Chapter 28

The howling gale and towering waves plunged the world into darkness.

Dark, heavy clouds burned like blue flames over the sea. The sea seized the lightning's arrows and extinguished them in the bottomless abyss. The waves roared in anger, tossing the sailboat to the crest of the waves and then slamming it into the troughs.

Thunder, the sailors' anthem! The gale, the sailors' passion! Our lives are in the waves and the storms; let us set sail and break through the raging waves!

Alright, I'm being poetic, but setting sail in a storm is just asking for death!

Just as Dafei's sailboat successfully left the shoal, it sped like an F1 speedboat on the waves. Suddenly, the wind changed direction, and the boat tilted sharply, about to capsize. There was only Dafei on board, and he had no time to control the sail. He had to pull out the fire axe and cut the sail ropes to lower the sail, then immediately run to the second-floor cockpit to steer wildly to avoid the huge waves. But it wasn't over yet.

— System Alert: The third deck of the ship is leaking. Please use materials to repair the hole and use the emergency bucket to drain the water.

— System Alert: The wood on the right rear side of the ship has broken. The ship's durability has decreased by 55. Please use materials to repair it immediately.

— System Alert: The sail on the second mast has been blown away by the storm. Please replenish the sailcloth as needed.

— System Alert: The rivets on the additional armor on the left side of the ship have fallen off, and the armor plate has dropped. The ship's left-side defense has decreased by 48.

...

Damn! This is trying to kill me, the lone captain! Dafei stumbled and rushed around the ship, trying to handle all the emergencies. This ship really can't be operated by one person.

At this moment, Dafei's talent "Storm Sailing" icon was glowing, indicating that the player's talent was activated. As the talent glowed, Dafei's experience kept increasing!

— System Alert: You have struggled against the storm and gained 1000 experience points.

— System Alert: You have struggled against the storm and gained 1000 experience points.

Increase! It must increase! Fighting monsters is nothing; I'm risking everything to fight the sky and the sea! The level is different; it's unfair not to give experience!

— System Alert: You have repaired the hole in the ship and gained 600 experience points!

— System Alert: You have reinforced the broken part of the ship and gained 500 experience points!

Not bad, even without killing monsters, I can still gain experience. Sailing isn't so boring after all.

Just then, a loud noise and another huge wave hit. Dafei's feet suddenly sank, and then his body felt light, as if flying!

— Boom! The ship landed heavily, and debris rolled around inside the cabin. Dafei, unable to stand steady, was thrown against the wall, losing 25 HP.

Damn! This could kill someone!

— System Alert: Warning! The ship's rudder has been destroyed by the huge wave. The ship cannot control its direction, and the ship's durability has decreased by 300 points.

— System Alert: The wood on the left front side of the ship has broken. The ship's durability has decreased by 130. Please use materials to repair it immediately.

Damn! The rudder is broken, how can I repair it? It's at the bottom of the ship!

There's nothing I can do. My talent only increases the ship's safety in a storm, but it doesn't guarantee I won't sink. Now, I can only pray not to sink and try to save as much as possible.

Time passed, and Dafei's ship, like a reed in the storm, was tossed and turned, facing one danger after another. The sea is more terrifying than any boss; in front of the sea, human strength is insignificant.

A golden light flashed, and Dafei, who was exhausted and his stamina was red, leveled up!

— System Alert: Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 16! You have gained 1 free attribute point, 1 skill point, 2 HP, and 1 leadership.

Leveled up at the right time! My HP and stamina are full; I can fight for another half hour!

...

Finally, the gale subsided, and the dark clouds dispersed. The storm was over. The sky was clear and blue, and a rainbow bridged the sky and the sea.

— System Alert: The deck drainage slot has collected 1 unit of fresh water.

— System Alert: The ship is severely damaged and cannot sail normally. It is in a drifting state.

Dafei took a long breath and checked the ship's status.

Original Name: St. Anthony (can be renamed once)

Captain: Dafei

Ship Special Skill: God's Blessing (Sailor Luck +2)

Cargo Capacity: 1000 units

Ship Usage Time: 10 years

Minimum Sailor Capacity: 30 people

Ship Durability: 857/1690

Ship Speed: 10

Ship Armor Defense: Port 32, Starboard 80

Sea God Insurance Level: 0 (The ship is not protected by the Sea God and will sink forever if it capsizes)

Current Ship Status: Rudder destroyed, unable to control direction; sails destroyed; left-side additional armor dropped; cursed by bad luck (Sailor Luck -3)

Dafei sighed deeply. It was an old ship to begin with, and now with so much durability lost, it won't last much longer. It seems the system wouldn't be so generous as to give a new player such a large ship. But I wonder if the Sea God insurance can extend the ship's life? It's very expensive, right? Unless it's an extraordinary ship, it's better to use the money to buy a new one. But I don't even have the money to repair the ship now. What should I do?

Forget it, no point thinking too much. I've made it through this round, and it's time to give the ship a new name. How about "Flying Dafei"? "Dafei's Flight"? "Dafei's Poop"? No, let's go with "Flying" for a poetic touch.

— System Alert: You have renamed St. Anthony to Flying.

What should I do now? Rehang the sails. Then, where is the fresh water? One unit is 100 portions, enough for me to drink for 100 days. As long as I have water, I'm fine. Then, where am I? Dafei took out his telescope, and all he saw was blue water, coordinates (???, ???)!

Damn, no coordinates!

Right, navigation requires a compass, sextant, and other measuring tools. Where is the compass? In the captain's cabin? Yes! I've checked all the rooms except the captain's cabin. Now that I'm the captain, I can enter.

Dafei went to the captain's cabin behind the second-floor cockpit and found another room next to it, with a broken door. Whose room is this?

Dafei went in and saw a mess of debris. Is this? Could it be Juan's room? Dafei started clearing the debris and yellowed papers. Yes, it's Juan; the handwriting matches the diary.

Speaking of which, he already gave me a strategic item, the telescope. He shouldn't have anything else, right? No, no, he has a 15-year-old daughter named Serbia! These items are his father's relics. I should collect them and give them to her. She will recognize me as her godfather when she sees them. Hahaha, Uncle Juan, rest in peace; I'll take care of it.

Dafei packed all the small items on the ground, table, and drawers—what's this? A flute? No attributes? This flute, with its ancient design and patterns, is quite unique and artistic. Yes, unique is good; the little girl will definitely recognize it. Good, I'll choose this as the representative relic.

After searching the navigator's room, Dafei found nothing else and returned to the captain's cabin. He touched the doorknob.

— System Alert: Do you want to enter the captain's cabin?

Let's see, the system alert shows that the captain's cabin is special. No need to hesitate, let's go in.

The scene changed, and Dafei appeared in a small room. It seems the captain's cabin exists as a separate instance, making it impossible for even the most skilled thief to enter.

The captain's cabin wasn't much more luxurious than the other officers' rooms. On the table, a large globe, a telescope, and a big compass were prominently displayed. A neatly hung captain's uniform with black and white trim was on the wardrobe.

Ha! As expected of a captain, he has goods. I have two telescopes now! But it makes sense; if players normally complete this trial, they wouldn't find the navigator's telescope, so it's necessary to compensate here. After all, a telescope is essential for navigation. Well, it's a C-grade treasure, worth a thousand gold coins as startup capital for repairs and trade. I'm short on money, after all.

Dafei checked the remaining two items.

— New World Astrolabe: An instrument that records the star patterns of the New World, allowing the ship's coordinates at sea to be determined when sailing in the New World. Requirement: Learn the Navigation sub-skill Measurement.

Oh! High-end stuff, a coordinate device for the New World. As expected of a captain!

— Compass: Determines the ship's coordinates at sea. Requirement: Learn the Navigation sub-skill Measurement.

I found the compass, but Dafei was troubled.

Measurement is something that should be handled by NPC officers. In most ports, you can hire NPC sailors who know measurement. Should I, a captain, spend a precious skill point to learn this annoying skill? I have 7 skill points from level 9 to level 16, but I can't waste them like this! I can guarantee that this sub-skill is the most useless. I really don't want to learn it.

Moreover, the ship is in such a state, drifting aimlessly. Even if I know the coordinates, what use is it?

In any case, Dafei found a reason not to learn it. Let's just drift. Drift to a place with people, and then we'll see. Ideally, be discovered by the Navy of the Light Alliance and call for help; that would solve everything.

For now, let's continue exploring the captain's cabin. Sure enough, there was a golden book on the bookshelf, "Navigation"! Well, I already have one, so I'll sell it.

— System Alert: You have obtained Renoir's Navigation Skill Book!

— Renoir's Navigation Skill Book: Players will learn Basic Navigation by spending 1 skill point.

— System Alert: You have already learned Navigation and cannot use this skill book.

Dafei was startled! Another special version of the skill book! It seems the biggest reward from this trial isn't the old, broken ship but the insights and materials from these former greats. Since I'm drifting anyway, let's study the divine skills first.

...

Dafei didn't know that at this moment, the largest hero forum in the country was buzzing with a post titled "Trash Player Dafei Maliciously Attacks God-Level Player Blood Sea Rampage to Level 0, with Video, Death Record, and Truth." Blood Sea Rampage, a god-level player who had appeared on TV, once again became a celebrity in the Chinese region, and Dafei, by association, also became famous.

(Note: Unlike modern cruise ships, which have high upper decks, sailboats typically have upper decks at the bow and stern, with a maximum of three floors. Otherwise, the sailboat's center of gravity would be too high, making it easy to capsize in the wind, and it would also be difficult to sail against the wind.)

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