Chapter 93: Pirate

Chapter 93: Pirate



Although the Lesser Mage's Hand had been successfully constructed, the wizard's free lessons were still worth attending.

After all, when explaining the Lesser Mage's Hand, it would inevitably involve the basic theoretical knowledge of various schools, such as Mechanics and Mysticism. This foundational knowledge was not only useful for the Lesser Mage's Hand but also beneficial for future cultivation of similar spells.

And who wouldn't want to take advantage of something free?

Time passed, and with the help of ample medicinal supplements, Karl's spiritual body and physical constitution were slowly improving. This visible, all-around enhancement had him fully engaged, and he rarely left the island unless it was for wizardry lessons that usually took place indoors.

As a result, the once-renowned Karl, who had gained some fame for saving his sister, was gradually being forgotten. The prominent figures in the Swamp Alliance were now those exceptionally talented High Wizard Apprentices.

People like Modality and Oma were the ones in the spotlight. Karl, with his average talent and limited future prospects, was easily overlooked. When mentioned, he was often described as a lucky Intermediate Wizard Apprentice who had obtained an island or as Siebel's junior brother.

On the other hand, Siebel, who frequently participated in tasks and had made several impressive performances, was gaining more and more recognition, especially since she was about to break through to become a High Wizard Apprentice.

In the Free Harbor, at the Apothecary, various herbs and materials were being carefully dissected, ground, and mixed, then poured into small potion bottles. The bottles were arranged neatly, either sent to the Merchant Guild or sold in the shop.

In the peaceful days, Aya, with her long hair tied up, busied herself with the tasks, her figure constantly moving in front of Karl. He lay in a rocking chair, his eyes seemingly closed, his expression relaxed, as he gazed out at the sky.

"Aya," he said, taking out a Premium Beast Pellet and putting it in his mouth, savoring it slowly. "We've been in the Free Harbor for over a year now, haven't we?"

Aya stopped what she was doing, her eyes looking distant. "It's been so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday that we left the Black City, and now it's been over a year?"

Karl let out a light sigh. "Time really flies. You've also grown up a bit; you should take some time to buy some nice clothes."

Aya's face turned red. In the Black City, going hungry was a normal occurrence, and her body had been undernourished. But now, with ample food and nutrition, her figure was gradually becoming more curvaceous.

"Okay," Aya said, her voice barely above a whisper, as she carefully asked, "Uncle, what color clothes do you think would look good on me?"

"Purple," Karl replied casually. "You can try it."

Aya blinked, thinking to herself. Karl took out another Beast Pellet, this one with a bright red color, and examined it for a moment before consuming it. This pellet was made from the flesh and blood of a Legendary Creature, something that even Grand Knights rarely had the chance to use for cultivation.

The Titan Breath Technique and the Forge Art burst forth, and Karl's body began to undergo a rapid transformation. His internal organs were like a starving beast, devouring the energy that poured in.

Aya, who was busy with her work, looked puzzled and fanned her face, wondering why it was so hot all of a sudden. Karl, now like a walking furnace, slowly opened his eyes and let out a breath, his energy condensing into a sword that shot out several meters before dissipating.

Just then, Jacqueline entered the shop, her figure blocking Karl's view of the sky. "Mr. Karl, Sir Asis wants to see you."

Asis, the son of Henry, one of the four elders of the Scythe Brotherhood, was a cunning but timid businessman. He had tried to recruit Karl when he first arrived in the Free Harbor but failed due to the unfulfilled promise of a Seal.

Now, in a wine tavern, Asis greeted Karl warmly. "This is a fine wine from the Western Dwarven District. With the current state of the trade routes, it's becoming increasingly rare."

Karl took a sip, feeling the spicy flavor and a slight intoxication. "Not bad."

Asis smiled. "Glad you like it. Try some of the dishes; the seafood here is the best in the entire region, thanks to our proximity to the Endless Sea."

"Welcome, welcome!" Asis greeted him warmly, introducing the various dishes and drinks on the table.

"Asis."

"We're old friends, no need for formalities," Karl said, waving him off.

"Well..." Asis paused, nodding, and sat down. "Karl, you must have heard. The Dragon King of the Dragon King Merchant Guild is dead. Have you considered moving to another place?"

"The Dragon King is dead?" Karl shook his head. "It's just a rumor."

"No," Asis said with a serious expression. "It's not a rumor. I've received confirmed news that Dragon King Zhaomuerman is indeed dead."

"The news came from the Dragon King Merchant Guild itself. Your guild might be in for some turmoil."

Such news would be tightly guarded, and if leaked by their own people, it's likely that internal instability has already begun.

"..." Karl pondered briefly, then shook his head with a light laugh. "It doesn't matter! I'm just a small-time alchemist. No matter who becomes the new leader, things won't change for me."

"Not necessarily!" Asis narrowed his eyes. "I remember you might have offended Jasper?"

"Someone as high up as him wouldn't remember me over a trivial matter." Karl smiled.

"Alas!" Asis sighed, as if remembering something, his expression turning unpleasant. "Sometimes, we shouldn't overestimate those who are above us. Their minds might be smaller than ordinary people's."

"You never know when you might offend them, and one day, it could become a fatal strike."

"Oh!" Karl raised an eyebrow. "Asis, you seem to have a lot on your mind. Have you been wronged?"

"It's not uncommon." Asis smiled bitterly. "I've had my fair share."

"Karl, the Dragon King Merchant Guild is about to face internal strife, and... other forces don't want to see a new Dragon King Merchant Guild. You can avoid a lot of trouble by leaving now. The Scythe Brotherhood is an option."

"Hmm..." Karl thought for a moment. "What can you offer me?"

He didn't mind leaving the Dragon King Merchant Guild. As Asis said, the guild was already in a big whirlpool, and an early departure could prevent a lot of trouble.

Of course, he also needed a good price.

"We can offer you the same conditions as the Dragon King Merchant Guild, plus an additional Shadow Walker Seal." Asis's face flashed with embarrassment as he said this. "This time, there won't be any mistakes!"

The Shadow Walker Seal? Karl shook his head slightly.

When he was first promoted to Knight, he needed a decent seal to improve his strength. But now, things were different.

Inheriting Adolf's legacy, Karl had more than enough means to deal with enemies, and he had so many Zero-Ring Spells that he didn't know which one to choose.

Moreover, he was already a Grand Knight. Even with the Shadow Walker Seal, the increase in strength would be minimal.

"Asis."

Raising his glass, Karl spoke softly, "You should know how well my crafted potions are doing in the market and the profits they generate each month."

"The Shadow Walker Seal..."

"If it's it's the Blood Blade, I might consider it."

"What are you talking about?" Asis exclaimed. "That's impossible!"

The Blood Blade was one of the most famous seals in the Scythe Brotherhood, and only a few existed. Even his father didn't have the qualifications to refine it.

This seal was considered a Supreme Seal, capable of allowing a Knight to surpass and defeat a Grand Knight.

"That's a shame."

Karl sighed and said, "Actually, I also have several potion formulas that can double the profits we're making now."

"Perhaps even more..."

He straightened his body and continued, "Asis, if the Scythe Brotherhood wants to recruit me, they should show more sincerity. I'm also looking for a suitable partner right now."

"Oh!" Asis frowned. "What kind of sincerity are you talking about?"

"The things I want." Karl spoke seriously. "Supreme Seals! Divine Coins! Legendary Creatures!"

"?"

Asis's expression turned rigid. "Karl, are you serious?"

There were only a few Supreme Seals in the entire Scythe Brotherhood, and even a Grand Knight might not be eligible for one.

As for Divine Coins...

He had lived for so many years and encountered countless precious items, but he had only seen Divine Coins when he was young.

Legendary Creatures?

Each one was worth hundreds of thousands of Divine Coins, and hunting them meant many people would lose their lives.

"I'm not joking."

Karl slowly shook his head, his expression calm. "Asis, what I can provide is not limited to the potions I sell. There's more..."

"You must be a Peak Knight now."

"Yes." Asis narrowed his eyes. "Although I'm a Peak Knight, I'm not good at fighting. My strength might even be inferior to some Knights."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever thought about becoming a Grand Knight one day?" Karl asked, his gaze fixed on Asis.

As he spoke, a powerful and imposing aura slowly emerged from his body.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and a flustered Lyon, sweating, rushed in, "Bad news! Someone is causing trouble at Karl's shop!"

"Oh no!"

Karl's eyebrows furrowed, and the aura around him instantly subsided. "I'll go and check it out."

Asis reached out to stop him, but before he could speak, Karl had already left the room.

"That aura just now..."

Watching Karl's departing figure, Asis was filled with doubt.

"A misperception?"

"It must be an illusion!"

Aya crouched low and darted forward.

Over the past year, she had not only learned the art of potion crafting from Karl but also mastered the Breath Technique.

With the assistance of Beast Pills, she had long since become a Knight Squire.

"Whoosh!"

A light tap of her foot, and her figure instantly moved several meters forward. The spot where her foot had just been now had several feathered arrows.

"Who shot those arrows?"

"Alive!"

From the pursuers, someone roared:

"Capture her alive, no matter what!"

"This girl knows how to craft potions; her price is higher than all of us combined. If she gets injured, we won't be able to report back."

The roar grew closer.

Aya's face darkened. As she rushed forward, she pulled out a potion from her waist and swallowed it, her speed suddenly surging.

A Light Spirit Potion!

A potion that could increase one’s speed, it was quite expensive, and she had been hesitant to use it.

"Sister Aya!"

At this moment, a call came from ahead. Lyon and a few burly men appeared at the end of the street, rushing towards her.

At the same time, they shouted loudly:

"Who are you? How dare you chase a potion crafter of the Dragon King Merchant Guild?"

Lyon was no longer the scrawny boy of the past. He was now a Peak Knight Squire with a Seal.

The few men beside him were former Black City escapees, many of whom had received Aya's assistance.

Seeing Aya being chased, their anger surged.

"Retreat!"

The pursuers, seeing the situation was hopeless, decisively retreated. However, their cold gazes made it clear that this matter was far from over.

"Sister Aya!"

"Phew..." Aya panted heavily, waving her hand:

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Let's go to Sister Susan's shop first. Something seems off. These people don't seem to fear the Dragon King Merchant Guild."

"Right." Lyon nodded urgently:

"Let's find Sister Susan first."

The group hurried to the shop located at the heart of the Herb Market. By this time, quite a number of people had gathered here.

The crowd’s faces were panicked, whispering among themselves.

Susan was surrounded by the crowd, constantly comforting others, so much so that she didn’t even notice them.

"Sister Aya."

Lyon whispered:

"It seems you’re not the only one under attack. This is a well-planned and premeditated operation."

"Who could it be?"

Anyone bold enough to attack the Dragon King Merchant Guild, and powerful enough to do so, in the entire Free Harbor, there were only two such entities.

The key question was,

why?

The Dragon King Merchant Guild was not weak. Even if the other two guilds joined forces, they might not easily take it down.

Even if they did, it would be a loss.

Unless...

"There's a problem within the guild!"

Aya's thoughts raced, and she said:

"It seems the rumors are true. Dragon King Zhaomuerman is already dead. Miss Lula is too young, and the two Vice Presidents are at odds with each other."

All of a sudden, the rumors in the market, Karl’s vague words, and the cautious hints all made sense.

At this moment.

"Bang!"

A loud noise came from outside the door.

"Listen up, people of the Dragon King Merchant Guild. Don’t think that just because you are many, you can avoid paying your debts."

The roar was like thunder.

It was as if a thunderclap exploded in their ears, causing everyone's faces to turn white, and some even collapsed directly to the ground.

"Two years ago, you owed me two hundred thousand Serenity Coins, and you have been dragging your feet on repayment. Just how long do you plan to keep delaying?"

"Susan!"

"Come out here!"

The huge roar shook the entire shop, causing dust to fall, and it also ignited the crowd's anger.

"Who?"

"What a bold move!"

"To dare cause trouble at the Dragon King Merchant Guild's shop!"

"Attack!"

The crowd rushed out of the shop, and the outermost group had already begun to attack, using fists, feet, and weapons.

Alas.

"Crack!"

"Bang!"

With a series of dull sounds, the space in front of the shop suddenly cleared. One after another, those who rushed up were sent flying back.

Among them were even two Knights.

Those who were sent flying back either had minor injuries or fell to the ground, spitting out blood, with broken bones.

"Hisss..."

Someone drew in a breath of cold air:

"It's Sea Serpent Devitt. I didn't expect him to actually come ashore and dare to provoke the Dragon King Merchant Guild?"

The man standing outside the door was over two meters tall, with clearly defined muscle lines. His upper body, which was exposed, bore numerous scars, and his messy hair added a sense of wildness.

On his back, he carried a peculiarly shaped blade, resembling the teeth of some wild beast.

Even though he was alone, he faced the surrounding crowd without the slightest fear, even with a hint of disdain.

Sea Serpent Devitt!

A notorious pirate!

He survived by plundering merchant ships in the Endless Sea, and his pirate ship, the Gigasail, was the bane of many fishermen.

Countless people had died at his hands.

Such a person,

in the Free Harbor, should be universally condemned. Yet, he not only dared to show his face but also to provoke the Dragon King Merchant Guild.

"Devitt!"

Susan parted the crowd, her eyes cold:

"I see you have truly grown tired of living, daring to cause trouble for our Dragon King Merchant Guild!"

"Let's settle this."

Devitt smirked:

"Two years ago, you asked me to deal with a cargo ship of the Sea God Guild. I did it, but you refused to pay."

"This is two hundred thousand Serenity Coins..."

"Since you won't pay, I guess I'll have to take it myself."

"Rustle..."

The crowd was in an uproar.

This was the Herb Market, densely populated.

With someone provoking the Dragon King Merchant Guild shop, the surrounding area was already swarming with onlookers, who began to whisper among themselves.

The long-standing tensions between the three major powers were common knowledge, but no one dared to openly confront them.

No one suspected Sea Serpent Devitt of lying; with his status and actions, there was no need for deception.

"Nonsense!"

Susan's face paled, and she angrily exclaimed, "There's no way that's true!"

"You say it's not true?" Devitt's eyes narrowed. "Two hundred thousand Serenity Coins is no small sum. If you can't repay it within two years, doubling the amount with interest shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Since your guild isn't willing to pay, we'll take this shop and everyone in it as compensation."

"You..." He pointed at Susan, a sinister smile on his face. "You have a good figure. You can warm my bed."

Devitt had spent half his life as a sailor, living a carefree life, but he had also had enough of those days.

Who wouldn't want good food, a comfortable home, and enjoyable pastimes?

Now that someone was offering him this opportunity to settle down in Free Harbor with a legitimate excuse, he readily agreed.

"Nonsense!" Susan shouted in anger. "Go to hell!"

Swish! A scimitar sliced through the air, heading straight for Devitt.

"Good!" Devitt's eyes narrowed, a cruel smile on his face. "That's more like it. A woman like this will be even more fun in bed."

"Stop!"

He raised his hand and clenched his fist, striking at the incoming scimitar. The flesh and blood of his arm managed to knock the scimitar away.

Susan's face paled, and her body, uncontrollably losing balance, watched helplessly as Devitt reached out to grab her.

"Hold it!"

A man burst through the crowd, holding a trident that he shook lightly, then swiftly thrust forward with lightning speed.

The piercing sound of the scimitar slicing through the air made everyone's scalp tingle.

Peak Knight!

As the main shop of the Dragon King Merchant Guild in Herb Market, a Peak Knight was always stationed here.

"Hmm?"

Devitt's eyes flickered, and he pushed Susan away with a wave of his hand. His shoulder trembled, and the scimitar behind him flew out on its own.

"Interesting."

"I'll play along!"

"Stop!"

The scimitar was gently positioned horizontally, blocking the trident.

The Peak Knight of the Dragon King Merchant Guild's expression changed, and he swiftly turned, his trident flashing as countless trident shadows filled the air.

But the next moment, a strangely shaped scimitar effortlessly sliced through the trident shadows, as if it were in an empty space, and struck the Peak Knight's chest.

"Puff!"

The Peak Knight of the Dragon King Merchant Guild coughed up blood and staggered backward. Before he could stabilize his breath, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and his vision uncontrollably shifted to a headless corpse in front of him.

A headless corpse? Who was it?

It was me...

Realization dawned, and his consciousness slipped into endless darkness.

"Hmph..."

Devitt shook his head in disdain. "So weak!"

"It seems the Dragon King Merchant Guild has no one left. In that case, I might as well take over this shop."

He took a step forward as he spoke.

"What?"

Devitt raised his eyebrows as he looked at the crowd in front of the shop. "Any objections?"

Susan's face turned pale, and the others even stepped back to avoid his gaze, slowly retreating.

"That's more like it!"

Satisfied with the crowd's reaction, Devitt nodded and took a step forward. "From now on, you all belong to me. First, bring out everything inside the shop and let me have a look."

He pointed at Susan again. "You!"

"Prepare some snacks and drinks for me."

"..." Susan's face was rigid, her teeth clenched, and her hand gripping the scimitar was tense with bulging veins.

"Hmm?"

Devitt's expression darkened, and he waved his hand, slapping her. "Stupid bitch, what's that attitude?"

"Slap!"

Susan staggered back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Sister Susan!"

"Uncle Karl!"

Seeing the newcomer, Aya's face lit up with joy, while Susan's expression flickered and then darkened again.

"Another one?" Sea Serpent Devitt smirked. "Here to die?"

"To die?" Karl frowned, unsure of what had happened, but his mind quickly pieced together the situation.

"No!"

"I've come to deliver a gift, a gift for a future business partner." He smiled. "Your head seems like the perfect fit."

"Hmm?" Sea Serpent Devitt's expression darkened. "Looking for death!"

Swish! The strangely shaped scimitar suddenly flashed, instantly crossing the nearly ten-foot distance, its blade pressing against Karl's neck.

"Stop!"

A collision sounded.

A broadsword blocked the scimitar.

"Boom!"

Two terrifying auras erupted.

"Grand Knight!"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end