Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 90 None of this matters!

"I'm at sea, all alone. How can I save myself? I need help urgently."

Yu Jin gazed at the boundless blue sea and fell into deep thought.

First of all, he can't drive a boat.

And even if he knew how to sail, it wouldn't help.

Because he didn't have enough sailors—

The original sailors of the ship have become motionless corpses.

Secondly, the ship's mast was broken.

LOL, it's impossible to turn on.

They managed to spare one survivor, but it turned out to be a complete idiot who could only say "Aba aba".

Even his head exploded right in front of him.

He couldn't ask even if he wanted to.

Therefore, for the current embers...

He actually only had two choices.

First, use the return bone fragment.

This will send him directly back to the initial campfire.

But that's not necessarily true.

Because he hadn't tried it.

Second, seek help from others.

There are two people we can consider asking for help from.

The Fool and the Goddess of Night.

According to colleagues at the Church of the Night, the goddess rarely responds to ordinary believers.

Only thirteen archbishops and nine senior deacons are qualified for this position.

Furthermore.

Ember had never met her and lacked trust in her.

In contrast, Mr. Fool is always willing to grant requests.

So, I've decided on you.

Zhou Mingrui!

"A fool who doesn't belong to this era;"

"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;"

"You are the king of yellow and black who holds the key to good fortune."

"I pray that I can meet Mr. 'The Hanged Man'."

Ember lowered his head slightly and chanted softly in Hermes.

Although it was his first time, he had learned from experience that it was best to use Hermes to recite incantations.

……

Backlund, 15 Minsk Street.

Klein, who had just met with his neighbor, lawyer Jürgen, and was asked by him to look for his cat, suddenly felt a daze and heard a buzzing whisper in his ear.

Klein, who was already very familiar with this, immediately realized that someone was praying to him.

Klein had an idea and immediately set off for the gray fog to respond.

Inside the towering palace, which resembled the dwelling of a giant, his figure suddenly appeared at the head of the long bronze table, his eyes reflecting a cluster of constantly leaping flames.

Klein's expression shifted slightly.

This was the first time Ember had ever prayed to him on his own initiative. Had he encountered some trouble?

Klein raised his right hand, spreading his spirituality, and touched the flame that symbolized "ember".

Suddenly, a blurry image flashed into his mind.

On the vast, boundless sea, there is a red, dilapidated sailboat.

Beside the broken mast of the sailboat, a figure clad in black armor was praying to himself.

Klein almost immediately confirmed the other party's identity; it was undoubtedly Ember!

After all, he recognized the black knight armor the other party was wearing.

only……

"Why did he suddenly go out to sea?"

Klein found it utterly perplexing.

He had coffee with Yu Jin just a few days ago, so why did he suddenly go to sea?

And this ship...

Klein looked closely and his eyes twitched involuntarily.

Good heavens, what kind of red boat is that?

It was clearly stained with blood!

Although the image was quite blurry, as if it had been pixelated.

But he could still vaguely make out that the bodies lying haphazardly on the deck were all those of sailors!

However, he could also tell that these people were pirates—

The flag with the white skull and crossbones on the broken mast is proof of all this.

Therefore, Ember was probably acting in self-defense.

At most, it can only be considered excessive self-defense.

But this still left Klein speechless.

Because he couldn't understand Ember's behavior patterns at all.

Aren't you looking for the Black Emperor in Backlund?

How did it suddenly end up at sea?

They even slaughtered the entire ship's crew.

Klein couldn't help but make a couple of sarcastic remarks, and then casually pulled the embers into the gray mist.

Then, he used his spirituality to touch the star that represented the "Hanged Man," pulling him up as well.

On the Sunia Sea, a sailboat with an old-fashioned design.

Alger Wilson locked the door to the captain's cabin and sat behind his sextant and nautical notebook, searching for the coordinates of some island.

But at that moment, he felt the call of the Fool.

He did not resist, but instinctively lowered his head and let them do as they pleased.

"Mr. Fool".

Alger stood up, bowed respectfully, but glanced at Ember beside him out of the corner of his eye.

It's not time for a 'Tarot Meeting' to take place now, and there's no one else present.

In other words, does it mean that her "lover" had something private to discuss with her?

"Mr. Hanged Man"

Ember spoke directly, "I was stranded at sea due to some accident, so I hope you can help me return to the Kingdom of Rune."

The Hanged Man's heart stirred slightly, and he nodded in agreement without hesitation. "Where is your location?"

He was naturally eager to meet the members of the Tarot Club in real life.

Moreover, he has been troubled by some things lately.

The arrival of his "lover" might solve his immediate problem.

Alger was still thinking when he suddenly noticed that Ember had remained silent for a long time.

This gave him a sudden sense of foreboding.

"Mr. Lover."

Alger hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "You're not going to tell me you don't know where you are, are you?"

"..."

After a long silence, Ember slowly spoke, "A few hours ago, I followed Mr. A of the Aurora Society into the world of painting, and he came out at sea. So, I really don't know where I am now."

"A few hours?"

Klein's expression changed slightly. He suddenly tapped the table lightly to attract their attention and slowly asked, "Mr. 'The Hanged Man,' what's the date today?"

Alger hadn't expected him to ask that question, and paused for a moment before answering.

"November 2th."

"..."

"..."

A silence fell over the gray fog. Ember slowly spoke, "So, five days have passed?"

The last tarot reading was on August 27th.

He learned about Mr. A from Audrey that day and went to Mr. A's residence the following day, August 28.

Now, five full days have passed since August 28th!

But in his memory...

Only a few hours have passed.

"What do you mean five days have passed? Do the 'lovers' think only a few hours have passed?"

Alger found the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became, and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

"Then it's not my problem."

Klein, who had been doubting himself, breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time looked at Ember with some surprise.

Does the fate of the embers suggest that the flow of time in the world of painting is different from that in the outside world?

None of this matters.

Ember broke the silence, asking, "Mr. 'The Hanged Man,' do you have any way to find me?"

"..."

Klein was speechless. This was clearly very important intelligence!

Where it is doesn't matter anymore!

In other words, as a "fool," he has to maintain his composure, otherwise he'd have to make a few sarcastic remarks.

"This is difficult."

After gathering his thoughts, Alger said somewhat hesitantly, "'Lover,' you must understand that this world isn't just about the Sunia Sea. If you're not currently on the Sunia Sea, there's nothing I can do."

Yu Jin also fell silent.

This world is divided into the Southern Continent and the Northern Continent.

The northern continent is home to various human kingdoms and empires, while the southern continent is a colony of the northern continent.

To the west of the North and South Continents lies the Misty Sea, to the east the Sunia Sea, and in between lies the Raging Sea.

In addition, there is the North Sea in the north of the North Continent and the Polar Sea in the south of the South Continent.

Together, they are what are known as the "Five Seas".

If he wasn't in the Sunia Sea, Alger wouldn't be able to save him even if he wanted to.

"I see."

Alger thought for a moment and then said, "Mr. 'Lover,' please describe what things are nearby that can be used as reference points."

"no."

Ember paused for a moment, then gently shook his head. "I'm on a ship right now, surrounded by the sea, with nothing to use as a reference point."

"this……"

Alger instinctively wanted to ask why he didn't ask the people on the ship for help while he was on the ship.

Then he realized.

This ship is either a ghost ship, or the people on board have all been killed by the enemy.

"Then let's talk about this ship."

Alger thought for a moment, then asked, "Does it have any distinctive features? For example, what type of ship is it? What kind of cargo does it carry? What kind of flag does it fly?"

"Regarding the flag,"

Ember pondered for a moment, "It's a white skull and crossbones flag."

"A white skull and crossbones flag?"

Alger frowned; many pirates used the skull and crossbones flag.

While the white skull and crossbones flag narrows the scope, it is still difficult to distinguish.

Unfortunately, Mr. "Lover" drifted to the sea through the "Painting World" and knew nothing about the sea, so he couldn't expect the other party to provide much information.

"etc!"

Alger seemed to suddenly realize something, and said with a strange expression, "'Mr. Lover,' the skull and crossbones flag you mentioned, isn't that white skull wearing a 'one-eyed patch'?"

"Yes."

Yu Jin thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Then that's it."

Alger sighed. "There are many pirates at sea who use skulls as flags, but there is only one with a white skull flag and a one-eyed eyepatch. You must be talking about Captain Mad's 'One-Eyed Skull'."

"The Mad Captain?"

Ember suddenly paused, then hesitated and asked, "Is it the one I asked you to investigate about the slave trade?"

"Yes."

Alger nodded slightly. "'Lovers,' you appeared at sea through the world of paintings, and coincidentally, 'Mad Captain' seems to be related to the world of paintings. So, I think you must have stumbled onto 'Mad Captain's' ship by accident."

After a pause, Alger asked again, "Let me ask you first, Mr. 'Lover,' you should have left some survivors, right?"

Alger looked helpless, because he could have guessed it even without Ember saying so.

If even one of the embers had survived, he wouldn't be so clueless about where he is.

but.

Captain Mad is a Sequence 6 Extraordinary!

He also has many Sequence 7 Extraordinaries under his command.

This ship of people was considered to be among the top ranks under the pirate general.

However, the ship was easily destroyed by "Lover". It seems that Mr. "Lover" is very powerful!

"..."

Yu Jin fell silent again, feeling he should try to save face.

But I also feel that explaining it is meaningless.

What difference does it make whether someone is left alive or dead?

"certainly."

Seeing that Ember was not speaking, Alger assumed he was embarrassed and spoke up to ease the tension, "Now that we know it's on Captain Mad's ship, things are easier. Captain Mad has been active on the Sunia Sea, traveling between the Kingdom of Rune and East Byron."

"I will search south along the trade routes; I should be able to find Mr. 'Lover's' location."

"The ship will usually drift with the ocean current. If you spot any islands along the way, Mr. Lover, please let me know immediately so I can confirm your location."

"also."

Alger paused for a moment, then added, "If you spot any passing ships, Mr. 'Lover,' you can try asking them for a ride, or you can ask them to confirm your location so I can come find you."

"Of course, people on the high seas aren't so easy to talk to, so Mr. 'Lover,' you can use some methods appropriately. But go easy on them and try to leave as many alive as possible."

"it is good."

After a long silence, Yu Jin nodded gently.

He also knew that this was the only feasible solution at the moment.

After ending their conversation, Mr. Fool waved them back to reality.

But he himself remained above the gray fog.

He was thinking.

It is known that the aurora borealis can create a world of paintings.

Ember only stayed in the painting world for a few hours before leaving through the exit.

And five full days have passed in the outside world.

This is sufficient proof that the flow of time in the world of painting is completely different from that in reality.

But Klein is now more concerned with what Ember saw and did in the world of painting.

That's, after all, the world of the Aurora Society's paintings; perhaps even the true creator is inside.

Klein was also very curious about Ember's experiences in the world of painting.

But he was too embarrassed to ask, and at the same time he was worried that asking too many questions would expose his true intentions.

Well, to put it bluntly, it's because they feel guilty.

……

"Let's wait two more days."

As his consciousness returned to his body, the embers gazed at the sky, remaining silent.

He had originally hoped that the Hanged Man would investigate the maritime slave trade.

Now, he is certain that "Captain Mad" is secretly transporting slaves for the royal family through the Aurora Society's "Painting World".

But with the closure of the world of painting and the death of the "Mad Captain," the clues end there.

Moreover, he cut it off with his own hands.

Yu Jin suddenly felt a headache coming on, but then he felt something was off.

The Mad Captain's method of trafficking slaves was not through a fleet of ships, but through the "painted world".

That's for sure.

Besides the "A Corner of the Painting World (Entrance)" in Mr. A's possession, there should be another "Entrance" in East Bayron.

The Aurora Society captures slaves in East Bairan and sends them to the world of painting through the "Entrance".

Then, through the "exit" at the Mad Captain's place, the slaves were resold to human traffickers like Kapin.

The problem is...

The most crucial element here is the world of painting.

They could have the Aurora Society collect slaves through the 'entrance' and then hand them over to the royal officials through the 'exit,' directly sending the slaves to the locations they needed.

This way, there's no need for the middlemen, Kapin and Crazy Captain.

It can save time and reduce the risk of exposure by reducing intermediate steps.

If Ember can come up with a move, there's no reason why Royal Club and Aurora Club wouldn't.

But instead of doing that, they deliberately added two useless procedures in the middle: the Mad Captain and Cappin.

Why is that?

(End of this chapter)