- A notable sailor must not only master all combat and exploration skills. The ocean is a domain unknown to mankind, and in front of it, we are so insignificant, our knowledge and skills are never enough.
- For sailors, every day and every moment is the same scenery, dull and boring. But only the finest sailors can make significant discoveries from these ordinary environments, and the truth often lies hidden within the commonplace things we take for granted.
Da Fei flipped through the pages of Renior's Sailing Skill Book, but apart from the inspirational sayings on the first and last pages, there was no other annotation, it was no different from his own regular Sailing Skill Book.
Da Fei was confused. Did Renior just add his name before the title of the Skill Book to make it a special edition, like a primary school student writing their name on their textbook to make it theirs? Isn't that a bit unreliable? Aren't game item settings supposed to be precise, staying true to what they are supposed to be or potentially have some hidden meaning?
Da Fei took out Makar's Skill Book for comparison; both books had names on them, but Makar's was filled with numerous scribbles and notations! Look, just flipping through, there's another line:
- The closer I get to divine, the more I realize how insignificant I am.
Holy shit! He's approaching God? Indeed, launching a Fireball that blows away the level 8 creature Leviathan, and being a formidable figure just beneath the Death God in the Undead Realm. Mighty and exceptional in capabilities, his strength near godlike and renown outstanding. He's also a cunning hypocrite plotting slyly. Are my epic quests really about contending against such a guy? But then again, these two remarkable personas appear quite humble? It's not the proud opponents who are frightening; it's the humble ones. Guess I stand even less of a chance?
Continuing to flip through, then there were lots of magical symbols that no gamer could understand. Until he finished flipping through Makar's doodled book, the system did not prompt any acquisition of Divine Skills or the like.
This is clearly not right!
As for Juan's book, which records Divine Skills, a common person wouldn't discover its content, and that's fine, but at least the Artillery Commander, who is a must-defeat gatekeeper BOSS, his journal contains information about the Divine Cannon. How could someone of Renior Makar's caliber not provide any information? Didn't Makar mention trying to experiment with artificially mass-producing BOSSes earlier in the text?
Da Fei was even more confused.
Wait a minute! Most people probably wouldn't find Juan's remains, right? Meaning, under normal circumstances, players wouldn't discover that Makar is a grand schemer, would they? So what would the following normal task be?
Of course, it would be to fulfill the unfinished dream of the Artillery Commander by asking Makar for the Phantom Crossbow Cannon, right? This Black Magic Skill Book is also Makar's thing, so naturally, after obtaining it, players would return it to its rightful owner for a reward, right? And what about the Soul Crystal obtained after killing the Misfortune Ghost? Surely, it must relate to Makar in some way? Perhaps it should be given to him to see any reward?
So, be it friend or foe, this Makar is an essential character to confront.
Suddenly, Da Fei had a stroke of insight! Brother, I've figured it out!
Makar, whether in terms of power, abilities, cunning, or personality, is an unbeatable character, and players definitely can't win against him. And the Epic Quest's task hint has that phrase, "Presenting the diary to the Emperor might result in being ignored by the Emperor for certain considerations," suggesting that even the Lionheart Empire's Emperor must consider Makar substantially, meaning even NPC forces might not be his match. In fact, given his renown, who would dare to touch him?
So, Makar is literally designed to be an unbeatable entity?
Then, there's only one way to defeat such a person: gain his trust and then find an opportunity to betray him! Throughout history, how many heroes have fallen by the hands of those they trusted most? Under normal circumstances, after completing this trial, players would definitely befriend him and rely on him, maybe even follow him thereafter, right?
So, there's only one way to complete the Epic Quest—by taking a roundabout route!
That's why I'll return the Artillery Commander's diary filled with enthusiastic flattery, along with his Black Magic Book and Soul Crystal to Makar, boosting the NPC's favorability, gaining his trust, and then slowly infiltrating his confidential inner circle. Who knows, I might even get my hands on Mithril Island?
When I'm fully prepared, I'll present the Sailing Captain's diary to the Emperor, demonstrating utmost loyalty as an insider. The Emperor will surely regard me as a fiercely loyal subject. By then, I'll be playing both sides, reaping the benefits from both!
Haha! Wahahaha! I'm so cunning! Of course, it's not my fault. I'm inherently innocent; it's just this game that's corrupted me. This game really does harm the youth! Wahaha!
But after all, it's just a game, and all of this has a huge prerequisite. I've already taken on the Epic Quest to oppose him. How will the story progress? What will happen when I meet Makar? Will he kill me instantly? Or will it be like Infernal Affairs, where he knows nothing?
Damn, since I've already taken on the quest and become his enemy, I don't care if he kills me instantly. In any case, I must try; otherwise, I can't complete the quest. As soon as I can return to the city, the first thing is to find Makar. As long as I deceive him for the bounty, I'll have my initial capital for trading and ship repairs.
Having figured it out, Da Fei suddenly saw the light—the future has a clear direction for me.
However, I've figured out Makar's issue but not the Captain's. Do I really have to wait until the soul residing in the sword wakes up to ask him? Damn, when will that be?
Da Fei flipped through other books on the Captain's bookshelf, mostly poems and geography atlases. The sailing log was also filled with records of daily safety management.
After flipping for a long time, Da Fei had no gains, and having stayed up all night and fought until this noon, he was becoming increasingly confused and couldn't hold on any longer. It's time to log off and sleep.
—System Prompt: Player Attention! You are currently in the high seas, once you log off, your ship may be subjected to various unknown threats. To avoid unnecessary losses, we suggest you purchase the Divine Sanctuary item from the store. (Note: Players cannot log off in enemy camp territory)
—Divine Sanctuary: When a player hero logs off in the wilderness, Divine Sanctuary can protect the player's troops from any attacks. During the protection period, Time Stops. Item price: 20 points. (Note: The more troops the hero has, the more expensive the item)
Apologies! Logging off costs 20 bucks! Damn, they're money-crazy! Is my ship really that valuable?
In Heroic Creation Era, logging off is an annoying design. Individual players can log off any time, but players with troops have to be more careful. After all, the troops won't log off with the player; otherwise, logging off could be considered a Divine Skill in ambushes. So, players with troops can only log off after reaching a town, storing their troops at the town's barracks. If in the wilderness with no towns, either entrust the troops to a Vice Hero, or purchase this Divine Sanctuary store item. The longer the log-off time, the more troops are protected, and the more expensive the item gets. Thus, war with troops is a game only rich people can afford.
Cut it out, I'm a professional player here to make money, not to give my money away. I won't fall for their tricks, I'll just AFK and sleep! I set the system prompt as an alarm ringtone. Let the ship continue to drift! Best if when I wake up, the ship has drifted to land and is saved. I don't believe the vast, boundless sea could pop up a Leviathan to swallow my ship, right? Besides, in the current state of the ship, whatever comes, as a bare-bone Captain, I've only got dying left. Ultimately, I'll leave it up to fate.
And so, Da Fei, wrapped in his helmet, soundly fell asleep.
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