289 - The Pillar of Light
Three days had passed since the Silent Mermaid drifted away from the wreckage of the Dragon Queen. Three days since the battle against the otherworld sea demon. The ocean had reclaimed its silence.
On the sea, the invisible Silent Mermaid cut through the waves with unnatural grace. For those who are able to penetrate its cloak of invisibility, its tattered sails would seem billowing against the non-existent wind.
In the ghost ship's main cabin, Jack sat in the comfortable couch. Feeling the familiar hum of the ghost ship beneath his feet. A rhythmic pulse of ethereal energy that felt more like a heartbeat than a wind power or a machine.
In Crescent Town, the arrival of the rescued slaves three days ago had caused a week's worth of fevered whispers. Probably even longer than that.
The healed, yet unconscious slaves had been dropped off at the harbor master's doorstep. Under the cover of a thick, unnatural fog conjured by Reina. Leaving behind no trace of whoever or whatever that brought them.
To the townspeople, it was a miracle. A ghost story whispered in taverns. To Jack, it was simply... housekeeping.
Inside his Mirror Mansion, Jack had spent some time analyzing and organizing the spoils of their victory. The three sealed artifacts seized from Khezam Gillbuster's ship had been secured and sealed further in the vault of his Mirror Mansion.
He had used his secondary class, Treasure Hunter, to condenses three tangible spellcards from them. He remembered those three cards vividly.
The first was the [Madness Curse]. It was a tarot-like card with a drawing of an unsettling, mostly crimson-inked, distorted brain. It was a weapon of psychological warfare. Designed to fracture the enemy's sense of reality.
Then, there was the [Chaos Energy Infusion]. Another tarot-like card that felt like a localized storm trapped in a card. It had a drawing of a vortex with various color, with shimmering prismatic crystal at the center.
The spell was volatile and unpredictable. But it seemed to be devastatingly effective for imbuing ordinary objects with sudden, chaotic force... One that would immediately explode within ten seconds. Definitely a great grenade maker... if it had no risk of exploding instantly the moment the infusion started.
Finally, there was the [Shieldbreaker Strike]. A card with a drawing of heavy, obsidian sphere that broke glass like shield to shard pieces. This was his favorite among the three. It was a functional spell designed to destroy even the strongest magical defenses.
Jack had pocketed them into his [Spatial Belt]. They were tools. And tools were only as good as the hands that wielded them. And he could confidently say that he was... extremely good.
"So, you've come out of your workshop, Dear?" A soft voice broke his reverie. Reina appeared beside him. Her long black hair was piled on top in a scruffy bun. Her sharp and analytical eyes softened as she looked at him. "How's the gun repair going?"
"It's done." Jack replied calmly. "I've prepared more bullets and grenades too. But, we've run out of holy water for the holy ammos. Hopefully, we can restock in the next island."
Jack glanced at his surrounding. They were inside the main cabin. Just like everything else inside the ship, this space defied the exterior dimensions of the terrifying ghost ship.
The room was outfitted with velvet armchairs, mahogany cabinets, and the soft, ambient glow of [Self-illuminating Orbs]. Many of the crew members were relaxing in the room.
At the center of the room, sat Argust Osprey and Mirella. Between them lay the [Mental Cleansing Board Game]. A sprawling, complex tactical map of Go game etched onto a surface of polished, enchanted wood.
Jack had taught all the crew members the game. And he required them to regularly play with it. The board game was enchanted to train the mind. Long exposure of the game played on it would strengthen their resistance against external mental afflictions.
"Your move, Navigator!" Mirella teased. "You can get a lot of stone pieces if you play the right move."
Argust grunted. His eyes darted across the board. "Do you think I'm stupid, Painter? I know it's a trap. You're baiting a flank maneuver."
Rune, the steamrune fairy, hovered over them both. Her body emitting a soft, curious bluish glow. She seemed to be very interested in the current game.
But then, Rune snapped her head to one direction. His glow instantly turned golden and green repeatedly. She seemed to be seriously distracted.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Suddenly, the ship shuddered. It wasn't the impact of a wave. But a deep, structural voice. The sound felt… excited.
The internal communication device mounted on the wall crackled to life. It was Ned’s voice, who was currently handling the ship's control. His tone was tight and urgent.
"Captain! We have a disturbance on the port side. Something is happening, and it’s not weather. Readings are spiking off the scale."
Jack stood up. His relaxed demeanor evaporated instantly. "Everyone, to the deck. Now!"
They moved as one. Baroness Artheim, Leon, and Chloe were already moving toward the companionway.
Outside, the sky had been stripped of its twilight hues. In the distance, a pillar of pure, radiant light surged upward from the surface of the ocean. Piercing the clouds and illuminating the horizon like a beacon for gods.
"Is that… a beacon for treasure?" Leon muttered. His hand instinctively went to his grimoire. His eyes were burned with the greed of curiosity. The desire of a treasure hunter to find the greatest hidden treasure.
Baroness Artheim stepped to the railing. Shading her eyes against the intensity of the glare.
"No, Leon." She refuted him. "I've read something like this. It's the birth of a mythical creature, or perhaps a spatial tear to a different realm. Both can indeed be related to treasures, but they can also mean danger."
"Ned, bring us there." Jack commanded. His tone was sharp. "Full speed. Don't stop until we're within visual range of the source."
"Aye, Captan!" Ned's voice immediately responded.
The Silent Mermaid banked. The invisible spectral hull shimmered as it accelerated. As they drew closer, the pillar of light began to fracture. Revealing the carnage beneath it.
Four large ships were locked in a desperate, grinding struggle.
One was dead in the water. A grand vessel that was clearly listing to the side. Its masts had been broken. And its fallen sails could no longer make it move.
Jack took out his binoculars and observed the battle from afar. The unmoving vessel was the Gilded Swan. Surrounding it were three other ships... the Great Victory, the Lady Oceania, and the Red Albatross.
The Gilded Swan was the target. The other three were circling it like vultures. Firing broadsides at one another. In a frantic attempt to repel the competition while closing in on the prize.
"The Gilded Swan..." Jack mused. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the situation. "That belongs to Earl Aldenair, doesn't it? Why would it be here? He's supposed to go to Grasshill Island, isn't he? It's way off the route here."
"The Dragon Egg!" Chloe suddenly said. Her voice was trembling slightly. "If that pillar of light is the birth of a mythical creature, than it must be the Dragon Egg from the auction. The poor Earl... We've cleared the Dragon Queen pirates that targeted him, but he still fell to others' attacks."
Jack watched the chaos through his binoculars. He activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The information on the ships appeared immediately...
[Object Name: Gilded Swan]
[Vessel Type: Armed Merchant Galleon]
[Affiliation: Wavefront Nobility]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Karma Signature: Neutral]
[Cargo: Artworks, Luxurious Products, Lightning Kirin Cub...]
[Task: Escorting Earl Aldenair.]
The egg had truly hatched. Jack had known that it wasn't a dragon egg like the auctioneer declared. It was the egg of a Lightning Kirin. But this was a mythical creature too. Equal to a dragon.
Jack observed the three other ships. The Great Victory and the Albatross were clearly explorer-class, reinforced battle ships. The Lady Oceania was a mixture beast of a battle and merchant ship. Bristled with heavy cannons and reinforced steel plating.
He observed further using his transcendent vision...
[Object Name: Lady Oceania]
[Vessel Type: Armed Merchant Corvette]
[Affiliation: Free Trade Association]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Karma Signature: Neutral]
[Cargo: Coffee Beans, Pearls, Perfumes...]
[Task: Seizing the 'great treasure' in the Gilded Swan.]
[Object Name: Red Albatross]
[Vessel Type: Pirate Hunter Frigate]
[Affiliation: Free Trade Association]
[Threat Level: Low]
[Karma Signature: Neutral]
[Cargo: Whale Oil, Cold Weapons, Iron Ingots...]
[Task: Seizing the 'great treasure' in the Gilded Swan.]
[Object Name: Great Victory]
[Vessel Type: Adventurer Galleon]
[Affiliation: League of Explorers]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Karma Signature: Neutral]
[Cargo: Royal Rum, Scepter of Fated King...]
[Task: Seizing the 'great treasure' in the Gilded Swan.]
"They aren't pirates." Jack noted. Observing the lack of the negative karma auras that usually clung to criminals. "These are legitimate trader, pirate hunter, and explorer. They're desperate, but they aren't malevolent. They just want the prize. Thought of treasure do really bring worst on even decent people."
"Captain!" Bell suddenly called out nearby. He was also observing the battle with his spyglass. "The Gilded Swan is taking on water. If we don't act, the treasure... or whatever is in there, is going to sink to the abyss."
Jack looked to Reina. She met his gaze. Her expression was unreadable but it was perfectly aligned with his intent.
"Love, prepare for teleportation and infiltration." Jack ordered.
Reina nodded in response. It would be just like what they did when they seized the slaves and the sealed artifacts from the Dragon Queen pirate ship.
"Everyone!" Jack said to his crew. His voice wasn't loud but it carried the weight of command. "We aren't here to play nice. But we aren't here to slaughter for no reason. Just like what we did before. Reina, Chloe, and I will infiltrate the Gilded Swan. Leon, you're joining us this time."
"We're going to rescue whoever is still alive there. But we'll knock them out. Make them unconscious." Jack instructed. "I'll put them to my Mirror Mansion. We're going to take the mythical beast, if it is willing, and the other treasures in the ship as the price for saving them."
Leon chuckled when he heard that. "That's a fair trade." He said with a wide grin.
The Silent Mermaid lurched forward. An unseen predator cloaked in invisibility. As they closed the distance, the other three ships seemed to sense a sudden, cold drop in temperature...
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