The world begins with refining skills

Chapter 552 is coming! (Please subscribe)

This is a black wooden ship about fifty meters long!

The surface of the ship is covered with a thick layer of seaweed, coral and shells, just like an ancient shipwreck that has been sleeping on the seabed for decades.

The deck was permeated with dark green seawater, which dripped incessantly year-round, making it slippery and emitting a salty, putrid stench.

In an era when steam engines were already widely used, this ship still relied on outdated wind power for propulsion.

Three black linen sails, resembling rotting shrouds, hung from the mast!

Even more strangely, despite the fact that the wind on the sea was not strong, the three sails were billowing.

On both sides of the ship are rows of dark, heavy metal cannons, with a total of forty-eight cannons on two levels.

Such a number of cannons is enough to prove the terrifying destructive power of this pirate ship!

Even a ship made of steel could not withstand a single volley of fire from such a number of cannons.

On the deck at the bow of the ship stood many fierce-looking pirate crew members.

The leader, wearing a tattered tricorn hat, saw the monster, which was over ten meters long, leap out of the water.

Hal Constantine drew his slender rapier from his waist with a clang.

"Boom!"

Hurriedly reaching the bow, Hal Constantine jumped onto the railing, grabbed the slanted beam with one hand to steady himself, and pointed his rapier forward with the other.

"The Kraken have already caught the scent of their prey. Sharpen your swords and load your muskets..."

"Prepare for this grand hunt!"

As soon as Hal Constantine finished speaking, a group of monstrous pirate crew members burst into cheers and howls.

"Wuhu~"

"Awooooo~"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Cut off their heads! This time I'm going to snatch a noblewoman and have a good taste of her!"

"..."

Hearing that their prey was just ahead, these vicious pirates were like hungry wolves seeing flesh and blood, unable to suppress their bloodlust.

"Hahaha, Flying Ship! Forward!"

Hal Constantine laughed loudly and swung his rapier.

Suddenly, air currents and sea fog appeared around the dilapidated, damp black pirate ship beneath their feet, and their speed increased dramatically.

This black wooden ship is actually a magical pirate ship!!!

"Moo~"

The sea monster, which was over ten meters long, would occasionally leap out of the water, emitting a long and deep roar.

"Wow~"

The magical pirate ship kept cutting through the waves ahead, following the guidance of the sea monster Kraken, and sped towards its prey.

……

On the second deck of the Cedric, Rose took advantage of her rest time to come here once again.

The wind was light at sea today, and you could occasionally see people strolling and chatting on the deck.

"Damn it, where did that guy go?"

Rose leaned on the railing of the second-floor deck and looked down, but she still couldn't find the figure she was looking for.

"What? Marking a spot on the bow and then climbing aboard when we get there? Humph! Do they think I'm stupid?"

Rose grumbled with dissatisfaction, having made several trips to the deck almost every day since that day.

She wanted to meet Mu Sheng again so she could properly reprimand him for playing tricks on her.

However, perhaps due to bad luck, although Mu Sheng would come up for a walk every day, the two never met again.

"How about we go downstairs and look for them?"

Rose was somewhat tempted, but then quickly dismissed the idea.

If her mother finds out, who knows how she'll scold her? She might not even let her out of the cabin.

Rose walked from the bow to the stern, and just when she thought she had gained nothing again, she suddenly saw a familiar figure from behind.

"Great! I've finally found you!"

Rose suddenly perked up, lifted her skirt, strode to the railing at the edge of the deck, leaned over it, and shouted down:

"Hey!!!"

The clear, sharp sound, like the rapid shaking of a silver bell, immediately attracted the attention of the others on the second deck.

Rose didn't care about any of that now; all she wanted to do was have a serious talk with Mu Sheng about how he had treated her like a fool.

Mu Sheng, who was on the lower deck, naturally heard Rose's shouts as well.

Standing at the stern, gazing at the distant sea, he calmly turned around and looked up at Rose.

He raised one finger!
"First, I don't call you 'Hey'!"

Then he turned around again and continued to look at the sea behind him.

"???"

Rose, on the second deck, was originally prepared to hear what the second thing was, but who would have thought that the other party would not play by the rules.

After saying "first place," he completely ignored her!

It's tight!

Fists clenched!

Rose wanted to continue shouting, but after noticing the strange looks from the other passengers on the second deck, she wisely shut her mouth.

The Cedric has two decks.

The first deck is for passengers who have purchased third-class and second-class tickets, while the second deck is only open to passengers who have purchased first-class tickets.

Passengers with third-class and second-class tickets cannot get on, and passengers with first-class tickets almost never get off!

But today was an exception. Rose, who had been thwarted twice by Mu Sheng, disregarded her mother's threat of grounding her and ran down the street, lifting her skirt.

"Boom!"

Brown leather boots made a crisp sound as they stepped on the deck.

Ordinary passengers on the first deck also noticed this figure who clearly didn't belong there.

Under the curious gazes of the crowd, Rose approached Mu Sheng, put her hands on her hips, and said:
"Hey! Shouldn't you apologize to me?"

Mu Sheng looked at the noblewoman in front of him with a strange expression, then slowly raised a finger: "First, me..."

“You didn’t call me ‘Hey’!” Rose interrupted. “I know that, and then what? Apologize to me!”

Rose held her head high, looking completely self-righteous.

With her exquisite dress, elegant demeanor, and beautiful face, it's hard for most people to refuse her reasonable requests.

However, Mu Sheng is clearly no ordinary person!

Why should I apologize?

Mu Sheng was quite surprised and couldn't quite understand Rose's thought process.

"You...you deceived a lady, shouldn't you apologize?"

Rose got even angrier when she saw Mu Sheng acting like she was being unreasonable.

"What did I lie to you about?"

"You said you made a mark on the bow of the ship, accidentally fell in, and could climb back on after the ship stopped. Isn't that just lying to me?"

"But... I did carve a mark on the bow of the ship!"

Mu Sheng shrugged, looking quite innocent.

"You left a mark, you..."

Rose was momentarily stunned: "You really carved a mark? No, no, you almost led me astray again!"

"Even if you marked the spot, how could you possibly climb back up from somewhere else if you fell down here?"

"Isn't this deception?"

Rose finally sorted out her logic and confidently accused him, "Fine, fine, then I'll pretend I lied to you..."

Mu Sheng sighed and shook his head, like a helpless adult facing a child's unreasonable tantrum.

Rose was even more dissatisfied upon hearing this. She pouted and grumbled, "What do you mean 'even if'? You just lied to me!"

"Okay, okay, it was my fault. I shouldn't have lied to you. I'm sorry, alright?"

Mu Sheng seemed to be sincerely apologizing, but Rose felt like she had something stuck in her chest and couldn't shake off her discomfort.

How can you be so infuriating?
"Miss who has been deceived, a storm is coming, you'd better hurry back to your cabin!"

Mu Sheng ignored Rose's little tantrum, left a word of advice, and then waved goodbye.

Rose's eyes widened as she watched Mu Sheng's departing figure.

No, just leave like this?

Rose felt like a clown!
I spent several days wandering around on the deck, and all I got was this perfunctory apology?

"A storm? There isn't even a cloud in the sky, how could there be a storm?"

"big liar!"

Rose stomped her foot angrily, then lifted her skirt and strode quickly toward the bow of the ship.

She wanted to see if there were any markings there!
"Really!?"

Rose actually found a brand new mark on the railing of the bow deck.

"Boom~"

Just then, a bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the sky above the Cedric.

Immediately following was a tremendous sound, as if Thor were raging.

The sky, which had been clear just moments before, began to gather large swaths of dark clouds.

"got windy……"

Rose stretched out her palm, feeling the airflow quickly brushing across it, and murmured.

"Is everything he said true?"

Looking up at the increasing clouds in the sky, and then at the sword-shaped mark on the railing, Rose couldn't help but begin to doubt her judgment.

Is it really useful to mark the spot where you fell?

Rose hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should also make a mark.

...

...

"Crack! Click!"

"Boom! Boom!"

"Crash, lala, lala -"

A sudden storm plunged the entire sea area into darkness.

The heavy rain poured down, forming streams on the deck.

All the passengers took refuge in the cabins, and even the most experienced sailors dared not venture out in such weather.

"The weather at sea is so unpredictable. Just a moment ago it was sunny and clear, and now it looks like the end of the world..."

In the lowest cabin, Jules leaned against a window no bigger than a human face, gazing at the dark seawater that occasionally lapped against the glass, and exclaimed in amazement.

"That's how it is at sea; the weather is like a woman's mood—you never know when it will turn on you!"

One of the crew members in the same cabin exclaimed after hearing Jules's exclamation.

"Stop looking, Jules, it's almost lunchtime, we should go to the kitchen and get to work!"

At his roommate's urging, Jules left the window, got up to change into his work clothes, and left the room with his roommate.

After passing through the narrow corridor, the group quickly arrived at the kitchen on the third floor.

The first and second floors are the worst and most crowded third-class cabins, while the fourth and fifth floors are for the wealthy.

Therefore, the Cedric's kitchen was located on the third floor!
This ensures a clean kitchen environment without disturbing the most distinguished first-class guests.

Amidst the chef's loud reprimands, Jules and his colleagues began their work for the day.

Two hours later, some guests began to enter the restaurant to dine.

"Mr. Victory, what would you like to eat?"

As soon as Mu Sheng sat down, he saw Jules dressed as a waiter.

"Jules? Weren't you working in the kitchen? How come you're working as a waiter again?"

Jules shrugged and said helplessly, "What can I do? I'm just a temporary worker. I'll go wherever there's work. Being a waiter is easier!"

"That's pretty good too."

Mu Sheng nodded, then began ordering: "Give me a grilled fish and a honey black tea..."

After ordering their meal, just as Yule was about to leave, Musheng called him back.

"Jules, if you're done with your work and have nothing else to do, it's best to stay in the cabin and not come out. It's not safe outside!"

"Is it because of the storm?" Jules asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Don't ask, just listen to me!"

"Okay, I understand. I will stay in the cabin obediently."

Jules nodded seriously, then took the menu to the kitchen.

After lunch, the strong winds outside gradually subsided.

The dark clouds in the sky were gradually dissipating, and the rain was visibly decreasing.

A golden ray of light pierced through the thin clouds and shone on the dark sea.

It was like a pillar of heaven piercing through the darkness!
"The sun is out, the storm has stopped!"

On the watchtower in the middle of the ship, the sailor responsible for observing the sea situation breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the beam of light pierce through the clouds.

As a profession that requires long periods of time at sea, these seafarers are most familiar with storms and also have the greatest respect for them!

Despite being over 80 meters long, the Cedric is nothing more than a tiny toothpick in the face of the vast ocean.

Even a ship made of steel is no stronger than a piece of paper under the raging, angry waves.

"Huh? What is that?"

Suddenly, the lookout noticed a shadow on the sea behind the Cedric.

"Is it another ship that travels this route?"

The lookout picked up the binoculars hanging around his neck and looked toward the shadow.

The magnified shadow looks much clearer, and the shapes of the ship's hull and mast can be vaguely seen.

Mast?

The lookout suddenly became alert. What kind of steamship would have such an outdated structure as a mast?

"Oh no! It's a pirate ship!"

After observing for another ten seconds or so, the lookout finally realized what kind of ship it was.

The ship's alarm was immediately sounded!
"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~"

"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~"

The urgent alarm sounded instantly, reaching every corner of the Cedric.

While the passengers on the ship were still wondering what the sound was, the captain, first mate, and crew members' expressions changed.

A pirate ship is approaching!!!
On the sea, more than ten kilometers away, Hal Constantine stood alone at the bow of the ship, looking at the Cedric ahead with a sinister smile.

"Prepare for bombardment!"

"Signal them with flags to stop the ship, or we'll kill everyone on board!"

Soon, the Cedric received a message from the Flying.

(End of this chapter)