As the wooden crate fell apart, a strange, cone-shaped object emerged from inside. Li Wei looked at the odd contraption and shrugged helplessly. Then he turned to the second mate who had accompanied him.
"Sorry for the trouble, but take this thing to the stern, right now! And tell the captain not to get the ship moving until I give the word!"
"Ah, yes!"
Although the second mate had no idea what Li Wei intended to do, he nodded and had two sailors help him carry the strange cone away. Once they had left, Li Wei shook his head and reached out.
"I didn't think I'd need it this soon. Let's hope it works."
As he spoke, Li Wei placed his hand against the nearby wall. A mysterious, eerie skull flag appeared on its surface.
At the same time, a system notification appeared before him.
[The target has been granted the Ghost Ship Core. Activate its traits?]
"Activate."
Upon seeing the notification, Li Wei promptly answered in the affirmative.
In the next instant, a strange sensation connected Li Wei to the North Star.
It was as though the North Star had become part of his body. He could even feel that the entire ship had changed. It no longer held any secrets from him. He could effortlessly sense every corner, every space, and even exactly what everyone aboard was doing.
Not only that, but the North Star itself had undergone a change.
Before, Li Wei could feel the North Star floating heavily on the water, a buoyancy with real weight behind it. Now, however, the ship felt more like an ethereal presence, something suspended between illusion and reality. It seemed to be in the sea, yet somehow not...
Meanwhile, mist began spreading around them. It was more than