Chapter 206: A Man in Black

Chapter 206: A Man in Black



Suddenly, everyone around glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond to Baron Lawrence's words.

Should they call him a braggart?

Should they say he couldn't do it?

But the recent battle had already proven Baron Lawrence's strength.

He wasn't boasting!

"Alright, since Baron Lawrence is willing to go through the trouble, we'll wait here for you." Marika couldn't find any reason to refuse Lawrence's request.

After all, Lawrence had volunteered to take on these pirates single-handedly. Was there ever a better teammate than this?

The people around, including Marika and Veronica, were very impressed by Lawrence's 'hardworking' attitude.

This wasn't Marika's first time working with a young, skilled individual.

Some exceptionally talented young people, although not arrogant, would still have a bit of an air of superiority. At the very least, they would put on a show, and some lackeys wouldn't even bother to take action, instead choosing to make a grand entrance later.

But Lawrence was different; he had them wait right there while he dealt with the enemies.

"Baron Lawrence, let my White Seagull guide you, so you can quickly understand and reach the enemy's location."

"Of course, thank you for your assistance, Miss Veronica." Lawrence smiled slightly.

With the White Seagull leading the way, it would be much faster, and Lawrence wouldn't refuse such help.

Additionally, there was another benefit; Veronica could also roughly confirm Lawrence's progress through the White Seagull, which would also inform Marika's group of their own movements.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Baron Lawrence, you're also a Wizard Apprentice. I have a better way."

"Hmm?" Lawrence looked at Veronica with a hint of confusion.

The beautiful girl with twin tails bounced over to Lawrence and said, "Baron Lawrence, I can cast a mental imprint on you, which will allow you to read the mental fragments observed by the White Seagull."

"This will be more efficient than observing the White Seagull's flight."

Read the mental fragments of the White Seagull?

This was a new concept for Lawrence, making him hesitate.

The girl noticed Lawrence's hesitation and immediately explained, "Don't worry, Baron Lawrence, this won't cause you any discomfort, nor will it interfere with your battle. It's more like... how should I put it... it enables you to receive specific mental waves from the White Seagull."

Like a specific signal receiver?

Lawrence somewhat understood the principle.

It was like a radio from his past life, where tuning into a specific channel allowed him to receive a particular wavelength; otherwise, it was just static.

The mental imprint that Veronica wanted to cast was like a specific channel receiver, and the mental fragments of the White Seagull were a kind of wavelength.

Although Lawrence didn't know why Veronica was so insistent, he thought that she probably didn't have any ill intentions or bad motives.

After some thought, Lawrence nodded and said, "Alright then, thank you, Miss Veronica."

"It's no trouble. Baron Lawrence, please don't resist."

Veronica took out a half-meter-long wooden stick from her robe's sleeve and, while chanting a spell, gently tapped it on Lawrence's forehead.

With Lawrence's mental strength, he could clearly feel as if his mental sea had gained an external interface.

At that moment, a White Seagull, summoned by Veronica, flew down and circled around Lawrence, who then heard a mental fragment from the depths of his consciousness: "Enemies... numerous valleys."

Although Lawrence had already anticipated this, the effect still surprised him.

Moreover, this effect might have been influenced by the bird's brain capacity, which couldn't express complex content like humans.

If it were a higher-level mammal, perhaps the message could have been more complex and precise.

This made Lawrence's heart warm up, and he became even more eager for the 'Aenius Avian Transformation Spell'.

"Baron Lawrence, this should make it more convenient for your battle." Veronica's beautiful eyes caught the flash of surprise in Lawrence's eyes, and she couldn't help but feel delighted.

The girl's deliberate display of wizardry didn't make Lawrence feel repulsed.

"It's indeed very useful." Lawrence smiled and nodded.

"Oh, Baron Lawrence, I also have a few Wizardry Scrolls here; do you want to take them with you?"

Hmm?

A few Wizardry Scrolls?

Lawrence looked at Veronica in surprise.

He hadn't expected that the girl before him was an inter-world 'White Wizard Apprentice'.

His two Wizardry Scrolls were treasures he had cherished until now, never using them.

But upon remembering that Veronica was a third-level Wizard Apprentice with a lineage, Lawrence understood.

A third-level Wizard Apprentice with a lineage would usually carry multiple Wizardry Scrolls when traveling, even some special wizardry tools, to significantly enhance their battle prowess.

Even an average Great Knight would not be a match for them.

However, Rain inadvertently caught a glimpse of Marika's slightly furrowed brows.

Rain immediately understood that these Wizardry Scrolls were probably given to Veronica by her mentor for self-defense.

It wouldn't be appropriate for him to take them.

Additionally, he was about to leave the group, and if Veronica and Marika were suddenly attacked by pirates or other forces in his absence, the overall combat strength would be greatly weakened.

After all, a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice with and without Wizardry Scrolls could be considered two entirely different levels of combat power.

With this elite group, Rain estimated that they could only defeat forty to fifty pirates. If the vice-captain of the Black Sails Pirates, Phil, was leading them, it might be beyond their capabilities.

So, Rain shook his head and politely declined, "Thank you, Miss Veronica, but for a small group of pirates, I think I won't need these precious Wizardry Scrolls. You should keep them for your own protection."

"Also, your spiritual imprint has already been a great help to me," Rain smiled at the girl.

"Rain, you're right. Veronica, you should keep it for your own safety. Master Aenius specifically instructed you to keep it with you," Marika added timely.

"Alright, then. I guess I'll keep it," Veronica reluctantly nodded, agreeing to their suggestion.

"Then I'll be on my way. Major Marika, please strengthen your vigilance. I should be back in about an hour," Rain said.

"Okay, Rain. Please be careful," Marika nodded.

"Rain, you can follow my White Seagull. The location of our target is where the White Seagulls are circling above," Rain instructed.

"Mhm."

Rain removed his luggage from the sturdy 'Black Pearl' and placed it on the cargo rack at the rear of the carriage. With a light leap, he controlled the 'Black Pearl' and swiftly followed the flight path of the White Seagulls, heading towards the first destination.

---

Near a road north of Fishing Harbor Town.

In a narrow, dense valley.

Several strongmen were polishing their weapons. They were the elite members of a small pirate gang—the Clark Pirate Gang.

"Hey, Blackbeard, those seagulls up there seem a bit odd," one of the men casually glanced up at the sun and noticed several seagulls circling above them.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Blackbeard, named for his dark beard, looked up curiously, and then his expression turned slightly serious as he nodded.

"They do seem strange. This isn't the seaside, and seagulls usually circle and fly around looking for food, like small fish or shrimp," Blackbeard explained, drawing from his extensive experience sailing the seas.

As the first mate of the Clark Pirate Gang, Blackbeard was highly experienced and quickly noticed something amiss.

"Damn, there's not a drop of water here, what the hell are these stupid birds looking for?" The scar-faced man who had initially asked the question spat out a piece of grass he was chewing.

But Blackbeard was still deep in thought about this matter.

When something unusual happens, there's bound to be a demon! He felt he should alert his brothers to be on guard.

"Scarface, let's be on alert," he said.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, the boatswain, Scarface, burst into laughter.

"It's just a few stupid birds, no need to be so serious," Scarface chuckled.

Blackbeard thought about it and agreed. After all, it was just a hunch, and they hadn't even seen a trace of the enemy. Being on high alert now might seem like an overreaction.

The main issue was that the pirates were a rowdy bunch, divided into various factions, and strength meant power. Although Blackbeard was slightly stronger than the others, he wasn't much more powerful than Scarface.

Additionally, these men were all seasoned pirates, a tough group to lead, and they were subtly divided into three factions.

At that moment, the sound of heavy hooves thundering in the distance reached their ears.

"Hey! We've got visitors!"

"Quick, brothers, get moving!"

The once relaxed, sunbathing pirates suddenly sprang into action, energized by the prospect of potential income.

Birds were one thing, but horses meant potential profit!

"Look! What a tall, black warhorse. It must be worth a lot," one of the pirates pointed at the swiftly running Rain.

"And the silver-colored armor, it's even more valuable!"

"The rider must be a Senior Knight, not an easy opponent."

"It's just one person, no problem!"

"Hmm? A tall, black warhorse? So fast! Is he heading towards us?"

"Prepare for battle!" Blackbeard shouted.

Rain, guided by the White Seagull, had already located the pirates' position.

He looked up and assessed the situation.

This group of pirates was slightly smaller in number, but they were more elite and seemed to have richer combat experience compared to the previous group.

However, in the face of absolute strength, the value of experience was diminished.

Rain, with the help of his horse's acceleration, leaped forward, his entire body like an arrow released from a bowstring, shooting towards the pirates.

From the pirates' perspective, they witnessed a fleeting shadow rushing towards them in an instant, appearing in front of the companions at the forefront.

Almost simultaneously, several shadows appeared!

"Bang bang bang!"

Upon contact, three of them instantly fell!

This caused the remaining Clark Pirates, including Black Beard and Scarface, to be terrified.

Damn it, where did this powerful individual come from?

It's likely even their leader isn't this strong.

Why are they targeting us?

Moreover, this narrow valley is an extremely hidden location. How were they exposed?

In an instant, a flash of insight crossed Black Beard's mind.

He understood.

It was those white seagulls!

But at that moment, he suddenly saw a fist shimmering with silver light appear in front of his abdomen.

"Bang!!!"

Black Beard's eyes bulged, almost popping out of their sockets, and a bump suddenly appeared on his back. The force of the fist struck him, lifting him half a meter off the ground.

The next second, he knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach.

Half a minute later, including Scarface, not a single pirate was left standing.

Following the old rules, Rain chose two of the stronger pirates and kept them alive for interrogation.

"Which pirate gang do you belong to?"

"The Clark Pirates."

"Where is your base or hideout located?"

"This..." Black Beard's eyes flickered as he hesitated whether to answer or keep this information to negotiate with the unfamiliar strong individual before him for his survival.

"Unfortunately, you made the wrong decision." Rain glanced at him, shook his head, punched him in the forehead, and turned to leave.

Scarface, seeing Rain approach, frantically waved his hands and said, "Wait, I'll tell you! Our base is on Ergas Island."

"Where is the base of the Church of the God of the Sea?"

"The Church of the God of the Sea? I truly don't know, maybe our leader knows."

"What about the bases of other pirate gangs?"

This was due to the seagulls' limited brain capacity, which couldn't distinguish between ten and twenty, so they used the term "numerous" for both.

A black-clothed individual?

This caught Rain off guard, as it was the first time he had received such 'accurate' information from the seagulls.

Rain's instincts became slightly more alert.

When Rain reached the vicinity of the fourth location, he saw a group of burly men dressed as pirates bidding farewell to a man in a black robe.

Obviously, the black-clothed individual from the seagull's mental fragment was this man in the black robe!

Rain immediately focused his attention on the man in the black robe.

Rain's attention was drawn to the man in black robes from the moment he saw him.

An instinctive sense of unease arose within him.

As the man in black raised his head, revealing a faint golden, hostile gaze, Rain's Danger Sense immediately kicked in, alerting him.

The intensity of this warning was akin to that of a Great Knight.

Rain's heart skipped a beat at this realization.

"Captain Jeff, it seems you've got a little trouble on your hands. Do you need me to take care of it for you?" The man in black spoke in a peculiar, heavy voice.

"If the messenger is interested, that would be best." A burly man named Jeff glanced at Rain, recognizing that Rain wasn't an easy opponent.

Dressed in knight plate armor, the horse beneath him seemed to be a heavy warhorse, indicating that he was a Senior Knight, perhaps even a Peak Knight.

Moreover, the man in black charged straight towards them, seemingly having spotted them early on.

At this point, several elite members of Jeff's Pirate Gang, each armed with weapons, surrounded them.

"Kid, you..." One of the burly men, holding a chain hammer, shouted at Rain.

"Bang!"

With just a single punch, Rain sent the burly man flying, his body folding over, hands and feet extending forward as he fell heavily to the ground, unable to utter another word.

In the next moment, shadows flickered, and several pirates, who had intended to sneak up on them, found themselves on the ground.

For a moment, the pirates were intimidated by Rain's aura, shrinking back in fear.

Rain's gaze remained fixed on the man in black, never wavering.

He knew that this was the real threat, not these 'minnows' before him.

Seeing his elite subordinates being taken out so quickly, Captain Jeff's face turned ashen. He intended to charge forward himself, but after assessing the situation, he abandoned the thought, realizing he had no chance of winning.

Meanwhile, the messenger beside him remained unmoved, and he dared not urge him.

"Hmm, so you're a Peak Knight. Interesting."

"Captain Jeff, it seems you should thank me. If it weren't for me being here, you'd all be..."

"Of course, Your Excellency, the Jeff Pirate Gang needs your help."

"Young man, you're quite capable. It seems your identity isn't as simple as it seems, but unfortunately, your life will be frozen here."

"Don't you think you're talking too much?" Rain replied without courtesy.

"I'm in a hurry."

Rain estimated the time; at this point, he should have already been on his way back.

But now, he was already three minutes late.

After all, punctuality was a good habit, and Rain always strived to be on time when conditions permitted.

Rain's words made the man in black twitch at the corner of his eye, clearly enraged.

"Whoosh!" The man in black moved with incredible speed, not a bit slower than Rain.

Facing a potential Great Knight-level opponent, Rain naturally didn't choose to use the Level 5 Kadhar Fist Technique, instead gripping the handle of the large hammer behind his back with his right hand.

However, strangely, when the man in black attacked, he didn't use any weapons, whether out of overconfidence or some other reason.

Heavy Hammer Strike!

Rain unleashed a swift hammer blow towards the man's head.

Facing Rain's triple effect strike of 'Lightweight Hammer', 'Multi-Shock', and 'Precision Lv3', the man in black didn't dodge but instead raised his hand to block.

"Clang!!!"

"Whoosh!"

The man's robe on his arm instantly split into four pieces, and to Rain's astonishment, the man's forearm was a giant, faintly golden pincer! The pincer's shell was inherently sturdy, and its surface seemed to have a layer of water-like, faint blue energy flowing over it, significantly weakening the multi-shock power of Rain's hammer.

The man's bizarre appearance, coupled with the pirates' respectful demeanor towards him, made three words flash into Rain's mind.

"The God of Sea Church?" Rain blurted out.

"Oh? You guessed right, but there's no reward for that."

"Clang! Clang!"

"Bang!"

As the fight progressed, the man's black robe tore more and more, revealing an increasing number of body parts.

Octopus-like, wriggling beard.

A lobster-like, blocky shell protecting his vital areas.

A fishy smell emanating from him during the fight.

The man's overall appearance was still humanoid, but his individual body parts were no longer human!

Rain had initially intended to deal with this small group of pirates and then search for the deputy leader of the Black Sails Pirate Fleet. He hadn't expected to encounter the God of Sea Church so soon.

But now, he was face-to-face with them!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end