Survival at Sea: My Warship is a Rubber Duck?

Chapter 149! You are so lucky!

"World boss? Demon General Thorn Burial? Who are you, bro?"

Upon hearing the game notification, this was the first thought that came to Yu Wang's mind.

In the previous life, there were also world boss battles, which only appeared in the second year after the game started. After that, they were fought on average once every three months. However, the bosses were the guardians of various sea areas, super-powerful individual creatures, or certain local forces. Only by killing them could one safely enter the next sea area.

As for the Demon General?

Never heard of that before!!

By all accounts, this should be a good thing, as killing the monsters would weaken their power. Yu Wang was somewhat unaccustomed to the game's sudden "friendly" attitude.

Has the game changed its nature? Or has the system been hacked or infected with a virus?

He subconsciously waited a moment, hoping that the cheeky voice would jump out and add a few more inside information, but all he could hear was silence, only the sound of the wind, the quacking of ducks, and the sound of branches falling in the distance.

Yu Xia, whose doubts were destined to remain unanswered, withdrew her thoughts and followed the ducks at full speed towards the dungeon's escape point. At this moment, the dungeon was far from stable; the purplish-red sky, like a torn wound, flickered back and forth with the normal blue sky and white clouds. Towering black thorns sometimes pierced the sky, and sometimes disappeared without a trace; the eerie forest covered by fleshy membranes overlapped and switched with the original lush green bushes, as if two worlds were vying for control of this space.

The ground was also vibrating at a low frequency, as if some enormous creature was turning over deep underground.

All signs point to one thing: staying in the copy is definitely not a wise move.

The game developers likely shared this view, so they only announced the dungeon name "Terrace of Thorns and Flesh" without making teleportation available.

It's obvious they want the survivors to come in later!

Those who remain here now will only become the first sacrificial offerings.

The three followed closely behind the flock of ducks, running wildly along the passage that had already been cleared.

Along the way, Yu Wang noticed that the surrounding plants were withering and decaying at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Even the moss underfoot began to die in large patches, revealing the grayish-brown soil beneath.

Without the nourishment of the milk-producing pond, the entire island is rapidly losing its vitality.

"With the pool gone, at least we don't have to worry about the Drunken Dream Immortals overflowing."

He was thinking about finding pleasure in delusion and suffering.

But this consolation is far too weak. Compared to the overabundance of plants, an awakened world-class BOSS is clearly a bigger headache.

The pollution within the instance was intensifying, but Yu Wang's ears remained relatively clear. The ring's suppressive effect was indeed immediate; the murmurs and hallucinations only flashed by occasionally and were quickly dispelled by the cool sensation.

But Zhang Xinlan and Lao Wang heard a constant clanging and banging in their ears, as they kept breast milk on hand, ready to sprinkle some on themselves if they sensed anything amiss.

"Ding! You have looked directly at a being far beyond your level of existence, an impudent offender! Bow your head! Sanity -10!"

"Ding! You heard an incomprehensible whisper, your sanity has decreased by 6!"

"Warning! Sanity level below 60%!!"

"Warning! Your rationality is below 50%!"

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Zhang Xinlan almost choked to death on her own saliva.

"What the hell?! GG at a time like this?! So annoying! Can't you just shut up for a bit?!"

After running for about twenty minutes, the three of them saw the exit point marker they had made when they first entered the instance in the distance.

It was surrounded by stones, with the duck's brightly colored feathers inserted, making it very easy to identify.

"We're here!" Zhang Xinlan said, panting heavily.

"Don't stop, just keep going!" Wang Huaisong urged.

Fifty meters to the breakout point — thirty meters — ten meters —

Standing at the break point, Yu Wang inexplicably stopped in his tracks.

"Yu Wang?!" Zhang Xinlan had already rushed to the edge of the marker. When she turned around and found that he hadn't followed, her expression changed. "What are you doing?"

Has your rationality vanished?

Wang Huaisong also stopped, almost grabbing him in his haste: "Come on! What are you standing there for!"

Yu Wang did not respond.

Experience told him that the wisest choice now was to leave immediately without looking back.

But the title of "leader" was stirring within him, telling him to wait and see.

What are you waiting for? What are you looking at?

He stood on the withered, yellowed moss-covered beach, facing the direction of the island.

The power to distort reality was growing wildly stronger. Even though he was wearing the ring that could suppress the negative effects, he could still vaguely see the towering, blood-red thorns, clearer and more "vivid" than before.

Those black thorns still tower into the clouds, each one a hundred meters high.

But now, their surfaces are covered with countless swollen pustules! Those pustules are the size of a human head, translucent, like ripe fruit hanging on thorns.

Yu Wang's pupils suddenly contracted.

He forced himself to look away and turn to the ocean.

It was daytime, and there was no blood moon shining in the sky, but the ocean he saw at that moment was a dark expanse shimmering with a crimson glow!

It's as if the entire nighttime world has been brought here!

In that pitch-black sea, countless monsters were howling and swimming wildly upwards! Some looked like fish, some like humans, and some were nothing at all, with only twisted limbs and greedy mouthparts!

They rushed upwards, upwards, upwards!

They wanted to climb ashore.

They have been called upon—they want to make a pilgrimage! They want to participate in this upcoming grand event!

In Yu Wang's ears, countless overlapping murmurs faintly echoed: "King—King! Please lead us!"

"Arrival—Arrival—"

Flesh and blood—fresh flesh and blood—

He took a deep breath and forced himself to look away.

Yu Wang took a deep breath.

He got it.

This is what the "leader" wanted him to see: the real impact the awakening of the demon general would bring.

It's not simply a matter of "a boss has appeared, everyone go fight it." Rather, the entire ecosystem of the area will be distorted, monsters will be attracted, the boundary between day and night will become blurred, and danger will surge in from all directions!

This is not a war that humanity can participate in at this stage, but we cannot remain uninvolved.

What will this sea area look like seven days later when the "Demon General Thorn Burial" fully descends?

He dared not think about it, nor did he want to know any more.

After only one glance, Yu Wang looked away and rushed into the escape point without looking back.

A flash of light.

The three returned to the deck of the Little Yellow Duck.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

While suffering from mental trauma and enduring brainwashing from a young man, running a cross-country road race for twenty minutes would have left an ordinary person exhausted and unconscious.

But they were different. After a round of enhancement, although they were panting heavily, their bodies could completely withstand it. In addition, having left the dungeon and no longer affected by the omnipresent pollution, their recovery speed was visibly faster.

Zhang Xinlan lay there for less than two minutes before jumping up and wiping the sweat from her face: "I'm alive again."

Yu Wang also caught his breath, but quickly straightened up and looked around.

The thick seawater shimmered in the sunlight, and a few unidentified white flowers floated on the surface, swaying gently with the waves.

In the distance, seabirds, already living in symbiosis with the plants, fly by, emitting long, drawn-out calls. It's a scene teeming with life.

At least within the visible range, there was no trace of any monster.

It seems that the blurred boundary between the two worlds only occurs near the "Garden of Thorns and Flesh" instance.

The sunlight felt warm on my skin.

As for the ducks, they suffered severe losses during the escape, and those that managed to escape back were all half-crippled and needed to eat a lot of flesh and blood to replenish their blood volume.

"Only fifty left? We barely lost any during the exploration, but after this escape, two-thirds of them are gone."

Yu Wang felt a little heartbroken. Duck Legs wasn't fast at sprinting, and only a few exceptionally talented Flying Duck Legs and upgraded Ducks could barely keep up with the team.

He had no time to reminisce about the heroic ducks; the constant ringing of notifications in the background almost drowned him out.

Yu Wang opened the chat channel, and sure enough, the entire chat group had already started high-speed refresh mode.

"Holy crap! Did you guys see the world announcement? World BOSS!! Is this even a game?"

"Demon General - Thorn Burial? What's that? It sounds terrifying!"

"It'll arrive in 168 hours! That's a week, right? Anyone want to team up and farm it?"

"First kill gets a reward! Plus, you get authority! Permanent skills! Who wouldn't be tempted?!"

"What's the use of being excited? First, you need to know your own limitations. World Bosses are not something small fry like us can mess with. Look at the world and regional channels, so many usually low-key big shots are popping up! How do you guys even speak in the regional channels?!"

"That's a megaphone prop!! You can only find it by searching through at least a silver chest!"

Yu Wang switched to the regional channel.

Sure enough, the previously quiet regional channel was now bustling like a vegetable market.

Beneath a string of historical messages about acquiring materials, some people are publicly revealing the size of their fleets, seeking partners of comparable strength; others are showing off their attribute panels, hoping to infiltrate a reliable temporary team.

Unlike in the regional channels, the megaphone props aren't obtained by chance, so basically no one is wasting time talking.

"【Whirlwind Fleet】is recruiting ranged DPS players. Average stats must be 5.8 or higher. Those with blue-quality or higher weapons will be given priority. If interested, please add me as a friend first. We'll then have an interview in the dungeon! Let's not waste each other's time."

"My Strength attribute is 7, and all other attributes are above 6. I have a title that increases speed, and my main weapon is a blue item. I'm looking for reliable teammates. Also, I'm short on cash, so I can't waste my megaphone. I'm asking here if anyone knows how to get into the Monkey Tavern. Please help me get in touch. The cabin list is here; you can trade anything you want."

Then, Yu Wang switched to the world channel.

The styles of these channels are basically similar, but the level of sophistication is significantly higher.

There were no ordinary survivors volunteering; it was all large-scale fleets publicly posting recruitment information.

The recruitment requirements are also much stricter than those for regional channels.

An average attribute score of at least 6.5 is required to be eligible to add someone as a friend and be considered for the next round; a score of 6.7 or higher is required to be on the priority list. Zhang Xinlan scrolled through the messages for a while and couldn't help but complain: "Why does everyone think they can snag a spot? Have they forgotten how rare it was to get a spot in the 'Lion Ant Dynasty' long-term dungeon? Back then, so many people were desperate to get in, and everyone was forced to enter the dungeon in the dangerous middle of the night. Now everyone thinks they can get a piece of the pie."

Old Wang nodded in agreement, his face bearing the weariness of someone who had been through it all.

In order to gather enough down for mattresses, he had to compete with those incredibly fast young people. He still feels lingering fear: "1 spots seem like a lot more, but there are billions of people vying for them, so the odds are actually much lower."

Zhang Xinlan sighed, "Looks like I'll have to play second fiddle this time. By the way, why don't survivors in long-running dungeons get any preferential treatment from their respective zones?"

Yu Wang didn't say anything, but simply brought up his own panel and showed it to them.

On the screen was a system-sent email with a title highlighted in gold lettering, making it particularly eye-catching:

[Dear Survivor, your average attribute points have exceeded 7. You are now invited to participate in the World Boss "Demon General: Thorn Burial" raid! You have already obtained direct entry to the dungeon!!]

[Bonus: Letter of Recommendation]

[A special letter awarded to top survivors. This letter allows them to join a friendly faction. Completing designated tasks earns contribution points, which can be exchanged for rare resources.]

"The 1 spots were actually pre-selected. Anyone with an average attribute point of over 7 would automatically qualify, without needing to compete."

How can a battle concerning the fate of the world be allowed to be played recklessly?

If we want to be truly fair and just, without any underhanded dealings, and all the capable people are kept out of the game while those who just coast along and try to get freebies are allowed in, wouldn't that create chaos?

Zhang Xinlan's eyes widened. She pointed at the screen: "You—you—you—you got direct entry?! No need to fight for it?!"

Yu Wang gave a faint "hmm": "It seems that the 1 spots this time were actually predetermined. Anyone with an average attribute point of over 7 will directly qualify for entry."

Those fleets are frantically recruiting probably because they've discovered their original teammates are completely incapable of entering the instance, forcing them to temporarily team up with survivors from other zones. Those with entry qualifications are their real targets.

However, judging from their minimum recruitment standards, perhaps as long as your attribute points reach 6 or higher, you'll have priority to enter the dungeon. You should also check your own stats.

Zhang Xinlan was stunned for two seconds, then quickly opened her panel. She had already given up hope, as her average attributes were only 6 or 7, still far from 7. But there was actually a new email in her mail list!

She happily clicked on the message: "Dear Survivor, your average attribute points have exceeded 6. You have been granted priority entry when participating in the World Boss Raid."

[Bonus: Letter of Recommendation]

[A special letter awarded to outstanding survivors. With this letter, they can join a friendly faction. Completing designated tasks will earn contribution points, which can be exchanged for rare resources.]

"Priority access! I received it too!"

Zhang Xinlan's eyes lit up. Although it was not as good as Yu Wang's direct entry, it was still a special treatment!

Old Wang quickly opened his own panel.

As expected, like Zhang Xinlan, he was granted "priority entry rights" instead of Yu Wang's "direct entry qualification".

The tagline on the recommendation letter was "A special letter awarded to outstanding survivors," not "Top Survivor" as stated in Yu Wangna's letter.

Upon seeing this, Yu Wang seemed to ponder: "It seems that different 'letters of recommendation' will lead to slightly different tasks later on."

But he knew in his heart that humans were not the main force in this BOSS battle.

Those so-called "mysterious friendly units" are the ones that can truly enter the core of the battlefield and are the main force in eliminating the boss "Thorn Burial".

They could be the elite of the local forces, powerful figures from other races, or even long-dormant ancient monsters.

At most, humans can only play a supporting role on the sidelines, and if they're lucky, they might be able to pick up some scraps.

but--

He glanced at the active chatter, "At the rate of human development, it won't be long before we have a place at the conference table!"

Just then, another message appeared in the world chat.

I initially thought it was another recruitment message from some fleet, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an old acquaintance.

[Left-wing Saint]: "Regarding the ancient sea routes, I'm sure everyone already knows. If not, that's okay, I'll say it again."

The ancient sea route is a route that traverses this world. If we reach the end, the game will likely end, and we humans can return to our original home.

But according to the divine decree sent by our Lord, this world is truly a prison, perfectly closed like an eggshell, without doors, windows, gaps, or seams. You and I are all prisoners trapped within it, and even if we complete the journey, we will only be going around in circles in the cage, ultimately unable to break free.

The real way out is not on the "road," but in the "door"!

Only by finding that door can we escape this world and see the true light of day again.

Upon seeing this, Yu Wang raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is 'Zhongyuantian' going to make all of humanity his spies?"

If you can't find it yourself, you ask billions of people to help you find it? What a shrewd deal!

He continued reading.

"If there must be a door," then there must be a key. And our Lord, with supreme power, found that lost key from the chaos!

When the time is right, we can open the door to freedom!

However, where is the "door"? This is not the task of one person, nor the responsibility of any one church; it requires the collective search of all humanity!

"Therefore, the Holy Radiance Angel Cult today announces the establishment of a special agency called 'Seeking a Home'!"

Any items, relics, clues, runes, or ancient legends that you believe may be related to the "Gateway to the World"—

Report anything! A generous reward awaits upon verification! Pearls, blueprints, equipment, and even angelic blessings and protection can all be redeemed!

"Our Lord, 'All Will Heaven,' bears witness in His divine name that on the day the 'Gate' opens, all humanity, regardless of faith, sin, or merit, may use the gate to leave this world, without exception!"

The idea of ​​taking advantage of human labor is good, but the timing is wrong.

Right now, the most important thing is the world boss battle; things like finding a door will be forgotten in the blink of an eye.

Sure enough, in less than an hour, the news about the Left Wing Saints was pushed to the top and replaced by another recruitment notice for a fleet.

The captain couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark:

Black Sail Clouds: "The Black Sailboat Fleet is recruiting core crew members. Requirements include an average attribute point of 7 or higher, and no temporary memberships. We offer 'region transfer permits' to allow you to join our region and truly become part of the fleet. We follow an elite route, without many detours. The fleet is ranked by strength; everyone is like brothers and sisters."

Furthermore, I advise everyone to just take what these charlatans say with a grain of salt. They're just making empty promises again. Last time it was an angel statue, this time it's the gates to the world.

The promises they make are increasingly grandiose. First, they tell you about despair, then they give you "hope," and then they make you risk your life to find things for them!

Regardless of whether this "door" theory is correct, the current claim that everyone can leave, followed by the final statement that "only believers can see the door," is a pattern I've seen too many times!

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