Chapter Summaries

Autumn Snow used the God of Light’s power to teleport the Ghost Ship away, leaving Ling Chu and the others stranded on an unnaturally still sea. They discovered that the black bear who had helped them was Clumsy Bear Who Can't Get Full, and Ling Chu learned how his food-dependent class worked.

• Autumn Snow channeled the God of Light’s power through her hooked sword and enveloped the Ghost Ship in holy light.
• Ling Chu sensed spatial power seize the ship, which reappeared beneath an empty blue sky on a motionless sea.
• You Jiali noticed that the sea was unnaturally calm, and Lingering Wind and Fading Moon proposed collecting a sample to study.
• Clumsy Bear Who Can't Get Full transformed from a giant bear into a man and explained that Ling Chu’s gift of meat had helped him escape the Holy Army’s dungeon.
• Ling Chu checked Clumsy Bear’s attributes and realized his Gluttonous Giant Bear skills consumed fullness, while his curse made him need ten times as much food.

Ling Chu investigated a strange stretch of sea that dragged down and corroded anything immersed in it, while the Ghost Ship sailed on unaffected and tracking tools failed. Through a Silly Bird's livestream, she saw Autumn Snow and Siji Dao struggling against the Sea Monster leader, which impaled Autumn Snow in the shoulder.

• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon treated Clumsy Bear's bleeding arm, and he messaged Old Dao to confirm he was safe.
• Old Dao learned the group had survived, declared the captives free, and united them with the Qingshan Ship's former crew to rebuild the ship.
• Ling Chu tested the strange sea by lowering a Skeletons Henchman into it and found that the water dragged it down and corroded its bones.
• Ling Chu discovered that Hunter's Mark and Marauder's Map could no longer locate Autumn Snow or the Ghost Ship, though the Ghost Ship still sailed normally.
• Ling Chu watched Autumn Snow and Siji Dao battle the Sea Monster leader; after its shriek staggered them, the leader struck Autumn Snow's shoulder with its trident.

Autumn Snow killed the Sea Monster chief despite being badly wounded, and the Holy Army subdued the remaining Sea Monsters while Ling Chu’s allies held Xia Chunying captive. Ling Chu discovered that her Sin Value had soared past ten thousand, putting her far ahead of everyone else on the Bounty Ranking.

• Autumn Snow let the Sea Monster chief’s fork pierce her shoulder, then used the opening to cut off its head and wrench the weapon from her wound.
• The Holy Army Legion brought the remaining Sea Monsters under control, while Huang Xiaowen warned Xia Chunying to stop talking.
• Players in the Public Channel discussed the battle, Ling Chu’s victory, and what might happen to Xia Chunying.
• Ling Chu checked the Bounty Ranking and saw her Sin Value at 10,890 points, far above the other listed players.
• Players reacted to Ling Chu’s huge bounty and proposed a Shark Daily headline about the Ghost Ship routing the Holy Army.

After escaping the Holy Army, Ling Chu repaired her skeleton crew and considered how to prepare for future battles. With Xia Chunying offering information in exchange for her life, Ling Chu brought out a strange fish in a glass bottle.

• Autumn Snow found Undead Island barren, discovered she could no longer track Ling Chu, and ordered Siji Dao to contact Crispy Shark about buying space in Shark Daily.
• Ling Chu reviewed the Ghost Ship's losses, mourned fourteen skeletons destroyed by holy light, and arranged repairs for the surviving skeletons.
• Ling Chu resolved to upgrade the Ghost Ship and her Ghost Pirate class as the conflict with the Holy Army continued.
• Huang Xiaowen, Clumsy Bear, and Squid Ball debated what to do with their prisoner, Xia Chunying, who offered secrets about the Holy Army to avoid punishment.
• Ling Chu hurried into the cabin and returned with a glass bottle containing a strange eyeball-like fish.

Ling Chu used the Eyeball Fish to search Xia Chunying’s memories and discovered that the Goddess of Light statue had granted Autumn Snow and the Holy Army their powers. She tested her control over Xia Chunying, leaving the crew startled by her sudden outburst.

• Ling Chu released the Eyeball Fish into Xia Chunying’s eye and viewed her memories through their blood link.
• Ling Chu saw that Autumn Snow and Xia Chunying had found a Goddess of Light statue, prayed to it, and gained light-based powers and Special Professions.
• Ling Chu watched memories of Autumn Snow recruit followers and build the Holy Army around the statue’s power.
• Ling Chu concluded that the statue had been the source of the Holy Army’s rise and tried controlling Xia Chunying’s body.
• Xia Chunying shouted praise for Ghost Ship and Captain Ling Chu, alarming Huang Xiaowen and Clumsy Bear, before Ling Chu released her control.

Ling Chu bound Xia Chunying to a secret Soul Contract and made her a spy inside the Holy Army. After the battle, the crew prepared a lavish meal to welcome Clumsy Bear, who hesitantly asked if he could eat all the food.

• Ling Chu explained that the Eyeball Fish could control Xia Chunying discreetly, then threatened her with a Soul Contract or the Sin Slave Mark.
• Xia Chunying agreed to Ling Chu's Soul Contract, which required loyalty, secrecy, and obedience under threat of death.
• Ling Chu assigned Xia Chunying to spy for the Ghost Ship within the Holy Army and warned her not to resist.
• You Jiali prepared a feast with rare ingredients and thirty steamed buns to reward Clumsy Bear.
• Clumsy Bear asked if he could eat all the food, and Huang Xiaowen handed him a bun.

Ling Chu and the Ghost Ship crew fed Clumsy Bear until he finally ate his fill, prompting him to reveal the hardships caused by his Gluttonous Giant Bear class. Ling Chu invited him to join the Ghost Ship, and he accepted, but his expression changed when he touched the crew invitation card.

• Clumsy Bear devoured the steamed buns and Spicy Hotpot, then wept because it was the first time he had eaten his fill since gaining his cursed class.
• Clumsy Bear told Ling Chu and the others that his enormous appetite had left him hungry, unable to use his skills, and eventually a prisoner after the Qingshan Ship was destroyed.
• Ling Chu offered Clumsy Bear a place on the Ghost Ship and promised he would have enough food if he worked hard.
• Clumsy Bear agreed to join, and the crew welcomed him as the Ghost Ship's sixth member.
• Ling Chu gave Clumsy Bear a crew invitation card, but his smile vanished as soon as he touched it.

Ling Chu saw the Holy Army’s threat and reward in the Shark Daily after the paper concealed its battle with the Ghost Ship. She offered to return Xia Chunying for a ransom of one hundred thousand Sea Shells.

• Clumsy Bear could not join a new Fleet yet, so Ling Chu made him a temporary crew member aboard the Ghost Ship.
• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon asked to study Clumsy Bear’s blood, and she said her preservative would be ready within days.
• A Silly Bird returned to the Shark Daily’s main ship, where Crispy Shark paid him a bonus and revealed the Holy Army had bought most of the next day’s paper.
• Ling Chu read the paper’s demand to return Xia Chunying within three days and its reward for the Ghost Ship’s coordinates, alongside articles praising the Holy Army.
• Ling Chu messaged A Silly Bird to buy space in the next paper and demanded one hundred thousand Sea Shells to return Xia Chunying.

Ling Chu placed a ransom demand for Xia Chunying in Shark Daily, demanding a hundred thousand Sea Shells from the Holy Army within seven days. Autumn Snow discovered the ad and struggled to choose between paying the ransom and protecting the Holy Army's resources.

• Ling Chu bought a small Shark Daily ad and demanded a hundred thousand Sea Shells from the Holy Army to return Xia Chunying, threatening to execute her in seven days.
• Ling Chu thanked crafting players who offered help, then told Star River Enters Dream she might hire him later.
• Ling Chu told Huang Xiaowen she planned to extort the Holy Army, and Huang Xiaowen laughed at the size of the ransom.
• Autumn Snow asked Siji Dao whether the Ghost Ship had contacted them, and he showed her the ransom ad in Shark Daily.
• Autumn Snow learned that the Holy Army had less than half the demanded amount and struggled to choose between her sister and the army's supplies.

Ling Chu and her crew inspected the new Dissection Room, where Lingering Wind and Fading Moon collected blood samples from everyone. The crew offered extra blood to You Jiali, then Ling Chu asked whether he would make spicy blood curd from it, leaving the others eager to try the dish and You Jiali awkwardly exasperated.

• Ling Chu admired the preserved megalodon head and showed the crew the completed Dissection Room on the second basement level.
• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon demonstrated the blood-collection equipment by drawing a sample from Clumsy Bear, then began collecting blood from the others.
• Ling Chu noticed You Jiali struggling to resist the scent of blood and asked Lingering Wind and Fading Moon to collect extra.
• Huang Xiaowen and Squid Ball volunteered extra blood, and Lingering Wind and Fading Moon gave You Jiali four tubes to drink over the next two months.
• Ling Chu asked You Jiali whether he liked spicy blood curd made with the collected blood, and Huang Xiaowen and Squid Ball eagerly endorsed the idea.

Ling Chu and the Ghost Ship crew shared a warm evening meal while the Holy Army continued to complain about Autumn Snow’s ransom in Public Chat Channel. Squid Ball deciphered the Elven Stone Tablet, revealing directions to a Hidden Corridor and advancing her archaeologist profession to Tier Two.

• You Jiali made spicy duck blood stew with wild duck blood, and Ling Chu browsed Public Chat Channel as she ate.
• The Holy Army stirred up arguments in Public Chat Channel instead of responding to Ling Chu’s ransom demand for Autumn Snow.
• Hans served the crew homemade Sea Buckthorn Wine in the dining room, while You Jiali drank a glass of blood with ice.
• Squid Ball rushed into the dining room with the Elven Stone Tablet and announced that she had deciphered its writing.
• Squid Ball translated the inscription as directions to pass through Thousand Leaf Hall and follow the Pattern of Wind to reach the Hidden Corridor, and her archaeologist profession advanced to Tier Two.

Ling Chu learned that Zhen Qingshan may possess another Elven Stone Slab and planned to ask whether he would sell it. The next morning, she discovered Lingering Wind and Fading Moon unconscious and near death after an apparent mental attack.

• Clumsy Bear told Ling Chu that he had seen a stone tablet like the Elven Stone Slab aboard the Qingshan Ship with Captain Zhen Qingshan.
• Ling Chu searched Xia Chunying's memories again but found no clues about the tablet, and she asked Clumsy Bear to contact Zhen Qingshan about buying it.
• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon went out onto the deck after drinking, while Ling Chu went to bed.
• At dawn, Huang Xiaowen told Ling Chu that Lingering Wind and Fading Moon had been found unconscious on deck and had not woken up.
• Ling Chu examined Lingering Wind and Fading Moon and found that her Health Points were low and still draining, suggesting she had suffered a severe mental attack.

Ling Chu saved Lingering Wind and Fading Moon with potions and learned that she had collapsed after watching the stars on deck. Ling Chu, Squid Ball, and You Jiali went out at night to investigate, and Ling Chu spotted a fast-moving shadow beneath the sea just before three o’clock.

• Ling Chu gave Lingering Wind and Fading Moon an Intermediate Life Potion, then used a Calming potion that stabilized her condition.
• Titch told Ling Chu that Little Yellow had alerted the crew after finding Lingering Wind and Fading Moon unconscious by the deck railing around three in the morning.
• Ling Chu decided to investigate the deck at night with Squid Ball and You Jiali, while Huang Xiaowen and Clumsy Bear stayed behind to watch over Lingering Wind and Fading Moon.
• Ling Chu, Squid Ball, and You Jiali took precautions against the cold and waited on deck as the time approached three in the morning.
• The deck lantern swayed and dimmed, and Ling Chu saw a blurry shadow dart beneath the dark sea before it disappeared.

Ling Chu was trapped in an illusion where the corpses of players she had killed rose from the sea, and she believed she had defeated them before the vision turned into a treasure hunt. Titch woke her from the illusion, but You Jiali and Squid Ball remained trapped.

• Ling Chu saw the corpses of Sanfuye, Missing Teeth, and other players she had killed rise from the sea, while You Jiali and Squid Ball disappeared from the deck.
• Ling Chu suspected the corpses were an attack on her mind and fired Storm Arrows at them with the Oath of the Wind Whisperer.
• Titch found Ling Chu, You Jiali, and Squid Ball standing motionless and shook Ling Chu awake.
• Ling Chu realized that only seconds had passed, despite her illusion of defeating the ghosts, escaping the strange sea, defeating the Holy Army, and finding a mountain of Sea Shells and gold.
• Ling Chu tried to wake You Jiali and Squid Ball, who were still caught in the illusion.

Ling Chu, You Jiali, and Squid Ball escaped the sea’s illusion attack and discovered that it had increased each of their Intelligence attributes by 0.1 while draining Health Points. Ling Chu suspected the dangerous effect could be an unusually worthwhile way to raise their stats.

• Ling Chu and You Jiali woke Squid Ball from her illusion with the scent of You Jiali’s Honey Pudding.
• Squid Ball described dreaming that she had become the world’s greatest fortune-teller, while Ling Chu explained that her illusion reflected her desires for money and power.
• You Jiali said his illusion involved watching television with Fluffball, but kept quiet about Ling Chu appearing in the warm domestic scene.
• Ling Chu checked her Character Panel and found that her Intelligence had risen from 20 to 20.1 after five minutes in the illusion.
• Squid Ball and You Jiali checked their panels and confirmed that their Intelligence had also increased by 0.1.

Ling Chu tested the Illusion Realm’s trigger and learned that looking at the sea was not required, while the illusion could imitate ordinary life well enough to keep her trapped. She woke after five minutes with her Intelligence increased again, but Clumsy Bear’s Health Points were dangerously low as the others remained entranced.

• Ling Chu brought Huang Xiaowen, Clumsy Bear, and Squid Ball to the deck at three in the morning while Yuo Jiali and the Skeleton Henchmen stood watch.
• Ling Chu stared at the deck instead of the sea and avoided the Illusion Realm, concluding that staring at the sea was not necessary to trigger it when she later woke the others.
• The sea began moving again, Ling Chu’s Tracking Technique returned, and the crew continued their voyage, defeating the Holy Army and finding the Elven Treasure.
• Ling Chu realized she had been trapped in an illusion of their voyage and treasure hunt when Titch woke her after five minutes.
• Ling Chu saw that her Intelligence had risen to 20.2 and discovered that Clumsy Bear’s Health Points were falling toward a dangerous level while he and the others remained trapped.

Ling Chu woke her crewmates from the sea’s Illusion Realm and agreed they could return the next night to raise their Intelligence, as long as she woke anyone whose Health Points fell too low. The following dawn, A Silly Bird relayed the Holy Army’s offer to exchange fifty thousand Sea Shells for Xia Chunying and demanded the return of the Light Mage class orb.

• Ling Chu woke Clumsy Bear and Huang Xiaowen, who described their dreams of a feast island and a gambling match against Claude.
• Ling Chu woke Squid Ball and You Jiali when their Health Points dropped below eighty, and learned that longer Illusion Realm visits raised Intelligence more.
• Ling Chu agreed to let the crew return to the Illusion Realm the next night, with a strict Health Point limit for waking them.
• You Jiali hid what he had seen in his Illusion Realm and wondered whether to risk returning.
• A Silly Bird told Ling Chu that the Holy Army offered fifty thousand Sea Shells for Xia Chunying and wanted the Light Mage class orb returned.

Ling Chu refused the Holy Army’s offer of half the ransom and decided to keep the Light Mage’s class orb out of their hands. Lingering Wind and Fading Moon woke from the Illusion Realm with increased Intelligence, while Autumn Snow remained unable to contact her captive sister.

• Ling Chu rejected the Holy Army’s attempt to halve the ransom and said she would not give them the Light Mage’s class orb.
• Ling Chu decided to stay in waters that blocked tracking skills, where she could continue raising her crew’s Intelligence through the Illusion Realm.
• Squid Ball told Ling Chu that Lingering Wind and Fading Moon had awakened, and the crew comforted her as she described her vivid Illusion Realm experience.
• Lingering Wind and Fading Moon discovered that her Intelligence had risen from 10 to 11, more than the rest of the crew had gained.
• Ling Chu went down to the basement while the others went to breakfast.
• Autumn Snow worried that the Ghost Ship was controlling Xia Chunying and resented her sister for making things difficult.

Autumn Snow gathered the 100,000 Sea Shell ransom for Xia Chunying while Ling Chu continued training her crew in the Illusion Realm. Ling Chu demanded payment before releasing Xia Chunying, received the ransom, and left Autumn Snow waiting for the pickup coordinates.

• Xia Chunying sent Autumn Snow a tearful plea for help at Ling Chu's order, and Ling Chu took the food Autumn Snow sent her.
• Ling Chu and her crew trained in the Illusion Realm over three nights, improving their resistance and Intelligence while Ling Chu set a 70% Health Point limit.
• Autumn Snow announced in the Public Channel that she had gathered 100,000 Sea Shells and proposed a witnessed exchange for Xia Chunying.
• Ling Chu refused a simultaneous exchange and demanded the ransom be transferred first, arguing that she did not trust Autumn Snow.
• Autumn Snow transferred Ling Chu 100,000 Sea Shells, then demanded the coordinates for Xia Chunying's release.

Ling Chu ignored the Holy Army’s demands over Xia Chunying while she farmed Intelligence, then received the legendary Thorn Crown. Squid Ball used the crown’s Elven-language effect to revisit a vision from an ancient book, and the chapter ended as the scene shifted to a forest clearing.

• Ling Chu told Autumn Snow she had only promised not to execute Xia Chunying within seven days of receiving the ransom, then closed the Public Channel.
• Autumn Snow and Siji Dao organized players to condemn the Ghost Ship, while Squid Ball recorded their IDs for future revenge.
• Ling Chu counted more than 280,000 Sea Shells and received the Thorn Crown from Give You a Dalieba the next morning.
• Ling Chu gave the crown to Squid Ball, who activated Identify Antiquities on the Elven Ancient Book and entered a vision of a forest clearing.