Episode 176
Rumble, rumble!
The ghost ship loomed closer to the vessel.
A terrified knight stumbled backward, the fog now thick around his feet.
Seeing the ghost ship, the knight flailed in panic.
Suddenly, a hand clutching a dagger emerged from the shadows.
Slash!
The dagger sliced through the knight’s Achilles tendon before vanishing.
Blood spurted from the knight’s ankle.
“Aaah! Ghost! It’s a ghost attack!”
The imperial knight crawled on the ground, shouting.
His cries startled the other knights waiting below deck, who rushed outside.
“What the hell? A ghost ship on the river…?”
Grumbling, the knights climbed onto the deck, only to be horrified by the sight of the ghost ship emerging from the fog.
“It’s… it’s a real ghost ship!”
In an instant, monsters leaped onto the deck. The panicked knights, unable to draw their swords in time, were overwhelmed by the creatures’ assault.
“Argh!”
Pushed back by the ghosts and monsters, the knights fell into the river below.
In the chaos, the imperial knights bled and perished swiftly.
“What a spectacle.”
Zeke watched the scene unfold from the ship, his presence concealed.
When a knight, under the influence of Visco’s bloodline ability, screamed about seeing a ghost ship, the other knights on deck fell into the same hallucination.
“A mass hallucination, is it?”
Amidst the panicked knights, Zeke summoned his dragon soldiers.
In their hallucinatory state, the imperial knights mistook the dragon soldiers for the ghost ship’s monsters and ghosts.
Terrified, the knights fell without putting up a fight, allowing Zeke to easily seize the ship.
“Visco’s bloodline ability. With the right use, it has endless potential.”
Once the dragon soldiers had dealt with the knights on board, Visco emerged from hiding.
“My… my God…”
Staring at the horrific scene his bloodline ability had created, Visco looked dazed.
Zeke, revealing himself, approached Visco.
“Why so shocked?”
Visco, sweating profusely, replied, “I’ve never used hallucinations like this before… I didn’t expect it to be this effective.”
Zeke had given Visco a magic scroll to create a fog and instructed him to spread his blood with it.
The fog, infused with Visco’s blood, triggered a massive chain reaction of hallucinations.
“In group battles, hallucination magic is one of the most terrifying things. Plus, your ability is a bloodline power, so it can’t be tracked by magic. Visco, you have a rare talent. Be confident.”
Visco, once deemed useless and nearly discarded after his explosive power turned into hallucinatory power, felt deep gratitude and reverence for Zeke, who recognized his potential.
‘This man is my true master.’
Leaving the deeply moved Visco behind, Zeke used his power of decay to dispose of the bodies on deck and summoned Nahuel.
Rumble, rumble!
He then commanded Nahuel to tow the ship upstream.
To ensure Boris and Dario could escape safely, Zeke needed to create a significant distraction.
Zeke turned to Visco.
“Visco, seeing the power of your ability, I’ve changed my mind. Instead of luring them, let’s wipe them out.”
“What? Just the two of us?”
Visco swallowed hard at Zeke’s words.
The Voltro River, cutting across the central continent, boasted the longest stretch in the region.
Flowing through the Rom Empire to Midland, the river widened and quickened upstream, making it difficult for small boats to cross.
In the upper reaches of the Voltro River, dozens of warships were stationed.
Among the ships, the flag of Siemens, depicting two intertwined snakes, fluttered in the wind.
Onboard were Siemens’ private soldiers and knights clad in scorpion-emblazoned armor, members of the Scorpio Knights.
At that moment, someone appeared on deck.
A goat-bearded knight, armed with rare items from head to toe, was none other than Carlito Luciano, the vice-captain of the Scorpio Knights.
Carlito, despite his unremarkable skills and family background, had risen to the position of vice-captain of the Scorpio Knights, one of the Empire’s 13 legions, because he was the only one who could control the captain, Gillian.
Gillian, the captain of the Scorpio Knights, was a typical warrior with little interest in external affairs.
Thus, Carlito handled most of the internal and external matters of the knights, effectively acting as the unit’s commander.
Carlito, with a cigar in his mouth, exhaled a long plume of smoke.
Beside him stood a man in a black suit, with a chubby face and glasses.
The man, sweating profusely, fidgeted nervously in front of Carlito.
After a few puffs, Carlito addressed the man in the suit.
“You said Six dealt with Dario and the Red Eye scum. So why am I here?”
The man in the suit replied to Carlito, “Well, Siemens conveyed directly to the elders. They suspect another force might be involved, not just the Red Eye, and ordered us to remain vigilant and secure.”
Carlito’s eyes sharpened at this.
“Am I supposed to follow the family’s orders like a puppet?”
Sensing Carlito’s displeasure, the man in the suit shook his head.
“Of course not. The elders will compensate you appropriately for your rank, Sir Carlito.”
Carlito glared at the man with his piercing eyes, exhaling sharply.
“They better.”
Carlito, using the straightforward Gillian as a figurehead, skillfully wielded the power of the Nostra family to control the Scorpio Knights, showcasing his exceptional rhetoric and political acumen.
Carlito and the Nostra family held each other’s weaknesses, maintaining a tense symbiotic relationship.
Thus, despite his complaints, Carlito found it difficult to refuse the family’s request.
He lit a new cigar, frowning.
‘Annoying old geezers. One day, I’ll wipe them out and swallow the Nostra family whole.’
Just then, the weather suddenly turned, and a thick fog began to envelop the area.
As the fog wrapped around the ship, Carlito sensed something ominous.
He asked the man in the suit, “You mentioned Siemens said something earlier. What did they mean by another force being involved, not just the Red Eye?”
The man in the suit hesitated, then Carlito grabbed him by the collar.
“Speak clearly!”
Under Carlito’s shout, the man finally spoke.
“They said… it might involve the Draker.”
Carlito’s expression turned to one of surprise.
“The Draker kidnapped Dario? For what reason?”
The man in the suit shook his head.
“I don’t know the details. The information from Siemens was quite vague…”
Carlito released the man and looked at the thickening fog, sweating.
‘This isn’t good. Not good at all.’
Carlito had an instinctive knack for assessing situations. His exceptional rhetoric and political sense stemmed from this innate ability.
The Red Eye, a vampire gang, was no match for the Draker.
Though the information wasn’t concrete, if the Draker were indeed involved, a misstep could turn all his efforts to dust.
Carlito urgently sought his lieutenant.
At that moment.
“Ghost ship! A ghost ship is approaching!”
The sudden shout startled Carlito and the man in the suit, who both looked beyond the fog.
A shadowy figure gradually became clearer, revealing an old ship approaching.
Carlito and the man in the suit gaped in disbelief.
“A… a ghost ship?”
While an ordinary person might panic, Carlito’s mind worked quickly.
“A ghost ship sailing upstream? Impossible!”
Carlito gathered his wits and shouted.
“Magic! It’s an illusion spell! Damn it, call the Siemens mages! Dispel the illusion!”
But it was already too late.
Boom!
A loud noise erupted from the bottom of the flagship Carlito was on, causing the ship to shake violently.
Caught off guard by the unexpected impact, Carlito was taken aback.
“What the…?”
The Scorpio Knights and Siemens soldiers on board were equally confused, scrambling in disarray.
The man in the suit shouted to Carlito.
“The ship… the ship is sinking!”
At that moment, the lieutenant rushed to Carlito.
“Vice-captain! Monsters are pouring out from the ghost ship!”
The ghost ship had already closed in, attacking the other vessels.
Carlito shouted at his lieutenant.
“You fool! There’s no ghost ship on the river! It’s an illusion caused by magic!”
The lieutenant looked bewildered at Carlito’s words.
Seeing the lieutenant still dazed, Carlito slapped him across the face.
“Ugh!”
“Get a grip! Hand me the whistle!”
Carlito blew the whistle he had snatched from his lieutenant, sending out an emergency signal.
A sharp, piercing sound echoed through the entire unit, signaling them to fall back.
At the same time, Carlito gestured with his hand. “Let’s get out of here first! Once the spell is broken, attack those bastards! We outnumber them, so the advantage is ours!”
With his exceptional survival instincts, Carlito quickly assessed the situation and found a way to save himself. He led his knights to the back of the ship, intending to escape to land on a boat before the vessel sank.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Simultaneously, the sound of Siemens’ wizards unleashing their magic on the ghost ship filled the air. Carlito grinned with satisfaction.
“Perfect. The illusion spell will break soon. Be ready to signal a full attack!”
His plan was to secure his own safety first by reaching the shore on a boat.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Leaving the fierce battle behind, Carlito navigated the boat down the river and landed on solid ground. In the distance, flashes of magic lit up the sky.
Carlito crossed his arms and nodded. “Good. They’ll destroy themselves in their desperation.”
He clicked his tongue at a man in a suit who stood there with a dazed expression. “Get a grip! I heard you’re one of the Six, but you don’t seem up to it.”
The man finally managed to stand, stammering, “I-I’m not a combatant. I mostly relay messages from the elders.”
Just then—
Whoosh!
A dagger flew from somewhere, embedding itself in the forehead of one of the knights guarding Carlito and the man.
Thud!
As the knight fell, Carlito drew his sword in alarm and shouted, “What are you doing? Protect me!”
The knights of the Celestial Scorpion raised their shields, forming a protective barrier around Carlito, scanning the surroundings.
But it was futile.
Crackling!
A massive bolt of lightning struck down upon the knights.
“Aaargh!”
The knights hit directly by the lightning foamed at the mouth and collapsed. Carlito, eyes wide with fear, turned to the man in the suit beside him.
“Damn it! There’s a wizard! Do something!”
The man adjusted his glasses, sweat pouring down his face, but he was helpless. At the same time, a thick fog spread among the knights.
“Gah!”
Suddenly, the knights’ eyes changed, and they began attacking each other.
“Monsters!”
“Aaargh!”
As the knights perceived each other as monsters and fought, Carlito backed away in shock.
“Is this some cursed illusion?”
Thanks to his expensive rare artifact armor, Carlito was unaffected by the hallucination. The man in the suit behind him spoke up.
“Sir Carlito, I don’t think this is magic. It seems to be a bloodline ability…”
Carlito shouted at him, “Why are you telling me this now, you fool!”
Leaving the knights to their frenzied battle, he turned and fled. His magical armor allowed him to run at an incredible speed.
Then, something appeared in front of the fleeing Carlito.
Thud!
A death knight clad in black armor emerged from the mist.