After an hour of fishing, the sky began to darken. The first night was approaching. Yang Yi was now ravenously hungry—the long-legged sardines scattered beside him looked surprisingly appetizing. But eating this kind of fish... would likely drain his sanity. Unless absolutely necessary, he wasn't keen on it; besides, there was no stove on the ship—he'd have to eat them raw...
The float trembled, and Yang Yi immediately perked up. He pulled hard, hauling up a black fish. This one lacked the iconic long legs; instead, it was covered in sharp spines and a slimy, edema-like mucous membrane. As soon as it hit the deck, the membrane ruptured, oozing black, foul-smelling pus.
[This fish is revolting. Your sanity decreases by 2.]
Before Yang Yi could stab it with his spear, the fish died on its own.
[Name: Cyst Puffer]
[Type: Food]
[Description: A deep-sea species. Its bodily fluids are highly toxic. No sane person would eat it unless... they wish to die.]
"Poisonous?" Yang Yi dared not touch it. He pierced it with his spear and tossed it into the cabin. He deliberately stabbed it several more times until the spear tip turned black, transforming it into a venomous wooden spear.
The sky grew darker—less than an hour remained before nightfall. The system had emphasized the dangers of night, so Yang Yi had no intention of fishing after dark. But just as he stowed his fishing rod and prepared to return to the captain's cabin, a peculiar object floated past on the sea: a box, specifically a treasure chest, briefcase-sized, drifting past the Nightmare's side.
Yang Yi's heart tightened. He rushed to the helm, turning the ship to chase the chest. This opportunity was too critical to miss! He manipulated the bow's grappling hook to snatch the chest, but it was as slippery as a live creature, dodging repeatedly. After much struggle, he finally hauled it aboard and dashed into the cabin to inspect it.
[Name: Waterlogged Rotwood Treasure Chest]
[Type: Treasure Chest]
[Description: This may not be the treasure chest you hoped for.]
Yang Yi stayed cautious. Holding a flintlock pistol aimed at the chest, he used his spear to pry it open. Inside was... a human skull, hairless, with grayish-white skin coated in a slimy layer. The moment the chest opened, the skull stirred, its cloudy eyes flickering to life as it spoke:
"Sir, might I trouble you for a few minutes to introduce you to the all-knowing and all-powerful Lord?"
[You cannot understand its words. Sanity decreases by 5.]
Yang Yi's scalp prickled, his body trembling slightly.
"Sir, could you—"
In the next instant, the skull leaped out, and Yang Yi finally saw its true form: an octopus with a human head replacing its own, supported by a mass of twisted tentacles. It lunged at him, tentacles splaying to reveal a birdlike beak at their base. But what awaited it was...
"Bang!"
The muzzle sparked—no misfire. The dull report rang out like a monster's growl, and the octopus exploded into a shower of gore.
[Hearing the strange gunshot, your sanity decreases by 3.]
Yang Yi felt a surge of nausea, a hot tension rising in his chest. He quickly checked his status:
Sanity: 88/100
Stamina: 62/100
HP: 100/100
Clearly, sanity loss affected one's mind, but Yang Yi's mental attributes were extremely high, his will as ironclad as steel. He quickly regained composure and examined the creature's remains.
[Name: Human-Headed Octopus]
[Type: Food/Material]
[Description: A deep-sea species. Do not attempt to understand its words—it is merely a distraction to ambush you. If you can understand it... good luck. Edible, usable as material. Slightly toxic. When consumed, grants temporary +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Spirit, -20 Sanity.]
[Tip: Cannot exceed mortal attribute limits (mortal limit: 10).]
It had some value. Yang Yi gathered the remains and returned to the chest, finding only rusted coins inside. He picked up one: a conch shell on the front, a cartoonish octopus head on the back.
[You obtain 100 Conch Coins.]
Nothing else. Where was the promised fresh water? What use were Conch Coins here?!
Night was nearly upon him. Yang Yi tossed the captain's skeleton into the cabin and retreated to the captain's quarters. He had no plans to fish or scavenge at night—the system's warnings were not to be ignored. He'd seek fresh water tomorrow; as for food... he'd eat the long-legged sardines if he had to! For survival, he didn't shy from strange sustenance, so long as it provided protein and energy. He never gave up easily—not before, and not now.
He lay on the damp, musty old bed, tossing and turning. The odor was unbearable, but he had no choice.
Total darkness fell. Only faint moonlight lit the deck, accompanied by the relentless crash of waves and howling wind. Unable to sleep, Yang Yi opened the World Chat channel.
"Grappling hooks can catch treasure chests," he posted. The info was trivial—anyone seeing a chest would try to grab it—but sharing it could earn goodwill and intel.
"True! Caught a Wooden Resource Chest—1 iron, 20 wood, 20 cloth!"
"Lucky! You'll upgrade your ship soon, jealous!"
"Heh, found a Bronze Equipment Chest and got a relic!"
[Bloodstained Pearl Necklace]
[Type: Relic]
[Quality: Good]
[Description: Once a bride's dowry... its owner still searches. +1 Agility, -1 Spirit, Sanity cap -5 when worn.]
"Uh... doesn't look like a 'treasure' to me..."
"You're just jealous!"
"So dark. My ship has no lights—probably need to upgrade."
"No blankets, freezing my ass off!"
"Can't sleep!"
"Anyone else notice the waves getting bigger?"
"Bigger waves, bigger pay! Night fishing, let's go!"
"Night fishing +1."
"+2."
"+10086."
"Anyone hear singing? Actually sounds nice."
"Nope, don't scare me. Where would singing come from at sea?"
"Seen a beautiful woman singing! So hot—she's waving at me!"
"Dude, check your sanity! That's a siren, fuck!"
"She's gorgeous... she's swimming over..."
"Lock yourself in the captain's cabin, now!"
"Shit, he's charmed."
"..."
"Still there, man? Don't ghost us at night!"
"Hello?"
"Hello?!"
No reply came...
Yang Yi frowned. The system's warnings were justified. He listened closely—no singing. Rising, he opened the captain's cabin door; the ancient, rotting wood had a broken lock, purely decorative. He cracked it open, scanning the deck by moonlight, then went to the helm to reduce speed to 10 knots. Slower speed meant fewer encounters—the last thing he wanted was an ambush in his sleep! But staying still was risky. Ten knots felt like a balance—keeping distance from the black fog trailing them.
After securing the ship, he returned to his cabin, placing the flintlock by his bed and leaning the spear against the wall. He scrolled through chat a while longer before finally drifting into a fitful sleep, brow furrowed and sweating, as if trapped in a nightmare.