The captain descended the stairs as her steps measured and calm—enough to send a shiver down Xu Haoran's spine. Despite her mature, beautiful face, that facade couldn't conceal the malicious aura radiating from her expression.
Almost everyone's attention was fixed on Xu Haoran. He was surrounded, becoming the focal point of this spectacle. He took a deep breath, fully aware of the tense situation he was in.
One wrong move, and it would all be over for him. He needed to tread carefully to find the best way to save his life.
The boots came to a halt in front of Xu Haoran. She wore fishnet stockings, and he examined her from bottom to top. She crossed her arms, her piercing eyes locking onto his that could freeze even the bravest soul in terror.
“You look young and innocent to me,” she said. “Brent has told me a bit about what happened. Is it true?”
Without hesitation, Xu Haoran knitted his brows and nodded. “Yes, it’s all true.”
“Search him!” she commanded.
The members began searching him, eager to find something suspicious. They went through his shirt, his trousers, and everything seemed normal—until one of them checked his left pocket.
“Wait, what is this?” the member exclaimed, pulling out a letter. “There’s writing inside.”
Xu Haoran’s heart sank. Since when did he write a letter? Either he was being set up as a scapegoat, or someone had framed him. Whatever it was, he knew nothing good would come of it.
The woman took the evidence, unfolded it, and read its contents. A slight smile formed on her face as she said, “A treasure hunter’s vision doesn’t align with ours. You don’t care about freedom; all you think about is coins. Well, in that case, there’s no room for you here.”
“Toss him into the ocean.” As soon as she gave the order, the barbarous members dragged him, accompanied by the sound of cheers and shouts from all directions.
“Wait! Please, I haven’t done anything wrong! I could be your servant!” Xu Haoran pleaded, but his voice was drowned out by the chaos of the crowd.
“Shut the fuck up, bilge rat!” a man shrieked.
“Cut his tongue so he doesn’t talk so much!” another crew member chimed in.
Xu Haoran was overwhelmed with dread. He couldn’t escape his doom. The vast, deep ocean sounded terrifying enough, let alone the various monsters lurking beneath its surface. He had to convince them that he wasn’t a threat and could be useful to them.
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On the other hand, delicate legs came to a halt before the upper deck fences. She looked disheveled, not even bothering to tidy her black, curled hair. Her tight black outfit emphasized her slender figure, but her rear stood out as she leaned forward.
“What was that?” she mumbled, curious as she noticed the commotion. “It’s still morning, and those bastards are at it again.”
She opened her lips wide, taking a deep inhalation, and then exhaled until her eyes moistened. “What a hassle.”
“I beg you! I can do chores! Let me join your adventure!” Xu Haoran stood alone on the wooden plank, the deep water swirling beneath him.
“Think we don’t know what you’re after? You rats just want to steal money from us!” The bearded man pointed his sword at Xu Haoran, intending to force him to the edge.
“Just throw him in now!” A laugh echoed among the crew. “There’s not much entertainment these days.”
“Captain Silica, am I late for the show?” the black-haired woman asked as she walked toward her leader, who was leaning on the side of the deck.
“Miranda, we should check all the cabins, especially the basement of the ship, before we set foot off the island,” Silica said, holding up the letter between her fingers. “Who knows what could happen if it’s our enemies?”
The woman named Miranda furrowed her brow and examined the crumpled paper. “Treasure hunter?” she murmured, taking a closer look at the figure in question.
“There’s news that a lot of them have snuck onto the ship for a free ride,” Silica explained further, though her eyes weakened, half-lidded. “Those who aren’t blessed shall not venture into the ocean.”
“Hold on, I think I’ve seen him before!” Miranda stepped forward, leaving Silica bewildered. “Everyone, back off!”
Her commanding voice silenced the commotion, creating a path for Miranda to walk through. Xu Haoran’s reaction mirrored theirs—confusion, but his was laced with fear.
“Vice Captain?” said the bald crew member with tattoos on his chest, clearly surprised.
Miranda fell silent, still examining Xu Haoran’s appearance. She felt a sense of familiarity with his face, but she couldn’t quite place it. His brownish-black hair and blue eyes triggered something deep in her memories.
“Is that you… Sinbad?” she whispered, her voice trembling and fragile.
Everyone was stunned. Captain Silica, the brute men, and even Xu Haoran himself couldn’t believe what they were hearing. At that moment, for some reason, Xu Haoran suddenly experienced a sharp headache. His ears began ringing, the sound growing louder and louder until he had to cover them with his hands.
Xu Haoran was instantly flooded with a torrent of memories from his new self—everything from the beginning of his life to how he ended up here. The overwhelming rush of remembrance rendered him unconscious, but before everything faded, he caught a glimpse of the vice captain reaching out to catch him.
[Congratulations! You have been blessed with Dart Poison Power!]
In the complete darkness, Xu Haoran heard a voice, but he couldn’t locate its source.
[You bear the name of Sinbad, an assassin class specializing in dealing damage. Hunt sea monsters, hone your skills, and work alongside a team to become stronger.]
“What does this mean?” Xu Haoran felt disoriented, completely unable to comprehend what the voice was saying.
[You are now level 1 and have unlocked the Dart Poison skill. Here are the details:
Skill: Dart Poison
Description: Launches a poison dart at the target, dealing 20 damage over time for 10 seconds. Can stack up to 5 times.
Cooldown: 5 seconds
Energy Cost: 10]
[Welcome to the world of Marravelle, where the once beautiful and calm ocean has turned evil and dangerous.]