Potential Crisis

Great White Shark, Captain's Cabin.

Arthur flipped through a book made of linen paper, which recorded legends passed down through time.

The entire volume consisted of only five pages, yet it had cost him a gold coin to purchase from a down-and-out pirate.

Arthur could not understand a single word of the content; it resembled the Latin used in the Old Continent, but the combinations made it entirely foreign.

Written in Old Latin, stories like these were something few people in the Age of Discovery could decipher.

He intended to use [Research] to decode this manuscript and master Old Latin, laying the groundwork for his future identity as a scholar.

Parrot Gro suddenly spoke up: "Great Captain, this island is fraught with danger. You must be careful not to let filthy trash stain your sacred boots."

Crisis on all sides?

Arthur raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling upon the parrot statue. This supernatural creature, which loved to toy with dreams, had discovered something unusual on Blue Bay Island.

Tapping his fingers on the desk, he said, "Tell me the situation."

"Oh! Respected Captain, your loyal navigator Parrot Gro loves to frolic and play with dreams."

"For some time now, while I was teasing some interesting dreams, I encountered a chaotic entity of desire."

Arthur frowned; he could not understand what Parrot Gro was talking about.

"Be specific."

"Oh! It was a transcendent, and a truly evil one at that—corrupt, cruel, and arrogant within the dream."

Parrot Gro tilted its head, searching for the most fitting analogy.

"If the fellow you encountered last time were to have a dream while sleeping, it wouldn't be any more evil than this one."

"Their auras are quite similar; they should be transcendents of the same path."

The fellow he had encountered last time was indeed wicked; Parrot Gro was referring to the cultists of the Black Devil Order.

Arthur's heart sank, his gaze piercing through the wooden planks to land on the inns of Blue Bay Island.

There were members of the Black Devil Order hiding on Blue Bay Island—what was their purpose?

The last time the Black Devil Order attacked the Jasmine, their goal was the Moon Bone being transported back from the New Continent.

What could Blue Bay Island possibly possess that would make it a target for the Black Devil Order? Could it be a precious item from the Old Wood Ship Auction?

Or did the Black Devil Order have some other conspiracy?

According to the bulletins from the Church of Light and other Orthodox Churches, the Black Devil Order was notorious for bloody massacres and the performance of cruel sacrificial rituals.

"How many days did the dream you encountered persist on Blue Bay Island, and when did it vanish?"

Parrot Gro stammered, "This... that..."

"Great Captain, frequent contact with dreams will alert a transcendent, and that person's dream only appeared once."

"The time the dream appeared was the night of October 8th, and it vanished in an instant."

Arthur immediately grew alert. October 8th was the night the Jasmine returned from its voyage, and he had also convened the Society of Hours that very night.

Had the escaping Black Devil Order cultist rushed to Blue Bay Island, rested for a night, and then left?

Or had they used supernatural means to notify other Black Devil cultists to arrive at Blue Bay Island in advance to scout the area, with their target still being the stolen Moon Bone?

Pacing the captain's cabin, Arthur went out to the deck and summoned Kaia.

"Oh! Our beloved Lord Arthur!"

"From today on, our Great White Shark Pirate Group is also an honorary pirate group of the Tudor Dynasty!"

Arthur nodded slightly and said, "Go check on something. Inquire quietly, and look for the old faces on Blue Bay Island."

Kaia patted his chest. "Don't worry, Captain. Asking around is too easy; there isn't a bar on Blue Bay Island where they don't know us!"

"Go and find out which ships arrived at Blue Bay Island on October 8th, and who the captains were."

"Understood!"

Returning to the captain's cabin, Arthur sat at his desk, contemplating his path forward.

If all went well, he would obtain the "Scholar Potion" and step onto the path of transcendence as he had hoped.

At the same time, he had a plan to transform his identity, aligning with the Moth Principle and casting off his past self.

Then, under the recommendation of Arina Stuart, he would attend England University to study linguistics, eventually revealing his linguistic talent in a small way.

A rising genius of linguistics would soon emerge in the Tudor Dynasty.

"The only problem now is to ensure the plan proceeds smoothly; I cannot die before then."

The Black Devil cultists shouldn't be targeting me; the Moon Bone was taken away by Arina.

After the Jasmine sank, only the Great White Shark survived. Would the Black Devil Order seek revenge?

Arthur put himself in their shoes: if his perfect plan were ruined, he would naturally look for an opportunity to retaliate.

Under the radiance of the sun, attacking a Sequence 7 of the Darkness Path, or perhaps a noble of the Stuart Family.

The difficulty is far higher than that of a mere pirate captain.

I am in danger!

Arthur realized this clearly; he needed to protect himself.

"Tell Father Roberto of the Church of Light directly, or Deacon Wallace of the Shadow Temple?"

He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

There was no way to explain the source of the information, let alone that this was merely his own conjecture.

Crossing his arms and closing his eyes in contemplation, Arthur suddenly stood up and walked to the calendar, looking at the date.

October 14, 1601.

Tomorrow was the day of the Old Wood Ship Auction, and also the time the Society of Hours would convene.

Likewise, the countdown for "Musket" + "Fear" in his [Research] would reach its end.

"Whew~"

"It seems tomorrow is truly a critical time."

As he was about to fall asleep for the night, Arthur received a notification:

A beautiful mermaid appeared before his eyes, chanting ethereal melodies amidst the ocean waves.

[Mermaid Book, deciphering complete.]

[Deciphering rewards: Mermaid Book, Mermaid Book (Latin), and Sea Race Language (Beginner).]

Arthur tapped the tabletop, and ripples appeared before his eyes, like the undulations of the sea.

A fish-skin book emerged from the ripples, followed by the Latin version, and finally, a ball of light.

[Sea Race Language (Beginner)]

Simply handing the translated version of the Mermaid Book to Mr. Red Grail seemed too mechanical and lacked a sense of mystery.

Arthur entered his dream, arrived at the Secret Sect Long Table, and returned the Mermaid Book to Mr. Red Grail.

He first browsed through the Mermaid Book (Latin), then mobilized the mist to replicate its contents.

Through the bestowal of the [Ritual], he transmitted the content directly into Mr. Red Grail's mind.

After finishing this, Arthur absorbed the "Sea Race Language," injecting the spirituality into his body, and the syllables of the ancient Sea Race emerged in his mind.

"I need to hurry and learn the occult languages, Old Latin and Ancient Hermetic Language."

Piranha.

Edmond Tide was resting when suddenly, the vague and majestic figure of Mr. Mansus appeared in his mind.

An intangible stream of knowledge flooded his consciousness, and the Mermaid Book dropped onto the floor out of thin air.

He closed his eyes to digest the contents of the Mermaid Book, an ancient tome recording the history of the ancient mermaid race, and whispered:

"The mermaid bloodline, the call of the sea, the ancient monarch—so that is how it is."

Edmond Tide opened his eyes, which were a deep, jewel-like blue, as the doubts that had plagued him for years were finally answered.

He closed his eyes and piously placed his hand over his heart: "Praise Mr. Mansus!"