Rod Gamet

Fetal Breath Technique (cannot be upgraded): A method of breathing through the pores with the aid of true qi, shutting off breathing through the nose and mouth. Effect: Can replace breathing through the nose and mouth.

"Elite naval soldier killed. Gained 100 experience."

"Character leveled up. Character reached level 1. All attributes increased by 1."

Hearing those dreamlike words in his ears, Zhang Yao snapped fully awake and silently commanded, Character attributes.

Zhang Yao: Level 1, 0/200.

Attributes: Strength 8, Agility 8, Constitution 12, Mental Power 9.

Health (red bar): 130 (Health = Constitution × 10; increases by 10 with each level)

True qi (blue bar): 80 (does not increase with leveling)

Skills: Fetal Breath Technique (self-taught).

Items: None.

Talent: Nine Netherworlds (first layer)

Looks like I happened to figure out the Fetal Breath Technique just in time to save my own life!

After checking his attributes, Zhang Yao looked at the new Fetal Breath Technique entry in his skill slot and couldn't help marveling at his luck. As for his level and attribute increases, he didn't feel particularly happy about them. It wasn't because he thought the gains were too small or anything like that; he simply hadn't recovered from his brush with death.

Carefully rising to the surface, Zhang Yao studied his surroundings. After that terrifying ordeal, he had become especially cautious.

With the Fetal Breath Technique, Zhang Yao had originally planned to stay submerged, slip away underwater, and find somewhere safe before doing anything else. But he couldn't tell which direction he was going underwater. With the dim light around him, he had swum for ages and felt as though he was only going in circles. Left with no choice, he had surfaced.

As soon as Zhang Yao surfaced and raised his head, he saw two enormous sailing ships ahead. Long, narrow planks bridged the gap between them, and countless men from both sides charged across them to attack the opposing ship! On the planks and decks, the two sides were locked together in a vicious, tangled struggle, and the bodies of the dead kept falling into the sea.

At last, Zhang Yao understood where those "bodies falling from the sky" had come from: they had fallen off these two sailing ships. Once again, he felt incredibly lucky. When he had dropped out of midair, he had landed in the sea rather than on either ship. What a stroke of luck! Landing aboard might not have injured him in the fall, but judging by how frenzied the men on those ships were, he would certainly have been hacked to pieces.

"Brother, you're all right? You're a great swimmer!" Just as Zhang Yao was marveling at his luck, a voice came from beside him. He turned and discovered that it was the handsome middle-aged man who had been fleeing for his life earlier.

"Hmph! Thanks to you, I'm not dead yet!" Zhang Yao snorted coldly. Whatever the man's circumstances had been, nobody would be in a good mood after being used as a human shield. Zhang Yao was no exception. If their current surroundings hadn't been so unsuitable, and if he hadn't turned misfortune into a blessing by learning the Fetal Breath Technique, he would probably have already started punching and kicking this handsome middle-aged man.

"Heh, heh, as long as you're all right, brother! The moment I saw you, I knew you were no ordinary fighter. How could some measly navy man possibly be your match? That move you pulled just now, dragging him down to the seabed and drowning him-I'll bet nobody else in your Sea Wolf Pirates can do that!" Knowing that his earlier conduct had been dishonorable, the handsome middle-aged man hurriedly swam over to Zhang Yao and began flattering him. Despite Zhang Yao's hostile glare, he pretended not to notice and kept trying to get friendly with him. His hide was probably as thick as a city wall.

"Brother, my name is Rod Gamet. I'm a good friend of your captain. What's your name? I've been aboard your ship for over half a month, but I haven't seen you before." After showering Zhang Yao with an endless stream of flattery, the handsome middle-aged man named Rod Gamet finally introduced himself and asked about Zhang Yao's background.

After hearing Luo De's remarks, Zhang Yao gradually began to understand the scene before him. There was no need to ask: one of the two ships ahead belonged to the so-called Sea Wolf Pirates, and the other belonged to the navy. He hadn't yet worked out which ship was which. But he could already distinguish the pirates from the navy perfectly well. Those men wearing all sorts of bizarre clothing, shouting nonstop and brandishing cutlasses and long guns, were definitely pirates. The other side, dressed in matching uniforms and carrying standardized weapons, was obviously the navy.

Clearly, this man named Rod Gamet had mistaken him for a member of the Sea Wolf Pirates. Since the man had made that mistake, and the two sides were fighting amid the chaos of battle with nobody likely to notice him, why not play along? At that thought, Zhang Yao smiled faintly and said softly:

"My name is Zhang Yao. Usually... I'm not aboard the ship."

Zhang Yao only gave his name; he didn't directly admit to being a member of the Sea Wolf Pirates. That way, if his cover was exposed later, he would still have an explanation.

Zhang Yao had little choice. He had only just arrived in Rodos, and although his mind contained some information about it, that amounted to little more than a general geographical overview and how time was measured. It was all basic knowledge, with nothing remotely useful! In short, Zhang Yao was completely in the dark. He knew nothing!

That was why he desperately needed someone to explain the current situation in Rodos, and Luo De was undoubtedly an excellent candidate. Getting Luo De to regard him as one of his own was clearly the best approach. There was another reason, too: Chosen Ones were forbidden from revealing anything about their true circumstances to anyone, whether native inhabitants of Rodos World or people from their own worlds! Revealing it would result in immediate erasure by Rodos. Thus, finding a plausible way to blend into Rodos World without arousing suspicion was often a Chosen One's first hurdle.

"Zhang Yao, Zhang Yao... I really don't remember anyone by that name! And you're usually not aboard the ship? Could it be... could you be a member of the Sea Wolf Pirates' Water Ghost Unit? Ha ha, no wonder you could drag that navy man down to the seabed and drown him! So you're one of Sea Wolf's Water Ghost Unit. I've heard so much about you!" After Zhang Yao's brief introduction, Luo De carefully searched his memory, but nobody he remembered matched Zhang Yao. Then, suddenly, he recalled a rumor.

Sea Wolf, the leader of the Sea Wolf Pirates, had a secret unit under his command-the water ghosts. These men were elusive, but every one of them was highly skilled, especially at covert infiltration and scuttling ships. Connecting that with how Zhang Yao had dragged the navy man underwater and drowned him, Luo De immediately became convinced that Zhang Yao belonged to the Sea Wolf Pirates' renowned Water Ghost Unit.

While Luo De was mulling things over, Zhang Yao had thought the man had seen through him. He had been about to change his story and bluff his way out. Who could have guessed that Luo De would let his imagination run wild and cobble together an identity for him as a water ghost?

Although he didn't know exactly what the Water Ghost Unit did, he had at least gotten away with his bluff. At that thought, Zhang Yao smiled at Luo De, tacitly accepting his explanation.

"Ha ha, I really am lucky! When I fell off the ship with a navy man chasing me, I thought I was done for! Who knew I'd run into a brother from Sea Wolf's Water Ghost Unit who would save me? I must thank the goddess for her grace in sending Brother Zhang Yao to my side!" Seeing Zhang Yao's smile of acknowledgment, Luo De actually began praying joyfully. At first, Zhang Yao found it strange. Even if he had saved the man earlier, surely there was no need for this? But Luo De's next words made his intentions perfectly clear.

"Brother Zhang Yao, you have to protect me! As a member of Sea Wolf's elite Water Ghost Unit, you must be incredibly strong. Protecting someone as weak as me will surely be no trouble at all!" After finishing his prayer, Luo De grabbed Zhang Yao and gazed at him pleadingly.

(PS: Today's second update~~~~ Tomorrow is Monday, the start of a new week! This decadent author wants to climb the rankings in the coming week~~ So I've decided to post three updates tomorrow~~~ I hope you'll all support me~~~~~~)