Survival at Sea: My Warship is a Rubber Duck?

Chapter 143 Transfer Certificate

Overall, the skeleton duck looks a bit like a platypus, except its legs are a tiny bit longer.

Yu Wang tentatively reached out his hand.

The skeleton duck reacted immediately. Instead of quacking, it trotted along on its feet, clattering as it walked to Yu Wang's hand, and then gently rubbed the top of its smooth skull against Yu Wang's palm.

Its movements were gentle and affectionate.

"I don't take up much space."

Then, it slowly began to get to know the world on the ship, greeted Zhang Xinlan and the other ducks, and snuggled up with the chef duck. Finally, it casually ran to the second floor of the little yellow duck.

She lay down next to the small figurine, emitting a comfortable sigh, and then stopped moving.

I'm so tired, I really want to rest. Once I finish my work, I can finally get a good night's sleep.

Looking at the peaceful and tranquil second floor, which gave him the feeling of a meritorious dog retiring and enjoying its retirement, Yu Wang sighed helplessly, returned to the deck, and opened the treasure map he had obtained from the box.

The map slowly unfolded in his hands. On the empty map, as if outlined by invisible brushstrokes, winding coastlines, island markers, and ocean current arrows gradually emerged, eventually converging on an area covered by ice and snow, next to which was marked with the place name "Penguin Icefield" in an ancient common language.

"The destination is actually inside the Glacier Sea." Yu Wang frowned slightly. "That sea area is still too far away for me right now; I can forget about it in the short term."

"Judging from the texture of the ocean, the ecological foundation of the Bountiful Sea has been completed. It is very likely that the creatures that originally belonged to the Bountiful Sea will be born within the next day or two."

After saying that, Yu Wang silently added in his mind that it might already be conceived.

At this moment, a survivor with the ID "Wandering" posted a picture of a shipwreck overrun by seaweed.

In the picture, the wreckage of a small wooden boat is half-submerged, its hull almost completely covered by dense dark green seaweed and a large amount of plants, making it almost impossible to discern its original shape. It looks like a floating island of plants at sea.

Wandering: "@You're going to hit the jackpot, boss! My teammate didn't enter the game with me, and when I came out, his ship was like this, and he was gone. Do you know what happened?"

You're about to hit the jackpot: "@彷徨, have you seen your friend's profile picture? Is it still lit up?"

"Yes, yes, yes! It's lit up! Shows online! But the person is nowhere to be seen! They're not replying to messages, and the lifeboats they prepared are perfectly fine and haven't been used! It's so weird!"

A photograph resonated with many people who had similar experiences.

Eight Fox Clan: "Same question! My situation is exactly the same! I entered the dungeon, and my teammate stayed outside. We agreed to go to a nearby murloc village together afterward to see if we could trade. But when I came out, he was gone, and the ship looked like the 'Wandering' picture, covered in disgusting seaweed! His avatar is lit up, but my messages are going unanswered! It's driving me crazy!"

Early morning bird bite: "My teammates who stayed behind are fine. They said that apart from the seaweed growing faster on the ship and the air being a bit pungent, nothing particularly strange has happened in the past two days. But my friend in another section has encountered the same situation."

It wasn't until it was brought to light that people realized that after "Wandering" posted that photo, the number of survivors with similar experiences was far greater than they had imagined!

The affected area must have been three or four hundred people, right?

In the chat interface, people began to upload photos of similar "greening boat" wreckage, each one more shocking than the last.

Looking at these photos and descriptions, Yu Wang already had the answer in his heart.

Those survivors who went missing but whose avatars are still lit up have probably been dragged to the bottom of the sea and transformed into "living dead" parasitized by plants under the influence of the "humic milk mother" power.

Their "online status" is that their physical bodies still maintain the minimum level of life response, which is misjudged by the system.

If they are left unattended in the sea, they will be eliminated by the game after tonight for failing to complete the designated distance.

If the percentage is too high, it may drag down the entire partition and result in penalties from the game.

Yu Wang looked at the number of survivors in the chat group: 79768.

There were originally more than 83,000 people in the 444th division. The daily consumption, plus one group dungeon, resulted in 4,000 deaths, which is within the normal range.

But now it seems that this "survivorship number" is likely to be highly inflated!

Those who are in a vegetative state may still be counted as survivors!

"I wonder how many of those 79,000-plus figures are fake."

He thought to himself, "However, we'll know the truth tonight when the game recalculates the daily minimum mileage and imposes penalties. Those who are already in a vegetative state and have lost their mobility will almost certainly not meet the mileage requirements and will be eliminated directly by the game rules."

What alarms Yu Wang even more is that the emergence of this phenomenon means that the danger of the "Sea of ​​Abundance" is rapidly entering a new stage.

"If plant-like living dead have already appeared, then 'spore jellyfish,' 'delirium islands,' and 'ship-eating snails' are not far behind."

As a sea area that was only encountered in the mid-game of the previous game when almost all survivors were at the Transcendent level, the danger level of the "Fertile Sea" can be imagined.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Even though the "Original Sea" is the source of the conflict between the two gods, and the "Abundant Sea" cannot reach its full potential in the short term, the danger to ordinary humans is already off the charts. Leaving this sea area as soon as possible is the safest choice.

Yu Wang pondered for a moment and replied, "I'm sorry, your companions have become the living dead. If you are willing to take the risk, you may be able to try to search carefully underwater near the ship and find their bodies."

But unless a revival drug can be found, there is basically no hope of saving him.

As I said before, minimize contact with seawater, diligently remove any seaweed and unidentified plants spreading onto the boat, and avoid any strangely shaped creatures if possible. Don't be curious, and don't touch them! This sea area is not friendly to us.

His reply caused a brief silence in the group chat, and after a long silence, "Wandering" replied:

Hesitant: "I see—thank you for letting me know. It was actually my girlfriend who went missing. Since there's still hope, I want to try again. The resurrection potion, right? I'll do my best to find it, I promise."

Between the lines, there is a heartbreaking stubbornness.

Yu Wang turned off the group chat notification, rolled up the treasure map again, and put it into his spatial backpack.

This may be a future exploration target, but certainly not now.

Composing himself, he and Zhang Xinlan began to carefully examine the "Ghost Pirate," which had just been upgraded to level 4.

The data panel has undergone a complete transformation.

Name: Ghost Pirate

[Level: 4]

Captain: Zhang Xinlan

[Durability: 6000/6000]

Speed: 50 knots

Storage space: 8000 slots

[Existing Expansion Modules: Rusted Cannon LV.3 x7, Ecological Recycling Greenhouse, Exquisite Interior Decoration, Stealth Sails]

Processing/Production Equipment: Stoves

[Expandable Modules: Soul Storage Tank, Pirate Radar, Bone Ram]

[Skill: Follow Me Like a Shadow]

[Description: A ghost of the sea. If you offend this ship, be prepared to sleep with your eyes open for the rest of your life! Or, you can pray that the captain has no money in his pocket!]

Today, the "Ghost Pirate" is nearly 70 meters long and has three towering masts. The hull lines still retain the charm of a retro pirate ship, but after completing the transformation from level 3 to 4, it no longer looks dilapidated. Instead, it exudes a sinister beauty that has been rejuvenated after weathering the storms of time.

Some new iron chain decorations have been added to both sides of the ship, and black flags painted with skulls and ghosts are hanging from the masts, fluttering in the wind and creating a strong sense of oppression.

The exclusive expansion module includes three new expansions: "Soul Storage Jar", "Pirate Radar", and "Bone Ram".

Yu Wang took a look at the effects of the three expansion modules.

[Soul Storage Jar: Those killed by the Ghost Pirate will be trapped inside. The captain can use it, or burn their souls to increase speed and pursue the next target.]

Pirate Radar: What if you lose track of your target? Check out Pirate Radar! Once it's on your radar, there's no escape! It can also alert you if you're being pursued.

[Bone Ram: Its sturdiness depends on the bone material used; it can break ice and ram enemy ships.]

Yu Wang glanced at them and found that, apart from the "Soul Storage Jar" which required some special materials that he didn't have at the moment, the other two could be expanded directly.

Thinking about the next steps, the natural choice was to expand and strengthen the company.

The "Ghost Pirate" is already 20 meters long at Tier 2. The saying "you can see it from childhood to old age" also applies to the development path of ships.

Clearly, the design philosophy of this ship is to follow the route of "giant ship deterrence, high-speed pursuit, and enhanced hunting".

The transformative changes to the "Ghost Pirate" naturally caught the eye of another member of the temporary fleet. Lu Ping stood alone on the deck of her two-masted sailboat, the sea breeze ruffling her short, neat hair as she gazed at the newly renovated "Ghost Pirate" with a complex expression.

She was all alone; the boat and yacht that should have accompanied her, carrying a man and a woman, were nowhere to be seen.

The man and woman didn't participate in this team dungeon; in order to complete their daily milestones, they must have already drifted ahead with the ocean currents.

If they only covered the minimum daily distance and then stopped to wait, Lu Ping might be able to catch up quickly.

But you can't judge a book by its cover, especially in this precarious environment.

If they deliberately keep moving forward at full speed without looking back and waiting, then they might very well completely miss Lu Ping and go their separate ways.

The food and fresh water that the two people "borrowed" from Lu Ping under the pretext of insufficient supplies, as well as their verbal promise to "return the supplies once they are found," will most likely become an empty promise that can never be cashed as the distance between them grows.

That's secondary. How can we cross the increasingly dangerous Sea of ​​Fertility without someone to help us?

Lu Ping pursed her lips, a hint of self-mockery flashing in her eyes.

The game had been going on for a month. She wasn't a naive little girl; she had long anticipated the nature of humanity. However, she never imagined that misfortune would actually befall her, nor could she have imagined that her most cherished sister would become one of those who betrayed her.

When it all happened, I always felt uneasy.

Zhang Xinlan had interacted with Lu Ping in the dungeon, and seeing Lu Ping all alone on the boat now, she felt a pang of pity.

She discussed it briefly with Yu Wang. After all, he was a contact person in the district, so Yu Wang naturally had no objections.

After whispering for a moment, Zhang Xinlan walked to the side of the boat and called out to the other side, "Sister Lu Ping, why don't you continue traveling with us for a while? We can look out for each other!"

Lu Ping looked up at the sound, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She thought that the Ghost Pirate, which had grown to twice its size, no longer needed teammates whose backgrounds she didn't know. She didn't expect that Yu Wang and Zhang Xinlan would still be willing to take her along the way.

A wave of gratitude followed, but it was quickly replaced by embarrassment.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice carried a hint of embarrassment: "Thank you for your kindness—but I don't have any valuable items to exchange."

If both sides were on equal footing, then it was a win-win cooperation.

However, given the current disparity in their positions, any further cooperation would be nothing more than a transaction.

In his domain, powerful ships would collect protection money to send smaller ships over to form a fleet and sail in parallel.

She thought Yu Wang wanted to make a deal with her.

Zhang Xinlan interrupted her directly, saying cheerfully, "What are you talking about! Didn't you remind me not to be silly and follow along to pray when we were in line? Otherwise, I might have been dragged into some strange ritual without even realizing it. This information is very valuable! It's just letting you walk side by side; it won't cost us much fuel, so don't overthink it!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ping felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

She stopped being coy and steered the sailboat slowly toward the "Ghost Pirate," taking the lead in breaking through the waves, which was her way of making a contribution within her power.

The temporary formation of three ships sailed for some distance under the propulsion of the ocean current until the invisible force completely dissipated, the ships' speed dropped sharply, and they eventually came to a complete stop. With the slight undulation of the waves, they returned to the normal sea surface.

The sky was darkening at a visible speed, and the green, jelly-like sea was gilded with an ominous dark golden afterglow.

Some bioluminescent jellyfish emerged from the sea and floated silently on the surface.

Through the translucent jellyfish skin, one can see what appears to be a core of violent energy encased within.

It's a jellyfish that can explode.

This is probably the conclusion in the minds of everyone who saw it.

Just as the sun was about to sink below the horizon, two blurry silhouettes of ships appeared on the sea not far ahead.

Judging from its appearance, it seems to be a covered boat or a speedboat.

It was the boat of Lu Ping's two teammates who left without saying goodbye!

However, in the fading glow of the setting sun, the two ships exuded an inexplicable eeriness.

Not a single light shone from the ship; it was deathly silent.

Logically, to prevent chaos after dark, survivors should light a campfire or lamps early on.

"Something's not right." Zhang Xinlan was the first to notice the anomaly, her brows furrowing slightly.

The wooden awning boat seemed to come alive, sprouting countless strange, tender green shoots and vines with white spots, completely enveloping the hull like a growing plant tumor.

The tin yacht, on the other hand, was rusted and covered with a thick layer of sticky, dark green seaweed.

Through the almost completely covered porthole of the yacht, two blurry figures could be vaguely seen inside.

Thinking of the contents of the previous chat group, Zhang Xinlan immediately reported what she had seen to Yu Wang.

At this moment, Yu Wang was chatting with Lin Che.

He originally intended to give Lin Che a "sponge jelly" to accelerate the cultivation of new Gu worms.

Unexpectedly, during the chat, it was discovered that this kid was very lucky and had obtained a transfer permission in the recently concluded dungeon, and can now transfer to partition 444.

Yu Wang then sent him a zone-level teleportation card, so that after the zone transfer, he could directly teleport to join the fleet and enjoy various fleet benefits.

In a safe environment, the speed of cultivating Gu worms will definitely be faster.

As for Lao Wang, Yu Wang had mentioned it before, inviting him to teleport over directly to join the operation.

But Lao Wang replied that after leaving the instance, he discovered a resource-rich archipelago nearby and planned to explore it alone first, try out the new items, and then return to join them once he had made some gains. Yu Wang respected his choice, only reminding him to be careful.

By now, the Little Yellow Duck was very close to the two strange ships.

Zhang Xinlan could now clearly see the scene inside the yacht's cabin. The two corpses, completely enveloped in thick, dark green mycelium and seaweed, like insects in amber, gave her a great shock.

While Zhang Xinlan was observing, the corpse suddenly opened its mouth wide and struggled and gasped for breath.

Called by instinct, they wriggled, trying to crawl back into the sea.

Just like fish that have come ashore will desperately jump back into the water.

For corpses that have become truly vegetative, the air is toxic; the ocean, rich in life energy, is their only cradle.

Zhang Xinlan rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps, and asked cautiously, "Should we go up and take a look?"

"Of course, the two level-two ships can be dismantled to produce a lot of materials. Their water cannons and arrow towers can also be recycled and sold." Yu Wang said without hesitation.

Zhang Xinlan was still somewhat hesitant: "If we go up there, will we get infected?"

"With your physical condition, you'll be fine. If you're really worried, you can wear an oxygen tank."

"That's right!! Our oxygen tanks are all crafted in the dungeon, the air inside is absolutely clean!"

Zhang Xinlan's eyes lit up. She suddenly remembered that when they were in the dungeon, Yu Wang had asked her to make more oxygen tanks. Could it be that Yu Wang had already foreseen the situation they would encounter after they came out?

The two stepped onto the deck covered in slippery seaweed, and the wet, sticky sensation under their feet was nauseating.

The cabin was filled with the smells of a forest after the rain and mushroom spore powder.

They searched carefully.

There were no signs of fighting or bloodstains, but there were four black breads and half a bottle of mineral water in the cabin.

And two corpses covered in algae, entangled together.

Lu Ping followed, but she didn't go inside the cabin. She only moved around in the open space outside. When she saw this scene through the window, she covered her mouth and gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.

Green mold grew on the black bread, and unidentified floating objects appeared in the mineral water.

It seems that the two couldn't bear to throw away the spoiled water and bread, so they risked tasting some. As a result, the physical condition assessment failed, and they were infected, ultimately leading to the tragedy.

[Ding! An abandoned vessel (speedboat LV2) (Snowy Boat) has been detected. Do you wish to dismantle and recycle it?]

The system notification sounded in Wang's ear at just the right moment.

Upon returning to the ship, Yu Wang chose to dismantle both ships completely.

【获得：钢铁685、木材1300、铜线12、塑料30、初级能量核心1、腐蚀的海藻块15（可分解为少量有机肥料）————】

Even the smallest mosquito is still meat, and besides, one of its legs is a steel ship. Decomposing it can make up for some of the cost of making the "Bone Ram".

Yu Wang looked at the numbers flashing on the panel, breathed a sigh of relief, and pondered how to make good use of this windfall. Then he noticed the hundreds of rare potions in the cabin.

With a mysterious smile on his face, Yu Wang prepared to talk to the black cat Daisy and ask her to help him pass on a message to the Witch Alliance.

Just as he pulled out the Witch Alliance receipt, which had been unusually quiet tonight, "Beep! Beep beep beep—!"

The newly built pirate radar on the Ghost Pirate suddenly sounded an urgent alarm!

Zhang Xinlan opened the panel and her expression changed slightly: "We've been used as teleportation targets by someone using a teleportation card!!"

Yu Wang's first thought was of Lin Che, who had obtained the transfer certificate, but Zhang Xinlan quickly added, "At least seven people!"

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