I Have a Sailing Game-Chapter 36: Exotic Grape Species

After the dark veil lifted, a floating contract appeared before Rogel.

A feather pen was thoughtfully prepared beside it.

Undoubtedly, this was the contract Captain Black Brick had mentioned.

Surprisingly, despite not understanding the text or symbols, Rogel could miraculously grasp the meaning of the contract.

It seemed a mysterious power was conveying the contract’s contents to Rogel’s spirit.

The content was not much different from what Captain Black Brick described.

Captain Black Brick offered a Sea Treasure and the treasures within the Iron Box as compensation for the trade.

Rogel needed to locate Doyle Devis, dead or alive, within twenty years.

If he took the money and goods but defaulted, the contract would have him beset with a dreadful illness.

Choosing not to sign the contract would cause the treasures within the Iron Box to turn into mud and sand under the contract’s power.

It had to be said, Captain Black Brick was indeed very cunning.

Originally, anyone finding the Black Brick could directly take the treasures without following the Contract Spirit into the captain’s quarters, thus avoiding triggering the contract and the treasures wouldn’t disappear.

But he understood human greed, knowing no one could resist more treasure.

So the contract was highly likely to be triggered.

But this wasn’t a problem for Rogel.

If he wanted the treasures without signing the contract, he just needed to load a save.

"Find him? Dead or alive?"

Rogel squinted his eyes.

He instinctively sensed a problem here.

Since Captain Black Brick hated Doyle Devis so much, why wasn’t the contract content set to "kill or confirm Devis’s death"?

Instead, it asked Rogel to find him?

It must be noted, the content outside the contract meant Rogel could fully choose not to fulfill it, without any consequences.

In other words, even if Rogel found Devis, he could choose not to kill him.

Was Captain Black Brick so sure that once Rogel found Devis, he’d want to kill him?

Why?

Thinking of this, besides confusion, Rogel also felt a strong interest rise within him.

Interesting, very interesting.

"Sign!"

I ought to see what this is really about.

The Dark Sea Hunter extended a fleshy tendril, picked up the feather pen, and signed his name on the contract.

After Rogel signed his name, the parchment contract ignited underwater without fire, and a mysterious force merged into Rogel’s spirit.

[Under the witness of an unknown entity, you have signed a contract.]

Rogel saved the game, then loaded back to the point before signing the contract.

This force disappeared without a trace in an instant, as if it had never appeared.

It seemed this unknown entity couldn’t affect the game.

Saving and loading still proved stronger.

Rogel thought silently to himself.

Holding his phone, he took a deep breath, furrowed his brow, with a solemn look in his eyes, not knowing what he was contemplating.

After a long while, he came back to his senses and loaded the latest save to continue the game.

After the contract disappeared, the Contract Spirit circled Rogel twice and swam in a new direction.

Seemed like it was going to lead Rogel to find the "Sea Treasure" Captain Black Brick referred to.

The Dark Sea Hunter followed behind it.

The Contract Spirit led Rogel to one layer of the Black Brick’s cabin.

This seemed to be the planting area of the Black Brick, with soil different from the seabed sand, and some collapsed, decayed fences.

The Contract Spirit halted before a long rectangular iron trough.

This thing, it somewhat resembles a pig trough...

Rogel’s eye twitched.

On the iron trough were some remnants of wooden frames, seemingly used to support crops.

The Contract Spirit stopped at a part of soil on the iron trough.

This puzzled Rogel a bit.

Weren’t they supposed to find the Sea Treasure?

Could it be that the treasure was buried in the dirt?

Rogel pondered and decided to dig into the soil for a look.

[You found an "Exotic Grape Species" ×1.]

[You have discovered a Sea Treasure!] 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Rogel looked at the seemingly ordinary, thumb-sized seed in his hand in disbelief.

Apart from being larger than a regular seed, didn’t seem particularly special?

But at this moment, the mysterious power of the contract transmitted the information of the Exotic Grape Species to him.

Combining the information provided by the game, Rogel also learned specific details about the Exotic Grape Species.

[Exotic Grape Species]

[Type: Sea Treasure]

[Quality: Purple]

[Special Effect: After planting, the Exotic Grape Species will mature in three months to a year, producing one to three fruits, each possessing a random unknown effect, specific effects should be inquired from the fruit itself.]

[Explanation: Be attentive in caring for the Exotic Grape Species; you might receive unexpected surprises. Also, ensure it doesn’t see you holding other fruits, or you’ll have no good fruit to eat.]

This is truly an authentic Sea Treasure!

One without a price!

Generally, Extraordinary Equipment or Artifacts come with a "cost", the greater the power, the greater the cost.

But the cost of a Sea Treasure is nearly zero.

Of course, nearly, not entirely; a few Sea Treasures have rather peculiar traits, like this Exotic Grape Species.

In summary, Sea Treasures are assets fervently pursued by extraordinaries across the nautical realm.

Rogel gathered this information after combining skills in Mysticism, item information, and the contract’s reminder.

Indeed, Captain Black Brick didn’t dupe Rogel; the Exotic Grape Species was truly a precious item.

Rogel cleaned the soil off the Exotic Grape Species before putting it away.

[Oooooo...]

Once Rogel acquired the Exotic Grape Species, the Contract Spirit’s task was complete.

Its lingering urge dissolved, causing the Contract Spirit’s image to blur.

Ultimately, it vanished completely into the ocean as if it had never been.

Rogel remained silent.

From the Contract Spirit’s explanation and Captain Black Brick’s remnant image, it was evident it voluntarily became the Contract Spirit to fulfill Captain Black Brick’s dying wish.

The price was to wait alone in the dark ocean for decades or even longer.

Upon fulfilling the agreement, the soul would also entirely vanish.

In the end, Rogel made a new agreement with Captain Black Brick.

And the Contract Spirit completed the promise once made to Captain Black Brick.

It had no regrets.

[The Contract Spirit expressed gratitude towards you and bestowed blessings.]

"..."

Rogel controlled the Dark Sea Hunter, collected Viluo’s remains, and placed them beside Captain Black Brick’s skeleton.

Captain Black Brick wasn’t a good man, but he had a good companion.

Let Viluo eternally rest here by his master’s side.

After completing these tasks, Rogel continued his search on the Black Brick.

Indeed, there were still some things left on the Black Brick.

But mostly they were rusty firearms or cleavers, and small accessories or trinkets from the crew.

Nothing of value.

Rogel couldn’t be bothered to pick them up.

He placed the black Treasure Pearl and seed into the Iron Box, swimming towards the sea surface.

As the Dark Sea Hunter departed, the Black Brick below grew blurrier in the darkness until utterly vanishing into the murky depths of the seafloor...