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

Chapter 167: Bound to the Second Ship, Overall Quality 2.4! (Seeking guaranteed monthly votes at the beginning of the month!)

As Shane and Faye stood at the top of the stairs leading to the bottom of the cabin, they witnessed a bizarre and unforgettable sight—

The mysterious seawater, like a galaxy flowing in the night sky, was accumulating at the bottom of the ship's cabin, radiating an endless, dim glow.

The interior of the ship's hull on all four sides is also riddled with cracks and damage, just like the outer layer.

From the cracks, a light that seemed to emanate from extremely distant stars was constantly seeping out, illuminating the surrounding area.

This makes the enclosed cabin space seem incredibly mysterious and profound.

And not far away.

The girl with silvery-white hair had already stepped one foot into the dark sea.

The waters of the secret sea reached past her fair ankles, and the rolling waves gently licked her slender calves.

"Joey, stop!"

Xia En said with a frown.

But at this moment, the girl just stared blankly into the depths of the sea, as if summoned by some force, and continued to walk forward.

Seeing this, Shane suddenly realized that something was wrong and immediately took three steps forward and grabbed Joey's wrist.

"Joey, wake up! Are you alright?"

Joey, whose little hand was suddenly grabbed, quickly came to her senses and realized that she had unknowingly fallen into danger.

She quickly retreated to the dry floor, looking at the seawater with lingering fear, and explained.

"I was just waiting for you to come down these stairs when I suddenly heard a voice coming from the sea."

"That was a very familiar voice, as if it was calling me..."

"And then, Captain, you arrived."

Even now, a hint of bewilderment and intoxication lingered in the girl's eyes, demonstrating the powerful allure of the voice from the depths of the sea.

Xia En frowned and looked in front of him.

Because the seawater is pitch black, it is difficult to see its depth.

This led him to a somewhat absurd conjecture.

—Perhaps this is not just a pool of water, but a real [Secret Sea]?

Or rather, is this a passage to the [Secret Sea]?
Can we reach the "Secret Sea" located in another dimension by diving into this sea?
This guess may seem unbelievable at first glance, but upon closer examination, it is not impossible.

After all, Xia En had never heard of anyone being able to bring the seawater of the [Secret Sea] back to reality!

If it is a true "Secret Sea," then it is not surprising that there may be some strange or terrifying beings within it.

Beside her, Fei Ya, being an exceptionally intelligent person, quickly recalled the sea she had seen during the promotion ceremony and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"This is... the seawater of the Secret Sea?"

"But why would it accumulate deep inside this ship's hold?"

"No, it's not necessarily savings..."

After a moment's thought, Fei Ya bit her fingertip.

A drop of blood, emitting a pale golden hue, flowed from the wound and dripped onto the water's surface.

As a transformed "Holy Blood Seed", Fei Ya also has extremely strong control over her blood.

At this moment, the blood dripped into the seawater, but instead of spreading out like a normal liquid, it continued to sink and sink.

"Three meters...five meters...ten meters...twenty meters..."

As the blood continued to recede from her senses, Fei Ya's face paled slightly, and a look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

In just a short while, the drop of blood had sunk to a depth of tens of meters.

It has even surpassed the height of this large ship!

And, right at that moment.

A strong sense of alarm surged up from Feiya's soul.

Although Fei Ya didn't know why this warning was generated, he still chose to trust his instincts and severed his connection with the drop of blood as quickly as possible.

Beneath the pitch-black sea, a colossal creature, its outline indistinct, swayed and quietly approached the pale golden blood.

Countless yellowish eyes were faintly visible under the starlight.

Then, a thick, barbed tongue emerged from the eyeball, gently curled up, and swallowed the drop of blood!
“Hu…Hu!”

Feiya suddenly opened her eyes, but her face turned pale and sweat beaded on her forehead.

He felt as if he had just walked on the edge of life and death.

But he quickly added, "This seawater... is very deep!"

"Perhaps it really is connected to that [Secret Sea]!"

Seeing Fei Ya's expression, Xia En warned seriously, "This sea is not something we can explore right now. We must not explore it rashly again."

"Afterwards, this order should also be communicated to the other crew members."

"Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Both Faia and Joey responded solemnly.

"Yes, Captain!"

Soon, Shane led the two up the stairs and took out a wooden plank to block the passage leading to the lowest cabin.

In fact.

By this point, Shane had some guesses about the origins of the Diamond Star and this small Secret Sea.

Legend has it that the Diamond Star disappeared unexpectedly during a voyage.

When it reappeared, it had become a ghost ship wandering the seven seas.

Is it possible that it disappeared because it was caught up in the [Secret Sea]?
On the [Secret Sea], nothing is surprising.

That was originally a chaotic space where time and space were indistinct and not bound by common sense.

This explains why there is a projection of the Diamond Star, and why the bottom of this ship is closely connected to the Secret Sea!

But then again.

Let's not even mention that this is just Xia En's guess.

Even if Xia En's guess comes true, there's nothing he can do about it now.

Does he intend to dive into the sea to uncover its secrets?

What if this is a one-way portal?
If you dive down, you'll never come back!

As the saying goes, you need to be strong yourself to succeed!
Even though Xia En is now a third-tier Secret Path user, personally venturing into the [Secret Sea], a place teeming with terror, would undoubtedly be courting death!

Not to mention the other crew members on board.

The probing by Faia and Joey just now had already made Xia En's heart pound.

At least at this stage.

The only possible way for Shane to explore the [Secret Sea] is by using his [Deep Sea Diving] talent.

But the problem came again.

This [Secret Sea] is located inside the ship's cabin, so it doesn't seem like we're sailing on the [Secret Sea], and it's uncertain whether the [Submerged] effect can be triggered.

In any case, it's always better to seal off this passage for the time being.

……

……

It didn't take long.

The three returned to the deck.

Shane handed over the interrogation to several crew members and walked toward the platform where the ship's wheel was located.

He didn't forget.

The biggest gain from this battle was nothing other than the [Diamond Star] standing right beneath my feet!
Despite its dilapidated appearance, riddled with cracks and damage, and no longer possessing its former heroic and majestic appearance, this ship is a sight to behold.

But its size is what it is, and its towering gunwales and flat decks still retain their charm!

Moreover, Shane just went inside the ship's cabins. The keel of the entire ship is well preserved, as if some special force is keeping it from falling apart.

This is why the ship, despite looking shaky, is still able to sail out to sea.

For the villagers on the ice island.

They had neither the materials nor the skills to repair the ship.

So they could only let the ship continue to fall into disrepair, and even had to try to steal other ships in order to leave this cage-like island.

But Xia En is different!

To him, these scratches on the surface of the ship were just minor damage!

Once you raise your [Ship Soul Level] to LV2 and unlock the [Ship Soul Synchronization] talent, these injuries will naturally heal.

At that time, how much of a boost to Shane's attributes would a fully-powered Diamond Starship provide?
Finally, and most importantly—

Shane had long coveted the ghost ship in the Misty Sea.

If this dubious "Diamond Star" were to come before it, how would it react?

Thinking of this, Xia En felt even more expectant.

Without hesitation, he reached out and grasped the old rudder.

[Do you want to bind "Diamond Star (Damaged)" as your second ship?]

[Once bound, the binding cannot be changed!]

"Yes!"

Xia En had a sudden thought.

The next moment, something unexpected happened!

Indistinct murmurs and whispers kept reaching his ears and churning in his mind.

just like……

Many people were awakened from their slumber, and for a moment they did not know what had happened, so they could only vent their dissatisfaction by whispering.

But soon, as Shane's consciousness spread like roots to all sides of the ship.

The sound grew louder and noisier at an extremely rapid pace, gradually forming a powerful roar like a tsunami.

Those were the sounds of the deck, mast, ropes, cannons... and indeed every part of the ship.

Unlike the vibrant and youthful components on the Black Swan.

The parts that make up the Diamond Star are very old, and some are even rotten and rusty.

But at this moment, after being awakened, they also let out their own roars, like a lion awakening!

Xia En could even detect a mixture of defiance, resentment, and anger in that voice.

This indomitable spirit and anger were not directed at Xia En, but rather at a mortal enemy who had wounded him so badly!

"Want revenge?"

Xia En thought to himself, "Then, acknowledge me as your master!"

"As the captain, I will fulfill your long-cherished wish!"

hum...

Under the astonished gazes of Joey and the villagers, the deck of the Diamond Star began to tremble.

The tattered sails on the mast moved erratically without wind, cannonballs rolled gently beside the cannons, and a desolate ship's song seemed to drift from a very distant place...

All signs indicate that the ship has awakened from its slumber and has been revitalized.

Graeme, who was bound hand and foot, clearly noticed this, and his gaze became increasingly vacant.

He couldn't understand it more and more. Why was it that everyone else was just sailing a boat, but this boat, in Xia En's hands, could exhibit even more extraordinary characteristics?
at the same time.

In front of the steering wheel.

In Xia En's consciousness, an invisible bond seemed to extend, establishing an indescribable, wondrous connection between him and the ship, a connection that originated from the soul.

This also made their fates completely intertwined.

Most remarkably, this bond not only connects the Diamond Star, but also extends faintly to some distant sea.

"Sure enough, there is some connection between it and that ghost ship!"

A look of joy appeared on Xia En's face.

He then opened the panel to take a look.

[Second Ship: Diamond Star (damaged)]

Type: Three-masted sailing ship

Size: Large

[Ship Soul Level: LV1 (0%)]

[Attributes: Firepower 36, Speed ​​10, Durability 22, Mysticism 0]

【Durability: 25/500 (Severe damage to the entire ship)】

[Note: You can complete the hull and ship soul by finding another "Diamond Star".]

To be fair, of the attributes that the Diamond Star has shown so far, only its firepower is decent.

But don't forget, this is a property of it when it is in a "severely damaged" state.

With the sails and hull in such a dilapidated state, it's quite remarkable that it still has this value.

As for the final note on the panel, it made Xia En's heart pound.

Could it be that this ship can merge with the ghost ship in the misty sea and transform into an even more powerful form?
Before Xia En could think any further,

A powerful surge of heat suddenly gushed from his chest, crashing against his entire body like a mighty river.

The boost brought by this [Captain's Majesty] is arguably the most significant one in several enhancements so far.

Xia En could clearly feel that his muscles had become firmer, his bones denser, and his body lighter.

With every movement of his hands and feet, he exuded inexhaustible strength.

Until this heavenly bliss gradually fades.

Shaen was also able to see the numbers on the panel fluctuating.

[Overall Qualifications: 1.75 → 2.4!]

A full 0.65 improvement!
A smile played on Xia En's lips as he reveled in the surging power within him.

This improvement also allowed him to break through the level 2 in comprehensive quality instantly!
At this point, Xia En actually had a clearer understanding of the criteria for judging comprehensive qualities.

A newcomer to the third tier of the Secret Path has an overall aptitude of around 0.5.

As for individuals with special bloodlines like the village chief of Ruhr, their overall quality should only barely exceed 1.

But now, Shane's stats are a whopping 2.4!

In the midst of a life-or-death struggle, being even slightly higher is already an insurmountable challenge.

Moreover, this is a difference of more than double.

If he were to face Ruhr again, he would probably only need one move to defeat him.

Xia En thought to himself, "Perhaps I can now hold my own against a fourth-tier Mystic Path user?"

Moreover, he knew that the bonuses from the Diamond Starship didn't stop there.

Once the ship gradually heals itself, his attributes will continue to soar!

The only regret is that the Diamond Star did not have a true ship spirit at this time.

It's probably unrealistic to expect to fully utilize the stacking effect of [Communication Ship Soul].

Just as Xia En was pondering.

Sizzle... Sizzle...

A unique sound came from the sea not far away, like the sound of seawater evaporating.

Xia En looked closely and saw a bright flame floating on the seawater.

Who else could it be but Yan Yan?
(End of this chapter)