Byron dared not test the combat strength of the Blood Eagles firsthand. Clutching several funerary objects, he sprinted toward the seaside, fleeing for his life.
Even if every Blood Eagle was no match for a normal First Rank Attendant.
Just like when Byron, Bruh, and Gus had once ganged up and beaten a Second Order "Spirit Behind" to death, no Transcendent of any rank could withstand multiple attackers.
If he were surrounded by them, with beaks and claws coming at him from all sides, he would likely become part of an unusual "sky burial".
Byron hastily downed a cup of "Flying Grasshopper"—a concoction of grasshopper juice and vodka with an indescribably odd taste—temporarily granting him leaping power greater than "Mountain Goat Steps."
Like a giant grasshopper, he stretched his long legs, rapidly hopping over one reef after another.
Though the two burly Bayfolk Heroic Spirits chasing him, each having died in different ways, could not catch up, they still resolutely pursued him.
Their ranged weapons in hand were even more ferocious.
Not the expensive, high-maintenance bows and crossbows, but a more primitive catapult whose power could not be underestimated.
They tied a leather pouch to two straps and placed a pebble inside it.
As they twirled it above their heads to reach maximum speed, they would suddenly release one of the straps, and the stone would shoot out in the direction of the tangent.
Its range could reach up to 200 meters, and a trained warrior could hit targets within an 80-meter range with unerring accuracy.
Luckily, Byron had been cautious from the beginning and had kept a sufficient distance.
A pebble struck a reef beside him, the immense force shattering the rock, and the splintered fragments drew fine lines of blood on his cheek.
Byron’s mind was highly focused, and everything around him began to slow down.
The Spiritual Radiance that connected to his sixth sense almost completely replaced his normal five senses.
"Weather Intuition" and the Storm Knight’s natural control over wind allowed him to lock onto every hissing sound from behind, reacting within intervals measured in milliseconds.
In the end, it was unclear whether he had truly performed extraordinarily or if the ability of "Heartfelt Trouble" to shift danger had taken effect.
He was not hit directly by any projectiles until he outran the pursuing Heroic Spirits and moved beyond the range of their catapults.
Seeing the vast sea finally appear before him, he promptly raised the few Heroic Spirit relics in his hand and shouted to the sky, "Summon the Golden Deer!"
As they dissolved into light and disappeared, the anchor on him, the one hooked to the Golden Deer’s Pirate’s Ten Commandments, tensed instantly.
After a flash of white light, he finally pulled the Golden Deer and all its crew into Valhalla.
The Blood Eagles in the sky had already caught up overhead, beginning to dive at Byron.
He didn’t slow down but leaped toward the sea.
The water burst, and a fearsome Man-Eater Shark emerged, catching Byron with its mast-wide forehead and quickly turning around.
Its tail whipped, dragging a white streak in the water as it rushed toward the Golden Deer.
More sharks leaped from the water’s surface, startling the Blood Eagles that were nearly upon Byron and causing them to climb to a higher altitude once more.
The Man-Eater Sharks had been growing like mad ever since they devoured Salman and those lesser Ghouls.
The largest one had grown to 9 meters long, weighing about 4,000 kilograms, its size now almost comparable to that of a Tiger Whale.
Each and every tooth in its mouth was like a short sword.
On the pirate ship, Guardian Knight Bruh had already commanded the crew to line up on deck with their long firearms.
"Musketeer Corps, three-rank volley, fire!"
White gunpowder smoke exploded as they fired in turns. A continuous barrage of hot bullets formed a metallic storm, sweeping away the Blood Eagles lingering in the sky and literally knocking them out of the air.
Before even reaching the sea’s surface, they dissolved into ash and were carried away by the wind.
Byron, still shaken from the chase, clutched a rope and jumped onto his loyal Golden Deer. He found his ancestors’ enthusiastic welcome a bit too much to stomach.
Turning back to see the two Bayfolk Heroic Spirits had also reached the shore, he expressionlessly waved at Bruh. "Treat our ancestors to a bunch of grapes; tell them there’s no need to escort us further."
The loyal Guardian Knight, though unclear on what had just happened, noticed that his lord seemed somewhat displeased. He quickly signaled to the native youth, Wayne Dote, who was already positioned by the 32-pound Carronades.
The latter immediately commanded the gun crew to load canister shot and adjusted the cannon to aim at the Heroic Spirits on the shore.
With a single shot, the two Heroic Spirits, still crying out in fury with their catapults, were instantaneously reduced to dust amidst the shower of 500 grapeshot.
"Farewell, ancestors. By tomorrow, when you revive, you will have likely forgotten this slight unpleasantness. When we meet again, we will still be friends." Byron, finally free of the frustration from being hunted, silently saluted them.
After having spent a moment on the brink of life and death with intense concentration, he began to relax once again.
The Sailing Logbook showed his Spirituality had increased by 0.1, reaching 2.6. This was already half of the 5 Spirituality points required for a Second Order Professional Rank.
With his Spirituality more lively and sharp, he felt as though his Storm Sword Technique had advanced further.
This was also considered an added benefit of being continuously caught up in various whirlpools.
For a Storm Knight, steadfast sailing, adventuring, plundering, and levying taxes... all could lead to the growth of one’s Spirituality.
Of course, the premise was that one must be able to stay alive.
However, thinking about it, this also proves Violet’s strategy is effective enough. ’Whoever dares to oppose me, my ancestors will take them away!’ The first round of the treasure hunt competition separated the captains from their pirate ships and crew, leaving them in an unprecedentedly vulnerable position. Just as in martial combat, one has to eliminate unfavorable options. A Transcendent’s abilities can’t cover everything; one could easily be overturned if not careful. Even though the highest rank of Heroic Spirits buried on this island is only First Rank, that doesn’t mean they can’t attack in groups. This wave should see the Bayfolk Heroic Spirits take away three or four out of every ten of them without much problem.
Byron had just explained the situation here to his crew when the whalebone talisman by his ear suddenly transmitted Violet’s urgent call for help.
She no longer concealed her voice with that of a Gunpowder Artist.
"Good citizen, hurry to the courtyard and help! Red Beard, that bastard, also played dirty. Somehow he secretly used his [Figurehead: Goddess of Vengeance] to mark us with a ’Hatred Mark’. It’s forcing the distance between our two ships to be locked within main gun range. Upon entering the courtyard, my Flame Rose came face to face with the Goddess of Vengeance; the landing spots of our two ships were identical. Just now, if Red Beard, who was standing on deck, hadn’t inexplicably been hit by several stray bullets, he would have led a boarding party onto the Flame Rose!"
As teammates in the Orphan’s Alliance, the two had different roles.
Violet had already explained the inner workings of Valhalla to Byron in detail, so he was aware of the combat rules in the courtyard.
With a peculiar expression, Byron dismissed the strange notion of Red Beard inexplicably getting hit by several stray bullets and remotely instructed Violet, "Understood. First, try to increase the distance. Attempt to keep your ship at the maximum engagement range for both of us. If you’re restricted by the effect of the [Figurehead: Goddess of Vengeance] and can’t break free, then seize the downwind position! Red Beard’s flagship, the Goddess of Vengeance, will never catch your Fourth-rate Ship, which isn’t much stronger than a Cruiser. I am well versed in all the parameters of that ship; it simply can’t be considered a pirate ship."
Violet was momentarily stunned by his words.
"Downwind? Why seize the downwind position? Shouldn’t naval combat be about seizing the upwind position? I’m confident I can take it!"
Knowing she would have such a retort, Byron scratched his head.
Obviously, no one is perfect.
The Whale Hunters who arranged for her to study abroad in earlier years hadn’t intended for her, a girl, to inherit the lucrative pirate business.
And it was clear she had no experience confronting a large Warship.
But the situation was urgent, and he couldn’t explain it clearly in just a few words. Instead, he emphasized again, his tone heavy, "Listen to me! Keep the Flame Rose always on the downwind side of the Goddess of Vengeance. You’ll understand completely once you experience it firsthand. Besides, I’m a graduate of the Hightins Royal Navy Academy, 23rd Cohort, top of my class in all subjects. I experienced my first naval battle at age 12, and by 15, I was already interning on my family’s Third-Rate Battleship outside of classes. Achievement Unlocked: I’ve touched the most precious helm on every Third-Rate Battleship and above under the Royal Family’s command—and wasn’t executed for it. I have an intimate knowledge of the combat parameters of any Hightins Warship. What have you learned, a young lady who has never undergone pirate vocational training?"
Violet was suddenly at a loss for words, muttering, "The Holy Silver Empire Vinaya Art Academy, majored in painting and sculptural art design, minored in classical dance (Chapter 51). But that’s something I got into based on my real ability. A Gunpowder Artist is a true artist, you know! I only chose to become an Artisan because I didn’t quite like the artistic expression of the Hall Sequence’s Painter class."
Hearing Violet talk about getting accepted into the famous art academy, Byron could almost see her proudly puffing out her ample chest, clearly quite pleased with herself.
Yet, with great disdain, he curled his lip and said words that confused her, "If you had flunked, I might have hoped that a failure like you would accidentally awaken some special talent. And you’re here boasting when you didn’t even flunk? Move aside. Follow my orders for now; we’ll talk when I get there."
Saying this, he took the helm himself, making the Golden Deer trace an infinity symbol (∞) on the sea’s surface.
The moment its path closed, the entire ship and all the Man-Eater Sharks in the water vanished from the sea’s surface.