After a long standoff, the pile of bones ultimately did not turn into a skeleton and stand up. Looks like it’s not a monster! If it’s not a monster, what does that mean? It means there’s hope!

David Carter was excited and began rummaging through the pile of bones clad in tattered armor.

—System prompt: You search the remains of the deceased and discover an old travel bag! You have found a tattered sailor’s battle armor!

—Tattered Sailor’s Battle Armor: Increases the wearer’s personal defense by 3 points, durability 22/100. (Note: Personal defense only applies to the hero themselves, not to troops.)

Wahahaha! Finally, something to wear! David Carter laughed up at the sky in excitement! It’s not about how good the item is—just being able to get something in this desperate situation is already incredibly thrilling! Now David Carter could finally understand how Robinson Crusoe must have felt when he found a small knife after being stranded on a deserted island in “Robinson Crusoe”!

But the real show was yet to come! David Carter immediately put on the battered leather armor, then impatiently opened the travel bag. A golden light flashed out, and for a moment, David Carter stopped breathing!

It was a book with a golden cover! A book exactly like the one he already had!

—System prompt: You have obtained a Scouting Skill Book. Use 1 skill point to learn Basic Scouting!

—System prompt: You have obtained a Grade C strategic treasure: Telescope!

—System prompt: You have obtained a tattered First Mate’s Logbook (quest item).

Haha! Wahahaha! Just when I was worried about where to learn skills, the skill book comes right to me!

I get it! I get it now! Even though this newbie village at the start has no people, it has skill books! How could the system really send new players to a place where they can’t even learn skills? That means the special thing about this deserted newbie village is that players have to explore and discover things for themselves! And without a doubt, the shipwreck is definitely the main event!

Just thinking about the shipwreck gave David Carter a sense of urgency, and he hurried to check the remaining items.

—Telescope: Increases hero’s vision by 50%, Grade C strategic treasure.

Strategic treasure! Haha! Wahahaha! I found a strategic treasure on my very first day! Strategic treasures are nothing like ordinary weapons and equipment—they are key items that can determine the outcome of a war! What does a 50% increase in vision mean? It means I can see half again as far as normal people! I can see them, but they can’t see me! This is a must-have artifact for sailing and defending against pirates in the future!

In high spirits, David Carter casually raised the telescope and looked toward the deserted island. The shipwreck that had been blurry before was now crystal clear, and that figure battling madly in the bloody waves was still fighting on the deck! Damn!

Then he opened the First Mate’s Logbook to the page marked by a bookmark.

—To the adventurer fortunate enough to find me:

I am Juan Sebastian, Senior Sergeant of the Imperial Navy, First Mate of the Saint Anthony expedition ship. I must record the truth here for all to know. The scholar and astrologer Mark Hall who accompanied us is the culprit behind this tragedy! On the night of April 21, 156, as we were returning, we encountered a storm and ran aground on a deserted island. When everyone was exhausted, Mark Hall took the opportunity to use black sorcery to murder everyone on board, attempting to claim our astonishing discovery for himself!

Ever since we discovered the Mithril Island in the underground sea of the New World, I had sensed something was off about Mark Hall. I voiced my concerns to the captain, but no one would suspect the highly esteemed Grand Mage Mark Hall of the Empire. I was even reprimanded by Captain Renoir. But I always remained wary of Mark Hall, which allowed me to escape his massacre that night. Still, stranded on this lonely reef, I won’t last much longer! This logbook records the entirety of our great expedition, especially our astonishing secret discovery—the Mithril Island in the underground sea! To the adventurer who finds this, please present my logbook to His Majesty, and stop Mark Hall’s ambitions!

—System prompt: You have obtained the nautical chart of the Mithril Island in the New World!

—System prompt: You have triggered the epic quest “The Conspirator on the Grand Line”!

—Newbie tip: Epic quests are missions that can change the world order and are extremely difficult. The Grand Line was a great maritime expedition organized by the kingdoms of the Hero Continent in the year 145 of Genesis, seeking a route to the New World and other realms, and cost countless sailors their lives. Mark Hall is now the Empire’s Chief Court Grand Mage, a Grand Duke, and the Governor-General of the New World colonies.

—Quest tip: You can directly present the logbook to the Emperor of the Empire. You may receive a generous reward and rise overnight, or you may be ignored by the Emperor for some reason and gain little, or you may be assassinated by the high-ranking Grand Duke Mark Hall. You can also keep the nautical chart for yourself, or auction it for a high price on the black market. Any decision you make will change the world.

David Carter was so shocked his jaw dropped to the floor! Holy crap! Even looting corpses can land you an epic quest!

Chapter 5: Learning Scouting