Lucy only swapped the maindeck and the forecastle deck when nightfall appeared. Charles told her to stop when they were approaching Blackmare. The dark island rose over the waves like a growing bush from the shadows. Tiny lights sparkled on the shore, indicating where Turtle Chain's present.

You discovered Turtle Chain Town!

A small coastal town built for shopping and trading. The colonists from the Empire established the town as a simple trading outpost to transfer goods to other settlements across Blackmare. Since the swamplands are dangerous with difficult terrain, Turtle Chain was meant to collect supplies from arriving ships on the coast instead of allowing the ships to sail through the swamps. Turtle Chain is an easy town to access, but it isn't safe from voodoo craft and strange supernatural phenomenons haunting the swamps. Beware of the voodoo tribes if you don't want to get cursed.

Charles steered the ship's wheel, directing the vessel toward the long dock over the beach. After the ship docked, Charles glanced at Lucy. "Lower the sails so the nighty wind will not blow the ship away, then tie the ropes to the dock. I will throw the rope ladder down."

Lucy saluted him. "Aye, aye….. Captain?"

Charles chuckled, keeping the corners of his mouth up to his cheerful grin. "Just call me Charles. I can't be a captain without a crew."

"You have me."

"I need more men and women to count as a crew. But I know we can find some here."

Lucy smiled back at him and lowered each sail under their masts. After Charles set up the rope ladder, Lucy climbed down and tied the ship to the dock.

She peeked around for a moment. Nobody else was on the dock and no ships either. The dock stretched straight into the dark woods where the town lights shimmered.

Lucy expected someone would come and greet them. Only the hanging lanterns on posts along the dock seemed to greet her. The townsfolk could be so busy they couldn't have time to watch the port. Or they didn't care who arrived.

"Now before we go….." Charles jumped off and landed next to Lucy. "Is there anything you should grab before we march into town?"

Lucy placed her hands behind her back, grinning with her fangs showing a little. "Oh, I already grabbed me some personal supplies. Two health potions, two elixirs, and one smoke bomb."

Charles raised one eyebrow with his arms crossed. "That is it?"

"Give me some slack. I can only carry five right now."

"Oh, right. Your strength attribute is five. Well, don't expect to carry loot back to the ship."

Lucy pointed at the hull. "What about the supplies in the cargo hold? We could sell them to get gold here."

Charles shook his hands. "We don't have time for that. Our main prime is getting a crew. A strong crew if possible. Forty men or women. Maybe fifty."

"Are you sure this is a good place to find a crew? My notification said Turtle Chain is a small town."

“There will always be someone looking for an adventure. They need to be jobless or slaves to join us.”

Lucy sneered with her eyes widened. “But I don’t want slaves!”

“But slaves are well obedient. They will die for you or give you pleasure. In fact, I thought about buying myself some beauties to satisfy my-”

Lucy pulled out her blade and pointed it at Charles’s throat. “No slaves! Everyone gets a good share if they follow our orders. If they don’t want to join, it is their own right. Got it?”

Charles grimed at her and pushed her blade away from his neck with one finger. “Okay, lass. You have the knowledge of recruiting people?”

Lucy sheathed her blade. “My charisma is at 6. I could persuade them to join us.”

Charles smirked. “Good idea, but your charm will only work on people with low intelligence. Under six to exact.”

Lucy frowned. “So I can only recruit dumb pirates?”

“Dumb pirates are easy to control. If we keep their morales high enough, they will not turn against us. They will believe in anything if the reward is good.” Charles held up two fingers. “Smart pirates think for themselves. They will not trust you unless you can prove them wrong. If you fail too much, they will start a mutiny on our ship. You will need to stay neutral with them without letting your guard down. Dumb pirates are better.”

Lucy placed her hands on her hips. “I thought smart pirates make the crew stronger.”

“No, strength makes the pirates stronger. The captain has to be the smartest one, or else his crew falls apart. I always recruited clueless dafts because I can control them. Understand?”

“Right, but what about players?”

Charles held up his hands. “No players. They always want power and they leave without notice. We NPCs never leave and fool around. We stay together in our own world. That makes us different from the players.”

“Good point.” After witnessing a player murdering her father, Lucy doubted she could trust other players. With more power and no limits to the game, they could do whatever they want unless someone stronger than them defeats them in a duel.

Lucy heard rumors about one player who joined an NPC pirate crew to experience taking others from his NPC captain. But after verbal harassment and restrictions, the player started a mutiny and took over the ship after he leveled up enough to defeat his captain. All players preferred to be in control unless they teamed up with their friends for looting and raiding dungeon islands. No matter their unfairness, the players enjoyed being higher than the NPCs. After all, the game world was only constructed for their amusement.

“Anything else I should know about recruiting?” Lucy asked.

Charles placed his hands on her shoulders. “Stay beautiful and charm them until they say yes. As a female, the dumb men will fall under your feet like thirsty rabid dogs looking for an owner.”

“What about you?”

“I can get the lady pirates to our side unless they find you attractive instead of me.”

Lucy giggled. “I always attracted customers, no matter what’s under their legs.”

Charles pursed his lips together. “Am I supposed to be jealous now?”

Lucy opened her mouth until she heard a girl screaming behind her.

“Help!” A white catgirl in a short leather jacket over a black waistcoat rushed toward Lucy. She stopped to catch her breath with her hands on her light tanned pants above her boots. A ponytail and there were freckles on her cute face. She almost looked like a boy, but her sweet feminine voice couldn’t hide her hidden gender.

Ivy Rose Level: 5 Race: Cat HP: 50 Non-player character

“Oh, please help me!” She grabbed Lucy’s collar and shook her. “You gotta help me!”

Lucy pushed the catgirl back. “Geez! What is wrong with you!”

“There she is!” another voice shouted.

Ivy took cover behind Lucy, and Charles as three pirates marched toward them. Two were rottweilers in waistcoats and leather pants while their leader was a short white bulldog, wearing a fancy blue trenchcoat and a tricorne, topped with a white fuzzy feather.

Captain Roof Level: 10 Race: Bulldog HP: 100 Player character Martin Level: 15 Race: Rottweiler (dog) HP: 150 Non-player character Dax Level: 15 Race: Rottweiler (dog) HP: 150 Non-player character

The white bulldog player pointed his cane at the catgirl. “You two! Step away from that cat, if you know what is good for you!”

“Please help me,” Ivy whispered behind Lucy.

“Why do you want her?” Charles asked.

“She has stolen my bag of gold!” Captain Roof shouted.

Ivy pointed her finger at the bulldog. “No! Those men want to drag me into a dark alley to do horrible things to me!”

“She’s lying!”

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the player. “If she is lying, what are you going to do to her?”

"That is none of your business! Give me the girl, or I will cut both your guts out!"

Lucy could see murder in the bulldog's dagger eyes. Maybe Ivy could be half right about what he intended to do after she stole his gold. Some players find torturing NPCs amusing if nobody was monitoring them. As far as Lucy knew, the catgirl was the victim.

Lucy pulled out her cutlass and pointed it at Roof. "You keep your filthy hands off her, player! If you want to taste my blade, come at me!"

Roof growled. "Boys, skin those cutthroats alive! Nobody steals from me!"

The Rottweilers chuckled and drew out their cutlass blades, approaching slowly.

Charles pulled his blade out too. "I will take care of the two scums. You take on the bulldog."

Lucy studied the characters' status. Roof has the same level as Lucy's, but his minions have higher levels. "How about we fight them together?"

"Their levels are higher than yours," Charles whispered harshly.

"But if I kill them all, I will get stronger."

Charles shrugged. "If you insist."

"What can I do?" Ivy asked.

"Get into our ship," Lucy ordered, "we will deal with you later."

Ivy nodded and climbed the rope ladder to the top of the Iron Maiden.

The Rottweiler pirates charged, barking for blood. Lucy ducked from the second Rottweiler's strike and poked his torso.

Critical hit!

With a grin, Lucy rolled around and slashed the pirate's back multiple times before he vanished.

Dax defeated! You received 1,500 EXP! Cutlass (AP-5) received! Cutlass (AP-5) received! You leveled up! One proficiency point received! Equipment full!

Lucy will update one of her attributes after the fight. The other Rottweiler was still swinging his sword at Charles like he was hitting a wall. So far, Charles kept parrying, which should be a pleasant distraction for Lucy.

She dashed toward the Rottweiler's back and swung her blade through his neck. That could decapitate him, but he vanished instead.

Martin defeated! You received 1,500 EXP! You received Cutlass (AP-5)! You leveled up! One proficiency point received! Warning! Equipment full!

It appeared fighting higher-level opponents could make Lucy level up faster. But not all higher-level opponents were easy to take down unless their combat skills weren't impressive.

"Thank you, lass!" said Charles.

Lucy spotted Roof climbing up the rope ladder against the ship. He was giggling with a mischievous grin on his face.

"That sneaky bastard!" Lucy was about to rush toward the ladder until Ivy rose, holding up a barrel. She tossed it down, hitting Roof's face.

"Dope!" Roof fell off backward and landed on his back.

Good lass! Lucy and Charles stood over the player, pointing their swords at his face.

"Do you wish to say sorry before I send you back home?" Lucy asked.

Captain Roof stuck up two middle fingers at the NPCs. "Here's my sorry!"

Lucy shrugged and stabbed Roof’s chest.

Instant kill! Captain Roof defeated! You received 1,000 EXP! You received Cutlass (AP-5)! Warning! Equipment full! Skill gained: Fencing

This ability makes you the master of swordsmanship. Your speed will increase to 2 and you will never fall off balance. But this ability only works while you equipped with a sword or small blade.

Lucy sheathed her weapon. “You can come down now.”

Ivy smiled and leaped over the ship’s rail, landing in front of Lucy and Charles on to her feet. “Thank you for saving me! I never saw a non-player win a fight against a player before!”

Lucy grinned. “I am not a non-player. I am a computer player.”

Ivy cocked her head. “A computer player?”

“Do you see my status?”

Ivy beamed her eyes over Lucy’s head. “Huh, I never heard of a computer player before. Are you like a player?”

“Kind of. I am still a non-player, except I can level up and earn new skills.”

“Wow! You must be lucky.”

Lucy frowned a little. She wasn’t lucky when Captain Flipper attacked her home and murdered her father. But receiving the strange player-like ability has given Lucy the chance to grow stronger. “Yooooou can say that.”

Ivy grinned.

“That is a bold move you did,” said Charles, “stealing from that player.”

Ivy rubbed the back of her head as she giggled. “Yup, I am a professional thief, but sometimes my skills are a gamble. Hey!” She pointed her claw up. “Would you mind helping me out again? I can offer you a reward.”

“What is the reward?” The wolf asked.

Ivy glanced around. “I can’t tell you here. How about a drink at the Dirty Pig tavern? Then we can talk.”

Lucy smiled. “I hope their drinks are not as bad as swamp water.”