Endless Ocean: Survival Begins with a Dugout Canoe-Chapter 40 - 38: Black Society’s Plan

Da Huangye was a little surprised by Yan Dao Lin’s reply.

He had originally just mentioned it casually, hoping to divert the Grand General’s attention and keep him from bringing up other topics he’d rather not discuss.

He never thought for a moment that the Admiral of the Sea Expedition would be interested in paid intelligence, much less willing to allocate a large sum of funds to purchase it.

The Black Society’s financial reserves were rather tight at the moment.

Moreover, the relationship between the Black Society and Da Yu was terrible.

Under these circumstances, not only would they not receive any discount for the sake of shared humanity, but they would also have to go through a third party, incurring a hefty intermediary fee.

He just hadn’t expected the Grand General to agree after only a moment’s thought.

’He didn’t even ask the price...’

"General, that price is not cheap... It will require at least 500 Pure Dome Crystals."

Pure Dome Crystal was also a type of Energy Stone, three tiers higher than Sea Crystal Stone, and extremely rare.

"It doesn’t matter. The Xirang Research Institute is in a prime position. They not only have rubbings of the inscription but also possess the original stele. On top of that, they receive the highest level of financial support from Da Yu. Their research capabilities are far beyond our own; even the Lighthouse, another King-level Wandering Ship, can’t compare. Being able to purchase their research findings is the best possible outcome for us right now."

Yan Dao Lin closed the file in his hand and looked at the subordinate reporting before him.

"What’s more, the treasures of the Endless Ocean have always been varied and elusive. Humanity has explored the ocean for thirty years, yet we have barely scratched the surface of its secrets. If we had that mysterious list, we could acquire treasures in a targeted manner. This would also benefit our empire’s plans."

"Yes, General. Your foresight is brilliant."

"Also, what’s the status of the intelligence on the S-rank sea beast in the 928 Sea Region? Are we confident we can hunt it this time? You should know, the Supreme Governor’s patience is wearing thin."

The "lord" he referred to was the Supreme Governor of this ship.

"Well... with our Wandering Ship’s current capabilities, it would be difficult to hunt that beast."

Da Huangye said haltingly.

All told, the Black Society currently had only three A-rank Awakened. Even with reinforcements from Renhuang and various high-tech weapons inherited from the Land Era, it would be difficult to successfully hunt the S-rank sea beast they had finally managed to find in the Endless Ocean.

That thing was a mutated nine-headed hydra, incredibly bizarre and difficult to kill!

Not only was it extremely resilient, but its venomous attacks were nearly impossible to defend against.

The sea for miles around its lair was laced with a potent toxin, making it impossible for ordinary creatures to survive.

"Useless!"

Yan Dao Lin snatched up the file and threw it straight at Da Huangye’s face.

Da Huangye didn’t dare to dodge, taking the blow full in the face.

"Find reinforcements! Find mercenaries! If that’s not possible, switch targets immediately! No matter what, the Black Society must hunt an S-rank sea beast as soon as possible and obtain its bloodline power! We must cultivate a true S-rank Awakened! The Great Black Heaven Dragon has shown signs of awakening in recent years. We don’t have much time!"

"Yes, General Yan Dao!"

"Get out!"

Da Huangye stood up, snapped to attention, and saluted.

He then respectfully backed out of the Grand General’s office.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Every debriefing with the Grand General left his heart pounding in his chest.

Fortunately, the Grand General hadn’t asked about the C-rank treasure, the "Nautical Chart," in the ship’s collection this time.

’Perhaps the Grand General really doesn’t care about such trivial matters... A C-rank treasure... the Grand General truly doesn’t care about things like that. He only cares about one thing: when can we hunt an S-rank sea beast?’

’But an S-rank? Easier said than done.’

Even the Lighthouse, the colossal King-level Wandering Ship from the former land-based superpower, America, couldn’t guarantee a successful hunt against an S-rank sea beast.

...

...

...

Shi Ming looked at the map in his hand, planning his next "target."

He was preparing to head toward a prominent dark spot on the map to confirm if a D-rank sea beast was indeed present there.

But just because their rank was low didn’t mean D-rank sea beasts were easy to deal with.

For most Silver-level Wandering Ships, D-rank sea beasts were a considerable problem—difficult to find and difficult to kill. Chunyi himself had once admitted that even now, he would have a hard time hunting a D-rank sea beast like a black shark.

The main reason was that the ocean was the sea beasts’ home turf.

It was difficult for humans to find effective ways to fatally wound their thick hides, while the agile creatures could continuously harass and attack the conspicuous and relatively clumsy Wandering Ships.

What’s more, some sea beasts could summon hundreds of their kin to attack as a swarm.

It was a true nightmare at sea!

Shi Ming currently had no plans to hunt a sea beast; he was just going to verify his theory.

But if a hunt became necessary, it wasn’t as if he lacked the means.

His Third-Level Cross Saber, combined with his own fierce saber techniques, gave him the confidence to kill any target that wasn’t a giant sea beast in a single strike.

His level-four pistol could blow the brains out of some sea beasts with a single shot.

’This is the spot. It’s relatively close, and the dark spot is quite clear. I’m guessing it’s not a beast that lives in the deep sea. Once we get to the coordinates, I can throw out some fermented fish carcasses as bait to lure it out, and then decide my next move.’

After laying out a rough plan and settling on his target, Shi Ming ordered the crew to sail toward the designated coordinates.

’As for the three Silver-level Wandering Ships dispatched by the Black Society?’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Without the ability to track him remotely, Shi Ming didn’t believe they could find him in this vast ocean. And even if they did, he didn’t think they’d be able to get the upper hand.

To be honest, Shi Ming’s hands were getting a little itchy.

He’d barely used thirty percent of his strength in the fight against Nailu Ye. His probing attacks had resulted in a one-sided steamrolling, completely lacking the thrill of battling an equally matched warrior. He hadn’t had a proper fight against a worthy opponent in so long that he was even starting to miss his past life of taking on missions.

Especially the feeling of fists connecting with flesh—now *that* was satisfying!

Guns and ammo were powerful and deadly, sure, but they completely lacked the artistry of combat. Melee weapons like cross sabers and longswords—their clashes held a certain iron-blooded romance.

Having confirmed his target, Shi Ming instructed the crew to sail for the designated coordinates.

At the Wandering Ship’s current speed, it would take about three hours to reach the target sea region. In the meantime, he could get some proper rest, conserve his energy, and prepare for any potential battles ahead.

Putting away the nautical chart, Shi Ming decided to give his two Wandering Ships a couple of impressive names.

’What would be some good names?’

’The Bramble Breaker? The Thorn Cutter?’

’The Wind-Rider? The Wave-Breaker?’

’No, too ordinary.’

’I’ll have to keep thinking.’