“...System announcement...”“...Congratulations to all players for surviving the fifth day. The trading system is now officially open. Please check the log for details...”A strange voice echoed in Yang Yi’s mind, and he slowly regained consciousness.“Fifth day... Did I pass out for more than two days?”Yang Yi felt as if his limbs were filled with lead—his whole body cold, lips cracked, throat burning.He immediately checked his status.Status: Seriously Injured / Corpse Poison Infection (Severe)Body display: Entire body redSanity: 100 / 100Stamina: 23 / 100Vitality: 14 / 100(Below 100 = injured, below 50 = moderately injured, below 30 = seriously injured, below 10 = near-death. In near-death state, any further attack may cause instant death.)Yang Yi’s condition was already close to death.Struggling to get up, tormented by thirst, he decided to eat something to rehydrate, then check the trading channel to see if he could buy any lifesaving medicine.But just as he stood, he suddenly noticed—there was another ship moored beside him.It was a pirate ship flying a skull flag, over twenty meters long, with two grappling hooks latched onto the Nightmare.A wooden plank connected the two vessels, forming a narrow bridge.“Not good!”Yang Yi instantly went on alert—but it was already too late.An arrow flew toward him, striking his left arm. The force was tremendous—it went straight through.That one shot dropped Yang Yi’s Vitality to 9 points, pushing him into a near-death state.He immediately collapsed and hid under the edge of the deck.Then he heard movement—someone was crossing the plank between the two ships.That person was likely coming to confirm whether Yang Yi was truly dead.The arrow wasn’t lethal, missing any vital points, but Yang Yi had fallen too quickly. The attacker probably hadn’t seen clearly and wanted to make sure.Due to the system rules, the man couldn’t board the Nightmare directly.So he’d been following Yang Yi all along, waiting for the ship’s owner to appear—once he killed him, the ship would be his.Yang ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Yi instantly grasped the situation, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.“If you want to kill me... then surely you won’t mind being killed yourself.”His mind was set—he would kill.Though his left arm was wounded, it didn’t hurt anymore, and his right arm still worked fine—enough to aim and pull the trigger.He gripped his flintlock and quietly removed the landing restriction.He was certain the attacker didn’t have any powerful firearms—otherwise he would’ve used them already.The man boarded and immediately noticed a pale figure lying on the deck.The figure’s eyes were blood-red, his body reeking of rot like a corpse—clearly the result of corpse poison infection.Even more terrifying, that “corpse” was holding a large-caliber flintlock, its dark muzzle aimed straight at him.“Don’t move. If you so much as draw your bow or make any sudden move, I’ll blow your head off,” Yang Yi rasped as he slowly sat up.The other man froze, too afraid to act rashly.In truth, Yang Yi didn’t dare fire casually either.A flintlock is most threatening when not fired—once fired, two outcomes exist: a misfire or a real shot.If it misfired, Yang Yi was finished.If it fired, the man would likely be blasted apart.“Throw your weapon down. No unnecessary movements,” Yang Yi ordered, voice low and hoarse but full of menace.The man hesitated, unsure whether to obey.Yang Yi stood, indifferent, his body exuding a thick stench of rot and salt that could make anyone retch.An arrow still pierced his left arm, but he acted as if nothing was wrong. Without blinking, he reached into his clothes, pulled out a massive eyeball—and took a bite.The eyeball trembled violently, as though begging for mercy.But Yang Yi was too thirsty to care—he devoured it in three gulps, black viscous fluid dripping from his mouth.The pirate was petrified.【You have been disturbed. Sanity -10】He looked down and saw on the deck several rotting sardine legs, a bloated toxic pufferfish, and a pile of half-eaten sardine heads.【You witness unidentified biological remains with bite marks. Sanity -7】Realizing this was a ghost ship, terror overwhelmed him.With a shriek, he threw down his weapon and bolted.Yang Yi took aim—waited two steps—and pulled the trigger.Click!A misfire. Barely any sound.The pirate, back turned, didn’t notice.Yang Yi immediately picked up the man’s longbow.【Name: Pirate Longbow】【Type: Treasure】【Grade: Fine】【Description: Slightly increases archery accuracy and reduces draw strength required.A pirate’s best mate!】Without hesitation, Yang Yi jabbed the bloated pufferfish with an arrowhead, then drew and fired.Whoosh!His weak body couldn’t fully draw the bow, and his aim was poor.But at only three or four meters apart, the shot still hit—piercing the man’s thigh. The wound wasn’t deep.Though truth be told... Yang Yi had aimed for the chest.Still—a hit is a hit!The pirate yanked the arrow out and kept running toward the bow, apparently trying to escape.Yang Yi didn’t chase. Instead, he lay back down, exhausted.If the man counterattacked, he wouldn’t stand a chance.Luckily, the pirate was too terrified to fight back—he fled by ship.When the sound of oars faded, Yang Yi finally forced himself upright.He looked like a zombie—and truthfully, he was close to becoming one.He couldn’t feel pain; his wounds didn’t bleed. His mind was foggy, body sluggish.He went below deck, drank what little water remained, ate the rest of the eyeball fruit, and regained a bit of strength before looking out to sea.The pirate ship was already far off, a dark shape in the distance.Yang Yi steered the Nightmare, following from afar.He was waiting—for the poison to kick in.After all, that bloated pufferfish—just by name—screamed “lethal toxin.” It was likely a mutated abyssal pufferfish.And pufferfish toxins were notorious for being deadly.After about fifteen minutes of pursuit, he caught up.He repeated his method—grappling the pirate ship and laying another plank bridge.He was in terrible shape—just moving the wood took several rests.Once aboard, he kept his flintlock ready and crept toward the bow.The man lay motionless—seemingly dead.But it could be an act—to make him drop his guard.He might have an antidote!Cautious, Yang Yi stayed four meters away and aimed at the man’s head.Click!Another misfire. This weapon was really testing his patience.He waited another minute.Boom!The man’s head burst like an overripe melon.Only then did Yang Yi relax and approach.Once bitten, twice shy. (TL note: an idiom used here means being cautious after a bad experience.)After his earlier ambush by the drowned ones, he was now hyper-alert.Searching the body, he found a glowing orb.【You obtained Conch Coins ×400】That must have been the pirate’s money.His bloodstained pirate coat also seemed useful.【Bloodstained Elegant Pirate Coat】【Type: Relic】【Quality: Fine】【Description: Once worn by a self-styled “noble fool.”+1 Agility. Wearing it continuously causes Sanity to decrease over time.(Effect negated if Mental Strength ≥ 8)】Wearing this, the man’s sanity likely wasn’t very high—he might’ve already gone mad.Yang Yi took the coat and prepared to loot the rest of the ship.Then he suddenly noticed—his “???” skill’s unlock progress had changed from 0/3 to 1/3.“Don’t tell me... the unlock condition is killing someone?”He wasn’t sure—he didn’t know exactly when the counter had increased.

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