We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 125 The Unrest of the Proof of the Lord of Cinder!

Humans...

It was a deep and mature female voice, as if it had been through the trials of time, carrying an indescribable sense of vicissitude and weariness.

Upon hearing this sound, Xia En's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at the ghost ship not far away.

It's the Diamond Princess!?

Does this ship also have its own ship spirit?
Come to think of it, such an unmanned ship, which clearly possesses extraordinary characteristics, may have already developed its own consciousness sometime in the past.

At that moment, Xia En suddenly remembered something.

His talent, [Communicating with Ship Spirits], has never been limited to communicating with the [Black Swan]!
In theory, any ship with a soul can communicate with it!

Xia En's heart pounded, and he responded cautiously.

"senior?"

Why...distant...?

The voice of the Diamond Princess didn't carry much hostility; it just sounded somewhat dull and cold.

Hearing this, Xia En felt much more relaxed and continued.

"We are being hunted down by our enemies, so we want to use the power of our predecessors to temporarily escape the disaster."

"Could we accompany you for a moment, senior? We will be leaving shortly."

Shaen did not hide anything from this ghost ship whose strength far surpassed his own, but chose to be honest with it.

【random……】

After leaving those words, the Diamond Star withdrew its consciousness and continued its steady, slow journey through the fog.

Xia En breathed a sigh of relief and said earnestly, "Thank you, senior!"

He felt a slight sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and feeling). Although this ghost ship was a bit aloof, it didn't seem to be like some legends, indiscriminately reaping the souls of the living.

Master, this older sister looks amazing!

At that moment, Xiao Hei's voice rang in my heart.

Xia En's lips twitched. "How did you see that it's an older sister?"
However, on the other hand, ship spirits are actually genderless; it's just that many captains and sailors like to treat their ships as wives or mothers.

Cognition itself possesses mystery and power.

Therefore, the spirit of a ship is usually manifested in a female form.

There's nothing wrong with the Black Swan calling the Diamond Princess "older sister."

Master, may I speak to her for a few minutes?

"……Um?"

Xia En was somewhat surprised by Xiao Hei's idea and asked, "Why?"

【I don't know either……】

Xiao Hei's voice sounded a little confused: "I just feel... I think I've seen this older sister somewhere before?"

Xia En's heart stirred, and he quickly recalled some of the original owner's remaining memories.

Before the original owner boarded the ship, it seemed that the original owner's father had experienced a terrible shipwreck.

That voyage resulted in the loss of five crew members, and the Black Swan was also severely damaged.

But when asked about the cause of the shipwreck, the original owner's father remained silent, only mentioning a thick fog.

Could it be that before the spirit of the Black Swan was even born, it had already met the Diamond Star?
However, dwelling on these past events is no longer of much significance.

After thinking for a moment, Xia En agreed to Xiao Hei's request.

As fellow ship spirits, perhaps they share some common ground?
On the other hand, it's never a bad thing to have a good relationship with this ghost ship.

"Woo..."

Soon, the Black Swan sounded its horn, while the sails of the Diamond Star fluttered, the sea breeze and mist conveying their secrets.

During this time, Shane began to examine the condition of the Black Swan and its crew.

[Durability: 34/100]

The fact that the durability has dropped below 40 is enough to show that the Black Swan is actually on the verge of falling apart.

The craters on the deck were slowly healing themselves, and the sails, riddled with holes, were no longer as majestic as they once were.

Steam turbines that had used the "overload" feature also entered a temporary hibernation.

The crew members also looked rather disheveled.

Faia is treating Joey and Anne's injuries.

This is the first time Xia En has encountered such a dangerous crisis since his transmigration.

But regardless, they survived!
What doesn't kill them makes them stronger.

"Duke Nova..."

Shaen let out a deep breath, his heart churning with suppressed, magma-like rage.

"The grudge we've committed today will be repaid tenfold next time we meet!"

Despite being surrounded by thick white fog and having no clear path ahead, the morale of the crew remained high.

Bronze Dragon String Song hummed twice: "I thought that ship was some kind of amazing thing!"

"In the end, they still couldn't do anything to us!"

"Who was so scared that they hid in the cabin and didn't dare to come out just now?"

Joey gave it a disgruntled look: "If it weren't for the captain, we might all have died at sea this time."

Xian Ge opened his eyes wide and stubbornly said, "Don't, don't talk nonsense, that's called tactical concealment!" Everyone immediately laughed, and the deck was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

At that moment, Ann held up the cardboard sign and wrote something.

[By the way, Captain, where should we go next?]

After reading the words, Xia En stroked his chin.

He could sense that the Black Swan was still under the influence of the Blood Sacrifice Curse, and even if the power of the curse faded, some traces of markings would still remain.

Clearly, the Blood Duke's pursuit of this ship is not over yet.

This eerie mist can hinder perception and mystical power to a certain extent, making it a natural barrier.

Conversely, once they leave the fog, they will be detected by Duke Nova, triggering a new round of pursuit.

So, what Shane needs to do is very simple—

Before leaving the mist, enhance your own strength and that of the Black Swan to a level sufficient to rival the Blood Duke!

That sounds a bit difficult.

However, with the existence of the [Submarine Anchor Point], even in the misty sea, Shane can still continuously grind monsters and level up.

And don't forget, this very fog hides a secret treasure!
The legendary "Siren Islands" are also hidden in this place.

Since we're already here, how can we not go and find out what's going on?
However, before that, the Black Swan needs to rest and repair, and the supplies on board are almost due for replenishment.

—After leaving Silvermoon Island, Shane and his group had no opportunity to resupply.

Although the existence of the space ring greatly increased the storage capacity of fresh water and food, the increase in the number of crew members also accelerated the consumption of these resources.

Just as Xia En was pondering.

Xiao Hei's voice suddenly rang out again.

"Master, I've finished talking to my sister, and she said she'd like to take us to the nearest island."

Upon hearing this, Xia En's eyes lit up.

Is there such a pleasant surprise?

Unable to discern directions in the fog, Shane could only rely on the [Siren's Scale] to determine his course.

But now that the Diamond Star is willing to lead the way, it will undoubtedly save a lot of trouble.

"Little Black, well done!"

【hey-hey……】

Actually, this woman doesn't seem that difficult to communicate with; she's just a little... shy?

"...?"

Xia En looked up at the majestic ghost ship beside him. Its eerie blue flames exuded a terrifying and dangerous aura, as if they could burn everything to ashes.

He simply couldn't associate the word "shy" with the other person.

……

……

Not long after.

Led by the Diamond Star, the Black Swan slowly moved forward, dragging its battered and broken body.

Gradually, the outline of a solitary island appeared in the hazy mist.

"Woo——"

When they reached a point not far from the isolated island, the Diamond Star emitted a long, drawn-out horn call, as if bidding farewell to the Black Swan.

Then, its course changed, and it headed in another direction from the fog.

Xia En stood at the bow of the boat and waved goodbye.

"Thank you! Senior!"

Whether it was Xia En's imagination or not, after he shouted, the Diamond Starship seemed to speed up its departure, giving off a strange feeling of... fleeing in panic?

Xia En's mood was strange.

Is she... shy?

Is it true that Xiao Hei is "shy about strangers"?
However, as the ghost ship was gradually swallowed by the fog, Shane actually had a bold idea in his mind.

In the previous life's nautical games, after leveling up to a certain point, players could bind a second or even a third ship.

If one day he can gain the approval of this ghost ship and become bound to it.

How high will my attributes soar then?
In plain terms, Xia En is lusting after the Diamond Star!
However, this goal is clearly still some distance away.

It is by no means something that can be achieved in the short term.

"【Diamond Star】, looking forward to our next encounter."

After muttering this to himself, Xia En cleared his mind of distractions and turned to look at the isolated island in the sea not far away.

Suddenly, he felt something and looked down.

The dark red brand on the back of his right hand was beginning to appear, and it was constantly emitting a burning sensation.

Xia En was shaken, and disbelief flashed in his eyes.

This is……

The commotion surrounding the Proof of the Lord of Cinder!

(End of this chapter)