Mark

Biodata

Background

Mark originates from the Red Sea, a region of countless closely spaced islands. He belongs to the Storm Lineage, whose members may be blown by storms into other sea regions once each year; this hereditary curse displaced him into the Seven Seas. He drifted at sea for roughly a month before the Black Knife rescued him. 10 11 12

He introduced himself to Hawkins as a homeless ronin and accepted a ninety-day position for one silver coin per day. Both men immediately recognized that the other was exceptional: Hawkins noticed Mark’s immense weight, unusual appetite, and lack of surprise at Julian’s talking-bat form, while Mark suspected Hawkins was physically stronger than himself. 10

Mark originally intended to spend three months experiencing pirate life, then kill Hawkins and leave piracy behind. Hawkins’s refusal to plunder civilians, combined with his growing strength and willingness to trust Mark, gradually changed that plan. 13 16 17

Mark later learns that he is not the original Mark who entered the Seven Seas. The original was destroyed during the first cycle of the Seven Seas, while the current Mark is one of the repeated reconstructions produced across its subsequent cycles. Although he initially suffers an identity crisis, Hawkins maintains that his shared bloodline, memories, and continued existence mean that he is still genuinely Mark. 158 160

Nearly ten thousand years have passed in the Red Sea. Mark’s parents, younger sister Ma Lian, and other relatives are therefore long dead. He ultimately decides that he cannot resurrect them as a replacement for the original Mark, but resolves to free them from the Hunting King’s enslavement if he becomes strong enough. 158 159

Appearance

Mark is described as tall and handsome, with a clean, neat appearance more reminiscent of a nobleman than a pirate. 10

• His body weighed roughly five times that of an ordinary person when he boarded the Black Knife. 10
• He can chew and swallow fish bones and consumed five large fish immediately after his rescue. 10
• His physical constitution allows unusually rapid recovery from catastrophic injuries, especially when aided by Hawkins’s treatment. 15
• During Resonant Fusion, he can assume a werewolf-like form; his anger-based form is wreathed in silver lightning. 54 70
• His Curse Spirit originally resembled a silver werewolf, but after fusing with Arkham’s spirit and Greedy Wolf’s Claw, it became the death-god-like weapon spirit Anubis. 159

Personality

Mark is curious, adaptable, and initially treats piracy as an opportunity to experiment with an unfamiliar identity. His wish to “try being a villain” reflects his displacement and lack of belonging rather than a genuine desire for cruelty; he accepts Hawkins’s moral boundaries even while teasing him for being unlike a conventional pirate. 13

He is proud of his strength but capable of reassessing himself after defeat. The meteor hammer’s ability to wound him and George’s effortless blow both expose the limits of his Curseguard, leaving him more cautious and determined to improve. Repeated defeats, including those against Liquid Man, Peng Jiesi, and Conrad, gradually make him more alert to unusual abilities and less likely to underestimate non–Curse Casters. 14 41 42 53 131

Mark’s loyalty to Hawkins develops from practical cooperation into genuine submission. When Hawkins became defenseless during his Curse Caster transformation, Mark considered killing him, then rejected betrayal and accepted Hawkins as his captain. He later regards Hawkins as both a mentor and the person he must follow if he wishes to surpass the Storm Lineage’s ancestors. 17 106

He is also blunt, playful, theatrical, and easily embarrassed, particularly regarding romance. His attraction to Jennie, brief infatuation with Unia, and later hope that an alternate Jennie might accept him all reveal his tendency to form extravagant fantasies of marriage and family from minimal affection. 32 50 138 206

Despite this immaturity, Mark is protective of those he considers family. He shields Arthur during the Liquid Man attack, risks himself to protect Martin from the Looting Emperor, and increasingly accepts responsibility for Martin after learning that the boy is his biological son. 53 140 273 274

Abilities & Skills

Curse Power and Curseguard

As a first-rank Curse Caster, Mark possesses Curse Power and the automatic defense known as Curseguard. His Curse Power can extend up to 100 meters. 12 18

• Curseguard prevents ordinary opponents from harming him while he has sufficient Curse Power. 12
• He can temporarily suppress the curses of Cursed Relics, though stronger relics consume his Curse Power rapidly. 15
• The meteor hammer bypassed his defense and inflicted severe injuries. 14
• George’s Negative Curse Power neutralized Mark’s positive Curse Power, allowing George to incapacitate him with a single strike. 41
• Hawkins explains that Curse Power functions through probability and is constrained by the user’s subconscious assumptions; Mark’s difficulty fighting underwater stemmed partly from his belief that he could not breathe there. 54
• After repeated battles, Mark becomes capable of rapidly concentrating his Curse Power at vital moments, allowing him to survive Conrad’s Black Ice with only a shallow neck wound. 131

Silver Wolf

Mark’s original Curse Spirit was Silver Wolf, a silver werewolf-like entity used for offense and defense. 21

• Silver Wolf’s claws can extend into curved blades roughly three meters long. 21
• Its attacks were initially unseen by Hawkins and rapidly destroyed Joyce’s paper figures. 11 21
• Silver Wolf possesses formidable invisibility and excels at mid-to-close-range combat. 39
• It can swiftly dismember Long-Haired Demons and eliminate ordinary killers. 39 46
• Silver Wolf can merge with Mark during Resonant Fusion, producing a powerful but mentally unstable werewolf transformation. 54 55
• Mark’s inherited Wolf Curse Spirit is connected to the Hunting King of the Dream Realm. Storm Lineage members bearing such spirits function as coordinates for the Hunting King and risk assimilation into its wolf pack after death. 158

Resonant Fusion

Mark can enter Resonant Fusion, a state in which his emotions resonate with the memories and final desires contained in his Cursed Relics. 55

• His first transformation occurs while fighting Liquid Man, when his desire to survive and his romantic fixation on Jennie trigger Silver Wolf’s merger with his body. 54
• The transformation grants him enhanced speed, strength, claws, endurance, and the ability to pursue Liquid Man across the sea, but leaves him feral, obsessive, and initially unable to remember his actions. 54 55
• Hawkins discovers that the memories of Osborn, Wallace, and Baisangni had merged into Mark’s consciousness. Reframing those memories as third-person experiences restores Mark’s mental clarity. 55
• Mark later achieves an anger-based Resonant Fusion, becoming Thunder Wolf. This form combines Silver Wolf with his Electricity-Generating Cells, wraps his body in lightning, and gives him limited electromagnetic control over his movement. 70
• He can also use a weapon-based Fusion Transformation with the Sky-Piercer Halberd, distinct from Curse Caster Resonant Fusion. 132

Anubis

Anubis is Mark’s weapon spirit, formed when the spirit of a former Arkham Lineage patriarch fuses with Silver Wolf and Greedy Wolf’s Claw. 158 159

• Anubis resembles a death god and can instantly appear beside Mark when he enters combat, even while remaining in Eternal Space at other times. 159 160
• He can switch positions with Mark through their connected Curse Power. 159
• He can create a poisonous Golden Spear; only Anubis can cure its poison. 159
• His Soul-Devouring Kiss enables him to consume enemies. By devouring the gray wolf released during the fusion, he increases Mark’s Curse Power and gains Hunter’s Scent. 159
• Anubis can grow through devouring enemies and helps Mark advance, though he greatly exceeds Mark in direct sparring skill. 160

Sky-Piercer Halberd and Electricity

Mark wields the Sky-Piercer Halberd, an exceptionally durable and sharp Exclusive Weapon that can release powerful electrical attacks. 102 131

• He can throw the halberd into an opponent’s grasp and electrocute them, a theatrical tactic he calls Flying Divine Current. 106
• Mark’s natural electrical resistance lets him employ destructive lightning attacks at close range with less danger to himself than to his enemies. 131
• He uses the weapon’s lightning to injure Dream Realm Creatures, Mist Wraiths, and powerful sea monsters. 150 270
• Although Mark favors the halberd for its flashy appearance, its length can be impractical in confined combat. 131 140

Combat Ability

Mark is the Black Knife’s designated combatant and can defeat ordinary armed opponents with little effort. 11 46

• He destroyed Joyce’s supposedly invulnerable paper constructs and split Joyce apart. 11
• He fought alongside Hawkins’s crew against the Blackedge Pirates and Black Market assassins. 35 46
• He can be overpowered by enemies with exceptional destructive force, specialized relics, or opposing Curse Power. 14 40 41
• His combat style becomes more deceptive after repeated losses; he studies opponents’ weaknesses, uses feigned vulnerability, and adapts his lightning to unusual bodies and environments. 53 106 150
• By the Sea of Heroes campaign, he can construct the Never-Falling Fortress with the Rock Necklace, protect coastal settlements while limiting collateral damage, and destroy large numbers of mutated sea creatures with lightning. 270
• He remains vastly weaker than World BOSS-level entities such as the Looting Emperor, who kills him and Maning despite their combined resistance. 274

Storm Lineage Curse

Mark’s lineage is associated with storms and involuntary displacement between sea regions. 11 12

• Each year, one Storm Lineage member may be blown into another sea region. 11
• The curse can place its bearer in lethal or isolated locations; Mark’s exile to the Seven Seas is one such outcome. 12
• The lineage’s widespread Wolf Curse Spirits are a legacy of their ancestors’ service to the Hunting King, making their inheritance both a source of power and a fatal spiritual liability. 158

Cursed Relic Appraisal

Mark has practical expertise with Cursed Relics and Curse Casters despite admitting that his knowledge is limited by his first-rank status. 12 15

• He identified the functions of relics including a tracking ring, appraisal eye, transformation necklace, and root-controlling cane. 15
• He recognized the meteor hammer as a relic beyond Fierce Grade and near Death-Tier. 15
• He explained the Dream Realm, Qi-Suppressing Stones, Curse Power, and Curse Caster advancement to Hawkins. 12 18

Power Progression

Story Role / Major Arcs

Recruitment and the Vitalian Pursuit

After being rescued from the sea, Mark joins Hawkins as a paid combatant. He proves his value by destroying Joyce and his paper army, then becomes Hawkins’s principal source of information on Cursed Relics and Curse Casters. 10 11 12

During the Pliskin Island ambush, Mark tries to stop the meteor hammer with his bare hand. The attack nearly kills him, and Hawkins must stabilize his shattered arm and pierced chest. Mark later assists in identifying the attackers’ relics and the Qi-Suppressing Stone recovered from their ship. 14 15

Hawkins’s Transformation

Mark advises Hawkins through the process of becoming a Curse Caster. While Hawkins is unconscious and vulnerable, Mark abandons his former intention to kill him and formally accepts him as captain. 16 17

Eternal Space Crew

Mark enters Eternal Space with Hawkins’s growing crew, signs the group contract, and is assigned to train Arthur and the children as sailors. He becomes heavily invested in the Exchange Point system, accepting cleaning tasks to afford biological upgrades and weapons. 33

He later becomes the Blackblade Pirates’ second mate and combat chief, renames the former Rogers vessel the Mark, and leads stronger pirates on Exchange Point missions. 85 86

Conflict with Jabus

Mark accompanies Hawkins and Victor onto Vitalia Island, using Silver Wolf to kill Long-Haired Demons. He is later severely injured when George’s Negative Curse Power negates his defense, forcing Hawkins to treat and evacuate him. 39 40 41

During a later expedition through alternate manifestations of Jabus’s domain, Mark tries to befriend an alternate Jennie rather than fight her. She rejects him because of her own traumatic history with an alternate Mark, ultimately choosing to return to Eternal Space with Qiao Si. Hawkins later kills Jabus, ending his rule and causing the island’s corrupted flesh to decay. 206

Black Market Island

Mark accompanies Hawkins during the campaign against Black Market Island’s hidden powers. He kills the Red-Clad Team and numerous bounty hunters, survives an underground battle with Xiao Yaojin, and remains Hawkins’s primary combatant during the confrontation with Robucci’s insect army. 43 46 47

Liquid Man and Resonant Fusion

While Hawkins is away at the Lost Ark, Mark protects Arthur from Liquid Man’s attack on the Black Knife. Liquid Man drags him beneath the sea and exploits Mark’s unconscious belief that he cannot survive underwater. 53 54

Jennie’s encouragement drives Mark into a survival-based Resonant Fusion with Silver Wolf. He severely wounds Liquid Man and kills one of his divided portions, but collapses after the battle. Hawkins later repairs Mark’s damaged memories and identifies the transformation as Resonant Fusion. 54 55

Mist Sea and Identity Crisis

While exploring the Mist Sea’s repeating shipwrecks, Mark’s consciousness or projection disappears from the Black Knife while his original body remains in Eternal Space. The contradictory messages sent through the Chat Group indicate that he has become trapped within an artificial or distorted reality. 148

During the resulting events, Mark encounters An Lian and Kulu in a story-bound mist realm, fights the Mist Wraith and Love Demon Coffin, and works with Hawkins’s contingency, Mr. Backup. The Mist Sea also produces alternate Marks, including one who refuses Hawkins’s offer of rescue because he cannot bear to coexist with another version of himself. 149 150 153

Mark’s later discovery that he is a recurring reconstruction rather than the original Mark devastates him. Hawkins nevertheless persuades him to accept Eternal Space as his family and continue living as himself. 158 160

Anubis and the Tower of Mobius

Hawkins recruits the spirit of a dead Arkham Lineage patriarch as a replacement weapon spirit for Mark’s compromised Wolf Curse Spirit. The fusion creates Anubis, whose abilities and devouring potential substantially increase Mark’s future prospects. 158 159

Mark and Anubis train together after the fusion, though Anubis overwhelmingly outclasses him. They later enter the Tower of Mobius, the former Curse Caster Academy, where they face ancient trials and a giant skeleton protected by immense Curse Power. 160 166 167

Sea of Heroes and Fatherhood

In the Sea of Heroes, Mark defends Tide Village and nearby settlements from mutated sea creatures. He creates the Never-Falling Fortress along the coast and becomes a heroic father figure to Momo, who considers him her father despite not being his biological daughter. 270 271

Victor’s bloodline testing reveals that Mark’s biological child is instead Martin, an orphan from Tide Village. Mark confirms Martin’s parentage, chooses to take responsibility for him, and begins trying to guide the boy despite their initially distant relationship. 271 272 273

When the Looting Emperor attacks the Sea of Heroes, Mark fights beside Maning and attempts to evacuate Martin. He is killed protecting his son from the Black Sun, but later revives through his veteran-player resources. 274 298

A decade later, Mark has forgotten Martin amid his many responsibilities and children, creating tension when he encounters his now-grown son. Martin, meanwhile, views Mark’s strength as a benchmark he intends to surpass. 299 300

Relationships

• Hawkins — Captain, employer, teacher, and eventual trusted leader. Mark initially planned to kill him after experiencing pirate life, but abandoned that intention and pledged himself to Hawkins during the Curse Caster transformation. Hawkins later guides him through Resonant Fusion, resolves his memory instability, reveals the truth of his identity, and helps him obtain Anubis. 10 13 17 55 158 159
• Jennie — Fellow crew member for whom Mark has enduring romantic feelings. He becomes protective of her after Qiao Si’s death and is embarrassed when Hawkins exposes his attraction. Jennie’s encouragement triggers his first Resonant Fusion, though Mark’s later attempt to transfer his feelings to an alternate Jennie ends in rejection. 32 39 50 54 206
• Anubis — Mark’s weapon spirit and combat partner, formerly an Arkham Lineage patriarch’s spirit. Their partnership is based on shared Curse Power, mutual trust, training, and Anubis’s ability to appear instantly when Mark fights. 159 160 167
• Arthur — Trainee sailor under Mark’s instruction and someone Mark treats like a younger brother. Mark protects Arthur from Liquid Man, blocks Aldrich’s attack on him, and becomes deeply distressed when illusions make him believe Arthur has died. 33 53 140 207
• Momo — Mark’s adoptive daughter in all but blood. Although genetic testing proves that she is not his biological child, she firmly regards him as her father and admires him as a hero. 270 271
• Martin — Mark’s biological son. Mark initially mistakes Momo for his child, then confirms Martin’s parentage and chooses to take responsibility for the orphaned boy. Their relationship remains strained after Mark forgets him for years, while Martin resolves to become strong enough to punish and surpass his father. 271 273 298 299 300
• Ai Miye — Fellow member of Hawkins’s found family. She warns Mark about the unpleasant point-earning tasks in Eternal Space, frequently teases him about romance, and criticizes his irresponsibility toward Martin. 33 95 299
• Julian — Hostile captive whom Mark dismisses as noisy; Julian distrusts Mark because of his noble background and association with pirates. Mark later recognizes distorted Bat People as forms resembling Julian. 10 11 203
• Joyce — Enemy noble agent killed by Mark after his paper figures fail to penetrate Mark’s Curseguard. 11
• Victor — Temporary ally and later fellow crew member. Mark teases him over his fear of Jabus but fights beside him during the search for Jabus. Victor later discovers Martin’s parentage and helps Mark investigate the truth. 39 41 271 272
• Unia — A woman who briefly deceives Mark into imagining a future marriage and family with her. When he realizes that she serves Aldrich and is attempting a honey trap, his infatuation turns into fury and he severely wounds her. 138 139
• Aldrich — Lord of Yazhong Island and Unia’s master. Aldrich attempts to interrogate and kill Mark, but Mark protects Arthur and uses the Sky-Piercer Halberd to strike Aldrich’s shadow-like body. 139 140

Notable Quotes

“I don't care about good, evil, right, or wrong. Since I'm the Black Knife's combatant, leave this one to me.” 11

“Who am I? I'm merely a wandering man with no home to return to.” 11

“Sorry, but I happen to be a Curse Caster.” 150

“The captain is wise. Little brats should study properly instead of always thinking about fighting and killing.” 68