Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 20: System Recovery 100%, Ultimate Skill Acquired!

With more than half of the crew reduced on the adrift ship, Shi Ming generously offered a portion of the former captain's collection as an advance reward to motivate all the survivors.

There are quite a few good things in here.

Besides the bottle of sea monster blood, there were several sharp battle blades, some miscellaneous books, five bottles of red wine whose names Shi Ming had never heard of, several unopened boxes of rare collectibles, and various strange supplies and local specialties from different places, which was dazzling.

Inside a very old-fashioned box was half a perfectly preserved piece of cured pork! In those wandering times, this was the ultimate luxury!

Some of these supplies were unnecessary for Shi Ming, making them a suitable reward.

Of course, to earn these rewards, one must make a contribution to the drifting ship.

If you're just looking to slack off on the ship in exchange for basic survival supplies or a reward, then sorry, the drifting ship doesn't need people like that.

……

After the crew meeting concluded, Shi Ming stepped out of the conference room. Now he finally had time to inspect and search the drifting ship. Previously, due to time constraints, he had only visited the captain's cabin, where he immediately looted all the valuables to prevent others from getting there first and reaping the spoils.

Nowadays, eight out of ten of the dead on these drifting ships are elites, while those left behind are mostly crew members and slaves with no fighting ability.

Of the remaining members of the exploration team on the drifting ship, only two are worth noting: "Stone Mound" and "Forest Sea." The rest are adults with some physical strength, hardly worthy of being called "combat power."

Although, the strongest combat force now is undoubtedly Shi Ming himself.

He doesn't really need any extra combat power.

However, the expedition team leaders, members, and others who perished on the island also left behind supplies and even dangerous items in their cabins. These items must be secured as soon as possible to prevent uncontrollable hidden dangers.

As the captain, he must have complete control over the entire ship.

The ship has four decks, with the basement being the living quarters for ordinary crew members. Most crew members share a room with four others, and there's nothing particularly noteworthy in the room except for clothing, nautical currency, and common weapons.

However, Captain Iron Tower's room was filled with many dangerous items.

Shi Ming found two guns, a pile of bullets, and a long-range communicator hidden in a compartment in the bed frame. The communicator was not connected to any device; all call logs were empty. After each message was transmitted, the Iron Tower would delete all traces.

He really is a double agent, and a very meticulous one at that.

Shi Ming put away all the items without any hesitation.

The second basement level is the ship's resource layer, where bread, fresh water, and canned goods are produced to provide the crew with basic necessities. The sea crystals needed for the ship's voyage are also formed here by condensing seawater.

After visiting the ship, Shi Ming was amazed by its wonders and even marveled that in the age of drifting, physics and chemistry no longer existed.

There is a rumbling machine here. No matter what kind of food it wants to produce, it only needs two kinds of raw materials: sea crystals and sea fish.

Sea fish and sea crystals are transported into this machine through different pipes, providing it with energy and raw materials. Through a pre-programmed sequence, this amazing machine can produce all sorts of everyday items, such as canned goods, rice, purified water, bread, biscuits, and so on.

All I can say is that the apocalyptic technology is truly awe-inspiring.

The shelves next to it were piled with freshly produced steamed buns and bread.

Shi Ming frowned. Although there weren't many steamed buns and bread, there was still a reasonable amount in stock. However, the slaves who had been staying in the dark room had died of hunger.

The lives of slaves are not lives at all.

The third basement level is the warehouse level, where most of the spoils and supplies obtained from hunting and exploration are piled up. Shi Ming saw a lot of ores, sea crystals, freshly caught sea fish, and so on. Apart from sea fish, which can be caught at any time, the reserves of other ores and sea crystals are enough to support the drifting ship for three months.

The last level was the slave level where Shi Ming had previously stayed.

The place was dark and damp, with three slave quarters. The largest of them was the one where Shi Ming had been imprisoned. There were fewer than ten slaves left alive, but Shi Ming had promised that from this day forward, all the slaves would no longer be slaves, but would become ordinary crew members.

Their treatment will be the same as that of the crew members, and they will enjoy the same rights and have the same obligations.

Previously, tasks that required slaves, such as exploring new islands, would be distributed equally among everyone. With greater rights, each person would naturally also bear greater obligations.

This makes sense.

As soon as Shi Ming entered a slave quarters, he saw two familiar faces: the bald man and his taciturn younger brother.

The bald slave was called Huang Pao (Yellow Cannon), and his younger brother was called Huang Qiang (Yellow Spear).

"Good day, Captain..."

"Mm." Shi Ming nodded in response.

On the island, the "mimicry dust" that the two gave to Shi Ming was of great help to him, and Shi Ming also had a good impression of the two, especially after comparing them with the scarred man who backstabbed him. These two were simply honest and loyal.

At this moment, the two were packing their things in what used to be the slave room, preparing to move to the basement.

Although they didn't have much to pack. Just some old clothes.

"Huang Pao, the ship is currently short two assistant captains. From now on, you and your brother will be the assistant captains. You will be responsible for relaying some of my tasks and orders to the others. Of course, there will also be some work for you to handle." Shi Ming looked at the two of them.

Huang Pao and Huang Qiang were both stunned for a moment.

Captain's assistant?

Is this a position they are qualified for?

The two were stunned by this unexpected windfall.

"Yes, yes, we are willing." Huang Qiang was the quickest to act, pulling his brother down to his knees on the floor with a thud, pledging his loyalty to Shi Ming.

This job is very important. They are the captain's men. Who would dare to bully them after this?

For Shi Ming, his assistants must be trustworthy people.

No other skills are required, only loyalty.

After observing them on the new island, he found that both of them were quite capable. When reporting intelligence, they not only did not betray him like the scarred man, but also took the initiative to conceal the matter of the mimicry dust. Moreover, the crucial mimicry dust was provided by them, which gave Shi Ming a lot of help.

Shi Ming was also the kind of person who would return a favor, so he handed over the two lucrative assistant positions to them, since they didn't require much skill anyway.

At the same time, he also plans to form a new exploration team and a logistics team, and the team leaders have been decided: Shidun and Linhai.

There's no other way; the ship is now sparsely staffed, so we can only train people ourselves slowly.

However, there are advantages, namely that fewer people make it easier to manage. If it were a team of one or two hundred people, with a mix of good and bad individuals, it would be a real headache to take over! Who knows when a huge problem might arise!

After dealing with all the urgent matters, Shi Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as he was about to return to the captain's cabin to rest, the system notification appeared before his eyes again.

【drop. 】

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully become a true captain of a drifting ship. A new story has begun.]

System recovery progress: 100%

[Arm of Power, activated]

[Intelligence Eye has been activated]

The creative mind has been activated.

All skills are now activated.

Shi Ming blinked.

Three days after his rebirth, his system has finally fully recovered, granting him three powerful skills. Arm of Power provides ten times the strength.

The Eye of Exploration provides valuable intelligence.

So what does this creative brain offer?

The Creative Mind.

[Provides almost supernatural creative power! When you focus your attention on an upgradable item, the Creation Brain will accurately grade it and list the materials needed to upgrade it. Consume the corresponding materials to upgrade the existing item. Limited to three uses per day.]

……

Shi Ming increasingly felt that the "Eye of God Pendant" that had been exposed in his hands was no ordinary object!
The cheats provided are all incredibly powerful. Just reading the description of the Brain of Creation sparked countless possibilities and ideas in Shi Ming's mind.

But imagining it a thousand times is not as good as doing it once.

He decided to try out the wonders of this "Creative Brain" for himself.

Shi Ming focused his attention on the clothes he was wearing.

[Standard nautical uniform.]

Made of cotton and linen, it has a certain degree of warmth, which can protect against the cold of nights at sea and also protect against the sun's rays.

【Level: 1】

Upgrade requires: 3 Sea Crystals, 100 grams of Common Seaweed.

Upgrade only requires this few materials?

It seems pretty simple.

"Yellow cannon, yellow gun."

“Here, Captain! / Here!” The two stood ramrod straight.

"Don't bother cleaning up this junk here. Go to the warehouse and get 10 sea crystals and a pound of seaweed. Take them to my office," Shi Ming instructed expertly, adding before leaving, "If those people don't cooperate, make them come to my office themselves."

"Yes, Captain."

Shi Ming's captain's uniform didn't fit him very well. Because he was more muscular and lean, without much excess fat, the former captain's clothes looked rather bulky and oversized on him.

But he was particularly pleased with the new shoes he was wearing; the soles were secured with rivets, and the sound of them hitting the wooden floor when he walked was crisp and loud.

In his previous life, he wore light and silent shoes for the convenience of carrying out missions. Now, he tried some heavy and solid shoes and felt a strange and wonderful sensation.

"good."

Back in his room, he poured a third of his treasured "Bagliat 2037" into a new glass, and the rich aroma of the red wine immediately filled the air.

This is a wine from a legendary vintage, with aromas that blend the richness of oak with the fresh scent of violets, making it unique in the salty sea air.

"No wonder everyone wants to be a captain."

Shi Ming swirled the cup and took a small sip.

He doesn't have a habit of drinking, so pouring himself a glass at this moment was just to add to the fun.

Not long after, he heard a clear knock on the door.

"Enter."

Huang Pao and a crew member in charge of the warehouse carried in a small wooden box.

The box contained dozens of sea crystals and a large pile of seaweed that was probably just caught.

These materials are enough for Shi Ming to conduct seven or eight experiments.

"Well done, go on with your work."

The two put down the suitcase, walked out of the captain's cabin, and gently closed the door behind them. "See? I told you the captain needed it, but you didn't believe me and insisted on making the trip yourself."

"Brother, it's not that I don't believe it, I also want a chance to show my face to the captain."

The crew member in charge of the warehouse already knew that the two former slaves had now become the captain's favorites, and he was filled with envy.

That's what good fortune looks like! Relying on the friendship forged through shared hardships, he's risen to the top overnight. Not only is he no longer a slave, but he's also landed a lucrative position! Before, others fawned over him; now, he has to fawn over others!
……

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window onto the sea crystal in Shi Ming's hand.

This is a peculiar crystal, a natural crystal extracted from seawater using some method, but its composition is not one of those familiar to Shi Ming, and it does not exist on the periodic table of elements.

It can only be said that natural disasters have brought about too many changes and overturned too many truths.

He picked out three angular sea crystals and about 100 grams of seaweed, placed them with his sailor suit, and focused his attention on these items.

It activated the functions of the "Creative Brain".

【drop】

[We have all the resources needed for the upgrade. Do we want to upgrade the "Naval Suit" immediately?]

"Yes."

[Upgrading in progress. Upgrade complete.]

Shi Ming watched the upgrade process closely, but still couldn't figure out the principle behind the item upgrade. He only saw that the three sea crystals and the green seaweed merged with the sailor suit in an instant, and then the sailor suit was upgraded!

Shi Ming picked up the new sailor's uniform and put it over his shirt.

"Amazing! Clothes that didn't fit before now fit perfectly. And they're even lighter."

[Enhanced nautical suit.]

Made from cotton and linen, this product incorporates the magical energy of the ocean, enhancing warmth while improving UV protection and breathability, ensuring you won't feel hot even at midday.

【Level: 2】

Upgrade requires: 10 Sea Crystals, 500 grams of Common Seaweed.

The upgraded sailing suit can actually be upgraded again?

Fortunately, there are still plenty of sea crystals and seaweed left over from what Huang Pao and the others brought, enough to satisfy another upgrade!

Shi Ming repeated the upgrade process from before, and he was also very curious about how far a piece of clothing could be upgraded.

[Enhanced Type + Naval Suit.]

Made from cotton and linen, this product incorporates the magical energy of the ocean, providing both warmth and coolness while also offering some defensive capabilities, capable of withstanding attacks from ordinary knives.

【Level: 3】

Upgrade requires: 30 Sea Crystals, 100g Mutated Seaweed, and 1 Three-edged Starfish.

It can be upgraded again?

(End of this chapter)