Chapter 6: Playing Dead
On the Drifting Ghost Sea, fragments of wooden planks and severed cables floated on the surface, rising and falling with the waves—the only remnants of the Blood Ship.
Jin Ke and his three companions had all fallen into the sea. They looked up at the massive behemoth over a dozen meters away. After the initial shock passed, the four immediately dove underwater, not daring to remain on the surface any longer.
Experience had proven that encountering the Doom Number and then diving into the sea was a fatal mistake—it only hastened one's death.
In the seawater, the bare-chested Jin Ke made a hand gesture, signaling his three teammates to scatter and flee.
There was no need for Jin Ke's signal. Among the remaining three, a female contractor produced a scroll. The scroll emitted a faint blue glow, and fine scales appeared on her body. Her lower half transformed into a fish tail, making her appearance closely resemble a mermaid.
The mermaid-turned contractor flicked her tail and turned into a blur in the water. She didn't need to outrun the enemy—just her teammates was enough.
*Hum~*
A blue light flashed underwater. Jin Ke and the other two, who were swimming in different directions, were enveloped by this blue light. Numerous blue dots appeared on their bodies, standing out starkly in the dim seawater.
The veins on Jin Ke's neck bulged, but in this critical moment, they had no time to seek revenge on the mermaid woman. Escaping the danger was more important.
*Whoosh*
A black blur skimmed across the seawater above Jin Ke and the others, leaving only a water ripple and half a head falling downward.
This half-head descended through the water with a trail of blood mist. With just one glance, Jin Ke recognized it as the mermaid woman who had just escaped. She was dead, only half her head remaining. What had killed her was unknown for now. A cold energy mixed into the surrounding seawater, drastically reducing Jin Ke's perception range.
Jin Ke, covered in blue dots, dared not move. The surrounding seawater was pitch black. A muffled sound came from his right—an explosive device detonating underwater.
Bubbles mixed with shockwaves swept over Jin Ke. A hand grabbed his hair. He almost instinctively punched back, but stopped halfway. The one grabbing him was his temporary teammate, Dream Demon.
Of the original four-man team, only two remained alive. What sent chills down their spines was that, even now, they still didn't know what the enemy was.
*Whoosh*
A blur rushed past above them, leaving only fragments of clothing—remnants left behind after a contractor's death. Judging by the energy dissipating from the cloth scraps, it was at least a Holy Spirit-grade armor fragment.
Jin Ke and Dream Demon stood back-to-back in the sea. Numerous black shadows rushed in from all directions, clearly intent on completely engulfing them.
As the shadows closed in, Jin Ke saw what they were—all mist-like black figures that could freely change forms. Most of them had now transformed into black, furious sharks, their mouths filled with dark red teeth, each tooth like a short dagger.
Jin Ke's eyes widened. Dream Demon, back-to-back with him, clasped her hands together, sending waves of shockwaves outward.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Layers of pulses spread out, causing the temperature of the surrounding seawater to spike. The shadows rushing toward Dream Demon were pushed back, but that was all.
Not only were the shadows pushed back, but Jin Ke was also sent flying. He didn't escape the encirclement; instead, he was caught in the crossfire of his own temporary teammate.
The shadows circled in a ring around them, as if receiving orders. They split into two large groups, charging at Jin Ke and Dream Demon respectively.
Dream Demon clasped her hands together again, her long wine-red hair flowing in the water. The next instant, she was engulfed by the shadows.
Not far away, Jin Ke's response was completely different from Dream Demon's. He raised one hand, full of bravado, holding a small white flag that fluttered in the seawater.
"Glub glub glub glub..."
No one could hear what Jin Ke was saying, but the translucent card in his other hand made the surrounding shadows stop. It was a Soul Coin storage card purchased from Apocalypse Paradise for 1,000 Soul Coins—very versatile.
Left hand: Attitude (white flag). Right hand: Sincerity (Soul Coins). With this level of proficiency, one couldn't achieve it without at least five surrender experiences.
The shadows converged, enveloping Jin Ke. He felt himself moving rapidly, soon breaking free from the water. Not only that, but he also felt his internal energy being quickly absorbed, drained dry in an instant.
*Plop*
Jin Ke was thrown onto the deck of the Doom Number. The shadows sank back into the deck.
On the deck of the Doom Number, Jin Ke coughed up several mouthfuls of seawater. He looked up, and the scene before him made his cheek twitch.
At some point, the sky had completely darkened. Beneath the main mast of the Doom Number sat a figure with red light flickering in its eyes. Behind it were a group of humanoid monsters with deathly pale skin. Though water still dripped from them, their flesh and skin were withered, covered in barnacles and algae. Their eyes were completely black.
"Hahaha, good evening, everyone."
As Jin Ke spoke, he sat down on the deck, took out a rope, and within three seconds at most, had tied himself up. This move left Bubu Wang and Baha a bit stunned.
"Let me think... I've surrendered 12 times now. This is a 1,000 Soul Coin storage card—very versatile. I'm a main combat type, my mining skills are average, but I can do it. My name is Jin Ke, 26 years old, male, unmarried. My core combat ability is..."
"Stop, stop, stop."
Baha, who had just snapped out of it, interrupted Jin Ke. He wasn't used to this. If it were one of their own contractors, they would have self-destructed in the sea, unlikely to have reached this situation.
"Oh, right. We weren't chasing you out of personal grudges. Someone offered a Holy Spirit Chest and a letter of recommendation as a reward. I'll tell you that person's information tomorrow morning, along with the Holy Spirit Chest and the letter. The day after tomorrow, I can provide 10 Soul Crystals (Complete). The day after that, I can..."
Jin Ke had a clear understanding of the situation. He said whatever came to mind, even arranging "installment payments." After all, he had been tricked by contractors from Reincarnation Paradise before—paying in daily installments kept him alive longer.
"As a sign of sincerity, I can provide a very important piece of information. Your enemy has a lot of influence on Sunken Ship Island. He has a close relationship with one of the Four Great Pirates, the Duke."
After saying this, Jin Ke closed his eyes and waited for death. Based on his experience of playing dead until now, he knew clearly that whether he lived or died depended on the next few seconds. If he survived this stage, his chances of successfully playing dead were over 80%.
That's right, Jin Ke was that confident. He had a "very strong" passive ability that made his presence very low. Someone might have been negotiating with him just moments ago, but a few minutes later, when they saw him again, they'd think, "Who is this guy? Have I seen him before?" or something similar.
"Your name is..."
"Jin Ke."
"Oh, right, Jin Ke."
Baha's gaze turned to Su Xiao. Su Xiao pointed below the deck. Baha understood and said:
"Jin Ke, we're not ruthless people. Since you've surrendered, we shouldn't make things difficult for you. But regardless, we were once enemies. We'll lock you up for a few days. Any objections?"
As Baha spoke, a smile gradually spread across his face.
"No objections, none at all."
"Good. But the place we're keeping you is a bit 'rough.' Can you handle it?"
"Hahaha, of course!"
Jin Ke's face lit up with joy. He felt he had survived this time—it was settled.
"Jin Ke, you're a decent guy. Hey, someone, throw him in the cell."
Baha pointed at a humanoid monster, one of the Doom Number's cursed people. When Baha said "throw him in the cell," the cursed person's body visibly trembled. The cursed people on either side of him stepped back. One particularly unscrupulous one even pushed him forward. This was the vice-captain's order, and it couldn't be disobeyed, but no one wanted to go to the "cell," not even to deliver a prisoner.
"How about... we lock him up somewhere else?"
Jin Ke sensed something was wrong. He had already perceived that the cursed people were neither alive nor dead—existing between life and death. Even these monsters shuddered at the mention of the "cell." The ship's cell was definitely problematic.
"Don't be polite. The cell has three meals a day on time, plus 'dedicated service' 24/7. Whatever you need, just tell it. If you're bored, it can even 'chat' with you to pass the time."
Saying this, Baha shuddered himself.
Under Jin Ke's uneasy gaze, a cursed person dragged him away toward the stern's lower hold.
A few seconds later, a scream came from the stern's lower hold. The previously composed Jin Ke was now screaming, his voice cracking.