Yang Yi told Suna about the fire wool sweater and the island. She agreed to go take a look. After all, an island would have richer resources — and if they came across one, they shouldn’t pass up the opportunity unless it was too dangerous. Danger, in this case, included not just unknown creatures on the island but also other players with ill intentions. “If there are any strange life forms on the island, I want to capture a few for samples!” Suna said. That was probably her real reason for wanting to go. Two days later, Yang Yi had already arrived near the island. Sure enough, there was one — about five kilometers in diameter, clearly visible on the nautical chart. If he wanted, he could sail there at any time. But before doing that, he needed to deal with the lurking danger nearby. Through two days of observation, he had already figured out what Hu Wei was up to. The man was fishing — using bait to lure other players onto the island. Once they went ashore, something on the island — a deadly creature or trap — would quickly kill them. Then Hu Wei would swoop in, claim the now-ownerless ships, and seize their supplies. It was a despicable but lucrative tactic — though not without risk. No one knew what kind of players might come by. If he ran into a tough opponent — say, someone like Yang Yi with a spying ability — the plan could easily backfire, costing him his life instead. Hu Wei would never imagine that a pair of eyes could pierce both distance and the fog of war, watching his every move. Through careful surveillance, Yang Yi gathered plenty of intel. Before approaching a player’s ship, Hu Wei would first use a telescope to make sure no one was on board. Then he’d inch closer, fire a token cannon shot just to be sure, and once he confirmed the ship was empty — he’d climb aboard. He never directly aimed at the hull, probably to avoid damaging it and reducing the salvage value. In the past three days, Hu Wei had used this method to plunder two ships. Yang Yi had watched both incidents from start to finish — and now shared his plan with Suna. “I’m sure there’s some dangerous creature on that island,” Suna said firmly. “That’s… not what I was saying. Were you even listening?”Yang Yi scratched his head.“What I mean is—we use his own trick against him. Turn the tables.” “He’d never expect anyone to ambush him! Once we disable ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the boarding restriction, he’ll think we’re dead and come right in. We’ll be hiding in the cabin — and the moment he steps inside, we take him out.” “But what if he doesn’t come in?” “He will come in! If it were me, I’d definitely go in. And once he’s aboard, there’s no outrunning a bullet.” Yang Yi’s confidence was overflowing. He’d salvaged ships before and knew the process — the owner had to be dead, and the new claimant had to occupy the ship for a set amount of time, around ten minutes, before the system granted ownership. But salvaging didn’t automatically collect everything on board — weapons and items had to be manually looted. Which meant Hu Wei wouldn’t leave a single corner unchecked — including the cabin. If it were Yang Yi, he’d also sweep it clean as fast as possible. Suna nodded, raising no objections. And so, the plan was set. To be safe, Yang Yi had Suna brew three extra bottles of pink restorative potions — two each, just in case. At dawn, he would sail toward the island, hide in the cabin, and play dead — ready to give Hu Wei a deadly surprise. The next morning, Yang Yi took the helm and set course for the island. The journey went smoothly — no danger along the way. It was his first time seeing the island up close. At a glance, it looked ordinary: the coast was made of dark-brown rock, polished smooth by years of waves. Barnacles clung to the stone, and countless crabs scuttled in the crevices. Dense forest covered the island’s interior — no telling what might be inside. Yang Yi found no signs of struggle near the shore, not even bloodstains. That meant the victims hadn’t died there — they were probably killed deeper inland, or dragged into the jungle by something. Either way, Yang Yi wasn’t planning to set foot on land. He checked the crystal orb — the image inside showed Hu Wei’s ship approaching, still dozens of nautical miles away. Even though there was distance, Yang Yi called Suna below deck. Together they hid in the cabin and disabled the boarding restriction. Inside the Nyxstar's cabin, a hallway bent left from the entrance. At the end of the hall was a staircase leading down to the lower deck — dimly lit, damp, and narrow, with only a few small portholes for light. The witch’s laboratory was also down there — a separate room. The two took their positions according to plan. Suna hid in the shadows of the lower cabin, clutching a pirate’s longbow and keeping her eyes on the door. On her back was a simple quiver packed with thirty steel-tipped arrows — far sharper than the wooden ones she used before. After Suna had demonstrated her remarkable archery, Yang Yi had upgraded her gear. Each arrow was coated with the fluid of a cyst-spined blowfish — lethal on contact. Yang Yi stood at the end of the corridor, atop the stairs, about four meters from the door. He would fire first — if his flintlock failed, that was Suna’s cue to unleash her arrows. Their target wouldn’t even have time to react. Meanwhile, Hu Wei finally approached the island. He pulled out his telescope and began scanning. As expected, he spotted the Nyxstar. “A special ship!” Hu Wei practically jumped for joy — completely unaware that every move of his was being watched through the crystal orb. He lingered offshore for a full hour, making sure there were no signs of life, before slowly approaching and firing a symbolic cannon shot. His aim was deliberately off — the cannonball splashed harmlessly ahead of the ship. Same routine as always. Yang Yi had already watched this pattern before. Fifteen minutes later, with still no reaction from the ship, Hu Wei powered forward at full speed. “He’s coming. Ten minutes at most before he boards,” Yang Yi whispered to Suna, tucking the orb into his greedy stomach pouch, holding his breath as he stared at the cabin door — waiting for the prey to bite. It was Suna’s first ambush kill — she was a little tense, but her nerves were strong. Soon, they heard the clang of grappling hooks hitting the hull, followed by the sound of a boarding plank being set down. The prey had taken the bait. Yang Yi raised his gun, aiming squarely at the doorway. The lighting inside was dim — by the time Hu Wei’s eyes adjusted, it would already be too late. Seconds ticked by. For realism, Yang Yi had scattered his fishing rods and nets across the deck — letting Hu Wei happily gather them up, thinking he’d hit the jackpot. He’d even given him permission to pick up the items — another baited hook. The giant worm’s head had been hidden below deck to keep Hu Wei from lingering too long topside. The plan was simple: lure him inside — the safest approach. If the ten-minute window was about to expire, Yang Yi and Suna would strike first. Around the five-minute mark, the cabin door finally moved. Click. The door swung open. Hu Wei, face flushed with excitement, swaggered in, a barnacle rod and red fishing net slung over his back. He was still marveling at his good fortune when— Bang! A gunshot exploded from his left. Hu Wei staggered, clutching his stomach as he collapsed. Only then did he see the man standing in the shadows — a flintlock still smoking in his hands. “You… you—how!?” Hu Wei gasped in disbelief. “I’ve been waiting for you,” Yang Yi said with a grin. He deliberately hadn’t aimed for the head — both to avoid a misfire and because he still had questions for Hu Wei.

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