter Sea, they would encounter white mist, but since Xu Da had never entered it, he didn¡¯t know what was inside. Perhaps the temperature would drop even more. Yang Yi thanked Xu Da for the information and continued chatting with him. His Swift Wind guild was different from most other fleets, as it was a loose alliance made up of young, fast ships and adventurous players. They shared information, did internal trading, and occasionally met up. Yang Yi then privately messaged several players who had left comments saying they wanted to buy sweaters, selling 3 more sets. He then tried contacting other friends to speed up the selling process, so he wouldn¡¯t have to use up his chat messages in the world channel. It was also a good way to boost his presence. Once the remaining sets were sold, Yang Yi planned to sell them all to Shen Guanquan! He had a large appetite, so he would probably buy them all. The first person Yang Yi contacted was Zhou Dai. She was probably someone who didn¡¯t lack money. Plus, her holy water had helped Yang Yi several times, so he could offer her a friendly price. But after waiting for more than ten minutes, Yang Yi still hadn¡¯t received a reply from Zhou Dai, which likely meant she wasn¡¯t interested. So, Yang Yi tried contacting the experienced fisherman He Qi, asking if he wanted the fuzzy sweaters. This time, he received a response almost immediately. He Qi: "Sorry, I just caught a big fish." (Attached was a picture of a nearly five-metre-long fish.) Yang Yi: "Who asked you about fishing?" He Qi: "Haha, the sweater¡¯s stats are okay, but I don¡¯t need it, because I have something better!" He sent over information about a piece of equipment. ¡¾Name: Fuzzy Seal Fur Coat¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: A fuzzy coat made from seal fur, covering the entire body. Not only is it warm, but it''s also waterproof. Even if you unfortunately fall into icy waters, you won¡¯t need to worry about freezing to death. It has one flaw, though ¡ª once worn, it tends to smell.¡¿ The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Yang Yi stared at the information for a while, unable to respond. The fisherman really knew his stuff! He decided to ask "He Brother, are you selling this outfit? I just earned a big sum." He Qi: "Not selling! If I give you mine, what would I wear?" Yang Yi: "Actually, the sweater is pretty nice. It accentuates your figure." He Qi: "Go away! Want to show off your body in the ocean? Are you trying to attract passing sea monsters?" "If you want this outfit, you can come to the Extreme Winter Sea to fish." "Only by fishing fuzzy seals and killing them can you possibly get one through a vending machine." He Qi then sent a coordinate, showing where he caught it. Yang Yi fell silent. He couldn''t even catch normal fish; if he tried to catch a fuzzy seal, it would probably turn into a skeleton seal. But He Qi really was obsessed with fishing. While most players were still preparing, he had already gone ahead and fished in the Extreme Winter Sea. No wonder he became the captain of the Fisherman ship. Moreover, his ship was also special, but its skills only appeared after levelling up. With a level 3 ship, there were two skills available. ¡¾Blessing of the Angler: In any sea area, you can catch normal fish, and the chances of catching rare items are increased.¡¿ ¡¾Angler''s Persistence: You will never get an empty catch; as long as you''re willing to fish all day, you''ll catch something at least once.¡¿ After reading the skills, Yang Yi was stunned. So, all his fishing luck had been taken away by this guy! Later, the remaining 6 sets of fuzzy sweaters and miscellaneous pieces were all sold to Shen Guanquan. The guy took everything. With that, Yang Yi''s account balance reached 76,800 Shell Coins ¡ª quite a hefty sum. Aside from ship crews, players who could pull out this kind of money were probably less than 1%. Yang Yi planned to use the money to upgrade his equipment and restock on ship supplies. As for medicines, there was no need ¡ª Suna¡¯s original potions were far better than anything else on the market in terms of effectiveness. Of course, they were much harder to drink. He started browsing through equipment on the chat channel and asked Suna if she wanted anything. Suna replied quickly and directly. "If you have extra money, just transfer it to me. I''m completely out of cash!" Yang Yi read the message and shook his head. The girl didn¡¯t even need equipment, she seemed eager to pour all her money into her lab. If she had a flare gun, it¡¯d probably be sold within a few minutes. Yang Yi didn¡¯t ask her any further and transferred her 6,800 Shell Coins. He hoped she would use it wisely, know when to stop, and try to make some potions with better effects and fewer side effects! "By the way, can you make me another bottle of the Scarlet Potion, just in case?" Yang Yi sent another message. After receiving the money, Suna¡¯s attitude noticeably improved. "I¡¯ll make it for you now!" Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother with her further and continued planning his supplies. He had considered selling the Vitality Coconut Juice, as the Appetiser Potion could replace it and even had better effects. But after thinking about it, he decided to keep the coconut juice. It would be better for Suna, as her sanity cap was low, and the risk of drinking potions was too high for her. Coconut juice was a safer choice for her. He had 54 bottles, enough for her for quite a while. Yang Yi continued browsing weapon equipment and checking food prices, preparing for a large shopping spree. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 30/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon, free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 62 - The Big Shopping Spree Yang Yi checked the ship''s hold for food and freshwater. The inventory included:The supply of freshwater was barely sufficient. With a fire, freshwater could be distilled indefinitely. He only needed to purchase a flintstone to make this possible. The decision boiled down to whether to buy fish or dry food. Yang Yi''s daily intake had increased drastically ¡ª triple the usual amount ¡ª due to consuming an appetite-enhancing potion regularly. Hence, he calculated food preparation based on the needs of four people. (An adult''s daily diet is typically one black bread and half a sausage.) After some thought, he decided to buy 200 black bread and 100 sausages. Adding it to the existing stockpile, it would be enough for him and Suna to last one or two months at sea. It was all in preparation for the Extreme Winter Sea. They could have enough to survive for a long time even without catching fish. Additionally, he needed to buy some vegetables and fruits to replenish vitamins, especially vitamin C. Fruit, for example, could be unavailable in the Extreme Winter Seas. He checked the market prices. Black bread was priced at 5 units of timber, approximately 25 Shell Coins. Its texture was rough and unappealing, but it had the advantage of long-term storage. Yang Yi strongly suspected that the bread recipe might include wood as an ingredient! Sausages, on the other hand, were much more expensive. They provided protein and essential salts for the human body, costing 50 Shell Coins each. Both food items were common and could be produced in the Food Processing Workshop, an extension of ordinary ships. However, Yang Yi wasn''t familiar with the recipe for these items, and the workshop wasn''t available in the expansion list for his Nightmare Star. In his view, buying food was more practical than wasting expansion space on food production, especially when fishing and making dried fish were viable alternatives. He would rather build a cannon or some other functional structure. With this decision made, Yang Yi purchased a large quantity of black bread and sausages, spending a total of 10,000 Shell Coins. Next came the vegetables and fruits, which were monopolised by the Farmer Ship. Only the Farmer Ship could produce large quantities of vegetables and fruits; other ships couldn''t manage it. Although some players tried growing crops onboard, the results were less than satisfactory. Growth was slow, unlike the Farmer Ship, which had skills to accelerate harvests. Market prices showed that a single apple cost 100 Shell Coins and wasn''t suitable for long-term storage. Yang Yi contacted Shen Guanquan directly ¡ª the Farmer Ship was under his management ¡ª to see if he could get a discount. Yang Yi: "Do you have any long-lasting vegetables or fruits?" Shen Guanquan: "You''re in luck! We just made some fruit preserves. They''re rich in vitamin C and made from top-quality apples. 800 Shell Coins per pound." Yang Yi: "That''s too expensive!" Shen Guanquan: "You think it''s expensive? Even I think it''s expensive! It takes ten apples to make a pound. Take it or leave it ¡ª this is the lowest price. The market price is 1,000 Shell Coins per pound." Yang Yi checked the chat channels and found this to be true. The Farmer Ship currently held a monopoly, and Shen Guanquan had the final say on pricing. "Alright, give me five pounds!" "Got it!" Yang Yi gritted his teeth and purchased five pounds, costing him 4,000 Shell Coins. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. It was primarily for replenishing vitamins, so consuming it in moderation was enough. There were also some Eyeball Fruits in the warehouse, which Yang Yi planned to experiment with drying into Eyeball Fruit jerky. After handling these matters, Yang Yi had only 56,000 Shell Coins left, which he intended to use for upgrading his equipment. It was a process that couldn¡¯t be rushed; he needed to browse carefully, compare options, and find a powerful weapon suited to him, ideally at the lowest possible price. While fishing, Yang Yi browsed the chat channels for weapon listings, occasionally leaving a message: "Looking for melee weapons, long ones preferred ¡ª the longer and thicker, the better! Only looking for premium-quality or above, relics preferred. DM me with offers!" He repeated this message every hour, intending to acquire a large, cold weapon. After his battles with the Spider Queen and Gluttonous Guest, Yang Yi realised a critical weakness: his weapons were too short, making it difficult to effectively harm large creatures. Weapons like the Sea Serpent Fang, a short sword, were excellent against small targets but lacked the reach and impact to deal with massive creatures. Thus, Yang Yi urgently needed a long weapon to compensate for this shortcoming ¡ª something capable of inflicting serious damage on large opponents. He browsed for hours, receiving private messages, but none of the offers caught his eye. Good items were rare, as most players preferred to keep them unless they had superior replacements. After several hours, Yang Yi shortlisted three suitable long weapons, each of premium quality and reasonably priced. He planned to choose one: ¡¾Name: Great Horse-Cleaving Blade¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: A long, sharp blade capable of easily cutting through cattle bones. With mastery, it can decapitate a bull in one stroke.¡¿ ¡¾Price: 15,000 Shell Coins¡¿ ¡¾Details: The blade has a slight curve, measures nearly 1.5 meters in length (including the handle), and is visually striking.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Two-Handed Greatsword¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: A heavy greatsword that is not particularly sharp but incredibly durable. Requires Strength 7 to wield and Strength 8 to fully master. While it may not slice through foes, it can crush bones effectively.¡¿ ¡¾Seller: A female player with Strength 5, unable to wield the sword, decided to sell it. However, due to the scarcity of players with Strength 7, it had been listed for a long time without any buyers.¡¿ ¡¾Price: 20,000 Shell Coins (non-negotiable).¡¿ ¡¾Name: Steel-Tipped Spear¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿ ¡¾Description: Crafted with bull tendon wood soaked in tung oil and tipped with steel, this spear has excellent penetration and flexibility. With proper technique, it can deliver devastating piercing damage.¡¿ ¡¾Price: 12,000 Shell Coins.¡¿ sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Each weapon had its advantages and disadvantages: After some thought, Yang Yi leaned towards the Two-Handed Greatsword. Its high Strength requirement matched his +2 Strength boost during frenzy, making it an ideal weapon. If he had possessed this sword during his fight with the Spider Queen, combined with his Three Eyes, Yang Yi was confident he could have smashed the Spider Queen¡¯s head! Even if not fatal, it would have given her a severe concussion. He tried negotiating the price, but the seller wouldn¡¯t budge, firmly demanding 20,000 Shell Coins. Reluctantly, Yang Yi decided to browse a bit longer. If nothing better came along, he would settle for the greatsword. Just then, a private message popped up: "Hey, bro, interested in a giant sword? Big and impressive, just what you''re looking for ¡ª and it''s a relic!" We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 33/50 Shoutout to our new Patreon Bonnie Swihart! Thank you so much for joining the team! :D Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 63 - Ironbreaker "Broken Sword?"Yang Yi immediately lost interest. "Send it over for me to take a look." ¡°Hehe! I just dragged this sword back, and it took a lot of effort...¡± The other party seemed like a chatterbox, giving a full account of the backstory while selling the weapon. According to him, the broken sword was discovered on a barren island. No vegetation, grey-white soul ¡ª lifeless.There was only one scorched blacksmith''s shop on the island, and inside it lay the broken sword. ¡°If I weren¡¯t in such desperate need of supplies and pressed for time, I would never sell it!¡± The man went into meticulous detail, and within just a few minutes, he managed to imbue the weapon with a cultural and emotional value. Yang Yi, growing impatient from the long-winded story, urged him: ¡°So, are you selling the sword or selling the story?¡± ¡°Selling the sword! Of course, the sword!¡± ¡°Show me the stats!¡± ¡°Right away!¡± He sent over the weapon¡¯s attributes: ¡¾Name: Ironbreaker¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare Item¡¿¡¾Description: A blacksmith forged this broken sword in a fit of rage. Crafted from an unknown, extremely hard metal, its rigidity made it difficult to shape, resulting in a crude and unwieldy design. Requires Strength 9 to barely wield and Strength 10 (human limit) to handle properly. Human strength alone is insufficient to utilise such an extraordinary weapon ¡ª it¡¯s made to slay...¡¿ A weapon image was attached. After viewing it, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but let out a string of exclamations. Calling it a sword felt a bit far-fetched ¡ª it was more like a massive slab of iron. It was hard to imagine what kind of person, in what mental state, would forge such a monstrous weapon. The blade was approximately 35 cm wide, 220 cm long, and the tip appeared to be broken off, leaving a slanted edge. Its overall appearance was extremely rough, resembling an unfinished product.The surface was riddled with dents and uneven hammer marks, including the blade¡¯s edge, which lacked uniform thickness and would cause tearing rather than clean cuts. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. If someone were struck by this thing, it wouldn¡¯t leave a smooth wound. Instead, it would create a gory, jagged mess, as if torn apart by a beast ¡ª there would be no way of stitching it back up. Yang Yi was immediately drawn to the weapon¡¯s savage and rugged appearance. He asked about its price. ¡°How much are you asking?¡± ¡°50,000 Shell Coins, no haggling! If the strength requirement wasn¡¯t so high, I¡¯d keep it for myself!¡± He had a point. Requiring Strength 9 to even swing it was quite demanding. For reference, an average adult¡¯s Strength was only 5, and attribute growth wasn¡¯t linear. From Yang Yi¡¯s experience, Strength 8 was roughly double Strength 5, and the gap widened exponentially as the number increased. Strength 9 was a rare feat. Few players could achieve it, and those who could were exceptional. Even Yang Yi needed to activate both his madness bonus and Refuse to Die states simultaneously to barely reach that level. Of course, he could also drink potions or use body-enhancing spells to meet the requirement. Ordinary players, though, would just stare at it in frustration. ¡°No discount?¡± ¡°Nope! If the attribute requirement weren¡¯t so high, I¡¯d sell it for 100,000.¡± Yang Yi shook his head after reading the information. The weapon wasn¡¯t bad, but asking for 50,000 was absurd! The last rare-grade revolver only sold for 120,000! sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Guns were clearly better than this sword. At present, ranged weapons were superior to melee weapons, and firearms outperformed cold weapons ¡ª this was an undeniable truth! Moreover, the broken sword was classified as a relic, which usually came with drawbacks. Many players avoided relics for such a reason, having been burned too many times. Only someone like Yang Yi, who wasn¡¯t afraid of sanity penalties, preferred them. After all, compared to treasures, relics often excelled in specific areas. ¡°Buddy, could you at least hint at the weapon¡¯s drawbacks so I know what I¡¯m dealing with?¡± Yang Yi messaged. ¡°What else could it be? Sanity drain, obviously!¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Why so many questions? Buy it or not! The lowest I¡¯ll go is 40,000!¡± Sensing Yang Yi¡¯s probing, the seller dropped the price by 10,000. The eagerness to sell indicated the weapon had serious flaws, and the seller was desperate to offload it. So, Yang Yi continued bargaining: ¡°35,000, and we¡¯ll seal the deal ¡ª no more nonsense!¡± ¡°38,000!¡± ¡°Deal!¡± After bargaining down 12,000, Yang Yi promptly paid and acquired the broken sword. As for its drawbacks, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t too concerned. If it was just a sanity drain, it wouldn¡¯t matter unless it was extreme. The transaction was completed quickly. A heavy, rugged broken sword was spat out by the octopus-head vending machine, crashing into the deck, and leaving a deep dent. Fortunately, the deck could repair itself. Otherwise, Yang Yi would¡¯ve had to spend materials to fix the ship! ¡°It¡¯s really heavy!¡± Yang Yi tried lifting it. Even with both hands, he couldn¡¯t raise the sword, only managed to drag it by the hilt, leaving a deep scratch across the deck. Before long, a private message popped up ¡ª it was from the seller. He seemed to be in a great mood and sent Yang Yi a reminder: ¡°Hey, buddy, just a heads-up. If you¡¯re not using that weapon, you¡¯d better wrap it up tight and toss it in a corner. I won¡¯t say more than that!¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Yang Yi immediately replied but discovered that the message failed to send. The system notified him that he¡¯d been blocked by the other party. ¡°Is the drawback really that bad?¡± Yang Yi turned his gaze to Ironbreaker, yet it didn¡¯t seem all that special. Wait! He noticed the uneven, reflective surface of the blade, and within it appeared the fleeting image of a white skull phantom rushing towards him. ¡¾The Spirit of Dread passes through you. You feel a chill of terror. Sanity -5.¡¿ Yang Yi felt a cold sweat break out, goosebumps covering his skin. Worse yet, the attack persisted as the Spirit of Dread repeatedly rammed into him. ¡¾The Spirit of Dread passes through you. You feel a chill of terror. Sanity -5.¡¿ ¡¾The Spirit of Dread passes through you. You feel a chill of terror. Sanity -5.¡¿ It was an invisible ghost, imperceptible to the average person. Yang Yi furrowed his brow, realising he¡¯d been duped! No wonder the seller had blocked him so quickly. This weapon...would be nearly unusable for the time being. It would take extensive training and adaptation to this terror to minimise the sanity drain, allowing him to wield the sword properly. But that process could take a long time... As Yang Yi contemplated this, he prepared to wrap the weapon tightly and stash it in some secluded corner, to prevent the phantom from harming anyone. However... ¡¾Your sanity is below 50. You¡¯ve entered a Madness state... Fearless.¡¿ ¡¾The Spirit of Dread passes through you. You remain unaffected.¡¿¡¾The Spirit of Dread passes through you. You remain unaffected.¡¿ A few minutes later: ¡¾The Spirit of Dread has ceased its harassment and returned to the sword.¡¿ ¡°Uh...¡± Yang Yi was speechless. Even with three eyes, he still couldn¡¯t fully perceive the invisible entity. In his enhanced vision, the skeletal phantom appeared with drooping eye sockets, looking deeply aggrieved as it slowly floated back into Ironbreaker. It almost seemed...a little pitiful? Yang Yi suddenly found his own thoughts amusing. Feeling sorry for something like this ¡ª maybe his own mind wasn¡¯t in great shape either. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 33/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 64 - Enhanced Weapon Yang Yi took a piece of leather and wrapped the Broken Iron Sword in it before stuffing it into his greedy stomach pouch.Unless he faced a large creature, it was better not to use it. The drawback was its demanding requirement: Strength 9. If he could boost his base strength by 6 points, it would become much more convenient. After triggering Madness, he¡¯d only be 1 point short, which could be supplemented with a potion. Next, he needed to seize the time to enhance his strength! After purchasing the Broken Iron Sword, Yang Yi was left with a balance of only 18,000. He planned to use the remaining funds to buy some miscellaneous items and check out bows. If the funds fell short, he could trade some resources to make up the difference. He checked the world channel but didn¡¯t find anything worthwhile. Ranged weapons were more in demand than melee ones, with an overall trend of high competition, especially for guns. He privately messaged several people, only to find that the weapons were already sold. Finding a suitable bow wasn¡¯t going to be easy. However, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t in a rush ¡ª he planned to spend the next few days fishing in the polar sea. Unable to find the right ranged weapon, he turned to other necessities, all reasonably priced. He spent 120 stone to buy a piece of flint, 1,200 Shell Coins for two down jackets, 800 Shell Coins for two woolen hats, and 2,000 Shell Coins for four pairs of long fleece-lined boots. The reason for buying down jackets instead of just woolen sweaters was the extreme cold. If sweaters and trousers couldn¡¯t keep him warm, he could layer the down jackets on top ¡ª it was worth the extra expense. After finishing his shopping, it was already late at night. He drank a bottle of appetite potion, ate three loaves of black bread and a sausage, drank a litre of freshwater, and then drifted off to sleep. ¡¾Name: Woolen Hat¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Common¡¿¡¾Description: Soft and comfortable, it wraps the head well and prevents frostbite on the ears.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Long Fleece-Lined Boots¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: The soles are patterned for anti-slip purposes. Thick and lined with fleece, these boots are ideal for snow walking, offering warmth and grip. However, they¡¯re not very breathable ¡ª don¡¯t try sniffing the inside.¡¿ The following day, the Nightmare Star sailed as usual. If all went as expected, they would reach the polar sea in two days. Yang Yi stood at the bow of the ship, fishing. ¡°Hey, buddy, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± He attempted to converse with the skeletal captain at the ship¡¯s bow. The captain didn¡¯t respond and simply kept moving his jaw open and shut. ¡°Here, try this long-legged sardine I just caught!¡± Yang Yi stuffed a long-legged sardine into the skeletal captain¡¯s mouth. Although it could bite, it had no digestive tract. The fish ended up slipping out between the bones. Yang Yi¡¯s enthusiasm waned. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. He realised the skeletal captain was nothing more than a decoration. He wondered if upgrading the ship in the future would bring some new functionality to it. He continued fishing. Before entering the polar sea, he wanted to catch as many eyeball fruits as possible and try drying them into eyeball fruit jerky. Since he had no fire, he planned to make a simple stove, hang the eyeball fruits nearby, and speed up the drying process. As he thought about this, he caught another eyeball fruit. While fishing, Yang Yi also checked the chat channel, looking for equipment to enhance Suna¡¯s attack power. Her bow and arrows were quite limited in effectiveness. Against tough-skinned or armored monsters, it was difficult to inflict substantial damage. Thus, Yang Yi had been searching for a more powerful bow or a crossbow-like weapon. However, after browsing for an entire afternoon, he still couldn¡¯t find anything suitable. Either the prices were exorbitant, or the quality was too low. Ultimately, it all boiled down to one problem: Yang Yi didn¡¯t have enough money! Ranged weapons were significantly more expensive than melee ones, sometimes costing twice as much ¡ª especially firearms! He had just seen a high-quality double-barrel shotgun sell for a hefty 40,000 coins. ¡¾Name: Double-Barrel Shotgun¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A hunter''s favored double-barrel shotgun. Effective range: 50 metres. Ammo capacity: 2. Automatic reload time: 3 minutes. Suitable for hunting boars.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s account had only 14,000 Shell Coins left. If he converted his resources into cash, he could add another 20,000 coins. But with such amount, buying a rare-grade bow was just a pipe dream. Purchasing a premium-grade bow would only provide a slight improvement ¡ª no fundamental change. ¡°What if I buy a premium bow and then enhance it using a low-tier artisan inscription stone?¡± As Yang Yi mulled over this, a new idea struck him. He couldn¡¯t afford a bow, but he could afford arrows! Searching with specific keywords, he finally found something worthwhile. Although there were no explosive or ice arrows for sale, armor-piercing arrows were available. ¡¾Name: Tri-edged Armour-Piercing Arrow¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: These arrows have excellent penetration capabilities. The arrowheads include blood grooves that cause wounds to bleed continuously and heal poorly.¡¿ After reading the description, Yang Yi decided to buy these arrows. They were far superior to the iron arrows produced by the simple synthesis system! However, the price was steep ¡ª 300 Shell Coins per arrow. Still, considering the arrows could be reused, the price was reasonable. He immediately contacted the seller. ¡°250 Shell Coins for 30 tri-edged armour-piercing arrows ¡ª deal?¡± ¡°Not selling!¡± The seller was quite firm. After some haggling, Yang Yi finally bought 40 arrows for 280 Shell Coins each, spending a total of 11,200 coins. His account now had only 2,800 Shell Coins remaining. Yang Yi decided to save the rest for emergencies. ¡°Suna, I bought some armour-piercing arrows and left them in your room,¡± Yang Yi messaged her. Suna was mostly holed up in the lab, and Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother asking what she was working on. A few minutes later, she replied: ¡°Got it!¡± After finishing these errands, Yang Yi took out the low-tier artisan inscription stone he had obtained earlier. The item could only be used to enhance treasures, and Yang Yi had been holding onto it. Initially, he planned to buy a suitable premium-grade polearm to enhance. But unexpectedly, he ended up buying a rare-grade weapon instead. Yang Yi didn¡¯t like hoarding items. For enhancement tools like this, it was better to use them when needed. Dying with unused resources would be laughable. He immediately enhanced the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A dazzling golden light flashed, and the weapon''s properties changed. ¡¾Name: Blazing Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang (Transformed)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿¡¾Description: A serpent fang dagger infused with fiery power and enhanced. Extremely sharp, it inflicts burns on wounds. Can release stored fiery energy in a single burst, spraying a fan-shaped flame to ignite items within the area. Cooldown: 48 hours. After using the flame burst, the dagger dims and loses its burning effect. ¡¿ After reviewing the updated stats, Yang Yi was very pleased. To his surprise, the enhanced Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang had gained an active skill ¡ª this was a true transformation! It seemed that upgrading weapons to rare-grade significantly boosted their attributes. The flame burst skill could even serve as a makeshift ignition tool, although it might accidentally burn unnecessary things. However, with its long cooldown, it was best used sparingly unless absolutely necessary. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 33/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 65 - The marvellous use of the bony arm December website updateAs evening approached, Yang Yi began to tally up his catch for the day. 15 eyeball fruits, 9 long-legged sardines, 1 red-lipped eel, and 3 cyst-spike pufferfish. The fishing nets were also covered in 3 starfish and 1 one-armed crab. "Not bad!" Yang Yi nodded in approval. His goal for the day was to gather more eyeball fruits in preparation for the harsh winter sea regions ahead. He sent some of the fish he planned to eat to the laboratory, then grabbed a few stones and a bit of wood from the cabin, intending to try making fire. He found an open spot on the deck and used the stones to form a simple circle, placing some spider hairs inside. They were no longer useful for making clothes, as they were too few in number. So, Yang Yi decided to use them to start a fire instead. After all, hair ¡ª especially the thicker kind ¡ª was highly flammable when dry, making it ideal for starting a fire. He prepared the wood and, using the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang, scraped it against the flint. Sparks flew, and the spider hairs quickly caught fire. Seeing the flames, Yang Yi¡¯s face lit up with excitement. "Survival really does depend on being able to start a fire!" he thought. He took advantage of the flames and placed the prepared wood inside, cutting it into smaller pieces to make it easier to catch fire. Once the fire was stable, he added larger pieces of wood. It was very safe to start a campfire on the Nightmare Star as long as no other debris was nearby. The ship¡¯s deck was protected by a layer of bone armor, making it almost impossible for fire to spread. "Now I need something to hang the eyeball fruits nearby with..." Yang Yi glanced around, thinking of a solution. At that moment, several bony arms reached out from the deck, each opening its hand, seemingly wanting to help him. "What''s this?" Yang Yi was a bit confused. It seemed like the arms wanted him to hand over the eyeball fruits. Yang Yi complied. He watched as the bony arms carefully lifted the eyeball fruits, holding them in the air around the campfire. "Is this okay?" It was like Yang Yi had discovered a new continent. He began experimenting, trying to figure out how the arms worked. He quickly concluded it was all about demand! When he focused his thoughts on a need, the arms would instinctively gather and try to help. Soon, nine bony arms grabbed the long-legged sardines and started grilling them, with no need for Yang Yi to do anything himself. However, he still had to keep an eye on the process. The arms didn¡¯t know how to cook properly and would just blindly follow orders. If left unattended, they would continue to cook the fish until it turned into charcoal, and then into ash... "This is pretty useful!" Yang Yi nodded in satisfaction, eating one of the grilled sardines and leaving a message for Suna. "Suna, the bony arms on the Nightmare Star can be controlled. When you focus on a need, they will come to help. You should try it!" "I knew that already!" came the reply. "Huh? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" "I thought you were giving me permission." "Uh..." Yang Yi was speechless. He stopped grilling the fish and grabbed the two cooked sardines, heading to the laboratory, where he happened to find Suna busy with something. A few bony arms acted like assistants, fetching various tools for her, greatly increasing her efficiency. Some of the arms were even spinning test tubes rapidly, shaking the liquids inside... "A centrifuge...?" Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn''t help but admire Suna''s creativity. He handed her the two grilled sardines. "Try this, I seasoned it with salt. Should be good!" Suna took a bite, chewed, and after confirming the taste was good, finished the fish with a satisfied look. "Is it good?" she asked. "Yeah, I bought a flint and left it in the cabin. Also made a temporary campfire on the deck." "Alright! If I can start a fire, then I can try concentrating the magic potions..." Suna rubbed her chin, seeming to be lost in thought. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. But time was already late. Yang Yi came here to call her back to sleep. However, just before leaving, Yang Yi noticed a large glass tank in the laboratory, filled with more than a dozen baby spiders, some dead fish were placed in the tank to feed them. "Are you raising spiders?" Yang Yi asked. "Yeah, the survival rate is very low, out of dozens of eggs, only about a dozen hatched." "Why are you raising spiders?" Yang Yi frowned. Because these spiders weren''t exactly pleasant, neither edible nor particularly pleasant to look at ¡ªthere seemed to be little point in raising them. "Don''t you think the laboratory could use some small test subjects?" Suna casually replied. "Alright then." Yang Yi gave a few seconds of silent mourning for the newborn spiders, then left the laboratory. The Nightmare Star continued its usual course, sailing at 40 knots. Unless something unexpected happened, the ship would be entering the extreme winter sea region in no time. Early the following morning, Yang Yi was woken up by the chill of the air. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The first thing he did was to reach for his left shoulder, then exhale in relief. He had had a nightmare. In the dream, a second head had appeared on his left shoulder, and it even had his own face! It was terrifying! When he woke up, he found himself drenched in sweat, the cold sea wind outside making him feel even colder. His room had a draft. Yang Yi hurriedly put on a sweater, and only then did he begin to regain his composure. He began to think back, trying to remember exactly what the face in the dream looked like. After a few seconds, Yang Yi finally had an answer, but it only made him feel even more afraid. The face was that of a woman, blurry but unmistakably feminine, and quite beautiful! Then there were... pair of blood-red eyes. Thinking of this, goosebumps appeared all over Yang Yi¡¯s body. ¡¾A chill runs through you, your sanity decreases by 10.¡¿ Did he merge with Suna? Had he turned into a two-headed demon? How terrifying! Yang Yi slapped himself on the face to calm down. By now, he had gradually come to understand this nightmare. It wasn¡¯t a prophetic vision, but more of a warning dream ¡ª a premonition of danger. Yang Yi classified these kinds of premonitions into three categories. First, if he didn''t die in the nightmare, it meant the danger wasn''t deadly. For example, a dream where sea monsters and Suna pointed guns at him. Second, if he died in the nightmare, it meant the danger could indeed be fatal, like being attacked by a drowning creature. The third, and the one Yang Yi feared the most, was the kind of dream where the details were too difficult to remember. Attempting to recall it would cause a headache. So far, he had had such a dream once, where he saw a massive spider, likely representing the Spider Queen. As per his most recent dream, Yang Yi didn''t die, and it seemed more curious than terrifying, so it was safe. His life was not in danger. He made a mental note to stay near the witch¡¯s laboratory in the near future. He sat on the bed for a moment, completely calming down, then put on his pirate outfit and stepped out. The sea breeze outside carried a chilly bite. Today''s Weather: The temperature has dropped; you¡¯ll need to wear an extra layer. Location: Sea of Origins Remaining Daylight: 7 hours Temperature: 2-7¡ãC Wind Strength: Level 4 "Has it really dropped to two degrees? We haven''t even entered the extreme winter sea region yet." Yang Yi frowned. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 33/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 66 - A person with facial hair Yang Yi had just left the house when Suna woke up as well.She opened her door, and the cold sea breeze swept across her body, but then...she decisively shut it tight back. Ten minutes later, the door opened again. This time, Suna was fully equipped, wearing a sweater and woolen trousers, a cotton hat on her head, and long woolen boots on her feet. Although her witch¡¯s attire was somewhat warm, it still wasn¡¯t as effective as clothing specifically designed for cold weather. Yang Yi¡¯s sharp eyes quickly caught a detail ¡ª Suna had obviously ¡°gained a bit of weight.¡± He teased her, saying: "Is it that cold? We haven''t even entered the extreme winter sea yet." Suna didn¡¯t respond, silently accepting the fact that she was cold. Meanwhile, Yang Yi was in the courtyard doing his morning exercises. Ever since he obtained the Broken Iron sword, he had developed a habit of trying to lift the massive sword every day, using it to train his strength. He also noticed that since using the appetite-enhancing potion, his physical constitution had improved significantly, and he was getting stronger. Thus, he needed to keep exercising to ensure he didn''t end up too heavy. After finishing his morning training, Yang Yi went to the courtyard to check on the dried fish. It would probably take another day or two before they were fully hardened. Ever since discovering the usefulness of the skeletal arms, Yang Yi had become a ruthless capitalist, ordering the skeletal arms to roast fish and dry Eyeball Fruits day and night, with no breaks. They worked full-time, 24 hours a day, because the undead couldn¡¯t complain about being tired. Even if they wanted to, they didn¡¯t have mouths to speak. After inspecting the fish, Yang Yi prepared to go fishing. He had tried getting the skeletal arms to fish for him, but they were too stupid and didn¡¯t know when to pull the rod, so the attempt had failed. Fishing was something he had to do himself. The whole morning passed, and he hadn¡¯t caught a single fish. It might have been the effect of the extreme winter sea. It wasn¡¯t until the afternoon that he finally hooked something, immediately pulling the rod. "Whoa, that¡¯s pretty big!" Yang Yi pulled hard, but nearly got yanked into the sea. So, he changed tactics, loosening the line to let the fish tire itself out before reeling it in, entering a long draw battle. Twenty minutes later, he finally saw the true appearance of the fish. "What is this?" A large, greyish-white circular disc emerged, covered in semi-transparent jelly-like tentacles. Yang Yi gave a strong tug and lifted the disc, which was about a metre in diametre. It was only then that he realised what it truly was: an enormous jellyfish, semi-transparent, with its underside facing up as Yang Yi hauled it out. The jellyfish¡¯s head was a large circular disc, seemingly made of bone-like material ¡ª very hard. Yang Yi prodded it with a spear several times, and after a while, it stopped moving entirely. ¡¾Name: Iron Crown Jellyfish¡¿ ¡¾Description: A giant jellyfish polluted by the Abyss, with a hardened head. Being stung by its tentacles causes a pain that lasts for several days. It is edible, and when heated, it becomes non-toxic.¡¿ The jellyfish''s head shell was tough, with high calcium and iron content, making it extremely solid and heat-resistant. "Heat-resistant? Isn''t this just a pot?" Yang Yi lamented not having a pot, but now he had unwittingly caught one from the sea. He picked up the Iron Crown Jellyfish, moved his arm out of the way, and then placed it on the campfire with its head facing down. Soon, the jellyfish''s body began to melt, turning into a gooey mess that boiled and bubbled. Yang Yi tried a sip of it but couldn¡¯t taste anything, as his tongue went numb and lost sensation. "Did this jellyfish grow up eating Sichuan peppercorns?" He almost threw it away but suddenly realised that it could be used as Sichuan pepper oil! He then took out a bottle to collect the melted jellyfish. As for the remaining Iron Crown head, pot. By evening, Yang Yi hadn¡¯t caught anything else, so he decided to stop fishing and focused on physical training instead. Suddenly, he noticed the sea chart had changed. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. A small island appeared in the top right corner. Although only part of it was visible, it seemed to be quite large. Yang Yi picked up the crystal ball and examined it closely. They were already near the Extreme Winter Sea, so how did they happen to come across an island? After thinking for a moment, he decided to head over and check it out. Ignoring the island seemed like an unreliable choice. As he changed course and sailed towards the island, the sea chart began displaying it''s full image. Yang Yi misjudged the size of the island; it wasn¡¯t as large as he imagined. Rather, it was long and narrow, like a spindle, with the widest part in the middle. Stretching about 10 kilometres, with the widest part around 2, it was bigger than the previous Spider Island, but not by much. There were no other players¡¯ ships nearby, so it was unlikely there would be an ambush. Yang Yi continued approaching. Before nightfall, the Nightmare Star stopped about two nautical miles from the island. He pulled out a telescope, then gasped. "Huh! How is there a ship on this island? Was it blown here by the sea wind?" "Wait a minute!" Yang Yi became nervous. He spotted a pair of green, glistening eyes on the shoreline! Because of the dim lighting, he couldn¡¯t clearly make out what it was, however it was probably some kind of wild beast. So, he switched to his left eye with night vision. "A plaid shirt...is that a player?" Yang Yi was a little surprised. "Why are they crawling on the ground?" He felt something was off and decided to call Suna over to take a look. "Suna, come to the bow of the ship," he sent a message. "What''s going on?" "I found an island. There¡¯s a player with a furry face crawling on the ground!" "I¡¯ll be right there!" Suna hurried over and snatched the telescope from Yang Yi to have a look. Yang Yi, meanwhile, stared at the crystal ball, puzzled. If the strange creature had once been a player, then where was their ship? It couldn¡¯t have swum there, right? Suna continued watching with great interest, taking her time before finally putting down the telescope. "His body must have undergone some kind of transformation. No normal person¡¯s arms are that long!" "We¡¯ll have to capture one and dissect it to find out..." "Let¡¯s leave it for tomorrow. It¡¯s too late today!" Yang Yi steered the Nightmare Star away. By nightfall, he was back in the captain¡¯s quarters, lying on his bed, thinking about the strange person on the island. Unlike Suna, he wasn¡¯t interested in the creature¡¯s bodily transformation, but was more curious as to why he hadn¡¯t noticed its ship. After thinking for a long time, he came up with three possible scenarios. First, the ship was dismantled by other players. Second, the ship was invisible. Third, the ship disappeared after the player died. All three possibilities seemed plausible. As for the last one, Yang Yi speculated it could be part of the system¡¯s recovery mechanism. After a player died, their ship didn¡¯t drift mindlessly, instead disappearing after some time. "System recovery? If it¡¯s a special ship, doesn¡¯t that mean it¡¯s a one-off? It would be gone for good, since there¡¯s only one of them!" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Or maybe after recovery, the blueprints appear in another form?" Yang Yi wasn¡¯t sure, but he hoped to find out the answer in the future. Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! :D We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 34/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 67 - On the island The following day, at dawn.Yang Yi steered the Nightmare Star towards the spindle-shaped island and stopped at its southern side. A broken, half-sunken massive ship lay at the centre of the island, seemingly having been there for a long time, its surface covered in some kind of vegetation. If the ship were intact, its length would have exceeded several hundred metres, making it a giant ship. Yang Yi did not rush to the island but checked the crystal ball again to make sure no other players'' ships were nearby. Only then did he begin his next move. He raised his gun over his head and fired a shot into the air. Bang! The sound of the gunshot was loud and clear. If all went well, the gunshot would attract the monsters on the island. The previous night, he had seen one of them wandering around the southern coast. Two minutes after, two hairy-faced monsters came running towards him. One was the man in the plaid shirt he had already seent, the other a woman with hair on her face, long arms, and black, reflective fingertips. They swiftly moved on all fours, stopping at the coastline, lifting their grey-haired faces, and looking towards the Nightmare Star. Yang Yi naturally wouldn¡¯t let them run for nothing. He adjusted the ship¡¯s position, aimed the thick, rusted cannon at them, and fired two cannonballs the size of fists. Boom! The cannon shot was not sharp and loud, more like the sound of water balloons bursting. At a distance of less than three hundred metres, the two cannonballs hit their mark, the powerful force splitting the monsters in half, dropping a pile of parts and leaving two deep craters in the sand. ¡°What did you do that for?!¡± Suna complained. The two monsters, whole seconds ago, were reduced to pieces in front of her. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how strong they were, so I tried using the cannon first. If the cannon can¡¯t kill them, then we better not go ashore; it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Yang Yi replied. His words left Suna with no room to argue. ¡°Fine! According to my experience in gaming, if there¡¯s a second one, there will definitely be a third. When that happens, you handle it yourself; I won¡¯t interfere.¡± Yang Yi continued, then steered the ship and prepared to anchor at a suitable spot. The monsters weren¡¯t strong, nowhere near as tough as the Gluttonous Guests. If it had been one of those hungry creatures, taking a cannonball would likely not have killed it, unless it hit the head. After waiting a bit and confirming there was no further movement on the island, he finally released the raft and prepared to go ashore with Suna. ¡°This is?¡± Suna handed Yang Yi a makeshift mask. It was simple, made of several layers of cloth with a bit of fire moss inside. ¡°It¡¯s a makeshift mask. It doesn¡¯t provide much protection, but it¡¯s better than nothing. These people might have contracted some kind of disease, so we need to be cautious.¡± She then put it on and climbed down the ship¡¯s ladder, jumping onto the raft. Yang Yi followed closely behind. The two of them rowed the raft to the shore smoothly. Suna immediately ran to the bodies. Yang Yi, meanwhile, stayed alert, pulling the raft onto the sand. Once he confirmed the area was safe, he too walked over to check the bodies on the ground. ¡¾Name: Half-Werewolf¡¿ ¡¾Description: Infected with Frenzied Wolf Disease, lost their self-awareness; in the process of transforming into a wolf. At night, their abilities increase¡¿ ¡°Half-Werewolf... Frenzied Wolf Disease. No wonder they walk on all fours, and their eyes turn green at night.¡± Yang Yi muttered, then, like he was discarding something dirty, he threw away the half-ear he was holding and washed his hands in the seawater. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Suna¡¯s theory to it the mark. It really is a disease. I hope it¡¯s not airborne...otherwise, that would be trouble!¡± Yang Yi thought to himself. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. On the other side, Suna was squatting in front of the half-body, holding a witch¡¯s dagger. She used the dagger to cut through the plaid shirt, examining the body. The injury was severe: the body was split in half, and internal organs were spilled everywhere. She then examined the damage to the man¡¯s clothes and the healed scars on his skin and made a judgment. ¡°This person was probably scratched by something before, and the wound had already healed. The Frenzied Wolf Disease is likely transmitted through the wounds.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, his claws or teeth might also carry the pathogen¡­¡± Suna said, while she collected the body and placed it in her bag for further research in the lab. ¡°Do you know about rabies?¡± Suna suddenly asked. ¡°It¡¯s a disease that can be contracted through bites or scratches from animals. After it breaks out, it has a 100% fatality rate,¡± Yang Yi casually replied. ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°Rabies has an unpredictable incubation period and can break out quickly. The patient experiences extreme hydrophobia, heightened emotions, tension, and aggressiveness.¡± Suna picked up a piece of skin tissue and carefully examined it ¡°Did you notice? Even after they die, their muscles are still tense, their hair stands up longer, and they sweat profusely¡­¡± She then examined the half-werewolf¡¯s eyeball, fangs, the abnormally elongated arms, and claws. ¡°The pupils are constricted into pinholes, the fangs have become sharper, the arm bones have lengthened, and the fingertips have pierced to form claws¡­¡± Suna continued, recording her observations. Yang Yi sensed a hint of danger and kept his eyes on the forest on the island, noticing the leaves were shaking. Soon, three half-werewolves emerged from the woods. One of them was covered in grey fur, with a pointed nose, and was in the process of transforming into a wolf. Their constantly twitching noses seemed to indicate they were drawn in by the scent of blood. ¡°Which one do you want?¡± Yang Yi asked nonchalantly, his flintlock gun already silently aimed. ¡°The one with the most fur; leave that one for me!¡± Suna said, pulling out her longbow and nocking a trident-shaped armour-piercing arrow. ¡°Alright!¡± The three half-werewolves charged, but before they had even run two metres, one of them had its head burst on the spot. The fur-covered half-werewolf took an arrow to the knee and instantly lost balance, crashing to the ground. A follow-up armour-piercing arrow struck its throat, flipping it onto its back. By the time the last half-werewolf had run a metre, it was left all alone. Still, it wasn¡¯t afraid and lunged towards them. It saw Yang Yi remove the eye patch from his left eye, and before it knew it, everything went dark ¡ª the Sea Serpent''s Fang had accurately pierced its eye socket. Yang Yi quickly put the eye patch back on and shot the werewolf in the other eye to ensure it wouldn¡¯t fake death. Only then did he pull the Sea Serpent''s Fang out. On the other side, the furrier half-werewolfhad managed to stand up. Despite having arrows lodged in its knee and throat, it was still able to rise! Blood poured from the wounds since the armour-piercing arrows had a bleeding effect. The internal structure of the arrows had pores, making the wounds hard to heal and causing continuous bleeding. Suna frowned and aimed a few more arrows at its neck. If she hadn¡¯t wanted to preserve a whole brain, she would have already shot at the eyes. Eventually, the half-werewolf received a few more arrows to its neck, blood spilling everywhere, and it collapsed, unable to stand again. ¡°You drag this furrier werewolf closer. I¡¯ll head back to the ship and use the grappling hook to pull it up,¡± Suna instructed, then quickly turned to run towards the raft. Yang Yi approached the fur-covered half-werewolf, noticing it hadn¡¯t died completely yet, though its breathing was growing weaker. Given the amount of blood it had lost, there was no way it could survive. Under Yang Yi¡¯s watch, the half-werewolf finally stopped breathing. He then dragged the body to a suitable spot on the shore and gave the Nightmare Star a thumbs-up. The grappling hook flew in, precisely grabbing the half-werewolf¡¯s corpse. Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! :D We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 35/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 68 - Radiant Goddess After boarding the ship, Suna had no intention of leaving, focusing instead on dissecting the nearly-werewolf corpse in the lab.Yang Yi stayed alone on the coast. Surveying the bodies around him, he noticed their clothing was light, indicating that when they landed on the island, the temperature wasn¡¯t low, and the extreme northern seas were still far away. It seemed these people had been killed a few days ago, infected with frenzied wolf disease, and wandered this island ever since. Searching the semi-werewolf corpses, Yang Yi found some gear and items. ¡¾Name: Outdoor Survival Knife¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A durable, portable survival knife favored by survival experts. Suitable for skinning, cutting meat, carving, hammering, with an anti-slip, corrosion-resistant handle.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Throwing Axe¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Common¡¿¡¾Description: A compact axe with good balance, designed for throwing.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Flare¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A glowing orb that emits strong light when smashed, repelling creatures that prefer darkness.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Quick-Heal Bandage¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A strange bandage that absorbs blood around the wound, accelerating healing.¡¿ Yang Yi laid out the collected items, frowning deeply. These people were well-equipped. Not only did they have secondary weapons, but also useful tools and healing items. And this wasn¡¯t everything ¡ª they had definitely used some of their gear. Somewhere on the island, their primary weapons might still be scattered. But Yang Yi wasn¡¯t frowning because of this. His concern lay with two bottles of clear liquid among the items. He recognized this liquid immediately ¡ª he¡¯d drunk it several times before. ¡¾Name: Holy Water¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: Blessed pure water that can be ingested, applied externally, or used as a throwable item. When facing demonic creatures, you can never have too much holy water! It cures various poisons and curses, accelerates healing, and slightly restores energy.¡¿ "Can''t this holy water cure the frenzied wolf disease?" Yang Yi picked up one of the bottles. At the same time, he recalled a piece of information he had read in the first issue of the weekly magazine. At that time, Zhou Dai was recruiting teammates to prepare for an expedition to an island with werewolves. The island was likely the one beneath Yang Yi¡¯s feet. There were just too many coincidences! "Were they wiped out by the werewolves?" Yang Yi speculated. But soon, he realised something didn¡¯t add up. If they had been attacked by werewolves, how could so many of them have remained intact? They would have been torn to shreds! Moreover¡­why hadn¡¯t the scent of blood attracted the werewolves? Were they on the other side of the island? Yang Yi looked towards the forest on the island, feeling a sense of lurking danger. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. He decided to pause his exploration and try using his "Peeping" skill to check on the situation of the Radiant Goddess. "Suna, pull me aboard!" Yang Yi sent a message. A few minutes later, a clawed hand grabbed him and pulled him into the cabin of the Nightmare Star. Yang Yi first handed the survival knife to Suna, as it was of a higher grade than his witch''s dagger and was sharper. Then, he went up to the deck, took out a crystal ball, and activated the "Peeping" skill. Before using the skill, however, he also sent a few messages to Zhou Dai to confirm her status. The fact that he could still send messages meant she was alive and hadn''t been deactivated from the system. "She''s still alive." The message was sent. Yang Yi recalled the incident from a few days ago when he had contacted Zhou Dai about selling sweaters. At that time, she hadn¡¯t replied, and it was likely she had already run into trouble. ¡¾Searching... Radiant Goddess...¡¿ The crystal ball quickly displayed coordinates and an image. Yang Yi cross-checked the coordinates with the sea chart and confirmed they matched the island. However, the image did not show a ship; it displayed the waters near the island. "Did the ship sink?" He noted down the coordinates, then steered the Nightmare Star towards them. It wasn¡¯t far ¡ª located on the middle side of the spindle-shaped island. As he reached the area near the coordinates, he stood on the left side of the deck and scanned the surroundings, but saw no ship and no abnormality on the sea surface. However, the crystal ball confirmed that the coordinates were exactly where the Radiant Goddess should have been. An idea struck him, and he removed his eye mask to try using his "Third Eye." Finally, before him appeared a nearly 40-metre-long three-masted sailing ship, with exquisite decorations along the edges and a grand statue of a goddess at the bow. A layer of transparent silk hung from above the mast, covering the entire ship. Yang Yi observed the ship and noticed it also had a chapel, not small in size, located in the ship''s center. Through the windows, he saw intricate decorations inside, including a statue of a goddess without arms, dignified and holy. Looking at it for a long time brought a sense of peace, as if one had been redeemed. Yang Yi quickly shifted his gaze away ¡ª he wasn¡¯t interested in deities. He rubbed his chin and pondered, "Invisible ship, or invisibility device?" Without his third eye, he wouldn''t have seen it, even if it was placed right in front of him. The Nightmare Star''s skill could only show the ship¡¯s coordinates. He brought over a piece of wood to try boarding, but failed, as a transparent force field blocked him. It meant Zhou Dai was indeed alive and most likely on this island! He scanned the surroundings again using his third eye but didn¡¯t detect any other invisible ships. "What should I do...?" Yang Yi was a bit troubled. Due to the rules, he couldn¡¯t plunder this unmanned ship, not even by sinking the Radiant Goddess. It seemed the system was focusing the conflict on the ship''s captain. Only by killing the captain could he steal the victory. After thinking for a moment, he decided to ignore the ship. He didn¡¯t have any ill will towards Zhou Dai. Likewise, there was no deep affection either. The idea of risking his life to rescue someone on the island was completely out of the question. He was simply curious. "What is it about this island that made her recruit so many people to tackle it?" The position was very close to the ship on the island. Yang Yi had a reason to believe they came here for that ship. However, the forest blocked his view, and the distance was too far. Even with his third eye, he could only discern that the ship was ancient, older than Yang Yi himself. But what exactly was inside, he couldn¡¯t tell. What he could confirm was that the ship was quite large when it was intact. "Should I go or not?" Yang Yi hesitated. From the perspective of avoiding risk, he could leave and call it a day. But constantly avoiding risks wouldn¡¯t get him far in these seas. If he abandoned the island, he¡¯d have to abandon the next one too. If he continued that way, Yang Yi¡¯s career as a sailor would effectively be over, and he might as well join some organisation and seek protection! After coming to this conclusion, Yang Yi made a decision. From then on, unless he was certain there was an overwhelming danger, he shouldn¡¯t give up on exploring any island. Even if this island had werewolves, Yang Yi wasn¡¯t afraid. He wasn¡¯t the same person he used to be. With his third eye, he was confident he could take down a werewolf with a single shot. And he still had the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang! Determined to land on the island, Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star and returned to the spot where he had first come ashore. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The coast remained calm, with the same few bodies lying there and no new half-werewolves appearing. Yang Yi felt the concentration of the half-werewolves in the area had to have a reason. As for the ship on the island, it was likely in a place similar to a spider''s nest, and he had to proceed with caution. It would be better to first understand what had happened to the players before venturing further. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 35/50 Shoutout to our new Patreon Bonnie Swihart! Thank you so much for joining the team! :D Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 69 - Wolf’s Den ¡°Suna, have you discovered anything new?¡±Yang Yi stood outside the witch¡¯s laboratory door and asked, without stepping inside. Since the fire, the laboratory had undergone some changes, including the addition of fire. Inside, there was also a large black cauldron in the corner. It was the stereotypical kind of object witches are said to have in their homes, large enough to fit an adult for a bath. The cauldron was boiling some strange liquid, bubbling, with occasional unknown objects swirling inside... Suna heard the noise and looked up at Yang Yi, then continued to focus on her dissection. She was wearing a mask and plastic gloves, holding what seemed to be the stomach of a half-werewolf, examining its contents. A few seconds later, Suna spoke up, ¡°This half-werewolf¡¯s skeletal structure is deformed in many places; it¡¯s better at running, but its brain shows signs of degeneration...¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this,¡± Yang Yi immediately interrupted her long explanation. ¡°What I want to know is whether you can make poison, like a Wolfbane Elixir, to kill the werewolves on this island in one fell swoop.¡± Suna stopped her work, looked at Yang Yi, and replied, ¡°No! The cells of these half-werewolves are highly active, and their metabolism is fast. If they were fully transformed, they might be even tougher, and toxins would be ineffective.¡± Yang Yi frowned and shook his head. It seemed poison wouldn¡¯t work here. Not getting what he wanted, he was about to turn and leave, but then Suna called out, ¡°You¡¯d better not get scratched or bitten by a werewolf. If you get infected with Lycanthropy, I can¡¯t guarantee I¡¯ll be able to turn you back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it!¡± Yang Yi waved his hand and returned to the deck, heading towards the captain¡¯s cabin. When he emerged, he had changed into a new outfit, wearing a sweater, woolen trousers, spiderweb gloves, and tall velvet boots. It wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of the cold, but to protect himself from scratches. Wearing something thicker still provided some protection. And besides, Yang Yi had no intention of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the creatures ¡ª there was no need for that! Next, he checked the supplies he needed to bring, including weapons, potions, water, and dry food. The potions included a Crimson Elixir, two bottles of Regeneration Elixir, and an unknown orange-yellow potion. After making sure everything was ready, he assessed his status, confirming that everything was set. Then, he launched the raft and made his way back to the shore. The coast was still calm, with the same few bodies lying around, and no new half-werewolves appeared. Yang Yi felt the concentration of the half-werewolves there had to have a reason. As for the ship on the island, it seemed like it was located in a place similar to a spider¡¯s nest, so he decided to approach with caution. First, he needed to figure out what had happened to these players before continuing his exploration. On the way, Yang Yi found many scattered and disorderly footprints on the ground, most likely left by the half-werewolves. There were also many claw marks on nearby trees, indicating that they frequently passed through the area. As he went deeper, he found remnants of shells and scales on the ground, likely from fish and shellfish. ¡°It seems like they come to the coast to forage...¡± Yang Yi followed the trail of food remnants and soon caught a strong, foul smell. It was the stench of wild beasts, a mix of excrement, rot, and body odor, hard to describe. He followed the source of the smell and, unsurprisingly, discovered the half-werewolves'' den. A large pile of soft branches had been collected and spread out on the ground, with tattered clothing scraps hanging on top, resembling bedding. Scattered around were numerous white human bones, completely stripped of any flesh. Yang Yi casually picked up a bone and received some information. ¡¾You picked up a bone¡¿ Yang Yi picked up several bones and discovered that they were from different players. After a quick count, he estimated that eight players had been killed and consumed by the group of half-werewolves. He took a photo and sent it to Suna. ¡°Suna, I found the half-werewolves¡¯ den. There are a lot of human bones here, indicating at least eight victims.¡± Soon, Suna responded with a message. ¡°These half-werewolves have strong digestive abilities and are not picky eaters. I found rotten meat and bone fragments in their stomachs. This suggests they are scavengers, and their digestive abilities are quite powerful. The bones on the ground are likely too hard to chew, which is why they were left behind. Once they fully transform into wolves, their biting force will increase, and by then, they won¡¯t leave any bones behind...¡± ¡°Scavengers?¡± Yang Yi read through the message and picked up a thigh bone that had many tooth marks on it. It meant that the half-werewolves had bitten it, but didn¡¯t break it. Yang Yi even suspected that the bones were kept by the half-werewolves to sharpen their teeth. ¡°But this shouldn¡¯t be from biting...¡± He picked up a section of a neck vertebra, its cross-section flat, as if cut by a sharp tool like a knife or sword. In Yang Yi¡¯s experience, the creatures that most often used tools were humans. ¡°So, was it infighting? Or maybe there are other special creatures on the island?¡± Yang Yi furrowed his brows, confused. Just as he was about to leave, a flash of light caught his attention. The reflection came from beneath some soft branches. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. Yang Yi picked up a thigh bone and used it to move the branches aside. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This is...¡± What appeared before him was a pile of weapons and equipment: armour, longswords, shields, battle axes, and even a morning star, crossbows, and bows. It seemed like these had been collected by the werewolves. They might have forgotten how to use them, but subconsciously, they still remembered that these items were important, so they hid them beneath the branches. ¡¾Name: Steel Plate Armor (Damaged)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Ordinary¡¿ ¡¾Description: Sturdy full-body plate armor, although it offers strong protection, it also affects mobility and vision, increasing energy consumption. It is severely deformed and cannot be worn normally.¡¿ Note: Armour with more than 30% damage will be marked as damaged. Armour with less than 30% damage will recover after 24 hours. ¡¾Name: Chainmail¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Made of small iron rings, this chainmail protects the upper body and legs. It¡¯s lightweight and flexible, effective against slashing and piercing attacks.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Fine Steel Longsword¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: A sturdy and sharp longsword, a standard weapon for knights. ¡¿ ¡¾Name: Iron Shield (Damaged)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Ordinary¡¿ ¡¾Description: A wooden shield covered with a layer of iron, but it is severely damaged, reducing its protective ability.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Poleaxe¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿¡¿ ¡¾Description: A durable and powerful poleaxe that can be used for chopping trees or self-defense.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Spiked Morning Star¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: A morning star covered in spikes, with a hammerhead weighing 10 pounds, capable of crushing skulls easily. ¡¿ ¡¾Name: Hunting Bow (Corroded)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: A hunting bow infused with wind power, increasing its range and penetrating ability, making arrows more likely to cause bleeding and tearing.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Rough Crossbow¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Good¡¿ ¡¾Description: A small, easy-to-use crossbow that shoots small bolts, capable of holding 10 bolts at a time.¡¿ There was one of each weapon, but the crossbow had seven, suggesting they had been mass-purchased. ¡°This group has some decent equipment ¡ª armour and weapons. This hunting bow would be perfect for Suna.¡± Yang Yi sent the details of the bow to Suna, then picked up the ironwood shield. It had clear claw marks on it, not only ripping through the iron but almost penetrating the wooden shield as well. ¡°Are fully transformed werewolves this strong?¡± Yang Yi frowned. He put on the chainmail and then stored the equipment in his storage bag, counting it as an extra gain. Whoosh! Yang Yi tested the crossbow ¡ª it fired, and there were bolts inside. He opened the quiver to check and found it could hold 10 bolts, but they were custom-made, short and weak. The mechanism was similar to a bolt-action rifle; after each shot, the quiver had to be pressed again to reload. Though not as powerful as firearms, it was simpler than a bow, and the rate of fire was acceptable. After collecting everything, Yang Yi left the werewolf den. If all went as expected, the island should have seen a fierce battle, leaving traces of a battlefield. That should provide more clues. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 36/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 70 - Sacred Box After a while, Yang Yi approached the spindle-shaped island''s edge.The damaged giant ship on the island was still about a kilometre away. There, he discovered a large number of battle traces. The ground was covered with overturned soil, fallen weeds, and even a few broken trees! Although the trees were only about the thickness of a wrist, it wasn¡¯t easy to break them. He also found two broken swords, a shield with a hole, and a broken scythe, but they had no salvage value. Not far away in an open area, a large number of damaged arrows were piled up, likely collected after the battle. "Did someone clean up the battlefield?" Yang Yi frowned. It seemed to him that only players would do something like this. Moreover, only if the players had defeated the werewolves could they have the chance to do this. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The three pits on the outskirts further confirmed this view. They were about half a metre deep, just enough to bury a person. It appeared that they had been buried, then dug up by something, and the bodies had been stolen. Yang Yi carefully examined the traces, and it seemed that they had been dug out with hands or claws. So, the perpetrator must have been a half-werewolf. Their sense of smell was keen, and they were scavengers, not even letting shallowly buried corpses escape. ¡­ After reviewing the battle remains, Yang Yi was sure the players had defeated the werewolves. They had likely cleaned up the battlefield and buried their companions'' bodies. Later, because of the infection with the rabid wolf disease, some of the players had turned into half-werewolves. "But where are the werewolf bodies?" He pondered. "They couldn¡¯t have done the same as Suna and taken the bodies with them, could they?" Yang Yi was confused. He then rechecked the battlefield. Although he didn¡¯t find any werewolf bodies, he did find a thick and powerful finger, covered in grey fur and with sharp claws that were black and gleaming like metal. ¡¾Name: Grey Werewolf¡¯s Claw¡¿ ¡¾Description: A claw left behind by a patient infected with the rabid wolf disease, fully transformed into a werewolf. ¡¿ Yang Yi froze after reading the information. Because it only showed information about the claw, not the individual werewolf. It was only if the grey werewolf was still alive and had left behind a finger that such information would appear. Yang Yi put the finger in his inventory, feeling that things had become even more mysterious. He looked towards the distant giant ship. Inside, there should be more information and clues. However, Yang Yi still felt that the players had won, or at least had driven back the werewolves! He checked the time and realised there were still six hours before nightfall, so he had plenty of time. His stamina was at 88, and his other stats were all full, so he could continue exploring. With that, he headed towards the giant ship. From there, Yang Yi had to be extremely alert, prepared to deal with potential enemies at any time, and ready to use his Third Eye, magic potions, and even spells. At 500 metres away from the giant ship, the trees could no longer obscure the sight. The vessel was only half intact, with its hull mottled and covered in moss, vines, and other vegetation. Its edge had rusted metal patterns, exuding an ancient and distant aura. Beside it, there was a large cannon that had been toppled, about the height of a person, its surface covered in dust and weeds ¡ª clearly no longer usable. Yang Yi stopped in his tracks and used his Third Eye to scan the giant ship. However, he couldn¡¯t use X-ray vision, so he wasn¡¯t sure what was inside. The translation of this novel has been originally posted on iNovelTranslationdotcom If you¡¯re reading it somewhere else, please be aware it was copied without our consent. What he was certain of, though, was that the ship had been there for a long time ¡ª at least several decades, and maybe even a hundred years! Within his Third Eye''s view, Yang Yi noticed an unusual area. It was a patch of trees that had been felled. But when it came to logging, it didn¡¯t make sense to start cutting from the centre of the island. Moreover, the logs hadn¡¯t been taken! Yang Yi cautiously walked over. He noticed the tree stumps had clean cuts, all chopped in one go, indicating that the tools used for felling the trees were extremely sharp. Additionally, the air was thick with a pungent odor. Yang Yi had smelled this before. Back in the spider¡¯s lair, where human bodies had been dismembered, the place had been filled with a similar smell, almost like the stench left behind in a slaughterhouse. The smell could only be caused by large amounts of fresh blood being spilled. So, not long before, there had likely been a massacre. Yang Yi scanned his surroundings but didn¡¯t find any bodies. Instead, he noticed traces of something having been dragged away, probably taken by some kind of creature. Based on the direction of the drag marks, it was highly likely that half-werewolves were involved ¡ª they seemed to have a strong inclination towards consuming corpses. However, one drag mark was different from the others! It was a set of dark brown shoeprints, stained with blood, leading to the giant ship. Yang Yi stepped forwards and compared the size of his own foot with the prints. ¡°The footprint is small, like a pair of sneakers. It¡¯s likely a woman¡¯s,¡± he speculated. He studied the mark further and noticed more details. The bodies that had been dragged away appeared to be five, which matched the bones found at the half-werewolf camp. The half-werewolves were probably survivors of the massacre. Coincidentally, they had all been infected with the rabid wolf disease, quickly transformed, and then returned to drag away the bodies... ¡°Could it be that the monster responsible for this massacre had someone infected with Lycanthropy, who intentionally let them go?¡± Yang Yi speculated. He searched the area but found no other traces, except for a finely crafted wooden box that had fallen to the ground, its lid slightly detached. ¡¾Name: Sacred Box¡¿ ¡¾Description: A blessed wooden box, only the holy army responsible for it knows what it contains. Very sturdy, nearly impossible to open from the inside.¡¿ ¡°No grade or type?¡± Yang Yi was surprised as he picked it up and examined it closely. The box was entirely white, with intricate golden metallic patterns on its edges that resembled thorns, making it look both beautiful and delicate. Both the inside and outside of the box¡¯s lid were decorated with a picture of a man in a robe. He had a handsome face, his expression one of sorrow, his eyes covered by a cloth, with tears seeping from beneath, forming two tear streaks. He extended his right hand from his robe, holding a scale, while his left hand was hidden beneath the robe. Yang Yi didn¡¯t recognise the man, but he was certain it wasn''t a human. The left arm hidden under the robe seemed unusually large, causing the robe to bulge out! Of course, it could also be some kind of mutated person. Who cares about that? Yang Yi didn¡¯t dwell on the box¡¯s design and turned his attention to its interior. It was a small, perfect cubic space, with equal length, width, and height, about 25 cm, too small to hold anything large. On an impulse, Yang Yi leaned in and sniffed, detecting a faint fragrance. It smelled like a high-end perfume. It meant the box hadn¡¯t been empty; it had contained something before. Given all the clues, Yang Yi speculated the Sacred Box was no ordinary item ¡ª it likely contained some sort of living creature! The group of players on this island must have found the Sacred Box, and someone, driven by curiosity, opened it, releasing the creature inside and leading to the massacre. It was Yang Yi¡¯s theory! He placed the Sacred Box into his inventory, but as soon as it entered, his greedy bag spat it out. Yang Yi tried three more times, and each time the bag rejected the box. On the fourth attempt, even when he offered food, the bag refused to open. ¡°Strange¡­is the bag being picky?¡± Yang Yi muttered, confused, before just holding the box in his arms and heading towards the giant ship. At this point, things were becoming clearer. The remaining clues could be found on the ship! We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 36/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 71 - Provocation Yang Yi followed the bloody footprints, eventually arriving in front of the giant ship, where they disappeared. There was no broken open cabin or deck ahead, but rather the slanted bottom of the ship''s hull. ¡°Did it climb up...?¡± Yang Yi speculated. He took a few steps back, removed his eye patch, and tried to use his Third Eye to get a clearer view of the inside of the ship. There was a peculiar window ¡ª unlike the others, it was not covered with weeds or vines, and it seemed to have been deliberately cleaned... Just then, Yang Yi noticed a shadow rapidly approaching him out of the corner of his left eye. It moved very quietly, its steps soundless on the grass. By the time the prey heard the noise, it would already be too late to escape. But Yang Yi was special ¡ª his Third Eye captured the shadow, and thus he quickly turned, aimed, and pulled the trigger of his flintlock pistol. Click! The gun misfired. Yang Yi wasted no time and immediately threw an axe. It was a throwing weapon he had picked up earlier. Although the quality was low, it was easy to carry and quick to use. The axe flew with precision, hitting the shadow''s knee with a sharp sound. But the damage was limited ¡ª it bounced off its body, deflected by its spiky fur, unable to cut in. The shadow didn¡¯t even stop for a moment. It ran faster, reaching Yang Yi in no time. Its appearance was pitiful, with a body covered with scars, lodged arrows, gunshot wounds and lacerations. Its skin was peeling, and there was even a broken spear stuck in its back. Moreover, its black-grey fur was unmistakable¡ªthis was a missing werewolf. The reason it could still move despite its injuries wasn¡¯t because of its vitality ¡ª it had already lost any sign of life. The wounds were rotting and crawling with maggots, emitting a strong stench of decay. It¡­was likely a moving corpse. ¡¾You have encountered an abnormal creature. Your sanity decreases by 5.¡¿ Yang Yi immediately reacted. After realising the axe was ineffective, he switched to his Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang and the ironwood shield. With such a fast-moving creature, there was no chance of escaping. So he braced for a direct confrontation and activated the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang skill: Flame Jet! He didn¡¯t use the cannon mode of his flintlock because he wanted to save it for another potential monster. Calculating the distance, Yang Yi unleashed the skill, sending a fan-shaped jet of flames from his short sword. The flames were like a Molotov cocktail, igniting everything in a 3-metre wide, 110-degree arc in front of him. This included the werewolf. Its spiky fur, while resistant to sharp weapons, couldn¡¯t withstand the high heat. In an instant, it caught fire and turned into a fireball. However, the creature didn¡¯t seem to feel pain and wasn¡¯t afraid of the fire. It swiped at Yang Yi, and the ironwood shield he hastily raised blocked the strike. Bang! Wood splintered, and the ironwood shield could no longer hold up ¡ª it shattered completely. Yang Yi was knocked backwards by the force, crashing into the ship¡¯s hull. His left arm went numb, losing all sensation, and his sleeve was torn, exposing the chainmail underneath. Had he not been wearing the chainmail, Yang Yi would have been badly injured. Not far away, the werewolf had already been reduced to a flaming ball. Though it wasn¡¯t afraid of fire, the flames had caused real damage. Its flesh was charred, releasing a foul burnt smell. Taking advantage of the moment, Yang Yi swapped back to his flintlock pistol and fired another shot, which accurately hit the werewolf¡¯s knee. Without the protection of its fur, its knee shattered, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground. Yang Yi didn¡¯t stop there. He threw the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang, stabbing it into the werewolf¡¯s left eye, the sword hilt embedding deep inside. The heat from the sword quickly spread through, damaging the werewolf''s brain. Its body stiffened, and it stopped moving altogether. But Yang Yi didn¡¯t rejoice in his victory. He remained vigilant with his Third Eye, scanning his surroundings, and quickly hid in a nearby bush. After several tense seconds, with no sign of movement from the ship, he put the eye patch back on. By then, the werewolf had completely burned. Its body was turning into charcoal and emitted large amounts of thick black smoke. The earlier Flame Jet had also ignited much of the surrounding vegetation. Fortunately, as there were no trees around the ship and the ground was damp, the fire didn¡¯t spread. If not for that, the entire island could have been set ablaze, and Yang Yi himself wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape. He approached the scorched werewolf and, taking a long-handled axe from his pouch, swung it at its head. Clang! The first swing made a metallic sound, and he didn''t manage to sever the werewolf''s neck. Its bones must have been seriously hard. He pulled the axe back and struck three more times, finally chopping off the blackened wolf head. After putting out the fire with dirt and letting it cool down, Yang Yi retrieved his prized short sword and, upon examining the wolf¡¯s mouth, found a silver bullet lodged between its lower teeth. "White Rose?" Upon getting sight of the silver bullet, Yang Yi immediately thought of the white revolver he had seen before, which seemed to shoot silver bullets that were capable of hindering regeneration and breaking curses. Yang Yi also gained information about the werewolf. ¡¾Name: Grey Werewolf (Undead)¡¿ ¡¾Description: A grey werewolf corpse revived through necromancy, with tough black-grey fur. It will attack any living creature except the caster.¡¿ Can be used in the monster gacha machine. "Undead...Caster." Yang Yi noticed the key words. It meant that some kind of creature had used necromancy to bring the grey werewolf''s corpse back to life. Another enemy existed! Yang Yi stuffed the scorched, still-smoking, ferocious wolf head into his pouch, planning to take it back to the vending machine. Since it was already burnt, it didn¡¯t seem worth dissecting, meaning he didn¡¯t plan on telling Suna to avoid her complaining about him not leaving a single whole corpse behind. As for the werewolf''s body...it was nearly reduced to ash. Yang Yi didn¡¯t rush into the ship, but instead lay in wait, drinking a bottle of holy water to restore his condition. After the flames diminished, he got up again. At this point, there was still no sign of movement from the ship. This suggested that the enemy was probably not on board. He checked the time, noticing how there were still four hours until nightfall. With two hours to explore and two hours to return, there was plenty of time left. His condition was also good; after drinking the holy water, his energy had recovered a bit, and his health was above 85. Aside from the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang skill being depleted, none of his other abilities had been used. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After making up his mind, Yang Yi approached the ship and used his spider-web gloves to climb up. (1) He was looking for a suitable entry point, such as the window that had been deliberately cleaned. A few minutes later, he reached the window and tossed a long-legged sandfish inside. After confirming there was no movement, he peeked inside. "Something¡¯s wrong!" The ship had clearly been through a shipwreck and unluckily drifted there. The interior should have been chaotic. Why did the room have neatly arranged tables, chairs, and shelves? Even the positions had been changed because the original floor had become the wall. However, there was still a thick layer of dust. What this suggested was that when the ship washed up on the deserted island, there had probably been survivors aboard. He didn¡¯t rush to jump in but instead observed for a while as the interior was dim, and only with the Third Eye could clearly see things. He quickly spotted a row of unusual objects ¡ª glass jars ¡ª which Yang Yi was very familiar with, having seen many like them in Suna¡¯s lab. Inside, there were five human heads, neither more nor less, carefully placed on a shelf that had clearly been cleaned. (1) Wannabe Spiderman - Simply We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 35/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 72 - Evil Witch Yang Yi''s gaze swept over the five human heads and noticed they all had one thing in common: their necks were cut very cleanly, as if severed by some sharp weapon in a single stroke.He stared for a few seconds and quickly recalled the remains he found in the half-werewolf camp. At the time, he had found many human bones, but the number of skulls was surprisingly low. Initially, he thought the half-werewolves had lost the skulls, but now it seemed the bodies didn¡¯t have heads at all ¡ª they had been deliberately collected by some creature. He scanned the room with his Third Eye, not detecting any immediate danger. He only noticed some scattered footprints, not yet covered by the dust. The players had probably entered the ship, and the Sacred Box was likely found there. Using his spider-web gloves, Yang Yi quietly climbed into the room without causing much noise. Once on the ground, he immediately adopted a defensive posture, holding his gun in one hand and the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang in the other, his body tensed and ready for any potential ambush. But he had overthought it ¡ª there was no movement in the room, not even a single bug. He began exploring immediately, as the effect of his Third Eye was limited. He needed to understand the situation on the ship in the following eight minutes. ¡¾Name: Head Jar¡¿ ¡¾Description: Human heads preserved by some technique, kept for long periods. Particularly their brains, which are frozen at the moment of preservation.¡¿ "Head jars?" Yang Yi felt a chill run down his spine. (1) Aside from the head jars, there was nothing else suspicious in the room. He didn¡¯t linger but immediately moved to the next room. Due to the ship''s tilt, the room couldn¡¯t be accessed normally, so he had to climb in. After confirming that the adjacent room was safe, Yang Yi entered. It was unlike the previous one. The floor was covered in broken glass and stains, and even after so long, the traces were still visible. There were still a few glass jars intact, containing unknown objects, but it seemed that due to the passage of time, the liquid inside had become murky. Yang Yi tried checking a few of them. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Name: Melted and Rotten Human Heart¡¿ ¡¾Description: Contaminated by being stored too long. This heart is now useless.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Melted and Rotten Human Eyeball¡¿ ¡¾Description: Contaminated by being stored too long. This eyeball is now useless.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Melted and Rotten Human Brain¡¿ ¡¾Description: Contaminated by being stored too long, this brain is now useless. ¡¿ ¡¾Name: Rotten Human Right Foot¡¿ ¡¾Description: Contaminated by being stored too long. This right foot has begun to rot.¡¿ The jars were full of human body parts. The more Yang Yi looked, the more familiar they seemed, because there were similar jars in the witch¡¯s laboratory, but those contained the organs of otherworldly demons. He suddenly realised. "A witch is on this ship? And she particularly likes to research human bodies?" Frowning, he didn¡¯t stay long, as time was limited. He crawled through the room and reached the ship¡¯s cabin. Although it was only half a cabin, it was even more spacious than the Nightmare Star. On the other side, there were parallel rooms. The middle one had a larger door, while the rooms on either side were smaller. Following the cabin floor, Yang Yi climbed up. Halfway there, he discovered a fixed white platform. Even though a lot of time had passed, the platform showed no signs of fading or rotting. It only had a thick layer of dust on top. Yang Yi reached out and touched it; the material felt very similar to the Sacred Box, so it was likely that the Sacred Box had once been placed there. He continued climbing and reached the bottom rooms, first entering the largest one. It was somewhat damp, with two rows of weapon racks. There were large amounts of severely rusted armour and weapons scattered across the floor. They appeared to be part of a set. Each piece of armour had a spherical raised pattern in the centre. ¡¾Name: Holy Knight Armour (Damaged)¡¿ ¡¾Description: Standard armour worn by the radiant Holy Knights, glowing faintly in the dark. This piece has become rusted and damaged from neglect, and is now of no value.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Holy Knight Sword (Damaged)¡¿ ¡¾Description: Standard longsword wielded by the radiant Holy Knights, glowing faintly in the dark. This piece has become rusted and damaged from neglect, and is now of no value.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Holy Knight Shield (Damaged)¡¿ ¡¾Description: Standard shield used by the radiant Holy Knights, glowing faintly in the dark. This piece has become rusted and damaged from neglect, and is now of no value.¡¿ Yang Yi glanced over them briefly and saw that they were all of no value, so he left the room and moved to the next. The next room was very different; it had a bed and furniture, as though someone had lived here. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the floor, and the furniture was decaying, so the person who had lived here hadn¡¯t returned in a long time. The fresher footprints were all left by players, including a bloodstained set of footprints that stopped in front of the bed, as though someone had lain there for a while. Yang Yi carefully examined the bed, then looked under it and found a severely damaged parchment. The writing on it was unclear, in a special script that Yang Yi didn¡¯t recognise. ¡¾You have discovered a Human Tongue, costing 500 Shell Coins to learn.¡¿ The system immediately popped up with a message. Without hesitation, Yang Yi spent the coins to learn the language, and then he could understand the writing. "Thank the Radiant One for the guidance!" "A few days ago, we received a report that...a massacre occurred! A crazed one-eyed man killed his adulterous wife and her lover, as well as everyone around them." "His strength was extraordinary, and even his single eye took up half his face..." "We purified him with the Holy Fire!" "Afterwards, we followed the trail and found a lurking witch!" "To capture her, we sacrificed one knight and two knights'' attendants. They were true heroes, and we buried them... Only this ugly, evil, and feared witch remains! We will escort her back to the Holy City, where she will understand the depth of her sins, but the gods will not forgive her..." There were large stains in the middle of the text that Yang Yi couldn¡¯t read. "...Unfortunately, we encountered a sea tornado, which followed our ship! Damn it! This must be a curse the witch summoned!" "...The ship was torn apart and fell from the sky. Most of us died, and we buried them, hoping they would return to the embrace of the Radiant Goddess..." "Damn, the witch¡¯s evil vessel contained a disease! Some of us began to have fever, hair started growing on our faces, and the holy water couldn¡¯t cure this evil illness..." "They went mad, biting everything in sight! Sir Knight Will and I killed these crazed people, leaving only the two of us..." (2) "...That damn witch should have been tied to the pyre! In front of all the citizens of the Holy City, we would have used the harshest holy instruments to redeem her soul and body with the Holy Fire!" "...Seven days have passed, this island is too barren, and with only Will and I, we can''t repair the ship." "Sir Knight Will has decided to prepare a small boat and seek rescue from the sea. I agree with this decision, for the Radiant One will guide him, and he will surely complete the task!" "My task is to guard the Sacred Box and ensure that the evil within cannot escape. I have all the time in the world!" "...My face is starting to grow hair, my teeth are becoming sharp, and I even want to dig up the corpses of my comrades to feast on... Maybe I¡¯ve already started doing this!" "My waking hours are getting shorter, but I will not forget my mission. I will ensure the ship remains undisturbed and the Sacred Box stays closed. The Holy Knights will come, and when they do, I will rest in eternal peace!" "Radiance forever! Order forever!" As the writing continued, it became increasingly scrawled, showing the deteriorating mental state of the writer. Yang Yi finished reading and his brows furrowed deeply. He had made a mistake in his judgment. The ship wasn¡¯t owned by the witch, but by the Holy Knights. The purpose of the Holy Knights was likely to exterminate heretics. They had only encountered the witch during their journey back, and that was when the shipwreck happened. However, the Sacred Box...could it hold a living person? Yang Yi didn¡¯t think so. It would be very inconvenient to carry, and he hadn¡¯t brought it with him. Instead, he had hidden it in a bush outside the giant ship. Just then, a woman¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind Yang Yi¡¯s head. "It only took you a little while to have lunch, and I didn¡¯t expect a thief to sneak in and kill my watchdog..." Yang Yi''s scalp tingled. Though he was facing away from her, he could still see clearly. From the corner of the door, a head appeared ¡ª probably a woman ¡ª with her eyes tightly shut. Yang Yi didn¡¯t have time to turn around. He aimed at her while still facing away, pulling the trigger of his flintlock pistol. (1) As if that''s not something Suna would keep -Simply (2) One thing after the other without any signs of stopping ¡ª she''s merciless¡­ Or is she? -Simply We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 36/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 73 - Invasion The shot didn''t misfire. The bullet hit the edge of the doorframe with precision, shattering it and sending splinters flying."You''re shooting with your back turned and still hitting the mark? Do you have eyes on the back of your head or something?" A puzzled voice came from above Yang Yi''s head. The previous shot missed because this creature seemed to predict the gun''s direction and dodge preemptively. Just before he pulled the trigger, it darted in, crawling swiftly along the wooden planks overhead. "You started the fire outside too, didn''t you? Impressive!" The unknown entity above praised him, its tone audacious and unconcerned. Yang Yi felt a shiver run down his spine, goosebumps rising all over his skin. Because he saw a human head crawling. Yes, just a head! Judging by the features, it appeared to belong to a beautiful woman ¡ª well-defined features and a head of lustrous, curly hair. Although her eyes were shut, she could still somehow see clearly in the dark ¡ª a mystery he couldn¡¯t comprehend. What¡¯s more, her movements were unnervingly quick, as she was propelled by slender tendrils extending from beneath her neck, which supported her head as it moved rapidly. At the ends of these tendrils were scythe-like blades. Yang Yi had no doubts about their sharpness ¡ª five other players had already tested that for him, at the cost of their heads! ¡¾Seeing an abnormal entity causes your sanity to drop by 10.¡¿ A cold glint flashed, and one of the scythes slashed towards Yang Yi''s neck at lightning speed. An ordinary person wouldn¡¯t stand a chance of dodging ¡ª human eyes couldn¡¯t even track such speed, let alone react to it. But was Yang Yi an ordinary person? At the very last moment, he turned around, narrowly blocking the attack with the blade of Sea Serpent''s Fang. Clang! The clash of metal rang out, sparks flying from the impact. The force nearly knocked the weapon out of Yang Yi''s hand, and the deflected scythe left a gash across his cheek, causing blood to pour down his face. "Oh!" The woman let out a surprised exclamation. She hadn¡¯t expected Yang Yi to block the attack. But soon, she discovered the reason. Because Yang Yi possessed a special left eye, its composite pupil slowly rotating. "What a beautiful eye!" she suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "What''s the deal with your left eye? Let me borrow it for a look!" With that, she lunged at Yang Yi, moving even faster than a grey werewolf! Though Yang Yi could see her movements clearly, there was no way to evade them. The space was far too cramped ¡ª barely seven metres from one end to the other! And one of her tendrils alone was three metres long. Half the room was within her attack range, not to mention her rapid mobility. Faced with the crisis, Yang Yi dared not hold back and immediately switched to cannon mode. Even if it meant risking the collapse of the entire ship, he couldn¡¯t hesitate! Bang! The trigger was pulled, and the flintlock¡¯s deafening roar filled the space. The shot was aimed directly at the creature, piercing through the wooden ceiling and out of the hull. The already-decayed ship couldn''t withstand the impact, collapsing by a third on the spot and kicking up a massive cloud of dust. He was propelled by the intense recoil, crashing through a wall and landing outside the ship. Even Yang Yi himself hadn''t anticipated escaping the shipwreck in such a manner. It seemed the ship was even more fragile than he''d thought. But... "Give me your body!" The cursed woman''s voice rang in Yang Yi''s ears. The previous shot, though powerful, missed its mark. The close distance and her intelligence ¡ª recognising firearms and dodging based on their aim ¡ª allowed her to evade. However, the shot''s sheer power exceeded her expectations, destroying most of her tendrils. The woman''s head had crawled onto Yang Yi''s left shoulder, with only six tendrils left, trying to wrap around him. "Damn it!" Yang Yi cursed aloud. It was worse than a spider crawling on him! ¡¾Abnormal entity contact causes your sanity to drop by 10.¡¿ Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi wrestled with the head perched on his shoulder. He grabbed her hair with his left hand and thrust Sea Serpent''s Fang with his right. But she bit down on the blade with sharp teeth, halting his attack. The fight reached a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand. In truth, the creature''s physical abilities far surpassed Yang Yi''s. With a single tendril anchoring herself, she clung tightly to his left shoulder. The remaining five tendrils burrowed into Yang Yi''s neck, crawling beneath his skin, causing immense pain ¡ª until, suddenly, he felt nothing at all. ¡¾You are being invaded by a Brain Eater. Sanity drops by 20. ¡¿ ¡¾You will lose control of your body...¡¿ Yang Yi was shocked by the notification. Finally, he learned the creature''s name ¡ª Brain Eater! The Brain Eater was attempting to invade and take control of his body. He could feel the tendrils moving inside him, heading towards his spine, seemingly trying to infiltrate and replace his central nervous system to command his limbs. It couldn¡¯t be allowed! "You damned parasite!" Yang Yi roared furiously. He released the short sword, clenching his fist and swinging it towards the head on his shoulder. But the punch never landed. Somehow, his left arm had already lost control, twisting around to restrain his right wrist. Another stalemate. Without the head on his shoulder, Yang Yi looked like a lunatic, his arms wrestling with each other, neither gaining the advantage. Taking the opportunity, the Brain Eater spat out Sea Serpent''s Fang, a trickle of viscous purple blood oozing from her mouth. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t unscathed by his earlier strike. However, she was confident of her victory, laughing wildly. Her expressive face twisted into a smirk, eyes brimming with mockery. "Ha! Stop resisting ¡ª it¡¯ll only bring you more pain! Why not submit to me? I promise not to kill you and let you forever revel in blissful dreams!" "Go to hell!" Yang Yi refused to yield, fighting back with all his might. If his hands couldn¡¯t move, then he¡¯d use his head! Bang! Caught off guard, the Brain Eater was headbutted, her vision spinning. Although she was agile, being anchored to Yang Yi¡¯s shoulder left her unable to dodge. Yang Yi, sensing a brief lull inside his body, was overjoyed and rammed her again with even greater force. Judging by his resolve, he¡¯d bash his own head bloody if it meant taking her down! Bang! Bang! Bang! "Are you out of your mind?!" the Brain Eater yelled in frustration. It was her first time encountering such a troublesome opponent. Unable to endure his headbutts any longer, she retracted a tendril, coiling it like a spring to brace against Yang Yi''s forehead and stop his relentless attacks. To her, this man was a lunatic, as if his head didn¡¯t feel pain. Ultimately, Yang Yi¡¯s headbutting spree was halted, but not without results. Though his head now sported several lumps, the Brain Eater¡¯s nose was crooked, deep purple blood dripping from her nostrils. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, as if the pain had made her cry. But Yang Yi had no pity ¡ª he was fighting for his life! Seeing that headbutts no longer worked, he immediately sought another method. Testing control over his limbs, he found his right leg fully responsive, with partial control regained over his right hand and left leg. Struggling to his feet, he locked eyes on a nearby tree and pushed off with all his strength, slamming himself against it. The target? The back of the Brain Eater¡¯s head. With immense force, he aimed to crack her skull. The Brain Eater was startled by Yang Yi¡¯s reckless behavior. She hurriedly manipulated his left hand to cushion the impact, but her head still took a hit, leaving a swollen lump. Taking advantage of the moment, Yang Yi¡¯s right hand broke free from his left hand¡¯s restraint, regaining freedom. "You''re insane! This is your own body! My tendrils are inside you now ¡ª if something goes wrong, you¡¯ll end up crippled!" the Brain Eater warned. But she was warning the wrong person. Without hesitation, Yang Yi clenched his fist and punched her, giving her a black eye. Then he retorted coldly: "Better crippled than letting you take over!" Fearless, he continued throwing punches! Editor¡¯s note: headbutts will never not be amusing We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 36/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 74 - Clash of the Nervous System Near the giant ship. The battle between Yang Yi and the Brain Eater continued, though the commotion gradually subsided, giving way to an eerie calm.Initially, Yang Yi¡¯s reckless "injury-for-injury" tactics caused significant trouble for the Brain Eater. But as he lost control of his body bit by bit, he could no longer resist. Only his right leg remained under his control. Lying on the ground, he was utterly helpless. He deeply regretted not practicing high kicks earlier ¡ª otherwise, he might¡¯ve blown the monster¡¯s head off his shoulder! (1) On the other hand, the Brain Eater wasn¡¯t in great shape either. After taking a severe beating from Yang Yi, her face was swollen like a pig¡¯s. "If you¡¯d behaved earlier, you wouldn¡¯t be in this mess!" she spat, though her words slurred due to several missing teeth ¡ª courtesy of Yang Yi¡¯s punches. Both her eyes were swollen, resembling ripe peaches, making it impossible for her to open them. Yet, she was the undeniable victor. Though she looked worse than Yang Yi, the fact remained ¡ª she had won. "What¡¯s with that look?" the Brain Eater sneered, annoyed by Yang Yi¡¯s defiant glare. Yang Yi turned his head slightly, staring at her with his two vastly different eyes which brimmed with malice. In truth, Yang Yi was bluffing. He couldn¡¯t see a thing because his vision had gone dark. The time limit on his three-eyed mode had expired, and his brain had shut off visual signal transmission again. Yet, he didn¡¯t want the Brain Eater to know he was blind. So, he glared fiercely, feigning sight while fresh blood trickled from his nostrils, making him appear even more menacing. Seconds ticked by. Yang Yi could feel a tendril sliding along the back of his neck, creeping down his spine, aiming to burrow into his brain. Oddly, it didn¡¯t hurt ¡ª in fact, it felt strangely pleasant, almost as if he welcomed it. It was likely the effect of the Brain Eater¡¯s secretions, designed to erode the host¡¯s resistance. In less than a minute ¡ª maybe even sooner ¡ª that tendril would pierce his brain. At that point, whether it seized control, destroyed, or consumed his brain, the outcome would be irreversible. And from what the Brain Eater hinted, she didn¡¯t plan to kill Yang Yi. Instead, she intended to imprison him in a meticulously crafted dream, trapping him in eternal bliss cut off from reality. "You¡¯re surprisingly resilient," she mused smugly. "That other woman lasted barely ten seconds!" It was unclear whether she was praising or mocking him, but her tone was condescending. "You think you¡¯ve won?" Yang Yi retorted coldly. "Of course! What, you think you can still turn the tables?" Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother explaining. Deep within, a daring plan began to take shape ¡ª he would use magic. First up: Limb Restoration Spell! The target? The Brain Eater herself. Anyone well-versed would understand that every creature is composed of three parts: the core, the vessel, and the limbs. The core is the seat of consciousness, typically the brain for humans. The vessel refers to the body, which connects and houses the core and limbs. The limbs encompass everything else ¡ª organs, appendages, and yes, even another¡¯s head. So, Yang Yi could use the Limb Restoration Spell to attach the Brain Eater directly to his shoulder! Just like in the nightmare! It seemed that not all nightmares were bad omens. Sometimes, they could reveal a way out. Resolute, Yang Yi¡¯s expression turned maniacal as he grinned and sneered: "You want my body, right? Then let¡¯s make our bond even more...complete!" "What?" The crazed look on Yang Yi¡¯s face filled the Brain Eater with dread. In the next moment, the Limb Restoration Spell activated. Since Yang Yi had fully studied the Book of Spider Limbs, he didn¡¯t need any incantation to cast it. Strange symbols began to glow on Yang Yi¡¯s right shoulder ¡ª markings he had seen in the book. The symbols quickly spread, crawling onto the Brain Eater¡¯s cheeks. "W-what is this?" The Brain Eater was terrified and tried to flee, but she couldn¡¯t! In trapping Yang Yi, she had also inadvertently trapped herself. Her tendrils were already deeply embedded in Yang Yi¡¯s body, making escape impossible in such a short time. Besides, she didn¡¯t want to ruin her precious "experiment." Helpless, the Brain Eater could only watch as the spell took effect. The glowing symbols began to transform, sprouting tiny legs and turning into small spiders. They worked together, spinning silk like tailors, slowly stitching the Brain Eater¡¯s head onto Yang Yi¡¯s shoulder. Even the chainmail between them was dismantled by the spiders. Seconds later, the symbols disappeared. The Brain Eater¡¯s head became fully fused with Yang Yi¡¯s shoulder ¡ª blood and flesh intertwined, making separation impossible. At the same time, Yang Yi gained control over the Brain Eater¡¯s body, including her tendrils. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A new battle began! To her shock, the Brain Eater realised her tendrils were no longer under her control. It was as if they had developed a will of their own! In reality, Yang Yi was the one manipulating them. The two started vying for control over the tendrils, each gaining and losing ground. "What did you do?!" For the first time, panic appeared on the Brain Eater¡¯s face as she experienced what it felt like to be controlled. The tendrils left outside her body had gone rogue, lashing back, and leaving deep purple whip marks on the Brain Eater herself. The silent battle between the two continued, though to an outsider, it might look incomprehensible. Only they knew the true danger within. Minutes later, Yang Yi began to fall behind again ¡ª fatigue setting in. He realised his nerve reflexes, or perhaps his thought speed, couldn¡¯t keep up with the Brain Eater. As she regained her composure, Yang Yi found himself losing more ground, his control dwindling. The tendril at the back of his neck resumed its advance. ¡°Damn it! If I had more magic essence, I¡¯d use Limb Explosion and blow us both up!¡± Yang Yi cursed inwardly. His thoughts, carried through neural signals, reached the Brain Eater. "Limb Explosion? Are you a cultist of the Limb Spider Sect?!" she snapped. The Limb Spider Sect was an infamous secret cult that worshipped the deity known as the Mother of Spiders. Its followers were obsessed with limbs, grafting all sorts of grotesque appendages onto themselves, turning into unrecognisable monstrosities. They claimed it was "evolution" or "transcendence." The Brain Eater had heard of the cult but never expected to encounter one of its members here. Fortunately, she was confident in her superior skills. She would win. He was out of magic essence ¡ª there was no way he could use Limb Explosion. But Yang Yi¡¯s next thought chilled her to the core. ¡°Damn it! I really can¡¯t hold on! If worse comes to worst¡­¡± "Worse comes to worst?" "If worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll have no choice but to invoke the Summoning Ritual of the Mother...and offer this monster to her!" ¡°You¡¯re insane!!!!¡± That thought struck terror into the Brain Eater¡¯s very soul. (1) It''s confirmed ¡ª we''re getting a knockoff Sanji! -Simply Editor''s note: dude is actually letting his mum fight for him We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 37/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 75 - The light of truth "Stop!"Urgent neural signals surged into Yang Yi''s brain. "Do you know what summoning a deity means? It''s far worse than death... Humans, unprepared, appearing before a god, would spiral into endless madness, unable even to maintain their form!" warned the Brain Eater. The exchange, though lengthy in words, was instant through neural signals, transmitted and understood in a flash. But to the Brain Eater''s surprise...Yang Yi ignored the warning, resolutely determined to use the Mother of Spiders'' deity-summoning ritual. It wasn''t a bluff. Neural signals, being a deep-level exchange of consciousness, left no room for deception. Yang Yi''s intentions, clear and unwavering, were fully exposed to the Brain Eater. He was serious. The Brain Eater was horrified, regretting its decision to inhabit this lunatic''s body. It began bombarding Yang Yi with signals, trying to disrupt the ritual. "You''re insane! A heretic! A lunatic! You dare call me a monster? You''re worse than a monster! Even monsters wouldn¡¯t summon gods!" Floods of signals ¡ª confusion, fear, shock, despair ¡ª assaulted Yang Yi¡¯s mind, giving him a splitting headache. It was like ten voices screaming in his head. He¡¯d had enough! "Shut up!" Yang Yi severed the signal transmission. "I''m perfectly calm! This is the only way to destroy you, you red-eyed freak!" "Red-eyed... How do you know that? Did I ever tell you?" a puzzled signal came through. Yang Yi retorted, "Does that need saying?" Unwittingly, his thoughts transmitted along with the response, exposing everything to the Brain Eater. The Brain Eater glimpsed a nightmare Yang Yi had experienced. "You dreamed of this?" "I didn¡¯t say that!" "You¡¯ve seen other red-eyed beings?" "No, I haven¡¯t!" "Suna...? Where is she now?" "You piece of¡ª!" Yang Yi exploded with rage. Not being able to hide a single thought, with every secret laid bare, felt like he was being stripped naked in public. But Yang Yi quickly devised a countermeasure: stop thinking and ignore the incoming signals. "Tell me where she is!" "........." "What¡¯s your relationship with her?" "........." Yang Yi stayed silent, focusing on activating the ritual to summon the Mother of Spiders and eliminate the menace. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Brain Eater detected his intent immediately. "Stop! Let¡¯s talk! I have no hostility now ¡ª you can feel it, can¡¯t you?" Indeed, Yang Yi felt no malice, only excitement, anticipation, and relief. Emotions rarely lie unless one could deceive themselves. The Brain Eater''s actions further proved its sincerity: The tendrils retreated from his body, and Yang Yi regained control almost instantly. "What are you up to?" Yang Yi was confused but stayed cautious, groping for a weapon hidden in his stomach pouch. Yet his intention was immediately detected. Two tendrils restrained his hands tightly. "Stop your aggressive behavior! I just want to talk!" "But I can''t see!" "I¡¯ll share my vision with you." A strange visual signal came through ¡ª lines and contours without color, like radar-detected imagery processed into a coherent picture. The tendrils released Yang Yi''s hands, allowing him to stand. "Where are you...?" "Find somewhere to sit. My face hurts a lot right now, and I don''t want to say anything." Yang Yi frowned, his left shoulder pressed against a head, looking like a two-headed demon as he slowly walked towards the ruins and found a piece of wood to sit on. On the other hand, the Brain Eater seemed to be capable of using magic. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t understand the complicated incantations, but he could feel that after a warm, water-like energy brush across the Brain Eater''s cheek, her injuries quickly healed. "I feel much better now." The Brain Eater looked at Yang Yi. Yet to his senses, it was like looking at himself, a very strange feeling. After all, he, and the Brain Eater shared vision. Yang Yi took the opportunity to put on an eye mask and asked the Brain Eater what she wanted to say. The exchange between the two heads officially began, and the Brain Eater¡¯s words became more refined. "Hello, Mr. Yang Yi! You may call me Miss Ronette. As you might have guessed, I am indeed a witch, blessed with both beauty and intelligence..." She began to explain her identity. Not long before, she was just an ordinary witch, exceptionally beautiful and intelligent. She kept a low profile, enjoying her research in quiet corners. But her good days didn''t last. She was discovered by the Holy Knights, labelled as a heretic, and captured to be taken to the Holy City for judgment by the Holy Light. "I definitely know who betrayed me, it must be that Peter! He begged me to heal his blindness so he could see his new bride. I agreed and replaced his corrupted eyeballs with those of a healthy Cyclops! The surgery was a success, and before he left, he even thanked me!" Miss Ronette spoke with indignation. "Not even half a month later, the Holy Knights arrived! Luckily, I was prepared and turned myself into the Brain Eater. This way, even if I only had a head left, I could still move! Otherwise, once I leave the Holy Chest, I would immediately die..." "The Holy Chest?" "Yes! The Holy Chest is a prison tool used by the Radiant Holy Church to store the heads of heretics. Each chest is uniquely numbered and marked with a sacred seal. Whenever the Holy Knights capture a heretic, they use a divine spell called the Holy Severance to decapitate them. This Holy Severance is an extremely evil spell that doesn¡¯t kill immediately after decapitation! Then they store the head of the heretic in the Holy Chest and send it to the Holy City. As long as the sinner doesn¡¯t leave the Holy Chest, they won¡¯t truly die... This cruel method is unheard of!" Miss Ronette recounted the brutality of the Holy Knights. But Yang Yi remained unmoved. He thought that witches weren''t much better...both were equally vile. His thoughts were quickly understood by Miss Ronette. "You have a deep misunderstanding of witches! In fact, compared to witches, I prefer to be called a scholar!" Miss Ronette revealed a wealth of hidden information to Yang Yi. "People always say we are forbidden beings, accusing us of desecrating the dead and playing with life. But those are misunderstandings and prejudices! In reality, we are the true guardians of this world, its only hope! The taboo research that violates human morals is just the growing pains of exploring the truth! As long as we persist, we will eventually ignite the light of truth again! We will make all hidden existences retreat into the shadows, never daring to reveal themselves in the light of truth! We will do it! We will succeed!" "Because the light of truth has always existed and will always exist!" Miss Ronette''s face became fervent; it was a kind of faith. Unlike the faith in deities, what they believed in...was the truth, the principle of all things! In her excitement, her eyes had opened, but there were no eyeballs inside, only burn marks where flames had seared them. It looked like someone had used hot tongs to tear her eyes out. "What exactly are you trying to express?" Yang Yi asked. "It can''t just be that you''re bored from being locked up and want someone to talk to, right?" "No," Ronette shook her head. "I originally planned to infiltrate the Radiant Holy Church, to see if I could find and save another witch or warlock. But now...it seems unnecessary." She looked at Yang Yi with her hollow eye sockets. "In front of me, there is a witch who can inherit everything of mine." She used her tendrils to rummage through her mouth, pulling out a red gem covered in purple mucus, handing it to Yang Yi. "This is the Stone of Truth; it contains the knowledge of countless generations of our efforts! Though I¡¯m very intelligent, it still wasn¡¯t enough, and I could only inherit a portion of it! If someone with higher talent were to inherit it, they would directly access the truth and understand the reality of this world! I am no longer capable for I will soon die, but the inheritance of truth must not be severed..." Yang Yi took the Stone of Truth and received its information. ¡¾Name: Stone of Truth¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: ??¡¿ ¡¾Description: Swallowing this stone grants vast forbidden knowledge, but if one cannot bear it, it will lead to brain death. Not recommended for anyone outside of witches or warlocks. If given to the Radiant Holy Church, you will gain immense honour! After reading it, he understood what she meant: she wanted him to give this stone to Suna. "Why do you think I would do as you say?" Yang Yi asked, confused. "You will!" Miss Ronette replied firmly, but Yang Yi could not agree. "How do you view the abyss monsters?" Ronette suddenly asked a strange question. "I believe that only the dead abyss monsters are good abyss monsters!" Yang Yi responded. "Very good, I hope you remember that!" Ronette was satisfied with his reply and smiled. She somehow pulled out a wine bottle, used her tendrils to remove the cap, then poured two glasses of wine with a dusty measuring cylinder. "Here, have a drink with me." She handed one of the glasses to Yang Yi. "I don¡¯t drink!" Yang Yi refused. Before the crossover, Yang Yi had a weak body and had never drunk alcohol. "Make an exception, it¡¯s just this one glass!" Ronette was insistent, pressing the measuring cylinder to his lips with her tendrils. "After you finish, I¡¯d like you to fulfill your promise...kill me!" We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 37/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 76 - Death "You want me to kill you?" Yang Yi asked, somewhat surprised.He hadn''t expected that after all the things the witch had said, she was actually seeking an end. "Yes!" Ronette confirmed once again. "From the moment I became a Brain Eater, I set a time limit for my life. Before I consume the fifth brain, I must end my life." Ronette drank from the measuring cylinder. The wine had obviously been stored for quite some time and had become cloudy, but the fragrance was still rich. She continued explaining. "In truth...not all living creatures have the courage to commit suicide, especially those that are intelligent and long-lived. They are usually very afraid of death. Take the Brain Eaters for example: they are a powerful and cunning species, and the concept of ageing hardly exists for them. They generally prefer to inhabit the skulls of hosts, using their exterior to get close to prey, and then taking the opportunity to devour their brains, or reproduce..." Ronette spoke in an objective tone, as though describing a species completely unrelated to herself. But Yang Yi understood her meaning. She was extremely afraid of death, and as she couldn''t directly express it, she wished Yang Yi would help her. "I am a scholar, I still consider myself human!... Even though I really want to eat your brain. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In a year, or maybe ten years, as I consume more and more brains, my thoughts and views will change. I will start to believe that I am a noble Brain Eater. And humans will become nothing more than lowly livestock. This is an inevitable, subtle process, and by then, I will be standing against the light of truth. This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate! So, I set a time limit for my life..." Ronette''s thoughts entered Yang Yi''s mind. After hesitating for a moment, Yang Yi finally took the measuring cylinder, drank the wine, and downed it in one go. Then, he stood up. The sudden movement caused Ronette''s tendrils to tense up. The sickle-like blades waved erratically in front of Yang Yi, and even the straw-like tendril seemed ready to stab into his temple and suck his brain out. "Sorry, this is a physiological stress reaction of the Brain Eater that I can''t control," Ronette apologised. Due to the neural connection, Yang Yi could feel Ronette''s emotions, including tension, panic, fear, hesitation...and the rationality underlying it all. Yang Yi ignored the flailing tendrils and began searching the ground, quickly retrieving his flintlock and the Sea Serpent''s Tooth that had fallen in the forest. During the process of picking up his weapons, he was scratched by several of the sickle-like tendrils. The wounds were shallow, but blood droplets were still hanging from them. "Where do you want to be buried?" Yang Yi suddenly asked. "The Holy Chest, I suppose. There''s no higher class of coffin than that. Then, I¡¯ll have it delivered to the Radiant Holy Church. Let those religious fanatics quiet down a bit." Ronette said calmly. "Are you ready?" Yang Yi looked at Ronette, holding a weapon in each hand, very close to her head. "There are two ways to die here. Which one would you choose?" "Use the gun...that one...!" Suddenly, the nerve signals became chaotic and turned into a mass of illogical gibberish. Ronette widened her empty eye sockets, seeming somewhat surprised. Because Yang Yi had made his move. With lightning speed, his right hand wielded the Sea Serpent''s Tooth, piercing her temple and driving the blade into the hilt. The strike was too sudden, occurring in the brief moment between their conversation, and Ronette didn¡¯t even have time to feel fear. Dark purple mucus flowed from her nostrils, and several tendrils twisted wildly like a drowning person, desperately entangling Yang Yi¡¯s head and leaving bloody scratches on his face. After a few seconds, the tendrils lost their strength and hung limply. Yang Yi pulled out the Sea Serpent''s Fang. From the moment he picked up his weapons, he had deliberately stopped thinking, clearing his mind and remaining calm. In just a few short minutes, Yang Yi had mastered how to hide his true thoughts on a conscious level ¡ª he didn''t need to think! So, by the time Ronette realised Yang Yi was about to strike, it was already too late for her to be afraid. With the dust settling, Yang Yi obtained Ronette''s information. ¡¾Name: Ronette (Brain Eater)¡¿ ¡¾Description: The witch Ronette transformed into a Brain Eater, a heretic fleeing from the Radiant Holy Church. She can be thrown into the octopus vending machine or handed over to the Radiant Holy Church in exchange for a high reward. She bears a holy mark, which can be sensed by nearby Holy Church troops. Brain Eater: An extremely dangerous creature which enjoys consuming brains, parasitising, and reproducing. After consuming brains for a period of time, it becomes weak and thirsty, and is especially skilled in mental magic. Yang Yi remained expressionless as he began the dissection. Following Ronette''s death, he turned blind again. Relying on her memory, he roughly severed the brain from his own shoulder. After about one or two minutes of cutting, Yang Yi managed to separate Ronette from his shoulder. The effect of the body restoration spell...was hard to describe. The entire spell took nearly a minute to activate, costing 10 sanity points, and was not suitable for use in combat. Strictly speaking, it could only be considered a logistical spell. Yang Yi took out a regeneration potion and drank it. The intense itching made him feel an impulse to rub himself against the wall. Fortunately, he resisted, but the noise caused was noticeable. He checked his status panel, especially his sanity points, and found he had 32 left. "Good, no further contamination!" Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. The earlier invasion had altered his body, costing him some sanity. But as long as it didn''t drop below 10, he was still within safe limits. Just as Yang Yi was relieved and ready to inform Suna to come get him, there was another sound from the shipwreck. "Who''s there?" A soft voice echoed. Someone else? Yang Yi''s heart skipped a beat. He then quickly thought of the missing Zhou Dai. If there were any survivors, it had to be her. Despite the collapse of the ship, she hadn''t died ¡ª she was extremely lucky. Yet, her appearance wasn''t necessarily a good thing. Because Yang Yi was blind, he couldn''t see anything. If Zhou Dai saw him as an enemy, things could...get ugly. In a moment of urgency, Yang Yi carefully considered the situation and decided to minimise the potential for conflict, trying to defuse the tense atmosphere. So, he boldly admitted his true identity. "I''m Yang Yi, captain of the Nightmare Star!" he replied. "Yang Yi?!" Zhou Dai repeated. "That''s right, who are you?" Yang Yi asked. Zhou Dai furrowed her brow. She did recognise that name, after all, they had done two deals and even added each other as friends. In her mind, Yang Yi was a tough person ¡ª often injured, liked killing otherworldly creatures, and sold useful items... But Zhou Dai didn''t immediately believe it. Instead, she opened the chat interface to try sending a private message to Yang Yi and saw his previous messages. There were two in total. One was from a few days ago, where Yang Yi had asked if she wanted to buy fire wool clothing. The other was from today, where he asked if she needed stone and wood materials. After reading them, Zhou Dai sent a reply. "Are you on the island?" "I''ve just met someone who claims to be Yang Yi, captain of the Nightmare Star. Is that really you?" "Of course, it''s me!" Yang Yi''s voice came through. From this point on, both of them confirmed each other''s identities, and the tension between them decreased by half. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 37/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 77 - Zhou Dai – part 1 Before departure, Zhou Dai organised a 14-person squad to conquer the island.They prepared extensively, purchasing plenty of equipment. Zhou Dai spared no expense to buy a revolver capable of suppressing regeneration ¡ª the "White Rose" ¡ª specifically to counter the wolves'' self-healing abilities. Other team members purchased weapons and armour as needed. Shield-bearers in plate and chain armour were responsible for drawing and blocking the wolves'' attacks. Others used crossbows and bows for long-range ones. If wolves managed to get close, warriors were designated for melee combat. In short, they were well-prepared. The reason they were willing to unite for the expedition was that they had accepted a shared mission enticing enough to attract adventurers: "Oath Precursor Mission!" It was first received by Zhou Dai from a peculiar undead being who claimed to have crawled out of the hull of the Radiant Goddess. Like a pilgrim, it ignored Zhou Dai, rushed into the ship''s prayer room, knelt, and began to pray. Shortly after, the undead ignited in the radiant light of the Radiant Goddess, leaving behind only ashes and a sealed letter in a bottle. Zhou Dai retrieved the letter and opened it to find: ¡¾Oath Precursor Mission triggered: Retrieve the lost Holy Casket for the Radiant Church.¡¿ ¡¾The casket is located at coordinates¡­¡¿¡¾This is a precursor mission. Upon completion, you will have the opportunity to join the Radiant Church, forge an oath on the vast ocean, and gain extraordinary power¡­¡¿¡¾This mission supports up to 15 participants.¡¿ Zhou Dai was stunned and ecstatic. As a devout individual, she had been drawn to the sacred image of the Radiant Goddess since arriving in the new world. (1) After several prayers, she had become a believer in the Radiant Goddess. Seeing this opportunity to join the Radiant Church, she was determined not to miss it! Thus, Zhou Dai rushed to the coordinates and discovered the island, where a damaged large ship lay. According to the letter, the Holy Casket was stored there. However, as she approached, she spotted a wolf scavenging along the shoreline. She initially considered using the ship''s cannon against the wolf, but it seemed aware of the danger and retreated into the forest before the cannon could target it. Zhou Dai dared not rush onto the island, so she observed from afar for two days, spotting only that one wolf. She began recruiting teammates, organising a squad to conquer the island. After careful selection, she recruited 14 companions. Together, they accepted the Oath Precursor Mission, resolved to complete it, join the Radiant Church, and gain extraordinary power. As for Zhou Dai, being the initiator, the special ship''s captain, and a gifted individual, she naturally became the team''s leader. At the cost of several lives, they successfully killed the wolf. What followed was roughly as Yang Yi speculated. ¡­ Time rewinds to the present. Yang Yi and Zhou Dai didn¡¯t rush to meet but exchanged details about the island. Yang Yi claimed he stumbled upon the island while gathering supplies, encountered half-wolf creatures and zombified wolves, and dispatched them effortlessly. He then entered the wrecked ship, fought the Brain Eater, and defeated it after some effort. Zhou Dai was stunned. Her team of 14 had barely managed to kill a single wolf at the cost of several lives and was wiped out by the Brain Eater in the Holy Casket. Yet Yang Yi, alone, had surpassed their entire efforts. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though skeptical, Zhou Dai couldn¡¯t deny the detailed account Yang Yi provided ¡ª naming the deceased, describing the wolf missing a finger, and the Brain Eater¡¯s parasitic abilities. It all checked out. Unbeknownst to Zhou Dai, Yang Yi omitted his interaction with Ronette, fabricating an image of overwhelming strength to justify his victory over the Brain Eater. The tense atmosphere eased after their conversation. Zhou Dai recognised Yang Yi as an absurdly powerful player devoted to hunting abominations, with little apparent hostility towards her. In desperation, Zhou Dai sought his help, as she was trapped. The collapsing ship had left her unconscious, pinned at the ankle by a fallen wooden plank. Ironically, this same plank created a narrow safe space, sparing her life. Unable to free herself, she called out: "Yang Yi, a plank has me trapped. Help me out." Yang Yi raised an eyebrow, surprised she was stuck. But was she truly? He couldn¡¯t verify ¡ª his vision was temporarily gone. After hesitation, he replied, "I used an ability earlier. I can¡¯t see right now..." ¡°You¡¯re blind?¡± ¡°Only temporarily.¡± After a pause, Zhou Dai guided Yang Yi towards the plank. As he approached, she aimed her White Rose revolver at his head, testing his blindness. If Yang Yi was lying, he was up to no good. However Yang Yi couldn¡¯t see ¡ª he was genuinely blind. Not only that, he was bloodied, dusty, and exhausted, resembling someone fresh out of a trench. Even as Zhou Dai pressed the barrel to his nose, Yang Yi remained unresponsive. ¡­ Or at least it seemed. He had already sensed her presence through sound and was ready to strike if she acted suspiciously. With his current defensive state, he was confident he could kill her even blind. A few tense minutes passed tense and Zhou Dai lowered her weapon, asking for help again. ¡°Kneel down a bit. I¡¯m right in front of you, stuck in the plank''s gap, left foot pinned.¡± ¡°Wait a second,¡± Yang Yi said calmly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we first settle something ¡ª like loot distribution? ¡°After all, I¡¯m the one who killed the zombified wolves and the Brain Eater.¡± (1) Not the New World, just a new one -Simply We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 38/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 78 - Zhou Dai – part 2 The distribution of loot was an urgent matter.Zhou Dai refused to back down ¡ª her goal was the Holy Casket on the island, her key to joining the Radiant Holy Church. Giving it up was not an option. After some thought, she proposed, ¡°How about this? You join the Oath quest with me. We can complete it together and join the Radiant Holy...¡± Before she could finish, Yang Yi rejected the idea. ¡°No, I have no plans to join any church!¡± Zhou Dai was stunned, unable to understand why anyone would reject the Radiant Goddess¡¯s guidance. She then offered another plan. ¡°Fine. Everything else is negotiable, but can you let me have the Holy Casket and the Brain Eater¡¯s corpse? I¡¯ll trade valuable items with you.¡± Without waiting for his response, she privately sent information on three items: ¡¾White Rose: A rare revolver firing silver bullets with regeneration suppression and anti-evil effects¡¿ ¡¾Twilight Veil: A ship upgrade that renders stationary ships invisible.¡¿ ¡¾Holy Knight Commander¡¯s Sword: A rare longsword obtained from a wraith¡¯s corpse.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s breath hitched at the second item. A ship cloaking device was incredibly useful, offering unparalleled convenience for exploration and security. It would eliminate the risk of hostile players attacking his base while he was out. The trade terms were acceptable to him, as he had already planned to give the Holy Casket to Zhou Dai. After all, his ship was a ghost ship ¡ª revealing it to the Radiant Holy Church would likely lead to its immediate purification. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Additionally, both the Holy Casket and Ronette¡¯s body bore sacred seals that could be sensed by the church¡¯s forces. Carrying them was a liability, so handing them off to Zhou Dai was a safer option. As for using Ronette¡¯s corpse for ¡°vending¡± purposes, Yang Yi didn¡¯t even consider it. Having drunk her wine, he had no intention of desecrating her remains. Yang Yi agreed to Zhou Dai¡¯s terms but haggled a bit to avoid seeming too eager, ultimately securing an additional 10,000 Shell Coins in the deal. He then addressed a lingering concern. ¡°By the way, the ship¡¯s collapse was partially my fault. I didn¡¯t know you were inside...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault! If you hadn¡¯t killed the Brain Eater, I¡¯d already be dead!¡± Zhou Dai dismissed the issue. Yang Yi crouched down to help Zhou Dai escape. ¡°Just so you know, I can¡¯t see. If anything seems offensive...¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to worry about that!¡± Zhou Dai interrupted, anxious to be freed. Her injured ankle had already lost all feeling. ¡°Understood.¡± Yang Yi focused, crawling into the wreckage under her direction. Though blind, his sense of touch told him Zhou Dai¡¯s left ankle was crushed. Even if the plank was moved, the ankle was beyond saving. Worse, shifting the debris could destabilise the wreck further, causing another collapse. After a moment of silence, Yang Yi spoke. ¡°Zhou Dai, I can save you, but the question is ¡ª do you trust me?¡± ¡°What do you mean...¡± Yang Yi nodded solemnly. ¡°Your ankle is already crushed and irreparable.¡± Zhou Dai froze, her body trembling slightly. Unable to rise, she hadn¡¯t been able to assess her injury and had clung to the hope that it wasn¡¯t severe. But the reality showed to be the worst-case scenario. A few seconds later. Zhou Dai gradually calmed down. From the initial panic and fear, she quickly became composed. The speed of this change even surprised herself. Losing a leg seemed almost insignificant. It was probably due to having gone through so much before... She regained her composure and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Then, amputate it. We can''t stay trapped here forever!¡± Yang Yi was taken aback by her words. He had already deduced that Zhou Dai was a well-dressed, stunning woman. Yet, the beauty, who clearly cared about her appearance, was able to make the decisive choice of amputating her ankle without hesitation. She was incredibly strong ¡ª perhaps even braver than him! Yang Yi no longer underestimated Zhou Dai. He drew the Sea Serpent''s Fang and swiftly sliced through her left ankle, causing blood to pour out. With the ankle no longer a hindrance, they quickly crawled out from beneath the slanted wooden plank. Once freed, Zhou Dai pulled a bottle of holy water from her storage bag and poured it over the severed limb. She then drank another bottle of holy water and began to bandage the wound. Yang Yi stood aside, offering no help, as he couldn''t see. After finishing, Zhou Dai had beads of sweat on her face, her complexion a bit pale. But strangely... Losing her ankle didn¡¯t seem to put much strain on her mentally. The pain was even beginning to subside. It felt...like a light injury, not a big deal. With a calm expression, Zhou Dai finished bandaging the wound and stopping the bleeding. Yang Yi suddenly spoke up. ¡°Miss Zhou, I actually have a way to give you a new foot, though I''m not sure if you''d be willing.¡± ¡°A new foot? How?¡± ¡°I know a healing spell that can attach new limbs, but since your original foot is crushed, it will have to be replaced,¡± Yang Yi explained. Zhou Dai was surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected Yang Yi to have healing magic. No wonder he was so capable. ¡°You can try searching through the ruins. I once found a right leg, but maybe I missed something ¡ª there could still be a left one. Also, you¡¯ll need some fresh flesh for the repair.¡± ¡°Fresh flesh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Dai frowned. She didn¡¯t understand why healing magic would require fresh flesh. But without a foot, it was difficult to even walk. Since she had a chance to heal, she didn¡¯t want to miss it, especially since it could be her only opportunity. ¡°Alright, help me down and I¡¯ll look around. If it works, I¡¯ll give you an extra 10,000 Shell Coins as a medical fee.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Yang Yi declined. The body restoration spell wasn¡¯t perfect. Even after the repair, Zhou Dai might choose to amputate again. ¡°There are also some bodies along the coast, but they have rabid wolf disease, so there¡¯s some risk involved,¡± Yang Yi added. The two quickly got to work. Zhou Dai gave directions, and Yang Yi provided support. Suddenly, a warm current surged through Yang Yi''s body. ¡¾You are blessed, your mind and body are cleansed, maximum sanity +20, maximum energy +20, lasts for 2 hours.¡¿ It was Zhou Dai''s talent. She could increase others'' attribute limits through blessings. Yet this time, the blessing took Yang Yi by surprise because the blessing not only increased the limits, but also restored the corresponding values of sanity and energy. It caused Yang Yi to snap out of his frenzy, letting his shoulder begin to ache horribly. ¡°How¡¯s that? Do you feel better?¡± Zhou Dai asked with a smile. ¡°This is my talent. I can bless up to 5 people at once.¡± ¡°Uh... I guess it''s okay.¡± Yang Yi could only respond vaguely, feeling that this woman...didn¡¯t quite match his personality. Zhou Dai continued to search through the ruins, and at Yang Yi''s guidance, she retrieved the Holy Casket from the bushes. It seemed she could store it in her bag. After about ten minutes, Zhou Dai found some glass jars, some of which were well-sealed. Others were broken, containing a slightly rotten right leg, and a pile of decaying meat-like tissue. As for the the leg, it was nowhere to be found. ¡°Does the flesh have to be fresh?¡± Zhou Dai asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be, but it works better. If it¡¯s not fresh, it¡¯s better to have more,¡± Yang Yi replied, not knowing exactly what Zhou Dai had picked up. ¡°Alright, this should be enough! What should I do now?¡± ¡°Place the foot against the stump and align it. The flesh can be placed beside it,¡± Yang Yi instructed. Zhou Dai followed his directions and told him she was ready. Yang Yi then applied the body restoration spell under her guidance. Ancient, peculiar runes appeared and quickly turned into tiny spiders, stitching the severed limb back together. At the same time, they filled in the surrounding flesh. About a minute later, the spell finished. Zhou Dai''s foot had been restored. It looked odd, its color a dull green, and at its top was embedded a murky, nonfunctional eyeball. She tested the foot out, and it worked perfectly. The feet were not symmetrical, but as they were the same length, she walked steadily. She could even control her toes, using the newly created "left foot" just like she could originally. It was truly amazing! The healing magic had surpassed 21st-century medical technology! Zhou Dai was very satisfied. Although it looked ugly, she suddenly realised she didn¡¯t care about her appearance anymore. As long as her face was fine, it was enough! After all, her foot would be hidden in shoes. No one would ever know! She calmly took a pair of shoes from her storage bag and put them on. ¡°Thank you. This magic is amazing!¡± Zhou Dai expressed her gratitude. ¡°Glad you¡¯re satisfied,¡± Yang Yi replied. Since he couldn¡¯t see, he had no idea that Zhou Dai now had two right feet... If he could see, he¡¯d definitely question the woman¡¯s sanity ¡ª something seemed off with her. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 38/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 79 - Strange Prayer "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come aboard for a while?" Zhou Dai asked.Since her left foot had healed, her mood had significantly improved. "No, I still have a lot of things to handle," Yang Yi decisively declined. "That¡¯s a shame. Do you need me to help you back to your ship? You don¡¯t seem to be walking comfortably right now." "No need, my crew is already on the way to pick me up," Yang Yi replied. Half an hour earlier, he had sent his coordinates to Suna, asking her to come and pick him up. By then, she should have been on her way. ¡°Fusion Card, you said? Why has your ship''s name changed? This seems to be a rather rare item. I wish I could draw one too!¡± Zhou Dai remarked enviously. She fiddled with her logbook and proposed a trade with Yang Yi. The trade involved exchanging the corpse of a Brain Eater for a Twilight Veil, plus an additional 20,000 Shell Coins. Although Yang Yi hadn¡¯t charged her for the medical treatment, Zhou Dai insisted on paying him. There was no need to refuse this gesture. After both parties confirmed the trade and pressed "accept," the transaction was locked. The deal was binding, with any breach incurring penalties from the Monster Vending Machine, and it had to be completed within eight hours. Once that was settled, Zhou Dai started standing up. However, before she could fully rise, Yang Yi, seated close by, grabbed her arm. "Stay a bit longer. It¡¯s not entirely safe for me to stay alone," Yang Yi said. Zhou Dai paused. Given that the island''s strange creatures were supposedly all dead, there shouldn''t have been any danger. But she didn¡¯t dwell on it and certainly didn¡¯t refuse. Sitting for a little while longer wasn¡¯t a big deal. Moreover, in her eyes, Yang Yi was quite charming! It was a feeling that was hard to describe ¡ª he just seemed very pleasing to the eye, especially his demeanor. After about another hour, Suna arrived. She was fully equipped ¡ª wearing a woolen hat, long fleece-lined boots, and a new survival belt at her waist. She held a pirate¡¯s longbow, with several dozen armour-piercing arrows strapped to her back. Apart from a down jacket, she wore nearly everything she could to keep warm, as she was more sensitive to the cold and had always lived in the warmer southern coastal areas. About two hours before, she had received a private message from Yang Yi. He said he was blind and needed her to come quickly to fetch him, also mentioning a strange woman by his side. "What¡¯s strange about her?" Suna spotted Yang Yi sitting with an elegant and poised woman in white robes. The two were chatting happily, as if they had hit it off instantly. Notably, Yang Yi¡¯s left hand was still holding the woman¡¯s wrist. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You don¡¯t seem to need any help," Suna commented, emerging from the forest with a calm expression. Yang Yi instantly recognised her voice and let out a long sigh of relief, releasing his grip. "My teammate is here!" "Alright then! In that case, I¡¯ll take my leave. May the Light bless you," Zhou Dai said, crossing her arms over her chest in a gesture of reverence. From her shadow, it almost looked as if she had no arms at all. With that, she turned and walked away, her steps growing fainter as she headed towards her ship, the Radiant Goddess. Once the sound of her footsteps faded, Yang Yi ran towards Suna''s position. Unable to see her, he relied on his hearing to navigate, running forwards until the tip of a bow pressed against his cheek¡­ The familiar presence relaxed Yang Yi¡¯s nerves. ¡°You¡¯re finally here!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s vision hadn¡¯t recovered yet. He could only hold onto the bow and move closer, speaking softly. ¡°That woman didn¡¯t turn back, did she?¡± ¡°No,¡± Suna glanced in that direction. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hurry back. Something¡¯s not quite right with her. We¡¯ll talk on the way,¡± Yang Yi urged, ready to move immediately. But Suna smirked faintly and said, ¡°Oh really? Why did it seem like you two were having a pretty good conversation?¡± ¡°That was just to lower her guard!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Do you think a normal person could suppress their pulse to under 10 beats per minute, or even stop it momentarily? And this happened after severing her left foot¡­¡± Suna frowned and glanced again in the direction Zhou Dai had left, then said, ¡°Explain in detail on the way!¡± The two quickly ran towards the Nightmare Star. As per her request, Yang Yi explained what he had observed. When he had pulled Zhou Dai out earlier, he noticed she seemed to have no pulse. Further perception revealed that it actually was incredibly slow, and this occurred after her limb was severed. A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to control their heart rate to reduce blood loss! ¡°Moreover, her behavior was inconsistent. I even suspect that if I hadn¡¯t gone to save her, she might have torn off her own left foot and crawled out by herself!¡± Yang Yi explained. Suna listened quietly, her brows deeply furrowed. If Yang Yi¡¯s observations were accurate, then Zhou Dai must have undergone some kind of transformation, which seemed to simultaneously affect her cognition and physical body. ¡°You couldn¡¯t see anything and were accompanied by a mentally unstable woman. That¡¯s why you held onto her wrist, wasn¡¯t it? For a sense of safety ¡ª so that if danger arose, you¡¯d still have a fighting chance¡­¡± Suna suddenly felt a bit annoyed. After all, she was standing right next to Yang Yi, and she was also a woman. She stopped abruptly, cutting Yang Yi off coldly, ¡°Are you implying something?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to shoot an arrow straight through your head?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve gone blind.¡± Suna was slightly irked but decided not to continue the topic. They reached the coastline when the sky was already growing dark. Suna returned to the Nightmare Star first, using a grappling hook to pull Yang Yi into the cabin. As soon as he boarded, Yang Yi instructed Suna to check the sea chart and closely monitor the Radiant Goddess. The ship was visible on the chart, indicating that Zhou Dai had removed the Twilight Veil, likely in preparation for the trade. However, the ship¡¯s position hadn¡¯t changed; it remained stationary. Meanwhile, aboard the Radiant Goddess. After returning to her ship, Zhou Dai headed straight to the chapel. What was once a prayer room had evolved into a chapel after the upgrade. Inside stood the statue of the Radiant Goddess. Praying to it brought an unparalleled sense of tranquility, dispelling fear, and even slowly restoring sanity. Holy water was also created here. By placing ordinary freshwater before the statue and praying sincerely, one could produce holy water. The process took 24 hours, though the prayer itself required only 30 minutes. There were additional items before the statue: five glass jars, each containing the head of one of Zhou Dai¡¯s former teammates. ¡°May you all return to the embrace of the Radiant Goddess,¡± Zhou Dai knelt, crossing her arms in reverence towards the armless statue. Her former teammates had once aspired to join the Radiant Church. Although they had perished, she still wished for them to bask in the Goddess¡¯s light. After praying for about 15 minutes, Zhou Dai rose, feeling spiritually cleansed, though her neck itched slightly. She scratched at it and discovered a thin seam on her neck that oozed a faint purple fluid. ¡°What is this¡­¡± She paid it no mind and didn¡¯t bother checking her status panel. Using a silk cloth, she carefully wiped her neck to avoid soiling her pristine white robe. Then she turned back to the statue, crossing her arms again in prayer. ¡°May the light bless you all!¡± Zhou Dai blessed the five jars before the statue. Upon closer inspection, one of the heads inside the jars seemed to have changed ¡ª it had shrivelled slightly and appeared partially dehydrated. Zhou Dai remained unaware of this. Nor did she notice the thin, tentacle-like appendages occasionally extending from the seam on her neck, writhing in a restless and excited manner. After completing her prayers, she left the chapel and headed to the deck, preparing for the trade she had arranged with Yang Yi. Had she opened her status panel, she would have noticed a new entry: ¡¾Extraordinary Path¡­ Brain Eater¡¿ Editor''s note: what?! We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 42/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 80 - Dispersing Extreme Cold yang yi received a private message from zhou dai."want to form a fleet together?" zhou dai proposed. "no, i''m used to living like a wild man. besides, other players might not be too keen on having me around," yang yi declined. "that''s truly a pity," zhou dai sounded somewhat disappointed. "send over the corpse of the brain eater, and let''s finish the transaction quickly. the winter sea is getting very close!" yang yi immediately checked the large sea map. he noticed that the winter sea was expanding faster, and it was about to reach the island.the players who were still preparing were caught off guard by the sudden system event and had to hastily adjust their plans to enter the winter sea earlier than expected. the chat channels were filled with complaints and curses. ignoring the commotion, yang yi walked onto the deck in the dark. the cold wind howled, and the temperature seemed even lower. he felt something soft and icy brush against his cheeks. it was snow. apparently, it had started snowing heavily, adding a chill to the vast ocean. braving the cold wind, yang yi groped his way to the edge of the ship and reached the bow deck, stopping in front of the octopus-headed vending machine. he rummaged through his clothes for a while and pulled out the corpse of the brain eater hidden within. there was no other way; the corpse couldn''t be stored in his bag, so he had to keep it under his clothes, forming a noticeable bulge. perhaps suna had noticed it, but since yang yi didn''t mention it, she didn''t ask. "the light of truth, huh..." yang yi held up the brain eater''s corpse. perhaps it could also be referred to as ms. ronette, a witch who embodied both beauty and intelligence. fragments of what ronette said before her death surfaced in his mind. she wanted yang yi to pass it to suna, so she could inherit the knowledge within. but yang yi had no intention of doing so. in fact, he hadn''t even told suna about ronette''s existence. in his view, unrestrained exploration of the unknown and acquisition of forbidden knowledge was just as dangerous as worshiping deities. both could invite unspeakable horrors. like moths dancing around a streetlamp, it was fine to watch from a distance. but attempting to fly into the light would only result in death ¡ª or worse. yang yi retrieved the stone of truth, which he had kept hidden in his clothes. it felt rather heavy in his hand. the next moment, he suddenly made a throwing motion, intending to toss it into the ocean. but just before he let go, he paused and changed his mind. what if the stone was consumed by some sea creature, causing it to undergo some terrifying transformation? this thought struck yang yi. after much deliberation, he decided to keep the stone with him. he felt safest carrying it himself. then he placed ronette''s corpse into the octopus vending machine to complete the transaction with zhou dai. ¡¾warning: after trading the otherworldly creature¡¯s corpse, it can no longer be used for gacha, and its biological structure may change or degrade.¡¿ a notification suddenly popped up in the log. s~ea??h the novel(f~)ire.net website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "wait...does this mean the vending machine eats during transmission?" yang yi muttered in disbelief. he was becoming increasingly convinced the vending machine was a living entity. with the transaction completed, zhou dai''s items were quickly sent over. yang yi''s account gained 20,000 shell coins, and in his hands was a neatly folded rectangular handkerchief. it felt like silk, incredibly lightweight, folded in many layers, each layer thinner than paper. at the same time, he received the information on the twilight veil. ¡¾[name: twilight veil¡¿ ¡¾type: ship equipment¡¿¡¾quality: rare¡¿¡¾description: must be installed at the masthead.when the ship anchors and stops moving, the twilight veil can be deployed, rendering the ship invisible. the process takes 15 minutes, after which the ship will become optically camouflaged, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment.it cannot be used in hazardous situations, and taking damage will also cancel the invisibility.¡¿ yang yi felt quite satisfied after reading the information. although there were limitations, the basic functionality of the equipment was reliable. in future island explorations, as long as he anchored in a secluded spot, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about harassment from other players! after all, most players relied on telescopes to scout their surroundings, and they wouldn''t be able to detect the cloaked nightmare star. once the transaction was completed, zhou dai sent another private message. "are you sure you don''t want to come aboard my ship and hang out? it¡¯s quite large, and there''s a chapel with a statue of the radiant goddess. praying to the goddess statue can speed up sanity recovery and even grant some beneficial buffs..." "no need!" yang yi decisively declined. "i¡¯m naturally disliked by gods. if i prayed, i¡¯d probably be labeled a heretic and burned on the spot." "how is that possible?" zhou dai immediately replied. "the radiant goddess is merciful and loving. she welcomes every devout believer who prays to her!" yang yi neither agreed nor disagreed and didn¡¯t continue discussing religion with zhou dai. after some polite small talk, the two ended their conversation. the radiant goddess set sail, leaving the island and heading for the winter sea. although yang yi couldn¡¯t observe the ship¡¯s movements directly, suna was helping him, so he quickly learned about their direction. after a brief moment of thought, yang yi made the same decision ¡ª to leave the island. however, he decided to change his course to avoid encountering zhou dai again. the woman gave yang yi a bad feeling. as for the resources on the island, yang yi decided to give them up. the winter sea was rapidly expanding, and staying any longer would only waste time and risk him falling to the back of the player group. the rear was often the most dangerous position, at least in the stormy seas. yang yi planned to stay closer to the front. after suna adjusted the course and stabilised the ship''s speed, yang yi returned to the vending machine. he still had one more spin left. after rummaging around in his stomach bag, yang yi pulled out a charred werewolf skull. as for the burnt flesh, the stomach bag had already consumed it. naturally, this behavior hadn¡¯t escaped suna¡¯s notice. she saw the wolf head but didn¡¯t say anything, merely wrinkling her nose in mild displeasure. yang yi, however, solemnly began to pray. zhou dai¡¯s words had swayed him, and he sincerely prayed to the gods, hoping for a good item! after finishing his prayer, he touched the vending machine¡¯s tentacled mouth and placed the werewolf skull into it. he then rhythmically spun the dial on the octopus-headed vending machine. "divine powers, bless me! may my wish be fulfilled!" gulp, gulp! a gacha capsule was spat out by the machine. yang yi immediately bent down, fumbled around a bit, and then broke into an ecstatic smile. "looks like my luck isn¡¯t bad after all!" he attributed the good item he got to his own luck. as for the gods, he had already forgotten about them. perhaps next time he used the vending machine, he would remember them again and pray for a little extra luck. we have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on novelfire! :d once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! current progress: 43/50 thank you for reading, i hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> we now have a patreon! feel free to check it out! you can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :d please give the novel a rating and a review on novelfire. it will help the website and also help people find this novel! reach 50 votes on novelfire. once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :d Ch. 81 - Life Fireplace yang yi obtained a rare piece of equipment, one that performed exceptionally well in the extreme winter sea!¡¾name: life fireplace¡¿ ¡¾type: ship equipment (relic)¡¿¡¾quality: rare¡¿¡¾description: a special fireplace that can be ignited by offering living creatures. it can be installed on the wall of any room. occasionally emits a "life light" that increases the rate of attribute gain for players, except for mental attributes.¡¿ the fireplace could be installed in a room to increase its temperature. during the frigid winter, it would have significant effects. the ignition requirements were relatively simple ¡ª you just had to toss in a living creature! the easiest option was to throw in a live long-legged sardine. moreover, the fireplace came with a chimney, so there wasn''t any need to worry about exhaust filling the room or the flames spreading. yang yi planned to install it as soon as his vision recovered. afterwards, he intended to fish for some long-legged sardines to stock up as fuel. he decided to consult suna before deciding where to install it. "it¡¯s getting late. you should return to your room and rest. prepare yourself mentally for the harsh cold, as the temperature in the extreme winter sea will only continue to drop," yang yi instructed. he then returned to the captain''s cabin and lay down to rest. in his state of blindness, there wasn¡¯t much he could do besides checking his logs and browsing the world chat channel. complaints about the system¡¯s abrupt acceleration of the extreme winter sea¡¯s expansion were still trending. most players were caught unprepared for the sudden changes. taking advantage of the stable market, yang yi spent 11,000 shell coins to purchase 2,000 units of wood, thus saving time and effort. then he dealt with previously acquired equipment and prepared to buy some new gear. the wind attribute hunting bow could be kept for suna, while the old pirate longbow would serve as a backup and wasn¡¯t worth selling immediately. as for other weapons: regarding armour, he decided to keep the chainmail. the plate armour, on the other hand, would be repaired the following day. if it could be restored to a wearable condition, it would fetch a good price, as it was far more valuable than ordinary gear. with these thoughts, yang yi drifted off to sleep. ¡­ the next morning, yang yi woke up on schedule, and his vision had fully recovered. sea??h th§× n??efire.¦Çet website on google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. he attempted to open the cabin door but encountered resistance. after exerting some effort, he managed to push it open. outside, the deck was piled knee-deep with snow. the icy wind howled, making him shrink his neck in response to the cold. he immediately checked the weather information: today¡¯s weather: bone-chilling winds; fishing yields will decrease. remember to wear warm clothing to avoid hypothermia. location: sea od origin (extreme winter sea) remaining sunlight: 9 hours temperature: -4¡ãc to 0¡ãc wind force: level 4 ¡°already -4 degrees?¡± yang yi frowned. he returned to the captain''s cabin and put on a wool sweater, wool trousers, a cotton hat, and long plush boots before stepping outside. the snow on the deck was thick, crunching underfoot as he walked, and it continued to fall, showing no signs of stopping. yang yi decided to clear it off the deck, as it posed safety risks and hindered movement. ¡°these snowflakes¡­they should be freshwater, right?¡± he grabbed a handful of snow, sniffed it, and then licked it. the melted snow was tasteless. ¡°it¡¯s freshwater.¡± yang yi commanded the skeletal arm to pile the snow in a designated area on the deck, sweeping the excess into the sea. after all, there was too much snow, and yang yi couldn¡¯t melt and boil it all in time. if it piled too high and affected the ship''s stability and mobility, it would be counterproductive. he decided to install the fireplace and use it to boil water inside the cabin to obtain fresh water. yang yi went to the bow of the ship to observe the sea. in the distance, small, thin ice floes were starting to appear. the thin, fragile ice sheets posed no threat to the nightmare star, but as the ship moved further, they would likely grow larger. inevitably, the ship could collide with them. fortunately, the nightmare star was special; it could ignore minor damage since its durability would recover automatically. the key was to avoid larger icebergs or massive floes. while he was pondering this, the door to suna¡¯s room opened. she stepped out, curling up slightly as if debating whether to put on a down jacket. after moving around a bit, she seemed to adapt to the cold. the fire-weave sweater she wore provided better warmth than she had expected. her initial reaction of curling up was simply a reflex to the sight of a lot of snow, which instinctively made her feel cold. ¡°suna, i was just about to find you. i drew a fireplace yesterday. take a look and see where it would be best to install it.¡± yang yi shared the fireplace¡¯s information with suna. if installed in the captain¡¯s cabin, it would primarily benefit that room. alternatively, if installed in suna¡¯s room, it wouldn¡¯t affect the adjacent captain¡¯s cabin. after a brief discussion, they decided to cut a hole in the wall and install the fireplace between the two rooms, like a shared wall-mounted air conditioner in a co-living space. however, the hole needed to be large since the fireplace was quite sizeable. after settling on the plan, yang yi got to work. he used a long-handled axe to chop into the wooden wall. once the hole was the right size, he smoothed it out with the sharp blade of the sea serpent¡¯s fang. when he finished, he mounted the life fireplace. the structure of the two rooms transformed. a large fireplace now stood between them, with a design that exuded an ancient charm, made of black bricks and stones. it even had a lid to extinguish the fire when closed. the roof also underwent changes, with a new chimney connected to the fireplace that bent slightly at the top to prevent rain and snow from entering. as for the opening in the wall, yang yi made sure it was wide enough to prevent accidental burns from the lit fireplace. ¡°let¡¯s test it out,¡± yang yi said, crossing his arms cautiously as he eyed the fireplace. after all, it was a relic, and there was always the possibility that igniting it would produce an unexpected effect, such as radiating cold air instead of warmth, like a black beast baring its fangs. ¡°suna, do you still have a live spider? bring one over to test it,¡± yang yi suggested. since there were no other suitable live creatures on the ship, yang yi couldn¡¯t exactly throw himself into the fireplace. fishing would take too long, so he remembered suna¡¯s collection of spiders. a few minutes later, suna returned from the witch¡¯s lab with a young fire-weave spider. ¡°there are only eight left. i can give you one at most; i need the rest,¡± she said, handing the spider to yang yi. ¡°don¡¯t worry. i¡¯ll raise some long-legged sardines later specifically for lighting fires!¡± yang yi carefully took the spider, gripping it by its back to avoid being bitten, and tossed it into the life fireplace, where wood had already been placed. we have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on novelfire! :d once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! current progress: 43/50 thank you for reading, i hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> we now have a patreon! feel free to check it out! you can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :d please give the novel a rating and a review on novelfire. it will help the website and also help people find this novel! reach 50 votes on novelfire. once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :d Ch. 82 - Exercise and gain The spider was just thrown into the fireplace when its body ignited with a bright white flame, emitting a piercing shriek.¡¾Hearing the wails of a soul, your sanity decreases by 5.¡¿ The ignited spider didn¡¯t die immediately. Instead, it struggled and jumped out of the fireplace, its body still ablaze with bright white flames, seemingly attempting to escape. Luckily, Yang Yi was prepared. He grabbed a nearby long-handled axe and smacked the spider back into place. Before long, its body began to melt, acting as an accelerant that ignited the logs within, starting a roaring fire. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect it to jump out. It almost set the room on fire,¡± Yang Yi said, setting down the long-handled axe. He had figured out the properties of the fireplace. Any living creature thrown inside would indeed ignite but wouldn¡¯t die instantly, leaving room for resistance. If such a creature managed to escape, it could easily ignite other things in the room, causing a fire. Thus, before using it, it was best to render any creatures incapable of movement. If it was a spider, pulling off all its legs would suffice. For something like the long-legged sardine, removing its legs would also prevent any mishaps. Warm light emanated from the fireplace as the room¡¯s temperature began to rise gradually. Suddenly, a white beam of light shot out from the flames within the fireplace. ¡¾Bathed in the Light of Life: All attribute experience growth rates (excluding mental) increase by 25% for one hour.¡¿ Seeing the notification, Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. The effect couldn¡¯t have come at a better time. Yang Yi had been worried about slow attribute growth, preventing him from wielding the Ironbreaker. With the Light of Life¡¯s bonus, as long as he kept up with training, he believed he could increase his Strength to 6. At that point, activating his Madness state and drinking the Crimson Elixir would allow him to wield the greatsword! After setting up the fireplace and understanding its use, Yang Yi and Suna returned to their respective tasks. According to Suna, she was working on developing a new potion, using a culture fluid derived from the Rabid Wolf Virus. However, she hadn¡¯t yet found an effective way to neutralise the virus. While high temperatures could kill the virus, they also rendered the culture fluid worthless. Yang Yi told her there was no rush and to take her time. After all, even Holy Water couldn¡¯t cure the virus. Yang Yi was also worried about turning into a werewolf if he were to drink it. Yang Yi then began preparing to sell weapons and armour. He first tried repairing a deformed suit of plate armour with a stone hammer. After about two hours of effort, he managed to fix it. ¡¾Name: Ugly Iron Plate Armour¡¿ sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A suit of plate armour crudely repaired by an unskilled craftsman.Though unsightly, its protective capabilities are unimpaired. It provides full-body protection but increases stamina consumption, restricts joint movement, and limits vision due to the helmet.¡¿ Yang Yi reviewed the description and found it acceptable. After all, in the vast sea, the appearance of equipment had little value. At least Yang Yi never cared about how his gear looked ¡ª he never judged ¡°objects¡± by their appearance. Eventually, the ugly plate armour sold for 16,000 Shell Coins. Since it was a full set from head to toe, it fetched a good price. After completing the transaction, he continued selling other items. First, he sold seven crude crossbows for 2,000 Shell Coins each, earning 14,000 in total. While the weapons were decent, several players could craft them, causing fierce competition and a significant price drop. Hence, they sold very cheaply. Next was the ¡°Quick-Heal Bandage,¡± which fetched only 700 Shell Coins due to the abundance of similar, low-quality medical supplies on the market. The hand axe was even cheaper ¡ª ordinary quality, sold for just 500 Shell Coins. The spiked flail, a fine-quality melee weapon, sold for a higher price of 15,000 Shell Coins. In total, Yang Yi earned 46,200 Shell Coins from his sales. Adding to his previous balance, his total now stood at 57,500 Shell Coins. The haul rivalled the profits he made last time selling sweaters. It was no wonder so many players were drawn to robbery and piracy. Although Yang Yi had never encountered them, he had seen players cursing ¡°pirates¡± in the chat channels multiple times. The profanity they used was indescribable. The ¡°pirates¡± didn¡¯t indiscriminately kill. Instead, they would surround a target ship and demand exorbitant toll fees. Refusal or resistance would often result in complete annihilation. Thus, most players chose to pay up to avoid trouble, but they often grew angrier the more they thought about it afterwards, venting their frustration in the chat channels. After selling off his second-hand gear, Yang Yi started planning his purchases. Food had already been stocked earlier, so he decided to focus on upgrading equipment. First, he bought a shield for Suna to complement her longsword for a balanced offensive and defensive setup. ¡¾Name: Lightweight Steel Buckler¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A light and sturdy small shield that can be strapped to the arm. Its convex, smooth surface effectively deflects sharp blades but is less effective against blunt weapons.¡¿ It was personally chosen by Yang Yi for 11,000 Shell Coins, as it was well-suited for Suna. The shield was lightweight and could be strapped to the arm, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t significantly hinder her archery. In melee combat, there was no need to fumble for a shield mid-fight. Additionally, it provided some defense when shooting arrows. After purchasing the shield, Yang Yi transferred 16,500 Shell Coins to Suna as research funds. There was no other choice. She kept pestering him for money, and considering the effectiveness of her potions, Yang Yi decided to fund her research generously. With these expenses, Yang Yi¡¯s balance dropped to just 30,000 Shell Coins. He hadn¡¯t decided what to buy next, preferring to wait until he identified a specific need or save up for rare-grade equipment. After all, fine-grade equipment was no longer significantly improving his performance. After delivering the new buckler to Suna¡¯s room, Yang Yi focused on training his body, aiming to raise his Strength to 6 as soon as possible. Three days passed. The Nightmare Star sailed steadily through the Extreme Winter Sea for three days without encountering any danger. Yang Yi was pleased with the peaceful journey and devoted most of his energy to training. Whenever the Light of Life bonus was active, he trained tirelessly. Without the bonus, he boiled snow to collect fresh water and spent his free time fishing, although doing so in the Extreme Winter Sea often led to disappointment. In three days, he only managed to catch two long-legged sardines, which he kept alive in a wooden bucket. To protect them from the cold, Yang Yi placed the bucket in the warm captain¡¯s quarters and covered it with a lid pierced with holes. Fishing wasn¡¯t entirely fruitless, though. Yang Yi hooked a new species: a massive creature over a metre in diametre, round like a ball. At first, he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. Only when it surfaced did he recognise it ¡ª a fluffy, adorable seal with fur-covered skin! Naturally, Yang Yi assumed it was a "Fluffy Seal." After all, He Qi had previously mentioned this species, noting that killing it and using its egg had the chance of giving you a "Fluffy Seal Fur Coat." Without hesitation, Yang Yi opened fire on the creature. And then...it exploded before his eyes, turning into a bloody mist with considerable force. The blast immediately reduced the Nightmare Star''s durability by 200 points. Had Yang Yi not been on the ship and far enough away, he might have been seriously injured. The incident left him deeply shaken. Later, he salvaged some meat fragments and finally learnt more about the creature. ¡¾Name: Adorably Explosive Seal¡¿ ¡¾Description: A special seal corrupted by abyssal energy. Despite its cute appearance, it is extremely dangerous and will explode when provoked.¡¿ "Looks like I¡¯ll need to kill big catches in the water before pulling them aboard for safety," Yang Yi muttered to himself. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 42/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 83 - Approaching ice floe Early in the fourth morning, the snow stopped.After Yang Yi''s morning exercise, his basic strength finally reached six points. He had also gained some muscle, which could very well be due to the stomach-enhancing potion he consumed, as he ate more, and his physical experience increased quickly. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Taking advantage of the weather, he melted and boiled the snow to collect more than 300 litres of fresh water. Additionally, Yang Yi and Suna used the opportunity to take a hot bath, which left them feeling completely refreshed. By the following morning, the snow on the deck had been cleared, leaving only a snow mountain that would yield about 100L of fresh water once melted. Yang Yi was sitting in the courtyard, fishing. He had been doing so for almost an hour and hadn¡¯t caught a single fish ¡ª not even a long-legged sardine! Fortunately, others were having the same luck. Just by chatting on the channel, Yang Yi found some peace, as everyone seemed to experience a lack of fish, and only a few players had managed to catch anything. Yang Yi stopped fishing and decided to focus his remaining energy on training. He returned to the captain¡¯s cabin and took the crystal ball to check the position of Captain Xu Da of the Swift Wind ship. He had done it before. By determining Xu Da¡¯s coordinates, he could judge how far he was from the White Mist zone. Xu Da had stopped near the edge of the White Mist, and from the footage, one could even see the shadow of the mist. It was a white fog, likely with very low visibility inside. Xu Da didn¡¯t dare enter and kept hovering near the edge, possibly waiting for his team members to join him. Yang Yi closed the footage. ¡°We¡¯re still about five days away from reaching the White Mist zone,¡± he said, sending the information to Suna to make sure she was prepared. That evening, after finishing his training, Yang Yi noticed that the latest issue of The Weekly was released, so he bought a copy and sold the werewolf information to the newspaper. Since the Brain Eater information involved witches, he didn¡¯t plan to sell it. However, this time, it took quite a while before he received the payment. Just as Yang Yi thought he was being scammed, he received a private message. ¡°Would you like to become a VIP customer of our newspaper?¡± ¡°VIP?¡± ¡°Yes! You killed that werewolf on the island, right? That means you¡¯re very good at hunting monsters, so I¡¯d like to ask for your help and improve the quality of our publications¡­¡± The person went on for a while but basically wanted Yang Yi to send photos and detailed information whenever he killed an extraordinary monster, which would increase the value of the information published. ¡°How about it? If you agree, I¡¯ll make sure all future issues are free for you, and also give you higher rewards.¡± Yang Yi hesitated for a few minutes but ultimately decided to agree. It was a long-term profitable transaction, and agreeing wouldn¡¯t hurt. Furthermore, whether to sell the information or not was entirely up to him. The initiative remained in his hands. After making up his mind, he agreed to cooperate, became a VIP customer, and received a friend request. ¡¾Captain Song Ying of the Newspaper¡¯s Fleet has sent a friend request.¡¿ "Captain..." Yang Yi was a bit surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected the person he¡¯d been trading information with was actually the leader of the newspaper¡¯s fleet. "Alright, from now on, just message me privately about the weekly. And remember, take pictures when you kill monsters! That way, I can give you even higher rewards!" ¡°Got it!¡± Yang Yi replied. Not long after, he received two payments: 2500 + 100 Shell Coins, which were for the information fees and the cost of buying the weekly. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll mention the source of the information in the weekly. If you don¡¯t want to use your real name, you can give me a code name,¡± Song Ying said in a private message. Yang Yi thought for a moment and replied, "Just call me Cyclops." "Cyclops¡­alright!" After ending the conversation, Yang Yi picked up the latest weekly issue and started reading. The cover headline read: "This weekly is not strictly published weekly, but rather based on the current sea situation. So, there may be early releases or even consecutive issues." Yang Yi skipped the irrelevant information and began browsing the "Sea Storm" section, which mainly focused on information about the Extreme Winter Sea Region. But after reading for a while, he lost interest. The content was similar to what Xu Da had mentioned, only more detailed, so Yang Yi suspected that most of this information was bought from Xu Da. However, after reading through the entire issue, he found some useful information. For example, players dropped a glowing orb after death, containing personal account Shell Coins and recipes, but the orb only lasted for two hours. Ships would disappear 48 hours after a player¡¯s death. Although it was unclear who tested this information¡¯s validity or how they did it, Yang Yi was certain that someone had paid the ultimate price for it. "It seems that apart from the ice floes and low temperatures, there aren¡¯t any other risks¡­ As for the White Mist, no players have entered yet to explore¡­" Yang Yi summarised and then continued to check the monster information. He was mainly looking for clues about regenerating flesh. It was something that likely came from an extraordinary monster with strong regenerative abilities. After browsing through some monsters with regenerative abilities, he only found one type: ¡¾Name: Low-Level Vampire¡¿ ¡¾Description: A twisted creature that feeds on the blood of other creatures, with a certain degree of regenerative ability. It fears sunlight, especially ultraviolet rays, and usually operates at night.¡¿ The piece of information is accompanied by a picture, but it has been thoughtfully sealed with tape, with a warning written on it: "The picture may reduce your sanity. Before viewing, please ensure your mental health is stable." Yang Yi tore it off directly, revealing an expression of surprise on his face. ¡¾Ugly Creature, -3 Sanity¡¿ It was a creature that had no resemblance to the vampire Yang Yi had in mind. It was an ugly, crude, humanoid being. It had limbs that should allow it to walk upright, but its body had no skin. Instead, its surface was covered in wrinkled mucus membranes, with a swollen belly. It looked like a person severely burned, who had drunk a belly full of water. Its mouth could open like flower petals, splitting into four parts, with sharp teeth along the edges. At the centre of its mouth, there was an empty, long tongue. According to the description, it used it to suck blood, with enough force to pierce high-quality leather armour and drain the victim¡¯s bodily fluids like a pump. The vampire in the soil had already died, cut in half by a sharp weapon. The information provider was ¡ª Knight of Justice. It was likely a code name used by a VIP from the newspaper. "Cut in half and it died? It''s not as tough as a glutton. It seems not as good at regenerating... Perhaps I should look for a higher-level vampire, it might have regenerative flesh inside." Yang Yi speculated and then quickly flipped through the trade section. Items for sale were mostly recipes and items for crafting, which sellers could advertise to expand their sales channels. Next were the harder-to-sell relics. Yang Yi didn¡¯t have much money and hadn¡¯t planned to buy anything, but he happened to find a weapon that seemed suitable for him. ¡¾Name: Willow Leaf Throwing Darts¡¿ ¡¾Type: Artifact¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: Shaped like willow leaves, these are short blades designed for throwing. Made of steel, the centre of gravity has been adjusted so the blade always points forwards.¡¿ It was perfect for Yang Yi because he was very accurate with throwing weapons, especially after using the Third Eye. The only downside was the price ¡ª it was on the expensive end and sold in sets of ten, priced at 25,000 Shell Coins. After some private negotiations, Yang Yi managed to buy a set for 23,000 Shell Coins. It worked wonderfully, and the feel of the throwing darts was excellent! When his flintlock rifle was cooling down, he could use the throwing darts to make up for his weakness in long-range combat. Additionally, they were especially effective against small creatures. Yang Yi went to the bow deck to check the surrounding sea conditions using his Third Eye. He only saw some thin, floating ice, which didn¡¯t pose a threat to the Nightmare Star ship. Once he confirmed it was safe, he turned around and returned to the captain¡¯s cabin, ready to rest. He took out a bottle of appetite-enhancing potion from his bag and drank it in one go, then consumed three pieces of black bread, two dried long-legged sardines, and 1L of fresh water. After that, he ate two shrivelled eyeball fruits, patted his stomach with satisfaction, and lay down in bed to sleep. The Nightmare Star silently sailed across the cold, desolate sea. At the bow of the ship, countless white skeletal arms clung to the captain''s bones. Below the captain''s bones, there was a giant head of a Bobbit worm. After silently sailing for three hours, a giant floating ice block appeared ahead of the Nightmare Star, its visible height above the water was about two metres, with a width of about four. However, its underwater volume was estimated to be several times larger. It was an iceberg. Slowly drifting towards the Nightmare Star, it was aimed directly at its bow. Behind it, even more were approaching¡­ We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 43/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 84 - Suction Yang Yi was having a nightmare ¡ª a tormenting one at that.In the dream, he was engulfed in flames, becoming a living inferno. He could even smell the acrid stench of his burning flesh... BOOM!!! A deafening crash shook the ship violently. The hull of Nightmare Star lurched sharply to one side. Yang Yi jolted awake, rolling off his bed in the process. But he was quick to recover. The moment he hit the floor, he was alert. Sitting up swiftly, he grabbed the flintlock pistol from his bedside and aimed it at the captain¡¯s cabin door. The firelight from the hearth flickered warmly, casting an orange glow across the room. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were no signs of any intruding creatures. It seemed the Nightmare Star had collided with something ¡ª perhaps a massive iceberg or an unseen reef. BOOM! BOOM! More impacts followed in quick succession. The ship''s speed slowed noticeably before coming to a complete stop. Yang Yi immediately checked the ship''s interface. The chain collisions had cost the Nightmare Star over 1,500 durability points. Fortunately, the ship was sturdy, with a two-layered hull reinforced by bone armour and wooden planks. The impact hadn¡¯t caused severe damage or leaks. After assessing the situation, Yang Yi attempted to contact Suna. Her cabin was next door, separated by only a thin, broken wooden wall ¡ª communicating wouldn¡¯t be difficult, even without shouting. ¡°Suna, what¡¯s your status? It seems the Nightmare Star hit something!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Suna replied quickly, her voice suggesting she was getting dressed. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll go check it out. Stay alert and watch the door ¡ª there¡¯s a chance something might have boarded!¡± Yang Yi instructed. In no time, he was dressed, armed, and ready. He approached the captain¡¯s cabin window. Yang Yi had modified it, reinforcing it with steel bars to prevent unwanted intrusions. Peering through the gaps between the bars, he scanned the deck. A ghostly green flame floated by, but no other living beings were in sight. He triple-checked using his spyglass before cautiously opening the captain¡¯s cabin door and stepping out. ¡°Am I just being paranoid?¡± Frowning, Yang Yi surveyed the area, but saw nothing unusual. The entire deck was empty ¡ª save for him. Still, he remained vigilant, gripping his trusty weapons: the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang and his flintlock pistol. He advanced towards the bow. He wanted to see what exactly the Nightmare Star had struck. ¡°Hiss...¡± Yang Yi sucked in a breath. A sudden chill crept over him. Glancing at the thermometre, he noticed the temperature had dropped to a steep -11¡ãC. ¡°Why is it getting so cold so quickly?¡± Moving cautiously, Yang Yi kept low as he approached the bow, speculating about possible scenarios. If it were just icebergs or reefs blocking the way, he could simply navigate the Nightmare Star around them. But if they¡¯d hit something alive... That would be a much bigger problem. As Yang Yi reached the bow, he suddenly halted. He heard an odd noise, especially unsettling in these circumstances. Slurp! Slurp! It sounded like suction. Like someone sucking hard on a surface with their mouth. Pressing his ear to the deck, he listened for a few seconds, his brows knitting into a frown. The sounds came from outside the hull, near the bow ¡ª a chaotic cacophony of sucking noises, as if numerous mouths were at work. (1) It appeared the worst-case scenario was unfolding. The Nightmare Star had collided with some kind of living creatures. Not just one, but many. They could even be surrounding the ship! Yang Yi¡¯s alertness spiked. He crouched low and crept towards the bow¡¯s edge. In his line of sight, he spotted several large icebergs drifting close to the Nightmare Star, blocking its path. The suction noises came from below the bow, growing louder and more distinct. Peering over the edge, Yang Yi gasped sharply. Five icebergs were stacked together, separated by uneven gaps. They had completely obstructed the Nightmare Star''s path. And from the base of these icebergs, countless fat, white worms emerged. Their segmented bodies resembled stacked swimming rings, varying in thickness. The smallest had a diametre of about ten centimetres, while the largest ones were nearly a metre wide ¡ª easily big enough to swallow a person whole! They swarmed together, piling on top of one another, their suction-cup-like mouths latched onto the head of a giant bobbit worm. Slurp! Slurp! The worms wriggled and squirmed as they fed, resembling a mass of fleshy, grotesque straws. ¡¾You¡¯ve encountered an unknown creature. Sanity -10.¡¿ "What the hell are these things?" It was Yang Yi''s first time encountering such worms, and it sent shivers down his spine. The floating icebergs might actually have been nests for the creatures. From each iceberg, more than a dozen worms emerged. Their sheer number had already covered the head of the giant bobbit worm. Some that latched onto the bobbit worm''s head began to suck on the hull of the Nightmare Star. As Yang Yi contemplated his next move, he noticed a change: the petal-like tentacles surrounding their mouths began to move! They weren¡¯t simply decorative appendages; each ended with a glowing white orb, likely sensory organs akin to eyes. The orbs shifted collectively, turning towards Yang Yi. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve been spotted!¡± Yang Yi reacted instantly, removing the eyepatch from his left eye and retreating. In the next moment, the sucking sounds abruptly ceased one after another ¡ª it seemed the worms were coming aboard! Thinking fast, Yang Yi manned the helm and manipulated the giant bobbit worm''s head to snap its four sharp mandibles shut. Crunch! The sound of slicing and splattering fluids filled the air. Several pursuing worms were severed, their remains falling onto the deck. But they weren¡¯t dead yet, writhing and squirming as they spilled white slime across the planks. Yang Yi tried to manoeuvre the Nightmare Star to retreat, but it wouldn¡¯t budge ¡ª something was holding it in place. It didn¡¯t take much thought to figure it out: the worms were suctioning the hull, anchoring the ship to the icebergs and preventing it from moving. ¡°Suna! The Nightmare Star has collided with giant worms! They¡¯re huge ¡ª watch your cabin door!¡± Yang Yi shouted as he attempted to command the bobbit worm''s head to cut through the worms again. But this time, the mandibles wouldn¡¯t move. It seemed they were tangled up, rendered useless. More worms began climbing onto the bow, wriggling towards Yang Yi. With no other option, he abandoned the helm and turned to flee. Facing such overwhelming numbers, he had two choices: Initially, Yang Yi wanted to use the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang for its wider attack range. However, the vivid memory of his earlier nightmare made him abandon the idea of using fire. He opted for the flintlock pistol instead. Turning his back to the approaching swarm, he aimed at the cluster of worms. Leading the charge was a massive worm, a metre thick. Its suction-cup-like mouth opened to reveal sharp, inward-facing teeth designed to ensure anything it sucked in couldn¡¯t escape. The sight reminded Yang Yi of a lamprey ¡ª but this one was far larger and more terrifying. Moreover, its suction power was immense, giving Yang Yi the unsettling illusion of being pulled backwards. Bang! At the critical moment, Yang Yi pulled the trigger, blasting the lead worm¡¯s head apart and severing the bodies of several others nearby. Using the recoil, Yang Yi quickly rolled forwards, landing near the captain¡¯s cabin door. He pushed the door open, rushed inside, and locked it behind him. The pursuing worms reached the door moments later. As Yang Yi considered escaping to Suna¡¯s cabin, he noticed the worms hesitating briefly before retreating. ¡°Are they not long enough?¡± Yang Yi speculated, concluding that the worms might have reached their maximum length and given up the chase. Just then, he was surprised to find Suna already in his cabin. ¡°Did you crawl in here?¡± Yang Yi asked. Suna didn¡¯t reply; her expression was grave. Fully armed, she carried a bow and arrows on her back, a small round shield strapped to her left arm, and a longsword in her right hand. She stared intently at Yang Yi. ¡°What? Why are you staring at me?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°This slime on me ¡ª it¡¯s just worm blood¡­¡± ¡°Do you feel any pain?¡± Suna interrupted him abruptly. ¡°Pain? No, I¡¯m not hurt,¡± Yang Yi replied nonchalantly. ¡°But there¡¯s a worm biting your butt!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s attention shifted immediately. He turned to find a worm¡¯s severed head clinging to his backside, suctioning vigorously. (2) Furious, Yang Yi grabbed the half-dead worm and yanked it off. ¡°Damn it! No wonder I felt something weird!¡± After inspecting himself, he confirmed he wasn¡¯t injured ¡ª his chainmail had blocked the attack, sparing him from a nasty wound. (1) Crazy sentence ngl -Simply (2) What am I reading -Simply This chapter was... interesting o.O - Ashka We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 46/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 85 - When drawing the sword That half of the worm had already been taken away by Suna.Yang Yi was inspecting his chainmail and found that the part that had been bitten was deformed. If he hadn¡¯t torn off the worm in time, or if the worm hadn¡¯t been severed in two, the chainmail might have been bitten through. If that had happened, his flesh and blood would be in shreds. After checking his body and confirming there was no issue by looking at his status values, Yang Yi began examining the Nightmare Star¡¯s interface. The ship¡¯s durability was gradually declining, indicating that the worms¡¯ suction was causing damage. If this continued, the ship¡¯s hull would eventually breach. Even if the worms stopped clinging to it by then, the Nightmare Star would face major trouble. So, he had to free the ship from the entanglement of the worms while the hull was still intact ¡ª the sooner, the better ¡ª because Yang Yi had previously spotted other icebergs approaching. Those icebergs weren¡¯t just simple icebergs; they were surely packed full of worms! On the other side, Suna was fully focused on dissecting the worm corpse before her. She sliced open the worm with a knife, inspecting its internal structure and organs. Her brows furrowed slightly ¡ª whether it was due to the smell or disgust was unclear. Once the worm was cut open, it finally stopped struggling. Its insides spread out like soft, fatty meat. The surface was lined with sharp teeth and hook-like barbs that twitched occasionally. It also contained a significant amount of white, oil-like fluid, which emitted a pungent odour. Suna made a couple more cuts, and her frown deepened. The creature was odd ¡ª its internal structure was far too simple. It was nothing more than a long, specialised feeding tube. (1) There were no vital organs at all! The only additional functional structure was at the end of its tendrils, connected to sensory organs that could detect nearby objects. ¡°How long is this worm?¡± Suna asked aloud. ¡°Extremely long. From the sea surface to here, I¡¯d say about twenty metres!¡± Suna gestured with her hand for comparison. It had a diametre of roughly 10cm but was twenty metres long ¡ª a feeding tube of such length seemed like a massive waste! Unless¡­ Unless it wasn¡¯t a worm, but a kind of tendril specialised for feeding! The cluster of tendrils could very well belong to a single organism, which would also explain why their movements were so synchronised. The more Suna thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She explained her theory to Yang Yi. ¡°I think this thing isn¡¯t a worm; it just looks like one on the outside. Its structure is overly simple, resembling a feeding tendril specialised for consuming prey, much like an elephant¡¯s trunk. So, this group of worms might actually belong to a single organism...¡± Suna elaborated. ¡°Oh, I see! So, cutting off these worms is like chopping off its legs ¡ª it wouldn''t actually kill it, right?¡± Yang Yi summarised. ¡°Uh¡­you could think of it that way!¡± Suna replied, somewhat speechless. She dipped her dagger into the worm¡¯s bodily fluid and brought it closer to smell. The scent gave her a sense of familiarity, reminiscent of flammable organic solvents in laboratories. She decided to test it by holding it near the fireplace. Sure enough, it ignited upon contact with fire. ¡°Yang Yi, this creature¡¯s bodily fluid is flammable!¡± Suna exclaimed with some excitement, turning to look at Yang Yi, only to freeze in place. Yang Yi, at some point, had changed into a waterproof sharkskin swimsuit, with his sweater and trousers worn underneath. Over that, he had put on the chainmail and added spider-web-like gloves on top! Overall, he looked utterly mismatched... ¡°What are you doing?¡± Suna asked. ¡°Making the most of my time to kill these creatures,¡± Yang Yi replied. He pulled out a gigantic sword from his bag ¡ª a massive blade known as the Ironbreaker, which had been wrapped in cloth for a long time. It was finally time to use it! Clang! The Ironbreaker hit the captain¡¯s cabin floor, creating a deep dent. Yang Yi hurried to unwrap the cloth sealing the blade. ¡°You¡¯re using this thing as a weapon?¡± Suna asked in surprise, staring at the massive sword. ¡°Exactly!¡± Yang Yi answered decisively. ¡°To deal with large creatures, you need a massive weapon. Otherwise, you risk not killing them!¡± He held the Ironbreaker in one hand, urging the Spirit of Dread to quickly sap his sanity, while holding a crimson potion in the other, ready to drink at any moment. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the combined effects of madness and the crimson potion, he¡¯d finally be able to wield this giant sword! Yang Yi was also quite excited, eager to give it a try. Suna, on the other hand, was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say. "Later, I''ll go and chop off those worm-like tendrils. Then you take the chance to move the Nightmare Star away and pull me back up..." Yang Yi started outlining his simple and straightforward plan, or in Suna¡¯s words, a rough and crude one. "These worms are probably afraid of fire. Earlier, they seemed to retreat when they saw the fire burning in the fireplace. So, we could try driving them away with fire," she suggested. But her plan was immediately rejected. "It¡¯ll catch fire ¡ª I¡¯ve seen it in my dreams. The whole ship could ignite, and I¡¯d end up burning as well," Yang Yi explained. He was relieved he hadn¡¯t used the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang to set a fire earlier; otherwise, he might have already turned into a burning man. Suna didn¡¯t try to persuade him further because she knew it wouldn¡¯t work ¡ª Yang Yi was incredibly stubborn. A few minutes later, Yang Yi entered a frenzied state, his eyes glowing red. He immediately drank the crimson potion, and his skin started to flush red as well. His attributes surged, pushing every stat to the limits of human capability! Then, he began attempting to lift the massive sword lying on the ground. Creak, creak! Yang Yi exerted all his strength, his face turning bright red as he clenched his teeth and tightened every muscle in his body. Finally, as his bones groaned under the strain, he managed to lift the heavy sword, even accidentally smashing a hole in the ceiling in the process. The Ironbreaker began to tremble slightly, emitting a faint humming sound. Whether from excitement or some other reason, it seemed to resonate. The overwhelming weight of the sword began to lighten, as though it had acknowledged Yang Yi after some sort of trial, no longer overly burdening his body. ¡°Heh, what a great sword!¡± Yang Yi exclaimed, thrilled. Without hesitation, he slashed through the captain''s cabin, creating a hole towards the bow of the ship. Holding the massive sword, he rushed outside. After all, carrying such an enormous weapon made it almost impossible to exit through a normal door. Suna stood in the background, silently observing Yang Yi''s every move, lost in thought. A few seconds later, she picked up a piece of wood, dipped it in the worm¡¯s bodily fluid, and lit it, creating a makeshift torch. Holding it, she followed Yang Yi outside. On the other side, Yang Yi gripped the massive sword with both hands and strode towards the ship¡¯s bow with heavy steps. His pace wasn¡¯t fast, but each step was incredibly forceful, causing loud thuds on the deck. Even the sturdy white bone gauntlets cracked under the weight of his steps. Such a commotion naturally drew the attention of the white worms clustered at the bow of the ship. The sucking noises stopped, and a group of worms aimed at Yang Yi, ready to bite him. But this time, Yang Yi didn¡¯t dodge. Wielding the colossal and extraordinary sword in his hands, he swung it back at them with all his might. (1) Uh oh. I think I know what''s coming -Simply We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 46/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 86 - Cut off The destructive power of Ironbreaker did not disappoint Yang Yi.With one horizontal slash, severed limbs flew through the air. Although it looked rough, like a semi-finished product, anyone who had used it would understand... It was the true meaning of cutting through iron like butter! The large, leading worm was decapitated by Yang Yi in a single slash, creating a gust of strong wind in the process. The smaller worms caught in the aftermath were shattered, their severed edges violently ripped apart. After this single strike, the attacks from the dozen or so worms were completely neutralised, leaving only a pile of wriggling severed limbs on the ground. However, the force and weight of his powerful attack left Yang Yi stumbling unsteadily. There was no way around it ¡ª the weapon was too heavy. A moment of carelessness could easily pull him off balance. "It seems I''ll need to increase my weight to use this greatsword more flexibly," Yang Yi said, steadying himself with the sword. If not for the additional coordination granted by the Third Eye upgrade, his muscles might have been torn apart by that one strike. After a brief rest, Yang Yi dragged the sword and continued forwards. Time was limited, and he had to act quickly to sever more of the worms'' limbs! New tendrils attacked sporadically, but Yang Yi cut them down one by one. Before long, the deck was littered with worm parts. Standing near the edge of the bow, Yang Yi looked down. The number of icebergs had increased, rising from five at the beginning to more than ten. Moreover, more icebergs were moving towards the area, seemingly drawn by the massive bobbit worm heads, their numbers growing steadily until they threatened to bore a giant hole in the Nightmare Star! Yang Yi glanced at the ship''s durability ¡ª it had already dropped by nearly 2,000! At that moment, Suna approached, holding a makeshift torch, her footsteps audible on the deck. Noticing her, Yang Yi turned back and said, "I''ll go down to cut them later. But you must also stay safe. These worms won''t just target me. And be careful not to set the ship on fire; the deck is covered in worm fluid!" With that, Yang Yi pinpointed his position, selected a large iceberg, and hurled the Ironbreaker downwards. Clang! It embedded itself halfway into the iceberg, causing it to wobble and send ice shards flying. Yang Yi remained calm. He knew he couldn''t jump down with the greatsword; otherwise, his leg bones would likely snap into several pieces. Instead, he devised a different strategy: wait for one of the larger worms to lunge at him. The moment arrived. Yang Yi bent his knees and jumped, evading a worm''s bite and landing on its body. The sensation was akin to stepping on soft, fatty flesh, and his feet even sank slightly into it. Relying on the exceptional balance provided by Third Eye, Yang Yi ran along the half-metre-thick worm. Despite constant interference from other worms, Yang Yi deftly avoided their attacks with agile leaps and turns, surpassing even the dexterity of a gymnast! Finally, he leaped onto the iceberg where the Ironbreaker was embedded. "Come on! Let me give you all a haircut!" Yang Yi exclaimed with a grin, gripping Ironbreaker with both hands and pulling with all his might. The sword vibrated, and a large chunk of the iceberg, which had been tightly gripping Ironbreaker, cracked apart, revealing a peculiar sphere inside. The sphere was covered with a thin yellow membrane, containing worms of varying sizes intertwined like a ball of yarn. It seemed to be the true body of the creature, its core probably hidden deep within. Yang Yi didn''t waste time killing it. His focus was solely on escaping. At that moment, nothing else mattered more than breaking free. Killing it would take too much time. Who knew how deep the core was? He might have even needed to chip away at the ice. But severing the tentacles? That was way faster! Standing on the iceberg, Yang Yi saw dozens of tentacles emerging from below, reaching up as if to welcome him. In just 10 seconds, Yang Yi severed them all. Holding the massive sword with both hands, he ran and slashed along the ice island, cutting off all the tentacles reaching up from below. It was as smooth as giving the iceberg a buzz cut. After finishing, he flung Ironbreaker, embedding it into a nearby iceberg, and ran towards it. During this time, he had to dodge the tentacles'' attacks, sometimes even swimming through the water. But thanks to the predictive ability granted by Third Eye, he avoided the onslaught, though it was perilous. On several occasions, he was nearly bitten. Reaching the new position, Yang Yi retrieved the greatsword and repeated the process, shaving the tentacles off the iceberg. His efficiency was remarkable. In just three minutes, he had dealt with seven icebergs, severing all the tentacles emerging from them. Yet, dancing on the edge of a blade wasn''t without consequences. At one point, while dodging, Yang Yi was bitten on the back by a worm as thick as his thigh. There was no comparison to the half-worm that had once latched onto his rear. Yang Yi''s armour was directly bitten through, tearing away a layer of his flesh in the process. Had he not instinctively turned around and struck the creature with his sword, the worm might have completely latched onto him and dragged him into the icy sea. Additionally, wading through water caused severe hypothermia, especially as his feet and head were unprotected, leaving him numb from the cold. After all, in such freezing conditions, once the body got wet, the cold wind would rapidly sap warmth, potentially causing frost to form... However, Yang Yi didn''t have time to worry about any of that. He relied on the thick wool sweater he wore under his wetsuit to maintain his core temperature. It certainly lived up to his expectations, providing exceptional warmth! Five minutes later. The worms extending from the icebergs beneath the Nightmare Star were almost entirely dealt with. Only one iceberg remained in the farthest area, with tentacles stretching up to ten metres long, gripping the ship''s hull tightly. Once that iceberg was dealt with, the Nightmare Star would have a chance to break free. Yang Yi immediately contacted Suna. "Suna, I''m almost done here ¡ª just two more minutes! In two minutes, try starting the ship and breaking free from these icebergs!" Yang Yi shouted. Meanwhile, on the bow deck. When Yang Yi had dashed down using the worm as a stepping stone, Suna had been so shocked her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Thankfully, despite the risk, he managed to land safely and began severing the worms that were clinging to the Nightmare Star. Suna, on the other hand, tried to operate the ship but found it completely immobilised, unable even to control the bobbit worm''s head. Before long, she was surrounded by worms writhing on the deck. However, they only surrounded her and didn¡¯t dare come closer ¡ª their tentacles trembled as if they feared the flames. Suna had made the right call: the worms recognised fire and feared it, instinctively avoiding objects that radiated high heat. But that didn¡¯t mean they were completely powerless against the flames. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before long, one worm retreated and then returned, its body swollen and seemingly holding something inside. Suna immediately realised what it was trying to do. It planned to spew cold seawater to extinguish the makeshift torch in her hand. She dodged quickly, yet not fast enough, and seawater splashed all over her, extinguishing the torch instantly. The torch, made hastily from worm fluids, was far too fragile! Without the fire, Suna was immediately thrown into a dangerous situation. Unlike Yang Yi, she didn¡¯t have superhuman reflexes or coordination. All she could do was instinctively retreat, shielding herself with a small round shield while reaching for the longsword at her waist. She also prepared herself to use magic if necessary. Fortunately, the crisis ended as soon as it began, because down below, Yang Yi was working with terrifying efficiency. The worms chasing her barely had time to squirm before they were cut off, collapsing limply on the deck, their movements reduced to aimless writhing. Suna, drenched in seawater, couldn¡¯t hold back a sneeze. Achoo! Editor¡¯s note: in case this caused some confusion, worms = tendrils. Although they have realised the ¡°worms¡± aren''t actually living beings, they''re continuing to call them that. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 47/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 87 - Artillery Attack Suna''s clothes were soaked, which could be extremely deadly in the icy snowfield!She had no time to change, as Yang Yi''s voice came from below, telling her to set sail in two minutes and try to break free from the clutches of these worms. ... Below, Yang Yi had already reached the remotest iceberg. The massive iron sword in his hand swung with great power, quickly severing all the worms on it. But at that moment, Yang Yi''s energy was nearly depleted, leaving only a sliver remaining. For an ordinary person, it would already pose a risk of fainting. In his frenzied state, Yang Yi seemed tireless and even began using his blood energy to replace his stamina! After cutting down the last tentacle, Yang Yi started running back. What he didn''t anticipate was that the last iceberg had a hidden move. After he had travelled some distance back, four or five tentacles stretched out from underwater. Under normal circumstances, Yang Yi would have noticed immediately, especially with the advantage of his three eyes. However, his three-eyed enhancement was running out, and to prevent mishaps, he had already donned an eyepatch. Four or five worm tentacles of varying thickness lunged towards Yang Yi, unaware. It wasn¡¯t until he heard the sound of wind behind him and felt the suction force that he realised something was wrong. A one metre-wide circular mouth, lined with sharp teeth like inverted hooks, was closing in on him... ¡°Damn!¡± Yang Yi gripped the sword with both hands, trying to turn around and strike it, but it had already gained the upper hand ¡ª there was no time! To make matters worse, behind this giant worm were several thinner ones. At that moment, a bizarre scene unfolded. The worms appeared to be influenced by some mysterious force; their movements became chaotic, and they became entangled with one another. In no time, they formed a dead knot. The worms immediately abandoned their pursuit, staying in place and writhing in an attempt to untangle themselves. Taking advantage of the situation, Yang Yi put some distance between himself and the danger, making his way to the nearest iceberg. Looking ahead, he saw that the Nightmare Star had already freed itself from the icebergs'' entanglement and was just a dozen metres away. Still, the strange phenomenon left Yang Yi puzzled. He didn¡¯t think it was a natural occurrence ¡ª it had to be someone helping him. "Could it be Suna..." After all, among those present, the only one who could help him was Suna ¡ª there were no other options. He shouted towards the Nightmare Star, ¡°Suna, use the grappling hook to pull me up, quickly!¡± At the same time, he sent her a private message. He waited for over ten seconds, but the Nightmare Star remained unresponsive, and no one appeared at the ship¡¯s bow. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile, new icebergs began approaching from behind. Yang Yi stopped waiting, checked the remaining duration of the Crimson Elixir, and saw he had 107 seconds left. That was more than enough time to swim over. He retrieved a stomach pouch and a long-legged sardine from his swimsuit. Using the sardine, he opened the stomach pouch and stuffed the iron sword inside. Then, he leapt into the icy sea. With his exceptional physical condition, swimming was as natural as breathing. No swimmer of the past could compare to him; his physical fitness had pushed the limits of human ability! Even the freezing seawater was no threat to him. That was only because he had placed a lightweight, insulating fire-fleece sweater inside his full-body sharkskin swimsuit! Thirty-some seconds later, Yang Yi finished swimming and climbing, successfully reaching the deck of the Nightmare Star. He quickly found Suna at the ship¡¯s bow. She had collapsed by the helm, her clothes soaked with seawater and a layer of frost already forming on them. Yang Yi immediately picked her up and took control of the helm, steering the Nightmare Star to retreat, before carrying Suna back to her cabin. The room was still warm, with the fireplace burning and the temperature around ten degrees Celsius. Yang Yi checked Suna''s condition and found that she wasn¡¯t injured, just unconscious with a low body temperature. At the same time, the Crimson Elixir¡¯s effect ended. Yang Yi felt his throat burn and his body severely dehydrated. He didn¡¯t dare drink what looked like water in Suna¡¯s room as there was no way of knowing if it actually was. To be safe, he endured his thirst, retrieved the stomach pouch from his swimsuit, and used some leftover black bread on the table to open it, taking out the water inside to drink. Gulp, gulp, gulp! Yang Yi drained 2 litres of fresh water in one go, finally regaining his strength. He then quickly dried Suna''s body, put a spare sweater on her, and tucked her into the bed. With the room¡¯s high temperature, she would be fine. After finishing all that, Yang Yi hurried out of the cabin, as the Nightmare Star was still in danger! The worms were still relentlessly approaching! Without changing his clothes, Yang Yi rushed to the bow deck and drank a bottle of Regeneration Elixir to recover. His stamina was already depleted, and he was relying on his blood energy to keep going. Out at sea, the ten or so icebergs had moved a distance away from the Nightmare Star. Without their tentacles, the icebergs seemed to lose their mobility, becoming mere obstacles drifting with the waves. Meanwhile, in the distance, the approaching icebergs were blocked by the ten or so already there, forcing them to detour. Their target was unified: the giant bobbit worm''s head at the Nightmare Star¡¯s bow. That thing was a dead object. The worms wouldn¡¯t stop unless they tore it completely to pieces. Judging by the situation, the two types of creatures had to be mortal enemies, preying on each other in a relentless battle to the death. Yang Yi didn¡¯t keep retreating. Instead, he started estimating the speed of the icebergs, which ended up being approximately 20 to 40 knots, with significant variation between each. The Nightmare Star¡¯s maximum speed was a staggering 65 knots, meaning the icebergs...could only take the hits passively! Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star to meet them head-on, preparing to show the worms the true fear of cannons! As soon as they got within firing range, Yang Yi turned the ship sideways, took aim, and¡­ Boom! Boom! The strange cannon sound echoed, without any visible flash of fire. Two projectiles shot out of the cannon; one hit its target, the other splashed into the sea, sending up a spray of water. At a distance of two to three hundred metres, hitting the target was still quite challenging. Fortunately, the cannonball¡¯s power did not disappoint Yang Yi. The iceberg hit by the shell shattered into fragments. Countless worms emerged from beneath the water, thrashing about wildly. It was a good sign, because it meant the projectile had struck its main body! A few more shots, and he would penetrate the icy layer and deal a direct blow to its core! The worms tried to retaliate, but their length was limited and far outclassed by the cannon¡¯s 350-metre range. Thus, the slaughter began. Yang Yi controlled the Nightmare Star, keeping a safe distance from the cluster of icebergs while relentlessly firing cannonballs. The icebergs couldn¡¯t match his speed, and their tentacles couldn¡¯t reach him ¡ª they could only take the blows passively! The first iceberg completely shattered, signalling its death. From the sea emerged a hideous, giant creature. It was a white fleshy sphere, already ruptured and spilling out unidentifiable organs and tissue. The spherical surface was connected to more than a dozen worm-like tentacles of varying thickness. After its death, the tentacles lost control and splayed loosely across the sea¡¯s surface. From above, it looked like a grotesque flower. We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 48/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 88 - Pale Worm The battle raged on, with the roar of cannons echoing endlessly.The Nightmare Star¡¯s cannons fired alternately on both sides, locked in a fierce battle with this swarm of living icebergs! Yang Yi never imagined that his first naval battle in life wouldn¡¯t be against humans, but a group of grotesque worm-tentacle monsters. The battle raged on until dawn, when Yang Yi finally annihilated the entire horde of creatures. A total of 31 monsters, all dead, floated on the sea¡¯s surface. White fluid had even dyed the waters of the area a pale color. ¡°Whew~ What a thrilling and satisfying battle!¡± Yang Yi wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead. Midway through the fight, to prevent himself from running out of stamina, he even went into the cabin to drink a bottle of Vitality Coconut Water. The worms couldn¡¯t catch up to him anyway. After the naval battle, Yang Yi gained a better understanding of the special characteristics of the submerged cannons. In addition to firing cannonballs, they could also launch various types of fish. At one point, Yang Yi even fired an explosively cute seal. (1) That shot was incredibly powerful, blasting away half of an iceberg in a single hit. However, it seemed that such rare occurrences only happened when certain types of fish were caught ¡ª likely a hidden mechanism of the cannon. If he could catch more powerful fish in the future, the things fired by the cannon would be worth looking forwards to... After standing at the bow for a while to calm his excitement, Yang Yi walked to the ship¡¯s edge, preparing to dismantle the giant bobbit worm head. It was that very object that had attracted the swarm of living icebergs. Yang Yi climbed down to inspect it. He found that the giant bobbit worm head was unrecognisable, its shell riddled with countless holes. If there had been any juices inside, they had to have been completely drained by the worms. And so, there wasn¡¯t anything left inside ¡ª just some hard bones. Yang Yi stepped on it, causing the shell to crumble away, leaving only two sharp mandibles intact, while the other two had already broken. He checked the ship''s equipment''s properties. ¡¾Name: Shattered Giant Bobbit Worm Head¡¿ ¡¾Type: Ship Equipment¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: The shattered head of a giant bobbit worm is devoid of protective capabilities, but the two remaining mandibles are still sharp. Can be installed at the ship''s bow to cut through objects ahead.¡¿ Its attributes had weakened, no longer providing durability, and two of the mandibles were gone. On the bright side, it would no longer attract dangerous creatures, and there wasn¡¯t an urgent need to dismantle it either. Just as Yang Yi was about to climb back up, he heard a chillingly familiar sound. Slurp! Slurp! The sound sent shivers down his spine ¡ª it was the unmistakable noise of worms sucking. Instantly on high alert, Yang Yi drew his Sea Serpent Fang and scanned his surroundings warily. Slurp! Slurp! Yang Yi looked around but couldn¡¯t see anything. The strange sound persisted, faint but distinct. Switching to his three-eyed vision yielded nothing either. Slurp! Slurp! This time, Yang Yi pinpointed the source ¡ª it was coming from below! He carefully climbed down and found a tiny creature in the shadow beneath the giant bobbit worm head. It was a small chunk of floating ice, no larger than a basketball, with a single thumb-thick tentacle dangling from it and attached to the worm head. The reason even his three-eyed vision hadn¡¯t detected it was because it was small and obscured by the worm head. ¡°Uhh?¡± Yang Yi suddenly found himself chuckling at the absurdity of it all. ¡­ Time rewinds to the moment when the Nightmare Star had just escaped the entanglement of the worms. Suna stopped the ship, preparing to use the grappling hook to pull Yang Yi back on board, as planned. However, she saw several worm tentacles reaching for Yang Yi, who was completely unaware of the danger. Even if she shouted to warn him, it would likely be too late ¡ª because the worms had already opened their grotesque maws, attempting to suck in Yang Yi¡­ At that critical moment, Suna used the only spell she knew: Curled Touch. Her target was the swarm of worms squeezing together and lunging towards her captain. In Suna¡¯s eyes, the mass of worms began to curl and twist. While her spell wasn¡¯t strong enough to destroy them, it was sufficient to alter their trajectory, causing the worms to tangle with one another and form a dead knot. After casting Curled Touch, Suna¡¯s magic reserves were completely drained. Overwhelmed by a splitting headache, she lost the ability to move and collapsed beside the ship¡¯s helm until Yang Yi came to rescue her. ¡­ Back to the present. Suna woke up in a warm bed, feeling dizzy and groggy. ¡°Where¡­am I?¡± The memories of what had happened earlier came rushing back like a tide. She quickly pieced together her current situation. Yang Yi had carried her into a room and haphazardly dressed her in a sweater. She hadn¡¯t completely lost consciousness at the time ¡ª she had been too overcome with a headache to respond. Taking a deep breath, Suna furrowed her brows as she looked at the pile of messy clothes on the floor. Those were the clothes she had been wearing earlier, soaked by seawater and now tossed carelessly on the ground. ¡°Achoo!¡± She sneezed, feeling her nose stuff up as two trails of mucus dripped down. She checked her status. ¡¾Status: Cold¡¿ Suna frowned even more deeply. ¡°Achoo!¡± She sneezed again. A few minutes later, her door was flung open abruptly. Yang Yi entered, holding an ice sphere. ¡°Look, I caught a live worm larva! Do you want to¡ª¡± The air froze for a few seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± Suna said coldly. ¡°Next time, I promise!¡± Yang Yi quickly shut the door, stood outside for a moment, and then made up his mind to forget the scene he had just witnessed entirely. He lifted the pale worm larva he had captured. When Yang Yi had caught it earlier, he hadn¡¯t killed it. Instead, he broke through the ice layer with a few kicks and extracted the worm¡¯s body from inside. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After subduing it with a couple of punches, Yang Yi obtained information about the creature. ¡¾Name: Pale Worm Larva¡¿ ¡¾Description: A type of giant soft-bodied organism that lives in cold marine environments. Their bodies are flexible, and their tentacles have extensibility. They use thick layers of ice for protection and typically curl up inside the ice. They feed on marine organisms with their worm-like tentacles and move by expelling seawater. They are known to attack passing ships.¡¿ Yang Yi placed the worm larva at Suna¡¯s door, securing it with a skeletal hand to prevent it from escaping, and then began cleaning up the battlefield. First, he drank a bottle of Appetite-Stimulating Potion, ate three black breadsticks and sausages to fully recover his status and fill his stomach in the process. Then, with the help of the skeletal hand, he collected all the worm limbs scattered across the deck. Unlike the larva, the adult specimens could be used in the vending machine. In addition, the sea was littered with the corpses of 31 pale worms. Yang Yi decided to keep one intact for photography and dissection purposes. Unable to resist, Yang Yi started using the corpses on the deck for the vending machine before even salvaging those in the sea. He fed three tentacles into the machine, which instantly consumed half of the corpses on the deck. Since many of the tentacles came from the same individual worm, feeding even one caused the entire corresponding body to be processed. Yang Yi turned the wheel to begin the vending. Rumble, rumble! Three capsules rolled out, and Yang Yi opened them one by one. (1) No he did not. -Simply ;-; - Ashka We have a new goal to reach 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Once its done, we will release 3 bonus chapters! Current progress: 48/50 Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 89 - Harvest Yang Yi picked up the vending capsules.¡¾Name: Tiny Worm Ring¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A tiny pale worm that persistently clings to your body and is difficult to remove. It provides a one-cubic-metre storage space inside.¡¿ ¡°A space ring?¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. Items like this for spatial storage were always useful and never too many! When he picked it up¡­ Slurp! Slurp! A pale worm, as thin as a pinky finger and about 1cm long, clung to Yang Yi¡¯s right thumb. Shaped like a cone, it resembled a tiny horn snack but moved like a living creature. Yang Yi froze for about three seconds before snapping out of it. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t bad. At least it won¡¯t get lost easily!¡± It took him considerable effort and the sacrifice of a small piece of skin to pull the tiny worm off. He then placed it around the base of his left pinky and tested it. The effect was decent ¡ª it didn¡¯t interfere with finger movements and was almost unnoticeable. As long as he didn¡¯t look at it... From now on, items like potions, short weapons, and darts could all be stored in it! After wearing the ring, Yang Yi picked up the second vending capsule. He obtained a consumable item. ¡¾Name: Pale Worm Hand Cannon¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A one-time-use hand cannon that can release a massive pale worm tentacle, swallowing everything in its path. However, ensure you don¡¯t get sucked in when using it.¡¿ Yang Yi examined it with satisfaction. It resembled a white plastic toy cannon with a childlike design. But its description mentioned a massive worm tentacle ¡ª likely with considerable destructive power! Perfect for emergencies. He stored the hand cannon in the worm ring and picked up the third capsule. ¡¾You obtained 200 Shell Coins.¡¿ The vending capsule disappeared in front of Yang Yi, adding 200 coins to his account. Compared to the first two capsules, the last one was...underwhelming (not completely worthless, but close). From the third vending onward, the rewards became noticeably dull. Just then, Suna opened the door and walked out. Fully bundled up in a sweater, thermal trousers, and a down jacket, she looked flushed, with her head tucked into her collar. ¡°Achoo!¡± Suna¡¯s sneeze caught Yang Yi¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯ve caught a cold?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s not serious,¡± she replied indifferently, crouching to pick up the pale worm larva on the deck. ¡°Take it easy. You can handle that later when you¡¯ve recovered!¡± Yang Yi suggested. He could tell that Suna wanted to take the little creature to her lab for examination. ¡°I know. I just want to find a container to hold it for now,¡± Suna responded as she struggled to pull the pale worm larva. But the little creature extended over a dozen tentacles, gripping tightly onto the deck and the skeletal arm with a strong survival instinct. Suna¡¯s expression turned cold as she drew a knife, cut off most of its tentacles ¡ª leaving only one ¡ª and dragged the pale worm larva toward her lab. The incident with the pale worms came to a close, but there was still much to be done. First, a post-battle review and reflection were in order. Yang Yi felt that he had been too careless! Letting the ship sail on its own at night was far too risky ¡ª especially in a special sea area. Thankfully, no disaster occurred, and it could even be seen as a blessing in disguise. From then on, if no one was on deck at night, it would be best to either anchor the ship or have someone alternate shifts to keep watch while sailing. Next was repairing the ship, as the collision had caused its durability to drop by 2,452 points, requiring repairs. Luckily, the Nightmare Star had a self-repair function. Once the damage was reduced to under 2,000 points, the ship could handle the rest of the repairs on its own, and the materials needed weren¡¯t excessive. Moreover, repairing it was simple. The ship¡¯s free skeletal arms could be given hammers to fix themselves. Yang Yi roughly calculated the repair speed and estimated that by evening, the Nightmare Star¡¯s durability would recover to about half. Finally, there was the matter of dealing with the loot floating on the sea. Excluding the three vending capsules already consumed, there were still 28 left. Bringing all the pale worms onboard wasn¡¯t feasible since they were large creatures, and the ship¡¯s cargo hold could only fit a few. After some thought, Yang Yi decided to keep two of the largest ones and convert the rest into vending capsules. ¡¾You obtained: Wood ¡Á25¡¿ ¡¾You obtained: Black Bread ¡Á5¡¿¡¾You obtained: Steel ¡Á5¡¿ While Yang Yi was salvaging the pale worm corpses, he heard movement behind him. It was Suna, returning from the lab. Judging by her appearance, she had already dealt with the pale worm larva. However, her complexion seemed worse ¡ª her cheeks were flushed red, and she was hunched over. Yang Yi opened the crew interface to check on her status. Her stats were stable, but her condition was listed as having a cold, likely from catching a chill. Yang Yi handed her a bottle of transparent liquid. ¡°Drink this; it should help with the cold.¡± It was holy water he had picked up on an island earlier, with one bottle remaining. Its effects were all-encompassing, meaning it would be effective against a cold. Suna accepted it, drank it in front of Yang Yi, and then turned back to her room, seemingly to rest. Yang Yi didn¡¯t press further and continued retrieving the corpses from the sea. What he didn¡¯t know was... After Suna returned to her room, she retrieved a container and spat the holy water back into it. ¡°Blessed water... Perhaps this could work.¡± She stared at the translucent liquid in her hand, deep in thought. ... About two hours later, Yang Yi had salvaged all the pale worm corpses scattered across the sea and deck. Most of them were converted into vending capsules, leaving only the two largest specimens to be stored in the cargo hold, where they were crammed together. Adult specimens of the pale worms had 30 to 40 tentacles each, with lengths ranging from 50 to 100 metres. Thankfully, many of their tentacles had been severed. Otherwise, the Nightmare Star¡¯s cargo hold wouldn¡¯t have been able to fit them. Yang Yi took a photo for his log. To enhance its authenticity, he staged the shot by placing a complete tentacle prominently in the frame, focusing on its mouth, its main body, and the internal organs spilling out after it was ruptured. After finishing, Yang Yi felt the effect was great. The captain of the news ship would likely be satisfied. With everything done, he returned to the deck to deal with the remaining vending capsules. He had been too busy salvaging earlier, so there were still over a dozen capsules left unexamined. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾You obtained: Cloth ¡Á10¡¿ ¡¾You obtained: Steel ¡Á5¡¿¡¾You obtained: Black Bread ¡Á2¡¿ ¡¾You obtained: Black Iron Resource Chest ¡Á1¡¿ Most of the rewards were materials, food, and a small amount of seashell coins. The Black Iron Resource Chest, however, was a pleasant surprise. Similar to one he had obtained before, opening it yielded a large amount of resources: Wood ¡Á200, Cloth ¡Á200, Fuel ¡Á200, Steel ¡Á100, Crystal ¡Á100, Sulphur ¡Á100 Yang Yi thought that was the end of it, but when he picked up the last vending capsule, it turned out to be a tool ¡ª a fishing rod! We have reached 50 ratings on NovelFire! :D Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 90 - Selling Information ¡¾Name: Pale Worm Fishing Rod¡¿ ¡¾Type: Gear¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿ ¡¾Description: a fishing rod that generates a small pale worm as bait every day. The worm actively seeks a target to latch onto, ensuring a 100% catch rate, often bringing up peculiar items. The bait is effective only for the first fishing attempt each day. When you''re skunked, the Pale Worm will come to your rescue!¡¿ Yang Yi picked up the bizarre item. Its appearance was quite ordinary ¡ª plain white. However, at the end of the fishing line dangled a living, wriggling, small pale worm, identical to the one wrapped around Yang Yi''s pinky finger. "Never miss a catch?" Yang Yi was tempted to try it out, but his current state was far from ideal, as he needed rest. His face, hands, and especially feet, were frostbitten, dark purple, and cracked. Moreover, he had a wound on his back where he''d been bitten, leaving his flesh mangled. Even after drinking a regenerative potion, his vitality had only recovered to 62. He found a suitable spot to dock the Nightmare Star and unfurled the Twilight Shroud. There were no enemies nearby, so the ship wouldn''t be attacked. Ten minutes later, the Nightmare Star entered stealth mode. From the outside, the ship and crew appeared to vanish, cloaked within the Twilight Veil. After ensuring everything was in place, Yang Yi walked to Suna''s door and knocked. "Suna, mind if I sit here for a while? The wall in my room still isn¡¯t fixed." "Come in," she replied. With her permission, Yang Yi entered, glancing at Suna. She was curled up in her blanket, her cold seemingly nowhere near recovery. Yang Yi didn¡¯t disturb her but instead grabbed a chair, reclined comfortably, and prepared to nap for a while. The previous night¡¯s battle had drained his energy to zero; he''d only managed to stay conscious thanks to his vitality. Since his energy barely reached 20, he decided to rest for a bit and deal with things after he woke up. A few hours later, Yang Yi woke up, albeit slowly. Checking the time, he realised he¡¯d slept for about nine hours, meaning night had become day. The sleep quality had been decent; his energy recovered to 83, and vitality to 92, though his frostbite still lingered, now itchy and uncomfortable. Yang Yi stood up, ready to set sail. "Suna, do you want something to eat?" he asked suddenly, but there was no response from her. Walking closer, he noticed her breathing was laboured ¡ª her condition had worsened from a simple cold to a severe one. "She drank holy water, so why did her cold worsen?" Yang Yi was baffled. Fortunately, Suna¡¯s vitality and energy were still above the safety line, so resting in a warm environment would help her recover. He didn¡¯t wake her but left the room quietly. In the captain''s cabin next door, the skeletal arms tirelessly repairing the ship had nearly finished the job, although the ship¡¯s appearance had slightly changed. The previously wooden walls were embedded with bones ¡ª apparently, the zealous arms had used parts of their own kind as materials. However, that didn¡¯t matter; the ship was fixed, which was what really counted! Yang Yi tested the cabin and found it was much warmer than before. The repairs had consumed 207 units of wood, 52 units of fabric, and 92 units of stone. The Nightmare Star¡¯s durability loss was reduced to under 2,000, and the skeletal arms would patch up what remained using their own parts. Yang Yi resumed the ship¡¯s journey, then retrieved the pot left behind. He moved the campfire from the atrium to the bow of the ship, lit it, and began cooking a hot meal. First, he poured fresh water into the pot and tore up black bread to throw in. After heating and stirring for a while, he added some dried fish, sausages, salt, and a mildly numbing liquid. With limited seasonings on board, Yang Yi simply added whatever he could grab. After the mixture boiled, a pot of half-assed stewed porridge was ready. Yang Yi scooped out a serving for Suna, woke her up, and encouraged her to eat it for a faster recovery. The remaining porridge was naturally his share. He drank a bottle of Appetite Enhancing Potion and, without minding the heat, devoured the rest of the porridge, achieving a "well-fed and hydrated" status. After eating, he resumed steering the Nightmare Star forwards. While at the helm, Yang Yi organised the information he had on the Pale Worm, planning to sell it to a major news agency at the right time. Once ready, he sent a private message: "Brother Song, are you awake? I¡¯ve got monster intel to sell." Almost immediately, the other party responded. "Send it over quickly!" Yang Yi forwarded the prepared information in one go. The other side remained silent for over ten seconds before replying: "My sanity dropped by 20 points. Let me smoke a cigarette to calm down..." Smoke? Yang Yi was a bit surprised. He asked out of curiosity and received an explanation. The cigarette was a specialty of the New World Fleet Farmer, rarely sold publicly and available only to a select few players through limited channels. It was a consumable item with effects that restored sanity and sped up sanity recovery. "If you¡¯re interested, I can help you contact Shen Guanquan. He likely won¡¯t refuse a potential customer with your promise." "No need, I don¡¯t need something like that ¡ª I was just curious," Yang Yi politely declined. "Your picture is too grotesque. I¡¯ll have to mosaic parts of it and add a warning for players with low mental resilience to proceed cautiously." After reviewing all the intel, Song Yingwen sent back a message. Yang Yi didn¡¯t mind; after all, he was just selling information. As long as he got paid, it was fine. "A creature curled up in the ice layer... From the description, it seems to only attack passing ships. If someone is on deck and caught off guard, survival chances are slim... This intel is very detailed. I can offer you 8,000 Shell Coins for it." Yang Yi''s eyes lit up. It was much higher than the prices offered before. Sure enough, having photos made a difference! Yang Yi decided he should take more pictures in the future. Unless something unexpected happened, the information about the Pale Worm would be published in the following issue of the weekly under the alias "One-Eyed." Yang Yi earned 8,000 Shell Coins. After handling this, Yang Yi sent Suna a private message: "Is your cold any better?" The message disappeared into the void, receiving no response. It seemed Suna had gone back to sleep after finishing the porridge. Yang Yi checked the crew panel again. Suna''s stats were stable, except for her lingering cold. Until she recovered, Yang Yi could only continue steering the ship. Since it was still nighttime, he didn¡¯t dare fish recklessly. He kept the Nightmare Star moving forwards. Whenever he encountered large ice floes along the way, Yang Yi would stop and fire a cannon shot at them. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Better safe than sorry ¡ª he didn¡¯t want to risk encountering yet another living ice creature disguised as a Pale Worm. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 91 - New Potion Yang Yi spent the entire night sailing, blasting apart three or four icebergs. However, even up until dawn, he did not encounter any more Pale Worms. It seemed that the living icebergs were quite rare, and their earlier gathering was likely due to the lure of the giant Bobbit Worm''s head. As morning broke, Yang Yi was so exhausted he couldn''t stop yawning. He anchored the ship, activated the Twilight Veil to hide its presence, and then returned to the captain''s cabin to rest on the bed. Five hours later, Yang Yi woke up. He checked his attribute panel and saw that his vitality was almost fully restored, but the frostbitten areas still hadn¡¯t healed, itchy and painful. The frostbite was concentrated on his face, hands, and feet, showing purplish-red sores. At the same time, he noticed a message from Suna: "Come to the witch''s lab when you wake up." "Is her cold better?" Yang Yi opened the crew interface and found that Suna''s status had changed to "Mild Cold", which didn''t seem to affect her mobility anymore. "Looks like the holy water worked," Yang Yi thought to himself. He stepped out of the captain''s cabin and found that the Nightmare Star was still in stealth mode and hadn¡¯t moved. However, the wind seemed even stronger, with fine ice particles mixed in, and the gusts thoroughly woke him up. As for the ice particles, they were likely formed when seawater splashed and froze in the air, and when they hit his face, they stung a little. Yang Yi looked towards the sea and saw that the floating ice had become more abundant. Large sheets of thin ice often appeared but didn¡¯t hinder the ship¡¯s navigation. He checked the weather. Today''s Weather: Bone-chilling winds, reduced fish catch rates. Please keep warm. Location: Northern Sea of Origin (Extreme Winter Sea) Remaining Daylight: 3 hours Temperature: -18 to -10¡ãCWind Force: Level 4 "The minimum temperature is minus 18 degrees. Just how cold must it be inside that white mist?" Yang Yi frowned deeply. He wasn¡¯t wearing a down jacket at the moment, and the cold wind seeping through the gaps in his collar made him feel a chill. "Looks like I need to buy a scarf", he muttered. He pulled out a crystal ball and used the Scrying skill to check the coordinates of the Gale. ¡¾The target is in a special area and cannot be located.¡¿ "Have they entered the white mist?" Yang Yi speculated. It was likely that the Gale¡¯s captain, Xu Da, had waited for his crew members to gather before venturing into the white mist region together. Based on his earlier calculations, the Nightmare Star was still about three days away from the white mist. Afterwards, Yang Yi turned to enter the cabin and noticed some changes inside. The corpses of the Pale Worms were significantly fewer, likely taken by Suna. Not far away, the door to the witch¡¯s lab was tightly shut. Inside, there were loud sizzling sounds accompanied by occasional explosive pops, like oil being overcooked. Yang Yi paused at the door for two seconds before pushing it open, only to be hit with a faceful of irritating gas. ¡°Cough, cough! Suna, what are you doing?¡± Yang Yi shouted painfully, using his right eye, which was watering from the fumes, to glance inside. Suna, wearing a gas mask and a white lab coat, was standing on a small stool. She was stirring the liquid in a cauldron with a wooden stick. It was the witch''s cauldron that had been there before. The liquid inside was near boiling, and the tentacles of the Pale Worms could be seen rolling within. ¡°Extracting oil?¡± Yang Yi finally understood. The firewood beneath the cauldron was burning fiercely, making the temperature in the witch''s lab over ten degrees warmer. "Ah-choo!" Suna sneezed and noticed Yang Yi. She hopped off the small stool, grabbed a bottle of white liquid from a nearby shelf, and walked towards him. "Let¡¯s talk outside," Suna suggested. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t agree fast enough. Suna removed her mask, and the two of them entered the cabin. After closing the door to the witch''s lab, the irritating smell finally dissipated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the gas isn¡¯t toxic. It¡¯s just a bit unpleasant,¡± she explained. Yang Yi glanced at Suna and noticed that her complexion had improved significantly. ¡°Here!¡± Suna handed something to Yang Yi. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°The white one is oil extracted from the worms. It works great for frostbite and burns. Apply it yourself,¡± Suna explained. ¡°As for this powder, remember to ignite it before consuming. Let it burn for five seconds before swallowing. Make sure it¡¯s exactly five seconds ¡ª not less, not more than ten seconds, or it won¡¯t work.¡± Yang Yi accepted the items and received the following information: ¡¾Name: Pale Worm Oil¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: Refined oil extracted from Pale Worms. Flammable, odorless, and effective for treating burns and frostbite, as well as preventing cracking.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Unknown Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿¡¾Quality: ???¡¿¡¾Description: A powdered potion wrapped in oil paper. Its effects will be revealed once consumed.¡¿ ¡°Light it on fire before eating?¡± Yang Yi found it hard to believe. ¡°Can you explain?¡± he asked, sensing the mysterious nature of the item and its potential danger. ¡°It contains an extract of the Rabid Wolf Virus. But don¡¯t worry; burning it for five seconds will deactivate the virus entirely, rendering it non-infectious. So just follow the instructions when consuming it,¡± Suna reassured him. ¡°Uh¡­what happens if I consume it properly?¡± Yang Yi asked nervously. ¡°It should make you more agile.¡± ¡°Should?¡± ¡°Yes, should!¡± ¡°Can you be certain?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m always meticulous!¡± ¡°And¡­what happens if I eat it prematurely or without lighting it?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll instantly transform into a werewolf. That, I can guarantee,¡± Suna said with unwavering confidence, clearly proud of her creation. What the heck! Yang Yi silently cursed but maintained a calm exterior. He had already categorised the potion as a ¡°must-never-consume item,¡± placing it alongside the orange potion he had received earlier. After pocketing the two items, Yang Yi prepared to leave. However, before departing, he asked one more question: ¡°If I turn into a werewolf, is there a cure?¡± ¡°No. Other than extreme heat, I haven¡¯t found an effective way to kill this super-virus,¡± Suna replied. ¡°Got it,¡± Yang Yi said and left the cabin, heading back to the captain¡¯s room. Once inside, he took off his shoes and gloves and began applying the Pale Worm Oil to his frostbitten areas. To his surprise, it worked remarkably well. The itchiness disappeared immediately after application, replaced by a soothing, cooling sensation. He applied the oil to his face, hands, and feet in turn. ¡°Suna, do you think this oil could also be used to make incendiary bombs?¡± he messaged her. ¡°Of course! This oil is highly flammable. Once it catches fire, it¡¯s nearly impossible to extinguish with water!¡± Suna replied. ¡°How much oil can you extract?¡± ¡°With boiling, settling, and separating¡­I estimate about 800 litres,¡± she responded. ¡°That much?¡± Yang Yi was astonished. But considering the size of the Pale Worms, this quantity wasn¡¯t actually excessive. Moving forwards, whenever he encountered Pale Worms, he would devi turn them all into oil! Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ch. 92 - Sleeping Potion Yang Yi applied grease to the frostbitten areas on his body, feeling much better afterwards. Leaning in to sniff it, he noticed a pleasant aroma that wasn¡¯t overpowering, then put on his shoes and sent a private message to Suna. "By the way, I¡¯m about to make some bread porridge. Want some?" "No thanks!" Suna immediately declined. "You¡¯ve got a cold. Eating something warm is good for you." "Your cooking is terrible!" "Really?" Yang Yi scratched his head. He thought it tasted fine ¡ª after all, he had eaten most of the pot himself. To verify the claim, this time he didn¡¯t take the appetite-enhancing potion and made only a small amount of porridge before tasting a spoonful. "Bleh!" "How could it taste this bad?" Yang Yi¡¯s face darkened. He finally understood why Suna had looked so pained back then. It wasn¡¯t because she was unwell, it was because the porridge was awful! "Seems like adding Sichuan pepper oil to bread porridge was a bad idea!" Yang Yi reflected deeply on his mistake but still ate the porridge in the end. He didn¡¯t want to waste it. Glancing at the time, he saw there were still two hours until sunset ¡ª which was just enough time to cast a few lines and test out his newly acquired Pale Worm Fishing Rod. The rod guaranteed a catch with every cast, even in the Extreme Winter Sea. Finding a spot sheltered from the wind on the ship¡¯s deck, he began fishing. He cast the line, and the pale worm at the end arced through the air before plunging into the icy waters. What would he catch? Yang Yi was filled with anticipation. About half an hour later, the rod reacted, and the reel spun rapidly. With a quick tug, he pulled a fish onto the deck. It had four legs, a slender body, a sleek streamlined form, and intelligent eyes. It was...a Long-Legged Sardine! "Seriously?!" Yang Yi couldn¡¯t hold back and slammed the rod onto the deck. "Not again!" Looking up at the sky, he felt a palpable sense of malice ¡ª was he cursed? Could the first catch of the day always be a Long-Legged Sardine? No way! Yet, until nightfall, Yang Yi failed to catch a second fish. Without the rod¡¯s special ability, he would have gone empty-handed. After packing up, Yang Yi skeptically checked the fishing net and pulled it up. It was empty except for some scattered bits of ice. In the Extreme Winter Sea, the fish yield was greatly reduced, and fishing nets were practically useless. Relying on fishing for food? Not a chance you¡¯d survive for long. Sighing, Yang Yi browsed the chat channel and spent some money to buy two scarves. ¡¾Name: Velvet Scarf¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A warm and windproof scarf. It covers your neck and face, providing great comfort.¡¿ Initially, he wanted a waterproof scarf, but none were available on the market, so he settled for this. The purchase cost 2,000 Shell Coins. Yang Yi placed them in Suna¡¯s room for a day before resuming his journey, steering the ship towards the White Mist. ... Two days later, Suna fully recovered from her cold. In about a day, the Nightmare Star would enter the White Mist region. The temperature had dropped further, reaching -22¡ãC. The two resumed their alternating night watch schedule ¡ª Suna taking the first half of the night, Yang Yi the second. It was a safer arrangement, though it left no energy for physical training. During these days of fishing, Yang Yi caught a new species. A peculiar sea urchin, lured by the Pale Worm. ¡¾Name: Ice Urchin¡¿ ¡¾Description: A unique sea urchin tainted by Abyssal pollution. Found only in icy seas, its translucent shell is formed by secreted bodily fluids solidifying. It is delicious, non-toxic, and perfect for eating raw.¡¿ At first, Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare to touch the peculiar sea urchin directly, so when he used two sticks to pick it up, he finally obtained its information. "This is good stuff! Time to try something different!" He melted the Ice Urchin using a torch and extracted the soft, pale blue roe within. Yang Yi tried a bite ¡ª it was sweet, fresh, and melted in his mouth. He saved half for Suna and ate the rest himself. That afternoon, Yang Yi blasted apart an ice block and discovered a Pale Worm hidden inside. After firing a few more shots to confirm it was dead, Yang Yi dragged the worm into the ship''s hold. Compared to the previous two Pale Worms, it was much smaller, but it could still yield about 300 litres of oil. By evening, Yang Yi returned to the captain''s quarters to rest. As usual, he browsed the world chat channel to check for updates. Most of the messages were meaningless complaints about the cold or the lack of fish, which Yang Yi glossed over. Resource prices had risen slightly, especially for wood, since it was needed for both heating and ship repairs. Food prices, however, had doubled. Fishing yields had plummeted, and most players'' food supplies were running low. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t worried. The Nightmare Star had plenty of food and a decent stock of wood. After a while, finding no new information about the White Mist, he rolled over and fell asleep. He would need to take the second half of the night watch. A nightmare descended. Just like before, he was burning, transforming into a man made of flames. His skin and flesh crackled, emitting a charred aroma of grease. The terror of being burned alive took a heavy toll on Yang Yi¡¯s psyche. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his forehead and woke up in shock, grabbing it instinctively. "You were having a nightmare." The voice belonged to Suna. She had somehow slipped into his room and was standing by his bed, her hand on his forehead. "I''m fine," Yang Yi replied, relaxing as he let go of her hand. He glanced at the hole in the wall, realising she must have climbed through it. The captain¡¯s quarters could only be unlocked by the captain, and he distinctly remembered locking the door. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "You¡¯ve been having nightmares constantly! If it¡¯s just one or two nights, it won¡¯t matter much. But if this continues, you¡¯ll go mad!" Suna said seriously. "Don¡¯t worry. If anyone¡¯s going mad, it won¡¯t be me," Yang Yi said nonchalantly, sitting up. Suna didn¡¯t share his confidence. In her eyes, Yang Yi¡¯s mental state was already deteriorating, even if he didn¡¯t realise it himself. "You should drink some of this. It¡¯ll help you sleep," she said, handing him a vial of deep blue liquid. It was stunning, resembling a flawless sapphire. ¡¾Name: Sleeping Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿¡¾Description: A potion uniquely created by Witch Suna. Made with holy water and the bile of juvenile Pale Worms. Drinking it induces a dreamless sleep, restores +20 sanity, and increases sanity recovery rate by 50% for the duration of the sleep. After drinking, you¡¯ll feel very drowsy.¡¿ "This is..." Yang Yi was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected Suna to create such a potion. And holy water? Where had she even gotten that? "Drink it," she urged. "No thanks. I just woke up," Yang Yi declined, preparing to get out of bed. "Actually, this potion can also be injected directly ¡ª it works better that way," Suna murmured as if to herself, rummaging through her bag. Yang Yi froze for a moment before taking the Sleep Elixir from her. "Don¡¯t forget to activate the Twilight Veil," she said before leaving. With that, Yang Yi downed the potion. It was smooth and unexpectedly sweet ¡ª though overly so, to the point of being cloying. He hadn¡¯t imagined potions could taste sweet. Surprised, Yang Yi soon felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him and fell asleep again. Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 93 - Thick Fog Yang Yi had the most comfortable sleep he had ever experienced. No nightmares, no fear, no stimulation, just peaceful slumber. When he woke up, it was already the next evening; he had slept for almost 24 hours. Upon opening his eyes, he noticed the colours before him seemed more vibrant, though he wasn''t sure if it was an illusion caused by sleeping for that long. He grabbed the crystal ball to check the nautical chart and found that the Nightmare Star was still anchored at sea, not moving. It was about half a day¡¯s journey from the White Mist. Getting up, he leaned over to peek through a hole in the wall and saw that Suna was also still asleep. The Twilight Veil remained deployed, keeping the Nightmare Star invisible. Yang Yi suddenly felt an intense hunger ¡ª understandable after more than 24 hours without food. He quickly put on his gear, pushed open the captain''s cabin door, and stepped onto the deck. It was nighttime, and the sea was pitch black. Only the ghostly flames wandering around the deck provided some light. Yang Yi glanced at the weather; it was about the same as before ¡ª around -20¡ãC with a level 2 wind. In about two hours, it would be daytime. He went to the ship¡¯s hold and grabbed three loaves of black bread, a sausage, and a moderate amount of fresh water and salt. Then he lit the campfire at the bow, set up a pot, and cooked a pot of bread porridge. This time, he didn¡¯t add jellyfish mucus. While it wasn¡¯t exactly delicious, at least the taste was normal. After drinking an appetite-enhancing potion, he finished all the porridge and began checking his status. Yang Yi (Mortal) Extraordinary Path: Corruption [Depth 7%] / Book of the Spider Strength: 6 (14/4000) Spirit: 8+1 (2720/16000) [Steel Will Bonus]Agility: 5+1 (197/200) [Pirate Outfit Bonus]Constitution: 6 (42/4000)Perception: 6+2 (322/4000) [Third Eye Bonus]Sanity: 100/100Stamina: 100/100Vitality: 100/100Mana: 9/9 Talents: Steel Will, Refuse to Die S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Spells: Limb Enhancement, Limb Restoration, Limb Explosion, Spider Mother Invocation Artifact: Third Eye All stats were full, and his base agility was about to reach 6. Moreover, after his constitution increased to 6, Yang Yi felt his stamina became more enduring. Although still at 100, it functioned like a percentage, meaning his total endurance had improved. Thus, he planned to gradually intensify his training, especially in safe waters, to greatly enhance his attributes! After reviewing the panel, Yang Yi retracted the Twilight Veil and began steering the Nightmare Star forwards. The sea breeze was icy, but with the campfire for warmth, it wasn¡¯t too unbearable. By dawn, the Nightmare Star should reach the White Mist area. Suna would likely wake up by then, and they could explore the White Mist together, assess the internal environment to fully prepare before going deeper. Three hours later, the sky suddenly brightened, which was unusual since dawn was still some time away! Additionally, a faint mist appeared and gradually thickened. It wasn¡¯t drifting in from the surroundings, but rising from the sea itself. Yang Yi immediately became alert, standing up with both hands gripping his weapon, scanning the area. Within seconds, the dense fog engulfed the Nightmare Star, obscuring the sea and reducing visibility to just a few metres. Only near the ship¡¯s bow, aided by the campfire, was visibility slightly better. Moreover, the temperature began to drop. Standing by the campfire, Yang Yi, dressed in woolen fire-resistant clothing, actually felt a chill. The environment turned eerily quiet. Although the wind blew, the sound of waves was strangely absent, as if something were blocking it. Yang Yi removed his blindfold and switched to the Third Eye. "No fog?" He was stunned. In the Third Eye¡¯s vision, the white mist didn¡¯t exist. The sea was just as it always was, with nothing unusual. He closed the blindfold and checked the weather interface. Today''s Weather: Fog has set in, and temperatures will drop further. Fish catches will continue to decrease. Be cautious of colliding with icebergs due to poor visibility! Location: Extreme Northern Sea Daylight Duration: Polar DayTemperature: -25¡ãC to -18¡ãCWind Force: Level 2 ¡°Polar day¡­¡± Yang Yi muttered to himself. He felt conflicted because what he saw with his two eyes was contradictory. In the Third Eye''s vision, there was no white fog. In his normal eyesight, thick white fog blanketed the surroundings. But Yang Yi trusted the Third Eye more, believing this fog didn¡¯t truly exist. After all, it had never been wrong or missed anything before! Once he confirmed again with the Third Eye that there were no abnormalities on the sea, Yang Yi stopped the Nightmare Star. He walked to Suna¡¯s door and knocked. ¡°Suna, wake up! Something¡¯s happening on the sea!¡± Soon, there was the rustling sound of clothes, and the door opened. ¡°What¡¯s¡ª¡± Before Suna could finish, she noticed the thick fog over the sea ¡ª a vast, white expanse. Yang Yi quickly explained what had happened. ¡°The crystal ball?¡± Suna asked. ¡°Useless. The nautical chart in the crystal ball is also blank. It no longer displays the sea chart ¡ª only our position and direction.¡± ¡°And your Third Eye can¡¯t see this fog?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Yang Yi confirmed. Suna frowned, puzzled, and seemed to be thinking. She acted swiftly, using a glass bottle to collect some of the fog. Yes, the fog could be collected since it rose directly from the sea and could even be stored in a bottle. She took a deep sniff but detected no unusual odor ¡ª just the salty, fishy scent of the sea and a hint of chill. In the meantime, Yang Yi checked the chat channel. He discovered many players were encountering the same phenomenon, and their numbers were rapidly increasing. ¡°Why did it suddenly get bright, and why is there thick fog? Is this happening where you are?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare me! I got up and checked ¡ª nothing like that here.¡± ¡°It brightened up here too, and there¡¯s fog! So cold!¡± ¡°Check the weather interface! Daylight duration changed to polar day! And there¡¯s thick fog and a temperature drop!¡± ¡°Damn, the fog seems to be rising from the sea!¡± ¡°Share your coordinates if you¡¯re seeing the fog ¡ª doesn¡¯t need to be exact. Mine is XXXXX:XXXXX.¡± ¡°Same here¡­¡± After checking their coordinates, Yang Yi could conclude that the white fog was spreading very quickly. Even players who had said it was still dark soon corrected themselves as it became bright and turned into a polar day. At such a rate, in less than half an hour, the entire Extreme Northern Sea would be engulfed in the white fog. [System Announcement]: A rare polar day phenomenon has appeared in the Extreme Northern Waters, accompanied by thick fog and a temperature drop. Please prepare for the cold. Additionally, due to the dense fog, the Ocean Map function will be temporarily disabled and will only display your current coordinates. This announcement appeared simultaneously in every player¡¯s log, making the chat channel explode. ¡°Damn system! Always pulling surprises and sneak attacks!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see anything! If I crash into an iceberg, it¡¯s GG!¡± ¡°Damn it, there¡¯s black fog behind me too! If I had left earlier, I wouldn¡¯t be in this mess! Now I can¡¯t even tell how far it is!¡± ¡°...¡± Yang Yi withdrew his gaze and sat at the bow, staring at the sea. He had a feeling that something was lurking within the fog. Other players likely felt the same way. Bonus chapter for reaching the goal! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 94 - Countermeasure Yang Yi glanced at the world chat channel for a while and saw no signs of danger. Aside from a few reckless players crashing into icebergs, none had sunk and were currently making emergency repairs. However, whether any players had crashed into pale worms disguised as icebergs and been dragged into the sea was unknown. After all, the pale worms moved swiftly, not even giving victims enough time to leave a final message before being taken... A private message flashed ¡ª Suna was urgently calling him to the lab. Yang Yi immediately stood up, confirmed the Twilight Veil was still activated, and then headed towards the ship''s cabin. Upon entering, he carefully closed and locked the door before heading down the stairs. Although there was some thin fog in the cabin since it was connected to the outside through windows and gunports, the visibility was manageable. Inside, there were many wooden barrels filled with oil extracted from the pale worms, totalling about 1,100 litres. The wood alone had cost several hundred units, leaving only about 2,400 in stock. It wasn¡¯t wasted, however, since the barrels could be burned and used to provide warmth. Yang Yi entered the witch''s laboratory, which was free of fog. "Look at this!" Suna held up a jar of the white fog. She placed it over a flame, and soon, the fog disappeared, turning clear and transparent. "The fog vanishes when heated. What''s so strange about that?" Yang Yi asked. "Watch again!" Suna removed the jar from the heat, and within seconds, the fog reappeared exactly as before. "Do you still think this is just regular fog?" Suna questioned. Yang Yi fell silent. Clearly, this fog was anything but ordinary! It seemed to be a special gas that changed appearance with temperature. "I¡¯ve tested it, but it¡¯s hard to describe what it is exactly. It¡¯s definitely not water vapor, nor does it resemble solid dust." Yang Yi took the glass jar and switched to his third eye ¡ª nothing appeared. However, when he switched back to normal vision, the fog became visible again. "Your mutated left eye can''t see this fog. So I think the fog might not truly exist ¡ª it could be the result of a large-scale magic spell your left eye is immune to. This explanation should make sense." Suna shared her theory and expressed further concerns. "This fog doesn''t seem toxic. Inhaling it doesn¡¯t cause discomfort or immediate harm. Is it possible that, over time, things might change? If people stay in this dense fog for too long, they''ll start to wonder what''s hidden inside. They might gradually become anxious, fearful, paranoid, and even delusional. Eventually, they might..." Suna didn¡¯t finish, but Yang Yi understood. Prolonged exposure could lead to a drop in sanity, resulting in madness or even mutation into monsters ¡ª especially for lone players. "We have plenty of pale worm oil. Why not expand the fire to drive away the fog and make navigation safer?" Suna suggested. It was a reasonable idea. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Yang Yi still had concerns. He didn¡¯t know how vast the Frozen Sea was or what other dangers awaited. It was best not to burn through resources too quickly. Additionally... He worried that the bright firelight might attract abnormal creatures. "I''ll give it a try," Yang Yi replied, turning to leave the lab. Just before stepping out, Suna called him back. "How was the effect of that sleep potion I gave you earlier?" she asked. Yang Yi paused, hesitated for a couple of seconds, and finally replied, "The taste...wasn¡¯t bad!" "The crafting material requires holy water. One bottle of holy water can make about two bottles of Sleep Potion. If you get me some holy water, I can make some for you," Suna continued. "Alright, let''s wait until we''re out of this sea first." Yang Yi left the cabin and returned to the deck of the Nightmare Star. The white fog still lingered, but he didn''t rush to set sail. Instead, he brought out the Pale Worm Fishing Rod while thinking about his next steps. He cast the line, tossing the small pale worm bait into the sea, and waited quietly. In just two or three minutes, there was a reaction on the other end of the line. Yang Yi pulled hard and discovered a Bronze Supply Chest. Inside were 100 units of wood, 100 units of stone, and 20 crystals ¡ª not a bad haul, which meant the first cast of the day didn¡¯t always guarantee a Long-Legged Sardine! Good to know! After reeling in, he went to the bow and gazed out at the sea. Without using his third eye and relying solely on the campfire for illumination, visibility was about 25 metres. If the campfire was extinguished, visibility would drop to just four or five. Yang Yi gathered some stone and built two new ones at the bow. With the pale worm oil, keeping the fires burning and reducing wood consumption was much easier. He lit all three campfires, causing a large portion of the white fog to dissipate, increasing visibility to 50 metres. With two campfires, visibility was around 40 metres. Relying on the light from the two campfires, he navigated the Nightmare Star for a while. Given the ship''s performance, it could maintain a speed of 15 knots in this visibility. Even if an iceberg appeared, there would be enough time to dodge or prepare for cannon fire. With just one campfire, the safe sailing speed would drop to about 10 knots. He experimented with adding more campfires but found the improvement was minimal. Unless he built multiple large bonfires or set the entire ship on fire, visibility wouldn''t improve much. After some thought, he decided to proceed with two campfires, sailing at 15 knots nonstop for 24 hours. This setup wouldn''t consume much wood¡ª factoring in the oil, the daily consumption would be around 30 units. With 2,500 units of wood, he could sustain sailing for over two months while keeping some in reserve for emergency ship repairs. As for food, Yang Yi checked and found it could also last about two months. If food became scarce later on, Yang Yi could choose to stop taking the Appetite-Boosting Potion, greatly extending his endurance! He sent the sailing plan to Suna to get her opinion. But the reply he got was just one word: "Okay." And so, the plan was smoothly put into action. Yang Yi carefully steered the Nightmare Star forwards. At the same time, he closely monitored the world chat channel, sensing that the situation was becoming increasingly tense. After the initial chaos, players gradually calmed down and began noticing the fog''s characteristics. "Fire! Campfires can drive away this fog!" "But visibility is still too low. I don''t dare to speed up!" "Does anyone remember the coordinates of the Black Fog? Tell me, so I can feel more at ease!" "Only by expanding the fire can visibility improve!" "Buying wood, high price!" "Full speed ahead! The fog can''t scare me! This is all about courage ¡ª charge!" "..." Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 95 - Journey Through the Mist After discovering that fire could disperse the dense fog, the price of wood skyrocketed again, reaching 20 Shell Coins per unit ¡ª and it was still rising. After all, sources for obtaining wood were gone. There were only floating icebergs at sea, and fishing often yielded nothing. As for islands, no players had mentioned finding any. Islands in the Extreme Winter Sea were extremely scarce, perhaps nonexistent. One day later. The Nightmare Star silently sailed through the thick fog at a speed of 15 knots. The sea was calm, with wind force at level one ¡ª the sound of waves could barely be heard. ¡¾Silent Voyage: Your Sanity decreases by 3¡¿ Yang Yi frowned. Just as Suna had said, prolonged sailing in the fog would reduce sanity. Other players had noticed this as well and found a solution ¡ª team up for warmth, whether it be in pairs, small groups of three to five, or larger fleets. As for the matter of trust, that was something players had to judge for themselves. "Nomad Fleet recruiting! If you''re short on wood or food, join us for shelter and 24/7 hot water. Anyone wanting to join this big family, DM me!" "Is there really such a good deal?" "I don''t believe it. Nothing is more expensive than what''s free!" "Count me in, boss!" "..." Yang Yi watched the chat channel for a while, and it seemed no one had encountered sudden dangers other than crashing into icebergs. After sailing for another two hours, he blasted apart a small iceberg. Later, Suna took over sailing. This was pre-arranged between them: each person would sail for six hours before switching. In a 24-hour period, each had two shifts, leaving 12 hours free for other activities or rest. After the shift change, Yang Yi headed to the ship''s courtyard to start fishing, which proved to be difficult in the thick fog. Yang Yi checked the chat channel and noticed that very few players had caught any fish. Half an hour later. Aside from catching a seal on his first cast, Yang Yi caught nothing. To avoid damaging the ship, Yang Yi chose to release it. After all, the seal was too dangerous ¡ª bringing it aboard would only result in an explosion to his face. He glanced at the time and figured it was about right. Soon, there was new activity in the world chat channel ¡ª a new issue of the weekly magazine had been released! It contained information about the white fog and even about living icebergs. As a VIP customer, Yang Yi already knew the general content and release time of this issue. But for the exact details, he still needed to read it himself. Yang Yi walked over to the capsule machine and picked up two copies of the newspaper. "Suna, do you want to read the Maritime Weekly?" he asked. After all, sailing in this dead silence was too dull. Reading the newspaper could be good for mental health. Moreover, Suna had little fear of aberrations, so her sanity loss was minimal. Surprisingly, Suna accepted the newspaper from Yang Yi. "How about...unlocking my trading rights?" she asked. It seemed Suna had realised her trading rights had been disabled by Yang Yi. She had tried to purchase items but had failed. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "What do you want to buy?" Yang Yi asked. "Something good!" Suna became excited and sent over an item description. ¡¾Name: Collector''s Contracted Item¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare Item¡¿ ¡¾Description: At night, throw this item into the sea to summon the Collector for a trade. (The Collector will appear on any night within a week. Do not disrespect him.) Note 1: The Collector only accepts item-for-item trades. Note 2: The Collector dislikes having trades rejected.After completing a trade, the Collector will leave behind a contract item to facilitate the next trade. ¡¿ "Collector..." Yang Yi muttered to himself, instinctively feeling that this Collector wasn¡¯t some ordinary merchant... Then, he saw the image of the item. It was a withered human head, with a blissful and satisfied smile on its face. Its cervical spine had been finely polished into a smooth handle. ¡¾Strange Head: Your Sanity decreases by 3¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s vision darkened, and he immediately rejected it! "Forget I asked. Goodbye!" After saying that, he quickly returned to his room, firmly deciding not to unlock this woman¡¯s trading rights. She would probably buy all sorts of bizarre and dangerous items and try them one by one. That was far too dangerous ¡ª it would surely lead to the ship¡¯s destruction and their deaths! On the other end, Suna hadn¡¯t given up. She seized the opportunity to send another private message. "This thing is really cheap! It was originally 10,000 Shell Coins, but I¡¯ve bargained it down to 5,000!" Yang Yi''s heart skipped a beat. A rare item for just 5,000? Who would believe that? Even if it¡¯s a consumable, it shouldn¡¯t be priced lower than 20,000! The lower the price, the more sinister this item must be! The seller probably knew how dangerous it was, which is why they offered it so cheaply. Maybe the head was even a former acquaintance of the seller! "Don¡¯t even think about it! This thing is clearly problematic!" Yang Yi replied. "Also, don¡¯t reveal the existence of magic potions to other players! It¡¯s not safe!" After sending the message, Yang Yi ignored Suna and turned his attention back to the newspaper. The issue must have been rushed out after the fog appeared. There was no trading section, only updates on sea events and new monster information. Two eye-catching headlines stood out: The "Living Icebergs" section was actually information about the Pale Worm, credited to the informant "One-Eye." It was detailed in the Sea Chronicles to thoroughly explain the danger of this creature to players. The information was largely consistent with what Yang Yi had provided. He skimmed it and moved on. In the monster information section, there was a sticker with a warning: "Before reading, ensure your sanity is stable!" Underneath was a close-up image of the Pale Worm. Yang Yi peeled off the sticker and glanced at it. It was the photo he had taken himself, though the creature¡¯s mouth had been pixelated. The rest was unchanged. Next, he read the other report, provided by the Gale Brigade ¡ª about the unknown sounds in the white fog. They had encountered a dangerous situation, hearing a strange sound resembling electrical buzzing. At the same time, the surrounding temperature plummeted, dropping to -40¡ãC, causing the sea surface to freeze over! The brigade didn¡¯t know what was lurking in the fog, but they escaped thanks to their speed. Yang Yi believed the informant was definitely Xu Da, the captain of the Gale. As for how they escaped from the frozen sea... Perhaps the Gale could fly? After thoroughly reading the information, Yang Yi reminded Suna to be extremely cautious of such sounds, as there was definitely a monster in the white fog. If she heard such noises while steering, she had to wake him up immediately. By the time he finished reading, it was nearly Yang Yi¡¯s turn at the helm. He went to the bow and took over the wheel from Suna, ignoring her dissatisfied gaze. It seemed she was still thinking about that Collector¡¯s contract item. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have permission. Even while he slept, since it wasn¡¯t a coma, she couldn¡¯t override his authority. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 96 - The Burning Ship The expedition to the polar winter seas lasted far longer than anticipated. Fifteen days had passed, yet the ocean''s appearance remained largely unchanged. Aside from floating ice, white mist, and the occasional iceberg, there was nothing else in sight. During this time, the Nightmare Star encountered two more pale worms. However, having prior experience, they dealt with them with cannon fire, avoiding any losses. The remains of the worms were converted into 500 litres of grease. The Nightmare Star''s storage holded as much grease as it could safely accommodate ¡ª any more would block all pathways and compromise safety. If they encountered additional pale worms further on, Yang Yi would consider selling some of it. The substance was in high demand: it ignited well, could treat frostbite and burns, and could even be mixed with wood to reduce fuel consumption. Since the secret of the living icebergs was exposed, pale worms had become a coveted target among players. Not only could they yield capsules, but their remains also made excellent fuel. Plus, they weren''t particularly difficult to deal with. After all, the creature''s greatest strength was the ability to disguise itself. If you knew about them in advance and fired a cannon at any suspicious iceberg, the head start they had would be rendered useless. Thanks to this, the reputation of the one-eyed leader who shared this information gained traction in the chat channels. It was Yang Yi''s turn at the helm. Bored and listless, he stared blankly at the ocean. Perhaps he had adapted, as steering the ship through the fog no longer drained his sanity. Instead, he found it dull. In fact¡­he began to hope something unusual would emerge from the mist. But he quickly snuffed out the dangerous thought. "That was close. The white mist almost led me astray," Yang Yi muttered, feeling a twinge of fear. His apprehension wasn¡¯t without reason. The chat channels were occasionally filled with bizarre, unverifiable messages. Some claimed there were enormous monsters in the fog and that they were being hunted by one. Others said the ocean was actually the stomach of a giant beast, and everyone was sailing on its stomach acid. One person even claimed to have found a way out of the polar winter seas and was currently parked at the exit. Yang Yi tried privately messaging the last individual for details, but they didn¡¯t respond. After some time, he discovered the account had been deleted. "Suicide¡­?" Yang Yi speculated. A faint breeze blew past, carrying barely any force yet cutting through like a knife. The chill made Yang Yi shudder. He noticed the nearby campfire had grown smaller and immediately added more wood and grease. The flames flared up, pushing back the surrounding mist. The temperature had dropped even further, nearing -35oC. Without the campfire, staying outside could lead to death from the cold. Even wearing a down jacket wouldn''t be enough! Luckily for Yang Yi, beneath his down jacket, he wore a set of fire-wool sweaters, which allowed him to endure the cold. As for wearing two down jackets¡­ Few players would do so ¡ª it would make them too bulky. Elsewhere in the winter seas¡­ The advance team of the New World Fleet was on a mission. Five ships sailed in formation; apart from the Ironhead, the rest were standard vessels. The ships were lined up neatly, with the Ironhead at the front, half a ship''s length ahead, resembling the tip of a spear. "Why did I have to run my mouth like that?" Captain Zhao of the Ironhead muttered to himself in frustration. Wearing two heavy coats, he stood in the biting wind, shivering. Among everyone present, he was the most heavily dressed. Others wore a combination of sweaters and down jackets, but only he, the captain, had donned two bulky coats. Their task was to ensure the safety of the route for the larger fleet behind them. They patrolled the route back and forth to minimise risks, such as missing a living iceberg. The ships moved quickly, averaging 40 knots. Leading the charge, the Ironhead was fearless with its massive, sharp ramming prow. Even if it collided with an iceberg, it would be fine. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, large bonfires burned brightly on each ship, illuminating the mist, and keeping it at bay. "Ironhead, once we¡¯re done patrolling this route, let¡¯s grab a drink!" messaged a nearby crewmate. "Don¡¯t count on me to pay!" Zhao replied. This was their third patrol of the route, and so far, they hadn¡¯t encountered any dangers aside from two icebergs that had already been blown apart. On their return trip, Zhao was chatting merrily with his crewmates when he suddenly heard a strange electrical sound. Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! Zzt! The noise grew louder and more persistent. ¡°Crap! Run!¡± Zhao practically roared his command, his voice so loud that even the nearby ships could hear him. The Ironhead quickly turned its bow around and activated its skill, Charge, boosting its speed by 50%. This skill lasted for five minutes, pushing the ship¡¯s maximum speed from 50 knots to a blistering 75 knots! After that, Zhao began fleeing for his life. Behind him, startled cries began to echo one after another. Zhao glanced back and caught sight of faint blue lights in the distance. Yang Yi added more firewood again, ensuring the campfire stayed strong and bright. He glanced at the logbook ¡ª it was about time for Suna to wake up and take over her shift. But suddenly, he noticed that the area to his left seemed to brighten! Yang Yi¡¯s nerves tightened instantly. He drew his gun and aimed towards the light, switching to his three-eyed scope. Through the mist, about a nautical mile away, a "burning" ship sped past. The vessel was about 30 metres long, a regular ship moving at approximately 40 knots. Its deck was covered with numerous bonfires, set up at the bow, midsection, and even the stern ¡ª practically the entire ship was alight. Even the sails had caught fire, but the captain seemed completely unbothered. As for what was burning, Yang Yi immediately recognised it ¡ª pale worm corpses. These corpses were tied to pieces of wood, forming makeshift bonfires. With the three-eyed scope, which ignored the mist and offered zoom functionality, Yang Yi observed the ship and its captain clearly. The captain stood at the bow of the ship, stark naked, surrounded by roaring flames, laughing loudly as he steered the ship at high speed, his mouth moving continuously. Yang Yi attempted to read his lips, murmuring the words as he deciphered them: ¡°It¡¯s burning...it¡¯s burning... HAHAHAHA! What polar winter seas? Nothing to fear! I¡¯m sweating bullets!¡± The captain then grabbed a large ladle of water from a nearby barrel and splashed it over himself. The water, clearly hot, scalded his skin until it turned red, sending up clouds of steam. And so, the captain, stark naked, drenched in sweat, was essentially taking a sauna while navigating his flaming ship, leaving the Nightmare Star far behind. Yang Yi watched the strange figure disappear into the distance, with no intention of chasing after him. After all, this man was clearly insane and would soon burn himself to death ¡ª there was no need to interfere. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Suna¡¯s voice sounded from behind as she arrived to take over her shift. ¡°Nothing. Just a lunatic setting himself on fire while sailing past,¡± Yang Yi replied. ¡°What? Where?¡± Suna¡¯s eyes lit up as she turned eagerly toward the direction Yang Yi had been looking, her gaze brimming with curiosity. ¡°Has he mutated? Maybe he¡¯s become heat-resistant ¡ª or...can he breathe fire?¡± she asked excitedly. ¡°Uh¡­no, not quite there yet,¡± Yang Yi responded. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 97 - Glacier A moment later. Suna was steering the ship. Yang Yi, holding a fishing rod, walked to the deck to fish. The pale worm bait he had for the day was almost finished, but it had brought him a whole sand shark leg earlier. From there on, fishing would depend purely on skill and luck. Yang Yi was following the chat channel, where some avid fishers were sharing their tips. They had been constantly testing various types of bait to see which worked best for fishing in this fog-covered Extreme Winter Sea. The final test result: pale worms. Using fragments of pale worm corpses as bait significantly increased the catch rate in the Extreme Winter Sea. Yang Yi was now verifying whether this conclusion was true. He had tried for several days already but hadn¡¯t caught anything. Then, he changed his approach and asked Suna for a piece of absolutely fresh bait ¡ª a tiny tentacle segment from a pale worm larva, one that was still wriggling! These little creatures were tenacious, with tentacles that could regenerate infinitely and an appetite for anything. They were kept in the witch''s laboratory as live specimens. Yang Yi fished for three hours but still hadn¡¯t caught anything. "Are these fishing guys messing with me?" Yang Yi began to doubt. Suddenly, the Nightmare Star stopped. From the bow, Suna¡¯s voice called out. "Yang Yi, come take a look!" Yang Yi''s expression tightened. He set the fishing rod down and rushed over, already drawing his weapon. "This is..." Yang Yi stopped, a look of surprise on his face. Ahead of the bow, a vast sheet of ice had appeared, its extent unclear because of the dense fog. It wasn¡¯t a thin layer of floating ice on the sea but a solid glacier, blocking the Nightmare Star¡¯s path. "Which way should we go around it?" Suna asked. She couldn¡¯t see through the fog and didn¡¯t know how large the glacier was, so she turned to Yang Yi, expecting him to use his third eye. Yang Yi understood immediately and removed the eyepatch over his left eye. Instantly, the fog vanished from his view, revealing a far-reaching vista. Two nautical miles away, he spotted a ship frozen within the glacier. It was an ordinary sailboat he had seen not long ago, its deck once filled with bonfires. The ship was charred, as if scorched by intense flames. All the flames had been extinguished. A layer of frost covered the ship¡¯s surface, as though it had been left overnight in an ultra-low-temperature freezer. The entire vessel was frozen solid. Yang Yi was just about to take a closer look when he noticed movement on the deck behind him. The fishing rod was being dragged by something and fell into the sea. "Damn it, a bite now of all times!" He scanned the entire glacier with his third eye but found no immediate danger. Without hesitation, he sprinted back, quickly shedding his boots and down jacket before diving into the icy sea. If he didn¡¯t act fast, the fishing rod could be lost for good! Fortunately, Yang Yi moved quickly and was a strong swimmer. Once in the water, he immediately spotted the fishing rod. After letting the reel spin freely, he bit down on the rod and climbed back onto the ship. "Suna!" He called out. She got the message instantly and ran over to grab the fishing rod from him. Meanwhile, Yang Yi grabbed his down jacket and boots from the deck and rushed into the captain¡¯s cabin. He changed into a backup set of woolen clothes at record speed. Standing around soaking wet in this sub-zero environment was too dangerous; he needed to change immediately. As for his underwear, it was made from coarse fabric crafted using a simple synthesis function that required only a small amount of materials. Once he finished changing, he pushed open the door to the captain¡¯s cabin and stepped out. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. By then, Suna was still struggling with the fish in the sea. It looked like she had hooked a big one! Yang Yi immediately took over and prepared to draw his gun just in case. If it turned out to be a seal, he was ready to fire. After nearly half an hour of tugging, Yang Yi finally reeled in the "fish." Judging by its shadow, it seemed to be a three-metre-long creature covered in black seaweed. Yang Yi had never seen a fish like that before, so he immediately pulled the trigger. Bang! The bullet hit the fish¡¯s head, and some black, tar-like blood floated to the surface of the sea. Then, a mass of black, hair-like seaweed emerged from the water and lunged towards Yang Yi, trying to entangle him. "What?" Yang Yi was utterly shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected the fish to control seaweed, let alone move so fast. By the time he dropped the fishing rod and pulled out his Sea Serpent Fang, the black seaweed had already wrapped around his hands and neck. Fortunately, Yang Yi was strong and had been on guard, so he wasn¡¯t dragged into the water. Once Suna joined the fray, the black seaweed was quickly severed, and Yang Yi broke free of its grasp. "Ugh, gross!" The slimy, cold seaweed had made its way into Yang Yi¡¯s mouth. He took aim at the fish¡¯s shadow and fired again. Bang! The target shifted to the fish¡¯s body, and the result was extraordinary. A strange screech echoed from the sea as waves churned violently, and then the fish stopped moving entirely. Yang Yi gave the fishing rod a tug and finally saw the fish in its full form. It was truly a skeletal fish, with no scales, made up of several tightly interlocked pieces of white bone armor. There was no flesh on it, only hollow eye sockets, and its fins were just skeletal structures, as if it had been dead for a long time. However, from its empty eye sockets and the gaps between the bone plates, numerous fine, black thread-like strands emerged, resembling strands of a woman¡¯s long hair but much tougher. Yang Yi¡¯s first shot had left a hole in the fish¡¯s head, but it seemed he hadn¡¯t hit a critical point. The second shot, however, had successfully killed the unknown creature hidden within the skeletal fish. After confirming its death, Yang Yi pulled it onto the deck. When he pried open the shield-like bone plates, he finally saw its true form ¡ª and goosebumps ran all over his body. Inside was an enormous, plump caterpillar. The black threads were actually its hair, and they were shockingly long. The creature used its hair to manipulate the fish bones, imitating the movements of a living fish, making the skeletal fish seem like it had come back to life. Yang Yi¡¯s first shot had pierced through the fish¡¯s head but didn¡¯t harm the main body. Instead, it severed many of the black threads, which oozed black liquid at the breaks. The second shot, aimed directly at the fish¡¯s body, had struck the caterpillar curled up in the skeletal fish¡¯s chest cavity, killing it. ¡¾Name: Black-Thread Parasite Worm¡¿ ¡¾Description: A unique parasite from the Abyss. It typically prefers to infest marine creatures with hard shells. Once it matures, it kills its host, consumes the host¡¯s flesh, and uses the black threads on its body to manipulate the host¡¯s bones, mimicking its movements to hunt other fish. The black threads are edible, highly nutritious, and considered a delicacy with hair-growth properties. The internal organs are mildly toxic.¡¿ "Delicacy?" Yang Yi looked at the grotesque caterpillar, unable to connect it with the word "delicacy" no matter how he tried. He threw the fish bones and the parasite worm into the ship¡¯s hold, deciding to deal with it later. There were more pressing matters to attend to ¡ª the glacier and the frozen ship on it. Yang Yi explained everything he had seen to Suna. "This glacier is massive, about four nautical miles in diametre," Yang Yi said. His third eye didn¡¯t rely on light for sight, so a telescope was practically useless to him. Thankfully, his unique vision extended up to ten nautical miles. At the centre of the glacier rested a ship, completely frozen. "It seems like something happened to that ship, and it got trapped in the ice," Yang Yi continued. "And its crew¡­they¡¯re all dead," he confirmed after one last look before putting his eyepatch back on. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Reach 50 votes on NovelFire. Once the goal is reached, three bonus chapters will be relased! :D Ch. 98 - Frozen Ship Yang Yi shared all the information he knew with Suna, including the glacier''s area and the frozen ship trapped within it. "I''m planning to take a closer look at that ship. There should be more clues on it. It couldn¡¯t have ended up in the glacier without reason. It must¡¯ve been sailing when something happened, and then it got frozen in place," Yang Yi explained his reasoning. He wanted to figure out the cause so he could be prepared if he encountered a similar situation. Suna didn¡¯t object and even expressed her desire to go along, but Yang Yi firmly refused. His reasoning was solid and direct: Suna wasn¡¯t agile enough and was likely to get lost in the fog, and her archery would be difficult to use effectively in such conditions. It would be much safer for Yang Yi to go alone, especially since he had plenty of safeguards to ensure his survival. After deciding, Yang Yi tested the terrain first by launching a few stones with a catapult. They hit the glacier¡¯s surface, creating small craters and scattering ice shards. This showed the ice layer was very thick, making it completely safe to walk on. The main concerns were the dense white fog and any potential hidden dangers. The fog severely obstructed visibility. Without using the third eye, visibility was limited to just a few metres. Using a torch extended it to over ten. Finding the frozen ship in the fog was nearly impossible without a clear target. Only Yang Yi, with his ability to see through the fog using the third eye, could manage it. Yang Yi checked the temperature. Near the glacier, it had already dropped to -33¡ãC, and venturing deeper into it would only bring colder temperatures. The environment inside the glacier was likely to be extremely harsh. With this in mind, Yang Yi began preparing. He checked his current status: Sanity: 98/100 S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Stamina: 92/100 Health: 100/100 All values were close to full. He geared up with his fire-resistant woolen suit, sharkskin wetsuit, down jacket, scarf, spiderweb gloves, and fur-lined boots, layering chainmail beneath the down jacket. As for the captain''s coat, once covered by the hood and down jacket, its attribute bonuses became ineffective, so there was no point in wearing it. Once ready, Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star to a suitable spot to dock. The ice protruded slightly, making it ideal for landing on the glacier. After double-checking his potions and essential supplies, Yang Yi climbed down. As soon as his boots touched the glacier, a chilling wind blew from the front, carrying fine ice shards that stung his face. Yang Yi adjusted his scarf to cover his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. The temperature had dropped to -35¡ãC, but he could still bear it. Whoosh! A burning arrow landed at Yang Yi¡¯s feet. It was a wooden arrow shot by Suna, coated with the oil of pale worms, which allowed it to burn for a long time without extinguishing. The purpose was to provide Yang Yi with a fire source. Yang Yi pulled out a pre-prepared torch from his worm ring and lit it. The torch, which he had made five of, was wrapped in fabric soaked in pale worm oil, allowing for an extended burn time. Since Yang Yi couldn¡¯t rely on the third eye indefinitely, carrying a torch was necessary. Without it, his visibility would shrink to just two or three metres. Once everything was in order, Yang Yi signaled an ¡°OK¡± gesture towards the Nightmare Star behind him and, holding the torch, walked into the fog. The icy wind howled. The wind on the glacier was stronger than that on the sea and bone-chillingly cold. Yang Yi pressed onwards cautiously, keeping a close eye on the temperature. The deeper he went, the lower the temperature dropped. Soon, it was nearing -40¡ãC. The source of the extreme cold seemed to be the frozen ship, located northeast. Remaining vigilant, Yang Yi moved slowly. His limited visibility made it essential to avoid any sudden threats, such as creatures lurking in the ice. Fortunately, there were no dangers along the way, though the cold and wind made him uncomfortable. At temperatures below -40¡ãC, even his fire-resistant woolen suit and down jacket couldn¡¯t fully keep out the cold. When Yang Yi finally approached the ship, the temperature had dropped to nearly -45¡ãC. The ship itself likely harbored temperatures below -50¡ãC! ¡°I need to act quickly,¡± Yang Yi murmured. He lifted the eyepatch covering his left eye and began climbing the side of the ship¡¯s bow. He had chosen that spot because the ship¡¯s captain had died on the bow¡¯s deck. The man¡¯s body was frozen solid, completely naked, clutching the helm as he had in life. His expression was one of defiance, as if frozen in time, his arrogance undiminished even in death. It must have happened very suddenly, as there was no sign of pain on the man¡¯s face ¡ª he seemed to be continuing his fiery determination even in death. Surrounding him were three large, extinguished bonfires, their surfaces frozen over. Among the remnants were pale worm tentacles, partially burned but now encased in thick layers of frost. Yang Yi stood on the bow of the ship, not moving immediately. Instead, he swept his gaze across the deck for a quick survey. Then, with a flick of his right hand, he launched a dart directly into the eye socket of the ship¡¯s captain. There was no blood ¡ª only the sound of shattering, as if the dart had struck a stone statue. The impact caused half of the man¡¯s head to crack open, scattering a shower of icy fragments. The captain, frozen solid into an ice sculpture, had become as brittle as fragile porcelain. Yang Yi waited for five seconds in place, ensuring that nothing else would emerge before cautiously approaching the corpse. As he moved closer, he picked up two glowing orbs lying on the ground. They had only just dropped, leading Yang Yi to a surprising realisation. Though the captain had been frozen, he wasn¡¯t actually dead until Yang Yi¡¯s dart delivered the killing blow. ¡¾You have obtained 3,300 Shell Coins¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the "Thick Cotton Coat" recipe: Requires Cloth ¡Á50¡¿ Yang Yi retrieved the glowing orbs and pulled the dart from the ice sculpture¡¯s head, causing another portion of the captain¡¯s skull to shatter and fall to the ground. At the same time, he gained more information about this individual. ¡¾Name: Ma Hou¡¿ ¡¾Description: Frozen corpse¡¿ Yang Yi glanced at the frost forming on his gloves. The temperature of Ma Hou¡¯s body¡­must be unimaginably low! The entire deck was covered in ice. Even with his fur-lined boots, Yang Yi felt as if he were barefoot on the frozen surface. His earlier estimation of -50¡ãC was likely incorrect ¡ª if anything, the ship¡¯s temperature was probably even lower. Yang Yi carefully inspected the deck but found nothing particularly unusual. It appeared as though it had encountered an extraordinarily frigid cold wave that extinguished the bonfires, froze the ship solid, the captain, and even the surrounding sea. As for the source of the cold wave, Yang Yi had yet to uncover any clues. ¡¾You have claimed ownership of the Courage. Deconstruction is now available¡¿ The notification about deconstruction indicated there were no other players on the ship. Yang Yi headed towards the cabin. The door was ajar and bore scorch marks on its surface. Suddenly, a faint, peculiar crackling sound came from inside the cabin. Zzzt zzzt zzzt! At the same time, a blue, ghostly glow shot out from within, rushing straight towards Yang Yi. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 99 - Ice Nest Worm Yang Yi had mastered the use of his third eye ability to perfection. After confirming there was no danger on the deck, he put on his eye patch and kept it on until he received word that the area had been secured. Then, he removed it again and headed towards the cabin to inspect the ship¡¯s interior. Just at that moment, a streak of blue light shot out from the cabin at incredible speed. Using the dynamic vision of his third eye Yang Yi got a clear look at the object ¡ª it was a winged, footed chunk of ice, only two centimetres in size, with a severed human finger embedded inside, glowing an eerie blue. The buzzing sound it made came from its vibrating wings. Due to their unique frequency, the noise resembled electrical static. Yang Yi had been on guard. He raised his right hand and fired a single shot, instantly shattering the bizarre insect-like ice creature. Bang! The ice fragment exploded into a cloud of frost, spreading a deep chill. The frost near the cabin door thickened, making creaking sounds as it expanded. But that wasn¡¯t the only one of these strange creatures! To Yang Yi¡¯s side, two more of them flew up from beneath the ship¡¯s railing. It seemed they had been dormant on the other side of the hull and were disturbed by the commotion. These two were different from the first ¡ª one was larger, containing a frozen eyeball inside, while the smaller one held a chunk of human skin. As soon as they appeared, they shot towards Yang Yi at high speed. His right-hand flintlock was still cooling down, so Yang Yi immediately abandoned his left-hand firearm and pulled out throwing darts, swiftly nailing the two creatures mid-air. The only reason he managed to kill them so easily was that their actual target wasn¡¯t him ¡ª it was the flames! The extreme cold they carried instantly extinguished the fire. In the blink of an eye, two more creatures emerged from the cabin. This time, Yang Yi only had time to kill one with his left-hand dart before the other was already upon him. And his gun still hadn¡¯t cooled down ¡ª it had been less than ten seconds! Yang Yi countered with his right hand, where his flintlock had already transformed into the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang. A precise stab landed, and another icy explosion erupted. The creature shattered easily ¡ª it was so brittle that a single touch turned it into icy debris. At the same time, a wave of piercing cold erupted from the explosion. Yang Yi¡¯s right hand, along with the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang, was instantly frozen solid. Even his down jacket was coated with a layer of frost, and his face went numb from the freezing cold. If one of the ice creatures had latched onto him, his fate would have been no different from the ship¡¯s previous occupants! And at that moment, a string of information appeared in his mind: ¡¾Name: Ice Nest Worm¡¿ ¡¾Description: A crystallised fusion of flesh and soul from Ice Nest cultists. These worms are drawn to heat and light, freezing everything in their path to spread the Ice Nest¡¯s gospel. Upon death, they emit a high-frequency signal undetectable to the human ear, summoning all nearby Ice Nest Worms!¡¿ ¡°Shit!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes twitched. These creatures were likely the true culprits behind this ship¡¯s frozen demise. And killing them would only draw more of them. His vision revealed countless eerie blue glows appearing in the northeast direction ¡ª something was there. When they weren¡¯t moving, they emitted no light, blending perfectly into the ice like ordinary frozen chunks, making them nearly impossible to detect! But now that they had received the signal, they were all waking up ¡ª coming straight for him! The closest ones were less than a kilometre away! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Suna, extinguish the flames on the Nightmare Star immediately!¡± He sent the message. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Light attracts an extremely dangerous kind of worm!¡± Yang Yi transmitted the Ice Nest Worm¡¯s data over and didn¡¯t even bother retrieving his throwing darts. After taking only two steps, he stopped. The creatures were too fast. Running blindly would only get him caught. He had to do something first! Like reigniting this fuel-drenched ship! Using a fire starter would take too long ¡ª several minutes at best, especially with all the frost covering the surface. However, if he used the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang¡¯s ability, that was a different story! Yang Yi immediately tried to move his frozen right hand to reclaim the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang. But his hand was completely numb, beyond his control. Crack! With a ruthless motion, he snapped off one of his own fingers. There was no blood, no pain ¡ª it was as if the finger wasn¡¯t even his. Even his Spider-Web Gloves cracked apart from the sheer cold. ¡°Damn it!¡± He didn¡¯t have time to snap off every frozen finger one by one ¡ª he was racing against death! So, he raised his right hand and smashed it down onto the deck. Like shattered glass or porcelain, his hand splintered into pieces, leaving only the palm somewhat intact, though now covered in cracks. He quickly grabbed the Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang and used his Worm Ring to store away the larger fragments, then activated the weapon¡¯s ability ¡ª Blazing Jet! A three-metre-wide fan of flames spewed out, igniting multiple tightly packed bonfires on the ship, as well as the deck beneath him. The once-burning vessel was set ablaze once more! Without looking back, Yang Yi leapt off the high deck, rolling across the ice before sprinting forwards. As for the supplies and equipment, he couldn¡¯t care less. Staying even a second longer meant certain death ¡ª or worse, becoming a frozen, eternal monument! ¡°I just hope this fire buys me some time.¡± Yang Yi ran at full speed, pushing his body to its limits. Meanwhile, he used his third eye to keep watch behind him. The worms were too fast, outpacing even his sprint. The closest ones had already reached the ship ¡ª and plunged straight into the flames. The fire wavered but didn¡¯t go out! One worm alone couldn¡¯t extinguish it, yet with more swarming in, it was only a matter of time! Still, the distraction was working. Yang Yi shut his eye patch and stopped looking back, dashing towards the Nightmare Star. At the same time, his mind raced for a solution. The creatures wouldn¡¯t let him go. Once they finished smothering the fire, he would be their next target. With his body temperature at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius, he was practically a beacon compared to the minus 30-degree surroundings. He had to find a way to eliminate them! Suddenly, a thought struck him. He had already noticed that while the worms chased heat, they were also vulnerable to it. Flames could melt them ¡ª kill them. So, what if he could set fire to these living chunks of ice¡­? "Suna, quickly dismantle the Life Fireplace and place it in the most visible spot! The worms throw themselves into flames without hesitation; they¡¯ll definitely charge into the Life Fireplace too. And then¡­their souls will ignite!" Yang Yi sent Suna a private message. After all, according to the Ice Nest Worm¡¯s description, they were transformed from the flesh and souls of Ice Nest cultists. That meant they were flammable! The moment they entered the Life Fireplace, their souls would be set ablaze! This furnace could ignite living beings, using their very souls as fuel, after all. "Got it!" Suna¡¯s reply was as brief as ever. But Yang Yi remained cautious ¡ª he instructed Suna to leave the Nightmare Star once the setup was complete. He didn¡¯t want her caught in the inferno. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 100 - Soaring Fireworks It was a race against time! Yang Yi didn¡¯t dare stop for even a second, sprinting at full speed towards the Nightmare Star. Behind him, the raging fire had already died out, and the ship had reverted to its frozen state. He had to keep moving ¡ª if he slowed down even a little, he might end up as frozen meat. When he was about 400 metres away from the Nightmare Star, he suddenly heard the buzzing, crackling sound of static ¡ª chaotic and disordered, signalling that a massive swarm of Ice Nest Worms was closing in! Without hesitation, Yang Yi ripped off his blindfold and used the third eye to glance behind him. The swarm was close ¡ª there were thousands upon thousands of them, an uncountable mass! The crackling noises grew louder as the distance between them rapidly shrank. 200 metres. 100 metres. The worms were flying three times faster than Yang Yi could run. At that rate, he wouldn¡¯t make it in time! His eyes sharpened ¡ª he reached for the Pale Worm Hand Cannon, intending to use it to buy himself some time. But just then, a burst of blazing fire erupted ahead of him! The flames burned intensely, piercing through the thick white mist, and even radiating warmth towards Yang Yi! A few seconds earlier, a flaming arrow had struck the Nightmare Star¡¯s bow, igniting the oil spread across the deck and triggering a massive fire. The ship¡¯s bow was engulfed in flames, lighting up the surroundings and cutting through the fog. It was Suna¡¯s handiwork ¡ª she had poured Pale Worm Oil over the front deck. Upon hearing the crackling static, she had immediately fired a flaming arrow, setting the bow ablaze. And the Life Fireplace ¡ª the key to their plan ¡ª was right in the middle of that fire, installed outside the captain¡¯s quarters, facing the front of the ship. If the flames weren¡¯t extinguished in time, the bow would be reduced to ashes. But things wouldn¡¯t progress to that point. Because the Ice Nest Worms wouldn¡¯t allow the fire to spread unchecked. They had been chasing Yang Yi, but the moment the fire ignited, they immediately changed course ¡ª gaining altitude and swarming towards the Nightmare Star instead. Yang Yi noticed this as well. He dropped to the ground, listening to the whoosh of the air being torn apart above him, as the swarm of Ice Nest Worms threw themselves into the flames without hesitation. ¡°The scorching chaos¡­must be purged!¡± ¡°What a vile and wicked heat!¡± ¡°¡­Embrace the cold, for it shall grant all things peace¡­¡± ¡°Eternity¡­¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He could hear whispering voices ¡ª chaotic and fragmented ¡ª coming from above him, from the Ice Nest Worm swarm. These worms¡­had consciousness, and when gathered in large numbers¡­they could even speak! ¡¾Strange whispers fill your mind. Your sanity decreases by 10.¡¿ A Battle Against the Flames! At the bow of the ship, an intense firefighting war erupted! Massive swarms of Ice Nest Worms crashed into the flames like living grenades, shattering on impact, and exploding into clouds of frost. The first line of fire was instantly extinguished, and the flames were steadily pushed back ¡ª closer and closer to the Life Fireplace. It had to be said ¡ª when enough of these Ice Nest Worms gathered, their fire suppression efficiency was insane! In just a dozen seconds, more than half of the flames had been smothered, and in some areas, a layer of frost had formed, preventing reignition. Eventually, the fire was completely under control, with only one remaining source of blazing light ¡ª the Life Fireplace! The open maw of the furnace was like an endless abyss, pulling in a flood of Ice Nest Worms¡­ Yang Yi stood up, staring at the spectacle before him. Countless Ice Nest Worms formed a single, unbroken line, surging forwards like a blue river of light, diving headfirst into the Life Fireplace, fueling a towering inferno. The fire burned so intensely that flames even spewed out of the chimney, scattering a shower of embers into the sky, resembling fireworks. These Ice Nest Worms were like zealous, fanatical martyrs, blindly following their doctrine ¡ª to eradicate heat, freeze all in their path. No fire could make them hesitate. They would extinguish it. They would freeze it. Except this time, because they themselves had become fuel. The first Ice Nest Worms to enter the furnace ignited instantly, their bodies radiating blazing white flames. And that very light attracted even more Ice Nest Worms, who in turn ignited, drawing even more, creating a vicious, never-ending cycle of death! After several minutes, the furnace itself was starting to overheat, glowing dark red, on the verge of melting. But the Ice Nest Worms clung to its surface, melting themselves to cool it down¡­ And thus, a deadly loop was born! The Life Fireplace had transformed into an Ice Nest Worm Crematorium ¡ª an exceptionally efficient one. Those who entered were instantly incinerated, reduced to ashes, and expelled through the chimney¡­ At the same time, frantic, piercing voices echoed from within ¡ª a sound like ice scraping against ice, sharp and unbearable. ¡°I have done it!¡± ¡°Praise be to the Ice Nest Lord!¡±¡°I bring eternity!¡±¡°I¡­¡± ¡¾The fanatical voices gnaw at your mind. Sanity -20.¡¿ Yang Yi felt a sharp headache, his heart tightening in unease. He immediately began searching for Suna. The furnace¡¯s chimney was spewing a storm of embers, clearing the white mist within a hundred-metre radius. Finally, Yang Yi spotted Suna. She stood just a dozen metres away from the Nightmare Star, even closer than he was, staring blankly at the raging fire¡­ ¡°Shit!¡± Yang Yi immediately checked her sanity value. Suna Sanity: 47/80 (Madness ¡ª Obsession) She was taking determined, unwavering steps towards the Nightmare Star, seemingly fascinated by the battle of ice and fire. Yang Yi sprinted and tackled her to the ground, the two of them rolling several times across the icy terrain. ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Suna frowned. ¡°What am I doing? Look at your damn sanity!¡± Yang Yi growled, pinning her down with his left arm, preventing her from moving. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my sanity?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?! You¡ª¡± Yang Yi froze mid-sentence. Because Suna¡¯s sanity had suddenly increased to 52. What the hell?! Had he misread it earlier? ¡°How long are you planning to stay on top of me?¡± Suna¡¯s voice turned cold, snapping Yang Yi out of his thoughts. ¡°¡­Shit. My bad.¡± Yang Yi quickly got up and helped her to her feet. ¡°Those Ice Nest Worms make an unbearable noise when they burn. We should keep our distance.¡± The two of them moved farther away, finally escaping the tormenting voices. But just then, Suna muttered something strange ¡ª her tone rhythmic, like a chant. She was speaking in Human Common Tongue, a language she had spent 500 Shell Coins to learn. ¡°In the still, frozen palace where all has ceased, the Ice Nest Lord invites thee to embrace eternity¡­¡± Yang Yi¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I heard the Ice Nest Worms repeating those words as they burned.¡± Suna replied. ¡°You must have misheard.¡± Yang Yi immediately dismissed it, but he stole a glance at Suna¡¯s sanity value ¡ª seeing that she was still stable, he let out a breath of relief. This Ice Nest Lord was probably just another vile, eldritch entity ¡ª akin to the Spider Mother, grotesque and repulsive¡­ ¡¾Attempting to recall the shadow of a Great Being. Sanity -10.¡¿ S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just the mere thought of it cost Yang Yi 10 sanity points. ¡°Your right hand?¡± Suna suddenly noticed that Yang Yi¡¯s right hand was unnaturally tucked inside his sleeve. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My right hand froze off.¡± Yang Yi revealed his severed wrist ¡ª the stump was blackened, with no blood flow. Suna reached out and touched it ¡ª it felt like a popsicle, hard and ice-cold. ¡°You¡¯ll need to amputate this properly.¡± She frowned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can heal it with magic.¡± ¡°¡­Magic?¡± Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 101 - Burning lamp The fire had been burning for over forty minutes and showed no signs of stopping. Countless Ice Nest Worms were incinerated, their remains ejected into the air, turning into ashen-white dust that drifted down like snow. The deck of the Nightmare Star and the surrounding area were already covered in a thick layer of "ash snow", which even clung to Yang Yi and Suna''s faces, hair, and clothes, making it impossible to clean off. The two could only stand farther away, using scarves to cover their mouths and noses to avoid inhaling any. After about ten minutes, Yang Yi suddenly felt dizzy. He quickly checked his status and found that his health had dropped to just over forty ¡ª and was still declining. It seemed that the frostbite on his right arm was getting worse. In his frenzied state, he couldn''t feel pain, but that didn''t mean his injuries would stop worsening. If anything, they were deteriorating faster. He took out a bottle of Regeneration Potion and drank it to stabilise his health. Then, he looked back up at the sky, following the endless blue streak of light all the way to the northeastern horizon. "What exactly is over there...?" Yang Yi murmured to himself. The fire had been burning for nearly an hour now, and he estimated that the number of worms consumed had reached hundreds of thousands. Converted into believers, that would be tens of thousands. If this continued, he wasn¡¯t sure how long he could last. Taking out a second bottle of Regeneration Potion, he kept a close eye on his health. Meanwhile, Suna stood beside him, looking at his frostbitten, dark purple right wrist. A rare trace of concern flashed across her eyes. Finally, ten minutes later, the Life Fireplace consumed the last batch of Ice Nest Worms. The ashen snow in the sky also ceased. But the price was... The Nightmare Star was now frozen to the ocean, fused with the ice sheet. Even though the Life Fireplace still burned fiercely inside, its flames were trapped within the structure, unable to warm the entire ship. The extreme cold left behind by the Ice Nest Worms had seeped into the deck and hull, causing the temperature on the Nightmare Star to plummet, likely below -100¡ãC. As a result, the surrounding sea had frozen over, merging into a vast ice sheet. Yang Yi and Suna made their way toward the Nightmare Star, where the "ash snow" was already knee-deep. As they prepared to board, Suna grabbed Yang Yi¡¯s arm. "The ship¡¯s surface is extremely cold. Avoid direct contact, or it¡¯ll rip your skin off," she warned. She then rummaged through her enchanted storage bag and pulled out two pairs of wool gloves, handing one to Yang Yi. "...This is...?" Yang Yi asked in surprise. "I knitted them using leftover spider silk," she explained. ¡¾Name: Fire Silk Gloves¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A pair of gloves knitted by Witch Suna using Fire Spider Silk. Lightweight, warm, and does not hinder finger dexterity.¡¿ It seemed that with exceptional craftsmanship, one could create equipment without relying on blueprints. Both of them donned the gloves and climbed aboard the Nightmare Star. Despite having only his left hand, Yang Yi''s physical fitness allowed him to scale the ladder with ease. The deck was also covered in a thick layer of ash snow. Yang Yi commanded his skeletal arm to start clearing it away. The extreme cold had little effect on the skeletal arm, aside from making it slightly more brittle and prone to freezing. Before long, the soft ash snow was cleared, revealing the deck beneath. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Along with it, several frozen skeletal arms were uncovered ¡ª buried beneath the snow, each clutching an Ice Nest Worm in its grasp. There were about fifteen of them, all shattered. Suna approached curiously to examine the Worms, but Yang Yi stopped her. "Be careful. Their body temperature is extremely low. Don''t touch them directly. Let the skeletal arm carry them to the lab instead," he warned, feeling himself sway slightly. His frostbite was becoming unbearable ¡ª half his body felt ice-cold, and he couldn''t stop shivering. He needed to use Limb Restoration Magic as soon as possible! Yang Yi asked Suna for help moving the Life Fireplace back to their quarters before preparing to regrow his severed hand. He retrieved the severed fragments from his storage ring, laid them out on the table, and counted ¡ª five fingers intact, the crucial palm present, though some small pieces were missing, and there were visible cracks. He then asked Suna to help retrieve the long-legged sardines that had been frozen inside the ice blocks. After decapitating them, he laid them out on the table. These were the long-legged sardines he had previously been raising in the captain¡¯s quarters, but due to the extreme cold brought by the Ice Nest Worms, they had all turned into frozen sticks. Suna spent quite some effort handling them, preparing a total of thirteen decapitated long-legged sardines. By this time, Yang Yi¡¯s complexion had worsened significantly ¡ª his lips had darkened, his face was deathly pale, and blackened blood was starting to seep from his severed left wrist. "Are you sure this will work?" Suna¡¯s expression turned serious. "You should just amputate your right arm ¡ª at least that way, you''ll survive!" "I¡¯m sure." Yang Yi¡¯s voice was weak, but his confidence was unwavering. He carefully arranged the largest fragment of his severed palm in the correct position to avoid reattaching it incorrectly. He also lined up his fingers in proper order before activating Limb Restoration Magic. Mysterious symbols suddenly materialised in the air, crawling along Yang Yi¡¯s severed wrist before transforming into tiny spiders. Suna''s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched. The spiders began spinning silk, carefully stitching Yang Yi¡¯s severed hand back together like master tailors. The missing portions were replaced with flesh and blood from the long-legged sardines. The entire process took about five minutes ¡ª longer than any previous spellcasting session, possibly due to the frozen flesh affecting the magic. But the result was remarkable, almost otherworldly ¡ª Yang Yi¡¯s right hand was fully restored! There was a slight difference in skin tone, likely due to the long-legged sardine material, which made it appear a bit paler. His five fingers were all normal human fingers, their length, and proportions natural ¡ª except for one extra addition¡­ At the base of his right pinky, an extra long leg from a long-legged sardine had sprouted, like something out of a grotesque horror story. It was about the same length as an index finger, and Yang Yi could even control its movement ¡ª extending, retracting, and even kicking with it. "Uh¡­" Yang Yi looked slightly embarrassed as he stiffly turned his neck to Suna. "Um¡­could I ask you for a bit of surgery?" "Pfft! Hahaha!" Suna couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter, bursting out in amusement. It was probably the first time Yang Yi had seen her laugh so freely. An hour later, the surgery was successfully completed. Suna helped Yang Yi remove the extra long leg and bandaged the area. Though, in reality, the bandaging wasn¡¯t necessary ¡ª under the effects of Regeneration Potion, the wound had already begun scabbing over and was essentially healed. Yang Yi¡¯s right hand was now fully restored. The only unfortunate part was that his gloves had been destroyed, leaving him with just one. While the gloves weren¡¯t particularly warm, they were waterproof, slip-resistant, and excellent for climbing. Yang Yi put the remaining glove on his right hand to conceal its paler tone, making it look more natural. Meanwhile, after finishing the surgery, Suna was fully immersed in studying the Ice Nest Worms. These creatures were extremely fragile and had an incredibly low body temperature ¡ª so much so that touching them directly would cause severe frostbite or even freeze one¡¯s fingers solid. Thus, Suna handled them with extreme caution. She wore a protective mask and thick heat-resistant gloves ¡ª the kind used when handling hot ovens. Using glass tongs with rubber-coated tips, she picked up a broken insect limb and placed it over an alcohol lamp. However, the liquid inside the lamp wasn¡¯t actually alcohol ¡ª it was oil extracted from Pale Wrigglers. After several minutes of heating, the ice-like insect limb finally began to melt. She then dropped the slightly melted limb into a beaker of hot water. Instantly, the entire beaker froze over, turning the hot water into solid ice. Next, she placed the frozen beaker back onto the alcohol lamp for further heating¡­ "It seems these worms¡¯ bodies absorb heat. The higher the temperature of the object they touch, the faster and more heat they absorb. Once they reach a certain threshold, their bodies melt and eventually turn into¡­seawater!" Suna shared her discovery. After burning the beaker dry, all that remained inside was a small amount of sea salt. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 102 - Brief rest ¡°No wonder the vending machine wouldn¡¯t take it ¡ª turns out this bug is made of seawater. That¡¯s just too cheap¡­¡± Yang Yi silently complained to himself as he stepped out of the laboratory and onto the deck. A thin layer of frost still covered the deck, and it didn¡¯t seem like it would be clearing up anytime soon. With the temperature this low, there was no way to expect the frost to melt on its own. The only option was to put the skeletal arm to work and put in some overtime. Yang Yi walked to the ship¡¯s railing and looked down. The greyish snow below had been cleared away, thanks to the skeletal arm¡¯s ability to extend from the ship¡¯s side for cleaning. With the snow gone, he could clearly see that the Nightmare Star was frozen together with the glacier. Thawing it wouldn¡¯t be easy, especially since the glacier¡¯s size was no joke! Yang Yi used his three-eyed vision to scan the surroundings and found that the nearest ice-free sea was to the southwest, about three nautical miles away. That meant the Nightmare Star had to break through three nautical miles of ice to escape ¡ª an incredibly difficult task! He moved to the bow and activated the Twilight Veil of the Nightmare Star. As he turned, he ran his hand over the octopus-head capsule machine once again. ¡°It actually reacts to heat and cold¡­but its surface has no frost at all. How strange.¡± Yang Yi found it baffling. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Only the monster capsule machine remained unaffected ¡ª there wasn¡¯t a single speck of frost on it. After patrolling the deck, he returned to the captain¡¯s quarters. Thanks to the Life Fireplace, the temperature inside had risen considerably. Yang Yi warmed himself by the fire while organising the information he had gathered on the Ice Nest Worms. Selling the intel to the newspaper would fetch him a good amount of Shell Coins. If he didn¡¯t sell it, someone else probably would sooner or later. After about ten minutes, Yang Yi finished organising his data, including photographs. He had the skeletal arm hold up a relatively intact Ice Nest Worm for a picture. Inside its body, a frozen eyeball emitted a faint blue glow. ¡°Perfect!¡± Then, he contacted the editor-in-chief, Song Yingwen, to sell the intel. ¡°Brother Song, I¡¯ve got some explosive information for sale!¡± Yang Yi sent a private message. ¡°What kind of information?¡± Song replied almost instantly. ¡°The truth behind that buzzing electric noise!¡± ¡°Oh? If it¡¯s that, I already know. The truth is a group of blue-glowing ghosts, right?¡± ¡°Ghosts?¡± ¡°Yeah, someone provided that information a while ago¡­¡± Song Yingwen directly shared the details and even named the informant ¡ª clearly, the other party hadn¡¯t requested anonymity. The information came from the New World Fleet. They had given it for free, with only one condition: the publication had to prominently credit them as the source. However, ¡°blue ghosts¡± was far too vague ¡ª it didn¡¯t even explain what these ghosts actually were. All they had said was that these blue ghosts could freeze everything and were drawn to firelight. And there were no pictures to back it up. Compared to Yang Yi¡¯s intel, it was hardly on the same level! But it wasn¡¯t really the New World Fleet¡¯s fault. Back then, Captain Zhao of the Ironhead barely managed to escape with his life ¡ª he didn¡¯t have time to gather detailed intel. (1) He only noticed that those blue lights targeted campfires, so he immediately kicked his own fire into the sea and ran for his life. Of course, the teammates who covered his escape weren¡¯t nearly as lucky. After piecing together the whole story, Yang Yi simply dumped all his intel on the Ice Nest Worms, including the images, and sent it over. The other party remained silent for a dozen seconds before replying: ¡°You really know how to surprise me ¡ª sometimes even scare me!¡± Originally, the weekly issue had already been finalised and was just waiting for release, but since this explosive new intel came at the last minute, he had to delay it. The crystallised Ice Worm, with visible proof, was far more convincing than the so-called "blue ghosts" no one could see or touch! A few minutes later, Yang Yi received a payment of 20,000 Shell Coins ¡ª the highest he had ever gotten. After all, intel on the Ice Nest Worm was extremely hard to obtain, and those who encountered it rarely lived to tell the tale. After selling the information, Yang Yi decided to get something to eat and rest for a bit. His condition was terrible. Although his severed limb had been reattached, his blood vitality, stamina, and sanity were all alarmingly low. Stamina, in particular, was just barely above thirty ¡ª if it dropped any further, he would pass out. Everything else would have to wait until he recovered, including retrieving supplies from the Courage, dismantling the ship, and figuring out a way to escape this frozen wasteland. ¡°Suna, I¡¯m about to make some food. Want to try some?¡± He sent her a private message. But even after several minutes, there was no reply. Yang Yi glanced at Suna¡¯s sanity level and saw it was only 51. That number was far from reassuring. Best to put research on hold for now! He got up and walked towards the witch¡¯s lab, stopping at the door. ¡°Suna, you really should take a break!¡± Yang Yi called out. At that moment, Suna was fully engrossed in her work, using tweezers to piece together human skin fragments found inside the Ice Nest Worm. She had noticed that there seemed to be writing on the skin, though she couldn¡¯t decipher its meaning. She was trying to assemble the pieces to make sense of it. Even though the patches of skin didn¡¯t come from the same person, the repeating symbols allowed her to cross-reference them and get a rough understanding. ¡°Suna!¡± Yang Yi called again. She finally stopped what she was doing and looked up. Yang Yi was holding a nearly three-metre-long skeletal fish in his hands. ¡°Want to try some of this gourmet dish?¡± he asked. ¡­ Twenty minutes later, a campfire was burning in the small courtyard on the Nightmare Star¡¯s deck, with a large iron pot placed over it. Yang Yi added more wood and grease to the fire, as it wasn¡¯t burning as hot as he¡¯d like ¡ª probably due to the freezing environment. Inside the pot was none other than the Corpse-Manipulating Worm. A tangle of black, hair-like threads churned in the boiling water, along with some floating fish bones. Peeling the worm¡¯s skin was too much trouble, so Yang Yi had simply gutted it, disassembled it into parts, and tossed them into the pot to boil. Once cooked, the black threads became much easier to peel off. Suna, sitting nearby with a frown, didn¡¯t look the least bit excited about the meal. After all, Yang Yi¡¯s infamous ¡°bread mush¡± had left a lasting psychological scar. This time, he wasn¡¯t going to ruin it! After removing all the black threads and the worm¡¯s outer skin, he found that they had shrunk significantly ¡ª probably just enough for a single meal. He boiled a fresh pot of water and threw in the edible parts. Then, he added some salt for seasoning and prepared a bowl of jellyfish mucus as a dipping sauce. ¡°Wanna try?¡± Yang Yi looked at Suna. She remained motionless, staring at the writhing black strands in the pot. ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± He grabbed a piece of black worm skin, still laced with a few black threads, blew on it twice, and popped it into his mouth. The texture was incredibly gelatinous ¡ª ten times softer and more tender than pig trotters or beef tendons, with a slight natural sweetness. The black threads, on the other hand, snapped easily when bitten, like the crunchy cartilage inside pig ears, making a satisfying crackling sound. After a few bites, Yang Yi didn¡¯t bother convincing Suna anymore and just kept eating¡­and eating. Finally, after watching him devour several pieces with enthusiasm, Suna couldn¡¯t help but grow curious about the worm¡¯s taste. She picked up a piece, took a bite¡­and then immediately stopped. (1) Hahah I''m not surprised it''s him. The dude is as proud as they come -Simply Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 103 - Reboard the ship Ten minutes later, the entire pot had been devoured by the two of them. Suna was already full, but Yang Yi was only half-satisfied, still craving more. He drank a bottle of appetite-enhancing potion and ate two black bread loaves before finally feeling full. After that, Yang Yi returned to the captain¡¯s quarters, preparing to sleep and recover his condition. From the room next door, the sound of changing clothes could be heard ¡ª it seemed like Suna was also planning to rest and regain her sanity. Four hours later. Yang Yi woke up to his preset alarm. (The logbook had an alarm function.) He first checked his condition ¡ª his stats were all back up, with his stamina restored to 82 and his health to 79. As for Suna, she was still asleep. Yang Yi peeked in to confirm. Then he checked the chat channels and found that the weekly publication had already been released, so he went to the vending machine to get a copy. ¡°The Killer Hidden in the White Fog ¡ª The Ice Nest Worm¡± The bolded title was placed in the most eye-catching position. Following that was the information provider ¡ª One-Eye, along with The New World Fleet. However, the name ¡°One-Eye¡± was placed at the front and bolded, while ¡°The New World Fleet¡± wasn¡¯t, making it look like an afterthought. Yang Yi skimmed through the content ¡ª nothing new, since he already knew everything. The article repeatedly emphasised that these worms were attracted to high temperatures and fire, warning all players to be cautious and not let large flames bring about their doom. He flipped through the other sections but found nothing particularly interesting, so he stopped reading. Afterwards, he walked to the front deck, gazing at the ice below and contemplating how to escape. Hoping for the glacier to melt on its own was impossible! For now, he could only think of two solutions. One was to check the black market for ship equipment capable of breaking ice and then purchase it. The giant bobbit worm head was definitely out of the question ¡ª its mandibles could only cut and couldn¡¯t adjust angles. He needed to swap it for a different ship module. He searched the chat channels but found no leads, so he left a message: "Looking to buy ship equipment capable of breaking ice. If you''re selling, send me the item details. Price is negotiable!" After sending that, he began considering the second method. This approach was more straightforward ¡ª fire, chiseling, and bombardment. If they destroyed the glacier, they could escape. As long as they had some room to manoeuvre, the Nightmare Star could blast a path open with its cannons. After all, ammunition was unlimited! However, this method was inefficient and would take a long time. The first step of breaking free would be especially difficult ¡ª it required melting the ice around the Nightmare Star, which would likely consume a massive amount of fuel. If possible, Yang Yi didn¡¯t want to resort to this option. He used Three-Eye Vision to scan the surroundings, confirming that the nearest open sea was still three nautical miles away to the southwest. At least the glacier wasn¡¯t expanding ¡ª that was good news. Then he looked northeast, pushing his vision to its limit. Most of the ice nest worms had come from that direction, so Yang Yi felt like something was over there. But he couldn¡¯t see that far. At least within a ten-nautical-mile radius, there was no abnormality. With his plan set, Yang Yi knocked on Suna¡¯s door to wake her up. He planned to make a trip to the Courage, recover its supplies, and dismantle the ship. Once he left, only Suna would remain on board. Leaving her alone to sleep soundly wasn¡¯t safe, even though the Nightmare Star could turn invisible. After briefly explaining the plan, he began preparing for departure. Gathering his gear and essentials, Yang Yi climbed down the ship¡¯s side and made his way towards the Courage. This was his second time going there. With experience, he was now familiar with the dangers along the way, making his progress much faster than before. About half an hour later, Yang Yi arrived in front of the Courage. Compared to before, the ship hadn''t changed much ¡ª it was still covered in thick frost. Yang Yi circled the ship once, making sure there were no Ice Nest Worms lying in ambush before climbing aboard. This time, the deck wasn¡¯t as icy as before. After all, the ambient temperature was only about minus thirty degrees, and any part of the ship that had dropped below this temperature would slowly start warming back up. ¡¾You have occupied the Courage. You may choose to dismantle the ship.¡¿ Yang Yi was slightly surprised ¡ª the dismantling option appeared immediately. It seemed that occupying a ship for the second time didn¡¯t require waiting ten minutes, unless another player had boarded it in between. He first cleaned the deck and retrieved a few darts that had been left behind. He had been thinking about those darts ¡ª they weren¡¯t cheap, after all. Then, he extinguished his torch and, with a gun in one hand and a dart in the other, cautiously headed toward the cabin, moving at a slow pace. This time, there was no hissing sound. He paused for a moment, observing carefully. Only after confirming that nothing was amiss did he step inside. Inside, the lighting was much dimmer, and a staircase slanted downwards, leading directly to the ship¡¯s bottom deck. Yang Yi followed the steps down, but halfway through, he started coughing violently. A pungent, burnt stench filled the cabin, as if a fire had just been extinguished, leaving behind a lingering scorched smell. The temperature inside was also more than ten degrees higher than outside. Everything was pitch black, with no traces of frost ¡ª a strange sight. Yang Yi ran a hand along the wooden railing and found it covered in black carbon dust, as if it had been baked at high temperatures and partially carbonised. Narrowing his eyes, he heightened his vigilance, slowed his steps, and carefully scanned his surroundings. But he found nothing unusual ¡ª no hostile creatures suddenly leaping out at him. He stopped in front of several wooden barrels, noticing that the burnt stench was strongest around them, yet these barrels showed no signs of charring. One of the barrels was even open. Yang Yi turned sideways and peeked inside ¡ª it contained a liquid that emitted a strong burnt smell. "This liquid isn¡¯t frozen, even in minus twenty degrees..." Curious, he grabbed a long-handled wooden ladle from the barrel and scooped some out. The ladle was the kind often used for scooping liquor, with a cup-like end, likely handmade. As soon as he scooped some up, amidst the burnt smell, he caught a faint whiff of alcohol. There was no doubt ¡ª it was a special type of alcohol that gave off both a burnt odour and a boozy aroma. As soon as he retrieved it, the system provided information about it. ¡¾Name: Scorched Liquor¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable / Alcohol¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A unique fire-worshipper¡¯s spirit. Drinking it grants the sensation of burning and temporarily protects against extreme cold. However, excessive consumption may cause alcohol poisoning ¡ª or even burns. This is a flammable substance.¡¿ "The sensation of burning...and it can even cause burns?" Yang Yi was taken aback. He tested the temperature of the liquor ¡ª it was very cold, nothing unusual, just unable to freeze. Still, its effect was valuable. Drinking it could ward off the extreme cold, making it incredibly useful in polar regions ¡ª definitely something worth collecting! There were two and a half barrels in total, with each barrel holding about 200 litres. He could store them in his Greedy Stomach. But before doing so, he had to make sure the Greedy Stomach wouldn¡¯t secretly drink it! sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. So, he scooped up a ladleful and fed it into the Greedy Stomach as a test. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t drink alcohol. Perfect! 500 litres of Scorched Liquor ¡ª a total of three wooden barrels ¡ª were all stuffed into the Greedy Stomach. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 104 - Book of Scorching Flames After removing these barrels of liquor, there was nothing particularly eye-catching left in the ship''s hold. Only a separate compartment remained at the back. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Yang Yi didn¡¯t rush over immediately. Instead, he first checked the inventory of supplies in the hold. These basic resources were usually stored in a special space within the ship¡¯s hold. They could be viewed in the log and would take up cargo capacity, but they would only appear when retrieved. Inside, there were: There wasn¡¯t much wood left¡ªprobably most of it had been burned as firewood. Then, he checked the materials that could be salvaged from dismantling the ship: There weren¡¯t many materials available, likely due to the severe damage the ship had sustained. The great fire had not only burned the deck but also the ship¡¯s hold, leaving behind only a few barrels of charred liquor... Yang Yi sniffed the air. The burnt stench lingered ¡ª it didn¡¯t seem like the liquor was the source of it. He walked toward the innermost compartment. As he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped. Inside the room, facing the entrance, was a painting. The room was probably an art studio. The interior was completely charred, yet the painting remained unscathed ¡ª an anomaly! The floor was littered with scorched remains, fragmented corpses burned beyond recognition. Yang Yi recognised them ¡ª these were pieces of corpses from the Ice Nest Worm¡¯s body, charred and indistinguishable. Based on the number of remains, there had likely been several of them. It suggested that the Ice Nest Worm had frozen this area at some point, but for some unknown reason, it had later thawed ¡ª perhaps very recently... That was the only reasonable conclusion Yang Yi could come to. As for the painting, it was placed at the centre of the room. It depicted a massive, charred tree. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was a tree ¡ª it simply resembled one. The surface was covered in blackened bark, splitting into a thick trunk and gnarled branches, all shrouded in black smoke. It was massive because the painting also depicted tiny human figures around it, appearing ant-like in comparison. These figures were painted in an orange-yellow hue, as if they were...burning? ¡¾A painting of shocking intensity. Your sanity decreases by 20.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened. He was deeply drawn to the painting, unconsciously stepping closer, reaching out to touch it. His body suddenly felt hot, as if he were standing before a raging fire. He had seen famous paintings before ¡ª like The Starry Night or The Scream ¡ª but nothing had ever evoked such an overwhelming, immersive sensation! ¡¾Name: Charred (Painting)¡¿ ¡¾Description: The final work of artist Ma Hou. The pigments used include charred human tissue, blood, burnt liquor, charcoal, etc.¡¿ Upon receiving this information, Yang Yi snapped out of his trance, a wave of fear washing over him. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. For a brief moment, he had felt as though he could step into the painting itself! Thinking back, the thought sent chills down his spine. Regaining his composure, he couldn''t help but admire the artist¡¯s skill ¡ª it was nothing short of masterful, an eerie stroke of genius! Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right index finger. Looking down, he saw a blister forming ¡ª like a burn mark. But just then.. he had only touched the painting! He dared not look at it any longer. Instead, he ran his fingers over the canvas, confirming that it had no actual heat ¡ª it was just an ordinary painting. ¡°Looks like being an artist in this world is just as dangerous as being a scientist¡­¡± Yang Yi muttered sarcastically. Artists, after all, tended to have heightened perception, capable of uncovering hidden truths from the smallest details. At the same time, they had a remarkable ability to express themselves ¡ª through painting, music, sculpture, and so on. Lowering his gaze, Yang Yi noticed a scorched book beneath the painting. The edges of its cover were blackened, as if it had been salvaged from a fire. When he picked it up, tiny fragments crumbled off. ¡¾Name: Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1)¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: A scripture circulated within the Fire Worship Cult. The characters recorded within burn with such intensity that the book has turned pitch black. Reading it grants knowledge of fire magic. Remaining uses: 2/3¡¿ "Magic book?" Yang Yi was overjoyed ¡ª he hadn''t expected such an unexpected reward at the last moment. However, since this book was classified as a relic, reading it surely came with risks. Perhaps Ma Hou had read this very book, fallen into madness, and ultimately set the entire ship ablaze. So, should he read it or not? Of course, he should read it! Yang Yi made up his mind within seconds. First, he wouldn¡¯t go insane ¡ª he wasn¡¯t afraid of losing sanity! Second, this was an opportunity to gain more power ¡ª why would he pass it up? Third, the risk wasn¡¯t that high ¡ª after all, Ma Hou had read it without mutating or dying! Considering these three points, Yang Yi was confident he could handle it! Besides, if the risk was manageable, he could let Suna read it later ¡ª better than having her obsess over other dangerous objects. At least the book wasn¡¯t lethal! With that thought, Yang Yi opened the Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1) and started reading. Then¡­he became completely entranced, unable to tear his eyes away as he flipped page after page. He read at an incredible speed ¡ª after all, there weren¡¯t many actual characters in the book. Most of it consisted of dynamic, burning images, like flames dancing on the pages. But as he read, the temperature in the room began to rise rapidly. A wave of intense heat radiated from the book, accompanied by a thick, scorched odor. The book¡¯s pages started to smoke, as if about to ignite. Yang Yi was affected too ¡ª first, his eyelashes and eyebrows curled up from the heat. Then his hair. Then the surface of his down jacket wrinkled and started smoldering. Yet he remained oblivious, continuing to flip through the pages. Only when the flames ignited his jacket, when the heat blistered his hands, when the room¡¯s walls started smoking and the painting in front of him caught fire ¡ª only then did he snap out of it. ¡¾You have fully read the Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1). Sanity -20. You have learned the spell ¡ª Flame Healing!¡¿ Yang Yi shut the book and immediately panicked because he realised he was on fire! It wasn¡¯t until the book was fully read that he finally woke up, barely escaping self-immolation. Hurriedly, he ripped off his burning jacket and tossed it aside, slapping at the flames on his head before he ended up bald! After confirming there were no other fires on his body, he let out a long breath. "That was close ¡ª too damn dangerous! I nearly burned myself to death just reading a book!" But this was something he could¡¯ve prepared for ¡ª if only he had known beforehand. For example, he could¡¯ve drenched himself in water and read the book while lying in it. That was probably the correct way to read this book! Thankfully, no real disaster occurred. Yang Yi exhaled in relief. But suddenly, he felt the heat of flames flickering in front of him, scorching his face. He looked up¡ª And saw a burning painting. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 105 - Confront the Miracle At some unknown moment, the painting caught fire. Under the intense heat, the air in front of the painting warped, making it seem as if the tree within was constantly twisting. Thick black smoke seeped from the painting, hazy and indistinct, rendering the scene before him eerily vivid and three-dimensional. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And those flames ¡ª blazing with scorching light¡ªadorned the charred tree¡¯s trunk like leaves... ¡¾A painting akin to a divine miracle. Sanity -50.¡¿ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened, his three mystical eyes and his mortal ones all locked onto the painting, unable to move, utterly captivated. Only then, with the touch of fire, was the painting truly complete ¡ª its final puzzle piece falling into place. And then...it came to life! To say it was immersive was no longer accurate, because Yang Yi had actually stepped into the painting! Before him stood a towering, charred tree, eternally burning ¡ª never extinguishing, never ceasing! Its branches writhed within the indescribable heat, as though reveling in the ecstasy of the flames. Yang Yi was shaken to his core, his entire body frozen in place. ¡¾Gazing upon the shadow of a great existence. Sanity -100¡¿ ¡¾Gazing upon the shadow of a great existence. Sanity -100¡¿¡¾Gazing upon the shadow of a great existence. Sanity -100¡¿ ... ¡¾Experiencing a miracle up close, you understand the rapture of burning ¡ª Extraordinary Path unlocked...¡¿ The scene shifted. Yang Yi now stood upon cracked, scorched earth, his entire body engulfed in flames. His skin had already burned to ash. From within, the sound of boiling blood and bursting fat echoed, as if celebrating that very moment. "This...is me?" Disbelief filled his voice as he stared at his charred, skeletal hands, at the unquenchable flames that cloaked his body. What an overwhelming euphoria! A sudden urge overcame him ¡ª he wanted to dance, to celebrate this moment, to perform a dance that had never been danced before. And beside him, countless others were already doing so. They cried out in fervent worship, twirling and leaping within the inferno, rushing towards the tree. Then, right before Yang Yi¡¯s eyes, they turned to ash, scattering into the sky, merging with the dark mist above. "Master of Ascension!" "Incinerator of All!" "Charred Black Tree!" "..." It had many names, though it cared not how its followers addressed it. It simply stood there, radiating an ineffable presence, releasing scorching heat, consuming the devoted who came seeking transcendence. A being of fire brushed past Yang Yi and suddenly stopped. It seemed puzzled ¡ª why had this person halted his dance? Its hollow sockets turned towards Yang Yi, its mouth opening and closing, spewing black flames as it uttered with fervent reverence: "All shall return to ash. Ascension is transcendence!" "...Transcend my ass!" Yang Yi snapped back to reality, cursing on the spot! At the same time, he raised his flintlock gun, aimed it at the charred black tree, and pulled the trigger. Boom! The shot fired in cannon mode! The illusion shattered, the scene faded. Yang Yi jolted awake, finding himself surrounded by flames ¡ª the entire studio was ablaze. If he hadn¡¯t snapped out of it in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable! Before him was a massive hole ¡ª blasted open by his flintlock shot. The painting known as Charred Black had long since turned to dust, scattered who knows where, as a frigid wind blew in through the hole. Yang Yi hurried to put out the fire, grabbing fresh water from the ship¡¯s cabin to douse the flames on his body. Then, he picked up a charred wooden bucket, filled it with water, and splashed it across the burning studio. With the combined effort of the cold wind and his frantic firefighting, the flames were quickly brought under control. Within minutes, they were completely extinguished. But the cost was heavy ¡ª Yang Yi had multiple burns on his body, and his sweater had been completely incinerated. No warm clothing, drenched in water ¡ª this was a death sentence in a subzero environment of -30¡ãC! He acted immediately, stripping off his soaked clothes and drying himself off. Then, while the residual warmth in the cabin still lingered, he gathered fabric from the ship¡¯s interior and stitched together a thick cotton coat. Slipping into the coat, Yang Yi finally let out a sigh of relief. But he was still cold. A single cotton coat wasn¡¯t nearly enough to withstand the brutal -30¡ãC chill. "This won¡¯t do!" Thinking fast, he reached into his stomach pouch and retrieved a cup of Scorched Liquor. Using a long spoon, he scooped up a portion and downed it in one gulp. As the liquor slid down his throat, an unbearable heat surged through his body, his skin tingling as if set aflame. It wasn¡¯t an illusion ¡ª his body was actually radiating heat! "The effects of this liquor¡­not bad at all!" Yang Yi was pleasantly surprised. With this stuff in his system, he could probably sprint around in -70¡ãC weather completely naked. No wonder that old bastard Ma Hou never wore clothes ¡ª it was too damn hot! Yang Yi even started sweating, so he unzipped his coat slightly, feeling much more comfortable. After confirming his safety, he checked his status values. Sanity: 3 Corruption Level: 9% ¡ªrising fast. Fortunately, no new mutations had appeared¡­ "Hu~" Yang Yi exhaled deeply. He never would have guessed that the most dangerous thing in this ship cabin was that damn painting! But thanks to it, he had unlocked yet another extraordinary path. ¡¾Experiencing a miracle up close, you understand the rapture of burning ¡ªE xtraordinary Path unlocked: Charred One. Spell learned: Burn With Me!¡¿ ¡¾Charred One: You become heat-resistant yet highly flammable. Fire and extreme temperatures inflict significantly reduced damage on you.¡¿ And along with the new path, two spells had been added to his arsenal ¡ª the second one obtained automatically upon unlocking the path. Spells: "This is¡­fire magic?" After reading the descriptions, Yang Yi¡¯s expression darkened. In his mind, fire magic should¡¯ve been about launching fireballs ¡ª or even bigger fireballs ¡ª to burn his enemies. Why the hell did the spells require him to set himself on fire first?! It wasn¡¯t fire magic ¡ª this was goddamn self-immolation magic! And to make things worse, both spells required verbal incantations. Meaning, he had to shout the spell name out loud! "...Fine, let¡¯s test it out." Yang Yi took off his coat and gave it a try. "Flames of Healing!" At once, the burned areas on his body erupted into flames, searing him with a scorching pain before extinguishing after a few seconds. When the flames died down, the wounds were covered in a layer of blackened char ¡ª sealing them off and preventing infection. Looking at the results, it was¡­actually pretty effective. But the burn scars it left behind? Those would probably be hideous. Shaking his head, Yang Yi put his coat back on and prepared to leave the Courage. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 106 - Spell Formation ¡¾You have dismantled the Courage, obtaining Wood x249, Cloth x45, Stone x150, Steel x13, Sulphur x32¡¿ (Since there was already a hole, the amount of salvageable materials increased.) The Courage disassembled before Yang Yi''s eyes, turning into a pile of resources that flew towards the Nightmare Star. With no hull to support it, the bonfire on the deck fell, crashing into a heap of ruins. Among the wreckage was the former captain, Ma Hou''s corpse, now shattered into several large pieces. If he had fire, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t have minded lighting a pyre to give the man a proper cremation. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t. Magic didn¡¯t work on the dead. Yang Yi used his special vision to pierce through the white mist, locking onto the Nightmare Star''s position before sprinting toward it. It was time to leave this icy wasteland. ¡­ On the Nightmare Star. After being woken up by Yang Yi, Suna headed straight to the Witch¡¯s Laboratory. No one would disturb her, and she could finally immerse herself in her research, exploring the unknown! Inside the lab, the skin tissue of an Ice Nest Worm lay on the table. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suna grabbed pen and paper, carefully piecing the fragments together while sketching, but after nearly half an hour, she still made no progress. Something was missing. After all, these skin fragments didn¡¯t come from just one person. Trying to reassemble them into a complete whole was nearly impossible. She racked her brain, then suddenly had an idea. She recalled the runes she had seen before ¡ª those that appeared when Yang Yi used magic. Back then, those runes had transformed into tiny spiders that repaired Yang Yi¡¯s severed right hand. If she could compare and merge these two types of runes... Suna immediately took action, sketching directly on the floor. Then, as if enlightened, she retrieved five spider corpses that had frozen to death and arranged them on the ground. Next, she cut off a few tentacles from the pale wriggler larva and stacked them together. She continued drawing, covering the floor with bizarre patterns that defied common understanding ¡ª symbols for limb restoration, runes linked to the skin, and her own interpretations. The result was a magic circle so intricate and dizzying that a mere glance could make one''s head spin. It was filled with non-Euclidean geometric patterns and other incomprehensible shapes. By the time she was done, sweat drenched her forehead, but her face was alight with exhilaration. ¡¾You have created a new spell ¡ª Summon Stitch Abomination¡¿ The moment the notification appeared, the spell activated. The pile of tentacles and spider flesh began to move, merging into a brand-new creature. The spiders stacked on top of each other like a game of Jenga, their legs twitching. At the base, several thick pale tentacles extended outwards, undulating like soft, probing tendrils. Suna was stunned, staring at the grotesque masterpiece she had created. Yet, despite witnessing this horror, her sanity didn¡¯t drop in the slightest. She proceeded with tests to determine what commands the Stitch Abomination could follow. After several trials, she discovered that the creature had virtually no intelligence ¡ª it only followed direct orders, acting more like a puppet. She opened her status panel to check the spell''s details. ¡¾Name: Summon Stitch Abomination¡¿ ¡¾Details: A unique spell created by Witch Suna. Requires a ritual circle and sufficient flesh to activate. Minimum mana cost: 7. The higher the quality of the flesh and the more mana injected, the stronger the resulting Stitch Abomination. Its lifespan depends on temperature and environment and will degrade over time or through combat. Under normal conditions, it will disintegrate after 12 to 48 hours.¡¿ Suna¡¯s magic reserves had grown ¡ª she could now cast spells consuming up to 7 mana. The Stitch Abomination was a loyal servant, incapable of betrayal, and would carry out the summoner¡¯s commands unconditionally ¡ª except for complex ones. It could follow simple orders like attack, guard, follow, advance, or retreat. The most complicated task it could handle was probably sweeping the floor, but it would never stop¡­ Just as she was in the middle of testing, she suddenly received a private message from Yang Yi. He was back. ¡­ Half an hour later, Yang Yi returned to the Nightmare Star and informed Suna of his arrival. He headed to the captain''s cabin first, washed his face, and wiped himself down. His previous down jacket and sweater were ruined, but luckily, he had a spare sweater. With a thick cotton coat over it, he wouldn¡¯t feel too cold. The innermost layer, a sharkskin swimsuit, had survived the fire since he had taken it off in time. He stashed the swimsuit in the wardrobe, deciding to save it for when he actually needed to swim. Until he found better swimming gear, this suit was still valuable! Checking his private messages, he found no new replies. It seemed icebreaker ship equipment was quite rare ¡ª no one was selling any. He attempted to contact Song Ying, asking if he had any information about icebreaker equipment. Unfortunately, the response was disappointing. According to Song Ying, he had only ever seen one type of icebreaking ship equipment ¡ª something called an "Impact Ram", which had already been purchased by the New World Fleet. Getting it back from them was practically impossible! Other similar ship components might exist, but none were available on the market. They were too rare ¡ª essentially one-of-a-kind items. Yang Yi abandoned the idea of purchasing ship equipment and moved on to Plan B ¡ª fire! He called Suna up to the deck, but when she arrived, he was still caught off guard by the monstrous creature beside her. A spider with a conjoined body, standing upright¡­with tentacles growing out of its head? ¡¾Ugly creature detected. Sanity -3¡¿ "This¡­this thing was made by you?" Yang Yi felt a wave of unease. "Yes. It¡¯s a puppet created with magic," Suna replied. "Magic¡­" Yang Yi knew Suna could use magic, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this¡­bizarre. ¡°What happened to your clothes?¡± Suna noticed his outfit had changed. ¡°Got a little burnt, but I can make thick cotton coats now, so it''s not a big deal,¡± Yang Yi replied. At that moment, he remembered something he had meant to give her. ¡°Right, I found a magic book on that ship. You might want to take a look.¡± A charred book materialised in Yang Yi¡¯s hands. It had been badly burned, its edges turned ashen white. ¡°A magic book¡­¡± Suna was momentarily surprised before her crimson eyes lit up. She immediately reached out to snatch it. Unfortunately, she failed ¡ª the book vanished into Yang Yi¡¯s Worm Ring before she could grab it. ¡°You!!!¡± Suna felt like she had been toyed with. ¡°Hold on, calm down and listen to me first.¡± Yang Yi didn¡¯t hand the book over right away but instead gave her a warning. ¡°Reading this book will cost you 20 sanity points. And while reading, the book will emit high heat, posing a fire hazard. If you want to read it, you¡¯d better soak in water first and drench yourself before opening it.¡± Only now did Suna notice that Yang Yi¡¯s eyelashes were completely gone ¡ª likely burned off. His eyebrows and the tips of his hair also had slight scorch marks. ¡°Wait until your sanity recovers to at least 70 before you ask me for it. Right now, your sanity is too low ¡ª only 54.¡± Yang Yi added. Although Suna was displeased, she didn¡¯t argue. She glanced at Yang Yi¡¯s sanity level ¡ª only 13 ¡ª and an emotion called envy bubbled up within her. "Such an enviable ability," she thought to herself. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 107 - Trying to escape The two began discussing the main plan. Yang Yi explained his strategy to Suna: using fuel to melt the ice and escape. The steps included setting fires, firing cannons, and manoeuvring the ship. However, the actual execution required careful planning and precise calculations. If they set fires recklessly and ran out of fuel before freeing the Nightmare Star, they¡¯d be completely doomed. That¡¯s why Yang Yi called Suna ¡ª he wanted her input on the execution details. After all, it was hard for one person to think of everything. With two minds, the plan would be much more refined! But before they got into the details, Suna suddenly asked: "Yang Yi, why do you smell like burnt flesh?" "Do I?" Yang Yi sniffed his thick cotton coat but didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. Suna, however, could smell it clearly. Her sense of smell was sharp, and she had caught this strange scent earlier. Now, she was sure it was coming from Yang Yi himself. Yet, Yang Yi was completely unaware. Then, it hit him ¡ª the smell of charred liquor! Just like drinking a lot of white liquor makes one reek of alcohol, consuming large amounts of charred liquor emitted a burnt stench, as if he would catch fire at any moment. Yang Yi shared the charred liquor¡¯s description with Suna to clear her doubts. "Want to try some?" He took out a cup of charred liquor, but Suna turned him down. She didn¡¯t like the burnt smell. So, the two and a half barrels of charred liquor were moved into the ship¡¯s cabin, stored for future use. With that settled, they focused on drafting the escape plan. Suna¡¯s suggestions turned out to be quite valuable. She proposed digging holes around the ship first. Once the holes were deep enough, they could light fires inside to increase the heated surface area of the ice. Since hot air rises, they could also place pots over the holes to heat water and pour the warm water onto the surrounding ice layers¡­ With the plan set, it was time for action! Yang Yi would be the primary executor, while Suna calculated fuel consumption and set up additional campfires on the deck. To ensure smooth burning, the first step was to clear away the ash snow around the Nightmare Star. The bone ash could interfere with combustion, so they needed a clean area to work with. This would have been a tedious task, but with Suna¡¯s Stitched Monster helping, it became effortless. Its tentacles could blow and suck air like a vacuum, clearing large patches of space in no time. Yang Yi then distributed over fifty stone pickaxes, made using the Simple Synthesis System, to his Skeletal Arms, ordering them to excavate the ice around the Nightmare Star and dig large enough pits. Once equipped, the skeletal arms moved to the ship¡¯s exterior and began chipping away. Those without pickaxes could use stones instead ¡ª there were still plenty of stone resources on the deck. If even stones weren¡¯t available, they could simply punch the ice. It didn¡¯t matter if they broke their hands ¡ª skeletal arms were renewable anyway! No lazy bones were allowed to slack off! Crafting the stone pickaxes had already consumed over 500 units of wood. Including the distributed stone materials, the stone consumption exceeded 400 units ¡ª a considerable expense. But at least, once used, the pickaxe handles could be burned as firewood, so it wouldn¡¯t be a total waste. With everything assigned, the skeletal arms got to work, filling the air with the constant clinking and clanking of tools. According to the plan, they needed to dig eighteen pits, evenly surrounding the ship. While the skeletal arms were digging, Yang Yi focused on purchasing iron pots. These pots could be resold later, so even though they were expensive, the actual financial loss would only be a slight price difference ¡ª not too significant. Yang Yi spent a total of 8,500 Shell Coins to buy seventeen large iron pots. Since they were made from steel alloys, he couldn¡¯t expect them to be cheap. After making the purchase, he went to the bow of the ship and used the water-soaked cannon to test the ice¡¯s thickness. One shot blasted a hole straight through. That was good news ¡ª it meant the ice layer wasn¡¯t too thick. Yang Yi ran over for a closer look and estimated the ice to be around 80 cm thick. The ice surrounding the Nightmare Star might be a bit thicker, but not by much. So, they decided to dig the pits to a depth of 50 cm. ¡°If only the water-soaked cannon was portable,¡± Yang Yi muttered to himself. ¡°If I could just aim it beneath the ship and fire a few rounds, we might break free immediately¡­¡± About five and a half hours later, the eighteen pits were finally dug out. And that was with Yang Yi helping ¡ª if he had left it to the Skeletal Arms alone, who knew how long it would¡¯ve taken! S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Their strength was just too weak, probably only 3 points in strength, making them incredibly inefficient. If they had to dig out all the surrounding ice, it would take one or two whole weeks! Once the pits were ready, Suna had also finished setting up over ten campfires on the deck and had prepared the fuel. The fuel was naturally the fat of Pale Worms, which had a lower density than water and could burn on the surface. Suna allocated 20 litres of fat per pit, totaling 360. After pouring the fuel in, she fired flaming arrows from the deck to ignite the pits. With the fires lit, they placed the pots over the flames, completing the initial setup. Now came the long waiting game, repeating the same process over and over. They added the chunks of ice dug from the pits into the pots, waited for them to melt, and then poured the hot water around the pits to expand them. Once the water cooled, they would scoop it back into the pots, reheat it, and continue the cycle. This step could be left to the Skeletal Arms. Later on, once the pits expanded into pools of water, they could move the pots onto the deck of the Nightmare Star and start boiling water directly. By continuously pouring hot water around the ship, they could keep the temperature high, while the Skeletal Arms stirred the water to promote heat circulation. Soon enough, the ice beneath the ship would thin out, until it could no longer hold the Nightmare Star in place, allowing them to break free! ¡­ Four and a half hours later, accompanied by the sound of creaking and cracking ice, the Nightmare Star finally broke free! The ship¡¯s immense engine power crushed the last thin layers of ice, and the vessel floated back onto the water¡¯s surface. Seizing the moment, Yang Yi adjusted the ship¡¯s angle, aiming the cannons southwest. He planned to use artillery fire to blast a path through the ice. Once the melted area expanded a bit more, they could finally sail out of this frozen trap! Everything was going smoothly¡­ Until suddenly, a cold wind blew in from the northeast, causing the temperature to plummet. Under normal circumstances, Yang Yi wouldn¡¯t have paid much attention to it. But now¡ª He realised the wind was coming from the northeast¡­and that was a big problem! Immediately, he switched to his Three-Eyed Vision and looked towards that direction. What he saw made his blood run cold¡ª A swarm of Ice Nest Worms was flying toward the Nightmare Star, still about two kilometres away! They hadn¡¯t arrived yet¡­but the chilling aura preceded them! ¡°¡­No way¡­¡± Yang Yi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Suna, who had been adding wood to the deck campfires, paused and turned towards him. ¡°The Ice Nest Worms are coming!¡± Yang Yi¡¯s voice carried a mix of exhaustion and frustration. He wasn¡¯t particularly afraid of the Ice Nest Worms. However, their arrival meant that the past half-day of effort was about to go to waste! ¡°Get off the deck!¡± Yang Yi snapped back to his senses and immediately ordered Suna. Then, he rushed into the captain¡¯s cabin¡ª If the Ice Nest Worms were coming, then he would bring out the Life Fireplace and burn the damn Worms to ashes! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 108 - Determined to head north Ashen-grey snow drifted down slowly. It was the cremated remains left behind after the Ice Nest Worms were burned. The Nightmare Star was so close to breaking free, but fate had other plans. More Ice Nest Worms arrived, freezing everything in place! As if nothing had ever happened, the Nightmare Star was once again trapped in the glacier, just from a different angle. Five minutes later, the swarm of worms was completely incinerated. Yang Yi and Suna returned to the deck, while the skeletal arm cleared away the sparse ashes left behind. ¡°Do you think the Twilight Veil can avoid the Ice Nest Worms?¡± Yang Yi asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I checked ¡ª Ice Nest Worms don¡¯t have visual sensors. They seem to be drawn by signals, probably because too many of them have died here. To them, this place is like an inextinguishable volcano. As for how they detect high-temperature objects¡­that¡¯s still a mystery.¡± Suna replied. Hearing this, Yang Yi frowned deeply. This meant the Ice Nest Worms would keep harassing the Nightmare Star in cycles. Escaping the glacier was nearly impossible! Even if the surrounding ice melted, blasting a path through the glacier with cannons would take at least several days. And in that time, the Ice Nest Worms would freeze everything over again! That left only two choices. The first was to wait until all the Ice Nest Worms were completely burned away and bet that they weren¡¯t infinite in number ¡ª hoping that only a few remained. If they waited a few more days and no more appeared, then escape would be unimpeded. And as for the second option¡­ Yang Yi¡¯s eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, he chose the second one. He disliked being passive, he preferred to take control of his own fate! ¡°I¡¯m planning to check out the northeastern direction,¡± he told Suna. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go too.¡± Suna responded quickly, as if she had already anticipated this decision. Yang Yi hesitated for a few seconds but didn¡¯t refuse. To him, Suna was merely trying to survive. He had no reason to force her to pin all her hopes on him alone. If his plan failed, she would most likely die. So, it was reasonable for her to want to be involved. He had no grounds to object. But whether that was truly Suna¡¯s intention was unclear. She certainly looked excited, though. Thus, the plan was set ¡ª both of them would head northeast to eliminate the Ice Nest Worm threat at its source. Meanwhile, the skeletal arm wouldn¡¯t stop working, digging continuously for 24 hours to make their eventual escape easier. With the arrangements in place, the clanging sounds of work started up again. Even Suna¡¯s stitched-together abomination joined in, using its tentacles to haul stone and dig¡­ Yang Yi and Suna, on the other hand, began preparing supplies for the journey ¡ª some needed to be purchased, like tents and sleeping bags, while others had to be crafted, like incendiary grenades. ¡­ At the same time, in another location within the Extreme Winter Sea¡­ Here lay the fleet of the New World Ship Clan. Nearly three hundred ships were interconnected, forming a floating village on the ocean. Each vessel was linked together with riveted wooden planks, and if their numbers were to double, they might well become a full-fledged floating city! Moreover, the layout of the ships was highly organised, divided into various zones ¡ª the agricultural sector led by the Farmer, the residential area, the port, the administrative district, and more. This was the early prototype of Shen Guanquan¡¯s maritime empire! At that moment, in the heart of the administrative district, aboard the Hope¡­ Zhao Tietou ignored the guards on duty and walked straight into the captain¡¯s cabin. ¡°Boss, you called for me?¡± Zhao Tietou asked in a deep voice. Shen Guanquan didn¡¯t look up, his eyes fixed on the newspaper in his hands. After a long pause, he finally spoke. ¡°What do you think One-Eye did to deal with the Ice Nest Worms?¡± ¡°Reporting to the boss ¡ª I have no idea!¡± Zhao Tietou answered honestly. Shen Guanquan put down the newspaper and changed the subject. ¡°What about that newly discovered clan? Are they willing to merge with us?¡± ¡°They refused.¡± ¡°Did they give a reason? Was it because the offer wasn¡¯t high enough, or did they have special demands?¡± ¡°Neither. He just said something really strange, then blocked me.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said: We¡¯ve already eaten enough.¡± Shen Guanquan frowned deeply, his brows forming a tight crease. ¡°Then forget it. A forcibly picked melon won¡¯t be sweet. Try looking for One-Eye instead ¡ª find out who he is and see if we can recruit him. Any terms are negotiable!¡± Shen Guanquan instructed. ¡°Boss¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll work,¡± Zhao Tietou voiced his honest thoughts. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that all these powerful guys¡­they all have something wrong up here.¡± Zhao Tietou tapped his temple. The implication was clear ¡ª most of them were either mentally unstable or outright insane. ¡°Still, give it a try! We have plenty of people, but we¡¯re short on fighters ¡ª especially elite ones.¡± With that, Shen Guanquan waved Zhao Tietou off and immersed himself back in his work. But Zhao Tietou didn¡¯t leave right away. Instead, he stared at the towering piles of documents in the captain¡¯s cabin and at Shen Guanquan, who was buried among them. The sight unsettled him. In truth, when he talked about mentally unstable players, he was also referring to Shen Guanquan. His transformation was too drastic ¡ª it was as if he had completely embodied the role of a ¡°leader¡±, so much so that he might have forgotten who he really was. After all, Shen Guanquan had started out as a bandit¡­ ¡­ The next day, aboard he Nightmare Star. Yang Yi and Suna were making their final preparations for the journey. Suna had already taken The Book of Scorching Flames, saying she wanted to read it. She had even dragged a large wooden bathtub into her room, seemingly intending to follow Yang Yi¡¯s advice ¡ª boil some hot water and read while soaking in the tub. Meanwhile, Yang Yi browsed the world chat channel, purchasing essential supplies like sleeping bags and tents. He bought three sleeping bags for a total of 2,800 Shell Coins. Originally priced at 1,000 Shell Coins each, he managed to haggle a discount. ¡¾Name: Cold-Resistant Cotton Sleeping Bag¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Fine¡¿¡¾Description: A sleeping bag commonly used for cold-weather outdoor travel, providing good insulation.¡¿ As for the tent, it cost 2,000 Shell Coins. Since there wasn¡¯t high demand for it, the price was relatively low. ¡¾Name: Field Tent¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿¡¾Quality: Premium¡¿¡¾Description: A foldable tent designed for wilderness survival, sturdy and wind-resistant, easy to set up, with a built-in moisture-proof mat and decent insulation ¡¿ Even though the journey wasn¡¯t expected to be too far, temporary rest stops were a possibility, making the tent and sleeping bags essential. On the other side, Suna had already heated the water and tested the temperature with her toes. It was a bit too hot, so she added some cold water until it felt just right. After finishing her preparations, Suna undressed and eagerly slipped into the bathtub, then opened The Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1) in her hands. Like Yang Yi before her, once she started reading, she couldn¡¯t look away. However, unlike him, each page she finished instantly burned to ash. At the same time, waves of intense heat radiated from the book. But thanks to her being submerged in water, she wasn¡¯t burned ¡ª only her skin turned slightly red. Finally, as she flipped the last page, the entire book was consumed by flames and vanished before her eyes. ¡¾You have fully read The Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1). Sanity -20. You have gained knowledge of fire. You have created the spell ¡ª Fireball. ¡¿ ¡¾Fireball: Condenses ambient heat into a high-temperature sphere, which can then be projected. Requires 5 Mana.¡¿ Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ch. 109 - Expedition to the Glacier Yang Yi gathered all the necessary supplies. Afterwards, he went to the ship''s cabin and spent 150 units of fabric to make three thick cotton coats for emergencies. Once he finished, he headed towards Suna''s room. Since their preparations were nearly complete, it was about time to set off. As he approached Suna¡¯s room, he suddenly felt the temperature drop ¡ª by almost 10 degrees. Outside the door, Suna stood wrapped in a robe, while a bright, basketball-sized fireball hovered at her fingertips in the distance. ¡°Fireball spell?¡± Yang Yi was stunned. Suna flicked her wrist, hurling the fireball towards the glacier beneath the Nightmare Star. Steam immediately erupted as seawater vaporised with a sharp hissing sound ¡ª just like a red-hot branding iron piercing into ice. As the steam cleared, a large crater about 30 centimetres deep was revealed in the glacier. Melted seawater pooled inside, still boiling. It hadn¡¯t broken through completely, but if that attack had hit someone, they would probably be half-cooked! After casting her spell, Suna¡¯s damp hair frosted over with ice crystals. Without a word, she rushed back into her room, leaving Yang Yi standing alone in the cold wind. ¡°Why is it that you learned Fireball, but I learnt something else?¡± No one could answer him. Sighing, he walked to Suna¡¯s door and knocked twice. The door wasn¡¯t locked, and inside, he could hear the sound of water splashing in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m still taking a bath!¡± Suna called out. Yang Yi had no intention of going in. He simply informed her that everything was nearly ready, and it was time to depart. He told her to double-check her supplies. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. An hour later, they met at the ship¡¯s bow for a final equipment check. They ensured they had fresh water, food, firewood, fuel, potions, distilled liquor, weapons, sleeping bags, tents, and other essentials. Additionally, Suna had made 200 simple incendiary bombs using oil, consuming 100 litres of it. The remaining 800 were enough to help the Nightmare Star break free ¡ª if they weren¡¯t disrupted by Ice Nest Worms. After finalising their preparations, they got ready to set out. Suna¡¯s gear included a hunting bow (slightly degraded), armour-piercing arrows, a longsword, and a small round shield. She was dressed in a down jacket and a fire-wool sweater. Yang Yi¡¯s loadout remained the same ¡ª his usual weapons and potions. He wore a thick cotton coat and a fire-wool sweater. As for his spiderweb gloves, they had unfortunately been burned to ashes when he read the book. Their food supply was enough for about a week, which should be sufficient since the Ice Nest Worms'' hive wasn¡¯t too far away. Besides, they wouldn¡¯t take their eyes off the Nightmare Star for too long. With their final checks complete, Yang Yi gave an order to the Bone Arm: every three hours, it was to add wood to the Life Fireplace, ensuring the fire never went out. That way, even if the Ice Nest Worms attacked, they would be burned to ash by the furnace¡¯s flames. After setting everything in order, the two climbed down the ship¡¯s ladder and headed northeast. However, after only about a hundred metres, Yang Yi suddenly stopped and blocked Suna¡¯s path. He had spotted a swarm of Ice Nest Worms. They were surging in from the northeast at high speed. Yang Yi and Suna immediately crouched down, watching as the Ice Nest Worms rushed towards the Nightmare Star and dove straight into the Life Fireplace. The creatures always prioritised attacking fire or high-temperature objects. Only when there were no flames would they target warm-blooded beings with body temperatures around 37 degrees. Five minutes later, the swarm had been completely incinerated, turning into grey snowflakes that gently drifted from the sky. Yang Yi recalled the previous attack intervals of the Ice Nest Worms and did a quick calculation. Based on past incidents, the swarm attacked approximately every 22 hours. At least so far, the pattern had remained consistent. Using this information, Yang Yi and Suna could attempt to avoid the Ice Nest Worms altogether ¡ª so long as they stayed out of their direct path toward the Nightmare Star. A 37-degree body temperature versus a distant "volcano" (the Life Fireplace) ¡ª clearly, the "volcano" was the more urgent threat. With that in mind, the two continued forwards. ¡­ Ten hours later, the two travelled about 40 kilometres northeast, taking a short break midway. To Yang Yi¡¯s surprise, Suna did not slow them down. Her base attributes had likely all reached the average value of 5 for an adult human, and her agility had even hit 6. It seemed that dissecting aberrant creatures was physically demanding work. Moreover, she frequently had to move and adjust various instruments, stir giant cauldrons, and perform other strenuous tasks. Her training intensity was not low ¡ª in fact, she had been constantly exercising, leading to rapid attribute growth. Yang Yi glanced at the temperature. At that point, the lowest temperature had already dropped below -40¡ãC. He could clearly feel a powerful cold current coming from the northeast. The wind wasn¡¯t strong, just a gentle breeze, but the chill was bone-piercing. In such extreme conditions, a thick cotton coat and a fire-wool sweater weren¡¯t enough to keep warm; one would still shiver uncontrollably from the cold. Fortunately, Yang Yi had previously found a large supply of distilled liquor, which provided excellent cold resistance. It worked so well that drinking too much even made one sweat ¡ª sweating in the dead of winter! Suna hated the cold, so she drank some as well, despite disliking the taste. At first, unaware of its potency, she took a big gulp. Her face turned bright red, and her skin felt like it was burning. She immediately squatted down in pain. After removing her down jacket and rubbing her face with snow, she finally recovered. From then on, she didn¡¯t dare drink too much, only taking a small sip when she felt particularly cold. The two continued forwards. After another two kilometres, Yang Yi suddenly stopped and held Suna back. All along the way, he had been using his Third Eye to scout. Every 2,000 steps or so, he would glance northeast with it. Just now, at the edge of his vision, he had spotted several rows of human ice sculptures. They were about 17 kilometres away. Due to his limited field of view, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t determine their total number, but just within his sight, there were already over a hundred, arranged in multiple rows. They were all naked, crouching in the freezing snow, their bodies marked with strange deep-blue tattoos. Their posture was identical ¡ª arms wrapped around their knees, heads buried between their legs, huddled in a squat. Occasionally, they trembled slightly, shaking loose bits of frost. ¡°What did you find?¡± Suna asked. Holding a torch in her left hand, her vision barely extended more than ten metres ¡ª she had no way of seeing what lay ahead. Only Yang Yi, with his Third Eye, could pierce through the white mist and see far into the distance. ¡°There are many frozen people up ahead... and they¡¯re still alive.¡± Yang Yi spoke in a low voice. He observed them for a minute and confirmed that they simply remained crouched, shivering occasionally, but otherwise motionless. He then withdrew his gaze, put on his blindfold, and his expression grew serious. ¡°These frozen people must be Ice Nest Cultists...¡± Yang Yi concluded. This fit his prior assumptions about the cultists ¡ª fanatics who refused to wear clothes, choosing instead to revel in the extreme cold, naked in the icy wilderness. Their behavior wasn¡¯t much different from those pyromaniacal Fire Worshipers, except one group sought heat while the other sought cold. It also meant that the temperature ahead would plummet even further. Otherwise, the Ice Nest Cultists wouldn¡¯t be gathered there. The temperature could drop below -100¡ãC! In such extreme cold, even a single breath could cause frostbite in the respiratory tract! Even the carbon dioxide they exhaled might freeze solid! It was unclear whether distilled liquor could fend off such deadly cold. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? Should we rest first or keep moving?¡± Suna asked. She didn¡¯t look too bad, but Yang Yi had checked the crew status panel ¡ª her stamina was barely above 40. Resting before proceeding would be the safer option. So, he replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush. Let¡¯s take a break, eat something, and then find a suitable spot to set up camp. Once we¡¯re fully rested, we¡¯ll decide our next move.¡± For the next part of the journey, neither of them planned to use torches or start a fire. They couldn¡¯t risk attracting the Ice Nest Worms. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 110 - Prohibited Camp Watch Yang Yi and Suna rested in place for half an hour. During that time, Yang Yi drank a bottle of Appetite Enhancing Potion and ate a hearty meal. Suna, on the other hand, drank a bottle of Vitality Coconut Juice. Afterwards, the two continued forwards, stopping about seven kilometres from the ice sculptures to set up a tent. They deliberately took a slightly longer route to position themselves at a less conspicuous location. If the Ice Nest Worms flew towards the Nightmare Star, they wouldn¡¯t pass directly overhead. As long as they didn¡¯t start a fire, they should be able to avoid attracting the Ice Nest Worms¡¯ attention. Yang Yi used his Third Eye to scan the northeast. From this vantage point, he could finally take in the full scene. The number of ice sculptures was in the tens of thousands, covering men, women, and the elderly alike. They were clustered within a wide circular area, all in the same posture ¡ª arms wrapped around their knees, curled up on the ground ¡ª arranged in countless concentric circles. The density increased toward the centre, making it difficult for Yang Yi to determine the exact number. From a distance, they looked like rows of neatly arranged eggs which occasionally trembled, as if something inside was about to hatch. And at the very center of this mass of "eggs¡±, there was one significantly larger ¡ª at least five times the size of the others! It was a giant, with unusually long limbs and a disproportionately short torso, its body structure severely distorted. Yang Yi couldn¡¯t determine its exact height, but even curled up, it was over two metres tall. Moreover, its body was different from the other Ice Nest followers ¡ª it appeared to be made of crystal or gemstone. Yang Yi described everything he saw to Suna. ¡°A giant?¡± Suna''s eyes lit up. She immediately handed him paper and a pen, urging him to draw it. That put Yang Yi in a bit of a predicament. He hesitated for a long moment before finally sketching out a crude rendition of the giant, his drawing skills barely reaching a third-grade level. Suna, however, didn¡¯t seem to mind. Instead, she examined it seriously. ¡°Its limbs are long and uneven?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re symmetrical. I just drew them badly.¡± ¡°Its feet are round, without toes?¡± ¡°I forgot to add them.¡± ¡°...¡± After some back-and-forth, Suna managed to form a rough understanding of the giant, though most of it was based on Yang Yi¡¯s verbal description. ¡°But what about the Ice Nest Worms?¡± she asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any,¡± Yang Yi shook his head. That, in fact, was what puzzled him the most. In what appeared to be the Ice Nest Worms¡¯ lair, not a single one was in sight. Instead, there were just countless frozen people, curled up and trembling from time to time. As for how to deal with the ice sculptures, further observation was necessary. Their sheer numbers made any rash action too risky... Yang Yi took the tent stakes Suna handed him and began setting up the tent. The location was already chosen, and a moisture-proof mat was laid down. He hammered the stakes into the four corners using the back of his long-handled axe, which functioned similarly to a hammer in this case. After securing the stakes, the two assembled the tent frame, connected the inner and outer layers, and tightened it. With that, a field tent was erected, its entrance facing northeast. Yang Yi checked the weather information. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Today''s Weather It was already -52¡ãC. That was roughly equivalent to Antarctic temperatures ¡ª enough to freeze an ordinary person solid in no time. Without a fire for warmth, survival would be impossible. Fortunately, Yang Yi and Suna had Frostburn Liquor, an incredible tool for resisting the cold. Paired with their thermal clothing, it was enough to withstand the extreme chill! Yang Yi handed Suna a flintlock rifle and a Pale Worm Hand Cannon, reminding her: ¡°If you hear a hissing sound, don¡¯t hesitate ¡ª fire the Hand Cannon immediately and wake me up.¡± Yang Yi reminded her. The two had discussed and decided to stick to their usual routine ¡ª Yang Yi would sleep first and take the second half of the night watch. Since the Ice Nest Worms appeared roughly every 22 hours, there was a high chance they would show up in the latter half of the night. By then, the Ice Nest followers would also start to take action. So, it was safer for Yang Yi to take the later shift. After handing Suna the weapons and tools, Yang Yi decisively crawled into his sleeping bag, positioning himself where he could keep an eye on the tent entrance before closing his eyes to rest. His priority was to recover as quickly as possible. Four hours later, Yang Yi woke up. After confirming that nothing unusual had happened, he checked his status panel. Yang Yi (Mortal) Extraordinary Path: Corruption [9%] / Spider Book / Charred One Talents: Steel Will, Refuse to Die Spells: Limb Enhancement, Limb Restoration, Limb Explosion, Spider Mother Invocation, Flames of Healing, Burn With Me Abilities: Third Eye Thanks to the benefits of a full meal and proper rest, Yang Yi had recovered completely in a short amount of time. Beside him, Suna was curled up with her knees drawn to her chest, reeking of burnt alcohol ¡ª she had clearly drunk some Scorched Liquor. However, she wasn¡¯t completely knocked out. She remained alert, crouched near the tent entrance in a vigilant stance. By her feet lay the Pale Worm Hand Cannon and some scattered notes. ¡°Suna, good work. Go get some rest!¡± Yang Yi crawled out of his sleeping bag and walked over to her. She was already exhausted, with only 28 stamina remaining, and had been forcing herself to stay awake. The moment she saw Yang Yi awake, she wasted no time getting up. Staggering slightly, she headed into the tent and crawled straight into his sleeping bag ¡ª it was warmer inside. Yang Yi silently observed her the whole time until she fell asleep. Afterwards, he picked up the Pale Worm Hand Cannon and the flintlock rifle from the ground, then gathered the scattered notes and set them aside neatly. Once everything was in order, he lifted his blindfold and looked northeast. Nothing had changed since before he slept ¡ª the ice sculptures were still crouched on the ground, trembling. Yang Yi observed for a few seconds before withdrawing his gaze and switching to the Interdimensional Chat Channel. With the perpetual daylight, everyone¡¯s sleep schedules were thrown off. Adding to that, the sea was shrouded in thick fog, making fishing difficult. Because of this, the chat channel was constantly active, with no real distinction between different times of the day. Ever since the first issue of the weekly journal was released, players had become wary of the Ice Nest Worms, consciously controlling the size of their fires to avoid attracting them. Even so, there were still unlucky ones who got attacked. Yang Yi only had to skim a few pages before spotting three such incidents. ¡°I hear the Ice Nest Worms! I¡¯m doomed!¡± ¡°Make the fire bigger! Burn all the Pale Worms and fuel in the storage!¡± ¡°Will that even work?¡± ¡°Of course it will! It¡¯ll help lure away as many of the worms as possible.¡± ¡°Ah, f***...¡± ¡­ ¡°Old Wei decided to blind-sail, betting there are no icebergs ahead. Staying inside and keeping the fire small is the safest bet!¡± ¡°+1¡± ¡°It¡¯s already -30¡ãC! Damn!¡± Suddenly, a flood of new messages appeared. Yang Yi immediately switched to the latest page of the chat. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 111 - New World and Lost Exiles Yang Yi flipped to the latest page of the World Chat Channel and saw a message that caused a huge stir. "I am Shen Guanquan, leader of the New World Fleet! I have a way to safely navigate this sea! I will remain at coordinates XXXXX:XXXXX for 48 hours. You can come here, follow the fleet, and cross this sea with us! But please note, you must maintain a safe distance of at least 20 nautical miles. Otherwise, you will suffer a fatal attack." Yang Yi quickly skimmed through the message and continued scrolling to check other players¡¯ reactions. "This is huge!" "I''m coming right now!""The New World Fleet is very trustworthy. I have friends there!""I''m too far away..." ... "Shen Guanquan, that guy..." Yang Yi was a little surprised. He realised that when Shen Guanquan sold information about the Ice Nest Worms, he had already thought this step through. He was waiting ¡ª waiting for players to recognise the terror of the Ice Nest Worms, and then stepping forwards to declare that he had a way to lead them out of danger! A rather brilliant publicity stunt! Even though Shen Guanquan never explicitly mentioned recruitment, by now, people desperate to join the New World Fleet were probably lining up in droves. If he truly did what he claimed, leading a massive number of players out of the Extreme Winter Sea...the New World Fleet¡¯s reputation would skyrocket to its peak, unshakable by anyone! Messages flooded in at an overwhelming speed, making it hard to keep up even with the system¡¯s quantum reading capabilities. Suddenly, an inconspicuous message was quickly drowned out in the sea of comments. "The Lost Exiles Fleet eats people...." Yang Yi saw it, but many players probably didn¡¯t ¡ª it was instantly buried under the overwhelming flood of messages. ... Just ten minutes earlier, the Lost Exiles Fleet had welcomed two new guests ¡ª a man and a woman, a couple who had met at sea. They had accepted the fleet¡¯s invitation and hospitality. "Welcome to the Lost Exiles Fleet." The one greeting them was the fleet¡¯s vice leader, Veil, a dignified and elegant blonde beauty. Dressed in a well-fitted gown, she spoke with grace and warmth, easing the newcomers¡¯ nerves. "Our leader has prepared a banquet in your honour to welcome you. Please, follow me." Veil curtsied slightly before turning to lead the way. Their location was a unique ship known as Feast, equipped with a restaurant, a kitchen, and a massive cold storage for food supplies. ¡°We¡¯ve definitely come to the right place!¡± ¡°The Lost Exiles Fleet only has about a dozen ships in total. Maybe we could become core members in the future!¡± The new man was excited, but his female companion looked worried. They were low on supplies, so they thought about joining a fleet. When they saw that the Lost Exiles Fleet was recruiting, offering food, wood, and hot water, they decided to contact them. After some communication, they were surprised to find that they were quite close to the Lost Exiles Fleet and met the requirements to join, so they were invited. It wasn¡¯t just a casual invitation; there was a strict screening process. They had to provide photos (without clothes) and personal information, such as age, gender, weight, height, and even measurements... (1) After passing the screening, the two received an entry gift, including a small amount of wood and black bread. More gifts would be given in person...including a mysterious rare item! So, the two set off for the coordinates provided by the Lost Exiles Fleet, since their food supply was low and would only last for a day or two. Now, back to the present. The two new recruits entered the restaurant of the Feast and found a long rectangular table. There were chairs on both sides of the table, all occupied except for two, which seemed to be reserved for them. The table was covered with empty plates, but the dishes hadn¡¯t been served yet... ¡°Welcome!¡± ¡°Welcome, both of you!¡± ¡°Slurp...welcome!¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Everyone stood and clapped to welcome the newcomers, making it a grand occasion. Finally, the leader of the Lost Exiles Fleet, Wiseman, who sat at the other end of the table, stood up and said in a friendly, calm voice: ¡°Welcome, my delicious friends!¡± (2) He wore a golden mask, so his face was hidden, but his tone was very cordial. ¡°I am...¡± The new man was about to introduce himself, but was interrupted by Wiseman. ¡°No need. We already know you!¡± ¡°Before we eat, please make sure to clean yourselves. This is a rule of the Lost Exiles Fleet.¡± The two newcomers were stunned; they had never heard of such a rule before. It was common to wash your hands before a meal, but to take a bath before eating...that was almost unheard of! What kind of cleanliness obsession did these people have to require a bath before a meal? But then, the two looked at the well-dressed and tidy faces around them... then at their own clothes, which looked like they were begging on the street. ¡°I see. They think we¡¯re too dirty!¡± The new man understood and explained to his companion. At that moment, Vice Leader Veil spoke from behind them: ¡°Two of you, the hot water is ready. It¡¯s in the next room. Please clean yourselves up and come to the banquet quickly.¡± She finished speaking and led them to the bathroom next door. As Veil had said, inside were two large wooden tubs with hot water steaming from them. The new man tested the water temperature with his hand and nearly got burned. He then asked, ¡°Is there any cold water? The water is too hot!¡± Veil politely shook her head, took their clothes, and said there were new clothes waiting outside. She asked them to wash up quickly or the food would get cold... Inside the bathroom, only the two newcomers remained. The woman spoke quietly, ¡°Do you smell something?¡± ¡°What kind of smell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s kind of fishy...¡± ... Fifteen minutes later, the two emerged from the bath, wrapped in bathrobes, and returned to the dining hall. Everyone was already seated at the table. The two empty seats were now occupied, one was taken by Miss Veil. Everyone seemed to be ready to eat, with knives and forks in hand, white napkins on their chests, but only plates were on the table. Then, everyone looked at the two freshly bathed individuals, and a sense of great fear rose within them. Suddenly, Miss Veil¡¯s nose fell off and dropped into her plate. She smiled apologetically, carefully picking up the nose. But soon, half of her face fell off as well, revealing rotting tissue beneath the skin... The only remaining empty seat had a book placed on it ¡ª a rare item book, Introduction to the Cannibal Cult: A Beginner¡¯s Guide. (1) Very creepy already -Simply (2)"Delicious¡± noooooo oo -Simply Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 112 - The Call of Extreme Cold Yang Yi closed the chat channel, took two gulps of burnt liquor, and began to tremble. The fiery sensation was overwhelmingly intense, almost intoxicating. After steadying himself, he once again used his Third Eye to scout the northeast and then stood up. The Ice Nest cultists were making their move. They were slowly rising, their movements incredibly sluggish. As they did, parts of their bodies began to fall off ¡ª fingers, ears, toes, even half an arm. Yet, there was no blood from the severed sections. The wounds had been frozen solid, resembling broken glass. Only the central giant was an exception. He seemed fully adapted to the extreme cold, unaffected by freezing temperatures ¡ª or perhaps, he had simply embraced the frost. Either way, he did not shed body parts and stood up quickly. Once fully upright, he reached nearly ten metres. His head had no face, no features, just a massive, rhombus-shaped block of ice. His limbs were unnaturally long, with legs exceeding seven metres and arms stretching six, giving him the appearance of a noodle-like figure. In his right hand, he held an egg-shaped ice crystal. Something was sealed within it ¡ª a head belonging to an elderly figure, with a chip embedded in its forehead. Previously, while crouching, the giant had been cradling this ice crystal, making it impossible for Yang Yi to detect. Only then did he realise it was there. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, the head within the ice crystal was alive, its eyes were open, its mouth moving, speaking. Yang Yi observed closely, analysing the lip movements, attempting to decipher its speech. ¡°Do not...approach the White Palace...must expel...high temperatures...¡± As he read the lips, he became increasingly absorbed, muttering to himself as if entranced. ¡°In this world, only the cold is truly fair. It brings all things to peace, to share in eternity.¡± ¡¾Fascinating. Your sanity decreases by 10.¡¿ A sudden chill ran through Yang Yi, snapping him back to reality. He realised his body was coated in frost. It had not formed on his clothes, but directly on his skin ¡ª an unnatural phenomenon. At the same time, a strong, burnt odour emanated from him, so pungent that even he noticed it. In her sleep, Suna stirred, wrinkling her nose before turning over. And just like that, the frost on Yang Yi¡¯s body vanished as if it had never appeared. Then, a system message popped up. ¡¾Oath prerequisite mission failed. You have rejected the Call of Extreme Cold.¡¿ Seeing the message, Yang Yi tensed. He had just escaped a major disaster. He had nearly become one of them ¡ª one of the frozen. Had he succumbed, he might have ended up like those Ice Nest cultists, curled up, shivering in the icy wasteland... ¡°It seems that knowing too much is actually dangerous...¡± Yang Yi muttered to himself. He then silently approached Suna and touched her face. No sign of frost. Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he stopped listening to the giant¡¯s words and instead focused on its actions. Once the giant finished speaking, the cultists began to move. They shuffled closer, then crouched down again, curling into fetal positions, hugging their knees, and tucking their heads in. Immediately after, an enormous foot descended, crushing one of them. The process was long and deliberate, as the giant applied pressure slowly, methodically grinding the cultist¡¯s body into pieces. Yang Yi watched. He never observed continuously, only glancing for a few seconds before looking away to rest his vision for over ten seconds before glancing again. Such method greatly prolonged the usage time of his Third Eye. After crushing the flesh of over a hundred cultists, the giant waved his hand, and the frozen remains on the ground began to change. The shards of their bodies froze further, sprouting insect limbs and wings before taking flight. Even the severed body parts that had fallen earlier transformed into Ice Nest Worms and flew towards the Nightmare Star. Yang Yi watched them leave before retracting his gaze, ceasing his scouting. There was no need ¡ª he now understood where the Ice Nest Worms came from. He also needed to rest and prepare for the coming battle. After sending off this swarm of Ice Nest Worms, the remaining cultists crouched down again, curling into their egg-like forms, trembling intermittently... Yang Yi took another sip of burnt liquor, found a comfortable spot, and began sorting through his intelligence. There were many Ice Nest cultists, but they lacked the ability to transform into Ice Nest Worms on their own. They needed the giant to complete the process. Moreover, they were extremely slow. Without the giant, their threat level was negligible. As long as he could eliminate the giant, all the problems would be solved! Yang Yi¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits as he pondered his strategy... Six hours later. Suna woke up. She checked her status panel. Suna (Mortal) Extraordinary Path: Truth Talents: Witch¡¯s Blood, Forbidden Scholar Spells: Curling Touch, Summon Flesh Golem, Fireball Abilities: None Her condition had fully recovered, and she had slept quite comfortably. She unzipped her sleeping bag and crawled out, the movement catching Yang Yi¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Yang Yi looked over and asked. ¡°Mm.¡± She responded. A few minutes later¡ª ¡°So, in other words, we have to take down that giant if we want to escape this glacier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yang Yi confirmed. He told Suna about everything he had witnessed the previous night, including the strategy he had already devised ¡ª a decapitation strike. Yang Yi would charge in to slay the giant, while Suna provided cover. However, there were still some details that needed further discussion... Two hours later. Yang Yi and Suna halted about a hundred metres away from the cluster of cultists. The outermost Ice Nest cultists had begun to react, slowly rising to their feet. And as one stood, others followed ¡ª like a chain reaction of dominoes spreading rapidly. A massive number of Ice Nest cultists began to stand, including the Frost Giant in the very centre, less than 500 metres away from Yang Yi. ¡°This is as far as we go. They¡¯ve noticed us.¡± Yang Yi spoke seriously, pulling out the long-sealed Broken Iron from his stomach pouch and slamming it into the ground, creating a small crater. He had already used the fear-wraith inside it to lower his sanity below 50, pushing himself into a frenzy. Then, he and Suna quickly gathered wood and built a fire pit that could sustain a continuous blaze. The process took several minutes, but there was no real urgency. From the moment the Ice Nest cultists began rising to when they turned their heads towards them, it took one to two minutes. Moving toward Yang Yi and Suna would take even longer. In comparison, the greater challenge was the sheer cold of this place ¡ª the temperature had dropped to minus seventy degrees and was still falling! Even with burnt liquor to warm their bodies, their movements were severely restricted. So, the first thing they did was start a fire ¡ª to raise the temperature in the area and disperse the white mist! Suddenly, a wave of cold air swept in from the front, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet even further. With it came an ancient and authoritative voice. ¡°How did you find this place?¡± Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 113 - Unrivalled The crystalline giant at the centre stood up, the severed head cradled in his hands glaring furiously, its eyes wide open and locked onto Yang Yi and Suna. He was confused. The white mist should have concealed this place ¡ª how had these two found their way here? But that didn¡¯t stop his fury! Any high-temperature intruder daring to defile the White Palace would be expelled. These two were no exception! As the cold wave swept through, the temperature around Yang Yi and Suna plummeted to nearly minus one hundred degrees. Frost formed on their clothing, and even carbon dioxide in the air condensed into mist. All the Ice Nest cultists also began moving towards them, their steps slow but relentless. Fortunately, by that time, the bonfire was finally set up ¡ª built from wood soaked in the fat of pale worms, ensuring a long, sustained burn. However, in such an extreme environment, trying to ignite a fire with flint was nearly impossible. Magic was the only option. Suna gripped the Sea Serpent Fang and cast Fireball, instantly setting the bonfire ablaze! The heat from the flames melted the frost forming on their bodies. From there, things became much easier. Suna lit wooden arrows strapped with incendiary bombs and fired them, creating patches of burning ground. Blazes erupted across the glacier, dispersing the surrounding white mist, and visibility instantly improved. Her goal was simple ¡ª create chaos, disrupt the battlefield, and give Yang Yi the cover he needed to take down the giant. ¡°Unforgivable! You are defiling this sacred glacier!¡± The crystalline giant roared in rage, his massive body pounding forwards with thunderous steps. At first glance, his movements seemed slow, but with each step covering nearly ten metres, his actual speed was terrifying! Suna could see the giant clearly. Just as Yang Yi had described, he was extremely tall, with elongated limbs and a head that was nothing more than a massive chunk of ice. In his hands, he carried a frozen egg-like structure, within which an elderly head was sealed, an ice crystal embedded in its forehead. Charging forwards, the giant crushed Ice Nest cultists underfoot without hesitation. With a mere gesture, the shattered corpses on the ground became encased in ice, transforming into Ice Nest Worms. ¡°Hurry! Extinguish these blasphemous flames!¡± The Ice Nest Worms took to the air, swarming towards the nearest fires. ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡± Yang Yi stood up, raising Broken Iron with his grotesquely swollen right arm. It was his first time using Limb Enhancement, which consumed 5 mana and took about 10 seconds to activate. Countless tiny spiders burrowed into his right arm, stimulating its latent potential. By the time the process was complete, his right arm had grown thicker than his thigh, surging with raw power. The muscles within swelled so much that they tore through his skin, though little blood seeped out. With his Limb Enhancement fully activated, his right arm''s strength had reached an astonishing 11 points ¡ª enough to wield Broken Iron with a single hand! Without hesitation, he surged forwards, his heavy steps echoing as he charged towards the giant. However, his movements were awkward ¡ª his body''s strength had become severely unbalanced. While his right arm boasted 11 points of strength, making him over four times stronger than before, his core and lower body strength remained at 8, causing him to stagger with every step, his posture slightly crooked. Gripping his sword with both hands, he casually swung, instantly smashing four or five Ice Nest cultists into pulp. The sheer force of the attack sent a powerful gust of wind sweeping forwards, toppling several more cultists behind them. Yang Yi didn¡¯t stop ¡ª he only struck down those who blocked his path, closing the distance between himself and the giant as quickly as possible. At that moment, the giant was still crushing cultists beneath his feet, urging them to transform into Ice Nest Worms to snuff out the flames across the glacier. However, starting a fire was far easier than putting one out. After all, the Ice Nest Worms needed time to convert, and that was more than enough for Suna to fire off multiple arrows. After shooting over twenty wooden arrows, Suna switched tactics ¡ª hurling incendiary bombs instead. The firebombs, crafted from pale worm oil, burned fiercely whether on ice or water. As a swarm of Ice Nest Worms rushed toward the bonfire beside her¡ª Suna pulled out the Pale Worm Hand Cannon, which had been prepared in advance, aimed skywards, and pulled the trigger. Boom! A three-metre-wide pale worm shot out from the cannon''s muzzle, the recoil so powerful that it sent Suna crashing onto the ice. It looked painful. Had she not held the cannon with both hands, she might have lost her grip entirely ¡ª an outcome too dire to imagine! The massive pale worm opened its maw, unleashing a terrifying vacuum-like suction, swallowing up the swarming Ice Nest Worms in an instant. Even the Ice Nest cultists shambling towards her were pulled in! The scene was strangely satisfying, like clearing a cluttered desk, or sweeping away the trash. Suna firmly adjusted her grip, directing the hand cannon to vacuum up any cultists and Worms that dared to approach. Meanwhile, the pale worm gradually swelled in size, bloated from devouring so many Ice Nest Worms and cultist corpses. The sheer cold they carried caused frost to form on its body, but its natural resistance to extreme temperatures kept it unaffected. ¡­ Meanwhile, back to Yang Yi. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After crushing wave after wave of cultists, he finally reached the giant. Standing before this 10-metre-tall monstrosity, Yang Yi could feel the crushing sense of oppression emanating from its towering form. A three-story-tall body, slender yet shimmering like a gem, radiating cold beyond -100¡ãC, every aspect of its presence screamed overwhelming power! Before such a being, an ordinary human felt as helpless as a three-year-old child. ¡¾The Giant''s Presence Overwhelms You. Sanity -10¡¿ Yet Yang Yi remained stood his ground. Gripping Broken Iron with both hands, he channeled every ounce of his strength, swinging down towards the giant¡¯s knee in a mighty, earth-splitting cleave. Clang! The metallic impact rang out deafeningly, but the devastating strike did nothing. Even Yang Yi himself was momentarily stunned. The giant¡¯s durability had far exceeded his expectations. His full-force attack had been caught effortlessly, with a single hand. The blade of Broken Iron trembled, seemingly struggling to break free. Even the fearful wraiths sealed within the sword emerged, silently screaming at the giant¡ª But it was all in vain. Yang Yi¡¯s strongest attack had done nothing but chip a few tiny shards from the giant¡¯s left hand, barely a scratch. Worse still. The bone-chilling cold surged up from Broken Iron, rapidly numbing his right arm and half his body. "Are you done yet?" The giant barely acknowledged Yang Yi¡¯s existence. Lifting Broken Iron like a child¡¯s toy, he effortlessly hoisted Yang Yi into the air with sheer brute strength. This was the helplessness of mortals before the extraordinary. Even after exerting all his might, wielding a greatsword over two meters long, Yang Yi might as well have been attacking with a nail clipper ¡ª completely ineffectual. A deep resentment and despair surged through Broken Iron, creeping into Yang Yi¡¯s very bones and mind. It was the lingering emotion of its creator, who had once faced an insurmountable foe ¡ª and failed. But Yang Yi wasn¡¯t shaken at all. Instead, a faint smirk flickered across his face. Letting his frozen right hand maintain Broken Iron''s balance, he slipped his left hand into his coat. And pulled out a flintlock pistol. Switching to cannon mode. Boom! The Gleaming Flintlock Pistol roared with fury! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 114 - Ascended to the Extraordinary! The immense recoil from the flintlock gun wrenched Yang Yi free from his restraints. Of course, this was also because the giant had let go. After all, the shot was aimed directly at its vital point ¡ª it struck the ice egg cradled in the crystalline giant¡¯s right hand. Even before the battle began, Yang Yi and Suna had discussed and analysed their enemy. Both of them had come to the same conclusion: the head in the giant¡¯s right hand was its true body! As for the giant itself, it was most likely just a puppet controlled by that head! Thus, Yang Yi¡¯s battle plan was simple ¡ª approach the giant while wielding the conspicuous Broken Iron, launch an attack, then catch the enemy off guard by switching to the flintlock gun¡¯s cannon mode and firing at the ice egg at point-blank range, leaving the giant no time to react! And he succeeded! The head in the giant¡¯s hand was blasted over two hundred metres away, crashing into the glacier with a series of terrified screams. Immediately after, the crystalline giant erupted with unprecedented speed, dashing towards the head, crouching down to shield it while carefully picking it up. Cracks now covered the ice egg¡¯s surface, some areas turning stark white, on the verge of shattering. But in the end, it did not break. It had withstood the strongest. The head sealed within remained unscathed ¡ª except for the sheer terror written across its face. After all, it had just experienced firsthand the threat of death at the hands of a mere mortal, an insignificant insect of a man! ¡°How despicable!¡± The head howled furiously, eyes filled with venomous hatred. ¡°I will capture you, throw you into the fire, and burn away your soul and body!¡± To the followers of the Ice Nest, fire was the most wicked force of all, and burning one¡¯s enemies was the cruelest punishment imaginable. Seeing that the old thing hadn¡¯t died, Yang Yi¡¯s eyes flickered with disappointment. That had been his strongest attack ¡ª striking the enemy¡¯s weak point ¡ª yet it still failed to inflict fatal damage. It was absurd! The gap in power between them was simply terrifying! However, after hearing the crystalline elder¡¯s curses, Yang Yi couldn¡¯t help but laugh. For a lunatic obsessed with low temperatures, death by fire was the ultimate torment but for a madman who embraced the flames, it was the highest form of ecstasy! He glanced at his own condition. His right arm was completely frozen, cracks forming along its surface. If not for his limb reinforcement spell, it would have already shattered into pieces. At the same time, a wave of fear spread from his right arm ¡ª that was the Spirit of Fear, now so panicked it didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± Yang Yi narrowed his eyes. He hadn¡¯t wanted to resort to that, but he had no choice. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His right side was already numb with frostbite, while his enemy remained nearly unscathed. Meanwhile, the Ice Nest cultists were closing in. Though their movements were slow, even Suna, watching from afar, couldn¡¯t reach him in time! ¡°Suna, stay away from me! Don¡¯t come near until I¡¯ve burned out completely!¡± He sent her a message, then, using the left side of his body, struggled to his feet and faced the approaching giant. The latter was carefully shielding the head with the back of its hand, keeping it hidden behind its body as it strode towards Yang Yi. ¡°You just said¡­you wanted to burn me to death?¡± Yang Yi¡¯s voice was calm as he spoke in the common human tongue. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we see who burns first?¡± ¡°What?!¡± The crystalline giant froze mid-step, an instinctive sense of danger washing over it, filling it with unease. At the same time, a thick, charred stench filled the air ¡ª not from Yang Yi¡¯s body, but from his very soul ¡ª revealing his identity as a devoted zealot of the Fire Worship Cult. ¡°You¡¯re one of those Fire Worship lunatics?!¡± Realizing the truth, the giant roared in alarm. But Yang Yi paid no attention. A pouch of powdered magic elixir appeared in his hand. Then, without hesitation, he bit through the paper packet and swallowed the potion ¡ª oil paper and all. Even Suna, who was watching anxiously from afar, was momentarily stunned by his actions. ¡¾You have consumed an unknown potion. ¡¿ ¡¾You have contracted Acute Rabid Wolf Syndrome. Your sanity is rapidly decreasing. You have unlocked the Extraordinary Path ¡ª Werewolf.¡¿ ¡¾You are transforming¡­¡¿ At the same time, he also gained information about the potion. ¡¾Name: Rabid Wolf Potion¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable/Potion/Unique¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿¡¾Description: A potion personally crafted by the witch Suna, extracted from cultured brain tissue infected with the Rabid Wolf virus. Yang Yi¡¯s sanity plummeted, as if a bucket had sprung a massive leak. Simultaneously, his body underwent rapid mutation ¡ª his height surged towards three metres. Thick grey fur sprouted across his face and body, accompanied by the grotesque sounds of bones stretching and muscles contorting. Crack! Snap! The transformation was excruciating, especially while remaining conscious. It felt as if his bones were being ground to dust and reassembled anew. Yang Yi was rapidly transforming into a werewolf! The crystalline giant snapped back to his senses. Realising what was happening, he lunged forwards to stop it, aiming to end Yang Yi¡¯s life before the transformation completed. Time-wise, he could definitely make it. The frozen areas of Yang Yi¡¯s body were transforming at a much slower rate ¡ª his swollen, twisted right arm hadn¡¯t even grown fur yet, leaving him asymmetrically half-werewolf, literally. But then, Yang Yi retrieved a half-full flask of charred liquor from his stomach, using the remaining crumbs of black bread to open his stomach pouch. ¡°Stop him!!! He¡¯s a Grand Elder of the Fire Worship Cult!!!¡± The crystalline giant¡¯s eyes widened in terror as he roared. Yet, aside from the crystalline giant, the Ice Nest cultists around them were frozen statues, barely able to take a single step per minute ¡ª there was no way they could stop him in time. Yang Yi moved. He shouted, ¡°Flames of Healing!¡± Fire engulfed his body. The flames not only healed his frostbite but also completely set him ablaze. His fur ignited, and with the charred liquor as fuel, he turned into a walking inferno. The Fire Worship Cult had many rituals, most of which required igniting one¡¯s flesh to activate. And charred liquor was their most beloved drink and fuel. Among all their incantations, only one required setting the entire body aflame. A spell known only to the Grand Elders of the Fire Worship Cult, meticulously prepared for the moment of audience with the Charred Tree. Legend had it that if one burned long enough, if the flames roared fiercely enough, a Fire Worshiper would earn the right to stand before the Charred Tree. ¡°Burn With Me!¡± As Yang Yi shouted, he slammed his palm against his chest. Instantly, the flames consuming his body turned a deep crimson, billowing thick black smoke that swallowed the surrounding mist. At that moment, his transformation was complete. ¡¾You have fully transformed into a werewolf. Cell vitality increased. Strength +2, Agility +4, Constitution +2, Perception +2, Sanity cap -50, Willpower -2.¡¿ ¡¾Your attributes have surpassed 10. You have ascended to the Extraordinary tier.¡¿ A werewolf, wreathed in flames and spewing black smoke, was born. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 115 - Blessing As Yang Yi cast his spell, all the Ice Nest cultists within a hundred-metre radius ignited, turning into living torches and letting out agonised wails. ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡± ¡°Chaotic flames!¡± ¡°No!!!¡± The raging fire roared to the sky, dispersing the white mist. Suna¡¯s crimson eyes widened as she stared at the inferno, unable to look away. The burning believers frantically slapped at their bodies, which were rolling on the ground, trying desperately to extinguish the flames. Under the extreme heat, their movements became unnaturally fast ¡ª almost as if they were dancing, revelling in madness. ¡¾A delightful inferno. Your sanity drops by 20.¡¿ ¡°So beautiful¡­¡± Suna murmured to herself. But when she realised that the one burning at the centre was Yang Yi, she snapped out of her daze, a flicker of worry crossing her face. The screams of agony quickly faded, because the fire could not be extinguished. Not even the icy glaciers or the vast ocean could snuff it out. Unless the flames consuming Yang Yi were put out ¡ª or burned him to cinders ¡ª the inferno had no end. It was a contest, a trial of endurance ¡ª who would be burned away first? Soon, the first victim succumbed, their struggling body ceasing movement as the flames dimmed, quietly devouring what remained. Then the second, the third¡­ The Ice Nest cultists were dying in droves. Suna stopped throwing firebombs altogether, there was no need. Compared to this inferno, her flames were insignificant sparks. At the same time, the worm-hand cannon she wielded reached its limit. Having absorbed the bodies of numerous Ice Nest worms and followers, the pale, writhing creature swelled to six metres in thickness. Then, with a brittle snap, it split in two, frozen solid, spilling a mountain of corpses from its ruptured form. Meanwhile, Yang Yi felt incredible. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His blood was boiling, his body fat crackling in delight, every cell in his body trembling with euphoria. ¡¾You revel in the pleasure of burning. Your sanity drops by 10.¡¿ ¡¾Your rabid lycanthropy has been cured by extreme heat.¡¿ ¡¾You are taking burn damage. Health steadily decreasing¡­¡¿ As Yang Yi regained awareness, he saw that nearly all the Ice Nest cultists around him had been reduced to ashes. He lifted his gaze toward the distant Crystal Giant. A savage grin spread across his face. Gripping Broken Iron in both hands, he charged. With his newfound Extraordinary power, his speed skyrocketed. Shrouded in thick black smoke, his burning figure resembled a blazing red meteor streaking forwards, unstoppable. As he moved, the fire spread with him, igniting any Ice Nest cultists in his path and dragging them into this grand banquet of flames. ¡°You¡¯re completely insane!¡± The giant cursed and hurled the head it carried far behind before sprinting towards Yang Yi. The moment it entered a hundred metres of Yang Yi, its body also caught fire. The firelight illuminated the translucent giant, revealing fractured limbs and a torso within ¡ª most likely remnants of the old man. At the same time, the extreme cold radiating from the giant struggled against the flames. It couldn¡¯t put them out. It could only make them burn slightly weaker. The battle resumed. Now fully transformed into a werewolf, Yang Yi stood at a towering three metres, completely different from before. Leaping high, he swung his sword downwards with all his might¡ª A devastating strike aimed straight at the giant¡¯s leg. Even before the blade landed, you could feel the sheer force of it. After all, his base strength had reached 10, and his right arm alone held a 13 in raw power! The giant barely managed to block, but its left hand lost a large chunk of crystal, fractures spreading like a spider¡¯s web. At the same time, the extreme heat melted its outer layer into liquid that dripped down in streams. The damage seemed to be linked to the egg-shaped crystal in the distance¡ª As if the head within was being scalded as well. The old man¡¯s furious screams echoed across the battlefield. The giant swung a massive fist. Yang Yi easily dodged with his Third Eye, lowering his body to evade. His three unique eyes remained unaffected by the flames, though they now bubbled like boiling gel, releasing wisps of vapor. Then ¡ª he countered with a diagonal slash. Crack! A crisp shatter rang out, shards of crystal flew. The giant¡¯s right forearm was severed cleanly, sent spinning through the air. Even Yang Yi was surprised. The giant felt¡­weaker. Its body was growing brittle. Before Yang Yi could capitalise, the giant launched a sudden kick. He barely had time to raise Broken Iron to block. The impact sent him flying several metres into the air. Before he could land, another colossal fist struck, blasting him even farther. With the glacier melting under the intense heat, the battlefield had turned into a vast, slushy wetland. Yang Yi tumbled across the icy surface, steam rising wherever his body touched. Both blows had been blocked, but most importantly, he had discovered the giant¡¯s weakness. It couldn''t withstand heat. The higher the temperature, the more fragile it became! ¡¾Health below 10. You refuse to die. All attributes except Spirit +2. Spirit -2.¡¿ Yang Yi saw the notification, then he charged once more. This time, Yang Yi moved even faster ¡ª like a fiery tornado erupting from a waterlogged wasteland. In an instant, he reached the giant, giving it no time to react. An upward slash created a sickening crack, snapping both of the giant¡¯s legs and sending it crashing to the ground¡­ In the distance, the elder¡¯s head let out a simultaneous scream. But the real agony was yet to come. Yang Yi raised Broken Iron high. The blade¡¯s grip had turned red-hot from the flames. Standing over the fallen crystal giant, he brought the sword downwards. Once. Twice. Three times. Again and again, the red-hot blade smashed into the giant until it was reduced to a heap of molten, fractured shards, utterly incapable of movement. Only then did Yang Yi lift his gaze. The ice egg containing the elder¡¯s head¡­ It was trying to flee. At some point, several writhing limbs ¡ª similar to those of the Ice Nest worms ¡ª had sprouted from its surface. It was desperately scuttling away, trying to escape from the scorching heat. But how could it possibly outrun Yang Yi? "N-No¡­ Don¡¯t come any closer! Don¡¯t burn! DON¡¯T!!!¡± The distance between them rapidly closed. The elder¡¯s voice had devolved into panicked, incoherent screams. Logically, the intense heat radiating from Yang Yi should have melted straight through the glacier beneath him. But strangely ¡ª he kept running, because beneath his feet, the ice had transformed. Where he stepped, the glacier was no longer ice but patches of scorched, cracked earth, supporting him so he wouldn¡¯t sink into the water. ¡°No!!! NO!!!¡± With a final, bloodcurdling wail, the escaping head erupted into flames. Now a blazing fireball, it rolled frantically across the ice, trying in vain to put itself out. By the time Yang Yi reached it, it had already gone still. Clearly, the elder wasn¡¯t very fire-resistant. Nor did he understand the pleasure of burning. Yang Yi picked up the smoldering head. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHH!!¡± The sheer heat radiating from his body made the elder¡¯s head let out another soul-wrenching scream. ¡°You demon ¡ª you¡¯ll burn to death too! Only the cold embraces all equally, only ice grants true salvation¡ª¡± ¡°I grant!¡± Smash! ¡°I grant!!¡± Smash! ¡°I GRANT!!!¡± CRACK! Again and again, Yang Yi slammed the burning head into the ground ¡ª each impact punctuated by his mocking shout. Until, finally, the head exploded into a mass of burning, bubbling sludge. He smirked. ¡°Feeling my blessing now?¡± No answer. Yet he was sure it had been fully received. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 116 - Extinguish the fire After smashing the head to pieces, Yang Yi obtained its information. ¡¾Name: Elder of the Ice Nest¡¿ ¡¾Description: To further adapt to extreme cold, he chose to convert his cumbersome flesh into a crystalline giant. This is the wisdom of the elder! He often leads large groups of followers, guarding the White Palace and preventing high-temperature objects from desecrating this glacier. Can be used in the Monster Vending Machine.¡¿ "Hoo~" Yang Yi exhaled a breath of fire. At last, he had killed the troublesome giant. But just then, he noticed a white crystal on the ground, only the size of a fingernail. It stood out starkly against the scorched, cracked earth, and its surface even began to form frost, turning into an egg-like shape. "This¡­" Yang Yi found it unbelievable and picked up the ice crystal. ¡¾Name: Tiny White Fragment¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: ??¡¿ ¡¾Description: A small piece of white ice that never melts, constantly remaining at a low temperature. It naturally forms frost, shaping itself into an ice egg. The holder can ignore the visual obstruction of white mist but must beware of frostbite. Once the ice egg forms, it stabilises and maintains a temperature 10 degrees lower than the surrounding environment. It will not burn, will not melt, and will not heat up!¡¿ The ice egg in his hand instantly melted. At that moment, the flames on Yang Yi''s body shrank slightly, as if some of his heat had been absorbed. This ice crystal must have been embedded in the elder¡¯s forehead before ¡ª no wonder he had survived burning for so long! Yang Yi had no time to investigate further and immediately began self-rescue. Time was running out! He absolutely did not want to burn himself to death. His Refuse to Die effect had 3 minutes and 20 seconds left, and his Vitality was at 1. If time ran out before the fire on his body was extinguished, he would die for sure! So he had to put out the flames ¡ª but how? Yang Yi regained his senses and suddenly realised that the glacier beneath his feet had turned into scorched, cracked soil. There was not a single drop of water, only waves of heat-distorted air rising from the ground. "How could this be..." He muttered to himself. The dry, lifeless land existed around him like a centre point. And it looked strangely familiar, identical to the scene he had glimpsed when he first saw the shadow of the Scorched Black Tree. If that were the case¡­ Then he might have become an anchor point for overlapping spaces and was in the process of being transported to that real, scorched wasteland. At the edge of that land stood a tree forever burning in flames. It was called the Scorched Black Tree, the Lord of All Ascension, the One Who Burns Everything¡­ "No way!" If he truly saw the Scorched Black Tree, he would be completely finished, burned into ash, drifting into the endless black smoke! At that moment, Yang Yi finally understood just how dangerous the spell he had cast was. No wonder the crystalline giant had panicked! It was a prayer-like summoning spell, just like the Spider Mother¡¯s ritual. The difference? The Spider Mother¡¯s ritual had a success rate, but this spell only had one requirement: burn long enough. Prove yourself as something that can endure the flames. If you won the trial of fire, you would earn the right to meet the Scorched Black Tree, which meant to burn into ash in the purest, most extreme heat. What an exhilarating joy¡­ What an absolute ecstasy! "Pah!" Yang Yi spat out a mouthful of fire, snapping himself out of the urge to burn to death. He reached for his Stomach Pouch, only to find that its description had changed. ¡¾Name: Roasted Greedy Stomach Pouch¡¿ ¡¾Type: Treasure¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿ ¡¾Description: It has been roasted by flames and no longer consumes flesh from its internal space. It can now provide 3 cubic metres of storage. PS: If the burning continues, this item will be damaged, and its contents will spill out.¡¿ "Sh*t¡± Yang Yi cursed. He hadn''t expected the fire to damage his items too! He immediately opened the stomach pouch and took out a bottle of water. The moment he touched it, the water instantly boiled¡­ Pouring it over himself did nothing except shrink the scorched land beneath his feet slightly. At the same time, his vision went black. His Third Eye had reached its time limit, and he couldn¡¯t see anything at all. ¡¾A suffocating despair overwhelms you. Sanity -20¡¿ ¡¾You are about to meet death in darkness. Sanity -20¡¿ "No! There has to be a way!" Yang Yi crouched down and began frantically digging into the ground, trying to burrow into the soil and smother the flames on his body with dirt. As long as there was no oxygen, the fire on his body would go out¡­at least in theory. Suddenly, Yang Yi sensed a cold presence approaching him. The sensation was strange ¡ª though he couldn''t see, he could feel it, as if an extra sixth sense had emerged beyond his usual five. The approaching entity was quite large, wriggling its way towards him, likely weighing one or two tons. Soon, a deluge of ice-cold water splashed onto Yang Yi, rapidly lowering his body temperature. The scorched land beneath his feet vanished instantly. "Suna?" Since he couldn''t see, this was his best guess. After all, who else could be helping him at this moment? And indeed, it was Suna, trying to extinguish the flames on his body. Not long ago, she had used the corpses of Ice Nest cultists along with half of a Pale Worm''s remains to summon a Stitched Abomination. Due to limited magic energy, the abomination wasn''t large, however it had perfectly inherited the Pale Worm''s abilities, including the power to absorb and expel substances like water. So Suna ordered the creature to spray water to put out the fire. By then, the glaciers within a hundred-metre radius had almost completely melted, creating a swimmable body of water that connected to the subglacial sea beneath. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Stitched Abomination had swum over, using both its hands and feet (which originally belonged to Ice Nest cultists, now grotesquely sewn onto its body). It was also on fire, flames licking its entire form, but as a mindless puppet, it ignored pain and persisted unwaveringly in its master¡¯s command ¡ª until death. Once it was at the right distance, it expelled all the water it had absorbed along the way like a high-pressure water cannon, drenching Yang Yi in a powerful torrent. The spray even carried charred chunks of Ice Nest cultist corpses. Thanks to the abomination¡¯s relentless efforts, the scorched ground beneath Yang Yi finally disappeared, and he fell into the melted seawater. The intense heat generated billowing steam, sending up boiling geysers. Through the combined efforts of Suna, the abomination, and the white crystal fragment in Yang Yi¡¯s hand, the flames on his body were finally extinguished. Realising the importance of the white fragment, Yang Yi quickly stored it in his Worm Ring so as to not freeze solid in the water. A few seconds later, from beneath the glacier, a charred-black werewolf crawled onto land. It was Yang Yi. He had barely managed to stay alive thanks to Refuse to Die, but its duration was down to the last few dozen seconds. Luckily, the glacial ice was thick enough. If it had been thinner, he might have ended up swimming under the ice sheet ¡ª in which case, he would never have made it back up¡­ The moment he reached land, Yang Yi immediately checked his condition, preparing to restore his health before it was too late. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 117 - After the Battle Yang Yi checked his personal attribute panel and found that it contained much more information. Yang Yi: Extraordinary Paths: Corruption 10% / Book of Spiders / Charred One / Werewolf ¡¾Werewolf: Gains wolf transformation ability, enhanced sense of smell, accelerated self-healing, carrion consumption, increased toxin resistance, +1 to all attributes except Spirit at night, with further enhanced self-healing¡¿ Strength: 12 (914/4000)¡¾+3 Strength on Right Arm¡¿ Spirit: 4+1 (/)¡¾Steel Will Bonus¡¿¡¾Madness, Refusal to Die, Wolf Transformation Debuff¡¿Agility: 13 (574/4000)Constitution: 11 (1745/4000)Perception: 12 (1152/4000)Sanity: 3/50Stamina: 67/100Vitality: 1/100Mana: 1/5 Talents: Steel Will, Refuse to Die Spells: Limb Enhancement Spell, Limb Restoration Spell, Limb Explosion Spell, Spider Mother Invocation, Flames of Healing, Burn with MeAbilities: Third Eye, Wolf Transformation ¡¾Wolf Transformation: Transform into a werewolf, cellular vitality increased, self-healing further enhanced, +2 Strength, +4 Agility, +2 Constitution, +2 Perception, -2 Spirit, Sanity cap -50¡¿ ¡¾PS: As long as any attribute surpasses 10, whether through abilities, talents, or spells, transcendence will be unlocked. The Limb Enhancement Spell doesn¡¯t count because it only enhances a single limb.¡¿ After checking his status, Yang Yi immediately retrieved a bottle of Regeneration Potion from the Worm Ring and drank it. An indescribable itch crawled across his entire body, the side effect of the potion. What surprised Yang Yi more was that the properties of the Worm Ring had changed. ¡¾Name: Charred Worm Ring¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿¡¾Quality: Rare¡¿¡¾Description: A tiny worm ring that mutated in obsession with the pleasure of flames. It will stubbornly cling to you and is difficult to remove. Internally provides five cubic metres of storage space, convenient for storing and retrieving items. But remember to roast it with fire daily, or it may bite off your finger.¡¿ It seemed the ring was indeed a living creature... Unfortunately, the stomach pouch didn''t survive and had been roasted into a cooked mess. After drinking the Regeneration Potion, Yang Yi''s Vitality rose slightly. However, the duration of Refusal to Die ended shortly after, plunging him into a weakened state. All attributes except Spirit decreased by 2. His injuries, as if on cue, flared up at the same time. Yang Yi collapsed to the ground, barely able to move, his vitality slowly draining¡­ until it stopped. Before long, he heard footsteps. Though his vision was gone, Yang Yi''s sense of smell had become extraordinarily sharp, allowing him to identify the intruder''s identity and location by scent alone. That familiar fragrance undoubtedly belonged to Suna. As expected, she approached, crouched down, and seemed to be examining Yang Yi''s wounds. After a dozen seconds, she finally spoke. "Can you still hear me? Your injuries are severe, nearly 100% third-degree burns. Even in an ICU, you wouldn''t survive.¡± Her voice trembled, carrying both sorrow and... excitement. Before long, her tone shifted. "How about...?" "Stop! Cut that crazy idea out! I''m still alive!" Yang Yi hurriedly interrupted, startling Suna. The charred corpse had actually spoken, and quite fluently at that. He was afraid that if he spoke a second too late, Suna would dissect him right then and there... In reality, she wasn''t holding a knife, or at least not yet. She wouldn''t do so until confirming his death. Yang Yi quickly explained, "I''ve advanced to Transcendent now and I''m a werewolf! My self-healing is very strong! Look at my Vitality, it''s not dropping anymore!" Suna glanced at the crew panel, sure enough, his Vitality had stopped decreasing. "Can you send me your attribute panel?" Suna suddenly asked. "Well..." Yang Yi hesitated. In the past, he''d never have sent Suna his panel, not only to hide his trump cards but to prevent her from messing with Transcendent pathways. Maybe because he was lightheaded, after a few seconds of hesitation, he sent his personal panel over. Suna was visibly surprised. She had only tried on a whim, not expecting Yang Yi to actually send it to her. After all, he had always been highly guarded. Soon, however, her attention was drawn to the details in Yang Yi''s personal panel, especially the unique talent: Steel Will. If she could obtain this talent, then Truth would be almost within reach! Suna¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly before she quickly concealed her emotions. (1) Not long after, Yang Yi also received a private message ¡ª it was Suna¡¯s personal panel. "Truth... And your magic, why does it look so normal?!" Yang Yi had noticed Suna¡¯s spells. Compared to hers, his own abilities made him seem like a full-blown cultist! Moreover, her Perception attribute was astonishingly high, a solid 9 as a base stat, with no external bonuses! That meant she had likely started with an 8 in Perception right from the beginning, and her growth had been remarkably fast! Through exchanging panels, the two further solidified their trust. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Once she confirmed that Yang Yi was no longer in immediate danger, Suna suggested relocating to their previous campsite. Since their tents were still intact there, it would be a suitable place to rest. Yang Yi, in his current condition, wasn¡¯t fit for travel. "Have all the Ice Nest cultists been dealt with?" Yang Yi asked. Hearing that, Suna turned her head towards a spot not far away. There lay a three-metre-long, charred, stitched monstrosity, composed of a pale worm segment fused with numerous severed limbs from Ice Nest cultists. It was using its own body to smash the last few remaining cultists into pieces. "Most of them were burned to death by you. The last few were just crushed moments ago", Suna replied. Yang Yi checked the activity log and found entries related to the Ice Nest cultists. ¡¾Name: Ice Nest Cultist¡¿ ¡¾Description: The lowest-ranked members of the Ice Nest Order, marked with obedience sigils. They are slow, mechanical in movement, physically fragile, and highly susceptible to shattering. Though they thrive in extreme cold, their bodies rapidly age and perish once exposed to warmth. To embrace eternal frost is to obtain an almost limitless lifespan ¡ª but at what cost?¡¿ After confirming that the surroundings were secure, Suna recalled the stitched monstrosity and prepared for relocation. By then, the fires had mostly died out, and the melting ice was beginning to refreeze. Suna commanded the stitched creature to swallow some of the unburned cultist corpses, planning to take them back for research. Afterwards, she set her sights on the Crystal Giant¡¯s remains. At that point, the giant¡¯s body had been shattered and partially melted, leaving it riddled with cracks. However, as the temperature dropped again, the previously liquefied sections re-solidified, turning the corpse into a massive, fused crystal heap, still bearing signs of its earlier melting. The crystal pile stood three metres high and nearly ten long, far too large for an ordinary person to transport. Fortunately, they were in a glacial environment. By tying it up with ropes and fastening it to the stitched monstrosity, they could drag it back, albeit at a slow pace, roughly the speed of a walking human. With all this done, the battlefield was finally cleared. Yang Yi was placed into a sleeping bag and dragged along by the stitched monstrosity towards the tent. His burn wounds had been given basic treatment, and he was wrapped in a thick cotton coat to keep warm. (1) Nooooooo, that''s not good. -Simply Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 118 - Recovery Suna held a torch as she walked towards the tent. Beside her was the massive, stitched monstrosity, dragging behind it a small crystalline mountain, as well as Yang Yi, who lay in a sleeping bag. He was too tall to fit inside of it, so they had to tear it open and use it as a mat instead¡­ As she moved forwards, Suna fiddled with the Ice Egg that Yang Yi had given her, testing its properties. It was incredible. While holding it, she could completely ignore the white mist! But the moment she let go, the mist reappeared. It confirmed that the white mist was indeed a spell, a large-scale vision-obscuring magic. And the white crystal inside the Ice Egg seemed to act as a pass, allowing the holder to bypass the mist. Not only that, but it remained permanently cold¡­ Absolutely unbelievable! Suna was eager to conduct thorough research on it when they got back. Three hours later. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The two finally returned to their previous campsite. The tent was still standing, though lightly covered in snow. While the cold had deepened, it was still manageable. Suna dragged Yang Yi inside the tent, then began preparing a fire. This military-grade tent was designed to accommodate an indoor stove, with a collapsible exhaust pipe that vented outside. Previously, they had avoided using the stove for fear that the firelight would attract Ice Nest worms. Since there were no Ice Nest worms nearby, not a single one had been drawn in by the massive blaze Yang Yi had started earlier. Suna quickly assembled the stove and exhaust pipe, then threw in several spare torches. She also broke apart a firebomb, pouring the oil into the stove to extend the burn time. Once everything was set, she tossed in a dying torch, using it as a starter. Fortunately, they had prepared plenty of torches in advance. Otherwise, they would have run out of fuel by then. As the flames roared to life, the tent¡¯s temperature began rising. The snow covering the tent acted as insulation, helping the interior warm up to 7¨C8¡ãC. Meanwhile, Yang Yi lay on the sleeping bag, monitoring his status panel. His mana and blood were recovering slowly, most likely due to the severity of his burns. Regeneration potions weren¡¯t very effective against burns and frostbite, they were more suited for emergency use. To truly heal burn wounds, magic was necessary. Once his mana recovered, he planned to use the Healing Flames spell to accelerate his recovery. This spell was particularly effective against burns and frostbite, though it came with drawbacks, as it left scars and drained a bit of mana and blood. His skin was already burned, who cared about scars? All he could do was rely on his werewolf regeneration and hope his skin would regrow. Thirty minutes later. Suna had been experimenting with the Ice Egg for quite some time, without success. When she tossed it into the stove, it didn¡¯t melt at all, in fact, it nearly extinguished the fire! Because she lacked proper testing conditions, she finally gave up and put it away. Then, she pulled out a sleeping bag from Yang Yi¡¯s roasted stomach pouch, climbed in, and lay down to rest. The previous battle had drained her significantly, especially since she had handled all the post-battle cleanup. Meanwhile, the stitched monstrosity was ordered to patrol the area, standing guard around the tent. As soon as Suna fell asleep, the tent became eerily silent, save for the crackling fire and the occasional pop of burning wood. Yang Yi continued waiting for his mana to recover. It seemed that the werewolf regeneration had its limits ¡ª it couldn¡¯t fully heal severe burns. It simply delayed death rather than prevented it. Fortunately, the decline was slow, roughly one point of mana and blood lost every 40¨C60 minutes. That meant he had enough time. If only he had a potion that could restore mana¡­ The thought suddenly crossed his mind. He immediately sent a private message to Suna, asking if she could try developing a mana-restoration potion. Her response came quickly. Clearly, she wasn¡¯t asleep yet. "I¡¯ve considered it, but I have no leads for now. mana isn¡¯t something tangible, you can¡¯t see or touch it, so I don¡¯t even know where to begin." "Got it. We¡¯ll see if we can find similar potions or formulas in the future." "Your mana and blood are dropping." "I know. I can use healing magic. I should have enough time." Four hours later. Yang Yi¡¯s mana finally recovered to 4 points, and more importantly his vision returned. After transforming into a werewolf, not only had his regeneration improved, but even his vision recovery time had shortened! Struggling to get up, he found that his sleeping bag had stuck to his body. As he peeled it off, pieces of flesh came away with it. (1) It didn¡¯t matter, because he could finally use magic to heal himself. "Healing Flames!" Yang Yi shouted loudly, and flames engulfed his entire body. The fire burned for a few seconds before dying out, not setting him ablaze and turning him into a human torch. His mana and blood dropped by a few points, falling to 12, then stabilised before slowly climbing back up to 13. Yang Yi let out a long breath. He had survived. After using the spell a few times, Yang Yi began to understand its properties. It seemed to summon a special type of flame ¡ª one that only burned wounds, forming a sturdy charred layer to seal them. It also destroyed bacteria, neutralised toxins, and could even dispel curses. Aside from that, the fire would not ignite other objects unless they were highly flammable, like pitch, oil, or alcohol. Now that he had recovered, Yang Yi began assessing his losses from the battle. "Looks like I''ll have to go on a big shopping spree¡­ Maybe I should invest in fire-resistant gear this time." Yang Yi muttered to himself. Now that he was no longer in immediate danger, his tense nerves relaxed, and fatigue hit him hard. He pulled his thick winter coat over himself like a blanket, lay down, and finally fell into a deep sleep. Four hours later. Yang Yi woke up and immediately sat up, checking his status panel. His mana and blood had recovered to over 50, meaning he was halfway healed. Parts of the charred layer on his skin had peeled off, revealing newly regenerated skin and werewolf fur beneath. It seemed that his werewolf regeneration was quite effective after all! By the fire, Suna glanced at him and asked, "Are you planning to stay in werewolf form forever?" "Oh, right!" Yang Yi suddenly remembered that he could revert back. With the sound of bones shifting and grinding, his body rapidly shrank. His large, clawed werewolf hands reverted into human hands, and he transformed back into his human form. Except for a few remaining patches of charred skin, there were no obvious traces of his werewolf state, except¡­ "Your tail is still there," Suna pointed out. "Huh?" Yang Yi blinked in confusion and finally noticed his tailbone still had a burnt, furless werewolf tail hanging from it. (2) He focused and tried to retract it. After some effort, the tail slowly withdrew into his body¡­a very bizarre sensation. (1) Ouch? -Simply (2) Dude¡¯s a rat -Simply Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 119 - Returning to the ship "Your bones seem to be able to fold¡­ but I wonder if your mass changes before and after transformation. If it does, that would be incredible." Suna appeared eager to figure out how Yang Yi''s transformation worked, and her intense gaze made him uneasy. He quickly wrapped himself in the heavy coat. After turning into a werewolf, Yang Yi realised his tolerance for temperature had expanded significantly. Although he was still a warm-blooded creature, his resistance to the cold was on another level! Even if his body temperature dropped to 10¡ãC, it would only be uncomfortable and slightly hinder his movement, not fatal. Additionally, he had gained powerful regenerative abilities, transformation capabilities, greatly enhanced attributes, and an acute sense of smell. Everything seemed like a positive enhancement! With his current constitution, even if he didn''t transform, or drink charred liquor, he could wear a thick coat and function for extended periods in an extreme environment of -30¡ãC. Once he regained his mobility, the two of them began dismantling the tent, preparing to return to the Nightmare Star and escape from this glacial region as soon as possible. But before leaving, they needed to eat. Filling their stomachs was essential for the journey ahead. Yang Yi drank a bottle of appetite-enhancing potion and was suddenly hit with an overwhelming hunger. He devoured five black bread loaves in a row but still felt unsatisfied. Bread wasn''t filling enough, he craved meat, especially raw, bloody meat... His gaze drifted towards Suna. She looked particularly enticing, especially her delicate neck. He could almost see the blood coursing through her veins and smell its aroma. If he bit down, warm blood would surely gush forth... Yang Yi stared at her, fixated. "What''s wrong?" Noticing his gaze, Suna turned to ask. The familiar sound of her voice jolted Yang Yi back to reality. A chill ran down his spine, and his hunger completely vanished. He had actually wanted to eat Suna. His mouth had even started watering, he had nearly drooled! If he hadn''t snapped out of it in time, he might have acted on the impulse. Yang Yi''s expression grew serious. "I just¡­ wanted to eat you!" "Eat me?" "Literally. With my mouth!" He described the sensation he had just experienced. "A cannibalistic impulse?" "Not quite." "More accurately, it was an instinctive urge to bite into prey. It had nothing to do with whether the target was human or not." "So, after transforming into a werewolf, you''ve developed some beast-like instincts?" Suna speculated. But Yang Yi thought deeper. He suddenly recalled something Ronette had once said. "This kind of shift in mindset is inevitable. It happens gradually, without you even noticing. Maybe a year from now, maybe ten years from now, I¡¯ll come to see myself as a noble Brain Eater, and humans will be nothing more than food to me¡­ That is something I can never allow!" Yang Yi found himself in a similar predicament to what Ronette had faced. His situation was slightly better, at least werewolves were still somewhat human. They merely carried animalistic instincts. But Brain Eaters¡­ they didn''t even need physical bodies to survive. They could parasitize hosts and switch bodies at will. To them, a human body was nothing more than a disposable shell. "Since you¡¯re aware of it, that means you can correct it. Adjust your habits, eat more vegetables, limit your transformations, and reduce the time you spend in werewolf form." Suna suggested some practical solutions, and Yang Yi decided to give them a try. After their meal, the two officially began their return journey. The charred Flesh Golem served as their pack mule. It hadn''t disappeared, as the cold environment significantly prolonged its existence, and it was up to the Flesh Golem to carry it. ¡¾Name: Crystal Golem Giant¡¿ ¡¾Description: A crystallised golem giant, crafted by the Ice Nest Elders using their own limbs and torsos. It moves effortlessly, responding to their commands as if it were an extension of their own bodies. When in a low-temperature environment, it is extremely durable, but as temperatures rise, it becomes brittle and may even melt. It can be considered an independent entity. Can be placed into the Monster Vending Machine.¡¿ Without the threat of the Ice Nest Worms and with the white mist manageable using ice eggs, their return journey was significantly faster! About seven hours later, the two arrived back at the Nightmare Star. The area was still covered in grey snow, but with fresh white snow mixing in from the sky, it was becoming difficult to tell them apart. Around the ship, however, the snow had noticeably thinned, thanks to the skeletal arms tirelessly digging pits day and night. By then, they had already excavated over twenty holes of varying sizes and depths. But expecting them to clear the entire ice layer? That would take a long time, and the constant snowfall only slowed the progress. Fortunately, the two of them had no intention of waiting. They could use fire or some other method to speed up their escape! Climbing onto the deck, Yang Yi controlled the grappling hook to retrieve the Flesh Golem and the Crystallised Giant''s remains. Its power was truly mysterious, as long as the target didn¡¯t resist, it could pull in almost anything. With that done, Yang Yi was ready to use the vending machine. He had kept the charred skull of the Ice Nest Elder specifically for that! That creature had been incredibly difficult to deal with, arguably the toughest enemy he had faced so far ¡ª so it was bound to yield something valuable. As for the Crystal Giant, Suna wanted it, and Yang Yi wasn¡¯t going to compete with her for it. Standing before the machine, he didn¡¯t pray or rely on superstition. He simply inserted the item. Clunk, clunk. The sound of rolling echoed from within the octopus vending machine, and soon, an ordinary-looking capsule dropped out. Yang Yi picked it up. "A top-tier item?" ¡¾Name: Mid-Tier Abyssal Soulstone¡¿ ¡¾Type: Consumable¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Top-Tier¡¿ ¡¾Description: Enhances relic quality, upgrading sub-rare relics to rare and rare relics to top-tier. Hold this stone to your ear, and you will hear the call from the depths of the sea¡­¡¿ The Abyssal Soulstone seemed to be relic-enhancement, similar in function to an Artisan Inscription Stone, though the latter could only enhance treasures. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Which one should I upgrade?" Yang Yi pondered for a moment before narrowing it down to two choices ¡ª his flintlock rifle or his broken iron sword. Between a ranged and a melee weapon, he opted for the former, prioritising the upgrade of his flintlock rifle. The advantage of range was irreplaceable. Why risk close combat when he could take out his enemies from dozens of metres away? Yang Yi knew this well, and he was an excellent shot! Having made his decision, he used the dark, murky Mid-Tier Soulstone on the rifle. Unlike lower-tier Soulstones, which had a translucent sheen, the higher the tier, the more opaque and turbid they became. As the stone shattered, an unknown substance seeped into the flintlock rifle, modifying and enhancing it. Yang Yi wasn¡¯t expecting anything extreme, he just wanted it to be powerful enough to blast apart the Crystallised Giant¡¯s head in one shot. But the result was beyond his expectations. When a rare weapon advanced to top-tier, it didn¡¯t just gain a slight boost, it underwent a complete transformation! First, the rifle itself became larger, increasing from a 20mm caliber to 30mm. The barrel also grew longer. The rust that had once covered it was almost entirely gone, replaced by marks of wear and tear from long-term use. It resembled a meticulously maintained antique, engraved with intricate patterns along the barrel and body. Though aged, it had a refined beauty, marred only by numerous small scratches upon close inspection. Additionally, cracks covered the barrel, as if it had endured violent use in the past. As for its new attributes¡­ Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 120 - Departure Yang Yi obtained information about the flintlock gun. ¡¾Name: Roaring Flintlock¡¿ ¡¾Type: Relic¡¿ ¡¾Quality: Supreme¡¿ ¡¾Description: Once a masterpiece, now reclaiming its former glory. It has three modes: At first, Yang Yi was worried that the gun barrel might explode, but after reading the details, he had no more doubts. It would explode! But the minor side effect was something he could live with. If he had wielded it earlier, he might have killed the Crystal Giant outright, without resorting to self-immolation. Meanwhile, Suna was roasting the ice egg with fire, but it showed no signs of melting. She had asked Yang Yi and knew it could be melted. The so-called ice egg was merely a protective layer formed by the white crystalline structure inside. However, even after nearly ten minutes of heating it with an oil lamp, there was no sign of it melting. "Looks like I need to increase the temperature..." Suna muttered to herself. Just then, Yang Yi entered the cabin and called out. "Suna, don''t bother. It''s time to leave the glacier." An hour later, using a similar method as before, the two melted the surrounding ice. However, the process was much faster thanks to Suna¡¯s magic ¡ª Fireball. This spell became stronger when surrounded by fire. The downside was that it drained the user''s body heat, making it best used alongside burning liquor. With numerous campfires around, Suna conjured a high-heat sphere, melting vast portions of the glacier. Yang Yi also assisted in breaking the ice with his flintlock. The gun''s fire rate had doubled, and its power had significantly increased. Chunks of glacier shattered under his shots, saving them a great deal of effort. The Nightmare Star was free once again, able to manoeuvre and make small movements. Next, they needed to carve a path through the glacier with cannons ¡ª a process estimated to take three to four days, which would have been dull and monotonous. However, the Soaked Cannon made the task unexpectedly entertaining, because it had a habit of launching... unexpected projectiles. Especially when it fired an adorably explosive seal, the blast was three times more powerful than normal! Yang Yi had no idea how much seafood the cannon had shot out. Everything he had ever fished up seemed to make an appearance. Using it as ammunition packed quite a punch. He tried picking up the seafood projectiles, but the system informed him they would vanish in six hours and couldn¡¯t be used for anything else. So, he gave up on the idea of using the cannon for food supply. After three days of taking turns, the Nightmare Star finally escaped the glacier and sailed into the icy sea! During this time, Suna had been obsessively studying the ice egg, transitioning from initial excitement to sheer frustration every time she looked at it. It defied all logic, and studying it meant venturing into an entirely unknown domain. The ice egg only melted at temperatures above 1,000 degrees Celsius. That wasn¡¯t the problem, Suna had crafted a grease-fueled blowtorch that could reach that heat. The real problem was¡­ the white fragments inside were simply ??? If touched by hand, they were around 27¡ãC, since the human body temperature was 37¡ãC. If placed in 1,000-degree flames, they measured 990¡ãC. If submerged in 100-degree boiling water, they registered 90¡ãC! It was practically Schr?dinger¡¯s low temperature! The actual temperature was unknowable ¡ª dynamic! It could technically have multiple temperatures at once! Suna went to great lengths, even purchasing two thermometres, to verify this phenomenon. Her final conclusion: The white fragments¡¯ temperature was always 10 degrees lower than the measuring device. Two thermometres could confirm it ¡ª if one was at 10¡ãC and the other at 20¡ãC, the fragments would simultaneously display 0¡ãC and 10¡ãC. After reaching this conclusion, Suna felt like her head had grown a size bigger. If the fragments could be placed at absolute zero, would they become 10 degrees below absolute zero? And if so, what would even happen? sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Suna couldn¡¯t figure it out. Only one thing was clear ¡ª it was beyond her current understanding. It could only be used for its practical functions. From then on, the ice egg was treated purely as a tool. Suna¡¯s attention shifted to the Crystalline Giant¡¯s remains. Compared to the ice egg, it was much simpler. The crystals would gradually melt above 100¡ãC, and their hardness decreased as temperature increased. At 0¡ãC, they were about as hard as regular steel, but with poor toughness, making them brittle. However, they weighed only one-quarter of steel¡¯s weight. At even lower temperatures, the crystals would become incredibly hard. Understanding these properties, Suna began looking for ways to enhance their thermal stability. Even if they lost the low-temperature hardening effect, the crystals could still be an excellent material, suitable for crafting armour, arrows, and even weapons! For the past few days, aside from blasting icebergs, Yang Yi had been battling his beastly instincts. By eating only vegetables, avoiding transformation, and meditating, he had finally suppressed his urge to consume human flesh. Even if he drank an appetite-enhancing potion, he wouldn¡¯t have cannibalistic thoughts. To verify and maintain this state, the two synced their meal times, always eating together. Suna also started testing the appetite-enhancing potion, as their stock of Vitality Coconut Juice was running low. The potion didn¡¯t reduce much sanity, and it actually sped up sanity regeneration, making it quite cost-effective. With their increasing conversations, they stumbled upon a shocking conclusion: The Sea of Origin could not be a single, continuous ocean. It felt more like multiple fragmented sea regions stitched together! For instance, the Ice Nest Cult was clearly guarding this specific region. Meanwhile, players seemed to be outsiders who had suddenly intruded. It raised a suspicion: was the Extreme Winter Sea actually a piece extracted from the Ice Nest Cult¡¯s territory? If so, it perfectly explained everything. Otherwise, it made no sense for Ice Nest followers to guard a glacier doomed to be swallowed by the black mist. Moreover, the black mist, much like the white mist, was likely a large-scale magical force meant to drive players away. The natives on the islands didn¡¯t even realise the black mist existed, until it consumed them. Of course, there was another possibility. Perhaps the entire sea was just a system-generated copy, created from some template... In that case, every player was essentially trapped inside a box. Two more days passed. The Nightmare Star had been sailing through the Extreme Winter Sea for almost a week now. Surprisingly, they hadn¡¯t encountered a single Ice Nest swarm. Perhaps it was the effect of the white fragments. Along the way, Yang Yi shattered many icebergs and killed two Pale Worms ¡ª though they weren¡¯t very large. The ship¡¯s grease reserves had returned to 1,000 litres. Then, while steering the ship, Yang Yi keenly noticed the temperature rising. He immediately checked the weather report. Today¡¯s Weather Location: Sea of Origin (Extreme Winter Sea)Daylight Duration: Perpetual DaylightTemperature: -20¡ãC to -8¡ãCWind Force: Level 2 It was significantly warmer than before, and a temperature rise could very well mean an exit was near! After sailing for another day, Yang Yi was certain they had entered the buffer zone of the Extreme Winter Sea. The temperature was around 0¡ãC, there was no floating ice, and the white mist was thinning, likely an indicator of the transition area. Three more hours of sailing later, the horizon suddenly opened up. The brightness shifted instantly to darkness. It was nighttime. At the same time, it marked their departure from the Extreme Winter Sea. A system notification immediately popped up. Yang Yi was the first player to escape the Extreme Winter Sea! Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 121 - Plan to make money The Nightmare Star broke through the Extreme Winter Sea. Almost simultaneously, both Yang Yi and Suna received a system notification. ¡¾You have left the Extreme Winter Sea.¡¿ ¡¾As the first player to escape the Extreme Winter Sea, you have earned a special reward: +1 Ship Expansion Slot.¡¿ ¡¾The Grand Ocean Map has been restored. The next sea region will only expand once all players have exited the Extreme Winter Sea, and the number of Tier 4 ships reaches 10,000.¡¿ ¡¾Current number of Tier 4 ships: 5,372.¡¿ "I''m the first..." Yang Yi was a little surprised. With the white shard allowing him to ignore the white mist and sail at full speed, he had expected to be among the first batch of players to leave the Extreme Winter Sea. But he hadn''t expected... to be the first! It seemed that Gale had encountered some trouble or slowed down in the white mist, allowing him to overtake it. Yang Yi opened the ocean map, which finally displayed content, revealing the boundaries of various sea regions. Behind him lay the Extreme Winter Sea, a vast white expanse with only its borders visible. Ahead was an unknown area, hidden under the fog of war, requiring exploration to reveal. Yang Yi scrolled to the edge of the map and saw the name of the next sea region. "The Abundant Sea..." He frowned. Unlike previous regions, the name didn''t immediately suggest its characteristics. And "Abundant"... didn''t sound dangerous at all. Yang Yi memorised the name before checking his resources. Finances: The cooking pots he had previously purchased had already been resold. Most were sold at their original price, with the last few bundled together for a slight loss of 500 Shell Coins. Additionally, he had sold intelligence on the Ice Nest Cultists, the Ice Nest Elders, and the Crystal Giant to the major news agency. Unfortunately, there were no photos of the Ice Nest Elder, as it had been burned to the bone. These transactions netted him a decent sum of Shell Coins. However, a portion had been transferred to Suna when she needed money for temperature measurement devices ¡ª something Yang Yi had no objections to. Basic Resources: Food Supplies: The journey through the Extreme Winter Sea had lasted far longer than Yang Yi had anticipated. If he hadn''t stocked up on enough wood and food, it could''ve turned into a disaster. Many unfortunate players were running low on supplies and scrambling to buy wood and food, causing prices to soar. Even Pale Worm corpses were selling for high prices in the chat channels. Wood, which initially cost 5 Shell Coins per unit, had skyrocketed to 30 per unit. As for food, a single loaf of black bread was worth 80 Shell Coins ¡ª not taking advantage of this opportunity to make money would be a waste! Just like how the first players to leave the Storm Sea capitalised on scarcity by selling food at exorbitant prices, Yang Yi intended to do the same with wood. If he could find an island with abundant trees, the profits would be staggering! Thus, he had already decided on his ship expansion ¡ª the Lookout Tower. It was an Astrologer Ship expansion that could scan a 1,000-nautical-mile radius for islands, revealing their coordinates, once every three days. It was essentially an upgraded version of the Astrologer Ship¡¯s sea map ability, but it only displayed islands. And once upgraded, its range would expand further! Construction Requirements: The cost was reasonable! Without hesitation, Yang Yi initiated construction. Soon, the Nightmare Star¡¯s mast was fitted with a new lookout tower, a circular structure with a ladder leading up. Standing on the deck, Yang Yi examined the new addition. It looked... out of place. Its design was unusually delicate, and the railing was adorned with crystal spheres. Yang Yi didn¡¯t care. He had never been concerned with appearances. As long as it worked, that was enough! Afterwards, he immediately upgraded the tower to Level 2, consuming: The lookout tower expanded, growing noticeably larger. It featured numerous stone-carved handrails with intricate patterns, and the crystal spheres adorning it had also increased in size. Its functionality had been significantly enhanced as well, with its scanning range extended to 1,500 nautical miles. Yang Yi checked the map again. At that moment, since the Nightmare Star had just left the Extreme Winter Sea, using the scan would not be the best choice. After all, with a 1,500-nautical-mile radius, a large portion of the scan would be wasted on the sea region behind him. It would be better to wait until the day after before activating it! With that decision made, Yang Yi headed to the bow deck and contacted Song Yingwen. As the first player to leave the Extreme Winter Sea, he was naturally in a position to sell intelligence. And his information was... the exit coordinates of the Extreme Winter Sea! S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was just a string of numbers, but it was something every stranded player desperately needed! Having a clear destination was completely different from aimlessly drifting at sea. The latter could wear down even the strongest-willed players. The moment Yang Yi sent the message, Song Yingwen replied immediately. "You made it out of the Extreme Winter Sea?" "Yes!" Yang Yi attached a photo as proof ¡ª a seascape with a timestamp in the bottom right corner, showing it had been taken just moments before. Since it was a photo captured by the system¡¯s log, there was no way to fake it! "You actually got out..." Song Yingwen was both shocked and thrilled. The voyage had been far too long. Even he had started doubting himself, wondering if escape was possible, questioning whether this sea had an end at all. But Yang Yi''s coordinates reignited his determination. "I can guarantee that after this week''s magazine issue is published, every player will remember the name of the One-Eyed! You''re about to be famous!" Song Yingwen said. Yang Yi, however, was indifferent to that. If he cared about fame, he would have revealed his identity long ago. The intelligence sale earned him a large sum of Shell Coins, pushing his balance up significantly. But it still wasn¡¯t enough. Because he planned to buy a full set of rare-grade armour, and Suna''s bow also needed an upgrade to rare-grade. Both would require a lot of money! At dawn. Suna went to the deck, and the two sat in the courtyard area, enjoying a hot meal. It was still a one-pot stew, but after several rounds of improvements, it tasted much better than before. As expected, Yang Yi ended up handing over more Shell Coins to Suna. It was becoming harder and harder for him to refuse her requests, and her reasoning made it even more difficult to say no. She wanted to build a large smelting furnace to process the Crystal Giant¡¯s remains. Additionally, she needed molds to experiment with crafting weapons using Crystal Giant materials. "But don¡¯t get your hopes too high," she warned. "This crystalline material has poor thermal stability, meaning it''s not suitable for normal environments." "As the temperature rises, its hardness will decrease." "I have a way to improve its heat resistance, but the final product won¡¯t be exceptional. At best, it''ll be as strong as a lighter version of steel." "How much lighter?" Yang Yi asked. "Less than half the weight of steel, with similar hardness, but slightly lower toughness." "That¡¯s good enough!" Yang Yi¡¯s eyes lit up. "Can you make greatswords?" "Large melee weapons like that should have a market, as long as the strength requirement isn¡¯t too high." "But being lighter also means less impact force," Suna reminded him. "Doesn¡¯t matter. Just make them sharp, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the one using them anyway." Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 122 - Other Fleet Movements – part 1 The following day, Yang Yi used the lookout tower. Beams of strange light shot out from the crystal railings of the lookout tower, radiating outwards. Soon after, Yang Yi received a log notification indicating that he had obtained the coordinates of islands within a 1500-nautical-mile radius. "Just one?" Yang Yi was a bit surprised. It was nearly 1300 nautical miles away from the Nightmare Star. If he hadn¡¯t upgraded the lookout tower earlier, he might not have even discovered it. Yang Yi immediately adjusted course and sailed towards it. Meanwhile, Suna was conducting her research on material composition. She discovered that when molten crystal was mixed with charred liquor at high temperatures, a chemical reaction occurred. The resulting re-solidified crystal became murky, but its melting point increased. She was fine-tuning the mixture to raise the melting point to an optimal level, after which she would test the material¡¯s hardness. Yang Yi reeled in his fishing lines early. The catch was quite good: seven long-legged sardines, two red-lipped eels, and a human-faced octopus. The fishing net also brought in a haul, including several one-armed crabs and a giant scallop. "No wonder it was so heavy," Yang Yi muttered, not daring to underestimate the scallop. Following the same method he once used to pry open a treasure chest clam, he tied a sea serpent¡¯s fang to a wooden stick, wedged it into the scallop¡¯s seam, and attempted to pry it open. Normally, inside a scallop, there would be soft, succulent meat. But inside this one¡­ was just another shell! Yang Yi was stunned for a few seconds before continuing to pry open the second layer of shell. Then the third. Then the fourth. He kept going for over a hundred layers until the scallop had shrunk to palm size. Only then did he finally see some meat. It was barely the size of a fingertip and barely enough for a single bite. It was as if he was being mocked for spending all that effort. At the same time, he received information about the creature: ¡¾Name: Matryoshka Scallop¡¿(1) ¡¾Description: A scallop mutated by abyssal contamination. In order to protect itself, it decided to grow more and more shells to avoid being eaten by predators.¡¿ Yang Yi stared at the fingertip-sized piece of meat, speechless. He decided he¡¯d roast it later as a drinking snack. He tossed a few live long-legged sardines into a wooden barrel in the captain¡¯s quarters to replenish his life furnace fuel reserves. Then, stepping outside, he made his way to the octopus vending machine. It was about time: a new issue of the weekly publication was about to be released. As a VIP customer, Yang Yi could access the release schedule in advance, so he got his hands on the latest issue right on time. He skimmed through the Maritime News section. The front-page headline read: ¡¾The First Player to Leave the Extreme Winter Sea Has Appeared¡¿ The article wasn¡¯t lengthy, but the information was shocking, it included the exit coordinates and the name of the next sea region! Almost simultaneously, the chat channels erupted into chaos! "Thank you, One-Eyed Boss! Now I know this sea actually has an end!" "I¡¯ll be out of this damn place in about 10 days!" "Damn, I still need 15 days! I¡¯m out of food and fuel, DM me if you¡¯re selling at high prices!!" "Did One-Eyed Boss take down the boss? I want to team up!" "..." Yang Yi only took a glance at the chat before tuning it out. Even though everyone was praising "One-Eyed," Yang Yi himself was only interested in making money off them. He planned to strip the island bare within 10 days, converting every tree into lumber and selling it to players still stuck in the Extreme Winter Sea. (2) Once they all made it out, lumber prices would drop. Time was money! He had to hurry and start logging, providing warmth to the struggling players while making a hefty profit for himself. A true win-win! Yang Yi was already eager to "save" people. Extreme Winter Sea ¨C Buffer Zone On the Gale ship, Captain Xu Da studied the newspaper in his hand, a look of surprise on his face. He hadn¡¯t expected someone to beat him to it! sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Two members of his crew approached, travellers whose ship had been frozen into a glacier. They had no choice but to abandon it, planning to rebuild after escaping this sea. They had encountered Ice Nest Worms three times. The first encounter was the deadliest. Their crew had started with twelve members but was reduced to just three. If not for the Gale¡¯s Riding the Waves skill, which had evolved to allow short bursts of flight, they might have all frozen to death. Escaping from a glacier was nearly impossible. Thanks to this, their pace was slowed down, and due to the white mist, even though the Gale was extremely agile, they didn''t dare to speed up too much in the icy sea. After all, durability was the Gale''s weak point. If they collided with an iceberg at full speed¡­ the Gale could very well disintegrate on the spot. "Captain, how did One-Eyed get ahead of us?" one of the surviving crew members asked. "He''s probably been pushing full speed ahead in the mist. If he didn¡¯t encounter any Ice Nest Worms, surpassing us would be pretty simple!" Xu Da speculated. "But isn¡¯t he afraid of hitting an iceberg? Is he just lucky?" "Definitely not luck. His ship might be exceptionally tough, or¡­ maybe it can even submerge," Xu Da ventured his guess. (3) In a distant part of the Extreme Winter Sea, far from the exit. A steel warship was slowly moving forwards at a speed of less than 20 knots. It was the Iron Heart, upgraded to level 3. Its length had increased to 250 metres, the bow and stern each had four anti-aircraft turrets, and the bridge had been moved to the middle of the ship, elevated far above the deck, offering a wide field of view. Surrounding it, numerous small ships were tethered with grappling hooks, all outfitted with cannons, seemingly having expanded their ships¡¯ space entirely for firepower. As a result, the quantity turned into a quality change. The Iron Brotherhood Fleet might have lacked many things, but they certainly weren¡¯t short on firepower. "Damn it, how is it still so far?! Crank up the speed to maximum!" Yu Dawei said in frustration, holding the newspaper. "Boss, max speed is only 25 knots. After all, we can''t all crowd together and drag the ships," the first officer, a man with glasses, responded calmly from the side. Yu Dawei''s face darkened, but he didn''t explode. The first officer was someone he had promoted due to his calmness, which made him the perfect assistant. "By the way, do we have enough supplies to leave the Extreme Winter Sea?" "We have enough food, but there''s a significant shortage of lumber." "And the casualties?" "One." Yu Dawei furrowed his brow. "Our firepower still isn''t enough. We''ve even had casualties..." he muttered. After a moment, Yu Dawei stood up again. He had a talent called Eagle Eye, which allowed him to see three times farther than ordinary players in the white mist. It was this ability that enabled him to spot Ice Nest Worms immediately and inform the first officer, who then relayed the information to the ship crew. In no time, all the cannons in the fleet were aimed in that direction, including the anti-aircraft cannons on the Iron Heart. "Let me see just how many of you there are!" Yu Dawei cursed, controlling the Iron Heart, spitting fire from the guns. The first officer, Zhang Zhi, adjusted his glasses. Beneath his calm face, his eyes burned with a fervor, almost fanatical. "Your numbers are dwindling, and our firepower... is endless!" (1) Matryoshka type shii -Simply (2) BRO. -Simply (3) It ain''t the Polar Tang Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 123 - Other Fleet Movements – part 2 The New World Fleet had grown to over 3,500 members. Had they not been rushing forwards without time to recruit, the fleet¡¯s size would have been even larger. Tens of thousands of players followed behind, maintaining a safe distance of over 20 nautical miles. They had gathered with a "let¡¯s give it a shot" mentality. After all, the New World Fleet had once declared their willingness to help other players clear the Extreme Winter Sea. Any players who trusted them and weren¡¯t too far away had mostly made their way over. The New World Fleet had only one rule for the follower: no fires on the deck. They had to monitor each other. If a fire¡¯s glow attracted the Ice Nest Worms, they would be left to fend for themselves. The New World Fleet would not interfere, let alone offer rescue. The fleet¡¯s only guarantee was that there would be no large icebergs along this route, and they would carve out a relatively safe passage. At the front of the formation, the New World Fleet. Shen Guanquan had indeed devised a way to deal with the Ice Nest Worms, luring them away with fire. Since the worms were drawn to fire rather than people, they could be distracted! First, no fires were allowed on the fleet''s decks. Instead, small reconnaissance ships were sent ahead to ensure a safe path. They were carefully selected ordinary ships. Though they had no special abilities, they all boasted speeds of around 55 knots. Each ship kept a safe distance of over five kilometres from the next, with two or three bonfires on deck. The fires both cleared the white fog and guided the route. Additionally, each ship had a fuse made of fuel leading from the deck straight into the cabin, which was filled with wood, pale worm carcasses, and other flammable materials. If Ice Nest Worms approached, the crew would ignite the fuse and sail toward a designated location away from the fleet. According to Zhao¡¯s reports, the Ice Nest Worms had an average flight speed of around 50 knots. As long as the reconnaissance ships reacted quickly, the worms would struggle to catch up. Even if a few worms managed to reach the ships, it wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference ¡ª they wouldn¡¯t be able to extinguish the raging flames! Upon reaching the designated location, the pilots would abandon ship and jump into the sea where the Deep Diver submarine would be waiting to retrieve them. "I cherish the life of every crew member!" "But at the same time, I hope that when I order you to die, you will not hesitate!" "Because survival demands sacrifice" "And that sacrifice... may one day include me!" During the announcement of the plan, Shen Guanquan delivered a passionate speech. His words carried an inexplicable power, not only were they convincing, but they also inspired admiration. Almost every member of the fleet placed their faith in Shen Guanquan. Even those who had felt uneasy and whose sanity had begun to waver found their confidence restored, their attributes enhanced, thanks to his speech. It was the effect of Shen Guanquan¡¯s unique talent ¡ª Psychological Suggestion and Great Leadership. Of course, his personal charisma also played a crucial role! Thus, the plan was executed smoothly without any objections. When the otherwise unremarkable players set aside their conflicts, schemes, and personal grudges to work towards a shared goal, humanity¡¯s highly social nature and collective power became apparent. Like a massive machine, each person was a cog. Seemingly insignificant, yet absolutely essential. It wasn¡¯t a contradiction. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, the loss or delay of a single cog wouldn¡¯t stop the machine from running. Shen Guanquan sat in the captain¡¯s quarters of the Hope, holding the latest issue of a weekly publication. "One-Eye..." He muttered to himself. After reading the issue, he had all but given up on the idea of recruiting One-Eye. To One-Eye, the New World Fleet would likely be nothing more than dead weight. After all, he had single-handedly reduced even a Crystal Giant, a terrifying monster, to mere rubble... "Just one more week, and we¡¯ll be out of the Extreme Winter Sea. Supplies are sufficient..." "Seven deaths so far, but that was a necessary sacrifice." "Not everyone can outrun the Ice Nest Worms..." Meanwhile, in another part of the sea, far from the New World Fleet... A dozen or so ships were linked together, moving forward slowly. Unlike other fleets, this one was eerily silent, almost lifeless, as few spoke. At the forefront was the Banquet, leading the way with a bonfire burning at its bow. Though there were figures standing on the decks of the other ships, there were no fires. The crew braved the freezing temperatures, minus 30 degrees Celsius, without even wearing cold-weather gear. Suddenly, a swarm of Ice Nest Worms was drawn to the firelight. Instantly, the flames aboard the Banquet were extinguished. The fleet¡¯s leader, Wiseman, had kicked the bonfire into the sea. With their target gone, the worms lingered briefly before dispersing. The extreme cold brought by the swarm caused a thin layer of ice to form on the sea¡¯s surface, though it wasn¡¯t thick enough to impede their progress. To the Lost Ones Fleet, the Ice Nest Worms weren¡¯t the real threat. The white fog and icebergs, however, were infuriating obstacles. Their very existence had changed, they had acquired an extraordinary path known as the Ghoul¡¯s Way. They no longer needed warmth. Even at minus 30 degrees, they could still move, just a little slower. In the eyes of the Ice Nest Worms, they weren¡¯t targets. Their body temperatures were simply too low. Only the fleet leader, standing closest to the bonfire, was at risk of being attacked. But it didn¡¯t matter. Even if his body were temporarily frozen, he wouldn¡¯t die. Once his body temperature rose again, he would regain mobility. Other fleets were also navigating the Extreme Winter Sea in their own ways. Take the New Human Fleet, for instance. Many of its members had acquired a supernatural path known as the Blessed, where their attributes fluctuated randomly, constantly shifting in unpredictable ways. Their bodies also underwent changes, sometimes beneficial, sometimes disastrous. For example: To them, the transformations were perfectly normal. After spending enough time in the New Human Fleet, it became second nature to believe that a hand should have more than five fingers. The same applied to feet. Some even grew additional limbs, though these were rare. More often than not, the "extra parts" weren¡¯t hands or feet at all. Bone spikes, tongues, additional buttocks, even extra heads, showcasing the full spectrum of biological diversity! They were highly accepting of deformities, firmly believing that they remained human, despite their vastly differing forms. To navigate the Extreme Winter Sea, they had developed their own strategy ¡ª Suicide Recon Squads. By sending these squads ahead as pathfinders, they could ensure a safe route forwards. Resupply? Not an issue. Most squad members would likely crash and die before they even starved. But as long as one made it through, it meant the route was safe, and the fleet could advance. As for confirming whether someone had died, it was simple. As long as their player ID hadn¡¯t been deleted, they were still alive! The method was incredibly effective, keeping the New Human Fleet in the top tier of players. Sure, they had a high mortality rate, but that wasn¡¯t really a problem. Only the old humans, those who hadn¡¯t awakened their supernatural paths, were dying. If someone managed to survive for three days in the Suicide Recon Squad, they would earn enough blessings to unlock a supernatural path, breaking free from the limitations of their old humanity! Back to the Nightmare Star. After nearly a full day of sailing, Yang Yi and Suna had finally reached the island. Thank you for reading, I hope you¡¯re enjoying the story :> We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D Please give the novel a rating and a review on NovelFire. It will help the website and also help people find this novel! Ch. 124 - Bananas and monkeys It was an irregularly shaped, roughly circular island. Before arriving, Yang Yi had already studied the nautical charts and knew the island¡¯s general shape and size. At first, he was a little disappointed. It was quite small, the smallest he had encountered so far. But as he got closer, his opinion changed. Climbing up to the lookout post, he used binoculars to observe the island and discovered that it was densely covered with trees. Aside from the sparse coastal area, the island''s interior was essentially a small forest. Though its total area wasn¡¯t large, the trees were packed closely together ¡ª at a rough estimate, there were at least 3,000 of them. Among them, certain trees caught Yang Yi¡¯s attention. "Banana?" He murmured in surprise. (1) A portion of the trees, about one-tenth, had broad leaves shaped like large fans. However, they were quite different from the banana trees he remembered. Their veins were red, like blood vessels, which stood out starkly against the green leaves. Moreover, they bore bananas that hung upside down from the branches. Clusters of red bananas resembled a blazing fire. Yang Yi withdrew his gaze. From a distance of ten nautical miles, he hadn¡¯t spotted any suspicious signs on the island. But the red bananas had left a strong impression on him. They were likely a special kind of fruit, similar to the Vitality Coconut. He¡¯d find out once he set foot on the island. Descending to the deck, Yang Yi manoeuvred the Nightmare Star towards it at full speed. Upon arrival, he followed standard protocol, sailing around the island first to check for any potential dangers, using his Three-Eye ability to observe. He stayed about 100 metres from the shore. After circling the island, he finally made a discovery. Although the forest was dense, his Three-Eye vision allowed him to see inside, where he noticed traces of animal droppings on the ground. And he soon found the source. It was a species of monkey with thick, bushy tails resembling fox tails. Switching to binoculars for a clearer look, Yang Yi saw that the monkeys had red fur with yellowish roots. He wasn¡¯t sure how many there were, but he could already see close to ten of them. Yang Yi adjusted the Nightmare Star, positioning the ship¡¯s broadside towards the shore and aiming one of its cannons at a monkey. The Waterlogged Cannon had a range of 350 metres, though its accuracy wasn¡¯t great. Fortunately, its calibre was large enough that even a grazing shot could be fatal. Two Waterlogged Cannons fired almost simultaneously, targeting a monkey on the island. One shell veered off course, but the other flew true, breaking several branches before striking one of the monkeys directly, blasting it into pieces on the spot. "Seems to be a normal animal," Yang Yi concluded. Startled, the remaining monkeys immediately bolted deeper into the forest. Yang Yi steered the Nightmare Star towards the shore, preparing to disembark. By then, he was used to gauging an island¡¯s dangers using Waterlogged Cannons. If a creature could dodge the cannonfire or survive a direct hit, it was a formidable enemy. If it died instantly, it was nothing to worry about ¡ª not a match for him at all. He checked his gear. For clothing, he changed into his Captain¡¯s Coat. For weapons, he carried the Roaring Flintlock, Sea Serpent¡¯s Fang, and Shattered Iron Greatsword. Since his Worm Ring had an expanded capacity, he stored all his weapons and potions inside for easy access. "There are some red-furred monkeys on the island, but they¡¯re not strong. I¡¯m going ashore to take a look." "Keep an eye on the Nightmare Star. I¡¯ll deploy the Twilight Veil." Yang Yi sent a private message to Suna. "Got it!" Suna replied almost immediately. She was inside the Witch¡¯s Laboratory, dissecting and studying the corpses of Ice Nest Cultists, along with fragments from the Crystal Giant. These remains had once belonged to an Elder of the Ice Nest, who had discarded his mortal flesh to become the Crystal Giant ¡ª essentially, a separate entity. She discovered that the cultists had almost no blood inside them. Though they still had blood vessels, what flowed within wasn¡¯t blood at all. There were no blood cells, nothing remotely similar to human physiology. Suna named this substance "Frozen Blood¡±. In low-temperature conditions, it behaved like a semi-coagulated soft gel, barely flowing but still functioning similarly to blood, albeit with extremely low transport efficiency. However, when the temperature rose, it lost its ability to transport nutrients, causing the cultists to suffocate and die. In extreme cold, their life activities were suppressed to an extreme degree, they barely needed to eat, sleep, or even think... As she dissected the bodies, Suna recorded her findings. "Ice Nest cultists have likely undergone blood replacement surgery and reshaped their hematopoietic function to adapt to low-temperature environments..." The corpse inside the Crystal Giant was possibly the result of prolonged exposure to extreme cold or perhaps an effect of Frozen Blood. Its internal tissues had crystallised, more ice than flesh at that point. These crystals were actually specialised Frozen Blood. Over time, much like the aging process of wine, they underwent a transformation, oozing from the body to form the Crystal Giant... Through dissection, Suna further analysed the properties of these crystals. She planned to mix Frozen Blood, melted crystals, and Charred Liquor to create various weapons and armuor... Meanwhile, Yang Yi had already landed on the island and was working to eliminate potential threats. He headed towards the area where he had previously spotted the monkeys, advancing deeper until he arrived at a fallen banana tree. It was where he had spotted a monkey tugging at the red bananas, before he blasted it into pieces. As he picked up a chunk of the monkey¡¯s remains, he immediately obtained its information: ¡¾Name: Juvenile Fire Macaque¡¿ ¡¾Description: A species of monkey capable of breathing fire. Adult individuals can unleash scorching flame attacks. Their brightly colored fur gives them high ornamental value. Their meat is edible, though quite spicy. They have a preference for fruit, especially Fire Bananas. ¡¿ Yang Yi had no fear of these fire-breathing monkeys. Instead, he became more intrigued by the Fire Bananas. He picked up a bloodstained one nearby. ¡¾Name: Fire Banana¡¿ ¡¾Description: A special type of banana with an intensely spicy taste. Eating it causes profuse sweating, raises body temperature, and can even create the sensation of being on fire. ¡¿ Reading this, Yang Yi had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Wasn''t it just like Charred Liquor? Peeling the Fire Banana, he was immediately hit by a familiar aroma. The burnt scent of Charred Liquor, mixed with a rich fruity fragrance. Could Charred Liquor be brewed from Fire Bananas? His eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he took a bite. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The spicy fruit flesh was like chewing on a Ghost Pepper, and as he swallowed, the searing heat spread through his entire body. The sensation was exactly like drinking Charred Liquor, just slightly weaker! At that point, Yang Yi was almost certain, Fire Bananas were the key ingredient in Charred Liquor! If that was the case, there could be a recipe for Charred Liquor hidden somewhere on this island! Just as he was eating, a group of Fire Macaques suddenly rushed towards him. The three leading monkeys were massive, comparable in size to gorillas. However, to Yang Yi''s current self, the creatures were laughably weak. Raising his Roaring Flintlock, he aimed at the charging horde. And switched to scattershot mode. (1) I took some creative liberty to modify the sentence he said heheh -Simply Thank you for reading! 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