Chapter 458, God's Perspective
A decapitation injury counts as critical organ damage, rendering resurrection spells ineffective.
Now, the spirit directly exited the body.
High-level professionals are becoming increasingly difficult to kill.
"Can he be devoured?" Wu Heng asked softly.
The two spirits exchanged glances.
Glenda said, "Not sure. My level is about the same as his, but his abilities might surpass mine significantly."
Seeing that even Glenda was uncertain,
Xiaoxiao also shook her head.
Wu Heng looked at the restless, loudly cursing spirit still crashing around inside the bone cage.
Having his spirits devour him now seemed risky.
He also doubted whether the spirit's refusal to flee was a ploy to lure his spirits into attacking.
A trap for him.
"Wu Heng, what can you do to me? Level 18 is a height you'll never reach. I'll haunt you forever, and when you die and turn into a spirit, I'll devour you piece by piece," Occam shouted from inside the cage, venting his fury.
"We… we're necromancers, servants of the King of Hell. Why would we fear an ugly thing like you?" Xiaoxiao shouted, pointing at him, before shrinking back behind Wu Heng.
"Ha! You even keep such a tiny spirit as a servant. Wu Heng, we're the same type of person—ruthless and unscrupulous. Don't pretend you're any better," Occam continued loudly.
"What should we do?" Glenda asked.
"Don't devour him yet. Save him for ritual materials later," Wu Heng said decisively.
Hearing this, Occam's cursing inside the cage abruptly stopped. He looked over with unease.
Wu Heng rummaged through his space ring.
He pulled out a pottery vessel shaped like a jar.
[Soul Vessel]
(Description: A container for storing and imprisoning souls.)
This item was obtained in Rentam City after killing a necromancer.
It seemed useful now.
Under Occam's astonished gaze, Wu Heng walked to the bone cage.
The bone bars automatically widened, allowing Wu Heng to place the vessel inside.
Then, the bone cage began to compress around the soul vessel, forcing Occam toward it.
"Wu Heng, we can talk about this."
"We're only enemies due to our factions. There's no deep personal hatred between us."
"Give me a chance, and I can help you secure a Steward position."
Occam's voice grew louder and more urgent. "Wu Heng, let's talk. I can help you gain merit for killing your spy."
"No, you can't do this! Wu Heng, don't be so ruthless!"
Occam screamed in anguish as his body was pulled and stretched, finally sucked into the soul vessel.
The bone cage vanished, and Wu Heng sealed the vessel with a wooden stopper.
"Wow, it's like the Golden Horn King's gourd," Xiaoxiao exclaimed.
Wu Heng was about to tease Xiaoxiao when he suddenly felt a watchful gaze from behind.
Whipping around, he saw Occam's severed head.
Its eyes were staring curiously in his direction.
Damn!
Wu Heng's heart tightened.
He took another step back, raising his gun to aim forward.
The skeletons immediately shielded Wu Heng.
"Occam truly was useless, failing even now," the corpse spoke weakly.
"Why not show yourself in person?" Wu Heng asked, staring at the head.
He could clearly sense some magic establishing a connection with the head.
It wasn't Occam but someone else.
This method was even darker than his own necromantic skills.
The head's eyes remained fixed on him. "The guild has nurtured someone like you? Truly unexpected and quite interesting!"
Wu Heng asked, "Do you have something to say?"
The head smiled eerily. "I just wanted to see who managed to kill Occam."
"To avenge him?"
"Dead is dead," the head replied.
Wu Heng said, "Care to give me your name? Or are you too cowardly to even do that?"
"Heh, remembering you is enough for me."
The head extended its tongue as if to bite down.
Wu Heng, already prepared, pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet pierced through the skull's brow, sending it rolling into the distance.
The skeletons quickly retrieved it and kicked it back.
Its tongue was still intact, though deeply indented with teeth marks.
The head reverted to being a corpse, its eyes cloudy.
The magical connection had vanished.
Glenda spoke gravely, "What was that?"
"It seems someone else is involved in this pirate affair. We should inform the Steward," Wu Heng said, firing another shot at the head for good measure.
"That was scary. Was it watching us the whole time?" Xiaoxiao asked, hiding behind him.
"Don't worry. If they don't dare show themselves, they're even more afraid of us," Wu Heng reassured, tossing the head back to the corpse.
"True!" Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Wu Heng removed the space ring from the corpse, instructing, "Strip him of everything."
The skeletons approached and began stripping the body of its clothing.
Wrapping it in a straw mat, Wu Heng stored the body, clothes, and equipment in his space ring.
He planned to examine everything thoroughly later.
"Xiaoxiao, stay with me for protection. Glenda, check the Island Lord's manor for a treasure vault or anything valuable. Avoid Imiro; we don't want him catching wind of this." Wu Heng directed.
Glenda nodded and flew toward the manor.
...…
Returning to the alley checkpoint.
"Orin!"
The dwarf captain quickly ran over. "Here, Deputy Steward."
"Occam is dead. Arrange for the news to be spread to boost morale," Wu Heng instructed directly.
Orin's eyes narrowed; the pirate leader was dead.
A smile appeared on his face. "Understood, I'll have it spread immediately."
After speaking, he turned and ran back to the team, giving his orders.
Squad members ran off in different directions.
They shouted, "Occam is dead! The pirate leader has been killed by Deputy Steward Wu Heng!"
...…
Occam is dead?
Merchant guild representatives came out from their hiding places, watching the squad members running and loudly repeating the message.
The Island Lord, who had deceived them out of most of their forces and mobilized all the pirates.
He was actually killed by that Deputy Steward.
"Did Imiro come? Occam was level 18; who else could have killed him but Imiro?"
"Didn't they just say Wu Heng did it? That Deputy Steward!"
"The Deputy Steward is only around level 12. How is that possible?"
"Well, the guild wouldn't lie about this. Dead is dead; does it matter who killed him?"
"True."
"This night might have wiped out nearly all the pirates in Emerald Sea."
"Good news for us! Our merchant ships can trade more freely and earn more money now."
"Exactly. A new era of maritime trade begins!"
Relieved that they would no longer be kidnapped by pirates and their families spared,
they gathered to discuss maritime trade.
This battle likely eliminated 80% of the pirates in Emerald Sea.
It essentially cleared the entire sea.
...…
Near the armored vehicles.
The shelling had stopped, and the air was thick with acrid smoke.
Shanaila stood off to one side, the breeze lifting her hair as she watched guild members running by, a smile on her lips.
At the same time, she felt a small sense of relief.
"I knew you wouldn't lose!"
Occam's death marked the complete end of the pirate era.
And Gold-Silver Island was on the brink of a new age.
More merchant guilds, larger trade markets, and a more prosperous island.
Soon, Gold-Silver Island would truly live up to its name.
A hub of wealth.
Next came the selection of a new Island Lord.
Merchant guild representatives, having participated in the battle, would have some say in the matter.
They had also witnessed the power of these machines and the skeleton army.
With such strength, and as the savior of these people,
"Can he win them over?"
"Besides, if he takes the lead, it might not leave the best impression."
"I'll handle it instead."
Shanaila glanced behind her, murmuring softly.
Her maid merely glanced at her in response, remaining quietly by her side.
...…
The shelling had ceased.
Large numbers of skeletons stood along the coast, shooting at pirates in the water, frantically trying to flee.
The machine guns were incredibly powerful, with rapid fire rates, proving devastating against the ships of this world.
However, the ammunition problem remained unresolved.
The military warehouses seized in An Hui City couldn't be entirely used here.
Wu Heng walked to the harbor.
After the bombardment, the scene before him was horrifying.
The ground was riddled with craters, the sea littered with shattered planks and corpses, ships half-sunken and billowing black smoke.
In the distance, pirates clung to planks, swimming toward safety, while some fast boats tried to flee the area.
Wu Heng glanced over, then pulled out the "Spine Staff" and cast [Battlefield of the Dead].
On the shore and in the sea, skeletons emerged, their eye sockets glowing eerie blue flames.
Wu Heng pointed toward the sea. "Sink all the ships. Kill every pirate."
Whoosh!
Skeletons on the shore dove into the water.
The sea churned as countless skeletons swarmed toward the fleeing pirates.
Hunting down the remaining pirates.
...…
On a slowly sinking ship.
A few pirates leaned against the helm's cabin, shouting, "Philipa, you're crazy! The ship's sinking, and you're wasting time here. We'll all get killed by those skeletons once we're in the water!"
Across from them, Philipa held a rifle, crouched behind the mast, spitting in their direction. "Who told you to bully me? No one gets to treat me that way!"
"Ma'am, please! That was the captain's orders. What does it have to do with us? You've nearly wiped out the whole crew!"
Philipa's rampage on the ship had caused the leading vessels to halt in place.
Those that had sailed ahead were mostly sunk.
The ship under her feet groaned as it slowly sank.
Philipa replied, "If I can't find him, you'll do as substitutes!"
"We were wrong! Let's escape already!"
"With attitudes like yours, how did you even become pirates?"
The pirates exchanged glances and fell silent.
Suddenly, the ship rocked violently.
Everyone staggered.
The pirates quickly split into two groups, flanking Philipa.
Hearing footsteps, Philipa raised her rifle and fired.
Bang bang bang!
Bullets struck one group, dropping several pirates in agony.
Meanwhile, the other group charged closer.
Philipa slung her rifle behind her and drew twin blades. In an instant, her figure split into four, charging toward the pirates.
The pirates hesitated briefly before attacking the illusions.
One by one, the phantoms shattered.
"They're all fakes!"
Looking up again, they saw Philipa retreating, raising her rifle.
Bang bang bang!
Gunfire echoed, and several figures fell.
"Hah! Is that all you've got? And you want to take on me?" Philipa scoffed.
She turned her attention back to the sea, frowning.
Her ship was nowhere to be seen.
The ship she stood on had sunk to just the deck.
"Do these skeletons know me? They'd better not kill me too," Philipa muttered.
Whoosh.
The sound of something cutting through the air caught her attention.
Philipa spun around to see a woman with white feathered wings descending from the sky.
After studying the figure,
"Sheila Grey?"
Philipa had encountered Sheila Grey before; this golden-haired Deputy Steward from the guild left a deep impression.
Sheila Grey had been drawn by the gunfire.
After all, such weapons were unique to Wu Heng's forces.
She glanced at Philipa's gun and asked, "What's your name?"
"Philipa! I'm Wu Heng's informant, a Whisperer. I've provided you with several third-tier merit clues. We're on the same side, Deputy Steward!" Philipa rattled off.
Sheila Grey confirmed her identity, then curiously asked, "Why aren't you on your own ship?"
Philipa paused.
Then realized this was Wu Heng's way of directing Sheila Grey to find her.
She answered, "I was locked in the Black Dragon Pirates' cabin and just escaped. What happened to my ship?"
"Sunk."
"All of it?" Philipa's eyes widened.
"Two ships sunk. The flagship was sinking when I left—not my doing, though. The pirate factions turned on each other, and it went down in the chaos," Sheila Grey explained.
"Did they recover the equipment on board?"
"What equipment?" Sheila Grey asked.
"The talking one."
"No idea. Wu Heng didn't mention it, and I wouldn't recognize it."
"I also had a bird!"
"We'll look for it later. Stop fussing and come with me," Sheila Grey said firmly.
Philipa pouted but didn't argue further.
Sheila Grey grabbed her and flew toward the harbor.
...…
Tap tap tap~!
The sound of hooves echoed.
Imiro rode a swift horse, arriving at the harbor with Moya, Andviel, and several guild members following behind.
Taking a look at the scene ahead, a hint of astonishment appeared in everyone's eyes.
Wu Heng, leading his skeletons, approached and said, "Steward, the Island Lord is dead. The remaining pirate reinforcements won't be able to threaten the island further."
The situation was evident; Imiro could see it for himself.
The entire sea was filled with ship debris and skeletons chasing pirates.
There was no way they could pose a threat to the island anymore.
"Hmm, you've done well," Imiro praised.
After arranging for forces to be deployed across the area,
Imiro asked, "Where is Sheila Grey?"
"Sheila Grey went to rescue someone at sea."
Imiro nodded. "Wu Heng and Sheila Grey, stay at the harbor. Guild squads, each leading the guild guards and merchant coalition forces, patrol the area. Kill any pirates or opportunists causing trouble, and restore order to the island as soon as possible."
"Yes!" everyone responded, beginning to organize the teams for patrols.
Imiro returned to the guild to oversee operations.
Wu Heng headed to the "ship administration" to register ship buildings.
...…
Whoosh~!
The sound of something cutting through the air echoed.
Sheila Grey descended from the sky with Philipa.
Her wings retracted, and a layer of frost mist covered her body again.
She opened a potion, took a sip, and asked, "Did the Steward arrive?"
"Yes, he finished giving orders and returned to oversee the guild. He instructed us to stay at the harbor," Wu Heng said directly.
Sheila Grey glanced around the harbor and said, "You can stay here. I'll check the docks for high-level Professionals in case of an encounter."
Wu Heng stood up. "I'll go with you. Philipa, your mother is over there. Go be with her and don't wander off."
"That sounds like an insult," Philipa muttered before adding, "Keep an eye out for my tamed beast—a green-feathered parrot. It's easy to spot."
"Alright."
Wu Heng and Sheila Grey left the room together.
Sheila Grey remarked, "Your informant speaks quite casually."
"She grew up among pirates. She's young; it'll take time to change," Wu Heng replied.
Sheila Grey didn't comment further.
The two stood at the docks, watching the battle on the sea.
On the docks, skeletons climbed from the water, continuously carrying corpses ashore and piling them nearby.
Sheila Grey directed a few skeletons to patrol the area.
Wu Heng resumed converting corpses.
Skeletons rose one by one, joining the growing ranks.
Not long after, Glenda, who had been searching for treasures, flew back.
"I didn't find any treasure troves or see Imiro. Could he have run off?"
"The Steward returned to the guild."
"I wondered why I didn't see him."
...…
Dawn.
The light of dawn illuminated the harbor, driving away the darkness.
Four guild squads, accompanied by some guards, quickly arrived.
"Deputy Steward Wu Heng, Deputy Steward Sheila Grey, the Steward sent us to relieve you," said one squad captain.
Wu Heng replied, "I'll leave some skeletons to assist with defense. Notify us if there's any danger."
"Thank you, Deputy Steward."
Wu Heng directed a portion of the skeletons to follow their orders.
Then, leading the armored vehicles and the skeleton army, he returned in grand fashion.
After setting up camp outside the guild, Wu Heng went directly to the Steward's study.
He knocked lightly on the door.
Receiving a response, he entered.
Imiro, seeing Wu Heng, nodded and said, "You did well last night. I'll inform the guild of your contributions and have you commended."
Wu Heng didn't dwell on the praise.
Instead, he continued, "Steward, after killing 'Occam' last night, someone used some method to communicate through his head. This pirate affair might involve others behind the scenes."
Imiro's eyes narrowed.
"Explain in detail."
Wu Heng recounted the events.
Imiro listened attentively, his brow furrowing slightly.
He said, "I was held up at the Island Lord's manor by a Divine Punishment Sect Guardian and couldn't leave. It's clear the Divine Punishment Sect is involved. They're known for using strange abilities, and this might be related to them."
Divine Punishment Sect.
Bagdong, a church elder of the sect, a level 12 Professional.
In Blackstone Town, he was equivalent in rank to a Steward.
"I have my own grievances with the Divine Punishment Sect," Wu Heng remarked.
"I'll look into this matter and provide you with results," Imiro assured him.
"Thank you, Steward."
Imiro added, "Don't return just yet. The guild reinforcements will arrive today. Join us to greet them."
"Understood!"
It was only half a day's difference.
No wonder Occam had been so eager to act.
Wu Heng left the Steward's study.
...…
Returning to his office,
Andviel and a few women had gone out to get food and hadn't returned yet.
Wu Heng slipped Occam's spatial ring onto his finger.
One by one, he began pulling out items.
His eyes first landed on a giant amber-like object resembling a crystalline ocean diorama.
[Emerald Sand Table (Artifact)]
[Category: Artifact]
[Effect: A small wonder capable of mapping the entirety of a location.]
[Side Effect: Only effective within the mapped area.]
(Description: A naturally formed artifact with miraculous abilities.)
Wu Heng peered into the sand table.
Gold-Silver Island, nearby islands, and countless miniature ships were displayed in the sand table.
Wu Heng's eyes widened as he took in the scene.
"This… is an omniscient view."