"Probably not."

Chen Qi shook his head, answering his own question.

That was a legendary hunter’s finger, after all.

He had just stepped into Tier 1 and hadn’t yet unlocked a chef’s full potential—still just a greenhorn.

But for him, the real challenge wasn’t the deep-sea monster guarding the treasure. It was how to actually reach the treasure location.

After locking in his destination, Chen Qi set the scroll aside.

He got up and looked over at the dilapidated mini fridge in his boat cabin.

It was just a one-meter-high fridge patched together with scraps.

But inside, it held a rare Transcendent ingredient—

The Goldenfin Fish he got from that adorable nearshore predator. He still hadn’t eaten it.

"Time for a late-night snack."

Excited, Chen Qi pulled the Goldenfin Fish out of the fridge, planning to pan-sear it.

The Goldenfin Fish was a natural delicacy—its flesh tender like butter and didn’t need much prep.

Once dropped into hot oil, the skin crisped up beautifully, turning a golden, radiant color.

Then he sprinkled on some Soul Seasoning.

In no time, a fragrant, golden-seared Goldenfin Fish was ready.

"Let’s see how a Transcendent ingredient tastes."

Chen Qi took a bite.

Juices exploded in his mouth—the flavor rich and intoxicating!

He hadn’t added any sugar, yet there was a subtle natural sweetness.

The texture wasn’t like meat—more like melted cheese.

At the same time, a surge of heat spread through his body.

A prompt appeared:

[Physique +1]

[You’ve acquired the trait: Weak Regeneration Physique]

[Weak Regeneration Physique: Your body's healing speed is increased.

Note: I can feel it—I can feel life flowing through my body!]

Regeneration Physique was a prerequisite for many high-tier body-type skills.

But Chen Qi wasn’t sure exactly how effective it was.

"Let’s test it."

He hesitated briefly, then grabbed a kitchen knife and lightly cut his hand.

Under the regeneration effect, he could clearly feel the wound slowly healing.

In just over an hour, the minor cut would be fully healed.

Serious injuries that used to require months of recovery might now heal in just two or three days.

"Not bad at all."

Chen Qi clapped his hands and opened his status panel:

[Physique: 17, Strength: 15, Insight: 38, Agility: 19]

Compared to the sickly state he started in, his stats had improved dramatically with better nutrition.

Overall, his attributes were quite balanced.

In the New Sun World, the higher one’s base physique, the less bonus one would get from items.

Goldenfin Fish, as a rare ingredient, would normally give a regular person +2 or +3 physique.

But since his physique was already above average, he only gained +1.

Chen Qi stretched his limbs—he still had tons of physical potential.

Just like training back on Earth, food alone wasn’t enough. Exercise was needed to fully unlock it.

With proper training, breaking 20 points in both physique and strength was just a matter of time.

"Phew!"

Chen Qi did a quick warm-up.

After eating the Goldenfin Fish, he didn’t feel tired at all.

Instead, his body brimmed with energy!

He decided to train a little before bed—until exhaustion hit, then he’d crash.

...

...

The next day.

Thick dark clouds hung over the sea, as if warning of incoming disaster.

One wave after another slammed against the docked ships.

Because of all the terrifying rumors from the day before, many fishermen who had planned to sail postponed their trips.

Thankfully, the crack in Damarro Town’s mining site had revived, producing lots of new ore and giving folks fresh job options.

Chen Qi got up early, preparing to move his little boat to the drydock for repairs and upgrades.

The hull was solid, but the lights, furniture, and various onboard systems were all ancient.

But before he even reached the drydock, someone from the Moonstone Archipelago bounty office approached him, cautiously handing over a package containing 200,000 Bei coins.

It was the bounty for taking down Iron Hand!

"One night and the reward’s here already. That’s fast…"

Normally, these offices weren’t so quick. An must’ve helped push it through.

"Should probably say thanks to Miss An."

Chen Qi gave his thanks inwardly and took the bounty, counting it.

The largest denomination in the Goldenfinch Kingdom was 10,000 Bei coins, so 200,000 didn’t feel that heavy.

But in his hands, it carried a satisfying weight.

Perfect—it would cover the boat upgrades.

The drydock wasn’t far from Damarro’s dock.

Chen Qi sailed the little houseboat in and said to the dreadlocked ship mechanic:

"Give me your best ship lights, swap in new propellers, and take a look at the engine—see if it can be fixed.

Also, if you’ve got any quality parts in stock, feel free to recommend them."

Now that he had money, he could afford to be a bit flashy!

"No problem!"

The old mechanic agreed enthusiastically.

She hopped aboard with excitement, but frowned the moment she saw the engine:

"This thing’s from a crack. I’m just a Tier 1 mechanic apprentice—I can’t repair it.

But I can wipe it down and add some oil."

The Hammer Aspect governed machinery, creation, craftsmanship, and steel.

In the Goldenfinch Kingdom, besides ruling over Gold (Bei), it also ruled over Hammer—home to many large corporations and mechanical marvels.

There were even entire steam-powered cities.

But in remote coastal areas like Moonstone City, those big corporations had little presence.

As expected, no one here could handle the high-grade gear from the Hand of Steam.

Chen Qi thought for a moment:

"Alright. While you’re at it, help check the boat for any other issues."

As far as he remembered, this was Damarro’s only ship mechanic, and her skills were decent—and not too expensive.

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

She got to work immediately.

Before long, the boat had two brand-new ship lights—one inside, one outside.

During Crack Tides, night was when shadow-dwelling monsters came out to hunt.

If you were sailing at night, good lighting could literally save your life.

Definitely not something to cheap out on.

Chen Qi went all in and ordered top-tier lights.

Waterproof, impact-resistant, and bright even in emergencies.

The interior light wasn’t pricey, but the exterior one alone cost him 50,000 Bei coins!

He also swapped in two new propellers, slightly boosting speed—30,000 Bei coins.

With some extra repairs here and there, he ended up spending 100,000 Bei coins total.

Still, totally worth it.

Chen Qi crossed his arms and looked at his upgraded houseboat.

Thanks to the repairs, this junker of a boat had transformed completely.

He still had over 100,000 left.

Chen Qi headed to Damarro’s furniture and navigation shops.

Time to redo the boat’s interior.

He bought a small bed, a compact sofa, two new chairs, a special-energy stove, and some extras—binoculars, a music box, oil lamps, a rug, and incense.

He focused on cost-effectiveness, and the total came to 10,000 Bei coins.

...

Unknowingly, by the time Chen Qi had moved all the furniture aboard and finished setting up, it was almost noon.

"Phew…"

Inside the cabin, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around at his cozy new home.

A leather sofa, a decent desk, a bright new kitchen, a dining table—

And an ultra-comfy, soft new bed.

The incense filled the room with a gentle fragrance, giving it a warm and inviting vibe.

Finally, it looked like a proper place to live.

After all that effort, having a new little home felt amazing.

Chen Qi smiled from the heart.

Knock knock!

"Anyone home?"

Someone knocked on the boat’s door.

"?"

Chen Qi looked outside.

It was An—hugging a bag of new items, blinking at him with those bright blue eyes.