Chapter 106: New Leaderboard
[Congratulations to the Survivors who killed the Eldritch Giant Monsters. Survivors who killed a Lord-level Eldritch Giant Monster will receive an "A-Tier Treasure Map." Survivors who killed a Commander-level Eldritch Giant Monster will receive a "B-Tier Treasure Map."]
[A new round of leaderboard point counting starts now. Points from the previous leaderboard will be converted into Ghost Banknotes and given to every Survivor. The old leaderboard points will be reset to zero.]
[The new leaderboard will also include an extra "Fleet Leaderboard." Rewards for this leaderboard will be calculated separately from the "Survivor Leaderboard."]
When Kevin saw the rewards the system had sent out, he grinned from ear to ear.
This time, the rewards were great!
Eight of the top ten spots were his people, and five of them were his [covenant-bearers].
Just from the rewards coming back to him through the five girls, he got more than sixty items.
Kevin looked at the sixty-plus "Resurrection Crosses" sitting in his system backpack and felt amazing.
[Resurrection Cross: A-Tier Eldritch Artifact. Once bound to a Survivor, it can take one fatal hit for the Survivor, including but not limited to physical damage, energy damage, mental damage, rule-based curses, etc.]
This was a great item!
With a [Resurrection Cross], you basically get an extra life at a critical moment.
And Kevin suddenly had more than sixty extra lives.
The second reward, the [Ship Modification Card], was also very important to Kevin.
As long as a Survivor collects enough [Ship Modification Cards] for the right parts, they can upgrade their ship.
For example, upgrading the hull strength needs ten [Hull Modification Cards], upgrading the power system needs twenty [Engine Modification Cards], upgrading the navigation system needs twenty-five [Radar Modification Cards], and so on.
So, the sixty-plus modification cards Kevin had in hand were enough to upgrade three or four key systems on the "Daddy" Cannon.
At the same time, Kevin’s "Mechanical Sovereign" Talent would also unlock new tech blueprints because of this.
This would definitely speed up Kevin’s progress on the tech tree.
Thinking about all this, Kevin was really excited.
The only awkward and slightly embarrassing part was that all the girls had gotten an inflatable doll as a reward.
Plus the sixty-plus inflatable dolls Kevin got, his team now had more than seventy inflatable dolls. And they were all used ones.
"I’ve got plenty of girls. When would I ever need a toy like this?" Kevin muttered. He turned around and pulled Nova aside to talk quietly.
His goal was simple: sell all those inflatable dolls and trade them for key raw materials like gunpowder, explosives, metal, and rubber.
For the desperate people out there, every day they survived on this terrifying sea was a bonus. So a lot of them would rather live one day in style than suffer through it.
Kevin was sure that plenty of people would be willing to trade their important resources for an inflatable doll.
But while Nova was looking for buyers, another topic had already blown up on the World Channel.
"The man Kamiza Saki caught on camera is actually Kevin."
"The legendary leaderboard king is surrounded by beauties."
"Exposing Kevin’s secret to dominating the leaderboard: drones are the key."
All of a sudden, Survivors were pinning and discussing topics that exposed Kevin’s identity and analyzed his combat power.
"Dammit! The guy Kamiza Saki filmed is actually Kevin. He’s way too strong."
"Why is this happening? We’re scared every single day, never knowing when we’ll die. But Kevin’s got women all over him, left and right. It’s not fair!"
"Fair? Are you as strong as him? If you don’t have the strength, you don’t get to ask for fairness."
"Are you guys getting it wrong? Didn’t Kamiza Saki say Kevin got his record by betraying his allies?"
"Did Kevin get his earlier records that way too? I don’t think Kamiza Saki’s intel is necessarily true."
In no time, the opinions on the World Channel split into several groups.
Some people worshipped Kevin and shouted that they wanted to follow him.
Others questioned Kevin and looked down on him for betraying his allies.
And of course, there were rational Survivors who started to doubt Kamiza Saki.
Based on the information Kamiza Saki had put out, it clearly didn’t match Kevin’s previous performance on the leaderboard.
On a wide-open stretch of sea, Kamiza Saki sat alone in his cabin and smashed the table in front of him. "Damn it! That guy is actually Kevin. No wonder Derek and Richard got taken out in an instant."
Thinking about how he had made up rumors to slander the number one on the leaderboard, cold sweat dripped down Kamiza Saki’s forehead.
Other Survivors might not know the inside story, but Kamiza Saki sure did.
The top eight on the newly updated leaderboard were probably all Kevin’s crew members now.
An entire fleet holding down the top spots on the leaderboard? What kind of value was that?
"I was out of my mind to mess with them." Kamiza Saki gritted his teeth, his face full of regret.
He had also seen the news from last night about Captain Andrew and Captain Cosby getting attacked by other forces.
Looking back now, those mysterious Eldritch Entities were definitely Kevin and his crew in disguise.
If Kevin used the same method to get back at him, Kamiza Saki would be dead for sure, with no place to even bury his bones.
"What do I do? What do I do? What am I supposed to do?" Kamiza Saki repeated over and over, completely lost and panicked.
Just then, a private message came in from Bella: "If you don’t want Kevin coming after you, join my team."
Kamiza Saki’s eyelids twitched when he read that.
He forced himself to calm down and replied, "Why should I trust you? You need to prove your team’s strength first."
Bella silently sent him three names: "Keston, Justin, Joseph. They’re all my crew members."
Kamiza Saki stared at the names for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He gasped, "Bella, you’re that Bella who made it into the top ten on the first day of the leaderboard!"
Thinking about it, Kamiza Saki frowned. "Wait, isn’t Keston an independent Captain? How did he end up with you?"
Bella could tell Kamiza Saki had doubts.
She had already learned about Raphael’s fleet from Keston, so she sent him a photo. It was a group picture of Keston, Justin, Joseph, and Bella herself.
Kamiza Saki had met Keston before, so he recognized him right away.
He finally let his guard down and nodded. "I can share intel with you, but you have to guarantee my safety."
Bella smiled and nodded, then replied, "Don’t worry. As long as you share real intel with me, I promise Kevin won’t come after you."
Kamiza Saki breathed a sigh of relief.
The he patiently explained everything that had happened on the island during the storm crisis.
"Kevin is that strong?" After learning the truth, Bella’s whole body started shaking.
She was both excited and terrified.
Just then, Keston walked in.
Bella turned and grabbed his hand, frowning. "Tell me the truth. Everything you’ve been saying about Kevin, was it all real?"
Keston nodded. "Bella, this is actually what I wanted to talk to you about. The last time I met Kevin was before the storm crisis. I think Kevin wasn’t going all out against me back then."
"So after the storm crisis and the rewards from the leaderboard, Kevin must be terrifyingly strong right now."
Keston paused for a moment, then warned: "As far as I know, the top eight on the leaderboard are all Kevin’s people. You really need to think carefully about whether we want to make an enemy out of someone like that."
Bella clenched her fists when she heard that.
She hesitated for a moment, then said coldly, "If I can’t use his power for myself, then what good is his strength? Besides, once we take his weapons, equipment, Eldritch Artifacts, and resources, we’ll surpass him sooner or later."
Seeing that Bella’s mind was made up, Keston sighed. "Since you’ve already decided, then let me give you some advice. When you meet Kevin, don’t push things too far. Let that Aaron guy play the villain and fight it out with Kevin. We’ll just sit back and pick up the pieces."
Bella nodded. "That’s the plan."
Keston took out his "Witch’s Oath Coin (Reverse)" and handed it to Bella. "This is the double-sided coin I left with Stephanie. It can help you locate where she is."
Bella gripped the coin tightly and turned her gaze out the window. "Less than five hundred nautical miles left. If we go full speed, we should catch up to them in three days."
Meanwhile, inside the cabin of the "Daddy" Cannon.
Kevin had been re-elected as Captain by his crew and had registered it in the system.
Now, including Nova, Raphael, and Toti, every Survivor had a new official affiliation.
But Kevin still stubbornly registered the name "Daddy" Cannon.
The girls all rolled their eyes in protest when they saw the team name they had been dreaming about.
Kevin didn’t pay them any attention.
While the girls were preparing lunch, Kevin took out three treasure maps and started studying them.
In his past life, some Survivors had gotten similar treasure maps and actually found the treasure.
But Kevin had never personally gone through a treasure hunt.
Rumor had it that treasure locations were often guarded by Eldritch Entities. Without enough strength, it was easy to get everyone killed.
So these three treasure maps could be an opportunity—or a deadly trap.
While Kevin was still hesitating, Nova gently grabbed his hand. "There’s no rush. Let’s wait until we’re stronger before we explore those places."
Kevin shook his head. "The treasure locations are fixed. If we wait too long, they’ll eventually be swallowed up by the Black Curtain. Going there then will only be more dangerous."