Navigator: I have a double six-story house

Vera's body turned to dust and dissipated in the damp air.

Three items floated silently where she had disappeared.

Su Qing stepped forward and picked them up one by one.

The first item was a yellowed architectural drawing, tied with a thin red string.

[Architectural blueprints: Shooting range lv.1]

[Shooting Range lv.1: A training facility that can be deployed on a ship. Long-term use will grant shooting experience points, improving accuracy and reload speed.]

As soon as Su Qing got her hands on the blueprints, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

This thing is a real gem for his current profession.

After all, the musketeer's firepower was sufficient; it was just that the reload speed was disgusting.

The second item was a rapier, the same one Vera had used before.

Looks like I got lucky.

Based on the information we have, not every time you defeat a boss, you will get the boss's weapon.

Boss weapons are usually good drops.

Wang Yao bent down to pick it up and casually twirled the sword in the moonlight.

[Western Rapier (D-grade Attack Equipment)]

[High attack speed, with a piercing effect, ignores some armor.]

"Level D?"

There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Wang Yao's tone.

"You're still complaining about D-rank?" Su Qing grabbed the rapier, examining it from head to toe. "How many captains have you heard of getting D-rank weapons on the starting island?"

Wang Yao shook his head and sighed.

"This is all your fault, Su Zi."

"It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frug

After saying that, he patted the C-grade shield in his hand.

Su Qing ignored Wang Yao's antics; her eyes were fixed on the red system notification.

[Class Restriction: Musketeers can only equip firearms.]

Wang Yao poked his head out and said, "We don't need this right now. I can only equip shield-type equipment."

"Keep it." Su Qing put the rapier into his backpack. "We might need it when we recruit new crew members."

Wang Yao nodded, not dwelling on the issue.

Their gazes fell on the third item.

It was a small, palm-sized brass box, exquisitely crafted, with its surface engraved with unknown patterns, and a complex lock on the lid.

[Unidentified Treasure Chest]

[Contains unknown items. Requires visiting the Appraiser in the Trade Port to open, or using the rare building "Appraisal Room" to open.]

Wang Yao squatted down and reached out to touch the lock.

The latch remained firmly in place, as if it were welded to the box.

"It's actually the legendary treasure chest?"

"Su-zai, do you think this thing can be smashed open by force?"

Su Qing rubbed his chin with his fingers, also somewhat curious.

"Give it a try."

Wang Yao grabbed the iron shield and smashed it down without saying a word.

"Bang!"

The iron shield didn't even touch the treasure chest. Suddenly, the patterns on the surface of the bronze chest lit up with a red light, and a repulsive force directly bounced the shield away.

"Alright then." Wang Yao shook his slightly numb arm. "Another thing we won't need for the time being."

"Although it can't be opened for the time being, the items produced by this treasure chest are not the kind of goods that can be bought on the market."

Su Qing carefully put the copper box away.

None of the three loot items can be used in battle immediately.

The shooting range can only be built back on the ship, no one can equip the rapier, and the treasure chest cannot be opened.

But Su Qing didn't feel she had lost out.

The quality of loot drops on Nightmare difficulty far exceeded his expectations.

The shooting range can make up for his shortcomings. He can make a lot of money by selling D-level equipment and weapons.

As for the treasure chest.

In the Age of Exploration, the best items are all obtained from treasure chests.

"Let's go." Su Qing stood up and patted the water stains off her knees.

"The last floor."

Wang Yao stretched his sore and numb arms, uncorked the bottle of basic treatment medicine, and took two sips.

A warm sensation came from the wound, and the half-inch deep sword wound on the shoulder healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He picked up the iron shield, and the two dents on its surface were particularly glaring in the moonlight.

"How ferocious do you think the boss on Hell difficulty will be?" Wang Yao asked.

"I don't know." Su Qing inspected the musket, cleaned the remaining gunpowder residue from the barrel, and reloaded a round. "But we should prepare for the worst."

"Hey," Wang Yao smiled slightly, "when did you ever make the best plan?"

Su Qing's lips also curled up slightly.

From childhood to adulthood, he has always planned for the best and the worst.

The two stood in front of the gate to the fifth level of the dungeon.

This door is simpler than any of the previous doors.

It wasn't made of iron or stone, but was an ordinary wooden door.

It's made of natural wood, without any carvings or skull markings; even the door handles are the most ordinary brass spherical handles.

It's like the simple bedroom doors in an orphanage.

Su Qing knew that what was behind the door was no ordinary thing.

That's a hellish dungeon that has devoured countless young captains.

Su Qing stood a step behind Wang Yao, set up the musket, and aimed the muzzle at the wooden door.

Wang Yao raised his shield, protecting him behind him.

"Open the door," Su Qing said calmly.

Wang Yao took a deep breath, placed his left hand on the doorknob, held the iron shield in front of him, and pushed the door open forcefully.

The blinding sunlight smeared their faces.

It was neither dark red firelight nor cold moonlight.

It was genuine, warm afternoon sunlight.

Wang Yao squinted, holding the iron shield in front of him, maintaining a defensive posture for a full five seconds.

There was no flashing of swords, no sneak attacks, and nothing rushed out.

Only the wind carries the scent of grass and earth.

The two slowly stepped out of the threshold.

The deck beneath our feet was no longer flooded, but a compacted dirt path, flanked by waist-high wheat fields, their golden ears swaying in the wind.

In the distance, a few wooden houses stood, wisps of smoke lazily rising from their chimneys. A cow was tethered to a roadside post, swishing its tail to swat away flies.

Wang Yao slowly lowered the iron shield.

"..."

He looked back. The door was still there, but behind the door frame was no longer the abandoned ship's cabin, but an open field.

"Su Zai".

"Um."

"Is this hell difficulty?"

Su Qing did not answer. His gun was still pointed at him, and his gaze swept over the wheat field, the wooden house, and the smoke from the chimney. There was no relaxation in his eyes.

The more peaceful the scene before him, the more tense he became.

He would rather it be a battlefield, with enemies surging in like a tide.

The real terror doesn't come from dangerous enemies, but from the horrors lurking in the shadows.

"Hey! You two travelers!"

A rough voice came from the wheat field. A middle-aged man carrying a hoe walked onto the path, his face tanned dark under a straw hat, and his smile was honest and kind.

[Farmer Old Ham]

Wang Yao instinctively held the iron shield in front of him, but when Old Ham saw the shield, he laughed instead.

"Haha, don't be so nervous! You must be travelers from the other side of the mountain. This area is very safe; there aren't any wild animals."

Old Ham wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and waved enthusiastically.

"Moufang Village is just ahead. I'm on my way back for dinner. If you two don't mind, would you like to come to my house for a meal before you leave?"