I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

The mist had not yet dissipated at the old wharf in Jianghai City in the early morning.

The Black Pearl (the remains of Leviathan) rests quietly on the shore. If you don't look at the black mast (the Pillar of Stars) that pierces the sky and exudes an ancient aura, and the huge eyes on both sides of the ship that occasionally open and close quickly, it looks like a slightly "unconventional" large ocean-going fishing vessel.

On the deck, a unique "employee morning meeting" is underway.

"Stand at attention! Attention! At ease!"

Jiang Li, dressed in brand-new blue overalls and wearing an armband with the word "Captain" on it, was holding a pointer (actually the steel pipe that had knocked Dagong unconscious earlier) and was giving a speech to a row of "special employees" in front of him.

Opposite him, two rows of trembling creatures crouched.

They are wet all over, with grayish-green skin, faces that resemble a mix of frogs and fish, spines on their backs, and webbed hands and feet.

It was the survivors of the Deep Ones who were captured that night.

These C-rank familiars, who roam the deep sea and feed on humans, all wore specially made collars around their necks (modified by Jiang Li after cutting off the C-rank sealing artifact [Soul Binding Lock]). They were all meek and obedient, and even tried to imitate human posture.

"Look at all of you, what kind of posture is this? Straighten your backs!"

Jiang Li lashed the ground with his whip, making a crisp "crack" that startled all the Deep Ones.

"We at Deep Blue Aquaculture don't tolerate idlers! Once you're on my ship, you have to abide by my rules!"

Jiang Li pointed at the group of monsters and said to Wang Ergou (first mate) beside him, "Ergou, these are our newly recruited 'divers.' Although they are a bit ugly, like shaved monkeys, they are good swimmers. From now on, we'll entrust them with the work of collecting seashells and untangling fishing nets."

Wang Ergou, wearing a somewhat tight chef's uniform, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Looking at the group of "divine messengers" once summoned by his superior, now reduced to laborers, he felt no sympathy, but instead fawned over them.

"Captain is brilliant! These... uh, 'sea monkeys' are definitely suited for hard work! They seem quite strong and can even help pull the nets!"

In Jiang Li's understanding, these deep-sea creatures were a kind of strange-looking primate marine life, commonly known as "sea monkeys." Since they were monkeys, they could be domesticated.

"Listen up! From now on, your employee numbers will be 001 to 020!"

Jiang Li waved a bucket of expired dead fish (which he had bought on a whim at the night market last night) in front of Deep Diver.

"Whoever works hard gets to eat fish! Anyone who dares to slack off, or tries to run away..."

He pointed to a large yellow dog lying on the deck not far away, sunbathing and chewing on half a whisker of a Star Clan member.

"See that dog? It's been needing a chew toy lately."

"Woof!" (Why are you looking at me? I don't like this kind of low-grade meat; it gets stuck in my teeth.)

Big Yellow obediently bared its teeth, revealing a set of sharp teeth capable of crushing space itself.

"Gah—!!!" (No way! Absolutely not!)

The deep-diving individuals were terrified and nodded frantically in perfect unison.

They had witnessed firsthand how that dog devoured their companions one by one like snacks! Compared to this terrifying captain and that demonic hound, their abyssal bloodline was utterly a joke!

"Very good, very enlightened."

Jiang Li nodded in satisfaction, casually tossing a few dead fish over. "Have some breakfast first, then you can get ready to work!"

Watching a group of deep-sea divers fight tooth and nail over a few stinky fish, Liu Wei (Thousand-Faced Ghost), the newly appointed chief engineer standing in the corner, felt his worldview collapsing.

"This is insane...this world has gone mad..."

Liu Wei held a wrench in his hand, pretending to inspect the equipment on the deck, but inwardly he was roaring with rage.

Those are Deep Ones! Guardians of R'lyeh! The elite forces of the Great Old Ones!

In this man's hands, it actually turned into... a diver? A sea monkey?

Moreover, look at the configuration on this ship:

The captain is a monster who treats evil gods as food (Jiang Li);

The first mate is a traitorous cardinal of a cult (Wang Ergou).

The security captain is a Tindaroushound (Big Yellow);

The power source is a living Leviathan heart;

The mast is the finger of the Star Families;

Even the menial workers are now a group of Deep Sea Devils...

"What the hell kind of den of thieves have I stumbled into? Are there even any normal people (living beings) on this ship?"

Liu Wei was on the verge of tears.

He glanced at the bottle of so-called "cleaning agent" in his hand (which was actually an empty bottle of the S-class highly toxic "Tears of God"). Last night, when he poured it into the engine, it not only failed to kill the heart, but also increased the ship's speed by 50%.

"This mission... is simply impossible to complete!"

Just as Liu Wei was questioning his life, Jiang Li's voice came over.

"Old Liu! What are you standing there for? Is the engine warm up yet?"

Jiang Li walked over and patted Liu Wei on the shoulder (almost knocking him over), "Ready to go! Our destination today is—the Devil's Triangle!"

"The Devil's Triangle?!"

Liu Wei's face turned pale.

That is the deepest and most dangerous part of the Misty Sea!

It is said that the space there is chaotic and is shrouded in spacetime storms all year round. Even A-level experts may not be able to come out alive!

"Boss, isn't that place... a bit too dangerous?" Liu Wei tried to dissuade him.

"Danger? That's what you say to others."

Jiang Li smiled confidently and pointed to the red "Deep Blue Aquatic Products" flag fluttering in the wind above his head.

"Our boat, after my modifications (referring to inserting a magic finger), is incredibly stable now! And I heard the fish over there are especially big, some even flying. Catching a few will definitely fetch a good price!"

"A flying fish..." Liu Wei's lips twitched.

Those are Byakhee (interstellar vampires)! They're a race that can fly in the vacuum of space! You call them flying fish?

"Alright, stop dawdling! Full speed ahead!"

Jiang Li waved his hand.

"Ugh—!!!"

The Black Pearl let out a deep, long roar, its black heart pounding violently and spewing out billowing black smoke (psychic exhaust gas).

Surrounded by dozens of "sea monkeys," the ghost ship, laden with monsters, plunged into the vast ocean like a black dagger.

……

Three hours later.

The surrounding scenery has completely changed.

The once azure sea turned into a deep purplish-black, and a thick gray fog shrouded the surface, so viscous as paste that even sunlight could not penetrate it.

The air was filled with chaotic magnetic fields, causing compasses to spin wildly and all electronic devices to malfunction.

"We've arrived at the Devil's Triangle."

Jiang Li stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the eerie environment. Instead of being afraid, he rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"This place looks like it's rich in resources! Look at the color of the water, it's clearly fertile water!"

"Big Yellow! Radar on! Smell for schools of fish!"

Big Yellow stood at the bow of the boat, his nose twitching.

In this chaotic spacetime region, its perception capabilities were greatly amplified.

"Woof! Woof woof!" (Master! Above! There's a flock of birds in the sky... no, a flock of delicious food!)

Big Yellow barked wildly at the sky.

"In the sky?"

Jiang Li looked up.

Suddenly, a large group of dark figures rushed out from the gray clouds.

They have bodies that resemble a hybrid of bats and vultures, with no feathers, only rough skin, and heads that look like giant ants, with acid dripping from their mouthparts.

Baikal community!

These creatures are typically used as mounts for interstellar travel; they are ferocious and enjoy attacking any living thing in packs.

At that moment, hundreds of Byakki spotted the intruding ship and swooped down like a bomber squadron, emitting piercing screechs!

"Gah—!!!"

The sound was loud enough to pierce an ordinary person's eardrum.

The divers on deck were terrified and fled into the sea to escape.

Wang Ergou and Liu Wei's expressions changed drastically, and they each pulled out their weapons, ready to fight to the death.

however.

"Holy crap! What a huge flying fish!"

Jiang Li's eyes lit up as he watched the monsters swooping down.

"Wait, this doesn't look like a fish... those wings, that beak... it's a seagull, isn't it?"

"But this seagull is so ugly! Is it a nuclear radiation mutation? Why is it featherless?"

Despite his ugly appearance, Jiang Li's principle was: since I'm already here, I can't leave empty-handed.

"This thing looks like it has a lot of meat. I wonder how it would taste roasted. Is it similar to pigeon?"

"Big Yellow! Get ready to receive customers... no, I mean, receive goods!"

Jiang Li didn't use a fishing rod, but instead pulled out a specially made "net gun" from behind her back.

This is a fishing net launcher he bought on the black market. After his modifications, the net inside was replaced with a strong fishing net woven from [Abyssal Seaweed], which is extremely tough.

"Get down here!"

Jiang Li raised his hand and fired a shot.

"Bang!"

A huge black net spread out in the air, precisely covering the three Byakkis charging at the front.

"Huh?!"

Before the three Byakkis could react, they were caught in the net, their wings tangled, and they fell to the ground like weights.

"Splat!"

He fell onto the deck.

"Ergou! Go up and tie him up!"

Jiang Li shouted, his hands moving non-stop, firing several more shots.

A "seagull rain" fell from the sky.

The remaining Byakkis were dumbfounded.

They're hunters! This plot doesn't make sense!

The leading elite Byakki (C+ level) was enraged. It flapped its wings and released a [Void Wind Blade], slicing towards Jiang Li's head.

"call--"

The wind blades came with the power to tear through space.

Jiang Li didn't even look at it, and casually picked up a stainless steel basin (used to hold fish) next to him.

"when!"

A crisp sound.

The wind blades, powerful enough to slice through a tank, were actually blocked by that cheap basin! The bottom of the basin was only slightly dented.

"Ouch! You dare throw something at me?"

Jiang Li looked at the marks on the bottom of the basin and became furious.

"I just bought this pot! You'll have to pay for it if it gets damaged?!"

He suddenly swung his arm, and the stainless steel basin in his hand was flung away like a frisbee.

"I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Whoosh—"

With Jiang Li's superhuman strength amplified, the stainless steel basin spun and tore through the air, emitting a terrifying sonic boom.

"Smack!!!"

It struck the face of the elite Byakki.

It's like swatting a fly with a fly swatter.

The Byakki didn't even have time to scream before its head was slammed into its chest cavity. Its body spun around in the air a dozen times before falling into the sea like a tattered sack.

"..."

The flock of birds in the sky fell silent instantly.

The remaining Byakki looked at the man who had picked up another frying pan and felt a fear that went straight to the depths of his soul.

Is this even human?

This is clearly a colossal star beast disguised in human skin!

"Gah gah gah!" (Run! This is a dangerous situation!)

The flock of birds scattered in a panic, desperately trying to disappear into the clouds.

"Hey? Don't run away! I haven't caught enough yet!"

Jiang Li panicked.

"Big Yellow! Your radar is inaccurate! How come you caught a few birds instead of fish?"

Big Yellow: "Woof..." (Birds are meat too, and they have lots of cartilage, so they're delicious.)

Jiang Li looked at the dozen or so "strange birds" still struggling on the deck and sighed.

"Well, every little bit helps. Er Gou, Lao Liu, come help me pluck the fur!"

"This bird looks like it has thick skin; you have to scald it with boiling water before you can peel it off."

Liu Wei (Thousand-Faced Ghost) looked at the Byakki on the ground, which was still spitting acid, and his mouth twitched.

Plucking hair?

This thing doesn't have any hair at all! That's just a membrane!

Moreover, that acid can corrode metal. Are you sure scalding it with boiling water will work?

But under Jiang Li's gaze, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over, pulling out a dagger.

"Boss... how should we cook this? Braised or steamed?"

"Judging by its size, it's about the same as a roast goose."

Jiang Li stroked his chin, analyzing with a professional expression, "The meat should be quite firm, suitable for grilling. Crispy grilled seagull, that sounds pretty good!"

"Oh, and don't throw away those entrails, they're a good thing. You can use them to make offal soup, or... shark fishing!"

Jiang Li's thoughts are always so whimsical and full of life.

While everyone (and the monsters) were busy processing the "ingredients".

A strange ripple suddenly came from beneath the sea surface.

This wasn't the scent of a monster, but rather... a scent filled with temptation, the smell of money.

Jiang Li's nose twitched.

"Hmm? What's that smell? It smells a bit like... money?"

He walked to the side of the boat and looked into the water.

In the deep sea, the outline of a huge shipwreck could be faintly seen. The ship was not an ordinary wooden boat, but was made entirely of some kind of golden metal, radiating a mesmerizing light in the dark seabed.

On the deck of that ship, there seemed to be a lot of shiny things piled up.

"Holy crap! A gold ship?!"

Jiang Li's eyes widened instantly.

"Down there...it's all gold?!"

Big Yellow also came over, glanced at it, and its dog face turned serious.

"Woof!" (Master, that's a trap! That's the "Ship of Greed," the devil's bait!)

But in Jiang Li's eyes, it was a "treasure ship" waiting to be salvaged.

"We're rich! We've really struck it rich this time!"

Jiang Li rubbed his hands excitedly, "Quick! Throw those birds aside! Get the diving gear ready (actually, it's just that waterproof flashlight)! Let's go down and fish for gold!"

"Old Liu! Can you drive a submarine? Can our boat dive?"

Liu Wei: "..."

Boss, are you trying to operate this fishing boat like a submarine?

However, looking at Jiang Li's fanatical eyes, Liu Wei knew that even if he said no, this madman would probably find a way to push the boat into the water.

"Well...theoretically, this ship has a biological shield, so it can submerge for a short time, but..."

"That's good! Submerge! Target—the gold ship!"

Jiang Li gave the order.

The Black Pearl let out an excited roar (it also sensed the "good food" below), a layer of black bubble film rose around the ship, and then it plunged headlong into the dark seawater.

Beneath the abyss.

On the Ship of Greed (an S-rank cursed artifact, the palace of the Abyss Lord), a skeleton dressed in a magnificent robe was holding a wine glass, ghostly flames flickering in its empty eye sockets.

"Another greedy soul has come knocking... Hehehe..."

"Whoever you are, once you step onto this ship, your soul belongs to me..."

It doesn't know yet.

This time, it wasn't a greedy soul that came.

Instead, he was a demolition office director who wanted to dismantle the ship and sell it for scrap metal.