"If fate allows, then let's meet again upon the vast sea..."
Chen Qi packed his things and left the stone gate early while the crew was fighting the sea beasts.
The Black-eyed Captain and the little crow both held back some of their strength, and they probably had some combat supplies left as well.
As long as they didn't touch that bloody eye wall, the Sawshark probably wouldn't suffer serious casualties.
With the little crow's skill level, he should be fine... Chen Qi thought to himself.
Although their time together was short, his impression of the little crow was quite good.
The other party was not a witch or a princess, yet she became a hit character in the Witch Sea block, which was not without reason.
Although sometimes she would display a sinister laugh, hee hee hee, and had a bit of a violent streak, she indeed was a good person and had given him quite a bit.
If there was a chance in the future, maybe they could collaborate again.
But on this vast sea, without strength, you can't accomplish anything.
Along the way, he encountered only sea beasts, and none deliberately made it difficult for him; some sea beasts even brought him some disgusting bat corpses, fearing he might starve...
They were all very friendly, even giving Chen Qi a feeling of returning home.
"But I'm a human after all, and I can't eat these things..."
Chen Qi looked at these sea beasts; although he possessed a Deep Sea Affinity, there was no doubt that, both in appearance and mentality, he was a bona fide human.
"After getting out, I need to advance to a Transcendent as quickly as possible."
The exit of the crack appeared before his eyes.
Chen Qi put down the parasitic sea beast that had been massaging his shoulder.
The massage was comfortable, but it was also time to say goodbye.
"Goodbye, quaint little thing."
Chen Qi hastened his pace and left the crack.
Although the chance of being caught up was very low, it would be troublesome if someone was fast enough.
...
Before long, Chen Qi passed through the narrow, dark passage and came out of the crack.
The sunlight shone on him once again.
The azure sky and the sparkling sea surface complemented each other, and the Black Whale Group's steam sailboat, the Sawshark, was right in front of him.
The sunlight was really dazzling; it must be close to noon by now... Chen Qi covered part of the sunlight with his hand. After getting used to the light, he walked toward the Sawshark.
Based on the information he had gathered, for the sake of maximizing combat capability, all the members of the Sawshark had entered the crack.
After all, even if people stayed on the ship, they couldn't relay any unexpected situations into the crack.
This was only information from others, not necessarily accurate...
But even if there were people left behind, their strength shouldn't be too strong.
Chen Qi climbed up the rope ladder and arrived on the deck of the Sawshark, carefully looking around.
As expected, he saw two people with their arms bandaged inside the ship's sick bay.
It was someone whose arms had been bitten by sharks, and since he was almost frontline capable, he didn't go into the crack.
The person lay on the deck, sunbathing, sleeping very soundly...
He wouldn't interfere with Chen Qi's escape.
Chen Qi first went to the dining room, took the sea chart used for decoration off the wall, picked up a bag of bread and two cans, and during the process, he was lucky to get his hands on a simple compass.
The entire process was performed with great dexterity.
After taking the food, he made his way to the stern of the ship.
At the stern, five steam dinghies meant for emergencies were suspended.
The steam dinghies weren't large, but their structure was clever and delicate, with a characteristic steampunk style.
Their front end was equipped with a small steam engine, and three propellers were installed at the bottom.
At the bow was a simple steering wheel, and by adjusting the angle of the wheel, it ensured safe passage through complex sea conditions.
On the bow was also a simple lantern.
On the side of the ship, in dark gold letters, the name "Black Spiral Propeller Sea Industry Company" was written.
It seemed like a legitimate brand and must have been quite expensive. Hopefully, it wasn't some rubbish cobbled together from counterfeit parts...
Chen Qi clapped his hands; he had already seen the vast ocean and his freedom lay before him!
Now, there was just one little problem troubling him.
"How do I get this boat down?"
Chen Qi looked at the hoisting mechanisms that secured the boat and fell into thought.
It seemed like it required a key, but he should be able to force it off violently.
He picked up the captain's black blade, aimed at the connection, and stabbed forcefully!
Strength worked wonders!
Whoosh!
The steam dinghy fell onto the water with a "bang".
Worthy of the captain's blade, it was indeed handy!
"Almost ready, set sail."
Chen Qi took another look around.
Suddenly, he spotted something conspicuous dangling below.
A finely crafted steel fishing rod!
On the handle of the fishing rod, there were also delicate golden patterns.
Pirates usually keep valuable things on their person, or hidden in strange objects.
And this item, judging from the patterns, seemed quite valuable...
It looked like a branded item, but he didn't know whose it was.
Never mind, he took it!
Chen Qi tossed the fishing rod and his backpack onto the boat, then spent 5 seconds studying the small boat.
This must be the engine's ignition device, like this, like this, it should start now...
Chen Qi jumped onto the small boat, looking out at the boundless sea before him.
As the moment to embark approached, the sea breeze blew over, freeing his train of thought.
Suddenly, he remembered the anime he watched as a child, about a young boy who aspired to become king of the pirates, setting sail from a small town!
This must be his first time at sea!
Going out to sea is always exciting.
Alone in a small boat, he was stepping into the new world after the apocalypse.
But without a good ship, the real voyage would likely be much more arduous.
Not to mention the dangers lurking in these waters.
The sea breeze gently brushed his black hair as Chen Qi looked out to sea, smiling wryly.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled the promotional video for the game 'Descent.'
'Descent,' as a massive open-world game, was divided into six major sections, with six countries as borders.
As the flames of the day gradually waned, centuries of peace were shattered, and blood and fire rekindled the land.
Above the Witch Sea, beneath the deep sea, witches revived, and great whales brought the tides, sweeping across the borders.
In such a world, the weak are monsters' fodder, and only powerful Transcendents have a chance to grasp their own fate.
Before crossing over, his main account was a Fourth-Rank Pet Beast Trainer from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom sector, aiming to become a master beast trainer.
Moreover, as 'Descent' was a beta game, the world's storyline hadn't developed much.
His knowledge of the Witch Sea sector wasn't extensive.
However, for every player, 'Descent' was filled with vast unknowns and dangers.
Even high and mighty nobles fell because of these unknowns, which is what made it captivating.
The keywords of the Witch Sea sector floated into Chen Qi's mind.
The sea, Crack Tide, flesh implants, wealth, treasures, steampunk technology, monsters...
These were the underlying themes of the Kingdom of Shell and the Witch Sea sector.
And the Crack Tide and the Flower Witch were preludes to the main storyline of the Witch Sea.
According to his guess, now was just the eve of the story.
Even the Crack Tide might not have arrived yet...
After the Descent, the Witch Sea would get lively!
But by then, survival skills would be even more essential.
"Need to get stronger quickly, to advance to a Transcendent."
As Chen Qi pondered, he started the steamboat's engine.
Now, he couldn't treat this world merely as a game.
He wasn't a player who could be resurrected after death, but rather someone constantly facing the danger of death.
This was a real world, one he had to take seriously...
Having crossed into another world, he had to make the best of his life.
Looking at the waves, Chen Qi's thoughts were complex and hard to describe.
In this world, you either rot in the sea or become a legend, one that could topple the entire world!
In a hazy vision, he seemed to see himself after setting out to sea, amidst a massive storm, with monsters surging over the sea towards him like a raging tide.
"A high inspiration, huh..."
Chen Qi chuckled to himself.
No matter what, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
With the roar of the propeller and engine, the small boat sailed toward the open sea!
Embarking on the voyage!
...
...