Chapter 206: A Man in Black

Chapter 206: A Man in Black



Suddenly, the people around them exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond to Baron Ren's statement.

Should they call him a braggart? Or question his ability? But the recent battle had already proven Ren's strength.

He wasn't boasting!

"Alright, since Baron Ren is willing to take on this task without complaint, we'll wait for you here," Marika couldn't find any reason to refuse Ren's request.

After all, Ren had volunteered to handle these pirates single-handedly. Could there be a better teammate than that?

The crowd around them, including Marika and Veronica, were quite impressed by Ren's 'uncomplaining' attitude.

This wasn't Marika's first time working with a young and skilled individual on a mission.

Blackbeard, as the first mate of the Clark Pirate Fleet, had extensive experience in sea voyages, so he quickly noticed something amiss.

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"Captain Jeff, it seems we have a little trouble coming our way. Do you need me to take care of it?" The man in black spoke in a peculiar and heavy voice.

The danger sense immediately alerted Ren.

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

Ren understood; the magic scrolls were probably given to Veronica by her mentor for self-defense.

[You have gained 42 experience points from the battle with the Knight (Superhuman).]



It was those White Gulls!

This made Ren's heart race, and he became even more eager to learn the 'Einyus Bird Transformation Spell.'

A man in black?

"Bang!!!" Blackbeard's eyes bulged, almost popping out of their sockets. His back arched, and he was lifted half a meter off the ground by the impact of the punch.

The nearby cavalrymen also exchanged glances, clearly surprised.

"Where is your base or, should I say, your nest?"

With that question, the man's intentions became less straightforward.

Facing Ren's triple-effect strike with 'Lightness of Lifting', 'Multi-Oscillation', and 'Precision Level 3', the man didn't dodge but instead raised his hand to block it directly.

From the pirates' perspective, they saw a residual image rushing towards them in an instant, appearing in front of the foremost pirates.

"Rest assured, Baron Ren, this won't cause you any trouble, nor will it interfere with your battle. It's more like... how should I put it... it allows you to perceive the specific psychic wave of the White Gulls."

A horse meant potential income! "Look! A tall black warhorse, it must be valuable!" An old hand pointed at the swiftly running Ren.

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

Ren had already anticipated this, but the result still surprised him.

Additionally, there was another benefit: Veronica could use the White Gulls to roughly track Ren's progress, which would also inform Marika and the others of his whereabouts.

"Alright, Baron Ren, please be careful," Marika nodded.

Hmm? Several magic scrolls?

"That... I'm not sure."

For the White Gulls, they couldn't differentiate between a dozen and twenty, so they referred to them collectively as 'numerous' due to brain capacity limitations.

With Ren's mental energy, he could clearly sense an external interface within his psychic sea.

He had a hunch that the man wasn't ordinary.

Marika noticed Veronica's dazed expression and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with Baron Ren?"

It was a close call for Ren! Before his smile could fully bloom, having just said goodbye, Ren suddenly lashed out with a lightning-fast punch and leaped onto the Black Pearl.

Ren had been wary of the man in black from the start.

"Also, your psychic imprint has been a great help to me," Ren smiled at the girl.

But it was already three minutes too late.

Third-level wizard apprentices with ancient heritage usually carried multiple magic scrolls and even some special wizardry items when traveling, which could significantly enhance their combat power.

"Battle stations!" Blackbeard shouted.

He never expected the girl before him to be the 'Foreign World' version of a 'White Beauty.'

This made Ren hesitate.

The figure flickered, and in an instant, several pirates who were about to launch a sneak attack found themselves on the ground.

"Hmm, a Grand Knight, interesting."

This caused Ren to feel a slight chill.

Almost simultaneously, multiple residual images appeared! "Bang, bang, bang!"

"Quick, brothers, let's move!"

"Baron Ren is right. Veronica, you should keep it for self-defense. After all, Master Einyus specifically instructed you to stay by my side."

"Marika spoke up at the right moment.

It was clearly inappropriate for her to take it herself.

The beautiful girl's twin tails bounced as she approached Ren, saying, "Sir Ren, I can cast a Psychic Mark on you, which will allow you to access the Psychic Fragments observed by the White Seagull."

Ren nodded slightly, noticing that Kadar Martial Arts had reached level 5 (325/2000), one-seventh of the progress.

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

"Unfortunately, you made the wrong decision." Ren glanced at her, shook his head, and struck her forehead with an iron fist before turning to leave.

As Ren rode his horse to the fourth checkpoint, he spotted a group of burly men dressed as pirates bidding farewell to a man in a black cloak.

Some exceptionally talented young men, though not as arrogant as those with their noses in the air, still had a bit of an air of superiority. At the very least, they needed to show off a bit. Some lackeys weren't interested in fighting, and some even made a show of being the last to leave.

"Then I'll be off, Major Marika. You should strengthen your alertness. I should be back in about an hour."

Indeed, even a mosquito's leg is still meat! This made him look forward to the next group of pirates, hoping they would be even stronger.

The main reason was that the pirates were naturally unruly, with their own factions, and only the strong had a say. These dozen or so elite pirates were slightly stronger than him, but not by much compared to Scar.

"Clang!!!"

It was as if a radio from his past life had tuned into a specific channel to receive a certain wavelength; otherwise, it would just be static noise.

The sleeves of the man's robe suddenly tore into four pieces, and to Ren's astonishment, his forearm was a giant pale golden claw! This giant claw's shell should have been extremely sturdy, and on its surface seemed to be a layer of pale blue energy flowing like a watery membrane, significantly weakening the force of Ren's Multi-Oscillation Strike.

Seeing Ren approaching, the man frantically waved his hands:

Suddenly, the distant sound of dull hoofbeats could be heard.

A White Seagull descended quickly, circled around Veronica, and then flew off again.

Ren stared at the man in the black cloak, slowly approaching on his warhorse.

Something's fishy! He felt like he should alert his brothers to be on guard.

The intensity of this premonition was almost like that of a Grand Knight.

"Okay, fine!" Seeing that both of them insisted, Veronica could only nod and reluctantly agree.

"What about the other pirate bases?"

Facing a possible Grand Knight-level expert, Ren naturally wouldn't continue to choose Kadar Martial Arts at level 5 to fight. Instead, he gripped the handle of the double-handed hammer on his back with his right hand.

"Of course, Messenger, Captain Jeff's pirate group needs your help."

Moreover, the man charged straight towards them, as if he had discovered them long ago.

Additionally, this effect might have been influenced by the limited brain capacity of birds, making it difficult to express complex content like humans.

"The opponent is probably a seasoned Knight and won't be easy to deal with."

"Sir Ren barely stopped and is already heading to the fourth checkpoint. At his speed, he'll probably finish the whole circuit in fifty minutes at most."

"Captain Jeff, it seems like you should thank me. If I hadn't been here, your..."

Ren delivered a swift hammer strike towards the man's head.

"Such exaggerated strength is indeed worthy of being the first in the Minster Province's Ennoblement Examination this year!" The girl's twin tails bounced as she turned to Marika and spoke.

Blackbeard, upon seeing Ren riding Black Pearl and charging towards them, suddenly had a thought flash through his mind—the opponent seemed to be targeting them.

"Clang, clang!"

It seemed like this mission was just a walk in the park for them. At that moment, a White Seagull flew down from the sky and circled around Ren.

Ren's heart became slightly more alert.

"Scar, tell the brothers to be on guard!"

Special Task Force Wagon.

"Damn it, there's not a drop of water here. These stupid birds are searching for something," Scar spat out, spitting out the grass root in his mouth.

Then, a sound like a watermelon being smashed by a stick echoed! As Ren controlled his horse forward, he glanced at the system prompt:

"The Sea God Sect?" Ren exclaimed.

When the man looked up, his pale golden eyes, filled with hostility, were revealed.

Seeing that most of his elite subordinates had been taken out so quickly, Captain Jeff's face turned ashen. He intended to charge forward himself, but he gave up the idea as he realized he had no chance of winning.

Ren took his luggage off the sturdy 'Black Pearl' and placed it on the cargo rack at the back of the wagon. With a light leap, he controlled 'Black Pearl' to follow the flying direction of the White Seagulls, quickly heading towards the first location—near a road north of Fishing Harbor Town.

Accessing the Psychic Fragments of the White Seagull...

In a narrow and dense valley, a group of pirates were gathered.

A White Seagull, responsible for uninterrupted information relay, arrived.

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

"No trouble. Lord Ren, please don't resist."

With this elite squad, Ren estimated that they could defeat around forty to fifty pirates. If the Black Sail Pirates' Vice-Captain Phil were leading them, it would be a different story.

Ren, having received the White Seagull's information, had already located this group.

"Bang!"

"Hey! We've got visitors!"

For a moment, the pirates were intimidated by Ren's aura and dared not approach.

Scarface's face lit up with joy.

However, strangely, when the opponent attacked, they didn't use any weapons. It was unclear if they were overconfident or had other reasons. Heavy Hammer Strike!

"Hmm? Such a tall and fast black warhorse? They're coming straight at us?"

At that moment, a White Seagull summoned by Veronica descended, circling around Ren, who then heard a psychic fragment in his mind: "Enemies. Numerous. Valley."

Ren glanced at Veronica in surprise.

His gaze remained fixed on the black-robed man, unmoving.

See you again? I survived?

Birds were one thing, but horses were another.

The old-timers, who had been basking in the sun, suddenly became energized and quickly sprang into action.

With the help of the White Seagull, their journey was even faster.

Furthermore, this group was divided into three factions, making it challenging to lead.

The black-robed man in front of them was the very black-clad individual mentioned in the psychic fragment!

Noticing Ren's hesitation, the girl quickly explained:

Ren, utilizing the horse's acceleration, leaped forward, his entire body like an arrow released from a bow, heading straight for the pirates.

Unlike Ren, who left them waiting while he dealt with the pirates.

"Bang!"

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

"Whoosh!" The man charged at Ren with a speed that rivaled his own.

At that moment, dozens of elite pirates from the Jeff Pirate Group, armed with weapons, surrounded them.

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

The messenger, however, remained motionless, and he dared not rush him.

"It is strange indeed. This isn't the seaside. Seagulls usually circle and fly in search of food like small fish and shrimp."

Veronica's psychic mark was a specific channel receiver, and the psychic fragment from the White Seagull was a particular wavelength.

The second point was extracted in fifteen minutes, and the third point in twenty-eight minutes. Kadar Martial Arts reached level 5 (587/2000), surpassing a quarter of the progress, with only the last point remaining.

He knew that this was the opponent he should focus on, not these 'minnows' before him.

Ren immediately shifted his attention to the black-robed man.

"Hey, Blackbeard, those seagulls up there look a bit odd," said a subordinate, who glanced at the sun and noticed several seagulls flying above them.

The black-robed man was a robust male, wearing a hooded robe, with his hands crossed inside the sleeves, seemingly hiding something, making the sleeves bulge.

"Where's the Sea God Sect's base?"

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

Following the old rules, Ren chose two relatively strong pirates, keeping them alive for interrogation.

Ren quickly understood their message: "Enemies. Numerous. One Black-Clad Man."

"Sea God Sect? I truly don't know. Perhaps our captain knows."

Ren shook his head and politely declined, "Thank you, Miss Veronica, but for a small group of pirates, I think I won't need this precious spell. You should keep it for your protection."

"What's there to fear from just one person?"

"Shiny silver armor is good too, seems like advanced knight plate armor!"

After some thought, Ren nodded, "Alright then, I'll trouble you, Miss Veronica."

Ren didn't think it was too important.

This black-clad man seemed rather special.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Blackbeard, a burly man, looked up with a hint of suspicion, then nodded with a serious expression.

"No, no, our base is on Ergas Island."

"It's not that, but it's too smooth."

With just one punch, Ren struck the burly man, folding him in half, his limbs straightened out, and he fell heavily to the ground, unable to speak again.

"Just because of a few birds?"

"Hmm."

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

[Your Tokadal Punch Art has improved. Experience +587]



"Hmm, see you!"

If it were a higher-level mammal, perhaps the information conveyed would be more complex and precise.

Ren tried his best to be punctual, a good habit he cultivated whenever possible. Although he didn't understand why Veronica was so insistent, he pondered for a moment and concluded that she likely had no ill intentions or ulterior motives.

The strange appearance of the black-cloaked man and the respectful manner of the surrounding pirates toward him caused a thought to flash through Ren's mind.

The scarred sailor, accustomed to interrogating prisoners without giving them time to think, was startled by Ren's quick decision-making.

In an instant, three pirates fell to the ground! This terrified the remaining members of the Clark Pirate Fleet, including the black-bearded man and the scarred sailor. Where did this powerful individual come from? Even their leader might not be this strong. Why were they singled out? And how did they expose their position in this hidden narrow valley? A realization flashed through the black-bearded man's mind.

Half a minute later, not a single pirate, including the scarred sailor, remained standing.

After all, a Level 3 Apprentice Wizard with three Magic Scrolls was a force to be reckoned with.

"This..." The black-bearded man's eyes flickered with hesitation. Should he reveal this information or use it as leverage to negotiate for his survival, considered his options.

Ren was taken aback by this accurate information from the White Seagull, as it was the first time he had received such precise intelligence.

He looked up and said, "Of course. Thank you for your assistance, Miss Veronica."

The black-bearded man, realizing that it was just a premonition and that they hadn't even seen their enemy, decided that raising an alert might be an overreaction.

"Young man, you have impressive strength. Your identity seems far from ordinary, but unfortunately, your life will end here."

"Don't you think you're talking too much?" Ren replied bluntly.

The black-cloaked man wore a Knight's Plate Armor and rode a heavy warhorse, indicating he was a seasoned Knight, possibly even a Grand Knight.

Ren was also concerned about leaving his group unattended. What if Veronica and Marika encountered a sudden attack from pirates or other forces? It would significantly weaken their overall combat strength.

Ren's words caused the black-cloaked man's eyes to twitch in anger.

"I'm in a hurry."

"The Clark Pirate Fleet."

"By the way, Lord Ren, I have a few more Magic Scrolls. Would you like to take them as well?"

Ren understood the principle, similar to a specific signal receiver.

But before he could finish his sentence, the scarred sailor laughed dismissively.

"Kid," a burly man with a chain hammer in hand scolded Ren.

Suddenly, a silver-glowing iron fist appeared in the burly man's abdomen.

"Which pirate fleet are you from?"

"Lord Ren, follow my White Seagull. The location of the enemy is where you see my White Seagull circling above."

About a dozen burly men were polishing their weapons. They were the elite members of the small Clark Pirate Fleet.

However, Ren caught a glimpse of Marika slightly frowning beside him.

The black-bearded man was still deep in thought about this matter.

"Sure. It would be best if the messenger could do so," said a burly man named Jeff, who knew that Ren was not an easy opponent.

Ren didn't mind the girl's deliberate display of magic.

However, in the face of absolute power, experience played a lesser role.

Read the uncensored version on 69shu! 6=9+shu_ba first release.

"Whoosh!"

"Lord Ren, let my White Seagull guide you. This way, you can quickly understand and reach the enemy's position."

Ren had treasured his two Magic Scrolls and hadn't used them yet. But upon realizing that Veronica was a Level 3 Apprentice Wizard with a heritage, he understood.

"Lord Ren, this way, it will be more convenient for you to fight." Marika noticed a flash of surprise in Ren's eyes and said happily.

"By the way, I almost forgot. Lord Ren, you're also an Apprentice Wizard. I have a better way."

Marika took out a half-meter-long wooden stick from her robe's sleeve, muttered a spell, and gently tapped Ren's forehead with it.

As the battle between Ren and the black-cloaked man progressed, the latter's black robe tore, revealing more and more of his body.

The man's octopus-like beard and lobster-like shell armor covering his vital areas emitted a sea smell. His overall silhouette was human-like, but many parts were non-human!

Ren had only intended to eliminate this small group of pirates at the four points, and then search for the Black Sail Pirate Fleet leader. He hadn't expected to engage with the Poseidon Sect so soon!

But now, he was in direct combat with the Poseidon Sect!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end