Chapter 36 A Black Flag! Third Update
Back on the shore.
Old Sea Dog indeed spotted a large ship that had run aground, but the hull was already cracked and leaking, even the mast had broken off, and there were the bodies of his crew on the beach, with survivors collecting the corpses. No matter what others said, regardless of their infamous identity as pirates, these men had fought back to back with him; they deserved a decent grave after dying in a shipwreck.
Old Sea Dog’s expression was somewhat sorrowful.
Although he indulged in vices, these subordinates were his own crew, many of whom had been with him for many years, and a few had even saved his life.
Now, they had all died here, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of suffocation in his heart!
These were the elite of Modo City, including seasoned veterans who had fought against other Pirate Kings. They hadn’t died at the hands of enemies but rather in a storm.
Thinking about it was truly poignant!
“Gather up the supplies.”
Old Sea Dog saw the body of a young man; he was the nephew of an old brother, who had followed him for a long time and had even received assassin training in Modo City; his skills were quite impressive. This young man, who should have had a bright future, had now turned into a cold corpse. Old Sea Dog crouched down to close his eyes, and the corners of his eyes couldn’t help but become slightly moist.
Nearly everyone was dead.
Among hundreds of brothers, who knows how many would survive!
Old Sea Dog wished he could slap himself a few times; the navigator had warned him of the approaching storm. However, he had wanted to arrive in the Eastern Kingdom sooner, leading to the fleet being caught by the terrifying storm without stopping to rest for a day. It would be a lie to say he felt no pain or guilt; the pirate veterans of Modo City had survived countless battles, their bonds forged in bl**d and fire when conquering other pirates. Now, so many had died or been injured, and even if he returned alive, he wouldn’t know how to explain it to Lord Soren!
Old Sea Dog didn’t remain dejected for long.
Soon, he stood back up. He said in a deep voice, “Everyone, gather what usable supplies you can! No matter what, we have to survive and leave this place.”
His subordinates quickly began to move.
With a leader, they had resolve, and the supplies on the broken ship were collected bit by bit.
“Boss!”
At that moment, a limping pirate approached Old Sea Dog, handing him a black flag and asking, “This thing is still here! Should we take it?”
The black flag!
The flag of Modo City!
“Of course!”
Old Sea Dog slapped him. He then snatched the flag, took a wooden stick, and planted it. The black flag flapped in the sea breeze on this unfamiliar land. Old Sea Dog stood on the beach, gazing into the distance, murmuring, “The black flag is still here! Our Sixth Fleet’s insignia hasn’t been extinguished!”
“When we encounter other pirates, we can still regroup.”
A subordinate beside him seemed confused, muttering, “Just the few of us? Can we swallow up other pirates?”
Slap.
Another slap landed.
Old Sea Dog glared at him, saying sternly, “Modo City can absorb other pirates just with a black flag!”
This statement was full of spirit.
However, Old Sea Dog still felt a little unsure; if it were on the Southern Coast, a black flag would surely be enough for those small pirate factions to cry and beg to join Modo City. But this was the Eastern Sea region, and he wasn’t sure if Modo City’s black flag had the same recruitment power here in this unfamiliar sea area.
Regardless.
The flag represents morale. This black flag cannot be lost!
………………
To the north of Spearwind Hills.
This is the territory of Baron Narros, a land backed by mountains that is neither very wealthy nor very conspicuous.
Among nobles, there are always some quirky individuals, and Baron Narros is one such person. He rarely interacts with other nobles, and his family has been passed down for hundreds of years. It has never declined but also has never risen. There isn’t enough fertile land here, so the taxes are not high, and the residents number only about half of other lord’s populations, many of whom still rely on hunting for a living.
But.
There are other things here.
The cold night wind blew out from the valley. Two young men, huddled together by a campfire, were keeping watch. The temperature dropped significantly at night, and being a somewhat different species, they were actually quite afraid of the cold.
Because they are Serpent People.
Born cold-blooded, no matter how well they disguise themselves, their nature cannot be changed.
“So cold!”
One young man drew closer to the fire, cursing lightly, “Has that b*tch Ulrika returned?”
“Yes,” the other man nodded.
The young man seemed to have a strong aversion to a woman named Ulrika, cursing, “Why hasn’t that ** died out there?”
“Last time on a mission,”
“So many people died and only she returned! She has felt strange ever since she came back! Then someone from the Church of Fear actually came looking for her!”
“If you ask me, the failure of the mission definitely has to do with her.”
“She should be executed directly!”
The companion beside him didn’t respond, which puzzled the young man. He turned to take a look and found the other staring blankly ahead, his expression seemingly shrouded in fear.
Terrifying!
This situation almost scared his hair to stand on end; glancing towards where his companion was looking, he suddenly felt a bit eerie.
Before him stood a little girl.
A very cute little girl, perhaps only around ten years old, dressed in a black princess dress, graceful legs clad in snowy stockings, wearing a pair of exquisite little leather boots. She smiled sweetly at the two of them, her smile so adorable it was like a little angel falling to earth. But everything before him made him involuntarily feel a chill all over, and even his body began to stiffen; an indescribable feeling of fear enveloped his heart.
“I finally found you,”
The cute little girl clapped her hands, murmuring to herself, “Vivian! Should we k*ll them, or should we k*ll them?”
A strange self-talk.
A certain power enveloped the two young Serpent People, making them want to scream but not able to make a sound.
“Lilian.”
The cute little girl stood there, talking to herself, whispering, “These two might have some usefulness. Serpent People are a very excellent race; maybe we can consider controlling them first and then go conquer the Church of Fear.”
“Alright.”
“Then let’s not k*ll them for now. Let’s go see another little toy.”
“Hehe!”
“Turns out the Church of Fear found our little toy; no wonder such things happened!”
A light breeze passed.
The two young Serpent People suddenly regained their senses, but the coldness still enveloped them.
Too terrifying!
Although she looked like a cute little girl, the aura around her was truly horrifying.
………………(To be continued ~^~)
