Wound Devourer

When Qin Mao entered the Captain's Quarters aboard the Hope, the other three were already waiting over tea.

"Adasi, what took you so long!"

Yan Qi stood and pulled out a chair, motioning for him to sit down and talk.

Yang Fan poured him a cup of tea as well.

Only Ye Xuanyin had a personal cup before her, pink and decorated with a cat, half full of red fruit wine.

"Qin Mao, we called you here today mainly to go over our fleet's rules and iron laws."

Qin Mao nodded with a serious expression.

Every group had rules to follow. Back when Wang Tai had captained the Hope, for example, the foremost iron law had been that no one was allowed to leave the group.

Yang Fan's expression was solemn as he said earnestly, "The Hope Fleet's first iron law is absolute obedience!"

"Trust the captain's judgment absolutely, trust the Hope's guidance absolutely, and obey the captain's orders absolutely, until the captain dies!"

The boy's voice was resolute. At that moment, he seemed more grown-up than many adults.

"The Hope Fleet's second iron law: survival above all!"

"The survival of the fleet as a whole takes precedence over any individual ship or person. Transcendents are worth more than ordinary people. When necessary, some may be sacrificed to preserve the fleet!"

Yang Fan might have been just a skinny, frail-looking boy of no great height, but as he spoke, the earnestness on his face became an air of authority. He had quite the bearing of a leader.

"As for the other rules... strict light discipline at night. No loud noises or bright lights unless necessary, to avoid attracting the attention of the uncanny."

"Any distress signal of unknown origin, especially one coming from the deep sea, is to be treated as an uncanny trap. Responding or approaching is strictly forbidden. The standard procedure is to remain silent, record, report, and avoid."

"...Money and property are privately owned and may be freely disposed of by their owners... everyone fulfills their own duties, and supplies are distributed according to contributions... make the fullest use of supplies... having children requires an application... anyone injured, ill, or mutated must be isolated immediately... burials at sea must be simple and swift..."

"...Trade fairly... crew members must not harm or kill one another... no one may go onto the deck or outside alone at night; travel in groups of at least two... four people stand watch each night, with a change of shift at two..."

Yang Fan read through the fleet's rules one by one. At the end, he asked, "That's all for now. We can add to them whenever we find anything lacking. Qin Mao, do you have any questions?"

Qin Mao nodded immediately.

These rules were practical. Some could even serve as an "apocalypse survival guide." One glance was enough to tell that these were rules for survival discovered at the cost of who knew how many lives.

But he had reservations about the first iron law.

"Trust the captain absolutely? What if the captain is wrong?"

Blind obedience-how was that any different from a brainwashed cult? If they told you to throw your life away, would you do that too?

If the Hope Fleet was merely a church of blind personality worship, keeping believers like livestock, then he would have to consider making a run for it again.

Ye Xuanyin burst out laughing, her little pointed canines gleaming.

"Captain Yang, he's doubting you!"

"That's only natural." Yang Fan gave a slightly bashful smile.

"You might not know about my Sequence. I'm in the Navigator Sequence, Sequence 1, [Lookout Tower Sailor]. My main ability is sensing ocean disasters such as storms and tsunamis, as well as the locations of islands. I also have a special talent for identifying wild foods and surviving on deserted islands."

"In short, heading in the direction I sense gives us a better chance of avoiding disasters at sea and finding islands where we can gather food."

Understanding dawned on Qin Mao. "So that's how it is!"

He couldn't help marveling at what a practical Sequence it was!

With everyone fleeing across the seas, having someone from the Navigator Sequence around could help them avoid many natural disasters.

"Unfortunately, my Sequence can't sense uncanny auras, or tell what kinds of uncanny beings are on an island and how strong they are."

Yang Fan spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless.

"Heh, little Yang Fan, you're already plenty strong! I'll be following your lead from now on!"

Qin Mao patted the boy's shoulder and laughed heartily, using his laughter to express his acceptance of the fleet's rules.

"Since we're talking about Sequences, why don't we be open with one another and get to know each other better?"

Ye Xuanyin made the suggestion with a smile.

"Sure! Captain Yang's already told us his, so I'll go next!"

Yan Qi introduced himself.

"I'm a [Bone Controller], Sequence 1 of the [Undead Bone Master] Sequence. My ability lets me turn creatures' bones into skeletons. They're useful both in combat and for scouting. The stronger I get, the more skeletons I can convert, and I can also collect skeletons I've already used."

As he spoke, he patted a pouch hanging at his waist and took out a little skeleton only a finger long. It swayed like a doll.

Qin Mao nodded.

He vaguely remembered Wang Tai mentioning that the price of the Undead Bone Master Sequence was having to share a pillow with a skeleton when sleeping. Just thinking about it gave him the creeps.

He wondered what price the others paid for their Sequences.

Two of them had spoken first, demonstrating their sincerity. Naturally, Qin Mao had no reason to hold anything back.

"I'm a Hammer Apprentice, Sequence 1 of the Apocalypse Shipwright Sequence. My ability is repairing ships, so my constitution is pretty good, and I have some talent for repairing items as well. It's just that repairs come at a steep price, consuming a lot of Transcendent Power and some of my lifespan."

All three men present had briefly introduced their Sequences and abilities. Only Ye Xuanyin remained.

She stood with a grin, walked over to Qin Mao's left, and said with a smile, "[Oracle Healer], Sequence 1, [Wound Devourer]. Occasionally, I can perform some simple, vague divinations. As for my main ability..."

She licked her lips and fixed her gaze on Qin Mao's bloodstained left shoulder.

"Hehe, Qin Mao, could I trouble you to take off your shirt?"

Though puzzled, Qin Mao thought of the word "healer" in her Sequence's name. It probably had some healing effect, likely similar to a healer class.

So he took off his shirt to expose the wound while discreetly slipping [Just Verdict] into his right trouser pocket, positioning it where his right hand could grab it most easily.

He intended to draw the gun and fight back if anything went wrong.

"Hee-hee, caution is good. Cautious people don't die young."

Ye Xuanyin didn't mind in the least. She took out a black-covered notebook, opened it to a page, then picked up the pencil clipped to it and rapidly moved her wrist while facing Qin Mao's wound.

About three minutes later, she put away the pencil, let out a long breath, and wiped the sweat beading on her forehead.

"Whew... all done! Don't move!"

Naturally, Qin Mao didn't dare move a muscle. He had no idea what this woman was trying to do.

Next came a ripping sound as Ye Xuanyin tore out the page she had drawn on and pressed it against Qin Mao's shoulder.

"Hiss-"

He sucked in a breath of cold air at the pain and forced himself to stay still, though his eyes couldn't help darting toward the paper.

Drawn on the paper was a hideous wound, identical to the actual wound on Qin Mao's shoulder.

Holding the sheet in both hands, the woman carefully aligned it, then slowly moved it sideways, drawing it away.

An astonishing sight unfolded. As the paper moved away, the wound on Qin Mao's shoulder actually vanished too. His skin was perfectly intact, as though he had never been injured.

The paper instantly became wrinkled, and the scar in the drawing became three-dimensional. Though black and white, it looked real.

"There! That's my main ability, [Wound Transfer]. Come to me next time you get hurt. I'll give you a discount, hehe!"

With that, she folded the paper four times, tossed it into her mouth, and began chewing with an expression of enjoyment.

At this uncanny sight, Qin Mao couldn't help gaping.

What an uncanny Wound Devourer!