Zhang Nanhai stared at the Chat Channel.
The blood on his knuckles had already dried.
But the fire in his heart burned hotter than ever.
That shrew Yu Weiwei might have a sharp tongue, but she was right.
Going solo meant certain death for anyone who tried.
Qin Yu's vessel could no longer be called a ship—it was a mobile fortress on the sea.
Especially that helicopter that could shred people to pieces, and all the weapons on board.
A direct confrontation?
That would be asking for death.
"Hah..."
Zhang Nanhai connected to Qi Chun's Chat Channel.
He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound less pathetic.
"Brother Qi?"
"It's Zhang Nanhai."
Silence.
Only the howling sea wind came from the other end of the channel, suggesting the other party was on deck.
After a full half minute.
A rough, deep male voice finally came through.
Laced with impatience.
"Spit it out."
"I'm busy reinforcing my Thruster."
The speaker was none other than the third-ranked player, Qi Chun.
He was an oddball.
Despite possessing an S-Class Thruster, he didn't seek domination like others.
He spent all his time figuring out how to make his Raft fly higher and run faster.
Zhang Nanhai narrowed his eyes, his lips twitching.
"Brother Qi, no need to be so hostile."
"I've got a big deal. Interested?"
"Not interested."
Qi Chun refused outright.
"Except for upgrade materials, I'm not interested in anything."
"It is about upgrade materials!"
Zhang Nanhai quickly dangled the bait.
"Qin Yu has what you need."
"An S-Class High-Density Fuel Core, maybe even higher-grade Power Components."
"Think about it."
"That kid's ship can move so fast and carry a helicopter—you think its power system is ordinary?"
The breathing on the other end noticeably intensified.
Clearly.
Qi Chun was tempted.
Zhang Nanhai secretly rejoiced.
A fanatic was easy to handle.
As long as they had desires, they could be manipulated.
"So?"
"Two days from now, at the 'Mist Ruins.'"
"We join forces."
"Take down Qin Yu."
"His power system goes to you, the rest goes to me and Yu Weiwei."
"Good deal, right?"
Zhang Nanhai coaxed persuasively.
Like a child trafficker luring children with candy.
However.
The next second.
Qi Chun's cold laugh felt like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.
"Hah."
"Zhang Nanhai."
"You think I'm an idiot?"
The smile froze on Zhang Nanhai's face.
"Brother Qi, what do you mean..."
"What do I mean?!"
Qi Chun's voice suddenly rose, filled with rage.
"Right after the server merge!"
"When my Raft passed through your waters!"
"You were the one who ordered the attack, weren't you?!"
"If I hadn't run fast and activated my Thruster's Overload Mode."
"My grave would be overgrown with grass by now!"
"Back then you wanted to steal my S-Class Thruster."
"Now that you can't beat Qin Yu, you remember me?"
"Fuck off!"
"Beep beep beep..."
The dial tone.
Qi Chun had directly cut off the communication.
"Not even a shred of face was given."
"Fuck!"
Zhang Nanhai trembled with rage.
He snatched the empty wine bottle from the table and smashed it violently against the wall.
"You ungrateful piece of shit!"
"Just wait!"
"After I deal with Qin Yu, you're next!"
"I'll rip out your thrusters and sell them as scrap metal!"
In the chat channel.
Yu Weiwei's gloating voice drifted through eerily.
"Oh my."
"The Dragon King got owned?"
"I told you that Qi Chun is a stubborn fool."
"You'd have better luck negotiating with a pig."
Zhang Nanhai's face darkened, teeth gritted.
"Shut up."
"There's still one more."
"If we can get this person onboard, we can still turn this around."
As he spoke.
He turned the dial several notches.
This time.
He adjusted his breathing.
His voice carried less urgency than before, replaced by a more sinister tone.
He reopened the communication channel with the fifth-ranked player.
"Yin Mingtao."
"Stop playing dead."
After two seconds.
A hoarse, grating voice—like bones scraping together—emerged from the speaker.
It sent chills down the spine.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Boss Zhang."
"Quite the rare visitor."
"Heard you just got beaten like a dog and came running back?"
"What?"
"Looking to buy poison to kill yourself?"
Yin Mingtao.
Rank five.
A venomous snake lurking in the shadows.
He rarely showed himself.
But his "Sea Poison Canister" was notorious throughout the region.
Wherever his ship passed, the sea would be littered with dead fish.
Even sea monsters dared not approach.
Zhang Nanhai ignored his taunts.
When dealing with someone like this, appeals to sentiment or face were useless.
Only one thing mattered.
Naked self-interest.
"Qin Yu must die."
"Is that reason enough?"
Zhang Nanhai got straight to the point.
"Not enough."
Yin Mingtao's voice was lazy.
"I've heard about that freak Qin Yu too."
"Helicopters, Gatling guns."
"And you want me to provoke him?"
"Got a death wish?"
"I'd like to live a little longer."
"But."
Zhang Nanhai shifted tactics.
"What if it's inside the 'Mist Ruins'?"
"No ships allowed."
"No heavy weapons."
"Just flesh and personal equipment."
"Your poison."
"In those miasma-filled ruins."
"Would be ten times more effective, right?"
Over the radio.
Silence.
Only the sound of Yin Mingtao's fingers tapping on the table could be heard.
He was calculating.
"Qin Yu probably has antidotes."
"That's highly likely."
Yin Mingtao said slowly.
"Antidotes?"
Zhang Nanhai sneered.
"He might have antidotes, but does he have gas masks?"
"Even if he does."
"Can he withstand my hundreds of men?"
"Can he withstand Yu Weiwei's mental interference?"
"Plus your poison."
"The three of us joining forces."
"We'll set a death trap for him in the instance."
"Even if he were a god, he'd be skinned alive!"
"And..."
Zhang Nanhai played his final card.
"On Qin Yu's ship."
"There are three top-tier girls."
"One is Li Ruobing, that fiery woman ranked second in Zone 9527."
"One is a doctor, an ice-cold beauty."
"And there's a loli wearing white silk stockings."
"After we succeed."
"The ship is mine, the equipment goes to Yu Weiwei."
"The people."
"Are all yours."
"I know your poison jar loves using living people as fertilizer, especially women..."
Slurp.
In the chat channel.
A disgusting sound of slurping saliva echoed.
Yin Mingtao laughed.
An extremely lewd laugh.
"Boss Zhang."
"You truly are a man who gets things done."
"I like that ruthlessness of yours."
"Those women..."
"Just thinking about them gets me excited."
"Especially that Li Ruobing."
"I heard she's quite the wild one?"
"I love breaking wild horses into obedient dogs."
"Deal."
Yin Mingtao agreed.
"How exactly do we do this?"
Zhang Nanhai breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as this viper was willing to join, the plan was seventy percent complete.
"Simple."
"We'll catch the turtle in the jar."
"After the dungeon opens, our people go in first."
"Secure the advantageous terrain."
"There's usually only one entrance to the ruins."
"Once Qin Yu enters."
"My men will block the retreat with shields."
"Yu Weiwei will handle long-range mental harassment, preventing him from focusing."
"You."
"Release the poison inside."
"Turn the entire ruins into a gas chamber!"
"I don't believe."
"He can still fly up to heaven in that environment!"
"Heh heh heh..."
Yin Mingtao's laughter grew even more piercing.
"Good idea."
"My babies have been starving for a long time."
"That gas mixed with corpse rot poison and neurotoxin."
"Just one breath."
"And the skin all over the body will begin to fester."
"Followed by the internal organs."
"He'll watch himself melt into a pool of blood."
"And throughout that process."
"He'll remain completely conscious."
"So beautiful..."
Listening to this perverted description, Zhang Nanhai couldn't help but shudder inwardly.
But this was exactly what he wanted.
"Then it's settled."
"I've already spoken with Yu Weiwei."
"Two days from now."
"Meet at the ruins entrance."
"Remember."
"Bring your most poisonous things."
"This time."
"We're going to slaughter the top ranker!"
Ending the communication.
Zhang Nanhai slumped into his chair.
Looking out at the dark sea through the window.
A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Qin Yu."
"This time."
"Let's see how you die!"
...
Aboard the "President".
The sun was bright.
The sea breeze gentle.
Completely devoid of the stench of conspiracy that lingered dozens of nautical miles away.
Qin Yu sat in a leather fishing chair at the edge of the deck.
Holding that SSS-Rank Sea King Fishing Rod.
A glass of ice-cold soda placed at his feet.
Beside him.
Yao Qian was squatting on the ground, peeling grapes for Qin Yu.
One by one, crystal-clear grapes were fed into Qin Yu's mouth by those fair, delicate hands.
"Ah—"
Qin Yu opened his mouth and ate.
Looking completely content.
"This is the life."
"All that fighting and killing is too crude."
Yao Xue sat under a nearby sun umbrella.
On her knees rested the display terminal of the SS-Rank Mind Deterrence Matrix Radar that had just rendered great service.
Her brow slightly furrowed.
"Brother Yu."
"The radar shows."
"That red dot representing Zhang Nanhai has had high-frequency encrypted communications with two other signal sources."
"One is that Yu Weiwei from before."
"The other..."
Yao Xue's finger swiped across the screen.
"ID recognition: Yin Mingtao."
"Ranked fifth on the leaderboard."
"Nicknamed 'Poison Master'."
"These three gathering together definitely means they're up to no good."
"Especially that Yin Mingtao."
"System evaluation is extremely low, he's a highly dangerous poison expert."
"And."
"The 'malice' index on the radar is skyrocketing."
"That deep crimson hue."
"It means their murderous intent toward you has reached a point of no return."
Qin Yu chewed on a grape.
Not even bothering to lift his eyelids.
"Let them stew in it."
"If they stew themselves sick, that's their problem."
"Three mediocre cobblers together just make a stinking cobbler's shop."
"Do they think they can become a master strategist?"
He casually spat the grape seed into the sea.
"Yin Mingtao?"
"The one who plays with poison?"
"Interesting."
Li Ruobing was cleaning her beloved S-grade "Tyrant" Magnetic Rail Assault Rifle.
She looked up at his words, her face full of disdain.
"Brother Yu."
"Should I take the helicopter over now?"
"Before they've all gathered."
"Take them out one by one?"
"Let's start by riddling that poison-user with bullets."
"Save us the annoyance later."
Qin Yu waved his hand dismissively.
"What's the rush?"
"The leeks haven't fully grown yet."
"What profit would there be in harvesting now?"
"Since Yin Mingtao is ranked fifth, he must have some decent supplies."
"And that Yu Weiwei, with all her simps, definitely has abundant resources."
"As for Zhang Nanhai."
"He's practically a delivery boy bringing us wealth."
"Let them gather."
"It's good that they're gathering together."
"Saves me the trouble of hunting them down individually."
"Once we're in the instance."
"We'll package them all up at once."
Qin Yu's tone was casual.
As if he were discussing what to have for dinner.
But the three women present all knew.
When Qin Yu wore that expression.
Someone was about to face terrible misfortune.
"Besides."
Qin Yu looked at the slightly bent fishing rod in his hand.
His gaze growing focused.
"The top priority right now."
"Isn't those jumping clowns."
"But rather..."
"Got a bite!"
Before the words fully left his mouth.
The previously calm sea surface suddenly erupted in a massive splash.
The fishing rod bent sharply into a full moon shape.
The tremendous pulling force.
Nearly yanked Qin Yu right out of his chair.
"Holy shit!"
"Big catch!"
Qin Yu's eyes lit up.
It was the look of a hunter spotting prey.
"Ruo Bing! The landing net!"
"Wait! Get the gaff!"
"This thing's got too much strength!"
Li Ruobing threw down her rag and rushed over in a flash.
Grabbing the half-meter long mechanical gaff hook.
"Coming!"
"Up you come!!!"
Qin Yu growled low.
The muscles in his arms bulged instantly, stretching his T-shirt taut.
The SSS-grade fishing rod's flexibility was pushed to its limit.
The large creature below clearly had no intention of surrendering.
Struggling wildly.
Churning the surrounding seawater like a boiling pot.
"Trying to escape?"
"Once you're on my hook, you're my fish!"
"Come up here!"
Qin Yu put his back into it.
Heaving upward with all his strength.
"SPLASH!"
A massive form burst from the water.
Soaring into the air.
Then under gravity's pull.
"THUMP!"
Crashed heavily onto the deck.
For a moment.
The entire "President" shook twice.
Everyone stared wide-eyed.
At the thing madly flailing on the deck.
It wasn't a fish.
It was a crab... the size of a millstone?
Its entire body shone with an eerie amethyst-gold color.
Two massive claws resembled heavy-duty hydraulic shears.
Its shell covered in mysterious patterns.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations! Successful catch!]
[Acquired: Deep Sea Amethyst Overlord Crab (Mutant)]
[Grade: A-grade Ingredient/Material]
[Description: Heavy armored tank of the deep sea. Its meat is exceptionally delicious. Consuming it permanently increases Strength by 5 points and Constitution by 3 points. Its crab shell is extremely hard and can be used to craft A-grade armor.]
[Note: Steam it! You must steam it! That's the highest respect you can pay it!]
"Holy crap!"
Qin Yu stared at the giant crab, nearly drooling.
"Permanent stat increases?"
"And it boosts Strength and Constitution?"
"This is way more interesting than dealing with that waste Zhang Nanhai!"
He stomped on the giant pincer that tried to clamp him.
"Ruo Bing."
"Get the pot ready and boil water."
"We're having a feast tonight."
"After we eat our fill,"
"We'll go play with those 'good friends' in that so-called ruins."
Li Ruobing's eyes lit up when she saw the giant crab.
"Got it!"
"Such huge pincers must be packed with meat!"
"I'll get the steamer!"
Yao Xue watched the scene, pushing up her glasses with a faint smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
This was Qin Yu.
Even when enemies were sharpening their blades,
He could still laugh and chat casually, even finding time to research how to cook crab.
This kind of confidence
Was the most powerful weapon aboard the President.
"Qian Qian, go get the ginger vinegar."
"Make sure it's aged."
"Okay, sis!"
Yao Qian skipped cheerfully into the ship's cabin.
As the sun set in the west,
The sea surface shimmered with sparkling light.
On one side were schemes, poison, and hidden arrows.
On the other were laughter, joy, and steamed crab.
Qin Yu glanced at the distant dungeon entrance with its countdown timer,
A trace of mockery flashing in his eyes.
"Zhang Nanhai, Yin Mingtao."
"I hope your bones"
"Are slightly harder than this crab shell."
"Otherwise,"
"This would be too boring."
...
Night fell.
Less than 30 hours remained
Until the Mist Ruins opened.
A hunt targeting the top-ranked player was quietly taking shape in the darkness.
And the prey
Was currently gnawing on crab legs with greasy lips,
Letting out a satisfied burp.
"Ah, so delicious."