Chapter 50: Purchasing Seeds

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Purchasing Seeds

He remembered that he still had one opportunity to use the Intelligence System today.

"Open the Logbook of Navigation."

Lin Ji summoned the System Panel and directly selected the intelligence search function.

"I want to know... where nearby is there an opportunity that can enhance my strength?"

Previously, he had wanted to ask directly about intelligence related to his own safety, but the system prompted that the intelligence function did not support that.

Only the Fortune Prediction Function, which he had never used, could achieve that, but since he had chosen the intelligence function today, he could not use Fortune Prediction.

So this time, he changed his approach.

Soon, a green glow rippled across the System Interface.

A clear Green Arrow appeared on the nautical chart, pointing to a location about 50 nautical miles away from them.

[Ding! Intelligence search completed!]

[Target Location: Magma Floating Island.]

[Intelligence Description: This is a floating active volcanic island on the sea, containing extremely rich Fire Attribute Resources. On the island, there exists a special opportunity capable of modifying and enhancing the current Vessel, and even providing an LV4 Vessel Upgrade Opportunity!]

Seeing this piece of intelligence, Lin Ji’s eyes instantly lit up.

"Magma Floating Island..."

Just from the name, it was clear that this place was definitely closely related to the fire attribute.

Perhaps this was the key to replenishing the energy for this Steam Ship, or even upgrading its Weapon System!

Lin Ji knew well that in this world, upgrading a Vessel was far more important than strengthening one’s own talent.

The Vessel was the foundation of his survival on this Forbidden Sea.

Without a sufficiently powerful ship, even if his talent was strong, once caught by the Dead Silence Fog, it would mean certain death.

Moreover, a Vessel could not only provide shelter and speed but also comprehensively enhance the abilities of the crew.

Especially in the later stages, with the support of a high-level Vessel, even an ordinary person with a D-grade Talent could challenge A-grade or even S-grade Experts with lower-level Vessels!

"Tomorrow morning, we set off for Magma Floating Island!"

Lin Ji had made his decision.

By now, the sky outside had completely darkened.

Tang Ling’s energetic shout came from downstairs.

"Boss! Come down and eat!"

"Sister Gu grilled meat, and Teacher Shen made meat soup!"

Lin Ji was momentarily stunned, then extinguished what must have been the umpteenth cigarette butt and walked out of the room.

Arriving on the first deck, the scene before him was somewhat unexpected.

Under Gu Yihan’s direction, several torches had already been lit outside the cabin, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

A simple grill was set over the fire, with sizzling Demon Shark Meat emitting an enticing aroma.

In the makeshift kitchen set up nearby, Gu Yihan was still busy tidying up.

Although the kitchen utensils were crude, even rudimentary.

At this moment, that long-lost sense of life and warmth added a touch of coziness to this cold steel War Ship.

Looking at these busy figures, Lin Ji’s gaze softened a little.

In this world filled with despair, having such a warm harbor might be a small compensation from heaven.

Lin Ji knew that these rough kitchen tools were mostly Tang Ling’s doing.

That engineering girl, who used to smell of machine oil and only knew how to deal with wrenches, now played an irreplaceable role in logistics support.

What comforted him even more was that these once pampered young ladies seemed to be gradually adapting to life in the apocalypse, starting to take on household chores willingly.

Thinking of this, Lin Ji walked over and patted Tang Ling’s shoulder with a smile.

"You’ve worked hard, beautiful Tang."

"Firing up the furnace so many times a day, and still busy crafting all these things."

Hearing this, Tang Ling scratched her head somewhat sheepishly, a blush spreading across her face.

She tried to flatter him back, but being an engineering student, she wasn’t very good with words.

"Well... it’s all thanks to the sea beast meat the Captain provided."

"And the boost to my physique after the ship’s upgrade, which lets me fire up the furnace a few more times each day..."

At this point, she felt a bit awkward herself, her voice trailing off.

Lin Ji smiled, not minding it.

He glanced at the neatly arranged grilled Demon Shark Meat on the table.

The skewers were actually made of refined iron, and each piece of meat was roughly the same size, clearly carefully cut.

Lin Ji’s heart stirred.

It seemed the D-grade Fireball Spell Skill he had just given Tang Ling was something the girl had already learned to use flexibly.

Not only for combat, but also to assist in forging and cooking.

This ability to apply knowledge creatively was indeed a rare talent.

Everyone gathered around the fire and began to enjoy this rare dinner.

Though it was just simple grilled meat and seafood soup, in such an environment, it was considered a top-tier delicacy.

However, throughout the meal, Shen Manyun kept her head down, eating very little.

Her gentle eyes were filled with worry, occasionally glancing at Lin Ji before quickly looking away.

After taking a few bites, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, excusing herself to rest in her room, claiming she wasn’t feeling well.

Lin Ji didn’t stop her.

He simply gave a meaningful look to Gu Yihan beside him.

Gu Yihan immediately understood, put down the grilled meat in her hand, wiped her mouth, and followed Shen Manyun back to the room.

As the Deputy Captain and the woman Lin Ji trusted most, it was more appropriate for her to have that conversation.

Lin Ji withdrew his gaze, looking at the mountain of meat piled on the table, his brow slightly furrowed.

"All meat, not a single vegetable."

"Eating like this long-term, lacking vitamins and dietary fiber, people will get sick."

In this apocalypse without hospitals, even a common cold could be fatal, let alone severe malnutrition.

Lin Ji opened the Trading House and began searching for vegetables and fruits.

He hadn’t looked before, but now he was shocked.

An ordinary cabbage-like plant was actually selling for dozens of Evolution Points!

Even a plant that resembled an immature green vegetable seedling was priced at over ten points.

This was practically robbery!

Looking at his pitiful double-digit balance, Lin Ji couldn’t bear to spend money so wastefully.

Just as he was about to give up, he suddenly spotted a few special items in a corner of the Trading House.

[Dragon Whisker Ice Grass]

[Price: 2 Evolution Points per pack (10 seeds).]

[Description: A saltwater plant with ice crystals on its leaves. It tastes cool and crisp upon eating, similar to mint, extremely appetizing and cuts through grease. It effectively eliminates the greasy feeling from long-term consumption of sea beast meat and grows extremely fast in cold environments.]

[Deep Sea Red Algae Fruit Seeds]

[Price: 3 Evolution Points per pack (5 seeds).]

[Description: A special deep-sea plant. Its fruit is bright red like blood, with a sweet and sour taste, rich in water and trace elements. It is an excellent remedy for scurvy.]

[Cloud Floss Moss]

[Price: 2 Evolution Points per pack (one large clump).]

[Description: Texture is fluffy like white clouds, becoming smooth and silky when cooked in soup. Rich in extremely high plant fiber, it greatly promotes intestinal peristalsis, specifically treating constipation caused by an imbalanced diet at sea.]

After browsing through the options, Lin Ji selected a few types of seeds he was currently most in need of.

These seeds were very cheap because, aside from some individuals with special professions, practically no one bought them.

After all, everyone was fleeing for their lives; who had the spare time and space to farm?

Even if one had the space, in this precarious hellhole, by the time the seeds grew for several months and ripened, it would be far too late!

By then, one’s own bones would have likely dissolved into nutrients in this Forbidden Sea!

That’s why these items had become unwanted bargain-bin goods.

Without any hesitation, Lin Ji directly spent over ten Evolution Points to buy two packs of each of these three seed types.

Seeing the seeds suddenly appear in Lin Ji’s hands, Tang Ling was somewhat puzzled.

"Captain, what are you buying these for?"