146: Server-wide announcement!

Chen Du stood before the control console, his fingertips lightly brushing across the brand-new interface.

With the complete fusion of the Vehicle Core, the interior of ferry no. 0819 seemed to be infused with life.

The jerky grinding of mechanical gears sounded like the low-frequency thrumming of a heartbeat.

Thump, thump, thump... On the holographic projection screen.

Strings of azure data streams were flickering frantically.

[Vehicle Name: 081 Initial Phase]

[Maximum Speed: 36 knots]

[New Module: Biological Armor Self-Repair System, consumes 2 points of life essence per hour]

[Special Function Unlocked: Form Switch]

Chen Du's gaze fixed on the red-highlighted [Form Switch] button.

Beside it was a line of small, highly enticing text:

Consume 500 points of life essence to unlock "Assault Great Shark Form" or "Amphibious Landing Form."

Note: Assault Form will significantly enhance firepower and impact force, but fuel consumption will double.

"500 points..."

Chen Du glanced at his remaining 821 points of life essence.

His finger hovered in mid-air, but he ultimately held back.

Good steel must be used for the blade.

The sea was calm right now; burning through most of his assets just to see a transformation effect was something only a spendthrift would do.

He let out a breath and turned to throw himself into a rattan chair.

Then he opened the [Regional/World Chat Channel], which he hadn't looked at in a long time.

As soon as he entered.

The dense barrage of text almost blinded his retinas.

The current World Channel was even more clamorous than a morning rush at a wet market.

[Regional Channel: Sea of Despair (Sector C)]

[Are there any living people left? I'm starving to death! If anyone can give me something to eat, I'll trade private photos! I'm the campus belle of the Arts Academy!]

[Give it a rest, person above. Right now, photos aren't even worth half a piece of moldy bread. Can you eat them?]

[Dammit, stop arguing! I just saw something swimming in the sea! Was that a fish? It was a fish with human legs!]

[Don't even talk about fish! Have you guys seen the pinned message on the World Channel? Things have exploded over at the Meat Processing Plant!]

Chen Du raised an eyebrow.

The Meat Processing Plant? Wasn't that the treasure trove he had just finished looting?

He casually switched to the World Channel.

As expected.

A pinned message was glowing a deep red, and the number of replies had already surpassed ten thousand.

The core of the discussion was only one thing—a sixty-meter-tall Steam Giant.

[Too terrifying! I was on the neighboring hilltop at the time and saw that monster crush a bus into a pancake with my own eyes! It literally stomped it flat!]

[I heard that's an Overlord Rank creature? It's not even in the official bestiary, is it?]

[That's nothing! The most badass one is that ruthless guy named Chen Du, okay!]

Seeing his own name, Chen Du's hand holding the beer paused.

A guy with the ID "Pliers" was spamming the channel.

[Pliers]: "Shut... shut the hell up and listen to me! Bragging?! My pants are still wet! You guys don't know shit!"

[Pliers]: "That strike... that strike split the very air! The Gluttonous Pig-Headed Man was blown into mist! Not even a bone fragment was left!"

[Pliers]: "That Titan Giant was just watching from the side... it was afraid! Boss Chen Du is a walking humanoid natural disaster! If anyone dares to disagree, I'll be the first to bite them to death! Aaaah!!"

Looking at these hysterical words, the corner of Chen Du's mouth twitched.

Pliers? Qianzi?

Wasn't this the Crab Claw Man who had been kowtowing like a pounding pestle before they parted ways?

Who would have thought this guy would come here and become his number one "toxic solo fan."

This incoherent stream of flattery made Chen Du feel like a god of war stepping out of a myth.

However.

Seeing the strings of "Holy crap," "Who is Chen Du," and "I want to cling to his thigh" in the replies, Chen Du didn't feel any aversion.

In this world where the strong prey on the weak, reputation was sometimes a weapon in itself.

It could save a lot of trouble and also attract more... resources.

"Captain."

Just then, Xia Xin walked in carrying a sea chart.

She glanced at the words of frantic praise on the screen and smiled.

She was about to tease him but held back.

Her gaze fell on the sea chart, and her smile faded.

"The situation is even worse than expected."

"Following the coordinates exposed by this loudmouth, we are heading deep into the heart of the Sea of Despair."

"The mist concentration in the sea area ahead is very high, and..."

She looked up, a hint of solemnity in her eyes. "Someone in the channel mentioned that several fully armed Pirate Raider Groups are conducting indiscriminate purges, killing everyone they meet and looting every ship."

"Pirates?"

Chen Du's knuckles tapped rhythmically against the armrest.

If it were before, he might have had to weigh his options and lie low for a while.

But now... He glanced at the data panel.

"Ignore them. Maintain speed."

Chen Du set down his beer and gave a faint smile.

"Aren't those just mobile supply depots? This ship just upgraded and needs a few suitable targets to test its firepower... I hope they aren't too poor, or it won't even cover my fuel costs."

Looking at the confident, almost arrogant expression on the man's profile, Xia Xin's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

"Alright, I'll go arrange the shifts and tell the sisters to keep their eyes peeled."

She lowered her head somewhat flustered.

Masking the flush on her face by tidying the sea chart, she turned and walked out... The night deepened, and the sea mist thickened.

Outside the cabin.

The waves slapped against the ship's hull, making a rhythmic splashing sound.

Chen Du took a shower and returned to the captain's quarters, drying his damp hair.

He was just about to turn off the lights and rest.

Click—

The door lock suddenly made a faint clicking sound.

"Hmm?"

Chen Du's movements paused, and his golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Xia Mo would come over sometimes, but she was always straightforward.

Who was coming in this time?

The door slid open silently.

A petite dark shadow "flowed" inside.

That's right, it flowed in.

The newcomer's toes were half an inch off the ground, and her body was wreathed in a faint pink mist.

This wasn't a simple light effect, but the manifestation of the [Old Dreamer] talent warping reality.

By the faint blue light of the console, Chen Du saw who it was.

Lin Keke.

This girl's outfit... was a bit of a foul.

She was wearing a black leather outfit with pitifully little fabric.

The tight-fitting cut perfectly outlined her well-endowed figure, her proud "white rabbits" gleaming like porcelain.

Most absurdly, she was actually trailing a long, thin tail with a heart-shaped tip behind her.

"What on earth are you doing?" Chen Du crossed his arms, watching her with composed interest.

Lin Keke was a bit nervous, but she quickly adjusted her state.

She took a deep breath and puffed out her chest as if to bolster her courage.

Her right eye, which should have had a golden contact lens, now shimmered with an eerie light.

"Captain..."

Lin Keke's voice had changed.

It wasn't her usual loud and rowdy chuunibyou tone, but had become syrupy.

It was like it was coated in honey, enough to make one's bones go soft just listening to it.

She walked toward Chen Du step by step, the pink mist churning behind her with every pace.

"I've developed a new way to play recently."

She walked to the bedside and knelt on the edge of the bed with one knee.

That heart-shaped tail seemed to have a mind of its own, flexibly wrapping around Chen Du's calf.

It slowly slithered upward along his pant leg.

It carried a hint of coldness yet felt scorching to the touch.

Lin Keke revealed a sharp little canine tooth and lightly traced circles on Chen Du's chest with her finger:

"Tonight's dungeon difficulty is Hell-level..."

"Captain, if you don't give it your all... you'll be eaten clean by a Succubus~~"