"Boom——!!!"
Lightning, thick as pillars, tore through the gloomy sky, making a terrifying sound, and abruptly illuminated the completely dark sea.
But it was only for an instant.
"Ghost Ship..."
Was it the one before her eyes?
Chen Qing watched the massive ship that suddenly appeared on the sea with vigilance. In the darkness, it alone emitted a strange green glow.
Its pitch-black exterior concealed its already decayed hull, with the bow carved with a fierce skull, the skull gleaming with a crimson light.
The brutal sea wind blew past, the sails flapped wildly, making a moaning sound, as if something was weeping.
The waves slapped against the hull, producing a dull creaking noise, chilling to the bone.
Chen Qing looked up at the massive ship. It seemed unoccupied, yet within the green glow, there appeared to be other entities present, creating an eerie and fearful atmosphere.
The Ghost Ship moved very slowly, slow enough that Chen Qing could see it clearly.
This ship... seemed alive.
A terrifying thought flashed through Chen Qing's mind and then took firm root in her heart.
Alive... Ghost Ship...
Why had this ship suddenly appeared before her?
Chen Qing's eyes were fixed on the giant ship opposite, unable to look away.
From the previously empty, decayed railing, a withered arm suddenly reached out, and a face covered with barnacles and seaweed emerged, giving Chen Qing a terrifying grin.
The disgusting creature's mouth opened and closed as if it was saying something to Chen Qing.
Just at the sight of that face, Chen Qing was horrified, yet, she still maintained her composure, her expression unchanged.
Was this Ghost Ship the same as the one Gao Yue had seen?
Gao Yue and she were not in the same area, yet they both saw the Ghost Ship one after the other.
The most critical point was that both she and Gao Yue possessed Extraordinary Abilities. Could there be a connection to their abilities?
Based on the current situation, it seemed that the Ghost Ship was unlikely to harm her, at least Gao Yue was still alive.
So, had the Ghost Ship appeared suddenly just to disgust them, or to frighten them?
Chen Qing was unsure of the answer.
The only thing she was certain of was that, in the face of this Ghost Ship, she had no power to fight back, not even the ability to form a thought.
Chen Qing was completely overwhelmed.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, as if someone had seized her throat, making it hard for her to breathe, even to stand.
Amid the terrifying storm, the Ghost Ship moved undisturbed, slowly approaching Chen Qing's small boat and then quickly passing by, brushing against its hull.
The triangle sail was hit and wobbled, almost about to tip over.
Fortunately, it had been evolved by Chen Qing using points from her Extraordinary Ability and was more robust than ordinary boats, so it did not actually capsize.
[Survivor Chen Qing encountered the Ghost Ship in the storm—***** (Deep Red) and survived, earning 30 points.]
"..."
Watching the departing Ghost Ship, Chen Qing stood up, leaning on the mast, swallowing the blood in her mouth, and could not help but smile bitterly.
Perhaps, she should thank that Ghost Ship?
This was probably the coexistence of danger and opportunity. That mechanical voice really hadn't lied to them.
30 points were enough for Chen Qing to do many things.
She quickly opened her personal panel and strengthened her spirit attribute. A mechanic not only needs a robust physique but also a powerful spirit.
Spirit upgraded from G to G+, and Chen Qing spent a total of 15 points.
The moment the points were invested into her body, her brain seemed about to explode, thundering inside her head.
Chen Qing suddenly saw blackness before her eyes, nearly fainting, the pain in that moment was so sharp it felt like it could kill a person outright.
Her once full spirit became parched, cracking inch by inch like drying soil, causing unbearable pain.
But the more her brain hurt, the clearer her consciousness became; she could distinctly feel every inch of the pain.
The pain did not last long, soon, a spring suddenly gushed from the "Parched Soil," moistening every bit of spiritual power, and began to steadily enhance it.
Chen Qing felt her mind was exceptionally clear, some memories that had been blurry before, were now recalled with great clarity.
Was this the effect of enhancing the spirit?
It seemed, not very useful?
No, Chen Qing shook her head. She probably hadn't reached the level that would cause a qualitative change.
However, to break through to the next level in body attributes, she would need a whole 50 points now.
She couldn't do it yet.
Chen Qing wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, but after her spirit broke through to G+, her condition was better than it had ever been before.
If so!
In the midst of the pitch-black storm, Chen Qing's eyes shone with an unusual brilliance. She resolved to repair all those discarded metals and create mechanical creations in one go!
Chen Qing looked toward the distant Ghost Ship and lightning pillar, her gaze resolute.
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!
Having just detached from her work, Chen Qing quickly dove back into it, trading two Automatic Fishing Net Machines for a portable machine tool, which would significantly speed up her work.
The remaining fishing net machine, Chen Qing bought a huge amount of mechanical junk from a secondary trader.
Ever since Chen Qing's bounty went up, this secondary trader began to prepare, trading his own materials for a lot of mechanical junk.
Some people might not notice Chen Qing's bounty, but opportunity always favors the prepared.
This survivor named Qing Xian had a pleasant-sounding name, was quite smart, and had ample guts.
The game didn't provide Space Items, and both boats and rafts had limited load capacity.
She approached Chen Qing, initially trading some mechanically useless junk she had for the still recyclable mechanical junk Chen Qing possessed.
Qing Xian divided the mechanical junk she had into dozens of portions, each of a fixed weight. She traded them one by one with Chen Qing, allowing Chen Qing to temporarily store the mechanical junk on the trading channel.
After Qing Xian had traded all her mechanical junk to Chen Qing, she then asked for the Automatic Fishing Net Machine.
She was indeed brave, and not afraid of Chen Qing running away.
Having gotten the mechanical junk, Chen Qing quickly started working; with Qing Xian's batch of junk, she could make at least a dozen products, and that was an understatement.
And with the new machine tool, Chen Qing's repair speed was significantly increased.
As the storm ceased and the sky broke at dawn, the workshop was filled with a mountain of mechanical junk.
Chen Qing, amid the mechanical junk, wore a subtle smile, the warehouse next door already filled with finished mechanical products.
A whole thirty-six finished machines!
And Qing Xian's mechanical junk wasn't even fully utilized yet!
This batch of finished machines would bring substantial wealth to Chen Qing!