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The Tenebrous Heaven, filled with Night-Scented Grass and Deep Sleep Flowers, once again fell silent. The Evernight Goddess said no more, her arm, covered in deep black short fur, reached for the strange crown full of rust and bloodstains, while her other arm stretched forward, as if pinching a corner of the void, and lightly tugged.
From the boundless Darkness, an illusory feathered serpent flew out, covered in huge scales that were dark green and almost black, with pale yellow, greasy feathers growing from the gaps between the scales.
Finally, it transformed into a strange Monster statue with a wolf head and a snake body. Its eight legs were covered in feathers woven from pale flames and mysterious patterns, and within its open wolf head was a profound Darkness leading to an unknown place.
It was precisely the bizarre statue that had collected the tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness in Calderon!
A small section of an illusory, colorless, dark river faintly appeared. The Evernight Goddess placed the strange crown in her hand into that section of the tributary.
Indistinct roars of unknown meaning emanated, and the blood rust and bloodstains attached to the crown gradually flaked off under the pounding of the illusory tide, sinking uncontrollably to the bottom of the river, melting like frost.
Just as this crown was about to sink to the bottom of the river, the arm covered in deep black short fur blocked the swaying, lightless waves and scooped it out.
Handing this Conqueror Beyonder characteristic back to Aaron, the Evernight Goddess showed no obvious emotional fluctuations, and said softly and soothingly:
"This Beyonder characteristic has been held by the Augustus family since Tudor's fall, but no one has attempted to accommodate it."
"Tudor's lingering spiritual imprint is still strong; part of it, along with the River of Eternal Darkness's pollution, sank into the tributary, while another part is mixed with the aura of the City of Calamity. However, this is not entirely a bad thing."
Aaron nodded slightly. After fully controlling the Nation of Disorder, the "Lord of Order" had completely lived up to the title of a hidden existence and could also serve as a target for mystic praying rituals.
Through the mystic praying ritual, Aaron could, at the most crucial moment of Varna Weil's advancement to Sequence 1, completely activate the Nation of Disorder to suppress Tudor's residual spiritual imprint and the final pollution from the City of Calamity.
With a general idea in mind, Aaron accepted the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic, then suddenly looked at a nearby spot with some surprise.
The Moonflowers and Night-Scented Grass there suddenly grew larger, expanding wildly, and soon became as large as trees that had lived for thousands of years in a primeval forest, dense and obscuring the "sky."
Among these trees, a figure entwined with dark green vines and adorned with various herbs and flowers emerged.
She was also as huge as a mountain, with a voluptuous figure, flowing robes, cradling an illusory infant.
The Earth Mother! Or, more accurately, a divine power avatar of that being!
-----------------
The deep blue, almost black, night sea was tinged with faint crimson, more composed and quiet than during the day.
The "Blue Avenger" was gently rising and falling with the waves, like a ghostly shadow, sailing towards the location of the red Moon.
Alger Wilson suddenly opened his eyes, finding himself standing at the bow, gazing at the distant waves. His heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained as steady as ever as he looked towards the cabin, where a cold-looking young man stood, none other than Klein, who was playing the role of a ruthless adventurer.
Creeping Hunger... Alger's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he subtly glanced at Mr. World's right hand, which emitted a profound glow from the human skin glove, and he lowered his voice:
"Mr. World, the sea area we are about to enter ahead is the 'Abyss Vortex' directly north of Sonia Island!"
Klein nodded, not caring about Mr. Hanged Man's scrutiny. Anyway, his current identity was Gehrman Sparrow and a Beyonder of the Fool. He deliberately displayed the Creeping Hunger to guide Mr. Hanged Man, who tended to overthink, to attribute the killing of Qilangos to the Fool's subordinates.
Looking at the dark sea, Klein couldn't help but feel emotional. No wonder the value of a ghost ship was so extraordinary.
Sonia Island is located northwest of the Rorsted Archipelago, and it already takes nearly a week by boat, let alone traveling further north to reach the Abyss Vortex.
After Kapituan's death, perhaps because the Church of the Storms and the military had no useful gains, the Rorsted Archipelago quickly lifted the maritime ban, but this still delayed Klein by three or four days.
Even by taking the fastest steam passenger ship, it would be impossible to catch the pirate gathering that was only a few days away. Klein, who had originally planned to give up, suddenly remembered that Mr. Hanged Man seemed to command a ghost ship.
With the idea that there was no harm in trying, Klein happened to contact Alger, who was also stranded in the Rorsted Archipelago due to returning to Bayam for a report.
Out of reverence for the Fool and curiosity about this Beyonder of a hidden existence, Alger readily agreed. After all, as the Church of the Storms' informant among pirates, he certainly couldn't miss an event like the Pirate Gathering.
More importantly, Alger was not entirely at ease with the "Blue Avenger," an ancient ship left over from the Tudor Dynasty.
Although he himself had gained control of it, a gut feeling always told him that this ship held many secrets, just like the Blood Emperor.
Therefore, he wanted to use this ship to test the Fool's attitude and eliminate his worries.
The only slight trouble was explaining to his crew why he allowed two pirates to hitch a ride, as his crew members could be considered the Church's mutual surveillance eyes outside.
It was also considering this point that Klein communicated with Alger in a dream through his Nightmare ability, avoiding the attention of those crew members.
"Thanks to you, I was able to make it here smoothly. Once we reach our destination, I'll have Danitz transfer the fare to you."
Klein chuckled, and seeing Alger about to speak but hesitating, he added:
"Do you have any other questions?"
His expression froze slightly, Alger was silent for a moment, then asked with a somewhat dry voice:
"When I left Bayam for my report, I heard some rumors within the Church that the sea serpent did not fall at the hands of His Royal Highness the Sea King...."
Listening to this probing question, Klein smiled and interrupted Alger with a rather arrogant expression:
"A mere sea serpent dares to call itself a god; this is a blasphemy against my Lord!"
Indeed... Even though he already had the answer in his heart, Alger still felt a tremor. If it was truly that ignorant sea serpent who offended the Fool's majesty, then so be it, but if it was for the struggle over the authority of the Storm...
Alger immediately dared not think further, extinguishing those blasphemous thoughts in his mind. He cleared his throat and slowly said:
"I was already coming to attend the Pirate Gathering, and bringing you along is just a small favor. There's no need to mention the fare again."
"On the contrary, I have something to ask of you."
As he spoke, Alger reached into his chest, only to grasp at air, realizing he was still in a dream:
"I have fully digested the Seafarer potion. For the Wind-Blessed potion, I still lack a pair of Dragon-Eyed Sea Eagle eyeballs. I am willing to pay 1500 pounds, please Mr. World help me find and purchase them."
Such Beyonder creatures are tightly controlled by the Church of the Storms, and materials circulating outside are very rare. Even if such materials appear at the upcoming Pirate Gathering, he cannot purchase them himself.
After all, he is not the only one who goes to the cathedral for reports each time. If the Church knew he was purchasing the main material for Wind-Blessed, he wouldn't be able to keep some things secret then.
"It's a pity that after Mr. Azik killed Qilangos, the Wind-Blessed Beyonder characteristic contained within that pirate general was not in Creeping Hunger...."
Understanding Alger's concerns, Klein thought for a moment before continuing:
"Do you still have the potion Mr. Moon sold you last time, the one that can put everyone on the ghost ship into deep slumber?"
Taken aback by the sudden change of topic, Alger nodded with some confusion, then saw a cold smile appear on the adventurer's face opposite him.
Having left the dream world, Alger, according to Klein's request, used the potion to put all the crew members and Danitz into slumber. Then he looked at Klein, who was standing on the deck, with some confusion.
Before he could ask, he heard a cold yet extremely confident voice:
"I hope a Dragon-Eyed Sea Eagle appears on the 'Blue Avenger'!"
This... Alger stood rooted to the spot, somewhat bewildered, looking at Klein's back with a strange expression, wanting to say something but not knowing how to begin.
Just then, a pleasant cry came from the dark clouds on the distant sea. A hawk, entirely dark blue with large, sharp eyes, charged straight towards the deck as if possessed.
Alger's mouth unconsciously widened as he watched a pair of blood-stained eyeballs, radiating strong spiritual fluctuations, roll to his feet. That casual voice once again reached his ears:
"These are the Dragon-Eyed Sea Eagle eyeballs, 1500 pounds in total!"
Looking at the absurd scene, Alger shivered inwardly, no longer knowing what his expression had become. He picked up the pair of bloody eyeballs somewhat helplessly, took a deep breath, and walked towards his small treasury in the captain's cabin.
Manipulating Creeping Hunger to devour the Dragon-Eyed Sea Eagle's corpse, a blood-stained single eye slowly disappeared into Klein's palm—it was the "Eye of Rusco."
This divine artifact can not only merge with a Spirit Body but also directly parasitize a physical body, effectively keeping Klein under constant subtle aura interference.
However, the most bizarre wish-granting ability of this ancient god's eye cannot conjure non-existent items from thin air. For example, Klein initially wished to directly become a Marionettist without having the corresponding Beyonder characteristic.
Moreover, the scope of fulfilling wishes is currently only equivalent to the size of Tingen City. Despite these various restrictions, controlling a Beyonder creature with relatively low spirituality is not difficult.
The unique nature of a ghost ship meant that it could reach its destination on its own, even without a crew. As the light of dawn gradually emerged from the horizon, Klein, having emptied Alger's small treasury, was in a good mood as he looked at a small island at the end of the sea.
Numerous ships with masts and sails were docked there. The shouts and cheers of pirates were incessant, making the place seem like an ocean of revelry.
Klein, seeing such a scene for the first time, couldn't help but marvel. Just as his thoughts drifted, the pirates on the ships and at the dock suddenly let out cries of alarm. Some ran into the depths of the island, while others hastily steered their ships away from the dock, as if fleeing from Devils and plague.
In just a few minutes, the previously bustling and noisy scene was left only with desolation and silence.
A huge sailing ship appeared on the sea, its flag an eye surrounded by ten stars, an eye without eyelashes.
"Admiral of Stars, Cattelya. I heard she's also connected to Bernadette..." Recalling the information in his mind, Klein nodded slightly without needing Alger's reminder, murmuring to himself.
Immediately after, he saw the sky, already bathed in the morning light, suddenly brighten. Bits of brilliant starlight scattered down, condensing into a transparent long bridge in mid-air, extending from the huge sailing ship to the depths of the island.
This pirate general stepped onto the long bridge and walked leisurely through the air.
She wore a black classical robe, adorned with numerous symbols and magical sigils, the most prominent being a mysterious eye, an eye without eyelashes.
At this lady's waist hung an astrolabe, a short scepter, and other items, just like the powerful Warlocks active in the Fourth Epoch in folk legends.
When his gaze fell upon the ancient astrolabe, Klein suddenly frowned slightly, and a faint, illusory gray mist appeared before his eyes.
This is an item related to the gray fog space... Klein's eyes changed, and he looked at the pirate general who had disappeared into the depths of the island with a somewhat inexplicable expression.
The effects of last night's sleeping potion had worn off. Danitz, pinching his somewhat dizzy forehead, was drawn by the sight of the Admiral of Stars entering the depths of the island and didn't notice Klein's playful expression. He merely froze for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief:
"We actually made it. I wonder how many important figures will come to this Pirate Gathering..."
Suddenly, their vision simultaneously darkened, as if clouds had drifted over, blocking all the morning light and plunging this part of the sea into Darkness again.
Klein instinctively looked out, only to see a huge, pitch-black sailing ship appearing in the distance at some unknown time. It was nearly a hundred meters long, with sails hoisted high, and rows of broadside cannons.
Danitz beside him revealed a complex expression of both admiration and fear, mixed with longing and aversion. He hissed, muttering in a dreamlike whisper:
"The Black Emperor..."
On this huge ship, near the cabin, there was a mottled stone chair two or three meters high, on which sat a giant-like man.
Even before he clearly saw the appearance of "King of the Five Seas" Nast, Danitz couldn't help but lower his head, his body stiff, trembling, wanting to prostrate himself.
Klein felt the similar majesty and deterrence to Mr. Emperor and did not force himself or stubbornly keep his head up, continuing to stare directly at "King of the Five Seas" Nast.
Because this would likely attract the other party's attention, thereby bringing unnecessary trouble.
As someone with many secrets, it's still best to be low-key when necessary!
Klein wisely averted his gaze, admiring the deck of the "Blue Avenger," but his mind had already unconsciously begun to compare the most famous Black Emperor of the Five Seas with the incredible, city-like black giant ship he had seen in the Spirit World mist.
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