Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe-Chapter 60 - 58: A-rank Awakened: Demon Sword
"Hm? I’m supposed to take a piece of junk like this for the mission?"
In the sunset’s afterglow, a cold, clear voice drifted over from the railing of the Black Society’s ship—a vessel so vast its railing resembled a coastline.
Slowly approaching along with the voice was the clatter of metal-soled shoes on the deck,
one set of steps after the other, one heavy, one light.
"Yes, Lord Demon Sword. The general said this is a confidential operation, so it’s best not to draw too much attention."
Great Wilderness followed behind a tall woman.
The woman looked to be around twenty-one or twenty-two. She had a high-bridged nose and a face as sharp and precise as a blade, her expression a mix of cold beauty and derision. She wore a deep black training uniform, and a uniquely styled longsword hung from her left hip.
Its scabbard was pitch-black, understated and profound, resting snugly against the sharp, aloof line of her waist.
Right now, the woman wore a black glove on her right hand, but her left rested on the sword’s hilt. Her posture seemed casual, yet radiated powerful control, as if the blade were not a weapon but an extension of her own body.
She was a swordswoman who favored her left hand.
One of the Black Society’s three A-rank Awakened, Demon Sword.
Demon Sword hadn’t always been her name. Yan Dao Lin had bestowed it upon her after she bathed in the blood of the A-rank sea beast, the Sword-Weary Sea Shark, and awakened the skill "Eightfold Wall Great Saber." Yan Dao Lin hoped her fighting style would become as bewitching as a demon and as sharp as a sword.
"A bronze-class ship... The general is certainly keeping a low profile."
"On the seas, strength is what matters. With power, who wouldn’t give you a wide berth? So why can’t we make a show of our strength?"
Facing this Awakened, Great Wilderness had no desire to argue. He could only say that the general had his reasons.
Demon Sword’s aggressiveness was a different type from Yan Dao Lin’s, but her aura was even more suffocating,
as if she herself were a peerless blade, radiating an arrogant, murderous aura.
Who in the Black Society didn’t know the name Demon Sword?
Her offensive skill, Eightfold Wall Great Saber, was like a roaring tsunami.
With a single slash, she had once cleaved the "Gaya," a Silver-level ship from Korea, in two. After that day, there was one less Wandering Ship in the world.
Who would dare to question such a ruthless character?
’It was the right call not to go. Better to let her handle the mission alone.’
"Lord Demon Sword, the ship is ready. The general stressed that this mission is top secret, so you must..."
"I know."
Demon Sword stood at the edge of the towering ship’s rail, gazing at a small, bronze-class vessel more than thirty meters away.
The Black Society’s vessel was a super-sized Wandering Ship, and no other boats were allowed to dock within thirty meters of its hull.
Thus, the bronze-class ship could only wait at a distance, just beyond the thirty-meter mark.
She leaped, and her body, propelled from the waist, launched through the air like a slender scimitar shot from an unseen bow.
Following a parabolic arc, she soared toward the small boat over thirty meters away. Her movement was so fast it left only a blurred afterimage seared onto Great Wilderness’s retinas.
By the time he could see her clearly again, she was already standing on the distant boat’s deck. She had coordinated her legs and left arm to absorb the impact of her landing. The longsword at her left hip jumped slightly, then settled securely back into place.
"Set sail."
The boat had a crew of three—two men and one woman. They were responsible for navigation and attending to Lord Demon Sword’s daily needs for the duration of the voyage.
Demon Sword’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’It’s been a long time since I’ve handled a mission solo.’
’According to Yan Dao Lin’s usual practice, any solo mission I’m sent on either involves a powerful opponent or is too important to fail.’
’This time, it’s the latter.’
’The objective: find and retrieve everything from a Silver-level ship. Everything but the people—’
’The people don’t need to be retrieved. They can’t be, anyway.’
’Just kill them.’
...
Due to the time difference, while the Black Society plotted in secret, Shi Ming passed another night at the edge of the Lost Sea and awoke to a new morning.
His three uses of the Brain of Creation had been replenished.
After a night of rest, his energy was at its peak. Upgrading the Wandering Ship was an act that consumed a vast amount of Spiritual Power, making this the perfect time to do it.
He had the crew clear the area. The Brain of Creation scanned the ship’s helm, and information materialized before his eyes, just as it always did.
[Silver-level Wandering Ship, ID 23333]
[Level: 3]
[A cut above other Silver-level Wandering Ships. The exterior materials have been significantly upgraded, its hardness and resilience surpassing ordinary Silver-level Wandering Ships. Furthermore, with sufficient acceleration, the hull itself can be used as a ramming weapon. New internal equipment: Advanced Repair Sleep Pod.]
[Upgrade requires: Sea Crystal Stone x2000, Iron Ore x500, High-Level Sea Crystal Stone x10, Functional Hardware Onboard ≥5]
Upgrading the Silver-level ship from Level 3 to Level 4 didn’t require many High-Level Sea Crystal Stones.
The main requirements were a large quantity of Sea Crystal Stones and iron ore.
He had a surplus of both in the hold. In fact, Shi Ming had specifically brought back two crates of iron ore from the *Huangshi* to replenish his supply for upgrading this Silver-level Wandering Ship.
As for functional hardware, the ship now had seven different types.
Of course, that count of seven didn’t include the beverage machine or the Dome Crystal extraction device he’d salvaged from the *Huangshi*. Both were currently damaged, and Shi Ming hadn’t had a chance to repair and upgrade them—his ability uses were simply too limited at the moment.
He placed the materials near the helm and activated the power of the Brain of Creation!
Upgrade!
Just like last time, a massive amount of Crystal Stones rapidly melted down. The released energy transitioned from liquid to gas, and this vaporous energy then converged on the Wandering Ship’s helm, gradually fusing with it and spreading throughout the hull.
After the last upgrade, Shi Ming’s Spiritual Power was almost completely depleted.
This time, however, he felt fine.
He didn’t feel the same exhaustion as before. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
After a full forty-five minutes, Shi Ming finally received the "Upgrade Successful" notification from the Brain of Creation.
[Silver-level Wandering Ship, ID 23333]
[Level: 4]
[Exterior material significantly upgraded. Hardness and resilience now far exceed ordinary Silver-level Wandering Ships—few ships of this class can match its toughness! With sufficient acceleration, the hull can be used as a weapon! Additionally, the ship’s anti-ship combat capabilities have been greatly enhanced! New Equipment: 1120 CIWS.]
[Upgrade requires: Sea Crystal Stone x3000, Iron Ore x500, High-Level Sea Crystal Stone x30, Functional Hardware Onboard ≥8]
He had enough materials for the next upgrade, and he just barely met the functional hardware requirement!
His Spiritual Power, however, was running a little low. A Wandering Ship wasn’t a small object, after all, and upgrading it consumed a tremendous amount of Spiritual Power.
He’d have to rest before attempting another upgrade.
This was a perfect opportunity to check out the newly added equipment and see just how powerful the 1120 CIWS was.
The Wandering Ship’s appearance hadn’t changed much after the upgrade.
As for how to explain the new CIWS to the crew, Shi Ming would just say it was from his or Chunyi’s old collection, and that he’d just finished repairing it. The crew wouldn’t ask too many questions about something like that anyway, and he couldn’t be bothered to offer a detailed explanation.
The captain was the ultimate authority. He had countless things to consider, but the crew just needed to focus on doing their jobs.
