Surviving on an Old Ship X Exchange Market

The cruise ship slowly set sail.

The rising sun cast its rays, and on the platform, the candidates who had passed the first test had gathered.

The first examiner Wahaqi, and the second examiner, whom Kevin and the others had met before, were also here.

"So few people passed? Was my first test too difficult?" Wahachi asked unconsciously.

The white-bearded old Captain simply rolled his eyes and didn't say a word.

Kevin and his friends stood at the back, watching the candidates who had successfully passed the first round.

This single round eliminated almost the entire pool of participants, leaving only 105.

"It was a little more difficult than last year," Basho commented. Last year, about 500 candidates participated, but only 200 passed the first round.

"Alright everyone, I'm the examiner for the second exam. You can just call me Captain."

At this point, the second examiner spoke.

"The moment the ship sets sail, the second test begins. This test is simple: the ship will sail at sea for three days and three nights, and if nothing unexpected happens, it will reach its destination on the morning of the fourth day, which is the location of the third test."

"However, resources on the ship are limited. There are only two hundred boxed meals prepared in this box next to me. Each person can only take one box, and I will throw away the rest in front of everyone."

"The staff area is separate from your activity area. There are no supplies on the ship. All you have to do is hold out until you reach your destination."

"Remember, each person can only take one item. Stealing from others is prohibited, and fighting is not allowed. I wish you all a safe and successful few days."

After saying that, the Captain and Wahachi walked towards the Captain without looking back.

A staff member wearing sunglasses and a black suit handed out boxed meals to the test takers one by one. Immediately afterwards, some people grabbed their meals and hurriedly ran downstairs.

There were still some people who didn't look for available tools at the beginning, or who rushed to arrive just before departure.

Kevin and his friends weren't in a hurry; they stood on the deck, watching the rising sun over the sea.

They were already fully prepared and had selected all the necessary items.

"Ah, what a rare and beautiful sight! My inspiration is flowing like a spring," Basho suddenly exclaimed poetically.

Ignoring the strange looks from the three people around him, he pulled out a long, narrow Notebook from somewhere.

He picked up a pen and began to write.

After finishing writing, he even read it aloud.

Standing at the bow of the ship, the sun shines brightly on the ocean, and the sea is undulated by the wind and waves.

After reading it aloud, he was utterly captivated, his voice lowering slightly. "Perfect, absolutely perfect."

"What is this?" Kevin asked, somewhat puzzled. To be honest, he didn't understand what kind of literature this was.

"This is a type of poetry from my hometown. I think I did a good job, right?" Basho was clearly satisfied with her work and confidently turned to ask, "What do you guys think?"

Kite pulled her Newsboy Cap down a little. Although she came from and grew up in the slums,

However, he did learn quite a bit on his own later on.

Perhaps he truly didn't receive a good education from a young age and is unable to understand Basho's "masterpiece".

With great difficulty, Goreinu managed to squeeze out a few words: "It's... okay."

Although he didn't understand what a sentence was, he couldn't bring himself to call it "good."

Kevin, being quite accommodating, asked, "Is it a form of poetry? It sounds like a 5-7-5 format. But it can't be that simple, can it?"

"Oh! You know quite a bit about this. On the surface, it's just this syllable format, but of course there are more in-depth requirements, such as [Seasonal Word] and [rhyme schemes]." As he spoke, Basho enthusiastically chatted with the group about his favorite things.

"The format, as just mentioned, consists of 5-7-5, a total of 17 syllables, written in three lines. It also needs [Seasonal Word], which are words or characters related to the seasons. Furthermore, it needs [Cutting Word], using particles to create pauses."

It should also have a lingering aftertaste.

He spoke eloquently, and the three listened quietly, for this was, after all, a sharing of knowledge.

"For example, in my hometown, there's a Hokku poet with the same name as me. He has a work that, even when translated into standard language, follows a standard format: [Beside a quiet, ancient pond, Frog jumps into the middle of the water with a splash.]"

He repeated it in his native dialect, which, although not the common language, sounded somewhat like Japanese to Kevin.

"Then this revised version of the sentence you just wrote might better meet the requirements." With that, Kevin made a slight change. "Standing alone at the bow, the rising sun shatters the blue waves, ripples dance in the sunlight."

"Isn't this more poetic? And shouldn't it fit the sentence structure well?"

After listening, Basho fell silent.

Kite and Goreinu couldn't help but look at Kevin.

They had a general understanding of the sentence structure, and judging from the tone and expression of common language, Kevin's revised sentence was much better than Basho's original, and it sounded more like a poem with an ancient charm.

They still didn't understand, but at least it sounded better.

"You—you wouldn't happen to be some Haiku Sage, would you?" Basho's face was full of obvious surprise. The other party had only listened to his simple explanation of a few sentences and was able to create a work that was far better than his own.

"It seems my talent is limited to this." Basho was somewhat discouraged.

However, before anyone could comfort him, he regained his energy, clenched his fist with a serious expression, and said, "I won't be angry. I will become a saint, just like my name suggests."

After saying that, he picked up a comb and tidied his exaggerated Slicked Back Hair.

After a while, Kevin and the others leisurely returned to their room.

The room they chose was in a great location, with a balcony and close to the sea, making it convenient for fishing or escaping by boat later.

They ate the boxed lunches casually, simply filling their stomachs.

Meanwhile, outside, the candidates had already begun to scheme and plot against each other.

Inside the Captain's cabin, two examiners were observing the situation on board through monitor screens.

"Those guys who arrived first are really taking it easy," Wahachi said, observing Kevin and the others' relaxed demeanor. Then, pointing to details on the screen, he added, "They took two pieces of rescue gear; looks like they've already guessed what you're going to do next."

The Captain, arms crossed Pipe from his lips, said nonchalantly, "What's so strange about that? With careful observation and attention to detail, you can see that this ship might sink just before reaching its destination."

Moreover, he deliberately left some small clues as hints.

After all, this is an exam, and each examiner has a lot of autonomy to design the exam they are responsible for and select candidates according to their own ideas.

The Captain hopes that this test will help the candidates understand what teamwork is, how to quickly find suitable teammates, how to identify whether teammates are trustworthy, and whether they themselves can trust others.

Of course, the ability to think, observe, and respond is also a basic requirement, including the ability to collect and analyze intelligence.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder how many people will pass this time," Wahachi muttered to himself, looking at the monitor screen. This exam was a breeze for the Donpa.

He was, after all, a veteran who had taken thirty exams and experienced all kinds of tests; many of the examiners had even taken exams with him.

He quickly found several other candidates who had also taken multiple exams, and the group gathered together.

"Hey, you've all realized it, haven't you? This ship is definitely going to sink. It seems none of you have any Survival Item," Donpa said, looking at the group of five.

Such information is not difficult to deduce and analyze from existing information.

One of them looked at Donpa and replied directly, "When the ship sinks, some of the materials themselves can be used as rescue supplies."

For someone who is a good swimmer and considers themselves capable, this is indeed not something to worry about.

"Haha, that's true, but having Survival Item is always better than nothing, isn't it?"

"What exactly are you trying to say?" We're all seasoned veterans; we both know what's going on.

Donpa revealed a sinister smile and said, "Let's play around with those new examinees. Although robbing is not allowed, it doesn't say stealing is forbidden either. And as long as you're not caught, it's not considered stealing."

The Hunter Exam has always had this rule: anything not explicitly prohibited is allowed.

"Besides, we can exchange items, right? There's no rule against candidates exchanging items."

"Donpa already has a detailed plan in mind."

"You're still as awful as ever." One of the older students said with a sneer, but didn't refuse.

Soon, the group finished their discussion and dispersed.

At this point, Kevin and the others didn't stay in the room for long. After chatting together for a while, they went about their own business.

Kite seemed very confident in her fishing skills, taking the fishing rod directly and sitting on the balcony to start fishing.

The critical life-saving valves were kept in a guarded room.

They had clearly considered this: they couldn't rob, but they could steal.

The rules prohibit fighting and looting. Stealing while under guard is equivalent to robbery and will result in disqualification.

Once an item is stolen, the original owner cannot seize it or take it back by force, as fighting is not permitted.

But apart from that, there are almost no other restrictions.

Basho leaves in the room for now.

Kevin and Goreinu took five Life Vest outside, intending to exchange them with the other test takers.

"Now let's think about what we need. First, we can confirm that there is no fire on the ship, nor any materials to start a fire."

"If you don't want to eat only sashimi for the next few days, it would be best to find something else to use for starting a fire," Kevin said.

Goreinu nodded and recalled, "I saw one of the examinees carry a charcoal stove, but I don't know if they had any resources to start a fire." Goreinu had a good memory, and he had made a point of observing what everyone was carrying from the beginning.

They then searched for their target throughout the Mail Steamer.

This is a Mail Steamer, quite large in size, and based on its previous scale, it should have carried over a thousand people when it set sail.

Currently, most areas are only used by about a hundred test takers, making the space seem exceptionally empty.

They arrived at Shenban and, sure enough, saw a group of test-takers gathered in one area, talking to each other.

Each candidate held a different item in their hand.

Clearly, those who came here weren't stupid; they had all figured out a feasible way to trade goods here.

However, since there are many useless items on the ship, not everyone can get what they want.

Upon seeing Kevin and his group approaching with Life Vest, some astute individuals immediately gathered around.

"Want to trade? We have Fishing Net Bag here," asked a muscular man with a large build; his number was 313.

Kevin shook his head and refused outright.

The muscular man didn't press the matter further, but simply nodded regretfully.

No sooner had he left than someone else approached, saying, "I saw what you were carrying— Fishing Rod and Spear Gun —you certainly don't lack food. I don't have any fire-starting equipment, but—we have this."

As he spoke, the somewhat thin man took out the item he intended to exchange.

- A pre-packaged Spice Bottle Set.

"What's the use of this thing?" Goreinu curled his lip and said disdainfully.

The thin man was somewhat embarrassed; he knew that the item he possessed was of relatively low value among all the items available for exchange.

After all, the entire exam only lasts three days and three nights, and most people have trouble even getting food, let alone exchanging their precious items for his seasoning.

Only those who have no worries about food and drink would consider this.

"You can't say that. For those who need it, this is a very worthwhile product to exchange," the thin man said earnestly, trying to sell it.

"So how do you plan to change it?" Kevin asked.

The skinny man's eyes lit up. "Three Life Vest."

"Then you can keep it for yourself to season." Kevin completely ignored him.

"No, no, no, just two pieces, just two pieces," the thin man hurriedly said.

"One piece. If Life Vest could be disassembled, I'd only give you half of one," Kevin said bluntly.

The thin man tried to argue, "I saw everything. These five items count as one item. Giving us only one is unreasonable."

"Are you going to change it or not?" Kevin asked directly.

The value of both is obvious to anyone who isn't a fool.

"Exchange? Of course we'll exchange!" Left with no other option, the thin man had to complete the exchange with Kevin.

Goreinu happily accepted the seasoning kit. Clearly, he didn't think it was useless, unlike he had initially appeared.

Soon, other people came over wanting to trade, but they were all things that weren't very useful to Kevin, and in some ways, they weren't even as good as the seasoning kit.

For example, fire axes and various weapons are of limited use since fighting is not allowed on the ship. Moreover, Kevin and his companions are far more capable than these melee weapons.

Donpa was also mingling in this small trading market, his eyes darting around. Many others shared his thoughts, including the examinees exchanging items; they too were searching for targets.

Before long, Goreinu found their target. However, what the other party brought in to exchange was not the stove they wanted, but a Radio.

There were even people carrying Radio.

"You have a stove, right? How about we trade it?"

The other person watched the two of them warily.

Kevin crouched down and said, "Don't rush to refuse. You should be able to tell that many people want to exchange these Life Vest with us."

"I believe you're not stupid; you should understand what this means. These Life Vest must be important. Observe carefully, think calmly, and you'll understand."

The other party clearly understood something as well, and after a little thought, they knew why so many people wanted to change into Life Vest.

Many people suspected the ship might sink, so all life-saving equipment was carefully hidden away.

This is why so many people wanted to trade with Kevin and his group as soon as they appeared.

"I'm sure as long as we have Life Vest, we won't have trouble getting anything in return. It's just that your stove is more useful to us."

Clearly, this person was somewhat tempted.

But his companion frowned and said directly, "No, we don't need it. We just want to trade this Radio."

Hearing this, Kevin pursed his lips helplessly and shrugged.

If they weren't tempted by this, it's clear that some of them had already received the Survival Item.

"Is this Radio yours?" Kevin asked the man who refused.

"So what if it is?"

"Nothing."

Kevin then turned to the sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth. "You're just temporary teammates. That furnace is yours, but you might not get any of the Survival Item."

"This is the open sea. Even if there are ways to obtain food, fire isn't that important in the short term."

Goreinu had previously told Kevin that the young man in front of him was a newcomer this year.

He had seen the owner of the Radio before, and he had even seen the man mingling with the Donpa.

Donpa, that old fox, has been trying to Hunter License for thirty years. Judging from his skills, he has clearly stopped seeing it as a goal. His mindset has become distorted due to his long history of failures.

Although I don't know what the other party wants, it's definitely not business.

But this has nothing to do with Kevin, since this is an exam.

Kevin patted the other person on the shoulder and reminded him, "Keep your eyes open; you're both opponents and teammates."

"Please don't try to sow discord between us here." A young man walked over, openly indicating that he was part of the same group as the two men.

Kevin smiled faintly, said nothing, and quietly left.

Before leaving, Taya glanced at the Donpa squatting not far away.

Donpa gave Kevin and the others a very kind smile as they were leaving, which made him seem honest and simple.

"It seems that soon someone will come to us with a stove and start talking to us," Goreinu sighed.

Kevin shrugged helplessly. "There's nothing we can do about it."