Come to think of it, mithril should be a strategic resource more precious than gold in the eyes of a mage, right? So how should Brother handle this map? Offer it up? Sell it? Develop it myself?
Offering or selling it seems too shortsighted, and developing it myself would mean directly opposing that Duke Makar, wouldn't it? In the game, the next major instance is said to require the power of a large guild. How could an epic quest possibly be something a regular player like me could handle alone? Find someone to collaborate with? Damn, Brother, like that Blood Sea Wave, can't trust players either!
Just then, a line of text popped up.
—May 12, 155, fog. Today is my dear Selvia's 10th birthday, but I am not by her side. I have been away from home for five years now. I wonder if she has gotten used to life at the church? I wonder if she still waits for me at the docks of Saint Paul Port every morning? I wonder if she can still recognize her father now? Over these five years, we have endured various extreme survival challenges at sea, and we are now unrecognizable; even when I look in the mirror, I can hardly recognize myself. May God bless my Selvia with all that is good.
Da Fei furrowed his brow. There was content, huh? What is this? Is this a hidden storyline? It must be, right? Brother is a self-taught expert! Saint Paul Port, the daughter living at the church, is that right? Yes, it seems in the game, those sailors without relatives leave their children at the church for care. In 155, she was 10, so now she'd be 15?
Fifteen years old! Ha ha ha! Uncle, you can go in peace; Brother thanks you for the gift of skill, and I will surely look after her!
Excitedly, Da Fei continued to turn the pages.
—Sept 24, 155, sunny. The months-long autumn haze finally ended. Everyone took out their blankets and duvets to sun them out, pleasantly surprised to find they were filled with fleas, so everyone caught a bottle full, mixed it with cherished butter, and spread it on dry bread for an amusing lunch!
Oh, crap!
—Nov 4, 155, sunny. The ocean was calm, and the sky was clear. We reached the edge of the pirate-infested New Caribbean waters, and I kept a vigilant lookout, not daring to slack off. At noon, while everyone was having lunch, I suddenly noticed an unnatural ripple in the water, far away on the side of the ship. Was it a mere optical illusion, a hallucination, or a fish?
No! None of these! My intuition told me it was definitely the legendary Pirate King's "Mysterious Stealth Navigation!" They could use water screens to create an illusion to obscure the ship's body, approaching their prey undetected even in broad daylight! I immediately sounded the alarm, eliciting laughter from the crew! I began to regret my rashness and paranoia!
But Captain Renior firmly supported me, and the entire ship immediately changed course. With the wind at full sail, we fled at full speed. At that moment, an astonishing scene unfolded as a pitch-black pirate warship suddenly appeared on the open sea! It truly was the feared Pirate King Red Beard! Seeing us flee, he immediately dropped his disguise and pursued us at full speed!
At that moment, a golden light bathed my body, and I finally broke through my limit, reaching the Master-level Reconnaissance Skill! I succeeded! God! I praise you! I could finally step into the God-level realm!
. . .
Seeing this, Da Fei couldn't help but freeze! Understanding others through the skill upgrade to master level was easy enough, but what did "finally able to step into the God-level realm" mean? Could it be that after the master level, God-level becomes simple?
Da Fei hurriedly turned the pages forward!
The subsequent content was about how Juan would occasionally approach Captain Renior and the onboard mage Makar to discuss the principles of this skill. Their comprehensive analysis suggested that this Mysterious Stealth Navigation wasn't just within the realm of the Sailing Skill, possibly incorporating some magic, some reconnaissance skill, and maybe even having something to do with the vessel's material itself. Moreover, it didn't seem like a skill that one person could accomplish alone; it should be a combination skill achieved by a team working together.
So, it was a combination skill! Just as Da Fei turned the page again,
—System Prompt: You studied the esteemed predecessor's treatise, gaining 2,000 experience points. You obtained information related to the skill "Mysterious Stealth Navigation."
—Novice Hint: By obtaining skill information, players trigger the skill development system, enabling self-research or acquisition of more detailed intelligence from various NPC conversations or mentorship to learn the skill among others.
—System Prompt: Congratulations! You have reached level 3! You have gained 1 strategic attribute point, 1 skill point, your Life Value has increased by 2, and your Command Power has increased by 1.
Skill information! Da Fei's jaw hit the floor!
This Mysterious Stealth Navigation wasn't recorded in the sailing skill book! Could it be a pirate's exclusive skill? A God-level Skill? Meaning this journal is an important research treasure! It's the key item for Brother to learn a God-level skill, and Brother can't turn it in yet!
Da Fei carefully read through it once more, and the later content showed how, after more interactions with Makar, Juan began to notice something was off about Makar and other random details. There were no further system prompts.
This meant that to learn this skill, he needed to assemble a team filled with talents. Naturally, even without this skill, talents were necessary, as the reason the Saint Anthony could repeatedly escape peril and perform miracles was because the ship was full of talented people.
And recruiting such a team might be too far-fetched for a lone wolf like Da Fei, meaning he'd have to recruit NPC talents. To recruit excellent NPC talents, or even NPC heroes, a player's reputation was essential. Nobody wanted to follow an obscure nobody.
There were many ways to gain reputation, like quests, military achievements, etc. Da Fei happened to have a method to gain reputation because of the sub-skill of reconnaissance, Intelligence Collection!
—Intelligence Collection: When the hero battles against unknown monsters, it can gain the monster's attribute and create an Intelligence Card. Selling this Intelligence Card to scholars or nobles could yield money, reputation, and favorable impressions from certain NPCs.
The area around this deserted island was teeming with unknown ocean creatures, perfect for gathering intelligence! Among them, there were bound to be one or two pieces of intelligence that were particularly valuable. For example, this Plant Monster Anemone!
Just recently leveling up to level 3 meant having another skill point. In any case, regardless of long-term goals or current plans, learning a skill was imperative. Da Fei decisively pulled out the skill book and acquired it!
—System Prompt: You spent a skill point to learn the passive skill Intelligence Collection! The longer you engage with unknown entities, the more detailed the intelligence collection becomes.
Yes, passive skills were good; Brother's favorite skills were passive skills.
The sky had darkened by this time, and with the sound of rushing tides, a large stretch of moist land was exposed. Fully prepared and in top condition, Da Fei invigorated himself and with a splash jumped into the sea, swimming towards the distant, glowing water puddles…