Survival at Sea: My Warship is a Rubber Duck?

Chapter 86 Demon's Whisper: You're About to Be Under Investigation

Chapter 86 Demon's Whisper: You're About to Be Under Investigation

As the sun rose, a uniquely shaped floating object slowly appeared on the distant sea surface, and was spotted at a glance by Yu Wang, who was up early to refill Iristiel's milk tank.

It was initially just a blurry dark outline, but as the distance closed, its enormous size and strange shape gradually became clear.

This is a ship shaped like an old-fashioned copper hot pot, three stories high, and over two hundred meters in diameter.

The ship's hull is golden, and rows of lanterns glowing with a warm yellow light hang from the bowl-shaped structure suspended in mid-air, making it quite eye-catching even in daylight. Flame patterns are carved around the edge of the bowl-shaped structure, and in the center, a bubbling broth of milky white and bright red soup is rising with white steam.

At the bow of the boat, a huge gilded sign gleamed in the morning light, bearing three bold and powerful characters: "Guo Di Lao" (literally "Pot Bottom Thick").

There was also a line of smaller print next to it: Branch No. 10.

The enticing aroma of butter, spices, and fresh ingredients wafts in on the sea breeze, whetting the appetite.

This broth smells so good, you can tell it would be delicious even for washing shoe soles!

The sounds of lively chatter and the bubbling of a pot boiling could be faintly heard from the boat.

"A pot floating on water?" Zhang Xinlan's worldview was being rapidly refreshed, overloaded, refreshed, and rebuilt.

Around the hot pot-shaped building, a ring of docking platforms made of driftwood and special metal extends out, encircling the central "pot" like flower petals.

Because it was early morning, there weren't many diners in the restaurant. Most of them were guests who had waited too late last night and had paid extra to stay on the boat. At this moment, the circular dock was sparsely populated, with only a few dozen boats of various shapes and sizes moored there.

Yu Wang knew that in this world, the darkness was also a significant problem for the natives, and going out to sea alone at night was fraught with danger.

If travel is absolutely necessary, one can only pray to the gods of faith to protect one's vehicle and wish for a safe journey.

Vehicles that are protected are less likely to be destroyed by monsters.

In addition, the vehicle emitted the aura of a certain god. To some powerful monsters with keen senses, these auras were equivalent to conveying the message that "I have this ship under my protection," so naturally they wouldn't go looking for trouble.

It's somewhat similar to the raft that survivors rely on for survival.

However, if the deity being worshipped is not powerful enough to protect too many believers at the same time, they will need to wait in line, and sometimes there will be delays.

Therefore, the followers of weak gods have difficulty even getting around, let alone growing and expanding.

"Guodi Lao" is backed by the God of Food, making it an extremely safe place to stay at sea. By spending a few pearl coins, one can receive the protection of the God of Food's power and enjoy a delicious meal, which is a great deal for many indigenous people.

Among the dozens of distinctive boats at the dock, one grass-green boat stood out.

It wasn't just because of the ship's bright colors, but because of its extremely luxurious decorations.

The ship boasts an elegant, streamlined hull and sails made of rare, lightweight, and shimmering silk fabric. On the deck, one can even spot small fountains and meticulously manicured underwater plants.

This is practically a private vehicle, a floating palace, belonging to a large fish.

Yu Wang glanced at it and then looked away. At this moment, the Little Yellow Duck had already pulled up to an empty spot on the dock.

He took Zhang Xinlan and three ducks off the boat. Duck A's summoning period was almost over, and Yu Wang thought he would treat it to a good meal before it "went back".

Yu Wang also has a basis for believing that the ducks "went back" rather than disappeared.

The system prompt during the summoning is: [Please recite the following incantation, using flesh and blood as a catalyst, to awaken the companions sleeping deep within the ship's soul].

Furthermore, all the ducks' panels displayed "Awakening Time" instead of "Existence Time." Therefore, he guessed that once the summoning time ended, the ducks would return to the depths of the "Little Yellow Duck's" ship spirit to slumber, requiring another summoning next time.

Although it's not very convenient, on second thought, the ducks have been working continuously for ten days without eating, drinking or sleeping, and duck A is the most hardworking of all. It only eats a small amount of meat to replenish its life force after it is injured.

Returning to the "ship" to recharge every ten days seems quite reasonable.

Yu Wang's biggest concern is what materials he should use to summon the evolved duck companion when he summons it again.

Should the original ingredients be doubled or adjusted according to the characteristics of the ducks? Keeping the questions to ourselves, the two people and three ducks entered the store through the side door under the guidance of the waiter. The store space was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The dining area was divided according to the different sizes and shapes of the guests. The layout was clever and did not feel crowded or cramped. Instead, it had a warm and comfortable feeling.

The overall layout is simple and clear:

The pillar section of this giant brass hotpot serves as the waiting area and kitchen, while the suspended bowl-shaped section is a wraparound dining area where diners can enjoy their meals while admiring the sea view.

The shop's customers come from all races, but the largest group is the merfolk.

A burly man with a huge grouper head; a flounder-man with both eyes on the same side and a wobbly gait; a sardine-man who is small in stature and occupies the largest table; and even a few mackerel-men who speak with distinct and peculiar accents, all arguing loudly about something.

They come in various shapes and retain more fish characteristics, with shimmering scales, fish heads and human bodies, like extras from a certain yellow block cartoon come to life.

They sat around hot pots, enjoying their meal, cooking fresh fish, shrimp, vegetables, and more.

Steam rose, the aroma filled the air, mingled with the sounds of satisfied chewing and hearty laughter.

Perhaps to these intelligent marine species, the relationship between them and ordinary, unintelligent fish in the sea is similar to how humans view chimpanzees or monkeys.

For them, eating hot pot fish is as commonplace as eating pork, beef, or mutton for humans, without any psychological burden.

When Yu Wang and Zhang Xinlan, two genuine human beings, walked into the store, the entire place fell silent.

Almost all the guests who were eating and talking slowed down. Although no one was deliberately staring at them, you could still feel countless curious, scrutinizing, and subtly repulsive gazes instantly focusing on the two of them.

The feeling of being watched by a large number of inhuman beings at the same time is very stressful.

If Yu Wang hadn't given prior instructions not to touch or move anything without his permission, Zhang Xinlan would probably have already taken out a "rationality bean" and taken a bite to suppress the instinctive unease rising in her heart, now that she was being stared at by so many inhuman eyes.

Although people, under pressure from the divine pronouncements of their gods, did not show overt discrimination against humans, many subtle actions and expressions indicated that humans were not welcome here.

Yu Wang seemed completely unconcerned. He led Zhang Xinlan and three ducks, who were lined up and looking around curiously, straight to the front desk: "Upgrade to a family set meal, and give us a seat where the food comes out quickly."

The receptionist was a triggerfish, with one large and one small bony protrusion on her head resembling a trigger. Her skin was bluish-gray with dark stripes, and she had large eyes and a protruding mouth.

She had initially been about to ask, as usual, "Did you make a reservation?", given their disheveled clothes and the fact that they were three obviously ignorant ducklings. However, upon seeing the special set meal voucher bearing the "God of Food's" information, and as a loyal follower of "God of Food Umur: The Forge of All Things," she swallowed back the words that were about to slip out: "Yes, esteemed guests. We will process your request immediately and assign you a dedicated waiter."

The waiter serving their table was a young man of seal descent, with round, bright eyes and an innocent-looking face. When the head waiter called his name, he was clearly indignant; a hint of reluctance flashed in his round eyes, and he secretly pouted, muttering, "Why are these two humans being assigned to this?! I'd love to serve the 'Green Pearl' princess's table too! Maybe I could even get a generous tip!"

The other two idle sea lion underlings grinned and chuckled to themselves, thinking to themselves that just because they were of the same kind as the leader, and had even secretly given him a bribe.

The young man with the seals lamented, but unfortunately, it was "Guo Di Lao" (a restaurant chain) that paid him, not him. He was waiting to work for a certain number of years so that he could take advantage of his position as an employee of "Guo Di Lao" and naturally become a follower of the God of Cookery.

Even if he's unhappy inside, he has to pretend, otherwise he might lose his job at "Guodi Lao". The gods worshipped by the seal clan are stingy and greedy, demanding only high-quality offerings, but the abilities they bestow can't help believers find high-paying jobs, so they can only offer inferior items.

But this leads to a dilemma: "Without good offerings, the gods are dissatisfied; without good abilities—"

The believers are caught in a vicious cycle where they can neither earn money nor hunt.

The new generation is looking for other ways out.

If you get fired from "Guo Di Lao" (a restaurant chain), then you'll have to find a new path to extraordinary success.

SRS E Sn

Having mentally prepared themselves, the young man led Yu Wang and the others to a spot that offered a good view from a window and was also close to the kitchen passageway.

"This place is close to the kitchen, so the food comes out quickly, which meets your requirements," the seal-man said dryly, his tone lacking enthusiasm.

Yu Wang didn't dwell on these details, casually flipping through the thick menu: "Your restaurant has quite a variety of hot pot bases, any recommendations?"

Seal was distracted, casually ordering two of the most common signature hot pot bases and a few regular side dishes, his mind still preoccupied with the lively atmosphere at Princess Green Pearl's table and the possible tips.

Unexpectedly, after ordering, the human customer casually asked, "How long has this branch been open?"

"More than four hundred years." The seal-man unconsciously raised his neck, his tone carrying a hint of pride that belonged to someone who worked for a long-established company.

"Oh, it's an old establishment." Yu Wang nodded, then casually inquired, "Do you clean the kitchen's fume extraction system regularly? I noticed some saw snails in the ingredients; are you sure they were raised on fresh wood from a compliant farm?"

Seal Man's heart skipped a beat, and he became more cautious. He eyed Yu Wang warily and asked, "Of course, our ingredients are all top-notch. Guest—why are you asking this? This is an internal management matter in our kitchen."

"Just asking out of curiosity," Yu Wang smiled and continued flipping through the menu.

The seal people could no longer treat this as a "casual question."

He has a fiery temper, but he's not stupid; otherwise, he wouldn't have realized there was no future in staying with his tribe and would have run away to make his own way in the world.

Upon closer inspection, they noticed a suspicious, teardrop-shaped bulge in the side pocket of Yu Wang's somewhat tattered coat.

>