Chapter 1746 - WMW 114

For many sailors, the deep sea regions were fearsome areas comparable to the abyss and the nine hells. In the darkness under the peaceful blue surface were numerous strange sea monsters, greedily staring up at the ships. Or rather, at the beings on the surface.

If a ship was destroyed and a sea monster were to be around, there was basically no chance of survival. For sailors, those who had conquered the deep seas were the truly strong, worthy of reverence.

Night deepened, and the gloomy surface of the sea was like a terrifying monster opening its mouth, waiting for its chance to devour everything. Its peace was broken by a tremendous pirate fleet, cruising along with the might of a conqueror.

On the largest magically armoured ship was a crimson flag. The flag seemed to be dyed by blood, and had the symbol of a skull and dagger on it. In the Dambrath outer seas, this was a terrifying legend!

The Scarlet Tigers! They had wiped out the original Tigershark Pirates and Black Skeletons, and were a large-scaled pirate group that had taken over the outer seas.

It was rumoured that the leader of the Scarlet Tigers, the Scarlet Witch, was a demon of the abyss. She bathed in the fresh blood of the living, using their pumping hearts to maintain her strength and beauty. At this point, the Scarlet Witch's name had even reached the mainland, terrifying little kids into tears at night.

This Scarlet Witch whose fearful name had spread far and wide was currently on deck, looking into the distance with a look of anticipation in her eyes.

"Long time no see, Cousin Isabel!" A dark figure descended from the skies like a night hawk, bringing with him furious winds.

Leylin observed his cousin, who seemed to have changed a lot yet not at all. She greeted him with a smile.

"So you only remember me now? It's been four years. Four whole years!" Isabel exclaimed maliciously, though her eyes seemed to be glimmering.

Afterwards, she yelled at the pirates who had been alerted, "What did you come out for? This isn't an invasion. Get back, or I'll hang you on the flagpole tomorrow for three whole days and then cut off your dick to go with some alcohol!"

It was evident that Isabel held high prestige here. After the roaring came the sounds of doors and windows closing.

"Hehe… you haven't changed at all." Leylin rubbed his nose and laughed. Isabel was still the same as she had been years before, though her long golden hair become much shorter, and she was specifically hiding an area on her forehead.

"My lord!" "My lord!" A few other leaders rushed to the deck, looking emotional.

"Mm. Karen, Robin Hood, Ronald! Have you all been well?" Leylin called them by name, one by one.

"Gods, everything is going well!" Robin Hood had been a soldier of Leylin's family, and was the first to speak.

"Good! Let us have a meeting after this."

Isabel rudely sent the other leaders away and stared at Leylin, causing some fear. "Where's my gift?"

"This?" Leylin laughed wryly and produced the Red Dragon Sword. "I think it suits you well. I already told you when we talked…"

*Rumble!* Isabel didn't even listen till the end. The moment she saw the dragonscale scabbard, her eyes twinkled with a wondrous look. She was almost barbaric as she snatched the sword from Leylin's hands before moving back.

*Roar!* A slight draconic aura burst out, accompanied with the enraged howls and roars of a dragon. Red light flashed on the blade, bringing with it traces of flames.

"Legendary! A legendary item that has even gone through an excellent enchantment!" Isabel had been a pirate for many years, and her judgement was much better than before. She saw through it instantly.

"What do you think? Do you like it?" Leylin asked.

"It's mine!" This question didn't need answering. Just Isabel's expression alone was enough.

"Mm, it's good that you like it. Also, we have some things to discuss. Shall we go to your room?" Leylin suggested, and he saw the flush that rose on her face. He could not help but rub his nose awkwardly, feeling like he had been impudent.

However, Isabel still did as Leylin wished and brought him to her bedroom. The pink curtains, the canopy, the crimson carpet, and works of art with varying styles mixed together to form a unique look. These were all the treasures that Isabel had stolen.

A pungent incense entered Leylin's nostrils, concealing the smell of the sea. Females were obviously more attentive than males.

"Actually, I've come prepared to solve the issues with the Barbarians in one go. Odge and Tillen seem to be stepping out of line lately…" Leylin's eyes were trained on Isabel, "But by the looks of it, there's something more important that we have to deal with now."

He went forward, lightly pushing away her fringe. A few strange scales had already appeared at the edge of the girl's fair forehead.

"Has the demonification already come that far?" Leylin frowned slightly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm actually feeling the summons from the abyss even more. Who knows, I might just fall at any moment…" Isabel had a resolute look on her face.

"Mm, I feel that as well. But this doesn't seem difficult to solve!" Leylin stroked his chins, and saw the hope in her eyes.

"Well, do you trust me?" Leylin sincerely looked into her eyes.

"Who if not you?" Isabel lowered her head.

"Good!" With a flick of Leylin's finger, a barrier silently appeared. "I need you to cooperate with me fully and do as I tell you to, alright?" he instructed her carefully, a test tube containing golden-red blood appearing in his hands.

"Mm!" Isabel nodded her head slightly, suddenly blushing a little.

...

The morning sun rose from the east, shining golden ripples looking like fish scales on the sea's surface.

"How do you feel?" Leylin looked to be slightly tired, though his eyes were still bright.

"I feel… better than I ever have before!" Isabel touched her forehead. The scales had disappeared, and her original short golden hair had turned a dark red like fire.

"Thankfully, you didn't choose to sell your soul and were only corrupted by the demonification. That can be concealed and neutralised with a more powerful bloodline..." Leylin evaluated.

"I never thought you could even transform people into sorcerers!" Isabel looked towards Leylin, as if remembering something embarrassing from the night before, and lowered his head. In front of her cousin, she truly no longer had any secrets.

"Not a sorcerer, but a Warlock! A Dragon Warlock!" Leylin corrected her.

"Warlock?!" Isabel tested out this word, "I've never heard of it before…"

"I've combined the legendary red dragon's blood with your body. From hereon, you will control the power of the red dragon, and can even awaken magic abilities!" Leylin had no plans to explain further and handed a meditation technique to Isabel. "You can try training in this 'Dragon King's Mystic Might' in the future. It will do you good…"

"Dragon King's Mystic Might? Do sorcerers— no, Warlocks need to train?" Isabel expressed her confusion.

"Of course!" Leylin nodded sternly.

This Dragon King's Mystic Might was obviously not the high-grade meditation technique Leylin had gained in Twilight Zone. It was one he'd refined with that as a foundation. Leylin had actually found information on it from the ruins of the arcanist, and with the A.I. Chip's help integrated the two.

It could be said that with the meditation technique and bloodline modification, Isabel now had the potential to surpass sorcerers! In addition, the blood of the legendary red dragon would be enough to suppress the demonification for a long time.

"Alright! Let's go meet your cute underlings!" Leylin got up to leave, and Isabel followed closely behind. For high-ranked Professionals like them, a night without rest was no issue at all.

Pulling the door open, they arrived at the deck and saw the dubious smiles on the faces of Robin Hood, Karen and the others. Evidently, news of Leylin spending a night in her room had spread and given rise to some associations.

Unexpectedly, Isabel had not gotten mad but instead rejoiced inside. However, she still glared at them icily.

"Alright! There's a lot to do, so let's discuss it over breakfast!" Leylin had long since passed the age of caring about this, and waved his arms with vigour, bringing everyone to the dining room.

Making use of this opportunity, he got more familiar with the leaders under Isabel. He knew some of them very well, but was complete strangers with some others. They must have joined some time after he left.

"We've been developing well in these few years, especially after the imperial navy left. There are no opposing organisations left in the outer seas…" Isabel spoke with pride, "We now have twenty large warships with over 1500 men…"

"Mm, you did very well!" Leylin listened closely and got a better understanding of the recent growth of the Scarlet Tigers, "How about the Barbarians?"

At the mention of this, Isabel immediately turned grim.

-x-X-x-

"Those darned barbarians are the only forces with the guts to oppose us. Half a month ago, they even launched a surprise attack on one of our fleets and sunk three of our pirate ships…" Isabel looked glum, "Also, they even control Pirates' Cove. We're barred entry!

"That's not all. I have a feeling that they have something to do with the cause of turmoil in the outer seas recently. I mean the power of the abyss and hell, as well as the church of the God of Murder…" The half-drow assassin, Karen, supplied.

The female assassin had hidden her aura and would now be a Professional of at least rank 10. Now, she was impatient to show off in front of Leylin. This was obviously inappropriate, and under Isabel's gaze Karen quickly fell back.

"Interesting… Interesting…" Leylin sat upright. His devilish ability to grasp the hearts of others allowed him to understand his underlings' state of mind easily.

'Karen… She was discriminated against because of her background and prior relations with me. What is she trying to show me? That's not all… I have a feeling that she's hiding something. This anxiety… is her race trying to rely on me for protection…?'

Leylin sent her a cursory glance, but this only made the half-drow nervous.

"My– My apologies, master!" The half-drow apologised miserably, tears almost flowing from her eyes. Leylin's nonchalant gaze seemed to look straight into her heart, causing her little schemes and calculations to disappear.

The half-drow suddenly had a thought, 'Perhaps even the matriarchs in the Underdark don't have such terrifying gazes…'

"Isabel is the person I've assigned power. Before she gives permission, none of you are to speak out. Is that understood?" Leylin's voice was low, "If this happens again…"

"No, I swear! I promise that there will never be another time!" Karen immediately knelt down, kissing the back of Isabel's hand. "Please forgive me…"

"Forget it." Isabel nodded. Leylin's attitude satisfied her, and that was enough.

There had been a slight mishap with the female assassin, but after that the scope of the discussion returned to the Barbarians.

...

Pirates' Cove.

Though the imperial navy had tried to wipe out this place several times, Pirates' Cove still showed no signs of weakening.

Due to the Faulen Family quickly taking over trade of the Baltic Archipelago, the original golden shipping routes had not been abandoned. There were still merchant ships with all sorts of wealth on them travelling here, and the environment after the chaos of war made this a playground for pirates. Pirates' Cove even showed signs of gaining more prosperity.

In a secret room in the barbarian inn. The Barbarians' leader, Odge, was seated imposingly with the eternally beautiful Madam Tillen at his side. Now, however, her eyes were wary, and the fox tail at her back had been tucked in. Her fur stood on end, as if she was on her guard against some terrifying enemy.

Facing these two was a young noble with a head of black hair wearing gentlemanly attire.

"Well then… are the two of you interested in my proposition?" The young noble had a kind smile on his face, the manners showing his noble education. It felt refreshing, but Madam Tillen did not seem to be at ease.

This was because the youth in front of her was a devil! Compared to those evil beasts that specialised in seducing human souls and leading to their fall, the barbarians and goblins were great people.

To Madam Tillen's knowledge, devils were always the synonyms of swindling and craftiness. This made her even more vigilant. The young noble in front of her did not seem to notice her fluctuating thoughts, and still continued on cooly, "Based on what I know, the genius wizard and successor of the Faulen Islands, Leylin Faulen, has returned. He also seems to have roped in some external support and activated their wizard tower, making Faulen Island a natural stronghold..."

A port with a wizard tower guarding it was entirely different from one without. Even Odge began to look grim. Leylin had become a high-ranked wizard in the Netheril Ruins, and had met with the chaos of war with the orcs. There was no way to determine his ranking. Naturally, this news did not spread.

"Leylin…?" Madam Tillen suddenly thought back to that little imp that had repeatedly caused her trouble, and could not help but tighten her grip.

He was like the devil in front of her, they were all very elegant and slippery characters. When it came to their own profits, they would never budge.

'No... Leylin Faulen, the heir of the Baron, seems to be more terrifying than this devil…' This thought suddenly rose in Tillens mind. This was a woman's intuition. There was no reason at all, and she frowned.

"Not only does he have large armed fleets, he also has help from the pirates. On top of that, with the Faulen Family's current status, they obviously would wish to attack the pirates in the outer seas to ensure that trade routes and trading remain unimpeded. Hence, you shall be their first target. You need my strength!"

The young devil spoke slowly, traces of darkness flashing in his eyes. Meanwhile, he was also astonished at the pressure the return of this noble caused to these two. It was above his expectations.

"Your name." At this moment, Odge suddenly rose from his seated position and watched this devil from above.

"Neville! You can call me Neville. I would be happy to serve you…"

The devil named Neville had a sincere smile on his face. Behind his handsome features that could cause young noble ladies to go crazy Madam Tillen saw a poisonous snake. She could not help but shiver.

Blood-red flames rose, and the young devil bowed elegantly, disappearing with the teleportation flames. After determining that he had left, Madam Tillen set up an isolation spell formation.

"I think… We shouldn't work together with devils. You know how they are…" Madam Tillen had a worried look, expressed with her eyebrows.

"We have no choice! Leylin's faction is too powerful. We can't go against them." Odge spoke seriously, resulting in a wry look on Madam Tillen's face. When it came to the strength of pirates, the Barbarians had no fear regardless of how the Scarlet Tigers emerged as a force to be reckoned with.

However, the Faulen Family was not just about the pirates! With their trade control and immense wealth, they'd rapidly set up terrifying armed fleets surpassing even Louis' old ones. They were nobles, and in the name of protecting the shipping routes Leylin could openly expand his forces without restriction. Soon, it would surpass what Pirates' Cove could control.

In the face of the purge on the surface and in the shadows, the Barbarians' might in the outer seas had already begun to plunge. While it wasn't a devastating decline, it wasn't anything good.

At the very least, mobilising another Pirates' Tide was impossible.

"The benefits of the Barbarians in the outer seas are never to be seized by outsiders. Never!" Odge thundered, his gigantic enchanted sabre seeming to sense its owner's feelings and beginning to buzz along.

Odge was not just the captain of the Barbarians. He was also the protector of the barbarian race! The entire barbarian race relied on his protection to survive, which was why he would not fall back now.

"Dearest! I will help you. Even if it will send me down to hell, I'll go there with you." Madam Tillen had a tender look in her eyes as she hugged Odge's arm.

...

Just as the scene was beginning to get comfortable and soft, Madam Tillen's body suddenly trembled, rays of high-ranked communication spells shining.

"There's another guest! It's a priest from the God of Murder's church!" She quickly rubbed eyes.

"Let him in." Odge was blunt.

Soon enough, they saw the emissary. He was an old friend, the priest Leylin had seen in the Thieves' Guild.

"I've brought the newest information regarding that devil!" It had to be said that when it came to scouting out information, the bunch of people under Cyric had exceptional talent.

"Speak!" Madam Tillen's expression was icy.

"While we aren't sure what their main body is, we can be certain that Neville comes from an organisation in the third hell…" The priest spoke slowly.

"The third hell? Is he the underling of the master of greed, Mammon?" She looked to be deep in thought. Mammon, or whatever it was, wasn't the devil's real name. It was only something similar to a nickname, and calling it would not alert him in any way.

"Yes! The continent has been noisy lately. The devils in the Dambrath Kingdom seem to have gone through some reshuffling of power, and it's said that this has to do with the disappearance of Beelzebub…"

The church of the God of Murder seemed to have worked with the Barbarians more than once, to the point that they even shared such classified information.

"Also… We are working hard on making inquiries regarding the location of the Scarlet Tiger and where they get their supplies. I'm sure that there will be results in the near future! Under the gaze of my god, everything they do is clear as day!"

The priest's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked a little sinister. This quickly dissipated.

"Sigh… Even the God of Murder can't be trusted…" After the priest left, Madam Tillen lamented, looking worried.

"Could it be that powerful greater gods have fallen to the lower planes like in the rumours… This is truly a period of great unrest…"

-x-X-x-

Cyric was an ancient and very famous god. His divinities were in murder and conspiracy, and he was a powerful greater god. He was an ancient god that had even outlived the dusk of the gods! It was said that he knew numerous ancient stories, and had an undefined relationship with the gods, though it was one more of hate.

However, there was a strange rumour in the past few hundred years. It was that this god had gone insane, and was even becoming a demon. This deviancy could be like a matter of life and death for the gods.

Such a situation was growing more and more obvious in recent times. He was sending down all sorts of contradictory prophecies, and the priests could not get used to it.

"Sigh… the God of Murder has gone insane! The orcs in the north are building an empire, and there are traces of devils and demons in Dambrath and on the outer seas… Perhaps only the dark ages are comparable to this…" Madam Tillen sighed.

...

"I see a future with devils and demons around…" On the Scarlet Tiger, Leylin observed a crystal ball on soft goose leather padding. He was in a dark cabin, and there was a complicated look in his eyes.

Using the power of magic to foresee the future was something only astrologers and oracles could do. They had their own methods— Some used tarot cards, while others used the trajectories of celestial bodies.

Arcanists had a similar skill, and with his experience in the Magus World Leylin could do so as well.

"The opponent's main forces should be in Pirates' Cove. We will obtain absolute victory in this operation, and we'll find traces of a devil there…" Leylin put the crystal ball down and used a white silk cloth to wipe at his hands, speaking with conviction..

"I think there's something wrong with you…" Isabel was reclined on the door, looking like a loyal bodyguard, her eyes now filled with curiosity, "I don't remember you training in prophecies. Also, the oracles don't do as you do…"

"Hehe… This is a method I saw in Silverymoon. Don't think too much into it…" Leylin laughed slightly. While the fact that he had become a high-ranked wizard was a secret, he had already told Isabel about it, giving her confidence.

Marquis Louis had been able to do as he wished in the outer seas with just the power of a high-ranked wizard as well. He had also absorbed the Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates, pushing the Barbarians to the brink. If not for Leylin's appearance, he would probably have become the sole tyrant of the outer seas.

"But things are different now! The disaster of the Pirates' Tide has attracted the attention of too many powerful beings…" Leylin sighed. The outer seas had not been developed that much in the past, and the terrain and organisations were very simple. A barbarian tribe was already terrific then.

However, in current terms, they were nothing. This was why Leylin was a little uneasy, attempting to predict the future.

While the World of Gods' ability to screen this type of spells was too powerful, gods and legendary beings could do this easily. Leylin did not believe that the Barbarians could do the same.

"That's good then…" Isabel was all smiles as she spoke, before her expression abruptly changed.

*Rumble!* *Kachak!* A slight noise sounded, along with voices of the pirates' distress.

"Seems like they found something on the deck… Let's go…" Leylin smiled as he followed Isabel to the deck. At this moment, the pirates were circled around two figures.

One of the two was Karen, while the other was an assassin dressed in black form-fitting clothing. Sharp blades clashed endlessly, and the winds they produced left the pirates with no courage to go forward.

"Karen, stop playing around!" Leylin tapped his finger, and a terrifying cone of flames blasted forward, accurately hitting one of the figures. The raging flames immediately devoured it.

"That was just a puppet," Leylin look towards the mast, "Is that right?"

"Hoo hoo! As expected of the one who established the Scarlet Tigers and defeated Marquis Louis, Sire Leylin!" Laughter that sounded like an owl could suddenly be heard, and a distortion emerged from the side of the mast to form a human figure.

"We meet again, Lord Leylin! Let me introduce myself. This humble servant is Arfo, a priest of the mighty God of Murder. We met once at Pirates' Cove!"

Arfo was currently dressed impeccably like a priest. It was unknown when he had arrived on Leylin's ship.

"How dare you!" Karen had noticed that the figure in the flames had disappeared, revealing the original appearance of a high-ranked illusion and turned grim.

"Wait!" Just as Karen was about to charge forth, Isabel beamed as she pulled her back.

"You must be very gutsy, huh? How dare you play tricks on my people?" Isabel stared at Arfo, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"The great name of the Scarlet Witch has spread in the open seas. I never thought it would be such a beautiful lady." Arfo looked to be somewhat intoxicated.

"Good, good!" Isabel took two steps forward, a smile on her face. All of a sudden, she made her move. The Red Dragon Sword was instantly unsheathed, and faint draconic roars sounded out.

A tremendous spiritual force field extended and caused all the pirates to back off, while the priest looked alarmed, "Dragon aura!"

The fiery-red sword produced a clear cry, flames spilling over in the air.

*Hss!* The priest took several steps backwards, looking terrified at the charred marks on his wrist.

"Karen is one of mine. It's not up to you to bully her!" Isabel looked to have no intentions to kill him and slowly sheathed her sword with a snort. This immediately gave rise to gratitude in Karen's eyes, as well as some shame.

"I never thought the Scarlet Witch wasn't a demon sorcerer. You're someone who inherited the blood of bloodline of a red dragon, and even have a legendary item!!" Arfo looked somewhat awkward while pondering over this.

Such a huge difference caused him to flare up at the thieves that had collected this information,

'While there's a similarity between demonification and becoming a red dragon, it shouldn't be to this extent. They should be killed!' Just a slight deviation or mistake in intel could cause irreversible consequences. Such a huge change immediately put Arfo on his guard.

"Who do you represent?" Leylin asked while snickering inside. Using Isabel's status as a Dragon Warlock to hide her demonification had also been one of his plans. After all, red dragon sorcerers also had the ability to manipulate flames and grow scales. This would be enough to confuse people.

Demons were beings the churches would always crack down on ruthlessly. It was better not to have dealings with them. Sorcerers, on the other hand, were fine. Most importantly, Leylin had not explained anything himself. Everything had been assumed.

"I come representing the will of my god!" Arfo looked serious as he spoke.

"Do you have a prophecy from the mighty God of Murder?" Leylin looked at him, a teasing glint in his eyes. However, that only scared Arfo.

"N– No, but our bishop has received intent from my god!" When it came to his faith, Arfo naturally did not dare lie as he recalled the order he had received.

'Have the outer seas descend into chaos? Just for a massacre, you provoke the two largest pirate groups? What kind of joke is this? Damn it… Ever since the bishop received god's grace, he's become more irritable and crazy…' However, as a subordinate, he had no right to make any suggestions and could only carry out the orders of his superior.

"Since it's the intention of the church, let's have a listen shall we?" Leylin brought Arfo to a meeting room. The pirates automatically stood at two sides, eyes trained on Arfo. It was as if the moment Leylin gave the order, they would chop him into mincemeat, and that gave him immense pressure.

"Well then, emissary, what are your suggestions?"

"The dark world of the outer seas needs to be unified. We believe that the Scarlet Tigers are more suitable for this than the Barbarians." Arfo did his best to suppress the fluctuations in his heart, saying words he did not mean. Wizards could easily detect any changes in mind or mood, and he would be seen through.

"... To show our sincerity, we are willing to provide intel regarding the Barbarians and help you achieve victory…" Arfo placed a sheepskin scroll on the table as he spoke.

"Oh?!" Leylin found this hilarious as he took a look. This was an exquisite map of the sea, marking out the location where the Barbarians resupplied. One large island had obvious blood-red marks.

"These are the areas where the Barbarians resupply. The last mark is where the barbarian tribe resides." Arfo glanced at Leylin and spoke with confidence.

"The island where the barbarian tribe stays?" Isabel gasped, "Are you trying to create a lasting enmity with the Barbarians?"

"Since you're already enemies, why not take it to the extreme?" Arfo spread his arms like a scoundrel.

"Haha… haha…" After a long period of silence, all he was met with was Leylin's crazed laughter, "You said it well. You said it well! Since we're already enemies, how about we take it to the extreme?"

Just as a smile bloomed on Arfo's face, something happened…

-x-X-x-

"Kill him," Leylin indifferently waved his arm, as if he were chasing a house fly away.

"Why?" Arfo's expression immediately changed, his body flashing with the undulations of a teleportation scroll.

However, the bright light shattered immediately, leaving him in despair. Numerous weapons struck out. One filled with red qi, which was almost on par with a legendary dragon, immediately made mincemeat out of this emissary.

Only after they subconsciously acted did the pirates respond, bodies beginning to tremble slightly. Dear gods! They had actually killed the priest of an actual deity! While the pirates were capable of anything evil under the sun, they still held reverence for the gods.

"Isn't this just a priest? If he's dead, he's dead. There's something more terrifying than this to deal with next…" Leylin clapped his hands indifferently. Red flames descended and burnt the body to ashes, causing the pirates to feel as if they were in a dream.

"So, his information was false?" Isabel's attention was on something else.

"No, the information is true." Leylin shook his head and rolled the map up, "Give this to our navigator and have him go on the offensive while we head along this route."

"You still…" Isabel found herself unable to keep up with her cousin's thoughts.

"While the map is real, he has malicious intent. I have enough strength now, so I have no choice but to kill him!" Leylin laughed as he spoke, his eyes cold.

He had been too weak during the Pirates' Tide, and had even needed help from the Barbarians and the Thieves' Guild. At that time, he had to tolerate these people's sneaky actions. But things were different now: he was a high-ranked wizard and an arcanist, far exceeding others of the same rank.

He had Tiff under him who had legendary strength, and Isabel had become a Dragon Warlock which allowed her strength to increase rapidly. While her bloodline limited her, it wasn't an issue until she became legendary herself.

On top of that, the Faulen Family was not the same as before. They might not rule the outer seas, but their power controlled most of the seas' regions.

With such strength, Leylin was the king through and through. Was there a need to make compromises?

On top of that, if the priests of the God of Murder truly were powerful, why would they still scheme and plot to stir up more tension between the two sides and not take over this region themselves?

Hence, Leylin was sure that they did not have favourable impressions of neither himself nor the Barbarians, and should be making plans to eliminate them all at one go.

"The God of Murder…" Leylin used the A.I. Chip and instantly found all the information regarding this greater god.

'While he is very old, he's known for being temperamental. There have been recent rumours that he's going insane. Given that he's like this, he will probably find it difficult to react quickly even if a branch with a bishop in charge were annihilated… Also…'

Leylin looked through the description displayed on the A.I. Chip's screen, a look of fear flashing across his face.

'He once fought with Distorted Shadow and announced that he killed this great rank 8 Magus…' Leylin now had a profound understanding of the might of Distorted Shadow. It was impossible for him to fall so easily at this god's hands.

'Things started changing from that time. Cyric started to become more insane and unreasonable…' Leylin stroked his chin, looking to be deep in thought, 'Was he seriously injured in battle, causing the change in temperament, or was he tricked by Distorted Shadows and affected by the power of distortion?'

While the dusk of gods was over, the shadow Magi left behind in the World of Gods were not easily dispersed.

'Whatever it is, the claws that the God of Murder extended into the outer seas must be cut off!' Leylin decided and announced, "Let us set off!"

The tremendous Scarlet Tiger thundered, like a deep sea giant monster advancing to a battlefield.

Such a huge movement of the Scarlet Tigers had naturally attracted the attention of many organisations in the outer seas. The Barbarians had also assembled all their warriors in Pirates' Cove, and a life or death battle was coming up between these groups. This would determine the ruler of the outer seas.

Such an enormous change immediately made many people fear the consequences. They knew full well that no matter the winner, this would be doomsday for them.

Even more crazed beings were making preparations in the shadows, hoping to get some benefits from the battle. They hoped to wipe out the two large pirate organisations so that they could become the kings of the dark world!

"He killed my child, Arfo!"

*Rumble!* The flames suddenly rose several times in size, reflecting the distorted face of the bishop underground.

"Y– Yes, my lord!" The thief's voice quivered as he made the report. Ever since the bishop had gotten their god's grace, his personality had also been affected. He had become very stubborn… and crazy!

For instance, the bishop would definitely not provoke the two pirate groups into a deathmatch to wipe them out together before.

"Hah… how despicable… I want to kill him. Kill Leylin!" In the hidden room was a statue of Cyric. There seemed to be a layer of dark red smoke around it, causing some changes. At times, the bishop looked sinister standing under the statue, and at other times poised. He was basically a madman.

"Hehe… It's also good that he's dead. Arfo should have gone to hell long ago. He did well, because that's saved me a lot of trouble!"

"My- My lord, I'll take my leave now!" Seeing the bishop in this state was also very stressful for the thief. He reported all this with fear, trying to shuffle backwards.

"Since Arfo is dead, why are you alive?" The bishop turned back, glaring at the thief. His gaze was so chilly the thief felt like he'd fallen into a house of ice.

"No, that's none of my business, my lord!" Knowing that things did not spell well for him, the thief turned and ran, but it was too late.

The black flames rumbled around and swept through the area, enveloping the thief and causing him to squeal like a dying pig.

Seeing the thief gradually disappearing in the flames, a sick smile appeared on the bishop's face. After he was done executing the thief, he knelt before the statue and lowered his head, beginning to pray, "Keke… Soon, my master. I will sacrifice more flesh and souls to you!"

The statue gazed at the bishop below coldly, the dark red rays around it becoming more dazzling...

...

"It's Fire Slave Island. This is it!" It was impractical to get the pirate fleet to completely encircle the island. However, with the help of magic, it was not difficult to seal off a few shipping routes.

Leylin gazed at a completely red island through his telescope, one that had a volcano on it.

"Based on the intel, Odge's barbarian tribe should be staying back and increasing their numbers here…" He put the telescope down.

"All fighters are to leave the boat. We will massacre this place!" he ordered.

One could be completely unscrupulous in war, but this was still taboo. Leylin would not have the courage to do such a thing in the past. The moment he did, the other party would also head over to Port Venus and attack his family. Now, however, he had the wizard tower. Leylin even hoped Odge would take the initiative, and seek his own death at Port Venus.

The order was sent down quickly. Numerous pirates got on little boats and headed to the shore like ants.

"Robin Hood, Ronald, Karen." Leylin spoke more slowly.

"Boss!" Robin Hood came to Leylin's side and respectfully waited for instructions.

"Take the fleet and leave. Only come when I send out the signal!" Leylin ordered.

He could tell that once news of him attacking this area got out, the Barbarians would definitely pounce here like madmen. When the time came, Leylin definitely did not want his pirate fleet to be damaged.

It would be too troublesome to attack Pirates' Cove, so if he could draw the opponent out here, why not?

"I can't even imagine the heat and terrible environment here. Why did the Barbarians choose this place?" Isabel cut apart the vines blocking her way. There were broad green-leaved plants that dropped dew with a pungent smell. It caused her to frown.

"These barbarians migrated here. The safety of the tribe is of the utmost importance. Since you think they won't like this place, they can do as they wish…" Leylin explained.

He had nothing to worry about once they were on the large island. As long as he knew the general location, large life force undulations couldn't be hidden from him.

"Boss! We've encountered resistance on a mountain pass up ahead. It's barbarians!" A pirate said, having just run over.

"Kill him, we don't need prisoners." Leylin nodded indifferently. The pirates wouldn't mind killing them even if they were the same race, much less people of another.

Soon enough, Leylin passed through the stronghold and saw the ground full of barbarian corpses. Many wounds were still leaking blood, and these ones looked smaller and weaker than average.

"Seems like these are the old and weak, females and children. Odge must have pulled all the strong youths to his crew." Leylin nodded, no longer having any doubts about destroying the tribe.

Honestly speaking, Odge was a very wise leader. Not only did he resolutely bring his race to the outer seas, he had also survived tenaciously. A tribe like this needed external help and resources to develop, and for that reason they were forced into piracy.

He was very capable, able to mould them into one of the three large pirate groups in the outer seas and even gain control of Pirates' Cove. It was a pity that he was in Leylin's way. His only fate was to be purged…

-x-X-x-

The raging flames continued to blaze. The piercing screams and wails never ended, accompanied by the roars and manic laughter of pirates.

Barbarian corpses piled up in this place one after the other, the blood splitting to form little streams. Once Leylin decided to attack this place, the Barbarian tribe was completely done for.

As Odge had taken most of the strong and the young, all that were left behind were a bunch of frail, elderly, female or children beings. It could be said that in front of these vicious pirates, resistance was pointless.

"This barbarian tribe seems to hold some secrets…" Leylin touched his chin, a devilishly charming smile on his face as he arrived at the heart of the tribe.

The sacrifices were made here, but it was to some unknown god. A large piece of obsidian was carved into a firm altar, on which there was a large animal skin flag and strange crimson runes.

In front of the altar were a few struggling barbarians, all of them unbelievably old.

"You of another race, do not come here!" they exclaimed. They were so frail they looked like reeds. A few youths next to them held on to the last spears and weapons they had, trembling as they aimed at the invader with eyes full of fear.

"A barbarian priest? A sorcerer?" Leylin watched these barbarians who already had one foot in the grave and sensed the power of their bloodlines. He could not help but nod to himself.

"Scram!" Arcane spells burst forth, forming terrifying large elemental hands that tore the few sorcerers into shreds. Their stubborn resistance was futile, and such strength instantly left them at a loss.

A few arcane fireballs rumbled forth, burning the rest of the barbarians to ashes. Leylin stepped over the corpses to arrive at the altar, nothing in his way.

"Spirit? Soul? Or is it without a conscient…" As he felt around the coarse notches carved into the stone, Leylin closed his eyes.

'Are these barbarians trying to gather divinity with the power of their community?' With tons of experience, Leylin immediately saw through their plans. The power of faith far exceeded extraordinary force. With years of worship and sacrifice, this place had already begun to develop traces of a primal power.

The altar had strong faith within it. There were spirits of powerful beings mixed in, those who had died over time, and the foundation was currently very firm. Just a bit more time could really have given birth to divinity.

This was how many ancient tribal gods had been born. A high-ranked barbarian could use this bit of divinity to cross the threshold of becoming legendary. They could even become a demigod with their advance, combining that with their faith to ignite godfire.

As he too had plans to become a god, Leylin could comprehend this thought process.

"As for the person chosen to become a god, it should be Odge, or do they have another powerful pawn? How ambitious…" Leylin stroked his chin.

There had always been many intelligent people in this world. As the outer seas did not have the attention of too many gods yet, becoming a god in the outer seas was much less difficult than in the continent. For this reason, Odge had set his sights on this area, which coincided with Leylin's plan.

"Is this a god of the barbarian race? With how weak the outer seas are, a demigod would immediately unify the place, making it a playground for the barbarians…"

Leylin's eyes glinted, "Very creative, but it's a pity that you met me."

Leylin had long since treated the outer seas of Dambrath as his territory. While the barbarians had their own plans, he would have to disappoint them.

"The spirits are valiant, guarding the tremendous power of faith and soul origin tightly." Leylin observed the obsidian carvings and animal skin runes, an unenthusiastic look on his face, "Seems like every barbarian that dies will return to this place…"

This was the hope of a race! In the World of Gods, a race without protection from a god would not have a future. Mixed with their hot-bloodedness and sacrifices, it was both inspiring and tragic.

Leylin shut his eyes, and he felt like these spirits had encircled him. A tremendous malicious intent descended, "Scram! Scram!"

This was no illusion, but the power of rejection from the altar itself.

"Tsk tsk… How powerful does the unified heart of an entire race get, with blood sacrifices urging it on?

"Such strength! I wish to defeat it. I shall strike down the ascension of your race, and crush your hopes completely!"

A deep and dark power could instantly be seen in Leylin's eyes.

"Devour!" Leylin willed it, and the altar creaked like it couldn't bear the weight. The ground began to shake as if there was an earthquake, creating numerous dark holes.

Heat! Lunacy! Energy that was filled with soul force surged out from the altar like a tsunami.

"Mm…" Leylin's expression was incomparably sinister for an instant, all sorts of emotions flashing in his eyes. The barbarian spirits were extremely crazed and vengeful, launching forth with all sorts of snarls and counterattacks as they began their last struggle.

It was a pity that this was a minor issue for Leylin. After all, he was experienced with souls.

"Hss…" The phantom of a Targaryen emerged in Leylin's mind, and in one mouthful devoured the numerous souls and conscients. In the face of Leylin's soul origin, the attack from these valiant souls were as weak as ants.

Varied soul force burst forth as they shattered, carrying berserk emotions and numerous memory fragments.

"A soul is a small matter. The issue is that there's still these berserk emotions within the soul force…" Leylin sighed.

The basic requirement to absorb divinity was that one was legendary, and this was not without reason. Those who were yet to cross that threshold wouldn't even be able to live through the attacks of these souls.

"God… I pray that you protect our barbarian race!" "You must make the barbarians the most powerful race!" "Please ensure the survival of the barbarians…" "I want to have meat. I want meat everyday…"

Such chaotic thoughts appeared in Leylin's mind that they could cause a regular person to go mad. Even someone with legendary strength could acquire a mental disorder, the chaotic soul energy causing cracks in their memories.

However, Leylin had the A.I. Chip. He also had prior experience in this area, and his own soul origin was near rank 7. He could still take this.

"Hss…"

"I am the limitless Jörmungandr, the master that devours all things!" The Targaryen phantom appeared in Leylin's pupils, and the power of devouring appeared, forming spirals that devoured all the chaotic soul origins at one go.

After being converted, the strength surged into Leylin's sea of consciousness.

The A.I. Chip's prompt sounded at this moment. [Beep! Host has taken in a large amount of energy, determined to be soul origin essence. Absorbed!]

Large amounts of icy streams of air converged in Leylin's mind, allowing his spiritual force to revolve rapidly.

[Beep! Host has absorbed soul energy. Spirit +1]

The accumulations of the barbarian tribe over countless years had made things easy for Leylin, and even allowed him to raise his spiritual force.

Leylin looked at his hands and murmured, "My spiritual force has increased a bit. I feel like every small increase in stats past fifteen points is a huge advance."

The A.I. Chip's prompts continued. [Beep! Host's spirit has broke through, becoming rank 16 arcanist!]

At this moment, his stats were refreshed.

[Leylin Faulen. Age: 22. Race: Human, Rank 16 Arcanist. Strength: 13. Agility: 11. Vitality: 12. Spirit: 16. Arcane energy: 160 Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Specialties: Arcane Energy Detection, Arcane Amplification.]

[Progress on Weave analysis: Level 0: 100%, Level 1: 100%, Level 2:100%, Level 3:100%, Level 4:100%, Level 5: 67.35%, Level 6:41.91%, Level 7:22.33%.]

[Spell slots available: Rank 7(2), Rank 6(5), Rank 5(7), Rank 4(???), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

The advancement of arcanists required growth in both spiritual force and soul force, as well as the comprehension and sensing of arcane energy. However, with Leylin's attainments in magic with his main body, he already surpassed many legendary arcanists. There was practically no bottleneck for his advance, and his spirit breaking through automatically led to a rise in his rank.

'The barbarian tribe hasn't formed a divinity yet. Just a bit of the power of faith mixed with soul energy can help me increase a rank? Perhaps I should focus on finding information in this area…'

In Leylin's eyes, the power of faith was the power of emotion, and also soul force. There had been no bottlenecks in his advancement, and all he needed was enormous energy and his ability of devouring. When all the conditions were met, he could quickly advance.

For Leylin, this was also a shortcut to more power. As long as there were barbarian worshippers, it was possible that they had formed great soul energy like this, be it in the outer seas or various other areas in the continent.

Of course, if an altar had truly gathered divinity, Leylin would not dare devour it. If not, his own temperament could change, and that was not something trivial.

Becoming the patron saint of the barbarians would be even worse than killing himself.

-x-X-x-

Outer seas, on board the Barbarians' ship.

"AGH…" Odge suddenly dropped to his knees, roaring in pain.

"Dear, what's the matter?" Madam Tillen rushed to his side and helped him up.

"My family's sacrificial altar… It's gone! The response has been completely cut off…" Odge spat out the words through gritted teeth, and the implications in his statement made Tillen pale in response.

"We haven't caught up to them?" After they had received the news, Odge had immediately set off. However, they had to conceal their movements and the barbarian lands in Fire Scale Island were very far from Pirates' Cove.

Originally, this had been done for their own safety. But something like this happening would make it extremely difficult to mount a rescue.

"We must avenge them!" Tillen bit her lip so hard that a trickle of blood spilled out. Since their sacrificial altar had been destroyed, it was obvious what had befallen the members of their tribe.

Her heart dropped. It wasn't just one or two barbarians that had fallen. Everyone in the tribe, be it the elderly, the frail, the women, or the children, had perished. The souls of hundreds of years of the tribe's experts, their sacrifices and devotion, had been completely destroyed.

Even if she wasn't a barbarian, Tillen could imagine how this sort of aftermath would lead to the Barbarians going berserk.

"Ah… In my name as Odge, the king and leader of the barbarians, I vow to the gods that I'll wrench that damned wizard's skull off!" Odge roared, slicing his cheek with his dagger. Boiling dark red blood rolled down from the cut, making his boorish face seem even more malevolent and terrifying.

"Oh! Kill him! Kill him!" The barbarians below him all saw red, as their family and children had all been at Fire Scale Island. There was no chance that they had survived.

The fox woman Tillen gritted her teeth, but spoke out in the end, "Odge! I believe that now isn't the best time to fight him, he must have prepared a trap for us!"

After the words left her mouth, she could no longer continue speaking. This was because she saw the expression in Odge's eyes, that look of undying, frightening hatred! After what had happened, forget a trap, Odge would traverse hell and high water without the slightest hesitation.

At this moment, even if she had come to advise on the situation, her persuasion would not have the slightest effect.

'Is this part of his plan? Using the power of hatred to lead these barbarians into a trap…' At this moment, Madam Tillen suddenly felt a deep chill in her heart, caused by that noble wizard.

...

Fire Scale Island was within their sights. Dense black smoke continued to pour into the horizon, and the entire island seemed to have descended into hell. Seeing their tribe's land wrapped in a great fire, the barbarians all descended into frantic roaring.

"Find them! Tear them apart!" Odge tightly gripped Madam Tillen's shoulder. Rivulets of blood appeared on her skin.

"I will!" Madam Tillen vowed. After saying this however, she realised that she did not need to use tracing spells.

This was because several ships from the Scarlet Tigers appeared in her line of sight, and they seemed to have not left in time. Tens of small barbarian corpses were hung from the mast as bait.

*Roar!* After seeing those corpses, the barbarians collectively went berserk. Odge brandished his enormous saber and the other sailors rowed with all their might. There was only one wish in the barbarians' hearts-- to find those damned robbers and get their revenge!

The Barbarians were the only ones allowed to bring death and suffering to other races in these regions of the outer seas. Now, they were suffering the fate that they handed down to others.

Madam Tillen's heart suddenly grew sorrowful, and a single tear rolled down her face. She could already see the shadow of her own death, and could not escape from it.

*Mmmmmmm!* The deep sound of a bugle horn could be heard, bringing to one's mind the coming siege.

The Scarlet Tigers' elite troops emerged and completely surrounded all of the Barbarians' ships. They were like an enormous pocket wrapping around its goods. In their fury, these simple-minded barbarians did not sense the danger before them at all, and immediately took the bait.

"Kill! The boss is giving 5 gold coins for every barbarian's head!" Ronald loudly ordered, and the reward was spread widely through the use of signal flags.

*Boom! Boom!* The goblin cannons boomed without end, and near them were the sounds of dwarven artillery firing volleys of gunfire. Under Leylin's command, the Scarlet Tigers had slowly come up with their own style of combat.

*Roar! Roar!* Row after row of barbarians collapsed in a flicker of flames. Even their tough skin could not withstand the combined power of gunpowder and magic.

Odge grew even more berserk at this presentation. After the long-range battle had ended, it was time for the traditional methods of jumping and boarding ships. Odge immediately ignored the charge of a pirate towards him, lifting the fellow up by his head.

*Krrch! Krrch!* The human pirate's complexion twisted, and rivulets of blood flowed down from his forehead. Crazed roars sounded as this unfortunate pirate's skill burst like a watermelon in Odge's palm.

*Chhh!* Blazing hot white light flashed past, and the surrounding pirates were directly slashed into two halves by the saber's qi.

As the strongest in the barbarian tribe, Odge was a high-ranked warrior. His barbarian bloodline and the support of magic items allowed very few below the realm of legendaries to rival him.

It was a pity that all of this was as negligible as a grain of sand in the face of the Scarlet Tigers. A scarlet red figure suddenly flew from the opposing ship, letting out a powerful clear cry in midair.

*Roar!* A domain of intimidating draconic power extended from the ship. This oppressive power stemming from a bloodline made Madam Tillen take a few steps back in fright. After, she saw a winged half-dragon creature swoop down at great speed, a longsword burning with raging flames intercepting Odge's saber. An enormous crack appeared on his blade.

'A human demi dragon? No, it's a dragon's disciple! This power…' Madam Tillen dumbly looked on at Isabel who was covered in red scales, with a despondent expression on her face, 'Is this the bloodline of a legendary dragon? But how is this possible? Wasn't she corrupted by demons?'

Madam Tillen did not know what power a successor of a legendary dragon's bloodline could wield, but now it was made clear to her.

"The Scarlet Witch?!" Odge looked at the crack on his enchanted saber with a pained expression on his face. This was the weapon he used most after all, and it had helped him cut off the heads of many troublesome enemies.

Now however, a crack had appeared on the enchanted saber after just one clash with the witch.

"A legendary item!" Odge looked at the blazing red longsword in Isabel's grasp with an increasingly ugly expression. He sensed an unknown danger coming from that weapon.

"Don't let her weapon touch you, and be careful of her dragon breath attack! I'll help you!" Madam Tillen's expression was very anxious, and she readied several amplification spells in her hand and was about to cast them.

"I am your opponent! We meet again, beautiful lady."

*Rumble!* The raging flames of a fireball engulfed them, blocking Madam Tillen's way. The entire area was thrown into chaos, with barbarians and pirates fighting wildly. One of the barbarians fell on occasion, and their head would be chopped off immediately.

Blood stained the ground, but even in this hellish scene Leylin had nary a speck of dust on him. He even greeted Madam Tillen in a refined and courteous manner, as if he was the most respectable noble.

"Leylin Faulen…" Madam Tillen called out the wizard's name through gritted teeth, her eyes slowly filling with fear. That man's grasp of human nature was even more terrifying than the devil's.

It had not been long since she had seen a true devil in Neville, but the feeling that he gave her was not as evil and as profound as what she felt in Leylin's presence.

"It has been four or five years since we last met, hasn't it? Madam is still as beautiful as before…" A sincere smile broke out on the noble baron's face, and Tillen felt that if she gave him her hand, he would have kissed it in greeting without the slightest hesitation.

However, the eyes of the wizard who stood across from her were ice-cold, and he looked at her with a face utterly devoid of emotion.

"I apologise, my beautiful lady. I don't have much time left, so can I ask you to hurry up and die for me?" In a single second, the light and breezy conversation turned dangerous. Wind howled, and Leylin smiled slightly as powerful magic converged. An earth-shattering attack was cast resolutely, ignoring all the beauty that Madam Tillen possessed and indifferently sending her to her death.

This sorrowful feeling made Madam Tillen's heart feel depressed. Her feelings lasted only for a moment though, and afterwards she no longer had the capacity to reflect on it.

Berserk energy particles converged into a splendidly brilliant longsword. The swordpoint had a spiritual quality to it, and it was directly thrust at Tillen. A strong wind seemed to directly slice at the skin on her face.

"Mage's Sword! A rank 7 spell! You're already a high-ranked wizard!" Trickles of blood dripped down, but Madam Tillen's face was still filled with incredulity. She finally knew how she had lost. A high-ranked wizard could completely crush the barbarians here.

'But he's only a little older than 21 years old! With this power, he must be a genius that even the gods will envy…' Madam Tillen was unable to think anymore after this. The sharp Mage's Sword pierced through the layers of her defence, directly running through the fox woman's bosom.

Even though she had been a sorcerer and the chief wizard of the Barbarians, Tillen's attainments in magic were only on par with Ernest. She had only achieved that through her bloodline power. She was simply unable to endure a single blow from Leylin.

-x-X-x-

At this moment, the victor of another battle had been decided as well.

Seeing that the fight would drag on, Isabel had cast Dragon's Breath without hesitation. Her flaming scales formed a dazzling armour that seemed like a bunch of fresh flowers, making her look like a valkyrie.

As a Dragon Warlock, she inherited the spellcasting abilities of a red dragon. On top of that, the bloodline Isabel possessed was that of a legendary dragon, boosting her power greatly.

The frantic flames consumed Odge in a flash, his barbaric toughness and determination unable to stop his painful wails.

*Schlick!* Isabel had activated the Red Dragon Sword immediately as well, and light flashed as Odge's powerful enchanted sabre was broken apart.

Its obstacle removed, the Red Dragon Sword pierced into Odge's heart without any reluctance. Flames blazed, immediately destroying all the vital organs in his body.

"AAH…" Odge lowered his head with great difficulty, looking at the scorched black flesh on his chest. The light in his eyes slowly dimmed.

"NO!" Madam Tillen let out a mournful wail. She managed to summon strength from some unknown well of energy, struggling to crawl next to Odge's body.

"My… beloved…" She held Odge's huge lifeless hand, her eyes filled with contentment as if she had grabbed hold of the most precious thing in the entire world. They slowly closed.

Looking upon them, Leylin and Isabel did not try and hinder them in any way. They quietly watched this pair of eternal soulmates pass into the afterworld.

"Such a sad and beautiful romance… No?"

Isabel rolled her eyes after hearing Leylin's idle comment, "It's rather unlike you to say that sort of thing.

"Also… Why are you this impatient?" She looked all around them. The Barbarians had been forced into a weak position.

With Odge and Tillen slain, the remaining barbarians had grown even more frantic. However, it ultimately ended with them struggling in the throes of death.

Once the final few barbarian shamans died, the entire crew's destruction grew inevitable. They crumbled under such heavy suppression, jumping into the sea one after the other to flee. Yet, Robin Hood had long anticipated this retreat. They were shot dead.

This was the problem with naval warfare. Once a side lost, it was difficult to flee. Only absolute victories and losses were possible on the sea, and losing made it very difficult to free oneself.

Leylin had always been lucky. Rather, he'd always planned very well. His current pace and lack of hesitation conflicted with Isabel's view of him, especially the use of their own people as bait. His methods stank of shortsighted vision.

"You could tell? Then there is no harm in you guessing what guards I've prepared in advance…" Seeing his cousin maturing, Leylin's heart was rather gratified. She could be considered his greatest helping hand in the outer seas.

"It can't be… The priest and thief from last time!" Isabel only needed to think about it for a moment before her eyes flashed in understanding.

"Mm!" Leylin nodded, waving his hand carelessly. A translucent wave rose, with a small water screen floating atop it. Although there was no indication of their identity, the sailors onboard radiated a uniquely murderous aura.

"Are these… pirates? Ones which were groomed by the God of Murder? They've always been hiding in Pirates' Cove, I never thought…" Isabel breathed in sharply. She'd always believed that the Scarlet Tigers and Barbarians were the biggest crews in the outer seas, neglecting the fragmented small groups.

However, these small groups were in fact the biggest strength of Pirates' Cove, forming the majority of ships in the Pirates' Tide. Even a small part of those in service could assemble into a power force to reckon with.

"Thankfully you've already discovered them. If we fought a battle of attrition with the barbarians, these locusts would've descended on the place. The consequences would have been unbearable…" Isabel said, with a grave expression on her face. She now no longer had the slightest doubt in her mind that the church of murder were not just ordinary fishermen.

"Mm, you're absolutely correct!" Leylin agreed with Isabel's point.

"This is also why I avoided a fight at Pirates' Cove. Of course I didn't want the Barbarians to enjoy a locational advantage, but I also wanted to avoid these maggots in the dark…" The corners of Leylin's lips quirked up into a sneer, "However, now we've discovered their plan and made preparations after destroying the Barbarians. What have we got to worry about?"

"What do you mean?" Isabel asked hesitantly. Standing by Leylin, she smelt that special scent of bloodthirst.

"Let's welcome them, and kill them all!" Leylin's eyes flashed as he made up his mind, "Now is the best time. The entire church of murder in the outer seas has assembled here. Their death will be a great blow to it…"

"A blow?" Isabel had never thought Leylin's ambition would grow to the point that he'd wish to strike down a true god's church.

'How am I to spread my own religion without getting rid of them…' Leylin smiled coldly to himself, 'There is a dead calm here in the outer seas, and Cyric is the dark world's greatest god. Once he is cut off from his lackeys in the prime material plane, all the faith in the outer seas will be mine for the taking…'

In reality, this wasn't a question of benefits. Leylin had long since taken a fancy to the outer seas, and determined it to be his base. He prepared to establish it as the foundation of his religion, so he would clash with the existing religions here.

First was Cyric. He was the biggest influence in the outer seas, and had quite a few pirates as his followers. On top of that, this was an evil god and a public fight wouldn't be an issue. On the contrary, it would perhaps earn him the favour of good gods.

In the future, Leylin would likely sweep across the outer seas, eliminating all the native religions and evil gods in one fell swoop.

"Don't worry, cousin. The god of murder's influence isn't that strong in the outer seas, and he is suppressed by many other good gods… Additionally, even the Thieves' Guild is not entirely under his control…" Leylin had acquired a lot of inside information on the three great guilds after travelling the continent.

Cyric could only be considered a shareholder in the Thieves' Guild, not their head. There were many other gods supporting the organisation from the shadows. The Warriors' Guild was the same, and a single god wouldn't be allowed to monopolise these channels. Even the narrow-minded wizards weren't purely loyal to Mystra. Oghma, among others, had his share of worshippers.

This meant a war against Cyric did not equate to an attack on the Thieves' Guild.

"So it's like that… But still, he's a powerful true god," Isabel's eyes were full of anxiety. Needless to say, even weak gods wouldn't relinquish their own territories, let alone allow their followers to suffer a big loss.

Even if Cyric's influence in the outer seas was very weak, he wielded great power on the continent. He controlled many high-ranked military powers from the shadow.

It was entirely possible to dispatch one or two legendaries to fight for him.This was the ultimate decisive force in the prime material plane, and once such a high-ranked expert arrived Isabel was well aware that nobody on her side could offer even the least bit of resistance.

Ordinary people couldn't touch the legendary realm. Even the Faulen Family's entire wealth was nothing in one's eyes.

"Even if a legendary comes to hurt my family, they'll have to step over my dead body first!" Isabel declared firmly, tightly grasping her red dragon longsword. Leylin was naturally aware of the resolution in her eyes, but did not speak of his intended plans.

Cyric could possibly be fly into a rage and send legendaries over from the continent. However, this required time. By then, Leylin himself would likely have advanced. In addition, one's development necessitated the blundering of others' benefits. This would naturally lead to conflict.

Choosing the outer seas was Leylin making a quite tame decision. Had he begun developing on the mainland, legendary experts would probably have been sent to take him down already.

'Ultimately, it's all a question of strength. If I have enough strength, what can the church of murder do even if I slay their members and take over the outer seas?' Cyric and Malar were both chaotic evil gods, held in poor regard by the general public. Leylin could use any means he wanted to deal with them.

'Choosing the right faction is of the utmost importance. Since the good faction is out of the question, I must not lose the lawful faction…' Leylin stroked his chin as he pondered the situation meaninglessly.

Just as Leylin and Isabel were about to speak, Ronald finished his mission. He bounded over to them in his excitement. There were still traces of barbarian blood on him as he began his report. "My lord! The Barbarians have been destroyed! Only five ships have been sunk, and the rest are now under our control!"

"Mm, prepare to launch the second phase of the plan. Take the heavily damaged ships away, and prepare to fight again!" Leylin's orders were light.

"Hm? We still have enemies left?" Ronald had believed that the Scarlet Tigers would be the strongest crew in the outer seas once the Barbarians were gone.

-x-X-x-

"As long as we reign over the outer seas, there will be no lack of challengers…" Leylin smiled, "This time, it's only a few little mice who overestimate themselves… Ronald, how do you think we should deal with them?"

"Of course we cut off their heads and claws, storing them in oil bottles. No mercy!" Ronald answered with a murderous spirit. The law of the pirates dictated one sentence for those who dared challenge one's status and loot— death!

...

The shadows of sails danced about as numerous sailors and pirates yelled in their attempts to control them. The ships were being rowed in a bid to have them sail more quickly.

A bishop was frowning on the largest ship, having a bad feeling about the situation.

"Speed this up, Rogers. We need to hurry there as soon as possible!"

"I understand, master," A pirate captain next to the bishop answered respectfully, "But this is the fastest we can go…"

"Is that so? Then why is it that the Scarlet Tiger and the Barbarians' Tsunami can go faster than eighteen knots?" The bishop frowned.

'They're large pirate groups! Their main battleships have been enchanted!' Rogers didn't dare speak his thoughts. He hesitated for a while, answering as if put in a spot, "Those are individual abilities, and they have nothing to do with the speed of the fleet…"

"No, no. You're all trying to deceive the mighty God of Murder and his priests!" The bishop watched Rogers, facial muscles contorting to become incomparably sinister.

"No, that's not it… Master, my loyalty to our god… No, please forgive me! Please forgive me!" The captain had seen the ruthless methods of the bishop. Horror immediately dawned on his face, and he knelt down.

This accusation was not something trivial. The bishop had grown bloodthirsty and insane recently, occasionally killing people for small matters. Rogers began to regret responding to the call.

*Pu!* However, even as he begged for forgiveness, a black dagger slashed through his throat. His windpipe was cut apart, and large amounts of blood spurted out. Rogers' eyes rolled back, his hands grasping at his throat tightly. Blood unceasingly flowed from between his fingers, causing guttural groans from his throat.

The struggles of the dying man ended quickly. The pirates around the place froze, beginning to wish they could hide their heads in their chests. Their captain, who'd been lively and frisky all this while, had been turned into a corpse in an instant.

The bishop glanced at the first mate. "Dispose of him, and increase our speed. Any questions?"

The first mate had been scared stupid, but once he saw the chill in the bishop's eyes he immediately sobered up. "No– None at all! I guarantee you, my Lord, there's no issue at all!" he shouted.

"Then go, or you'll share the same fate." The bishop waved his arms, no longer caring about those pirates who were doing everything in their capabilities. Gazing into the distance, he had a profound look in his eyes.

"Damn it! That darned little noble! I shouldn't have let him off during the Pirates' Tide!" The bishop's plan had been perfect, where he would provoke both sides and help the weaker one. Once the Scarlet Tigers and Barbarian Pirates weakened, his team would gobble up these two organisations and become the kings of the outer sea.

He even had plans to unify the dark world and make the outer seas independent, constructing a divine kingdom in these seas.

However, all of this had been wrecked by the darned noble. Veins began to show in the bishop's eyes. He'd never thought that the noble would be so gutsy as to kill the emissary he had dispatched.

"Such a fearless and disrespectful being. He must be executed immediately, and his soul nailed to the wall of the faithless as he howls in anguish…" As a religious person, the bishop immediately loathed Leylin with all his heart.

A person who held no respect for the gods could never become a lamb of his master. If Leylin could not be subdued in terms of his mind, then he would have to destroy his body.

This was how power had worked since ancient times. Still, the bishop had no idea that the gods were also just as fearless when young. They shared the same belief as all the heroes whose names remained in historical records. Without success, they may as well just roll off a cliff and join the corroding soil beneath.

Although he did not know of this concept, the bishop was determined to draw blood. He wanted to eliminate this being as soon as possible.

"There's still time. The Barbarians must have just fought them… Even if my plans are slightly affected, the Barbarians' strength should be enough to cause immense damage to the other side. When the time comes…" The bishop was immersed in his fantasies.

Suddenly, he gaped at a massive number of sails on the horizon. The bloody skull and dagger of the Scarlet Tigers took the lead, causing all the pirates to grow restless.

Gods! The Scarlet Tigers were the finest pirate organisation in the outer seas. They had heard of their rise to fame and power, and it was impossible not to feel stress when confronting them.

*Rumble!* The Scarlet Tigers unhesitatingly opened fire. The many ships were like table knives cutting into butter as they split the fleet apart.

The lowest pirates depended on elite troops and morale. In contrast, the Scarlet Tigers wished to leave their opponents far behind. They possessed an unequalled confidence in themselves, gained from cutting off the heads of countless enemies.

"Do you see it now?" Leylin handed the command to Ronald and Robin Hood. After all, his specialty was spellcasting. With how long he'd been away, he was unfamiliar with his crew.

Those looking to improve themselves knew their flaws, and did their best to make up for them. If he was not suited to some roles, Leylin would choose people to control who were better at them. Someone who wanted to do everything well would only tire themselves to death.

"Seems like Robin Hood and Ronald are doing very well!" Leylin said to Isabel who was next to him, laughing out.

"They're people you nurtured. Are you trying to brag about your extraordinary foresight?" Isabel was actually very astonished. Leylin seemed to have a pair of special eyes, and he would never go wrong when it came to judging people. Still, her reply had been in a huff as she didn't want her cousin to grow too cocky.

"No! I just…" Just as Leylin was preparing to answer, his expression suddenly changed and he abruptly pushed Isabel aside. A translucent figure arrived before him, as if traversing through space.

This was Shadow Jump! It was a powerful ability belonging to high-ranked assassins, a technique that could only be comprehended by those nearing the legendary realm. It allowed one to use the shadow dimension to shift locations, attacking enemies instantly.

This ability was basically everyone's nightmare. Leylin was a wizard now in close quarters combat with an ambushing assassin. The result was obvious.

The high-ranked assassin didn't reveal any excess movements. Not even the elation of completing his mission entered his eyes, only a look of apathy and deadness on his face. A powerful black dagger, laced with curses, pierced through Leylin's defences and entered his heart.

"NOOO!" Isabel immediately turned crazy, entering her half-dragon form as she pounced over towards them. Only when his weapon hit flesh and scalding blood burst out did a glimmer arise in the eyes of the assassin. A burst of strength exploded from his right hand as he planned to draw the dagger and leave.

After all, an assassin couldn't take a high-ranked swordsman head on. He had assassinated the leader of the opposing side, and that was enough.

Much to his surprise, the assassin couldn't take the dagger out. He froze in place, stunned to see fleshy sprouts appearing in this 'Leylin's' chest. They were like plant vines, bundling the dagger up tightly.

That dazed moment left the assassin with no avenue for escape. 'Leylin's' chest exploded as numerous bloody tendrils burst towards him, binding him tightly. They were already trying to pierce through his skin like suckers, absorbing fresh blood.

"Necromancy? No, no…" A shocked, coarse voice sounded from under the assassin's veil.

"That's just a Flesh Puppet, a spell I made just for you!" A portal opened to reveal the real Leylin.

"You should be the same high-ranked assassin that assassinated numerous bishops during the Pirates' Tide, no? This is a rather great gift!"

"So you've already become a high-ranked wizard!" The assassin's eyes did not fluctuate at all, and he allowed the vines to control his body. It seemed that he had lost all will to escape.

"Stop pretending. I can see all your methods!" Leylin spoke coldly, and numerous spells shot out. With Dimensional Anchor locking onto the assassin, even the shadow plane had been sealed.

"Damn it… you!" With his trump card seen through, the assassin was no longer as relaxed. Leylin then killed him with a Finger of Death.

"Bastard, do you know how worried I was for you? At least discuss it with me beforehand!"

-x-X-x-

"I'm sorry, dear cousin! At this point, it's better to get things done before we discuss things…" Leylin waved his arm, and another teleportation door opened.

Isabel stepped out of the teleportation door and immediately heard the uproar from the surroundings, as well as enraged shouts. Without any excess movements, she activated her bloodline abilities and the hidden techniques of the Red Dragon Sword

Dragon Aura Domain! Fireball! The legendary dragon's spiritual domain and blazing fire rumbled, causing all the pirates to cry out miserably as they were sent flying. There were traces of charring all over their bodies.

The other pirates in the distance were also shrieking as they lay immobile on the ground. There was no way out for the weak in the face of the spiritual domain of dragon aura, and they would only be massacred by their enemies.

In actuality, the dragon aura of a regular dragon was still just average. One from an ancient or primordial dragon could take out even most high-ranked Professionals, and even affect legendaries to a great degree.

"Teleportation doors? High-ranked wizards? And a dragon sorcerer!" The God of Murder's bishop cried out in alarm, light shining around his body.

After seeing Leylin step out of the teleportation door as well, his pupils shrank, "It's you! You've already advanced to become a high-rank wizard?"

"Cut the bullshit…" Leylin gave the bishop a disdainful glance, the arcane spell he'd already prepared launching forth.

Mage's Disjunction!

*Boom! Boom! Crackle!* Numerous spell rays shattered, returning to form the original magic item. They returned to the ring in the bishop's hand, then his necklace, followed by his luxurious clothing.

One after another, magic items exploded on the bishop's body. As he had too many on him, he was unlucky enough but to have to flee naked.

"A rank 9 disjunction? A high-ranked wizard above rank 19?" Uncaring of his own image, the bishop sunk into shock. In a few years, the opponent had become a high-ranked wizard, which shocked him to no end. On top of that, he was already a rank 19, very close to becoming legendary.

However, the power of Mage's Disjunction had been shown right in front of him, which was something he could not understand at all.

'This is the might of arcane spells…' Seeing the bishop who was now completely in the nude, Leylin sighed inside. He was a high-ranked priest who was at least rank 17, and his wizard ranking would not be enough to subdue the priest. The opponent possessed a large number of powerful magic items.

However, being an arcanist allowed him to bypass the limitations of spell slots and the Weave. As long as he had enough arcane energy and the correct spell models, any spell under the legendary realm could be cast for a price.

This rank 9 Mage's Disjunction, for example, was a spell used specifically to deal with magic Professionals. Its focus was very powerful, and all items below legendary would be undone under this spell.

It could be said that arcane spells were the bane of all wizards! Most of the battle might of wizards depended on their magic items, and being stripped of them would be a deadly blow!

On top of that, the heartache of having the magic items formed with blood and tears, made of materials and resources that had been gathered painstakingly, was enough for wizards to cough up blood.

A prime example of this would be the bishop now. With his wealth and the numerous spells and items to aid his escape, Leylin's surprise attack alone was not enough to kill the opponent.

Now, however, all of the preparations he had made had been unravelled under Leylin's spell, completely losing their effects. Most high-ranked priests' divine spells were for buffs and healing. There were few that were meant for killing. Leylin's spell had taken out most of the bishop's strength.

"Damn it… How did you advance so quickly?" The bishop's face was almost green, eyes now bloodshot. No matter how much he had overestimated Leylin's strength, he would never have imagined that Leylin was extremely close to becoming legendary.

It was this huge oversight that led to his failure.

'This is just the effect of a Mage's Disjunction spell. If it's the legendary version, that would be the nightmare of all legendary wizards! Not only legendary items, even divine weapons could be damaged…' Leylin's eyes showed his thirst and intoxication. He then landed his gaze on the bishop.

"Wha– What do you want?" The bishop still held no fear for Leylin. There was only immense regret; regret that he had not prepared more.

"What I want? That's what I should be asking you, my dear bishop!" Leylin answered with a slight smile. At this moment, Isabel had abruptly sent out a few Dragon's Breaths and burnt a few high-ranked assassins to ashes.

Upon seeing this, the corner of the bishop's eyes began to twitch. These high-ranked assassins had been great helpers that he had nurtured with care. While their power was lacking in comparison to the one that had attacked Leylin, they were all elites! Now, however, their corpses lined the area, destroying all of the bishop's hard work over the years.

The defences of a Dragon Warlock's scales were exceedingly terrifying. On top of that, she had a legendary item in the Red Dragon Sword. These assassins' high-ranked enchanted daggers were no match at all, and once they crossed swords their lives were easily ended.

Meanwhile, the battle between the Scarlet Tigers and the bishop's pirates began to show who was on the winning side. The high-ranked pirates that had been hastily gathered were no match for Leylin's elites that had gone through countless battles.

The sounds of yells closed in, and even the warship that was the main force was caught up to and surrounded by the pirate ships. Numerous fleeing pirates surged out like the tide. Leylin seemed unruffled in the situation, a confidence inherent to his very being.

"Bishop. I haven't dealt with your church before, but you show malicious intent against us. Care to explain?" Leylin watched him, the glint from the A.I. Chip strengthening.

This bishop gave him a very different feeling from many priests. He'd seen his fair share, like the Gold Priest Xena who was in charge of the church of wealth on Faulen Island. The bishop wasn't like that.

[Beep! An abnormal energy reaction has been detected within the host's body.] The A.I. Chip performed a full body scan in front of Leylin's eyes. Many dark red spots had appeared on the translucent model, making it look demonic.

'As expected… Is this the contamination from abnormal energy?' Leylin wondered inside, 'It's a high-ranked priest, so this contamination should come from divine force!'

In Leylin's eyes, the holy light of a high-ranked bishop had now been contaminated so badly that it was beyond recognition. No matter what kind of god, divine force was better when it was pure. However, what Leylin saw was divine force that had been contaminated and warped.

'Has the God of Murder really gone mad? He doesn't even care about his priests… Also, this power of distortion…' Leylin felt a chill in his heart.

Legends said that Cyric, the Greater God of Murder, had begun to go insane. He was even planning to transform into a demon. His divine kingdom had signs of falling into the abyss, and it looked to be a possibility now!

The only being able to influence him that greatly would be Distorted Shadow!

'As expected of an ancient peak rank 8 Magus! Even after falling, he can still cause his opponents so much trouble…' Leylin could not help but sigh inside.

"Hm?" The bishop's eyes raised slightly. In this situation, Leylin's words sounded like he was amenable to persuasion.

"This… I can explain…" The bishop immediately gave Leylin a reason. Backing him was a true god, and a greater god at that. It was understandable that Leylin feared him. In the prime material plane, there had never been anyone with the guts to go against a greater god!

This was his belief in his god.

'The plan to use military force has completely failed, but it won't be bad if I can pull him to my side and make him a follower…' Traces of dark red light flashed in the bishop's eyes. He could not help but unclench his fingers from around a pendant he'd been clutching tightly.

"Now!" Leylin's eyes flickered, and an invisible spatial undulation flashed with a bright light.

"Hm?" The bishop was stunned, and immediately felt a sharp pain in his wrist.

*Pak!* His right hand fell to the ground, bright red blood seeping out. A miniature statue of a god fell down.

'He had no plans of complying!' The bishop's eyes went wide, and insanity flashed within. The only hand he had left began to grab towards Leylin's heart.

"It's too late… Finger of Death," Leylin sighed. The dark rays from his hand disappeared into the bishop's forehead, causing the light in his eyes to dim.

*Thud!* The bishop's corpse fell heavily to the ground, causing the pirates to break down.

The rest of the matter was naturally left to his underlings. Leylin stood beside the Bishop's fallen right hand and saw the small pendant, looking deep in thought.

'God Descent? The material is strange, and it's even immune to the Mage's Disjunction attack…' With this thought, Leylin picked the pendant up.

It was rather small. It was a miniature statue of a god, with thin silver chains threaded through it glimmering brightly.