Chapter 480: Boarding the Future

"Ugh—Help!"

"He Si, hurry help me, I can't control myself!"

Upon hearing Pa Si's cry for help, He Si beside him finally noticed the sudden condition on its body. Trying to reach out to pull the Pa Si floating in the air down, He Si and Pa Si were like two repelling magnets; the closer He Si got, the more Pa Si's floating body was oddly pushed away.

Seeing He Si unable to rescue it, Pa Si began shouting loudly for help to Jia De Li Ya, who stood before the captain's cabin:

"Ugh—Captain, help! The cat is about to die!"

Jia De Li Ya, dressed in a black, classical wizard robe, resembled a mighty sorceress from ancient legend; under the crimson moonlight, brilliant stars flashed in her eyes.

She gave a faint glance toward Pa Si's direction and, with a tone of helplessness, said:

"Stop teasing the two of them; Pa Si is being terrified by you."

"It just the day before yesterday secretly went into the sea to catch fish and drowned, so now it's afraid of this uncontrollable environment."

"Go into the sea to catch fish? Can a cat even do that?"

Lei Ke Dun emerged from the shadow beside them, letting out a somewhat speechless sigh.

He looked at the black cat still floating mid‑air with a complex expression; in his left hand, the semi‑transparent crystal sphere flashed a vivid blue before quickly turning hazy and indistinct.

The twisted gravity around Pa Si instantly restored, and its stiff body fell onto the deck.

Jia De Li Ya withdrew her gaze; before her, a sudden glow appeared, specks of brilliant starlight rose and fell in mid‑air, coalescing into a transparent, radiant star‑light bridge that stretched all the way to the dock where Ke Lai En stood.

What a showy display! No wonder the Star General, ranked among the top of the seven great pirate generals, appears here. Amid the crowd on the dock, Ke Lai En silently thought to himself, feeling an urge to brush his hand across his face.

If it weren't for being bound to the identity of "World" with Ge Er Man Si Pa Luo, I would definitely have taken another identity to board; I'm not socially anxious, but being stared at by so many is still uncomfortable.

Ke Lai En let out an almost imperceptible sigh, adjusted the half‑high silk hat atop his head, then stepped out of the shadows, walking steadily across the star‑light bridge.

The feel of his feet on the star‑light bridge was unexpectedly solid, as firm as iron. Except for its extreme transparency—allowing a clear view of the deep‑blue, almost black sea beneath—one constantly felt as if walking on air.

As Ke Lai En walked upright on the star‑light bridge, waves of reverent or curious gazes from the dock fell upon him, prompting the thought that he was now the center of attention—a perfect moment for a spectacular performance.

Amid the ambiguous gazes, Ke Lai En completed the final stretch of the star‑light bridge and stepped onto the deck of the Future.

His gaze, curious and probing, turned toward the front of the deck, where the Star General Jia De Li Ya, clad in a classical wizard robe, her black hair loosely draped, eyes dark‑black with a hint of violet, stood silently, studying him with deep, slightly curious eyes.

Behind Jia De Li Ya stood a lanky, tall man in simple sailor attire, giving off a sickly aura.

Further back, Lei Ke Dun, wearing a dark‑brown long coat, his light‑gold hair side‑parted, right hand holding a fist‑sized crystal sphere, crouched half‑sitting on the deck, conversing with a listless black cat that clearly refused to engage, even seeming ready to scratch his face.

After a brief survey of the Future, Ke Lai En withdrew his gaze, tipped off his half‑high silk hat, and gave Jia De Li Ya a slight bow, saying:

"Good evening, madam."

As Ke Lai En bowed, a deep‑blue‑near‑violet gleam flickered in Jia De Li Ya's eyes, deepening the already mysterious black‑hair, violet‑tinted gaze.

She saw the dazzling array of azure, blood‑red, silver, teal, ash‑white, and radiant gold light surrounding Ge Er Man Si Pa Luo, so bright it made her eyes flutter; without closely examining his spirit form, she slightly turned her head and averted her gaze.

Five wondrous items, dozens of objects or talismans imbued with spirit, summed up Ke Lai En's condition; Jia De Li Ya for a moment couldn't decide whether to comment on his timidity and caution or his bold recklessness.

As a pirate general famed across the Five Seas, she had indeed seen more extravagant wondrous items, but every such item carries side effects; even the least harmful ones become terrifying in bulk, making their presence a burden.

If he weren't foolish, it would mean he knows how to handle such a situation, like an extraordinary being on the commoner path, intuitively grasping the abilities and pitfalls of most supernal items and avoiding their dangers as much as possible.

A layer of lightless pure darkness cloaked his spirit, as if he were hidden within a heavy veil of shadow. Is this why he gave me an undead impression at the Tarot Assembly?

Jia De Li Ya quickly gathered her thoughts, smiled, and greeted:

"Good evening, Mr. Sparo."

She then glanced sideways at He Si behind her and introduced:

"This is the second mate of the Future, He Si Doyle."

"'Bloodless' He Si Doyle, a pirate with a bounty of 7600 pounds, Ke Lai En recalled some information about this pirate, then gave a gentle nod and said, 'Ge Er Man Si Pa Luo.'"

After introducing He Si, Jia De Li Ya led Ke Lai En to Lei Ke Dun, who was comforting Pa Si, and continued:

"This cat is named Pa Si, a crew member of the Future."

Cats can be crew? Ke Lai En silently activated his spirit sight, glanced at the cat Pa Si, and saw a spirit hue richer than that of ordinary people.

This cat is also an extraordinary being; it exudes a subtle, unique aura of self‑derived authority, reminiscent of the Arbiter path's trait.

Jia De Li Ya ignored Ke Lai En's subtle actions and continued introducing Lei Ke Dun:

"He is A Er Tai En Si, like you, traveling on the Future to that sea region."

Ke Lai En maintained Ge Er Man Si Pa Luo's persona, simply nodding and greeting:

"Hmm, 'White Tower,' good evening."

Jia De Li Ya's expression changed little; observations from the Tarot Assembly led her to conclude that Lei Ke Dun and Ke Lai En knew each other well.

Lei Ke Dun lightly nodded toward Ke Lai En and replied:

"Good evening, I still need to soothe this frightened cat; you should first follow the captain and get familiar with the Future."

He probably didn't run a pet shop before; why does he love small animals so much and feed them demonic herbs? He should be a beast‑tamer, not a secret‑seeker. The captain's call sounded too familiar—are you returning to the Future as a pirate again?"

Ke Lai En muttered a few thoughts inwardly, gave a slight nod, hummed, and followed Jia De Li Ya toward the cabin.

The Future, docked nearby, set sail at this moment; the massive sailing ship traced a huge arc across the sea, heading east along the whaling route.

As the Future departed, the tense atmosphere at Nais Port gradually eased, and the curious, watchful, and wary pirates, sailors, and the Vusak military began to disperse.

Following behind Jia De Li Ya, Ke Lai En silently observed his surroundings; he noticed the deck, masts, and other parts of the Future covered in mysterious, strange symbols interwoven into a massive whole, resembling an exotic ritual magic.

It's a mysterious‑class sailing ship, not quite at the level of a ghost ship, yet the Future's arrangement seems more mysterious and complex than that of the Golden Dream.

While Ke Lai En curiously surveyed the surroundings, Jia De Li Ya spoke, giving him a brief introduction:

"The ship's magical sigils and symbolic glyphs together form a massive, intricate ritual magic that merges with the Future, transforming the vessel into a colossal wondrous item possessing mystery comparable to a ghost ship."

"When necessary, it can also draw upon the power of a great being."

"This is the ritual magic designed by A Er, and I only recently completed the Future's reconstruction."

A great being? Ke Lai En withdrew his gaze, sighed with a hint of wonder, and said:

"Such a complex and unique ritual magic was crafted specifically for the Future? That requires extensive occult knowledge."

Jia De Li Ya nodded in agreement, then, with a sigh, said:

The extraordinary individuals who follow the reader's path are all experts in ritual magic, and they themselves also enjoy learning and mastering various occult knowledge; after reaching a certain sequence, they can even develop all kinds of strange yet effective spells.

On the sea, the most representative is the "Iceberg Admiral"; there are many messages about the wondrous spells she commands, and although they may be exaggerated, the fact that the messages get transmitted already indicates something.

In the lounge, Klein followed Jia De Li Ya into the cabin, where a man wearing suspenders and a white shirt was carrying a wooden barrel full of strange mushrooms and walking out from below the cabin.

He was robust, his body covered with dense hair, and his exposed forearms looked as if they were wrapped in a dark brown sweater.

He looked at Klein, who was behind Jia De Li Ya, flashed a bright smile, then bent his right leg, braced the barrel he was holding, rested his right hand on the barrel, and extended his free left hand forward, saying:

"Good evening, Mr. Sparrow."

"I am the first mate of the 'Future', Frank Li."

Frank Li, a "Toxin Specialist" with a bounty of 7,000 pounds— why is his bounty still lower than that of the second mate His Doyle— is it because he is less dangerous, or because he seldom engages directly in combat?

A thought flickered, and Klein slightly bowed his back and said:

"Good evening!"

Frank, unbothered, withdrew his left hand, and with his smile gone, said:

"You seem to know me? Indeed, my photograph has already been posted on the navy's wanted notice."

"'Toxin Specialist' is just a nickname those people gave me; actually I'm a very friendly person with my own lofty pursuits and ideals."

"Al has already set off; didn't you have some experimental matters you needed to discuss with him earlier?"

Jia De Li Ya promptly spoke up, interrupting Frank's narration; his eyes flashed, and he spoke a little impatiently:

"He's finally back; I have many experimental ideas that need his input and advice."

"Haha— Captain, I'll first deal with the failed experiments; I already have a new line of thought, and I have a feeling this time will definitely succeed."

Before Frank could finish speaking, he hoisted the barrel brimming with contents and briskly marched toward the deck.

"Experiment?" Klein, maintaining his usual cold expression, calmly asked.

Jia De Li Ya, with a somewhat helpless expression, nodded and said:

"He is researching a mushroom that requires no sunlight, can reproduce automatically using only monster flesh, can purify pollution, and can exude milk and grow beef and fish flesh."

"." Klein for a moment didn't know what words to use to express his amazement, so he remained silent.

This thing, stacked with buffs, is no longer related to mushrooms at all, but these conditions seem to match the environment of Silver City; is this food prepared for Little Sun and the others?

Jia De Li Ya did not elaborate further on Frank's matters; she led Klein to a room opposite the captain's quarters and said:

"This is your room; Al's room is right next to it. If you have anything, you can ask him, or come directly to the captain's quarters to find me."

"The ship's galley is staffed at all times; you can dine there whenever you like, or have Frank send someone to deliver food to your room."

(End of chapter)