Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe-Chapter 50 - 48: Breakthrough, Target, Treasure

The Huangshi had been sunk for ages. While its hull had suffered little corrosion thanks to its materials, the power system was so severely damaged by internal parasites that it was definitely inoperable.

However, as the strongest Golden Ship and a jewel from the age of technology, it was bound to have additional features far beyond those of other vessels!

Like its onboard attack systems, or defense systems.

It was like a phone with a broken motherboard—the screen and other components could still be salvaged!

It might just have what Shi Ming needed.

The Gold-level Wandering Ship key in Shi Ming’s possession could bypass encryption and forcibly hack the systems of three Wandering Ships of Gold-level or lower, making him the vessel’s master.

He had used the key twice, and now only one use remained.

Using it on this ship, hailed as the strongest Golden Wandering Ship, was a worthy use of its power!

[BEEP]

A panel materialized in front of the golden key. This was the key’s own interface, not the Huangshi’s.

[Warning: This key can only hack Bronze, Silver, and Gold-level Wandering Ships. It cannot hack Marshal-level or King-level Wandering Ships. A forced hack attempt will damage the key and render it inoperable.]

[Analyzing Wandering Ship class... Assessment: Gold-level (Severely Damaged)]

[Hack possible. Expend one hacking attempt to breach this Wandering Ship’s system and become its new master?]

[Remaining Hacking Attempts: 1]

"Yes!"

Shi Ming clicked "Yes" without hesitation.

[Commencing Hack...]

Based on Shi Ming’s experience, the hack would take some time. He spent it warily watching the squids floating nearby, his grip on his blade never loosening for an instant.

Luckily, the ship was even more damaged than he had imagined, so the system hack proceeded quite smoothly.

[BEEP]

[Hack Complete.]

The key completed the hack in just ten minutes.

[Energy Low... Recharging...]

Shi Ming glanced at the panel. Recharging the Huangshi would take about five minutes as well.

’No choice. For now, I just have to fight! Fight! Fight!’

’Fighting is exhilarating!’

’They’re just D-class squids. I’ll cut them down as they come.’

In a corner of the control room, Shi Ming held his ground like a one-man army. As long as he guarded the corridor in front of him, the restless sea beasts wouldn’t be able to break through just yet.

But their bony, spurred tentacles were incredibly strong. Their constant battering and probing attacks caused many of the Wandering Ship’s weaker sections to begin to collapse.

[Recharge Complete.]

[Please Input Captain’s Information. Scanning... Confirming Captain’s Information... Confirmed!]

A beam of light shot out from the control console, scanning Shi Ming’s biometrics. A Wandering Ship’s console was its brain, its most vital part, and thus was usually highly resistant to corrosion from seawater.

[Querying Celestial Net Chip System... Chip Implant Detected. No Re-implantation Necessary. Congratulations on Becoming the Master of This Wandering Ship. Please Give It a Grand Name!]

The removed chip had fooled the Celestial Net once again.

Shi Ming skipped the naming process, directly pressing the function keys on the console.

’I need to see if this ship has any usable weapons or defenses!’

Now that he was the captain of the crippled Huangshi, he could utilize any functioning systems it had!

The Huangshi didn’t have an AI assistant like his canoe did; every operation required manual confirmation from Shi Ming.

"Power System: Damaged."

"Positioning System: Damaged."

"Hostile Engagement System: Damaged."

"Lighting System: Partially Damaged."

"Repair System: Damaged."

"Navigation System: Intact."

"Water Expulsion System: Intact."

...

Seventy percent of the ship’s functions had been destroyed by seawater corrosion, but Shi Ming still spotted a few that were operational.

For example, the Water Expulsion system.

Water Expulsion wasn’t the same as diving.

This massive Wandering Ship naturally couldn’t dive like Shi Ming’s small Golden Ship, which could plunge thousands of meters into the abyss. However, it was equipped with an air shield that, in a crisis, allowed it to briefly submerge up to a hundred meters to evade surface dangers or stealthily approach enemies from below.

’I wonder if this Water Expulsion system is any use this deep in the ocean.’

’Whatever. I’ll give it a try.’

Deciding to just give it a shot, Shi Ming activated the Water Expulsion function.

RUMBLE!

With its energy replenished, the Huangshi began to rumble violently as some of its barely functional internal components whirred to life.

A few seconds later, a spherical air shield began to form from the Huangshi’s base, slowly converging at its apex.

The air shield sealed the interior from the exterior. The inside was still filled with seawater, as was the outside, but the water on either side was no longer connected.

’It’s already been flooded with seawater. This seems useless.’

Just as Shi Ming was feeling confused, the Huangshi let out another tremendous roar.

Immediately after, he felt a powerful suction. He braced himself inside his canoe and watched in astonishment as all the seawater within the Huangshi’s air shield was instantly drained away—the previously flooded compartments were sucked dry in a flash, becoming a pocket of air!

His canoe, which had been floating in the water, was now beached on the deck inside the Huangshi. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Shi Ming was stunned.

’First seal it, then pump it dry?’

’Incredible!’

’So this is the Huangshi’s Water Expulsion system?’

Protected by his own canoe’s air shield, Shi Ming didn’t personally experience the drastic change inside the Huangshi.

But the ones who felt the full effect of this spectacle were, naturally, the dozen or so squids that had been relentlessly pursuing Shi Ming!

They had been suspended in the water, but now that it was all gone, the dozen-odd squids were like beached lobsters, flopping helplessly on the Huangshi’s mud-caked deck.

And it wasn’t just them.

All the creatures lurking in the shadows, or in other parts of the Huangshi, were, without exception, deprived of the water they needed to survive!

’Brilliant!’

’Who needs engagement systems or defense systems? Nothing is as direct as just draining the water!’

’What did it matter if they were D-class or C-class sea beasts? They were dragons trapped in a shallow pond, phoenixes brought to earth, no better than chickens!’

Of course, his canoe was also beached inside the Huangshi.

But that didn’t matter anymore...

Dry land was humanity’s domain. The sea beasts lurking here were now like tigers without their fangs, utterly harmless.

Even if Shi Ming didn’t kill them, these deep-sea creatures would inevitably die after being out of the water for so long.

[Warning! The ship’s current energy supply can only maintain the Water Expulsion function for thirty minutes. Please replenish energy immediately!]

The Huangshi had been sunk for ages and its internal power source had long since run dry. The temporary energy it just received had come entirely from the Golden Wandering Ship key’s reserve, but now that key was completely drained and useless.

’Only thirty minutes? Looks like I need to hurry!’

’The mission!’

’The Huangshi’s treasure!’

’Find it all! Take it all! Strip it bare!’