The sea breeze continued to blow, carrying a salty, bitter scent. However, an invisible string had already pulled tight, emitting a screeching sound as if it were about to snap.
The Secret Keeper’s voice trailed off.
Jiang Ming’s reaction was the fastest. Almost the instant the Secret Keeper finished speaking, he sprang from his seat. His body made a judgment before his consciousness could even catch up. He lunged toward the gunwale, pressing his palm against the cold, damp wooden railing as his gaze swept across the surface of the sea.
Not far away, three slender ships with tattered black sails were cutting through the azure water like sharks scenting blood. They were closing in on them in a pincer maneuver.
The ships were moving incredibly fast, their bows carving out white foam that glittered blindingly in the sunlight. He could clearly see the figures moving on the nearest ship — men in coarse cloth garments with hideous expressions. Even from this distance, the cold glint of the blades in their hands felt like a stinging prick.
“Port side, three ships, 400 yards away, still accelerating!” Jiang Ming barked without looking back, his voice straining into a thin line against the wind. His right hand reached into his jacket, touching the cool grip of the Raven Pistol, while his left hand hooked onto the throwing knife case at his waist. Spirit Source Heavenly Wind flowed silently through his body, sensing every minute change in the surrounding airflow and weaving them into extended feelers.
Lillian stood up almost simultaneously. Instead of rushing to the railing, she took half a step back, her hands cupped loosely in front of her. A violet glimmer seeped through the gaps between her fingers, quickly outlining complex geometric patterns.
Her crimson eyes were lowered as she uttered several ancient, jarring syllables. The magic in the air began to stir, forming a faint vortex centered around her.
She was not using her own abilities, but rather the abilities belonging to her character. This was because the Soul Source authority was more like divination at lower levels and possessed almost no combat capability.
Elvira’s movements were concise and powerful. She did not even stand up fully; she simply leaned forward and reached back with her right hand. Severance, the strange, giant pair of scissors that was nearly as tall as she was, sprang from behind her waist and landed in her palm.
However, it only had the shape of scissors and lacked the corresponding abilities.
She did not unfold it into its offensive form. Instead, she gripped the closed handles with both hands, holding it upright in front of her like a heavy door.
Only Elvia seemed a bit lost. She stood up in a panic, looking at the three people who had instantly entered a combat stance. Then, she looked down at her hands, which had suddenly become substantial. The pale gold Branch Insignia on the back of her hand felt slightly warm.
“I… what should I do?” Her voice carried a hint of a tremor.
“Stay between Lillian and me, Elvia,” Jiang Ming’s voice drifted over. “Don’t be afraid. Just watch us.”
Elvia nodded vigorously and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, much of her bewilderment had faded. She used her own abilities to sense many things.
“There are… many of them. Their life signatures are very chaotic,” Elvia reported hurriedly.
“Good.” A cold arc curled at the corner of Jiang Ming’s mouth.
“Elvira, hold the middle of the port side. Don’t let them throw their hooks up,” Jiang Ming spoke rapidly. “I’ll thin their numbers.”
Before he even finished speaking, he moved.
Jiang Ming raised his right hand, the muzzle of the Raven Pistol pointing steadily at the figure of a leader on the second ship who was waving a scimitar and shouting the loudest. The distance was over 300 yards, far exceeding the effective range of a typical pistol, and the ship was tossing in the waves.
Jiang Ming ignored all of that. He simply held his breath and pulled the trigger.
*Bang!*
The gunshot exploded over the sea with a strange piercing power. The moment the bullet left the barrel, a nearly invisible wisp of pale green airflow wrapped around it, granting it an initial velocity and stability that far exceeded common logic while slightly correcting its trajectory.
This was an ability exclusive to a Truth-Piercing Archer.
The pirate leader’s shouting came to an abrupt halt. He looked down in disbelief at a flower of blood that had suddenly blossomed on his chest. His strength drained away rapidly, and the scimitar in his hand fell to the deck with a *clatter* as he toppled backward.
A single-shot kill.
“Good job,” Elvira’s voice came from the side, calm and steady, but Jiang Ming could feel the tension in her shoulders relax slightly.
The third ship took the opportunity to rush closer, closing in to less than 100 yards! A pirate at the bow grinned hideously as he tossed a rope with an iron hook, aiming for the port side of the Argo!
Clearly, the death of their commander was not worth mentioning in their eyes.
“Don’t even think about it,” Elvira barked, her figure flashing out like lightning. She did not use the scissors to cut the flying hook. Instead, she swung the giant scissors horizontally like a shield!
*Clang!*
The ear-piercing sound of metal striking metal rang out. The flying iron hook was accurately parried by the side of the blades, sending sparks flying. The hook swung away uselessly and fell into the sea. Elvira did not stop. Using the momentum to spin, the giant scissors drew a heavy arc of light, viciously severing the second hook that was thrown her way!
The pirates let out angry roars as more hooks and arrows rained down like hail.
Elvira danced with the giant scissors, turning them into a wheel of dark blue light as a continuous series of *clinks* and *clangs* filled the air. With astonishing speed and precision, she parried, batted away, and severed every attack that approached the gunwale. Her footsteps were steady, like a reef pinned to the deck, firmly holding this section of the defensive line.
Jiang Ming, meanwhile, transformed into a mobile god of death, conducting suppressive fire with incredible efficiency. Every bullet was accelerated and fine-tuned by the Heavenly Wind and his Truth-Piercing Archer skills. Gunshots rang out sporadically over the sea, and every time one sounded, someone on the opposing ship was bound to fall or be incapacitated.
Occasionally, he threw a knife. With the enhancement of the wind, the throwing knives seemed to have lives of their own, carving out eerie arcs in the air to slip into the gaps of shields, triggering bursts of agonizing screams.
The battle was intense but brief. Under Jiang Ming’s long-range suppression, Elvira’s defense, and the occasional area-of-effect magical impacts provided by Lillian, the three pirate ships’ offensive quickly collapsed.
Once Jiang Ming blew apart the rudder of the last ship with a single shot, leaving it spinning in place, the remaining pirates finally lost their nerve. They began to turn their tattered sails, attempting to flee this stretch of sea that had suddenly become a nightmare.
Silence once again descended upon the ocean, leaving only the sound of the wind and the waves.
Jiang Ming slowly lowered his pistol, ejected the empty magazine, and slammed in a new one. His breathing was slightly ragged, and fine beads of sweat stood on his forehead, but his eyes remained sharp. He looked toward the Secret Keeper.
The Secret Keeper had stood quietly at the head of the table from start to finish. Now, he clapped softly, the sound of his applause exceptionally clear on the empty deck.
“Splendid.” No emotion could be heard in the voice behind the mask. “Your response was swift, and your coordination is beginning to show. The pirate raid has been thwarted, and the Argo may continue its voyage.”
He paused before continuing, “While clearing the battlefield, you discovered something unusual among the wreckage of a damaged pirate ship. It wasn’t gold or silver, but a Strange Mirror. They had hidden this mirror deep within, as if it were a treasure.”
The Secret Keeper’s finger tapped lightly on the map on the table. The small model representing the Argo moved forward one space.
“These discoveries seem to point toward a secret deeper than a common raid. The voyage continues, but shadows have already begun to entwine.”
“Now, please roll the die again to determine the next leg of the journey.”
Elvia let out a long sigh of relief. Her legs went weak, and she nearly sat on the ground before Elvira caught her. “Sister… we, we won?” She looked at her hands, which were still trembling slightly, unable to believe it.
During the battle just now, she had been nervously sensing the life status of the three of them. Fortunately, aside from Jiang Ming, who had consumed a great deal of Soul Source and mental focus, causing his life flame to flicker slightly, all three were unharmed.
She had even tried to direct a wisp of warm life energy toward Jiang Ming, which seemed to have helped alleviate his fatigue a little.
“Yes,” Elvira nodded, steadying her.
Lillian pulled back the remaining purple light from her fingertips and walked to Jiang Ming’s side. Her gaze fell on his slightly pale face.
“A heavy toll?” she asked softly, cupping Jiang Ming’s face in her hands and looking at him with concern.
“I’m fine.” Jiang Ming shook his head and looked at the mirror, his brow furrowing slightly. He knew this was just a plot item within the game, but in this bizarre space, any clue could be vital. ‘It seems this voyage won’t be as simple as just fighting pirates.’
The purpose of the Angels could not possibly be just this.
He walked back to the table and picked up the Twelve-sided Die.
“Come on then. Let’s see what fate — or rather, what our Secret Keeper — has prepared for us next.”
The die rolled across the wooden table, making a crisp sound.
A new number was born.
The voyage continued.