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Chapter 291 - 288: "Splendor of Heaven

Chapter 291: Chapter 288: "Splendor of Heaven

In the instant the lightning struck, the entire pitch-dark sea was illuminated for a moment, the lightning descending as if it were cleaving through the sky’s curtain, followed by a sudden torrential downpour.

"Whoosh—"

Raindrops fell rapidly, pattering on the deck with a "drip-drop" sound.

Ming’an didn’t continue to observe; he found a staircase leading upstairs and hurried up to avoid getting drenched by the sudden downpour.

...So the darkness was caused by a sudden thunderstorm, not some reason from the Underworld.

But it must be said, a sudden storm is quite ominous for a sea voyage. Many maritime accidents begin with a sudden downpour.

As the rain fell, those who were smoking and enjoying the breeze on deck no longer dared to stay on the unprotected deck. They turned back, gathering together and rushing into the cabin below, like a dark torrent pouring into the ship’s hold.

Ming’an observed these people, and in the process of going upstairs, he got a rough idea of the size of this gigantic ship through the windows on the wall.

The Yate Vessel was somewhat like the Titanic he had seen in movies before, with a total length of over two hundred meters. Its forward deck was spacious enough for hundreds to gather, the cabins in the middle towered with the height of six floors. He was currently between the first and second floor, next to a small balcony suitable for viewing the seascape.

Looking into the distance, the outside was already engulfed in darkness, waves beating against the ship, making him feel somewhat unstable on his feet.

He reached the second floor and saw the noble young lady Saya waiting there, her face covered by a feather fan... and beside her, an old gentleman in a pitch-black uniform, serious and unsmiling.

Given the old gentleman’s slightly retracted stance, he was probably Saya’s servant or butler.

The old gentleman was looking at him with some vigilance, as if on guard against him, a down-and-out noble of insufficient status.

"This weather, it changes quite quickly," he said, ignoring the old gentleman’s gaze and speaking to Miss Saya next to him.

"Yes... I did not expect this, considering the previous ten-day voyage was quite normal. How could a sudden storm arise today..." Saya spoke with some surprise, seeming to sense something amiss as well.

But her expression quickly returned to calmness, her demeanor as elegant as before, her tone containing some words of comfort:

"However, Rin, there’s no need to worry—the Yate Vessel is hailed by the Yate Empire as the everlasting gem, the hope of the Empire’s ocean expeditions... It surely cannot be capsized by a mere storm."

Hearing her confident words, Ming’an felt a sense of foreboding.

This familiar flag... where had he seen it before?

"We are probably only two days away from the legendary Maritime City, rumored to be filled with endless treasures," Saya confidently stated: "Just wait calmly, there’s no need for overthinking."

Her voice was steady, her tone certain, as if she had never doubted the meaning of her words.

She truly believed in the safety of this ship, convinced that the vessel carrying the hopes of the Empire’s people could not possibly sink.

As she spoke, she turned and walked up the stairs ahead.

The rooms of the nobles were on the third floor and above; the two had to go up a flight.

The white-haired old gentleman followed closely behind her, silent, automatically positioning Ming’an at a distance from her, as if trying to prevent him from getting too close.

Although his own status was indeed that of a somewhat disgraced noble unfit to be seen in public... the old gentleman’s wariness seemed a bit too intense, almost as if his disdain was openly displayed.

Ming’an went up the stairs and heard Saya’s voice, tinged with a smile, drift down:

"Rin, I know you’re a bit seasick, but you can’t just run off to the Southern District’s deck... that’s the territory of the commoners, and you don’t even have a butler or bodyguard with you. Who knows what those people might do to you... If you feel unwell later, tell me, and I’ll accompany you to the deck in the Northern District. The view is better there, and it’s safer."

"I won’t run into trouble," Ming’an said.

"Yes, I know, Rin is a very impressive person... always has been." Saya’s footsteps halt as she turns around at the corner of the staircase.

Behind her is a small circular window, the surging waves beat against the rocking hull, the night still as water, like a round maw opened up behind her.

Standing there, she gently strokes her hair, her blonde locks glaring in the light like sunlight.

"I’ve always known, even in the most difficult situations, Rin would surely find his way through. This includes family issues as well..."

As she speaks, a smile emerges, her tone full of expectation, "Just a little more endurance, and we’ll soon reach the legendary boundary. According to the Prophet, atop that legendary Maritime City lies the city of treasures in the clouds... If we can uncover some marvels there, Rin will definitely be able to revitalize our family..."

Listening to her, Su Ming’an comes to understand.

It seems that the "Yate Vessel" is the so-called giant ship sent by the Yate Empire to seek treasures. Its purpose is to find the city of legend that exists in myths.

Aboard this giant vessel are people of various skin colors from the Yate Empire. Among them are decling nobles, neglected second noble daughters, merchants craving treasures, adventurers yearning for exploration, and commoners tasked with hard labor.

Their thoughts are diverse, their ideas distinct, but without exception, the goal is to obtain the legendary "treasure."

It seems the real game will only begin once all players reach the Maritime City.

...This is likely to be an extremely thrilling treasure hunt game.

The current stage of the plot should be a prelude, intended to acquaint the players who have obtained passage on the cruise ship with the situation.

The route for a Perfect Pass... should only become accessible after arriving at the city.

This time, the Perfect Completion route isn’t pointed out to him; he has to search on his own. Fortunately, he possesses the portable skill of Weakness Insight, which should make probing for clues not too difficult.

Following Saya to the fourth floor, Su Ming’an spots his own room door.

"This is it." Saya points to a room further up, signaling that she needs to continue upstairs, "Oh, by the way, Rin, I forgot to ask, how did your date with Miss Nailuo go?"

She asks with a smile, but her eyes contain an irrepressible sadness.

Su Ming’an suddenly recalls the text description about her.

[The second daughter of the Warren Family, who grew up together with Rin.

Forced by family pressure, she had to keep her distance from the increasingly decling Su family.]

...It seems Miss Saya does indeed harbor feelings for him.

But alas, the gap between their families is widening. As the Su family falls into decline, they grow increasingly mismatched.

And that Miss Nailuo who rebuked him from the start, she might be a noble whose status is more appropriate for Rin. Judging by the circumstances, she’s probably intended for a family alliance through marriage but was rejected by Rin.

"Perhaps, it didn’t go too well?" Su Ming’an ventures.

Saya shakes her head in resignation, as if she wants to persuade him of something but ultimately holds her peace.

In her heart, she actually wishes... that the date doesn’t lead anywhere.

Yet when she thinks of Rin’s current family situation... Miss Nailuo is the sole heir of the Mil Family. Only through marriage with her could the Su family just manage to maintain their standing, avoiding being completely divided by other powers...

"Miss Nailuo is quite forthright, just go along with her, after all, she is the eldest daughter of the Mil Family..." Despite this, she still offers such advice.

She looks at Rin, whose expression remains unchanged, knowing he hasn’t taken her words to heart, and simply sighs:

"Rin, I know I can’t persuade you. After all, if you gain something from this trip, you might not have to be submissive to the daughters of other families..."

She looked at him, her hands clad in pristine white gloves grasping his hands.

"Night is approaching, you should rest well for now, I’ll head up first... Remember, don’t go out at night at will, and don’t open the door to anyone. This ship is full of all sorts, and traveling alone without a guardian or servant by your side, it’s easy for those with ulterior motives to target you..."

As she spoke, she gently released his hands, her eyes filled with irrepressible concern.

"Miss, it’s time to return to your room."

The old master coughed beside her.

"I’ll take my leave then." Saya said softly, "See you tomorrow, Rin."

She held his hand, politely kissing the back of it:

"...May you have sweet dreams tonight."

"See you tomorrow." Su Ming’an said.

Saya, to him, truly resembled the noble ladies of the legends, exuding a special aura that was both noble and non-overbearing, her attitude warm and dignified. It was easy to feel a fondness for her, yet she also maintained a distance that discouraged too close an approach.

No matter the moment, her spine remained straight, her demeanor exceedingly proper, each step measured as if by a careful hand, even a simple farewell was executed with the perfect gesture, as though she had practiced the angle of the handshake countless times.

Having received his response, she smiled tenderly at him, turned, and ascended the stairs to the fifth floor.

She appeared warm and beautiful, like a golden tulip blossoming in the evening.

Like a noble princess of a kingdom.

The barrage seemed to be quite interested in such a noble lady as well, clamoring for him to ’go for it’ eagerly, wanting to see him perform a romantic tale of a down-and-out noble’s marriage rush, to fiercely slap the judgmental butler master in the face...

Su Ming’an paid no attention to these onlookers who enjoyed the spectacle.

He didn’t believe that this World Replica would be that simple. Since Saya was a significant character from the start, her background definitely contained important elements that he was unaware of.

Watching her retreating figure, he began to plan for this mission in his mind.

...At present, it seemed that Saya and Nailuo, these two noble ladies, were his breakthrough points for the mission. Whether following the storyline of either one of them, he should be able to encounter the tasks necessary for a Perfect Pass.

These two must be characters holding important positions in the entire instance, much like Hui Shuhang and Dong Xue in the past.

If given the choice, Su Ming’an would prefer to start with Saya. Her description read "intelligent and pure," and based on her status, her Basic Favorability should naturally be higher. She also seemed much more normal than Miss Nailuo, who had begun by loudly shouting.

As for the butler elder beside her... that was troublesome. The old master seemed very wary of him, as if he was very unwilling to allow him to get close.

Even though his Charm was already an S, and the Ruler’s Skill dictated that NPCs with a ’Hatred should not appear...

In the future, he might need to consider if he could work on the old man’s Affection or simply use a Skill...

He returned to his room, pushed open the door.

The noble’s room on the fourth floor looked quite nice; the moment he opened the door, he thought he had walked into some hotel. The bedding was neat, the room was bright, and the size was not small either, much more luxurious than his personal space.

He closed the door and began searching the room for clues.

The exploration Divine Skill had started to take effect. In a non-combat state, it would automatically provide the player with the location of key points of interest within their field of vision.

As Su Ming’an entered the search mode, he saw three locations marked by red circles appear in his view.

Drawer on the left, the wardrobe, and under the bed.

He first opened the drawer closest to him and found a crudely drawn map.

The map looked rather old, the paper yellowed and the lines extremely rough, like a child’s scribblings.

At least Su Ming’an couldn’t tell where the map was depicting.

...

[*You have obtained an identity clue (Blurry Map)]

[Identity Clue·Strange Map:

"Heaven is resplendent, the Mortal World dazzling."]

...

Inexplicable hints.

Su Ming’an stuffed the map into his backpack and pulled open the wardrobe.

This second clue was more hidden; were it not for the Insight Skill, he guessed he would have to search for a long time to find it.

It was a gemstone, transparent throughout, hidden in the lining of a garment. Using ’Annihilation,’ he cut the garment open and took out the gemstone.

[*You have obtained a special prop (Yate Stone)]

[Yate Stone: An exceedingly rare Resource Stone, able to detect the blood composition within the human body, used to differentiate dangerous Soul Clan members who hunt humans. It is the main trade commodity for this voyage and the transactions with the Maritime City.]

[Uses: 3/3]

...

[You have encountered a clue and obtained information about the "Soul Clan."]

[Soul Clan: A dangerous Race mingling among humans feeding on human souls and blood, possessing innate and powerful strength.

They have perfectly integrated into human society, living alongside humans, making them perfect assassins in the dark.

From the outside, the Soul Clan appears no different from humans, but their eyes turn crimson when their emotions fluctuate. Other than that, only the Yate Stone can identify them.

Ordinary humans are utterly powerless against the Soul Clan’s hunt. Only a select few who have harnessed the bestowed strengths of Gods, known as ’Soul Hunters,’ can hunt them.

Fortunately, as the strength of the Soul Hunters grows, the traces of the Soul Clan have gradually disappeared from the Yate Empire. However, the Maritime City, as legend has it, is still fraught with danger, a paradise full of countless surviving and perilous Soul Clan members...]

...

[Having encountered key information, you have automatically accepted the Perfect Completion task for Heaven’s Line]

[Route Prompt: Reach the Maritime City safely, joining either the Soul Clan or Soul Hunters faction.]

[Perfect Completion Progress: 5%]

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