Da Fei took a deep breath and immediately adjusted his state of mind after the previous scare.
Leadership Skill is a Compulsory Skill for a hero. It has to be learned sooner or later. If it's wrong, so be it. Anyway, I still have plenty of Skill Points. Luck Skill, of course, must be continued to correct the Curse of Misfortune. No mistakes can be made with the remaining sharks.
Da Fei took out the Luck Skill Book, and a flash of golden light ensued.
— System Prompt: You have spent 1 Skill Point to learn Basic Luck Skill.
— Basic Luck Skill: Increases the Luck Value of the hero and hero's troops by 1 point. 1 Luck Value has a 2% chance to deal a Lucky Strike that doubles the maximum damage.
Now, Da Fei can finally kill the sharks with peace of mind.
The Crossbow Cannons roared, and each boom took away a shark's life like the Grim Reaper. The sea was red with blood, and the belly-up bodies of the dozens of dead sharks churned in the bloody waves. Those sharks that could not reach the Golden Spearfish began to gnaw at the corpses of their dead counterparts. For the sharks, as long as there is blood and flesh, they don't care if it's their own kind. And once the shark smells blood, both its damage and Attack Speed will greatly increase. This is the shark's powerful special skill, Bloody Frenzy. Were it not for the negative effect of injuring allies, this special skill could also be considered a Divine-level Special Skill.
Finally, another streak of golden light descended from the sky.
— System Prompt: Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 18! You have gained 1 free attribute point, 1 Skill Point, +2 Life Value, and +1 Command Power.
Da Fei also let out a long sigh of relief. It was really great that I managed to preserve the Crossbow Cannons with such divine wisdom and valor. They say leveling up after level 10 is tough, but is it really? I don't think so! I'm a pro, and what's hell for the weak is heaven for the pros! Wahahaha!
Only a dozen or so left. I'll send you all on your way. It's a pity to kill so many sharks without even one shark fin for compensation.
The Crossbow Cannon boomed again, taking another shark's life. And just then, the school of sharks scattered like birds startled by the twang of a bow, vanishing in an instant.
Da Fei was taken aback. Why did they suddenly run away? There were still tens of thousands of Experience Points to be had. In the midst of his surprise,
— System Prompt: Reconnaissance Skill alert! A powerful enemy is approaching. Please stay alert.
The small map immediately flashed red! Damn, a BOSS! No wonder they fled so fast; it turns out it was an enemy that even sharks are afraid of! And here I was, thinking sharks were fearless after a Bloody Frenzy.
Da Fei immediately pulled out his telescope and looked in the direction indicated on the small map, indeed he saw a giant dorsal fin breaking through the waves like a speedboat—Great White Shark! The overlord of the oceans, the king amongst overlords! Legend has it that in the ocean, the speed of a Great White Shark can match that of a car, and indeed, judging by its incredible speed, it was true!
Da Fei was stunned! Is it here for the meat or to ram the ship? As long as it doesn't hit the ship, everything is negotiable, I absolutely, absolutely won't hit you! No, no, no, there's definitely nobody here, please eat the meat with confidence!
Da Fei, in fear of being spotted, immediately ran to another closed gun port in the Gun Cabin and peeked out through the crack. After all, legend has it that the Great White Shark is the only shark that can raise its head upright above the water. Its field of vision is incomparable to that of ordinary sharks, and who knows what would happen once it was spotted.
The Great White Shark arrived in a flash, its size far beyond Da Fei's imagination—almost half the length of the ship! This is a prehistoric giant shark!
Among the floating corpses in this Blood Sea, the first prey it targeted was the thoroughly munched and delicious-smelling Golden Spearfish! Then it opened its maw that resembled a garage door—Aoowu!
— Bang! The hull shook violently! Da Fei's heart was shaken!
Am I fishing for a prehistoric giant shark? Am I seeking death? No, no, this can't go on. I just had Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" enacted before me, and now you're giving me Spielberg's "Jaws". What's next? "Pacific Rim"? Should I summon a Gundam or what?
Giant waves overturned the sea, and the ship began to rock violently, shaking as if the shark's strength was enough to overturn rivers and overturn seas!
Da Fei's heart tightened—at this rate, I might end up enacting "Titanic"! I can't lose control; I must quickly untie the ropes.
Just as Da Fei was about to run to the deck, he felt the ship start to move, and not slowly at that! The giant shark began to drag the ship along!
Da Fei was suddenly alarmed! Why isn't the shark attacking my ship?
So we're still in "Old Man and the Sea", huh? The Golden Spearfish in the story didn't just drag the old man's little boat around on the sea for days and nights and then die of exhaustion and blood loss? So, is the intelligence of this giant shark on the same level as that? Does it not know that the rope is tethered to the ship?
If that's the case, should I take the bet!?
As a lottery lover, as a speculator, this isn't really a question! But then, Da Fei suddenly realized that ever since he got the ship, he began to worry about gains and losses. Just like the low-level mistake just now, I definitely wouldn't have made it in the past.
Indeed, back in the days when I was playing an expert, curing those so-called pros without giving them a temper didn't necessarily mean my skills were absolutely better than theirs, Da Fei still had this self-awareness. In the end, it's because I didn't take the game seriously and could mess around without any concerns, hence the remarkable achievements.
After all, what I need is to surpass myself!
I'm gambling! I've already got a treasure map, learned about the Super Crossbow Cannon, and as an epic captain, I've got quite a haul; it's just a ship in the game, I can play this game.
Now, "Old Man and the Sea" is being replayed, with Da Fei stepping in as the protagonist and the great white shark as the supporting character, even the small boat has been replaced by a big ship. Dragged by the staggering force of the great white shark, Flying is charging through the waves in the ocean.
Where is the destination ahead? No need to pay attention, I'm in it till the end!
But although I say that, Da Fei truly can't stay calm. Hunched on the boat, not daring to make a move, for fear that any sound might wake the shark and alert it.
Suddenly, Da Fei felt a strong sense of dissonance. Why doesn't the shark attack my ship? If it did attack, it's clear I'd be doomed. It's as if this is like the captain's assistant trial where the creatures only attack the captain and ignore me. Does this mean the system is artificially lowering the difficulty?
If I think about it, right after I repaired the ship, a storm came, ah, the progress of a plot mission, seems about right.
Then I had nothing to eat, so I went fishing, yeah, that makes sense.
And then, the Golden Spearfish, sharks, great white sharks—all the big names of the sea that were rarely seen by naval players during the public test—are all making their appearances one after the other in this sea area. This seems too deliberate, too something, doesn't it? Normally, in the game, each boss-level big shot sticks to their own territory, rare to encounter each other, clearly these are monsters spawned by the system, just like in the Undead Realm where the system keeps spawning monsters to attack the island.
Could it be, my novice trial is not yet finished? But on the island, I clearly got a prompt saying "Assisted Captain in Battle" was completed. I even got the knife, the ship, and I'm not far from becoming an epic hero; considering it's for a newbie, this reward is already off the charts, so how is it not finished?
Wait a sec! It's unlikely that such a difficult battle task as assisting the captain is meant for someone like me who is obviously not a battle hero, right? Isn't this asking too much? The system might be a pain in the ass, but just like you wouldn't send an admiral to the mountains, the system wouldn't arrange for a player with Sailing Skill as a start to engage in battle.
Could it be that after I surpassed Blood Sea Wave, I also snatched away the trial meant for him, that I've completed his trial instead, and that my own has just begun?
In an instant, Da Fei suddenly realized!
Possible! Everything is possible! Although his skills are strong, they're only for fighting against people and monsters. But my skill is about challenging the heavens and the seas, and that's a different level altogether! Only the vast sky and sea are qualified to test me!
That's right, my trial has only just begun! Wahaha—eh! Just as Da Fei was about to burst into laughter having figured it out, he immediately covered his mouth; don't let the shark hear. If the ship's game is over, then the trial would end before it even started.
Once one thing is understood, everything else starts to make sense. Da Fei, who had always been confused about certain things, suddenly began to see the light. If the ship, sword, and epic hero are really prepared for the admiral, a divine-level hero, then what reward would I get for just beginning my trial? What kind of reward is worthy of someone like me, who fights against the heavens and the sea?
A Divine Artifact? A titan's sword thrust into the deck amidst thunder and lightning?
Makar? He's already an NPC from an epic quest.
A divine-level skill? Without any clue or information, the system won't give a reward. In this money-making game, it's more reliable to believe that one could find a system to buy with money.
A hidden profession?
Da Fei's eyebrows twitched, is there a newbie village in this world that doesn't allow job change? No! I'm a big enough newbie at level 18 and haven't changed jobs, isn't that strange? It's very strange!
So...
In an instant, the words "Navigator" sprang to Da Fei's mind!
The captain's diary mentions 'navigator' over and over, even the very first line of that strange skill book started with 'navigator', as if afraid that I wouldn't realize he was a navigator. What exactly is a navigator?
Navigator is of course a profession! But miner, doctor, chef, fisherman, dancer, including my role as Long Spear Soldier, are professions—there are so many professions in the game. So the key question is, is the navigator a hero profession? At least the official website doesn't say.
According to the official website, the hero professions for the Human Race are Knight and Priest, for the Elf Clan are Ranger and Druid, for the Undead Race are Death Knight and Undead Wizard, for the Beastman are Shaman and Barbarian; in short, they are either warrior-type or magic-type professions, capable of leading troops and boosting the group's capabilities. This is definitely not the same thing as a miner or a chef!
If Navigator is a hidden hero profession, then my trial reward might very well be it!
And a navigator leading an entire ship in the world's most dangerous job, could it possibly not be a hero profession? I've even been his helper! So, what are the conditions for becoming a navigator?
—"A skilled navigator must master not only all battle and exploration skills but must also recognize that the ocean is an unknown domain to humanity. We are so insignificant before the sea, and our knowledge and skills are never enough."
Da Fei once again flips to the first page of Renior's special edition skill book and suddenly gets it!