The moment Kevin’s words left his lips, the oppressive pressure surrounding Luna intensified significantly.

It crushed down on her, making her entire body tremble. The heels of her shoes clicked and scraped painfully against the deck floor.

Watching Luna’s obvious tension, Kevin smiled and pulled a pack of ham out of his backpack, casually tossing it overboard.

The ham skippered across the deck and along the gunwale before plopping into the sea with a splash.

In an instant, the previously calm ocean surface boiled over.

In the hundred-meter radius where the ham had fallen, countless grotesque and terrifying fish suddenly erupted from the depths.

Sardines with human faces... 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Pufferfish festering with weeping sores...

An octopus sporting eight human faces...

And a manatee that emitted the soft, sensual moans of a woman...

Despite their bizarre differences, every single one of these eldritch creatures shared a common trait: driven by pure, uncontrolled chaos.

What began as a brief skirmish over a single sausage quickly devolved into a brutal, cross-species slaughter and cannibalistic frenzy.

Luna watched the madness on the water, her face completely drained of color.

The realization that Kevin now had the authority to legally banish her to this terrifying ocean made her voice shake: "Mr. Kevin, please don’t expel me. I’ll obey whatever you say."

Kevin glanced at the status panel hovering above Luna’s head.

Luna’s affinity toward him still sat at a cold 20.

He smiled faintly and ordered, "Lock the door first."

At his command, the crushing pressure instantly lifted.

Relieved, Luna let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She bolted the door from the inside, turned back carefully, and looked at him with a pitiful, pleading expression.

Kevin simply plopped down onto the sofa behind him. "Talk to me. What’s your talent?"

Luna sighed, then reached out and summoned a bottle of milky-white liquid. "My talent is also [Crafting Resources]."

"Before the anomalies descended, I was always stationed near the fountain square outside St. Peter’s Cathedral."

"Legend says that fountain symbolizes the purest blessing sent by God to the world."

"My ability lets me craft three bottles of milky-white Holy Spring every day."

"Its function is straightforward: purifies curses and heals injuries."

"Of course, it also contains almost every nutrient the human body needs. Drinking one bottle daily covers a person’s caloric and nutritional requirements, meaning you could theoretically survive without eating anything else."

Hearing this, Kevin’s heart gave a slight jolt.

This wasn’t just some holy spring milk. It was a high-grade nutritional liquid that healed wounds, purified curses, and could sustain life entirely on its own.

Kevin couldn’t believe he’d already encountered two Survivors with resource-production talents within a single day.

Even in his past life, such talents were incredibly rare and highly sought after.

In this horror voyage world, resource scarcity was always the number one bottleneck for Survivor teams.

Food, medicine, clothing, weapons and equipment, potions, runes-everything was a consumable.

If they were on land, Survivors could at least scavenge and do some basic crafting.

But out here in the endless sea, a Survivor’s operational range was strictly limited to their own ship.

Producing daily necessities and strategic reserves became an exceptionally difficult task.

So, having one or two Survivors capable of sustainably producing vital resources was a godsend for any team.

And Kevin’s start in this new life? He somehow managed to secure two such talents right out of the gate.

Kevin couldn’t help but feel his luck was through the roof.

Stephanie’s ability to produce long-acting contraceptives was more of a gimmick to him personally, but for the crew down the line, it could still count as vital supplies.

With that thought in mind, Kevin raised an eyebrow, sizing up Luna. "I won’t banish you. But you’ll agree to one condition."

"What condition? Name it. I’ll do it!"

Luna knew exactly where she stood.

Her life was in Kevin’s hands, and she had zero leverage. So she agreed without hesitation.

Kevin grabbed her arm and pushed her toward the helm desk, forcing her to bend over, back turned to him. "I’m giving you a chance. From now on, you’ll follow my orders without question."

"Also, don’t play games. Through my intel talent, I can precisely track your affinity toward me. The moment I sense you harboring disloyal thoughts, I’ll throw you overboard without a second thought."

Kevin’s words were half-bluff, half-truth, but Luna didn’t dare doubt or resist. "Don’t kill me! I’ll do whatever you say!"

Kevin nodded, satisfied.

Just as he was about to take the next step, heavy footsteps echoed outside the helm door.

He didn’t need to guess who it was. It had to be Amelia, Leo, and Stephanie.

Clearly, they’d come to challenge him now that they knew he was captain.

Knock knock knock!

Knock knock knock!

The pounding on the door came again.

Luna stole a glance at Kevin. Seeing him focused elsewhere, she breathed a sigh of relief.

If Amelia and the others hadn’t shown up, she probably would have already been violated by Kevin.

With his "assault" interrupted, a flicker of excitement and glee sparked in Luna’s chest.

Hmph, that damn Kevin.

Just wait. I’m joining Amelia’s side next! The four of us together can definitely take him down.

The thought alone made Luna’s vision blur with fantasies of turning the tables on him. Slowly, her attitude toward Kevin began to shift from fear to quiet resentment.

Kevin sat on the sofa, debating whether to even open the door.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the affinity meter above Luna’s head. It had dropped from 20 to 10.

The shift made Kevin’s brows knit together.

"Mr. Kevin, how about we open the door first, hear them out? Once they’re gone, I’ll be ready to serve you," Luna suggested cautiously.

She naturally hid her true thoughts, desperate to get Kevin to open the door so she could escape his grasp.

But Kevin didn’t follow her suggestion. Instead, he reached out, gently lifting her chin with his fingers. A crooked, amused smile curled his lips. "Should I remind you? No tricks."

Smack!

A sharp crack echoed through the cabin as Luna’s face burned with the impact.

"Open the door so you can join them against me?" Kevin cut straight to the heart of her thoughts, sending panic shooting through her veins.

"No! How could I possibly team up against you, Mr. Kevin! My heart belongs to you, and so does my body!" Luna ignored the throbbing on her cheek, frantically stammering her explanation.

Kevin let out a cold chuckle. His gaze locked onto her as he activated the Captain’s Authority once more.

By game rules, the Captain could project spiritual pressure onto any Survivor who breached protocol, instantly restricting their movement and will.

The moment Kevin focused, Luna’s body went rigid. The oppressive weight that had just lifted crashed back down over her shoulders.

A pounding heartbeat, primal dread, and utter helplessness swallowed her whole, dragging her back into the terror of being completely dominated by him.

She couldn’t even form words, only staring up at him with wide, pleading eyes.

But Kevin showed no mercy.

He grabbed the collar of her shirt, dragging her stiff frame toward the porthole.

Her high heels scraped and dragged across the wooden floor, a harsh, grating sound that echoed in the cramped cabin-and straight into Luna’s skull. The noise amplified her terror, forcing tears to spill down her cheeks.

Finally, as Kevin shoved half her body out the window, she managed a ragged, desperate plea: "Spare me... I’ll never do it again..."

Outside, the pounding on the door continued relentlessly. Knock knock knock!

Kevin snorted coldly, yanked Luna back inside the helm, and set her down. "I think I made myself clear. I can track your affinity toward me."

"Now, crawl under the desk and reflect on your attitude. Once I’ve dealt with those three, if my affinity isn’t where I want it to be, I’ll throw you into the sea without blinking."

"You’ve already felt the Captain’s power. If you really think they can stop me from expelling you, go ahead and test it."

With that, Kevin forced Luna down and shoved her beneath the captain’s desk.

He then sat back on the leather sofa, cleared his throat, and called out toward the door: "Enter."

Click.

The lock disengaged.

Leo stormed in first, pointing a finger right at Kevin’s nose and barking, "What right do you have to be our captain? I order you-right now, hand over your authority!"