Seizing this rare opportunity, Fang Senyan consumed the hamburger he had traded for in the space, resolutely bringing his health back above 80 points. Just then, with a loud splash, seawater surged through a breach in the ship's hull, and a gigantic, wound-riddled palm, dripping with putrid green fluid, clawed onto the splintered bulkhead!

This large merchant vessel was an ocean-going ship, constructed from top-tier, specially reinforced timber. Even so, the edge of the hull groaned in protest, creaking under the grip. Immediately afterward, the Corrupt Soul Corpse, a massive monstrosity, hauled itself above the waterline. It slammed a hand down, pushed off forcefully, and leaped into the hold, bringing a deluge of seawater with it. It unleashed a piercing, frantic roar and then charged directly at Fang Senyan, dragging its severed right leg along with a rhythmic thump-thump-thump.

Soaked by the sea, the stench emanating from the Corrupt Soul Corpse had lessened considerably, and certain changes were apparent on its body; the injuries on its head seemed to be melting, resembling wax from a burning candle. As it ran, foul green ooze splattered everywhere, making it look both disgusting and imbued with a terrifying might.

However, despite the monster's extreme speed during its charge, it always executed a very noticeable preparatory movement just before impact, allowing Fang Senyan to easily anticipate its intent and dodge. The creature rammed several times, tearing through the unfortunate merchant ship’s lower compartments and wrecking the plank walls utterly.

When the Corrupt Soul Corpse once again stooped low for another charge, Fang Senyan suddenly retrieved an item he had prepared long ago from his waist: a bola grappling hook, a device commonly seen on pirate vessels. Essentially, it was a sturdy, thick rope with stones tied to both ends, forming a rough dumbbell shape. During boarding actions, it was thrown to strike enemies or, if it missed, to snag onto protruding objects on the enemy ship, creating a swift pathway to board.

Fang Senyan bent slightly, swung the bola horizontally, and hurled it out with force. The rope spun rapidly in the air, instantly wrapping around both of the Corrupt Soul Corpse’s thick legs! The stones at either end whirled around in flight, cinching those two limbs tightly together. The Corrupt Soul Corpse roared with immense fury, and the rope instantly strained taut, creaking loudly. Yet, the unlucky monster could not take another step; its enormous body crashed down heavily once more with a deafening bang!

Without its terrifying great-axe, and with its right leg broken, the Corrupt Soul Corpse had lost a significant portion of its speed, which is why Fang Senyan dared to use such a trick. If the monster still wielded its great-axe, its attack range and explosive power would have been utterly maniacal. If Fang Senyan had thrown the bola then, the most likely outcome was that the rope would have been easily swept away by the axe, or, worse, he would have been cleaved by the axe the moment he released the throw.

The Corrupt Soul Corpse thrashed wildly on the deck planks. Lacking intelligence, it didn't know how to untangle the binding on its legs, resorting only to desperate brute force. The sole consequence was that the rope became soaked in its bodily fluids, tightening ever further. Fang Senyan spared it a cool glance, then turned and walked toward the deck, soon returning with effort, dragging a large barrel. The substance within emitted a pungent odor and sloshed thickly; it was the very lamp oil specifically meant for setting enemy ships ablaze.

Fang Senyan dragged the barrel to a spot about four meters from the Corrupt Soul Corpse, then kicked it over. The viscous oil immediately began to flow toward the monster in thick rivulets. The sticky lamp oil mingled with the ruined corpse, effectively acting as a lubricant, making its struggles even more futile. Fang Senyan took a burning torch from a pirate who had rushed over to assist and stated calmly:

“Amen.”

He then turned and ascended the ladder leading to the upper decks, pulling the hatch shut behind him. The moment the hatch sealed, the torch was thrown across the gap, spinning end over end, sailing from far to near before landing directly in front of the Corrupt Soul Corpse’s face.

A fierce conflagration erupted instantly, swallowing everything.

Fang Senyan emerged, coated in blood, with faint smoke still rising behind him. A pirate hurried over, opening his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a single glare from Fang Senyan—a look so intense it seemed to burn. After a moment, the pirate stammered quietly:

“W-Water… Boatswain, the Captain and First Mate request your presence.”

Fang Senyan stiffened slightly, but replied calmly:

“First Mate?”

The pirate could not conceal his delight:

“Yes, First Mate Henry has regained consciousness, and it seems he’s not seriously injured. Navigator Schaale also checked him and said a few days of rest should suffice.”

Fang Senyan nodded faintly and said, "The cargo on this merchant ship will be emptied soon. I will oversee the necessary arrangements here before coming over.”

For Armand, the news that Scarred Henry was unharmed was undoubtedly a major shot in the arm. As long as this loyal and powerful Viking remained alive, Armand would undoubtedly regain the upper hand. Even if Robben was firmly entrenched in the Second Mate position now, it would be useless against Scarred Henry, the formidable and dominant First Mate. The mediocre Robben would undoubtedly be sidelined and his influence reduced to a minimum. However, Fang Senyan had no intention (nor need) to stay on the Bell and Goblet forever; everything he had done so far was solely to reap greater rewards.

The fire in the hold gradually died down. Fang Senyan reopened the hatch and walked back inside. The bottom of the ship had been burned through, and seawater was now surging in merrily, rapidly spreading throughout the lower compartments. The Corrupt Soul Corpse had been burned quite thoroughly, leaving only a small pile of black ash, which soon vanished entirely into the water. Fang Senyan bent down and retrieved a key shimmering with faint blue light from the water, instantly receiving a prompt from the Nightmare Imprint:

You have killed the Corrupt Soul Corpse "Ear Chewer" (Moderate Injury). Your Reputation among Pirates has increased by 500 points. Your current Reputation is Friendly: 777/3000.

Looking at the notification, Fang Senyan felt a pang of regret. Since he had killed the Corrupt Soul Corpse after it sustained moderate injuries, the quality of the dropped key was only pale blue. Based on intelligence gathered earlier, the space seemed to encourage contractors to fight as a team. Theoretically, if Fang Senyan could command a team, killing the Corrupt Soul Corpse in its undamaged state might not be impossible, perhaps yielding a dark blue or even black key, and even dropping its signature great-axe—but the spoils would then have to be divided among at least seven or eight people!

More importantly, seven or eight people currently constituted a medium-sized team. In his present situation, Fang Senyan found it difficult to lead even a small team of two or three, let alone command a medium-sized one. Therefore, operating solo for the time being clearly yielded richer personal gains!

With this realization, a cold smirk touched the corner of Fang Senyan’s lips. He smoothly summoned and opened the treasure chest, and a series of notifications immediately followed:

You have obtained the item: Still-Beating Heart. Still-Beating Heart (Quest Item): Item Rarity: Black. Though this heart shows signs of decay, it still beats stubbornly! This is truly an incredible miracle. Both Old Barry, the Second Mate of the Flying Dutchman, and Blackbeard, the Captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge, are very interested in this item. You must decide for yourself whom to give it to.

You have obtained the Deep Blue Ability Scroll: Voodoo Basic Black Magic LV3. Voodoo Basic Black Magic LV3: To learn this ability, you must have achieved Basic Prayer LV4, Basic Meditation LV4, and possess an Intelligence score of 25 or higher. Post-learning effect: Increases the effect (including power/duration) of your Voodoo Basic Black Magic by 10%. Post-learning effect: Grants you the ability to learn higher-level Voodoo Black Magic. Upon completing the related task, this will grant you the Dark Curse ability: Consume spell components to curse one enemy within five meters, causing their soul and body to suffer torment simultaneously, inflicting a total of 20 + Spirit Value × 4 damage over ten seconds. This ability benefits fully from Spirit bonuses. Note: If you cast the curse outside the target’s line of sight, you will not enter combat status, nor will you be detected by Nightmare Imprint notifications.

You have obtained the Pale Blue Equipment: Ring of Rotted Bones. Ring of Rotted Bones Equipment Rarity: Pale Blue. Equipment Effect: Strength +1, Stamina +1. Equipment Requirement: Strength 8 points, Health 10 points. Equipment Slot: Finger. Material: Bone. Weight: 4 grams. Description: This ring is strung together from individual segments of decaying finger bones, and it even carries a nauseating odor. May God protect you from being entangled by those restless spirits. This equipment yields 7 combat points.

It was a low-probability event that this pale blue key yielded a deep blue scroll/a black-tier quest item, providing Fang Senyan with a definite surprise. The Ring of Rotted Bones, however, was within his expectations; a monster with such aberrant strength as the Corrupt Soul Corpse was highly likely to drop strength-related equipment. He then recalled the brass ring he acquired after eliminating the port guard "Dice" Kutes, whose properties remained unidentified.

......... Ah, perhaps many people don't know, but Black Ink, the author of Infinite Flow, has also started a new book. He has also begun to "evolve" this time; the title is Final Faith. Heh, feel free to take a look if you have time. (To be continued. Please visit for the latest chapter:.)