This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Thank you for reading, I hope you’re enjoying the story :>
We now have a Patreon! Feel free to check it out! You can read up to 12 chapters in advance! :D
Please give the novel a rating and a review on Novel Updates. It will help the website and also help people find this novel!
After removing these barrels of liquor, there was nothing particularly eye-catching left in the ship's hold.
Only a separate compartment remained at the back.
Yang Yi didn’t rush over immediately. Instead, he first checked the inventory of supplies in the hold.
These basic resources were usually stored in a special space within the ship’s hold. They could be viewed in the log and would take up cargo capacity, but they would only appear when retrieved.
Inside, there were:
There wasn’t much wood left—probably most of it had been burned as firewood.
Then, he checked the materials that could be salvaged from dismantling the ship:
There weren’t many materials available, likely due to the severe damage the ship had sustained.
The great fire had not only burned the deck but also the ship’s hold, leaving behind only a few barrels of charred liquor...
Yang Yi sniffed the air. The burnt stench lingered — it didn’t seem like the liquor was the source of it.
He walked toward the innermost compartment.
As he reached the doorway, he suddenly stopped.
Inside the room, facing the entrance, was a painting.
The room was probably an art studio. The interior was completely charred, yet the painting remained unscathed — an anomaly!
The floor was littered with scorched remains, fragmented corpses burned beyond recognition.
Yang Yi recognised them — these were pieces of corpses from the Ice Nest Worm’s body, charred and indistinguishable.
Based on the number of remains, there had likely been several of them.
It suggested that the Ice Nest Worm had frozen this area at some point, but for some unknown reason, it had later thawed — perhaps very recently...
That was the only reasonable conclusion Yang Yi could come to.
As for the painting, it was placed at the centre of the room. It depicted a massive, charred tree.
Yang Yi wasn’t entirely sure if it was a tree — it simply resembled one. The surface was covered in blackened bark, splitting into a thick trunk and gnarled branches, all shrouded in black smoke.
It was massive because the painting also depicted tiny human figures around it, appearing ant-like in comparison.
These figures were painted in an orange-yellow hue, as if they were...burning?
【A painting of shocking intensity. Your sanity decreases by 20.】
Yang Yi’s eyes widened. He was deeply drawn to the painting, unconsciously stepping closer, reaching out to touch it.
His body suddenly felt hot, as if he were standing before a raging fire.
He had seen famous paintings before — like The Starry Night or The Scream — but nothing had ever evoked such an overwhelming, immersive sensation!
【Name: Charred (Painting)】
【Description: The final work of artist Ma Hou. The pigments used include charred human tissue, blood, burnt liquor, charcoal, etc.】
Upon receiving this information, Yang Yi snapped out of his trance, a wave of fear washing over him. Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
For a brief moment, he had felt as though he could step into the painting itself!
Thinking back, the thought sent chills down his spine.
Regaining his composure, he couldn't help but admire the artist’s skill — it was nothing short of masterful, an eerie stroke of genius!
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right index finger.
Looking down, he saw a blister forming — like a burn mark.
But just then.. he had only touched the painting!
He dared not look at it any longer. Instead, he ran his fingers over the canvas, confirming that it had no actual heat — it was just an ordinary painting.
“Looks like being an artist in this world is just as dangerous as being a scientist…” Yang Yi muttered sarcastically.
Artists, after all, tended to have heightened perception, capable of uncovering hidden truths from the smallest details. At the same time, they had a remarkable ability to express themselves — through painting, music, sculpture, and so on.
Lowering his gaze, Yang Yi noticed a scorched book beneath the painting.
The edges of its cover were blackened, as if it had been salvaged from a fire. When he picked it up, tiny fragments crumbled off.
【Name: Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1)】
【Type: Relic】
【Quality: Rare】
【Description: A scripture circulated within the Fire Worship Cult. The characters recorded within burn with such intensity that the book has turned pitch black. Reading it grants knowledge of fire magic. Remaining uses: 2/3】
"Magic book?"
Yang Yi was overjoyed — he hadn't expected such an unexpected reward at the last moment.
However, since this book was classified as a relic, reading it surely came with risks.
Perhaps Ma Hou had read this very book, fallen into madness, and ultimately set the entire ship ablaze.
So, should he read it or not?
Of course, he should read it!
Yang Yi made up his mind within seconds.
First, he wouldn’t go insane — he wasn’t afraid of losing sanity!
Second, this was an opportunity to gain more power — why would he pass it up?
Third, the risk wasn’t that high — after all, Ma Hou had read it without mutating or dying!
Considering these three points, Yang Yi was confident he could handle it!
Besides, if the risk was manageable, he could let Suna read it later — better than having her obsess over other dangerous objects.
At least the book wasn’t lethal!
With that thought, Yang Yi opened the Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1) and started reading.
Then…he became completely entranced, unable to tear his eyes away as he flipped page after page.
He read at an incredible speed — after all, there weren’t many actual characters in the book. Most of it consisted of dynamic, burning images, like flames dancing on the pages.
But as he read, the temperature in the room began to rise rapidly.
A wave of intense heat radiated from the book, accompanied by a thick, scorched odor. The book’s pages started to smoke, as if about to ignite.
Yang Yi was affected too — first, his eyelashes and eyebrows curled up from the heat. Then his hair. Then the surface of his down jacket wrinkled and started smoldering.
Yet he remained oblivious, continuing to flip through the pages.
Only when the flames ignited his jacket, when the heat blistered his hands, when the room’s walls started smoking and the painting in front of him caught fire — only then did he snap out of it.
【You have fully read the Book of Scorching Flames (Vol. 1). Sanity -20. You have learned the spell — Flame Healing!】
Yang Yi shut the book and immediately panicked because he realised he was on fire!
It wasn’t until the book was fully read that he finally woke up, barely escaping self-immolation.
Hurriedly, he ripped off his burning jacket and tossed it aside, slapping at the flames on his head before he ended up bald!
After confirming there were no other fires on his body, he let out a long breath.
"That was close — too damn dangerous! I nearly burned myself to death just reading a book!"
But this was something he could’ve prepared for — if only he had known beforehand.
For example, he could’ve drenched himself in water and read the book while lying in it.
That was probably the correct way to read this book!
Thankfully, no real disaster occurred.
Yang Yi exhaled in relief.
But suddenly, he felt the heat of flames flickering in front of him, scorching his face.
He looked up—
And saw a burning painting.