Chapter 154
Chapter 154. Archipelago Ocean Settlement
【Status Window】
【Name: Yul】
【Rank: Mythic】
—
【Creature Traits】
[Transcendent Being, Fluid Movement, Magic-Powered Life Support, Ultra-Fusion Heart]
—
【Racial Traits】
[Six Demon Eyes of the Deep King Tribe]
[The Deep King Tribe can grow simply by eating, sleeping, and breathing. Depending on age, experience, and environment, the six Demon Eyes awaken in sequence. To awaken a designated Demon Eye, specific experiential conditions, equipment, and environments are required.]
[Sea-Sync Demon Eye - The ability to control seawater according to one’s will. It uses magic, but the consumption is low]
[Demon Eye of Replication - Recreates the magic structure perceived by the Demon Eye for a short time. Since it does not grant underlying principles, there is backlash.]
[Demon Eye of Distortion - Possesses the ability to distort space-time. As comprehending its principles is impossible for a three-dimensional being, it can currently only be used for defensive purposes.]
[Awakening Penalty: As it has not yet been fully comprehended, only one Demon Eye can be used per day.]
—
【Gem: Moonstone】
[Moonstone - An attribute that does not interact with any other gem attribute. It has neither weaknesses nor strengths. Its attribute is 「Distortion」.]
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【Skills】
[1. Madness: Enhances the durability of the body and increases physical abilities by one level. Consumes lifespan.]
[2. Great Balance: Combines all the magic power of the target and oneself, then redistributes it equally between both.]
[3. Regeneration: Can regenerate body parts.]
[4. Soul-Splitting Art: Splits a portion of the soul and embeds it in something else.]
[5. Evolution: Can independently evolve or devolve up to four body parts. Requires cooldown.]
[6. Telekinesis: The ability to lift and manipulate objects in midair.]
[7. Polymorph: Transforms the body into another creature.]
[8. Typhoon: The ability to alter the climate. Forms the eye of a typhoon centered on oneself and generates a storm. Easier to manifest while in the sea.]
—
【Contracts】
1. Island’s Soul Contract
[You have connected the island’s soul to your own. The target is the Island of Boundaries.]
2. Frangia Royal Bank Account Ownership Contract
[A mutually agreed contract. A soul-recognition contract account authenticated via a magical authentication device. You may open an account at the designated nation’s bank and withdraw or deposit money.]
3. County of Provence Ownership Contract
[You are Count Yul de Provence of the Kingdom of Frangia, and you possess and oversee the County of Provence.]
4. World Tree Contract
[The mistletoe of the World Tree is connected to your island, and through the connected island’s soul, it is partially linked to your soul as well. You can hear the will of the World Tree.]
5. Divine Light Spire
[You have obtained the Divine Light Spire, a weapon that existed before Creation. It is a growth-type weapon that continuously unlocks additional abilities. Current Awakening: 13%.]
—
【Ascension】- Stage 3
[Current Karma: 9,999,980]
[Due to the actions you have left in history, your Karma has greatly increased and has nearly reached its maximum. It is dangerous if Karma is not consumed.]
—
【Your Current Lifespan】
[Remaining – 1,111 years, 111 days, 20 hours]
[A portion of lifespan has been deducted due to Madness.]
—
【Divinity】
[Having inherited the divinity of the orca, you can now gather and absorb Faith from those who worship you. Faith helps increase Karma, and once a certain threshold is reached, 【Faith】 will be unlocked.]
—
【Status】
Blessing of Aeon Oron: Unless you achieve feats on a cosmic scale, you can avoid the gaze of Aeon-level beings and utilize borderline ‘loopholes’ that do not violate the laws of the universe.
—
【Faith】
[Religion: Wave Church]
[Divinity: Low]
[Number of Believers: 17,377]
[Total Faith: 22,221]
[Faith Absorption Efficiency: 30%]
[Doctrine: Serenity, Caprice, Wrath]
[Central Rite: Prayer, Ritual]
[Symbol: Spiral]
[Apostle: None]
[Authority: Can be created.]
[Apostle Designation: Available.]
[Divinity Increase: Not possible.]
—
【Path of Fate】
[The Path of Ascension is now integrated into the Path of Fate.]
[Your choices thus far are as follows.]
[1. Head toward the Shallow Shallows]
[2. Path of Primal Regression]
[Path of Primal Regression: You have chosen the Path of Primal Regression. Your race, the Deep King Tribe, is a higher species with more secrets than are known. Unravel the secrets of your species and walk the path toward the origin of your existence.]
[To unravel the secrets and find the origin of your existence, fulfill 5 of the conditions below.]
– Establish ‘Communion’ with an intelligent being, share experiences with them, and reach the highest level of Communion.
– Defeat every Mythic rank creature in existence other than yourself and ascend to the position of the absolute strongest.
– Discover information about your original species, Xenoia, and learn the whereabouts of your ‘siblings’. (Complete)
– Descend into the Deep Sea and defeat at least one powerhouse of the deep. (Complete)
– Gather believers who have faith in you and raise your divinity to ‘Low’. (Complete)
– Find one fallen race and restore it.
– Find the location of the All-Purpose Dawn Artifact.
– Find Paradise Everworld.
– Reach at least 3 of the six Sky Islands and comprehend the overall structure of the Sky Islands.
– Meet a believer of the Right Hand of Creation. (Complete)
* * *
‘There are a few things I need to keep an eye on.’
First is Karma. Ever since devouring the Rainini Archipelago and crushing the Sea Succession Church, his Karma had surged back up to the maximum again, so he would have to ask Kaiman to make something immediately.
When Yul did nothing, this Karma would increase slowly—but the moment he intervened, it exploded again, becoming a problem.
Second was the quest list of the Path of Fate. Without even realizing it, Yul had already completed three of them.
‘Was this completed because of the Sower?’
The Sower was an Apostle of the Right Hand of Creation. It wouldn’t be wrong to say he was one of its believers. But something bothered him.
He knew that the Sower had created and seeded Xenoia. And that Xenoia was a race with high evolutionary potential, yet inherently weak.
‘And my divinity has finally risen to Low.’
The moment he increased his number of believers, it rose to Low. Even now, the number of believers was rapidly increasing in real time.
The doctrine, central rites, and symbols created by Sonam Rinpoche were spreading throughout the conquered regions, and there were also those who had directly witnessed Yul’s power, so it continued to grow.
The Archipelago Ocean still contained countless hidden, unknown islands, so spreading it across the entire region would be difficult, but even this was more than enough.
-Now then, I’ve checked the status window, so how should I deal with you lot?
Yul looked at the blue ships drifting in the distance. The siren pirates couldn’t even think of fleeing and were simply floating across the vast ocean on the waves.
-Ho. You’re not running.
After the Kraken was killed by Yul, they had come to a complete stop, as if they had lost all power.
And now, they were lying flat in submission toward their new god.
If they had continued resisting, he had planned to show them what the depths of the sea looked like, but it seemed they weren’t that foolish.
Rather, they seemed to be beings deeply moved by the existence of a god.
‘Perhaps that’s why the Kraken gathered them in the first place.’
Yul lowered his body and approached them. There was no fighting spirit at all, only thoughts of worship filled them.
“We offer reverence to the new God of the Typhoon.”
“Reverence…….”
“Take our souls and grant us peace.”
Their skin had a pale blue hue. Each of them had webbed hands and feet, and their bodies were covered in all kinds of tattoos.
‘They have tails.’
Though they had no scales, each of them possessed a smooth tail.
If they were willing to come under Yul's rule, he had no particular intention of executing them. Since they were sailors who could withstand incredibly rough waves, they could be put to good use somewhere.
Yul set aside their disposition for the moment and shifted his thoughts.
Having defeated a force and existence of this magnitude, there would likely be no threats near the Archipelago Ocean for the time being.
-What remains now are the captains who possess other Wing Vessels.
Those who held power across the various seas. Yul had no intention of dealing with all of them; it would take far too long.
Instead, he planned to present a gift to Arurion and then regroup with Lucian.
* * *
“Over here, Lord Yul!”
The Seldora approached Yul and Arurion. Shillenwe was waving her hand. Behind it was a ship Yul had never seen before, and it was unique.
Where the mast of a wooden sailing ship should have been, there was a massive, hunched tree.
From its branches, fruits hung in heavy clusters.
The shape of the ship was different as well. It was wide and bulky at the sides, designed to gather fruit. It was, quite literally, a food ship.
Standing atop the food ship was a familiar mage.
They crossed over to the Wing Vessel where Arurion was riding.
One was Shillenwe, Yul’s loyal subordinate. The other was Eldiren, a sea elf from the Island of the Brown Sage.
“It has been a long time since we last met, so I humbly ask if you have been well.”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
Eldiren’s manner of speaking was so distinctive that it was hard to forget, even after a long time.
“This is a food ship crafted from the very first fruit borne by the Mother Tree on the Island of Boundaries.”
The World Tree on the Island of Boundaries had finally matured enough to bear fruit.
From that first fruit, a seed was taken and rapidly grown into a food ship.
This was an achievement impossible without a great mage on the level of Eldiren, the Brown Sage.
“A new type of food ship…….”
Arurion seemed somewhat overwhelmed with emotion. Until now, the sea elves had only used existing ships, calling the old methods "forgotten technology," but now they were able to move toward the future.
“From now on, there will be forging ships, seeding ships, and more. Eldiren will deliver them one by one. This is a gift.”
“……I will accept it with gratitude.”
“Think nothing of it; it’s the least I can do.”
Yul lightly patted Arurion’s shoulder a few times. He was the type to repay kindness in full. From the Island of Boundaries to this recent campaign, he had received plenty from Arurion, this was simply the repayment.
“But I won’t be able to take part in your war against the other sea elf princes. I’ve delayed things for too long.”
It had been quite some time since he last saw Lucian. He wondered what had happened in the meantime.
Arurion shook his head.
“This is my battle, the battle of the sea elves. This level of help is more than enough.”
He truly meant it. Though the infighting among sea elves was regrettable, Arurion intended to unify them through his own strength.
First, he would defeat those who possessed Wing Vessels. That alone was his goal for now.
“Ah, I’ve got the Kraken’s subordinates, you know? Use them if you want.”
“They’re a bit too… different for me.”
Fair enough. They looked like pirates straight out of some apocalyptic wasteland.
For now, it seemed best to leave them roaming the sea until he found a proper use for them later.
* * *
In the Age of Exploration, there was no prey more tempting than pirates.
To begin with, their equipment was inferior to that of the Navy; they lacked discipline, and their organization and order were even worse.
If you captured them, honor and promotion awaited. If taken alive, their heads would be displayed in the square before they were hanged.
They even fought among themselves, so the number of famous pirates gradually dwindled.
「Blood Hand」, 「Long John Dark」, 「Black Priest」, 「Whitebeard」, 「Sea Crow」, 「Calico Triple」, 「Windcatcher」.
These old names had all disappeared somewhere, and now, across the Great Celestial Ocean and the Continental Ocean, what unfolded was the clash between new pirates and navy forces driven by the desire to rise through the ranks by capturing them.
And among them, there was one who was neither navy nor pirate.
During Yul's absence, Lucian underwent tremendous growth while navigating the Golden Sea Chart.
The most visible sign of that growth was the Strellock.
Now, there was no trace of wood left in the Strellock. From bow to stern, it was a ship of pure metal.
An armored hull that deflected enemy shells and was unaffected by the wind. Advanced weapon control systems operated through magic engineering.
Lucian’s seamanship had also matured, befitting a captain.
Though few in number, his crew were all elites. Their wages were paid well and frequently, ensuring high loyalty.
Lucian had taken down numerous pirates, sometimes capturing them, sometimes sinking their ships, building up a formidable record.
While sailing the Golden Route, he had even captured several well-known pirates.
He handed over pirates like 「Mushroom Hat」 and 「Saw-Nose」 to the navy and collected hefty bounties.
Lucian’s ship never turned back or detoured—it was steadfast and unwavering.
Such a unique vessel quickly became famous, and the captain commanding the Strellock, Lucian, came to be known by an unusual nickname.
The 「Machine Captain」.
A title given because he commanded a ship filled with mechanical systems.
For some reason, that name made Lucian strangely uncomfortable because it reminded him of Johns Hopkins' Future Insurance Evaluation.
According to that prediction, wasn’t he destined to perish alongside the Black Priest, Hyde?
And as if by fate, the Black Priest crossed paths with Lucian once more.
It happened when he landed on a nameless, deserted island filled with palm trees.