"What did you say?! You’ve been to that level 4 island?!" The fat man was so shocked that his voice cracked, his expression was quite something to behold.

  The other captains were equally astonished; just moments ago, they had been warning this newcomer not to go to the island, and now he claimed he had already explored it?

  "Why is there only a danger level for the island and no reward amount?" Charles asked the next question.

  "Don’t change the subject! When did you go to that island? What was there?!"

  Charles furrowed his brow slightly and leaned back to avoid the fat man’s spittle. "The Furtan God sent me there to retrieve something; is there a problem with that? Isn’t that how everyone explores islands?"

  At this moment, Elizabeth also lost her composure, a slight flush appearing on her pale face, looking somewhat excited.

  "Charles, you might not understand the steps of exploring islands yet. The tasks for explorers are broken down into many categories: first, exploring routes; then assessing the danger levels of the natives; and finally, exploring and conquering the islands. Each type of task has different rewards in the association."

  "And you, a newcomer, have already completed several of the earlier steps. You just need to conquer the island next! The whole island will be yours! You’re the next lucky one, the next governor!"

  So that’s how it is. No wonder there was no reward listed on the map; it turns out the exploration of islands is so detailed, Charles thought to himself.

  "Enough about that. New… Charles, what resources were on that island? Was it dangerous?"

  After considering for a few seconds, Charles decided the island had little value and shared the information about it.

  Upon hearing that the island had no food or fresh water and was filled with monsters that could erase human memories, everyone’s faces showed regret.

  "Alas, another dead island. I thought I would witness history, see the fastest governor."

  "Yeah, without fresh water, there’s no use in conquering it."

  "If there were even a little resource, we could form a conquering fleet for the next step."

  As others debated this topic, Charles pointed to the northernmost level 5 island on the map and said to the nearby female recorder, "In half a month, my ship will set sail; I need to explore this island."

  Elizabeth opened her mouth as if to advise against it but ultimately held her tongue. This guy was truly a bit unpredictable; he was no ordinary newcomer.

  Once the recorder registered the task, Charles surveyed the now-silent captains. "Excuse me, does anyone know where I can get weapons?"

  The last expedition had taught him a lesson; Charles needed to enhance the combat capability of the entire ship—relying solely on a revolver was insufficient.

  "If it’s just regular weapons, ask them." The burly man gestured to the staff behind the counter. "The association also deals in weaponry; as long as the price is right, they can get anything."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  The recorder kindly said, "Please wait a moment; I’ll bring over the weapon list."

  Charles suddenly felt that the founders of the association were true business geniuses. The claim of doing it for all humanity was a facade; they were really in the explosive profit arms trade.

  Soon, several brochures were placed in front of Charles, detailing various models of firearms, with bullet prices clearly marked.

  The technology in the Sea of Earth was somewhat outdated; most firearms were relics from World War I, and it was unclear whether more advanced weapons were unavailable or simply not listed.

  "Charles, these things may look decent, but they’re not very useful, especially since many things on the island can’t be dealt with using bullets."

  The burly man’s words brought Charles back to reality; indeed, given the island's peculiarities, sheer violence would not be very effective.

  He didn’t believe that switching his revolver for another type of firearm would make a fundamental difference when exploring the Golden Statue Island; firearms couldn’t stop the alteration of memories.

  "Then what do you use?" Charles asked.

  "Human lives," a raspy voice interjected from the crowd, and the previously lively atmosphere began to cool.

  The speaker was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and a hooked nose, leaning forward with gray pupils fixated on Charles.

  "I know what you want to ask. Expecting us to have any exploration tips? Sure, we all have different abilities." He raised one hand, and a flicker of blue flame danced in his palm.

  "But even if we have relics with unique powers, the death rate among explorers is still frighteningly high. A successful governor is backed by countless deaths. You didn’t get hurt last time just by luck; don’t blame me for speaking the truth; reality is that cruel."

  Hearing this, Charles felt a sense of reassurance. The Sea of Earth never showed mercy to humanity.

  He addressed the exploration captains before him, "Everyone, let’s chat more another time; I need to prepare supplies for the voyage."

  As Charles walked out the door, the burly man wondered aloud, "What do you think he’s going north for? He can’t really be looking for that Land of Light, right?"

  No one answered his question, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

  In the following half month, Charles didn’t idle away his time. Aside from preparing supplies, he focused on overall physical training and practicing marksmanship.

  Life on land passed quickly, and before he knew it, half a month had gone by.

  The brand-new exploration ship quietly docked in the harbor, its streamlined hull reflecting the light, the black deck cannons gleaming, and the sturdy body made Charles gaze at it with a hint of infatuation.

  "She’s beautiful. Don’t you think?" Charles spoke with a mix of excitement and anticipation.

  "Captain, what’s her name? It’s not going to be called the Rat, is it?" asked Deep, standing in front of five crew members.

  Looking at the 125-caliber iron cannon on the bow, Charles thought for a moment and replied, "Narwhal. Her name is Narwhal!"

  After naming the new ship, Charles turned to the unfamiliar faces. The Narwhal was not a cargo ship like the Rat; whether many or few, it was meant for exploration, and every crew member needed to be accounted for.

  One bosun, four sailors, one first mate, one second mate, one chief engineer, one first assistant engineer, one cook, one assistant cook, and one captain—13 crew members in total.

  The crew included both young and old, tall and short, all male, with some local men having curled ears.

  As Charles observed them, the crew looked back at him with curiosity.

  Life on a ship was different from life on land; once at sea, the entire vessel became a closed environment, and the captain was the king of that ship, controlling the fate of everyone on board. If a captain was unreliable, he could endanger all lives.

  When they saw Charles’s face, their worries eased slightly. This young captain with black eyes, although young, was known to many as an experienced sailor.

  "I believe everyone knows what we’re here to do, so I won’t deceive you. Currently, the death rate for exploration ships at sea is one in five. If anyone wants to back out, now’s your chance."

  No one moved in the crowd. Those standing there were not first-time sailors; they all understood the risks of this journey, as well as the potential benefits of successfully exploring a new island.

  If the captain became the new island governor, they would all rise with him. Going to sea was a gamble, so why not gamble a little bigger?

  "Very well, everyone aboard!"