CapĂtulo 1004: The Chance to Explore
The item they were looking at was not something really cool-looking or a weapon that seemed terrifyingâŠ
Instead, they were looking at a thick, folded parchment with a very high price on it, and the item name was âSea Map.â
Seeing their interest, Rowan smiled and took the parchment.
The recruits leaned closer as he carefully unfolded it for everyone to see.
The map was thick, its surface was worn but surprisingly wellâpreserved, as though it had been treated with some kind of resin to resist decay.
Shane couldnât help but feel excited as it was opened and the creases smoothed out. At first glance, he recognized the left edge. It was the eastern landmass of the Fiend Continent, where they currently resided somewhereâŠ
But the rest of the parchment was not focused on the continent at all. Instead, it stretched outward, depicting the vast eastern ocean in painstaking detail.
âThere are indeed many islands out thereâŠâ Shane muttered with his low voice⊠He was filled with intrigue.
The recruits exchanged uncertain looks. To them, the sea was nothing more than a dangerous expanse beyond the fishing zone. They had never imagined that dozens, perhaps hundreds of islands lay scattered across it.
The map was unlike anything Shane had ever seen.
His Systemâs map only recorded places he had personally visited, a growing log of his travels. It was useful, but limited.
Even the maps he had purchased from other Survivors in the Marketplace were vague sketches, riddled with inaccuracies. This one, however, was different. It was precise, detailed, and felt alive.
It was definitely made by a professional cartographer.
He traced his finger across the parchment, following the outlines of coastlines and clusters of islands. Symbols were scattered across the oceanâŠ
There were skulls, biohazard marks, spirals, towers, and dozens of other signs he couldnât immediately decipher.
Some were clustered together, others stood alone in the middle of the sea.
âWhat do they mean?â Misha asked softly, her eyes fixed on a spiral mark near the center of the ocean.
Shane shook his head. âI can guess at some. Skulls mean danger. Biohazard signs⊠contamination, maybe. The dead fish and normal fish signs are also quite obvious⊠But the restâŠâ He frowned. âWithout a legend, itâs just speculation.â
Indeed, signs with the drawn images of claw marks, octopus, lightning, wooden ship, black tower, white tower, and many others would only give them an idea, but they wouldnât be sure about it.
Rowan smiled knowingly and produced another folded paper. He held it up between two fingers. âThis,â he said, âcontains the information you need to read the map. The meanings of the marks, the warnings, the opportunities. Without it, the map is only halfâuseful.â
Shaneâs gaze sharpened. He didnât doubt this ânpcâ Merchant since they had never been fraud before. Even in the two other Apocalypses he had participated in, the Wandering Merchants would never scam their customers.
âAnd the price?â
âFive thousand Zombie Cores,â Rowan replied smoothly. âAnd five thousand Experience Points.â
The recruits gasped. Those five thousand cores were already a fortune.
Even Shaneâs expression hardened in shock. He didnât expect that this merchant could also accept Experience Points for payments.
Nonetheless, it wasnât a price that would deter himâŠ
He studied the parchment again and knew that he had to take it himself.
A map of the ocean, with detailed legends⊠this wasnât just a curiosity. It was a key. A key to expansion, exploration, and perhaps even dominance beyond the Fiend Continent.
He thought of his other shelters, Eclipse Domain, Springriver Manor, Floating Fortress, New Genesis Shelter⊠all of them were land-bound. They were thriving but limited. None had ventured into the sea. None had claimed the islandsâŠ
Perhaps, his Blue Haven Shelter would truly be his ticket to his island invasion.
If this map were real, if the information was accurate, then the eastern ocean was a frontier waiting to be seized.
Shane exhaled slowly, then nodded. âIâll take it.â
Rowanâs smile widened. âWise choice.â
Just like that, Shane paid with Zombie Cores, and the merchant made him touch a blue crystal to take his Experience Points.
The merchant handed over the folded paper, and Shane immediately opened it. The recruits crowded around, their eyes hungry for knowledge.
The paper was filled with symbols and explanations.
The spiral meant whirlpools, they were deadly currents that could swallow ships whole.
The black tower symbol marked ruins of ancient structures, places where treasures or artifacts might be found.
The flame symbol indicated volcanic islands, dangerous but rich in minerals.
The skulls were indeed warnings of powerful mutated Zombies ranging from Zombie King to Zombie Lord.
The biohazard marks denoted zones of corruption where the land itself was poisoned.
There were also symbols Shane took note ofâŠ
There was a crescent moon, a broken chain, a pair of wings. Each carried notes like âUnstable,â âSealed,â âForbidden.â There wasnât much information as well on those parts, but aside from that, other signs, like treasure signs, were very clear.
The recruits murmured among themselves, excitement and fear mixing in their voices.
âBoss⊠are we really going out there?â one asked.
âIslands with ruins⊠treasures⊠this could change everything.â
âBut whirlpools? Corruption? What if we donât come back?â
Shane folded the papers carefullyâŠ
âWeâre not rushing. First, we finish the outpost. You havenât seen my Blue Haven Shelter and my other shelters yet, so I can understand your worry. But you only need to focus on this outpost⊠If you get stronger or maybe if this place stabilizes, you can also join the expedition group.â
Shane said as he also wanted to give them a chance for promotion instead of being stuck here forever.
Indeed, these ten Super Soldiers he had just recruited werenât aware of his army, his warden units, his mech frames, his floating fortress, his several ships in the dockyard, and numerous powerful Survivors who would fight by his sideâŠ
The recruits felt curious about Shaneâs plan, but they all noddedâŠ
Seeing how confident their boss was, their earlier hesitation was replaced with determination.
The walls they had built were only the beginning. Now, with the map in hand, they realized their future wasnât confined to the Fiend Continent.
âThatâs a promise, Boss Shane!â