Now that they had this skill, Windsor and the others would have no problem leading teams on their own.
After all, this skill stone was a permanent item, meaning Gu Ning's heroes could all learn it over time.
Lying on his lounge chair, Gu Ning smiled with satisfaction.
At that moment, Windsor and Darkmoon walked over. As for Huohuo and the others, they had gone off to practice their skills.
"Something good? You look so happy," Windsor teased as she and Darkmoon sat on the lounge chairs beside him, sipping drinks.
Gu Ning briefly explained, then handed the skill stone to Windsor.
Windsor and Darkmoon were both pleasantly surprised. Without hesitation, they learned the skill.
Gu Ning then moved on to check the second item:
Damaged Ten-Tentacle Demon Beast Core (Blue Grade):The sea beast core of a damaged Ten-Tentacle Demon. It contains the creature's energy and has a wide range of uses.
Gu Ning was stunned. So this thing existed—it was basically a magic core.
He had tried searching for beast cores after hunting sea beasts before but never found any, so he'd given up.
Unexpectedly, they really did exist. But the drop rate was ridiculously low! He had already spent two weeks out here!
Granted, most of the sea beasts he hunted were low-grade, but still—it shouldn't have taken this long to find one.
Feeling slightly speechless, Gu Ning at least now confirmed beast cores were real.
Next, he looked at the last item:
Falling Firecloud Skill Stone (Purple Grade):Grants the skill "Falling Firecloud" after use.Requirement: Fire-element-related class.
Gu Ning was thrilled at first but quickly became conflicted.
Clearly, this skill would be perfect for Huohuo to learn. However, if he used his "Innate Shapeshifter" ability on it, he could potentially obtain a gold-grade item.
But if he did that, it might no longer be a skill stone—and Huohuo might not be able to learn the skill anymore.
Sigh, what a dilemma…
Forget it, he'd decide tonight.
Putting that aside, Gu Ning focused on something else for now.
It was time to upgrade the tower ship. It was still in a damaged state, and he had plans to hunt at sea later—there was no way he was going out like this.
Without hesitation, Gu Ning selected the upgrade option.
Moments later, the entire tower ship was completely renewed.
Gu Ning opened the ship's information:
Tower ShipLevel: 2 (Length: 50 meters, Width: 15 meters)Facilities:
First Floor: Kitchen, Large Bedroom x1, Public Restroom, Observation Deck, Fishing Gallery, Mast, Ship's Wheel
Second Floor: Core Chamber, Large Bedrooms x2, Small Bedrooms x4, Storage Room, Public Restroom
Third Floor: Kitchen, Large Bedrooms x2, Small Bedrooms x4, Water Storage, Dining Room, Public Restroom
Propulsion: Multi-Oar Linked Propulsion System
Technologies:
Ship Displacement Tech (Level 3)
Ship Thermal Tech (Level 2)
Ship Automation Tech (Level 1)
Multi-Oar Propulsion Tech (Level 3)
Ship Diving Tech (Weakened Level 3)
Special Ability: Diving
The level 2 tower ship had added a third floor, along with new structures: a dining hall and water storage.
Gu Ning then opened the technology interface.
First, he upgraded the diving tech to Level 4 using White Stones, then boosted the propulsion tech to Level 5.
Finally, Gu Ning unlocked the full version of Diving Technology and built it to Level 1.
He had plenty of White Stones left, and considering the damage the Ten-Tentacle Demon had caused earlier, Gu Ning felt it necessary to install shielded diving tech.
It only lasted an hour, but in critical moments, that could be life-saving.
After finishing with the ship, Gu Ning headed to the small room where upgradeable devices were stored.
With his growing crew, the seawater purifier and flour producer needed upgrades to meet everyone's daily needs.
First up, the Seawater Purifier—Gu Ning upgraded it to Level 10 in one go, reaching a production capacity of 1280 liters.
With that much water, they could even shower freely.
Thankfully, the ship now had a water storage facility, or storing all that water would be a problem.
Next, he upgraded the Flour Producer to Level 7, achieving a daily output of 200 kilograms.
That was more than enough to feed his entire crew.
In fact, Gu Ning figured he could even start making gourmet food to sell.
After all, fine white flour was still rare these days.
After completing everything, Gu Ning checked his remaining White Stones—just under 13,000.
After thinking for a moment, he set aside a small reserve and spent the rest on purchasing cloth and cotton.
With everything organized, Gu Ning activated the diving function and began an underwater hunting expedition. With his current setup, he could stay submerged for 4 to 5 hours.
And don't forget, he still had one full hour of shielded diving capability thanks to his new tech!
Just two hours into the underwater hunt, Gu Ning heard an announcement from Heaven's Mother:
[Global Announcement]: Weekly Survival Points settlement begins. Rewards distributed based on individual point totals.[Global Announcement]: Top 10 players, please select your bonus reward.
Gu Ning instructed Windsor and the others to continue hunting while he found an empty room to claim his rewards.
First, he received his basic survival reward—a stockpile of food and water.
He wasn't overly concerned—those resources meant little to him now.
The extra reward selection was what mattered.
Three items were available, and he could pick one.
Gu Ning examined them carefully:
Merfolk Credential (Purple Grade):Proof of identity for the Merfolk race.
Gu Ning frowned. The description was so vague. What use did this even have?
Next item:
Large Fertile Soil Resource Card (Purple Grade):Use to acquire large fertile soil for your territory. Crops grown here yield significantly more than on ordinary land.
Not bad at all.
Final item:
Earth Origin Blueflower Seed (Purple Grade):Plant to obtain the rare treasure: Earth Origin Blueflower.
Gu Ning's eyes widened—such a good item!
He already possessed Earth Origin Ginseng seeds. If he chose this Blueflower, he'd have two purple-grade rare plants.
Gu Ning calmed himself and pondered.
The Earth Origin Blueflower would undoubtedly boost their strength—but it was a seed. Who knew how long it would take to grow?
It might be useless for a long while, serving only to bolster their long-term foundation.
The fertile soil, however, could be put to immediate use once his territory was established. Increased crop yields would support more civilians.
Gu Ning understood well: a territory's growth relied heavily on its population. And to sustain a large population, you needed ample food.
Lastly, the Merfolk Credential—it left him puzzled. The information was too vague to evaluate its value.
Gu Ning scratched his head, genuinely torn between the options.