Chapter 679 - My Doomsday Territory

My Post-Apocalyptic Territory - Chapter 679: The Unreliable Crew Tang Yu maintained a serious expression. He gazed blankly at the intelligence reports before him. He decided to first... inspect the current entertainment industry in Green Shade, particularly the development of the gaming sector. And so, he immersed himself in several rounds of gaming, one after another. The game mechanics were well-constructed, ensuring fairness to the greatest extent. Strength was reflected in reaction speed, combat intelligence, and strategy, unlike many action games of the past where high-level players would easily crush average ones, akin to a parent disciplining a child. Although high-level == wealthy individuals == high spenders == key consumers, at Green Shade, they were dedicated to creating games. If awakened individuals with high levels could easily trounce regular players, where would the incentive to spend come from? Thus, Tang Yu relished the satisfaction of being a pay-to-win player in the game. Lorraine and her companions had already set sail on the Deep Sea Megalodon towards the Vortex Sea, while Lord Tang awaited at the castle. Occasionally, he engaged in esoteric discussions with Elaine about spells and laws, or he took a stroll through the legion base, earning a presence in the esteem of the legion's awakened ones, observing how they were rigorously trained by Roderick. He would sometimes offer suggestions to increase the difficulty, though the specific training plans were strictly devised by Chief Instructor Roderick and had nothing to do with Lord Tang. Occasionally, he'd peek into the mental space or visit the blue planet to guide his disciple, Shang Gongling. Despite Shang Gongling's breakthrough to the extraordinary level, Tang Yu felt that there seemed to be little left for him to instruct—especially as she was on the verge of touching upon the rudimentary aspects of the time laws, of which Lord Tang understood absolutely nothing. About a month passed, and the Deep Sea Megalodon had arrived at the Vortex Sea. The Vortex Sea was named for its countless vortices, large and small. At first sight, most would exclaim, "Wow," "That looks dangerous," or "Can ships really navigate this place?" Nonetheless, the Vortex Sea was indeed perilous. Other than a few islands inhabited by true natives—living primitive lives or just budding civilizations, their worldview confined to the islands where one isle represented their entire world—there were no nations within the Vortex Sea. However, to great pirates, the Vortex Island provided a significant sense of safety. Ships swallowed by the massive vortices could emerge from another vortex, the process entirely random—perhaps reappearing just 10 nautical miles away or suddenly 5000 nautical miles off. It's as if wormholes connected these vortices. It's emphasized "great pirates" because the violently spinning waters wield significant destructive power. Ordinary ships wouldn't endure passage through another vortex before disintegrating. Only flagship-level pirate ships could withstand the vortices' destructive forces and possess enough power to escape them. Faced with an unstoppable enemy, diving into the vortices offered a 99% chance of escape, with the remaining 1% left to those plagued by ill luck. On the journey to the Vortex Sea, the Megalodon's bounty of eight million had been cashed in for source crystals at a maritime kingdom—though without 'Blood Eye' Hu Jiu's bounty, he was entirely erased by Kong, who, as Green Shade's 'ascetic,' least cared about money. Still, Lorraine was heartbroken—although the bounty money would have nothing to do with her even if acquired. The death of the Megalodon didn't cause even a ripple in the Endless Sea. Occasionally, some well-informed people in taverns might mention it, but never more than a few words. Although Lorraine and her crew were still relatively unknown, her casually named "Black Skull Pirate Group" had started to gain a tiny bit of fame in the surrounding seas through events in the Blue Water Principality, the Raging Azure Principality, and places like Nine Dragon Island and the Megalodon. Pirates and merchant sailors in the vicinity had heard of a great pirate going by the name 'Black Skull' emerging... and that was about it. The Deep Sea Megalodon stealthily navigated the ocean floor a few hundred meters beneath the surface, encountering minimal interference from sea monsters. By the time the Megalodon reached the Vortex Sea, the intelligence division's ship had only just started to drift aimlessly in some sea area. After a while in the Vortex Sea, the invitation letter on the table emitted a gentle glow. Then, under the gaze of Lorraine, Bamboo Mouse Li, and the others, the letter began turning, its envelope pointing in a specific direction. The Megalodon wasn't moving in a straight line, hence the envelope's direction adjusted slowly. "It seems to be pointing towards the meeting island. It's surprising that we hadn't realized the symbol concealed another function earlier. If the third imagery had been triggered before, we'd be quite blind now, wouldn't we?" Lorraine mused as she adjusted the Deep Sea Megalodon's course. Unfortunately, without a distance indicator, this guiding feature was far inferior to GPS navigation. All she could do was surface the Megalodon, hoping to spot any islands or other vessels. Just then, A hand reached over, pressing the envelope and rotating it by 180°. The envelope leisurely turned back, yet halfway through, it was stopped by the tiny hand holding it in place. Lorraine turned to see Bamboo Mouse Li's head resting on the table, two fingers pinning the envelope, amusedly rotating it back and forth. After placing the envelope into her space ring and sensing for a while, Bamboo Mouse Li pouted, "It doesn't work in the ring. Not fun." Is this really about fun?! Lorraine scanned the surroundings. Shay was engrossed in a card game with several crew members, occasionally laughing with an odd 'hohoho,' while the other crew members had varying numbers of white strips stuck to their foreheads, except Shay. Given his extensive playtime, his card skills weren't bad, and against anyone but certain luck-dominant figures like Elaine, Nancy, Stellar Spirits Xing Ling, Xing Yue, and others skilled in cards like Roderick and Kong, Shay had a fair chance of winning. Stellar Spirits Xing Ling and Xing Yue faced each other with closed eyes, shutting off perception as they played chess blindfolded, engaging in five simultaneous matches each, with a pace quick enough to overwhelm the crew assigned to move the pieces. After observing briefly, Lorraine couldn't understand what was happening. Kong was nowhere to be seen, presumably engrossed in regular closed cultivation. The Tyren and the Carman brothers had joined as reinforcements for this pirate gathering. The Carman brothers were engaged in a drinking contest. As a lover of fine alcohol herself, Lorraine appreciated good spirits. Yet the Carman brothers drank in barrelfuls, continuously downing barrels in their boisterous way, which she couldn't appreciate—such lack of finesse! It was heresy! Out of sight, out of mind. Tyren, being a massive combatant, was too large to even enter the cockpit. After surveying her surroundings, Lorraine realized that despite slacking off at work, underreporting taxes at the tavern, enjoying drinks, and perming her hair, she was still a good captain. Time to ask the boss for a raise! Suddenly, A wave of energy flushed over her as the Deep Sea Megalodon detected an island ahead. She could faintly discern signs of numerous ships on the sea surface. We've arrived!