Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 237 Double Kill
Roger is currently using one of the witchcraft techniques mastered by the "Scroll Professor." This crimson powder, when combined with incantations, can ignite a silent flame that burns everything it touches.

Mitrom Gadirs tried to struggle, but before he died, he saw the soul of Ludwig, the "executioner," that Roger had deliberately shown him.

The captain of the "Musketeer" naturally recognized Ludwig; in fact, the two had a good relationship, and he knew that Ludwig's direct combat ability and experience were superior to his own.

Even someone as strong as Ludwig has become the prey of this young man in the wide-brimmed hat, his soul enslaved. This greatly weakens Mitron's will to resist. He struggles violently and silently for a few moments before being burned to death.

Before he was completely reduced to ashes, Roger swiftly beheaded Mitrom as proof that he had killed the great pirate.

To be honest, Mitrom's strength and combat experience were not weak. He had realized that Roger's strange pistol seemed to have the ability to hit the target, so he decided to play along and pretend to die to deceive Roger.

In fact, Mitrom had already removed the fatal wound using "damage transfer" and had prepared his red pistol, which corresponded to the extraordinary power of the "demon," ready to deliver an unexpected fatal blow to Roger.

This tactic may seem simple, but it has successfully outmaneuvered several well-known pirates and bounty hunters, making it highly effective.

However, Mitrom did not expect that Roger seemed to have anticipated this, successfully deciphered his own prediction, and then countered with a set of attacks, killing him in less than a minute.

This can't be blamed on him; the only one to blame is Roger for being too familiar with the abilities of the "diviner" pathway.

After all, the latter had a senior "diviner" friend. The two had lived together for a long time and had handled many extraordinary events together, which made Roger's understanding of the thought process of extraordinary people who had the "diviner" path as if it were engraved deep in his flesh and blood.

Soon, a translucent, jelly-like object that reflected light and looked very dark fell in front of Roger.

Against this jelly-like black and green background, faces of various appearances occasionally appear and disappear, like shadowy figures hidden behind dark curtains.

This is precisely the extraordinary characteristic of the "Faceless Man".

Along with it appeared the soul of Mitron Gadirs, and Roger immediately used the "Shepherd's" "herding" ability to enslave its soul, while also herding its extraordinary traits.

In this way, Mitrom Gadirs and Ludwig Sergei, the two good friends, were reunited, and the number of Beyonder souls Roger had enslaved rose to four, truly more than halfway to his ultimate goal of seven.

In terms of abilities, Roger chose three: "Transformation", "Flame Leap", and "Air Blast".

The reason for choosing "transformation" is self-evident: Roger was originally a person of great status, and to do a job like "adventurer" which is full of implications, he naturally needed some useful and replaceable masks.

This is not only for concealing their identity, but also because the Faceless Man's ability to "shapeshift" is the best choice for carrying out various secret missions and even assassinations.

Whether it's theft or assassination, face-changing and disguise are the most basic requirements.

As for "Flame Leap," it was another ability Roger really liked, as it was both cool and practical.

He had previously copied Klein's ability several times in "John's Magic Book," but the ability would eventually run out if the two didn't meet. Now that Roger possessed the soul of Mitroon Gadirs, he no longer needed to worry about that happening.

As for the "air bullet," it is a long-range attack method that is difficult to defend against. The power of the "air bullet" at the 6th level of the sequence is comparable to that of a new type of rifle. It can kill people invisibly with just a snap of the fingers. It is undoubtedly a powerful weapon for showing off and killing.

For someone like Roger, who is obsessed with playing as a mage, the "air bomb," which is extremely difficult to detect with the naked eye, is undoubtedly a good supplement to his offensive capabilities.

After doing all this, Roger released Mitrom Gadirs's soul again and began the interrogation.

……

Simim Island, dock area.

"Raging Wave" Peron Schulz walked through the alleyways with his head down, feeling somewhat uneasy, trying to avoid possible pursuit.

Earlier, when the sailor from the "Musketeer" who was clearly acting strangely and was in fact also "dollified" by Roger appeared, Belon, like Mitrom, sensed something was amiss. The latter quickly killed the man and then they parted ways.

But at the moment, Belon was completely unaware that Captain Mitroncard had been killed by Roger. All he could think about was getting back to the Musketeer as quickly as possible and then making further plans.

Suddenly, however, a strong sense of danger rose in Beron Schulz's heart. He instinctively stopped and stepped back while smoothly drawing his short knife!

With a loud clang, the alleyway was filled with the sound of metal striking stone. Beron Schulz saw a sharp blade, seemingly made of solidified ice, gleaming coldly in the darkness, desperately stabbing towards him.

He displayed his combat prowess as a "weapon master" and his exceptional control over the dagger, engaging in a highly agile exchange of blows with the seemingly alluring and beautiful woman.

It must be said that Beron Schulz's combat instincts are indeed sharp. When an "assassin" like Linssia fails to assassinate someone in the dark and instead gets into close combat with this "weapon master" like now, she will not have the upper hand in physical combat alone.

After all, those who are extraordinary in the "Warrior" path specialize in close combat and weapon use. They have honed their physical strength and fighting ability to the limit. Assassins, who need to use explosive power to kill their opponents instantly, will be dragged into a protracted battle if they fail.

However, Linsaya showed no sign of backing down. This somewhat deranged "witch of pleasure," disregarding the several bloody gashes on her body and the upturned corners of her mouth, frantically thrust the ice blade in her hand toward Belon as if she didn't care about her life. Even though all the thrusts were blocked and two of the ice blades shattered, she refused to stop.

"You're a 'witch,' aren't you? I don't remember ever offending a witch cult?"

"Beron shouted, slashing horizontally with his short sword, which Linssaya dodged by leaping up," Belon asked.

The witch didn't answer. While she was in the air, she used the sharp, specially modified heels of her ankle boots to kick at Belon, but he grabbed her ankle, spun her around 360 degrees, and threw her away.

"court death!"

Beron was furious. He took strange steps and appeared in front of Linssaya in an instant, slashing straight down with his dagger.

Linssaya neither dodged nor avoided the gaze of Belon, who looked at her with some surprise.

Belon quickly realized what Linssaya was relying on.

He only saw a crimson flower suddenly burst open in front of Linssaya. This crimson flower rapidly solidified like a living stalactite, and in the void, it pierced towards her in the opposite direction with the force of Belon's impact, just like a rapier.

Peron was startled. He nimbly stopped in his tracks, rolled backward, and dodged the attack of the flesh-and-blood rapier.

As the bloodstains faded, a young man with a baby face and wearing a jacket appeared beside Linsaya.

"I really have no idea what you're doing."

Philip Hoover looked somewhat helplessly at Lindsay, who was sitting on the ground with a mocking look in her eyes.

"Hehehe, little Philip, I knew you wouldn't give up on me."

Linssaya wrapped her long, slender legs around Philip's ankles and said very deliberately:

"Since you saved my life, I can reward you tonight."

"I don't like men who are deformed."

Philip remained unfazed and calm.

Linssaya's expression immediately froze, and her eyes turned cold.

At the same time, gunshots suddenly rang out in the alley.

That was the sound of a revolver. The bullet struck the glass next to it, and a crackling sound echoed through the alley, scattering shards of glass everywhere.

The three of them looked up at Zeus Newman, who was staring in shock.

"She...she...she's a man?"

Zeus spoke somewhat incoherently.

He was intently aiming his revolver at Peron, preparing to kill him with a single shot, when he suddenly heard Philippe's explosive news. He lost control of the pistol, causing the firing pin to strike the primer and the bullet to fire prematurely.

Zeus had previously been puzzled as to why the captain had remained oblivious to the repeated seductions of Linssaya, a woman whose every smile and gesture was captivating.

He even suspected that Roger had some problems and had the idea of ​​"I'll do it myself if it doesn't work".

But at this moment, Zeus finally understood everything and fell into deep doubt about the world.

"Yes, otherwise why do you think the captain treated her that way?"

Philip answered without changing his expression.

“Oh shit…”

Zeus couldn't help but curse under his breath.

This series of conversations and reactions made the solemn-faced Beron Schultz realize that he was not fighting against the Witch Cult. This group seemed to be a group of adventurers who had only recently come together and did not know each other well enough.

Having grasped this point, Veron didn't hesitate, turned around and started running like crazy!
He knew that the other side had not formed a tight encirclement, and he was clearly no match for the baby-faced youth with strange abilities who seemed to be the "Rose Bishop" on his own, so running away was the best option.

Upon seeing Beron Schulz's action, Lindsay's eyes immediately turned cold.

Although her close-quarters combat skills are not as good as "Weapon Master", as a Sequence 6, she can still protect herself. So, as Philip said, Linseria is consciously playing a fighting game with Belon.

However, Belon can't afford to play along and has chosen to run away, which makes Linssaya furious.

She frowned and stretched out her right hand, and many tiny "spider webs" immediately poured out!

Just a few steps away, Belon suddenly felt his hands and feet become heavy, as if they were bound by something.

Before he could react, a tingling, hair-like itchy sensation crept up his neck.

"This is……"

The next second, Belon felt an immense and extreme "pleasure" explode in his mind!
Admittedly, while an "assassin" may not be able to defeat a "weapon master" in close combat, this is on the condition that the former does not use "spider silk," a skill that is considered the nemesis of those who excel in close combat!
After the "weapon master" had barely recovered from the overwhelming pleasure, his pupils suddenly contracted, revealing a rapidly flying icy spear.

He tried to block again, but his body was already firmly bound by spider silk and he could not move.

Seeing that the icy spear was about to pierce him, Beron Schulz gritted his teeth and bit his tongue hard!
As blood flowed from his mouth, Belon also spewed out a massive fireball. This fireball collided with the icy spear, instantly turning it into mist. The next moment, Belon unleashed another burst of flame, burning away the "spider silk" binding him!
"Huh, huh..."

Beron Schultz's entire mouth was a horrifying mixture of blood and charcoal, as if his act of spewing flames had severely burned him as well.

On the edge of his lips, which were almost half-melted, Philip saw a gold tooth gleaming with golden light, still seemingly hot to the touch, which would instantly evaporate when Perón's saliva and blood were dripped onto it.

"A sealed object?"

Philip quickly made a guess in his mind.

In fact, his guess was not wrong at all. This was a sealed artifact corresponding to the Sequence 7 "Pyromaniac" level, the "Flame Fang"!
This sealed artifact usually exists like an ordinary denture, but it can be activated when necessary, allowing the holder to breathe fire.

However, this item also has significant side effects. If the user does not possess strong fire resistance like a "zombie," "arsonist," or "Rose Bishop," they will suffer fire damage while using it!

Even someone as physically strong as "Weapon Master" Beron Schultz has vulnerable areas around his lips and teeth, so the backlash he suffers can be quite severe.

It was precisely because of this side effect that Belon was able to buy this sealed artifact at a relatively low price at a pirate gathering and had always used it as a last resort for survival, and now it came in handy.

He endured the pain and spat two more fireballs at Linsaya and the others, then turned and ran away again!

It must be said that the power of the "arsonist" was indeed very effective against Linssaya's abilities such as "spider silk" and "frost." In the end, it was only by using the flesh and blood shield created by "Pantax's Crimson Gem" that Philip managed to block Belon's attack.

Zeus fired several shots, but Belon dodged them thanks to his extremely agile body and instinctive combat sense.

By the time the smoke from the explosion had completely dissipated, Belon had vanished without a trace.

"Damn it, that bastard got away!"

Even the composed Philip couldn't help but curse out loud at this moment.

"Hmph, let's see how you explain this to the captain."

Lindsay rolled her eyes at Philip and said irritably.

However, before Linsaya could finish speaking, the group heard a terrified scream.

The scream abruptly stopped, and a moment later, a thud was heard as Belon's head rolled out from their blind spot.

Disbelief still lingered in his eyes, as if he had seen something utterly incomprehensible.

"This... the captain?"

Zeus called out tentatively, but received no response from Roger.

Philip and Lindsay exchanged a glance, and without prior arrangement, they ran toward Peron's body. As they got closer, they only saw a man's figure quickly disappear into the darkness.

Because of the lighting, Philip couldn't see clearly. He could only make out that the man seemed to be wearing gold-rimmed glasses, had neatly combed black hair, and a thin face, but he couldn't make out his facial features at all.

"who are you?"

He shouted, but only heard his own voice echoing in the empty, dark alley.

"Stop shouting, it might be another enemy of Peron Schulz."

Linssaya offered a word of advice, and then carefully searched Beron Schulz's body.

Besides about two hundred gold pounds in cash, Beron Schultz had only a revolver and his gold tooth on him.

"This guy is so poor."

Zeus curled his lip.

"It's good enough if there's anything, we're just being picky."

Linssaya rolled her eyes at him and said:

"Never mind all that for now, let's collect the bodies and go find the captain."

"it is good."

Philip nodded and began quickly cleaning up the scene.

About twenty minutes later, Roger and the other two met again on the "Musketeer".

Several sailors returned from outside, and Philip and Zeus tied them up and threw them onto the ship, gags stuffed with clothing to prevent them from making a sound.

“Now that we have the heads of Mitron and Belon, and apart from the first mate of the ‘Musketeer,’ ‘Monster’ Dionysius James, who is with Bratov, these four ships are completely under our control.”

Roger quickly summarized what he knew, and then said:

"We'll leave the 'Musketeer' and the other three ships here for now, and we'll take them over after we collect the bounties from Mitron and Belon."

"This will avoid alerting them. Sailing these ships directly into Bayam now would be too conspicuous, not only attracting the attention of the Governor's Office, but also potentially alerting them."

After all, the red mast of the "Musketeer" was too eye-catching; few ships at sea would paint their masts such a conspicuous color.

Firstly, merchant ships and passenger ships are more likely to attract pirates, while pirates are more likely to attract the official navy and the Storm Church.

Upon hearing Roger's words, Zeus immediately became excited:
"Captain, shall we take over these four ships?"

"No, we will only take over the 'Musketeer' and the other supply ship."

Roger shook his head: "The other two ships are too low-spec and don't deserve the prestige of the 'Star Lord'."

Roger had already thoroughly inspected all four ships and found that only the "Musketeer" was not far behind the "Star Lord" in terms of displacement or function. Moreover, the ship had a mature and complete set of defense mechanisms that could be fully mastered with a little exploration.

Because the "Star Lord" itself is structured as a medium to large ship, and the "Musketeer" is a size smaller, it is just right to be a subordinate ship of the fleet. As for the other three ships, only one of them is a supply ship. Forcing the other two into the "Star Lord" fleet would be a demotion.

Roger planned that although the "Star Lord" fleet would need additional ships, the fleet should be of high quality rather than large in number. Forcibly adding ships that were not of a suitable caliber would only scatter manpower and create unnecessary trouble.

He then explained his ideas, and the other three nodded in agreement. Even Philip praised Roger, saying that he didn't seem like a new captain and that his vision and planning were very far-reaching.

"Let's not talk about that now, Philip."

Roger smiled and shook his head:

"You just mentioned a mysterious person who helped you kill Beron Schultz? What did he look like?"

"I didn't see very clearly, but I saw that he seemed to be wearing gold-rimmed glasses, had his black hair combed to the side, and his face seemed very thin."

Philip recalled for a moment and added, "He seemed to have come only to kill Peron Schulz, and didn't even try to search him, so I suspect he might be Peron's enemy."

Another possibility is that it's my friend...

Roger maintained his smile, but his temples throbbed, because Philip's description clearly connected to the vest that Gehrman Sparrow, his friend Klein Moretti, used at sea.

Although it's unclear why Klein came to Simim Island or how he found out about Roger's plan to hunt down Beron Schultz, Klein seems to be quite loyal, finishing off Philip and the others when they failed, thus helping Roger deliver a satisfactory answer.

"However, this way, Klein should also know that I obtained the soul of the 'Faceless Man'..."

Roger thought for a moment, then said:
“I will investigate that person’s matter later. The gold tooth that Beron Schultz dropped is worth about 1500 pounds. If an extraordinary person who can ignore its side effects is willing to buy it, this item can sell for more than 2000 gold pounds.”

"Does anyone want this item? If so, you'll need to convert its value into cash or other extraordinary items and give it to the other two people. If none of you want it, you can consider selling it for cash and then splitting the money among yourselves."

"Of course, considering the value of this item, I can also help you sell it."

"I do not need."

Philip shook his head. He felt that this item was far less practical than the "Crimson Gem of Panthax" and was far too useless.

"I don't need it either."

"Me too... I guess I'll still have to trouble you, Captain."

Zeus hesitated for a moment, recalling the horrifying image of Belon before his death, before speaking.

"OK, I'll help you sell this item and then split the profits with you."

Roger nodded, glanced around at the three men who clearly showed delight, and then said:

"Now, we need to screen the sailors on the 'Musketeer'."

“Those who are willing to surrender and have no major blemishes can be allowed to join us.”

"Those who are unwilling to surrender, or those who have committed heinous crimes, will be handed over to the authorities for money, or simply disposed of."

Roger had a clear understanding of the situation, because the actual first and second leaders of the "Musketeer" were already dead, and the remaining people were leaderless.

Those who are pragmatic and have not committed any serious crimes can be considered for recruitment, while those who are unwilling to surrender or have committed serious crimes are another matter!

(End of this chapter)