When evil gods hold a meeting in my head

People were hiding in the shadows all around, crouching there and peering out to observe Richard. Putting aside the sticks they were holding... Richard noticed something even more dangerous: there were faint sparks floating on the hands of several people!

Could it be that these church members have all taken the Knight's Potion?

Moreover, they generally possessed the ability to use fire...

Richard stared at the hiding places, his mind racing:

A direct confrontation is definitely out of the question, but what if I could use my ring or top hat to create a path that could temporarily hold off these people and lead directly to the boarding area?

He thought this to himself, then touched the top hat on his head!

Hats today have been greatly enhanced and are no longer limited to fire protection; they now possess significant lethality.

If you throw the hat over there...

That would create a tall wall of fire in the air, and those people would definitely not dare to rush in!

And they can't get in either!

Although they didn't know how long the fire wall would last, a dozen seconds would be enough for the three of them to run over!

Richard turned around and looked at the two people behind him.

He turned to look at Rosalie and Thales, who remained huddled behind him, both visibly tense. Thales, in particular, seemed still reeling from the terrifying moment. Richard could even see the fear trembling in his pupils…

"listen to me."

Richard said gently, "I'll create a wall of fire to keep those people out. You must follow me, and stay close! Don't look back, and don't stop. Try to run all the way to that ship!"

Thales paused, glancing at him, then at the people hiding in the distance, and swallowed hard. "Fire...fire wall? What's that...will it work?"

Richard said, "Just remember to stick close to me!"

Upon hearing this, Thales could only nod frantically.

He had hardly ever seen anything extraordinary, and he had absolutely no idea what Richard was saying.

The image of a red stone wall collapsing was all he could picture in his mind. He muttered, "Maybe Richard knows some construction crew who can build a road on the spot..."

After giving Taylor and Rosalie some instructions, Richard took a deep breath, then looked up to make sure the people were still there and hadn't spotted them before he felt relieved.

He took off his hat.

The hat was warm and heavy in his hands!

He gripped the brim of his hat, and with a thought, a ring of flames suddenly burst forth from the hat.

The flames were stronger than ever before, red and yellow sparks dancing in his palms and hissing continuously. The surrounding air seemed to be baking, and waves of heat rushed towards him.

Richard stared at the iron staircase leading up to the giant steamship in the distance, and with all his might, threw his hat off.

Swish swish!

The hat flew out of his hand, tracing an arc in the air and trailing a long, fiery tail, like a shooting star.

Hearing the commotion, the church members immediately looked up, only to see a ball of fire flying towards them. Terrified, they frantically tried to dodge to the side.

But the hats didn't hit them.

Instead, it slammed violently onto the muddy ground next to the iron ladder, instantly sending up a huge cloud of dust that obscured the view of those on the boat and spread to the vicinity of the alley entrance...

This actually benefits Richard and his two companions!

The sandstorm was unexpected by Richard, but it didn't disrupt his plans! In fact, it provided excellent cover!

At this moment, the top hat, with the help of its remaining force, slowly rotated in the soil!

The ship spun faster and faster, the flames whipping out in circles, weaving a wall of fire in the air. The flames were red and yellow, burning fiercely, stretching from the boarding point all the way to where they stood, like a burning barrier.

The group of people were stunned.

One of the braver ones tried to rush over, but after only two steps, his arm was burned by the flames. He screamed and pulled back, a blister forming on his arm, sizzling and steaming.

The others dared not move either, and just stared at the wall of fire, watching the flames leap in front of them.

"run!"

Richard grabbed Rosalie and charged forward.

Thales paused for a moment, then desperately tried to catch up. He ran very fast, not at all like a man in his sixties; his feet pounded the ground, each step heavy and steady.

The three people ran forward along the path marked by the wall of fire.

The flames were right beside them, the heat making their faces burn, but they didn't stop. Richard ran in front, pulling Rosalie along. Rosalie followed him, her expression still looking a little dazed, but her steps were firm, as if afraid of being left behind...

Thales followed at the back, panting heavily, and dared not stop for even a moment. He desperately took steps forward, wishing he could do the work of two steps in one!

Despite his speed, he still couldn't surpass Richard, a superhuman whose body had been enhanced by a potion...

At this moment, the church members tried to give chase, but they were burned and retreated as soon as they got close to the wall of fire. Someone picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the wall of fire, but the stone was engulfed by the flames as soon as it flew in and came out charred black.

They could only watch helplessly as the three people ran through the wall of fire and reached the boarding point.

Richard ran to the boarding point before stopping and looking back.

The fire wall was still burning, the hat was still spinning, and those people were standing outside the fire wall, unable to get in, and could only stare helplessly.

He took a breath and reached out his hand.

The hat stopped spinning, flew back to him, and landed in his palm. The flames went out, and the hat was still the same hat, grayish-brown, perfectly intact.

Richard put his hat back on.

"Let's go," he said, pulling Rosalie toward the boat.

The boarding point was a wooden plank extending into the sea, creaking as you stepped on it. At the end of the plank was a gangway leading to the deck.

They went up the gangway and climbed onto the deck.

Several men stood on the deck, dressed in neat sailor uniforms, holding guns and staring at them. The muzzles of the guns were black and pointed at their chests.

Richard raised his hand.

"We mean no harm," he said. "We just want to get on the ship."

The sailors remained silent, and did not lower their guns.

Just then, a voice came from behind the crowd.

"Let them come over."

The sailors stepped aside to make way.

A man walked over.

He was in his forties, wearing a dark blue captain's uniform and a gold-trimmed hat. He had a scar on his face that stretched from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. He wasn't tall, but he had an indescribable air of authority that made people wary of him.

He stared at Richard for a few seconds, his gaze moving from Richard's face to the hat on his head, and then to Rosalie and Taylor behind him.

"An extraordinary being?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Interesting."

Richard didn't speak, he just looked at him.

The man smiled faintly, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

"My name is Brion," he said. "I'm the captain of this ship. Would you like to board?"