With his arms pinned by two security guards, Shi Ming walked out of the musty, dark room.
Although the ship's cabin was still dim, the visibility was a vast improvement over the dark room. Light streamed in from a small window, giving Shi Ming the true sense that he had been reborn into a new life.
He took the opportunity to examine his new body.
The body had no scars or injuries, his legs felt strong, and there were no hidden ailments. He wore slave work pants made of burlap, and his torso was covered in a garment of the same coarse material. Perhaps to save fabric, the shirt had no sleeves; it looked like someone had simply cut two holes in a burlap sack and passed it off as clothing.
Having surveyed himself, Shi Ming then took in his surroundings.
Guards patrolled the cabin periodically, and security was tight.
Escape was impossible under these circumstances. The ship was sailing on the open sea, leaving nowhere to run. His only option was to meet this so-called captain and adapt to the situation.
As the two crewmen escorted him, one of them looked at his right arm. "Well now, didn't notice before. Got yourself some ink, huh? You look like you were once a man of wealth and taste. How'd you fall so far as to become a slave?"
'Tattoos?'
Shi Ming turned his head to look at his right arm, which was being held by the crewman.
Sure enough, aside from the fresh bloodstains, strange, crimson markings snaked up from his palm across his entire arm, looking like flowing blood all the way up to his shoulder.
'This?' Shi Ming was stunned for a moment.
'This isn't a tattoo. It's the blood I shed before I died in my past life.'
In his previous life, he was on an international mission to transport an ancient artifact: the Eye of the Divine Pendant. What seemed like a routine assignment turned into a relentless manhunt. The mission failed, and just before he died, the pendant shattered in his right hand. The blood from the wound flowed backward up his arm as if it had a will of its own, all the way to his heart.
'And now those bloodstains have become these crimson patterns?'
Restrained as he was, Shi Ming suppressed his urge to investigate. Escorted by the two crewmen, he was led up a long flight of stairs to the deck, finally stopping outside an ornate cabin.
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK."
"Come in."
"Captain, this is the slave who committed murder."
"Oh? How many did he kill?"
The captain sat at his desk, scribbling furiously on a piece of paper with a transparent pen, not even bothering to look up.
"One."
Following procedure, the crewman briefly explained what had happened.
After hearing the report, the captain grunted dispassionately.
"Slaves will be slaves. It's pathetic, really—a life lost over half a steamed bun." He glanced up at Shi Ming before returning to his writing. "He has a sturdy build. Top quality, for a slave. According to ship regulations, have him executed... Wait... don't kill him outright. Punch a few holes in his limbs and stomach, tie him up, and toss him into the sea. Let's see if we can attract a few Bloodthirsty Fish."
"Yes, sir."
The word had barely left the crewman's lips when Shi Ming deftly twisted free from their not-so-expert hold!
He sidestepped, slipping behind one of the crewmen. An elbow, a chokehold, and a disarm—all in a single, fluid motion. The first crewman crumpled, unconscious. Using the wooden club he'd just seized, Shi Ming delivered a heavy blow to the second crewman's neck!
In the blink of an eye, both guards were on the ground.
This was a skill honed over many years of training.
Immediately after, he threw the club at the captain's head.
He had been waiting for an opportunity!
There were guards outside; a mad dash for the door was a death sentence. His only chance for survival was to seize control of this so-called captain.
His life as a special forces soldier had given him the keen judgment and adaptability of a cheetah. In a split second, he could rationally devise the optimal strategy for any crisis.
'Stand here and wait to die? Not a chance!'
Fueled by his strength and guided by his honed accuracy, the club should have struck the captain's head, stunning him and creating an opportunity to survive. But to his surprise, the captain, without even getting up, simply tilted his head and effortlessly dodged the projectile.
"Interesting."
A look of amusement appeared in the captain's eyes.
"For a slave with no awakened powers, your physical conditioning and reflexes are outstanding—far better than these useless crewmen. It seems our drifting ship's talent scouting methods have plenty of room for improvement."
The captain stood up and, in just two steps, was standing in front of Shi Ming.
"Unfortunately for you, you've run into me: an Awakened."
He gave Shi Ming a long, hard look, then sent him flying into the wall with a single, heavy punch.
"A tough body, I'll give you that. But you need to understand that humans and the Awakened are two different species."
Shi Ming scrambled to his feet, gasping for breath. Despite taking that punch and slamming into the wall, he felt surprisingly fine. Instead, he felt his blood surging and a strange strength flooding his right arm.
The crimson markings on his arm grew searing hot, as if burning his skin, and brought with them a surging wave of power.
[Awakened-level enemy detected. Power restoration in progress... 10%...]
[Arm of Power, activated. The Arm of Power can increase the host's strength by 10 times for a short period. Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 20 minutes.]
[■■■■, not activated.]
[■■■■, not activated.]
Shi Ming was delighted.
'Is this a cheat?'
'This much power from only 10% restoration? A tenfold increase? I feel terrifyingly strong right now.'
He covertly gathered his strength, waiting for the captain to approach so he could land a heavy blow and fight for his life.
'With ten times my normal strength, I don't care how powerful you so-called "Awakened" are. There's no way you can take a punch like that unscathed!'
But the captain didn't come closer. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Shi Ming with a relaxed air.
His eyes were filled with the confidence of a dragon looking down on an ant.
"Rules are made by people."
"You're a lucky man. We lost more than a dozen crewmen in the storm, so this drifting ship is in need of able bodies. And I've always been one to hire unconventionally."
"Your physique, reflexes, and fighting skills are far superior to those useless crewmen. So even though you've killed a man and attacked me, I'm willing to give you a chance to live. If you perform to my satisfaction, I can even elevate your status—from slave to crewman, maybe even to an Awakened like myself. Anything is possible."
"As long as you can show me your worth."
'Oh?'
'The captain is trying to recruit me? Dangle a few carrots? Even after I just tried to take his head off?'
'Is he that confident in his own strength?'
'Or does he have another ace up his sleeve?'
'My system hasn't fully restored itself, so I'm not confident I can win a fight right now. Whatever the captain is planning, I have no choice but to play along. At least it'll spare me from a vicious battle for the time being.'
'As long as I can survive for now, I can plan my next move later.'
"Awakened?"
He took the opportunity to ask his own question.
"Only those who have bathed in the blood of a powerful creature have a chance to awaken special abilities. The Awakened are rare in this world. And I am one of them."
"How do I show you my worth?"
Shi Ming looked up, panting, feigning that he was beaten and had no strength left to fight.
'Now is the time to play the pig to eat the tiger.'
"Heh heh, by securing more resources for me, of course."
The captain lit a cigarette, taking a long, satisfying drag as if completely unbothered by the recent chaos.
"The storm has just passed. The drifting ship is currently sailing at full speed toward a newly charted island to the southwest. I'm putting together a slave squad to explore the island for potential resources. You're agile and have good fundamentals. Complete this mission, and I'll spare your life."
"But if you fail to prove your worth, you'll still pay for your crime of murder."
The captain glanced at Shi Ming.
"And don't even think about escaping. Every official crew member on this drifting ship—myself included—has a virtual chip implanted in their body. As the captain with administrative access, a simple command at the console is all it takes to render anyone, even an Awakened, completely helpless."
"This is the core logic programmed into every drifting ship in the world since their construction. All for the 'unity' of the surviving human race."
The captain added with a smirk, his tone laced with dissatisfaction.
'A virtual chip?' A chill ran down Shi Ming's spine. 'So such things actually exist!'
'And everyone on every drifting ship is implanted? Even the captain?'
'For unity? Or for control!'
'What about the managers? The exploration crews? Did they agree to this willingly?'
'And what about the big shots? The people at the very peak of global power, do they have chips too?'
Before Shi Ming could even process the veracity of the captain's words, he heard his cold, emotionless voice.
"So, do you agree?"
As his thoughts raced, another system prompt appeared before his eyes.
[BEEP.]
[Newbie mission initiating. Complete the newbie mission to receive a reward and assistance in removing the Celestial Net Chip from the host's body, making the host one of the world's rare "chipless" individuals.]
[System is now planning a mission for the host...]
[Estimated time required: 3 hours...]