[Gold Coins: -10]
[Classical Shipbuilding Tier 0: ACTIVATED.]
[Congratulations, Host. The Ancient Era - Shipbuilding Technology Tree is now available.]
As the System's voice echoed in his mind, the interface Hugo saw in his peripheral vision underwent a radical transformation. The simple, translucent blue box expanded, unfurling into a massive, complex web of golden lines that filled his field of vision.
At the roots of this tree sat "Classical Shipbuilding," branching upward into three foundational pillars: [Basic Carpentry], [Foundational Materials Science], and [Structural Mechanics].
Hugo's heart hammered against his ribs as he scanned the branches. Beneath [Basic Carpentry], he saw nodes for [Precision Mortise and Tenon Joints], [Steam-Bending Woodcraft], and [Advanced Hull Planking]. Under [Materials Science], there were options for [Resinous Wood Preservation], [Reinforced Canvas Weaving], and [Tension-Treated Cordage].
Every node was accompanied by the greyed-out text "Locked" and a specific price in gold doubloons. The most basic skills required only a single coin, but the further up the tree he looked, the more astronomical the prices became.
This wasn't just a guide; it was a total encyclopedia of maritime evolution. With this, Hugo wouldn't just be repairing the Sea Fairy; he could potentially reinvent the very concept of a warship.
I've hit the motherlode, he thought, a thrill of pure, unadulterated excitement coursing through him.
He forced himself to stay focused. He only had nine doubloons left, and the most immediate priority was the salvage of the Santa Trinidad. He navigated the tree until he found a secondary branch under [Structural Mechanics] called [Wreckage Analysis].
[Wreckage Analysis: Costs 1 Gold Doubloon. Once unlocked, the Host can scan sunken hulls to identify structural vulnerabilities, stress points, and the distribution of cargo.]
It was exactly what he needed for a deep-water salvage operation.
Unlock Wreckage Analysis, he commanded.
[Gold Coins: -1]
[Wreckage Analysis: UNLOCKED.]
A sudden, sharp stream of information flooded Hugo's brain, a spatial awareness that allowed him to "see" the internal framework of a ship as if he were looking through its very timbers.
Satisfied, Hugo closed the interface. He jumped off the Sea Fairy, leaving her in the care of the guards Barbossa had assigned, and returned to the Sea Serpent.
Gibbs was waiting for him on the main deck, surrounded by the strange supplies Hugo had requested. "Master Hugo, everything's aboard. Though I had to raid every apothecary and chandlery in Tortuga to find enough tung oil and lime. The shopkeepers thought I was trying to brew a potion to turn lead into gold!"
Hugo smiled. "In a way, Gibbs, that's exactly what we're doing."
The tung oil and lime were the components for galagala, a traditional sealant that would provide his repairs with a durability the pirates couldn't dream of. "Good work. Let's get to sea."
The departure from Tortuga was unlike their previous voyages. When they had faced the Triangle, the crew was a collection of frightened, superstitious men. Now, they were a pack of hungry wolves. Their faces weren't etched with fear, but with the predatory glow of gold-fever. In their eyes, Hugo wasn't just a navigator; he was the man who was going to make them kings.
"Double the watches!" Barbossa roared from the quarterdeck, his cutlass unsheathed and glinting in the morning sun. "Our goal is mountains of silver and seas of gold! To the Razor Reef! Huzzah!"
"Huzzah!" the crew bellowed back, their voices echoing off the cliffs of the harbor.
As the Sea Serpent cut through the turquoise waters, heading southeast, Barbossa remained almost glued to Hugo's side. He paced the deck, clutching Hugo's hand-drawn chart as if it were a holy relic.
"The Razor Reef," Barbossa muttered, his voice a mix of anxiety and greed. "Are you certain we can navigate the teeth of that place, lad? They say the reefs there grow faster than a man can sail."
"The reefs aren't our greatest danger, Captain," Hugo said, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
"No?" Barbossa frowned. "Then what is?"
"The Spanish," Hugo replied. "They didn't just forget about a ship like the Trinidad. Even decades later, they'll have patrol frigates in these waters. We have to be fast, and we have to be silent. If a Spanish Man-o'-War spots us picking over their crown jewels, we won't just lose the gold, we'll lose our heads."
Barbossa's expression darkened. He had been so blinded by the silver that he'd forgotten the owners of the vault. "Then what's the plan?"
"We don't sail the Sea Serpent into the heart of the reef," Hugo explained. "We find a secluded cove on the leeward side of the outer rocks to hide the ship. Then, we use the longboats for the actual salvage. It limits our profile and gives us a way to escape through the shallows if the Navy shows up."
Barbossa nodded, deeply impressed. Hugo wasn't just thinking about the navigation; he was thinking about the logistics of the heist. The Captain's internal gears turned, this boy was a born leader. He was too valuable to ever let go.
After two days of steady sailing, the ocean began to change. The vibrant, clear blue of the Caribbean was replaced by a murky, turbulent grey. The air grew heavy with the smell of ozone and the screeching of thousands of seabirds that circled above the breaking surf.
"Land ho! No... Reef ho!" the lookout screamed from the crow's nest, his voice cracking with nerves.
The crew rushed to the rails. Ahead, the horizon was jagged. Thousands of black, volcanic rocks protruded from the water like the fangs of a buried monster. The waves crashed against them with a deafening, rhythmic roar, throwing white spray fifty feet into the air. There was no visible channel, no clear path through the labyrinth of stone.
"By the powers..." Gibbs whispered, his lone eye wide. "How are we meant to sail through that? It's a boneyard."
Every eye on the deck turned to Hugo.
Hugo stood at the bow, his eyes narrowed as the "Basic Seamanship" skill and the "Wreckage Analysis" foundations combined in his mind. In his vision, the chaotic foam began to resolve into data. He saw the way the water swirled around the submerged shoals, indicating the depth and the speed of the undercurrents. Beneath the surface, the "labyrinth" had a rhythm, a hidden thread of deep water that wound through the rocks.
"Hard to port!" Hugo commanded, his voice steady and calm. "Furl the mainsail! Leave only the staysails and the jib! We're going in through the Needle's Eye."
The helmsman hesitated for a fraction of a second, looking at the two massive, jagged rocks Hugo was pointing toward. They were so close together it seemed impossible for a ship of the Sea Serpent's beam to pass.
"You heard him!" Barbossa roared, his hand slamming onto the rail. "Move! Or I'll heave you over the side myself!"
The Sea Serpent swung about, its bow aiming directly for the crushing surf. As they entered the first gate of the Razor Reef, the sound of the ocean became an all-encompassing thunder.
They were no longer sailing. They were entering the maw.