Fleet flagship, King Edward.
A solid 68-pound cannonball had very fortuitously pierced its lower hull, barely missing the waterline. If the Warship were to always maintain its current windward position, there wouldn’t be an issue. However, once it returned to normal sailing, seawater would undoubtedly flood into the cabins. To prevent water ingress, all gun ports on the lower gun deck were sealed. This level could not be used for combat and, naturally, housed no combat personnel.
Only the omnipresent Law Network monitored the entire ship. The Captain, First Officer, Second Officer, and Navigator, as nodes within the network, were responsible for dispatching personnel at all times.
"The midsection of the lower deck has been breached! Carpenters, get there and plug that hole!"
Upon hearing the command, a nearby carpenter who had been on standby immediately rushed over with his tools. "Aye, leave it to me."
Knowledge of ship structure, materials, components, optimal repair strategies...all flowed through his mind. This sailor, Tom Rex, was not only a carpenter but also a First Rank Attendant-level [Craftsman] of the Tower Sequence. His Talent, [Encyclopedic Memory], allowed him to master all skills within his domain to perfection; he alone was comparable to an entire damage control team.
The highest-level Artisans found on a Warship usually did not exceed Second Order. This was because once they reached Second Order, they would gain the core ability [Spiritual Forging]. Given sufficient Extraordinary Materials, they could steadily produce the lowest grade of Miracles. The ship itself was extremely scarce on even basic survival supplies, so where would they find the materials to practice and uphold the maxim "use knowledge to drive out ignorance"? It was simply a waste of life. Unless it was an exploration ship venturing on overseas routes, with opportunities to encounter new knowledge and materials, it would be unlikely to attract Artisans and other Tower Sequence Transcendents.
Therefore, although Tom Rex was only First Rank, his treatment and status on the ship were quite good. Not only did he have permission to access the lower deck, but after just two years of service, he could also enter the Royal Capital’s university for advanced studies without an examination. He could then become a scholar in a chosen field, stepping onto the fast track of both the Transcendent path and life itself.
Unfortunately, today was decidedly not his lucky day.
Guided by the intermittent flashes of artillery fire from outside, he had just rushed through the chaotic lower deck to the breach and hung the Whale Oil Lamp on the wall. Through the wheel-sized hole, he saw what appeared to be a massive dark shadow in the pitch-black water below, violently flicking its tail. Propelled by the tail’s force, a figure leaped from the water and, like a fish, darted through the breach.
Before the [Craftsman] could cry out, Byron had already seized his throat. With a swift twist of his hands, Byron easily snapped his neck. A First Rank [Craftsman] possessed not even a single combat skill; ambushed, he was no better than a battle-hardened mortal soldier.
At that moment, the [Whalebone Amulet·Underwater Breathing] hanging on Byron’s body dimmed once more. It was precisely with this piece of equipment from Violet, along with the aid of a Man-Eater Shark, that he had managed to stealthily fight his way out of Iron Anchor Bay.
Side effects: Maximum usage duration is half an hour; exceeding this limit will result in the growth of gills, a swim bladder, fish scales, or other miscellaneous aquatic organs.
He peeked out through the hole, waved, and signaled his safe infiltration. Dozens of meters away among the waves, Violet, also using [Underwater Breathing] to lie in wait, remained in position with the shark. As a Third Order Transcendent, her mission was to cover his retreat and provide backup for Byron’s operation.
As the [Craftsman] Tom Rex collapsed, dead, two hound-like barks suddenly emanated from Byron’s shadow. A ghostly figure immediately emerged from the deceased’s body and was dragged into the shadows.
[Mad Hunt Legion] activated!
Tom Rex had become Byron’s first Undead Servant.
A cool sensation flowed through Byron’s brain, seemingly making his thoughts much quicker.
Not bad at all. After killing an enemy, I can choose whether to recruit their soul, preventing my legion from becoming a disorganized mob of misfits. And it seems this enhancement is related to the enemy’s profession in life. Scholarly types likely boost mental aspects, while combat types probably enhance physical strength. This [Craftsman] seems to have increased my foundational attributes by about ten percent. It’s just a pity these Undead Servants retain neither the consciousness they had in life nor any of their professional abilities. That greatly diminishes their value.
Byron knew he was daydreaming. If they could retain their Transcendent abilities from life, the [Mad Hunt Legion] would be simply invincible within the Law System. Merging all Sequences into one... that’s probably a height only a God could achieve, right? Then again, since this ability can continue to improve with Legend, I can allow myself to fantasize a little about its future potential.
A red light flashed in his palm; the [Holy Grail of Blood] activated, eradicating all traces of the corpse. After acquiring an Undead Servant, he also obtained a portion of Blood of Transformation. Simultaneously, the octopus silver coin on his person absorbed the most prominent labels from the [Craftsman]: ’King Edward crewman,’ ’Strait Fleet Navy soldier.’
Byron surveyed the ground, now spotless aside from a few minor relics, and nodded in satisfaction.
Only ’one fish, ten ways to eat it’ can compare to my thrift. Sashimi, steamed fish belly, spicy fish head, fish intestine omelet, fish bone soup... Not even a single fried fish scale will be wasted.
He casually nailed a wooden board over the hole in the hull, a makeshift patch that would go unnoticed for a while. Then, using Cognitive Revision, he transformed into the likeness of [Craftsman] Tom.
The actual Undead Servant, Tom, then surged into Byron’s body, completing a partial possession. Like the lingering spirit from before, Spiritual Bodies inherently possess the skill of ’possession.’ The Undead Servants forming the [Mad Hunt Legion] could forcibly possess other mortals or even Byron himself. Though these Undead Servants had lost the Transcendent abilities they had in life and their memories were fragmented, their core instincts remained. Combined with the ’Psychological Disguise Technique,’ Byron could navigate even intricate social circles as smoothly as a fish in water.
Since the stronger they were in life, the greater the post-death enhancement, then the [Wild Hunt Knight] I eventually transform into after the one-time sacrifice will be all the more powerful. It’s best not to waste the remaining nineteen slots on ordinary people.
Having made his decision, he immediately strode towards the end of the lower gun deck. There, a wooden ladder led to the hold, alongside a woodworking passage exclusive to carpenters.
Effect Three of the Thirty pieces of silver: ’Thirty pieces of silver is the price for betraying the Saint Heir. The sole God, [The Shackled Creator], bears the sins of all Humanity through His own suffering. If the Bizarre can gather a complete set of all Thirty pieces of silver, they can fully complete the [Black Mass] ritual and achieve redemption for themselves. However, this will ultimately awaken the true master to whom the ritual is dedicated.’
Byron and Violet had long since used those silver coins to pinpoint the location of that thing’s true body. From Tom’s memories, they learned that only a group of Law Mages were stationed in the hold, and all other ship personnel were strictly forbidden from entering.
What more was there to consider? Naturally, it was time to strike directly at the heart of the matter without hesitation!
Footsteps faded into the darkness.
The pervasive [Royal Iron Rule - Great Charter] throughout the entire Warship, and indeed the whole Fleet, showed no reaction from start to finish. The illusory golden lions, wearing crowns and cradling pure gold scales, had all become effectively blind. Even after witnessing the murder of one of their own crew members, they remained completely indifferent, showing no intention of alerting the ship’s officers. When the blue-green tattoo on Byron’s index finger faintly glowed, they all bowed their heads, parting the way that should have been sealed before him.
Clearly, if not for the [Storm Sigil Ring] on his hand, silently committing murder on the ship would have been out of the question, let alone sneaking aboard undetected. No wonder the York Family was sworn to hunt him down and eliminate him completely. Now, he was to the York Family what the York Family had once been to Lancaster. An entity covetously eyeing their royal Authority, potentially even capable of supplanting them, absolutely could not be allowed to live!
"Halt! Mr. Tom, you do not have authorization for the lower hold. Furthermore, the hold is not taking on water, so you cannot use the woodworking passage on a temporary basis. Please return to your post and await orders."
Just as Byron was about to reach the entrance, a Navy squad of four, led by a captain and armed with cutlasses, blocked his way. The mechanical Law Network might ignore his presence, but these living, breathing men would not.
Yet what responded to them was...
Byron glanced at the glowing [Whalebone Charm · Silence]. He twirled the twin blunderbusses, [Organ · Black and White Keys], in his hands with a flourish, then stepped over the four riddled corpses and continued forward. Ordinary firearms would get wet and malfunction, but Violet had specially lent him these two beloved Miracle Firearms for this task. A single blast covered a wide area; in the narrow confines of the ship’s corridors, there was nowhere to dodge. They were far more effective than Flintlock Guns.
Once again, it was a comprehensive utilization of the Blood of Transformation, the [Mad Hunt Legion], and the octopus silver coin. Among them, the soul of that captain joined the team. He was a First Rank [Fortress Guard] from the Fortress Sequence. Byron’s physical stamina was significantly enhanced as a result.
However, with the Law Net malfunctioning and the gunshots nullified by the silence charm, the others, engrossed in the naval battle, remained completely unaware that an intruder had infiltrated the heart of the Warship.
Byron strode into the woodworking passage, following a familiar, unsettling flute melody to the chamber where a group of Law Mages guarded the ’Calamity.’
The cabin door was suddenly thrust open. The group of Law Mages inside collectively turned, their cold gazes fixing on Byron as he walked in, guns in hand.
"Tom? How did you get here? Get out!" As a colonel on this ship, Norridge possessed a memory far superior to ordinary people. He recognized everyone and immediately berated Byron. If an ordinary sailor trespassed in a restricted area, summary execution would not be out of line. Even a Transcendent would face severe punishment.
Byron, however, didn’t even deign to spare these Law Mages a glance. His attention was immediately captured by the painted pottery jar they were clustered around. Strange whispers flowed past his ears. The bizarre sensation was viscous and slippery, like writhing tentacles slithering across his eardrums, then melting into foul swamp mud that flooded his skull...
And amidst those utterly chaotic, illogical, and incoherent mad ramblings, he faintly discerned an ancient name, one so decayed it seemed to reek of rot:
"Touch of the Kraken!"
In that instant, Byron understood this was merely a construct of his own perception, the closest his mind could come to grasping it; it didn’t mean the Indescribable entity was truly called by that name. Merely hearing such a name could cause a mortal’s or even some Transcendents’ sanity (SAN value) to plummet, leading to mental collapse (as noted in Chapter 51).
But to Byron, it sounded like: ’Steamed squid, steamed octopus, grilled squid, grilled octopus, braised squid, teppanyaki squid...’ A veritable feast of names, making his mouth water. So much to eat, an endless supply!
As he finally assimilated this last piece of information:
[Hidden: The Navy Department’s Conspiracy, Historical Influence 20] Decryption Rate instantly jumped from 75% to 100%.
[Hidden: Shadow of the Red and White Rose War, Historical Influence 31] Decryption Rate also rose from 40% to 50%.
"Captain, you have received a spiritual boon and a new entry!"