Chapter 52: Could It Be That They’re Acting Me?
Page 1/3
Da Chun rowed all the way to the open sea, approaching the treasure-hunting ship where the atmosphere felt tense. Whether it was his plague scaring them or their readiness to take action, Da Chun didn’t care anymore.
Then he saw the real Virapiku standing at the bow, waving—a man in his thirties or forties with an ordinary appearance, sporting the classic captain’s look, clearly an NPC.
“The captain is here, lower the rope ladder, welcome, welcome…”
Hmm? Da Chun noticed how he was addressed. Amid sparse applause, he boarded the ship for the meeting. “The captain called me captain?”
Virapiku took off his captain’s hat, a symbol of his status. “I’m the first mate now; you’re the captain. So, captain, are you ready to take your position?”
Uh? Straight to business right away? The efficiency made Da Chun feel a bit uneasy. “Ready.”
—System notification: You have received the “Otter” captain’s hat and assumed the role of captain of the Otter! Your leadership +30, and you have gained the captain skill “Evasion.”
Evasion: A skill that can only be activated after purchasing insurance from the insurance company. By sacrificing over 50% durability of the entire ship, it randomly teleports a short distance to escape the battlefield, with a random loss of cargo during the evasion.
…
What the hell!?
Da Chun stood there stunned for a moment. This system prompt meant he was truly the captain—not just a temporary role for practice!?
In the game, sailing is a crucial gameplay element. Players acquire ships through official channels—whether by purchase, mortgage, or lease. These ships function as special equipment and sea territories, protected by a comprehensive system.
If the ship sinks during a voyage, it doesn’t truly sink. Instead, after drifting for some time, it returns to a designated harbor, essentially reviving the ship. Cargo isn’t protected, but players can purchase extra insurance to save some of the goods that drift back.
The captain skill requiring insurance is, in a way, similar to how paladin healers need to renew their paid divine spells.
As for the nine small battered boats Da Chun stole from the shipyard the day before yesterday, since they weren’t obtained through official channels, if they sink, they’re likely gone for good. The small boat Favna gave him would probably drift back to its original harbor if sunk. Pirate ships work similarly, drifting back to pirate ports after sinking.
When a player dies on a ship, they don’t revive in the city but in the prayer cabin, which is like a village. Small boats lack prayer cabins, so players revive in the city upon death, but they can command the small boat to “self-sink” and it will drift back as well.
In short, if a player becomes the captain of a large ship and manages to complete a cargo run without buying insurance, the income… Da Chun immediately felt excited!
At this moment, Virapiku led the way. “Captain, please come to the cockpit!”
The surrounding sailors greeted in unison, “Greetings, Captain!”
Damn!
Da Chun felt he might lose himself amidst all these “Captain” calls. “They know my situation, right?”
Virapiku smiled, “They do. The captain just wiped out the slimes on the island. They respect you greatly and are very willing to follow your command.”
I mean the plague! Never mind, better not mention it.
Once inside the cockpit, Virapiku began teaching step-by-step, issuing orders one by one.
Overall, the command procedure was similar to the manual left by the Great Evil Spirit, but that was a high-end magic ship that could move at the push of a button. Here, orders had to be given for each crew member at their post to act.
One must admit, Virapiku and the entire crew were very cooperative. They didn’t ask about the island or express any discontent over the plague or rebellion. Da Chun thought he might be overthinking, but more likely their precautions were thorough enough to completely dispel any ill intentions.
Then, the moment finally came!
—System notification: You have begun mastering the operation of large vessels. Your proficiency in Advanced Level 10 Seamanship has increased. You have integrated the cooperation of the entire crew team, increasing proficiency in the Advanced Level 10 module combination…
Finally, proficiency! How far to expert? If only the Four Seas Soul was also used, he’d be an expert immediately… No, that’s a secret—can’t use it.
…
In the game world, it was 4 a.m. The night fog before dawn was deep and dark, while the lights on the plague island glowed dimly.
Da Chun had completely grasped the command functions of the cockpit and the operational procedures of the various gun decks, cargo holds, fish holds, and salvage holds. His skills in handling various wind directions and speed adjustments had also greatly improved.
As an engineer, Da Chun even noticed some impractical design flaws, which might prove that this complex system was truly designed by an intelligent system. If players could manually modify and optimize it, they might reach master or grandmaster level.
Page 2/3
At that moment, the lookout suddenly sounded the alarm: “Captain, ship lights spotted southeast!”
Virapiku immediately said, “Recommend immediate blackout and light control!”
Da Chun felt a chill. “Blackout for the entire ship!”
The next moment, the ship was plunged into complete darkness.
Da Chun was nervous. “What’s happening?”
Virapiku spoke sternly, “As I said earlier, the plague island has been dark for years. Suddenly so many lights will surely attract passing ships’ attention. But merchant ships won’t come; only idle pirates or treasure hunters might. When uncertain of their intentions, blackout is the best choice.”
If they thought the plague was gone and recklessly landed to fight the evil spirits, stealing my ring and divine rank? Not on my watch.
Da Chun asked, “Won’t turning off our lights make them think we’re attacking?”
Virapiku smiled, “Are you going to attack them? Here’s an important lesson: while our infection hasn’t flared and we still have fighting strength, we stay alert. Their lights blend with the island’s, so they likely haven’t spotted us, which is perfect for a sneak attack.”
Da Chun asked again, “What if they’re a legitimate treasure-hunting ship?”
Virapiku laughed, “Then we become illegitimate! Raise the pirate flag! Gun crews, ready! Assault teams, ready!”
Just moments ago, the ship was tense and sullen; now whistles blew, and the entire ship buzzed with activity!
—System notification: Pirate flag raised! Otter’s ship number hidden! All crew switched to pirate red name anonymous mode.
Damn! The legend is true. These treasure hunters really turn pirates when bored! Since none are good guys, let’s fight!
“Let’s go to battle!”
Virapiku began issuing orders. “Sneak attack! Initiate stealth sailing!”
The ship instantly fell silent from the previous whistles. White steam hissed from vents all over the hull, and the surrounding night thickened, obscuring the island’s lights.
—System notification: First mate Virapiku activated stealth sailing special skill. Our ship enters silent and hidden mode, increasing speed.
Wow! High tech!
Da Chun whispered, “Is this our ship’s skill?”
Virapiku whispered back, “Yes! But it requires a special mist stone powder, a strategic material for city navies, not easy for ordinary ships to obtain.”
Makes sense! Some things have to be taught during battle. Da Chun felt even more eager for this fight.
As they neared the target, something suddenly struck the hull with a sharp screech!
Virapiku was shocked. “Dolphin? We’ve been discovered!”
The next moment, flames flared behind, cannon fire thundered, and the target ship opened fire. Tons of cannonballs struck the hull with earth-shaking roars, sending huge waves into the air!
Da Chun was stunned. “There’s another ship behind us?”
Virapiku snapped back to reality. “Two ships? Turns out we were the ones discovered first! Recommend immediate retreat!”
Da Chun panicked. “Where to retreat?”
“Out to the open sea!”
Damn! My first naval battle I looked forward to… this?
Da Chun was desperate. “What about the island? This is my exile land. Wouldn’t this just be running away?”
Virapiku solemnly said, “We can charge forward, fight the lead ship in boarding combat. Even if the rear fires cannons, they risk hitting their own allies. You’re the captain; you decide. We will follow unconditionally!”
They trusted me that much? Just send the workers, build like hell!
Page 3/3
Da Chun didn’t hesitate. “Then full speed ahead, let’s fight!”
“Captain orders: full speed charge!”
The whole crew roared, morale soaring!
But the lookout immediately noticed something wrong: “The lead ship is also accelerating, keeping distance from us—”
Before he finished, another cannonball shattered the cockpit glass. Virapiku quickly shielded Da Chun!
Da Chun looked and saw him covered in blood and glass shards!
Da Chun was inexplicably moved. “Captain!”
Virapiku smiled faintly. “I’m first mate! Only this kind of battle can quickly mold me into a formidable captain—”
He then resolutely commanded, “Keep accelerating!”
Da Chun’s heart stirred. Being caught between two ships was impossible! Even if they charged frontally, their crew would be riddled with injuries—how could they win?
At this point, no point holding back. Using the Four Seas Soul’s blessing, they could catch up immediately! The Sea Emperor Crab’s soul might even increase ramming damage. Maybe they could ram and sink the enemy, breaking into expert rank…
Just as Da Chun got fired up to activate it, a sudden hesitation struck him—something felt off. He was past the age for hotblooded sentimentality. Why was he moved?
So he calmed down… Could it be they were setting a trap for him?
After all, the Great Evil Spirit was so strong. Was Virapiku really his only subordinate? Maybe all three were. Finding traces of demonic gold on the plague island, he surely called all his subordinates immediately to investigate.
What was the purpose of playing a role with him? The Four Seas Soul! The Great Evil Spirit might look down on it, but his subordinates would definitely appreciate it. I escaped back from the Silver Sea thanks to the Four Seas Soul, but Virapiku only asked about demonic gold and never mentioned it. Suspicious!
Da Chun couldn’t be sure if infusing the Four Seas Soul into this advanced ship would allow him to reclaim it later. There was a cooldown to uninstall, and bigger ships took longer. What if he died suddenly during the process?
If he couldn’t get it back—damn! With Virapiku’s “loyal and brave” behavior, there was no way to confront him. He’d just be led along…
The more Da Chun thought, the colder his scalp felt! But if he was wrong, he’d waste loyalty and miss a chance to grow stronger. That was unacceptable!
“…Eileen, what do you think we should do?”
Eileen smiled, “Then you jump in the sea and use the sea soul yourself.”
Da Chun was shocked. “Swim after the ship?”
Eileen thought a moment. “Then just hang from a rope and get towed!”
Da Chun felt her intelligence module was malfunctioning. “What good would that do? Punch their hull?”
Eileen countered, “And what good are you here? At least if you go down, you can fight that dolphin, right? Your sea-kin guard skill lets you command dolphins. If not, I can test the curse ring’s effect.”
Damn, she had a point!
Da Chun elevated this to a tactical level. “Captain Virapiku, we have stealth fog, yet they hit us so accurately. Is the dolphin providing targeting?”
Virapiku paused. “…Yes!”
Da Chun solemnly said, “I order you to command the battle fully. I’ll go down and deal with the dolphin!”
Virapiku was stunned. “But captain—”
That surprised expression seemed suspicious.
Da Chun immediately cut him off. “No buts. I’m the captain. Execute the order!”