Harvest!

Abyss had spent years living by the sword and had mastered the underhanded tricks of street thugs. The moment Merlin closed in, he was already on guard.

And now,

he recognized a low trick he rarely used these days.

Abyss's pupils still contracted sharply. He hurriedly raised his left leg. Thump! His left knee collided with Merlin's.

Abyss's eyes blazed with fury as he cursed, "You bastard!"

Merlin's expression didn't change. The dagger in his left hand ground violently against Abyss's greatsword. But since Merlin had blocked the sword near its hilt, the force pushing back against him was relatively slight.

Abyss glared at Merlin and suddenly swung his left fist toward Merlin's head, trying to force him back.

But Merlin's gaze remained steady. He reversed his grip on the katana in his right hand and suddenly thrust its tip downward.

Thud!

The sharp tip slid effortlessly through the shoe and pierced the top of Abyss's left foot.

The agonizing pain shot through Abyss's toes and up his body. He couldn't hold back a muffled groan. His eyes flashed with vicious madness, and after his left fist paused for a moment, it came crashing forward again.

Should he use his ability?

Abyss was just the right kind of opponent to use as a whetstone, honing his combat skills.

But Merlin hesitated for only a moment. His gaze sharpened, and black flames surged from his right hand, racing along the hilt and reaching Abyss's foot in the blink of an eye.

Calamity: Scarlet of Wounds.

At the same time, Merlin abruptly lowered his head and slammed it into Abyss's abdomen.

With a dull thump, Abyss's fist swung over Merlin's head. Abyss's mouth gaped wide from the pain.

And then,

the black flames spread across Abyss's body in an instant.

In that split second,

a series of grotesque puncture wounds appeared across his body.

Piercing wounds in his arms and legs.

A gash across his neck.

A dense cluster of holes across his chest and abdomen.

In the blink of an eye, Abyss was drenched in blood.

A miserable scream forced its way from his throat. Merlin sensed that Abyss had lost the strength to wield his greatsword.

He suddenly knocked the blade aside with his left arm, then swept a flash of steel upward, slicing cleanly across Abyss's neck.

In an instant,

most of Abyss's neck was severed.

His body went limp and pitched forward. Merlin pulled his blade free and slipped past him.

As Abyss fell to the deck, Merlin swung his sword with his right hand and cut through the back of his neck.

With a spurt of blood, a head crowned with thick hair rolled away.

The clash between them had lasted less than a minute.

Abyss's screams had already drawn the attention of both sides on deck. Now that Merlin had cut off his head, the battle around them ground to a halt.

A flicker of black flame passed through Merlin's eyes. He turned slightly to survey the area, then pushed off the deck and shot toward the nearest pirate on his right.

"Kill them all!"

At Merlin's shout, the passenger ship's sailors surged with courage, while the pirates fell into disarray.

No one had expected their captain, whose fearsome reputation had kept them in line for years, to die so quickly.

And what was that black flame?

Those aboard the ship with some experience could think of only one thing: an Ability User.

Merlin hadn't even reached the pirate before fear took hold of him. With a scream, he spun around and tried to run.

Unfortunately, Merlin was faster. Just as the pirate climbed over the railing where the ropes were attached, Merlin slid his katana smoothly into the man's lower back.

At that moment, Guard Captain Rainer excitedly called out to Merlin, "Hey, kid! Want to take down this first mate together?"

Arthur's eyes held both despair and a trace of madness. Their boss was dead, and the battle had become completely one-sided. He might not make it out alive.

Still, his gaze remained fierce as he looked between Merlin and Rainer.

Merlin saw him but didn't respond. Instead, he leapt onto the railing and pushed off hard, his body tracing an arc through the air.

He landed precisely on the deck of the pirate ship, four meters away.

When Arthur saw this, despair flashed through his eyes again. His escape route was gone. Gritting his teeth, he charged at Rainer.

"You worthless piece of shit! Even if I die today, I'm taking you down with me!"

He roared as his twin axes whirled wildly.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A string of blinding sparks burst from the points where their weapons collided.

Seeing that Merlin was ignoring him, Rainer grimaced. He admitted he'd put Merlin in a bad spot earlier, but now he was paying for it himself.

He realized that although the first mate's axe technique was terrible—little more than the same three clumsy swings over and over—the man was even stronger than Abyss.

Rainer's guard went up at once.

He defended with all his might, shouting for the nearby sailors to come help.

Meanwhile,

the few pirates left aboard their ship saw Merlin charging toward them and stared in horror. One of them raised a flintlock and pulled the trigger. Bang!

A hot lead bullet burst from the muzzle.

But Merlin had been watching the pirate with the gun.

The instant the man raised it and pulled the trigger, Merlin rolled forward and dodged the bullet, then rushed right up to him.

He sprang to his feet, driving his dagger viciously up beneath the man's chin and into his throat.

One killed in a single strike.

Seeing how fearsomely Merlin fought, the remaining three pirates looked terrified and scattered without hesitation.

Merlin casually pursued one of them, while noticing the other two running toward the ship's edge.

After two breaths, he caught up and cleanly killed his target. Just then, he heard a splash, followed by a dull thud.

Merlin went to where the thud had come from and saw that the pirate had climbed into a small boat tied to the stern.

He was probably the ship's navigator.

Merlin gave him only a glance, then paid him no more attention. Turning around, he hurried toward the cabin.

The cabin was utterly quiet.

But because it was so quiet, Merlin could hear a heavy heartbeat.

His hearing was exceptionally keen now. At close range, he could hear the heartbeat of a living being.

Following the sound, he turned and slowed his steps as he approached a partly open cabin door. He pushed it open and found the first mate he had maimed with his grenade.

The man was struggling to rise from a wooden bed.

Merlin's expression remained calm. He walked over and drove his blade cleanly through the man's heart.

He watched in silence as the man died.

Before long, Merlin reached the door of a cabin inside the ship and looked at the words carved on the plaque: Captain's Quarters.

He pushed open the tightly shut door.

The smell of sweat, tobacco, and stinking feet rushed into his nostrils. Merlin couldn't help frowning. "Filthy and a mess! He couldn't even clean up the place he lived in. One star!"

Of course, Merlin had no intention of cleaning it for him. His sharp gaze swept across the cabin.

A two-and-a-half-meter-wide bed stood beside the window. There was a three-meter-tall wine rack, though it held only a few bottles, along with an open wardrobe, a small round table, and three chairs with backs.

On the little round table sat an open pack of cigarettes and a finely made lighter with a golden casing.

But Merlin's attention was drawn to a reddish-brown wooden box, half a meter long, beside the head of the bed.

His gaze shifted. He went over to the locked box, but it wasn't a problem. He climbed onto the bed, planted his left foot on the box, and pushed the tip of his blade into the clasp.

He pried hard. With a click,

the entire lock came off.

Merlin moved away from the box and reached out, using his blade to lift the lid.

After seeing that nothing happened, he went over and looked inside.

His brow furrowed. A layer of silk lined the box, with a small white skull resting on top. It looked so smooth and polished that it even seemed to have a patina.

"Collecting skulls?"

Merlin frowned.

He wanted no part of that hobby.

"But no treasure?"

Merlin scanned the room again.

"The only places left to hide valuables are the wardrobe and under the bed."

Merlin jumped down from the bed and lifted the bedding. He immediately noticed a long section of the bed frame attached to a cord.

He pulled the cord, and a wooden panel opened to reveal a briefcase inside.

Merlin took it out. When he opened it, a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Just as I thought. How could a pirate captain not have some savings?"

Inside the case were neat stacks of Beli in various denominations,

as well as a beautiful straight short sword in a scabbard. After counting the Beli, Merlin chuckled.

"Thirteen million Beli."

With a clang, the short sword slid from its scabbard, and a cold glint caught his eye.

It was forty-two centimeters long and about two and a half fingers wide.

The edge looked sharp enough to cut just by looking at it, while the blade itself was a dull black that gleamed faintly.

Merlin tapped the blade with his finger. It rang with a clear chime. A flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes as he noticed two beautiful characters near the hilt, like an inscription.

"Better quality than Fine Snow, that thin sword? Good Fast Sword quality?

And its name is Steel Breaker."

At this, Merlin couldn't help looking at the family dagger on his right thigh.

His Equipment Slot could [combine] equipment. So in the future... the idea of combining them took shape in his mind.

But that would have to wait until his Equipment Slot had enough free spaces.

Merlin closed the briefcase, picked it up, then took the few remaining bottles from the wine rack and smashed them. He picked up the lighter on the table and set the bed on fire.

Soon, he saw flames rising inside the cabin and turned to leave.

When Merlin returned to the deck, he saw that the battle aboard the passenger ship was over.

He leapt back over the railing and onto the passenger ship. The sailors, who were clearing the bodies from the deck, looked at him with respect as soon as they saw him return.

Guard Captain Rainer approached with admiration on his face. There was some apprehension in his eyes, but not the slightest hint of resentment. He spoke to Merlin.

"On behalf of everyone aboard our passenger ship, I'd like to thank you for your help, Mr. Merlin.

"We've secured Abyss's head. It's your spoils, and I'll personally bring it to you once everything's taken care of.

"Also, to thank you for your help, we'll refund your fare in full shortly. And if you're willing, we can arrange more comfortable accommodations for you right now."

Merlin glanced at him, making no comment about his flattery. After all, Rainer had put him in a bad spot earlier. Merlin didn't know whether it had been deliberate, but he couldn't be bothered to be nice to him.

He said coolly, "No need. I'm just an ordinary passenger. If you really want to thank me, just give me Abyss's bounty.

"I'll waive the odd change. One million Beli will do."

Rainer gave an awkward smile. He knew he'd acted badly earlier and hurriedly nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll get it ready for you in a moment. Also, I apologize for what happened earlier. I truly didn't mean to."

Merlin nodded. Seeing that Rainer was being sensible, he didn't press him about what had happened before. He still spoke in a calm voice.

"I'm tired. I'm going back to my room to rest."