Chapter 30

——An excellent navigator, merely mastering all the combat and exploration skills is not enough. The ocean is an unknown realm to humans; we are so insignificant before it that our knowledge and skills are never sufficient.

——For sailors, every day and every moment face the same scenery, monotonous and boring. But only the best navigators can make significant discoveries from these familiar environments; the truth often lies hidden in the things we take for granted.

Da Fei flipped through the pages of this book on navigation skills by Renoir. Apart from the two seemingly motivational maxims on the front and back pages, there were no other annotations, and it was no different from the ordinary navigation skills book he had.

This left Da Fei puzzled. Did Renoir write these two lines, and then his name had to be added to the title to make it a special edition? Like how a primary school student writes their name on a textbook to make it "so-and-so's Chinese book"? That doesn't seem reliable, does it? The game's item settings are quite strict, right? Things should be what they are, right? Could there be some deeper meaning?

Da Fei took out Makar's skills book for comparison. Both were textbooks with names written on them, but Makar's had so many doodles and annotations! Just flipping through it, another line caught his eye:

——The closer I get to the gods, the more I feel my own insignificance.

What the hell! He got close to the gods? Well, a fireball that can blast away an 8th-level creature, Leviathan, a powerful being below the Death God in the realm of the undead. With immense power, extraordinary skills, near-godlike strength, and a distinguished reputation, he's also a cunning and hypocritical schemer. Is my epic quest really going to make me an enemy of such a person? But then again, these two great men are still quite humble, right? A proud opponent is not scary, but a humble opponent is terrifying! I have even less of a chance, don't I?

Continuing to flip through, he found a bunch of magical symbols that players couldn't possibly understand. Even after finishing Makar's doodle book, the system didn't give any information about obtaining any divine skills.

This is clearly wrong!

It's understandable that ordinary people might not discover Juan's remains, but at least the artillery commander, a mandatory boss to defeat, had information about the divine cannon in his diary. How could someone of Renoir and Makar's level not provide any information? Didn't Makar mention in the previous text that he wanted to experiment with mass-producing bosses?

Da Fei became even more confused.

Wait! Most people wouldn't discover Juan's remains, right? That means players normally completing this trial wouldn't realize Makar is a great schemer. So, what would the normal follow-up to the quest be?

Of course, it would be to fulfill the artillery commander's unfulfilled dream and ask Makar for the Phantom Ballista. This black magic skills book also belongs to Makar, so it's only natural for players to return it to him and seek his favor, right? And what about the soul crystal obtained after killing the Doom Spirit? It must have some connection to Makar, right? It should also be given to him to see what rewards he offers, right?

In other words, whether friend or foe, Makar is a character that must be faced.

Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Da Fei's head! I get it!

Makar, with his power, strength, intelligence, and character, is an impeccable figure. Players definitely can't beat him. The epic quest's hint says, "Presenting the diary to the emperor might be ignored due to certain considerations," which means the emperor of the Lionheart Empire also has to be cautious around him. In other words, even NPC factions might not be his match. In reality, with his reputation, who would dare to touch him?

In other words, Makar is designed to be an unbeatable existence?

So, the only way to defeat such a person is to gain his trust and then find an opportunity to betray him! Throughout history, how many heroes have fallen at the hands of those they trusted the most? Normally, after completing this trial, players would definitely seek his friendship and protection, and follow him, right?

Therefore, the only way to complete the epic quest is to take a roundabout approach!

In other words, I should return the artillery commander's diary, filled with enthusiastic flattery, along with the black magic book and the soul crystal to Makar, to gain his favor and trust. Then, I can slowly infiltrate his inner circle, maybe even get to Mithril Island?

When the time comes and I am strong enough, I can present the artillery commander's diary to the emperor and show my loyalty as an insider. The emperor will surely see me as a loyal subject, and then I'll be riding two horses, benefiting from both sides!

Ha! Hahaha! I'm so devious! Of course, it's not my fault; I'm inherently good, but this game has corrupted me. Games really do harm young people! Hahaha!

However, this is just a game, and all of this has a big premise: I have already accepted the epic quest to oppose him. How will the story progress? What will happen when I meet Makar? Will he kill me instantly? Or will it be like a real-life "Infernal Affairs," where he has no idea?

Damn, since I've already accepted the quest to oppose him, I don't care if he kills me. In any case, I must try; otherwise, I can't complete the quest. As long as I can get back to the city, the first thing I'll do is find Makar. If I can get the reward, I'll have the first capital to start my business and repair my ship.

With this realization, Da Fei felt a sudden clarity. I have a clear direction for my future.

However, while I've figured out Makar, I haven't figured out the captain. Do I have to wait for the soul in the sword to awaken to ask him? Damn, how long will that take?

Da Fei flipped through the other books on the captain's bookshelf, mostly poetry and geography books. The navigation log was filled with routine safety and management records.

After flipping through for a long time, Da Fei found nothing. After staying up all night and fighting until noon, he was getting increasingly drowsy and couldn't hold on any longer. He decided to log out and sleep.

—System Notice: Players, please note! You are currently in international waters. Once you log out, your ship may be subject to various unknown threats. To avoid unnecessary losses, it is recommended that you purchase the Divine Sanctuary from the in-game store. (Note: Players cannot log out in enemy territory.)

—Divine Sanctuary: When a player hero logs out in the wild, the Divine Sanctuary can protect the player's troops from any attacks. During the sanctuary period, time stops. Price: 20 points. (Note: The more troops the hero has, the more expensive the item.)

Ah, 20 points just to log out! What a money-grab! Is my ship that valuable?

In Hero Genesis, logging out is a very frustrating setting. Individual players can log out freely, but players with troops have to be careful. In short, troops do not log out with the player; otherwise, logging out would be a godlike ambush skill. So, players with troops can only log out after reaching a town and storing their troops in the town's barracks. If they are in the wild without a town, they can either entrust their troops to a secondary hero or purchase the Divine Sanctuary from the in-game store. The longer the logout time and the more troops protected, the more expensive the item. In other words, leading troops into battle is a game for the rich.

Bah, I'm a professional player here to make money, not to give it away. I won't fall for this. I'll AFK and sleep! I'll set the system notice to alarm mode. I'll let the ship continue to drift! Hopefully, when I wake up, the ship will have drifted to land and I'll be saved. I don't believe the vast ocean can suddenly produce a Leviathan to eat the ship. Besides, the ship is in such a state that no matter what comes, I'll just be a lone captain with no choice but to die. In any case, I'll leave it to fate.

So, Da Fei wrapped himself in his helmet and fell into a deep sleep.

(A new week has started, please support and recommend!)

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