"...System announcement..."
"...Congratulations to all players for surviving the fifth day. The trading system is now officially open. For details, check the log..."
A strange voice echoed in Yang Yi's mind as he slowly regained consciousness.
"Fifth day... Did I pass out for over two days?"
His limbs felt as heavy as lead, his body icy cold, lips chapped, and throat parched. He immediately checked his status:
Status: Critically Injured/Corpse Poison Infection (Severe) [Entire body highlighted red.]
Sanity: 100/100
Stamina: 23/100
HP: 14/100
(Below 100 = Injured; below 50 = Moderate Injury; below 30 = Critical Injury; below 10 = Dying. Taking damage while Dying may cause instant death.)
Yang Yi was perilously close to death. He struggled to his feet, desperate for hydration. He planned to eat something first, then check the trading channel for life-saving medicine. But as he stood, he horrifiedly saw another ship alongside his—a pirate vessel flying a skull flag, over 20 meters long, its grappling hooks latched onto the Nightmare. A wooden plank bridged the two ships, forming a narrow walkway.
"Shit!"
Yang Yi tensed, but too late. An arrow pierced his left arm with such force it went straight through, dropping his HP to 9 and plunging him into Dying state. He collapsed behind the ship's railing.
Footsteps sounded on the plank—someone was crossing to check his corpse. The arrow hadn't hit a vital organ, but his rapid collapse might have fooled the attacker. Bound by rules, they couldn't board until the owner died.
Yang Yi deduced the situation instantly, eyes blazing with resolve. "If they want to kill me, they won't complain about being killed."
Though his left arm was pierced, he felt no pain. His right arm remained functional for aiming and firing. He gripped his flintlock and secretly disabled the boarding restriction. They definitely don't have heavy firepower, or they'd have attacked already.
The attacker stepped onto the deck, immediately spotting the "corpse"—pale, bloodshot eyes, reeking of rot (from corpse poison). Worse, the "corpse" held a large-bore flintlock aimed directly at him.
"Don't move. Any attempt to draw your bow or attack, and I'll blow your head off," Yang Yi threatened, sitting up slowly.
The attacker froze, staring down the barrel. In truth, Yang Yi dared not fire prematurely—the gun's threat was deadliest when unshot. A misfire would mean his death; a successful shot would likely vaporize the attacker.
"Drop your weapon. No sudden moves," Yang Yi barked, voice low and raspy, oozing authority.
The attacker hesitated. Yang Yi rose nonchalantly, the stench of decay overwhelming. With an arrow still lodged in his arm, he pulled a giant eyeball from his clothes and took a bite. The Eye Fruit quivered as if begging for mercy, but Yang Yi was too parched to care, devouring it in three mouthfuls. Black sap dribbled down his chin.
The attacker recoiled in horror.
[Stimulus received. Sanity decreases by 10.]
He looked down: rotting sardines, a putrid Cyst Puffer, and a pile of chewed fish heads.
[You see unidentified biological remains with signs of consumption. Sanity decreases by 7. Sanity below 30.]
System notifications flashed, but the attacker ignored them. Fear warped his judgment—he either attacked the weak or fled. With a terrified scream that startled Yang Yi, he dropped his weapon and ran.
Yang Yi was confused but seized the opportunity. He aimed and pulled the trigger as the attacker fled. Click. The gun misfired, unheard over the man's panic. Yang Yi rushed to grab the fallen bow.
[Name: Pirate Longbow]
[Type: Treasure]
[Quality: Good]
[Description: Slightly improves archery accuracy and reduces draw strength. A pirate's trusty companion!]
Yang Yi quickly coated the arrowhead in Cyst Puffer venom and fired. Weak and shaky, his aim was off, but at 3-4 meters, the arrow struck the attacker's thigh, a shallow wound. (He'd aimed for the chest.)
The attacker ripped out the arrow and fled to his ship's bow. Yang Yi didn't chase, collapsing back to the deck. In his state, a counterattack could be fatal. Luckily, the pirate panicked and cut anchor, fleeing.
Once the ship was out of earshot, Yang Yi forced himself up. Though he looked like a zombie, he feared becoming one. Numb to pain, barely bleeding, he felt dizzy and sluggish.
In the cabin, he guzzled water and ate the last Eye Fruits. Slightly revived, he eyed the distant pirate ship, now a speck. He set the Nightmare in pursuit, waiting for the venom to take effect. Cyst Puffer—just the name screams deep-sea toxicity. Pufferfish venom is legendary.
After 15 minutes, he closed in. Using his grappling hook, he boarded the pirate ship, bridging it with planks—exhausting himself in the process. Gun in hand, he crept to the bow.
The attacker lay motionless, seemingly dead. But it could be a trap. He might have an antidote.
From a safe 5-meter distance, Yang Yi fired. Click. Misfire again. He waited a minute, then fired once more.
BOOM!
The pirate's skull exploded into paste. Only then did Yang Yi approach.
Burned once, twice shy. Ever cautious after the drowned corpse incident, he looted the body, finding a glowing orb:
[You obtain 400 Conch Coins.]
Next, the bloodstained pirate uniform:
[Bloodstained Ornate Pirate Garb]
[Type: Relic]
[Quality: Good]
[Description: Worn by a pompous fool. Continuous sanity drain when equipped. Immune if Spirit ≥8.]
No wonder the pirate was unstable—this garb likely drove him mad. Yang Yi stowed it, then began scavenging the ship. Suddenly, he noticed his mystery talent's unlock progress had shifted from 0/3 to 1/3.
"So the unlock condition isn't about items? Not sure, since I can't pinpoint when it updated."