We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 146 Leaving the Misty Sea, Fighting the Blood Duke Again!
First, there's the talent [Plunder Storm].

Without a doubt, this is the core ability of the [Storm Raider], and also the origin of this hidden class name.

With this talent, Shane can improve his attributes and strength by encountering storms!

The only regrettable thing is...

The panel clearly describes it as a "naturally formed storm," which means that Shane cannot rely on Joey's [Summon Storm] to mindlessly farm stats.

That makes sense; the secret path to advancement would certainly not leave such an obvious loophole.

"What a pity, otherwise I would have Joey summon storms every day and squeeze every last drop of her secret power!"

Xia En sighed, his expression quite regretful.

"However, storms containing different secret powers..."

Upon seeing this statement, Xia En seemed to be deep in thought.

As we all know, the Seven Seas are vast, so vast that there are huge differences between each sea area.

Storms that form in different sea areas naturally have different characteristics.

For example, storms formed in the Leici Sea naturally possess the mysterious power of thunder and magnetism.

The storms on the Ash Sea and the Frigid Sea are respectively accompanied by raging flames and biting ice.

"In other words, to complete the [Special Plunder], we must head to other sea areas."

Xia En touched his chin, not at all surprised.

The core of the "Captain's Secret Journey" is actually "exploration" and "pioneering".

To go further on this path, one must naturally do things that conform to its principles.

As for the active skill [Storm Power], at first glance, it seems like an unconventional "burst" ability.

However, it does not have the "once a day" restriction, nor does it have the terrible side effects of the Giant's Bracelet.

The only limitation to this skill is the number of Plunder Storms.

"The 0 after 'no attribute' and the 1 after 'dark lightning' roughly represent the number of times I can use [Storm Power]."

"Theoretically, if I plunder enough storms, can I remain in the state of [Storm Power] indefinitely?"

"Could storm powers of different attributes be stacked together?"

In an instant, several guesses flashed through Xia En's mind.

However, the actual effect can only be known after actual use and testing.

Regardless, feeling the surging power within him, Xia En could clearly sense his current strength.

And this is just his normal state!
The second stage, which unlocks the double blessing of the ship's spirit, the third stage, which transforms into a giant, and even the hidden stage, which allows control of the [storm's power], have not yet been revealed!

What is a BOSS template?
"After six months of hard work and accumulation, he has advanced from zero to the third rank. This speed is not too slow even in the Seven Seas."

"All that hard work leveling up and collecting potions was worth it."

With a sigh, Xia En raised his head and looked at the sea shrouded in mist, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“Duke Nova, the time is ripe. It’s time to settle our scores.”

After Xia En advanced to the third tier, the gap in maximum combat power between the [Black Swan] and the [Blood Duke] was also eliminated, so he naturally no longer needed to hide in this misty sea.

At this moment, Joey, who had been guarding not far away, also noticed Shane's awakening.

She jogged over, and upon sensing the change in Xia En's aura, she couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed.

"Captain, you've been promoted successfully..."

Joey was both happy and somewhat frustrated.

She had finally achieved a transformation in her bloodline, and her strength had increased by leaps and bounds. She thought she could catch up with Xia En's figure.

As a result, just a few days later, they were left far behind by the captain again.

This feeling is truly hard to describe.

Joey murmured to himself, "Maybe... this is what true genius is?"

As one of the first crew members to board the ship, Joey witnessed Shane's growth all along.

In such a short time, from an ordinary person burdened with debt to a third-tier secret path practitioner, if this is not considered genius, then there are probably no geniuses in the world!
For some reason, Joey remembered the sentence he heard when he boarded the ship—

"The journey of the great Captain Shane is about to begin!"

At the time, she only felt that the captain was too confident and too flamboyant.

However, Joey now discovers that Shane is indeed walking firmly down this path, step by step.

Perhaps one day in the future, the captain will truly be honored with the title of "great" and remembered by future generations?

"I hope that by then, there will still be a place for me next to the captain."

Suppressing his distracting thoughts, Joey looked at Shane and asked, "Captain, shall we set sail?"

Xia En nodded: "That's right, go and inform Fei Ya and the others."

"Once everyone is back on board, we will depart immediately!"

"Yes, Captain!"

……

……

While they were gathering the other crew members on the island...

Shane was the first to return to the Black Swan to conduct the final inspection of the enhancement.

Don't forget that after setting foot on the island of the siren's ancestors, Shane also poured all the remaining [Filthy Crystals] into strengthening the ship's hull.

Now, it's time to reap the rewards.

[Ship Hull: Profound Fear!]

[Quality: Epic]

[Description: Under the influence of "Filthy Crystals," the ship's hull underwent strange changes.]

[Effect 1: Fear Barrier - Your ship's hull will instinctively instill fear in weaker enemies, causing them to experience terrifying hallucinations.]

Furthermore, depending on the intensity of fear, a defensive barrier can be erected to block incoming attacks.

[Effect 2: Fear Charge - Your ship's hull craves to spread fear.]

[While accelerating forward, it continuously builds up a terrifying momentum, increasing its speed!]

The longer the acceleration time and the faster the speed, the greater the power and momentum of the charge!

This is... a fear that transcends death!

Purple Epic!

Xia En's eyes lit up.

The reward of over 100 [Filth Crystals] was quite generous, and it also gave the ship its own name.

From the outside, the hull color of the Black Swan is noticeably darker.

Although the mithril pattern is still visible, the main color has become dark and dull, reminiscent of a night sky with a few stars.

If you look closely...

It was as if one could see some chaotic illusions within this darkness.

Like intertwined shadows, like a terrifying behemoth from the deep sea, or like countless dark, chaotic strands of hair...

Of course, when Shane saw this scene, he did not feel fear, but rather a strange sense of familiarity.

So much so that he couldn't help but reach out and touch the hull.

hum...

The hull trembled slightly, as if responding to Xia En's caress.

"Mmm, what a good child."

"However, if the enemy saw this illusion during a naval battle, they would probably be scared half to death."

Just thinking about that scene made Xia En feel a surge of joy.

In fact, the biggest change to the hull is not the color, but a thick and solid ram extending from below the bow!

This was a truly unexpected and delightful surprise.

Previously, Shane had planned to install a ram on Silvermoon Island, but due to a lack of suitable materials and time constraints, the project was temporarily shelved.

There hasn't been a suitable opportunity to install it since.

Perhaps Xiao Hei heard Xia En's wish, or perhaps it was just a coincidence, but during this hull reinforcement, a dark, thick horn-like object grew on its own.

Combined with the active skill [Fear Charge], the Black Swan's extremely high speed will definitely make it a deadly weapon in naval battles!
Which small boat could withstand a ramming blow from that horn?

A ship that rampages across the sea, destroying all enemies and spreading fear!

How could such a scene not stir one's emotions?
Then, Shane opened the panel to take a look.

Name: Xia En

[Age: 18 years old]

[Bloodline: Seafolk (rare); Succubus (extremely rare)]

[Secret Path Class: Storm Raider (Tier 3)]

【Career Compatibility: 0/100】

Ship: Black Swan (+1)

[Ship Soul Level: LV4 (32%)]

[Attributes: Firepower 36, Speed ​​43, Durability 50, Mysticism 40]

[Overall Qualifications: 0.9 → 0.95!]

[Durability: 150/150]

[Core Components: Deep Terror (hull); Silent Carnage (cannons); Gluttonous Monarch (steam turbines); Deep Keel...]

[Talents: Plundering Storm, Dragon's Physique, Heart of the Ship...] [Skills: Storm Power, Sword of Judgment...]

The completion of the hull reinforcement not only pushed the [Sturdiness] attribute above 50, but also increased the overall quality by 0.05.

The luxurious panel made Shane smile.

Now, if he were to face the previous [Black Stone Dragon Turtle] again, he could probably defeat it easily without even transforming.

He would never be so pathetic when facing the dragon-transformed monster tide of the Blood Lake again.

"Even so, my overall aptitude is still not at 1?"

Xia En's lips twitched slightly, feeling that the requirements of the [Eye of the Secret Sea] seemed a bit too harsh.

At this moment, Shane still had 358 newly acquired [Filthy Crystals], but he was in no hurry to use them.

It wasn't that he suddenly changed his personality and wanted to save them.

Rather, it was because Shane vaguely sensed that the various core components on the ship seemed to have reached a temporary "saturation" state.

Continuing to invest in [Filthy Crystals] will likely yield very limited returns.

It didn't take long.

Several crew members returned to the Black Swan.

In recent days, apart from Joey, the temperaments of Fei Ya, An, and Xiange have all changed considerably.

The reason was that Shane ordered them to take the initiative to fight the dragon-like monsters on the island.

This is not only to eliminate monsters and fulfill the sirens' requests, but also to hone the crew's skills and secret abilities.

In particular, their chances of encountering large monsters will only increase in the future.

Rather than waiting until then to prepare, it's better to let the crew experience being "monster hunters" early on and gain more experience.

Nothing hones a person better than real-world experience.

Fortunately, the monsters on this island are of a reasonable strength, neither too strong nor too weak.

If you can't win, at least you can run away.

It's perfect as a whetstone.

So, after a few days, even the usually mischievous Xian Ge had developed a more somber and stern demeanor.

Looking at the crowd in front of him, Xia En nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, it seems that your efforts these past few days have not been in vain."

"But an even bigger challenge awaits us!"

"Previously, the Blood Duke relentlessly pursued us, forcing us into this misty sea, leaving the Black Swan battered and bruised."

"Now, it's time for them to pay the price!"

String Song roared in perfect unison, "Awoo! Charge them!"

While the other crew members didn't react as dramatically, their eyes also revealed determination.

The experience of fleeing through a hail of shells was anything but pleasant.

They all remember this grudge!

After boosting the morale of the crew, Shane waved his hand.

"start sailing!"

……

……

Of course, before leaving the Misty Sea, Shane made sure to say goodbye to the island where the sirens lived and explain the situation of the [Ancestor's Island].

Since the ancient dragon's heart, which was the core of the pollution, had been purified, even the dragon's blood had been divided up by Shane and the others.

The dragon-form monsters on the Island of Ancestors will only get weaker year by year.

The effects of pollution will gradually diminish.

The rest is up to the sirens themselves.

Xia En isn't their nanny; they can't rely on him for everything, can they?

To have done this much is already more than enough.

The sirens knew this and expressed their deep gratitude to Shane, offering him local specialties and a fortune of about a hundred gold dragon coins as a reward.

According to Natasha, these coins were left behind by captains who remained in the Siren Islands.

After all, the money can't be spent here, so instead of leaving it on the island as decoration, it's better to give it to Shane and the others as a favor.

Xia En readily accepted this offer.

Who would complain about having too much money?
In addition, Natasha gave Shane a compass that could help him navigate out of the fog-shrouded sea.

Before parting, Natasha opened her watery eyes and spoke in a charming yet humble tone.

"Are you really not going to stay another night?"

"One night will do."

Beside her, twin sisters Lulu and Lily cast similar glances.

Sisters, mother and daughter, mermaids...

Xia En had to admit that, for a moment, he was indeed moved.

But that's why Xia En shook his head firmly.

—If he doesn't leave now, he'll probably be forever trapped in this world of pleasure!
"See you all again someday."

Amidst the resentful gazes of the sea monsters, the Black Swan gradually sailed away into the distance.

But soon, they dived into the sea and followed the boat, singing a beautiful ballad together with their unique voices.

The song drifted through the mist, fading into the distance.

The breeze is its chord, and the waves are its accent.

Clear and bright, melodious and pleasant to the ear.

As the chorus sang, Shane felt a mysterious force acting on the Black Swan and on himself.

It was slightly cool and damp, yet it felt refreshing and soothing to the body and mind.

Your actions have earned the siren's gratitude!

[Status Acquired: Siren's Blessing!]

[Quality: Rare]

[Description: The sirens bless you and your ship!]

Your luck will slightly improve when you're at sea!

Your ship will not capsize or sink until its hull durability drops below 30!

A very useful status update.

Xia En looked around at the sirens and nodded to them.

In the future, he may forget many things, but the songs he heard in these archipelago, and those regrets, will probably remain in his heart for a long time.

……

……

three days later.

Following the compass's guidance, Shane piloted the Black Swan to the edge of the Misty Sea.

On that very day, he encountered the ghost ship emitting blue flames once again.

However, compared to the fear and anxiety she felt last time, Xia En's mindset was much calmer this time.

There was even a little bit of curiosity and anticipation.

Beep!

Sister, I'm here!

Little Black deliberately blew its horn to attract the other party's attention.

This tactic was indeed very effective; the ghost ship's course shifted slightly, as if it were casting its gaze upon it.

"Woo--Woo--"

The sound of the sea breeze blowing through the sails carried a hint of doubt.

The Diamond Star seemed somewhat curious as to why the ship had changed its appearance.

Xia En did want to get to know it again.

But it's unclear whether it's aloofness, shyness, or something else that's keeping them busy.

After a brief encounter with the Black Swan, the ghost ship changed direction and headed into the depths of the fog.

Seeing this, Xia En had no choice but to give up.

After driving through the fog for another half day, it was around dusk.

Finally, the bow of the Black Swan pierced through the fog and arrived at a clear, cloudless sea.

“Finally… it’s out!”

Xia En took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled excitedly.

The other crew members also looked delighted and let out a long sigh of relief.

The damp, foggy environment was really unpleasant to me.

But they had only sailed out of the foggy sea for a short time.

From the distant sea, the piercing sound of a horn could be heard.

On the sea, dyed blood red by the setting sun, a fleet of ships led by a blood-red vessel sailed menacingly, like a pack of ferocious wolves!

The Blood Duke is back!

(End of this chapter)