Survival at Sea: My Warship is a Rubber Duck?

Chapter 92 The Siren Merchant Came Following the Scent

Chapter 92 The Siren Merchant Came Following the Scent

Yu Wang edited the message and selected send. The message was sent, but the other party seemed to be busy and did not reply immediately.

He had no choice but to close the panel and put the matter aside for the time being.

I need to treat my injuries and this big bug first.

The sea helmet worm, which had been lying upside down, finally flipped over and stood there in a daze.

I don't know if it was damaged by the puppet gu, but now it looks silly and is not nearly as cunning as it was when it was in the cavity.

Just as Yu Wang was about to treat his injuries, Zhang Xinlan's voice came from the side, "Yu Wang? You're back?"

She was wearing an apron made from scraps of waterproof canvas and thick linen gloves.

To prevent dust and dried seaweed debris from getting into her hair while cleaning the cabin, she neatly pinned it up and secured it with a sharpened wooden hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and neck. A few stray strands fell casually beside her cheeks, making her look fresh and capable.

Her gaze was quickly drawn to the enormous sea helmet worm beside Yu Wang, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: "You brought it out? You succeeded?"

"I guess so." Yu Wang gave a wry smile and briefly explained the collapse of the dungeon.

After hearing this, Zhang Xinlan was still shaken. She quickly took out the "Recovery Liquid Pro" that had been used to kill the larvae and eggs and helped Yu Wang treat his bruises and abrasions.

While tending to her wound, Zhang Xinlan casually mentioned her achievement: "Oh, by the way, I put that God of Food figurine on the shelf in the Ghost Ship's captain's cabin. If Duck wants to set out offerings, she can just go there."

Yu Wang nodded, then looked around the cabin, trying to find Duck A and confirm whether it had heard the new arrangement.

However, no matter how much he looked around the cockpit and deck, he couldn't find that familiar bright yellow figure.

A thought struck him, and he immediately brought up his personal panel, switching to the [Summoned Items] tab.

Sure enough, the line that originally displayed "[Black Merchant Duck · Duck A]" was now empty. Both the name and status had disappeared.

A strange sense of emptiness welled up in Wang's heart, mixed with wisps of nostalgia.

Although I knew the ducks were just "going back to recharge," the bond we formed after ten days of living together, from knowing nothing to being trained to be almost omnipotent, was genuine.

Zhang Xinlan's eyes were also filled with reluctance. Her nose tingled, tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked with emotion.

'

Duck A it————”

Just then, Yu Wang suddenly climbed onto the head of the Little Yellow Duck and began to mutter rapidly and indistinctly into the air, as if chanting a spell or talking to someone.

Before Zhang Xinlan could fully release her grief, she saw a flash of light in front of Yu Wang, and then *splat*!

The black duck has reappeared.

Judging from its expression, it seemed quite confused about its quick return. Its beady black eyes darted left and right, and it shook its head, pondering how it had been rehired so soon.

Zhang Xinlan: "————"

The emotions that had just begun to build up!

Yu Wang had no time to explain, his attention was completely drawn to the new changes on the ship's skill panel.

[Skill: Gaaaaa]

[Description: Sacrifice 100 units of food to summon a duckling follower. (The ducks are all singing in unison, "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!")]

[Partner illustrations unlocked: Regular Duck, Black Merchant Duck]

A new interface called "Partner Compendium" has been added at the bottom of the panel.

Click on the unlocked illustrations to see detailed information about the corresponding duck and the resources required to wake it up again!

A regular duck is still equivalent to 100 units of regular fish meat.

Black Merchant Duck also evolved from ordinary duck. Awakening it also requires ordinary fish meat, but in greater quantities, requiring 500 units.

"I see!" Yu Wang exclaimed in sudden realization. "After unlocking the encyclopedia, you can use the corresponding resources to awaken previously awakened duck companions! Moreover, the resource requirements for awakening will vary depending on the duck's level and type!"

So, Duck A, who had just lain down and hadn't even warmed the blankets yet, was called back to work by his boss with an urgent order, looking completely bewildered.

It's much more convenient to have experienced, long-term employees than to train a new intern!

Yu Wang was actually quite tormented inside, feeling somewhat like an evil capitalist who exploited child laborers.

"Ahem—hey, Duck A, just got back, don't rush to work yet. I'll give you half a day off! Go play on the Ghost Pirate Ship, and while you're at it—um, remember to put some goodies in that little stove on the shelf in the captain's cabin."

"Huh? (Are you sure?)" Duck A tilted its head.

Yu Wang: "Gaga. (Very certain)"

For the next half day, Yu Wang and Zhang Xinlan enjoyed a relatively relaxed time.

Yu Wang was at ease recuperating from his injuries.

"Kangfuxin Liquid Pro" has a remarkable effect on sprains and bruises. After spraying it on, wait a few minutes for the skin to absorb it, and most of the bruise will disappear. It will also not cause dull pain when pressed.

The two continued stretching and conditioning exercises to help their bodies better digest the attribute increases brought about by the food.

Yu Wang's task has one more aspect.

That is, training this sea helmet worm that has suddenly become dazed.

Yu Wang, through the mental connection established by the puppet gu, attempted to give it more complex instructions, such as "move this storage box", "turn backwards", and "avoid something while walking".

Sea helmet worms are slow to react, but they are absolutely obedient. Their only drawback is that they often misunderstand commands and are mistaken by puppet worms as disobeying orders, resulting in accidental injury.

At first, it would scream in Yu Wang's head from time to time, but it got much better after he got used to the basic commands.

The daytime slipped away quietly in this fulfilling atmosphere.

Dusk fell, but the blood moon had not yet risen.

The game system's sarcastic daily summary voice would ring out in the minds of all survivors on time, only to fade away amidst curses or numbness.

Shortly after the system sound disappeared, at a time when most people might be temporarily relaxing, a new message popped up in Yu Wang's private chat window.

"Survival is victory: Are you there? I wonder if any of your fleet members are interested in joining the Island Control Fleet for the 'Lion Ant Dynasty' instance? We're setting off at six tomorrow morning. There's a core area that looks like a storage room that our team can't handle. The loot will be distributed according to contribution, so you can choose first."

They're moving quickly; they've already reached the storage room, which is full of rice and wheat. If they take it down, they can have some carbohydrates.

If it can be cultivated to the point of germination, it can achieve sustainable development.

You're going to hit the jackpot: "Maybe next time, for now I'll only be operating with my own fleet."

After refusing the "survival is victory" invitation, Yu Wang browsed through the private chat interface and found that quite a few people had invited him to run dungeons together, and the prices offered were even more tempting.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't easily team up with a group whose background he didn't know.

As night deepened, the sea was stained red by the blood moon.

Just as the Little Yellow Duck and the Ghost Ship were drifting quietly, and Yu Wang had finished treating his injuries and replenishing his strength, preparing to start today's lawn mowing work, he realized that something was wrong with the night.

The sea surface was unusually "clean".

As far as the eye could see, apart from the shimmering red light reflected by the blood moon, there was only the empty sea. Even the usually annoying whispers and scratching sounds from the bottom of the boat had disappeared.

"Where's my little money—no, where's my monster?" Yu Wang frowned, his brows furrowing repeatedly. Where was this monster, as thin as a leek?!

At that moment, a melodious, ethereal song, tinged with a touch of sadness, drifted quietly from the distant sea, accompanied by a thin mist.

The singing seemed to possess a magical power, making the already turbulent sea even calmer.

[You heard a comforting song, sanity +1]

A small tin boat, its hull rusted and its mast askew, with an old merchant flag flying at its bow, pierced through the fog like a ghost and slowly sailed toward the Little Yellow Duck.

The ship looked rather strange, like a mobile convenience store floating on the water.

The main body of the cabin appeared to be a closed metal box, with three walls not sealed off. Only a small communication opening, similar to a bank teller counter, was left on the front, from which a dim, flickering candlelight shone.

A tall, slender figure, clad in a tight-fitting black silk dress, could be vaguely seen sitting inside the cabin. Her face was cold and beautiful, and although she was smiling, she always exuded an insurmountable sense of aloofness.

It was Cersei, the siren merchant she had met once before.

Yu Wang was already waiting at the ship's side. As per the rules, he handed in one pearl coin through the exchange as a transaction ticket, and then added five more pearl coins as a tip.

"Oh?" A slightly surprised murmur came from inside the cabin. "Why are you being so generous today? What happy occasion has occurred?"

Zhang Xinlan observed the transaction with curiosity. It was her first time seeing the legendary siren merchant in person, and adhering to the principle of learning more, observing more, and speaking less, she carefully observed Yu Wang's actions.

After paying for the tickets, Yu Wang immediately asked, "The sea is very calm tonight, did you do that?"

Cersei: "Of course, I should have come yesterday! Unfortunately, there were too many monsters, I couldn't get close at all. It cost me a lot to get rid of them. Making a deal with you is really difficult! *slurp* Don't disappoint me!"

"Slurp~ Excuse me, you smell too good — no, the smell of wealth on you smells too good."

She tilted her head slightly, revealing a smile that could make mortals swoon: "Thanks to you, I finally managed to redeem this old ship I mortgaged with the money I earned from you last time. I can't rest easy if I don't help you out in some way."

You have been captivated by the benevolent gaze of a siren.

A system notification appeared silently before Yu Wang's eyes, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Oh, right, since you're still so sensible, I'll tell you something. This item was originally one of the items we were planning to sell tonight, but we'll give it to you for half price."

Yu Wang's eyes narrowed slightly: "Is it related to the migratory season?"

"Smart." Cersei nodded approvingly, then sighed. "This migration season is quite unusual. Those extraordinary creatures from the neighboring seas, who shouldn't have set foot in the Primordial Sea, are somehow daring to disregard the rules set by the Guardians and follow the schools of fish across the border in large numbers."

"And at night, the deep-diving creatures from the abyss also crawl out. They are stupid and greedy, and they eat almost anything!"

Other monsters, out of respect for the Siren faith, will coexist peacefully with us monster merchants, but the Deep Ones are completely incomprehensible!

"My fellow countrymen had already received the Lord's warning and fled to the shore for refuge. As for me—I was really short of money, thinking of doing one last job, making a quick buck, and then running away."

"Deep Diver?" Zhang Xinlan repeated the word subconsciously upon hearing it.

"It has a preliminary human form, its whole body is covered with scales, it has gills on the sides of its neck, its fingers are webbed, and its head is like a hybrid of a frog and a fish."

After receiving the tip, Cersei dutifully explained, "Fortunately, the Deep Ones can't go ashore. You should head northeast; that direction will take you past an archipelago where you can seek shelter at night."

Yu Wang seriously considered the suggestion.

Just as Cersei uttered the words "Deep Diver," the Iristi figurines in the cabin, who had been playing with piles of Want Want Little Buns, suddenly shrunk into a stone ball!

This is by no means out of fear of the "Deep Diver's" own strength.

If we were to rank monsters, then the Drowned would be at the very bottom, F1, while the Black-haired Water Sprite would be a slightly stronger F.

.

The armored monster that confronted the Little Yellow Duck last night was D.

The unidentified spherical monster that kept bothering the Little Yellow Duck during the newbie protection period is C.

The Deep One is E, who is in the middle position.

According to the crude monster ranking system, the Deep One is far less powerful than the troublesome spherical monster during the beginner protection period.

Even C-rank and D-rank monsters are wary of Iristiel's power, so theoretically, an E-rank Deep One should not cause such a violent reaction in the figure.

It can make a figurine conceal all its aura, disguising it as a stubborn rock.

There is probably only one reason: the "god" that the deep-diving people believe in and serve!

Iristiel is on the run!

This means that when the Deep Ones attack, the figurines can provide very limited help, and the Little Yellow Duck will have to rely on itself to get through everything!

If it's just one or two monsters, Yu Wang isn't afraid at all; he treats it like fighting elite monsters.

The problem is, however, that deep-divers almost never act alone!

They are typical gregarious predators.

Often, dozens or hundreds of them swarm together, a dense, overwhelming mass! They may not be very intelligent, but their numbers make up for it. Among them, the best individuals may have even reached extraordinary levels and possess special abilities!

After hearing Cersei's explanation, Zhang Xinlan gasped, "Wow—we really do seem to have all the 'good things' in the world."

Cersei rolled her eyes at her, a hint of amusement in her gaze: "Little sister, the prevailing opinion in many seas these days is that all these troubles were caused by you humans."

"The world had been running smoothly for hundreds of years. Although there were some ups and downs, it was generally peaceful. But as soon as you humans came, all sorts of good and bad things, buried deep, lurking, and things that shouldn't have appeared—all of them sprang out like sharks that smelled fish."

She spread her pale hands: "It's going to be difficult for you to completely sever ties."

Yu Wang remained noncommittal. Noticing Zhang Xinlan beside him quietly yawn, he went straight to the point: "What good stuff are you selling tonight? Put it all out. By the way, can you get some magic powder?"

"————"

Cersei paused, not immediately answering the question about the products. A rare hint of embarrassment appeared on her usually aloof face.

She coughed lightly, as if making a tactical decision, and asked in a consultative tone, "Um—there's one more thing. Remember that stone statue I sold you last time—um,?"

Yu Wang raised an eyebrow slightly: "I remember. How so?"

"—Our clan leader,"

Cersei hesitated for a moment, but finally said, "Well, it's just that—our chieftain wants the statue back—"