Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 11 The fish is hooked

Shi Ming and his group walked to the agreed-upon spot on the beach and patiently waited for the small boat that would come to take them back.

The drifting ships would only send small boats to pick up survivors if they spotted any. If not even a single slave survived, the ship's commander would implement a different plan and find even more powerful people to explore the area.

In less than fifteen minutes, they saw a small boat speeding towards them in the distance.

Meanwhile, on the drifting ship in the distance, the captain lowered his binoculars.

"There are still four left. It seems the danger on the island is still within an acceptable range. That Nai Luye is such a coward, he doesn't even dare to come himself." The captain pulled out a cigarette from his pouch and lit it. "Cough cough, ptooey! This batch of goods is truly garbage. After we've looted all the resources on the island, I'm going to buy the highest grade goods!"

After coughing a few times, the captain called over a crew member.

"Iron Tower has gone to the island to pick up the slaves. You go and gather the entire exploration team on his behalf. Once the slaves return and report their intelligence, if the danger is manageable, immediately arrange the landing plan to avoid any unforeseen complications."

This doesn't mean the captain was impatient; rather, this new island was incredibly desirable, and being so close to it meant having the best of both worlds. Waiting even a day was the most desperate and unavoidable thing to do.

If this drags on, other drifting ship forces might arrive, causing even more trouble.

"Yes."

The captain exhaled a smoke ring, flicked the ash off his clothes, stood up, and gazed at the island in the distance.

"I have endured for too long. This place must contain a sea beast that I can use to evolve and awaken!"

“Uncle, you fought for this drifting boat for me back then, how can I let you down again and again?”

"A D-rank skill isn't powerful enough. I need a B-rank! Or even an A-rank!"

……

The stone figures on the island's edge discovered that the person who came to pick them up for their return was none other than the exploration team leader.

The strong, capable captain with short hair and thick eyebrows stared at the survivors as soon as he stepped off the ship, giving Shi Ming a particularly long look.

"I didn't expect you to actually survive, and without injury. I hope your information will satisfy the captain."

"Your subordinate has done his best."

"I also hope that my exploration team can have one more official member," the exploration team leader added.

"That would be my honor."

The scarred man standing to the side twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Damn, they really know how to seize opportunities to climb the ladder!

"Alright, hurry up and get on the boat, the captain is still waiting for your report!" The exploration team leader did not ask Shi Ming and the others about their specific experiences, nor did he mention whether the five people who were not present had died. He simply urged the four people to board the small boat, then turned the boat around and headed back the way they came.

None of that mattered to him.

The most important thing is to carry out the captain's orders.

Throughout the journey, the exploration team leader, who stood ramrod straight, remained silent.

It was Shi Ming who took the initiative to start the conversation.

He walked up to the captain, under the watchful eyes of the other slaves.

"Captain, this drifting ship is huge!"

"Captain, we usually stay in the dark room and cabin, so we have no idea how big it is."

"Captain, are all the drifting ships this big?"

Generally speaking, given the captain's personality, he would never chat idly with the slaves.

However, he acknowledged Shi Ming's abilities. This agile young man was indeed far superior to the apprentices he had taught on the drifting ship. At this moment, he had developed a fondness for talent. In addition, Shi Ming's question was not an inappropriate one, so he answered it without hesitation.

"Haven't you seen any other, larger drifting ships?"

"Drifting ships come in all sizes. The largest drifting ship in the world is as big as a small city. There are seven of them, each belonging to one of seven different powerful nations. Our ship, on the other hand, was left to the captain by his uncle and is considered a smaller drifting ship."

"Such a big ship, yet it's only considered small?"

Shi Ming showed no awareness of being a slave and continued to press for answers.

"It is said that the smallest drifting boat is only the size of a canoe."

"A canoe? Can you survive on the sea with that?"

"You talk too much nonsense. Who should I ask? I've never seen it before."

The communication was abruptly cut off due to a one-sided nature.

But Shi Ming had already gotten the answer he wanted from just a few words! The drifting boats come in all sizes, the smallest of which is only the size of a canoe!

Could that canoe buried on the sandy reef, which looks quite old and still has a researcher's notebook, also be an abandoned small drifting boat?

……

Although the return journey was against the wind, the small boat moved quickly and arrived safely near the drifting ship in less than fifteen minutes.

The crew members standing on the ship lowered the ladder, and several people climbed up the ladder.

As soon as he stood firmly on the deck, Shi Ming saw the captain, first mate, second mate, and other managers, as well as some crew members.

They gathered at the bow of the ship as if they were having a meeting.

"Captain, the four surviving slaves have all been brought back."

"Thanks for your hard work."

The captain moved a little closer, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Shi Ming and his group.

Shi Ming had a feeling that he was being targeted by a hunter.

"You all, take turns reporting, and tell us in detail what you did on the island and the intelligence you obtained."

"you first."

The captain pointed to the bald slave.

"what?"

The bald slave hadn't expected to be the first, and hurriedly began to speak incoherently.

He even stammered a little during his report, recounting everything from landing on the island to exploring it in great detail, including what he did immediately after landing, where the fruit trees were, and which fruits were the tastiest...

After listening to him ramble on for a long time, the captain frowned.

"You can talk about it later, next one."

Shi Ming sighed inwardly.

This is what happens when you're bad at reporting your work.

Next up is the scarred man.

"Captain, we didn't encounter anything unusual during the day, but after nightfall we were attacked by some kind of creature."

"Oh? What kind of creature? Is it powerful? Tell me more."

The captain's eyebrows twitched.

This is the topic he cares about most.

The fruits, plants, and the rambling account of his arrival on the island... others cared, but he didn't!
He only cares about sea monsters!

Seeing that the captain had shown interest, the scarred man added:

“Powerful and numerous. It’s a moth-like creature, but as big as a washbasin, with sharp teeth and a very dangerous mouth! We even brought back the carcass of one of these creatures.”

At this point, the scarred man glanced at Shi Ming.

The carcass of the bloodthirsty moth was brought back by Shi Ming.

He deliberately emphasized "we brought it back," intentionally sharing the credit.

The captain glanced at Shi Ming. "Hand the body over to the exploration team, you can continue."

Shi Ming showed no expression on his face as he handed the large leaf containing the corpse of the bloodthirsty moth to a crew member standing to the side.

The scarred man glanced at Shi Ming again, then continued speaking without changing his expression.
"I stumbled upon these moth nests while exploring the island!"

The captain straightened up.

"Their nests are located on the west side of the island. After observation, I found that they are nocturnal and sleep during the day, only waking up at night to hunt! So it is relatively safe to go to the island during the day!"

The bald slave looked at the scarred man in surprise, thinking to himself, "How could you reveal the information that the team leader had found out!"
Shi Ming remained expressionless.

At this moment, he is a fisherman.

"Moreover, there is a huge queen insect in that nest!"

Alright! The fish has taken the bait.

(End of this chapter)