National destiny: Starting with a coffin, building an aircraft carrier is broadcast live globally.

That is,

The reason why the mutation progress bar is stuck is because the Ghost Bone Ship's hardware can't keep up!

For it to be truly successful, it will need to evolve three or four more modules.

Or...

Let the Ghost Bone Ship evolve one more time, to Lv3.

It requires a lot of rare materials and evolution points, but it's not particularly difficult.

Instead, it's as if a clear upgrade path has been drawn up for it.

Whether it's ship evolution or module evolution, it's an inevitable path; now the goal is simply clearer.

Take it one step at a time, don't rush things...

With that thought in mind, Renyi silently picked up the fishing rod, baited it with a nearly spoiled seagull meat, and cast the line.

Light footsteps sounded from behind.

"You should rest," Klaus said, sitting down next to Ren Yi with some disapproval.

With his eyes fixed on the buoy, he replied, "I've been lying here for three days straight; my bones are practically rusting. But you, weren't you in charge of Ivan's duties for the latter half of the night?"

Klaus tilted his head back, indicating that anyone could look behind him.

Ivan stood ramrod straight against the captain's cabin doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, his thoughts resting at his feet...

She fell asleep with her eyes closed.

And she slept very soundly.

This guy! He actually mastered the skill of sleeping standing up?!

I was speechless for a moment.

"Besides, there's a lady in such a small space," Klaus said, his tone revealing an unresolved awkwardness.

"For a moment... it feels a little strange."

Klaus's gentlemanly manners and rigid, arbitrary nature were to be expected.

He shook his head and joked:

"That's why we need to upgrade quickly, otherwise you'll be sleeping on the deck every day!"

"However, the upgrade path for Lv3 has not yet appeared."

Even though all the modules have reached Lv1.

"Could it be a problem with the ship's structure?" Klaus pondered for a moment, then gestured with his hands around various parts of the Ghost Bone Ship.

"Keel, mast, sail... from the perspective of a basic medium-sized ship, we are missing a crucial component."

"The rudder."

Sparrow fruit.

Nodding unconsciously,

From the coffin lid to the present day, ships can turn and move forward either by paddling or by adjusting the sails.

Fortunately, the Ghost Bone Boat is relatively light, but it is still not what a complete ship should look like.

"Perhaps once it has a rudder and completes its basic 'skeleton,' it will have a direction for the next step?"

Klaus became more and more convinced that his reasoning was correct as he spoke.

"We can start by making a basic one out of wood and bone, and then reinforce it."

His suggestion makes a lot of sense.

Whether or not it's to unlock evolution, a rudder and a steering wheel are what they need.

A casual glance swept across the warehouse; the materials used were wood and bone...

Finally, his gaze settled on a skeleton that had been kept at the bottom of a box.

"perhaps......"

He reeled in his fishing rod and took out the skeleton of the Sotomayor, which was covered in messy scratches.

"Perhaps this child is willing to guide us."

"Leave it to me."

Klaus had no objection to turning useless remains into useful tools, which was another way of continuing the lives of the deceased.

He stood up.

Place the bones and wood, along with the expected tough bio-fibers and tough fascia, onto the deck.

Open the [Foundry] panel and start drawing up blueprints in your mind.

[Renovation]

[Main Body Selection: Ghost Bone Ship (LV2)]

[Add main materials: wood, complete human skeleton]

[Generating modification plan...]

A few minutes later,

Klaus's panel features a standard diagram of a rudder located at the front of the hull, connected to the rudder at the stern.

But at the end of the requirements list, a specific material requirement made Klaus stop.

[Solution Confirmed: Ship's Rudder Framework]

[Required Materials:]

【1. Timber (300/50)】

[2. Complete Human Skeleton (1/1)]

3. Strong fascia (15/3)

4. Strong bio-fiber (30/8)

【3. Echo (0/1)】

"Anything, but we need one more thing." Klaus turned around, his eyes questioning, "[Echo], what is that?"

[Echo].

Renyi's fingertips paused for a moment. When dissecting Sotoma's body, besides the bones, there was this crystal called Echo.

If what the system says is true, then this should be Sotoma's soul?

Since his skeleton has already been used as a vessel, using his soul as a guide is also considered complete.

Without hesitation, Ren Yi handed the [Echo] to Klaus.

"Begin the renovation."

The wood is cut, shaped, and integrated with the skeleton by an invisible force.

The skeleton disassembled and reassembled in the light.

The ribs spread out gracefully to form the rudder, the skull became the rudder beacon, and the empty eye sockets gazed into the distance.

The strong spine and leg bones form the connecting lever arms.

As the [Echo] finally landed in the center of the rudder,

A ghostly green light flowed along the bones, extending through the muscles and veins of the hull, merging with the newly added rudder.

The whole process was quiet and swift.

Without even alerting anyone on the ship, one can imagine their "surprise" tomorrow.

As the light faded, the uniquely shaped but ingeniously structured helm stood quietly at the front of the deck.

Fingers ran over the steering wheel,

It was neither the coldness of bones nor the dryness of wood.

"You don't need to beg me to take you away now."

The [Echo] in the center of the steering wheel flickers on and off with the [breathing] of the meridians, as if responding to the random self-talk.

"Now it's our turn to beg you, Captain Richie."

A new module has been added below any vehicle panel:

Whispers of the Lost (LV1)

[Function: Basic ship steering and control functions, improving navigation stability by 15%.]

[Comment: A kind-hearted lost soul, yearning to guide the ship home. P.S.: Don't ask him for directions; it's his first time too.]

He gripped the helm with both hands.

I felt my will extend through the rudder to the rudder blade at the stern.

As the rudder is gently turned, it moves silently like two huge tail fins, and the light hull draws an arc without any hesitation, as if controlled by an arm.

"The ship is now complete..."

Klaus wiped the light sweat from his forehead and sighed with satisfaction.

"Quick, let's see if it works!" he urged expectantly.

Access the shared panel at will.

Sure enough, two gray branches appeared beneath the ghost bone boat!

Although the evolutionary point is definitely still far away,

But there's never a bad thing to get a preview of the next version!

[Vehicle core structure detected as complete; LV3 evolution path selection enabled!]