Black Sail

The so-called F426.

It's just a legend.

If someone really wears this to a nightclub, they'll just be seen as Alabama's disappointing product.

F426 is not a number, it's a concept.

It specifically refers to those unblemished and sincere individuals, wearing F426 means you're truly elite, not someone who just overcharges their club card because they walk on God's path.

The Minister of Internal Affairs is already old, and his youngest daughter is not too young either, having already stepped into the threshold of a mature woman.

Chuan Che has never experienced this kind of situation.

Let alone Magnus.

Chuan Che is used to braving the elements, but Magnus has already seen far worse; his early life might as well have been Purgatory. He's no longer just a straight shooter, but rather experiencing a Metal Gear Solid level phantom pain.

Beauty: I don't want us to remain just friends.

Magnus: Are you going to be my enemy?

So since he arrived here, he felt incredibly uneasy and sat upright, tense.

Despite Duval looking like his world just ended, he's waiting for Whitman's people to smooth things over. Magnus only hopes they'll come soon, as he really can't stand this situation.

Although Magnus is no spring chicken, he still looks young. Even Zote managed to avoid this, but still wore an awkward and uncertain look, matched with his story-filled mechanical arm.

He was directly spotted by Chanel. She's an old player in the game, having seen all kinds of characters, but she's never seen this type before.

"Target found! Establishing a blockade!"

Shadi said to the Black Sail crew.

But Rein, Morison, Archer, and Chuan Che were already too engrossed in the games to hear Shadi. They were playing various drinking games with top beauties, filling six cups with different levels of alcohol, rolling dice to determine which one to drink. After drinking, they could choose how much more to fill the drink, either full or empty. If they didn't roll the right number, they had to continue drinking in order, which was quite brutal. If they couldn't drink anymore, they had to undergo the "righteous punishment"!

What are you guys doing, you bastards! It's like Chen Haonan has reached Oman! Shadi really wanted to hit someone, as if the night went wrong, he wouldn't be able to account for all the boasting he did to Brother Ox.

Is it only one person doing the blockade?

There are both brute force and elegant ways to sabotage a party; today, the Black Sail crew intended to squeeze the Magic Banquet dry and ruin their reputation.

Shadi announced he'd cover the tabs for the entire venue to hype up the atmosphere. Duval couldn't possibly kick everyone out, but to spend extravagantly on the most expensive drinks, he definitely wouldn't do it.

But with the appearance of a big shot, things changed. Would Duval dare not honor the spending of a big shot? Would he dare ruin their fun?

Almost like the Flying Thunder God, Shadi instantly teleported to Magnus's table.

No wonder she's rumored to be the daughter of the Minister of Internal Affairs; while her look isn't exceedingly high-class, it's distinct and elegant. Her outfit, along with a bag made of premium Magic Beast skin, possibly cost a fortune, and Magnus got lucky.

Nightlife naturally is a world of indulgence, where not only women but also men get influenced. Previously surrounded by admirers, Shadi's presence stirred up jealousy among the onlookers, but her legendary status as the ultimate Rich Sister was widely known.

Magnus, who emerged from many battles, frankly had no idea what to expect in this kind of scene, and simply kept his arms crossed defensively, waiting for whatever action was to follow.

"Your friends are all celebrities."

But Chanel wasn't interested in disfigured faces or ultimate gigolo faces, she liked the living dead F426. She's an old hand, and if the roles were reversed, her standards would match or surpass Shadi's.

An old hand who's met countless people immediately saw through Magnus—not only did he have good looks, but he also had a good setting, a good story, and a good background. To her discerning eyes, everything was unmistakable and impossible to fake.

"Hmm."

Magnus had no idea why he was suddenly targeted and just awkwardly held his head, urging Shadi to solve the problem quickly.

When the Rich Sister shows up, she doesn't come alone but with a circle of good friends, who undoubtedly set their sights on Shadi. My goodness, an imitation of Ancient Divine Continent! The ultimate T0 of the Western Continent!

Shadi gestured to Duval to hurry over, don't just stand there, they're about to get serious.

Duval found himself in a hopeless situation, knowing Whitman's people should arrive within ten minutes.

Real experts wouldn't stoop to watching the scene; only thugs would loiter in one place acting foolishly.

Before anyone arrived, there was no choice but to let these Eastern Sea Dog Pirates do as they wished.

"I want to open a bottle of Emperor's Treasure Brew."

Shadi, having previously smuggled arms for Reggae Defense, was no stranger to such places.

Some of his friends now asked, what the heck is Emperor's Treasure Brew anyway?

It's a wine brewed by real High Elves left in the Western Continent before the Ancient Divine Continent signed an ancient pact. It's rare, and not known by this name. However, it's become the ultimate symbol of showing off, gradually being called this.

Only royal relatives could afford to do such things, and they had to be the type willing to spend a fortune. You won't find it in the legitimate market; it's considered a collectible. On the Gate of Truth's black market, it fluctuates between three hundred and four hundred Golden Dragons, more valuable than Red Crystal, and often you can't even buy it, quite ridiculous. In clubs, it's the ultimate symbol of showing off, due to its emotional value, making one feel like the most impressive person in the room. The black market price doubles, needing over nine hundred Golden Dragons.

People believe in the existence of the Ancient Divine Continent partly for this reason. With so much Emperor's Treasure Brew, it certainly seems that the Gate of Truth acts as a currency exchange, with occasional visits from High Elves to see what's going on, selling wine for travel expenses.

Yet it's still undeniable that Emperor's Treasure Brew remains one of the top show-off items in the Western Continent today.

Chanel and her friends showed remarkable expressions, as only someone crazy would pull off such a thing.

Naturally, Duval looked quite green, wondering who's going to pay even if Shadi covers the tab. What would he do, make him pay now? Would he really pay?

"This liquor is extremely rare and incredibly valuable, so no tabs allowed."

Duval kept staring at his watch, "Whitman, hurry the hell up, I'm about to get played to death here."

The nightlife here is all about status and atmosphere, mainly about showing off. Naturally, Rein wanted to impress his sister by showing off his masculinity once the action started.

"Are you looking down on us, huh? We have money to burn—get over here."

Another fist-sized wad of cash was smacked right onto Duval's face.

Whitman's bottom line wasn't any small operation. He was the Pirate King of Lostra, and the Magic Banquet was one of the main money-makers. Duval, being disrespected like this, was a slap to Whitman's face.

What happened outside wasn't known inside, but now everyone could see the signs. Liszt was here to make a name for himself in the Narrow Sea.

Yet Duval, having always been a badass, was certain they wouldn't dare kill anyone. He had no intention of backing down and still insisted on no tabs.

Rein found this hilarious, feeling that his right hand's punch wasn't powerful enough, so he switched to his official left-hand move, "Brutal Punishment," a masterpiece by the top-level constructor Aran.

With this slap, it wouldn't just be a swollen face; brains would splatter onto the wall, turning into post-modern art graffiti.

Duval had no choice but to concede and recognized the loss before reinforcements arrived.

The Emperor's Treasure Brew was brought out. Normally, there would be some emotional service from the staff, and the house band would perform. But in this situation, Duval couldn't arrange for any of that.

Shadi was seeing this thing for the first time too. How to put it? It seemed quite ordinary. The liquor was a light golden color; it was just the bottle that was a bit more ostentatious. It was said to be crafted by High Elf artisans.

"Drink up!"

Shadi wasn't one to be stingy, especially since it was on credit. Treating it like rum, he bit off the cork and poured it into each glass, one after another.

But then, in the next second...

"Why the hell did you suddenly appear!"

Shadi was almost startled out of his seat. Archer had caught a whiff of it and Instantaneous Movement-ed over with a tactical black face.

Damn, right now, I was connecting with the rumored Minister of Internal Affairs' youngest daughter. Although she's married, she's still the youngest daughter. Why are you poking your nose in here?

Magnus was even more annoyed. Shadi was supposed to save him from this, but ended up making it worse.

"So you're one of them too?"

Chanel wasn't really buying Shadi's act; she only had eyes for Magnus.

"Something like that."

"It might be a bit presumptuous, but can I ask what happened to your hand?"

Chanel was extremely curious about Magnus's past. She identified him as an exceptional individual at first glance and wanted to get to the bottom of his background story.

Magnus just shook his head.

Even the Black Sail crew only knew he held a grudge against Zote, but the specifics were unclear, and they weren't interested in finding out.

For trauma-related experiences, Magnus never spoke about them.

Yet this only piqued Chanel's curiosity more. According to a close friend who came with her, he was described as the strongest Heroic Level adventurer, capable of even taking down Hall-level foes. It was only due to lack of opportunity he hadn't done greater things, hence his halt at Heroic Level.

The most intriguing label is always mystery. Mystery represents everything, so he must have other important matters to deal with.

"It feels... just okay."

Shadi took a sip of the Emperor's Treasure Brew. To be honest, he didn't understand much about alcohol. It had a somewhat wondrous taste, but he couldn't quite describe it. It was indeed extraordinary, but it didn't bring the blissful ecstasy he imagined.

"You don't know shit!"

Archer stared shockingly at the glass in his hand. He hadn't felt this kind of clarity in ages. This was undoubtedly the king of all liquors. His throat moved in a rolling motion, as if savoring the secret burn at the throat, this tremble sliding toward forbidden ecstasy, like a knife edge wrapped in silk, slicing through the condensed holy brilliance from the Ancient Divine Continent and eternal downfall.

"This is... drinking it sends you into a rich abyss."

Archer muttered, only feeling the sorrow of the Elves' westward voyage.

"My hair?"

Shadi held his head in both hands, nothing had shocked him like this Rashomon moment before. As expected, it's the Emperor's Treasure Brew, Archer's mouth... had spit out ivory!

And at this precise moment...

Silhouettes appeared along the entrance passage of the Magic Banquet, with footsteps echoing dully.

Whitman's people had finally arrived—the esteemed guests from the Far East, known over there as the "One Slash Immortal," who never needed a second strike to kill.

Duval was tearfully grateful. "Thank goodness you're finally here, bro!"

"Who's causing trouble?"

A strong and commanding voice full of pressure rang out.