Ship Functions Unlocked!
The Love Siren creaked softly as it sailed into calmer waters.
Pink sails glowed under the midday sun, their embroidered roses almost cheerful now that the Black Mist had faded into the horizon.
Aria leaned against the mast, her chest still heaving from their narrow escape. Sweat dripped down her neck, her tank top clinging to her skin.
Lucas unscrewed a water canister, the metal cold against his palms. He gulped greedily, droplets spilling down his chin. The water tasted faintly of roses—of course it did—but his parched throat didn't care.
[Lucas' Status]
[Hunger: 61/100]
[Thirst: 45/100 → 80/100]
[Sanity: 50/100]
Aria crouched beside the crate, chugging her own canister. Her shoulders relaxed slightly as the system updated:
[Aria's Status]
[Hunger: 29/100]
[Thirst: 18/100 → 70/100]
[Sanity: 39/100]
"Better," she muttered, wiping her mouth as her stomach growled.
Lucas' hunger meter ticked down again: 59/100. Aria's plummeted to 25/100.
"We need food," she said, eyeing the empty crate. "Your 'Affection magic' gave us enough water, but we'll starve in hours."
He pulled up the Captain's Journal. "The system unlocked new functions after we escaped. Let's check."
[Basic Functions Unlocked!]
[New Feature: Ship Controls]
[Grip the helm to adjust speed/direction. Intuitive navigation—no experience required!]
[New Tool: Claw Hook Installed!]
[Use to collect floating debris. Materials auto-convert to resources!]
[New Function: Repairing]
[New Function: Crafting]
[Combine materials to create tools, weapons, and fishing rods!]
Aria wiped her forehead, her gold-brown eyes narrowing. "A fishing rod! Let's fish for food!"
"We need to get materials first to craft it." Lucas grinned, tapping the journal. "We've got a claw hook. Time to play garbage collector."
He strode to the ship's bow, where a mechanical arm with a three-pronged claw now protruded. A joystick made of coral-pink metal sat beside it.
"Let me guess," Aria said, peering over his shoulder. Her breath tickled his ear. "It's heart-shaped."
[Claw Hook Control Panel]
[Materials Collected: 0]
[Convert to: Wood/Cloth/Steel (unlocks at ship level 2)]
Lucas gripped the joystick. "Watch and learn." He spotted a chunk of driftwood bobbing in the waves. The claw shot out with a clank, snagging the wood effortlessly.
[Rotten Wood +1]
[Converted to: Wood x0.1 (10% efficiency)]
Aria snorted. "Wow. Ten rotten logs for one usable plank. This'll take forever."
"Then help." Lucas shoved the joystick toward her. Their fingers brushed, and a pink heart flickered above Aria's head.
[Affection +1 (Current: 54/100)]
She yanked her hand back. "Stop that."
"Not my fault the system's clingy."
They took turns for hours, scooping debris—rusted barrels, seaweed nets, even a soggy teddy bear. The claw's efficiency was brutal:
[Rotten Wood x10 → Wood x1]
[Tattered Cloth x5 → Cloth x1]
Aria's tank top grew damp with sweat, the fabric sticking to her curves. Lucas tried not to stare as she stretched, reaching for the joystick.
"Eyes on the water, captain," she said, though her cheeks pinked.
[Affection +2 (Current: 56/100)]
By sunset, they'd stockpiled:
[Wood x22]
[Cloth x15]
Aria collapsed onto the deck, her cargo pants rolled up to her knees.
"Do we have enough yet?"
Lucas flipped through the Captain's Journal. "Almost half way there! 50 Wood and 50 Cloth for the crafting table, and 10 Wood for a basic fishing rod."
"WHAT? That's SO much!"
"Compared to ship upgrades, this is nothing. We need 200 wood and 100 cloth just to level up our ship."
"This is a scam."
"There's a 'lucky catch' mechanic. If you grab rare items, it'd convert to a bunch of resources." He paused, squinting at the next requirement.
"…Uh."
"What?"
He slammed the journal shut. "Nothing."
"Show me." She snatched it, her eyes scanning the page.
[Ship Upgrade (Level 2) Requirements]
[Wood x200]
[Cloth x100]
[Crewmate's Brassiere x1]
Aria's face went scarlet. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
Lucas raised his hands. "Blame the system, not me!"
"You expect me to just—to hand over my—"
"No! Well, unless… I mean, maybe it doesn't have to be yours? We could find some floating—"
"In the ocean?!" She threw a soggy plank at him. "That's disgusting!"
[Affection -20 (Current: 36/100)]
Aria slammed the journal shut and threw it at Lucas. He ducked, and it smacked into a heart-shaped life preserver.
"This is WRONG!"
Lucas sighed. "Look, let's just focus on collecting wood and cloth first. Maybe by the time we have enough, we'll… figure something out."
Aria crossed her arms, which only made her chest more noticeable in her snug tank top. "Whatever. But if you even think about asking me to hand over my—"
"I won't! Promise!"
The next few hours were tense. Aria manned the claw hook, aggressively snatching debris from the waves. Her tank top clung to her skin from sweat and sea spray, outlining her curves. Lucas tried not to think about it, but it didn't help.
"Eyes. Up. Captain," Aria growled.
"Sorry!"
[Affection -3 (Current: 33/100)]
They gathered materials in silence.
[Wood x62]
[Cloth x25]
Aria wiped her forehead, her ponytail fraying.
"Getting cloth is taking too long. At this rate, we'll starve before crafting the fishing rod."
Lucas scanned the horizon. "Let's wait. The journal said we might get rare items that boost gathering rates."
"Haven't seen one yet." Aria snorted.
The claw hook snagged something large beneath the waves. The mechanical arm strained, gears screeching.
"Help me pull!" Aria yelled.
Lucas grabbed the joystick beside her, their hands overlapping. The claw emerged, dragging up a waterlogged chest. It crashed onto the deck, spewing seaweed and…
[Treasure Get!]
[Lace Corset x1 (Quality: Fancy)]
Aria picked up the corset, dripping wet. "Seriously?"
Lucas' eyes lit up. "That's cloth! High-quality!"
She tossed it at him. "Enjoy your grandma's underwear."
[Lace Corset Converted → Cloth x50!]
"Whoa!" Lucas grinned. "Now we have Cloth x65!"
Aria stared. "That corset was worth 50 cloth?!"
"Guess fancy stuff counts more. Keep an eye out for more—"
"No. No way." Aria pointed at him. "I'm not fishing for lingerie."
[Affection -1 (Current: 32/100)]