Conquering the Eye of Death!

Under the command of Laud's whip, the sailors sprang into action, clinging to their last shred of hope. The sail ropes were pulled taut, the winches spun without pause, and sails made from Camel Beast Leather were raised one after another. These Camel Beast Leather sails were exceptionally tough, more than capable of withstanding torrential rain and violent winds.

The rest threw all the cargo piled on deck overboard to lighten the sailboat's load.

Watching the cargo throughout the ship being cast into the sea one piece at a time, Laud's heart bled, but there was nothing he could do. His life was more important, after all.

The howling winds and churning currents made the massive Sail Battleship resemble a fallen leaf that could capsize at any moment. The hull rocked incessantly, as though it would sink beneath the waves the very next second.

Lynn's response was simple as well. By adjusting the angles of the sails, he used the gale-force winds to balance the vessel. It was an incomparably precise operation. Fortunately, although the sailors did not understand aerodynamics, they all possessed decades of seafaring experience, allowing them to barely maintain the situation.

Under Lynn's control, the warship slowly turned and sped in the direction of the current...

"Lord Wizard, have you made a mistake? That way leads to the Great Whirlpool!" Having just set the sailors in motion, Laud turned to look at their course and was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body.

Were they escaping the Great Whirlpool, or rushing to their deaths?

He now believed the helmsman's words. This man did not understand ships at all!

"Of course I know that's the Great Whirlpool. What we need to borrow is the power of the Eye of Death!" Lynn said solemnly.

The Sail Battleship could only travel at seven knots. Escaping the whirlpool's pull was nearly impossible. The only solution was to make the warship travel parallel to the direction of the churning current, circle halfway around the Great Whirlpool, then use the immense centrifugal force to accelerate and break free!

In truth, Lynn had no experience sailing ships. However, he had undergone starship piloting assessments and understood how to use a planet's gravitational pull for reverse acceleration. The principles were roughly the same.

Put simply, they would charge in first, then get flung back out!

Lynn gave a very brief explanation, but Laud did not understand a single word. He only vaguely felt that it sounded reasonable.

"We must be insane..." Laud muttered. He had never imagined that one day, he would steer a ship directly into the Great Whirlpool!

Besides Laud, the other sailors quickly noticed that there was something wrong with their heading. Yet they did not even have time to despair, because several sail ropes on deck snapped under the fierce winds!

In such a critical situation, they could only rely on manpower to forcibly pull the ropes taut for the time being, preventing the warship's navigation from being affected.

Lynn continuously adjusted the helm. Accompanied by a violent yet brief tremor, the hull suddenly lurched to the right before steadying itself again. The surging seawater propelled the sailboat forward at high speed, sending it resolutely toward the Great Whirlpool.

A deafening muffled boom echoed from the distant sea, like thunder erupting from clear ground. Amid the thin black fog, one corner of the Great Whirlpool soon appeared before them.

It looked as if an enormous, scalp-numbing funnel had appeared in the sea. Vast quantities of seawater spiraled endlessly into that bottomless abyss, while at the very bottom of the whirlpool lay only dimness and icy gloom, exuding a heart-palpitating aura. No one could see what was hidden within...

At the sight of the terrifying Great Whirlpool, Laud's face turned deathly pale. The sailors fared even worse, and quite a few began babbling nonsense.

"Mother, I'm coming to find you..."

"It's stars! I can see stars!"

Lynn faintly sensed that something was wrong. This Great Whirlpool known as the Eye of Death seemed capable of affecting people's minds. It appeared this was not a natural phenomenon caused by ocean currents or gravitational tides.

They had to leave this place as quickly as possible...

But their current speed still seemed a little insufficient!

"Fireball spell, seven o'clock direction!" Lynn shouted, deliberately specifying the direction in case Joanne did not understand.

The silver-gray-haired girl immediately understood. Activating [Magic Hand], she condensed a massive fireball in her palm and hurled it toward the rear side of the Sail Battleship.

Lynn made the same move at the same time. The two huge fireballs collided, and the violent shockwave made the hull creak, but the force of the impact also increased the warship's speed once more!

The constantly swaying Sail Battleship narrowly skimmed past the edge of the Great Whirlpool, then shot out at several times its normal speed under the powerful effects of centrifugal force!

At the same time, the violent noise jolted Laud and the others awake, allowing them to break free of the Great Whirlpool's mental influence. Seeing that incomparably terrifying "abyssal maw" growing farther away, everyone wore expressions of relief at having survived a disaster.

After a brief silence, fervent cries erupted across the deck. Everyone vented the joy of escaping death.

"That was incredible! We really escaped the Great Whirlpool!"

"This must be a miracle!"

"When we get ashore, we're getting married immediately! We can't wait another moment!"

All the crew members celebrated excitedly. Two bearded middle-aged men even embraced each other directly.

"First Mate, once we're through these waters, bring out all the wine I've been saving. Let everyone celebrate properly," Laud said generously. His hands and feet were still trembling, but the jubilant sight before him lifted his spirits.

"But, Boss Laud..." The first mate beside him hesitated, then carefully said, "That crate of wine was thrown overboard earlier..."

Laud's expression immediately froze. Endless grief flooded his heart. Most of the rare treasures he had accumulated over the years had been stored in wooden crates on deck. Now, they were all gone!

Laud even felt the urge to charge into the Great Whirlpool and salvage all his money.

But that was nothing more than wishful thinking...

Even as his heart ached, Laud did not forget the greatest contributor to their "conquest" of the Eye of Death.

"Thank you a thousand times, Lord Wizard. You saved all of us! Should you ever have need of us, please command us as you wish..." Laud looked at Lynn, removed his hat and placed it over his chest, then bowed deeply.

The once-noisy deck fell utterly silent. The sailors and shipwrights present all made the same gesture as Laud. This was the highest sign of respect among seafarers.

If, after the Harbor Battle, they had felt nothing but fear toward Lynn, then now they respected him from the bottom of their hearts.

Having just experienced the might and horror of the Eye of Death, they were naturally deeply grateful to and convinced by Lynn, who had led them out of Death's pursuit.

"What should we do next? Please continue to guide us!"