Seeing " Admiral of Hell " Ludwell's reaction, Klein, like the surviving crew members on the " Black Tulip," could hardly believe his eyes.
He originally envisioned two scenarios:
One possibility is that Ludwell enlisted the help of Demigod from the Spirituality Religion to ambush Gehrman Sparrow. This is not impossible, Sequence 7 of the " Death " pathway is called " The Spirit Medium," which also has the ability to Danger Premonition.
Secondly, this " Admiral of Hell " was unprepared and resisted forcefully, which was easily dealt with by Mr. Azik.
Klein's plan was that, in the first scenario, Mr. Azik would deal with the Demigod while he hunted " Admiral of Hell " and obtained the second Marionette; in the second scenario, he would ask Mr. Azik to observe while he Manipulation the Marionette and fought Ludwell one-on-one. During this process, he would use " Creeping Hunger " to hide in various shadows and remain behind the scenes as much as possible to digest the " Marionettist " Potion more quickly.
Who knew that " Admiral of Hell " offered no resistance whatsoever, but instead prostrated himself on the ground and kissed the deck, as if he were Azik's most loyal and humble servant.
How can a fight even start like this...? Klein stared blankly ahead, unsure whether he should say something.
The entire ship was quiet.
Azik raised his hand to adjust the silk top hat on his head, and walked slowly toward Ludwell was kneeling on the ground.
One step, two steps, three steps, he stopped in front of " Admiral of Hell " Ludwell, and said in a low voice:
What stage has the Spirituality Religion's Artificial Death Project reached?
Ludwell pressed his forehead to the ground and answered hoarsely:
" The Artificial Death can now actively influence High-Sequence individuals who have failed their ascension, but it is not yet able to respond to prayers and rituals..."
After he finished describing it, he slightly raised his upper body, took off the square, dark ring he was wearing on his right hand, and presented it to the front with both hands.
Without a sound, the ring seemed to be carried by countless spirits, flying up on its own and landing in Azik's palm.
Azik examined the ring for a few seconds, then picked it up and put it on the index finger of his left hand.
Suddenly, a terrifying, profound, indescribable, and aloof feeling emanated from him. The Living Corpse and skeletons, some naked and some wearing tattered leather armor, all knelt down on one knee, lowered their heads, and seemed to only dare to look directly at his leather boots. The flying Wraith and shadows also fell to the ground and clung tightly to the deck. None of them Levitation in mid-air anymore.
One by one, the remaining pirates on the ship collapsed to the ground, burying their faces in the deck, not daring to raise them even slightly.
Klein stood at the other end, gazing at Mr. Azik's retreating figure and the vast, open scene before him. He opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Azik took two more steps forward, coming to the side of " Admiral of Hell," then turned to face Klein and said to Ludwell:
"You will serve as his Marionette for a year. When the time is up, you can return to the Spirit World."
Azik spoke these words casually, as if they had nothing to do with the " Admiral of Hell's" life, death, or future. Or perhaps, to him, it was just a trivial matter, and he didn't need to care about the feelings and thoughts of the person he was ordering.
Ludwell's body trembled violently, as if from anger and resentment, but he ultimately did not raise his head, keeping his forehead pressed tightly against the deck.
"Yes, Great Death Consul."
As soon as he finished speaking, mysterious symbols, rendered in shades of pale white and dark green, emerged one after another, intertwining to form an illusory bronze gate.
The bronze gate shrank rapidly, descending to the forehead of the " Admiral of Hell " and disappearing inside.
Klein looked on, somewhat bewildered and confused, until Mr. Azik nodded to him and pointed to " Admiral of Hell," before he mechanically stepped forward, entering the 10-meter range and Manipulation Ludwell's Spirit Body Threads.
The pirate general tried several times to spring up and swing his arms, but he didn't actually do it. Soon, his thoughts became sluggish, and he subconsciously struggled.
After a while, " Admiral of Hell " Ludwell, wearing a silver-white mask, stood up, lowered his head, and retreated to Klein's side, flanking " Winner " Enzo.
Azik watched quietly, and only at the end did he speak slowly:
"In the ' Death ' pathway, those in higher positions have a strong ability to suppress those in lower positions."
... It can be deduced that when I threw out your bronze whistle, even the " Admiral of Hell," Sequence 5, was completely unable to control his own undead creature... Klein nodded slightly, indicating that he remembered this matter.
Immediately afterwards, a rotting Living Corpse rose up, holding a blue cuff nail, and walked up to Klein.
This is the Merfolk Cufflink he lost!
Although it's of no use to me now, it's still back... Klein sighed inexplicably and reached out to take back the item that belonged to him.
Then he saw Mr. Azik walk back and reach out to grab his shoulder.
He quickly reached out and grabbed the shoulders of Enzo and Ludwell, the two Marionette.
All the colors then became richer, more vivid yet overlapping, and Klein, having entered the Spirit World, instinctively asked:
"Mr. Azik, where to now?"
" The Raging Sea," Azik replied calmly.
He paused, then added:
Give me that brass whistle.
"... Okay." Klein had the Marionette Enzo take out an iron cigarette case and retrieved an antique bronze whistle from inside.
As Azik reached out to take it, he said in a low voice:
"My intuition tells me that this ring left behind by Death, along with the bronze whistle and myself, should be able to find the place where Death fell in the Raging Sea."
Klein blurted out instinctively:
My dream told me that it was dangerous there.
"Perhaps we should first go to those members of the Spirituality Religion who are obsessed with the Artificial Death Project, obtain more detailed information from them, and then make a decision."
Azik paused for a few seconds before saying:
"There is a voice calling to me."
Klein turned his head to look at Mr. Azik, who had soft features, a bronze complexion, and weathered eyes. His facial features were taut, and there was no extra curve at the corners of his mouth.
Colored blocks flashed by as Azik led Klein swiftly into the Raging Sea region swept by a black Storm and streaked with dark lightning.
Just then, the dark, cold square ring and the exquisite, antique brass whistle simultaneously flickered with a faint light, illuminating Azik's face.
The " Death Consul " who survived the Quaternary period closed his eyes, listened quietly to the shouts coming from an unknown source, and then clenched his right hand tightly.
All the surrounding Spirit World scenery collapsed inward, transforming into a dark vortex that slowly rotated without any visible edge.
The vortex suddenly expanded, swallowing Azik, Klein, and the two Marionette.
Klein felt a sudden and intense dizziness and almost vomited on the spot.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally came to his senses and found himself in a dark and cold mausoleum, surrounded by open coffins, each containing a decaying corpse with white feathers growing on its back.
Although he had warned Mr. Azik, he still ended up here... Klein paused for a second, a sudden and overwhelming sense of helplessness welling up inside him.
He turned his head to look to the side and saw Azik standing nearby, gazing at the layers of steps leading into the depths of the mausoleum.
Thick black mist hung in the air, flowing slowly like smog.
"What's hiding there could very well be a man-made Death..." Klein couldn't help but add another reminder.
Azik's facial features were no longer so taut, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up as he said:
"My previous slumber brought back more memories. I saw myself sitting on the skull throne, and I saw the Beyonder and ordinary people who had died in front of the throne. They had done nothing wrong, and they just died suddenly. Then one by one they got up and became pale undead creatures, undead creatures that pledged allegiance to me."
"And I just watched coldly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, letting this disaster spread to the countryside and the cities."
"This makes me feel unlike myself, yet I also know very well that this might be the real me."
The " Death Consul " of the Fourth Age Balam Empire... Klein's lips moved slightly, then he pursed them tightly.
Azik raised his hand and rubbed his temple, continuing in a calm, even tone:
"I feel like I'm heading in that direction."
P. S.: This is an update before revisions; things will be back to normal tomorrow. I mainly got up and left home at 6:30 yesterday morning, and I simply couldn't write any more drafts last night, so I went to bed very early.