With a single powerful slash, the flying swordfish was instantly beheaded—killed in one strike.
Gu Ning looked at Darkmoon lying on the ground, momentarily stunned.
He couldn't understand how Darkmoon was able to unleash such a devastating blow. It seemed a bit unreasonable.
Darkmoon didn't know what Gu Ning was thinking. After taking care of the flying swordfish, she walked up to Gu Ning and handed him a skill stone.
Gu Ning reached out and took it.
Flying Sword Technique Skill Stone (Blue): Upon use, grants the user the "Flying Sword Technique" skill, increasing attack power by 30% when casting flying swords.Learning requirement: No class restriction.
The flying swordfish actually dropped its flying sword skill. This was a pretty good skill, especially since it didn't require a specific class—which meant Darkmoon could also use it.
Although Darkmoon was powerful, her biggest weakness was obvious: she had no ranged attack skills. That could put her at a disadvantage in battle.
Gu Ning handed the skill stone to Darkmoon and said, "You go ahead and use it."
He had considered using his [Talent: Versatility] on the skill stone, but skill stones were rare, and that talent came with a lot of uncertainty. If it ended up turning into some useless purple-grade item, that would be a huge waste.
It was better to use it now to boost their strength and see immediate results. As long as their side stayed strong, he wouldn't have to worry about not getting good items later.
After spending a day with Gu Ning, Darkmoon had a general grasp of his personality. This time, she didn't refuse and simply used the skill stone.
[Darkmoon's Affinity +3]
As usual, Gu Ning received the affinity notification. He wasn't surprised.
"Go help the civilians now," Gu Ning said. "Try not to let anyone die."
Although he was still curious about how Darkmoon had managed to unleash that incredible power, now wasn't the time for questions. The current crisis had to be dealt with first.
Naturally, Darkmoon had no objections to Gu Ning's orders. She immediately set off for the civilian area and began dealing with the remaining threats.
Gu Ning didn't stay idle either. He joined in to take down the remaining minor enemies.
As for Windsor, Gu Ning wasn't worried. Judging by the situation over there, she'd soon finish off her flying swordfish.
Indeed, just as Gu Ning had predicted, once Windsor saw that Gu Ning was no longer in danger, she relaxed and stopped rushing.
She kept her pace steady, using [Confuse] from time to time to make the enemy's flying swords miss. Meanwhile, she continuously fired [Light Arrows] to wear down its health.
It didn't take long before the flying swordfish could no longer hold on and finally died.
With the swordfish dead, the rest of the attacking fish scattered and fled.
Gu Ning watched the retreating fish with a sigh of relief. That long battle had really taken a toll on him.
At that moment, Windsor came over.
"Ah Ning, the flying swordfish dropped a skill stone," she said, handing it over.
Gu Ning was a bit surprised—another skill stone? His luck was unusually good today.
He took it and checked its stats, only to be a bit disappointed: it was the [Leap] skill.
Leap Skill Stone (Blue): Upon use, grants the user the "Leap" skill, increasing agility by 30% when using it.Learning requirement: Murloc race, archer-type class.
No one on their side could use it.
Sighing, he wondered if it might work for Little Blue.
He tested it and got a prompt:
[Skill stones cannot be used by pets unless they have obtained a Hero class and can learn skills independently.]
No use, then. He did have a Hero class transfer card, but that was reserved for Huohuo.
Thinking it over, Gu Ning decided to use his [Versatility] talent on the skill stone.
He had never used a skill stone with that talent before, and he was quite curious to see what kind of purple-grade item he might get.
"Windsor, go treat the wounded civilians. We can't afford any more deaths," Gu Ning instructed.
Windsor nodded and immediately began healing the injured.
Meanwhile, Gu Ning had Huohuo help him collect loot from the sea. They had slain a large number of flying swordfish—definitely a significant haul.
Once the civilians were healed, they also joined Gu Ning in retrieving the bodies of the fallen fish.
Soon, the battlefield was completely cleaned up.
Gu Ning told the civilians to rest, then summoned Huohuo and handed her two pieces of purple crystal.
Huohuo was delighted when she saw the crystals. She hugged Gu Ning's head and nuzzled her soft little face against his cheek.
"Alright, go eat them now," Gu Ning laughed, rubbing her little head.
With the two purple crystals in her arms, Huohuo flapped her tiny wings and flew toward the fishing deck—that was where she spent her nights.
After taking care of everything, Gu Ning, Windsor, and Darkmoon returned to the core cabin.
However, Windsor was walking slowly and kept trying to avoid Darkmoon.
During the battle, she hadn't thought much of it, but now that things had settled down, she recalled how Darkmoon had caught her in that awkward moment—and she felt a bit embarrassed and uneasy.
Gu Ning, on the other hand, didn't think much of it. As far as he was concerned, he had no plans of letting Darkmoon go. A cat-eared girl? No way he wasn't going to claim her—sooner or later, they'd be completely open with each other. No need to be shy!
Back in the core cabin, Gu Ning flopped down on the sofa, ignoring Windsor's blushing face as she whispered with Darkmoon.
He checked his assets—nearly four thousand white stones. Despite the dangerous ambush, the rewards had been substantial.
He started thinking: should he hold onto the white stones until tomorrow to sell ice and upgrade the wooden boat? Or should he invest in some tech upgrades now?
After a moment's thought, Gu Ning decided to upgrade the tech. The boat upgrade could wait. On the other hand, if he boosted propulsion technology and increased speed, they could reach their destination faster.
Gu Ning opened the tech interface.
He saw the "Multi-Oar Linked Propulsion Technology," currently at level 2. Clicking the [Upgrade] button, it prompted him for 2000 white stones.
Without hesitation, Gu Ning confirmed the upgrade.
Next, he opened the "Ship Thermal Energy Technology" and spent another 1000 white stones to level it up to 2.
With the hot weather, it was a good time to store thermal energy. He wanted to keep upgrading, but he didn't have enough money—he'd have to wait until tomorrow.
After upgrading both techs, his white stone count dropped below 1000.
Still, Gu Ning wasn't too worried. Tomorrow, he could sell ice for a nice profit.
Closing the panel, Gu Ning's gaze drifted to Windsor and Darkmoon lying on the bed.