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

Chapter 163: The ship's hull is upgraded again! [Black Swan (+2)!]

[Slay the Demon-Stripped Sea Beast (Fake)!]

[Loot obtained: Corpse of a Demon-Striped Sea Beast (Fake)!]

Quality: Poor

[Type: Material]

[Description: A replica created by some being; beneath its seemingly normal flesh and blood lies a will that has been twisted and modified.]

[Their creation was probably related to the extinct elven race?]

Several lines of text appeared before Xia En's eyes, confirming his earlier conjecture.

"As expected, this demonic-patterned sea beast is abnormal..."

Xia En stroked his chin and turned to look at the sea around him.

At this moment, the flames that seemed to ignite the sea had gradually died down, with only a few scattered flames still burning quietly.

The ice and the sea surface were littered with charred carcasses of sea creatures, a truly horrific sight.

The few remaining sea creatures seemed to realize that they could not defeat the enemy before them, so they hurriedly dived into the icy sea and quickly disappeared.

A raging beast tide crisis was thus averted.

Shaun's Ember Power is ultimately limited and differs somewhat from the original.

But to achieve this level is already astonishing enough.

"Okay, so awesome!"

Joey couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, his eyes filled with shock.

Unbeknownst to him, the captain had quietly acquired such a powerful ability!
Feiya, on the other hand, was already used to Xia En's extraordinary abilities, and simply sighed softly.

"As expected of Captain Xia En."

Xia En accepted the praise without hesitation and was about to disembark to receive his spoils when he noticed that An and Miss Ghost Vivian were reacting rather strangely.

Noticing Xia En's gaze, An hesitated for a moment, but still took out paper and pen and wrote.

"Captain, the carcass of this sea monster doesn't look quite right."

It had an aura that made me very uneasy, perhaps carrying some kind of pollution?

Xia En was somewhat surprised.

He was able to determine the abnormality of the magic-patterned sea beast based on the prompts on the panel.

But Ann realized this through intuition?
Or is it related to the race of elves?

At this moment, Vivian also came over, standing at the edge of the deck looking at the sea monster corpse on the ice, and then showed a somewhat resistant expression.

"How disgusting, I don't like these monsters..."

Xia En glanced at her in surprise.

This carefree and gluttonous ghost lady rarely expresses her disgust for something so quickly and clearly.

Not to mention, these marine mammals, strictly speaking, fall into the category of "food".

In contrast, none of the crew members, such as String Song and Joey, showed similar aversion.

What Ann and Vivian have in common is that they both have deep ties to the elven race.

Combining this with the description on the panel, a guess gradually emerged in Xia En's mind.

—The purpose of creating this magically patterned sea beast was to destroy the elven race!
But the sea creatures themselves are merely tools.

What's truly terrifying is the "mastermind" behind the creation and manipulation of these sea monsters.

He not only physically wiped out the elven race, but also laid the "Curse of Muteness," attempting to completely erase any trace of the elves' existence.

Could this be a deity from ancient times?
Despite his turbulent thoughts, Shane disembarked and walked toward the sea monster's corpse.

But soon, he was surprised to find that the "[Secret Sea Crystal] detected" message did not appear on the panel.

In other words, these fake sea monsters don't give you any experience points at all!

Thinking of this, Xia En's mood instantly soured.

"Damn it, how dare they withhold my experience points!"

Looking at so many sea monster corpses, Xia En felt a pang of heartache followed by overwhelming rage.

He's always the one who wins twice or three times, but this time, he got ripped off for free?

That was all the secret power he had painstakingly absorbed, but he only managed to set off a giant firework once, without gaining any [Secret Sea Crystals]?
"No matter which god you are, I will remember you!"

Xia En muttered indignantly to himself, "Oh right, and the village chief on that ice island..."

No one would easily swallow the insult of being framed and betrayed for no reason.

The curse of the villagers on the ice island spontaneously combusting for no reason is certainly shocking, but if they dare to provoke me, they are undoubtedly courting their own destruction!

Shaen shows no mercy to his enemies.

While Xia En was thinking about these things.

The corpses of the surrounding sea creatures had undergone new changes.

laugh--

After a strange, suffocating sound, it was as if their existence had crossed some boundary.

These charred or mangled corpses suddenly began to disintegrate and decay, turning into a viscous substance resembling black mud, which rapidly seeped into the ice and seawater.

Disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The ice surface, which had been covered with corpses, quickly became clean and spotless, so clean that not a single drop of blood could be seen.

It was as if... the previous beast tides and great battles had never happened.

"……What's this?"

Seeing this, Joey on the deck widened his eyes, a chill running down his spine.

The sea monster they just fought was actually such a bizarre creature?

Feiya frowned and looked down at the two steam cores on her body, as if listening to something.

Then he said, "By the God of Steam and Steel, that is absolutely a filthy and blasphemous thing."

“I think we need to cleanse our bodies and minds with sacred steam to avoid leaving any hidden dangers.”

Feiya's suggestion was quickly agreed upon by everyone.

They entered the boiler room in batches and were subjected to the baptism of steam.

The steam was infused with calming incense, further enhanced by Fei Ya's unique steam magic...

Regardless of the purification effect, in terms of feeling, it was like taking a hot sauna, which was especially comfortable in this snowy environment.

Not long after.

Feeling refreshed, Shane returned to the captain's cabin, feeling that most of the unpleasantness from not gaining experience points earlier had dissipated.

He composed himself and opened the panel.

Ship: Black Swan (+1) (+)

Materials required for a single enhancement

[Timber holdings: 401%]

[Metal holdings: 382%]

[Proportion of Extraordinary Materials: 45% (Maximum for this enhancement: 30%)]

[All attributes have exceeded 50; enhancement is now possible!]

At this moment, the (+) sign after [Black Swan] has lit up, indicating that a second enhancement can be performed.

After looting Duke Island and Silvermoon Island, Shane's spatial ring contained a large amount of extraordinary materials, including metals and wood.

Now, the question has become what material to use for reinforcement.

"Should we continue to improve the ship's self-healing capabilities and sturdiness, or enhance its efficiency in absorbing arcane energy?"

Xia En was unusually caught in a dilemma due to decision-making difficulties.

To be honest, his previous enhancements to the ships didn't actually have a specific direction; they were just done naturally.

Light up wherever it lights up.

But now that we have the talent of [Second Ship Soul], we should really make some plans.

Considering the bond with the Black Swan and how well it's easy to use.

Even if Shane binds himself to a second ship, he will most likely still use the Black Swan as his main ship and the new ship as a escort ship.

Given this, the firepower of the Black Swan is still quite lacking and does not reach the level of a true battleship main gun.

"How about we continue to enhance the ship's ability to absorb mystic energy?" "This would allow us to generate a protective shield using the hull, and also enhance the power of the magic-inscribed heavy cannons."

Xia En carefully analyzed the gains and losses: "As for the self-healing ability, with my current [High-Speed ​​Regeneration] talent, it's enough for now."

"Even with the addition of materials, the enhancement is not significant."

Soon, Xia En made up his mind and took out mithril, dragon bones obtained from the Siren Islands, and a special type of wood called Starwood from the Ring of Apocalypse.

This wood was part of the Duke of Nova's collection.

Like mithril, it has the ability to absorb mystical energy.

Duke Nova apparently intended to use these two materials to build a new mansion for his cultivation, but it ended up benefiting Shane instead.

As for other miscellaneous materials, there is no need to go into detail.

After making preparations, Xia En made a decisive decision in his heart.

"【Eye of the Secret Sea】, add it to my inventory!"

"Little Black, have a good meal!"

【Yes, master! 】

Xiao Hei's joyful voice echoed in his mind.

next moment.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
A deep, resonant heartbeat, like the beating of a drum, echoed from deep within the hull of the Black Swan.

A faint tremor spread to every corner of the ship.

Immediately afterwards, the invisible [Heart of the Ship] began to devour numerous materials, both divine and ordinary, merging them into its own body.

at the same time.

The crew members on the ship noticed this strange change and looked around in surprise.

Some crew members were not on board when the hull was reinforced last time, so they missed this transformation process.

At this moment, they clearly felt—

The cabins and corridors inside the Black Swan have expanded and become more spacious under the influence of an invisible force.

No, it's less of an "extension" and more of a "growth"!

It's like a child gradually growing into an adult, or a tender sapling growing into a towering tree.

A surging, unique vitality and energy, along with the deep, rhythmic heartbeat, is coursing through the body of the Black Swan.

In the eyes of the crew.

The ceiling overhead was getting higher, and the walls and floors were visibly becoming more solid, with a faint silvery metallic sheen.

It looks more beautiful and attractive than before.

They could faintly hear the things on the ship whispering to each other.

Cannons, decks, hulls, masts, sails... these vital components are communicating in a language only they can understand.

Joey listened carefully and felt as if they were calling out the captain's name in unison, or as if they were singing praises to his achievements.

This miraculous change did not last long.

By the time the crew came to their senses, the entire Black Swan had undergone an astonishing transformation!
……

……

In the captain's cabin.

Xia En looked at the prompt that appeared on the panel and a smile appeared on his lips.

The main structure of the "Black Swan" has been successfully reinforced!

[Durability cap increased by 50!]

[Sturdiness +8!]

[Mystery +3!]

[Overall Qualifications: 1.5 → 1.75!]

[Due to the effects of the extraordinary material "Mithril," the effect of the trait "Secret Power Convergence" has been enhanced!]

[Quality: Rare → Precious!]

[Description: Now you can store the mystical power absorbed by the ship in the magic runes on its hull, and then launch it using the "Magic Rune Cannon"!]

The damage value is based on the ship's "Mystic" attribute and the total amount of Mystic Power accumulated.

[Due to the effect of the extraordinary material "Ancient Dragon Bone", the trait "Dragon's Might" is unlocked!]

[Quality: Rare]

[Unlocked the trait "Star Power" due to the effect of the extraordinary material "Starwood"!]

[Quality: Rare]

[Description: After fusing with Starwood, this ship can draw upon a small amount of mystical energy from outer space!]

[Effect 1: Night Travel - On clear nights without cloud cover, your ship's speed is slightly increased.]

The increase in speed shall not exceed 10% of the total speed.

[Effect 2: Star Guidance - While on this ship, you can more easily observe the stars in the sky, thus determining your course.]

"call……"

Xia En let out a long breath.

As the [Captain's Majesty] took effect, the enhancements from the [Black Swan] also applied to him simultaneously.

He could clearly feel that his skin had become tougher and smoother.

This "toughness" is not a hard, rock-like texture, but rather a unique resilience that can dissipate force.

If you were to cut Xia En's skin with a blade, you probably wouldn't even leave a white mark.

"It's become even stronger than before."

Xia En clenched his fist, looking quite excited.

The reason he was willing to repeatedly and tediously fight monsters and level up was because... the thrill of becoming stronger was simply irresistible!
While the newly unlocked effects are not of high quality, they are all very practical.

This pleased Xia En quite a bit.

Then, he asked in his mind, "Little Black, how are you feeling now?"

[Fantastic!]

Xiao Hei excitedly replied: "I've never felt so wonderful before!"

At this moment, thanks to the connection with the Black Swan, Shane could visualize its entirety without leaving the captain's cabin.

First and foremost, naturally, is the further enlargement and lengthening of the ship's hull.

If we use the Blood Duke as a reference point...

The earliest Black Swan was only one-sixth the size of this.

After the first enhancement, it became one-quarter.

Now, the Black Swan is more than half the size of the Blood Duke!

Although it can no longer be called a magnificent ship, it has undergone a magnificent transformation compared to its former self!
In addition to the increase in size, the surface of the Black Swan's hull has also undergone significant changes.

More silver streaks appeared on both sides of the hull, their light and dark colors shifting like veins.

Dots of star-shaped light adorn the area around the mithril pattern, giving it a dreamy and magnificent texture.

Overall, the Black Swan still exudes an eerie and ominous aura.

But just looking at the hull, it does indeed bear some resemblance to those beautiful and exquisite hunting boats.

Perhaps, this can be considered as fulfilling Xiao Hei's dream?

……

……

Having resolved the crisis of the sea monster tide, Xia En and his group naturally had no need to rush to leave this sea area.

The next day.

Shaen once again arrived at the ruins of the Emerald City.

This time, however, he was not in a hurry to absorb the secret power of the [Ember Dolls], but continued to dive deeper into the city.

This was to verify a conjecture he had in mind.

Soon, after clearing away the accumulated volcanic ash and digging through the bluestone path below, a layer of frozen, thick ice crystals was revealed before Xia En's eyes.

Then, Shane saw a mysterious city, different from the Emerald City, standing beneath the ice!
(End of this chapter)