He had fished for over an hour this time, and the sky had begun to darken.
The first night was approaching.
Yang Yi was ravenous now, and the long-legged sardines scattered beside him were starting to look appetizing.
But eating this kind of fish... would most likely cost him sanity.
Unless he had absolutely no choice, he did not really want to eat them. Besides, there was no stove aboard, so he could only eat them raw...
The float bobbed, and Yang Yi immediately perked up.
He pulled hard, hauling up a black fish.
This fish had no long legs. It was covered in spines, and its slimy surface resembled swollen mucous membranes. As soon as it landed on the deck, those membranes burst, leaking black, foul-smelling pus.
[This fish is disgusting. Your sanity decreased by 2.]
Before Yang Yi could stab it with his spear, the fish died on its own.
[Name: Cystic Spiny Puffer] [Category: Food] [Description: An abyssal fish. Its bodily fluids are highly poisonous. No normal person would eat it, unless... they no longer wanted to live.]
"Poisonous?"
Yang Yi did not dare touch it. He pierced it with his spear and tossed it into the hold.
He also deliberately stabbed it a few more times, until the spearhead was stained black, turning it into a highly poisonous wooden spear.
The sky grew darker. Less than an hour remained until nightfall.
The system had stressed that there would be danger at night, so Yang Yi did not plan to fish after dark.
But just as he put away his fishing rod and prepared to return to the captain's cabin, an unusual object drifted past on the sea.
It was a box-or, more precisely, a treasure chest. Only the size of a briefcase, it floated past the side of the Nightmare.
Yang Yi's heart tightened. He immediately went to the helm, turned the ship around, and pursued the chest.
He absolutely could not let this opportunity slip by!
He operated the grappling hook at the bow, reaching for the chest.
But the chest was as slippery as a living creature, constantly dodging.
Only after considerable effort did he haul the chest aboard. He immediately ran into the hold to inspect it.
[Name: Waterlogged Rotten-Wood Chest] [Category: Treasure chest] [Description: This might not be the kind of treasure chest you wanted.]
Yang Yi remained cautious. Holding his flintlock pistol aimed at the chest in one hand, he pried it open with his spear.
Inside... was a dead person's head. It had no hair, and its grayish-white skin seemed to be coated in a layer of slime.
The moment the chest opened, the dead head reacted, opening its cloudy eyes and beginning to speak.
"Sir, could you spare a few minutes so I can introduce you to the omniscient and omnipotent Lord?"
[You cannot understand its words. Your sanity decreased by 5.]
Yang Yi's scalp prickled, and his body trembled slightly.
"Sir, could you..."
The next instant, the head leaped out, and only then did Yang Yi see its true form.
It was an octopus, except its head had been replaced with a human head, with a mass of writhing tentacles beneath it.
It leaped toward Yang Yi, spreading its tentacles and exposing sharp, birdlike beak teeth underneath. It seemed to want to bite him, but what awaited it was...
Bang!
Sparks burst from the muzzle. The gun had not misfired.
A muffled gunshot rang out, like a monster's growl.
The octopus burst apart, becoming a pile of shredded flesh.
[You heard a strange gunshot. Your sanity decreased by 3.]
Yang Yi felt as though a stifled fire had surged up inside him. Slightly nauseated, he immediately checked his status.
Sanity: 88/100 Energy: 62/100 Health: 100/100
It seemed that losing sanity could interfere with a person's mind.
Fortunately, Yang Yi's spirit stat was extremely high, and his will was as tough as steel. He soon regained his composure and inspected the monster's corpse.
[Name: Human-Head Octopus] [Type: Food/Material] [Description: An abyssal fish species. Do not try to understand its words. They are merely a way to distract you so it can launch a surprise attack. But if you can understand its words... all we can do is wish you luck. Edible and usable as material. Mildly poisonous. After consumption, temporarily grants strength +1, constitution +1, spirit -1, and sanity -20.] [Tip: Cannot exceed the stat limit for mortal beings. The stat limit for mortal beings is 10.]
This thing had some value, at least.
Yang Yi gathered the scraps of flesh into a neat pile, then continued examining the inside of the chest.
Inside were some corroded coins. Yang Yi took one out. A conch was stamped on the front, while the back bore a cartoon octopus head.
[You obtained 100 Conch Coins.]
Apart from those, the chest was empty.
Where was the fresh water I was promised?
I can't even use Conch Coins!
It was almost dark.
Yang Yi tossed the captain's skeletal remains into the hold and returned to the captain's cabin.
He did not plan to fish or catch things at night.
The system had warned that there would be danger at night, and he did not want to take risks right at the start.
As for fresh water, he could keep trying tomorrow.
As for food, he could eat the long-legged sardines if he had to!
To stay alive, Yang Yi did not mind eating strange things, as long as they provided protein and energy.
He never gave up easily.
That had been true before, and it remained true now!
He lay on the old bed, tossing and turning.
The bedding was damp and smelled of mildew, making it very uncomfortable.
But he had no other choice.
Night fell completely.
Only scattered moonlight shone down. Apart from the sound of waves and wind, there was no other movement around him.
Yang Yi was not sleepy at all, so he opened the world channel and began reading.
"The grappling hook can catch treasure chests."
He posted that piece of information.
In reality, the information had little value, because anyone who saw a treasure chest would surely try to catch it.
But sharing it could earn him goodwill from others, along with further information.
"It's true. I caught a wooden resource chest too. It gave me 1 unit of steel, 20 units of wood, and 20 units of cloth."
"Doesn't that mean you'll be able to upgrade your ship soon? I'm jealous!"
"Hehe... I caught a bronze equipment chest and got myself a treasure!"
[A Bloodstained Pearl Necklace] [Category: Relic] [Quality: Good] [Description: It was once part of a bride's dowry... Its owner is still searching for it. When worn, grants agility +1, spirit -1, and maximum sanity -5.]
"Uh... I don't think that thing looks like much of a treasure..."
"You're just jealous!"
"It's so dark. My ship has no lights. I guess I'll need an upgrade to get them."
"Not even a blanket. I'm freezing my ass off!"
"I can't sleep!"
"Has anyone noticed that the waves seem to be getting bigger?"
"The rougher the waves, the pricier the fish. Let's go fishing, guys!"
"Night fishing +1."
"+2."
"+10086."
"Have you guys heard singing? It's actually pretty nice."
"No. Don't scare me. Where would singing come from out at sea?"
"I see her. It's a beautiful woman singing. She's so sexy, and she's waving at me!"
"Dude, check your sanity! That's a Siren, holy shit!"
"She's so beautiful. She's swimming toward me!"
"Dude, get into the captain's cabin and lock the door!"
"It's over. He's already been charmed."
"..."
"You still there, dude? Don't scare us in the middle of the night!"
"Hello?"
No more messages came from that person...
Yang Yi frowned.
The system's warning had definitely not been baseless.
He listened carefully but heard no singing. Then he got up and pushed open the captain's cabin door.
The door on this ghost ship was ancient and decayed. Its lock had long since broken and was merely decorative.
He opened it a crack and carefully observed outside, surveying his surroundings by moonlight.
After watching for several minutes and confirming there was no movement, he rushed out, went to the bow, and operated the helm to reduce his speed to ten knots.
Reducing his speed could lower the chance of encountering monsters.
If he encountered a monster in his sleep, he really would die without even knowing how!
But staying in one place was not a good choice either.
Yang Yi thought ten knots was just right for keeping his distance from the black fog behind him.
After taking care of everything, he returned to the captain's cabin, placed the flintlock pistol at the head of the bed, and leaned the spear against the wall.
He continued reading the chat channel for a while. Only late into the night did he slowly fall asleep, with faint, barely discernible whispers sounding in his ears.
His brow furrowed tightly, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He seemed to be having a nightmare.
Before you continue