Later that day, when the sun higher, Ash entered the passenger cabin where a large box located. He wondered what was in the chest.
The chest was plain, locked with a large, rusty iron padlock. It had no special marks, just black wood, clean and uncarved. It was about one meter tall and one meter wide.
He took the crowbar from the first cabin. He aimed for the padlock, putting his full weight into the tool. His muscles strained as he forced the padlock open.
Clang! Clink!
The padlock came loose. It snapped free with a groan, then fell onto the wooden floor, bouncing noisily before it stopped.
It held gold coins, many of them. The wooden chest was full, brim to brim. The metal gleamed dully in the cabin's dim light.
Ash's eyes went wide. His face showed both shock and confusion. 'What are these coins for?' he thought, completely lost.
He had seen no money in the game before this. Were they worth something, or nothing? He did not know.
He tried to pry out some coins with the crowbar, hoping for a hidden space or a clue below. He dug into the metal, the crowbar scraping coins.
Suddenly, the chest slammed shut with a loud bang, a sharp crack that made him jump back, startled.
The crowbar Ash used to dig in broke in two. The heavy metal snapped with impossible ease.
Ash was surprised. He stepped back fast, staring at the broken tool in his hand.
More surprising, the iron crowbar he held was neatly cut. It was a clean, precise break, as if sliced by a very sharp knife. The edge was too perfect, too smooth for a simple snap. It was as if something unseen, very powerful, had cut it.
***
Ash looked at the chest with annoyance.
"Damn chest! Luckily it wasn't my hand!" he exclaimed with a short breath.
He hit the chest with the iron crowbar, but the wooden chest did not even dent. Ash snorted. He turned away, but quickly turned back to throw the crowbar at the chest.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crowbar hit the chest and fell to the floor noisily.
He strode out of the cabin, slamming the door shut. "Who needs gold coins like that!" he shouted as he left the cabin.
***
Ash sat in the cockpit with a sour face. The wooden crate still bothered him.
He opened the system and searched the Guide for how to use gold coins, but found nothing. He then opened the Captain's Diary, still finding no answers about the coins.
'Then, why are there so many gold coins on this ship? Guarded by a crate that acts like a dog?'
At that moment, a black dot appeared far off in the sea. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the spot. 'Hmm. I can't see it.'
He ran to the cabin where he was sleeping, grabbed his binoculars, and returned to the wheel. Gasping, he tried to start the ship's engine.
It sputtered, but did not catch. He panicked, trying again and again. On the seventh try, the engine roared to life, pulling him away from the black spot.
Through the binoculars, he saw that black dot was a large wooden ship. Its sail showed a pirate flag.
***
Ash steered his ship in the opposite direction of the pirate ship. Sweat ran down his back and face.
BAM! BAM!
Cannon fire roared from the ship. Cannonballs crashed into the water on both sides, rocking Ash's ship. He tried his best to stabilize the vessel, then glanced at the pirate ship behind him.
The ship grew larger, its huge size becoming clear. It was six times bigger than his own vessel. He stomped his foot in panic as he steered, and shouted, "Hurry up, you useless ship!"
Cheers and shouts from the pirates reached him, making his panic grow.
The pirate ship was closing the distance to only a few meters. Suddenly, huge tentacles rose from the sea.
They grabbed the pirate ship, pulling it down. The pirate ship tore into pieces. The cheering pirates jumped into the water, screaming for help.
Ash did not stop. His eyes fixed on the massive tentacles, filled with fear. His ship continued to move away from the wrecked pirate ship, leaving the pirates floating in the water.
With his hands trembled, his feet shaky, he continued to steer his ship towards the setting sun.
"Who says it's safe at sea?" he muttered.
***
The ship reached a rocky cliff. He steered slowly around it, finding a cave at the cliff's edge. He guided his ship carefully into the cave, hoping no more danger would find him.
The cave was dark, but the sun had not set completely, so he could see inside. The ceiling was high, and a sloping sandy area lay inside.
He parked his ship at the sandy ramp and took a torch from his cabin, then lit it to see the cave. "Seems safe," he muttered as he moved the torch for a better look.
Feeling relieved, he raised the anchor he had dropped yesterday. He felt foolish for leaving it down there.
'Good thing it didn't get stuck,' he thought. He then hooked the anchor to nearby rocks and tied his ship down.
After everything was done, he fell onto the sand, tired. His life in this game felt like a game of chance.
'So be it. The main thing is to stay alive,' he told himself, and went back to the ship to rest until dinner.
***
With nothing to do, he opened the Captain's Diary and looked for where he had left off reading that morning.
Day two hundred and eighty-nine.
Today I recalled John telling me about a cheat item in this game, one that lets you return to the real world.
Ash's eyes went wide. He read on, impatient.
It's called the Dimension Control Ring.
But no one knows where the ring is. John, who lived here for thirty years, did not even know. We all tried to find it, but saw no sign.
Ash stopped reading.
Dimension Control Ring.
'If other people don't know where the ring is, it must have never been used.'
Ash clenched his fists on the table. The diary papers crumpled slightly. He had to get it. He must find the Dimension Control Ring and return to the real world.
***
The next morning, he began to explore the cave. The cave had several other caves that led into the cliff. There were four caves in total. This place was also not on the System Map.
Ash had learned yesterday that he did not need a backpack. He could put every item into his Inventory. So, he entered the leftmost cave, carrying only a torch and flashlight.
The first cave was dark and smelled damp and of animal waste.
Kwiakkk! Kwiakkk! Kwiakkk!
Bats flew out of the cave, past Ash, who tried to protect his face and body. Soon after, he reached the end. It was a dead end.
With a slight curse, Ash returned to the entrance and went into the second cave. This cave smelled like the first.
Its ceiling was higher, so bats only glanced at Ash from behind their wings, then went back to sleep.
He continued to walk until he found a ramp leading down. Following the path, he reached a cave entrance, covered by small plants. He peeked out from the plants, looking carefully.
The light from outside hurt his eyes at first. Once he got used to it, he saw pyramids like those from old history books.