Chapter 183: Nailing It

Item Name: Unlimited Personal Live Stream Studio

Item Type: Dungeon Item

Item Rank: B

Item Note: As a true internet celebrity, you must always open your live stream, no matter what you're going through, and share your experiences with your family watching the screen.

Item Skill: Multi-Function Communicator

Skill Description: The Unlimited Personal Live Stream Studio can automatically transform into any type of communicator based on the user's needs, perfectly matching the current realm's communication infrastructure and transmitting the user's auditory and visual capabilities via special signals.

Note: When browsing internal storage, do not casually open unnamed files. Its last user answered a midnight phone call during a live stream; that recording was automatically saved and is stored somewhere in a folder.

Item Skill: Unlimited In-Realm Communication

Skill Description: Select any device within this realm and establish a direct, fixed connection with it. Communication with the fixed-connected device has no restrictions; up to three devices per realm can be connected. Current fixed connections: 2/3.

Although the Unlimited Personal Live Stream Studio is merely an ordinary B-rank item, as a communication device, it nearly reaches the pinnacle of communication equipment.

Whether using it to activate abilities through a phone or video feed, or bypassing communication limits to connect at any time, both are extremely practical skills.

Especially the second skill—if not for the "in-realm" prefix—it could directly link to dungeon-clearing teams, livestreaming all difficulties inside the dungeon and providing external assistance.

At that point, it would become the number one S-rank equipment in the Abyss Game, without exception.

Unfortunately, that "in-realm" prefix cannot be removed.

According to Park Changmin's confession, his two fixed connections are held by the Gao Mu Navy and the Midy Kingdom's high command.

The mysterious number mentioned by Xiang Jianxing was also explained by Park Changmin: the mysterious number he transmitted was actually a set of coordinates. Using a formula derived from their repeated explorations of the Wreck Belt, these coordinates can be converted into real-world coordinates.

Thus, the Gao Mu Navy existing in the outside world can predict the exact location where offering vessels emerge from the Wreck Belt and position themselves in advance.

Park Changmin's intelligence confirmed Wu Chang's earlier suspicion: getting the passengers off the ship alive, escaping the Earthly Divine Kingdom and the evil god's followers, is not the end—the real challenge lies in the navy waiting for them in the real realm.

But now, with the Unlimited Personal Live Stream Studio, there is room for maneuver.

On the other side, the Secret Ritualist, having failed to hunt down Blood Wolf, returned to the Star Leap and saw Park Changmin dragging several Midy Kingdom players out of the cargo hold.

Park Changmin, seeing the Secret Ritualist's expression, knew the outcome of the fight and said, "Didn't catch him again?"

The Secret Ritualist grunted, "That mutt's got too much luck—he slipped away again. But the wounds I left on him won't fully heal in three or five days. He can't stay in the sea forever; he'll have to come back on board."

"We should seize this chance to thoroughly search every passenger on the ship and drag out that mutt. With such a disruptor around, I fear it will delay the Master's grand plan."

Park Changmin nodded, "To search every passenger, we need Li Zaishi's cooperation. Once the Saint meets with Li Zaishi tomorrow night, we can retake control of the Star Leap and search everyone openly."

Upon mentioning Li Zaishi's name, Park Changmin suddenly frowned and pressed his hand to his forehead.

"What's wrong?" asked the Secret Ritualist.

Park Changmin rubbed the large bump on his forehead, "That Revelation heretic hit too hard—my head still hurts from that punch. Lucky she aimed for my forehead and not my neck."

The Secret Ritualist shook his head in disgust, "You're too fragile. It's late. Leave this to others. Go do your real work."

Park Changmin shrugged, "I've already sent the message."

The Secret Ritualist blinked in surprise, "Already?"

Park Changmin said, "I sent the message first, then came back to rescue them. Probably because the Master's return is near—it's made me faster. Oh, that's why I could do it in two minutes yesterday, cough… It was because the Master's return made me too ecstatic to hold back."

The Secret Ritualist drew a deep breath and stepped back, putting distance between himself and Park Changmin.

If the Master heard that, the first thing he'd do upon arrival is kill you. Must stay far from Park Changmin—don't want blood splattered on me when it happens.

The day after ambushing Park Changmin, the Star Leap fell unusually quiet; all factions prepared in silence.

Today was Sunday; as usual, Park Changmin gathered all Xinyuzhou Sect followers for their weekly large-scale prayer.

After the prayer, they would hold a feast, indulging in food to physically experience the Master's blessings.

Before the prayer began, the secretary approached Wu Chang.

"Boss, the ship's food is almost gone. Should we restrict the Xinyuzhou Sect's activities and ration food by headcount?"

The moment he gained control of the Star Leap, the secretary had raised the issue of food reserves, proposing strict rationing of food and drinking water, dividing remaining supplies into fifteen-day portions.

But Wu Chang rejected every proposal. Though he didn't know why his boss refused to control food supplies, he strictly followed Wu Chang's orders and did not restrict food or water.

The result: in three days, the original fifteen-day supply was nearly exhausted.

Wu Chang patted the secretary's shoulder carelessly, "Don't worry about food. With this vast ocean, how could we lack food? Just wait."

With that, Wu Chang went to the seventh-floor activity room, retrieved a fishing rod, and strolled slowly toward the third-deck deck.

Watching Wu Chang's back, the secretary went numb.

What is the boss planning? He's not seriously thinking of fishing for food, is he?

The secretary shuddered, suddenly realizing he'd overlooked a crucial factor: his boss's mental health. Could Wu Chang have cracked under the realization they couldn't return to land?

No—need to consult Qinglong and the others.

Wu Chang arrived on deck with his fishing rod and found the fisherman sitting there, so he joined him.

"How's the catch?"

The fisherman nodded, then shook his head, "Fish are scarce here. Haven't caught anything today."

Wu Chang said, "Let me try."

Ten minutes later, Wu Chang extinguished the cigarette in his mouth and shook his head, "This method won't work."

The fisherman smiled but said nothing, thinking his boss had too little patience—if no catch in ten minutes, he's already turning to mysticism.

"To fish in this sea, you need special bait to attract them."

Wu Chang pulled out a dagger and said to the fisherman, "Lend me some blood."

The fisherman: "Huh?"

Wait, what? In the Silent Passage dungeon, fishing doesn't require a helmet—now we need a stab-proof vest?

Wu Chang repeated, "Lend me some blood."

The fisherman frowned, suspecting Wu Chang was testing his loyalty in some twisted way. After a moment's hesitation, he rolled up his sleeve and held out his left arm.

Wu Chang slashed the fisherman's forearm with the dagger, then yanked his arm sharply, flinging blood onto the sea surface.

Then he rebaited his hook and cast it toward the sea.

The fisherman cursed under his breath as he bandaged his wound; before he could finish wrapping the gauze, Wu Chang had already hooked something.

"Heh, big catch!"

Wu Chang stomped one foot on the railing, then surged upward with his waist, abdomen, legs, and arms—all at once—dragging up a massive deep-sea fish over four meters long, its eyes blazing red.

The deep-sea fish thrashed violently on the deck, its mouth full of sharp teeth, spines lining its fins and dorsal ridge; each thrash sent sharp whistling cracks through the air, deterring anyone from approaching.

Wu Chang pulled a baseball bat from behind his back and struck the giant fish's head; the fish instantly went still.

He waved to the secretary and Bai Hu, calling out: "Take it to the galley. Tonight we're having a whole-fish banquet."

Looking at the giant fish on deck, the secretary was even more stunned—could the boss really feed an entire crew just by fishing?

Watching the secretary and others carry off the strange fish, Wu Chang returned to his fishing spot and turned to the fisherman.

This time, no words were needed—the fisherman automatically unwrapped his bandages and sprinkled blood into the sea.

"Boss, how did you know this method would catch fish?"

Wu Chang shrugged. "The former captain told me—no pain, no gain." As he spoke, his hook twitched again; he yanked it up—and this time, he pulled up a person.

Oh no, we've hooked Blood Wolf.

On the deck, Blood Wolf had reverted to his human form; his condition was dire—his body bore puncture wounds, burns, and multiple lacerations from teeth.

Beyond his physical injuries, Blood Wolf's mental state was highly unstable; Wu Chang could sense his Inspiration value had surged dramatically, teetering on the brink of total loss of control.

If I'm not mistaken, last night Blood Wolf fled into the deep sea to escape the Ritual Master's pursuit—and ended up stumbling upon something down there.

Yes, players with such powerful bodily regeneration, nearly immune to physical destruction, usually have fragile minds and wills.

To be affected by whatever lurks in the deep sea and still survive to be hooked… he's lucky.

The soul within the fisherman's body is actually Ma Jia, from the Revelation Faction, who altered the terrestrial divine kingdom; seeing Blood Wolf pulled up, he first showed a solemn expression, then quickly calmed, asking curiously:

"Is he a passenger on this ship?"

It wasn't time to expose the fisherman yet; Wu Chang said: "Don't worry about him. I'll arrange someone to take him."

Drip.

!

A single raindrop fell from the sky, striking Wu Chang's face; he looked up and realized the sky above had grown thick with dark clouds.

"It's going to rain."

The sea's weather changes like a child's face.

Just half an hour ago, the sky was clear and boundless; now it had turned into a torrential downpour.

The dark clouds above the sea seemed like a chunk of heaven had collapsed, hanging low enough to crush the waves.

Gales, torrential rain, thunder, and towering waves, combined with the black-gray sea, painted a scene of apocalypse.

Under such extreme weather, even the elite believers of the Xinyuzhou Sect could no longer pray on deck—they had to retreat indoors.

But the Xinyuzhou Sect turned misfortune into fortune: though their prayers were interrupted by the relocation and had to restart, the horrific weather plunged passengers into deep unease; seeking inner peace, they began praying alongside the Xinyuzhou Sect.

Thanks to this storm, they gained many new followers.

Wu Chang returned to the cabin and went straight to his seventh-floor suite, where he saw Cui Chengze, his eyes shadowed with dark circles, face gaunt with exhaustion.

Though his body was worn out, Cui Chengze's spirit was vibrant; seeing Wu Chang, he sat up eagerly and said:

"I've set up the ritual to absorb the mystical source. Whenever you're ready, we can begin."

Wu Chang's face lit up with joy, but he suppressed the urge to immediately complete his second transformation quest and said:

"Not yet. To avoid unforeseen complications and maximize passenger survival, I must resolve this before we leave the Wreck Zone."

"Resolve what?" Cui Chengze didn't understand.

Wu Chang didn't explain; he pressed: "How far along is the modification of the terrestrial divine kingdom?"

Cui Chengze replied: "Following Yin Junhao's progress, I've completed all nodes except the core node on the fourth-deck terrestrial divine kingdom."

Wu Chang's smile widened. "Go rest now. You'll need your strength to watch tonight's performance. Tomorrow morning, we'll activate the ritual and leave the Wreck Zone."

Cui Chengze had wanted to check the mystical ritual again for any flaws, but Wu Chang half-forced him to get some sleep.

Cui Chengze was sixty-eight—old enough to have retired even in Xia Country. Keeping an old man up night after night like this—even a capitalist's conscience would ache.

Even if conscience didn't ache, you'd still fear he'd drop dead from overwork.

You don't exploit people like this—you need rest to work better.

After seeing off Cui Chengze, Wu Chang went alone to Li Yubin's door and knocked.

A female player opened the door; recognizing him, she stepped aside to let him in.

Before Li Yubin could speak, Wu Chang asked with concern: "You're being this cautious—did you get attacked?"

During their time trapped in the Wreck Zone, their relationship had grown closer; seeing Wu Chang, Li Yubin no longer wore a cold expression. Now, hearing his genuine concern, she smiled warmly like a friend.

"No one attacked me, but last night, my scouts on deck were attacked by a werewolf. They say things have become unsafe, so we've increased vigilance."

Wu Chang glanced at the female player, then said to Li Yubin: "I have something important to discuss with you alone."

Li Yubin didn't hesitate—she immediately dismissed the female player.

Wu Chang sighed inwardly, silently mourning the players in Li Yubin's faction—this woman had never truly trusted them.

"What's so important?" Li Yubin asked.

Wu Chang asked with grave seriousness: "I remember you told me—you boarded the Star Leap only to investigate the cruise ship's disappearance, and you'd already prepared to expose the ship's crimes, correct?"

Li Yubin nodded. "It's useless now. The Wreck Zone blocks all signals. Not even a distress call can get out, let alone expose the conspiracy."

"No—your preparations aren't useless!"

Wu Chang pulled out the "Unlimited Live Stream Room," glanced around furtively like a thief, then shoved the camera into Li Yubin's hands.

Li Yubin stared blankly at the camera as Wu Chang reached out and gripped her hand from outside.

"Last night, wasn't I borrowing your people…?"

Wu Chang briefly told Li Yubin about the existence of Midith spies, and before Li Yubin could get angry on behalf of the Gao Mu nation's upper echelons over Midith's decadence, Wu Chang had already gripped her hand, fixed her with a resolute and deep gaze, and said:

"This camera is a special communicator. I've already set its mode so you can use it to connect directly to your arrangements outside and livestream everything happening on the ship."

"Tonight, I need to borrow your people once more, to fight for a sliver of a chance to get the Star Leap out of the shipwreck belt. Hold onto this machine. If the Star Leap leaves the shipwreck belt and I don't make it back, the lives of every passenger on this ship will be in your hands!"

The continuous high-density bombardment of information left Li Yubin somewhat at a loss.

She roughly understood the ins and outs of it all, and understood what Wu Chang was about to do, but Wu Chang's gesture, akin to a final entrustment, and the trust contained behind that gesture, left her feeling uneasy and guilty.

The feeling was as if the scumbag she had always looked down on was actually a wronged, burden-bearing superhero, silently guarding the world on his own.

And this superhero, on the eve of his decisive battle with the Dafan Sect, had given his greatest trust to her — the one who had looked down on him the most, the one who had considered him the biggest scumbag.

That immense sense of guilt was enough to make Li Yubin, when she woke from a midnight dream and recalled everything that had happened today, want to slap herself across both cheeks.

She wanted to say something to make up for her past behavior, but Wu Chang stopped her.

"Don't say any more. On this entire Star Leap, you're the only one I trust not to be bought off by them, to firmly lead the passengers out alive. The passengers on the Star Leap — I'm counting on you!"

After Wu Chang finished speaking, he didn't wait for Li Yubin's response, and turned to leave her room.

Back in his own room, Wu Chang let out a long breath, made a pinching gesture with his index finger and thumb pressed together, and said triumphantly:

"Got it in the bag."

If this were a Bangdao TV drama, after his just-now farewell-style performance, Li Yubin should already be crying and shouting "Oppa."

Without Eileen holding the line, facing the Mystic Adept and Ma Jia and the others, he no longer had the advantage in combat. Though the probability wasn't high, the possibility of a mishap wasn't zero.

He had to make sure that even if tonight's operation failed, he could still smoothly complete the instance.

Li Yubin was the final insurance for him to complete the instance.

If he really did crash and burn tonight — failing to take down Zheng Ruiyuan and the Mystic Adept in one fell swoop, and instead getting killed by them — he would directly abandon Xiang Jianxing and the others, use his Ocean Kin transformation to leap into the sea and escape.

At the same time, he would have Cui Chengze activate the ritual, completing Job Change Quest Two while sabotaging the Earthly Divine Kingdom ritual, and making the Star Leap leave the shipwreck belt.

If he completed Job Change Quest Two and still judged there was no chance of winning, he would continue hiding in the sea, waiting for Li Yubin to use her Unlimited Portable Livestream Room to expose everything on the ship.

He had already told Li Yubin about the Xinyuzhou Sect, the Gao Mu nation's navy, and Midith's conspiracy. With her professional ability, it was enough to blow the matter wide open, making the various forces wary of acting rashly and not daring to silence the passengers on the Star Leap.

At that point, he only needed to stay in the sea, follow the Star Leap to the end of the journey. Though the process would be a bit undignified, he could still complete all the main and side quests, and the instance exploration value wouldn't be too low either.

Everything was ready. All that was left was to head to the fourth deck late at night and settle things with Zheng Ruiyuan and the Xinyuzhou Sect.

Two updates today, successfully hitting ten thousand words for the day. I thought I'd broken the 23:59 curse, but the second update still got stuck at 23:59, and I didn't have time to finish proofreading before posting. If there are any typos, it's the Author's Assistant's fault.

(End of chapter)