The Last Peace

[Symptom Reading (Beginner) (Progress 1%): The Grimoire exists simultaneously across all time and space, and Symptom Reading is the only path to secret arts.]

[Warning: Your mental health is deteriorating severely!]

[Current Mental Health: Calm]

Xia Lun shot the information panel a startled glance.

Did the sky really just drop a pie in his lap?!

He looked up at the doctor in disbelief. At that moment, the doctor seemed to have lapsed back into a dazed stupor.

The corners of his mouth curled upward as orange juice mixed with thick saliva slowly dripped onto the floor.

"Hehehe..."

Adhering to the principle of trusting those he employed and not employing those he doubted, Xia Lun ultimately decided not to use the "Symptom Reading" the doctor had taught him.

Although the game panel had identified Symptom Reading as a specialty and acknowledged it as the sole method of reading a Grimoire, Xia Lun knew he would have to kill the monster sooner or later. Therefore, he did not try to read the incomplete Prayerbook of the Drowned ahead of time.

During the remainder of the second day, Xia Lun diligently carried out his assigned duties.

According to the watch rotation, Captain Geliide would rest that night, while Xia Lun would take the helm and determine their course.

Xia Lun had not known how to sail a ship before, but after learning in dreams the previous night, he had already mastered the basics.

[Comprehensive Navigation (Beginner) (Progress 46%): You know how to correctly determine a vessel's position and course, and you can sail a ship. In any era, this is a profound and specialized craft.]

After countless repetitions, drills, and corrections in his dreams, Xia Lun was no stranger to sailing. His skills were far better than those of an ordinary navigator.

Throughout the first half of the night, Xia Lun did not relax in the slightest. He conscientiously checked their position, heading, and wind direction, steering the battered whaling ship with his full attention.

Under his command, the weathered vessel steadily advanced toward Perilous Earth Island.

The other pirates on watch had initially harbored some doubts about Xia Lun's ability to sail, but by the latter half of the night, all dozen or so pirates on duty had acknowledged his skills.

At the very least, Xia Lun sailed steadily and had not driven the ship onto any reefs...

As someone with extensive experience in society, Xia Lun knew perfectly well that he had risen to power through intimidation and scheming. That meant his foundation among the pirates was unstable. Without their support, if the current fragile balance broke, he would have very few means of keeping the situation under control.

Therefore, during the latter half of the night, Xia Lun also used casual conversation and other means to win over the other pirates on watch while he sailed.

With his relatively advantageous position, excellent eloquence, and the old boatswain's help, he turned the originally tense and oppressive atmosphere lively in just half a night, earning the pirates' initial approval.

During the latter half of the night, the Monster's activity seemed to grow more frequent. The occasional sounds of flesh squirming from within the cabin, coupled with Xia Lun's courage and strength, transformed the pirates' initial approval into a kind of dependence and solidarity.

All in all, the second night went smoothly. The only thing that disappointed Xia Lun was that the pirates on watch still did not really understand his unique sense of humor.

Although everyone laughed whenever he told a joke afterward, he knew perfectly well that they were only forcing out awkward laughter to humor him...

Even more absurdly, it seemed that even the Monster did not understand his humor. In the latter half of the night, when Xia Lun racked his brains to tell his fifth joke, the Monster finally could not take it anymore.

"Stop talking! It's not funny at all! That joke was freezing!" The Monster pounded the deck hard. "Sail the ship properly!"

The Monster's shrill screech was like a cold sickle. The instant it rang out, it tore the lively atmosphere to shreds.

Xia Lun noticed that the moment the Monster spoke, every pirate on deck instinctively tensed their backs. Though they had resolved to fight this monster, they still feared the horrifying thing on a primal level.

After a while, a pirate whose face was covered in boils and fleshy bumps suddenly asked, "Mr. Xia Lun, what did the Monster just say?"

Xia Lun held it in for a long time before coldly answering, "They told me to stop telling jokes and sail properly."

The crowd fell silent for a moment after his explanation. Then, a burst of laughter erupted.

"Hahahahaha!" Even the grim-faced old man, who rarely smiled, began laughing, while Xia Lun fell completely silent.

Helplessly, he turned his attention to the rotten-faced pirate who had spoken.

The rotten-faced pirate had once been a sailor on the whaling ship. His current duty was to guard the cargo rail and keep the Monster from secretly climbing up. At the moment, the mole-faced pirate held a stack of white paper covered in large check marks and crosses.

"Why are you holding so much paper?" Xia Lun asked curiously.

"A new form of entertainment." The rotten-faced sailor waved the papers, looking utterly unconcerned. "There are no cards left on deck, so we're using these to simulate voting. The side with more votes gets a few Copper Deer. Want to play a round?"

Xia Lun smiled. "Forget it. I should focus on sailing."

When the sun rose again, Captain Geliide had finished resting and handed the duties over with Xia Lun.

"To be honest, I was a little worried you'd capsize the ship, but by the Undying Sacred Flame, you're actually pretty good at sailing." Geliide took a satisfied drag from her morning cigarette. "Hey, where are we now?"

Xia Lun walked to the table beside the helm and pointed at the sea chart. "Here. We're still three days from Perilous Earth Island."

"Go get some rest. I'll call you at noon." Captain Geliide nodded. "And today's corpses..."

"Same as yesterday. Feed them the stale ones. I picked them out last night. They're over there."

As he spoke, Xia Lun glanced at the information panel in the corner of his vision.

[Script Objective: Survival Day 3/6]

[Specialty Progress!]

[After prolonged training, you have gained new insights into sailing.]

[Comprehensive Navigation (Beginner) (Progress 46% → 60%)]

[Approval! You have gained broad approval (10 people), earning 580 Memory Points!]

[Detailed list of those who approved has been omitted: Expandable]

[Current Memory Points: 600]

Xia Lun blinked his somewhat dry eyes unconsciously.

580 Memory Points?!

On average, each person's approval could provide sixty Memory Points? Killing seemed to provide only thirty.

He shook his head, dismissing the absurd notion of "first earn a friend's approval, then kill that friend to maximize the gains," and continued reading.

[Due to insufficient rest, your skill "Heightened Focus" has not yet recovered.]

[Heightened Focus, Safe Uses Remaining: 2/3]

Rest was crucial. If the Monster decided to flip the table outright, a mistake caused by insufficient energy could very well be fatal.

Xia Lun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In an instant, all the exhaustion from staying up through the night came rushing over him.

He shook his head and slowly returned to the temporary resting spot in the sterncastle, intending to take a peaceful nap during the morning.

In less than six hours, he would have to match wits and courage with the Monster again.

Thinking that, he lay down in the hammock and tried to sleep, but he could not fall asleep no matter what.

To help himself sleep, Xia Lun simply opened the [Detailed List of Those Who Approved]. As he read, he gradually drifted off to sleep.