"I can feel it — my Spiritual Power has hit another bottleneck. Perhaps after this battle, I'll be able to break through!"
It hadn't even been a month since Leilin last broke through to become a Seventh-level
This kind of terrifying advancement speed couldn't simply be described as genius-level — it was nothing short of monstrous!
Of course, there were multiple reasons Leilin could advance so quickly. The Devil Blood Dagger played a part, but more importantly, he already had the foundation to control the surging Life Energy and data. Otherwise, if it had been
"Ship spotted ahead!"
At that moment, a pirate in the lookout tower screamed at the top of his lungs.
"I see the Mermaid pirate flag — it's a warship from the Mermaid Pirates!"
Upon hearing this news, Leilin felt surprisingly little alarm. After all, a sneak attack couldn't possibly succeed every single time.
The enemy's home waters would naturally have defenses in place already. It wasn't particularly difficult for them to be spotted.
"Get the sailors out — prepare for battle!"
Naval combat primarily consisted of ranged attacks and boarding actions. Under
Facing the Mermaid Pirates — a force equal in renown to the Black Tiger Pirates — the original crew was visibly anxious. Only the weapons in their hands and the sight of Leilin's back kept them somewhat steady.
"These pirates... looks like they'll need quite a bit more training."
Isabel and Robin Hood approached Leilin, concern written on their faces.
"It's fine. The battlefield is the best teacher, and death will help us separate the truly capable from the rest!"
Leilin's expression remained perfectly calm. "After all, with the weapons I've provided, if they still lose to the enemy, then there's nothing to regret about their deaths."
"These weapons..."
Robin Hood lifted the longsword in his hand. The blade's edge shimmered with faint blue luminescence, betraying the terrifying poison it carried.
He had tested it personally — the toxin possessed an extraordinary paralytic effect on the nervous system. Even a shark couldn't last more than a few breaths.
"On the black market, a poisoned weapon like this would be worth at least ten gold coins…"
Robin Hood couldn't help licking his lips. In the quiver behind his back, he still carried a large supply of these poisoned arrowheads. Combined with his archery skills, it gave him confidence enough to challenge a fifth-tier warrior!
"Who would have thought the Boss was also versed in alchemy…"
Robin Hood stole a glance at Raylin, his eyes filled with reverence. The man's mastery of toxicology was simply terrifying. If he ever offended the Boss, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.
In truth, these poisons were merely something Raylin had practiced making out of boredom.
His accomplishments in Potionology had long since reached the rank of Grandmaster. After spending several years familiarizing himself with the plants and mineral ingredients of the world of the gods, the experience from his true body had begun to show its effects.
The raw materials for these poisons were nothing more than the juice of a type of pike found commonly on Farrow Island. No one would ever connect such a thing with a lethal toxin capable of killing a person.
Even his cousin Isabel was quite envious of Raylin's poisons. Though she hadn't applied any to her own longsword, she had asked him for a small bottle.
"Right — Isabel, and all the family guards, come here!"
Raylin ordered.
"Boss!" This group was small in number, but their loyalty to Raylin was the highest. At his command, they immediately gathered at his side.
"Pick up your weapons!"
At Raylin's order, the other guards drew their longswords. The pale blue glint of the blades struck fear into the hearts of the numerous pirates.
"The killing power has already been enhanced, but it never hurts to add a bit more insurance!"
Raylin flicked his finger, and a burst of magical radiance plunged straight into Isabel's black longsword.
[Enchanted Weapon]! A first-tier spell that could effectively increase a weapon's destructive power, with particularly remarkable effectiveness against elemental defenses.
Although she hadn't allowed her sword to be poisoned, when Isabel saw her longsword enveloped in a layer of magical light, a look of delight still appeared on her face.
An enchanted weapon, even a temporary one, far exceeded a poisoned weapon in power — though the cost was also considerably higher.
But Raylin's performance didn't end there.
[Enchanted Weapon]! [Enchanted Weapon]! [Enchanted Weapon]! Spell after spell flashed in succession, and Raylin applied the Enchanted Weapon effect to every single one of his personal guards.
"Cousin, do you still have enough spell slots? Did you memorize Enchanted Weapon with all of them?"
Isabel stood frozen on the spot, and the other guards were no different. As for the pirates, looking at the long swords glowing with magical radiance in the guards' hands, their eyes had long since turned red with envy, and saliva was practically dripping from their mouths.
Possessing an Enchanted Weapon meant a quantum leap in personal combat power! Just imagine — one swing of your blade and the opponent's weapon shatters, their armor unable to withstand the edge of your sword. What kind of thrill was that?
With this boost, the casualty rate among the guards could be considerably reduced. That was precisely Raylin's purpose — after all, these men were his true assets and core strength.
Raylin surveyed the group, thoroughly satisfied with the result.
The reason the inner circle was the inner circle began with differential treatment.
"Did you see that? As long as you prove your loyalty to me in the future, I will give you anything you desire!"
Raylin bellowed, and combined with his earlier display of spells, his voice rang with undeniable conviction.
Just at that moment, a small fleet appeared on the horizon — a warship comparable in size to the Black Tiger accompanied by two smaller vessels, bearing down toward Raylin's ship with aggressive intent.
From this vantage point, one could see the densely packed figures standing on the enemy deck, and the mermaid-skull pirate flag hanging from the mast.
"Close the distance! Prepare for naval combat!"
At Robin Hood's shout, the sailors gripped their weapons tightly. It was the only thing that gave them any sense of security.
"The Mermaid Pirates are comparable in strength to the Black Tiger Pirates, but their crew numbers nearly two hundred, many of whom are merfolk, shark-men, and other sea races..."
Raylin's keen eyesight allowed him to discern far more than the others — especially the abundant fish-like features among the opposing pirate crew, which drew an intrigued gleam from his gaze.
"I wonder how the merfolk tribes here differ from those in the Wizard World..."
Raylin knew this question would soon be answered, because after this battle, he would possess an enormously large batch of experimental subjects.
Boom!
When the two fleets were less than a nautical mile apart, the enemy warship suddenly roared, and a massive harpoon was fired directly from its deck.
Whoosh! The tremendous kinetic energy boosted the harpoon to a terrifying velocity — of everyone present, only Raylin could barely discern its trajectory.
Blood sprayed into the air, followed immediately by a chorus of screams and cries of pain.
The harpoon pierced straight through several pirates who couldn't dodge in time, skewering them together like gourds on a string, and even embedded itself deep into the deck.
Blood flowed continuously down the shaft of the harpoon. Some pirates with more tenacious vitality were still groaning in pain and writhing about, causing the other pirates to back away, their eyes filled with terror.
"These bastards! Good thing I never relied on them in the first place!"
The pirates' reaction made Raylin shake his head in disapproval. He then exchanged a glance with Isabel before activating his Flight spell and rising into midair.
"A Wizard! The enemy has a Wizard!"
"Get the bows ready!" Raylin could already hear the shouting from the opposing ship as he drew near.
The fearsome reputation of powerful spellcasters had long since spread across the Divine Continent. The questions of why a Wizard of such esteemed standing would join pirates, and why he had suddenly launched this attack, were more than enough to leave the opposing Merfolk pirate crew completely baffled — but by now, terror had already taken root.
The arrows, wobbling as they rose through the air, lost their kinetic energy long before they could reach him, drifting down like kites with snapped strings.
From Raylin's altitude, the only way to truly threaten him would be if the enemy's ranks contained a Ranger or Sharpshooter with archery specialization. But clearly, such elites were scarce among their forces — the few sporadic volleys were all effortlessly dodged by Raylin.
When a Wizard could cast spells freely in the sky without a care, the disaster began.
[Ball of Blazing Flames]! [Wind Creation]!
A massive fireball flickered into existence in Raylin's hand and detonated directly upon the sail of a small pirate ship. The flames, fueled by magic, spread with terrifying speed, and with the added push of the Wind Creation spell, the entire vessel was engulfed in fire.
Splash! Splash! Sailors drenched in flames couldn't help but leap overboard, flailing about in the ocean.
After a second small pirate ship met the same fate, people aboard the main warship were already on the verge of going mad.
"Damn it! Who the hell is this Wizard?!"
The captain of the Merfolk pirate crew was a sturdy human — only faint traces of scales remained on both sides of his cheeks, and it was said that he had once received a devil's blessing, granting him sinister power.
But now, watching half his forces wiped out, the pirate captain was nearly driven to insanity.
No matter what, he had never imagined that he would provoke a powerful Wizard! Just from the fact that the man could cast Flight and execute spells so proficiently while airborne, his level was certainly no less than seventh — possibly even an eighth or ninth level powerhouse!
With that kind of strength, he could have lived comfortably as a minor noble on the continent. Why go out of his way to cause trouble for him?