The Nightmare Star towed the Iron Will out of the buffer zone.
The moment they crossed the boundary of the Storm Sea, the sky abruptly brightened, and the three of them saw sunlight for the first time in ages.
Then a system announcement sounded.
[You have left the Storm Sea.] [Navigation announcement: All players have now left the Storm Sea. The Black Fog's speed has decreased to 10 knots. The World Sea Chart is now available. You can now check your coordinates on the World Sea Chart.] [The number of level-three ships has exceeded ten thousand. The Extreme Winter Sea has begun to spread. Everyone, keep warm!]
Yang Yi immediately checked his log and found an extra page.
It was a rudimentary nautical map, recording only the routes players had traveled and the conditions of the surrounding waters.
Unvisited areas were all covered in yellowish-brown fog of war.
Since the Nightmare Star came with its own small Sea Chart, its recorded area was broader, covering the surrounding 150 nautical miles.
The World Sea Chart had three main functions.
First, players could now see their coordinates.
This made meeting up easier for players. They only needed to agree on a set of coordinates.
But what actually happened when they met was something they would have to handle themselves.
As far as Yang Yi was concerned... the fewer meetings, the better!
There were no laws to restrain anyone at sea, and it was hard to tell what intentions the other party harbored.
Second, players could see the names and boundaries of sea regions.
Although the World Sea Chart had fog of war, the names of major sea regions were still visible.
For instance, the waters behind them were the Storm Sea, while ahead lay the Extreme Winter Sea.
The boundaries of these regions were visible. Rather than straight lines, they were irregular, like continental plates.
The Extreme Winter Sea ahead was spreading downward.
Third, the boundary of the Black Fog was also displayed on the World Sea Chart, allowing players to keep track of their distance from it at all times.
This would prevent them from being caught off guard and engulfed by the Black Fog.
Yang Yi immediately opened the chat channel to see the players' reactions and gather firsthand information.
"Holy crap, no wonder it's so cold. Turns out I'm almost at the Extreme Winter Sea!"
The speaker was the Gale's captain. Yang Yi had him on his friend list, so he could see his name.
"Boss, how fast is your ship?"
"How cold is it? Tell us so I can brace myself!"
"My ship does 100 knots. I'm on the outskirts of the Extreme Winter Sea right now. It's 0-2 degrees here. It's definitely below freezing farther ahead!"
"100 knots? That's twice my speed. You've got a special ship, right?"
"We need to gather enough cold-weather supplies."
"Buying food, anything with a long shelf life. PM me if you're selling!"
"Anyone want a winter coat? One hundred cloth each, with your choice of color. Just earning a little for my trouble!"
[Name: Heavy Winter Coat] [Type: Treasure] [Quality: Common] [Description: Provides excellent insulation and protection against the cold, but be warned: do not get it wet!]
"100 cloth? Why don't you just rob us!"
"80 cloth. I can't go any lower!"
"Get lost! You're not the only one selling them!"
"Selling down jackets! More effective than the Padded Coat, fine-quality equipment, 120 cloth!"
[Name: Warm Down Jacket] [Type: Treasure] [Quality: Fine] [Description: In winter, who could refuse the warmth of a down jacket?]
After browsing the chat, Yang Yi also felt that cold-weather clothing was essential.
Once temperatures fell to ten or twenty below freezing, or even lower, this pirate outfit would be no different from wearing nothing!
Only by putting a heavy winter coat or down jacket over it could he make sure he didn't freeze to death!
Su Na's Witch's Casual Clothes did offer some protection against the cold, but they still looked rather thin. Their effect was probably similar to thermal underwear.
So Yang Yi made his decision.
Once market prices stabilized, he had to get a few winter coats or down jackets-at least four, leaving a spare set just in case.
He went to the stern.
The Iron Will was right behind them.
But now it was safe and would not be caught by the Black Fog, so there was no need to keep towing it.
Its captain, Yu Dawei, had the same idea, and the two happened to run into each other.
"Young Yang, I think you've got real potential. How about joining my Iron Brotherhood?"
"Iron Brotherhood?" Yang Yi repeated, not understanding what he meant.
"Heh, I've actually already recruited a few underlings. I'm getting ready to meet up with them."
Yang Yi immediately understood.
The Iron Brotherhood was an organization Yu Dawei intended to establish.
Although the log system had no guild feature, players could absolutely gather and form organizations on their own.
They could already use coordinates to meet up!
But Yang Yi had no intention of joining a faction, so he politely declined Yu Dawei.
"Sorry, I'm used to doing my own thing. I'm not looking to join an organization for now," Yang Yi replied.
"All right! If you ever need my help, get in touch. I'll have your back!" Yu Dawei said heartily.
Having escaped with his life, he felt better than he ever had.
And those words of Yu Dawei's could hardly be called boasting.
The Iron Will beneath his feet had the strength to back them up!
No wonder so many players wanted his protection.
It was just that the Iron Will's speed... was a little too slow.
Yang Yi could already picture a whole fleet of little boats towing this steel behemoth along.
Calling it strange wouldn't do it justice. It was downright bizarre.
"Catch!" Yu Dawei tossed over a small piece of flesh.
"What's this?" Yang Yi caught it, then was delighted when he saw its information.
[Name: Giant Bobbit Worm] [Description: A Bobbit Worm mutated by abyssal corruption. Its body has grown enormous, with the largest specimens exceeding a hundred meters in length. It can move swiftly through the sea and has highly developed hearing.]
"Pleasure working with you. Here's a gift!
This stuff doesn't do much for me anymore. The more draws I make, the worse the rewards get!" Yu Dawei said with a laugh.
If Yang Yi's guess was right, he had amassed those 1,000 units of steel by killing monsters and making gacha draws.
Fishing alone would never have yielded that much, even with his underlings giving him steel!
"Thanks!" Yang Yi didn't stand on ceremony. He thanked him and accepted it.
The two exchanged smiles and parted ways.
The Nightmare Star was much faster than the Iron Will, reaching 60 knots. Before long, it had left the Iron Will out of sight.
Yu Dawei stood at the bow, watching the Nightmare Star disappear over the horizon.
"The Nightmare... the Nightmare Star. Did those two people's ships merge?" Yu Dawei muttered to himself.
He had learned Yang Yi's identity. Yang Yi was the very person who had found a way to survive as soon as the giant worms appeared.
One of Yu Dawei's underlings had escaped safely thanks to Yang Yi's warning, and the two had added each other as friends.
That was how Yu Dawei had learned who Yang Yi was and changed his mind at the last minute.
He had given Yang Yi a piece of flesh, deciding to develop a closer friendship with him.
Meanwhile, Yang Yi stood in front of the Monster Gacha Machine, feeling a little excited.
He had two portions of Giant Bobbit Worm flesh: one given to him by the Iron Will, and one left on the Nightmare Star's deck.
That meant two gacha draws in total!
He first washed his face with fresh water, making sure it was white enough, then inserted the flesh and began his draws.
The octopus tentacles kept flashing, but no golden light burst forth.
Before long, the octopus head spat out two unremarkable capsules.
Yang Yi was initially a little disappointed that he hadn't drawn a golden legendary.
But the moment he picked one up, he changed his mind.
"Yes! Nailed it in one!"
In his hand was a rare-quality item, and a piece of ship equipment at that!
[Name: Giant Bobbit Worm Head] [Type: Ship equipment (relic)] [Quality: Rare] [Description: Can be mounted on the bow to increase hull durability and ramming power. Its sharp mandibles can sever attacking enemies. It also has a powerful deterrent effect, reducing attacks on the hull by marine creatures... but it may likewise provoke even more terrifying monsters...]
After reading the information, Yang Yi felt a little troubled.
This ship equipment was powerful, but it had a side effect: it might attract terrifying monsters.
But Yang Yi didn't hesitate for long before deciding to install it.
If he didn't even dare use this, he would be even less willing to use the equipment he obtained later...
The benefits surely outweighed the drawbacks, anyway. Otherwise, there would be no reason for relics to exist.
He reached for the other capsule.
Before you continue