February 21, 2016...

Ma Xiaoming adjusted his glasses with plump, pale fingers after typing a few words on his computer. He slightly raised his head to check the owl-shaped wall clock. Its hands pointed to... 11:40 PM.

Before the glowing screen sat a slightly overweight, bespectacled young man. Dark circles shadowed his eyes from chronic sleepless nights. His unnaturally pale, freckled face—typical of a shut-in—wore a gentle expression as he focused intently on the screen, fingers dancing across the keyboard with sharp *click-clack* sounds.

——Name (Alias): Pipe (real name unknown, alias only)... Species: Undead born of grudges... Level: 100. Vessel: *Resurrection Goddess* (Poseidon-class Ghost Ship)...

"This Pipe guy..." Ma Xiaoming muttered to himself, pausing briefly in thought. "As the novel’s ultimate villain boss... what class should he have? Gotta think this through... carefully... *very* carefully... Hmm..."

Accustomed to self-dialogue, he soon resumed typing. Under the blinking cursor, characters formed new paragraphs...

——Species Level Bonuses: Skeleton Crew LV5, Death God LV5, Lord of Death LV5, Grudge Species LV5...

——Species Abilities: Fatigue Immunity LV1, Underwater Walking LV1, Night Vision LV1, Cold Resistance LV5, Curse/Death Magic Immunity LV1, Light Vulnerability LV2 (20% stat reduction in sunlight, skill restrictions), Blunt Weapon Weakness LV1 (hammer vulnerability), Slash Resistance LV1 (blade resistance), Pierce Resistance LV1 (rapier/spear resistance) (Total: 14 Levels)

"*Whew*... With stats like this, the so-called strongest villain’d get wiped out easy. My final boss won’t be this weak. Last time, readers complained... adding level tags makes it feel like a game manual. But it clearly shows power tiers—helps choreograph fight scenes logically. Just a practical tool, really..."

The hero always wins in the end, right?

*Sigh*. For some reason, I feel a trace of regret for my villains. They’re my beloved creations too... no less compelling than the heroic protagonists...

"Time to give you some god-tier gear... and torture those wannabe heroes. That’s the price of being a hero, I guess... Damn, I’m such a bastard..."

——Item Held: *Death Starlight* (legendary flintlock pistol; bullets auto-return to chamber after hitting targets or traveling a set distance. Special skill: *Bullet Time* enables nonstop firing...)

——Equipment & Gear:

Crimson Overcoat (Grants *Aura of Despair* LV5: fear, confusion, slow)

Peaked Cap (Charisma LV2 boost)

Pitch-Black Boots (*Phantom Stride* LV4)

——Accessories:

Solomon’s Golden Necklace (*Silver Tongue*: persuasion, deception, surrender inducement; Oratory LV4 boost)

Rogue Duelist’s Defiled Ring (Swordsmanship LV4 boost; inflicts tetanus, corrosion, debuffs on hit)

Victor’s Ring of Honor (Swordsmanship LV4, Courage LV4; boosts strength, speed, accuracy)

Ring of the Greedy Sage (Boosts luck, damage, accuracy)

Ring of Despair (Inflicts despair, reduces resistance, fear, slow on hit)

Endless Snuffbox (Far more than tobacco storage—massive dimensional space inside)

Lucky Compass (Detects gold/treasure within range)

Horn of Poseidon (Summons: five Level 85 tentacle krakens, three Level 70 Sirens, an army of Level 50 merfolk)

"Right... this makes him formidable enough to justify a hero’s quest. Ah! Almost forgot base stats... He’s a melee boss, but needs ranged options too—pirates cheat. Sniping wounded foes before finishing them off... that’s how a ruthless boss operates."

——Class: Swordsman LV10, Pirate LV5, Ghost Ship Captain LV3, Phantom Sailor LV1, Gunner LV7, Sea Tyrant LV1, Nether Blade Master LV10, Pillager LV5, Dueling Expert LV5, Beast Tamer LV1, Elite Summoner LV1, Commander LV1, Ballistics Expert LV15, Treasure Appraiser LV1 (Total: 66 Levels)

"Balanced melee and ranged skills mean epic, saga-worthy clashes with the protagonist. And the flagship... must scream villainous grandeur. A Ghost Ship named... *Resurrection Goddess*. Bone-white hull, a malevolent phantom haunting the seas..."

——Ship Dimensions:

Length: 180.6m, Beam: 40.2m, Depth: 18.7m; Displacement: 11,000 tons, Sail Area: 7,120m²; Speed: 30 knots; Armament: 173 cannons; Crew: 1,400+

"*Idiot!* This ship’s nearly aircraft-carrier-sized. The nitpickers in the comments will roast me again."

"*Damn it~ whatever~*" (He threw his hands up in surrender, then leaned back with a groan, stretching his stiff body). "They’ll trash-talk anything I write anyway... If they’re so tough, why don’t *they* write something? *Tch*... But the louder they rage, the more famous I get. What a weird era... Infamy brings clout. In ancient times, this’d be unbearable. But now? Anything’s possible... *Sigh*..."

The chubby man cursed the comment-section trolls, then kept typing.

"Let’s give the ship special skills too. As the sea’s most feared specter... just cannon fire would be boring. One blast obliterates wooden ships in fiery explosions! These magic-tech cannons... *Fire God Cannons*. Like the Fire God’s wrath burning enemies to ash..."

——Ship Skills: Turbo Acceleration LV15, Sharp Turn LV15, Ramming LV35, Broadside Barrage LV35

——Ship Traits: *Thick Fog* (boosts undead combat power by day), *Water Gliding* (reduces drag, increases speed), *Sound Absorption* (silences wave noise while moving), *Veil of Night* (grants stealth at night)

"Perfect! This ship’s an absolute nightmare on the waves. Massive yet agile, with insane firepower—frontal assaults *and* ghostly ambushes. The ultimate tool for... well, piracy. *Haha*... That’s all I can do for you, Pipe. Good luck."

The chubby man glanced up. The clock read 11:59 PM.

"...Might as well keep writing. Tomorrow’s morning meeting only has the team lead... a quick nap won’t hurt."

Ma Xiaoming stayed focused, pulling up more character profiles...

——Purames Anna Elifran... First Mate... Pale-skinned ice queen. Views Pipe as her one true love; all other men are plankton. Capable aide... Siren.

——Faglas Lazio... Calm, elegant, perpetually composed middle-aged gentleman... Werewolf... Transforms into a savage, brutal beast...

——Greenland Sphinx... (Hah! Threw in some fun for you, Pipe!) Genderless... Warlock Species... Assassin Puppet... Humanoid doll... Personality: Tsundere, crossdresser, necrophile, power-worshipper. (He chuckled while typing, smug. *They’ll complain again, but whatever.*) Appears aloof, wears light leather armor and a cloak. Silky long hair like a maiden’s, half-covering one side of the face (where mechanical parts gleam horrifically). One large, blinking green eye exposed...

——Cannon Twins... Golden Key (older sister) and Silver Lock (younger sister)... The younger sister loves bullying others, especially her sister—always the bad girl. The elder sister is perpetually shy, an eternal pushover who murmurs *"I’m sorry... truly not intentional... forgive me..."* before killing without hesitation. Both... Dark Species... Vampire Princesses.

"*Ugh~ so tired...*" Main characters set. That’s enough. Yesterday’s base draft is done too! Deep in the ocean, shrouded in mist, swirling with whirlpools, reefs, and cyclones—the Devil’s Sea... *Death Fjord*. *Reaper’s Scythe Pirate Crew*... Done.

"*Aaaah~ ooooh~ mmph*" (He smacked his lips). "*So* sleepy... Gotta work tomorrow... those sweethearts’ll spam ‘update!’ all day. *Haha*... Such lovely readers... Wish I could do more for them. Nah... someone talentless like me..."

His smiling, chubby face dimmed. Inner disappointment flared into anger. Ma Xiaoming slammed a fist on the desk—*BAM!*—but his weak arms only hurt his hand, causing no damage.

"*Damn it!* A writer... a writer’s an artist who paints beautiful worlds unseen in reality! Not some hack churning out garbage for a few bucks!!! ...*Hah... hah... ah...*"

He scanned his messy apartment and shook his head. Just a small fry... Even with these frustrations, he couldn’t change anything. Was his thinking even right? Overthinking was just as unrealistic...

"*Whatever~* Life goes on... Don’t take my rants seriously."

Rubbing his stiff neck, he shut down the computer. In its dying light, he set his alarm clock by the bed. The screen died the moment the alarm clicked into place. The tiny apartment plunged into darkness. Only starlight and a few sleepless windows glowed outside, waiting for the darkest hour before dawn...

"...Would be awesome if the boss was the protagonist. So free... endless riches, loyal underlings, unstoppable power... Invincible... *free*... *Mmm*... *zzzz*..."

Only snores filled the dark room.

"...Master."

*Huh? Who’s calling...*

"Pipe Captain... what’s wrong?!"

"Pipe Master..."

Hmm? That wasn’t meant for me... Yet why does "Pipe" feel so familiar? Like a name dredged from forgotten depths... The Devil’s Sea—a maelstrom of whirlpools, hidden reefs, and cyclones... Death Fjord. The Reaper’s Scythe Pirate Crew... Their Grand Captain, nicknamed "Pipe." A skeletal face. An undead pirate, bones for flesh.

"Huh?"

His eyes snapped open. The light was dim, thick with the gloom of storm-laden skies. Yet in this murk, every detail stood unnaturally clear...

A wide desk held a yellowed, frayed-edged parchment—old as the sea itself. Lines and coordinates marked it plainly: a nautical chart. And why did he *know* it was a sea chart? The knowledge surfaced unbidden. *Death Fjord Reef Distribution Map...*

The room swayed. Rocked. Why? Because this was... a ship’s cabin. The captain’s quarters aboard the *Resurrection Goddess*. Crates stacked neatly in one corner overflowed with weapons—cutlasses and rapiers from the age of sail, some gleaming sharp, others crusted with rust. Jawbones of sea monsters adorned the walls, alongside gilded trinkets that glittered opulently yet cast eerie shadows in the gloom. Beyond the porthole, black waves churned. Fog swallowed the horizon, yet his eyes pierced it effortlessly, revealing a sea of ink beneath lightning-split skies and whirlwinds.

"Master... Captain Pipe, sir? Are you unwell?"

He turned toward the voice. A female crewmember stood nearby, clad in a black pirate coat, a tricorn hat crowned with an absurdly large feather perched atop her head. Her face was porcelain-pale, sculpted with soft, sensual curves—a visage of saintly purity. Yet her pupils were vertical slits, serpentine and sharp. Her voice? Heavenly. (If one had ever heard true heaven, they’d admit it paled beside hers.) Her white, low-cut blouse parted slightly, revealing the gentle swell of full breasts rising with each breath...

"Ah... uh..."

The sight jolted Ma Xiaoming—just for a moment. Then, inexplicably, calm washed over him.

"Captain Pipe... what’s wrong? Are you ill?"

Her gaze deepened with concern. She was stunning—milky skin, raven-black hair gleaming like wet silk, cascading smoothly down her back. Her beautiful eyes shone, those slitted snake-pupils somehow enhancing her allure.

Unanswered, she leaned closer, searching his eyes. Worry pooled in her gaze, heartbreakingly tender.

"I’m fine... nothing to worry about. You shouldn’t fret..."

His mind serene, unmoved even by her nearness, Ma Xiaoming spoke naturally to ease her worry. He reached up to adjust his spectacles—only to find none. And his fingers... these weren’t his own plump fingers. They were skeletal. Bony.

"Uh..."

Another inward jolt. Then stillness returned. He stared at his hands. Rings glittered on every bone—gems worth more than he’d earn in a lifetime. And with each glance, names flooded his mind:

*Ring of Despair* (Inflicts Despair on hit. Reduces resistance, fear effect, slows).

*Ring of the Greedy Sage* (Boosts luck, damage, accuracy).

*Ring of the Treacherous Swordsman* (Enhances Lv.4 Sword Skills. Inflicts tetanus, corrosion, weakening on hit)...

*These are the ultimate boss Pipe’s items from my unfinished novel! Why are they on my hands? Why are my hands bones...? And why am I not afraid?*

Ignoring the woman, he rose and strode to the cabin wall.

"......"

He faced an ornate bronze mirror. One look at the reflection, and Ma Xiaoming understood.

The man in pajamas—round-bellied, looking forty at twenty—was gone.

In his place stood a skeleton. A pirate skeleton. A tricorn hat sat atop its skull. A crimson pirate coat draped its frame. A flintlock pistol and a black curved saber hung at its waist. An aura of dread authority radiated from within, dark power surging...

*Pipe Captain.* The very character from his unwritten novel.

*How...? I’ve become... this? This is Pipe Captain—the final boss I created?!*