…Seeing the reaction of “Admiral of Hell” Ludwell, Klein, like the surviving crew members on the “Black Tulip”, could hardly believe his eyes.
He had originally anticipated two scenarios:
First, Ludwell had invited a demigod from the Spirit Church to help, setting an ambush for Gehrman Sparrow and the strong figure behind him. This was not impossible; Sequence 7 of the Death pathway is called “Spiritist”, who also has the ability to foresee danger.
Second, this “Admiral of Hell” was unprepared and would put up a forced resistance, only to be easily dealt with by Mr. Azik.
Klein’s plan was: if the first case, Mr. Azik would handle the demigod while he himself hunted the “Admiral of Hell” and obtained his second puppet. If the second case, he would ask Mr. Azik to watch from the sidelines, and he would manipulate his puppet to fight Ludwell one-on-one. During this process, he would use “Creeping Hunger” to hide in the shadows, staying behind the scenes, to more quickly digest the “Puppet Master” potion.
Who would have known that the “Admiral of Hell” would offer no resistance at all, but directly prostrate himself on the ground, kissing the deck, like Azik’s most loyal and humble servant.
How was he supposed to fight now… Klein stared blankly ahead, not knowing whether to say something.
The entire ship was also silent.
Azik raised his hand to press down on his silk top hat and walked unhurriedly towards the kneeling Ludwell.
One step, two steps, three steps; he stopped in front of the “Admiral of Hell” Ludwell and spoke in a low voice:
“How far has the Spirit Church’s Artificial Death project progressed?”
Ludwell pressed his forehead tightly against the ground and answered hoarsely:
“The Artificial Death can already actively affect high-sequence beings who have failed to advance, but it still cannot respond to prayers and rituals…”
After describing, he slightly raised his upper body, took off the square black ring on his right hand, held it with both hands, and offered it forward.
Silently, the ring, as if carried by countless spirits, flew up on its own and fell into Azik’s palm.
Azik examined it for a few seconds, picked up the ring, and put it on the index finger of his left hand.
Suddenly, a terrifying, deep, indescribable, lofty sensation radiated from him. The living corpses and skeletons, some naked or wearing tattered leather armor, all knelt on one knee, bowing their heads, as if they dared only to look at his boots. The flying vengeful spirits and shadows also fell to the ground, pressing tightly against the deck, no longer floating midair.
The other pirates on the ship thudded to the ground one after another, burying their faces on the deck, not daring to lift them at all.
Klein stood at the other end, watching Mr. Azik’s back and the suddenly open scene, opened his mouth but said nothing.
Azik took two more steps, came to the side of the “Admiral of Hell”, then turned around to face Klein and said to Ludwell:
“You will be his puppet for one year; when the time is up, you may return to the Spirit World.”
Azik said this flatly, as if it did not involve the life or future of the “Admiral of Hell”, or perhaps, to him, it was just a trivial matter, not needing to care about the feelings and thoughts of the one being commanded.
Ludwell’s body shook violently, seemingly angered and unwilling, but in the end he still did not raise his head, still pressing his forehead to the deck and said:
“Yes, great Death Consul.”
As soon as he spoke, mysterious symbols colored pale and dark green appeared one after another, interweaving to form an illusory bronze door.
The bronze door quickly shrank and fell into the forehead of the “Admiral of Hell”, burrowing inside.
Klein watched in shock and confusion until Mr. Azik nodded at him and pointed at the “Admiral of Hell”. Only then did he woodenly step forward, enter within a 10-meter range, and manipulate Ludwell’s spirit body threads.
That pirate general tried several times to spring up and wave his arms, but did not actually do so. Soon, his thoughts became sluggish, and he subconsciously struggled.
After a while, the “Admiral of Hell” Ludwell, wearing a silvery mask, turned over and stood up, lowered his head, and retreated to Klein’s side, standing to the left and right with “Winner” Enzo.
Azik watched quietly, and finally spoke slowly:
“In the Death pathway, higher-sequence beings have a strong ability to suppress lower-sequence ones.”
…I could deduce that earlier when I threw out your copper whistle, even the Sequence 5 “Admiral of Hell” could not fully control his own undead creatures… Klein nodded slightly, indicating that he remembered this.
Immediately after, a living corpse with several rotten spots crawled up, holding a blue sleeve button, and walked to Klein.
This was the merman sleeve button he had lost!
Although it was of no use to him now, it had still returned after all… Amid Klein’s inexplicable emotions, he reached out and took back the item that belonged to him.