The four-day streak of blood and violence on Silvergold Island had already claimed the lives of thousands of seasoned treasure hunters. Among them were even powerful Transcendents of the Second and Third Order. Strangely, despite so many deaths, regardless of the cause, not a single corpse or drop of blood remained on the ground.
Simultaneously, as various groups unexpectedly encountered one another, deep within the lowest level of the labyrinth:
In a pitch-black space where one couldn't see one's own hand in front of one's face.
DRIP, DRIP, DRIP...
A viscous liquid converged from all directions, dripping droplet by droplet to form a small lake reeking with the heavy stench of blood. Countless living things also writhed in the darkness, making strange, rustling sounds.
SLURP—SLURP—
From time to time, a chilling slurping sound would arise, sending shivers down the spine.
SIGH... Simultaneously, a weary human sigh echoed out, then quickly faded into silence.
But after a brief moment, that same voice resumed, suddenly transforming into... a sharp, strange screech: CHIRR—CHIRR—
「Above the Blood Lake, the pressure on Second Order Transcendents in the second level of the labyrinth intensified.」
Byron Tudor's party was still in a standoff with the Barbary Pirates. The atmosphere, tense as drawn bows, weighed heavily on every member of Byron's party.
"So strong! Facing this Vice-King of the Barbary Pirates, I find even breathing difficult. Is this the legendary Class suppression?"
"Blue Hair should already be the foremost person below the High Sequences, right? It feels as if facing a true king wouldn't be much different."
"My palms are sweating, my head is spinning. If we don't act now, I'm worried I'll lose the courage to do so later."
Blue Hair stood there with one hand in his pocket, calmly confronting them. Though clearly a cripple with one hand chopped off, he still exuded an almost invincible, domineering aura. One glance was enough to send tremors of fear and unease through the onlookers. No one dared doubt his strength. Coupled with his appearance and hairstyle being identical to those of his twin brother, Barbarossa Hailiding of the Ocean Throne, it felt as though one was facing the formidable Fifth Order Pirate King himself. The sovereign's imposing aura filled the air, making ordinary mortals and Lower Order Transcendents struggle to breathe.
Halding looked down upon the group before him with imperious eyes, his gaze finally settling on Byron, scoffing as though bestowing alms, "Hmph, a Sea Hunter from the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company of the International Port? You've been quite active recently. I was planning to find you lot right after concluding matters here on Silvergold Island, but here you are, presenting yourselves. Speak. How will your International Port compensate us for the attack on our Barbary fleet? Even my Fleet Commander, Frogman, died there. And where did that large Barnacle Crab, the Sea Monster we lost, go? If the compensation pleases me, I might spare your lives and magnanimously accept International Port as a subordinate force to the Barbarossa Pirate Kingdom."
Such was the way of this world. It was the Barbary Pirates who, before starting the war with Castilia, had attacked the Tayman Archipelago first, wanting to eliminate potential opportunists. Yet, to hear him speak, one would think he was the deeply wronged party, demanding that the victim compensate him, the aggressor. How utterly unreasonable.
Just because you're strong, you can do whatever you want? What a scoundrel, bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
In such a situation, Byron and Violet certainly wouldn't take the initiative to mention the deal between "Whale Hunter" Jack Harold and the two Pirate Kings. In this world, all negotiations were built on the foundation of both parties being evenly matched. Once one party was weaker, any agreement reached could be torn up immediately. Given Byron and Violet's backgrounds, they were always prepared to suspect others with the utmost malice. They were not naive enough to believe that a simple apology and heartfelt plea would make the other party spill the details of the Pirate Kings' deal. More likely, not only would they fail to obtain the information, but they would also be exploited and manipulated by the other party, paying an unexpectedly heavy price.
They silently gripped the handles of their firearms tightly.
We still have to fight. Only by knocking this guy to the ground can we get the information we want out of him.
They weren't without a chance of winning. The Beast Tamer had reached the Fourth Order and further awakened the ability Heart of the Beast King. Not only had the number of creatures he could contract significantly increased, but he could also share various abilities of his Guardian Beasts, gradually compensating for his own shortcomings. Yet, most of his strength still resided with his Guardian Beasts. Once deep inside the island, Blue Hair's power would diminish significantly due to his distance from those massive Sea Monsters, presenting them with an excellent opportunity to strike.
Moreover, Blue Hair was a Tier 4 Hero full of oddities. The mole, Fat Dragon, found that the more he interacted with Blue Hair, the stranger Blue Hair seemed. Indeed, Fat Dragon, lurking close by, had gathered definite intelligence that this formidable Tier 4 Hero had not mastered the Flow State. Although they hadn't discovered the specific effects of the Kingly Title, 'Blue Hair,' they had realized that Blue Hair valued his hairstyle more than his own arms. No matter how fierce the battle, he would prioritize ensuring his hairstyle remained intact, rather than ensuring he himself remained unharmed. He embodied the adolescent motto, "Head can be broken, blood can flow, but the hairstyle must not be disturbed," to an extreme.
Byron guessed that perhaps within this abnormality lay an opportunity to prevail. Furthermore, their team had gained an additional member, Storm Admiral Andrew. Three against one—it was worth a try.
Seeing the commotion in Byron's group, the Barbary Pirates standing behind Blue Hair also burst into laughter. "You're not only going to pay up. You'll also have to compensate our Vice-King with that famous Miss Mithril Dragon, along with those two pretty little things beside you."
"The West Coast isn't as rigid as your East Coast. Polygamy is fine with us, and our Vice-King will cherish each of you. Hahaha..."
Violet's expression remained unchanged, completely indifferent to their vulgar insults. Jacqueline's face, however, turned pale. In her eyes, "Byron Tudor" had always been a ruthless pirate leader, capable of anything. She was lecherous but hated being the object of lust. If the captain gave in, she'd face a fate worse than death.
Upon hearing their jeering, Byron's deep blue eyes instantly sharpened. He stepped forward, undaunted by Blue Hair's menacing aura.
THUMP!
Behind him, a shadow flickered, and the silhouette of a giant toad quietly emerged—it was Frogman, whom he had dispatched with a single display of his Artillery Skills. He had now become his Undead Servant.
Seeing this, the Barbary Pirates opposite them turned ashen.
"Frogman! So, it was you who killed him? How bold!"
"Black Witch! This damned brat has imprisoned Frogman's soul!"
"You're courting death!"
Byron, however, ignored their shouts and instead stared directly into Blue Hair's blazing eyes. "Earlier, in the interest of playing it safe, my actions were indeed a bit too cautious. In this regard, I should learn from you. What I love most about this Low Magic World is that any High Order Transcendent can potentially be killed by a group of Low Order ones. Today, I want to see if the neck of a Fourth Order like you is really that tough. You wanted Frogman and the Barnacle Crab back, right? Then I'll return them to you."
At the same time, pale blue flames poured from his eyes, instantly igniting Frogman's soul as he roared, "Wild Hunt Knight, come forth!"
Instantly, under the gaze of dozens of eyes from both friend and foe, especially Jacqueline whose almond eyes were wide with shock, the notorious Mad Hunt emerged. Riding a skeletal warhorse, he leaped forth.
"You've messed with the wrong person! Today, all of you scumbags are going to die!"