Grand Voyage : Surviving on a Ghost Ship

The Nightmare Star towed Iron Heart out of the buffer zone.

As soon as they broke through the boundary of the stormy seas, the sky suddenly brightened, and the three of them were greeted by the long-lost sunlight.

Then, the system broadcast an announcement:

【Congratulations on escaping the Stormy Sea】

【Navigation Announcement: All players have now exited the Stormy Sea. The speed of the black mist has slowed to 10 knots. The Grand Sea Map is now available, and you can check your coordinates on it. 】

【The number of Level 3 ships has exceeded 10,000. The Extreme Winter Sea is starting to spread. Everyone, please take note and keep warm!】

Yang Yi immediately checked the log and found a new page.

It was a rudimentary sea map, only recording the routes players had travelled and the surrounding sea areas they had encountered. Unexplored regions were shrouded in a yellow-brown fog of war.

Thanks to The Nightmare Star's built-in small map, the recorded area was broader, covering 150 nautical miles around them.

The Grand Sea Map had three main features:

1. Players could now know their exact coordinates. This made it easier for players to arrange meetings by agreeing on a specific coordinate. However, what would happen during these meetings was up to them. Yang Yi figured...it was best to avoid them when possible! Without laws to bind them at sea, one could never be sure of another player's intentions.
2. Players could see the names of sea regions and their boundaries. Although the map was shrouded in fog of war, the names of major sea regions were visible. For example, the region they had just left was the Stormy Sea, while the area ahead was the Extreme Winter Sea. These boundaries weren’t straight lines but jagged, resembling the irregular edges of landmasses.
3. The boundary of the black mist was also visible on the Grand Sea Map, allowing players to keep track of its distance from them, preventing sudden, unexpected engulfment by the mist.

Yang Yi quickly opened the chat channel to see other players' reactions and gather first-hand information.

“I knew it! I was wondering why it’s so cold, it turns out I’m near the Extreme Winter Sea!”

The speaker was from Swift Wind, and since Yang Yi had them as a friend, he could see their name.

“Whoa, what's your ship’s speed?”

“How cold is it? Give me a heads-up, so I’m mentally prepared!”

“I’m doing 100 knots, currently on the outskirts of the Extreme Winter Sea. Temperature’s around 0-2 degrees, definitely below freezing further in!”

“100 knots? That’s twice my speed! Must be a special ship, huh?”

“Better stock up on enough cold-weather gear.”

“Stock up on food, too. Long-lasting stuff, message me if you’re selling!”

“Anyone need winter coats? 100 units of cloth each, you can even pick the colour! Just making a bit of extra effort here!”

【Name: Warm Winter Coat】

【Type: Treasure】

【Quality: Common】

【Description: Provides excellent warmth, but be careful not to get it wet!】

“100 cloth? You might as well rob us!”

“80 cloth, that’s as low as I’ll go!”

“Get lost! You’re not the only one selling!”

“Selling down jackets, better than winter coats. Superior quality, 120 units of cloth!”

【Name: Insulated Down Jacket】

【Type: Treasure】

【Quality: Superior】

【Description: In winter, who could resist the warmth of a down jacket?】

After browsing, Yang Yi realised cold-weather gear was essential. Once temperatures dropped to the tens or even dozens of degrees below freezing, his pirate outfit might as well be nonexistent! Only by layering a winter coat or down jacket over it could he avoid freezing to death.

Suna’s witch outfit had some warmth, but it still looked a bit thin, likely similar in effect to thermal underwear.

So, Yang Yi made up his mind. Once the market prices stabilised, he had to get a few winter coats or down jackets — at least four, with a spare set just in case.

He headed to the stern of the ship. Iron Heart was right behind them.

But now that they were safe and out of reach of the black mist, there was no need to keep towing it.

Captain Yu Dawei had the same idea, and the two met at the same time.

"Yang, my friend, I’ve got a proposition for you. How about joining my Iron Brotherhood?"

"Iron Brotherhood?" Yang Yi repeated, not entirely understanding.

"Heh, I’ve already got a few underlings, and now I’m planning to meet up with them."

Yang Yi suddenly understood. The Iron Brotherhood was the organisation Yu Dawei intended to create.

Although the system didn’t have a guild feature, players could still gather and form their own organisations. They could now meet up using coordinates!

However, Yang Yi wasn’t interested in joining any factions and politely declined.

"Sorry, I’m used to my freedom and prefer to stay solo for now," Yang Yi replied.

"No problem! If you ever need help, just reach out — I’ve got your back!" Yu Dawei said heartily.

After escaping certain death, he felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

And when Yu Dawei said he’d back Yang Yi up, it wasn’t just empty words. His Iron Heart had the power to do so!

No wonder so many players sought his protection.

But Iron Heart’s speed was a bit...lacking.

Yang Yi could already picture a bunch of small ships towing the steel behemoth across the seas.

It wouldn’t be strange, just very peculiar.¹

"Catch!" Yu Dawei tossed over a small piece of flesh.

"What’s this?" Yang Yi caught it, and after reading the information, he was overjoyed.

【Name: Giant Bobbit Worm】

【Description: A Bobbit worm mutated by the Abyss, growing to enormous sizes. The largest specimens exceed 100 metres in length, capable of swift movement in the sea, with highly developed hearing 】

"Pleasure working with you. Consider this a gift from me! This stuff doesn’t mean much to me anymore — the more I draw, the crappier the rewards!" Yu Dawei chuckled.

If his guess was right, those 1,000 units of steel were collected by hunting monsters and using a vending machine.

If he had relied on fishing alone, even with help from his underlings, there’s no way he could have amassed that amount!

"Thanks!" Yang Yi didn’t hesitate, thanked him, and accepted the gift.

The two shared a smile and parted ways.

The Nightmare Star was much faster than Iron Heart, reaching 60 knots, and it quickly left Iron Heart far behind.

Yu Dawei stood on the deck, watching The Nightmare Star disappear into the horizon.

"Nightmare… Nightmare Star. Did those two ships merge?" Yu Dawei murmured.

He had figured out Yang Yi’s identity — it was him who found a way out the moment the giant worm appeared.

One of Yu Dawei’s underlings had successfully escaped death thanks to Yang Yi’s tip, and the two had added each other as friends.

So, Yu Dawei had recognised Yang Yi’s identity and decided to change his approach. He gave Yang Yi a piece of the worm’s flesh, intending to build a stronger bond with him.

On the other side, Yang Yi stood in front of the octopus vending machine, feeling a little excited.

He now had two pieces of giant Bobbit worm flesh, one from Iron Heart and one from The Nightmare Star’s deck.

That meant he could spin the machine twice!²

He washed his face with freshwater to ensure his face was clean, then tossed in the flesh and started the vending.

The octopus tentacles flashed but didn’t emit a golden light.

After a while, two seemingly ordinary capsules were spit out from the octopus’s head.

Yang Yi was a bit disappointed at first — not having drawn a golden legend. But when he picked up one of the capsules, his mood changed instantly.

“Yes! Nailed it on the first try!”

In his hand rested a rare item, ship equipment!

【Name: Giant Bobbit Worm Head】

【Type: Ship Equipment (Relic)】

【Quality: Rare】

【Description: Can be installed on the bow, increasing the ship’s durability and ramming power. Its sharp jaws can slice through attacking enemies. It also has a strong deterrent effect, reducing the likelihood of sea creatures attacking the ship… But beware, it might also provoke more terrifying monsters…】

After reading the description, Yang Yi was a bit conflicted.

The ship equipment was powerful; however, it came with a drawback — it could attract dangerous monsters.

Despite this, Yang Yi didn’t hesitate for long and decided to install it.

If he was too scared to use this, then any other equipment he acquired later would just gather dust.

After all, the benefits outweighed the risks. Otherwise, what would the point of having a relic be?

He then reached for the other capsule.

Notes