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

Chapter 149 Fame Spreads Far and Wide, the Chaotic Sin Islands!
With the death of Duke Nova and witnessing such a horrific scene, the already demoralized sailors naturally lost their will to resist.

However, due to the large number of people and ships, the process of cleaning up the battlefield and counting the spoils of war was much more difficult than Shane had anticipated.

The good news is.

Thanks to the forbidden spell cast by Duke Nova before his death, most of the secret travelers on the Blood Duke fleet were killed or wounded, further reducing the resistance to clearing the ships.

The bad news is.

Shane had previously dismantled the ship too severely, and coupled with the aftermath of his battle with Duke Nova and the still unresolved storm, the Blood Duke was inevitably sinking into the depths of the sea.

That's all money!

Such a large ship, I wonder how many gold dragon coins it could fetch.

As Shane watched the Blood Duke being gradually submerged by the sea, his heart bled.

Although salvage crews and deep-sea submersibles could be sent to salvage the sunken ship, the loss of this particular vessel alone was enough to make his heart ache so much he could hardly breathe.

Fortunately, after the "Duke Nova Candle" burned out, Shane gained quite a bit from her remains.

[Ship Soul Level: LV4 (40%)]

[Talent: Blood Power (Rare) → (Epic)!]

[Description: The power of your blood has grown stronger once again!]

[Thanks to the effect of "Dragon's Blood Secret," you can create your character's appearance using blood essence without losing any blood!]

[Armor, wings, shields, weapons... the strength of your appearance depends on your constitution and the total amount of blood energy you invest.]

It must be said that Duke Nova truly lived up to his reputation as a Tier 3 Mystic, providing Shane with a substantial amount of experience points.

Moreover, due to her vampire bloodline, her talent for [Blood Power] has been upgraded once again.

"So, that means I can fly now?"

Xia En's focus instantly shifted.

He had previously tested it, and found that the control over the [rare] quality [Blood Power] was not sufficient to support the flight of the Blood Wings.

Moreover, each time wings are created, blood is consumed, which is somewhat counterproductive.

Now, it seems that the [Epic] level [Blood Power] has broken free from this limitation?

However, now is not the time to test new abilities; we haven't finished exploring the corpses yet!
Soon, Shane found two more good things.

One of them was the blood-red scepter.

Crimson Throne

[Quality: Epic]

[Type: Relic]

[Description: The scepter of the lost Kingdom of Turin has been stained crimson with blood due to the corruption of a special secret power.]

[Effect 1: Authority – The majesty of ancient kings still lingers on this scepter.]

Those who wield the scepter gain enhanced authority, and their words and commands become more convincing.

[Effect 2: Enhanced Spell Power - When wielding the scepter, the power, effect, and range of spells cast are moderately increased!]

[Effect 3: Brutality – This scepter has been corrupted; those who come into contact with it will become increasingly irritable and tyrannical.]

The taste of power is captivating.

Perhaps this scepter is also the key to unlocking a certain door?

Its "epic" quality speaks volumes about its extraordinary nature.

But after seeing its three effects, Shane felt it was a bit of a waste.

Given the size and loyalty of his crew, he had absolutely no need to rely on the authority that the scepter brought.

The only useful thing about it is that it enhances the effects of spells, making it a decent staff.

But considering the third negative effect, Shane was also hesitant to let Joey or any of his other subordinates use it.

"So, Duke Nova's brutal nature is also related to this scepter?"

Xia En let his thoughts wander freely, feeling no sympathy whatsoever.

Having chosen this power, one must naturally bear its price.

What concerned him even more was...

Actually, it refers to the word "key" in the description.

"Key? What key to the main gate?"

"Since it's the scepter of a kingdom, could it be the gateway to some kind of treasure vault?"

Suddenly, Xia En remembered something he had neglected for a long time.

"Duke Nova, why is he called a duke?"

This question may seem absurd at first glance, but upon closer examination, it reveals certain information.

For a long time, Shane and the island's inhabitants have taken it for granted that the island is Duke Island, and the island's governor is Duke Nova, but they have never thought about the reason behind it.

As far as Shane knows.

The vampires in this world are not ranked according to titles such as "Viscount" or "Earl," but rather according to their lineage.

In the Seven Seas Federation, the concept of noble titles has long been abolished.

So where did this "Duke" come from?
"The Duke... the Kingdom of Turin... the scepter?"

A guess came to Xia En's mind.

The name of the Duke may well have come from the lost kingdom of Turin.

For various reasons, the Turin King's scepter fell into the hands of the ducal family and has been passed down through generations to this day.

The possibility of this guess coming true is not low.

However, Shane knew too little information, only the name "Kingdom of Turin," so it was unrealistic to want to investigate further.

"Let's keep the scepter in the spatial ring for a while."

"If there are no clues, selling it for money isn't out of the question; after all, it's an epic relic!"

Speaking of the spatial ring, we must mention another acquisition of Shane's.

The Ring of Revelation (Platinum)

The spatial ring worn by Duke Nova was also produced by the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, but its quality was two levels higher than Xia En's previous "silver" ring.

It was precisely because of its extremely high quality that it was not destroyed by the flames ignited by the dark lightning.

After using mental power to break through the original restrictions.

When Xia En opened it, he was stunned.

The space inside this ring is exceptionally spacious, dozens of times larger than Shane's.

What's most captivating is that mountain of gleaming gold coins!

At least a thousand gold dragon coins lay there peacefully, radiating the allure of money.

Xia En had made deals with the sea creatures before and thought he wasn't poor anymore, but the wealth in this spatial ring still made his heart pound with excitement.

Besides gold coins.

The ring also contained a considerable amount of potion ingredients, forbidden artifacts, and rare metals...

Dark gold, mithril... and even several of the [Steam Heart] that Shane needed!

This wave of gains has directly boosted the materials needed for enhancement to over 300%!

"Get rich, get rich!"

Xia En's face beamed with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

At that moment, he suddenly understood the mentality of those pirates. Such a risk-free and highly profitable business was so tempting that it was hard to resist.

Murder and arson bring wealth and power!
Moreover, the Ring of Apocalypse is not all the spoils. The remaining four escort ships, as well as the survivors and valuables on the Blood Duke, will all become Shain's spoils of war!

"Speaking of which, now that Duke Nova is dead, and the Blood Duke has sunk..."

"Is there no force on Duke Island that can stop me?"

Shane harbors no hatred toward the ordinary people on Duke Island.

But he knew that there were indeed many of Duke Nova's confidants on Duke's Island who might seek revenge someday. On the other hand, Duke Nova obviously wouldn't carry all his wealth with him.

On Duke Island, there's probably still her vault!
This is the best opportunity to raid Duke Island before the Federation becomes aware of the situation and sends a new governor!
"Not to be missed."

A cold glint flashed in Xia En's eyes as he muttered to himself.

He hadn't forgotten that more than a dozen islands, including Duke Island, had listed him as a bounty target.

Since they see me as a pirate, I have no choice but to do the things that pirates do.

This action is also a warning and a statement.

Tell those islands controlled by vampires that retaliation from the Black Swan is imminent!
……

……

half a month later.

The Islands of Chaos and Crime.

—As you can tell from the name, this archipelago is quite different from ordinary islands.

Simply put, this is an island belonging to pirates!

This archipelago has no governor of its own and is not under the jurisdiction of the Federation.

Every day, pirate ships of all sizes arrive at these archipelago with their own purposes, such as trading, resupplying, or gathering intelligence.

They brought prosperity, but also chaos.

On this lawless island, the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, is on full display.

Sin abounds, and chaos reigns.

This is also the origin of the archipelago's name.

At this very moment, in the island's largest [Greedy Tavern].

The lights are bright and the place is bustling with people.

Unlike typical taverns, this one was unusually clean and tidy.

Unpleasant odors such as sweat, cosmetics, and alcohol are masked by the incense sprayed from the steam pipes.

Even the usually rude and irritable pirates dared not be too flamboyant, and spoke in a moderate voice, as if they were wary of something.

Correspondingly, the women here are of extremely high quality, with beautiful appearances, good figures, and wearing a special uniform.

It's subtly revealed, yet captivating.

Some of the ignorant pirates were practically drooling at the sight.

Captain Rod, the captain of the pirate ship "West Wind," was also among this group.

To be fair, as a second-tier Pathfinder, Rhodes is quite a figure in the coastal area, someone that many salvage ships would avoid.

But in the Chaotic Sin Islands, which are already far out at sea, he was still a nobody, and even seemed a little reserved in this strange atmosphere.

However, Rhodes had his own way of easing this awkwardness.

His gaze swept across the crowd and quickly locked onto a young man drinking at the bar.

This young man had light golden hair and a handsome appearance that instinctively made people feel good towards him.

Judging from his age and aura, he should be a Mystic with similar strength to himself.

"Hey guy."

Rhodes greeted him with a smile and naturally sat down next to the young man: "Looks like this is your first time in the Chaotic Sin Islands? Want to grab a drink?"

The young man glanced at him while eating the side dishes on his plate, but did not show any resistance.

"The seas have been really turbulent lately. Many islands are on edge, which has forced me to come to the Chaotic Sin Islands for supplies."

Rhodes ordered a drink from the bartender and then said with a slightly complaining tone, "There are far more pirates coming to the Sin Islands than usual."

"It's all that audacious madman's fault!"

The young man chewed his food and asked, "Who did you say?"

"A captain nicknamed 'Black Swan'."

The young man's expression was somewhat strange: "What black swan?"

"Legend has it that black swans are animals that should not exist."

"And when it enters people's sight, it will bring a series of terrible chain reactions."

Rhodes took a sip of wine to moisten his throat: "Of course, what I'm talking about is the captain himself."

"To be honest, even though he's a madman, I really think he's pretty fierce."

The young man's strange expression deepened, but he continued eating the dishes he had ordered: "You know him?"

Rhodes looked around and lowered his voice, "You know about the [Blood Moon Night] two months ago, right?"

"It is said that this black swan kidnapped an important figure on Silvermoon Island, leading to the exposure of the truth about the [Night of the Blood Moon]."

"Then, more than a dozen islands, including Silvermoon Island and Duke Island, jointly issued a warrant for the arrest of his ship."

"Among them, the governor of Duke Island happened to meet him at sea, and forced him all the way into the misty sea, and even waited outside the mist for a long time."

"Guess what?"

The young man responded cooperatively, "What's wrong?"

"That black swan had a fortuitous encounter in the Misty Sea, its strength increased by leaps and bounds, and it not only sank the Blood Duke's ship on Duke Island, but also killed that governor!"

Rod got more and more excited as he spoke: "That's not all! The Black Swan is also leading ships straight to Duke Island to raid her lair!"

"Not only that, he later went to Silvermoon Island and attacked the castle there."

"It's just that the Viper from Silvermoon Island happened to be out salvaging, otherwise it probably would have been sunk by him too!"

"Attacked two islands in half a month. Isn't that amazing?"

Before the young man could reply, another pirate sitting next to him chimed in, "That's fucking awesome!"

"That guy even publicly declared on Silvermoon Island that he would go to every island that wanted him and retaliate tenfold."

"Because of this, many islands have recently stopped allowing us pirates to approach."

"I've never seen anyone so bold. Is he really not afraid of being targeted by the Federal Navy?"

Perhaps this topic was indeed very popular among pirates.

Pirates gradually joined the chat.

"I also heard that his 'Black Swan' is not actually a ship at all, but a giant sea monster that usually disguises itself as a ship."

"The crew on the Black Swan ship are also strange. It seems that they have a giant, a siren, a black knight, and a vampire girl kidnapped from Silvermoon Island."

"There's a rumor that the vampire girl and he were in love, and that she eloped with him to escape the constraints of her family."

"Wow, that's quite romantic?"

Rod asked gossipily, "But I heard that all those crew members are his women?"

Seeing the conversation starting to veer off course, the young man at the bar ate his snacks and drank his wine with a speechless expression, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

at this time.

A sudden commotion broke out in the crowd.

"Mr. Heller is here!"

Not far away, a tall, slender man with a refined appearance was walking towards them.

He had messy, seaweed-like black hair, a strange black tattoo on his cheek that looked like some kind of mollusk, and he wore an old-fashioned suit.

He gives the impression of being a doctor or a gentleman.

"Mr. Heller..."

The pirates immediately looked at him with great respect and greeted him.

The reason is simple: this person is the true owner of the Greedy Bar.

At that moment, Heller cast a glance at the young man at the bar.

(End of this chapter)