Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 34: Coming Ashore
Qian Ai stood on the mast, some ten meters above the deck. His feet were braced on a horizontal bar, and his back was leaning against the main mast. His arms swung in wide circles, creating a fiery spectacle that seemed to open a circular portal of time and space at the mast’s tip!
In the roaring flames, the wind began to stir.
The sails were blown taut with the wind, and the ship’s pace instantly shifted from “leisurely” to “cutting through waves” in this new era of sailing!
Qian Ai thought they might have left the sea monsters behind, but he didn’t have time to check.
Others might throw punches in a fight; he was doing the same, but it felt like he needed a vernier caliper for precision. He had to generate wind, maintain balance, swing his arms with all his might, keep the wind on course, and, most importantly, ensure the flames didn’t catch the sails.
Is this a fight or scientific research?!
“Lao Qian, Lao Qian, great job! You’re the best—”
The cheering from teammate surnamed Kuang below gave Qian Ai a subtle feeling like he was back in kindergarten, where if he swung his arms well, the auntie would give him a cookie as a reward.
Kuang Jinxin, closely observing the “flaming teammate” above, confirmed the lack of encouragement. “Captain, Qian Ge doesn’t seem to like my support.”
Xu Wang clapped his shoulder. “You’re young, so you don’t understand people’s heart.”
Releasing Kuang Jinxin, Captain Xu looked up and shouted, “Lao Qian, Lao Qian, make easy money—”
There was no response from the mast.
In the bright flames, that good wish dispersed into the sea mist.
“Whoosh—”
The flames at the top of the mast surged several meters high. The arms with strong biceps rotated so fast they were nearly invisible. The fierce wind howled in the fire, carrying the momentum of thousands of horses!
As the great wind picked up, the sails soared, and the wooden ship turned into a speedboat, cutting through wave after wave.
Kuang Jinxin clung to his spyglass, facing the oncoming gale as if riding a dark motorcycle.
Xu Wang watched the entangled sea monsters shrink into a small wave on the horizon, finally able to relax.
In the cockpit, Wu Sheng, not fully understanding the situation, gripped the helm, contentedly enjoying the thrill of “sailing”, occasionally closing his eyes to imagine beautiful lines of code refreshing before him. He took a deep breath and felt refreshed—one breath bringing clarity, two making him invincible.
About eleven minutes later, a sailboat with the soul of a speedboat rushed onto the shore of West Treasure Beach. The speed was so great that it continued another dozen meters on the sand before finally stopping, completely beached.
Two minutes later, four people disembarked from the ship, three buoyant and spirited, one with dangling arms and a vacant gaze.
“Lao Qian, cheer up!”
“You can’t ask that of a man who’s lost both arms.”
“I guarantee, with my 20/20 vision, your arms are still there.”
“But they’ve lost their soul.”
When a teammate turned into a poet, it was best to let them have some quiet time. — [Captain Xu’s Team Building Handbook]
The dark clouds hadn’t reached this small island. Under the bright blue sky, the beach shimmered with silvery light on the white sand.
Standing on this soft sand, facing the sea, one could easily feel a sense of peaceful, easy years.
However, for the four companions who had fought through wind and waves, their eyes were only fixed on the lighthouse atop a distant rock.
“We need to move quickly,” Xu Wang said, scanning the surroundings. “This island might not be just ours. Standing here on the beach is too conspicuous and unsafe.”
Wu Sheng looked back at the beached sailboat, aptly reminding him, “Considering our flashy landing, thinking about being low-key now might be a bit late.”
Xu Wang glared at him. “Can’t you say something positive?”
Wu Sheng wasn’t intentionally trying to disturb the morale of the team. He believed in realism. “Up until now, only one treasure chest has been opened, and we’ve already landed on the island. Unless something unexpected happens, we’ll definitely get a chance at the chest.”
Before he could finish what he was saying, another “ding” echoed across the Endless Sea.
[Cheat Sheet: West Treasure Beach (2/3). The second treasure vault has been opened.]
Another team or individual had reached the top of the tower.
Right as they hadn’t yet left the beach.
One spot remained.
Looking at the message scrolling on their arms, Wu Sheng pondered for two seconds, then looked up apologetically. “The unexpected came a bit too quickly.”
Xu Wang looked earnestly at him. “From now on, please just be a quiet, handsome man.”
The reef piled a few dozen meters away was the highest point on the island, and the lighthouse of Treasure Beach West was situated on top of the reef pile. The lighthouse was completely white but glinted golden in the sunlight. On closer inspection, it turned out that there were gold stripes painted at intervals, but the lines were so fine that they could only be seen clearly up close.
Much like the lighthouse on the Flying Island topped with a winged sailboat sculpture, the Treasure Beach lighthouse was crowned with a chest symbolizing its identity—antique in design and mysterious in aura—even the keyhole gleamed golden.
The group, except for Qian Ai, who relied solely on his feet, used hands and feet to climb to the top of the rocks, surprisingly encountering no competitors. From a distance, the area appeared flat, but it was actually littered with rocks of various sizes, as if someone had tossed a basket of irregular stones onto a basketball court-sized clearing and then built a tower amidst the rubble.
The lighthouse, with its white and gold motif, had only one door at the base and a square hole near the top. Other than that, it was entirely sealed.
The four didn’t dare to approach the lighthouse rashly, instead hiding behind a large rock about seven or eight meters away, stealthily spying on the square hole at the top that suspiciously resembled a machine gun’s muzzle.
“Mao Qiping said,” Kuang Jinxin whispered, “the lighthouse guard might engage in close combat inside the door or attack from a distance from the top of the lighthouse.”
“The door and that hole above are in a straight line,” Xu Wang confirmed. “It’s for long-range attacks.”
“Is it going to be a barrage of machine guns or a volley of arrows?” Qian Ai asked.
“Let’s find out,” Wu Sheng said, picking up a pebble and hurling it with all his might toward the lighthouse door.
The pebble hit the ground with a crisp sound and then rolled forward. There was a flash of cold light from the hole at the top of the tower, and the group saw something emerge but couldn’t make it out as it was too fast, followed by the sound of rapid, piercing gunfire!
The momentary chaos soon returned to calm. In the salty sea breeze, they focused their gaze on where the pebble had rolled to find a row of long nails deeply embedded in the rock, leaving seven or eight inches sticking out. The pebble that had rolled was now pulverized under one of the nails, virtually untraceable.
“Nail gun.” Wu Sheng accurately named the “weapon” they were facing and added, “But the size of the nails is quite fierce.”
The three companions looked at the nine-inch nails and simultaneously felt a pang in their chests.
It wasn’t just fierce; these were the size of stakes used for vampires!
“Let’s give up,” Qian Ai, seeing no hope of victory and foreseeing a bloodbath, suggested. “We won’t make it far before we’re turned into sieves.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic,” Kuang Jinxin, physically smaller than his teammates but with an optimistic fighting spirit that dwarfed them all, encouraged. “If bare hands won’t do, we can use stationery.”
“There’s no need to force our way in.” Wu Sheng suddenly stood up and reached out to Qian Ai. “Bow and arrows.”
Ever since he had successfully shot a sea monster with an arrow, Qian Ai had kept the bow and quiver strapped to his back and waist, never leaving them even when climbing up the mast to make wind. It wasn’t like he had any grand plans, but having an extra weapon made him feel more secure.
Surprised and delighted when Wu Sheng asked for them, he quickly handed over the bow. “You know how to use this? Why didn’t you say so earlier!”
“Just played with it.” Wu Sheng took the bow, pulled an arrow from Qian Ai’s quiver, and nocked it. “Let’s give it a try.”
With an arrow aimed at the tower’s top, Wu Sheng gracefully and composedly drew the bow, staring intently at the dark, square opening with a calm and sharp gaze. Xu Wang’s face remained unchanged, but his eyes saw nothing other than Wu Sheng. It was as if he had returned to those high school days when he would steal glances at this person during class. Back then, Wu Sheng would sit by the window, and whenever Xu Wang stole a look, it felt like the world consisted only of Wu Sheng and the bright, cheerful sunshine.
Finally, Wu Sheng released the arrow, and it zoomed towards the hole with a powerful twang!
Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin held their breaths, and Qian Ai, who had just regained some feeling in his arms, clenched his fists involuntarily.
“Splat—”
The arrow struck the tower wall a considerable distance from the hole and then skewed and fell, landing haphazardly on the ground.
“It’s okay. It’s been a while since you played, so you’re a bit rusty. A few tries and you’ll get better,” Xu Wang encouraged, both for his teammates and his beloved. “Lao Qian, another arrow!”
“No need.” Wu Sheng, without waiting for Qian Ai to retrieve another arrow, handed back the bow. “Apparently, I’m still no good.”
Xu Wang frowned. “Giving up so easily isn’t like you.”
Wu Sheng shook his head. “I’ve always missed when I played before. This is normal for me.”
Kuang Jinxin: “……”
Qian Ai: “……”
Xu Wang: “…Then why were you trying to act so cool just now?!”
Ignoring their grumbling advisor, who insisted on trying, “just in case it works this time”, Captain Xu made a decisive call. “Use stationery.”
They hadn’t even reached the next challenge yet and had already used the [Invincible Hot Wheel]. Xu Wang didn’t want to deplete their stationery further, but they had come so far. If they were overtaken at the last moment and lost the final spot, he could vomit blood.
“Defense or offense?” Kuang Jinxin quickly responded to the captain’s call.
“Offense.” Xu Wang looked up at the top of the tower, his brows furrowing. “Defense might get us into the tower, but we still have to face the tower guard head-on. Better to use offense and finish him off once and for all.”
“That leaves me out then. I only have defense left.” Qian Ai closed his eyes, attempting to summon a flame, then shook his head after opening them. “The [Invincible Hot Wheels] has also expired.”
Xu Wang stared at his stationery box and pursed his lips. [Cao Chong Weighing the Elephant] was untested and might not even activate, and while [Chang’e Flying to the Moon] seemed like it might offer flight, before they could even reach the sky, they would probably be nailed back down to the ground.
Their hopes rested on Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin.
Xu Wang looked up at his teammates. Wu Sheng stepped forward. “Just get me up there, and I can use [Deep Gaze of Death] on him.”
Kuang Jinxin followed suit. “[Hit Me If You Dare] sounds pretty arrogant. Maybe it’ll work against the nail gun!”
Xu Wang grasped Kuang Jinxin’s hand without a second of hesitation. “I’m relying on you.”
Kuang Jinxin nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, captain, I’ll definitely take him down!”
Exiting his own [Stationery Box], Advisor Wu felt a tinge of melancholy.
Hiding behind a large rock, Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai slightly retreated, giving their teammate enough space to maneuver.
Kuang Jinxin took a deep breath and solemnly pressed the little grimacing icon in his [Stationery Box] — [(Offense) Hit Me If You Dare].
The moment his fingertip touched his skin, a layer of crystal-clear membrane rose from the ground at Kuang Jinxin’s feet, gradually enveloping his entire body along his contours and finally closed at the top of his head. The membrane, like jelly, slightly swayed with the sea breeze and occasionally refracted a bit of rainbow light under the sun.
Before the three companions had time to speak, the membrane suddenly disappeared.
Like a soap bubble bursting in sunlight, it vanished without a trace.
The onlooking friends were a bit baffled, but Kuang Jinxin’s gaze was resolute. “Captain, I’m ready.”
Who knows what effects these stationaries will give? Since Kuang Jinxin said so, Xu Wang chose to believe.
“Be careful.”
“Got it.”
Kuang Jinxin slowly stepped out from behind the rock, advancing toward the lighthouse door. His steps weren’t fast, but each one was firm.
The three companions stood still. Although they trusted their teammate, they couldn’t help but feel a tug at their hearts thinking of those long nails resembling wooden stakes.
A flash of cold light!
Far more nails than before shot out from the muzzle, whistling through the air, heading straight for Kuang Jinxin’s face!
The three companions instinctively held their breath!
Halfway there, Kuang Jinxin suddenly stopped, abruptly looking up as if to face the incoming nails!
In a flash, the torrential rain of nails reached him. From the perspective of the three friends behind the rock, the tip of the nail almost touched Kuang Jinxin’s forehead!
But the unexpected happened.
The nails didn’t continue forward but inexplicably stopped right in front of Kuang Jinxin’s forehead, the tip almost touching his skin but not moving a millimeter further, as if it had flown over ten or twenty meters just to give Kuang Jinxin a “mosquito bite”.
The subsequent dense nails, just like their “predecessor”, halted at the last moment, as if they were under a “freeze spell”.
The nails were halted, but not Kuang Jinxin.
He patiently waited until the last nail stopped, then took a deep breath and charged towards the “nail rain”, or rather, towards the dark mouth of the lighthouse tower aligned in a diagonal line with them and roared. “Ahhhhhh—”
Although the roar sounded more like a scream, the nails, as if bewitched, turned around in the roar and rushed back towards the lighthouse muzzle with even faster and sharper speed than before!
“Bam, bam, bam—”
Numerous nails densely embedded into the walls around the muzzle, and the central part of the curtain-like nail rain, without missing a single one, shot right into the muzzle!
“Urgh…”
A painful moan came from the muzzle, and then, silence.
The three companions behind the big rock finally realized that [Hit Me If You Dare] was a rebound of damage!
“Captain!” Kuang Jinxin ran back, beaming with joy, nowhere near as imposing as before. “It’s done!”
Xu Wang was stunned. Rebounding damage was indeed powerful, but it wouldn’t instantly kill, right?
“Are you sure?” Qian Ai asked, half-doubtful.
Clearly, it wasn’t just Captain Xu who was unsure.
Without asking, Wu Sheng picked up another stone and threw it with force. The stone landed next to the initial row of nails, rolling out again, but this time it rolled far, and there was no movement from the lighthouse’s muzzle.
“Actions speak louder than words.” Advisor Wu certified the teammate’s achievement.
The dust had settled.
Even the sea breeze became calm and serene.
The author has something to say:
Invincible Hot Wheels: The whole process is scalding hot and swinging your arms until broken.
Hit Me If You Dare: Shout out loud, accurate kill.
Qian Ai laments: The user experience varies so much with all these reward stationaries. It’s simply a distortion of human nature and a loss of morality! TAT
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