“Tashina! Use your spell now!” Lucy ordered.

The hyena witch nodded and placed her hands together. As she mumbled a quiet chant, fog rose around the ship. The sky turned cloudy, so thick it appeared as if the late morning arrived early. And the moisture turned the air salty and musty from the sea. With the board mist engulfing the vessel, the penguins won't see what fate has stored for them.

"Stay back," Lucy whispered and paddled toward the ship.

As she reached the vessel, she heard clipping noises from the front. The crew must be picking the reef rocks to free their ship. By the time they finish, it will be too late.

Lucy rose while balancing her feet on her surfboard. She pulled out both fear bombs and tossed one through the peephole at the ship's bottom, and the other to the top.

She laid down and paddled back toward her army. The massacre will soon begin.

*****

Captain Flipper heard shouting and screaming outside his cabin. "Errrrrrrh, what is it now?"

He rolled up his map, leaving it on his desk, and he grabbed his sword off his desk. He marched through the door, entering a vast mist spreading across the deck.

"What the…..?" Flipper couldn't believe how fast the fog arrived. It was sunny the last time he remembered before walking into his cabin. Now he could barely see what was on his vessel.

"Are we close to Ghost Island now?" Flipper never saw the island, but the rumors stated the phantom landmass drifted in the fog to stay hidden from ships. Whoever enters the fog will never come back until they complete the dungeon.

He heard another scream and sounds of blades clashing against other blades. He looked down from the poopdeck. Still, he couldn't see anything. "What is going on!?"

In the mist, yellow eyes gazed at him. They shined like lanterns in the darkness.

Flipper gulped and stepped back. His chubby body rattled like a water balloon.

From the mist, his penguins climbed up to the poopdeck and stared at him. But something wasn't right about them. All of them have rotting skin, exposing their bones and red flesh. Some were missing their peaks and flippers.

Those couldn't be his crew! None of them could be!

When one undead creature screamed, all of them charged toward Flipper. The captain screamed and ran back into his cabin. He closed the door and leaned against it.

All the strange creatures slammed against the door on the other side, shouting for blood.

What were they? Zombies? Ghosts? Could his crew be cursed?

Whatever was happening, Flipper couldn't let the undead break into his cabin. There were too many of them. He couldn't fight them although his level was higher than them. All of them could attack at once, lowering his health points to zero. All he could do was hold them back until they stop. They must be close to Ghost Island. That could be the only explanation.

*****

The fog lifted away as the ship grew quiet. Lucy's feet were getting cold in the water, but she was still ready for battle.

Her fear gas should have cleared half the ship. With luck, maybe the penguins slaughtered each other, leaving nobody alive. If they killed their own captain, then Lucy's vengeance will be completed. She could only find out when she boards the ship.

The gas should be gone now, leaving the survivors confused.

Lucy raised her cutlass up. "Attack!"

The panthers shook their spears up, roaring their battle cries to warm up their blood thirst. And the others loaded their muskets to shoot when they were ready.

Lucy placed her blade between her fangs and paddled quickly. While approaching the ship, the Blackmoon warriors spread around the ship.

As she approached the vessel, she checked her notification.

Ruthless Peaker Type: Brigantine Level: 30 HP: 300 AP: 100 Strength: 15 Speed: 3 Cannons: 20 Crew: 200

Good! With the ship only having two hundred crew members left, Lucy’s army will not have too many problems fighting them.

She drifted toward the side and climbed up with the warriors. On the ship railing, she spotted the penguins glancing around with confusion on their faces. When they noticed the panther warriors and the pirates, Lucy’s army charged toward them.

“Keep them busy!” Lucy ordered. “I need to find their captain!”

Byron and Tashina nodded to her, and they jumped into the fight. Ivy jumped onto a barrel beneath the center mast. She aimed her musket and fired at the penguins, taking out a few. Tashina tossed green fireballs around, setting her targets on fire. One penguin charged toward her, and she stabbed his throat with a dagger instead of blasting a fireball into his face. He popped into a flash of light.

Byron rushed to the ship’s front, swinging his spear at the surrounding penguins. If the sky was dark, his Wereshark form would rip all the penguins apart.

Lucy couldn’t sit and watch the battle. She has to find the captain and take him out.

*****

Captain Flipper stepped outside after the commotion against his cabin doorway stopped. As he looked over the poopdeck, his mouth dropped. First zombie penguins attacked, now random pirates were attacking his ship. Did the game hit a glitch or something?

The new attackers were mostly panther warriors, using spears against his penguins. Others were tigers, dogs, and so much Flipper couldn’t count. Where did they all come from?

“We finally meet again!” a girl’s voice shouted.

A yellow cocker spaniel in a white dress pointed a cutlass at him. She looked familiar. Long blonde hair, short snort, bushy tail….. Nothing rang his bell until her notification appeared.

Lucy Longsilver Level: 18 Race: Cocker Spaniel (Dog) HP: 180 Computer Player

“You!” He shook his fin at her. “I have seen you before!”

The spaniel girl grinned with a little snarl. “You attacked my home and killed my father at our tavern! Why?”

Flipper grimaced. The NPC’s question sounded dumb to him. His lethal assault should have shown her his intention. “Why? For the map. That bartender was supposed to give me a lot of experience points too! He was a waste!”

Lucy growled with anger in her eyes. “He was my father!”

Flipper shook his head. “No, he isn’t.”

“He raised me since my birth!”

Flipper raised his yellow spiky long eyebrows. “You don’t know?” He chuckled. “Of course you don’t. He never told you squeak.”

The dog’s face turned to confusion. “What do you mean?”

Flipper licked his beak. “Your real father is Daddy Jones.”

Lucy lowered her blade. “Daddy….. Jones?”

“Are you not functioning right? You are the daughter of the infamous pirate who got trapped on Ghost Island. The bartender is only his lackey, sent to take care of you while protecting the map.”

Lucy continued her glare on the penguin. “No! You are lying!”

“Are you kidding me? I read the lore to learn about the dungeon. Information never lies!”

“You are lying to save your own skin!”

“No, I’m not! If you want the truth, come with me. Ghost Island is close now. You will find your answers there.”

Lucy stared at the ocean and the other side. She must be thinking about what path to take. Why should she? Did she have another destination in her mind?

“Well?” Flipper shouted.

Lucy shook her head. “No! I have a friend to save, and I am taking your ship!”

Flipper hissed. “I don’t have time for this! Prepare to die!”

The NPC smiled while pointing her sword at him. “You first!”

*****

Lucy focussed her guard up, expecting the macaroni penguin to attack first. While glaring, she checked his character status quickly.

Captain Flipper Level: 33 Race: Penguin HP: 330 Player Character

Apparently, he has leveled up since she last saw him, and she was still at level 18. But that won't stop her from fighting him.

Flipper advanced, charging at her with a forewing and a backswing. Lucy dodged the first and blocked the second. She threw a kick, pushing the penguin back but not far enough.

Flipper grinned. “You are pretty fast.”

Lucy chuckled. “And you are pretty slow.”

“Strength and my charisma are power.” Flipper struck, slicing the fabric of Lucy's dress across her midsection. Fortunately, she didn't take any damage.

"Tell me, how in blazes did you level up?" The penguin asked, raising his sword up. "Are you a hacker, controlling an NPC?"

Lucy glared. "I don't know what you are talking about, but I am the true me!"

She swung, missed, and swung again.

Flipper hopped around and nearly straggled. He managed to smirk at her. "Whatever you are, your death will make me stronger."

He continued swinging while dancing around Lucy. Missing him was only making Lucy angrier and angrier.

"You can't defeat me!" Flipper shouted while following a slash over Lucy's head. "My level is higher than yours! You are only a clunk of data, built to feed me!"

Lucy rose and blocked his next strike. "I am more than you will ever imagine!"

With all her fury, Lucy kept swinging, missing two, but her backswing got close toward Flipper. But the penguin ducked and tripped Lucy.

She landed on her back and Flipper's blade touched her throat as her sword fell from her hand.

"You should have drowned with your fake father," said Flipper with a victory grin.

Lucy’s heart raced. She won’t have time to grab her cutlass before the penguin could slit her throat, and that will instantly kill her. If she was going to die, she will just give Flipper an angry look.

When the penguin raised his blade, a bullet shot through his chest from behind his back.

Critical hit! Captain Flipper HP: 300/330

The penguin groaned and stepped back to look around. Whoever shot him, Lucy didn’t take the time to find out. Instead, with her chance, she picked up her sword and leaped onto her feet. Then she swung her cutlass through the penguin’s neck.

Instant kill!

Flipper gazed at her in shock. “Ah sh-”

He flashed away before his last words escaped from his beak.

You killed Captain Flipper! You received 3,000 EXP! You leveled up! You received on proficiency point!

Lucy dropped to her knees and sighed. I did it, father….. I did it…..

Although she finally brought justice to the player, she still felt a sense of loss inside her heart. She knew killing Captain Flipper won’t bring back her father from the depths of the Undersea. And her victory somehow didn’t improve her feelings too. So what was wrong with her?

Perhaps deep down, she knew Flipper will respawn after the game allows him back. After the player loses, they get a five-hour login restriction to keep them from playing too long. Their minds cannot stay in the game long, or else their bodies will fall into a deep coma. Every time they play, they only get five hours in the game before the system decides to boot them out for their own good.

If Flipper returns, would Lucy keep fighting him to satisfy her vengeance? Then what was the point if he could keep returning?

Suddenly, Lucy heard loud cheering and applause from the button of the poopdeck.

What is going on now? She rose and strolled toward the end, peeking over the deck.

Both the panther warriors and the pirates were dancing around in a celebrating rally. All the penguins were gone, not a single left capture or retreating. Her army has successfully wiped out the entire penguin crew.

Congratulation! You have successfully commandeered a ship! You are now a pirate captain!

They soon paused and turned toward her attention.

With a big smile, Lucy raised her cutlass up. “The captain is gone! We now control his ship!”

All of them screamed for her victory, shaking their weapons up in the air. From the crowd, Tashina, Ivy, and Byron climbed up to the poopdeck and joined her.

The two girls hugged her, and by a surprise, Ivy kissed her cheek. Lucy blushed, although she was glad her friends were still with her.

“Well done, Lucy,” said the panther. “Does that mean you are now the captain?”

“Yes! I just got a new class after I defeated Captain Flipper!” Lucy explained. “If it weren’t for someone shooting him, I would be dead.”

Ivy shook her hand up. “That was me! I saw him looming over you. So I took the shot.”

Lucy smiled at her. “Thank you, Ivy. You are my hero.”

“Hehehe! Does that mean I get to kiss you for real?”

Lucy grinned as she poked the catgirl’s nose. “Sorry, but you’re not my type. But thank you.”

Ivy nodded, respecting her captain.

“Wah wi wi duh now, captain?” Tashina asked.

Lucy stared at the floor. The map to Ghost Island wasn’t below her feet after the player vanished. He might have left it inside his cabin before he stepped out to fight. But the phantom island could wait. She still has a friend to save.

Lucy stared at the ocean where the sun was now setting. “First things first. We must set up our new ship and crew. Then we will search for Walton in order to find Charles. After that, Ghost Island will be our next target.”

Byron bowed. “As you wish, captain.”

Ivy shook her fist up in excitement. “We’ll make that fat kitty pay for what he did!”

Tashina giggled. “Dis adventure a guh fi be suh exciting!”

Lucy smiled at all her friends and crew members. Perhaps what Captain Flipper had done to her, had given her a new purpose which was better than being a weak tavern girl NPC. She was now a pirate computer player, and the entire game world was about to meet her plundering.

Hold on, Charles! We are coming for you!