Splash!
Several figures were forced out of their stealth state, their bodies marked with traces of frost.
"How did you discover us?" The leader was Cole, but at this moment his face was filled with disbelief.
"Dead men don't need to know!"
A blood-red Devil's Dagger materialized in Leilin's hand, lending his entire appearance an added touch of sinister menace.
Whoosh!
His body blurred into an afterimage as he lunged toward the assassins.
"Damn it..." Feeling the sluggishness brought on by the frost, Cole's expression twisted into a grimace of fury. In the haze of his thoughts, he already knew who had betrayed them.
In the end, all he saw was a blinding flash of crimson light.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Using the Ice Storm's obstruction and the visual cover it provided, Leilin dispatched the assassins in an instant.
The enemy forces, already devastated by the Ice Storm, finally raised the white flag of surrender.
But Leilin could not be bothered to deal with the mundane tasks of having his men loot and bind the prisoners. He looked instead at the notification from his Chip: [Ding! Host has completed one Devil's Blood Dagger enhancement! Agility increased by 0.3!]
"0.3? Not bad. If this were converted to spiritual power, it probably wouldn't even amount to 0.0001!"
Leilin was quite satisfied. His spiritual power stat was already far too high for such marginal increases to matter, so he had turned his attention to his weak points instead.
With the Devil's Blood Dagger's ability, he was confident he could develop all his stats comprehensively, ultimately achieving a state of perfection!
Well, at least perfection for someone below level ten.
His current stats read: [Leilin Farell | Race: Human | Level 8 Mage | STR: 3.5 | AGI: 3.3 | CON: 4.5 | SPI: 8 | Status: Healthy | Talents: Tough, Learned | Spell Slots: 3rd-level (2), 2nd-level (4), 1st-level (???), 0th-level (???)]
"Master! All remaining resistance has been eliminated!"
At that moment, Kailen arrived at Leilin's side.
"Good. Also, send a message to the Temple of Murder. Tell them I've received their goodwill!"
A satisfied smile appeared on Leilin's face.
...
Faolan Island. Inside the temporary camp that Leilin had built.
"Sir! An unidentified fleet has been spotted approaching!" Jacob, who had been on patrol, suddenly received a panicked report from his subordinate.
"What? Pirates? All hands, battle stations!"
Jacob's face grew solemn. Out in the open seas, pirates were a species that would never go extinct. They were like a pack of ravenous wolves, preying on any ship and port that might yield wealth.
The urgent clang of bronze bells rang out. The slaves, urged on by the guards, quickly retreated into the wooden buildings, while the remaining guards drew their weapons and watched the distant sails with wary eyes.
But as the fleet drew closer, even Jacob found his jaw dropping, unable to speak for a long time.
Massive! They were far too massive! Three enormous ships, their decks crowded with dense clusters of figures, filled Jacob's mouth with bitterness. "This number would be enough to conquer the entirety of Faolan Island. Could it be those legendary three great pirate fleets?"
"The time to prove our loyalty to the family has come!"
Faolan gripped the weapon in his hand and let out a mighty shout.
"Long live Faolan!" "Long live!" The soldiers cried out in unison, but their voices were trembling with fear. A few guards had already begun eyeing routes of retreat — not everyone could face death with equanimity. Under the threat of death, all manner of things could happen.
The three ships approached without the slightest hesitation, but they did not fly any pirate flags. Instead, they looked like three large merchant vessels?
Merchant vessels? How was that possible? Jacob felt his brain struggling to keep up.
Just then, a figure leaped from one of the ships, soaring toward them like a great eagle.
"Flight spell! A mid-rank
Jacob's expression shifted several times, finally settling into a look of anticipation and wild joy. "It's the Young Master! The Young Master has returned!"
Amid the dispersing airflow, Leilin's figure came to a stop directly in front of Jacob. "You've done well with the camp."
From high above, he had already taken a brief survey of the camp and found that it had indeed been built according to his plans. It now had a solid foundation, ready to be continuously filled with people and slaves for his trading operations.
"Thank you for your praise! Actually, I owe it largely to the slaves — they've been working incredibly hard every day. It's just that there aren't quite enough of them..." Jacob placed his right hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"Don't worry about the slaves. I've brought plenty... along with other surprises! Prepare to send people to receive them!"
A hint of a smile played on Leilin's lips as a massive firework shot from his hand, forming a clear signal.
The three ships began to move slowly. Countless small boats were lowered, rowing toward shore in dense swarms like ants.
"Those three ships..." Jacob's pupils dilated slightly.
"Heh... those are Rhodes Trading Company vessels. I made a deal with them — purchased a large quantity of slaves and raw sugar..."
Leilin looked at the swarm of approaching boats but furrowed his brows.
"Over here!" He pointed toward a stretch of coastline. "We need to build a new dock. Previously we didn't have the manpower, but now that won't be a problem..."
Watching the endless stream of slaves, crate after crate of raw sugar, and even other construction materials being continuously ferried ashore, Jacob clenched his fists, his face flushing red.
He had no idea how this mysterious young master had obtained all of this, but that wasn't his concern, was it? As a subordinate, all he needed to do was carry out his superior's orders completely — that was enough!
Just from the scope of Leilin's plans, it was clear the young master intended to make a major move here!
"Jacob! Arrange the slaves we've brought — separate men and women into different quarters, keep watch on them, and don't let any trouble break out!"
Leilin's earlier planning had been extensive, with plenty of blank space deliberately left open, so accommodating these several hundred slaves was no problem at all.
Aside from the laborers who were still working, countless slaves — their faces blank with confusion, many gaunt and sallow — were driven into the camp enclosure made of pointed wooden stakes.
There, Nunukel — whom Leilin had previously appointed as head slave — was already directing the earlier batch of slaves to carry out vats of fish stew that had been cooked down to a thin gruel, serving it to the newcomers.
Upon seeing Leilin, Nunukel immediately threw himself at Leilin's feet, kissing the ground beneath him. "Respected Master! Nunukel pays his respects to you!"
"I hear you've been managing the slaves well. Good."
Leilin nodded. Nunukel was now wearing a linen outfit, which gave him a passable appearance of a commoner. A leather whip hung at his waist, its surface heavily worn — clearly it had seen plenty of use. The clothes and the whip together represented his elevated status and authority.
"Keep up the good work. I'll release you from your slave contract, grant you freedom, and even award you a plot of land."
When it came to those who defected to his side, Leilin was never stingy with rewards. It also served to set an example.
"Oh! Great Master! I praise you! Your mercy is as vast as the sea!"
Nunukel prostrated himself once more.
"Sir, all goods have been fully transferred. A total of two hundred and seventy-five slaves, one hundred loads of raw sugar! Plus various other living supplies — here is the accounting ledger..."
A man dressed in silk, his cuffs threaded with gold, approached Leilin.
"Mm. The numbers check out." Leilin merely glanced at the ledger for a moment before confirming there had been no tampering. In truth, the man wouldn't dare — he was a fence operating behind the Barbarian Pirate Group, and he understood all too well how formidable Leilin was.
Moreover, no matter what falsifications they might attempt, they could never hope to escape Leilin's eyes.
After reviewing the ledger, Leilin signed it without hesitation and stamped it with a uniquely shaped ring from his finger.
A dagger and a skull! The emblem of the Crimson Tiger Pirate Group!
The top of this ruby ring could be flipped open, revealing the pirate insignia exclusive to Leilin. It served as his credential for communicating with the Barbarian Pirate Group.
"Very well. The payment was already settled in advance. This transaction has been completed successfully. Pleasure doing business!"
Only after seeing Leilin's signature did the man let out a sigh of relief, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"Likewise." Leilin's gaze seemed distant, his thoughts already wandering to other matters.
Earlier, after departing from Pirate's Harbor, Leilin had swept through several more groups of pirates looking to pick up easy prey. Having established firm authority, he then rendezvoused with
Thanks to several major battles and the prisoners taken, by the time Leilin reunited with his cousin, his pirate band had undergone a complete transformation — now boasting three warships and nearly two hundred pirates under his command!
While many of the pirates still had the flavor of a rabble mob, there was no shortage of capable individuals among them. And if Leilin himself was counted, this newly formed pirate group had rightfully become the strongest force below the three great pirate fleets, even possessing the capital to challenge the larger fleets!
What followed required no further explanation.
Through intelligence from the Thieves' Guild and the Barbarians, Leilin led his men in a series of surprise attacks on several merchant ships belonging to the Louis Family, wiping out every crew member aboard. As for the cargo, it was naturally funneled through the Barbarian Pirate Group's channels, with the bulk sold to the Rhodes Trading Company in exchange for large quantities of slaves and resources.
Following the multiple engagements, the pirates needed time to rest and recover. Leilin smoothly transferred command to his cousin Isabel, appointing her as acting captain, with Hawk, One-Eyed Dragon, Giant, Kailen, and Ronald serving as her support, while he himself returned to the family's domain.