Chapter 468 440: Ancient Ghost Ship

When Gray burrowed into the Lost Home, the ship began to billow with thick smoke.

The entire ship seemed to come alive. Its sails, ropes, rudder, and even the deck itself began to rise and fall, beating out a steady rhythm.

Captain Zhang Chongshan rubbed his eyes. He stared, dumbfounded, at the disco-dancing ship and couldn't help but mutter, "Well, I'll be damned. What the hell was that thing that just burrowed in? Don't go breaking my ship."

'If the ship breaks, I'll be out of a job.'

After a good while, the Lost Home finally calmed down.

The Golden Apple Tree's roots and branches were wrapped in cloth and bound by numerous ropes and iron chains, with the other end tied to the Lost Home.

The Lost Home turned and set sail toward the entrance of the Node.

"Put your backs into it," Zhang Chongshan had just finished saying when the Lost Home suddenly lurched. Then, like a runaway stallion, it charged headfirst into the Node.

Many sailors on board, not having had time to brace themselves, were caught off guard and thrown to the deck.

By the time they came to their senses, the Lost Home had already returned to the Ghost Ship Dock. Back at the dock, the ship was wreathed in black smoke.

Zhang Chongshan rubbed his lower back and stood up, dumbfounded. "Is this ship possessed?"

'It feels like the ship beneath my feet is about to stand up.'

Hearing the commotion, the Ghost Boatmen in the Ghost Ship Dock rushed out from its depths and immediately noticed the Lost Home's strange condition.

"Looks like it's metamorphosing."

"Quick, hurry!"

"It looks like the hull is transforming. How did it evolve after just one trip out?"

The Ghost Boatmen drew buckets of water from a black pool and, one after another, rushed forward to douse the ship's hull.

The water was absorbed directly into the hull. A thin black membrane began to form on the ship's surface, stopping the black mist from spreading outwards. At the same time, the Lost Home's color began to change, gradually growing deeper as the hull darkened towards black.

An experienced old Ghost Boatman figured out what was going on.

"It seems to be a vengeful spirit. This ship has absorbed a very powerful one."

"It can evolve by absorbing a vengeful spirit?"

"This is the first I've seen of it."

"Haha, next time a ship is just a little short, we should just toss you in."

The group of Ghost Boatmen joked and laughed.

The Lost Home's condition had stabilized. They had done all they could.

After a short while, the Lost Home suddenly trembled. All the ropes on the ship flew into the air, creating an exceptionally bizarre sight.

In the distance, Qin Ziwen received a notification from Home.

[Ship 'Lost Home' Ghost Ship → Successfully promoted to Ancient Ghost Ship]

[Your ship has acquired new abilities.]

He opened Home to check the information.

[Extraordinary · Ancient Ghost Ship]: An Ancient Ghost Ship that metamorphosed after absorbing a powerful vengeful soul, possessing various wondrous effects.

① After the hull is damaged, it can self-heal and recover.

② The hull can temporarily become spectral, allowing it to pass through solid objects.

③ The ropes have mutated. Their length can be greatly extended, and their toughness is significantly increased.

④ The ram has mutated. The hull's hardness is significantly increased.

Qin Ziwen couldn't help but ponder. 'These abilities look pretty good, but where did Gray go?'

'There's no information about Gray's status here.'

'Don't tell me it was absorbed by the Ghost Ship.'

When he returned to Home, he discovered that was exactly the case.

The information in Home didn't detail Gray's status, but Gray had now completely merged with the Lost Home, becoming its "ship spirit." It had even devoured some of the ship's original mutations, making them a part of itself.

"So the Lost Home is alive now." Qin Ziwen entered the captain's cabin. On the blackboard in front of him, chalk words appeared one by one.

"You could say that."

"Can you still leave the ship's body?"

Gray said, "Not for now. I've completely merged with the ship. Trying to separate me would be like tearing out my own bones and flesh. But I think this is great. I can see a lot of scenery I could never see before."

"That's good. For now, just stay here and get used to your new body. I'll need you when we deal with the Fishmen later."

"I can't wait."

Outside, the Lost Home's ropes suddenly began to dance in unison.

Seeing this, Zhang Chongshan's brow furrowed so deeply it could have crushed a mosquito.

Meanwhile, the Golden Apple Tree that the Lost Home had been towing was unfastened and transported into the Treasure Garden.

Wei Zhaohua was already in position. He had selected a spot and was directing people to plant the Golden Apple Tree.

Judging by its appearance, the Golden Apple Tree wasn't particularly large.

It looked like a perfectly ordinary apple tree, but its root system was extremely well-developed.

Therefore, it required a sizable territory, or it could easily come into conflict with other Extraordinary Plants.

Thus, Wei Zhaohua chose a sunny slope on a hill within the Treasure Garden to be the Golden Apple Tree's territory. He also made sure no other plants were planted near it.

By the time Qin Ziwen arrived at the Treasure Garden, the planting of the Golden Apple Tree was complete.

'Come to think of it, I still haven't used Insight on the Golden Apple Tree's information panel.'

He used Insight on it.

[Eighth-level Marvel·Cursed Golden Apple Tree]: Originally an unblemished Golden Apple Tree born in a certain world, it mutated after absorbing a large amount of death energy and resentful energy underground. The fruit tree now randomly bears two types of fruit: Golden Apples and Cursed Golden Apples.

[Seventh-level Marvel] Golden Apple (① Edible ② Can be inlaid in special gardens or planting-type buildings)

Effects: ① After consumption, the Golden Apple can stimulate one's bloodline potential, allowing an ordinary creature to advance into an Extraordinary Creature.

② When inlaid in a building, that building has a certain chance of attracting a Companion Beast. The Companion Beast can absorb the Spiritual Essence of Extraordinary Plants to grow alongside them.

[Seventh-level Marvel] Cursed Golden Apple (① Edible ② Can be inlaid in special gardens or planting-type buildings)

Effects: ① Each unit may only consume one Cursed Golden Apple. A second consumption will not grant any positive effects.

First-time consumption of a Cursed Golden Apple will reduce one's maximum lifespan by 20% while greatly stimulating bloodline potential. If the unit is an Extraordinary Life, it can directly increase its rank by one solid star.

② When inlaid in a building, that building will repel Companion Beasts, and the probability of plant mutation will increase.

After reading the information panel, Qin Ziwen was a bit surprised. The Golden Apple Tree had actually mutated.

'One tree can bear two kinds of fruit. I wonder if these Golden Apples can still be used as a material for the Garden of Eden.'

Standing under the tree, he saw that its branches were laden with fruit—perhaps because it had gone unharvested for so many years. A quick glance revealed a dense cluster of them, at least a hundred or more.

Many of the fruits were hidden beneath the lush leaves and branches. He hadn't been able to see them clearly from a distance, only noticing them now that he was up close.

"So many Golden Apples." Qin Ziwen swept his gaze over them. The Golden Apples and Cursed Golden Apples were easy to tell apart.

The pure gold ones were the Golden Apples. They looked brilliant and dazzling, just like real gold.

The dark gold ones were the Cursed Golden Apples.

...

...