The areas with the most abundant resources were still under the sea.

"Boss!"

Soaking wet, Cao Biansheng climbed onto the beach. He wiped his face, clearing away the seawater.

"Holy shit, that scared me to death! I’d just jumped in the water when I saw a Saltwater Crocodile swim by underwater over there. Good thing I was close to shore."

"You’ve got guts," Qin Ziwen said, speechless. "You know this stretch of sea is dangerous, yet you still dared to jump in."

"I checked before I went in. The water here is really clear. I only got in after seeing there was nothing around," Cao Biansheng said with a grin. Behind him, Qin Ziwu tiptoed out of the sea and onto the sand. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The two of them, confident in their skills and boldness, had eagerly jumped in after spotting a large lobster in a crevice between some rocks, especially since the water in the shallows was crystal clear, allowing them to see right to the bottom.

But right after they got in, they discovered a seven- or eight-meter-long Saltwater Crocodile passing by just a few dozen meters away.

Noticing the splash they made, the Saltwater Crocodile made a sharp ninety-degree turn and swam toward them, scaring them into scrambling back ashore.

"Huh!? The beast actually dares to come ashore."

Qin Ziwu had only taken a few steps when he heard the sound of something emerging from the water behind him.

He saw the Saltwater Crocodile heave itself out of the sea and charge toward them on all fours.

"Let’s go. Lure it further inland," Qin Ziwen said.

Perhaps because it had never met any trouble on land in this area, the Saltwater Crocodile didn’t think twice when it saw the humans fleeing inland. It simply bounded after them.

They led the crocodile into the forest at the center of the island, where the dense trees began to hinder its movement.

Its speed slowed, and it seemed to lose interest in the chase.

"This crocodile is huge. It’s probably about the same size as that alpha male we killed in the forest," Qin Ziwu said.

"It’s still different. The crocodile from the forest had a bigger head; this Saltwater Crocodile’s head is a bit smaller." Seeing the crocodile halt, Qin Ziwen picked up a stone and threw it at its head.

SMACK.

The fist-sized rock landed squarely on the Saltwater Crocodile’s head.

The crocodile’s head snapped up, its vertical pupils glaring furiously at the two-legged monkeys before it.

It had been about to give up the chase, but now these two-legged monkeys had dared to provoke it again.

The Saltwater Crocodile sped up, just as a shadow fell over its head.

The Beaked Eagle, which had been lying in wait on a treetop to its rear, swooped down.

Its talons dug into the vertebrae of the Saltwater Crocodile’s neck.

Its immense strength slammed the crocodile’s head directly into a sandy pit.

The Saltwater Crocodile’s four legs scrabbled madly at the sand, its tail thrashing back and forth.

But no matter how much it struggled, its head and spine were pinned firmly to the ground.

Eventually, its struggles grew weaker.

And weaker.

Until it stopped struggling altogether.

"Amazing, Beaked Eagle!" Qin Ziwu exclaimed in praise.

Besides his older brother, he was the second person to know the Beaked Eagle.

He had witnessed its growth firsthand, step by step.

From the very beginning, when it could only provide support and act as a third eye.

To later, when it gradually became a main force, and then to the time it lured the Duck-billed Dragon to its death by the lake to achieve its Extraordinary breakthrough.

Now, it could hunt a Saltwater Crocodile with ease.

"SCREECH!" The Beaked Eagle stomped on the crocodile beneath its talons, its neck held high.

Hunt Saltwater Crocodile (1/5)

"The tide’s coming in," someone shouted from the tidal flats.

Qin Ziwen and the others looked over and saw the seawater slowly rising.

Many people carrying buckets were hurrying back.

"Let’s go, time to head back."

Looking in that direction, a large number of people on the shore had begun to retreat.

"Brother, shouldn’t we leave a Node here?"

"No need. It’s too conspicuous," Qin Ziwen said.

A Node’s outline was extremely obvious, especially at night. It would be discovered easily.

Not long after they returned to their lodgings, Jia Liangcai hurried over.

"Sir, all the rented-out Cards have been collected."

"So quickly?" Qin Ziwen was a little surprised.

Jia Liangcai smiled. "No one was late with their payments. Collecting the Cards went smoothly. This is the will of the people and the way things are heading. Congratulations, my Lord."

Based on his previous experience collecting rent and taxes in the Great Yong, it was common for collections to be incomplete.

But here, he had met almost no resistance at all.

He had wanted to make an example of someone to establish the rules, but there was no one to make an example of, which left him feeling quite emotional.

"It’s good that it went smoothly. Did you get the Cards I wanted?"

"This time there were four Residential Cards, five Dock Cards, and one Ordinary Building Duplication Card." Jia Liangcai knew which Cards his lord was most anticipating.

"Five Dock Cards. It seems the map does have a higher drop rate for them." Qin Ziwen was relatively satisfied.

He did a quick calculation. Including the Cards he already had, he could upgrade the dock directly to Level 5. Then, by using an Upgrade Card, he could obtain a Level 4 Advanced Building related to shipbuilding.

Qin Ziwen collected the Cards and took them to the dock.

The Keel Ship was mostly finished, but it still needed further waterproofing and sealing treatments.

Over seven meters long, the Keel Ship was exquisitely crafted and looked to be of extremely high quality.

"Sir, the ship should be ready for the sea in about another day."

Qin Ziwen walked to the ship’s side and gently caressed its hull. Although the vessel was large, it was still a bit undersized for this vast ocean. Even the Saltwater Crocodile they had killed today was no shorter than this ship.

"The ship is good. Step out for a moment. I’m going to upgrade the dock."

Qin Ziwen took out the Ordinary Building Duplication Card.

He duplicated a Dock Card, then synthesized and used them.

The light of the dock’s upgrade seemed to shine nonstop.

Wave after wave of light enveloped the dock as it continuously improved, finally reaching Level 5.

Qin Ziwen took out an Upgrade Card and used it on the dock.

[Post-upgrade building footprint: 20x60 -> 50x100. Please confirm the area meets requirements.]

"Upgrade."

The next second, light enveloped the entire dock.

The light then spread outward.

It covered a large area.

When the light completely dissipated, a massive, fifty-thousand-square-foot wooden-framed structure was revealed.

Its entire frame was made of damp wood joined with mortise and tenon, with strands of dried seaweed hanging from the cracks in its beams and pillars.

A rusted flagpole was planted next to the wooden building, flying a gray flag emblazoned with a skull.

At the center of the dock, in a deep, dark pool, rested the Keel Ship made by Tao Fu. Standing by the ship were translucent blue figures.

But in the blink of an eye, the figures vanished without a trace, as if what he had just seen was merely an illusion.

Qin Ziwen used Insight.

[Level 4 Ghost Ship Dock: Level 5 Shipbuilding Efficiency Boost, Level 5 Ship Reinforcement, Level 5 Ghost Boatmen] (Special Effect: If a damaged or rotting ship is brought to the Ghost Ship Dock, provided the corresponding shipbuilding materials are supplied, the Ghost Boatmen will repair it. There is a low chance of awakening a Ghost on the ship, turning it into a special crew member.)

"This is..."

Qin Ziwen’s expression grew serious.

He hadn’t expected the dock to change so drastically.

’What I saw just now wasn’t a hallucination, was it? Those translucent blue figures are the actual Ghost Boatmen.’

’And what the hell is this "low chance of awakening a Ghost on the ship, turning it into a special crew member"?’

A thought occurred to Qin Ziwen.

Since these Ghost Boatmen were Ghosts, did that mean they didn’t need to rest?

They could build ships twenty-four hours a day.

He had been worrying about not having enough people for shipbuilding, but now, with these Ghost Boatmen, a great deal of pressure was relieved.

"My Lord, this..." Tao Fu was completely stunned when he saw the dilapidated dock.

Although the dock was bigger, it seemed to have become even more run-down.

It looked like a dock that had been abandoned for who knows how many years.

’Can a dock like this still build ships?’

"Follow me." Qin Ziwen walked forward.

Tao Fu followed behind him.

The two arrived at the central area of the dock and looked down at the inky black water below.

Tao Fu had never seen water of this color and craned his neck to take a look.

The next second, his face turned deathly pale, and he quickly pulled his head back.

"My Lord, under the water, under the water..."

"Don’t be afraid. This is a new building. Its name is the Ghost Ship Dock."

"’Ghost?’" It was the first time Tao Fu had heard the term, but he still breathed a quiet sigh of relief. ’As long as they’re not spirits...’ "My Lord, what is a ’Ghost’?"

"It’s a spirit."

Tao Fu’s face instantly turned ashen.

He hurriedly bowed with his hands clasped together, praying in all directions, "No offense intended, no offense intended."

Qin Ziwen hadn’t expected this old man, who looked to be in his forties or fifties, to have such a side to him. "You’re afraid of spirits?"

Tao Fu’s movements froze. He said in a low voice, "My Lord, this is about respecting the dead."

"Fine, you’ll have plenty of time to pay your respects later. From now on, you are the Dock Master of this Ghost Ship Dock. All these Ghosts are your employees starting today."

Tao Fu: ???

...

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