True Apocalypse Game

A gentle sea breeze blew as the massive Sail Warship hoisted its sails to full mast, cutting through the waves as it slowly departed from the AN-13 Floating Island Market.

By this point, all the minerals the former Beast King Pirate Group had brought with them were sold to the Floating Island Market. In exchange, they received portable glass lenses and other supplies, making several pirates, including Old Bill, instantly rich.

Their time with the Beast King Pirate Group was now history. They were members of the Savior Pirate Group.

Moreover, as the captain’s earliest followers, they were naturally promoted to become mid-level managers of the entire Savior Pirate Group.

Old Bill in particular was made first mate of the Sail Warship, the Hope, and his whole demeanor was transformed.

They knew full well that they owed everything to the Captain’s support. It was the only reason they had gotten this far. Whether they liked it or not, they were now part of the Captain’s inner circle.

For this reason, these men worked tirelessly, completely devoted to the Sail Warship and the pirate group as a whole.

Aside from giving the occasional order, Shen Feng was happy to be a hands-off manager the rest of the time.

After making a tour of the Sail Warship and receiving bows from the crew, Shen Feng returned to his captain’s cabin.

The AN-13 Floating Island Market had gradually shrunk to a black dot on the distant horizon. The Hope was now sailing on the vast, open sea, with nothing but water in every direction.

Shen Feng leaned against the window, gazing outside for a moment before casually pulling a bottle of red wine from the liquor cabinet beside him.

To please the Commander, Abdullah had decorated the captain’s cabin to be utterly opulent and magnificent, making it feel like a floating palace.

The collection of fine liquors alone numbered over a hundred bottles, alongside an assortment of pastries, fruits, and vegetables. Even Shen Feng’s chair was carved from agarwood, which made him wince at the extravagance.

He’d forgotten to make it clear to Abdullah; the cost of these decorations alone could have bought a great deal more ammunition.

Still, what Abdullah had managed on such short notice was impressive, so Shen Feng couldn’t really complain.

KNOCK KNOCK... There was a knock at the door. Shen Feng smiled faintly, saying, "Come in," as he opened the wine.

The door to the captain’s cabin opened and Witch Tower stepped inside. "Captain..." she began, then stopped. "By the Savior, what is this place!?"

The blonde, blue-eyed girl was so stunned by the opulent decor in the captain’s cabin that her mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. For a moment, she was speechless, having forgotten what she had come to say.

She knew the Sail Warship was something special the moment she first saw it. A moment ago, using her access as the Navigator, she had quickly toured the vessel, gaining a new appreciation for it. She had marveled at its exquisite craftsmanship and sheer scale.

But while the great ship was breathtaking, Witch Tower, as a Minstrel, had traveled to many places and seen many astounding sights, so she hadn’t been overly awestruck.

It was only now, upon seeing the contents of the captain’s cabin, that she was truly shocked!

"Is this... is this the legendary... alcohol?" Seeing the bottle of red wine in Shen Feng’s hand and the rows of various liquors in the cabinet behind him, Witch Tower couldn’t help but swallow hard.

She had only ever heard of alcohol in legends and epics, but the detailed descriptions in those tales allowed her to recognize at a glance what Shen Feng was holding.

And it was a bottle of red wine, said to be the finest of all.

Shen Feng smiled faintly. He took out another glass, placed it on the table, and poured them both a drink. He gestured to the glass and said to Witch Tower, "Have a drink."

’This young girl had been so worldly and ruthless when narrating the three great epics and hunting the Ghost Thief. She hadn’t even seemed overly surprised by the Sail Warship. Yet she lost her composure completely at the sight of alcohol. It just goes to show how much of this world’s civilization has truly been lost.’

’After all, only prosperous civilizations produce luxury goods.’

Witch Tower didn’t rush to sit down. Instead, she wandered around the captain’s cabin, her eyes gleaming as she gazed at the items on the display shelves.

Her hands caressed the gilt-stamped hardcover books as she murmured:

"By the Savior... These are all relics of the ancient civilization... They’re books... Real books... And they’re intact! Not water-damaged or moldy..."

She then randomly pulled an English book from the shelf. Frowning at the script, she muttered to herself:

"The Complete Works of Shakespeare... Hamlet? What’s this? Is it another epic? An epic in this world that records events other than the Apocalypse and the Salvation..."

She then picked up another book, this time a jewelry auction catalog.

Looking at the magnificent jewels inside, Witch Tower’s brow furrowed even tighter. She muttered:

"What is this? The ancients actually made a book about shiny rocks? How utterly extravagant..."

Unsure of what the Commander would like, Abdullah had struggled with the book selection, ultimately just choosing a variety from every genre.

Witch Tower browsed for a while longer before suddenly finding a large encyclopedia set. Her eyes immediately lit up as she murmured:

"Is this the legendary encyclopedia, said to exist only in the Minstrels’ Sanctuary... It supposedly records everything about the ancient civilization... I can’t believe you have a set here... These books are immeasurably precious..."

Then she suddenly shook her head, a dejected look crossing her face as if she’d just remembered something. "No," she said, "they’re actually worthless..."

After returning the encyclopedia to the shelf, Witch Tower looked at the other furnishings. The initial shock was gone, but she still marveled quietly for a moment before finally approaching Shen Feng and picking up her wine glass.

Gazing at the red liquid within and sniffing its aroma, the blonde girl took a small sip, a look of bliss on her face.

A beam of light shone in from the window, illuminating the blonde girl and making her look like a figure from an oil painting.

’Just look at that lecherous expression on your face,’ Jingwei’s voice echoed in his mind, tinged with disapproval. ’What, are you planning to get the little girl drunk and have your way with her? Is the wine not strong enough? There’s Maotai on the rack if you need something with more kick.’

Shen Feng quickly sat up straight and replied in his mind:

’Cut it out. I’m a respectable man, and you know it.’

By now, Witch Tower had finished her glass. Licking her lips as if wanting more, she put down the glass and sat down opposite Shen Feng. She propped her chin on her right hand, looked at him seriously, and asked:

"Shen, where exactly are the cities of the Undersea People? Why do you never show yourselves?"

Shen Feng was taken aback for a moment, realizing that Witch Tower had completely mistaken him for one of the Undersea People.

After all, in the minds of this world’s survivors, everything from the once-glorious ancient civilization had been submerged beneath the waves. The only ones who could have access to such things were the legendary Undersea People.

Although they rarely appeared, rumors about them would surface from time to time.

Only the Undersea People could build such a powerful warship and possess so many artifacts of the old civilization.

Shen Feng smiled faintly. He didn’t answer her question, asking one of his own instead:

"Who exactly was the Savior? Why do you all mention the Savior when you pray? How did he die?"

How his other selves died in different worlds was one of the questions that concerned Shen Feng the most.

After all, in his own Parallel Cosmos—or world line, as it were—he had to avoid the missteps of his other selves.

’Was his Water World self really gone for good?’

Witch Tower finished her glass of red wine, her cheeks now slightly flushed. She spoke seriously.

"The Savior is beyond mortal comprehension. However, there is a prophetic poem that circulates among the Minstrels. One of its lines goes..."

With that, she cleared her throat and suddenly began to speak in a somewhat stiff, accented Chinese:

"The Savior will finally arrive in debt, lead the silver race, take out the cute girl, and save the four worlds. He will come riding an iron-bed goose, and husband-breathe at the bottom of the sea..."