Endless Ocean: Escape Starting from a Canoe

Chapter 19 Your ship is nice, but it's mine now.
Shi Ming smiled as he looked at the captain's desperate gamble.

He had learned from the [Newbie Data Pack] rewarded by the system that when the Age of Drifting began, everyone who stepped onto the Drifting Ship and wanted to survive on it, regardless of their status—captain, crew member, or slave or laborer of other status—must have a Skynet chip implanted in their body.

Only in this way can one gain the "recognition" of the drifting ship and become a member of the whitelist.

This is the underlying logic behind the initial design of the drifting boat.

The SkyNet terminal, which controls the chips, is divided into four categories: King, General, Gold, and Silver.

Unlike the drifting ship class, there is no lowest bronze level.

The captain was holding a Silver Terminal, the lowest-level control terminal compatible with Silver-class drifting ships. Its permissions extended to everyone on the ship except himself.

With this tiny cube, smaller than a mobile phone, the captain held the fate of the entire crew in his hands, and no one dared to disobey him.

But his fate is also in the hands of those at a higher level.

And so on, layer by layer.

In the seemingly free Age of Exploration, everyone's fate was inextricably intertwined in a web. A net of destiny.

But Shi Ming was not afraid.

No one can control his destiny.

He sheathed his sword and watched indifferently as the captain pressed the "execution" button.

Without a doubt, nothing happened.

The captain's face darkened. He pressed the red button again, but there was still no response.

"Is it broken? No, it can't be!"

"You don't actually think this broken machine can control my destiny, do you?"

Shi Ming said.

"Impossible!" The captain was getting anxious. He frantically fiddled with the terminal, hoping to find the right way. Suddenly, he saw one of the exploration team members hiding to the side. He had a flash of inspiration, switched to a different number, and pressed the red execution button hard.

"Boom."

The poor, innocent expedition member lost his sight and collapsed suddenly before his eyes.

"It's not broken! It's not broken! It still works!"

Why are you an exception?

He switched to another one, as if conducting an experiment, and pressed the button that symbolized death.

Just as they were verifying the information, another member of the exploration team fell! Those who were still alive looked at everything in front of them in horror, at a loss for what to do.

"Why are you an exception? Why? In this world, there is no one who is not implanted with the Skynet chip. Even my uncle's fate is controlled by others."

"...No, this identity isn't yours!"

"Who are you, disguised as that slave! What is your purpose?!"

The captain lost his usual gloom and composure, and became manic.

The black markings on his body gradually faded, a sign that his awakened skill had failed.

Moreover, Shi Ming also noticed that the captain's originally illusory figure was slowly solidifying into a physical form.

It seems that the "trump card" that allows the body to become ethereal cannot last for too long. Once the time is up, his ethereal state will no longer be able to be maintained. Such a powerful trump card will inevitably leave behind some aftereffects.

It's almost time.

"Want to know? Go ask the person who implanted the chip in you! Don't worry about your ship and crew. I will take over your drifting ship after you die, and I will also take care of everything else."

The moment his body solidified, Shi Ming swung his horizontal sword without hesitation.

"No, wait, I can give you everything I have..."

Shi Ming ignored the captain's nonsense. He stared intently at the gleaming blade, which sliced ​​across the captain's hardened skull as easily as cutting tofu, leaving a trail of blood.

Clang.

The four remaining crew members breathed a sigh of relief as they watched their captain's head fall to the ground.

But then they became nervous again—the “slave” in front of them, whose strength surpassed that of the captain and who had manipulated the captain at will, didn’t seem to be someone to be trifled with. Could it be that they really couldn’t escape death today?

They dared not flee, and could only stay where they were, awaiting Shi Ming's judgment.

Shi Ming ignored them, simply collecting the Skynet terminal that had fallen at the captain's feet and the corpse of the awakened one, before turning to leave.

He also left a few words.

"You have two choices."

"First, come back to the drifting ship with me and obey my orders from now on. Second, you are free to leave."

"If you want to get back to the drifting boat, then stay close. I won't wait much longer."

It's said to be two choices, but in reality, there's only one.

With the captain dead, the drifting boat naturally belongs to him. Although its level is likely only silver, not even as good as the canoe Shi Ming casually picked up on the shore, there are quite a few resources on board. To survive better at sea, a crew is also essential.

Shi Ming didn't want to be the captain, the sailor, and also do all the odd jobs and cook all by himself...

Moreover, he needed someone to help him explain "the captain's cause of death".

History is written by the victors.

The crew members, who had initially believed they were doomed, all followed behind Shi Ming, marveling at their narrow escape. That deranged former captain, in the end, actually wanted to kill them all, simply to prevent spies from infiltrating—utterly ruthless!

……

On a drifting boat.

After successfully obtaining the rights to the drifting ship using a golden key, Shi Ming naturally became the new captain.

This "coup" was much easier than he had imagined.

This was also thanks to the propaganda of the exploration team members who had followed him back, and the harsh words left by the former captain before his death. No one will be loyal to a leader who wants to eliminate them; opportunism is a basic human skill.

Shi Ming, who is both the hero who saved the crew and the one who awakened his skills on the island, is naturally the only one who can be the new captain.

At the bow of the drifting ship, Shi Ming stood in the captain's position and summarized the extra gains from this exploration of the new island.

1. A gold-grade canoe/drifting boat that I've already acquired is still lying in the warehouse, unexplored.

2. Two S-rank awakening skills.

3. The system rewards three different supply packs: [Weapon Pack], [Supply Pack], and [Data Pack]. The supply pack contains food and water, as well as a few bottles of medicine and emergency medical equipment. The [Data Pack] contains information about this world, which Shi Ming hasn't had time to look at yet.

4. The system has recovered to 99%, with only 1% remaining before full recovery. It seems that upon full recovery, Shi Ming will receive an additional skill. The only question is how to maximize that final 1%.

5. Most importantly, Shi Ming broke free from the control of the Skynet chip.

Once a chip is implanted, it means that one's fate is in the hands of others, and for Shi Ming, his life and death are not in anyone's control.

Fate can only be in one's own hands. The only regret is that the trump card found on the captain's corpse—the ability to make his body intangible—was a one-time use item!

After leading the crew to gather supplies, the drifting ship slowly set sail. This time, it seemed the captain had truly been NTR'd; not only had he taken over his ship, but also his crew and slaves. Now he didn't need to find laborers anymore; he directly possessed his own power. Although, the loyalty of this power still needed improvement.

He rubbed his forehead, finally able to relax a little.

……

The happiest person on this ship was not Shi Ming.

It was that bald slave.

I casually made friends with a big brother, built some connections, and did some favors, and I actually ended up getting involved with a really powerful person!
It's more than just awesome!
New captain! King of this ship!

According to the members of the exploration team who returned with them, this guy killed the former captain, who was an Awakened, in no time and also saved the lives of the other team members. Now the team members are very grateful to him, and their loyalty is written all over their faces.

I don't know what it feels like to be draped in a yellow robe.

But I always feel that my good days are coming soon.

Based on our shared hardships, at least we won't have to be slaves anymore, and we can at least have enough to eat three meals a day.

Hey.

As he thought about it, a glistening liquid couldn't help but trickle from the bald slave's lips.

He thought of that rewarding lunch again: large chunks of canned beef and glistening dried rice. How wonderful it would be to have another meal like that.

……

On the deck, Shi Ming felt the sea breeze blowing through his hair as he gazed at the endless ocean in the distance.

It was nearing dusk, and the setting sun cast a golden glow on the calm sea, making it shimmer as if plated with a layer of glittering gold. This reminded Shi Ming of a time in his previous life when he was on a mission at sea. Back then, he had teammates and partners, and he had also experienced another thrilling period.

In the blink of an eye, everything has changed.

"captain."

Behind him, a crew member walked over respectfully and stood to one side, seemingly having something to report.

"what happened?"

Shi Ming turned his head and looked at the former exploration team member nicknamed "Stone Pier".

As one of the survivors, after returning to the ship, Shi Dun spread rumors about the former captain's plot to kill everyone on board, and exaggerated Shi Ming's refusal to accept his fate, his courage in the face of danger, and his awakening to save others, portraying him as a hero.

But importantly, this hero who saved the entire ship also awakened his own skills, and they became even more powerful. He quickly dealt with the crazed captain!

They were a lifesaver for adrift boats!

The former captain is dead, and there is no way to refute the truth.

Those who remained on the ship were already marginalized and distrusted, so they naturally accepted the coup. Moreover, most of the original ship's management were dead, leaving a serious vacancy in leadership. Now, whoever could curry favor most would have an easier future.

Maybe I can even get a job!
They understand this principle!
"Captain, we've made some progress on the intelligence you asked us to gather about the former captain," Stone Pier said.

"Oh, tell me more about it." Shi Ming became somewhat interested.

"According to the former captain's assistant, this drifting ship did not originally belong to the former captain, but to a former Japanese organization called the 'Black Society'."

"During the later stages of the Flood Era, Japan was not able to assemble a King-class drifting ship. It only built two General-class drifting ships, named 'Nin-ō' and 'Kurosha'. Due to the country's geographical location, they sank even earlier, thus beginning the drifting era earlier than many other countries."

"The former captain reported directly to his uncle, Great Wilderness, and every year on June 18th, he would meet with Great Wilderness at a fixed location and hand over 80% of the resources he obtained to Great Wilderness. In exchange, he would earn points, which could be redeemed for high-level rewards on the general-class drifting ship."

This is roughly the information that the former captain's assistant could obtain.

No matter how many secrets they had, they couldn't access them. Only by examining the extremely confidential captain's letters could they possibly glean some information.

Shi Ming recalled the first time he met the captain, who was writing something on strange stationery with a transparent pen. At the time, Shi Ming wondered if letters could be delivered at sea. Now, he realized it must have been a special method.

"June 18th? What's the date today?" Shi Ming asked.

The stone block paused, taken aback. "Today is July 20th."

"I see."

"Give the order that, in twenty minutes, all the survivors of this adrift ship will hold a meeting in cabin number one."

"Yes, Captain."

……

In cabin number 1, Shi Ming had already changed out of his simple coarse linen clothes and into a more well-fitting sailor's uniform. He had found this in the captain's office, and besides that, he had also found quite a few other valuable items.

Of the original sixty-odd people on the ship, only twenty-three remain.

Time was limited, and he hadn't yet memorized the names and faces of every crew member, but his sharp gaze instilled a sense of imposing authority in everyone.

This new captain is amazing!

"Now that I have become the new captain, I will take over from Junichi and fulfill the responsibilities of captain!"

“I ask you,”

What is the first rule on a ship?

Shi Ming's gaze swept over each crew member.

"The captain's orders are absolute rules!"

Everyone said in unison.

"very good!"

Shi Ming nodded.

"I will provide you with resources, food, and even opportunities for advancement, so that each of you can live better than the crew members on other ships during the apocalypse. But in return, you must fulfill your responsibilities!"

"During this exploration of the new island, the Wandering Ship lost many outstanding talents, but I believe that everyone here is equally capable of doing better! From today onwards, there will be no more slaves on board. All slaves and sailors are equal crew members. New exploration and logistics teams will be formed as quickly as possible. At the same time, I will provide a copy of [Sea Beast Blood] to give the most promising crew members the opportunity to awaken!"

hiss--

Many crew members gasped in surprise, and the once quiet cabin instantly became lively!
A drop of sea monster blood!!!

Did they hear it correctly?
This is extremely precious sea beast blood that can awaken a person's powers!

Previously, even the second-in-command on the ship, the first mate of the drifting ship, had not had such an opportunity. How could they have such a chance?

Many people had doubts until they saw with their own eyes that Shi Ming took out a bottle.

This was a collectible he found in the captain's office—an extra piece of "Deep Sea Black Shark" blood. He hadn't even given it to his most loyal first mate, but instead it ended up benefiting Shi Ming.

The whispers in the cabin ceased, and instantly, countless burning eyes were fixed on Shi Ming's right hand.

No one wants to be an awakened one.

(End of this chapter)