On the pitch-black sea, the corpse of the monster floated with the waves. Just as it was about to sink to the bottom, a steamship, one and a half times larger than the Mouse, passed by.

  A large net with barbs was thrown from the deck, easily ensnaring the creature.

  “Boss, look! I caught a big squid! Look! The tentacles are still moving!”

  “Squid? Peter, are you blind? Boss, I think this is a starfish!”

  “Everyone, calm down. A big octopus is nothing special. Hmm~ it looks delicious. Peter, take it to the kitchen and let the chefs prepare it.”

  “Got it, boss!”

  When Charles woke up again, his head throbbed as if it had been pricked with needles. As he loosened his grip, an empty bottle shattered on the floor.

  Ignoring the shards of glass scattered around him, Charles pushed open the door and stepped outside.

  When the crew of the Mouse saw the expressionless Charles return, they all breathed a sigh of relief; it was comforting to see their captain in such a familiar demeanor.

  “Captain, we’ve returned to safe waters. At the current speed of 15 knots, we’ll be in port soon,” reported the helmsman, Deep.

  “How’s the bandage?”

  “He’s healing quickly, and there’s no persistent fever. Although he’s still unconscious, he should pull through.”

  Hearing this news, Charles felt a slight lift in his mood.

  “Don’t let your guard down. I’ll go check on him.”

  On the Mouse, only the captain had a private cabin; the first mate, Bandage, lived in the crew’s quarters like everyone else.

  When Charles entered the cabin, he saw Bandage slowly opening his eyes. He hurried over.

  “Don’t move, lie still. Your wounds haven’t healed yet,” Charles said, pressing him down as he struggled to sit up.

  “Captain… Anna is a monster… she wants to eat me…”

  Hearing this, Charles felt a pang in his heart. He forced a shallow smile and reassured him, “Don’t worry, that thing is dead. It’s all over.”

  “Then… that’s good…” Bandage sighed with relief and lay back down.

  “Rest well. We’ll be home soon, and you can complete your mission.”

  Glancing at the empty pant leg of Bandage, Charles knew his sailing career was over. No matter how skilled he was at the helm, no ship would want a first mate with only one leg.

  “Oh…” Bandage fell silent.

  Charles wanted to offer some comfort, but he wasn’t very good at it. In the end, he patted Bandage on the shoulder and walked out.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The rest of the journey went smoothly, and the Mouse safely returned to the Coral Islands.

  As if the followers of Fortan had some prophetic ability, before the Mouse even docked, Charles saw Hook waiting with a large group of followers.

  “Captain Charles, did you get the holy relic?”

  When he saw the golden statue of Fortan emerge from the wooden crate, Hook was instantly overwhelmed with excitement, dancing and bowing before the statue with his followers.

  “What about my payment?”

  Hook quickly stood up, trembling as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

  “This is the original contract! Hurry! Give me the holy relic!”

  Charles took the paper, confirmed its authenticity, and tossed the golden statue over.

  Watching Hook, overjoyed and clutching the statue, prepare to leave, Charles frowned. “Hey, did you forget something?”

  A tall and burly James approached, carrying Bandage.

  “Assistant Priest… I completed the mission…” the weak Bandage reported to Hook.

  As if he hadn’t heard Bandage’s words, Hook’s gaze fell on his leg. “What happened to your leg?”

  “It… was eaten by a monster…”

  Hook raised his chin, and two followers behind him approached Bandage, intending to take him away.

  “Good job, Bandage. On the next day of prayer, you will have the honor of becoming a sacrifice.”

  “Th… thank you, Assistant Priest…”

  “What? A sacrifice?!” The faces of all the crew members on the Mouse turned pale with fear.

  Charles suddenly raised a hand, stopping the two followers. He glared at Hook and asked, “Is this how your Fortan cult treats its own people?”

  Charles didn’t want to get involved in these madmen’s affairs, but having fought alongside Bandage, he considered him a half-friend. He couldn’t watch his friend be thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

  “Captain Charles, being a sacrifice within our church is a great honor.”

  “If it’s such an honor, why don’t you take it yourself? Bandage is my first mate; he can’t leave just yet. We need to hand over some matters.” Charles exchanged a glance with James, who then stepped back, still holding Bandage.

  Hook appeared anxious, as if the statue was more important than anything else. After giving Charles a deep look, he hurried away.

  “A cripple? If Captain Charles wants him, then he’s yours.”

  As they left the dock, Deep rushed over to Bandage, exclaiming loudly.

  “First Mate, what were you thinking? He was going to throw you into the sea to feed the fish, and you actually thanked him?!”

  Bandage remained silent.

  “Do you know what it means to be sacrificed to Fortan? Why did you agree?” Charles asked as he stepped closer.

  If Bandage started spouting the nonsense from Fortan’s doctrines, Charles planned to send him to a mental hospital for treatment.

  “I… I don’t know. I think… I long to be sacrificed. I’ve forgotten many things… I don’t remember…” Bandage gave an unexpected response.

  After pacing back and forth for a moment, Charles stopped, looking into the eyes hidden behind Bandage. “Don’t say anything. I need a first mate for my new ship. Will you join me?”

  Bandage was silent for a few seconds. “But I have no legs…”

  “Just one less leg. It’s not a big deal. You can still steer from a chair.”

  Seeing Bandage nod, a smile of relief spread across Charles’s face.

  After recruiting his new first mate, he looked up at his crew and, after some consideration, said, “I don’t need to say it; we’re getting an exploration ship! A ship much larger than the Mouse!”

  Hearing the captain’s words, excitement spread across everyone’s faces. Not to mention the benefits of discovering a new inhabited island, just in terms of salary, the difference between a cargo ship and an exploration ship was nearly threefold.

  As for the dangers that came with such great rewards, the men who made their living from the sea had never been afraid.

  “Captain, are we going to the shipyard now?” Deep asked, but before he finished, he saw his captain shake his head.

  “I’ll handle the ship situation; you all have your own tasks. James, you’re the chief engineer of the new ship. In the meantime, find a first and second assistant engineer.”

  The muscular man was so shocked that he shook his head repeatedly. “No way, Captain! I can’t… I really—”

  “Don’t tell me you can’t find anyone. The port has professional agencies; just go and pick them out. That’s your task.”

  Charles didn’t listen to James’s explanation and turned to the eager young man. “Deep, you’re the bosun. Go recruit four sailors.”

  Hearing he would be in charge of so many sailors, the young man didn’t hesitate at all; instead, he was very excited.

  “Now I can manage five people! This is so exciting!”

  “Freddy, with so many people, you can’t handle the kitchen alone. Go find a cook’s assistant.”

  “Got it, my captain.”