Above the mage!

Chapter 512 Family History

Karen instinctively gripped the magic gun at her waist, only to find her palms already soaked in cold sweat.

The fierce face of David in her memory could never be reconciled with the charred corpse before her eyes.

David Jones was a domineering and autocratic man who trusted no one.

Therefore, for this operation, Karen Skullbreaker only knew that her mission was to use the Iron Crown to deter the Gold Coin Hunters on Ash Island for ten hours.

Ten hours later, following the orders given by Davy Jones, he was able to leave with the Iron Crown.

In other words, this operation was nothing but a bluff from beginning to end.

Although Davy Jones did not explain the meaning of this move to Karen, Karen was able to get to this position not only because of her own formidable strength, but also because of the "delicate" mind hidden beneath her ruthless reputation.

He could easily guess that the Iron Crown, which he led, was playing the role of a feint attack.

If the Ironcrown is needed to create a diversion in the east, then the one who will strike in the west must be Davy Jones himself.

No matter how meticulous Karen was, she could never have imagined that her next meeting with Davy Jones would be in this situation.

As for whether the Gold Coin Hunters' group fabricated the story to scare people, is David's corpse not actually him or just an illusion?

There's no need to consider this because there's no point in fabricating it.

If Davy Jones hadn't died, they might have been able to scare them off with this tactic, but what would happen afterward?
David only needs to show his face, and all the lies will fall apart.

The gold coin hunters will only face even fiercer attacks as punishment for their disrespectful behavior.

Karen Split-Head was unwilling to believe what she was seeing, but she had no choice but to believe it.

In an instant, a variety of thoughts flashed through his mind.

How exactly did Davy Jones fail? What will become of the Bloodsail Pirates? What upheaval is Black Sails about to undergo?
These are all still unknown.

The only certainty is that the Bloodsail Pirates are basically finished.

Because the Bloodsail Pirates were essentially a one-man crew led by Davy Jones.

With Davy Jones dead, the Bloodsail Pirates could no longer continue.

Apart from Davy Jones, there was no other person in the Bloodsail Pirates who could command respect.

What's worse is that over the years, the Bloodsail Pirates have offended far too many people and amassed an enormous fortune.

One can imagine that once these people heard the news of Davy Jones' death, they would pounce on him like hyenas, drawn by the scent, and devour his flesh and bones.

In the binoculars, David's charred body still swayed gently in the wind, as if silently proclaiming: the era of the Black Sails City belonging to David Jones has ended.

Karen Split-Skull already knew who would dominate the next era.

In the binoculars, a red-haired woman of exceptional beauty appeared, gazing in the direction of their Ironcrown.

Although Karen knew perfectly well that at such a distance, without the aid of an alchemical telescope, the woman could not see herself clearly.

But he still felt a jolt, as if he were being targeted by a venomous snake, which then crawled up his spine and covered his entire body.

The sea breeze suddenly became fierce, causing the flag of the Iron Crown to flutter loudly.

"Retreat! Set sail and retreat!" Finally, he turned around abruptly, his fierce tone tinged with a barely perceptible panic. "Change course and head back to Black Sail City first!"

On the Fire Knife, Sarah, struggling to stand on the deck, watched the Iron Crown's hasty retreat disappear into the horizon, a cold smile curving her lips.

It is both the victor's mockery and the cathartic release of years of pent-up frustration.

However, her smugness lasted less than three seconds before she trembled again and her legs went weak. If Gao De hadn't been quick-witted and stepped forward to support her, she probably would have fallen to the ground.

"Go back and rest first," Gao De said to her, his arm supporting her body clearly feeling her slight trembling.

This newly crowned legend of Black Sails, a powerful fifth-ring mage, is currently in his most vulnerable state.

Sarah didn't try to be brave and obediently nodded.

What she had asked God earlier was to return to Ash Isle, bring back Davy Jones's body, and then lend it to them for a while, including to completely force the Iron Crown to retreat using the most intimidating methods available to Black Sails.

The quiet cabin swayed gently with the waves.

On the soft bed, Sarah curled up, her face pale, her lips completely bloodless, and her eyelashes trembling slightly from the pain.

For her, engaging in such a prolonged battle with Davy Jones in the Blue Flame Zone was an act of killing a thousand enemies while losing a thousand of her own.

If it weren't for her special ability to heal soul damage, she would basically be considered a cripple.

Because in her current mental state, although she still possesses the magical power of a fifth-ring mage, she cannot even cast a first-ring spell.

Mental strength and magical power are both necessary conditions for casting spells, and neither can be lacking.

Even with expertise, this recovery obviously cannot be completed in just one or two days.

"How long will it take you to fully recover?" Gao De asked casually, seeing her condition.

“It will take at least a year.” Sarah turned her head, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow under her eyelids, and looked at Gao De with a helpless expression as she spoke frankly.

She had said before that even if she only stayed in the Blue Flame Zone for an hour, it would take her several months to recover from the damage to her mental state.

But Sarah was referring to those shallow blue flames.

In order to restrain David this time, Sarah went all out and used an alchemical bomb to directly draw out the deep blue flames from the heart of Ash Isle.

The destructive energy contained in the deep blue flames is far more domineering than that in the shallow blue flames.

Not to mention that during the fight with David, David also repeatedly used blue flames to counterattack.

So although her time in the blue flames this time did not exceed an hour, or even half an hour, the trauma to her soul was more severe than ever before.

"So long," Gao De murmured subconsciously, his first thought being, "This skill is too weak," but he quickly suppressed the thought.

It shouldn't be that Sarah's specialty is weak, after all, being able to repair soul damage is already an extremely powerful ability. It can only be said that Blue Flame's soul burning is too domineering and its [Adaptive] ability is too strong.

"I'm very satisfied that I was able to get my revenge and come back alive." Sarah had a good attitude and was able to smile despite the pain in her mind.

“Revenge?” Gao De caught the key word and naturally picked up the conversation, pausing for a moment, “On Ash Isle, I overheard your last conversation with David. Can you tell me the details?”

To be honest, this question touches on some personal privacy, and the most private kind at that. It's somewhat offensive, especially when the relationship isn't very close.

Gao De has always been a perceptive person, so he naturally understood this deal.

The reason for asking this question is not so much out of curiosity, but more importantly, because sometimes, exchanging private information can have a surprisingly positive effect on advancing a relationship.

His relationship with Sarah is currently in a "honeymoon period" due to the life-saving debt, which is an excellent opportunity to get closer to each other.

Gaode doesn't think it's shameful to seize this opportunity and use some tricks to advance the relationship, nor does it have any burden in this regard.

Cultivating a good relationship with Sarah will bring benefits in Black Sails City in the future, such as convenience, resource support, and even potential alliances, which are difficult to measure in terms of immediate interests.

"Even if you didn't ask, I was prepared to tell you."

Perhaps because she was in a weakened state, Gao De could clearly feel that Sarah's usual sharp edge had completely subsided, and even her voice and tone had become much gentler.

“My surname is Fortune, which is actually my mother’s surname. You may not have heard of this surname, since my father’s surname is more well-known,” Sarah said slowly, leaning against the headboard.

“My father’s surname is Tilha, which was one of the most famous surnames on the continent more than a thousand years ago.”

I still haven't heard of it. Of course, Gaode only thought this to himself and wouldn't say it out loud.

He nodded slightly, signaling the other person to continue.

"The Tierha family was once one of the most prominent alchemist families on the continent of Nolan because they possessed the most advanced magic fire gun manufacturing technology."

"Since the year 7565 of the Nolan calendar, when the then head of the family, Turin Tierha, created the first magic fire gun with a barrel that had the effect of 'anti-magic', the Tierha family has firmly controlled more than one-third of the magic fire gun market."

"Moreover, as time went by, this share not only did not shrink, but increased year by year, even exceeding half at its peak. Under such circumstances, the name Tierha became synonymous with the Demonfire Gun."

"Back then, all the other alchemists who made magic fire guns could only drink the scraps that the Tierha family looked down on. The Tierha family's magic fire gun craftsmanship standards were the industry standards in the field of magic fire guns, and were the objects of imitation for all their peers," Sarah said with a light laugh, seemingly casually.

Gao De, however, understood that there was no exaggeration in his words.

The market for magic fire guns isn't huge, but it's certainly not small either. What does it mean for a single family to occupy more than half of the magic fire gun market?
"In the field of magic firearms, the Tierha family is undoubtedly a behemoth. Even the Okenli family, which is known for its alchemy skills, could not catch up with the Tierha family in the field of magic firearms and had to give up this market."

"At least two-thirds of the mages in the world who use magic fire guns as their magical weapons have purchased magic fire guns produced by the Tierha family."

"The Tierha family has never rested on its past glory and has been constantly improving the barrel enchanting process and researching various special bullets in order to create a better and stronger magic fire gun."

"Any member of the Tierha family at that time could confidently say that no one or family could surpass them in the field of magic fire guns."

"Absolutely not."

"But the artisans of the Tierha family were so engrossed in polishing enchanted gun barrels and optimizing bullets that they forgot to look up and see how times were changing."

"In Linhai City, a momentous event is quietly unfolding that will completely overturn the glory of the Tielha family."

“The artisans from the Oakenli family certainly couldn’t catch up with Tilhar in the field of magic fire guns, but their alchemists took a different approach and invented something that looked the same but was completely different in their workshops.” Sarah couldn’t help but sigh as she said this.

“The Magic Gun,” Gao De replied, as he knew a little about the history of the Magic Fire Gun and the Magic Gun.

“Yes,” Sarah shook her head, her eyes full of helplessness: “When the first magic gun appeared on the market, the higher-ups of the Tierha family only thought it was a novelty toy, and believed that this thing was just a flashy gimmick. No one realized that this thing would completely end the era of magic fire guns.”

"The magic gun quickly became a sensation due to its advantages such as not requiring cumbersome reloading, being able to release magic bullets multiple times at high frequency by pulling the trigger, not needing to carry heavy bullets, and being able to support more than a hundred shots with a single magic crystal."

"In less than ten years, the Magic Energy Gun completely replaced the Magic Fire Gun."

"Just as the members of the Tierha family said, until the Tierha family completely declines and its glory fades, they will still be the undisputed kings in the field of magic fire guns."

“But what’s the use?” Sarah’s tone revealed helplessness: “The magic fire guns produced by the Tierha family are still the best, but no one needs them anymore.”

"The once bustling Tielha workshop has gradually become deserted."

"The era of magic guns has arrived."

"By the time the Tierha family realized their mistake and wanted to switch to producing magic-powered guns, it was too late."

"As one of the four most prominent merchant families in Linhai City and the Nolan Continent, the Oakenli family has seized the initiative, and others are destined to only be left with scraps."

Amidst this familiar sense of déjà vu, Gaode suddenly realized, "Good heavens, isn't this the 'Nokia' version of the 'Ghost Gun'?"

This is not a failure in technological competition, but an inevitable consequence of the changing times.

"Although it has declined, it still has a glorious history and a deep foundation. In addition, the market for magic fire guns is sluggish, so it still has some fans."

"So the Tierha family scaled back their businesses in time and moved the entire clan to a small island, managing to barely survive," she said, turning slightly to avoid the cold wind blowing in through the porthole.

Upon seeing this, Gao De used his magician's hand to close the porthole.

Sarah continued, "It's just that it has changed from a behemoth family to a small workshop, customizing magic fire guns and mixing custom bullets for some magic fire gun enthusiasts."

“My mother, Laura Fortune, was a devotee of the magic fire gun and an alchemist who specialized in it,” Sarah’s eyes softened as she spoke of her mother. “Because of their shared interests and pursuits, she married Gael Tilhar, who was the head of the Tilhar family at the time, and who is my father.”

"In terms of talent in the field of magic fire guns, according to my father, even at the height of the Tierha family's power, no one could compare to my mother."

"It was precisely because of her amazing talent and skills in the field of magic fire gun manufacturing that the declining Tierha family even ushered in a long-awaited small revival."

"My misfortune is one of her works."

"And the turning point came when she used the topaz dragon crystal treasured by the Tierha family for thousands of years as the core material to create an extraordinary enchanted gun, namely the [Topaz Annihilator]."

"This feat made my mother a new legend in the alchemy world, and even attracted the elders of the Oakenli family to personally invite her to join them."

"However, this also attracted the attention of some people with ulterior motives and evil intentions."

"One of them is David."

“He was a real villain, posing as a wealthy merchant, and came to my mother’s door asking her to make him a magic fire gun.”

"He lulled my father and mother into a false sense of security with a huge order, and then, when they were off guard, he struck suddenly, baring his fangs, killing my father and mother, stealing the [Topaz Annihilator], and leading his pirates to loot the workshop before setting it on fire."

“I was only twelve years old at the time. Because I was playful, I followed Baozai when he was delivering goods to customers, and I was lucky enough to escape this disaster.”

“After returning, facing my home which had been reduced to ruins, I vowed to take revenge and make David pay a bloody price.”

"After nearly a hundred years of thorough preparation, I sailed to Black Sails City and gradually built the Gold Coin Hunters, waiting for the time to take my revenge."

"You'll know the rest of the story."

(End of this chapter)