First Encounter with Pirates

"Captain Greyson?" Li Shaolin wasn't sure if the fusion had succeeded, so he tried calling out.

The Abomination jerked suddenly, lifting its leg and slamming its broad, thick foot heavily onto the ground, kicking up clouds of dust. Seeming unaccustomed to this body, it wobbled left and right for a long while before finally managing to keep its balance. At the same time, its wide mouth split open, emitting a hoarse, halting voice: "M-master! Master!"

Master? Did creating the Abomination give me the right to command him? Sure enough, a thread of intent came through from the Abomination in his mental senses, clear and distinct, just like the Skeleton Warriors under his command. It seemed he truly did obey his orders. But one thing was strange—the Abomination conveyed complete submission. By all accounts, this guy wasn't the type to do that, was he?

He tried asking again: "Greyson?"

"Master, are you bestowing a name upon me?" the Abomination's hoarse voice rang out, tinged with confusion.

It seemed he had lost his original memories. Li Shaolin let out a sigh.

What he didn't know was that most creatures summoned or created by the Scourge Legion, aside from a few high-tier ones, could only retain combat awareness or partial instincts. Even Death Knights resurrected from death were no exception—they all forgot everything from their past lives.

"Alright, from now on, you'll be called Greyson," Li Shaolin said helplessly.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Finally, the days of heavy rain stopped, revealing a clear blue sky.

Stepping out of the Lighthouse, he couldn't help but stretch broadly. He'd been cooped up for days. With nothing to do inside the Lighthouse, he'd carefully pored over the "Scourge Alchemy" and felt he'd gained quite a bit. As for the skeletons, since they couldn't replenish their Death Force, he'd long since recalled them into the Book of the Dead. As for the Abomination Greyson, due to his hideous and disgusting appearance, he'd been assigned to patrol outside. After all, having turned into a Scourge creature, even the heavy rain didn't bother him.

But what was really frustrating was that even though Greyson had become an Abomination, he couldn't escape the curse's fate. No matter how hard he tried, he could only ever walk in the shallow coastal waters, unable to set foot on land.

"Ugh, I'm sick of eating sea crabs these past few days. Finally, I can get something else. Right, I'll head out and find some cooked food to eat. Oh, and I wonder where that Greyson guy has wandered off to," Li Shaolin muttered to himself, planning to cross the shallow seawater to the other side.

But when he tried, he found the tide had risen. He couldn't swim, so he had to give up.

Just as he was feeling a bit dejected, a voice called out from afar: "Hey!"

Turning his head, he saw a medium-sized ship, apparently trying to dock, but affected by the tide, it was slowly drifting toward the Lighthouse.

"Could this be what they call running aground?" Li Shaolin had seen plenty of stranded ships on Long Beach but didn't know the details. Seeing this ship in such a state, he naturally made the connection.

In fact, running aground was just as he thought—the ship had accidentally entered shallow waters, and as the tide dropped, it couldn't get out.

"Bang!" A loud crash sounded as the ship bumped against the small dock beside the Lighthouse and came to a stop.

Li Shaolin rushed over, waving his hands frantically: "The water's shallow here, you can't dock!" But he hadn't counted on the days of rain, combined with the wooden dock's age and disrepair, now covered in moss. As he charged forward, his foot slipped, and he stumbled headlong into the water!

Instantly, the salty, bitter seawater flooded into his mouth. Panicking, he tried to shout, but instead gulped down several big mouthfuls of seawater with a "gulp, gulp."

Thrashing about, he finally seemed to grab onto something. Clinging to it for dear life, he felt himself being pulled up, vaguely aware that it was someone from the ship rescuing him. He cracked his eyes open, gave a faint smile, and then passed out.

Vaguely, the aroma of roasted meat wafted into his nose, and Li Shaolin slowly came to.

Just as he was about to open his eyes, he felt something off. A slight movement revealed that his hands and feet were tightly bound with rope!

What's going on?

Not daring to move recklessly, he cracked his eyes open a sliver and looked around. He found himself lying in the ship's cabin, with over a dozen people gathered together, tearing into roasted meat.

"Hahaha, we'll be at Stormwind City's port soon. Brothers, go enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Once we pick up the goods, we'll set off back the day after tomorrow," a rough voice bellowed.

As his words fell, cheers and shouts of joy erupted. Then came the sounds of eating and drinking.

Catching fragments of conversation, it seemed these guys were pirates!

"Boss, this lighthouse kid looks pretty frail. Ratchet wants fifty strong young laborers. What's the use of keeping him?" One man stood up, walked over to Li Shaolin, and said.

"Heh, you wouldn't understand. The Countess prefers this type of youth. When we get to Stormwind City, we'll give him to her as an extra gift. The fact that we Bloodsail Pirates can trade in Stormwind City is all thanks to the Countess's special care," the rough voice chuckled in reply.

"The boss is brilliant! It's a good deal for this kid, heh. I still think selling him to Ratchet as a laborer would be better!" the questioner flattered.

"Of course! Otherwise, why am I the boss and you're not? But everyone be careful—in Stormwind City, besides not revealing our identities, be extra cautious not to leak the Countess's relationship with us!"

"Don't worry, boss. It's not the first time. Brothers will have some fun and then leave. Heh, we've been drifting at sea for a month."

"Alright, everyone be careful. The port's just ahead. Clean up and head out." After the leader finished speaking, he stopped eating, got up, and walked out. Naturally, the food in Stormwind City was far better than this simple roasted meat. Then, with a rustling of sounds, the others filed out one by one. In a short while, only Li Shaolin remained in the cabin.

Now he opened his eyes, looking at the messy table, and began to think: The Countess? That name sounds familiar. I've seen plenty of Bloodsail Pirates in the game, but how are they connected to Stormwind City? And these guys are in the human trafficking business—can they just waltz into Stormwind City like that?

Hmph, first get these ropes off, then summon the skeletons!

This time was different from when Karnak had caught him—he could use magic. As his incantation began, with two "sizzling" sounds, Bone Fang cut through the ropes binding his hands. Another shot, and the ropes on his feet were severed. Rubbing his numb wrists, he managed to stand up.

With a thought, the black Book of the Dead appeared in his hand. He flipped it open lightly, and the Black Skeleton, Bronze Skeleton, Claw Skeleton, Lightning Skeleton, and Fire Skeleton stood neatly by his side.

Right, didn't they say they'd reach Stormwind City soon? I can't kill them now—if the skeletons are discovered, I'm done for.

After a moment's thought, he decided to hide in the lower deck first. If someone came down, he'd kill them. If things got really bad, he'd reveal his mage identity and charge into Stormwind City. After all, he was a landowner with some standing in Goldshire—surely these pirates couldn't defy heaven itself?

Decision made, he went around the cabin and down to the lower deck.

Below, small rooms enclosed by iron bars stood tightly packed together, apparently used for holding smuggled people. On the other side, large crates were stacked high. A quick glance showed all kinds of goods—loot from their raids.

He found some food and started eating heartily. Having been unconscious for so long, his stomach was nearly empty.

Just as he was enjoying himself, the ship lurched!

Immediately after, shouts came from outside, followed by cries of terror and screams!

What's happening?

Something seemed to be going on outside—they were under attack. But Li Shaolin was happy about it; it saved him the trouble.

Wait! What if the ship gets damaged? Old Li would sink with it!

Remembering this, Li Shaolin quickly summoned his Bone Shield, pulled a dagger from his Storage Space, and slowly made his way up.

Just as he was about to open the door, a loud crash sent the cabin door flying inward. A man with a blood-red headband came tumbling in, landing at Li Shaolin's feet!

He let out two muffled groans, blood gushing from his mouth. Without even looking at Li Shaolin, he raised a hand to point at the doorway, then breathed his last.

Through the shattered wooden door, a massive figure stood silhouetted in the frame. A great axe, a Blackwater Saber, and a large hook—all dripping with fresh blood—hung from his form as he stood there proudly.

The Abomination Grayson!

Those weapons were exactly the ones Li Shaolin had picked from the spoils and equipped him with. The Abomination's three arms and boundless strength made them a perfect fit.

"Master!" a hoarse voice rasped. The Abomination stood silently at the door, while behind him, over a dozen mangled corpses lay strewn across the deck.

It seemed he had spotted the ship carrying him away during his patrol and followed. But why had he only shown himself now?

After a careful inquiry, the truth came out: Grayson had seen Li Shaolin aboard the vessel and rushed after it, but missed the boarding by a few steps. He could only hook onto the stern with his claw, and after struggling for a long time, finally hauled himself onto the deck. Born for slaughter, the Abomination had no sense of judgment—good man or bad, he simply cut them all down.

Hearing this, Li Shaolin felt a chill of fear. If these had been Bloodsail Pirates, it was one thing. But if he had been rescued by some other merchant ship, wouldn't he have doomed an entire crew? Still, the Abomination had meant well, even if he couldn't tell right from wrong. Let it go.

He was about to check the Bloodsail Pirates for any survivors when his eyes swept across the endless sea beyond the railing. He jolted in alarm: Damn it—if everyone's dead, who's steering the ship?

Sure enough, though Stormwind City's harbor lay straight ahead, the vessel was already drifting off course, slowly veering toward the Endless Sea.