We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 124 The Ghost Ship [Diamond Star!]

Chapter 124 The Ghost Ship – [The Diamond Star!]

In the thick, white fog.

As numerous invisible tentacles surged forth from the seawater once more, another escort ship was dragged into the deep sea.

[Ship Spirit Level: LV3 (32%)!]

Seeing the experience bar on the panel grow even larger, Shane showed a surprised expression.

He had only just discovered that detonating the [Deep Mark] to kill enemies would directly increase his experience points.

Clearly, there are also a number of vampires on these three escort ships.

have to say.

The unique skill 【Touch of the Deep】 is particularly powerful in this misty sea.

The enemy cannot locate the Black Swan, but the Black Swan can lock onto the enemy using the Deep Mark and strike with the Heavy Whisper Defense Cannon.

These cannons not only have more powerful firepower, but they also come with effects such as [Whisper], [Contamination], and [Curse], which can cause ordinary crew members to panic.

At this point, detonating the stacked layers of [Touch of the Deep] will create a synergistic deterrent effect.

It was thanks to this ability that Xia En was able to annihilate all three escort ships that were pursuing him.

However, such remarkable results did not come without a price.

Summoning the [Touch of the Deep] requires a large amount of mental energy, and using it three times in a row puts a great burden on Shane.

At this moment.

Xia En clearly felt a dull pain in his brain, and his temples throbbed slightly, as if a tentacle was stirring in his brain.

At the same time, he also had some hazy, eerie hallucinations.

It felt as if hundreds of voices were whispering in my ear.

In the corner of my peripheral vision, it seemed as if many chaotic and mysterious things were writhing and twisting, emitting ethereal and low murmurs.

Strangely, Shane was able to understand what they were saying.

That means—

【The Lord of the Deep... sends his greetings!】

After hearing those words, the numerous illusions and auditory hallucinations dissipated. Although the feeling of mental exhaustion was still there, it was much better than before.

Xia En, pale-faced, rubbed his temples, his mood strange: "The Sovereign of the Deep?"

"Could it be... the ruler of all the descendants of the Deep Ones?"

"It seems that using this skill too much can have some weird side effects."

However, now is clearly not the time to think about these issues.

The process of destroying the escort ship ultimately took a considerable amount of time, allowing the distance between the Black Swan and the Blood Duke to close once again.

Looking back, Xia En could even vaguely see the outline of the scarlet ship.

This distance is already within the artillery range of the Blood Duke!

boom!
Almost the next moment.

The cannons roared, and shells fell from the mist with sharp whistles.

In terms of artillery accuracy and hit rate alone, the Blood Duke is probably far inferior to the Black Swan.

However, it has an advantage that the Black Swan cannot match – its hull is large enough!

Therefore, it can carry enough artillery!
Conservative estimates suggest that it carried no fewer than several dozen cannons.

The Blood Duke doesn't even need much positioning or aiming; a single salvo towards the area where the Black Swan is located will always result in several shells hitting the target.

On the contrary.

Despite its small size and sturdiness, the Black Swan will still suffer some damage from being hit by a shell.

At this point, even Xia En had to admit that the saying "bigger is better, bigger is more beautiful" still had a lot of truth to it.

He did remember that in the nautical game from his previous life, there seemed to be a talent that allowed ships to grow in sync.

Perhaps we'll have to wait for the ship's spirit level to increase before it can be unlocked?
The distracting thoughts in Xia En's mind vanished in an instant, and he immediately steered the ship, weaving and maneuvering through the hail of cannonballs.

Boom!
Suddenly, a muffled thud came from the rear of the ship.

The deck trembled slightly, causing the crew members to sway.

After checking, Joey immediately reported, "Captain, we've been hit on the stern!"

[Durability: 66/100]

Having just recovered some durability through self-healing, it has dropped another notch.

Xia En's expression was solemn.

The Blood Duke's accumulated experience over the years is indeed not to be underestimated.

They likely used some extraordinary method to determine the approximate location of the Black Swan, and coupled with its powerful firepower, it still exerted a terrifying suppressive force.

What follows is destined to be a contest of resilience and will.

……

If Xia En's mood was somber.

At this moment, Bruno on the Blood Duke could only be described as "horrified".

"The Ice Flower, the Purple Feather... the first four escort ships dispatched have all been wiped out?"

"Just with that one ship?"

Bruno still murmured in disbelief.

As it turned out, his hunch was right. This Black Swan did indeed possess bizarre abilities far exceeding those of ordinary ships, and it was worthy of the 500 gold dragon coins bounty.

But it was precisely because of this that Bruno became even more determined to eliminate the threat completely.

Otherwise, if that captain continues to be promoted, he might really threaten the Blood Duke!
Beside him, Duke Nova's plump face also looked somewhat gloomy.

I thought I was just catching a little mouse, but I ended up getting on four escort ships.

This loss only fueled Duke Nova's rage.

However, at this moment, watching the Black Swan constantly dodging and occasionally being hit by the barrage of shells below, Duke Nova's eyes flashed with a savage pleasure. "Little mouse, just keep running..."

"Let's see how long you can keep running!"

But suddenly, the compass needle in Duke Nova's hand jerked violently.

"Hmm? Are there other ships sailing through this fog?"

This compass is also an extraordinary artifact, capable of sensing the location of ships in the nearby sea.

It was with this that Duke Nova confirmed the approximate location of the Black Swan.

Soon, a sailor came to report: "Your Grace, we have spotted an unidentified vessel to the southeast, and it seems to be approaching!"

"Unidentified vessel..."

Duke Nova's heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding rising within him.

She picked up her binoculars and looked southeast.

Her status as a third-tier secret guide granted her eyesight far exceeding that of ordinary people. With the aid of tools, she quickly spotted the shadowy hull of the ship in the thick fog.

It was an ancient, massive, and imposing three-masted warship.

The Blood Duke's hull is already considered huge when viewed from the near sea, but compared to its counterpart, it is significantly smaller.

The towering mast seemed to pierce the clouds, and the ship's sides were as steep as mountains.

An eerie, ghostly blue flame burned on the pitch-black wooden hull, the massive sails were tattered, and hazy illusions and terrifying roars seemed to emanate from them.

Upon witnessing this scene, Duke Nova's pupils constricted, and a long-forgotten fear rose in his heart.

"The ghost ship... [Diamond Star]!"

"A ghost ship!?"

Bruno's voice trembled: "That legend, could it be true?"

“In the last era, before the great flood, some people spent a huge sum of money to build the so-called ‘Noah’s Ark’ in order to avoid the disaster.”

"The Diamond Star was one of those arks, but it encountered a terrible shipwreck on its maiden voyage and never returned."

Duke Nova slowly recounted the legends that circulated on the Seven Seas: "When people saw it again, it had become a ghost ship wandering in the mist."

Bruno couldn't help but ask, "So what should we do now?"

Duke Nova smiled and said, "Don't worry, the Diamond Star isn't such a ferocious ship, as long as we don't provoke it..."

"Oh no! Your Grace, the Black Swan is heading straight for the Diamond Star!"

The boatswain's voice interrupted her.

"What!?"

Duke Nova's expression changed slightly, and he looked down.

Suddenly, the small Black Swan burst forth with a speed far exceeding its previous speed, hurtling toward the ghost ship emitting eerie blue flames.

Duke Nova cursed, "That guy is insane!"

The boatswain asked, "Your Grace, shall we continue the pursuit?"

Duke Nova's expression shifted between light and dark.

The ghost ship may not be ferocious in legends, but that doesn't mean it has no temper at all.

Especially a large, threatening ship like the Blood Duke; just getting close is a strong provocation!

As the distance between the Blood Duke and the Diamond Star decreased, Duke Nova clearly sensed that the ghost ship was beginning to react.

The eerie blue flames on the ship's hull flowed like water.

One cannon after another adjusted its direction without human intervention.

A low, terrifying roar could be faintly heard emanating from the thick fog.

This means that this is its final warning!

After hesitating for a long time, Duke Nova gritted his teeth and said, "Let's retreat!"

Bruno's expression changed slightly: "The Black Swan?"

“It has already been branded by the scarlet ship sculpture. We will wait outside the mist. As soon as it leaves the mist, I will detect it.”

"That will be its death day!"

"I refuse to believe it can hide in this fog forever!"

Duke Nova said viciously, "Moreover, having provoked the Diamond Star, it might die a horrible death on its own without us even having to lift a finger."

His Excellency the Duke makes a lot of sense.

But as Bruno watched the Black Swan gradually disappear into the thick fog, a strong sense of unease still arose in his heart.

……

Not long after.

The Black Swan arrived beside the ghost ship that was emitting blue flames.

The ship was undeniably magnificent, leaving Shane and his crew in awe.

At the same time, there is also a sense of suppressed unease.

After all, no one knows if this ghost ship will suddenly attack them.

But this was also the only way that Xia En could think of to temporarily escape the pursuit of the Blood Duke.

At this moment, they sensed that the large ship bearing the [Deep Mark] was gradually moving away.

Xia En breathed a sigh of relief.

He looked at the crew members on the ravaged deck and said softly, "We're safe, for now."