First, that paddle blueprint from today is useless. Use it directly.
I obtained a green-quality Commoner Summon Card. I'll store it and use it tomorrow!
Next, Gu Ning took out the remaining green-quality paddle blueprint from before.
Transform.
Navigator Summon Card (Blue): Use to summon a Navigator! With them, you can avoid many maritime disasters!
Another summon card, but this one isn't random—it specifies a profession.
Perfect timing! My Level 6 wooden ship now has a rudder and mast!
I'll summon this Navigator tomorrow and have them take the helm. That means Little Blue won't need to keep watch every day!
For the last use of his talent, Gu Ning transformed a white-quality Commoner Summon Card—one he'd picked from Wang Mu's trade list.
Transform.
Gu Ning looked at the item in his hand, slightly disappointed. Another summon card, though upgraded to green quality.
Today's three talent uses hadn't delivered any major surprises—all three were summon cards. At least the Navigator was a small bright spot.
Gu Ning suddenly chuckled, realizing he was being ungrateful. A minimum green-quality item, and he was complaining?
Looks like the gains from the past few days had gone to his head, making him forget this was the norm—his norm, at that. Most people's results didn't even meet his usual standard!
With today's tasks done, Gu Ning decided against checking the chat channel. It would just distract him from more important matters.
Gu Ning rolled over, pinning Wensa beneath him. She gasped, but her protest was quickly silenced by his kiss, leaving only muffled whimpers.
Soon, the room filled with heavy breathing and soft moans...
---
The Next Day.
Gu Ning opened his eyes to find the blanket gone. Both he and Wensa lay naked on the bed. The sight of her snow-white skin and alluring curves hit him like a physical blow.
Blood rushed to both his heads.
Wensa awoke just as Gu Ning lunged toward her. She shifted from drowsy to alert, then surrendered to passion, responding fiercely before finally collapsing, spent.
After the storm of passion, Gu Ning held Wensa, kissing her cheeks until their breathing steadied.
"We should get up. It's very late," Wensa murmured against his chest, her face still flushed.
"Right, getting up now," Gu Ning replied, starting to dress.
"It feels much hotter today than yesterday," he remarked as he pulled on his clothes. "The weekly disaster is probably extreme heat."
He'd noticed the temperature shift immediately—and the fact he'd kicked off the blanket, something he never usually did. He needed to prepare.
"It is hotter, but still bearable," Wensa agreed, slowly putting on her more intricate outfit.
"I'll start planning anyway."
"I know you'll handle it," Wensa said firmly, her confidence in him absolute. She'd watched him grow from a tiny raft to this.
"Don't worry," Gu Ning nodded with a smile.
Outside, the heat was fiercer still. The sun blazed white overhead.
Gu Ning used yesterday's three summon cards first.
Three men materialized: one middle-aged, two young. Gu Ning checked their stats:
> Li Le (Exceptional)
> Level: 5
> Strength: 27 | Agility: 25 | Defense: 26
> Profession: Navigator
> Skills: Wind Reading, Charting, Ship Handling
>
> Wang Yi (Fine)
> Level: 3
> Strength: 14 | Agility: 14 | Defense: 15
> Profession: Sailor
> Skills: Rowing, Mast Rigging, Ship Maintenance
>
> Wang Lin (Fine)
> Level: 3
> Strength: 14 | Agility: 15 | Defense: 14
> Profession: Sailor
> Skills: Rowing, Mast Rigging, Ship Maintenance
Surprisingly, even the random commoner cards summoned people with professions—and useful ones: Sailors.
All three bowed instantly. "Greetings, Lord."
"At ease," Gu Ning said. He handed Li Le the tattered map. "Our destination is marked. The journey is yours to command now."
Li Le scanned the map. "Understood, Lord. I'll ensure safe passage."
Gu Ning dismissed them to their duties.
He checked the Survival Points Leaderboard:
> 1. Gu Ning (1560)
> 2. Bai Xue (971)
> 3. Danton (873)
> 4. Li Ke'er (872)
> 5. Ye Baifeng (794)
> 6. Kawanishi Nai (783)
> 7. James (753)
> ...
Scores had risen sharply, but Gu Ning still led. Upgrading the ship to Level 7 would likely widen his gap significantly.
Closing the board, he noted his dwindling White Stone count: barely 200 left. Not enough for anything.
He settled into the bow's lounge chair, casting his Resource Fishing Rod while planning his next moves.
Priority one: surviving the week's heat disaster.
He browsed the Tech Tree for relevant unlocks:
Cabin Cooling, Ship Temperature Regulation, Heat Mitigation Systems...
All required unmet conditions. Many tempting techs—Aerial Ship Propulsion, Weapon Systems—remained grayed out. Gu Ning pictured a future where he commanded an advanced vessel, dominating the seas with his fleet.
Tech was a dead end for now. He needed alternatives.
The fishing rod delivered its first catch. Gu Ning's eyes lit up—a blue-quality item!
> Commoner Summon Card (Blue): High-quality commoners elevate your territory's development and accelerate knowledge acquisition.
Not wasting this on a summon, he decided. Using my talent guarantees at least a purple item—maybe even gold!
Soon, another catch: a white Commoner Summon Card. He used it immediately.
A middle-aged woman appeared—with the Chef profession.
Perfect. She'll handle crew meals. Molly stays my private chef.
One cast remained on the fishing rod. Give me something good,Gu Ning willed silently.