Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 322 Fishbone Pirate Ship

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The auction concluded without any incidents, and Shard gained some experience while Miss Princess enjoyed herself. After the auction, people quickly dispersed, merging back into the crowd on deck. The wooden boxes at the front of the deck were removed, and the long benches were swiftly moved away. The entire auction lasted less than forty minutes; some of the guests hadn't even noticed what had taken place.

The atmosphere on the ship was now buzzing, with matched men and women or other combinations gradually making their way into the cabins.

"Excuse me, miss..."

"Scram."

Of course, there were those who tried to hit on the distinctively charming girl by Shard's side only to be harshly dismissed by Shard, speaking with a thick Tobesk accent.

"I didn't expect you to say something like that."

Miss Princess was in good spirits.

"Oh?"

Shard straightened his bow tie:

"I have no respect for this kind of chaos, this sort of party..."

He grunted, choosing not to comment on the chaotic intimate relationships of the nobles and the rich:

"Actually, my temper isn't that great, it's just rare to encounter a situation worth losing it over."

The old landlord who, because he saw Shard's face in the morning, was "persuaded" to commit "suicide," could testify to that.

At this moment, the cruise ship continued its journey toward the deep sea and, according to plan, was scheduled to head back to Coldwater Port in half an hour. This type of auction was quite safe; it was a pity that Tobesk City wasn't suitably equipped for such safety measures. To have a secure auction, one had to travel away from the city areas.@@@@

Having nothing else to do, Shard and Miss Princess returned to the somewhat gloomy railings to chat again.

In the distance, the lights of civilization at Coldwater Port were completely invisible. The ship's lights seemed to be absorbed by the vast sea. In a place far off, at the junction between sky and sea and unnoticed by them for the time being, a ghastly green glimmer accompanied by a storm had already appeared.

"What's wrong?"

"Mr. Edmund's guess was correct, this is really a ritual, how did we come across it... he even mentioned this afternoon that the current was abnormal!"

The Five-Ring Sorcerer was barely resisting the mental assault, while Shard deciphered the general meaning from the chanting of the ancient song.

"In the deepest depths of the sea, we come riding the storm, hunting for our master, the Crimson Spiral, you are the Merman's..."

"I know what this is!"

Miss Princess's voice suddenly grew louder, drowning out the chant and allowing Shard to clearly hear her declaration:

"A Sage-Level Relic! The 'Fishbone Pirate Crew'! Damn it, this thing is somehow connected to the 'Song of the Mermaid', also of Sage Level!"

"What? Are you sure? Another Sage Level? How is this place even more dangerous than Tobesk?"

Shard was stunned, then grabbed her, ready to jump overboard:

"I'll swim us back!"

"There's no escape, the Relic is not just the ship, the bound Undead have already appeared in the sea. Someone is conducting a major ritual in Coldwater Port! The first step is to spread the curse of the 'Song of the Mermaid', the second is the appearance of the pirate ship, the Cultists!"

"It's the Cultists of the 'Lord of the Crimson Spiral'! It's the Merfolk, we must inform the church!"

Shard added loudly, as the pirate ship drew closer and closer. Along with the buzzing in his head, he could see what seemed like thousands of Evil Spirits howling on the decrepit deck.

The ship did not slow down, crashing into them without giving any chance to react:

"Remember!"

Miss Princess, who just a moment ago had been clutching her chest, now sounded as if she was far away.

"The Whisper Element is affecting space, be careful."

"Shard, never leave the ship, never agree to become a crewmember, the exit lies in the deepest part..."

She tried to embrace Shard, but the ghostly green pirate ship had already collided with them, and in the violent shaking, the fearsome black mist from the pirate ship completely engulfed the unprotected steam cruise ship. Everything around them vanished, thousands of curses and twisted prayers whispered into his mind, clouding Shard's consciousness.