Chapter 525: Song

Blessing of beings above angels.

Kelin's murmuring voice gradually deepened. If angels existed, Silver City wouldn't be so hard.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at Leikèdun and said:

The second sequence of the Earth Path is called "Wasteland Matriarch." Its extraordinary ones have already grasped part of the authority over the realm of life; they can create plants that adapt to any extreme environment, and can cause life over a vast area to wither, rivers to dry, soil to become desert, with no new life born.

The third sequence is called "Coffin Bearers." They can use, and even to some extent reverse, the natural law of birth, aging, illness, and death, causing life to undergo good or bad mutations that are passed down through generations.

The fourth sequence is called "Classical Alchemists," also known as "Human Alchemists." Their greatest trait is the ability to achieve the ultimate "Life Refinement," creating ordinary humans who can endure indefinitely.

In addition, they can command low‑intelligence transcendental beasts, temporarily dampening their madness, crafting various puppets for combat and other tasks, filling the surroundings with vitality so that both plants and animals thrive and reproduce rapidly.

Leikèdun nodded knowingly, and under Kelin's gaze asked, "Do you have the demonic elixir formula for the Classical Alchemists or the Coffin Bearers?"

Kelin lightly nodded, "We only have the demonic elixir formula for the Classical Alchemists."

He was not surprised by the question; having anticipated it, he retrieved a yellow‑brown parchment from the desk drawer.

He tossed the rolled parchment toward Leikèdun and said, "You must be an extraordinary one of the 'Seeker of Secrets' path, right? Your eyes are unusual."

"I plan to reorganize the exploration of Afternoon Town; do you have any suggestions?"

Leikèdun slightly tilted his head upward, gazing at the ceiling above Kelin; his pupils flickered, his eyes turning profoundly deep, like the sea before a storm, losing focus into a boundless haze.

The state lasted a few seconds, after which his eyes cleared again.

He looked at the quiet Kelin opposite him, who was waiting for his reply, and lightly nodded, saying:

"There is no danger beyond expectation, nor any gain beyond the plan."

Kelin rose from the chair behind the desk, saluted, and said, "I understand, thank you for the hint."

Leikèdun expressionless, nodded, and his body instantly became transparent, ethereal, turning into a mass of bubbles.

The bubbles, illuminated by candlelight, reflected a dim amber hue, scattering and drifting, vanishing in an instant.

In the waters of the Luosi De Archipelago, leeward side of Ximimu Island.

Specks of brass‑colored glimmer burst from the void, wandering in the air, outlining an illusory gate linked by mysterious symbols.

A prophet's avatar, clad in a light‑brown wool coat, stepped out of the illusory gate, holding a crystal sphere veiled with a mist of water—sent by Leikèdun through a sacrifice and bestowal rite from the Abandoned Divine Land.

A half‑god who needs to conceal himself, not yet bearing powerful wondrous items, following the "Black Emperor" path he has yet to comprehend, though appearing in Luosi De waters is risky, he cannot resist enriching his collection.

Just as Kelei'en enjoys hunting pirates, he also likes collecting extraordinary traits, especially high‑sequence ones.

The prophet's avatar stood atop a towering stone wall, gazing down at a sailing ship bobbing in the deep sea, its sides bearing white skull motifs with single‑eyepatches.

"'Mad Captain' Kangnas's 'One‑Eyed Skull Ship,' my luck seems decent; now is the right moment. The Storm Church's existence pressures me and this military half‑god alike."

He whispered two words, chanting the revered name of the "Fool" in ancient Hermes language.

"The Fool not of this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray mist, the yellow‑black king who wields fortune."

Kelei'en responded swiftly; almost as soon as the name was uttered, he replied.

Gray mist churned in the avatar's eyes, and soon a towering angel bearing twelve pairs of crimson‑flamed wings appeared before him, the flickering red wings enveloping him layer by layer.

"Mind communication" silently established at that moment.

"How did you end up here?" Kelei'en's voice echoed in the avatar's mind; he showed no concealment of his puzzlement.

Looking for suitable materials to craft wondrous items, and to test the newly made trinket. It sounds like you also intend to trouble this 'Mad Captain'?

He is aiding the Luen royal family and the witch sect in trafficking people; I plan to investigate.

The prophet's avatar, as if just learning of it, pondered briefly before mentally replying, "There is a half‑god on the ship; I'll draw him out later, and the remaining pirates shouldn't be able to stop you."

Sure, just communicate directly with me for assistance; at sea, the Sea God's scepter can exert its full power.

Above the gray mist, Kelei'en gestured toward the junk pile, and a short staff fashioned from white bone flew into his hand.

The staff's tip was set with tiny cyan‑blue gems, some tinged with deep black, some veiled in dawn, surrounded by countless pure light specks; ethereal, faint prayers emanated, layering into an exceptionally sacred aura.

Kelei'en held the white‑bone short staff in one hand and a peculiar crown riddled with rust and blood in the other, calmly standing beside the high‑back chair belonging to the "Fool."

In front of him was an image coalesced from deep crimson light, depicting the place where the prophet's avatar stood.

He tried to zoom out the image, revealing the sailing ship perpetually bobbing in the waves—'Mad Captain' Kangnas's 'One‑Eyed Skull Ship.' The avatar atop the towering stone wall's eyes turned a pale blue, and mysterious symbols were traced within them one after another.

Brass‑colored light points gathered rapidly around him, forging a wondrous, stable link with the spirit realm; his figure became transparent and vanished, reappearing hundreds of meters away.

After flashing several times, he arrived on the charred coal near the towering stone wall.

Even in the windward area, the howling gale still made footsteps arduous, and the raging waves occasionally submerged the reefs.

A pale blue glow streamed from his eyes as the avatar simulated the "Wind Affinity" ability, soothing the surrounding gale and waves so he wouldn't be pushed into the sea.

He then retrieved from his wool coat pocket a palm‑sized figurine dominated by black and red.

The figurine depicted a seductive woman; her upper body posed a silencing gesture, while her lower half was a massive suction‑cup‑adorned tentacle, faintly visible among the black waves.

The avatar infused roughly a third of his own spirit into the figurine, bringing it to life.

It was coated with a slick liquid, slipping straight from Leikèdun's hand into the sea.

Amid the churning waves, a few thick tentacles could be faintly seen writhing beneath the surface, an odd aura spreading around.

"What is this? A sea monster? Or a sea beast?" Kelei'en's voice echoed in his mind.

The avatar glanced at the black tentacle fading beneath the waves and muttered, "I haven't named it yet; I combined the traits of the 'Pain Witch' and the 'Ocean Singer,' plus the corpse of a dead Naga supplied by Wajie Weil, to craft this witch‑series figurine."

The series—how many witches do you intend to persecute? Kelei'en, above the gray mist, muttered, and silently mourned for a second the witches who haven't yet realized their traits are already being watched.

The more the better; I never mind having too many traits and wondrous items in my possession.

While answering Kelei'en's question, the avatar waved his right hand in midair, tracing a symbol representing "secrecy."

A few dim star‑like specks flickered, and his figure was swiftly concealed.

Not far away on the sea, the "One‑Eyed Skull Ship" rose and fell under the wave's pounding.

All crew retreated into the cabin; only a few, led by 'Mad Captain' Kangnas, lingered near the cabin entrance, cloaked, hats pulled up, keeping watch outward.

"In this weather, one should be in the 'Red Theatre' hugging a woman and drinking strong liquor!"

A cloaked, hooded pirate peeked over the rail, complaining.

The companion beside him, agreeing, tugged at his cloak and said:

"Who says otherwise? I heard the Red Theatre recently got a new shipment; I really want to go try it."

"How do you know that?" a pirate beside him asked casually.

"Hehe, of course I heard it from the boss." The pirate who spoke first showed a reminiscent smile and said: "You didn't forget, did you? In that last shipment there was a runaway noble lady; her skin, her figure—simply..."

He hadn't finished speaking when a pirate beside him interrupted:

"Is someone singing? I seem to have heard a song in the wind, and it's quite pleasant."

"You're just crazy about women, hearing songs—this damned place only has sea waves and wind." A pirate beside him slapped his shoulder, saying contemptuously.

The pirate sitting nearest the deck also joined the conversation: "I was thinking I also heard it."

At the cabin hatch, a group of pirates scoffed while pricking up their ears to discern the outside sound.

"Na~ na~~ na na~"

"Na~ na~~"

"Good grief, I think I really heard it." The pirate who first spoke said, looking spooked.

He glanced around, but no pirate paid him any attention; everyone was focused on listening to the song mingled with the waves and wind, their expressions somewhat entranced.

The soft, oddly melodic song by his ear grew ever clearer; the voice was so graceful and moving that he momentarily forgot his vigilance, standing there dazed, listening to the lingering melody.

Their complexions began to show an abnormal flush, as if alive, or as if producing a physiological response.

The graceful song mingled with the waves and wind suddenly grew faint, almost disappearing; at the same time, the surrounding wind became much clearer and louder, completely drowning out the song.

Those pirates in a stupor gradually came to their senses, though the abnormal flush on their faces had not yet faded.

(End of chapter)