Chapter 1042: Bronze Speedboat
Translator: Hellscythe_ Editor: FluffyGoblyn
Chapter 1042 – Bronze Speedboat
Shi Feng had to admit that the Far Ocean Trading Firm’s price was quite high.
Normally, Medium Shipyards only went for 20,000 Gold. He could purchase another Small Shipyard with the additional 10,000 Gold.
Thirty thousand Gold was almost everything Shi Feng had on him. Previously, he had spent quite a bit to deal with the Dark Guilds. Afterward, he had constructed the Magic Tower, the large-scale Battle Arena, and hired hundreds of NPC managers. The money he earned in the past several days had vanished in an instant.
Shi Feng had only planned to spend 20,000 Gold to buy a Medium Shipyard while leaving the remaining 10,000 Gold to start the Magic Tower’s construction in the Town of Beginnings.
Now, his plans had been disrupted…
However, even if the price were high, Shi Feng steeled himself to make the purchase.
He had encountered a golden opportunity this time.
Shi Feng could clearly remember that in the past, Ocean Viewing Town only had five Shipyards. A sixth hadn’t existed.
Moreover, based on Joseph’s explanation, this Shipyard would be available for one month. If a player did not purchase it within the month, this new Shipyard would no longer be up for sale.
In the past, players had likely missed out on this opportunity.
As for the Far Ocean Trading Firm’s recent shipwreck, in Shi Feng’s opinion, it was very likely due to the activation of the Savage Wildland.
After the Savage Wildland activated, the nearby water became far more dangerous.
If Shi Feng missed this opportunity, he would not have the chance to buy it again.
In the past, among the five Shipyards available, one had been a Medium Shipyard, while the other four had been Small Shipyards. A smart Guild would purchase the Medium Shipyard as soon as possible. This way, not only could it be used to craft small boats, which were a general means of transportation for players, but it could also craft cargo ships to do merchant work.
Medium Shipyards had far better facilities than their smaller brethren. The production speed Medium Shipyards was also 30% faster than Small Shipyards. Moreover, Medium Shipyards had a higher success rate when manufacturing small ships. With control of Ocean Viewing Town’s Medium Shipyard, one would have control of nearly half of the town’s maritime income, much less the Far Ocean Trading Firm’s Shipyard, which could produce a new kind of cargo ship. With that Shipyard, Shi Feng might be able to snag a share of the nearby town’s market in addition to Ocean Viewing Town’s.
“I’ll buy the new Shipyard, then,” Shi Feng said softly after suppressing the excitement in his heart.
Hearing this, Joseph quickly and carefully responded, “Lord Protector, as we do not own this Shipyard and it has only been consigned to us, the most we can offer is a 5% discount. You will have to pay a total of 28,500 Gold.”
A City Protector’s status was the equivalent of a major noble’s. Even Ocean Viewing Town’s Mayor had to address Shi Feng carefully. Shi Feng was not someone a town administrator could afford to provoke.
“Alright, here’s the money.” Shi Feng was not particularly surprised as he handed over the stated amount.
A Shipyard was not a Land. Normally, a major noble would only receive a 10% discount when purchasing one. He was lucky to receive a 5% discount for a time-sensitive event like this.
At the very least, he saved 1,500 Gold. That was the equivalent of a poorly Attributed Epic item.
However, he was now broke. He had less than 3,000 Gold on his person.
Shi Feng suddenly felt as if he were drifting further and further away from his 150,000-Gold target…
A moment later, Senior Administrator Joseph brought Shi Feng the Deed to the Far Ocean Shipyard.
After Shi Feng verified the information, he rushed to the town’s port. He decided to set aside the Far Ocean Shipyard’s operations until Melancholic Smile’s group returned.
Unlike producing weapons and equipment, which only required one player, the construction of even a small speedboat required ten Engineers. Medium ships required thirty to forty Engineers. Moreover, the Engineers could be no lower than Intermediate rank. Otherwise, the success rate would be too low and would result in losses.
It was not easy to operate a Shipyard. It was not a problem that could be solved with enough money. One needed a small army of Engineers. Moreover, Apprentice Engineers were utterly useless for this task. To run a Medium Shipyard smoothly, one needed at least a hundred Intermediate Engineers. If one wanted higher production success rates, it would be best to have at least ten Advanced Engineers producing the ships’ core components.
As for the new cargo ship the Far Ocean Shipyard had researched, it required even more than usual.
The one ship required 50 Intermediate Engineers. In addition, the ship’s core required five Advanced Engineers; Intermediate Engineers did not qualify to touch the core component. Only after fulfilling these requirements could they manufacture this new cargo ship at the standard speed.
Hence, Shi Feng planned to wait until Melancholic Smile’s group returned. He needed five Advanced Engineers at the very least to begin the ship’s construction. Otherwise, he would have to rely on small speedboats to earn money, wasting away the advantage of the new cargo ship.
…
When he reached Ocean Viewing Town’s port, Shi Feng discovered many small fishing boats tied to the docks. Players could rent or purchase these boats.
Only, they were somewhat expensive to purchase outright. Ordinary players couldn’t afford them.
Even the crappiest fishing boat, which could only accommodate a maximum of four people at a time, sold for three Gold. A fishing boat that could hold up to six players cost five Gold. As for fishing boats with a small sail, their prices were even more absurd, with the most common selling for 10 Gold. However, one had to admit that it was worth every Coin.
Fishing boats with sails were 10% faster than those without. Moreover, they possessed the Passive Skill, Sail Along the Wind. Players could increase their speed by another 20% with the wind in their sails. This way, players could escape sea monsters easily, avoiding the risk of losing both their lives and their ship.
Renting a boat was far cheaper than purchasing one. One was only required to pay a deposit of half the value of the boat’s selling price and a 5% rental fee of once every three days. If the boat were damaged, players were only required to cover the repair fees. In the event that the boat was destroyed completely, however, one was required to compensate the owner in full within a fixed time. If one failed to do so, the owner would place a bounty on their head. Moreover, the bounty contract would not expire, only letting the player rest once it was fulfilled…
Hence, players were extremely careful with their rentals. At the same time, if they had the money, they would just buy one.
Shi Feng could already see quite a few small fishing boats sailing across the ocean. These boats all carried a party of players. With a full party, players had a higher chance of surviving while they explored the islands. Players rarely explored the islands by themselves.
In God’s Domain, small islands were like Party Dungeons. However, there were both good and bad small islands. If players encountered a good island, they might find a Treasure Chest, instantly making a fortune. If players encountered a bad island, however, they might leave with nothing.
Generally, the Treasure Chests on a small island could range from Common to Dark-Gold rank. Though, the higher-ranked Treasure Chests had lower probabilities of appearing. Generally, players only found Common and Bronze Treasure Chests on small islands. Even so, players could still profit off of them; they were even more profitable than raiding Party Dungeons or questing. That was why so many independent players were willing to brave the sea.
After reaching the port, Shi Feng did not choose to visit the Boat Chartering Association to rent a boat. Instead, he walked towards the market beside the port.
The market offered many items. NPC merchants from many countries had gathered here, offering more than those in typical NPC towns. After multiple twists and turns through the market, Shi Feng finally stood before a two-story building called Dahl’s Workshop.
Hopefully, nobody has triggered the Hidden Quest yet. Shi Feng inwardly prayed as he stepped into Dahl’s Workshop.
In the past, the most famous quest in Ocean Viewing Town had been the chain quest that awarded a Bronze Speedboat.
Back then, when the player had completed that quest series and received the reward, he had instantly become a target of envy.
After all, most players at that time had still been renting fishing boats from NPCs. Even after Guilds had purchased a Small Shipyard, the small ships they produced were only Common rank. They could not produce Bronze Speedboats.
After that player obtained the Bronze Speedboat, he had generously announced the method of triggering and completing said quest on the forums. Unfortunately, that quest was unique. After its completion, no other player could trigger the quest, much less obtain that particular reward.
This quest could be triggered in Dahl’s Workshop.