We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 5 [The Crystallization of the Secret Sea]

[Slay the Mutant Sawshark]

[Loot Obtained: Fresh Sawshark Carcass]

[Quality: Ordinary]

[Type: Material]

[Description: Creatures born from the mysterious power of the sea possess naturally greater strength, but they are also a high-quality food source.]

[That serrated snout might make a decent weapon, wouldn't it?]

[Note: Only one loot item can be brought back per dive, so please choose carefully.]

"Just one piece of loot? Who do you think you are?"

Xia En muttered a complaint to himself.

Just then, a few more lines of notifications flashed across the gray panel.

[“Secret Sea Crystal” detected within the corpse. Absorb?]

【Secret Sea Crystal】

[Quality: Rare]

[Type: Material]

[Description: Crystals formed from the mysterious power of the ocean, which can be directly absorbed by the "Eye of the Mysterious Sea" to enhance the ship's spirit level and attributes.]

Please remember, it is alive!

"Is there such a good thing?"

Xia En's eyes lit up, and his heart began to pound.

He had been curious about how to increase the [Ship Soul Level], and now he finally got the answer.

"absorb!"

Xia En made the decision without hesitation.

A dark blue crystal floated out from the belly of the sawshark and merged directly into the projected body.

Immediately, a cool and refreshing sensation arose and flowed through my limbs and bones, which felt very comfortable.

at the same time.

A burst of cheers and chirping sounds rang in Xia En's ears, as if expressing their gratitude.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was precisely the emotion conveyed by the Black Swan.

His connection with the ship's spirit seemed to have become even stronger as a result.

[Ship Soul Level: LV1 (2%)]

By this time, Shane had a basic understanding of how to use the [Deep Sea Diving] talent.

Not only can you hunt sea monsters and obtain the [Secret Sea Crystals] inside them, but you can also level up by fighting monsters.

It also allows us to understand the underwater conditions in advance and obtain sufficient intelligence.

After that, whether they go into the sea themselves or send out salvage crews, they can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

He can even control his projected body to assist the crew in salvage operations.

Just then, Shane noticed something that looked like a progress bar in the lower right corner of his field of vision, and it was constantly shortening.

Open the panel to view.

[Projected Body]

[Ship Soul Protection: When submerged, the projected body can move freely in the seawater.]

However, once the ship's soul power is exhausted, it will automatically exit submerged mode.

【Ship Soul Power LV1: 89/100】

While checking, Shane watched as the number of Ship Soul Power dropped from "90" to "89".

Clearly, simply being in the seawater is constantly depleting the ship's soul power.

"It's like the oxygen tank when diving; if it drops to zero, the projected body will shatter."

"Moreover, both attacking and being attacked seem to accelerate its depletion."

"Perhaps the depth of the water also has an impact?"

"Conversely, increasing the ship's [Sturdiness] attribute and upgrading its ship soul level will increase the time it can spend underwater."

Since it was his first exploration, Shane wasn't too concerned about what he would gain from the trip, but rather focused on figuring out the rules.

This is exactly the same thinking he had when playing games in his previous life.

Thus, the first "submarine voyage" came to an end as they explored the rules and searched abandoned houses.

Please select your loot!

1. A clock covered in rust.

2. Damaged wooden plank

3. Fresh sawshark carcass

Just as Shane had predicted, the ruins had long been looted clean.

Although he killed several sea creatures, none of them dropped [Secret Sea Crystal].

The drop rate in shallow waters is clearly not very high.

In the end, the most valuable gain was still the shark's carcass.

Shaun opened his eyes, and his thoughts returned to the captain's cabin. Before him lay a gruesomely dead sawshark, its body still wet, soaking the cabin floor as if it had just been pulled from the water.

"This thing... is it edible?"

Xia En stroked his chin and uttered the most classic question from the Great Foodie Empire.

Although the description says it's a type of food, he remembers that shark meat contains a lot of urea, which gives it a urinous smell.

"Perhaps, the mutated sharks will be different?"

Because the seawater submerged the land of the previous era, the secrets contained in the cities leaked into the ocean, causing widespread "extraordinary pollution," which led to the mutation of marine life.

Both in terms of body size and physiological structure, they are significantly different from organisms on Earth.

The deep sea is home to countless terrifying sea monsters that possess bizarre abilities.

"We'll find out if it's delicious or not after we try it, but we still need to explain to Joey where this shark came from..."

Xia En's mind raced, and he came up with a brilliant idea.

……

……

A moment later, on the deck.

"Captain, what's going on?"

Joey looked puzzled as he saw Shane pull out a long fishing rod.

Xia En said confidently, "What, have you never seen fishing before?"

"Okay, you're probably tired too. Go find a room and rest for a while. I'll call you when I catch a fish."

On a ship, the captain's orders are law.

Joey was indeed a bit tired, so he obediently went into the cabin to rest.

"Captain Shane is a really nice guy."

Lying on the wooden bed, Joey thought to himself.

In just half a day, he could tell that although the captain was a bit eccentric in his personality and actions, he was essentially a good person.

That's why Joey, who had been hiding some things, was somewhat uneasy.

the other side.

Shane had already secured his fishing rod to the edge of the boat. After casually baiting the hook and casting, he sat down on a stool nearby.

Shane actually had no experience in sea fishing. Fishing was both a way to pass the time and a convenient excuse to kill the sawshark carcass.

It would be best if we could catch something, but it doesn't matter if we can't.

During this time, Xia En began to think about his next plan.

"Including interest, I have to pay back a total of 350 silver snake coins."

"This is a huge sum of money, enough to buy the entire Black Swan."

"To pay off this debt, it would take a lot of time to explore such small ruins in the near sea. Only by going to more distant seas is it possible to get rich overnight."

Shaen narrowed his eyes. He remembered that there was an underwater ruin called "Coral City" near Duke Island.

It was once a prosperous capital of a kingdom, with numerous buildings and a vast area, and its environment was exceptionally complex.

To this day, the city's hidden treasures have not been fully discovered.

"However, the dangers of the open sea are far greater than those of the coastal waters."

The dangers underwater are self-evident. More importantly, larger ruins often harbor a presence that strikes fear into the hearts of ordinary ships.

Pirate ship!
Since ancient times, the law of "murder and arson bring wealth" has been an unchanging rule, and this is especially true in this chaotic sea.

Since salvage operations at the bottom of the sea are fraught with danger, why not just rob the salvage ship?

Many salvage ships themselves don't mind occasionally playing the role of pirate ships.

Small and medium-sized ships like the Black Swan are easy targets for pirates.

"My current combat strength is probably only at the level of a first-tier Mystic."

"It's alright if you encounter ordinary small-time pirates, but if you run into a big pirate on the bounty list, you probably won't even be able to escape."

In this respect, Shane was somewhat self-aware.

"Our primary goal now is to conduct deep-sea dives every day. We'll take whatever we can get, and ideally, we'll find a relic that has been explored for a long time."

"Secondly, it is about improving our own strength and that of the Black Swan."

Xia En silently set two small goals in his mind, and then thought, "I also need to ask Joey what skills he has and whether he can handle the job of a salvage worker."

Just then, he suddenly remembered that there was a section for crew members on the panel, so he opened it and took a look.

Crew member: Joey (unbound)

[Bloodline: Siren (Rich)]

[Secret Path Classes: None]

[Talent: Can be viewed after binding]

[Skill: Can be viewed after binding]

[Description: A mysterious girl burdened with multiple secrets, her greatest wish is to return to her hometown.]

We are all people who have lost their homeland.

(End of this chapter)