novelraw Chapter 56: The Black Ship in the Fog
Chapter 56: The Black Ship in the Fog
As they sailed onward, the towering lighthouse grew increasingly distant in their vision.
Initially, Chen Qi's small boat followed behind the main fleet.
After nearly an hour of sailing, they were now far from Moonstone City.
Moonlight cascaded down, painting the entire sea with a layer of inky darkness.
Chen Qi emerged from the cabin holding a kerosene lamp, gazing at the vast ocean before him.
In the distance, a massive school of fish emitted a faint blue glow, resembling a beautiful crystalline ribbon of flowing sand drifting across the sea.
Moonlight Fish!
The crowd instantly grew excited.
"Brothers, we've got work to do!"
"Be careful when hauling them in! If you find any mutated rotten ones, burn them immediately and throw them overboard." "Remember, don't confuse Moonlight Fish with Ghostfire Fish!"
The boats ahead began fishing enthusiastically.
"Whew, time to break away from the fleet," Chen Qi murmured.
He scanned the surroundings and spotted faint blue flames flickering on the distant sea surface.
Most likely Ghostfire Fish...
"Deepsea Water Spirits, push the boat from behind," Chen Qi commanded with a snap of his fingers.
"Gurgle gurgle."
The seven Deepsea Water Spirits understood his intention, plunging into the water to become the cabin boat's secondary engine.
While everyone was preoccupied with the Moonlight Fish, Chen Qi changed course. With the Water Spirits' vigorous pushing, his small boat shot forward like a speedboat at full throttle, charging straight toward the Ghostfire Fish school.
The ghostfire oil from these fish was an exceptionally rare and practical material.
With this acceleration, his boat soon reached the school.
The moment the Ghostfire Fish noticed his boat, they erupted in massive blue flames as a warning!
These blue flames, though not particularly hot, were razor-sharp. A mere brush against them would instantly draw blood and sever flesh from bone.
A cluster of Ghostfire Fish could produce blue flames as large as a mansion! Even the Coastal Apex Predators would think twice before messing with them.
This was precisely why Ghostfire Fish were exceptionally dangerous.
With their fiery tempers and no expensive specialized equipment, catching them at sea was nearly impossible.
Yet, the moment they saw Chen Qi, their flames instantly died down, and they began scattering in all directions.
"Huh? Why are you running? I'm not a bad guy..." Chen Qi stared at the fleeing fish in confusion.
This reaction was unexpected.
Most small sea creatures he encountered were unusually friendly toward him. Chen Qi had always believed his innate talent could be described as "Deep Sea Siren" in a way.
*Am I not a Deep Sea Siren? Why aren't these Ghostfire Fish approaching me!?*
*I could give you massages, you know!*
Chen Qi grew slightly anxious.
Though the Ghostfire Fish had stopped their aggressive flaming, they weren't actively approaching him either.
Different sea creature species reacted to him in dramatically different ways.
"At this rate, I can still catch them, but the efficiency is too low..." Chen Qi scratched his ear, deep in thought.
Suddenly, he devised a method to harvest materials from the Ghostfire Fish.
If he couldn't attract them naturally, he'd use supernatural bait.
Chen Qi produced a fishing rod and an iron bucket.
He activated his Supernatural Fishing skill, coalescing supernatural bait at the rod's tip before casting it onto the water's surface.
Then, he positioned the Deepsea Water Spirits around the area.
The only way to reach the bait was to swim past him.
"Soul Seasoning!"
For enhanced effect... Chen Qi applied Soul Seasoning to amplify the bait's deliciousness.
The result was spectacular!
Instantly, the previously indifferent Ghostfire Fish caught the scent and swarmed toward the bait.
*As expected. Some fish can't be lured by charm alone—gourmet bait is the way to go...*
One Ghostfire Fish approached the supernatural bait.
Chen Qi, crouched by the boat's edge, grinned slyly.
The moment it was about to bite, he snatched the fish with lightning speed and skillfully scraped off a layer of black oil from its body.
Ghostfire Oil—the primary substance enabling Ghostfire Fish to produce their eerie flames.
This made for an excellent close-combat weapon coating. Applied to weapons, it could ignite them with sharp blue flames, significantly boosting their offensive power.
In weapon shops, this oil was exceptionally rare.
The amount harvested from a single Ghostfire Fish was worth eight thousand Shell Coins.
After collecting the black oil into the bucket, Chen Qi casually tossed the fish back into the sea.
*Eight thousand Shell Coins acquired!*
With so many Ghostfire Fish around, he could harvest them one after another!
*Eight thousand!*
*Eight thousand!*
*Eight thousand!*
Like picking money off the ground, Chen Qi grabbed Ghostfire Fish after Ghostfire Fish near the bait, swiftly scraping off their oil.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
One after another, the exploited fish were returned to the sea.
The entire process was executed with practiced ease.
Within about ten minutes, he had harvested Ghostfire Oil from a hundred fish.
An entire bucket filled to the brim!
Even large weapon shops specializing in coatings rarely kept such quantities in stock!
"Whew..." Chen Qi wiped sweat from his brow.
Though conventional wisdom claimed piracy and gang activities were a hundred times more profitable than fishing at sea...
Chen Qi believed honest fishing could still bring substantial wealth.
In just ten short minutes, he'd earned eight hundred thousand Shell Coins!
Moreover, this Ghostfire Oil could be applied to his black blade to enhance its power.
Satisfied, Chen Qi turned his head slightly.
Now, a hundred flame-deprived Ghostfire Fish gazed at him with pitiful expressions.
Chen Qi's movements had been so efficient that none had managed to take a single bite before being grabbed, stripped of oil, and heartlessly discarded.
"Hmm..." Chen Qi stroked his chin.
"Maybe I'm being a little cruel to these Ghostfire Fish?"
Clearing his throat, he generated two more supernatural baits and placed them on the water's surface for the fish to enjoy.
He had a kind heart, after all, and wouldn't mistreat the Ghostfire Fish unnecessarily.
"Eat up. You need to work hard to regenerate your Ghostfire Oil..." Chen Qi offered an apologetic smile.
He planned to rest briefly before exploring the area for other sea creature schools.
Just then, a small fishing boat with extinguished lights stealthily approached his cabin boat.
It was that man who had glared at him earlier onshore.
Since the Ghostfire Fish hadn't ignited their flames, the man assumed Chen Qi was catching ordinary fish.
With a quick assessment, Chen Qi sensed the other's energy field had reached the second tier.
The lean, buzzcut man drew near Chen Qi's boat, lifting his lantern with a menacing glare.
"Cook, you're that supervisor from the hunting grounds, aren't you? I'm one of the Black Rabbit Gang's officers—one of the Five Rabbits.
At the hunting grounds, I had a brother nicknamed Scarface Rabbit. After careful consideration, aside from the Flower Witch, you're the only one who could've taken him down."
Malice flickered in his eyes.
From his words, he clearly believed the Flower Witch was the most likely perpetrator.
Yet here he was, confronting Chen Qi instead.
Chen Qi rested his chin on his hand, subtly signaling the Water Spirids beneath the surface.
At sea, even a second-tier opponent would struggle against him.
Chen Qi smiled.
"Scarface Rabbit? I do know a little about him..."
"You admit it!" The lean man cut him off sharply.
"You've got guts. After this voyage, come to our Black Rabbit Gang headquarters. If you show sufficient sincerity, we might be willing to forgive you."
*Bang!*
At that moment, he drew a gun, intending to fire a warning shot at Chen Qi's boat.
However, Chen Qi was faster—he fired first.
*Bang!*
The man reacted swiftly, using his lantern as a shield to effortlessly block the bullet.
"Bold!" The lean man smirked.
"Most second-tier superhumans have mastered Body Forging Techniques and Breathing Techniques—some even practice Meditation. Our reflexes far surpass ordinary humans'.
Not to mention physical enhancements, energy perception, supernatural skills...
This creates an insurmountable gap between us and newcomers like you."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed something.
*When did this fog roll in?* Chen Qi held his breath as an unnatural chill crept over him.
Thick fog had emerged around them, and the temperature was plummeting rapidly!
Suddenly, disaster struck!
"You'll pay for this!
Damn it! Damn it! What the hell is this thing!?"
The lean man trembled violently, cursing as he spun around to relight his boat's lantern.
He had extinguished it earlier to approach Chen Qi undetected!
Yet the moment his finger touched the ignition switch, his boat convulsed violently before being yanked beneath the waves with a *whoosh*.
Boat and man vanished into the depths as if they had never existed.
Only a faint bloodstain on the water's surface remained as evidence.
"What was that...?" Chen Qi's heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.
Without realizing it, he found himself enveloped in a thin mist.
Ahead, within the fog, a shadowy silhouette gradually materialized.
A wooden black ship, illuminated by a solitary lantern and piled high with dark cargo, slowly approached.
On board stood a single lantern-bearing boatman.
As the vessel drew nearer, Chen Qi could make out more details.
The boatman wore a tattered merchant's hat but had no flesh—just a charred skeletal frame.
When the ship stopped ten meters from Chen Qi's boat, a series of *crack* sounds echoed.
From beneath the merchant's hat, several deep-blue tentacles sprouted.
Then, lifting its lantern, the creature emitted a strange, bone-rattling voice:
"Gooood... eveeeening..."