In many cases, the deterrent power of a high-ranking mage far surpassed that of high-ranking warriors, rangers, and other professions.
"I'll count to three! If you still haven't abandoned your weapons and knelt on the ground in surrender — then he will be your example!"
With a flick of the rope, the remaining charred fragments were scattered into the sea. This display of intimidating force immediately sowed the desire to retreat among many pirates.
Unfortunately, they were in the middle of the ocean. All around was nothing but boundless seawater — even if they fled, there was nowhere to go.
"One!" Lei Lin's expression didn't so much as twitch as he began the count without hesitation.
"Two!!" Two beams of frost ray shot out, freezing the pirates who had attempted to flee into ice sculptures on the spot.
"Three!!!" A heavy killing intent had already settled in Lei Lin's eyes.
That terrifying gaze immediately shattered the pirates' last shred of psychological resistance. They threw down their weapons one after another and collapsed to their knees on the deck, weeping bitterly.
"
Lei Lin rubbed his fingers together — after all, he couldn't very well execute every single pirate prisoner. If he did, who would sail the ship?
On Earth, a captain facing a mutiny from the majority of his crew would have little choice but to pick between a fighting death and dying in battle. But for Lei Lin, who possessed supernatural power, suppressing an entire ship in the blink of an eye was an effortless task.
"As you command, Captain!"
Although it was hardly the first time they had witnessed the young master's power, the guards' eyes were still filled with reverence.
With the pirates too terrified to resist, the guards on deck subdued them with ease. The hold below presented a bit more trouble, but before Lei Lin could grow impatient, Isabelle had handled it.
Even without Lei Lin stepping in this time, Isabelle's abilities were more than sufficient to deal with the situation — it just would have resulted in far more needless casualties.
In the end, every prisoner who had participated in the mutiny was bound up and gathered on the deck.
The guards and the handful of pirates who had been freed — those who had taken no part in the rebellion — erected several large wooden crosses.
Lei Lin stood before the pirates with a calm expression. He said nothing, yet the pirates below began to tremble uncontrollably.
But Lei Lin, having already resolved to carry out a purge, had no intention whatsoever of showing them mercy.
"Find me the ringleaders of this rebellion from among them!"
Under Lei Lin's command, and with mutual identification from the other pirates, several defiant-faced pirates were pushed forward.
"Only four or five? Far too few!" Lei Lin shook his head. "Robin, use the five-one execution to pull out a few more!"
Afterward, the remaining pirates were herded together in terror. As Robin counted, every pirate who landed on the number five was immediately dragged away by soldiers. Then the count restarted — and another five unlucky souls were selected.
This method was known in Lei Lin's previous life as "decimation" — a sampling-style execution of prisoners. Though considered thoroughly barbaric and bloody in modern times, it was ruthlessly effective as a deterrent.
"Execute them!"
Lei Lin waved his hand. His men swarmed forward at once, binding all ten prisoners to the wooden crosses.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amid the terrifying hammering that made every other pirate's blood run cold, several iron nails were driven into non-vital areas of the condemned men's bodies. Thin rivulets of blood trickled steadily down along each nail.
"You bastard! I won't let you get away with this!" "Even in death, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
"My lord! Please spare us! Spare us!"
Numerous screams — tangled with curses and desperate pleas — all crashed into Lei Lin's ears at once.
"Spirited, are you? I hope you can keep that same energy tomorrow!" Lei Lin smiled faintly.
This method of crucifixion through nailing was profoundly inhumane. Through slow bleeding from the wounds, the prisoners were gradually led to death. The sheer terror of that process could drive even a sane person to a complete mental breakdown.
What's more, those with strong physiques might actually hold on until the next day. But that served no useful purpose whatsoever — it only meant more intense suffering and torture. The savage sunlight beating down on the sea would strip every last drop of moisture from their bodies, baking them into desiccated husks.
In the end, they could only choose between bleeding to death, being baked alive, or dying of thirst.
Many of the captives who imagined this scenario promptly wet themselves in terror, not daring to raise their heads and look at Lei Lin again. The stench of urine spread through the ranks in waves.
"As for the rest of you prisoners, I'll magnanimously pardon your crimes — you need only receive ten lashes apiece... Now get up, every one of you, and scrub this deck clean for me! If I so much as spot a single stain on this deck tomorrow, I'll make you lick it off with your tongues! Do I make myself clear?"
Lei Lin bellowed the order.
Before one had earned enough goodwill to command loyalty through devotion, awe and the specter of death could keep subordinates in line just as effectively — provided, of course, that one possessed sufficient force to back it up. And among Lei Lin's men, was there anyone who could possibly surpass him?
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The whips used to punish these pirates had been soaked in seawater. Though the salt content could effectively prevent wound infections, it also brought far more excruciating pain.
Yet these fortunate pirates dared not utter a single word of complaint, and began scrubbing the deck at an even faster pace. Those pirates nailed to the crosses served as a stark reminder of the consequences of betrayal.
"Fear me! Revere me! Hate me!"
Lei Lin stood at the prow, his entire bearing reminiscent of an immense mountain — unfathomable and overwhelming.
"In the intense emotions of mortals — fear, resentment — there seems to be an additional trickle of Spiritual Power and soul energy dissipating..."
Lei Lin closed his eyes, savoring the awe and terror radiating from the pirates across the ship.
"What a shame... If this number were a thousand times greater, sustained for several decades, I might be able to comprehend divinity and become a divine being..."
Harnessing the power of fear was the standard method of evil gods and demons, yet it was remarkably effective. Deities needed to draw faith and absorb energy from the veneration of mortals.
Through the emotional fluctuations of his subordinates, Lei Lin had gained a keen, firsthand glimpse into a corner of the divine path.
"Unfortunately, this approach is entirely unviable — to say nothing of the fact that the moment the Church discovers I'm attempting to spread fear to obtain divinity, they would come to purge me immediately..."
Before reaching the realm of Legend, peering into the domain of deities was an exceedingly foolish thing to do.
"Cousin, not resting yet?"
At the same time, Lei Lin noticed that Isabel's gaze toward those condemned prisoners was filled with regret — though not regret for their lives, but rather regret over the loss of a large quantity of sacrifices.
"My dear cousin!"
Lei Lin fixed his eyes on Isabel. "When dealing with extraplanar beings, you must never simply comply with their demands. Sometimes, you need to learn how to haggle and refuse... Perhaps this can help you..."
He pulled a black notebook from inside his robes and handed it to her.
"Extraplanar Trading Guidelines — Demonic Chapter!" Isabel let out a low gasp. To the temples, books containing knowledge of demons were the very definition of heretical artifacts.
"This was a prized collection belonging to my mentor. I copied it out using magic — it may prove useful to you! Don't let outsiders see it!"
Lin Lei smiled faintly. In truth, this was partial memory obtained from Beilu Sebap — after all, despite being a devil lord, the other party also possessed considerable knowledge of the demons, those hated rivals lurking within the Abyss.
Moreover, devils were the most adept at deception, intimidation, and the alteration of contracts.
With the other party's knowledge, at the very least he could ensure he wouldn't suffer too great a loss in dealings with Hell or even the Abyss.
"Even if I'm going to sell it, I have to get a good price! The kind of fool who hands over their soul after being sweet-talked with a couple of empty words is just too pathetic..."
Lin Lei looked into Isabel's eyes, his words carrying clear implication.
"Th-thank you!" Isabel clutched the black notebook to her chest as though it were the entire world.
"Also, tonight, it seems neither of us is going to get any rest..."
Lin Lei spread his hands and said to Isabel, "Brace yourself!"
"Brace myself for wh— ah!" Isabel was momentarily confused, but instantly felt a tremendous jolt rock through the ship. With both hands still gripping the notebook tight, she nearly toppled onto the deck.
At that very moment, a pair of strong hands steadied her firmly.
"If the wind and waves are too much for you here, just head back to your cabin — leave this to me!"
There was utter confidence in Lin Lei's voice, carrying a powerful sense of security. Isabel agreed with a dazed little nod and actually made her way toward the cabin.
But moments later, she burst back out of the room, now clad once more in her leather armor with a longsword at her hip.
"I put the book somewhere safe!" Isabel explained with flushed cheeks, looking flustered and a bit at a loss for what to do with her hands.
"A tiger shark! It's a mutant tiger shark!"
At that moment, Robin Hood's voice rang out, filled with exasperation.
The people on deck immediately changed color.
The mutant tiger shark — a deep-sea monster, possessing a massive body comparable to an ordinary whale, with an extraordinarily vicious temperament. They especially loved to hunt under cover of night.
With a creature of that size, capsizing the Black Tiger was by no means an impossible feat. The very reason these pirates feared sailing at night was the terror of encountering one.
"What's there to panic about? Settle down!"
Raylin's voice instantly spread outward, carrying a certain soothing power, and immediately calmed the originally terrified pirates.
The tilt of the ship's hull continued to intensify, as if some terrifying monster was rocking it ceaselessly from beneath the sea.
By this point, the only hope for everyone aboard rested solely on Raylin the mage.
"Finally, it's here! This opponent is mine! Don't interfere!"
Isabelle, who was standing closest, noticed an odd hint of excitement appear on Raylin's face. Before she could react, his figure had already leaped straight down from the deck.