Chapter 26: Mysterious Items

At dusk, Gune, standing at the helm, slowly closed his hand.

The current demon-touch gestation of the Sea Demon Ship had ended. Gune estimated that in about ten days, it would reach the perfect level of gestation. At that time, while on the ship, Gune would be able to faintly sense various unusual disturbances.

For instance, if someone attacked the Sea Demon Ship, or if deep-sea alien creatures quietly climbed aboard.

As the captain, it was naturally necessary to undergo the demon-touch contact with the entire Sea Demon Ship, so that when needed, he could perform operations to submerge or surface the ship.

Of course, at present, Gune did not possess the knowledge and skills of a captain. Most operations were handled by the first mate, Jason Howell.

Once Gune had learned enough nautical knowledge from Jason Howell and Old Sea Chart, he could then fulfill his duties and responsibilities as the captain of the Demon Whale Adventure Group, piloting the Sea Demon Ship.

Then Gune stood at the bow and looked around.

Compared to the many superhuman sailors who had perfectly adapted to the sea vessel, Gune also displayed an extraordinary ability to adapt, no less than that of a superhuman sailor.

Gune's physical talent was quite remarkable.

Around the Demon Whale Ship was endless seawater, with no ships or islands in sight.

The coastline had long since disappeared.

Under the sea breeze, the Demon Whale Ship sailed at a considerable speed into the depths of the ocean.

At this moment, night gradually fell.

"Captain Jack."

At that moment, the voice of Jason Howell sounded behind Gune.

"What is it?" Gune replied softly, gazing into the deep sea in the distance.

"After dinner, we need to discuss the adventure plans."

"Mm, I know." Gune nodded slightly.

The first dinner at sea was more sumptuous than Gune had anticipated.

The main ingredient was a giant octopus four or five meters long.

After all, it was considered a half-supernatural creature; the flesh of this giant octopus was quite tough.

However, under the superb skills of three supernatural chefs, the entire octopus was made into various flavored dishes.

One could not feel the toughness of the octopus meat at all; only an incredibly rich flavor was perceptible.

After dinner, night had completely fallen.

Fortunately, the light of the stars and moon in the sky kept the ocean from being too dark.

Inside the captain's cabin.

Gune, First Mate Jason, Second Mate Baster, and Third Mate Old Sea Chart.

The four gathered around the conference table in the captain's cabin.

Then, Jason slowly spread a nautical chart on the table.

"As you all know, there is a vast amount of wealth in the ocean."

"The purpose of our Demon Whale Adventure Group is to explore the treasures hidden in the depths of the ocean."

"Unlike other adventure groups that discover new islands, find new mineral deposits, hunt and capture precious supernatural creatures, or search for pirate treasure sites,"

"the main goal of our Demon Whale Adventure Group is those places where many Sea Demon Ships and merchant ships have sunk, and many pirates have died—the dangerous places of death!"

As Jason Howell finished speaking,

Old Sea Chart and Baster both changed their expressions solemnly.

Old Sea Chart could still remain calm, but Baster nearly stood up on the spot.

"Explore those death zones?"

Baster said in a deep voice, his face dark.

"Don't you know what is hidden in those places?"

"Horrifying death curses, leaks of some sealed, unspeakable powers, deadly bizarre and peculiar forces, and even terrifying creatures that can easily kill supernatural masters—these things may all pervade those death zones."

"Even the powerful Pirate Kings steer clear of these places."

"Do you know who the most formidable Pirate King on the ocean was a hundred and twenty years ago?"

"It was a fellow named 'Shabran.'"

"He possesses over fifty demon-sea ships, with more than five Transcendent Masters under his command, making him the unrivaled overlord of the seas."

"Even the powerful sea races dare not provoke him casually."

"However, this Shabran desired more power and a longer lifespan."

"So he led all his crew to attack the 'Sea God Island,' which possessed the 'Fountain of Eternal Youth.'"

"You all should know the result."

"Shabran, along with his Transcendent Masters and over a thousand Transcendent sailors, all perished on Sea God Island."

"No one even knows how they died."

"Similar warnings have always circulated at sea."

"Therefore, I strongly oppose exploring these deadly dangerous places." Buster's tone was forceful.

"Dear Buster Johnson."

Only after Buster Johnson had finished speaking did Gunie slowly begin.

"Our group is called the Demon Whale Adventure Team, not the 'Demon Whale Suicide Squad.' Do you think we don't know what you know?"

Tapping lightly on the table, Gunie spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I have a very powerful magical item."

"As for what it is specifically, it's inconvenient to tell you for now. This treasure can guide us toward safe directions in dangerous areas."

"And this will be our strongest guarantee for exploring those dangers."

Using the magical item as a cover for the function of his encounter was clearly an excellent approach for Gunie.

But the magical item couldn't be hidden forever; rather than concealing it secretly, it was better to reveal it openly.

After all, which strong person doesn't have some magical items?

Even the Feathered Serpent Edward, whom Gunie had killed, had a very fine magical item in his equipment bracelet.

This magical item specifically required regular consumption of large amounts of seawater, and then it would periodically produce certain 'salt balls.'

After consuming these 'salt balls,' one would enter an extremely excited state and experience reduced pain.

Having one before battle could make Transcendent sailors exceptionally fierce.

Of course, the 'salt balls' couldn't be brought out for now, or it would be easy to discover that 'Captain Jack' had killed Feathered Serpent Edward.

So, having a magical item at sea was no big deal. As long as one possessed sufficient strength, owning even the most powerful magical item was fine.

As Gunie said this,

Buster's originally resistant expression gradually faded.

Old Chart felt a hint of joy in his heart; originally he hadn't held much hope for this adventure, but now that Captain Jack had brought out this powerful supernatural item, things were clearly different.

As for Yasen, he already knew Gunie possessed such a magical item and was not surprised.

Gunie continued to elaborate.

"With this treasure, when we reach these dangerous areas, I will gradually explore specific and detailed passages with the magical item. Only after confirming reliable methods and paths to enter will I lead you in."

"It won't be like my dear second mate just imagined, charging in recklessly—that's not adventure, that's suicide."

"Of course, this treasure only points to safe places. When a treasure island is completely shrouded in deadly danger, there's obviously no way in, and I won't go to such a place to die."

"And when an island group is vast and intricate, with dangers crisscrossing,"

"then entering to explore requires caution, as you might fall into some dangerous area."

"Even with my magical item, you know that the dangers of those death islands are often beyond our ability to contend with. For now, we are only qualified to explore these mysterious islands."

"It's not like we can relax and just pick up money."

"I hope you all can stay alert for this adventure."

"Not to mention the various treasure islands deep in the Misty Deep Sea,"

"just the undead in the intersection of shallow and deep seas, the more numerous undead and powerful demons in the deep sea, as well as deep-sea races and pirates, are enough to give us a hard time."

"Clearly, this adventure is not stable but full of turmoil and danger."

The three deputies were all veterans of the sea, naturally aware of the dangers Captain Jack spoke of. They would be even more cautious than Gunie; everyone was on the same ship, and no one would be foolish enough to cause trouble for themselves.

"My captain, at least tell us our first destination!"

After a long pause, Buster Johnson spoke thus.