Chapter 30: Level Up to LV3 Intelligence

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Level Up to LV3 Intelligence

When Lin Ji awoke, the sky outside remained pitch black.

Though he had only slept for a little over four hours, thanks to his twice-enhanced physique, the quality of this sleep was exceptionally high.

He felt full of energy, even more refreshed than after ten hours of sleep in the old world.

Opening his eyes, the cabin was quiet.

By the faint moonlight, he saw Tang Ling and Bai Taotao squeezed together on the other wooden bed, already fast asleep.

Even in her dreams, Tang Ling was frowning, as if calculating some mechanical structure.

Bai Taotao, meanwhile, was curled up into a ball, her small mouth slightly open, breathing evenly.

Lin Ji turned over and sat up, then walked out onto the deck.

The night sea breeze carried a biting chill, but for his current physique, it felt refreshing instead.

The deck had already been cleaned spotless.

The previous bloodstains, shredded flesh, and venom were completely gone.

The massive corpse of the Parasitic Demon Shark had also been dealt with.

Fifty units of Demon Shark Meat were neatly stacked in a corner, covered with wooden planks.

Beside them were the Demon Shark Teeth, shark bones, and tough shark skin, all sorted and piled up.

Even the holes that had been smashed open earlier had been meticulously repaired by Tang Ling using wooden planks and her Assembly talent.

"Not bad. Having subordinates to handle the work really does feel good."

Lin Ji sighed with satisfaction and nodded. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"You’re awake?"

Just then, a weary voice came from below the mast.

Lin Ji turned and saw Gu Yihan not far away.

The young lady of the Gu family was currently holding the Storm Hunter Bow, sitting by the ship’s railing on watch duty.

Her usually smooth long hair was slightly disheveled, dancing in the breeze.

Her normally spirited eyes were now bloodshot, with faint dark circles beneath them.

Moonlight spilled over her long legs, tightly outlined by her yoga pants, stirring a wave of heat within Lin Ji.

Her delicate face, originally etched with exhaustion, brightened slightly in the eyes the moment she saw Lin Ji.

Lin Ji walked over and, without a word, pulled her into his embrace.

"Ah..."

Gu Yihan let out a soft gasp, her body stiffening for a moment before quickly relaxing, blushing slightly as she leaned against his chest.

"You’re so bad..."

Lin Ji chuckled, his hands beginning to wander unconsciously.

After a while, he finally stopped and pulled an unopened bottle of mineral water from his Backpack, unscrewing the cap and bringing it to Gu Yihan’s lips.

"Want some water?"

Gu Yihan shook her head, pushing the bottle away with her hand.

"I’m not thirsty. I’ve had enough today."

She looked at Lin Ji, her eyes holding a tenderness and consideration that hadn’t been there before.

"We don’t have much water left either. With six people on board now, consumption is too high. We should save it."

Lin Ji was somewhat surprised.

He hadn’t expected this once-extravagant young lady to actively consider the team’s resource allocation.

Seeing her stubborn yet sincere gaze, something hard within Lin Ji’s heart softened slightly.

He didn’t insist further. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

"Mmm..."

Gu Yihan’s eyes widened, her delicate body stiffening once again.

But this time, she didn’t shy away in embarrassment. Instead, she shyly extended her arms and tightly wrapped them around Lin Ji’s neck.

She was responding to Lin Ji’s actions, passionately so.

It was as if she wanted to pour all the fear and pressure of the past few days into this kiss, releasing it all at once.

The two of them held each other tightly on the moonlit deck.

It was a full ten minutes later before Lin Ji reluctantly pulled away.

Gu Yihan’s face was flushed red, her eyes hazy. The exhaustion she had felt earlier was now masked by a wave of shy, rosy warmth.

"Go rest."

Lin Ji gently stroked her burning cheek and gave her slender leg a light pat. "I’ll keep watch from here."

"Mmm..."

Gu Yihan obediently nodded, her face still red. Clutching her bow, she glanced back at him repeatedly before disappearing into the cabin.

Silence returned to the deck.

Lin Ji stood at the bow, his gaze deep and focused as he stared ahead.

It was now 4:30 in the morning.

Darkness enveloped everything around them, and the sound of the waves was monotonous and heavy.

He guessed that the Bone Burial Sea was astonishingly vast. Otherwise, after sailing for so long, they would have seen at least a flicker of light by now.

Then, he turned to look behind him.

On the distant horizon, a wall of pure black fog, connecting the sky and the sea, was advancing slowly but relentlessly.

"Dead Silence Fog."

Lin Ji could clearly sense that the fog seemed to be moving faster than before.

If their vessel couldn’t be upgraded to LV3 within three days, they wouldn’t be able to escape the fog’s reach.

All six of them would die without a proper burial.

A sense of urgency gripped his heart like an invisible hand.

He opened the Chat Channel, hoping to gather some useful Intelligence.

"Help! My raft was smashed! Is anyone nearby?"

"I’m going crazy! I just saw a massive dragon-like shadow glide through the water—it had to be at least a hundred meters long!"

"Guys, don’t go near the fog! I saw a tough guy from the raft next to mine try to go in and fish out a treasure chest. He screamed once and then went silent. There’s something in that fog!"

Lin Ji skimmed through the messages, most of which were filled with frantic ramblings and desperate cries.

He closed the channel and began taking stock of his current supplies and points.

[Evolution Points: 800]

[Food: Demon Shark Meat x50 units, compressed biscuits x8, bread x10, self-heating hotpot x2...]

[Fresh Water: Approximately 10L]

[Materials: Wood x7 units, Plastic x3 units, High-Density Alloy Plate x1 unit, Demon Shark Tooth, Corrosive Slime, Shark Bone...]

He had enough Evolution Points to upgrade the vessel to LV3.

The problem was, he still hadn’t gathered all the required materials.

[Catamaran Sailboat (LV2) -> Steam Iron Ship (LV3)]

[Upgrade Requirements: Evolution Points 500, High-Density Alloy Plate x30 units, Wood x10 units, Steam Power Core x1.]

High-Density Alloy Plates and the Power Core.

These items couldn’t possibly be found by just scavenging debris from the ocean’s surface.

Lin Ji’s eyes narrowed as he activated the [Eye of Insight].

He closed his eyes and silently thought, "I need Intelligence on the materials required to upgrade the vessel to LV3!"

Hum!

His Spiritual Power was slightly depleted.

In the next moment, a green arrow appeared in his field of vision.

The arrow pointed straight toward the southeast.

[Intelligence: A stranded cargo ship is floating 30 nautical miles to the southeast.]

[Description: It holds a large quantity of unconsumed High-Density Alloy Plates, and within the machinery units at its bottom layer, several worn-out power cores are concealed.]

[Note: The area has been occupied by a group of LV2 Sea Monsters and is extremely dangerous.]

"Found it."

Lin Ji’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Danger had always meant opportunity to him.

Now that he knew the direction, there was nothing left to hesitate about.

"Full speed ahead!"

With a thought, he adjusted the sailboat’s course, cutting through the waves towards that unknown southeastern horizon.