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

Chapter 178 An Encounter with a Legend, Overall Qualities 3.0!

"The ship, Captain! The volcano...the volcano has erupted!"

On the deck, Joey stared blankly at the island not far away, his eyes filled with shock.

Such a massive and terrifying natural disaster could not be kept secret from Xia En and his group.

Above the island, lava, accompanied by billowing black smoke, shot into the sky, reaching heights of two to three hundred meters—a truly magnificent sight.

The sky seemed to be torn apart by this.

Upon seeing this, Xia En frowned slightly, his expression serious.

He knew that there were volcanic islands nearby; after all, the volcanic ash in the Emerald City couldn't have just appeared out of thin air.

"But why did it have to happen so coincidentally, right when we were about to leave?"

Xia En glanced at Yan Yan, who was standing not far away next to Fei Ya.

After half a month of recuperation, Yan Yan, with its exaggerated self-healing ability, has grown back from a head to a complete body.

Noticing Xia En's gaze, Yan Yan looked up and revealed a sunny and innocent smile.

It looks like a big golden retriever.

Shane: "..."

What kind of time is this to still be smiling so brightly?
As expected of you!

To be honest, Xia En couldn't confirm whether the volcanic eruption was related to Yan Yan leaving this sea area.

Perhaps this is the effect of the "blessing of the sea"?
However, now is clearly not the time to think about it too deeply.

In the sky not far away.

Cooled rocks rained down like a storm, creating a terrifying rock rain. These rocks struck with tremendous force, like falling comets, leaving long trails of fire.

Not only that.

The howling winds also began to spread thick black smoke towards the sea.

The air was filled with a scorching heat.

Xia En could feel the [Storm Power] within him stirring.

The chaotic demonic patterns on his body surface glowed faintly, as if echoing the mysterious power spreading around him.

This is not just a volcanic eruption, but a storm carrying the secret power of embers!
Given this, how could Shane, as the Storm Raider, possibly miss out on such a feast?
Thinking of this, Xia En immediately gave the order.

"Everyone except Yan Yan, get on the Diamond Star and leave this area as quickly as possible!"

Joey couldn't help but ask, "Captain, what about you?"

Xia En turned his head and looked at the approaching dark clouds not far away, a smile playing on his lips.

"I want to taste this storm for myself!"

……

……

Not long after.

The Diamond Star gradually sailed away on the sea and soon entered a safer area.

Meanwhile, the Black Swan remained at a position neither too close nor too far from the ember storm, quietly awaiting its arrival.

Compared to that dark, scorching cloud, the Black Swan looked extremely small, as if it were about to be completely swallowed up.

Seeing this, Trish, who was standing on Ann's shoulder, looked worried.

"Captain Shane, are you really alright?"

"This storm is probably no ordinary danger!"

Perhaps because she was an elf, Tracy showed an unusual kindness to the strange man clad in armor.

For the past two weeks, Tracy has been practically glued to Anne, inseparable from her, which has made Joey a little jealous.

—She also wants to raise a little fairy like that!

Upon hearing Tracy's words, Ann reached out and gently stroked her head to soothe her emotions.

Beside him, Joey chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Captain never does anything he's not sure of."

"But……"

Tracy wanted to say something more, but after looking at the others, she suddenly realized—

Neither the boy who was prettier than her nor the little dragon that made her instinctively uneasy showed any concern.

just like……

All the crew members on the ship had a strong, blind faith in Shane.

Tracy couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"What a bunch of weirdos."

"Both the captain and the crew are eccentric!"

However, at this moment, Tracy forgot that she herself was already one of the captain's crew members.

……

……

at the same time.

Not far from this sea area.

A steel warship with an iron-gray paint job, sharp lines, and a towering bow is breaking through the ice and slowly moving forward on the [Frigid Sea].

This warship was larger than any ship that Shane had ever seen or heard of, even reaching the scale of an "aircraft carrier" in his previous life.

On that metallic, cold coating, the "Star Wave" logo, featuring both stars and ocean waves, is prominently displayed.

This means that the ship belongs to the Federal Navy!

No one knows why the Federal Navy warships are here.

But clearly, it wasn't there to wipe out a pirate ship that had disappeared from the Seven Seas long ago, but to carry out some secret mission.

At this moment, the eruption of a volcano on a nearby island and the raging ember storm at sea were naturally noticed by the Secret Pathfinders on the warship immediately.

"Colonel Gold!"

In the control room filled with sophisticated instruments, a soldier in uniform pushed open the door and respectfully reported to the man sitting behind the table.

"Twenty nautical miles from the King, there is an active volcano that is erupting violently."

"The lava and volcanic ash from the eruption merged with a strange sea breeze, forming a storm."

Colonel Gold had short, light brown hair and an unremarkable appearance, except for his deep gray eyes that could catch one's eye.

But no one dared to underestimate him, because he was the youngest colonel in the history of the Federal Navy!
"A strange sea breeze?"

Gold caught the key point in his subordinate's words and asked.

"How is it strange?"

The subordinate replied, "This sea breeze doesn't seem to be naturally formed; it carries traces of mysterious forces."

"Perhaps it's a backup plan from some kind of secret technique."

"Good observation skills."

Gold smiled faintly: "However, it's not enough."

"Not only this storm, but even this volcanic eruption was man-made."

Upon hearing this, the subordinate couldn't help but show a surprised expression: "Even volcanic eruptions?"

"The power of the Secret Pathfinders can really achieve this..."

He stopped speaking on his own before he could finish.

Because Colonel Gold, who stood before him, was a seventh-tier Mystic capable of causing such a catastrophe!
There is a huge dividing line between those who are at the seventh rank and those who are at the sixth rank or below.

In more ancient times, those who achieved the seventh rank of transcendent beings were called—

legend!

At this level, one person is worth an army; they are veritable living "natural disasters"!

Gold had no idea what his subordinate was thinking, but he said something meaningful.

"It seems that some shadows of history don't want us to glimpse the truth of the past."

The subordinates silently lowered their heads, refusing to ponder these incomprehensible words.

Gold didn't take it to heart; he was only saying those words to himself anyway.

But that's it.

Two small moving dots on the radar screen in front of him caught Gold's attention.

"That's really strange. To actually encounter two ships in this area of ​​the sea?"

Have their identities been confirmed?

The subordinate shook his head: "Not yet, I'll send a lookout to observe." With that, he turned to walk out the door.

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll take a look myself."

Gold waved his hand, stopping his subordinate's actions.

next moment.

His deep gray eyes suddenly changed, and a mysterious six-pointed star array rotated within them.

Then, two faint light screens were projected in front of him.

What is displayed on it is the view of the Black Swan and the Diamond Star on the sea.

"what?"

Another clerk in the control room let out a soft exclamation upon seeing the two ships.

"Isn't this the Black Swan that was all the rage a while ago?"

"I heard it sank in the [Islands of Chaos], how did it end up here?"

Gold was young and had an approachable personality among the officers, which gave the clerk the courage to chime in as if in conversation.

"The Black Swan?"

Upon hearing the name, Gold's face revealed a playful smile.

“I’ve heard of this name before, but it seems this captain is even bolder than I thought.”

The subordinates and clerks quickly understood the meaning behind Gold's words.

On the light screen, the ship with a black swan carved on its prow charged straight ahead at the billowing flames and black smoke without flinching or dodging.

"Is this guy crazy?"

The clerk stared wide-eyed, utterly bewildered, and said, "You want to drag the whole ship down with him?!"

Gold cautioned, "It's not that simple. Take another look."

Upon hearing this, the others in the control room began to pay more attention and carefully observe the actions of the Black Swan.

This ship, which seemed to be courting death, quickly demonstrated a level of agility and nimbleness that exceeded everyone's expectations.

That's right, it's "agile!"

It was as if the ship was no longer an inanimate object, but a giant beast that moved nimbly and freely on the sea, easily dodging the lava and rocks falling from the sky.

Occasionally, one or two attacks that cannot be dodged will land on the rising invisible barrier, causing no damage to the ship.

For a ship of this size, such agile maneuverability can only be described as incredible.

However, how many ordinary people can actually work on the King's Ship?
Even seemingly ordinary and frail office workers are quite knowledgeable and experienced.

This level of boat handling ability was not particularly surprising to them.

Suddenly, an exceptionally large rock, with unstoppable force, crashed down on the Black Swan from above.

A huge shadow enveloped the entire ship.

The subordinate sighed inwardly, feeling that the Black Swan was about to come to an end.

But that's it.

A thick, dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from the bow of the Black Swan, colliding with the large rock that was hurtling down from above.

Even though the light screen couldn't transmit sound, everyone present seemed to hear a deafening roar.

Immediately afterwards, the rock shattered into countless fragments under the beam of light, falling into the seawater that was glowing red from the firelight.

Gold couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful shot!"

The others in the control room were surprised by his exclamation.

This young colonel rarely expressed his admiration so openly.

The soldier beside him murmured, "A strike of at least the fourth rank, its power even faintly approaching that of the fifth rank!"

"And the timing and angle were all just right!"

"The firepower on that ship was so fierce, I didn't know it was."

However, the surprises didn't end there.

They clearly saw—

As the Black Swan sailed through a storm filled with smoke and ash, a mysterious force, visible to the naked eye, gathered around the ship as if drawn by a black hole.

Dark red patterns gradually appeared on the surface of the ship's hull, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

It is like the veins in the human body, and also like the pipes that support the operation of machinery.

Anyone who sees this change can understand that they are absorbing those secret powers and becoming stronger as a result!

The clerk who had previously expressed doubt suddenly stood up and exclaimed.

"My God, it's absorbing the power of the storm!"

"No wonder it rushed into this storm, so that's why."

The expressions on everyone's faces subtly changed.

They'd never seen anything like it before!
What ship can absorb the power of a storm?
To be honest, when they first heard the name "Black Swan," most of the people in the control room felt a slight sense of disdain.

the reason is simple.

They are the Federal Navy!
This ship is the [King]!
What is a mere pirate ship with a bit of fame?
But after witnessing its performance in [Ember Storm], their mindset underwent a subtle change.

In any case, this ship has shown them extraordinary potential.

Some clerks began to secretly speculate about Colonel Gold's intentions in doing so.

Is the intention to destroy the ship, or is there some other plan?
However, at this moment, Gold wasn't thinking about any of that.

In fact, it was just a coincidence.

He coincidentally discovered the two ships nearby, coincidentally because a junior knew the name "Black Swan," and coincidentally used his secret ability to investigate further.

It's that simple.

However, the intentions of those in power are always misinterpreted and misinterpreted by those below.

Gold was already used to it.

At this moment, he slightly adjusted the angle of the light screen, intending to take a look at the captain of the ship.

In the scene, a handsome, upright man stands beside the helm, facing the raging fire and storm before him.

His face and arms were covered with dark red lines, making him look like a god or demon.

To him, this terrible ember storm was like a delicious feast.

At this moment, he is savoring and chewing.

suddenly.

The captain looked up at the sky.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the light screen, fixed on God in the control room.

For a moment, Gold was in a daze.

Through those eyes, countless illusions came rushing in, and the sound of the waves rose and fell in my ears.

A vast expanse of dark seawater engulfed his consciousness.

In the deepest part of that sea, God seemed to see a deeply hidden, dark blue eye.

Soon, a sentence came to mind.

When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you!
next moment.

The light curtain suddenly shattered into pieces, turning into chaotic fluorescent light.

The people around were greatly shocked.

Even if only for a moment, this was the first time they had seen a look of discomposure on Gold's face.

……

……

the other side.

Xia En withdrew his gaze, stroked his chin, and muttered to himself.

"I always feel like someone is spying on me."

"Is this an illusion?"

He couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he stopped thinking about it and focused on plundering the [Storm Power].

I don’t know how much time has passed.

The numbers on the panel started changing again.

[Overall Qualifications: 2.8 → 3.0!]

(End of this chapter)