Chapter 244: Sailing Plan
The afternoon sunlight in Port Beren was fragmented by heavy clouds, appearing thin and weak as it fell upon the dock. Fu Qingyan stood at the harbor’s edge, the sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy scent that ruffled the strands of hair on her forehead.
She narrowed her eyes, gazing towards the seemingly boundless sea, a sense of hesitation washing over her. The boundary between the game and reality blurred in that moment, perhaps one of the drawbacks of an overly strong emphasis on “realism.”
“We failed again,” the elven girl said dejectedly as she walked back, her slender fingers twisting the hem of her clothes. “As soon as that ship captain heard we were going to Black Reef Bay, his face turned as if he’d seen a ghost. He kicked us out without a second word.”
“It’s alright, Sugar. We’ll find a way.”
Fu Qingyan spoke her friend’s in-game name, offering an encouraging smile. This was, after all, the sixth ship owner who had refused them that day.
Ever since completing the advancement ritual for the Knowledge Path, the team had been eager to travel to the underwater ruins marked on the sea chart. However, the fear of that sea area was almost ingrained in the hearts of Port Beren’s boatmen. Even when they offered triple the commission, the others would only shake their heads and wave their hands, some turning pale at the mere mention of “Black Reef Bay” and walking away immediately.
“Class monitor, should we keep looking?” Wang Shuo, the tallest boy in the group, scratched his head. “There has to be someone who values money over their life, right?”
“What’s the use of money if you’re dead?” Zhao Ming, another boy wearing glasses, pushed them up his nose, his tone tinged with anxiety. “If you ask me, we should just rent a small boat ourselves. We have the coordinates anyway, we can just slowly make our way there.”
“Are you crazy?” Sugar’s eyes widened. “None of us even know how to raise a sail. Do you know how to steer a boat? Don’t lead us to our deaths.”
NPCs have lives, but players don’t, is that it?
The arguments buzzed in her ears, and Fu Qingyan rubbed her temples. She subconsciously looked around, suddenly realizing someone was missing from the group.
“Where’s Yang Yi?” she asked, frowning.
Everyone froze, exchanging glances. Wang Shuo shrugged, “He said this morning he was going to the port market to buy some supplies. We haven’t seen him since then. He probably went offline to eat.”
Just as Fu Qingyan was thinking, a commotion suddenly erupted from the other end of the dock. A familiar ship was slowly sailing into its berth. It was the “Adventurer,” its hull still bearing the scars of a recent battle with pirates. However, the mast had been repaired, and its sails billowed in the wind.
Fu Qingyan’s eyes lit up. “Captain Remington!”
The tall figure on deck turned at the sound, the sharp gaze of the Transcendent from the Disaster Path instantly locking onto them. Captain Remington’s hearty laughter reached them from afar, “Yo, isn’t this the young passengers of the Adventurer? Have you had enough fun in Port Beren and want to catch a ride somewhere else?”
Fu Qingyan strode forward, the sea breeze lifting the hem of her clothes. She looked up at the captain who had protected them in times of crisis, and after a moment of hesitation, asked directly, “Captain, do you know Black Reef Bay?”
Captain Remington’s smile froze for a moment, his eyes growing meaningful. He put down the ropes he was holding and leaped from the deck, splashing small droplets of water upon landing.
“Little girl, what are you asking that for?”
“We want to go there.” Fu Qingyan didn’t hide anything. She took out the deciphered sea chart from her怀. “I heard there’s an underwater ruin there…”
Captain Remington took the sea chart, his rough fingers tracing the intricate markings. When he saw the words “Cape of Submergence,” his brow twitched.
“There is indeed an ancient city buried beneath Black Reef Bay, but it is not a good place.”
“You know?” Fu Qingyan blinked.
The captain chuckled lightly. “Those who make a living at sea have heard some legends.”
“Many years ago, sailors from Port Beren organized an expedition, their target being that sea area,” Captain Remington explained, his voice as deep as if it were coming from the seabed. “The result was… seven large ships, over four hundred men, not a single plank washed back. Later, the governor of Port Beren sent a fleet to search and rescue, but they only found a few mad sailors around the outer rim of the Cape of Submergence, constantly chanting about ‘the undead’ and ‘treasure’.”
Everyone exchanged surprised glances after hearing this. Only Fu Qingyan’s gaze never left the captain’s face. “Do you believe those legends?”
“Whether I believe them or not is not important,” Captain Remington grinned. “What’s important is, are you really planning to go to your death?”
They were players, so naturally, they didn’t have such worries. Thus, Fu Qingyan said resolutely, “We have a reason we must go.”
The sea breeze grew stronger at this moment, making the captain’s robe snap in the wind. He stared at the group of young people for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter. “You are lucky. The Adventurer has been repaired, and it needs a test voyage.”
“Really?” Sugar exclaimed in surprise.
Fu Qingyan was also delighted, but a greater sense of worry arose. “Is Captain Remington alright with this? After all, it’s such a dangerous place.”
“Dangerous?” Captain Remington laughed heartily. “Haha, where is the sea not dangerous? If you’re going to be scared of this, then there’s no point in sailing!”
He paused and added, “However, this trip is not for nothing. Besides the corresponding voyage fee, you must also agree to one thing – all actions are to be under my command. Black Reef Bay is not to be trifled with.”
“Of course,” Fu Qingyan agreed immediately, fearing he might change his mind.
Captain Remington nodded. “If you are in a hurry, we can set sail as early as dawn tomorrow. That’s when the tide is the most stable. You can stay on the ship tonight, but you’ll need to prepare your own provisions.”
After giving his instructions, Captain Remington handed the sea chart back to Fu Qingyan and turned to leave.
Watching the captain’s retreating back, Sugar jumped up excitedly. “Great! We can finally set sail!”
Zhao Ming, however, frowned. “Don’t you find it strange? Why would he offer to take us to a place everyone avoids like the plague?”
“Maybe he’s curious?” Sugar guessed, tilting her head.
Zhao Ming shook his head. “No, I think he has another motive.”
Fu Qingyan didn’t join her classmates’ discussion. She looked thoughtfully at Captain Remington’s receding figure.
“Don’t get too happy too soon,” she said, turning to her teammates, her voice very low. “Yang Yi hasn’t returned yet. We need to notify him.”
“That guy has been mysterious lately. We didn’t even see him during the advancement ritual,” Wang Shuo pouted. “I think it’s better to send him a message offline. Who knows where to find him otherwise?”
Fu Qingyan thought about it and realized there was no other way.
However…
“You said he didn’t complete the advancement ritual with you yesterday?”
The others exchanged glances. Wang Shuo nodded confidently. “Yes, he said he didn’t want to waste time on such a useless path. I don’t know where he gets that kind of arrogance from.”
