Another Fishing Accident

[72:00:00]

[Love Siren – Level 3 Upgrade]

[Wood x1000]

[Cloth x600]

[Steel x200]

[Completing a mysterious game involves the captain and at least two crewmates (Minimum Affection: 50 each)]

Aria groaned. 

"Steel? Crewmates? 1000 Wood? We're dead… "

"We can worry about it later. You really need some rest, now."

Lucas rubbed his stinging eyes. His Hunger and Thirst meters were stable for now, but his Sanity had dipped to 40/100. Aria's was worse—35/100, her grip on reality fraying. The ship's glittering pink decor wasn't helping.

"You first." Lucas said. "I'll take watch."

Aria glared at him, but her protest died in a yawn. "Fine. Two hours. Then we switch."

He led her below deck to the captain's quarters. The room had upgraded too—velvet curtains, a heart-shaped bed with satin sheets, and rose petals scattered everywhere. Aria froze in the doorway.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"Blame the system," Lucas said, avoiding eye contact. He noticed her crossed arms—her tank top hung loose without the bra they'd sacrificed. His cheeks burned, and he focused on a suspicious rose-shaped stain on the wall.

Aria hesitated, then kicked off her boots. "Turn around."

Lucas spun to face the corridor, heart pounding. Fabric rustled behind him—the sound of cargo pants hitting the floor, the creak of the bed.

"Don't get any ideas," she muttered.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he lied.

When he turned back, Aria was curled under the sheets, her back to him. The thin fabric clung to her curves, and Luca's throat went dry.

"Still here?"

"Ugh… sorry! Leaving right now!"

He fled upstairs.

Lucas stood on the deck, the cool night air doing nothing to calm the fire in his cheeks. Below his feet, the upgraded Love Siren creaked softly, its new heart-shaped lanterns casting a glow over the tacky Cupid-themed cannons. But his mind wasn't on the ship's ridiculous upgrades. It was on the woman currently asleep in his bed.

His bed.

Well, technically the ship's bed. But still. The image burned behind his eyelids every time he blinked: Aria curled under satin sheets, her back turned to him, the thin fabric clinging to the dip of her waist, the curve of her hips. The corset she'd refused to take off had left red marks on her skin—he'd seen them when she'd kicked off her boots. And now she was in there…

Without a bra.

Lucas gripped the upgraded claw hook's joystick, now capable of grabbing steel scraps. The mechanical arm whirred as it snatched a chunk of floating debris—rusted metal, twisted and barnacled.

[Steel Scrap x1 → Steel x0.1]

"A decimal? Seriously?" Lucas groaned. At this rate, gathering 100 steel would take days. Best strategy is to let Aria work it with her stat-boost costumes. 

He switched to fishing, casting the heart-shaped hook into the dark water. The rod jerked immediately.

First catch: [Abyssal Loverfish x1]. 

The six-eyed monstrosity flopped on the deck, legs skittering.

"Nope. Still disgusting," Lucas muttered. But instead of tossing it, he shoved it into the heart-shaped storage crate. Food is food.

Next pull: [Box of Eternal Chocolates x2]. He ate one, the sugar rush jolting him awake.

[Hunger: 73 → 83/100]

The rod bent again—something heavy. Lucas hauled with trembling arms, sweat dripping into his eyes.

[Item Acquired: Cursed Wedding Ring (Tier 1)]

[Effect: Wielder becomes 10% more attractive to enemies. Congrats!]

"Wow. Thanks," Lucas deadpanned, pocketing the ring.

Next. 

[Item Acquired: Rusted Anchor (Tier-1 Junk)]

[Effect: Convert to Steel x3 or use as a blunt weapon (damage: very low).]

Lucas smirked. "Finally, something useful." He converted the anchor to steel, watching his inventory tick up:

[Steel: 3.1/200]

The next few hours blurred into a cycle of fishing and clawing. The sea spat out a mix of treasures and trash:

[Soggy Love Letters x5] → Converted to [Cloth x10]

[Broken Spyglass (Tier-1)] → [Effect: 10% chance to spot hidden threats. Mostly shows blurry shapes.]

[Cursed Wedding Ring x2] → [Effect: Wearer attracts 10% more enemies. Stackable!]

[Perfumed Soap x1] → [Effect: Restores 15 Sanity]

Lucas pocketed the rings, wondering if anyone in Global Chat would be desperate enough to want them.

Global Chat

[Breadbasket]: Trading fresh bread for STEEL! 1 loaf = 5 steel!

[TinCanTony]: Who's got gunpowder? Offering scrap metal!

[GunNut]: Looking for lure items. The ones that attract monsters. DM me.

Lucas hesitated, then messaged GunNut directly.

[LoveSiren]: Got a Cursed Wedding Rings. 10% enemy attraction. You want?

[GunNut]: Hell yeah. How much?

[LoveSiren]: 30 Steel.

[GunNut]: LOL. 20. Final offer.

[LoveSiren]: 24. I'll throw in a [Suspicious Crab Cake].

[GunNut]: Deal.

The trade portal spat out [Steel x24] as Luca's rings and crab cake vanished.

[Steel: 27.1/200]

[67:36:14]

The sun now emits a dark orange hue.

Counting on the time before he was transported into this world, Lucas hadn't slept for over 35 hours.

He's still fishing, yet he could hardly keep his eyes open, while his sanity now falls to 23/100. 

Want to Sleep… 

Want to sleep so much…

Splish. Splash.

Something heavy slapped the water. Lucas jolted awake, the rod slipping from his hands.

"Wha—?"

The deck trembled. A shadow loomed over the ship's starboard side—a mass of slick tentacles slithering over the railing. A creature hauled itself aboard, its bulbous body shimmering like oil. Six yellow eyes glowed across its face, and a circular mouth lined with rotating teeth dripped black sludge.

[Enemy: Kraken Hatchling (Level 2)]

[Health: 100/100]

[Ability: Ink Spray – Blinds target for 5 seconds]

Lucas scrambled backward, fumbling for the Heartbreaker's Lash. The whip uncoiled with a sharp crack, its heart-shaped barbs glinting.

The hatchling lunged, a tentacle whipping toward his legs. Lucas dove sideways, his sneakers slipping on slime.

WHAM!

The tentacle smashed into the mast, splintering wood.

[Ship Durability: 300 → 285]

"Nope, nope, nope!" Lucas swung the whip. It snapped against the creature's rubbery hide.

THWACK!

[Enemy Health: 100 → 95]

The hatchling hissed, spewing a jet of ink. Lucas raised his arm—too slow. Thick black goo splattered his face.

[Status Effect: Blinded – 5 seconds remaining]

"Aria! Help!" Lucas wiped frantically at his eyes, but the ink burned like acid. He stumbled blindly, tripping over a rope.

The hatchling's tentacle wrapped around his ankle, yanking him toward its gnashing mouth.

[Lucas's Health: 100 → 89]

Think!

Lucas swung the whip wildly. The barbs caught something fleshy.

SCHLICK!

[Critical Hit!]

[Enemy Health: 95 → 78]

The hatchling recoiled, loosening its grip. Lucas kicked free and scrambled toward the helm, blinking through fading ink.

Four seconds of blindness left.

He grabbed the rusted flintlock pistol from his belt, firing blindly.

BANG!

[Ammo: 5 → 4]

The shot grazed a tentacle.

[Enemy Health: 78 → 75]

The hatchling screeched, thrashing. Two tentacles smashed into the deck, tearing up planks.

[Ship Durability: 285 → 265]

Lucas's vision cleared. He ducked behind the mast as another ink jet sprayed past.

"Okay, ugly. Let's dance."

He cracked the whip, aiming for the eyes. The lash struck one yellow orb.

POP!

[Critical Hit!]

[Enemy Health: 75 → 60]

The hatchling writhed, flailing its tentacles. Lucas darted in, swinging the whip again.

CRACK!

[Flustered Status Activated!]

[Enemy Speed -20%]

The creature slowed, its movements sluggish. Lucas seized the chance, whipping its mouth.

THWACK! THWACK!

[Enemy Health: 60 → 43]

Black ooze gushed from the wounds. The hatchling spat a desperate ink jet, but Lucas leaped aside, the slime hitting the railing.

[Ship Durability: 265 → 250]

"Stop wrecking my ship!" Lucas grabbed a plank and charged, slamming it into the hatchling's mouth.

CRUNCH.

[Enemy Health: 43 → 30]

The creature lashed out blindly. A tentacle caught Lucas in the ribs, hurling him against the mast.

[Lucas's Health: 89 → 70]

He gasped, pain flaring. The hatchling loomed over him, teeth spinning.