"Welcome to the Endless Sea!"
"Here, you will face trials that test your strength, your wits, and your resolve…"
A deep, echoing voice filled Black's mind.
"You are one of the chosen, transported to this vast and unforgiving world. The sea is your playground, your battlefield, your prison."
"You will begin alone, but the choices you make will shape your destiny."
"Stay ahead, keep sailing forward, for behind you, the Black Mist will follow. And if it catches you... you will perish."
Black awoke with a sharp gasp. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying on the cold, hard floor of a rickety wooden cabin. A strange sensation washed over him, as though he were awakening from a deep, suffocating slumber.
His body felt lighter than usual—too light, in fact. He reached for his legs, his arms, confirming the absence of the sharp pain and numbness that had plagued him for so long. He could move. It was a miracle.
He pushed himself to his feet, coughing as a layer of dust filled his lungs. The dim light of the room revealed a decaying ship's cabin. The walls were warped, and the windows cracked, letting in a cool breeze from the outside.
On a table nearby lay a skeletal figure, clutching an old, rusted pistol. The bones were picked clean, and the skull had a gaping hole where its contents had long since spilled out.
Black's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained neutral. He had seen death before, but never quite like this. What was happening?
He stumbled over to the window and looked outside. The sight was overwhelming—a vast, endless ocean stretched out before him. No land in sight, just the rhythmic crash of waves against the hull of a ship. For a moment, he just stood there, absorbing the eerie silence.
Then, the voice echoed in his mind once more.
"Welcome, traveler. You are now one of the Endless. You will find a journal nearby, a guide to your survival. Your path will be shaped by your choices, your skills, and your resolve."
Black's eyes narrowed as he spotted a small, weathered book on the table. The Navigator's Log, it was called, with an engraving of a compass on the cover. He opened it, feeling a strange warmth seep through his fingers as the pages flipped to the first entry.
[Everyone should know where they are now]
[That's right! You're all at sea, with a distance of over 500 nautical miles between each other, so we won't meet in the short term]
[There should be a small booklet near you called a navigation log]
[There are many useful functions above that can enable you to communicate without barriers.]
[Just give it a try and you'll know]
[As for other content, we will inform everyone in the form of an announcement later. Please stay tuned]
The sound disappeared.
Black lowered his head and saw the booklet on the bed, which had four words on it - a navigation log, a black cover, but the size of a palm.
It kept emitting a faint light, as if calling for Yang Yi to open it.
Black picked it up, opened it, and the first page had rules written on it.
The first page was simple, yet chilling:
1.You will be given a ship. Its condition and capabilities depend on your starting choices.
2.You will be given a new body, healthy and free of disease.
3.Your ship cannot be boarded unless you are dead.
4.Your ship's resources cannot be stolen by others unless you die.
5.The Black Mist is your enemy. It can moves faster than you, and if it catches you, death is inevitable.
6.The Log is bound to your soul. It will provide you guidance, but you must learn to navigate it.
7.You will never be alone. But solitude is not the same as safety.
Black paused, letting the words sink in. The gravity of the situation weighed on him. The Black Mist? A ship? Was this real?
He turned to the next page, where his status was displayed in neat, cold lines:
Name: Black
Health: Healthy
Strength:3
Agility:6
Intelligence:9
Stamina:4
Luck:6
Mental Fortitude:10/10
Skill: Embodiment of Darkness
You can transform into the Black Mist, avoiding all physical damage and absorbing 40% of magic damage.
He felt a strange reassurance.
Mental Fortitude was maxed out, an odd sense of security in a world that seemed hostile.
He wasn't sure what this "Iron Resolve" meant, but it sounded useful.
Survival seemed to hinge not only on physical strength but on one's ability to withstand the psychological toll this world could bring.
He would need that strength. He had lived through far worse.
Suddenly, a soft hum echoed in his mind, and a new notification popped up:
"New ship detected. Proceed to the deck."
Without thinking, Black made his way to the nearest door and stumbled out into the bright daylight.
His vision swam for a moment as the sunlight hit him, blinding him temporarily.
But when his eyes adjusted, he gasped.
He stood on the deck of a ship—a wooden vessel, its sails tattered and old. A small boat.
It was a far cry from what he had expected.
The ship wasn't much—barely enough to survive, it seemed.
The wood was warped, the ropes fraying at the edges. The sails were patched with old fabric, held together by crude stitches.
But as he looked out over the sea, his stomach tightened.
The sea was endless.
No land in sight. No other ships.
Just the open water, stretching out to an unreachable horizon.
The ship seemed so fragile against the might of the ocean. How would it survive this?
As if in response to his thoughts, the system's voice echoed in his mind once more:
"You have three days of protection. After that, the true journey begins."
Black gritted his teeth. Three days. That was all he had before everything became real.
Before the mist caught up with him.
He stepped to the side of the ship and peered over the edge, seeing only the infinite expanse of water below.
His gaze fixed on the horizon. There was nothing. No sign of land, no sign of anything but the deep, endless blue.
He continued to scroll back and found the chat channel.
It is divided into world chat, regional chat, and private chat.
At present, the world channel is the busiest, with people speaking one after another.
"Is anyone there"
"What exactly is the situation"
"I was just pooping and haven't wiped my butt yet. In the blink of an eye, I'm on the boat"
"I'm the only one here, do any of you have a phone? Call the police for me"
"Who kidnapped me? Do you know who my dad is"
"Maybe your dad came over too"
"Son, is that you"
"Don't blindly recognize"
"My fractured hand has actually healed"
"There is pain... this is not a dream"
....
The number of online users has reached billions, and it is estimated that everyone has been pulled in.
Black wasn't in a hurry to speak, but was reading chat messages and gathering potential intelligence.
Each person can only send 10 world messages per day, and if there are any more, they will have to pay Conch Coins, one hundred Conch Coins per message
Yang Yi is not sure what this conch coin is, and he doesn't have it in his hand either.
After more than ten minutes, the chaotic speech gradually decreased, and the conversation became more nutritious.
"Are there also 7 rules in your manual"
"Please stick together, are there any teams"
"The distance is too far and there are no coordinates, so we can't stick together now"
"We should share intelligence and help each other"
"Have you inspected the ship? I found a piece of equipment"
With news:
Name: Harpoon Stained with the Blood of the Old Captain
Type: Relic
Quality: Good (Item Rarity: Common, Good, Fine, Rare, Epic, Heroic, Masterwork, etc.)
Description: Very sharp, capable of dealing minor damage to otherworldly creatures, but will enrage them.
Note: Using relics comes with a risk of diminishing sanity. (Excessive loss of sanity may lead to madness.)
Note: Using relics carries a risk of reducing sanity.
Suddenly, the world chat exploded.
"What are 'otherworldly monsters'? Are there creatures in this world?"
"I don't have anything, just some fresh water, bread, and vegetables I found in the cabin."
"You have vegetables? I only have sausages!"
On the sea, vegetables were far rarer than meat.
"What about your ship? Is it big? My ship is over 100 meters, it's huge..."
"What! My ship is only 10 meters!"
That person quickly shared their ship's details.
[Steel Heart, Level 1, Durability: 5000/5000, Capacity: 8000 units, Speed: 5 knots]
[Ship Skill: Full Firepower: Increases cannon rate of fire by 200% for 15 minutes.]
[Triple Harpoon Strike: Can penetrate objects it attaches to.]
[Description: Its speed may not be great, but you'd better be faster!]
"Damn! This game isn't fair! His ship has cannons from the start!"
"Special ships have skills. My ship is completely bare!"
"I'm going to reset my start. Is there a pay-to-win store? I've got the money!"
"Are you all idiots? His ship has a speed of 5 knots, slower than the black fog!"
"Right, the black fog moves at 10 knots! He's done for, hahaha!"
At that moment, an announcement popped up.
[Navigation Announcement:
"Your starting conditions are all different! Ships, items, personal talents, and starting locations are all set based on your personality and experiences. No objections!"]
"Who believes this? There's definitely some shady stuff going on! Some people start with weapons, and I only have food!"
"While others stock up on food, I stock up on guns. They'll be my food warehouse!"
"Is it possible that people with cannons near them will encounter monsters, and I won't?"
Black closed the log and started searching around the room.
He discovered that the hat on the skeleton's head was an item of equipment.
Name: Moldy Golden Threaded Hat Soaked in Water
Type: Relic
Quality: Fine
Description: Once the creation of a royal court magic master, but has been severely moldy from prolonged exposure to water. Its effectiveness is now only 50% of its original, providing moderate protection against damage from otherworldly creatures and slowly regenerating energy.
"A fine item?"
Black's expression grew serious.
Just as the announcement had stated, the starting conditions were fair.
But if he had gotten this magical hat, did that mean he was starting in hell?
He pushed aside the skeleton on the table and found a piece of paper underneath. It was badly rotted, with only a few words barely legible.
"...There's no more supplies on the ship, I'll have to try fishing."
"...Lucky today, caught a tiger-striped fish, enough to last two days."
"...Heh, I caught an antique magic hat. It's a bit odd, but looks like it's worth a lot of money!"
The rest of the paper was covered in bloodstains, with only the last line still visible.
"How could there be something like this in the sea?"
After reading, he frowned slightly, then stood up and left the captain's room.
Outside, he was on the deck corridor. He looked up and carefully examined his ship.
A thick, inky darkness, as if it were blending into the blackened sea, with black flags, black masts, black decks—everything was black.