Chapter 394: Hunting a High-Rank Creature
Immediately after, a silver Triton Sword appeared in Zhou Ning's hand. He chose to summon the Ghost Ship.
In an instant, his Focus Value began dropping rapidly. Ripples spread across the calm sea, and moments later, a massive ghost ship with black sails and a jet-black hull emerged out of thin air. On its deck, a group of skeleton pirates dressed in medieval sailor uniforms silently operated the vessel under the moonlight.
This was one of the three legendary pirate ships from Pirates of the Caribbean—the Black Pearl—the fastest ghost ship in that world, bar none.
Zhou Ning lightly leapt into the air like a massive black bat, landing on the bow of the Black Pearl. Guided by his will, the sails turned without a sound, and the ship swiftly glided forward.
The scene was witnessed by countless ships docked at the harbor, drawing waves of horrified cries. As he passed by the Wings of Freedom, Zhou Ning even spotted the red-haired Robinson on deck, mouth agape in shock.
It was clear that from this day forth, yet another verifiable ghost ship legend would spread across the waters near Temple Port.
Crouching at the bow, Zhou Ning retrieved the "Compass That Doesn't Point North" from his inventory. The needle began spinning wildly.
Could it be that his desires were too many, too greedy? Just as doubt began to creep in, the needle suddenly stopped, pointing firmly southeast—toward the depths of the Misty Sea.
Success!
Zhou Ning's spirits lifted. He turned the Black Pearl toward the southeast, and before long, the ship entered a fog-shrouded sea.
A quiet notification appeared on his game panel:
[You have discovered the Misty Sea. Gained 24,000 EXP.]
The hunt had officially begun.
Upon entering the Misty Sea, the weather grew visibly more turbulent. Soon, a light drizzle began to fall. Zhou Ning made no effort to change the weather, allowing the rain to soak his cloak as he focused ahead.
Through the dense fog, faint silhouettes of sails appeared in the distance—countless and overlapping. It was hard to tell if they belonged to an actual pirate fleet or were just a mirage. This, after all, was a common ambush tactic of the northern pirates.
Over the next stretch, two or three pirate ships attempted to approach the Black Pearl, but each time, they fled at twice their approach speed halfway through.
By 11:30, the compass needle began to twitch erratically—signaling that the target was near.
The rain grew heavier. Soon, Zhou Ning spotted a colossal creature swimming through the sea—roughly seventy meters long, its back covered in layered scales. It bore the traits of a mythic being, though lacking that divine pressure. Clearly, it was an aquatic sub-dragon.
The target was ahead.
His "Uranus" was still on cooldown for another three days—he would have to take this creature down with his own strength. Fortunately, his current power was no less than its own.
Drawing a deep breath, Zhou Ning pulled out Ebony & Ivory. His fingers pressed down—click!—the magazine popped out, and he loaded bullets in one by one before snapping it back into place. Then, with a push from his left foot, he used Moon Step to leap into the air. His serrated cloak surged with electricity, transforming into a pair of vast black bat wings that carried him forward.
That was how it began.
Activating Blood Echo midair, Zhou Ning aimed at the unsuspecting aquatic sub-dragon and pulled the trigger.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two deafening gunshots rang out. The bullets, wreathed in blazing fire, shot forth one after another, piercing through thirty meters of air to strike the sub-dragon's left eye dead-on.
With the Force of a Thousand Pounds milestone fully achieved, Zhou Ning's attack power had soared. The first bullet, though not a critical hit, still dealt 2,476 damage. The second, amplified by Blood Echo, landed a critical hit for a staggering 8,349 damage.
Its left eye shredded and bleeding profusely, the sub-dragon roared so loudly it could rupture eardrums.
Its stats appeared immediately afterward:
Aquatic Sub-Dragon
Level: 78
Rank: High-Rank Creature
Age: 745 years
Attributes: Strength 240, Agility 195, Endurance 446, Spirit 76, Will 127, Charisma 45
Emotion: Enraged
HP: ?
Status: Bleeding
It was three levels above Zhou Ning, and as a Legendary-class creature, its stats—especially Endurance—far exceeded his, reaching an incredible 446. It also possessed numerous skills and proficiencies. A tough opponent indeed.
Then, blue-white mist began to swirl in its jaws—it opened wide, exhaling an icy breath of bone-chilling frost.
A devastating onslaught.
But Zhou Ning had already sensed the attack using his Observation Haki. With a quick twist and another Moon Step, he rose higher into the air, narrowly dodging the blast. He aimed again and fired.
Bang! Bang!
The two flaming bullets once more struck true—right into the creature's half-open mouth, penetrating its throat.
The sub-dragon shrieked in agony, its HP bar visibly dropping—it was utterly enraged now. Its body surged upward, bursting through the surface at tremendous speed, rain whipping into a storm around it. The sheer force of its presence made resistance seem impossible.
It wanted nothing more than to crush this tiny insect that had wounded it so badly.
But Zhou Ning remained calm, sliding sideways with another Moon Step, Ebony & Ivory blazing nonstop. His bullets steadily drained the creature's life as he watched it rush past him and crash back into the sea in frustration.
His advantage was clear—his Agility completely overwhelmed it. He could dance circles around it with precision and ease, chipping away at its HP. A creature like this, with little combat intelligence, fighting purely on instinct and unable to fly—was the perfect prey.
Splash!
The aquatic sub-dragon crashed back into the sea. Its HP was nearly depleted now, and for the first time, fear flickered in its eyes. It tried to dive and flee.
But by then, Zhou Ning already held a two-handed sword gleaming blue under the moonlight—Andúril, Flame of Elendil, a relic he'd obtained in his last simulation. His black wings swept back, and he dove rapidly with the force of gravity behind him.
Shing!
With all his weight and momentum, the blade plunged deep into the sub-dragon's neck. The Silent Pendant's effect triggered immediately—whispers filled his ears like an echo from another realm.
The sudden mortal wound sent the creature thrashing wildly, blood gushing in torrents. It tried to unleash another frost breath—but under the Pendant's silencing effect, nothing came out.
Meanwhile, the sea around them churned violently. Columns of water rose into the air, twisting into massive waterspouts that tore across the waves.
This wasn't magic—it was the sub-dragon's innate ability to manipulate water.
Zhou Ning's black bat wings flapped fiercely in the storm, but he ignored its struggles. Standing atop the dragon's head, he pressed down with all his strength, driving Andúril deeper until its life was completely extinguished.
Boom!
The colossal body of the aquatic sub-dragon crashed back into the sea, sending up towering waves.
A notification appeared on the panel:
[You have slain an Aquatic Sub-Dragon (Lv78). You gained 146,000 EXP.]
[Hunt three oceanic high-rank creatures: Progress (1/3)]
"At last, one down…"
Zhou Ning exhaled quietly, removing the Silent Pendant and wiping the blood from his blade. He also filled several alchemy flasks with sub-dragon blood—a rare, high-value material for brewing Dragonblood Elixirs.
This hunt had proven easier than expected—it took less than two minutes. The Silent Pendant's side effects had been more troublesome than the creature itself. Perhaps it was because this sub-dragon, though high-ranked, had little real combat instinct.
Using Moon Step once more, Zhou Ning returned to the Black Pearl and pulled out the compass again. This time, after a brief wobble, the needle pointed east.
The rain now poured harder, whipped by fierce wind. In the distance, another large pirate ship appeared in Zhou Ning's field of vision—he could even make out the skull flag flapping in the storm.
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