Kalon, like Evans, was a Sky-level powerhouse, and the two of them were sworn brothers. When news spread that Luca had led an army to deal with Evans, Kalon immediately gathered his Twilight Pirates and headed straight for Seaway City.
He claimed it was to seek justice for his brother, but in reality, he wanted to use this opportunity to extort more money from the Empire’s government and the nobles. Judging by his nickname, it was clear that this was a man who wouldn’t lift a finger unless there was profit to be had.
Now that the Black Raven Pirates had been annihilated and Evans was killed on the spot, this hyena had come to Seaway City, howling for trouble.
It should be noted that his strength was actually weaker than Evans’s, and it would be fair to say that he was looking for his own doom.
The elder, Sisyphus, scoffed, “He’s probably already there. He’d better not make a move, or else Evans will likely be his precursor.”
“Let that hyena die in Seaway City. That way, the Azure Waters will be ours,” Fink said as he wrapped his arm around the nearby maid, narrowing his eyes with a grin.
The Twilight Pirates’ territory was in the nearby Azure Waters.
Though there had been no major conflict between them, there were constant small skirmishes. If Kalon were to die, the ones who would benefit the most would be them. Fink would probably wake up laughing in his dreams if that were to happen.
On the Other Side, Starlight Sea. A massive, island-like ship floated upon the sea.
Onboard, a lavishly decorated pavilion stood, openly operating a variety of black-market businesses, including gambling, drugs, illicit trades, and even prostitution.
Every day, countless people on the ship could be seen singing and dancing, their revelry echoing across the sky.
Even if someone in the Western Sea hadn’t seen the ship, they would surely have heard of it and its owner.
The Starlight Ship, Zoa Roskana, the Soul Singer among the Four Pirate Kings of the Western Sea!
“Oh? Evans is dead?” In the luxurious office at the top of the Starlight Ship, Zoa Roskana adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, her ocean-blue hair cascading in waves over her shoulders. She sat with her long, pale legs crossed in her office chair.
A man in a suit stood respectfully before her, his head lowered. “Yes, boss. I heard he was publicly killed by the newly appointed lord of Seaway City.”
“Heh, that bastard owed me thirty million for the Whale Heart he bought on credit, and now he’s dead just like that. Who do I go to for my money?” Zoa’s long fingers held a cigarette, the white skin of her chest barely visible as she exhaled a cloud of smoke. The man didn’t dare raise his head even once.
What many didn’t realize was that, among the numerous powerful figures in the Western Sea, the most terrifying wasn’t one of the three Pirate Kings who ruled their respective seas. It was this woman, who seemed so elegant and alluring.
Some had calculated that the number of Superclass experts who had died at her hands was likely more than a handful.
As the smoke rose in the air, Zoa’s beautiful, water-like eyes narrowed slightly. “I work hard for my money. Go take that promissory note to that lord and make sure he pays me back the thirty million.”
“Remember, not a single coin less. If there’s even a slight discrepancy, you’ll bear the consequences.”
“Ask him for the money?” The man looked up in surprise, not understanding why his boss would risk angering such a terrifying figure over thirty million.
“What’s the matter? Do you have a problem?” Zoa shot him a cold glance.
“Of course not, boss!” The man shuddered involuntarily, breaking out in a cold sweat. He quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll personally deliver the promissory note to him.”
As the man hurriedly left, the door to the office automatically closed behind him.
Zoa crushed her cigarette in the ashtray, a cold smile curling on her lips. “That filthy bitch thinks she can clean up the Western Sea just by sending a small fry to act as a scapegoat? Dream on!”
“Once I kill this little pawn, I’ll see what you, Evelyn, can do next!”
…
Meanwhile, as night fell, the stars twinkled in the sky, and the silvery moonlight poured down. The ship, cutting through the waves, seemed to slice through the silver satin of the sea, heading straight for the mainland.
The magical crystal lamp at the top of the captain’s room swayed gently, and the shadows on the navigational map shook along with it. A blue glow flashed across the room, and the Heart of the Sea Whale, glowing with azure light, rested on the massive navigation table.
Luca searched through his storage ring and pulled out four Superclass materials, placing them next to the Heart of the Sea Whale. Among them were three Earth-level materials and one Sky-level.
A dense surge of water elemental energy instantly enveloped the entire captain’s room.
“Just a little more,” Luca murmured to himself. He reached into his storage ring again and retrieved a gemstone the color of emerald. It emitted the strongest water elemental aura of all the materials—this was the eyeball of the King of the Azure Sea Sharks.
Luca nodded in satisfaction. It seemed he was almost there.
To forge a stable magic rune, the core materials were essential, but support-class materials were equally important. While Luca didn’t know where Evans had obtained the Heart of the Sea Whale, it was undoubtedly a legitimate Transcendent-level material.
Previously, when he tried to use other Superclass materials as substitutes, it hadn’t been possible. But now that he had everything he needed, Luca was determined to maximize the power of these materials. Thankfully, during his time with the Phillips family and his raid of Evans’ treasure vault, he had acquired a wealth of valuable items—enough to gather five Superclass water-elemental materials.
“Let’s begin!” Luca took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with a deep violet glow. Intense magical energy radiated from him.
The six top-tier materials floated in mid-air above the navigation table, glowing with a brilliant blue light. The water-elemental energy in the captain’s room surged explosively. The surrounding temperature suddenly rose. With a sharp whoosh, a ball of golden flame appeared in the air, enveloping all six materials within it.
It was the skill Divine Flame Forging of the Blazing Sunwalker!
This was Luca’s first time using this skill. It was clear to see that, under the immense power of the divine fire, all six materials—including the Heart of the Sea Whale—were being rapidly refined and extracted at a visibly fast pace.
Torrents of water-elemental energy poured out from the materials, slowly coalescing into a liquid sphere in mid-air. The power contained within this liquid was enough to burst even a Superclass warrior apart.
Luca looked at the materials in front of him, and once all the elements had been extracted, he opened his skill panel. He allocated all of his available free attribute points into the “Magic Runes Drawing” skill. After awakening, the experience required to level up a skill had increased dramatically—by more than ten times. Even though Luca had accumulated a large amount of free proficiency points, it was only just enough to bring his “Magic Runes Drawing” skill up to level 20.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have leveled the skill “Magic Runes Drawing” to its maximum level, LV20!]
[Magic Runes Drawing LV20: Professional skill, Magic Runes drawing speed +200%, Magic Runes quality enhancement chance +50%, High-tier Magic Runes drawing success rate +80%, Superclass Magic Runes drawing success rate +20%…]
While leveling the skill required a significant amount of proficiency points, the attributes at max level were undeniably powerful. The 50% increase in Magic Runes quality enhancement alone was enough to make countless professionals envious.
Taking into account that the only drawback of this skill was its cost, the upper limit for the Demonic Rune Mage profession was unquestionably high when compared to other classes.
But now was not the time to be distracted. Luca retracted the Divine Flame and switched his magic focus.
The sunlight-like Divine Flame dissipated in the air, and purple magic energy enveloped the blue water sphere. Strange, azure-colored patterns quickly sketched themselves through the air, sending waves of energy surging out like ocean currents.
At that moment, outside, a sudden violent wind swept across the sea. The clear night sky, previously free of clouds, was now quickly obscured by dark clouds. The once calm sea became tumultuous, with waves crashing against each other.
In the captain’s room, the crystal chandelier shook violently, creaking as it swayed back and forth. Through the window, faint voices could be heard from the sailors outside.
One sailor remarked, “Looks like it’s going to rain. Should we notify the Lord of the City?”
Another sailor replied, “The Lord has specifically told us not to disturb him. Go and notify Vice Lord Tark instead.”
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded as they moved further away.
Inside the captain’s room, Luca was completely absorbed in drawing the magic runes, oblivious to the changes happening outside.
As the runes he was drawing slowly took shape, steam rose from the materials, and the rain began to fall lightly from the sky. With each passing moment, as the magic runes became more perfected, the rain grew heavier, pouring down in torrents.
The sea roared with waves surging high, and all the ships rocked violently in the torrential downpour, as though they might capsize at any moment.
“…The Lord of the City is refining magic runes?” Tark and Nicholas arrived outside the captain’s room and felt the overwhelming force affecting the surrounding climate and environment. Both of them were stunned.
Nicholas let out a bitter laugh, “I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. As expected of the Lord of the City.”
It was the first time in his life that he had seen something as spectacular as this, with the refining of a single magic rune causing such a tremendous disturbance.
Meanwhile, inside the captain’s room.
[Ding! Congratulations! You have successfully drawn the Superclass fixed magic rune “Spirit Sea Giant Whale,” with a “Perfect” quality!]
[Your skill “Magic Runes Drawing” has reached its maximum level. You have gained 2000 free proficiency points!]
As the game notification appeared, a blue-colored magic rune floated in the air. Its beautiful, intricate patterns depicted a giant whale leaping out of the water, exuding an overwhelming, majestic aura—the unmistakable presence of a Transcendent-level entity!
“It’s done!” Outside, the storm raged on, but Luca’s face showed clear joy. Without hesitation, he controlled the magic rune in the sky, skillfully starting the refinement process.
As time passed, the torrential rain showed no signs of letting up; instead, it grew heavier. The most bizarre part was that the violent winds and downpour followed closely behind their ship, while the sea in the distance remained clear and calm. Stay tuned to empire
No one knew how long this strange rain lasted.
It wasn’t until a certain moment when the previously violent sea suddenly calmed. The rain decreased rapidly, and within just a few breaths, the dark clouds vanished, revealing a bright and shining sun in the sky.
Gavin watched in amazement, marveling at the sight.
He had always dismissed the exaggerated tales the old sailors told him, but now he realized—Western Sea really did have every kind of weird weather.
At the same time, under the watchful eyes of everyone.
The door to the captain’s room, which had been closed for several days, creaked open once more.