“If fate allows, then let’s meet again on the sea…”

Chen Qi packed up his things and, taking advantage of the crew’s battle with the Sea Beasts, quietly exited through the Stone Door.

Captain Blackeye and Little Crow still had reserves of strength, and they likely had unused supplies left.

As long as they didn’t provoke the Wall of Blood-Eyes, the Sawshark shouldn’t suffer severe casualties.

With Little Crow’s skill level, she should be fine… Chen Qi thought to himself.

Though their time together was brief, he had a decent impression of her.

She wasn’t some typical witch or princess-type, yet still managed to become one of the most popular characters in the Witch Sea arc—it wasn’t without reason.

Even with her occasional sinister “kekeke” laughs and a hint of violent tendencies, she was a good person who had helped him a lot.

If there’s a chance in the future, maybe they could work together again.

But on this sea, without strength, nothing could be achieved.

Along the way, he only encountered Sea Beasts—none of them caused him trouble. In fact, some even seemed worried he might go hungry, bringing him disgusting bat corpses…

They were all surprisingly friendly, giving Chen Qi a strange sense of being… home.

“But I’m human. I can’t eat that stuff…”

Chen Qi looked at the Sea Beasts.

Even with Deep Sea Affinity, it was undeniable—in appearance and in mind, he was fully human.

“Once I’m out, I have to advance to Transcendent as soon as possible.”

The exit of the Rift came into view.

Chen Qi gently set down the Parasitic Sea Beast that had been giving him massages on his shoulder.

Though the massage felt great, it was time to say goodbye.

“Goodbye, you quirky little thing.”

He picked up the pace and left the Rift.

The odds of being chased were low—but if someone was fast enough, things could get complicated.

…

Before long, Chen Qi had slipped through the narrow, pitch-black passage and emerged from the Rift.

Sunlight bathed him once again.

The deep blue sky shimmered over the glistening sea, and before him floated the Sawshark, the Black Whale Crew’s steam-powered ship.

So bright… it must be around noon… Chen Qi shielded his eyes, and once he adjusted to the light, he made his way toward the ship.

Based on the intel he had gathered, for maximum combat power, the entire Sawshark crew had entered the Rift.

After all, even if someone stayed behind and discovered danger, they couldn’t relay the message into the Rift anyway.

That was just secondhand info—not guaranteed to be accurate…

Still, if anyone did stay back, their strength likely wouldn’t be much.

Chen Qi climbed the rope ladder and carefully explored the deck.

Sure enough, inside the ship’s medical room, he spotted someone—arms bandaged, resting.

It was a guy who had been bitten by a shark. With little combat strength, he hadn’t gone into the Rift.

He was sprawled out in the sunlight, fast asleep…

No threat to his escape.

Chen Qi first went to the galley and grabbed the sea chart decorating the wall, then picked up a bag of bread and two cans. Along the way, he even found a simple compass—lucky break.

His movements were smooth and practiced.

Once he had everything, he made his way to the ship’s stern.

There, five steam-powered dinghies were suspended for emergency use.

The dinghies weren’t large but were crafted with clever design—full of steampunk charm.

They had small steam engines at the front, three propellers beneath, and a simple steering wheel up top for navigating rough seas.

Each had a basic lantern at the bow.

Etched into the side of the hull were bronze-gold letters: “Black Propeller Maritime Co.”

Seems like a legit brand. Hopefully it’s not some knockoff cobbled together from scrap…

Chen Qi clapped his hands, eyes sparkling. He could see the sea—his freedom!

Only one small problem remained.

“How do I get this boat down?”

He eyed the locking mechanism holding the dinghy in place.

It looked like it required a key—but brute force might work.

He grabbed Captain Blackeye’s Black Blade and jabbed it straight into the joint!

Brute force for the win!

Thunk!

The steam dinghy dropped into the water with a splash.

As expected from the captain’s blade—very effective!

“Alright, time to go.”

Chen Qi scanned the area again.

Suddenly, beneath the hanging mechanism, he spotted something eye-catching—

A finely crafted steel fishing rod!

The handle bore elegant gold patterns.

Pirates typically stashed their valuables on themselves or hid them in strange places.

Judging by the pattern, this thing looked expensive…

Branded too, maybe. Not sure whose it was.

Doesn’t matter. Mine now!

Chen Qi tossed the fishing rod and backpack into the boat, then spent five seconds studying the vessel.

This should be the engine start switch. Do this, then this… that should do it.

He hopped aboard and looked out at the boundless sea.

Just as he was about to depart, the ocean breeze swept over him, carrying his thoughts away.

Suddenly, he remembered an old anime he watched as a kid—about a boy who set sail to become Pirate King, departing from a small town.

This was his first real voyage.

Setting sail was always an exciting thing.

Alone, aboard a tiny boat, stepping into the post-apocalyptic world of New Sun.

But without a proper ship, real seafaring would be rough.

And that’s not even counting the dangers of this ocean.

The sea breeze blew gently through his black hair. Chen Qi looked out over the ocean and gave a bitter smile.

Just then, he recalled the trailer for New Sun.

As a massive open-world game, New Sun was divided into six major regions based on six nations.

As the fire of daylight waned, centuries of peace were shattered anew, and blood and flame reignited the land.

In the Witch Sea, deep beneath the ocean, witches were stirring. The Great Whale brought tides crashing over the borders.

In such a world, the weak were food for monsters. Only strong Transcendents had a chance at controlling their fate.

Before transmigrating, his main account had been a Tier 4 Beast Tamer in the Goldenfinch Kingdom region, aiming to become a Beast Master.

And since New Sun was still in closed beta, most of the main story hadn’t yet developed.

His knowledge of the Witch Sea arc wasn’t that deep.

Still, for any player, New Sun was full of unknowns and danger.

Even high-ranking nobles fell to its hidden threats—that was the game’s charm.

Chen Qi’s mind drifted to keywords from the Witch Sea arc:

The sea, Rift Tides, fleshcraft augmentations, money, treasure, steam tech, monsters…

That was the essence of the Bay Kingdom and the Witch Sea arc.

The Rift Tide and the Witch of Flowers marked the beginning of the Witch Sea’s main storyline.

According to his guess, this was still the calm before the storm.

The Rift Tide hadn’t even arrived yet…

Once it did, the Witch Sea would erupt in chaos.

But that meant survival would become even harder.

“I have to get stronger fast—become a Transcendent.”

Chen Qi mulled over this while starting up the steam dinghy’s engine.

He couldn’t treat this world as just a game anymore.

He wasn’t a player who could respawn. He was someone who could die at any moment.

This was a real world—a world he had to take seriously.

Even in another world, he had to live well.

As the waves rolled, thoughts tumbled inside him, too tangled for words.

In this world, you either rot at sea—or become a legend.

A legend strong enough to defy the world itself!

In a half-dreaming state, he envisioned his future: sailing into a storm, waves of monsters crashing over the sea, rushing toward him like a tidal wave.

“High Inspiration, huh…”

Chen Qi chuckled.

No matter what—he was here now, and he would face it.

Amid the roar of propellers and engines, the boat sped into the sea!

Set sail!

…

…