A Sixth-Level Physician commands respect no matter where they are—so why hide such strength on this little rickety ship?
That physician just now, Victor, had clearly said he was only a Second-Level Physician.
If it weren’t for Sules’ system, she wouldn’t have known he had actually halved his true ability.
Sules quickly realized that he must need her to help him legally get to the Western Continent, which was why he was willing to stay on her little ship.
With such strength, he shouldn’t have any trouble going anywhere.
But Victor couldn’t go through official channels and had to smuggle himself aboard.
Clearly, he was hiding a big secret.
Still, Sules had no choice—she really needed a ship doctor.
There were already many Fourth-Level crew members aboard, and if an infectious disease broke out, it would spread like wildfire.
Not having a ship doctor made her uneasy.
Well then, she reasoned, if a Second-Level Physician costs the same as a Sixth-Level Physician, hiring a Sixth-Level one was definitely a good deal.
Because they had just signed contracts, the loyalty of these new crew members wasn’t high.
The lowest was the doctor—only 20 loyalty points, even less than Adolf when he first arrived.
That number was ripe for betrayal at any moment, but since they had signed six-month contracts, Sules wasn’t too worried.
That loyalty figure only meant they had no intention of staying on the ship long-term, and once the contract expired, they’d most likely leave.
Since the materials for the ship’s upgrade hadn’t arrived yet, Sules didn’t rush to give the new crew a ship tour.
Instead, she chatted casually, hoping to break the ice.
After all, if things went smoothly, they’d be living together for another six months—and a bad atmosphere would be miserable.
While chatting, Sules noticed two people were out of sync with the group.
One was Adolf, who was always aloof—she wasn’t worried about him at all.
It was Victor, however, who made her uneasy.
Could he be another “Adolf”?
“Victor, are you tired? You haven’t said a word,” Sules approached him and asked.
Victor was a man in his forties, with blond hair, blue eyes, a touch of gray at the temples, tall and lean.
A small beard circled his mouth, giving him a mature and steady appearance.
He answered politely, “No, Captain, you’re not disturbing me. I’m not tired—just don’t know what to say.”
His attitude seemed normal enough, so Sules said immediately, “Well then, let’s chat. I’m quite curious why a doctor like you wants to go to the Western Sea.”
Victor smiled faintly.
“I’ve been here too long, alone without any attachments. I want a change of scenery.”
That was obviously an excuse.
Sules didn’t believe someone over forty would leave the continent they’d lived on for so long just for a thrill.
“Then why choose a little ship like mine? With your… Level Three strength, I’m sure many captains would fight over you.”
Victor obviously had a ready excuse and replied without hesitation, “Because I don’t like crowded places, and your ship is just right.”
Still a lie.
There were plenty of Fourth-Level ships, and Victor could have chosen a captain with much more experience than a risky rookie like her.
But Sules didn’t press further.
It was his secret, and even if she asked, she wouldn’t get anything useful.
Plus, it might ruin the relatively peaceful atmosphere between them. No need for that.
After chatting a while, she left and quietly found Theo, telling him to remember Victor’s appearance and inquire discreetly back on the Eastern Continent.
Since this man was desperate to leave the East, he must have some trouble.
Where there’s trouble, there’s a weakness.
Maybe she could uncover a secret.
Putting that matter aside, that very night Charles delivered the materials Sules needed, and she immediately upgraded.
She hadn’t told the new crew about her abilities before, so when they suddenly saw her ship enveloped in thick mist, the eleven new crew members were all surprised.
Sules smiled and explained, “My captain’s talent allows my ship to automatically upgrade once I collect enough materials. No need to be surprised.”
Upon hearing this, Victor, who had been polite and reserved all along, suddenly became excited.
“You can upgrade anything with your talent?”
Sules shook her head, puzzled.
“No, only my ship. But if a damaged ship is registered under my name, there’s a chance to restore it.”
“Ah, I see…”
Victor’s excitement faded, and he nodded quietly.
Sules suspected this was related to his secret, so she didn’t ask further, content to wait for the upgrade to finish.
Ten minutes later, the upgrade was complete.
She led everyone on a tour.
The Caravel was a three-masted ship with triangular sails, which caught wind more easily and increased sailing speed.
Below deck was a single level, and the deck above was also only one level.
This was a warship, so for agility, the living quarters were simplified.
There were six cabins below deck, each with a large shared bunk—tight, but could sleep five people comfortably.
So, everyone had a bed.
The ship’s hull was brown wood, with three cannon ports installed mid-left.
The bow and stern rose high, while the middle section dipped down.
This was the current look of the Legend.
The upgraded ship could hold up to thirty people, showing its considerable size—more than double the original.
As captain, Sules was the first to feel all the ship’s changes, but she was no longer interested in the details.
After a quick tour, she hurried back to the helm and opened the system.
Just after the upgrade finished, a new task prompt appeared.
The rewards were undoubtedly generous, though Sules still didn’t know what exactly the pearl she’d taken from inside the great white shark was.
Speaking of which, she suddenly thought she should show Adolf.
Even though Victor was higher-level and signed a six-month contract, she didn’t trust him personally.
Adolf was different—after their time together, she was sure he wasn’t a villain.
That was enough.
But she didn’t rush to find him.
Instead, she clicked the upgrade button to see what materials the next upgrade would require.
A Fifth-Level ship could freely sail the open seas without worrying about most weather conditions.
Only then could the real adventure begin. Sules looked forward to it.
Of course, moving from Fourth to Fifth Level, like from Seventh to Eighth, was a big hurdle.
The required materials would far exceed before.
Sure enough, a string of red text flashed clearly on the system panel:
Upgrade Requirements:
Funds: 500 Gold Shells 34 Silver Shells (Insufficient)
Wood x1000 (Insufficient)
Cloth x650 (Insufficient)
Rattan x500 (Insufficient)
Stone x100 (Insufficient)
Iron x550 (Insufficient)
Crew x25 (Insufficient)
Deep-Sea Night Pearl x1 (Insufficient)
All required materials had multiplied several times, especially funds, which had skyrocketed from ten Gold Shells to five hundred—a fiftyfold increase.
Sules recognized the Deep-Sea Night Pearl—it could only be obtained by trading with deep-sea fishmen.
Of course, if you had the money, you could buy it on the market for at least ten Gold Shells.
Without it, ordinary fish lamps couldn’t illuminate the mysterious fog around the Outer Seas, making it essential.
Even though Sules had prepared in advance, she still gasped inwardly.
How long would it take to save up this much? She sighed deeply, feeling the long road ahead.
Closing the system panel, Sules went up to the deck to find Adolf.
This guy stayed in a corner of the deck all year round when it wasn’t raining, doing nothing—like growing mushrooms.
Feeling her footsteps approach, Adolf didn’t even lift his eyelids and lazily asked, “What do you want?”
Sules didn’t waste time and took out the pearl.
“Do you recognize this?”
Adolf finally opened his eyes, glanced once, then immediately sat up.
He took the pearl, examined it carefully for a few seconds, then pinched it in his hand.
After a while, he showed rare shock.
“How did you get this sea pearl?”
Sules was silent for two seconds before honestly replying, “You might not believe it, but I found it inside a shark’s belly.”
Adolf was quiet for a long moment as she roughly explained.
Of course, Sules couldn’t tell the whole truth—she hid the part about using her true captain’s talent, only saying she killed the great white shark with cannon fire and found the pearl while scavenging.
Adolf couldn’t help but praise her luck.
“You truly have the Sea God’s blessing to get something like this. Unfortunately, at my age, I can’t use it anymore. Otherwise, I’d have a hard time not tricking it away.”
He clicked his tongue, seeming to regret losing such a treasure.
Also upset that such a prize ended up with someone like Sules, who didn’t recognize its value.
Sules ignored him and asked directly, “So, what does this thing do?”
Adolf explained, “The sea pearl is a treasure of the sea clan. Each sea can only produce one pearl in their lifetime. It contains all their life force and energy, making it priceless. Normally, the pearl stays inside the sea, keeping them youthful and long-lived, disappearing naturally when they die.”
He glanced at Sules.
“Yours must be from that great white shark that accidentally swallowed a sea, so it survived. Usually, the sea clan is many times stronger than a great white shark—impossible to be killed by one. You were truly lucky.”
Sules thought to herself, How would you know that’s the system’s doing?
Smiling on the surface, she asked, “So, what’s its use?”
She wasn’t really concerned about its origin—just its function.
Adolf looked at her quietly, not saying anything.
Sules suddenly caught on.
“I’ll go fill the ship’s wine barrels soon. When I’m less strapped for cash, I’ll buy you a good bottle to reward you.”
Adolf nodded approvingly, then finally spoke, “If you sell this, I can’t say for sure how much you’d get, but at least two hundred Gold Shells. However, if you can trade it with the sea clan, the treasures you could obtain would be priceless.”
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