The appendix listed a re 8 S-rank skills.
The information was sparse and simple—just a serial number, the skill’s na, and the na of the Sea Beast.
After the serial number was the na of the S-rank skill. While the specific abilities weren’t detailed, the general nature of so skills could be inferred from their nas. For instance, `Tide of Confusion` was likely a sonic wave or tidal attack that caused disorientation. As for "Infinite Matriarch," it was probably a hive-type skill involving division or proliferation.
After the dash was the na of the Sea Beast that could awaken the corresponding skill.
The "???" symbols represented unknowns that had yet to be researched.
And at the very bottom of the list, ranked 99th, was none other than Shi Ming’s own skill: "Second Chance"!
This second skill, "Second Chance," awakened from the Black Tortoise, functioned like a revival item, and it was only ranked 99th.
’I wonder who ca up with these rankings.’
Although this was less than a tenth of the full list, Shi Ming’s eyes burned with envy as he looked at it, especially at the skills near the top.
Black Hole,
Heat Death,
’They sounded badass just from the nas!’
Compared to those, skills like Chunyi’s "Extre Speed," or whatever that C-rank skill of Nailu Ye’s was—Shi Ming had already forgotten its na—were complete child’s play.
’If I could get an S-rank attack skill like one of those, pairing it with my `Black Tortoise Shield` and "Second Chance," I’d be a true all-rounder. I’d have enough power to run wild in the `Endless Ocean`.’
Of course, finishing the list only sparked greater curiosity in him.
’What’s the number one S-rank skill?’
’The `Great Black Heaven Dragon` guarded by the `Black Society` is said to be beyond S-rank. If I were to hunt it and bathe in its blood, would the skill I awaken be S-rank or SS-rank? Would it even be on this list? Or is there a separate, higher-tier list?’
Given the chance, Shi Ming wanted to see the `Great Black Heaven Dragon` for himself. A dragon nad after a deity was bound to be extraordinary.
’Right now, my biggest weakness is the lack of a powerful offensive skill.’
’It’s a sha the specin in this jar isn’t `Leviathan` blood. It’s just a tiny, tiny piece of a limb, not enough for an awakening. The `Leviathan` was hundreds of ters long; even a fragnt chipped off in a collision would be bigger than this! This piece is probably only valuable for research.’
’When will I finally get an S-rank or A-rank attack skill?’
Temporarily suppressing his craving for power, he put the research report away and turned his attention to the other two safes.
Two more "mystery boxes" awaited him.
He opened the other two safes using the sa thod and quickly took stock of the items inside.
Inside the other safe from the warehouse was a box containing thirty Do Crystals, along with a vial of B-rank `Sea Beast Blood` that had degraded to the point of being unusable.
There was also a single golden scale, a strange piece of coral, and a shriveled seed.
Since they couldn’t be upgraded, he was unable to use the `Brain of Creation` to inspect them. He would have to find out what they were and what they did through other ans later.
The safe from the captain’s room contained the *Yellowstone’s* collection of valuable intelligence from recent years, communication logs with the *Lighthouse*, the captain’s performance reports, handover records with other ships, and an object that looked like a USB drive.
Shi Ming used the `Brain of Creation` to inspect the USB-drive-like object.
’It can be upgraded! That ans I can inspect it.’
[Lighthouse Communication Device Encryption Decoder]
[Level: 3]
[An extrely important key for a communication tool, issued by the `Lighthouse Faction` to the captains of its subordinate Wandering Ships. This decoder allows a communication device to connect to a fixed, encrypted channel for internal communications.]
[Upgrade Requirent: `Light of the Lighthouse` x1]
It was essentially a physical password for the communicator.
Shi Ming looked at the decoder and couldn’t help but marvel. ’A `King-level Wandering Ship` truly is on another level. Even its communicator cos with an encryption decoder.’
’Not like that certain `Wokoku` organization, which hands out communicators to its captains that anyone can use if they get ahold of one! No privacy whatsoever.’
’Speaking of which, this must be the `Lighthouse`’s communicator, right?’
Shi Ming’s gaze fell on the walkie-talkie-like object sitting off to the side. It was the one he had found in the silt deposits of the *Yellowstone*, engraved with "DT001".
He scanned it with the `Brain of Creation`.
[Lighthouse Communication Device]
[Level 3]
[Manufactured by the `Lighthouse`. Durable, excellent signal, rapid transmission! A communicator made with unique technology, capable of transmitting text ssages over extrely long distances with a maximum delay of ten minutes! (Damaged, all functions lost)]
[Upgrade Requirent: `High-Level Sea Crystal Stone` x3]
Anyone used to modern cell phones would probably think this was a piece of electronic junk. Ten minutes just to send a text ssage?
But in the `Wandering Era`, there were no cell towers. Factions had to rely on their own Wandering Ships, scattered across the ocean, to act as signal relays. A ten-minute delay was already the absolute limit for long-distance transmission.
The `Black Society`’s communication devices had delays of over an hour, and they even had ssage length restrictions.
Looking at the damaged communicator, Shi Ming didn’t hesitate to use his last `Brain of Creation` upgrade for the day.
’Upgrade!’
It only cost three `High-Level Sea Crystal Stones`. For now, he was quite "rich."
...
The communicator upgraded with surprising ease. In just three seconds, Shi Ming received the notification that the upgrade was successful.
[Lighthouse Communication Device]
[Level: 4]
[Manufactured by the `Lighthouse`. Even more durable, with an even better signal! Even faster transmission! A communicator made with unique technology, capable of transmitting text ssages over extrely long distances. Maximum delay of five minutes!]
[Upgrade Requirent: `High-Level Sea Crystal Stone` x10]
As the upgrade completed, the severely corroded communicator was restored to pristine condition.
It looked as if it had just rolled off the assembly line.
Shi Ming found a port on the bottom of the communicator that matched the decoder.
After a mont’s thought, he took the decoder from the safe and inserted it into the port.
BEEP.
BEEP.
The restored communicator lit up, its red light blinking for a long mont. Soon, the light turned green. With a sudden vibration, the e-ink screen in the center flickered to life. A lighthouse-shaped logo appeared first, followed by the main interface—much like the startup animation on an old Nokia phone.
When the `Lighthouse` designed it, they had clearly focused only on functionality, battery life, water resistance, and signal strength, forgoing unnecessary bells and whistles like a color screen.
The main interface had only a single, fixed channel nad [Let There Be Light].
The [Let There Be Light] channel had a total of 13 mbers.
Shi Ming—or rather, the communicator in his hand—was one of them. The na was fixed and could not be changed: [Yellowstone].
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