778 thod of Arrival
Lumian had already looked through the information Franca had gathered and could guess her reasoning for this choice: Howl Constantine-Admiral Deep Sea-with rumored sea monster blood, often went to an island called "Banamo" west of the Fog Sea for supplies. A few days ago, soone spotted Howl Constantine's flagship, the Newins, surfacing on a route to Banamo, allowing the crew to breathe fresh air and enjoy their precious freedom.
Based on the distance, speed, route conditions, and weather in the Fog Sea, it was estimated that the Newins would reach Banamo in about two to three days.
Among all the Pirate Admirals, he was the only one with a predictable trajectory in the near future!
"We can give it a try," Lumian responded nonchalantly to Franca's suggestion.
Having participated in battles at the demigod level and played a significant role, he felt that which Pirate Admiral they targeted didn't matter much as long as they could locate him.
Franca glanced at Lumian and mumbled, "I think there's sothing wrong with your attitude. You can't underestimate the best of the Sequence 5s. You're not a demigod yet, and your body is still fragile.
Underestimating Admiral Deep Sea could cost you dearly. There's a saying from my holand: Strategically, you can underestimate your enemy, but tactically, you must respect them."
"I know. Aurore used to remind of that, telling not to underestimate the villagers' intelligence and think my pranks would always succeed without problems. After being chased by them a few tis, I understood it well." Lumian said earnestly, "Your holand also has another saying: Weakness and ignorance aren't barriers to survival, but arrogance is."
"Stop!" Franca grumbled. "As long as you know it; don't turn this into an exchange of famous sayings."
Seeing they had decided on the target, Jenna spoke up, "The problem now is, how do we get to Banamo Island?"
Banamo, located in the northwest of the Fog Sea, was once a Feysac Empire colony. Later, as the Feysac Empire declined and the natives of Banamo resisted actively, the island gained independence.
It helped that Banamo lacked valuable resources and was only a base for exploring the Fog Sea's end. Giving it up wasn't a big loss.
After gaining independence, Banamo developed into a pirate haven, offering a place for pirates to trade and resupply.
Jenna's point was clear: Even with clear routes and good weather, it would take two to three weeks to sail from Trier to Banamo. Any issues requiring detours or delays could stretch the journey to a month. By then, Admiral Deep Sea would likely have left Banamo, and finding a Pirate Admiral on the open sea would be almost impossible without a stroke of fate.
Given the circumstances, only teleportation could ensure the team reached Banamo in ti to wait for Admiral Deep Sea Howl Constantine. However, neither Lumian nor Franca had the spirit world coordinates for Banamo Island, making long-distance teleportation impossible without getting lost in the spirit world.
Lumian thought for a mont and asked Franca, "Can we contact anyone on Banamo Island?"
"We should be able to. There's a telegraph office on Banamo Island," Franca answered thoughtfully. "We can ask adventurers who've been to Banamo to send a telegram to their friends on the island."
Lumian chuckled. "Good. If everything goes well, we can arrive at Banamo Island tonight."
...
Banamo Island in the Fog Sea, shrouded in perennial fog and gloomy weather.
In the island's only port, Mason, carrying a bundle of items, navigated through the bustling pirates and entered an abandoned warehouse.
The warehouse had been destroyed in a pirate skirmish and never repaired, becoming a desolate spot.
Mason was an adventurer who despised the brutal and ruthless pirates but couldn't leave Banamo because the pirate haven was full of opportunities.
Even if he didn't hunt down solitary, bounty-carrying pirates, he could wait for pirate feuds to end and take the remaining goods from the losers.
This was how he beca a Beyonder, now a Sequence 8 Pugilist.
(Amonoculus' note: From the Twilight Giant Pathway)
Today, Mason took on a task supposedly very simple but with a reward of 1,000 verl d'or, seeking a secluded place to complete it.
He quickly cleared the pile of broken wooden crates, stacking them to form an altar.
Following the task description, he placed candles, incense, and essential oils on the altar.
After the preparations, Mason took out the neatly folded task description and read the next steps, "The most challenging part of this task is the necessary knowledge, including basic ancient Hers and proficient Hers. If you don't et these conditions, don't take the commission..."
Fortunately, I learned so ancient Hers and enough Hers from other adventurers... Mason felt lucky for his past decision when taking this task.
It wasn't that he was more studious than other adventurers, but the items he had previously acquired involved Hers. To understand their true value, he had paid an adventurer proficient in Hers to teach him for a while.
After quickly reading the second half of the task description, Mason assessed the potential dangers and felt confident it wouldn't be a big problem.
He then arduously created a wall of spirituality, lit the candles, dripped the incense, and took two steps back, chanting in ancient Hers, "I!"
This was one of the few words he knew in ancient Hers.
He then switched to Hers:
"I summon in my na:
"A creature wandering above the world, the penitent who awakens from the flas of pain, a ssenger that belongs solely to Lumian Lee..."
As Mason finished, the candle flas surged, turning a deep green, almost black.
In the firelight, a tall figure in a black clergyman's robe erged.
Mason took a step back in fear at the sight.
The figure's exposed parts seed long scorched by flas, with blackened flesh and skin clinging to the bones. Its eye sockets were dark, burning with deep-colored flas, and its body was oozing a viscous black fluid like water.
It looked like an undead creature!
Mason had seen similar beings in Banamo Port, as so pirates were adept at communicating with corpses. However, the summoned Penitent made Mason instinctively fearful, sensing it was fundantally different from ordinary undead.
Even the Pirate Admirals who had visited Banamo Port hadn't given Mason this feeling!
Seeing the dried corpse in a black clergyman's robe looking at him, Mason shakily handed over the letter.
His task was to deliver a letter to soone nad Lumian Lee!
The blackened, burning corpse ssenger took the letter and disappeared into the dark-green candlelight.
The abandoned warehouse returned to normal.
Mason wiped his cold sweat and muttered to himself, "This seems more complicated than I thought... I've heard of people being lured into special rituals, summoning evil gods or devils, destroying themselves and their towns... Was that what just happened? Is a catastrophe coming to Banamo Port? Is Lumian Lee the true na of an evil god or demon?"
won Mason had previously seen that the ritual only summoned a ssenger, unrelated to evil gods or demons. As a Sequence 8 Beyonder, he had taken the risk, but the ssenger made him uneasy.
Muttering to himself, Mason cleaned up the items on the altar.
Suddenly, he stopped and frowned.
"I think I've heard the na Lumian Lee sowhere before..."
He tried to recall but couldn't rember.
Before leaving the abandoned warehouse, Mason glanced back at the makeshift altar, seeing shadows shifting within the broken crates.
His heart tightened. Pretending he hadn't seen anything, Mason quickly left the warehouse.
In Trier, within Quartier de la Cathédrale Commémorative, in the apartnt rented by Franca and Jenna.
Lumian saw Penitent Baynfel step out of the void and hand hima letter.
He didn't even open it, knowing it contained only blank paper.
He asked his ssenger, "Can you deliver a reply to the sender?"
"I can," Penitent Baynfel answered in a low voice.
Lumian smiled and pointed to himself.
"Lam the reply."
In the foggy Banamo Port, Lumian leaned against the outer wall of the abandoned warehouse, watching the sender walk out with a fearful expression and quickly leave.
He smiled, took a golden straw hat from the Traveler's Backpack, looked at it for a mont, and put it back.
Having the famous adventurer Louis Berry appear here would arouse unnecessary suspicion and might cause Admiral Deep Sea Howl Constantine to change his destination and avoid Banamo Port.
Lumian straightened up, tightened his thick jacket, and walked slowly along the streets of Banamo Port, his hands in his pockets.
He planned to take a look around before returning to fetch Franca and the others.
Trier, late at night.
Angoulê arrived at the agreed-upon empty house to retrieve ergency contact information from Hidden Blade.
He quickly found the note and read its contents: "In case of ergency, summon my friend's ssenger: "Rabbit-shaped spirit that wanders about the unfounded, a runner who pursues knowledge, a ssenger that belongs solely to the Seven of Cups."
Seven of Cups... From the Tarot Club? Hidden Blade, your friend is you, right? Angoulê muttered to himself.
He felt he understood why Hidden Blade always had so many troubleso matters.
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