3: Black stockings for a throne! This is a huge win!

Clack... clack... the strange sound of bones grinding came from right across, making one's scalp tingle.

Zhou Qian's best friend screamed and scrambled across the floor, two bloody streaks scraped onto her fair thighs.

"Save me! Zhou Qian!"

"...You bitch, save me!"

Zhou Qian hid behind the winch.

Listening to her friend go from pleas for help to curses, she didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt.

Instead, there was a hint of resentment.

"Xiao Ai... don't blame me! If you're going to blame someone, blame Chen Du! A man who watches someone die without helping is a total waste of space!"

In the shadows of the cargo containers.

Li Yaozhi listened to the screams in the distance, her delicate body trembling.

"I... I..."

"There's no time! My talent requires a Sacrifice, the more special the better!" Chen Du's voice hammered into her ears. "Take off your black stockings and give them to me, now!"

Li Yaozhi was stunned and instinctively asked back, "Stealing stockings... are you crazy?"

"If you want to live, shut up and do as I say!" Chen Du growled. "There won't be time to explain later!"

Nearby, Zhao Mengmeng happened to see Chen Du pinning Li Yaozhi down.

Bursting with a sense of justice, she pointed at Chen Du and cursed:

"Chen Du! Stop! We're a group now, how can you bully a female classmate!"

"Everyone is watching you. Are you going to get us all killed just for your own selfish desires?!"

Clack... clack... those damned footsteps actually turned in this direction!

"Fuck! This stupid bitch is trying to get us killed!" Chen Du was fuming with rage.

Li Yaozhi's face was deathly pale.

The sixth sense brought by her talent was frantically warning her: Listen to him! Listen to Chen Du, quickly!

She pushed Chen Du away and squatted down to unlace the exquisite high-top lace-up leather boots on her feet.

But the more she rushed, the more chaotic it became, and the complex laces turned into a tangled mess.

"Dammit! There's no time!"

Chen Du shoved her hand aside and roared:

"I'll do it!"

He knelt on one knee and grabbed the heel of the boot with his large hand.

He yanked it outward with a jerk!

The boot seemed to be grown onto her leg, not moving an inch.

Clack... clack... the death-bringing footsteps were right at hand!

The veins on Chen Du's temples bulged, and the muscles in his arms swelled as he used every ounce of strength he had!

"Get off, damn it!"

With a dull thud, the high-top leather boot was finally yanked off!

Bloodshot veins flashed in Chen Du's eyes; he didn't bother with more words.

His hot hand grabbed the edge of the black stocking and ripped it down from the top of her thigh!

Riiiip—!

The stocking instantly split open!

Tearing from her tight thigh all the way down to her ankle.

A red mark appeared on a large patch of her snowy-white, delicate skin.

"Hiss..."

Li Yaozhi gasped in pain, the shame and agony making her toes curl.

Chen Du had no time to pay attention to any of that.

Grabbing the bundle of black stockings that still held her body heat and a faint scent, he immediately shouted:

"I Sacrifice... these black stockings!"

Buzz!

The fabric in his hand instantly turned into a wisp of black light and bored into his body.

On the notebook, lines of blood-red words slowly emerged.

[Sacrifice successful!]

[Captured the personal item of the icy Study Committee Member, carrying shame, humiliation, and the desire to survive...]

[...Determined to be a high-value Sacrifice!]

[Please choose a reward:]

[1. Supplies: Ten pieces of freshly baked rye bread.]

[2. Ability: Time-limited skill [Soul-Hooking Chain], duration three minutes!]

Is there even a need to choose?

Without a second thought, Chen Du roared in his mind, "I choose option two!"

Boom!

In an instant, a bone-chillingly cold power filled his right arm!

He opened his hand.

A chain composed of pure black mist coiled and condensed in his palm, the cold, glinting barb at the end of the chain emitting bursts of humming.

The instructions for use were directly etched into his mind!

Just then!

A hideously rotting face peeked out from beside the cargo container!

The Ferryman had found them!

The lantern was held high, and the deadly white light shot straight toward them!

It was about to strike!

Chen Du's pupils shrank.

He recalled the horrific scene of the first girl being sucked into a dried corpse.

The lantern locked on, and it made a grabbing motion through the air!

"Get down!"

Chen Du gave a low growl.

He pushed the terrified Li Yaozhi to the ground, narrowly avoiding that beam of death.

"Hey!"

Instead of retreating, Chen Du stepped forward and cursed at the rotting face, "What the fuck are you looking at! You look like a pile of shit, how do you have the nerve to come out and scare people?!"

"What... did... you... say..." A raspy screech came from the Ferryman's mouth.

Its single eye became bloodshot, turning a terrifying crimson!

It was enraged!

Without another word, Chen Du turned and ran!

"Roar—!"

As expected, the Ferryman abandoned the easier target, Li Yaozhi, and chased after Chen Du!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"Is Chen Du crazy?!"

"He's going to his death!"

The surviving girls cried out in alarm, completely unable to understand his suicidal behavior.

Only the league branch secretary, Ye Qiu, had a solemn expression on her pretty face.

"No... it looks like he's luring the monster."

Chen Du completely ignored the cries behind him.

His brain worked rapidly as he scanned the deck for usable terrain.

In the middle of the ship, two massive ribs extended from beneath the deck.

They were like two pillars, barely three meters apart.

The top of one was broken, forming a sharp point!

Right there!

Chen Du suddenly accelerated and darted between the two ribs.

Then he braked hard and turned around.

The Ferryman roared, charging straight at him like an out-of-control truck!

"Go to hell!"

He whipped his arm out!

The Soul-Hooking Chain hissed out like a venomous snake, entwining the Ferryman's legs!

Chen Du quickly looped the other end of the chain around a rib and pulled back with all his might!

"Fall down for me!"

"Roar?!"

The Ferryman was charging at full speed and hadn't expected this.

Seeing it was about to lose its balance, it actually shone the White Bone Lantern downward!

The pale light burned against the black mist chain!

Sizzle—!

Thick smoke rose from the chain, showing signs of being burned through!

"Dammit!" Chen Du's eyes were bloodshot as he gave another yank before the chain could break!

With that one pull, the Ferryman finally lost its footing.

Its massive body crashed forward and flew out!

Puchi—!

The bone spike pierced right into its stomach, perfectly on target!

Yellow-green pus-like blood and fragments of internal organs exploded across the ground.

"Clack... clack... hrr..."

The Ferryman wasn't dead!

Impaled on the bone spike, it roared in agony.

Its crimson eye glared deathly at Chen Du, filled with resentment.

It began to struggle!

The Soul-Hooking Chain was pulled taut!

Chen Du felt like he was about to lose his grip; the web between his thumb and forefinger was being rubbed bloody!

"What are you all standing there for! Come help!"

But most of the girls were weak in the knees from fear and didn't dare move.

"I'll do it!" Fortunately, the Sports Representative Tang Ran gritted her teeth and rushed over.

The three Xia sisters also exchanged looks and followed close behind.

Tang Ran, Xia Xin, Xia Lai, and Xia Mo—the four girls—grabbed the chain together and pulled back for all they were worth!

They finally stabilized the situation!

"Xia Mo!" Chen Du roared. "Your talent is Assassin! Go! Hit it in the head! Quick!"

Xia Mo looked at the monster writhing on the bone spike and smelled the stench; her face turned deathly pale with fear!

She shook her head repeatedly. "No... I don't dare... I'm scared..."

"Idiot!" Chen Du was so angry his temples were throbbing.

He let go of the chain and roared at Tang Ran and the others, "Hold on tight!"

With that, he picked up a piece of animal rib from the deck and slammed it down hard onto the immobile Ferryman's head!

Bang!

Once, twice... he didn't stop until the head split open.

Red, white, yellow, and green splattered everywhere.

The Ferryman became completely still.

All the girls were stunned.

That terrifying monster that had killed their classmate in one move... was just... dead?

Killed by... Chen Du?

"Is it... really dead?"

"My god... he went on a killing spree!"

"So disgusting... I don't dare look! Is it really dead?"

After a long while, the girls finally poked their heads out from their respective hiding spots.

Their gazes eventually converged on the center of the deck, on the man standing beside the corpse, wearing only a pair of beach shorts.

Chen Du's chest heaved violently as he gasped for air.

I killed it?

...Is it really dead?!

The three-minute time limit hadn't expired, and the [Soul-Hooking Chain] in his hand still emitted a cold aura.

Above the Ferryman's corpse, a simple, ancient token emitting an ominous black mist floated quietly in mid-air.

The next second.

The token ignored the barrier of flesh and blood, turning into a stream of light that branded itself onto the position of Chen Du's heart!

An ink-colored tattoo consisting of an anchor and a skull slowly emerged and spread, writhing on his chest like a living thing!

A cold, domineering sensation pumped from his heart to his four limbs and hundred bones!

At this moment, Chen Du clearly felt that the ferry beneath his feet had become an extension of his body.

The aura of everyone on the ship and the vibration of every inch of the deck were within his perception.

At that very moment, a cold mechanical voice rang out once again:

[Congratulations, you have become the new Captain of ferry no. 0819!]

[Captain privileges activated:]

[1. Absolute Control: You will have the authority for the ferry's trading, piloting, and upgrading/modification.]

[2. Crew Management: You may expel crew members from the ferry at any time.]

[3. Unique Binding: If the Captain dies, everyone goes down with him!]

[Warning: Novice protection period has started. Countdown: 71 hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds...]