Dawnbringer Was Still Just an Old Ship

The grain ship left Graystone Port and finally entered the Greenleaf Island shipyard three days later.

Its bow had caved in by two feet, and seven cracks ran through the starboard outer planking.

A thumb-wide fissure had appeared at the base of the mainmast. Whenever the wind blew, the entire mast let out a dry, grating squeal.

Lorne slapped the transfer contract onto a wooden crate.

"A nine-year-old ship that just rammed an armed vessel. Based on its current value, after deducting my initial investment, you still owe the Morning Bell Caravan 1.4 million Beli."

Su Hang flipped to the last page.

"How many installments?"

"Twelve. Escort income gets deducted first. Even if the ship sinks, you still have to pay."

Qi Hai stomped on the leaking deck.

"At this rate, after twelve installments, we'll be going to the seafloor to deliver your money."

Lorne pointed at the shipyard craftsmen.

"So repair it first. The bow, keel, and mainmast must be dealt with. Patch the outer planking if you can. If you don't have enough money, forget about getting a new ship."

Su Hang signed his name.

"We'll build a new ship later. This one survives first."

Just as the craftsmen were about to dismantle the bow, Qi Hai blocked their tools.

"Inspect the lifeboats first."

Lorne raised an eyebrow.

"The main ship hasn't even been repaired, and you're worried about the little boats first?"

"When the main ship is in trouble, the little boats decide who makes it back to shore."

Qi Hai untied the securing rope on the first lifeboat.

The wooden plug had already molded, and two bundles of damp cargo cloth were pressed against the bottom. A space meant for twelve people could hold no more than seven.

Su Hang threw away the rotten wooden plug.

"Replace everything. No cargo in the lifeboats. Secure freshwater and signal flares beneath the benches."

Lorne asked a question.

"What if merchant ships don't have enough cargo space in normal times?"

"Better to carry two fewer crates than five fewer people when the ship goes down."

The second lifeboat was even worse.

The starboard hoist rope was half a foot too short. Once lowered, the boat would tip over first.

Qi Hai cut the rope.

"All evacuation ropes must be the same length. Inspect them once every seven days. Whoever inspects them leaves their name."

Su Hang took the new rope.

"The captain checks too."

"The captain boards the lifeboat last."

"Fine."

The two inspected the ship from bow to stern.

There was an old crack in the freshwater tank, coated over with thick tar.

It did not leak on the surface, but black mold had already grown inside the tank wall.

Lorne crouched by the hatch.

"The whole section needs replacing. Work will stop for two days."

"Replace it."

"A batch of medicine has to be delivered to North Harbor tomorrow. A delay means compensation."

Su Hang knocked open the tank wall, and foul-smelling water immediately flowed out.

"Drink water like this, and the people will collapse before the ship does."

Lorne smelled the water, then turned and told the craftsmen to remove the planks.

Mia slid down from the mast while holding a newly made wind vane.

Instead of ordinary flag cloth, its tip held three thin wooden leaves, connected below to a dial.

"The old wind vane could only show direction. I added a rotor. The stronger the wind, the faster the leaves spin. The scale isn't accurate yet. We'll have to adjust it gradually after test voyages."

Qi Hai looked up.

"Can you see it clearly in a storm?"

Mia pulled a thin cord, and the white marking on the dial flipped red.

"If it exceeds what the mainmast can withstand, the red side pops out. Hang a small lamp at night, and you can see it then too."

Su Hang inspected the connection.

"Add another backup rope. If the main rope breaks, the red side still needs to rise."

"I'll modify it tonight."

Meanwhile, Lorne led people in clearing out the cargo hold.

The area that had originally been piled high with grain sacks was divided into three sections by wooden railings. Grain went in front, medicine in the middle, and removable wooden beds were laid in the section closest to the hatch.

"The temporary shelter area can only hold twenty-four people."

Lorne tapped the railing.

"Take it apart for cargo during normal times, then put it back when there are refugees. Keep medicine and grain separate, so damp medicinal powder doesn't contaminate the food."

Su Hang looked toward the innermost section.

"Leave a direct path to the deck. No cargo crates are allowed to block it."

"That means carrying more than ten fewer sacks of grain."

"That path isn't for sale."

Qi Hai brought over a wooden board and nailed the drafted escort rules beside the mainmast.

The conditions for opening fire, retreat order, rescue procedures for those overboard, and handling of spoils were all written on it.

The final line was written the deepest—civilian ships entered safe sea lanes first, while escort ships were responsible for covering the rear.

After reading it, Lorne asked.

"How do we charge escort fees?"

"Ordinary merchant ships pay according to a percentage of cargo value. High-risk waters are calculated separately and stated in advance."

"What about disaster relief ships?"

"Ships carrying grain, medicine, doctors, and evacuated refugees only pay for fuel, repairs, and personnel costs."

"What if someone pretends?"

"Check the cargo and the destination port. If they dare smuggle under the name of disaster relief, we never take their business again."

Lorne picked up a pen and added breach-of-contract terms.

"Writing rules is easy. What matters is whether you can bear to refuse when a big deal comes along."

Su Hang nailed the board firmly in place.

"You can wait and see."

By the second day of repairs, all the old paint had been scraped away.

The impact scars on the bow could not be completely erased, so the craftsmen simply added three crossbeams, enclosing the deepest crack within them.

Mia stood on the dock and asked.

"What's the ship called?"

Lorne answered.

"Its original name was Morning Bell Three."

Qi Hai shook his head.

"Since it's been transferred, it can't keep flying the Morning Bell Caravan's name."

Su Hang picked up a brush and wrote two large characters on the bow.

Dawnbringer.

White paint still dripped down the black hull.

"Dawnbringer."

Mia repeated the name.

"It doesn't sound like an old grain ship."

"It is an old grain ship now."

Su Hang set down the brush.

"How far it can go in the future depends on whether it can return after every departure."

A system screen silently unfolded.

[For the first time, the host has transformed personal power into stable organizational rules.]

[The worldline has undergone a minor deviation.]

[Limited item modularization function unlocked.]

[Only ownerless objects may be identified and dismantled into modules; fusion targets must belong to the host.]

[Fusion of life, souls, and free will is prohibited.]

Su Hang looked toward a corner of the shipyard.

There lay a pile of dismantled rotten pulleys, broken anchor chains, and several pieces of unclaimed scrap iron.

"Identify."

[Decayed Pulley: Wooden structure damaged. Copper axle recoverable.]

[Broken Anchor Chain: Thirty-seven usable links, nine scrapped.]

[Extractable: Basic wear-resistant structure module.]

"Fuse it into the main rudder pulley."

[Target belongs to Dawnbringer. Execution possible.]

The copper axle and usable chain links turned into tiny specks of light and sank beneath the main rudder.

The cracks on the old pulley's surface did not disappear, but the friction sound inside grew much quieter.

Qi Hai immediately grabbed the wheel.

"What did you do?"

"I put the usable parts from the scrap back together."

"How long will it last?"

The system gave a prompt.

[Estimated lifespan: Forty-six days. Normal maintenance required.]

Su Hang spoke.

"Forty-six days. It still needs oil when it needs oil, and replacement when it needs replacement."

Lorne came over and turned the wheel.

"I thought your ability could turn an old ship directly into a warship."

"If something that good existed, would I still be paying you in twelve installments?"

Su Hang looked at the system again.

The screen passed over Mia and Qi Hai. All living targets displayed gray markings that said fusion was impossible.

[Living targets: Absolutely prohibited.]

He raised a hand and closed the interface.

"This rule never changes."

Before the test voyage, Qi Hai personally counted the lifeboats.

Mia climbed the mainmast, Lorne stood on the dock confirming the medicine handover, while Su Hang entered the lower hold to inspect the Star Chart Metal Plate beside the keel.

Thud.

A soft sound came from beneath the hull.

Su Hang stopped.

Thud. Thud.

The sound came from beneath the keel at steady intervals.

Then, a small bit of wood shaving pushed through a repaired crack into the water tank.

Mia pressed herself against the deck boards, her face suddenly changing.

"Don't set sail. Someone below is chiseling at our keel!"