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

Chapter 196 Breaking into the Treasure Vault, Goodbye Augustine!
The slash that shot out from the ground was as fast as lightning; the serrated blade sliced ​​through the thick wooden plank as easily as cutting tofu.

If it were to fall on a human body, it would be enough to split an ordinary person in two!

The pirates around Xia En were caught off guard by this turn of events, and their expressions changed, leaving them only able to let out a gasp of surprise.

"Captain John!"

The first to react was actually the half-dragon Nana.

Nana roared and first grabbed Xia En, helping him dodge the vicious attack.

Then he struck out with his palm!
As her fair, slender hand extended, it transformed into a dragon claw, directly deflecting the serrated broadsword.

The assassin underground clearly realized that the assassination attempt had failed. Without saying a word, he pulled back his serrated sword and fled from below.

"Hmph, want to run away?"

Nana snorted coldly, a dark golden light flashed in her vertical pupils, and she stomped her right foot hard on the ground.

The ground, formed by the pile of ship wreckage, immediately broke open with a large hole, revealing the dark seawater below.

【Wan Chuan Island】Although it is called an island, it is not a real island after all. The sea is just below a layer of driftwood.

The attacker was able to launch the attack from underground precisely because of this.

Nana's kick was incredibly powerful, but its destructive force did not expand outwards; it was only compressed into the area beneath her feet.

Clearly, this is some kind of special martial art.

Nana's secret path professions are mostly related to [Monk] and [Martial Artist].

A fleeting thought crossed Xia En's mind, and he was about to speak to Nana not to go into the sea to chase after them.

Then there was a "whoosh" sound.

Nana's body had already disappeared into the seawater, drifting further and further away like a fish.

"Captain John, what do we do now?"

Carney, who was standing next to Shane, finally came to his senses and asked in a somewhat panicked manner.

He never expected that someone would dare to openly attack an apostle on Wan Chuan Island.

Adding to the recent series of explosions and the still-burning flames around them, even if Carney were slow-witted, he would understand—

The Pirate Kingdom is about to change!

However, as soon as Carney saw his captain's young, beautiful, yet calm face, his mood inexplicably calmed down.

It's as if these crises are nothing as long as he's there.

After a moment's thought, Xia En decisively ordered, "Go put out the fire first, and try to get as close as possible to the [Sky Serpent]."

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

Xia En pointed to the large hole below: "I'm going to meet that audacious assassin."

The attacker came because of him, and he couldn't just abandon Nana.

Especially the other party's aura, it is definitely not as simple as it appears. If Nana goes deep into the sea alone, she will definitely suffer a great loss!
Of course, to be honest, Xia En didn't completely trust Nana either.

What if this half-dragon's naiveté is just an act?
Therefore, this attack could be a premeditated trap!

Therefore, Xia En naturally chose a safer method to hunt down the assassins beneath the island.

Xia En found a relatively safe place and made a decision.

"Submarine flight, start!"

next moment.

A figure shrouded in shadow appeared in the sea beneath the [Sky Serpent].

Xia En looked around and quickly pinpointed Nana's location, then swam towards her like a ghost.

……

……

at the same time.

Nana, the half-dragon, continued to chase after the attacker in front of her.

Ordinary half-dragons do not have the ability to move freely underwater.

But Nana's bloodline is special; she inherited the blood of a giant ocean dragon, which allows her to adapt to underwater combat like a fish.

However, to Nana's surprise, the attacker carrying the serrated longsword moved with remarkable fluidity and naturalness in the seawater.

"Could this feeling be from sea creatures?"

Nana frowned, but her speed did not decrease at all; instead, she accelerated forward again.

But suddenly, the figure in front of him disappeared from sight.

"Ok?"

A sudden sense of alarm rose in Nana's mind, and with her strong control over her body, she managed to shift a step to the side.

A burst of light, several times brighter and faster than before, suddenly landed where she had been standing.

According to common sense.

Due to the resistance of seawater, the speed and power of swords are limited to the extreme.

But at this moment, this strangely shaped broadsword seemed to defy this law of physics, displaying even more astonishing destructive power underwater.

Even though Nana dodged quickly enough, a large chunk of flesh was still sliced ​​off her right arm.

The deep red blood quickly spread in the seawater.

It was obvious that the assassin's earlier escape was merely a feigned weakness, an attempt to lower Nana's guard and lure her underwater to carry out the kill.

"I originally intended to kill John, but I ended up catching this half-dragon instead."

The assassin looked at Nana, who was bleeding profusely, and muttered to himself.

"However, it makes no difference, since they are all apostles anyway."

"Killing one will raise my rating by one level."

"Unfortunately... John didn't fall for it."

This assassin was no ordinary pirate, but one of the trial participants in the advancement ceremony.

The series of explosions by that bomb-wielding maniac, while posing a great threat to the trial participants on [Ten Thousand Ships Island], also gave them an opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

Ambitious people like this assassin know they should take this opportunity to improve their trial rating as much as possible.

Killing the apostles is one of the most rewarding optional missions!

The best part is...

In the current chaotic situation, there is a possibility that the Four Kings' subordinates, Royal Navy sailors, certain apostles, or even Augustine himself could take action against the apostles.

As long as you do things cleanly, no one will suspect that you did it.

"Maybe we can use Nana as bait to lure John into the fray?"

Thinking of this, a glint of greed flashed in the assassin's eyes.

Improving the evaluation criteria for promotion is no small matter.

It is said that the higher the rating of the trial participant, the more rewards they will receive from the [Secret Sea].

It even determines how far one can go on the secret path in the future.

—It's rare to find someone like a bomb fanatic who's willing to give up a promotion and come back again just to see a "big fireworks display."

At this moment, Nana frowned and looked at the injured area on her arm.

Normally, given her constitution, such a small wound should heal quickly.

But the wound continued to bleed, and a chilling force from the surrounding seawater was constantly seeping into it.

"Nana, how does my blood loss technique feel?"

As an assassin of the sea race, he naturally possessed the ability to speak underwater, he continued.

"If you take this blow, your blood will be swallowed up by this sea in just ten minutes."

"Just wait for death with despair!"

Words themselves are a weapon.

The assassin may seem to be mocking Nana, but he is actually trying to incite her anger or fear.

Once one's mindset wavers, flaws will naturally emerge.

For a martial artist like Nana, this weakness is especially fatal.

Moreover, speaking itself is a way to stall for time.

However, Nana remained unfazed by the assassin's taunts, and simply threw a punch in the direction of the assassin.

The assassin's expression changed slightly, and he moved swiftly, almost as if he were shimmering in the sea.

But this punch was even more unreasonable than the knife he had swung. No matter how the assassin dodged, the punch crossed the sea and landed squarely on his body.

The assassin took the punch head-on, his internal organs trembling, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"A guaranteed hit punch! How is that possible?"

"You're only at the third rank..."

The "Infallible Punch" is an extremely profound skill on the secret path of the "Martial Arts Master".

Just like its name suggests, this punch is sure to hit the enemy.

It's somewhat similar to the causal law boxing style.

For someone at the level of a third-tier Mystic to use such a technique is truly astonishing.

However, the assassin soon noticed that Nana's face had turned much paler after she threw that punch.

This skill is clearly not something she can use at will.

Having figured this out, the assassin felt much more at ease and once again unleashed a series of flashes of light from his blade, preparing to use a blunt knife to slowly gnaw away at the tough nut.

Seeing this, Nana's heart sank to the bottom.

She's just easygoing, not really stupid.

Therefore, they had already seen through the situation at a glance.

This cunning enemy, relying on its ranged attack capabilities, kept her at bay, thus negating the greatest advantage of the [Martial Artist] class.

In addition, the bizarre spell that caused her to bleed continuously was also wearing down her strength.

If we continue fighting, we will only lose.

"That was too reckless..."

Nana sighed inwardly.

As for dying while helping John hunt down the assassins, Nana didn't actually regret it.

She's always been such a straightforward woman; if she says she'll "protect John," she'll definitely do it, even if she doesn't do it perfectly enough.

"What if John catches up with us too..."

Nana shook her head immediately after the thought crossed her mind.

She now hopes John won't go to sea.

John was not suited for underwater combat, and encountering this cunning assassin was nothing more than sending him to his death.

At that moment, the assassin swung several more knives at Nana.

It's obvious they want to take advantage of her illness and kill her.

Faced with the tangled mass of blades, Nana mustered her strength, preparing to unleash her final punch.

But at that moment, a blood-red greatsword suddenly solidified from the seawater and slashed horizontally towards the numerous blades.

In an instant.

Countless blades shattered, but that crimson hue forcefully entered their field of vision.

"……Who are you?"

The assassin stared in disbelief at the figure wielding the blood-red greatsword, his pupils contracting.

Standing in the seawater is a blurry, indistinct human figure, seemingly existing between reality and illusion.

The hazy, indistinct outline of the human body, the shadows that seem to absorb all the light from the surroundings, countless overlapping phantoms...

If you listen closely, you can almost hear countless whispers, wails, and howls.

Just looking at the other person is like undergoing a rational assessment, instinctively instilling fear in one.

"【A faceless shadow!】"

The assassin couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Xia En was slightly surprised.

When did my nickname become so famous? Even a random trial participant I encounter during the advancement ceremony knows it?

What Shaun didn't know was that due to his performance in the last promotion ceremony, and Karlless's steady rise in the Federation,

The name "Shadow Without a Face" has spread quite widely within the Federation.

At this moment, the assassin sneered: "So what if you have a faceless shadow?"

"Don't think I'm afraid of you!"

As he spoke, he channeled all his secret power into his serrated longsword and slashed at Xia En with all his might.

A dazzling blade of light appeared in the seawater and quickly approached Xia En's side.

As Xia En swung his sword, he suddenly felt something was off.

The blade's light was unusually fragile, like a mere decoration.

When Xia En looked up again, he saw the assassin's figure rapidly disappearing into the distance.

This guy made some tough talk, and then...

Ran?

Xia En's lips twitched slightly; he suddenly didn't find the assassin so annoying anymore.

However, he didn't intend to let the other party off so easily.

Xia En first turned to look at Nana and asked, "Are you alright?"

Nana stared at him blankly for a while, then her eyes lit up and she said with a smile.

"You're John, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, Xia En's heart skipped a beat.

It's one thing that the assassin recognized his identity as the "Shadow Without a Face".

How did Nana recognize John?

Nana said frankly, "Your sword has a pleasant smell."

Shane suddenly realized.

This greatsword of blood was not the original Blood Demon Sword, but a sword he casually forged. It was only because it was tainted with his own blood essence that Nana, with her keen sense of smell, recognized it.

"I'm fine, let's go after him together!"

Nana patted her chest and said in a carefree manner.

After the assassin left, the [Bleeding Spell] on her body naturally stopped working.

In a short time, the bloody wound was completely healed.

Seeing this, Xia En didn't hesitate and immediately took Nana with him to chase after the figure ahead.

At his current speed, catching up with the other person is only a matter of time.

The assassins ahead clearly realized this as well, so they changed direction and swam towards an area beneath the surface of [Wan Chuan Island].

Below Wan Chuan Island, there is a structure that looks like an inverted tower.

The assassin paused briefly at the very bottom of the building, then opened a large door and rushed inside.

Xia En and Nana followed closely behind.

However, as soon as he stepped into the building, Xia En sensed that something was wrong.

The surrounding seawater was automatically repelled outside the gate, and the interior space was dry and clean, with rows of wooden shelves on both sides that looked very old.

On the shelf were some objects with an obscure aura, which did not seem to be ordinary items.

Xia En asked, somewhat puzzled, "Where is this...?"

Nana exclaimed in surprise, "This is the Duchy's treasure trove! John, haven't you been here before?"

Xia En was shocked.

But in reality, he had no memory of this treasure trove.

This means that John had never actually been to the Pirate Kingdom's treasury, and was even less aware that the treasury was located beneath [Ten Thousand Ships Island]!

But if it's a treasure trove, why isn't it guarded at all?

They actually let the assassins from before and me break in?

What shocked Xia En even more was that, the next moment, a weathered voice rang in his ears.

"You came……"

Even without any evidence, Shane could deduce—

That voice came from Augustine!
(End of this chapter)