"Do I really have to eat this?"
Joseph looked at Nan Yue expectantly, while Zhu Xi Ning and the others were already eating with great relish.
Nan Yue closed her eyes and popped a piece into her mouth. The octopus meat, coated in sauce, was springy and delicious, leaving a wonderful aftertaste.
Nan Yue even noticed Johnny watching her from a distance, looking quite resentful.
It seemed that having Joseph cook personally was a rare honor.
Joseph gestured, conveying his gratitude to Nan Yue for helping him shoot the octopus.
Otherwise, this king octopus was both carnivorous and aggressive; it would have been very difficult for him to handle alone.
Nan Yue politely waved it off and invited him to join them.
Perhaps because he had a good impression of Nan Yue, Joseph actually sat down.
With Nan Yue asking and Joseph gesturing, the meal proceeded harmoniously.
Nan Yue learned that Joseph and Steve were close friends. They were both obsessed with Devil's Bay and had boarded this ship together, never to leave.
His hearing had been ruined after being attacked during a hunt, and a long fever afterward had left him unable to speak.
Nan Yue felt a surge of sympathy. "Have you never thought about leaving the Devil's Bay to seek treatment?"
Joseph shook his head and pulled a small blue cloth pouch from his pocket.
The stitching was crude and the pattern was too cute; it didn't look like something Joseph would have made himself.
He pulled a photograph from inside.
It showed a young, handsome Joseph with a blonde little girl.
"Ah, ah..."
Nan Yue's soft gaze gradually turned serious.
A little girl?
"Joseph, why are you with the guests?"
John suddenly walked over and helped Joseph up. "Don't disturb the guests during their meal."
Joseph didn't mind. He smiled at Nan Yue and took back the cloth pouch.
John apologized to Nan Yue and the others. "Crew members are not allowed to dine with guests. On behalf of old Joseph, I offer my apologies."
"I asked him to," Nan Yue explained.
"Even so, it's not allowed."
Nan Yue felt a bit helpless against John's rigidity, but she wasn't willing to let such a good opportunity pass.
"Joseph just showed me a photo of him and a little girl..."
A shadow passed over John's handsome, stern blue eyes. "Ah... that's his daughter."
"Daughter? I don't think I've seen her on the ship..."
John shook his head. "She's no longer on the ship. She is the knot in Joseph's heart, his obsession with the Devil's Bay."
John's momentary lapse vanished quickly. He soon regained his humorless expression, nodded, and left.
"So the crew member whose daughter went missing on the ship is Joseph?"
Wen Xiang Yuan picked up on it. "No wonder Joseph refuses to leave even when he's sick. He must still believe his daughter is here and that he can find her."
Although they had a clue, Joseph couldn't hear, so they couldn't get more information.
Nan Yue felt a slight sense of dissonance about this mission. Granted, the clues they hadn't used yet might be building toward the next exploration.
But she still felt this ship... was strange, somehow.
Since the third day's exploration wasn't in the middle of the night, everyone finally got a full night's sleep.
However, once mental stability drops to a certain level, people can't stay calm, let alone sleep.
Nan Yue didn't have this problem; she fell asleep very quickly, causing Tan Xiaonan, who was still thinking about tomorrow's exploration, to yawn and drift off as well.
When Nan Yue woke up, it was around nine o'clock. A night without disturbances meant she was well-rested.
After a quick wash, she went to the restaurant for breakfast.
Many scavengers were already there. Some looked rested, but Nan Yue saw Luo Jiyun; the bloodshot streaks in his eyes proved he likely hadn't slept all night again.
Nan Yue ate slowly, and Gu Xiang Kai's group of three soon arrived at the restaurant.
Without Nan Yue nearby, their sleep had been light; they only forced themselves to sleep until now because of how exhausted they had been the past few days.
If nothing else, the food on the cruise ship was good. During the meal, Zhu Xi Ning suddenly said, "I tried to actively activate my foresight ability."
At those words, the other three put down their cutlery.
Zhu Xi Ning's foresight had always been a passive skill, sensing danger. It wasn't until later in her ability's development that she could see scenes that most threatened her or her teammates' lives.
But the foresight was beyond her control; when it appeared was entirely up to fate.
"I felt it was too passive. I've been practicing intentionally. I'm not sure if it's because I got the Ant Mask, but I feel my ability becomes stronger when I wear it."
"In a way, I can control it a little bit."
Zhu Xi Ning wasn't as excited as one might expect. She honestly admitted, "Actively activating the foresight comes at the cost of its accuracy."
"I did see some things yesterday, but I can't quite make sense of them."
Nan Yue comforted her. "Abilities are growth-based; you can't rush it. Being able to control it actively is already a huge step forward. One day, you'll be able to see exactly what you want to see."
Nan Yue had no doubt about this.
Initially, she had invited Zhu Xi Ning into the team not only because her personality suited her, but because she recognized how special the foresight ability was.
Although Zhu Xi Ning's ability was weak at first, only sensing general vibes of good or bad, danger or safety, Nan Yue knew it would be invaluable once it evolved.
Especially for a team.
Zhu Xi Ning's progress was remarkably fast. Foresight wasn't an ability everyone could master, and it was prone to backfiring.
One could only say heaven was helping her; in Antswamp Village, that extreme mission, she had obtained the Ant Mask, which enhanced her perception and allowed her to master active foresight quickly.
Zhu Xi Ning understood this well. She wasn't someone who sought quick success. Ever since she learned she had an alternate personality that wouldn't hold the team back, she had focused on how to maximize her ability.
"What did you see?"
Nan Yue was curious about the greatest crisis in this mission.
A specific exploration?
Or someone on the ship?
"I saw... barnacles."
Nan Yue was taken aback. "Just the barnacles on the ship?"
Zhu Xi Ning nodded apologetically. "I only saw that. Nothing more."
Nan Yue patted her head. "Impressive, Little Zhu."
Vaguely, Nan Yue seemed to think of something.
The greatest crisis... was it barnacles?
Just then, the sound of an argument came from behind. Nan Yue turned to see a couple.
She had seen them before; they had watched the movie together in the theater and usually seemed very affectionate.
Rate on N.U.
