Chapter 142: Chapter 142

"Just as no one knew why that demon appeared in Nolan, we still have no idea what the cultists are plotting."

Mr. Black Cat said with a sigh of regret, but Mr. White Cat, beside him, added,

"We might never uncover the demon's plot, but the cultists are still alive. Some of them are even still in Nolan. We'll find out what they're up to eventually."

His words made sense. After all, the demon was dead. Jenkins's own divine power at the time hadn't been strong enough to forcibly read its memories, so the truth might remain buried forever.

"Nolan City is in such chaos. Unregistered Enchanters like us should be more careful. I wonder if anyone's considered leaving the city for a while." Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⦿fire.net

Mr. Black Cat continued with a sigh.

MrMagic, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up.

"According to legend, every few thousand years, certain places in the world experience massive outbreaks of Cursed Items. This means that location has been chosen by fate to become a stage for miracles, just like in the storybooks. The events of the past six months have already led some of the bolder among us to speculate whether Nolan City is becoming one of those legendary places—a crucible for heroes and villains alike. I believe the number of Enchanters drawn here will only continue to grow."

Mr. Black Cat demanded.

"The higher an Enchanter's level, the slower their progress. There will always be those who need a few... 'incidents' to help them along."

MrMagic remarked sarcastically, but no one could argue with her logic.

After Jenkins reached the second level, his Eye of Reality had indeed undergone another beneficial change. Now, when he observed different Enchanters, he could see that the points of light representing them were all rotating, each with a unique direction and speed. This allowed him to move beyond simply identifying people by the color and number of their auras, which would help avoid unnecessary surprises.

Still, of everyone present, he could only identify Skylark Miss. The true identities of the others remained a mystery.

MrMagic's "legend" was accepted as her contribution of information for the gathering, and the trading session began.

The newcomer, Mr. White Cat, offered the learning method for a [White Basic] ability, [Paper Blade]. Jenkins had the money, but not enough free ability slots, so he remained silent. Just like last time, he subtly cooled the air around his fist with Frost Punch to signal to Skylark Miss that he had her item, then watched as the other four began to trade various materials among themselves.

MrMagic had acquired the [Stardust Shard] crystal before the last gathering, but Jenkins hadn't been there. This time, they finally completed the trade. The item was a thirty-degree prismatic cone that looked like an exquisitely crafted piece of glass. But suspended within its transparent depths was a faint blue trace, like a wisp of the deep night sky, shimmering with a peculiar power.

Jenkins handed over a 100-krone banknote. MrMagic paused, clearly surprised. "Foreign currency?"

"That's right. I'm not from around here, so I still have some foreign cash on me. At the current exchange rate, you're not losing out."

When Jenkins had first attended the gathering, he'd made a point of mentioning he was new to Nolan, so the excuse was perfectly plausible.

The five of them continued to methodically exchange their spare materials. Under the eerie moonlight, their secret gathering remained unknown to the world.

Having accomplished his goal for the evening, Jenkins paid little attention to the others and turned his gaze toward the sea. He had been in this world for so long, yet this was the first time he had a chance to quietly admire the captivating ocean.

In the distance, a black dot appeared on the horizon.

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" he wondered.

Jenkins thought with surprise. But the black dot was undeniably growing larger.

"Everyone, sorry to interrupt," he said quickly, "but is there something out there?"

The other four stopped what they were doing. Jenkins saw a red point of light flicker in front of Mr. White Cat.

His eyesight was clearly better than the others'.

"It's moving fast, and there's only one person aboard. Crap, he's heading right for us!"

He didn't need to say it. Jenkins could now see a small wooden raft, moving as if powered by a diesel engine, hurtling directly toward their cargo ship.

Standing on the raft was a man wearing a black eyepatch. He was laughing maniacally, his right hand holding up a bottle filled with some murky liquid. A short-sleeved shirt, stretched tight over his brawny muscles, was emblazoned with a black skull.

Someone yelled, and Jenkins immediately leaped over the ship's rail.

While in the water, he heard a muffled crash, followed by a rain of splintered wood and debris splashing down around him.

Jenkins swam to the docks and laboriously pulled himself onto the shore. His companions were all nearby. In the moonlight, the crazed man stood laughing on his now-flying raft. The massive cargo ship they had been on was completely obliterated.

No ordinary collision could have done that.

"B-04-5-1120, the Flying Sea Soul Ship. It's an instant kill against any ordinary vessel."

Mr. Hood's voice was low, water dripping from the brim of his hood. "That's the pirate king, Femishue."

That was Jenkins's first thought. Nolan's status was comparable to one of the great port cities of his previous world. A city like that, while coastal, should never have to deal with pirates like Somalia. Nolan was supposed to be the same. The naval power commanded by Marquis Mikhail was nothing to scoff at.

The so-called pirate kings were the commanders of the seven most powerful pirate fleets on the endless oceans. Legend had it they were all blessed by the sea itself and thus despised the land. To Jenkins, they were figures from bedtime stories, no different from cultists or man-eating wolves—things he had only ever heard about.

"Well, what a surprise! Five little rats!"

the man boomed with laughter. "Offer your souls to the sea!"

The docks were remote, but the sound of a massive ship being destroyed couldn't possibly have gone unheard in the dead of night. Jenkins didn't know what made this pirate king so confident, daring to take on five Enchanters at once, but he wasn't about to just wait to be killed.

Amid the pirate's raucous laughter, the once-calm sea began to churn violently. Waves crashed against the docks, throwing up a curtain of mist.

A low chant rose from beside him. Jenkins turned to see Mr. Black Cat holding a short staff. A fierce wind whipped up from nowhere, instantly scattering the mist.

A sudden sense of dread seized him. Jenkins instinctively dropped his head just as something whistled through the air where it had been moments before.

He blinked, and a thin white chain, glowing with a faint red light, shot out from Femishue's hand, extending like a coiling serpent.

Mr. White Cat and Jenkins fell back together. Mr. Hood, however, charged forward. He shot out a hand, grabbed the chain, and roared. With a tremendous burst of force, he stomped his foot, cracking the ground, and yanked back, actually pulling Femishue right off his flying raft.

The chime of a bell rang out from behind him—it was Skylark Miss and her instrument again.

It felt as if they had all been struck in the head by something heavy. Everyone stumbled and fell to the ground. The black-robed young woman immediately threw several glowing talismans at the falling pirate.

Jenkins recognized them—exploding talismans.