According to the information Shi Ming had obtained, Awakening required bathing in the blood of a sea beast.
The more powerful the sea beast, the better the skills one would acquire from the bath. The most powerful Awakened possessed A-rank, or even S-rank, skills. They were born to stand above others. In this apocalyptic world of the Endless Ocean, they could command more resources and authority.
And the Xuanwu was, without a doubt, the strongest of the strong among sea beasts.
There was no telling how many years this island-sized Xuanwu had been alive.
It didn't seem to be dead, just in a state of deep slumber.
'Trying to kill it is undoubtedly a pipe dream.' A single one of its wounds had bred so many worms, not to mention those sharp-fanged moths as large as goshawks. 'Let's just call them Fierce Moths for now.' It was even possible these worms and Fierce Moths had a strange symbiotic relationship with the Xuanwu. The worms cleaned its rot, and in return, it provided them with sustenance.
If he could manage to take a dip in the blood below, he would almost certainly Awaken.
'But the problem is, how do I deal with so many Fierce Moths and worms?'
The worms' mouthparts weren't very developed, so they likely had little Attack Power. But the Fierce Moths, with their rows upon rows of sharp teeth, didn't look like herbivores to anyone.
Jumping down to bathe with them would be no different from feeding himself to a tiger.
'Unless... someone can draw the attention of these Fierce Moths.'
'Who could draw the attention of these creatures?'
A rough idea began to form in Shi Ming's mind.
...
He silently backed away from the fissure and continued exploring the surrounding area.
'If I want to draw the Fierce Moths' attention, the captain and his exploration team are the obvious choice.'
If he was going to use the captain and the drifter's exploration team to draw the creatures' fire for him, Shi Ming had to know the surrounding environment like the back of his hand. He needed to master and utilize every possible external condition, then compile a credible report.
It would serve as his token of allegiance to win the captain's trust.
Fortunately, the greatest danger on this island was the slumbering Fierce Moths. On the verdant New Island, Shi Ming found no other threats. Instead, he discovered quite a few resources, such as large chunks of Sea Crystal Stone, strange red Crystal Stones, and some special types of wood.
During his exploration, he saw that the other slaves were mostly wandering around the island's periphery, not daring to venture too deep inland.
On the outskirts of the island, he ran into the bald slave who had been licking the tin can.
The bald man saw Shi Ming and proactively came over to greet him.
"Group Leader, I really have to thank you for what you did on the ship, giving my little brother half a steamed bun... If there's anything you need help with, please don't hesitate to ask..."
"It was nothing, just a piece of a bun. While you were exploring the outskirts, did you run into any suspicious situations?"
Shi Ming asked casually.
"Suspicious situations... Hmm, no, none. It's been very safe."
"Oh, right... I found this on the island. I'm just a crude fellow who can't read. Group Leader, please take a look. If it's useful, you should keep it."
The bald man pulled an item from his clothes.
It was a sealed bottle.
Shi Ming was a little surprised. He took it and saw it was a type of storage bottle that had been very common before his rebirth. It was extremely well-sealed. Because it was often used to store penicillin in earlier times, it was also known as a Syringe Bottle.
This Syringe Bottle in front of him looked a bit sturdier and more high-tech. There was a label on it, and printed on the label were two words: "Mimicry Dust."
The bottle looked quite old, so there was no telling if its contents were still effective.
"You've done well. I will report your contribution to the captain accurately."
Shi Ming understood the bald slave's intention and accepted it without ceremony.
"Thank you, Group Leader."
The bald slave lowered his head and said with an ingratiating smile.
In truth, he had given the spoils to Shi Ming for two reasons. First, he genuinely wanted to repay the kindness. Second, he wanted to curry favor with Shi Ming and build a connection.
As a slave from the lowest rung of society with no connections on the drifter, his life was worse than a dog's. But now, this group leader was not only willing to help him but also seemed to have earned the captain's favor, suggesting a promising future. Using an item that would have to be turned in anyway to curry favor with him was a deal he couldn't lose.
If Shi Ming truly became the leader of the slaves in the future, building a good relationship now would elevate his own status and allow him to better protect his frail younger brother.
He was well aware of how these things worked.
"By the way, where's your brother?"
"He's weak. I just found some fruit for him, so he's taking a short rest. Group Leader, we'll get back to exploring in a bit, I promise we won't slack off!"
The two chatted a bit more about the situation on the island's outskirts.
Shi Ming didn't gain any new information, so he prepared to leave and check other areas.
After taking a few steps, he stopped and turned back to offer a reminder.
"Night is about to fall. On a quiet, deserted island like this, the danger at night can multiply. You two should find a hidden place to hide immediately."
"Ah? Okay, Group Leader."
The bald man understood Shi Ming's meaning and replied gratefully.
How could he not understand the subtext?!
'There's danger!'
As soon as Shi Ming left, the bald man quickly rejoined his brother.
"Stop eating for now. We need to find a safe, hidden place, quickly..."
"What's wrong, bro?"
"I'll explain in a bit."
...
「Night fell.」
The night on the island was exceptionally cold. The slaves' clothes were very thin, like common burlap sacks with three holes cut out for their arms and head.
Clothing like this obviously couldn't ward off the cold.
But there was nothing to be done; the drifter hadn't equipped them with any more clothes.
The slaves gathered in twos and threes, huddling together for warmth. Their current mission cycle was a full day—twenty-four hours. After the day was over, regardless of how much information they had gathered, they had to reconvene at the original landing point for a unified return journey.
The time for their return was still a long way off.
To guard against the potential dangers of the night, Shi Ming had found a relatively high point on the island early on. There were many rocks piled up there. Using the ability of his Arm of Power, he knocked out a few rocks, creating a hole in their place large enough to fit an adult. After he got inside, he blocked the entrance with another rock.
Just like that, he had a safe hiding place.
The observation and breathing hole he left was only the size of a fist, too small for any Fierce Moth to pass through. At the same time, Shi Ming could observe the general situation outside through this hole.
And if an emergency arose, he could plug the fist-sized hole from the inside. This was a precaution in case the Fierce Moths possessed a "poison gas attack" ability. While it wouldn't completely block airflow, it would still be quite effective.
As the night grew darker, the slaves all ceased their "exploration."
When Shi Ming had run into some of the other slaves earlier, he had subtly mentioned that nocturnal beasts might come out to hunt after dark, warning them to be on guard, not to let their guard down, and that it would be best to find a safe place to use as a base.
Of course, he hadn't been too explicit; he could only hint at it.
After all, the captain's mission was for them to explore the island, not to hide away at night and sleep until broad daylight.
Some people understood his hint as soon as they heard it.
But others...
Even lit a bonfire to keep warm.
Through his small hole, Shi Ming saw the glow of a fire someone had lit in the distance.
"Fuck! Do these people not have brains?"
He really couldn't hold it in and cursed out loud.