Ch. 39 - Ambush

Yang Yi told Suna about the whole Fire Velvet Sweater and island affair.

She also agreed to check it out, as island resources were typically more abundant. If they encountered something worthwhile, they couldn’t miss the opportunity unless it were too risky.

The dangers included unknown creatures on the island, as well as other ill-intentioned players.

"Any unique life forms there are, I want a few samples!" Suna requested.

That was likely her true motivation for wanting to go to the island.

Two days later, Yang Yi arrived near the island. He could go ashore whenever he so willed, however, before he set foot on the island, he needed to handle any potential dangers!

Through observing Hu Wei for two days, he understood what the captain had been up to. He was fishing, using bait to lure other players onto the island, where there seemed to be some terribly dangerous creatures or traps.

It caused players who landed to quickly meet their demise. After they died, Hu Wei would go and take over their abandoned ships, gaining considerable supplies in the process.

It was a devious yet profitable tactic, though not without risks. No one could predict what kind of player might come. If he ran into someone tough, like Yang Yi, who had clairvoyant skills, Hu Wei could easily misjudge the situation, losing more than he gained.

The captain had no idea someone was watching his every move, unaffected by distance or the fog of war. Through observation, Yang Yi gathered plenty of intel.

Before approaching a player's ship, Hu Wei would use binoculars to observe it. Once he confirmed no one was on board, he would slowly approach, fire a symbolic shot, and, after further confirming there was no one aboard, attempt to board the ship.

He wouldn’t fire directly at the ship’s hull, possibly to avoid damaging it and affecting the loot.

Over three days, Hu Wei dismantled two ships using that method. Yang Yi watched the entire process and shared his plan with Suna.

"I’m sure there’s some dangerous creature on the island!" Suna asserted confidently.

"Is that what I was talking about? Were you even listening?" Yang Yi scratched his head. "I meant we should turn the tables and ambush him instead!"

"He wouldn’t expect someone to be lying in wait for him! We’ll remove the boarding restrictions, and when he sees he can board, he’ll assume we’re dead. We’ll hide in the cabin, and the moment he steps in, we’ll take him out!"

"But what if he doesn’t enter?"

"That’s not going to happen! If it were me, I’d definitely go in. And even if he’s on the ship, do you think he could outrun a bullet?"

Yang Yi was confident.

He had dismantled ships before and knew how to occupy one. It required not only the owner's death but also staying on the ship for about 10 minutes before the system would notify him, saying he could dismantle it.

However, dismantling a ship wouldn’t automatically recover all the items on board. Equipment and tools would need to be manually collected.

Yang Yi believed Hu Wei wouldn’t leave any corner of the ship unchecked, especially the cabin.

If it were Yang Yi in his place, he would have scavenged everything quickly.

Suna agreed, without complaints.

Thus, the plan was set. In case things went awry, Yang Yi had Suna make three more bottles of the pink recovery potion, giving them each two bottles.

The following morning, Yang Yi steered the ship towards the island. The journey was smooth, with no danger in sight. It was his first time observing the island up close. It looked ordinary on the surface — solid dark brown rocks along the coast, smoothed by the ocean waves.

Barnacles clung to the rock surfaces, and many crabs lived in the crevices of the rocks. The island itself was covered in a dense forest; its interior shrouded in mystery.

There were no signs of struggle on the shore, not even bloodstains, indicating the danger likely wasn’t there. Whatever had killed the players must have been deeper inland. S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

In either case, Yang Yi had no intention of going ashore.

He checked the crystal ball, which showed that Hu Wei was approaching, still several dozen nautical miles away. Though there was still time, Yang Yi called Suna, and they both hid in the cabin, leaving the boarding permissions open.

The Nightmare Star’s cabin was a long, narrow hallway that turned left as you entered. At the end of the hallway started a staircase leading to the lower deck. The lighting was dim, with only a few small windows providing some natural light. The air was damp and musty.

The witch’s laboratory was also there as a separate room. The two of them took their positions according to the plan.

Suna hid in the shadows of the lower deck, armed with a pirate’s longbow, eyes fixed on the door. She had a simple quiver on her back with more than 30 arrows, all with iron tips – far sharper than her earlier wooden ones.

After she had demonstrated her impressive archery skills, Yang Yi had upgraded her weapon. Each arrowhead was coated with fluid from a venomous blowfish, ensuring that lethal hits.

Yang Yi stood at the end of the hallway, just four metres from the door. He would strike first, and if his flintlock didn’t fire, Suna would follow up with her arrows. They would ensure the target had no time to react.

Meanwhile, Hu Wei was finally nearing the island. He pulled out his binoculars to observe and, sure enough, he spotted the Nightmare Star!

"A special ship!"

Hu Wei was so excited he nearly jumped for joy. Little did he know someone was creepily analysing his every move.

Hu Wei waited an entire hour, ensuring no one was on board, before cautiously edging neat and firing a symbolic shot. His aim was poor, and the cannonball splashed harmlessly into the water in front of the Nightmare Star. He wasn’t aiming to hit; it was just part of his routine, something Yang Yi had already witnessed in the crystal ball.

After waiting another 15 minutes, Hu Wei, seeing no movement on the ship, finally sped up his approach.

"He’ll be on board in less than 10 minutes!" Yang Yi alerted Suna, putting the crystal ball back into his bottomless bag and holding his breath, eyes fixed on the cabin door, ready for the prey to step into the trap.

Suna, who had never ambushed anyone before, was slightly nervous. However, her strong mental fortitude kept her calm and fearless.

Soon, they heard the sound of a grappling hook hitting the side of the ship, followed by the clatter of a wooden plank being set in place.

The prey had taken the bait.

Yang Yi raised his flintlock and aimed at the door. The lighting in the cabin was dim. By the time Hu Wei saw him, he’d already be shot.

Time ticked by slowly.

To sell the ruse, Yang Yi had left his fishing rod and net discarded on the deck. The target was probably picking through them right now, completely unaware someone had voluntarily granted him permission to loot the ship...

The giant insect head had been stowed in the cabin to prevent Hu Wei from lingering on the deck for too long.

Yang Yi’s ultimate goal was to lure him into the cabin — the safest strategy. If Hu Wei didn’t enter after 9 minutes, they would have to attack him directly.

Fortunately, less than 5 minutes later, the cabin door creaked open.

Hu Wei, beaming with pride, strode in, fishing rod and red net slung over his shoulder, completely unaware. He was still gloating over his massive haul when, in the next moment, a gunshot rang out from his left.

Bang!

Hu Wei was shot in the abdomen and collapsed, clutching the wound. It was only then that he noticed the figure standing to his left, holding a smoking flintlock.

"You... How...?" Hu Wei couldn’t believe his eyes.

"I’ve been waiting for you," Yang Yi said with a smile.

He hadn’t aimed for the head — not because he feared missing, but because he had some questions to ask.