Setting Sail

The torrential rain at sea showed no signs of stopping.

Yue Shi's stolen ship elegantly cut through the layers of waves, moving steadily forward.

In truth, this kind of weather was not suitable for sailing. If a normal ship dared to head out into such a storm, it would likely face a shipwreck.

But to Yue Shi, the ocean was no different from a pond in a back garden.

He didn't even need to turn on the ship's engine.

The Authority of the Sea silently permeated the surrounding waters. The chaotic waves that should have been crashing haphazardly against the hull quietly changed their flow and intensity, pushing the vessel forward.

The wind howled and the rain fell in dense sheets, yet they veered away from the area above the gunwales, keeping the view from the bridge perfectly clear.

Yue Shi looked out at the churning sea, a hint of curiosity rising in his heart.

Does this ocean have a Sea God?

If the Sea God from the Otherworld came to this world and met a Sea God from a different pantheon, who would be the true master of the ocean?

Would they have to have a fight to determine who the boss was?

"At this speed, we'll be completely clear of this rain belt by noon tomorrow," Ghost suddenly spoke up.

"I've heard there are sirens in the sea that lure and eat sailors."

Yue Shi rested one hand casually on the wheel while stroking the snow leopard with the other. Hearing this, he merely arched an eyebrow. "Sirens? Are they pretty?"

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Ghost teased.

"According to most legends, sirens only have beautiful voices, but their looks are quite subpar."

"Is that so? I always thought sirens were mermaids or sharkmen or something like that," Yue Shi replied noncommittally.

Ghost didn't pursue the topic further, turning instead to analyze several segments of encrypted communications he had just intercepted.

The voyage continued through the wind and rain. The snow leopard occasionally lifted its head, ears twitching as it listened, before lazily lying back down.

After an unknown amount of time, just as the storm began to show signs of weakening, Yue Shi's eyes flickered as he gazed ahead.

"What is that?"

In the distance to the front right, a massive silhouette emerged through the veil of rain.

It was blurry at first, but as the distance closed, the outline rapidly became clear.

It was a strange ship.

It was several times larger than Yue Shi's vessel, even exceeding the size of many ocean-going freighters.

The structure of the hull was peculiar. It wasn't streamlined to reduce drag; instead, its broad deck steadily supported... a high-rise building!

It was a bizarrely magnificent structure, its entirety covered in some kind of dark material.

The ship was a blaze of lights and revelry. The outer hull was covered in vibrant murals depicting waves, clouds, and graceful humanoid figures, which appeared even more hazy and seductive under the wash of wind and rain.

"Whoa, what a unique ship. I'll go check it out."

Ghost's surprised voice rang out as he eagerly extended his detection signals, attempting to penetrate any electronic devices or network interfaces that might exist on the strange vessel.

Yue Shi didn't stop him, simply observing with interest.

A moment later, Ghost's voice sounded again, his tone carrying a hint of technical superiority.

"Got it. It's a mobile maritime entertainment ship. Although their internal network has decent isolation and countermeasures, it's like wet tissue paper to me."

"An entertainment ship?"

"Exactly," Ghost continued his report.

"The building on the deck is divided into zones. The bottom floors are a large integrated casino and various specialty restaurants. The middle floors have theaters, concert halls, and even a small auction house."

"The upper floors consist of luxury guest rooms, private clubs, and a spa. There's even an independent shopping mall in the mid-rear section of the ship selling various souvenirs."

"This entertainment ship doesn't seem to travel long distances often. It mostly cruises slowly along fixed routes, attracting passing vessels or specific clients to board and spend money. As long as you have money, you can go up and play."

Yue Shi nodded. Such a giant ship, integrating all kinds of entertainment, was undoubtedly the ultimate den of indulgence and an information exchange hub.

"Let's go up and take a look," he decided.

"Fine by me. Drifting at sea is boring anyway."

Ghost agreed, then asked, "Do you need me to forge an invitation or just hack their boarding security system?"

"No need for such trouble." Yue Shi steered his boat toward the entertainment ship.

"We'll just go the normal way. What currency do they use for spending? Will Jinlong Continent money work?"

Ghost pulled up payment-related data and replied, "They don't take it. This ship—or rather, the power behind it—doesn't trust official banknotes or electronic currency from any nation."

"They only accept hard currency, mainly gold, silver, and jewelry. Additionally, they take valuable curios like supernatural objects, rare minerals, or supernatural creatures. They have specialized appraisers for valuation."

"There's a pawnshop right at the entrance that functions like a bank exchange window."

"Guests can pawn the jewelry or curios they've brought in exchange for gold and silver coins of various denominations. When leaving, they can exchange any remaining coins back for equivalent jewelry, or they can just take them along to use the next time they board."

Only gold, silver, jewels, and curios? It was a bit retro, but it ensured the ship wouldn't be affected by any changes in government or currency collapses.

"Gold and silver... I think I have quite a bit..." The corners of Yue Shi's mouth curled up.

With a thought, he opened his extra-dimensional storage. The items stored within were a miscellaneous collection, many of which he had gathered on a whim. When the world in the book collapsed, he had harvested an immense amount of loot.

Aside from supernatural items, everything else had been categorized as largely useless daily supplies.

He reached out, and several gold bars appeared in his palm, stamped with the words 'Investment Gold Bar.'

After a moment's thought, he fished out a few jadeite cabochons and colored diamonds. He didn't understand jewelry, but he knew these things were beautiful and valuable.

"This should be enough."

He stuffed the gold and jewelry casually into his pocket.

Ghost shot him a surprised look.

Something was off.

Given Yue Shi's personality, he should have stormed in directly like a bandit.

When did he become so polite?

By now, Yue Shi's rickety boat had slowly pulled alongside the maritime entertainment ship.

Up close, the giant vessel was even more staggering.

The painted hull rose dozens of meters high. Along one side, several brightly lit, wide gangways extended down to a floating platform below.

Staff in uniform stood on the platform, along with a few scattered figures who were currently boarding.

Yue Shi found a spot to park his small boat by the floating platform and tied the mooring ropes.

Cradling the snow leopard in his arms, he stepped onto the brilliantly lit colossus.