On the dark sea, the monster’s corpse drifted with the waves. Just as it was about to sink into the abyss, a steamship, two-thirds larger than the Rat, passed by.

A large net with barbs was thrown from the deck, easily ensnaring it.

“Boss, look what I caught! A giant squid! Look, its tentacles are still moving.”

“Squid? Pete, are you blind? Boss, I think it’s a starfish!”

“Get out of the way, what’s so interesting about a big octopus? Hmm, it looks tasty. Pete, take it to the kitchen and tell the cooks to prepare it well.”

“No problem, boss!”

When Charles awoke again, his head felt like it was being pierced by needles. He relaxed his hand, and the empty bottle shattered on the ground.

Ignoring the glass shards scattered around, Charles straightened up and walked out the door.

The crew of the Rat breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the expressionless Charles return. This kind of captain gave them a sense of security.

“Captain, we’re back on a safe course. At our current speed of 15 knots, we’ll reach the port soon,” reported Di Pu, who was at the helm.

“How’s Bandage?”

“His wounds are healing quickly, and he hasn’t had a continuous fever. He’s still unconscious, but I think he’ll pull through.”

Hearing this, Charles’ somber mood lifted slightly.

“Don’t let your guard down. I’ll go see him.”

Only the captain of the Rat had a private bedroom; the first mate, Bandage, lived in the crew’s quarters like everyone else.

When Charles reached the cabin, he saw Bandage slowly opening his eyes. He quickened his pace and approached.

“Don’t move, lie down. Your injuries haven’t healed yet,” Charles said, pressing down on Bandage as he tried to sit up.

“Captain… Anna was a monster… she was going to eat me…”

Charles’ heart ached at these words, and he managed a faint smile to reassure him. “Don’t worry, it’s dead. It’s all over.”

“Then… that’s good…” Bandage relaxed and lay back down.

“Rest well. We’re almost home, and you’ve completed your mission.”

Glancing at Bandage’s empty trouser leg, Charles knew his航海生涯 had ended. Even with his exceptional helming skills, no ship would take on a first mate with only one leg.

“Oh…” Bandage fell silent.

Charles wanted to comfort him, but he wasn’t good at it. In the end, he patted Bandage on the shoulder and left.

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The rest of the journey was uneventful, and the Rat returned to the Coral Islands safely.

It seemed that the Fotan believers had some sort of foresight, as Hook was waiting with a large group of followers even before the Rat entered the port.

“Captain Charles, did you get the relic?”

When the golden Fotan statue was taken out of the wooden box, Hook became instantly ecstatic, dancing around before leading his followers in worship.

“Where’s my money?”

The excited Hook stood up quickly, trembling as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

“This is the original contract. Hurry! Give me the relic!”

Charles took the paper, confirmed everything was in order, and then tossed the golden statue to Hook.

Seeing the overjoyed Hook about to leave with the statue, Charles furrowed his brows. “Hey, didn’t you forget something?”

James, tall and strong, carried Bandage forward.

“Assistant Priest… I’ve… completed my mission…” the weak Bandage reported to Hook.

As if not hearing Bandage’s words, Hook’s gaze fell on his leg. “What happened to your leg?”

“It was… eaten by a monster…”

Hook jutted his chin, and two believers behind him approached Bandage, intending to bring him back.

“You’ve done well, Bandage. On the next prayer day, you will have the honor of becoming a sacrifice.”

“Th… thank you, Assistant Priest…”

“What? A sacrifice?!” The crew of the Rat all wore expressions of horror.

Charles suddenly raised his hand, blocking the two believers, and stared at Hook. “Is this how the Fotan Church treats its own people?”

Charles didn’t want to get involved in the affairs of these fanatics, but he had shared life-and-death experiences with Bandage. The slow-moving man was almost a friend, and Charles couldn’t stand by and watch him be thrown to the sharks.

“Captain Charles, becoming a sacrifice within our faith is an honor.”

“Why don’t you take this honor yourself? Bandage is my first mate, and he can’t leave yet. There are things to be handed over,” Charles said, signaling James to retreat with Bandage.

Hook seemed anxious, as if the statue was more important than anything else. He gave Charles a deep look and then hurried off.

“Take the cripple, Captain Charles. He’s yours if you want him.”

As they left the dock, Di Pu was the first to rush to Bandage, shouting.

“Mr. First Mate, what were you thinking? He was going to throw you into the sea to feed the fish, and you thanked him?!”

Bandage remained silent.

“Do you know what it means to be sacrificed to the Fotan god? Why did you agree?” Charles asked, walking up to him.

If Bandage spouted the Fotan doctrine, Charles was ready to send him to a mental hospital for treatment.

“I… I don’t know. I seem to… I crave to be sacrificed. I’ve forgotten many things… I don’t remember…” Bandage replied, unexpectedly.

After pacing for a moment, Charles stopped and looked at the eyes hidden behind Bandage’s bandages. “Say no more. My new ship needs a first mate. Are you in?”

Bandage was silent for a few seconds. “But I have no leg…”

“Just one less, no big deal. You can still steer with a chair.”

When Bandage nodded, Charles’ face broke into a relieved smile.

Having recruited his new first mate, Charles looked up at his crew and, after considering his words, spoke. “I don’t need to tell you that we’re getting an exploration ship, much larger than the Rat!”

Hearing the captain’s announcement, excitement spread across everyone’s faces. Not only were there benefits to exploring a new island, but the salary for the same position on an exploration ship was nearly three times that of a cargo ship.

As for the dangers that came with such great rewards, the men who made their living at sea had never feared them.

“Captain, are we going to the shipyard now?” Di Pu asked, only to see his captain shake his head.

“I’ll handle the ship. You have your own tasks. James, you’re the new ship’s engineer. Find a chief engineer and a second engineer during this time.”

The muscular man looked shocked, shaking his head repeatedly. “No, Captain, I can’t… I really——”

“Don’t tell me you can’t find them. There’s a professional agency at the port. Just go and pick them. It’s your task.”

Charles didn’t listen to James’ explanation and turned to the eager young man. “Di Pu, you’re the bosun. Recruit four sailors.”

Hearing that he would be in charge of so many sailors, the young man wasn’t intimidated at all. Instead, he was very excited.

“Now I can manage five people! This is exciting!”

“Frei, with so many people, you can’t handle the kitchen alone. Find a cook’s assistant.”

“No problem, Captain.”