Lord of the Mysteries

Symeem Island. Under the towering cliff, dark sea waters were being roused by the surrounding waves as they churned about considerably.

On Crazy Captain Connors Viktor’s ship named the Single-eyed Skull, a few pirates donned cloaks as they pulled up their hats. The rain pattered down heavily on them as they fought against winds that could lift a child, in order to walk out the cabin and inspect the ship to prevent any accidents from happening.

Their cloaks were made of linen, but their surfaces were smeared with an already hardened sticky liquid. The raindrops were unable to permeate through that layer and could only flow down onto the deck.

The liquid was Donningsman tree sap, produced from the Southern Continent’s rainforest. It was naturally water-resistant and was quite commonly seen. It was originally rather cheap, but after a research team last year suspected that it had beneficial effects on hair growth, its price skyrocketed.

“In such weather it’s suitable to be inside the Red Theater, drinking liquor, smoking weed, and having women in your arms!” A pirate looked out of the shipboard and grumbled.

His companion echoed him as he pulled at his cloak’s hood, “I heard there’s a bunch of new arrivals at the Red Theater. I really want to give them a try.”

“How did you learn of that?” another pirate asked in passing.

He was met with a chuckle.

“I heard it from the boss. It’s not like you have no idea what Captain’s ‘business’ is? That’s why the boss knows plenty of human traffickers. Ha! They prefer to be called ‘slave merchants.’”

“Speaking of which, I recall what happened that time.” The pirate who spoke at the beginning wore a reminiscent look. “Among the ‘goods’ sent over, there was a young noble lady who had fled from her home. Her skin, figure, looks, tsk—were… were… I have no idea how to describe it. I still remember her to this day. What a pity that she committed suicide!”

As they spoke, they suddenly felt their vision brighten as they subconsciously looked up into the sky. Apart from the pattering rain, there was an abnormal silver bolt of lightning that was snaking its way through the dark clouds that hid the crimson moon and stars.

Suddenly, a gigantic bolt of lightning that illuminated the surrounding waters smote down, heading straight for the Single-eyed Skull!

Boom!

The bolts began to spread out randomly as the wooden ship burst into flames. Deafening thunder echoed in the pirates’ ears.

Right on the heels of that, silver bolts of lightning struck down like they were brandishing their claws. The tiny sailboat was instantly plunged into a lightning forest.

At that moment, the thick lightning bolts that were about to interweave together had suddenly separated. They split apart in violation of the natural laws, and they failed to hit the Single-eyed Skull. They hung close to the ship’s surroundings before striking the pitch-black water, lighting up the surrounding sea as sizzling lightning bolts snaked out in a spectacle.

The pirates on the deck suffered from the strike. One of them had been charred black like an overburnt piece of wood. Two collapsed as their bodies convulsed.

There really is a problem!

Above the gray fog, Klein couldn’t help but sigh when he saw the scene of his Lightning Storm being dispelled.

He was certain that this was a power at the level of a demigod!

If he had rashly infiltrated the Single-eyed Skull, even with Creeping Hunger, Death Knell, and Groselle’s Travels, there was no way he could put up an effective resistance against such strange powers. And by then, he wouldn’t have the time to pray to himself and respond using the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog!

Taking a deep breath, Klein made all the blue gems on the tip of the white-boned scepter light up.

Around the Single-eyed Skull, there were two kinds of sounds in the storm. One was piercingly sharp, as though it could prick through one’s eardrums and penetrate one’s brain. The other was deep, sounding like a beating heart as it struck on one’s Spirit Body.

This gave the pirates an extremely uncomfortable experience, with many having the urge to vomit blood. However, this was only the beginning. The sound of splashing water intensified as a dark wave surged up to a height of nearly ten meters, running opposite the island’s cliffside!

The wave was like a wall created by a deity as “He” pushed it toward the Single-eyed Skull with an invisible hand.

This was a tsunami that Klein created!

It could already be considered a calamity!

The whooshing sound of the wave sounded like explosions as the pirates on board looked at the dark sky outside, the churning clouds, and the massive tsunami. It felt like the apocalypse mentioned in mythical legends had arrived. They lost all will to save themselves.

But as they were waiting in despair for the final judgment, a disturbance that didn’t abide by logic or scientific laws appeared in the middle of the waves created by the tsunami. An indescribable vortex rapidly took form as it tore through the entire wave, causing the terrifying waves to rapidly collapse as a result!

Amidst a rapturous rumble, a secondary wave threw the Single-eyed Skull up high into the air as the gigantic wave from before dispersed, spraying a portion of its load onto the ship. One of the masts broke, and the ship was in shambles. Even the deck was completely flooded.

Whoosh!

A strong wind suddenly stirred and swept up the pirates, turning into a hurricane that exceeded its own limits, pushing the airborne Single-eyed Skull further towards the sea.

The ship began to ride the squall as it flew across the sky, covering a distance of several nautical miles without landing in the undulating waters. It was as though it was an airship that continued stably proceeding forward.

Klein was amazed at the demigod or Sealed Artifact of the corresponding level inside the Single-eyed Skull for nullifying the tsunami. He sighed at his lacking Sequence, as he couldn’t create the destructive tsunami that Kalvetua had previously created, despite stirring the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. In the meantime, he controlled the hurricane and ensured that the Single-eyed Skull didn’t lose its support and plummet, afraid that it would leave his five-nautical-mile range of influence.

At that moment, his goal wasn’t to destroy the Single-eyed Skull, nor was it to capture Crazy Captain Connors Viktor, but to force out the demigod or Sealed Artifact hidden inside the ship.

A powerhouse or item at this level was scarce in the world. By seeing their appearance, he would know who they were sooner or later, as well as which organization they belonged to!

And this provided the subsequent direction for the investigation regarding the Great Smog of Backlund!

I hope it’s not from the Seer pathway; otherwise, who knows if it’s his true face or not… However, this is also a good thing. Since I’m investigating the truth of the Great Smog, I’ll figure out what Ince Zangwill is doing, and I’ll make preparations for my subsequent revenge. I’ll also be able to successfully find the Bizarro Sorcerer potion formula and main ingredients… As Klein silently sighed, he made the gem on the tip of the Sea God Scepter emit a pure azure light.

With a hum, the Single-eyed Skull’s flight experienced a change. It plummeted like a roar and didn’t even manage to glide!

Suddenly, it turned very, very light, landing on the sea’s surface like a feather caressing a human’s face.

At that moment, Klein, who had exhausted plenty of spirituality, was just about to muster his remaining strength to create another tsunami when he heard an explosive boom from the scene.

It was a terrifying sonic boom!

Furthermore, it was different from normal sonic booms, as though it was mixed with the howling sounds of the wind.

It was from Sea King Jahn Kottman! Although he was still a distance away, he wielded mastery of these waters, so he could exert his influence across space while he rushed over!

This was a Sequence 3 Saint who was close to that of an angel!

The terrifying sonic boom sent the Single-eyed Skull flying out. There was no hesitation on whether it would harm anyone; after all, there was nothing wrong with striking down on pirates!

Meanwhile, Klein felt a psyche that was so potent that it was terrifying as it swept across the area in search of any spots that appeared abnormal. It caused the scene before his eyes to be affected as everything turned indistinct.

After resisting another blast, Klein calmly and rationally ended the response. He shut down the corresponding prayer scene before throwing the Sea God Scepter into the junk pile.

The gap isn’t anything trivial. If Sea King didn’t appear, I wouldn’t have the confidence in forcing out that demigod. My Sequence is still too low, giving me troubles when using the scepter, as it’s overly burdensome… However, at sea, the Storm pathway is really powerful. They’re practically mobile calamities.

The powers displayed by that demigod had the key elements of distortion, confusion, loaning, and violation of normality. It appears to be the Black Emperor paths of the divine. Others might not realize it, but I have the corresponding Card of Blasphemy! It definitely isn’t only a Sequence 5 Mentor of Confusion… A Count of The Fallen? Hmm, the military has a portion of the potion formula for the Black Emperor pathway, but it seems to be limited to the first five Sequences. They lack Sequences 4 and above…

Although Klein failed to force the demigod or corresponding Sealed Artifact out, he had gained a certain number of clues from their reaction. He suspected that a particular faction in the royal family wasn’t only cooperating with the Demoness Sect and Ince Zangwill, but it was also secretly in cahoots with a faction that wielded most of the Sequences of the Black Emperor pathway.

The descendants of Solomon or Trunsoest? Is King of the Five Seas Nast involved in this? Klein was in serious thought when he heard overlapping prayers in his ear.

It broke his train of thought as he instinctively emanated his spirituality and touched the rippling light beside his chair.

Then, he saw Danitz.

This well-known pirate had his eyes closed as he piously prayed to The Fool.

“…”

Klein took out his pocket watch in a daze and took a few looks at the time to confirm that it was almost three in the morning.

Is he nuts? Why is he praying in the middle of the night? Does he not want me to sleep? Klein watched carefully in exasperated amusement and discovered that Danitz looked tipsy. There was even faint singing echoing outside.

The crew members of the Golden Dream are having another bonfire party? Are they celebrating the departure of Gehrman Sparrow? To think they celebrated all the way into the middle of the night! Klein instantly understood why Danitz was praying at that moment.

He took a deep breath as he emanated his will into the halo, saying in a deep voice, “Those who say my name are on my mind.”

…

Sea King Jahn Kottman arrived at Symeem Island as he began searching for the abnormal tsunami that had happened here, as well as the ship that belonged to an unknown pirate crew.

He was certain that there was a demigod on board that ship!

This tall and brawny Cardinal of the Church of Storms with thick, dark-blue hair, a high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punisher, clenched his fists as the dark clouds in the sky cracked open, sending crimson sunlight scattering across the sea.

After identifying the positions of the stars, Jahn Kottman flew in a particular direction.

Suddenly, his speed slowed down because he saw a pirate’s ship with a flag fluttering with the Single-eyed Skull emblem.

The ship wasn’t manned by anyone as it drifted in the wind. Scarlet flames were everywhere on it, along with charred corpses.

In the middle of one of the masts, a middle-aged man was tied to it. He wore a triangular hat and a black eye-patch. His exposed eye was widened and filled with horror. A wooden pole had impaled him in his chest as blood dyed everything.

His life and Spirit Body had completely dissipated.